Resilience to periodic disturbances and the long-term genetic stability in Acropora coral

Terracotta settlement tiles were deployed at 18 sites at six of seven reef slope locations monitored through permanent transect sites on the Scott Reef systems. During nine years between 1996 - 2013 settlement tiles were deployed and collected after one month either side of the coral spawning. At each of the sites, groups of six settlement tiles (10 cm x 10 cm) were spaced at 60 m along the permanent transect site, at distances of 30 - 100 cm apart (n-108 tiles total). Density of colony sizes and growth and survival of colonies were recorded. Tissue samples were collected from 982 colonies of a corymbose Acropora (Acropora sp.) at five timepoints (2004, 2009, 2014, 2015, and 2021 for microsatellite genotyping and whole genomes sequencing.

本研究于斯科特暗礁（Scott Reef）体系的7个监测礁坡点位中的6个，依托永久样带站点，在18个采样点位布设了陶质珊瑚定居附着板（settlement tiles）。1996年至2013年的九年间，研究人员均在珊瑚产卵期前后各1个月的时段内布设并回收该附着板。在每个采样点位，沿永久样带以60米的间隔布设6块一组的定居附着板（10 cm × 10 cm），组内单块板间距为30~100厘米，总计布设附着板108块（n=108）。研究记录了珊瑚群落的体型密度、生长状态与存活情况。此外，研究人员分别于2004、2009、2014、2015及2021年五个时间点，从982株伞房状鹿角珊瑚（corymbose Acropora，Acropora sp.）中采集组织样本，用于微卫星基因分型（microsatellite genotyping）与全基因组测序（whole genome sequencing）。