Breakdown in spawning synchrony: a silent threat to coral persistence
Abstract
The impacts of human and natural disturbances on coral reefs are typically quantified through visible damage (e.g., reduced coral coverage as a result of bleaching events), but changes in environmental conditions may also cause damage in less visible ways. Despite the current paradigm, which suggests consistent, highly synchronized spawning events, corals that reproduce by broadcast spawning are particularly vulnerable because their reproductive phenology is governed by environmental cues. Here, we quantify coral spawning intensity during four annual reproductive seasons, alongside laboratory analyses at the polyp, colony, and population levels, and we demonstrate that, compared with historical data, several species from the Red Sea have lost their reproductive synchrony. Ultimately, such a synchrony breakdown reduces the probability of successful fertilization, leading to a dearth of new recruits, which may drive aging populations to extinction.
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Reef corals are losing this critical reproductive synchrony, likely due to anthropogenic impact.
“Unfortunately, reef corals are losing this critical reproductive synchrony, likely due to anthropogenic impact [22,23].”
From The Still Dark Side of the Moon: Molecular Mechanisms of Lunar-Controlled Rhythms and Clocks (2020) · cites this paper as [23]
Anthropogenic impacts (light pollution, temperature changes, architectural barriers) likely cause complex chronobiological changes that are endangering the world's ecosystems as we know them, and possibly human health.
“complex chronobiological changes likely caused by anthropogenic impacts (i.e. light pollution, temperature changes, architectural barriers) that are endangering the world's ecosystems as we know them [22,23], and possibly human health”
From The Still Dark Side of the Moon: Molecular Mechanisms of Lunar-Controlled Rhythms and Clocks (2020) · cites this paper as [23]
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The Still Dark Side of the Moon: Molecular Mechanisms of Lunar-Controlled Rhythms and Clocks
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- Authors
- Shlesinger, T., & Loya, Y.
- Affiliations
- Tel Aviv University (IL)
- Corresponding author
- Shlesinger, Tom
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2019-09-06
- Volume
- 365
- Issue
- 6457
- Pages
- 1002-1007
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2971645729
- Cited by
- 136
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 4
- FWCI
- 11.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- PADI FOUNDATION
- Israel Science Foundation (1191/16)
- Israel Taxonomy Initiative
- Rieger Foundation
- Interuniversity Institution for Marine Sciences (IUI) at Eilat
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology
- Keywords
- broadcast spawning, environmental cues, fertilization success, coral recruitment, coral population decline, Red Sea corals, coral reef conservation
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Reproduction, Indian Ocean, Anthozoa, Extinction, Biological, Hermaphroditic Organisms, Coral Reefs
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