Abstract
Heat stress-induced bleaching has been shown to lower the photosynthetic and physiological performances and even causes mortality in giant clams. However, there is a lack of information on the responses of sub-tropical giant clams to bleaching stress as well as their recovery from bleaching. Here we exposed the giant clams Tridacna crocea from sub-tropical Okinawa to different temperature conditions for 21 days and then examined their recovery at control temperatures (28–29 °C) within 42 days. T. crocea in control and in 30–31 °C retained their colors, whereas bleaching was observed in 32–33 °C and in the increasing temperatures (29–33 °C, 1 °C change every 5 days). The Fv/Fm decreased at 32–33 °C and in the increasing temperatures (29–33 °C), even before the onset of bleaching, but the Fv/Fm returned to baseline values at day 9 of recovery period. Zooxanthellae density and chlorophyll a + c concentrations were decreased, whereas the zooxanthellae cell size was increased in all elevated temperatures at day 21 of exposure period. Respiration (R) in all temperature conditions was not affected during exposure period, whereas gross photosynthesis (Pg) and Pg/R were reduced at 32–33 °C. At day 42 of recovery period, most bleached individuals regained their colors, phototrophic potential, and zooxanthellae population. No giant clams died within 21 days of exposure period, but mortalities were observed at 32–33 °C and at increasing temperatures (29–33 °C) during recovery period. This study shows that the sub-tropical giant clams are vulnerable to heat stress, but their ability to recover may suggest their persistence in a warming ocean.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Toshiyuki Shiwa from the Okinawa Prefectural Sea Farming Center and Koboribata, the owner of the giant clam farm, for providing us the giant clams. We thank the students from Kurihara Laboratory from the University of the Ryukyus for the assistance during the experiment and the Tropical Biosphere Research Center for allowing us to conduct this study in their laboratory. We thank Dio Dirgantara and Dr. Takashi Nakamura from the University of the Ryukyus and Jorge Luis Suárez Caballero and Dr. Takashi Nakamura from Tokyo Institute of Technology for providing us the giant clam photographs. We also thank Dr. Tanya Singh for her help and advice on the calculations of bleaching indices. SGS was supported by the Japanese Government scholarship (Monbukagakusho: MEXT). This work was funded by JST e-ASIA Joint Research Program ID: 22455054 and Marine Pew Fellow program.
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SGS and HK conceptualized and designed the research. SGS performed the experiment with supervision from HK. SGS and HK analyzed the data. SGS wrote the first draft of the manuscript. SGS and HK edited the manuscript and approved its submission.
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Sayco, S.L.G., Kurihara, H. Bleaching and recovery in the giant clam Tridacna crocea from the sub-tropical waters of Okinawa. Coral Reefs 43, 773–786 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02502-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02502-y