Temperature tolerance of the coral Porites lutea exposed to simulated large amplitude internal waves (LAIW)

Large-amplitude internal waves (LAIW) cause intense drops in sea water temperature (6–9 °C) and acidity (0.6 pH units) within minutes, posing a major disturbance factor for shallow water corals in the Andaman Sea. During periods of elevated temperatures, however, they may provide a vital source of relief to heat-stressed corals. To assess the effect of LAIW on the thermal tolerance of the massive coral Porites lutea, we carried out a one-month reciprocal LAIW simulation experiment with coral nubbins collected from the LAIW-exposed and LAIW-sheltered sides of the Similan Islands, an offshore archipelago near the Thai Andaman shelf break (distance of sampling locations