Effect of anomalies in sea surface temperature on coral symbiosis and marine biodiversity resilience

Abstract

Symbiotic partnerships facilitate the flourishing and survival of partners in environments where they might otherwise struggle or fail to exist without such interdependence. The Coral Reef (CR) ecosystem, along with its vast biodiversity, depends on the symbiotic relationships between cnidarians (such as scleractinian CR, octocorals, marine anemones, and jellyfish) and other creatures, including dinoflagellate algae, bivalves, lobsters, squid, and fish. The article examines the implications if CR cnidarian symbiosis is obligatory, necessitating the presence of more than one partner for survival, or facultative. The research explores the ramifications of cnidarian symbioses, demonstrating partner adaptability or faithfulness. Fidelity, wherein a symbiotic partnership can participate in symbiosis only with a select group of mates, is absolute or contextually dependent. Contemporary study indicates that numerous cnidarian symbioses are predominantly obligate and seem to display complete fidelity. Thus, the survival of several CR cnidarian symbionts under shifting circumstances will rely on the resilience and potential adaptability of the current host-symbiont pair. Adverse circumstances impacting even a single element of this symbiotic consortium trigger a cascade effect, resulting in the collapse of the entire relationship. Symbiosis is fundamental to the CR ecology, its survival, and its extensive biodiversity. Global warming precipitates the extinction of specific cnidarian symbioses, resulting in a subsequent decline in CR's biodiversity.