Unraveling the Resistance and Resilience of Southwestern Atlantic Coral Reefs: An Analysis of Responses to Climate Change via Functional Aspects of Autotrophy and Heterotrophy

• Grant number: 24/09251-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Miguel Mies
• Grantee: Aline Shimada da Cruz
• Host Institution: Instituto Oceanográfico (IO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Coral reefs are among the most diverse and biologically productive marine ecosystems. Despite their extreme ecological and socio-economic importance, reef systems are increasingly threatened by climate change, facing an unprecedented loss of biodiversity and structure due to the increase of seawater temperatures. The present work aims to investigate the features displayed by Southwestern Atlantic reefs to withstand thermal stress. Recognizing the coral holobiont - the coral and its endosymbionts - as an integrated unit, we will explore four key avenues in this proposal: (i.) the diversity and functional roles of Symbiodiniaceae in the singular context of Southwestern Atlantic reefs; (ii.) the global relationship between Symbiodiniaceae functional diversity and coral bleaching incidence; (iii.) the energy metabolism of bleached corals submitted to an exclusively heterotrophic feeding; and (iv.) how coral holobionts maintain their energetic homeostasis during prolonged thermal anomalies associated with El-Niño events. These avenues of investigation will be addressed through literature reviews, meta-analyses, laboratory experiments and in situ data collections, ensuring an integrated approach that utilizes a variety of methodologies. By examining the nutritional autotrophic role of Symbiodiniaceae, and the heterotrophic capacities of coral hosts, this proposal intends to provide crucial insights into the resistance and resilience of Southwestern Atlantic coral reefs. Additionally, the findings will inform important mitigation strategies and conservation efforts for these marine ecosystems and their ecological services.