Unraveling the physiological responses of morphologically distinct corals to low oxygen

Persistent hypoxia was observed at the study site. Subsequent experiments revealed that low oxygen levels led to a notable decrease in the maximum quantum yield over time in all the species tested, accompanied by declining rates of respiration and calcification. Our findings reveal the sensitivity of corals to both hypoxia and anoxia, particularly affecting processes crucial to energy balance and structural integrity. Notably, <i>P. lutea</i> and <i>T. mesenterina</i> exhibited no mortality over the 72-hour period under hypoxia and anoxia conditions, while <i>P. acuta</i>, exposed to anoxia, experienced mortality with tissue loss within 24 hours. This study underscores species-specific variations in susceptibility associated with different morphologies under low oxygen conditions. The results demonstrate the substantial impact of deoxygenation on coral growth and health, with the compounded challenges of climate change and coastal pollution exacerbating oxygen availability, leading to increasingly significant implications for coral ecosystems.