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Moderate nutrients and future warmer wintertime temperatures have a net positive effect on the physiology of three species of coral from the southern Great Barrier Reef.

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Title: Moderate nutrients and future warmer wintertime temperatures have a net positive effect on the physiology of three species of coral from the southern Great Barrier Reef.
Authors: Levas, Stephen1,2 (AUTHOR) levass@uww.edu, Price, Nicole1 (AUTHOR), Anthony, Kenneth3 (AUTHOR), Grottoli, Andréa2 (AUTHOR) grottoli.1@osu.edu
Source: Coral Reefs. Jun2026, Vol. 45 Issue 3, p1379-1391. 13p.
Subject Terms: *Temperature effect, *Corals, *Coral reefs & islands, *Climate change, *Coral reef biology, *Acropora, *Scleractinia
Geographic Terms: Great Barrier Reef
Abstract: High nutrient concentrations as well as elevated temperature above summer mean monthly maximums have significant negative impacts on the physiology of the coral holobiont. However, moderate nutrient concentrations (< 6 μmol L−1 NO3− and 0.40 μmol L PO43−) have been shown to have a positive effect on coral and endosymbiont physiology and to minimize or mitigate the negative effects of summertime elevated temperature. As the oceans continue to warm, corals will face elevated temperatures in winter as well as summer. Yet, few studies have assessed the potential impacts of increases in winter temperature on corals and none have evaluated the possible mitigating or exacerbating effect of nutrients during warmer winters of the future. Here, we tested the effects of elevated temperature and moderate nutrients for 22 days during the winter on Montipora monasteriata, Acropora muricata, and Pocillopora damicornis in a fully factorial experiment with two seawater temperatures (average winter temperature and projected winter temperature later this century of + 4 °C) and two nutrient levels (ambient nutrients and moderate nutrients of + 4.0 μmol L−1 NO3− and + 0.20 μmol L−1 PO4−3). Coral tissue δ15N composition indicated that the added nitrate was taken up by the algal endosymbionts and transferred to the coral host in all three species under both temperature regimes. All three species significantly differed in their physiological profiles (chlorophyll a, protein, lipids, carbohydrates, biomass, and δ13Ch-e) and had species-specific physiological responses to the individual and synergistic effects of increased wintertime temperatures and moderate nutrients. Montipora monasteriata and A. muricata increased one or more energy reserves in response to the individual effects of moderate nutrients or increased temperatures. Pocillopora damicornis shifted their trophic status toward greater photoautotrophy under the combined effects of moderate nutrients and increased temperatures. Overall, our results indicate an overall net positive species-specific physiological responses to the individual and combined effects of moderate nutrients and increased winter temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Database: Energy & Power Source
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  Availability: 0
Header DbId: enr
DbLabel: Energy & Power Source
An: 194723234
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
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  Data: Moderate nutrients and future warmer wintertime temperatures have a net positive effect on the physiology of three species of coral from the southern Great Barrier Reef.
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Levas%2C+Stephen%22&quot;&gt;Levas, Stephen&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;1,2&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;i&gt; levass@uww.edu&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Price%2C+Nicole%22&quot;&gt;Price, Nicole&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;1&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Anthony%2C+Kenneth%22&quot;&gt;Anthony, Kenneth&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;3&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Grottoli%2C+Andr&#233;a%22&quot;&gt;Grottoli, Andr&#233;a&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;2&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;i&gt; grottoli.1@osu.edu&lt;/i&gt;
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;JN&quot; term=&quot;%22Coral+Reefs%22&quot;&gt;Coral Reefs&lt;/searchLink&gt;. Jun2026, Vol. 45 Issue 3, p1379-1391. 13p.
– Name: Subject
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  Data: *&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Temperature+effect%22&quot;&gt;Temperature effect&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Corals%22&quot;&gt;Corals&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Coral+reefs+%26+islands%22&quot;&gt;Coral reefs &amp; islands&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Climate+change%22&quot;&gt;Climate change&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Coral+reef+biology%22&quot;&gt;Coral reef biology&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Acropora%22&quot;&gt;Acropora&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Scleractinia%22&quot;&gt;Scleractinia&lt;/searchLink&gt;
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Great+Barrier+Reef%22&quot;&gt;Great Barrier Reef&lt;/searchLink&gt;
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: High nutrient concentrations as well as elevated temperature above summer mean monthly maximums have significant negative impacts on the physiology of the coral holobiont. However, moderate nutrient concentrations (&lt; 6 μmol L−1 NO3− and 0.40 μmol L PO43−) have been shown to have a positive effect on coral and endosymbiont physiology and to minimize or mitigate the negative effects of summertime elevated temperature. As the oceans continue to warm, corals will face elevated temperatures in winter as well as summer. Yet, few studies have assessed the potential impacts of increases in winter temperature on corals and none have evaluated the possible mitigating or exacerbating effect of nutrients during warmer winters of the future. Here, we tested the effects of elevated temperature and moderate nutrients for 22 days during the winter on Montipora monasteriata, Acropora muricata, and Pocillopora damicornis in a fully factorial experiment with two seawater temperatures (average winter temperature and projected winter temperature later this century of + 4 &#176;C) and two nutrient levels (ambient nutrients and moderate nutrients of + 4.0 μmol L−1 NO3− and + 0.20 μmol L−1 PO4−3). Coral tissue δ15N composition indicated that the added nitrate was taken up by the algal endosymbionts and transferred to the coral host in all three species under both temperature regimes. All three species significantly differed in their physiological profiles (chlorophyll a, protein, lipids, carbohydrates, biomass, and δ13Ch-e) and had species-specific physiological responses to the individual and synergistic effects of increased wintertime temperatures and moderate nutrients. Montipora monasteriata and A. muricata increased one or more energy reserves in response to the individual effects of moderate nutrients or increased temperatures. Pocillopora damicornis shifted their trophic status toward greater photoautotrophy under the combined effects of moderate nutrients and increased temperatures. Overall, our results indicate an overall net positive species-specific physiological responses to the individual and combined effects of moderate nutrients and increased winter temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1007/s00338-026-02854-7
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 13
        StartPage: 1379
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Temperature effect
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Corals
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Coral reefs & islands
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Climate change
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Coral reef biology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Acropora
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Scleractinia
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Great Barrier Reef
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Moderate nutrients and future warmer wintertime temperatures have a net positive effect on the physiology of three species of coral from the southern Great Barrier Reef.
        Type: main
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      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Levas, Stephen
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Price, Nicole
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Anthony, Kenneth
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Grottoli, Andréa
    IsPartOfRelationships:
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          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 06
              Text: Jun2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 07224028
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              Value: 45
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Coral Reefs
              Type: main
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