Corals are relatively stenothermic organisms and highly sensitive to thermal stress. To understand how heating rate modulates the holobiont response to thermal challenge, we compared the effects of acute heat shock and cumulative thermal exposures on Acropora cervicornis from Southeast Florida (26° 06 N, 80° 05 W). In March of 2017, maximum dark-adapted yield of photosystem II (F_V/F_M), rates of dark respiration (R), and rates of gross photosynthesis (P_g) were measured at temperatures spanning 25–36 °C. Thermal performance curves of each response variable were constructed as a function of temperature and thermal dose (i.e., degree heating minutes). Acute exposure (i.e., instantaneously increasing temperature by between 2.5 and 10 °C) resulted in a more marked decline in physiology despite a lower thermal dose, compared to the cumulative exposure (2.5 °C h⁻¹). Apparent deficits in coral holobiont metabolism were observed as a function of both temperature and thermal dose, but examination of holobiont metabolism in a dose-context revealed more pronounced differences between acute and cumulative exposures. Subtle physiological differences may be more easily identified and better cross-study comparisons of cnidarian thermal tolerance may be achieved by placing temperature exposures in degree heating times. In addition, the ratio of daily P_g:R fell below 1 when temperatures exceeded 32 °C, corroborating prior observations that P_g:R may be a means of identifying physiological deficits in advance of visual signs of dysbiosis, such as bleaching.

珊瑚是相对狭窄的生物，对热应激高度敏感。为了了解加热速率如何调节整体对热挑战的反应，我们比较了来自佛罗里达东南部（26°06 N，80°05 W）的急性热休克和累积热暴露对子叶蝉（Acropora cervicornis）的影响。2017年3月，光系统II的最大暗适应产量（F _V / F _M），暗呼吸速率（R）和总光合作用速率（P _g）的测量温度范围为25–36°C。将每个响应变量的热性能曲线构造为温度和热剂量（即加热时间）的函数。相对于累积暴露量（2.5°C h ^-1），尽管暴露剂量较低，但急性暴露量（即，温度瞬间升高2.5至10°C）导致生理机能更加显着下降。）。在温度和热剂量下均观察到了珊瑚整体代谢的明显缺陷，但是在剂量背景下对整体整体代谢的检查显示，急性和累积暴露之间的差异更为明显。通过将温度暴露置于加热时间中，可以更轻松地识别出细微的生理差异，并可以更好地进行刺鼻热耐受性的跨研究比较。此外，当温度超过32°C时，每日P _g：R的比率降至1以下，这证实了先前的观察结果，即P _g：R可能是在发现诸如漂白等营养不良的视觉征兆之前识别生理缺陷的一种手段。