Predictive models for the selection of thermally tolerant corals based on offspring survival

Wild corals were collected on the Northern and Central regions of the Great Barrier Reef at depths of ~4m. The colonies were transferred to the National Sea Simulator at AIMS. Spawning occurred on 26th to the 29th of November 2018, and experiments were carried out from Nov 2018 until March 2019.

Thermal heat test experiments were conducted following coral spawning and purebred / hybrid offspring were produced. Larvae were reared and subjected to a heat tests. Larval survival was counted from 0 to 56 hours at 27°C and 35.5°C.

Larvae were then induced to settle, exposed to symbionts and then exposed to heat stress. Both larvae and juveniles were sampled for survival, counted at 0 and after 58 days at 27 and 32°C treatments.

Individual larvae were counted within replicate net-wells, in replicate, plates within each temperature treatment. Each larval survival measurement represents a discrete sample measurement.

Juvenile survival, bleaching and growth were assessed, survival statistical analyses were run in R (v. 3.6.0) and amplicon Miseq and RNAseq sequencing of Symbiodiniaceae taxa in coral juveniles.

See Quigley & van Oppen (2022) for full details.