Live physiology and tissue biochemistry assessment in Pocillopora acuta after 6 years under two distinct (ambient minimum winter and future warming) temperature regimes

In July 2015 specimens of the coral Pocillopora acuta have been sampled at the reef flat Luminao, Guam, at 1-2 m water depth. Larvae released from the mother colonies were collected and then allowed to settle and grow under two different temperatures (elevated 31°C and ambient 29°C). Surviving recruits from 31°C and 26°C were maintained either under the same elevated temperature of 31°C or under ambient winter temperatures of 26°C for six years, respectively, before assessment of their performance under the respective maintenance temperature. This allowed us to assess long-term trade-offs in coral performance specifically, as a response to living under temperature conditions exceeding their natural long-term maximum summer monthly mean temperature.