Data

Fertile Hybrids Could Aid Coral Adaptation

Name: Fertile Hybrids Could Aid Coral Adaptation
Published: 2026

Australian Institute of Marine Science

Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)

Viewed: [[ro.stat.viewed]] Cited: [[ro.stat.cited]] Accessed: [[ro.stat.accessed]]

ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2FANDS&rft_id=https://apps.aims.gov.au/metadata/view/737a1c6c-ae69-430f-8259-56f6b3a565de&rft.title=Fertile Hybrids Could Aid Coral Adaptation&rft.identifier=https://apps.aims.gov.au/metadata/view/737a1c6c-ae69-430f-8259-56f6b3a565de&rft.publisher=Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)&rft.description=Fertile hybrids can enhance the adaptive capacity and resilience of species under stress by increasing genetic diversity within populations, masking the effects of deleterious recessive alleles, and facilitating the introgression of beneficial genetic variants into parental species. However, many hybrids are infertile. We compared the fertility of aquarium-reared F1 hybrid and purebred corals of the species Acropora loripes and Acropora kenti and examined the viability of early life stages of second-generation (F2) hybrid and back-crossed planula larvae and recruits. The F1 hybrids spawned viable gametes and the F2 hybrid and back-crossed embryos developed into planula larvae and settled to become sessile coral recruits. The F1 hybrids had greater reproductive fitness than the F1 A. loripes purebred stock in an aquarium environment based on their probability of spawning and their fertilization success in crosses using their gametes. Interspecific coral hybrids can therefore be fertile and have high reproductive fitness, which could benefit the persistence of threatened coral reefs.Maintenance and Update Frequency: asNeededStatement: For full details see Lamb et al (2024)&rft.creator=Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) &rft.date=2026&rft.coverage=westlimit=146.8168945144862; southlimit=-18.321688289806634; eastlimit=146.8168945144862; northlimit=-18.321688289806634&rft.coverage=westlimit=146.8168945144862; southlimit=-18.321688289806634; eastlimit=146.8168945144862; northlimit=-18.321688289806634&rft_rights=Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/&rft_rights=Use Limitation: All AIMS data, products and services are provided as is and AIMS does not warrant their fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. While AIMS has made every reasonable effort to ensure high quality of the data, products and services, to the extent permitted by law the data, products and services are provided without any warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of title, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. AIMS make no representation or warranty that the data, products and services are accurate, complete, reliable or current. To the extent permitted by law, AIMS exclude all liability to any person arising directly or indirectly from the use of the data, products and services.&rft_rights=Attribution: Format for citation of metadata sourced from Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in a list of reference is as follows: Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). (2025). Fertile Hybrids Could Aid Coral Adaptation. https://apps.aims.gov.au/metadata/view/737a1c6c-ae69-430f-8259-56f6b3a565de, accessed[date-of-access].&rft_subject=oceans&rft.type=dataset&rft.language=English Access the data

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Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License
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Use Limitation: All AIMS data, products and services are provided "as is" and AIMS does not warrant their fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. While AIMS has made every reasonable effort to ensure high quality of the data, products and services, to the extent permitted by law the data, products and services are provided without any warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of title, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. AIMS make no representation or warranty that the data, products and services are accurate, complete, reliable or current. To the extent permitted by law, AIMS exclude all liability to any person arising directly or indirectly from the use of the data, products and services.

Attribution: Format for citation of metadata sourced from Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in a list of reference is as follows: "Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). (2025). Fertile Hybrids Could Aid Coral Adaptation. https://apps.aims.gov.au/metadata/view/737a1c6c-ae69-430f-8259-56f6b3a565de, accessed[date-of-access]".

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Full description

Fertile hybrids can enhance the adaptive capacity and resilience of species under stress by increasing genetic diversity within populations, masking the effects of deleterious recessive alleles, and facilitating the introgression of beneficial genetic variants into parental species. However, many hybrids are infertile. We compared the fertility of aquarium-reared F1 hybrid and purebred corals of the species Acropora loripes and Acropora kenti and examined the viability of early life stages of second-generation (F2) hybrid and back-crossed planula larvae and recruits. The F1 hybrids spawned viable gametes and the F2 hybrid and back-crossed embryos developed into planula larvae and settled to become sessile coral recruits. The F1 hybrids had greater reproductive fitness than the F1 A. loripes purebred stock in an aquarium environment based on their probability of spawning and their fertilization success in crosses using their gametes. Interspecific coral hybrids can therefore be fertile and have high reproductive fitness, which could benefit the persistence of threatened coral reefs.

Lineage

Maintenance and Update Frequency: asNeeded

Statement: For full details see Lamb et al (2024)

Notes

Credit
Lamb, AM Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), University of Melbourne & AIMS&JCU

Credit
Peplow, LM (AIMS)

Credit
Chan, WY (AIMS) & University of Melbourne

Credit
Crane, ZJ (AIMS)

Credit
Everson, GA (AIMS)

Credit
Harrison, PL Southern Cross University

Credit
Hite, TE (AIMS)

Credit
Hoffman, AA University of Melbourne

Credit
Humphrey, CA (AIMS)

Credit
Koukoumaftsis, LP (AIMS)

Credit
van Oppen, MJH (AIMS) & University of Melbourne

Modified: 28 08 2026

This dataset is part of a larger collection

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text: westlimit=146.8168945144862; southlimit=-18.321688289806634; eastlimit=146.8168945144862; northlimit=-18.321688289806634

Subjects

oceans |

User Contributed Tags

Other Information

GitHub Repository: Fertile-hybrids-could-aid-coral-adaptation

url : https://github.com/AnnikaMLamb/Fertile-hybrids-could-aid-coral-adaptation External Link

Lamb, A. M., Peplow, L. M., Chan, W. Y., Crane, Z. J., Everson, G. A., Harrison, P. L., Hite, T. E., Hoffmann, A. A., Humphrey, C. A., Koukoumaftsis, L. P., & van Oppen, M. J. H. (2024). Fertile Hybrids Could Aid Coral Adaptation. Ecology and Evolution, 14(11), e70570. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70570

doi : https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70570 DOI Link

Identifiers

global : 737a1c6c-ae69-430f-8259-56f6b3a565de