High-throughput phenotyping reveals nutrient availability alters thermal performance in two Symbiodiniaceae species.

High-throughput phenotyping reveals that nutrient availability and temperature significantly influence growth and physiological responses in two Symbiodiniaceae species, with Durusdinium trenchii showing higher nutrient specificity.

• Why it matters: Understanding how nutrient conditions affect Symbiodiniaceae is vital for coral reef resilience, yet current methods lack the capacity to efficiently characterize their diverse responses across multiple conditions.
• What they did: A novel high-throughput phenotyping approach was developed, utilizing spectrophotometry, fluorometry, and flow cytometry to analyze 125 nutrient treatments and two temperatures over 11 days in monocultures of Cladocopium proliferum and Durusdinium trenchii.
• The result: Both species exhibited increased growth at higher temperatures, but their nutrient niches differed markedly, with implications for their roles in coral symbiosis and potential adaptation to changing environmental conditions.