Acclimatization Drives Differences in Reef-Building Coral Calcification Rates

Coral reefs are susceptible to climate change, anthropogenic influence, and environmental stressors. However, corals in KaneModified Letter Turned Commaohe Bay, HawaiModified Letter Turned Commai have repeatedly shown resilience and acclimatization to anthropogenically-induced rising temperatures and increased frequencies of bleaching events. Variations in coral and algae cover at two sites-just 600 m apart-at MalaukaModified Letter Turned Commaa fringing reef suggest genetic or environmental differences in coral resilience between sites. A reciprocal transplant experiment was conducted to determine if calcification (linear extension and dry skeletal weight) for dominant reef-building species,Montipora capitataandPorites compressa, varied between the two sites and whether or not parent colony or environmental factors were responsible for the differences. Despite the two sites representing distinct environmental conditions with significant differences between temperature, salinity, and aragonite saturation,M. capitatagrowth rates remained the same between sites and treatments. However, dry skeletal weight increases inP. compressawere significantly different between sites, but not across treatments, with linear mixed effects model results suggesting heterogeneity driven by environmental differences between sites and the parent colonies. These results provide evidence of resilience and acclimatization forM. capitataandP. compressa.Variability of resilience may be driven by local adaptations at a small, reef-level scale forP. compressain KaneModified Letter Turned Commaohe Bay.