Feeding and thermal conditioning enhance coral temperature tolerance in juvenile Pocillopora acuta

Scleractinian corals form the foundation of coral reefs by acquiring autotrophic nutrition from photosynthetic endosymbionts (Symbiodiniaceae) and use feeding to obtain additional nutrition, especially when the symbiosis is compromised (i.e. bleaching). Juvenile corals are vulnerable to stress due to low energetic reserves and high demand for growth, which is compounded when additional stressors occur. Therefore, conditions that favour energy acquisition and storage may enhance survival under stressful conditions. To investigate the influence of feeding on thermal tolerance, we exposed Pocillopora acuta juveniles to temperature (ambient, 27.4°C versus cool, 25.9°C) and feeding treatments (fed versus unfed) for 30 days post-settlement and monitored growth and physiology, followed by tracking survival under thermal stress. Feeding increased growth and resulted in thicker tissues and elevated symbiont fluorescence. Under high-temperature stress (31–60 days post-settlement; ca 30.1°C), corals that were fed and previously exposed to cool temperature had 33% higher survival than other treatment groups. These corals demonstrated reduced symbiont fluorescence, which may have provided protective effects under thermal stress. These results highlight that the impacts of feeding on coral physiology and stress tolerance are dependent on temperature and as oceans continue to warm, early life stages may experience shifts in feeding strategies to survive.