The Effect of Increased Temperature and Coral Acclimation of Sinularia dura

Abstract

Coral reefs are one of the most vulnerable ecosystems in the world. With evidence of recent and notable mass coral bleaching at the Great Barrier Reef, it is imperative that coral species and their response to increased temperatures be studied in order to identify coral acclimation and the "winners" and "losers" of climate change. Sinularia dura is a commons coral species in South Asian and Southeast Asian water. This study has shown that even a 1 to 2 degrees centigrade increase in temperature can have huge effect on the health of Sinularia Dura which has implications to the status of coral reefs due to increased sea temperatures caused by climate change.