Oxidative Stress and Coral Bleaching Agaricia tenuifolia coral, due to either elevated temperatures or UV radiation, can be ameliorated by either the induction of antioxidant enzymes or coral bleaching itself.
Oxidative stress causes coral bleaching during exposure to elevated temperatures.
What was done Photosynthesis was measured on three treatment groups of the coral Agaricia tenuifolia to assess the role of temperature-induced oxidative stress on photosynthesis and coral bleaching. 2-3 C above ambient in the presence of antioxidants . What was learned Coral samples exposed to antioxidants and higher seawater temperatures exhibited photosynthetic rates comparable to coral samples under ambient conditions, while coral samples exposed to higher seawater temperatures alone experienced a decrease in photosynthetic rates. The presence of antioxidants also prevented bleaching of the corals. What it means This study demonstrates that bleaching in the coral Agaricia tenuifolia may be prevented by the presence of certain antioxidants.