Li Shu, Yu Ke-fu, Shi Qi, Chen Tian-ran, Zhao Mei-xia
Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Marginal Sea Geology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.
Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao. 2009 Sep;20(9):2289-95.
In an experimental temperature-regulated mesocosm, the low water temperature tolerance of five dominant scleractinian coral species Pavona decussate, Acropora pulchra, Acropora florida, Acropora valida, and Porites lutea in Sanya Bay was investigated, and their responding modes to the cold water stress were analyzed. The tolerance of test corals to low water temperature was closely related to their morphologies, with the branching corals being the most vulnerable to bleaching and death by separating the symbiotic polyps from their skeletons. The lethal low water temperature for branching Acropora corals was 14 degrees C lasting for 3 days, and that for foliose P. decussate was 12 degrees C lasting for 10 days. Massive P. lutea corals responded to low water temperature by forming mucus membrane, which helped to prevent the further losing of symbiotic algae. The corals showing strong tolerance to high water temperature also had strong tolerance to low water temperature, and had similar responding modes to both high and low water temperature, i.e., the corals didn't extend their tentacle first, followed by the continuous release of mucus and the discharge of symbiotic zooxanthellae, and finally, bleached and died.
在一个实验性温度调节的中型生态系统中，研究了三亚湾五种优势造礁珊瑚物种——十字牡丹珊瑚（Pavona decussate）、美丽鹿角珊瑚（Acropora pulchra）、佛罗里达鹿角珊瑚（Acropora florida）、粗壮鹿角珊瑚（Acropora valida）和黄孔珊瑚（Porites lutea）的低温耐受性，并分析了它们对冷水胁迫的响应模式。受试珊瑚对低温的耐受性与其形态密切相关，分支状珊瑚最容易因共生息肉与其骨骼分离而白化和死亡。分支状鹿角珊瑚的致死低温为14℃，持续3天，而叶状十字牡丹珊瑚的致死低温为12℃，持续10天。块状黄孔珊瑚通过形成黏液膜来应对低温，这有助于防止共生藻类的进一步流失。对高温耐受性强的珊瑚对低温也有较强的耐受性，并且对高温和低温具有相似的响应模式，即珊瑚不会先伸展触手，随后持续释放黏液并排出共生虫黄藻，最终白化死亡。
