通过实验室生态模拟，研究了低温胁迫下三亚湾5种造礁石珊瑚（十字牡丹珊瑚、佳丽鹿角珊瑚、花鹿角珊瑚、强壮鹿角珊瑚、澄黄滨珊瑚）的耐受性，分析了造礁石珊瑚对低温的响应模式.结果表明：造礁石珊瑚耐受低温能力与其骨骼类型有关，枝状珊瑚最先死亡，块状珊瑚的耐受能力明显高于枝状珊瑚；14 ℃持续3 d是三亚湾枝状造礁石珊瑚的致死低温；14 ℃持续3 d为块状澄黄滨珊瑚的致白化低温；12 ℃持续10 d为叶片状十字牡丹珊瑚的致死温度；块状澄黄滨珊瑚受到低温胁迫时表面形成粘膜，阻止了珊瑚进一步排出共生虫黄藻. 耐高温的珊瑚对低温也表现出较强的耐受能力，珊瑚对低温胁迫的响应模式与对高温的响应模式基本一致, 即珊瑚首先不伸展触手，紧接着不断释放粘液并排出共生藻，最后白化、死亡.
In an experimental temperature-regulated mesocosm, the low water temp
erature tolerance of five dominant scleractinian coral species Pavona decussat
e, Acropora pulchra, Acropora florida, Acropora valida, and Porites lutea
in Sanya Bay was investigated, and their responding modes to the cold water st
ress were analyzed. The tolerance of test corals to low water temperature was cl
osely related to their morphologies, with the branching corals being the most vu
lnerable to bleaching and death by separating the symbiotic polyps from their sk
eletons. The lethal low water temperature for branching Acropora corals was 14
℃ lasting for 3 days, and that for foliose P. decussate was 12 ℃ lasting f
or 10 days. Massive P. lutea corals responded to low water temperature by fo
rming mucus membrane, which helped to prevent the further losing of symbiotic al
gae. The corals showing strong tolerance to high water temperature also had stro
ng tolerance to low water temperature, and had similar responding modes to both
high and low water temperature, i.e., the corals didn’t extend their tentacl
e first, followed by the continuous release of mucus and the discharge of symbio
tic zooxanthellae, and finally, bleached and died.