Juveniles exhibit lower heatwave tolerance than adults in a reef-building coral
Cinzia Alessi, Liam Lachs, Adriana Humanes, Helios Martinez, Nicolas Croft, Leevan Manuel, Peter J. Mumby, Adeeshia Tellei, Daniel Cassidy, James R. Guest
This study shows that juvenile corals are less heat-tolerant than adults, suggesting their survival advantage during heatwaves may be due to microhabitat conditions rather than intrinsic physiology.
bioRxiv · Sep 24, 2026 · PreprintEcology