Expression plasticity regulates intraspecific variation in the acclimatization potential of a reef-building coral

Phenotypic plasticity is an important ecological and evolutionary response for organisms experiencing environmental change, but the ubiquity of this capacity within coral species and across symbiont communities is unknown. We exposed ten genotypes of the reef-building coral Montipora capitata with divergent symbiont communities to four thermal pre-exposure profiles and quantified gene expression before stress testing 4 months later. Here we show two pre-exposure profiles significantly enhance thermal tolerance despite broadly different expression patterns and substantial variation in acclimatization potential based on coral genotype. There was no relationship between a genotype's basal thermal sensitivity and ability to acquire heat tolerance, including in corals harboring naturally tolerant symbionts, which illustrates the potential for additive improvements in coral response to climate change. These results represent durable improvements from short-term stress hardening of reef-building corals and substantial cryptic complexity in the capacity for plasticity. Phenotypic plasticity is an important response for organisms experiencing climate change. Here, Drury et al. show that stress-hardening can produce durable improvements in coral thermal tolerance, masking substantial variation between individuals.

Automated summary

Phenotypic plasticity plays an important role in the response of coral to climate change, and stress-hardening can lead to durable improvements in coral thermal tolerance, masking individual variation.