Differing Responses of Three Scleractinian Corals from Phuket Coast in the Andaman Sea to Experimental Warming and Hypoxia

An unprecedented decline in the diversity and health of coral reefs is occurring around world as they are threatened by multiple global local stressors. Rising seawater temperature low dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions expected to intensify a result climate change. Understanding responses corals these stressors necessary for making predictions devising mitigation strategies. The three species—Porites lutea, Montipora tuberculosa, Pocillopora verrucosa—were sampled from Patong Bay, Phuket, Thailand, representatives different morphologies. Coral nubbins were subjected experimental investigation under ambient (29 °C, DO > 6 mgL?1), heat stress (32 °C), hypoxia (DO < 2 + treatments. Photosynthetic performance indicators Fv/Fm Fv/F0 physiological parameters Symbiodiniaceae density, pigment concentration, growth rate quantified. We found P. verrucosa (branching) be most sensitive severely affected or hypoxia, more so than lutea (massive) M. tuberculosa (tabular). combination had less impact on species, except tuberculosa. This study also suggests that respond differently high oxygen, with their sensitivity depending species. These responses, however, may differ according lighting, especially hypoxic conditions. results fill research gap help predict vulnerability species shallow reef habitats change scenarios.