Acropora — The Most-Studied Coral Genus

Abstract

Over the last 2 million years, Acropora (the staghorn or elkhorn corals) has become the dominant genus of reef-building corals throughout the Indo-Pacific. Like other coral genera, Acropora taxonomy is presently undergoing comprehensive revision as a consequence of large-scale sequencing projects, which will substantially alter our understanding of the diversity and biogeography of the group. Acropora spp. are among the most stress sensitive of corals, and as a consequence, population declines are occurring worldwide, most significantly due to global warming. Despite diverse adult colony morphology, all members of the genus are similar at the tissue and polyp level and follow common reproductive and developmental programs. Some progress has recently been made in development of gene knockdown/knockout methods despite the long generation times of corals and need to rely on natural spawning events. Since 2018, the number of Acropora genome sequences available has increased dramatically, although taxonomic uncertainties complicate their evolutionary interpretation. Areas of particularly active research include settlement and the control of metamorphosis; metabolic interactions with both bacterial and eukaryotic symbionts, particularly Symbiodinaceae, and their gain and loss; and how best to restore reefs destroyed by storms and coral bleaching. Show more