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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Biology Open

Early life stages of stress-tolerant corals (Favites spp.) exhibit tolerance to acute thermal stress

  • Jeffry A. Jeve1,2
  • Jacqueline L. Padilla-Gamiño3
  • Maria Vanessa Baria-Rodriguez1,2
  1. 1Marine Science Institute, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, 1101 Quezon City, Philippines
  2. 2Bolinao Marine Laboratory, Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, 2406 Bolinao, Pangasinan
  3. 3School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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Abstract

The Bolinao-Anda Reef Complex (BARC) in northwestern Philippines is one of the most heavily impacted reef systems in the Philippines, experiencing recurring marine heat waves and declining water quality due to coastal development and mariculture. As ocean warming and declining water quality continue, stress-tolerant coral species are expected to become increasingly dominant. Understanding how these corals respond to elevated temperatures in the early stages is critical for predicting future reef trajectories. In this study, we examined survival and development of embryos, settlement and survival of larvae, and survival of recruits of the stress-tolerant corals Favites abdita and Favites colemani collected from BARC under control (28°C) and elevated (33-35°C) temperatures. In both species, elevated temperature did not significantly affect embryo survival and development, larval survival and settlement, or recruit survival. Results show that early stages of Favites development can tolerate temperatures ranging from 28 to 35°C. These findings support the classification of Favites spp. as stress-tolerant corals capable of persisting in BARC despite repeated thermal anomalies. While early life stages exhibited short-term thermal tolerance, further research is needed to determine whether thermally exposed recruits experience long-term physiological or ecological trade-offs.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{jeve2026early,
  title = {{Early life stages of stress-tolerant corals (Favites spp.) exhibit tolerance to acute thermal stress}},
  author = {Jeffry A. Jeve and Jacqueline L. Padilla-Gamiño and Maria Vanessa Baria-Rodriguez},
  journal = {Biology Open},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1242/bio.062748},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1242/bio.062748},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Early life stages of stress-tolerant corals (Favites spp.) exhibit tolerance to acute thermal stress
AU  - Jeffry A. Jeve
AU  - Jacqueline L. Padilla-Gamiño
AU  - Maria Vanessa Baria-Rodriguez
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/20
JO  - Biology Open
DO  - 10.1242/bio.062748
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1242/bio.062748
AB  - The Bolinao-Anda Reef Complex (BARC) in northwestern Philippines is one of the most heavily impacted reef systems in the Philippines, experiencing recurring marine heat waves and declining water quality due to coastal development and mariculture. As ocean warming and declining water quality continue, stress-tolerant coral species are expected to become increasingly dominant. Understanding how these corals respond to elevated temperatures in the early stages is critical for predicting future reef trajectories. In this study, we examined survival and development of embryos, settlement and survival of larvae, and survival of recruits of the stress-tolerant corals Favites abdita and Favites colemani collected from BARC under control (28°C) and elevated (33-35°C) temperatures. In both species, elevated temperature did not significantly affect embryo survival and development, larval survival and settlement, or recruit survival. Results show that early stages of Favites development can tolerate temperatures ranging from 28 to 35°C. These findings support the classification of Favites spp. as stress-tolerant corals capable of persisting in BARC despite repeated thermal anomalies. While early life stages exhibited short-term thermal tolerance, further research is needed to determine whether thermally exposed recruits experience long-term physiological or ecological trade-offs.
SN  - 2046-6390
ER  -