Gene expression of endangered coral (Orbicella spp.) in flower garden banks National Marine Sanctuary after Hurricane Harvey

About 190 km south of the Texas–Louisiana border, the East and West Flower Garden Banks (FGB) have maintained > 50% coral cover with infrequent and minor incidents of disease or bleaching since monitoring began in the 1970s. However, a mortality event, affecting 5.6 ha (2.6% of the area) of the East FGB, occurred in late July 2016 and coincided with storm-generated freshwater runoff extending offshore and over the reef system. To capture the immediate effects of storm-driven freshwater runoff on coral and symbiont physiology, we leveraged the heavy rainfall associated with Hurricane Harvey in late August 2017 by sampling FGB corals at two time points: September 2017, when surface water salinity was reduced (∼34 ppt); and 1 month later when salinity had returned to typical levels (∼36 ppt in October 2017). Tissue samples (N = 47) collected midday were immediately preserved for gene expression profiling from two congeneric coral species (Orbicella faveolata and Orbicella franksi) from the East and West FGB to determine the physiological consequences of storm-derived runoff. In the coral, differences between host species and sampling time points accounted for the majority of differentially expressed genes. Gene ontology enrichment for genes differentially expressed immediately after Hurricane Harvey indicated increases in cellular oxidative stress responses. Although tissue loss was not observed on FGB reefs following Hurricane Harvey, our results suggest that poor water quality following this storm caused FGB corals to experience sub-lethal stress. We also found dramatic expression differences across sampling time points in the coral’s algal symbiont, Breviolum minutum. Some of these differentially expressed genes may be involved in the symbionts’ response to changing environments, including a group of differentially expressed post-transcriptional RNA modification genes. In this study, we cannot disentangle the effects of reduced salinity from the collection time point, so these expression patterns could also be related to seasonality. These findings highlight the urgent need for continued monitoring of these reef systems to establish a baseline for gene expression of healthy corals in the FGB system across seasons, as well as the need for integrated solutions to manage stormwater runoff in the Gulf of Mexico.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2019.00672/fullPublished versionPublished versio

Biogeochemical data collected during the Flower Garden Banks Rapid Response Cruise, FGB-RR16, on R/V Manta in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary from July to August 2016

Dataset: Biogeochemistry FGBRR16This dataset combines the biogeochemical data collected during the Flower Garden Banks Rapid Response Cruise which occurred following the discovery of the localized mortality event. 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/787575NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE) OCE-180091

Carbonate chemistry, nutrient concentration, and dissolved oxygen concentration for discreet water samples collected during multiple cruises between June 2017 to Sept 2018 within Galveston Bay, TX

Dataset: Galveston Bay Carbonate ChemistryThese data include carbonate chemistry, nutrient concentration, and dissolved oxygen concentration for discreet water samples collected within Galveston Bay, TX. Eight single day cruises were conducted quarterly aboard the R/V Lithos or R/V Trident from June 2017 through September 2018. In addition, discreet water samples were collected at sites 10 - 60 km outside the mouth of the bay and up to 15m deep to characterize incoming seawater to the bay. These samples were collected on three cruises (WTX1 - R/V Manta, WTX3 - R/V Manta, WTX4 - R/V Pelican) in June, August, and November 2017. Discreet water samples were collected for total alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved oxygen, and dissolved nutrients. CTD profiles were collected at each sampling site. Stochastic coastal acidification events in response to high volume rainfall and runoff that often accompanies tropical cyclone events has the potential to represent a significant threat to valuable calcifying reef ecosystems. Understanding acidification response and recovery to such events is critical to improving conservation and protection of coastal ecosystems, like oyster and coral reefs, particularly as climate change continues and tropical cyclone rainfall intensity increases. These data assess the impact of the rainfall and runoff from Hurricane Harvey on the acidification levels in Galveston Bay, TX. Samples were collected and analyzed primarily by Tacey Hicks, with assistance from other students in Dr. Katie Shamberger ’s research group, at Texas A&M University. 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/881549NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE) OCE-1800913, NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE) OCE-176038

Carbonate chemistry, nutrient concentration, and dissolved oxygen concentration for discreet water samples collected during multiple cruises between June 2017 to Sept 2018 within Galveston Bay, TX

Dataset: Galveston Bay Carbonate ChemistryThese data include carbonate chemistry, nutrient concentration, and dissolved oxygen concentration for discreet water samples collected within Galveston Bay, TX. Eight single day cruises were conducted quarterly aboard the R/V Lithos or R/V Trident from June 2017 through September 2018. In addition, discreet water samples were collected at sites 10 - 60 km outside the mouth of the bay and up to 15m deep to characterize incoming seawater to the bay. These samples were collected on three cruises (WTX1 - R/V Manta, WTX3 - R/V Manta, WTX4 - R/V Pelican) in June, August, and November 2017. Discreet water samples were collected for total alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved oxygen, and dissolved nutrients. CTD profiles were collected at each sampling site. Stochastic coastal acidification events in response to high volume rainfall and runoff that often accompanies tropical cyclone events has the potential to represent a significant threat to valuable calcifying reef ecosystems. Understanding acidification response and recovery to such events is critical to improving conservation and protection of coastal ecosystems, like oyster and coral reefs, particularly as climate change continues and tropical cyclone rainfall intensity increases. These data assess the impact of the rainfall and runoff from Hurricane Harvey on the acidification levels in Galveston Bay, TX. Samples were collected and analyzed primarily by Tacey Hicks, with assistance from other students in Dr. Katie Shamberger ’s research group, at Texas A&M University. 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/881549NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE) OCE-1800913, NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE) OCE-176038

Gene Expression of Endangered Coral (\u3ci\u3eOrbicella\u3c/i\u3e spp.) in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary After Hurricane Harvey

About 190 km south of the Texas–Louisiana border, the East and West Flower Garden Banks (FGB) have maintained \u3e 50% coral cover with infrequent and minor incidents of disease or bleaching since monitoring began in the 1970s. However, a mortality event, affecting 5.6 ha (2.6% of the area) of the East FGB, occurred in late July 2016 and coincided with storm-generated freshwater runoff extending offshore and over the reef system. To capture the immediate effects of storm-driven freshwater runoff on coral and symbiont physiology, we leveraged the heavy rainfall associated with Hurricane Harvey in late August 2017 by sampling FGB corals at two time points: September 2017, when surface water salinity was reduced (∼34 ppt); and 1 month later when salinity had returned to typical levels (∼36 ppt in October 2017). Tissue samples (N = 47) collected midday were immediately preserved for gene expression profiling from two congeneric coral species (Orbicella faveolata and Orbicella franksi) from the East and West FGB to determine the physiological consequences of storm-derived runoff. In the coral, differences between host species and sampling time points accounted for the majority of differentially expressed genes. Gene ontology enrichment for genes differentially expressed immediately after Hurricane Harvey indicated increases in cellular oxidative stress responses. Although tissue loss was not observed on FGB reefs following Hurricane Harvey, our results suggest that poor water quality following this storm caused FGB corals to experience sub-lethal stress. We also found dramatic expression differences across sampling time points in the coral’s algal symbiont, Breviolum minutum. Some of these differentially expressed genes may be involved in the symbionts’ response to changing environments, including a group of differentially expressed post-transcriptional RNA modification genes. In this study, we cannot disentangle the effects of reduced salinity from the collection time point, so these expression patterns could also be related to seasonality. These findings highlight the urgent need for continued monitoring of these reef systems to establish a baseline for gene expression of healthy corals in the FGB system across seasons, as well as the need for integrated solutions to manage stormwater runoff in the Gulf of Mexico