Fig 1.
Map of shallow (10 m) and upper mesophotic (30 m) sampling sites in Bermuda.
Sites were used for adult Porites astreoides colony collection and juvenile transplantation.
Fig 2.
Flow-through of experimental design for experiments 1 and 2.
In Experiment 1, Symbiodinium consortia were determined for shallow and upper mesophotic Porites astreoides adult colonies and planulae. Juveniles of shallow parental origin were reared in situ on the shallow and upper mesophotic reef and were examined for specific growth rates and Symbiodinium phylotype combinations. In Experiment 2, Symbiodinium consortia and specific growth rates were determined for shallow and upper mesophotic planulae and ex situ reared juveniles.
Table 1.
PCR primers used in this study.
Fig 3.
Symbiodinium phylotype composition of field-collected shallow and upper mesophotic adult Porites astreoides.
There was no significant difference in Symbiodinium phylotype frequency between depths.
Fig 4.
Symbiodinium phylotype composition in various Porites astreoides life stages reared in situ (A) and ex situ (B). (A) Symbiodinium phylotype composition of shallow P. astreoides adults, their brooded planulae, and newly settled juveniles reared in situ on shallow (10 m) and upper mesophotic (30 m) reefs. Symbiodinium phylotype frequencies differed significantly between (1) adults and planulae, (2) planulae and juveniles transplanted to the shallow reef, (3) planulae and juveniles transplanted to the upper mesophotic reef, and (4) between juveniles transplanted to the different depths. There was no difference in Symbiodinium phylotype frequencies between adults and juveniles transplanted to different depths. (B) Symbiodinium phylotype composition of planulae and ex situ, reared juvenile P. astreoides. No difference was found in Symbiodinium phylotype frequency of (1) planulae or juveniles from different parental depths or (2) between planulae and juvenile.
Table 2.
Tukey-type multiple comparison of proportions of Symbiodinium phylotype frequencies in P. astreoides life stages.
Fig 5.
Specific growth of in situ and ex situ reared Porites astreoides.
Specific growth of juvenile P. astreoides reared on shallow (10 m) and upper mesophotic (30 m) reefs (in situ) did not differ using transplant depth and Symbiodinium phylotype combinations as factors (left). Specific growth of shallow and upper mesophotic juvenile P. astreoides reared in outdoor aquaria (ex situ) also did not differ (right). Both treatments of in situ reared juveniles (left) had significantly higher growth rates than both treatments of ex situ reared juveniles (right). Shaded bars represent mean specific growth (% growth d-1) ± SE.