2026/05/20 by César O. Pacherres, M. Dhillon, Mads Bilbo +5 · 2 voices · 1 citation
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Cilium #Coral #Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies #Deoxygenation #Diel vertical migration #Effects of global warming on oceans #Micro and Nano Robotics #Ocean Acidification Effects and Responses #Respiration
paper · doi:10.1126/sciadv.aeg0950
published in Science Advances 12(21), eaeg0950 (American Association for the Advancement of Science)
openalex publication_date 2026/05/20 · openalex created_date 2026/05/21 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Cilia-induced vortical flows are critical for regulating oxygen (O 2 ) and metabolite exchange across coral-water interfaces. While this active ventilation affects the coral tissue microenvironment, its role in thermal stress remains poorly understood. Using high-speed imaging of cilia beating, particle image velocimetry with O 2 -sensitive nanoparticles, and a mechanistic transport model, we quantified how ciliary dynamics in the reef-building coral Porites lutea respond to acute warming in darkness. Moderate warming (~35°C) enhanced ciliary activity and advective transport yet paradoxically thickened the concentration boundary layer with O 2 -depleted water, exposing tissues to transient hypoxia. At higher temperatures, ventilation failed to meet rising metabolic demands and anoxic regions expanded rapidly. Above ~37°C, ciliary coordination collapsed and vortical flows dissipated, shifting transport to a diffusion-limited regime accelerating coral mortality. These results identify ciliary beating as a key regulator of thermal tolerance and early indicator of critical physiological tipping points for reef-building corals in a warming, deoxygenating ocean.