Red light represses the photophysiology of the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata

Light spectrum plays a key role in the biology of symbiotic corals, with blue light resulting in higher coral growth, zooxanthellae density, chlorophyll a content and photosynthesis rates as compared to red light. However, it is still unclear whether these physiological processes are blue-enhanced o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2014-03, Vol.9 (3), p.e92781-e92781
Main Authors: Wijgerde, Tim, van Melis, Anne, Silva, Catarina I F, Leal, Miguel C, Vogels, Luc, Mutter, Claudia, Osinga, Ronald
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal sciences
Animals
Anthozoa - physiology
Anthozoa - radiation effects
Aquaculture
Aquariums
Biological effects
Biology and Life Sciences
Biosynthesis
Cell cycle
Chlorophyll
chlorophyll biosynthesis
Coral growth
Coral reefs
Corals
Density
Experiments
Fisheries
Gene expression
green fluorescent protein
Health
Irradiance
Laboratory animals
Light
Light levels
Microorganisms
Oceanography
Phenotype
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis - physiology
Photosynthesis - radiation effects
Physiological aspects
pigments
Proteins
reef-building corals
Seawater
Spectrum allocation
Studies
Stylophora pistillata
Survival
Symbiodinium
zinc toxicity
Zooxanthellae
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Summary:Light spectrum plays a key role in the biology of symbiotic corals, with blue light resulting in higher coral growth, zooxanthellae density, chlorophyll a content and photosynthesis rates as compared to red light. However, it is still unclear whether these physiological processes are blue-enhanced or red-repressed. This study investigated the individual and combined effects of blue and red light on the health, zooxanthellae density, photophysiology and colouration of the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata over 6 weeks. Coral fragments were exposed to blue, red, and combined 50/50% blue red light, at two irradiance levels (128 and 256 μmol m(-2) s(-1)). Light spectrum affected the health/survival, zooxanthellae density, and NDVI (a proxy for chlorophyll a content) of S. pistillata. Blue light resulted in highest survival rates, whereas red light resulted in low survival at 256 μmol m(-2) s(-1). Blue light also resulted in higher zooxanthellae densities compared to red light at 256 μmol m(-2) s(-1), and a higher NDVI compared to red and combined blue red light. Overall, our results suggest that red light negatively affects the health, survival, symbiont density and NDVI of S. pistillata, with a dominance of red over blue light for NDVI.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0092781