Variation in photosynthesis and respiration in geographically distinct populations of two reef-building coral species

Abstract

Studies of the regulation and importance of physiological processes such as coral photosynthesis and respiration on coral reefs require knowledge of spatio-temporal patterns of variability at different scales. Oxygen microelectrodes were used to measure photosynthesis and dark respiration of 2 corals, Pocillopora damicornis and Turbinaria reniformis, in the northern (Lizard Island) and central (Davies and Broadhurst Reefs) regions of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in winter and summer. Genetic characterisation of Symbiodinium revealed that P. damicornis hosted a single symbiont type (Symbiodinium C1) in both regions, whereas T. reniformis harboured 2 types, dependent on location. Colonies at L..