Heat tolerance varies considerably within a reef-building coral species on the Great Barrier Reef

This study investigates the spatial distribution of heat-tolerant corals and the factors determining heat tolerance in the *Acropora hyacinthus* complex across the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Researchers found extensive variation in heat tolerance among 569 individuals, with thermal thresholds differing by up to 7.3 °C. Variation among reefs was consistent with local adaptation and acclimatization to thermal history, but within-reef variation was largely unexplained by environmental predictors, host species, or symbiont communities, suggesting a role for adaptive genomic variation. These findings have implications for conservation and restoration efforts, particularly in selective breeding programs.

Melissa S. Naugle, Hugo Denis, Véronique J. L. Mocellin, Patrick W. Laffy, Iva Popovic, Line K. Bay, Emily J. Howells