New species of algae saves Arabian Gulf coral

A new species of algae discovered off the coast of Abu Dhabi is responsible for the coral reef’s ability to survive the extreme temperature and salinity in the waters of the Arabian Gulf, researchers have said.

They said that the organism helps corals survive seawater temperatures of up to 36°C, which would be lethal to corals elsewhere in the world.

In a collaborative project between New York University Abu Dhabi and University of Southampton in the UK, the researchers have identified the unique species of symbiotic algae that occurs in corals in the southern Arabian Gulf.

The discovery will help conservationists around the world better preserve local coral reefs, said Professor John Burt, head of the NYU Abu Dhabi Marine Biology Lab.

“The Arabian Gulf is the world’s hottest sea,” said Prof Burt. “Abu Dhabi reefs can provide incredible insight into how corals may adapt to increasing temperatures expected under future climate change.”

The new species has been named Symbiodinium thermophilum, after its heat-loving properties.

“We monitored the stability of the symbiotic partnership seasonally for two years to ensure that this partnership was stable through a range of temperatures,” said Prof Burt. “We can confirm that this new type of alga is indeed a consistently dominant symbiont across several common coral species in Abu Dhabi,” he added.

However, the symbiotic association is vulnerable to changes in environmental conditions, particularly increases in seawater temperature.

Heat-stress induced loss of the algal partners from the coral host could result in the often fatal process known as “coral bleaching”, instances of which occurred in 1996 and 1998.

“In those years we reached a temperature of 37.7°C, the temperature of your blood,” said Prof Burt.

“This finding shows us the unique nature of corals in Abu Dhabi. But it also highlights the importance of coral reef ecosystems in the Emirates and the need to ensure their conservation into the future.”

The discovery was published this week in the scientific online publication journal Nature’s Scientific Reports.

Research will continue at NYU Abu Dhabi.