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.
Aquaculture and Fisheries Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University and Research centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands;Aquaculture and Fisheries Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University and Research centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands;Biological Oceanography, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, 't Horntje, The Netherlands;Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal;Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, University of Georgia, Savannah, Georgia, United States of America;Philips Lighting, BG Light Sources & Electronics LED Platform Development, Eindhoven, The Netherlands;Philips Lighting, BG Light Sources & Electronics LED Platform Development, Eindhoven, The Netherlands;Aquaculture and Fisheries Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University and Research centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Recommended Citation:
Tim Wijgerde,Anne van Melis,Catarina I. F. Silva,et al. Red Light Represses the Photophysiology of the Scleractinian Coral Stylophora pistillata[J]. PLOS ONE,2014-01-01,9(3)