EAGER: Towards establishing trait-based phenotypes for Symbiodiniaceae algae within reef corals - A low-cost approach using an open-source instrument platform.

As worldwide coral bleaching events continue to increase in severity and frequency, new techniques are desperately needed to help us better understand how individual Symbiodiniaceae species are functionally different from one another and how this contributes to the current patterns of thermal susceptibility and tolerance observed across reef systems. The PI’s newly developed prototype instrument would enable researchers to exploit differences in the relative abundance and use of photopigments, and their response to fluctuating light to resolve species-specific functional traits within algae.

The need for standardized tools that help predict bleaching vulnerability and improve our understanding of thermal tolerance was highlighted in a NSF sponsored coral bleaching workshop held in July of 2016.

The PIs request funding use the PI’s prototype fluorometer to assess photo-physiological differences across over 30 different species of coral currently grown within land-based nurseries. Production of a large data set which matches phenotype to genotype is critical for ground truthing the instruments ability to resolve functional differences across Symbiodiniaceae species.

The PI will also further optimize the instrument for underwater deployment so that coral/algal symbioses may be queried in-situ. The end product would be a highly versatile and low-cost instrument platform readily accessible to both researchers and conservation/restoration focused groups.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.