TY - JOUR
T1 - Stylophora under stress: A review of research trends and impacts of stressors on a model coral species.
AU - Meziere, Zoe
AU - Rich, Walter A
AU - Carvalho, Susana
AU - Benzoni, Francesca
AU - Moran, Xose Anxelu G.
AU - Berumen, Michael L.
N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2021-12-14
Acknowledgements: This project was supported by baseline funding from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) provided to M.L.B and X.A.G.M. Aditional funding from the KAUST visiting student research program supported Z.M. We thank the three anonymous reviewers for improving the quality of the manuscript.
PY - 2021/11/15
Y1 - 2021/11/15
N2 - Sometimes called the "lab rat" of coral research, Stylophora pistillata (Esper, 1797) has been extensively used in coral biology in studies ranging from reef ecology to coral metabolic processes, and has been used as a model for investigations into molecular and cellular biology. Previously thought to be a common species spanning a wide distribution through the Indo-Pacific region, "S. pistillata" is in fact four genetically distinct lineages (clades) with different evolutionary histories and geographical distributions. Here, we review the studies of stress responses of S. pistillata sensus lato (clades 1-4) and highlight research trends and knowledge gaps. We identify 126 studies on stress responses including effects of temperature, acidification, eutrophication, pollutants, and other local impacts. We find that most studies have focused on the effect of single stressors, especially increased temperature, and have neglected the combined effects of multiple stressors. Roughly 61% of studies on S. pistillata come from the northern Red Sea (clade 4), at the extreme limit of its current distribution; clades 2 and 3 are virtually unstudied. The overwhelming majority of studies were conducted in laboratory or mesocosm conditions, with field experiments constituting only 2% of studies. We also note that a variety of experimental designs and treatment conditions makes it difficult to draw general conclusions about the effects of particular stressors on S. pistillata. Given those knowledge gaps and limitations in the published research, we suggest a more standardized approach to compare responses across geographically disparate populations and more accurately anticipate responses to predicted future climate conditions.
AB - Sometimes called the "lab rat" of coral research, Stylophora pistillata (Esper, 1797) has been extensively used in coral biology in studies ranging from reef ecology to coral metabolic processes, and has been used as a model for investigations into molecular and cellular biology. Previously thought to be a common species spanning a wide distribution through the Indo-Pacific region, "S. pistillata" is in fact four genetically distinct lineages (clades) with different evolutionary histories and geographical distributions. Here, we review the studies of stress responses of S. pistillata sensus lato (clades 1-4) and highlight research trends and knowledge gaps. We identify 126 studies on stress responses including effects of temperature, acidification, eutrophication, pollutants, and other local impacts. We find that most studies have focused on the effect of single stressors, especially increased temperature, and have neglected the combined effects of multiple stressors. Roughly 61% of studies on S. pistillata come from the northern Red Sea (clade 4), at the extreme limit of its current distribution; clades 2 and 3 are virtually unstudied. The overwhelming majority of studies were conducted in laboratory or mesocosm conditions, with field experiments constituting only 2% of studies. We also note that a variety of experimental designs and treatment conditions makes it difficult to draw general conclusions about the effects of particular stressors on S. pistillata. Given those knowledge gaps and limitations in the published research, we suggest a more standardized approach to compare responses across geographically disparate populations and more accurately anticipate responses to predicted future climate conditions.
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10754/673876
UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0048969721067152
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85120164024&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151639
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151639
M3 - Article
C2 - 34780827
SN - 0048-9697
SP - 151639
JO - The Science of the total environment
JF - The Science of the total environment
ER -