Biology subjects

Klepac, C.

Publications and source records attributed to Klepac, C..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Genomic variation associated with endosymbiont shuffling and areal growth in the endangered elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata

Biodiversity losses continue to outpace traditional management, underscoring the need to understand adaptive capacity and the potential for interventions to increase fitness under climate change. We undertook a genome-wide association study on 156 Acropora palmata genets to investigate the genomic basis of areal growth, endosymbiont association, and thermal tolerance. Seven peaks on chromosomes 1, 3 and 14 were associated with endosymbiont shuffling and two peaks on chromosome 4 were associated with areal growth. As variants were located in non-coding regions we incorporated additional data from an independent field-transplant experiment to investigate their relationship with patterns of gene expression. Intersection of these datasets implicated melanocortin-like receptor activity and Ran GTPase activating protein 1 in endosymbiont composition and surface area growth, respectively. Results indicate that growth and endosymbiont associations may represent more viable intervention targets than temperature tolerance and highlight the need to better understand the role of non-coding variation in basic biology and development of restoration interventions.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2026

High relatedness in sexually produced restoration cohorts of the endangered elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata

Climate change is driving the decline of coral populations around the world such that many are unlikely to recover without human intervention. Assisted sexual reproduction is one intervention proposed to enhance genetic diversity and support population recovery, yet its genetic outcomes remain poorly quantified. We evaluated genome-wide relatedness and genetic diversity in 168 restoration genets of the endangered Caribbean coral Acropora palmata, including 153 sexually produced offspring derived from multi-parent batch and biparental crosses. We detected high relatedness within multi-parent batch cross cohorts, with many genets comprising only one or a few full-sibling groups, indicating highly unequal parental contributions. Nucleotide diversity was lower in one batch cross cohort relative to founder populations, but the absolute difference was small and runs of homozygosity were relatively short indicating that inbreeding depression is not yet a concern. These patterns suggest that common larval propagation approaches can successfully generate large numbers of new genets but underscore the need to manage inbreeding risk, especially in small breeding stocks such as the Caribbean Acropora spp. Specifically, our results highlight the need for comprehensive genetic management to integrate assisted sexual reproduction into coral restoration, including parentage tracking, broodstock rotation, and relatedness-informed outplanting designs.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2022

A phenomic modeling approach for using chlorophyll-a fluorescence-based measurements on coral photosymbionts: a step towards bio-optical bleaching prediction

We test a newly developed instrument prototype which utilizes time-resolved chlorophyll-a fluorescence techniques and fluctuating light to characterize Symbiodiniaceae functional traits across seven different coral species under cultivation as part of ongoing restoration efforts in the Florida Keys. While traditional chlorophyll-a fluorescence techniques only provide a handful of algal biometrics, the system and protocol we have developed generates > 1000 dynamic measurements in a short ([~]11 min) time frame. Resulting high-content algal biometric data revealed distinct phenotypes, which broadly corresponded to clade-level Symbiodiniaceae designations determined using quantitative PCR. Next, algal biometric data from Acropora cervicornis (10 genotypes) and A. palmata (5 genotypes) coral fragments was correlated with bleaching response metrics collected after a two month-long exposure to high temperature. A network analysis identified 1973 correlations (Spearman R > 0.5) between algal biometrics and various bleaching response metrics. These identified biomarkers of thermal stress were then utilized to train a predictive model, and when tested against the same A. cervicornis and A. palmata coral fragments, yielded high correlation (R = 0.92) with measured thermal response (reductions in absorbance by chlorophyll-a). When applied to all seven coral species, the model ranked fragments dominated by Cladocopium or Breviolum symbionts as more bleaching susceptible than corals harboring thermally tolerant symbionts (Durusdinium). While direct testing of bleaching predictions on novel genotypes is still needed, our device and modeling pipeline may help broaden the scalability of existing approaches for determining thermal tolerance in reef corals. Our instrument prototype and analytical pipeline aligns with recent coral restoration assessments that call for the development of novel tools for improving scalability of coral restoration programs.

ecology↗