Distinct Phenotypes Associated with Mangrove and Lagoon Habitats in Two Widespread Caribbean Corals, <i>Porites astreoides</i> and <i>Porites divaricata</i>

As coral reefs experience dramatic declines in cover throughout the tropics, there is an urgent need to understand role that non-reef habitats, such as mangroves, play ecological niche of corals. Mangrove habitats present a challenge reef-dwelling corals because they can differ dramatically from adjacent reef with respect key environmental parameters, light. Because variation light within known drive intraspecific differences phenotype, we hypothesized species exploit both and mangrove will exhibit predictable phenotypes between habitats. To investigate how variation, driven by either local adaptation or phenotypic plasticity, might enable particular these two qualitatively different habitat types, compared widespread Caribbean corals, Porites divaricata astreoides, versus lagoon on Turneffe Atoll, Belize. We document significant colony size, color, structural complexity, corallite morphology In every instance, prop root exhibited consistent trends P. astreoides. believe this study first diversity occupying lagoonal patch A difference capacity adopt alternative phenotype well suited may explain why some while others cannot.