Fv/Fm for cultured Clade A & B Symbiodinium with 2 treatments measured over a range of temperatures

Abstract

Coral photosynthetic endosymbionts (Symbiodinium) are phylogenetically very diverse, yet the extent of inter- and intraspecific functional variation within clades remains largely underexplored. Understanding this variability will be critical for future research on climate change mediated responses. A properly functioning thylakoid membrane is essential for optimal photosynthetic performance both in free-living and in hospite conditions. Here we analyze the thylakoid membrane melting points of 13 Symbiodinium strains from species in Clades B and A, grown at both control (26 °C) and high temperature (31 °C). We observed a broad range of responses to thermal stress regardless of taxonomic rank. Our results support and augment a growing body of literature demonstrating that functional differences among Symbiodinium spp. are as distinct at lower taxonomic levels (i.e. interspecific) as they are among major clades. These findings highlight the importance of assessing the variability of plastid traits across the Symbiodinium tree.

For a complete list of measurements, refer to the full dataset description in the supplemental file 'Dataset_description.pdf'. The most current version of this dataset is available at: https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/732890