Acropora hyacinthus gamete gene expression and DNA methylation

Parental provisioning and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance are two mechanisms by which information from the environment experienced by the adults can be transmitted to offspring. This is particularly critical information for sessile, reef building corals, as environmental-performance mismatch can be detrimental, and preconditioning may provide beneficial acclimatory capacity. Here using a transplant experiment, we examined the impact of sites with differing thermal variance on the reproductive capacity (fecundity, egg size, eggs per bundle, and sperm motility) of adult Acropora hyacinthus colonies in Mo'orea French Polynesia, as well as mechanisms whereby environmental information can be transmitted across a generation (maternal egg mRNA and sperm DNA methylation).