Average yearly extension rate, calcification rate, and density for each core sample from Porites cf. lobata coral at Palau's Rock Islands

Ocean warming is killing corals, but heat-tolerant populations exist; if protected, they could replenish affected reefs naturally or through restoration. Palau's Rock Islands experience consistently higher temperatures and extreme heatwaves, yet their diverse coral communities bleach less than those on Palau's cooler outer reefs. Here, we combined genetic analyses, bleaching histories, and growth rates of Porites cf. lobata colonies to identify thermally tolerant genotypes, map their distribution, and investigate potential growth trade-offs. We identified four genetic lineages of P. cf. lobata. On Palau's outer reefs, a thermally sensitive lineage dominates. The Rock Islands harbor two lineages with enhanced thermal tolerance; one of which shows no consistent growth trade-off and also occurs on several outer reefs. This suggests that the Rock Islands provide naturally tolerant larvae to neighboring areas. Finding and protecting such sources of thermally-tolerant corals is key to reef survival under 21st century climate change. This dataset contains the average yearly extension rate, calcification rate, and density for each core sample.

海洋暖化正导致珊瑚死亡，但自然界中存在耐热珊瑚种群；若对这些种群加以保护，它们可通过自然增殖或人工修复的方式补充受影响的珊瑚礁。帕劳岩石群岛常年承受更高水温与极端热浪冲击，但其多样的珊瑚群落的白化程度，却低于帕劳较为凉爽的外礁海域。本研究结合拟叶状微孔珊瑚（Porites cf. lobata）群落的遗传分析、白化历史与生长速率数据，旨在鉴定耐热基因型、绘制其分布图谱，并探究潜在的生长权衡效应。研究团队共鉴定出4个拟叶状微孔珊瑚遗传谱系。在帕劳外礁海域，热敏性谱系占据主导地位。岩石群岛则拥有两个耐热性增强的谱系；其中一个谱系未表现出明确的生长权衡效应，且同时分布于数处外礁海域。这一结果表明，岩石群岛可向邻近海域自然释放耐热幼虫。发现并保护这类耐热珊瑚种群资源，是21世纪气候变化背景下珊瑚礁存续的关键所在。本数据集包含了每份岩芯样本的年平均扩展速率、钙化速率与密度。