R. D. Gates

Coral environmental history is primary driver of algal symbiont composition, despite a mass bleaching event

The study examines how environmental factors, not bleaching events, drive algal symbiont composition in corals, showing stability in community structure despite increased heat-tolerant symbiont abundance.

Community composition of coral associated Symbiodiniaceae is driven by fine scale environmental gradients

This study examines how environmental factors influence the composition of Symbiodiniaceae communities in Montipora capitata across different sites in Kāneohe Bay.

Genetic patterns in Montipora capitata across an environmental mosaic in Kaneohe Bay

The paper examines genetic patterns in Montipora capitata across environmental gradients in Kaneohe Bay, finding that clonal reproduction influences spatial genetic structure but environmental factors explain only a small portion of genetic variation.

Intrapopulation adaptive variance supports selective breeding in a reef-building coral

This study identifies genomic signatures of thermal tolerance in corals and shows that intrapopulation variance supports adaptive breeding under climate change.

Bleaching resistant corals retain heat tolerance following acclimatization to environmentally distinct reefs

This study shows that bleaching-resistant corals retain their heat tolerance after transplantation between reefs, suggesting they can enhance population resilience to ocean warming.

Shifting Baselines: Physiological legacies contribute to the response of reef coral to frequent heat waves

This study shows that repeated coral bleaching events alter physiological traits and immune responses, creating legacies that affect future thermal stress resilience in reef corals.

Coral bleaching susceptibility is predictive of subsequent mortality within but not between coral species

The paper tracks coral mortality and recovery in bleaching susceptible and resistant phenotypes, finding that susceptibility predicts mortality within species but not between species.

Spatial variation in the biochemical and isotopic composition of corals during bleaching and recovery

The paper examines changes in chlorophyll, biomass, and isotopic composition of corals during and after bleaching events, finding species-specific recovery patterns and isotopic variability linked to biomass composition and nitrogen sources.

High-frequency temperature variability mirrors fixed differences in thermal limits of the massive coral Porites lobata (Dana, 1846)

The study shows corals from thermally variable habitats have higher thermal tolerance than those from stable habitats after acclimation.