Richard B. Gump South Pacific Research Station

01 Oct, 01 PM - 20 Nov, 12 PM

We will be completing recurring studies with the Silbiger Lab Respiration Chamber Structure that will be transported to the UCB Gump Station on Mo’orea to examine the impact elevated nutrients have on coral species sensitivity to climate change. Coral colonies will be collected and maintained for each recurring study and used to understand the physiological mechanisms affected by elevated nutrients and temperature. We will be holding the coral fragments in an artificial structure at high and low nutrient sites before each respiration experiment. Thermal performance curves will be used to measure rates of photosynthesis, respiration and net calcification to quantify the responses corals have to elevated nutrients and temperature. The corresponding results will be published in a manuscript and shared further with the scientific community through conferences. Based on previous research investigating thermal performance in various organisms (Schulte et al. 2011; Sinclair et al. 2012), we expect corals exposed to elevated nutrients to have increased photosynthetic and respiration rates with decreased net calcification rates. This research can provide us insight into the influence of elevated nutrients on the physiological responses of coral reefs to temperature influxes overtime which will ultimately determine their sensitivity to climate change. Additional time and resources will also be devoted to collecting and analyzing water samples for nutrient levels around Mo’orea. With our findings, we will be able to provide information on the effects elevated nutrients and temperature have on coral species on reefs in French Polynesia in the face of climate change. By comparing coral species thermal tolerance we can understand which coral communities in French Polynesia will be better suited to withstand the stresses of elevated temperatures over time. Furthermore our study will help future studies understand the gradient of nutrient levels occurring within Mo’orea coral reef communities and how they may affect coral community health in the future.

Visit #64078 @Richard B. Gump South Pacific Research Station

Approved

Under Project # 43545 | Research

Elevated nutrients on coral reefs

graduate_student - University of Rhode Island

Reservation Members(s)

Danielle Becker Oct 1 - Nov 20, 2019 (51 days)
Group of 1 Research Assistant (non-student/faculty/postdoc) Oct 1 - Nov 20, 2019 (51 days)

Reserve Resources(s) | Create Invoice

Bed in shared room 1 Oct 1 - Nov 30, 2019
Bed in shared room 1 Oct 1 - Nov 30, 2019