This dataset contains measurements of visual bleaching following 18-hour acute thermal stress experiments, where temperatures were ramped up to 30, 33, 36, and 39 degrees Celsius. Four coral species (Acropora hemprichii, Pocillopora verrucosa, Porites lobata, and Stylophora pistillata) were sampled from six sites along the length of the Red Sea, down to Djibouti in the Gulf of Aden.
Data are from experiments performed across multiple sites in Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Djibouti. Multiple ramets from seven genets of Acropora hemprichii, Pocillopora verrucosa, Porites lobata, and Stylophora pistillata were collected from six sites along the Red Sea and used in an 18-hour acute thermal stress assay using the Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (CBASS).
Corals were subjected to 18-hour acute thermal profiles with four peak target temperatures (30°C, 33°C, 36°C, and 39°C). Experimental tanks were ramped up from the 30 degrees Celsius control treatment to temperature treatments reaching 33°C, 36°C, and 36.5°C in the prolonged experiment at rates of 0.5 and 1.5 degrees C per day. Each temperature treatment contained two replicate tanks (A and B).
Visual bleaching scores as a physiological response metric were recorded and at the end of the experiments. 'Visual bleaching' refers to visual assessments of coral bleaching at the end of the experiments, with ramets classified in one of five categories: 100% pigmented, 80% pigmented, 60% pigmented, 40% pigmented, 20% pigmented, or 0% pigmented. Visual bleaching was assessed using a Nikon 1 J1 digital camera system with a 10-30mm VR Lens.
Problems/Issues:
There are some missing data due to sample loss or mortality.
Barshis, D. J., Voolstra, C. R., Evensen, N. R. (2021) Coral physiology data (visual bleaching) on four collected coral species from six sites in the Red Sea from 2018 to 2020. Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). (Version 1) Version Date 2021-11-03 [if applicable, indicate subset used]. doi:10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.863800.1 [access date]
Terms of Use
This dataset is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
If you wish to use this dataset, it is highly recommended that you contact the original principal investigators (PI). Should the relevant PI be unavailable, please contact BCO-DMO (info@bco-dmo.org) for additional guidance. For general guidance please see the BCO-DMO Terms of Use document.