Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Andrey B. Imbs, Valery M. Dembitsky
Summary: This paper provides a comprehensive exploration of the diverse world of coral-derived lipids, highlighting their potential applications in pharmacology and medicine. It also examines the impact of the symbiotic relationship between corals and dinoflagellates on lipid profiles.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tatyana Sikorskaya, Ekaterina Ermolenko, Andrey Boroda, Taliya T. Ginanova
Summary: Research has found that during coral bleaching, the host tissues lost a significant part of symbiotic dinoflagellates, possibly through exocytosis. Symbiophagosomes with degenerative dinoflagellates were observed in the early stages of bleaching. At the end of bleaching, the appearance of oxidized phosphatidylethanolamines, indicating damage to the host membranes, and the degradation of the coral tissues were simultaneously observed.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY B-BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jack Chi-Ho Ip, Yanjie Zhang, James Y. Xie, Yip Hung Yeung, Jian-Wen Qiu
Summary: This study compares the responses of two coral species during the El Niño heat wave, finding differences in the changes in zooxanthellae density and chlorophyll a content. Transcriptome analysis reveals common metabolic and amino acid catabolism responses in heat-stressed corals, but only one species develops the bleached phenotype.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rosemary Kate Steinberg, Emma L. Johnston, Teresa Bednarek, Katherine A. Dafforn, Tracy D. Ainsworth
Summary: In this study, a streamlined method was developed to quantify Symbiodiniaceae density, chlorophyll concentration, and protein content in soft-bodied octocorals. The technique is efficient, does not require extensive equipment, and is effective for samples as small as 0.2g of wet tissue.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robert van Woesik, Chelsey Kratochwill
Summary: Coral reefs, the most diverse marine ecosystems, are facing increased thermal stress events leading to coral bleaching. The severity of bleaching varies depending on species, location, historical conditions, and local/regional influences. The Global Coral-Bleaching Database compiles over 34,000 records from 93 countries, providing crucial information on bleaching presence, site exposure, and environmental factors.
Article
Environmental Sciences
D. Burn, A. S. Hoey, S. Matthews, H. B. Harrison, M. S. Pratchett
Summary: Climate-induced coral bleaching poses a major threat to coral assemblages worldwide, but susceptibility to bleaching varies among different coral taxa. In this study, we compared bleaching susceptibility among 10 coral morpho-taxa and two colony size classes across 33 reefs in the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea Marine Parks. We found that colony size and bleaching severity significantly influenced the hierarchy of bleaching susceptibility among taxa, with massive Porites shifting from being less likely to bleach to becoming highly susceptible as overall bleaching severity increased. Additionally, juvenile corals smaller than 5 cm in diameter were generally more resistant to bleaching, except for Montipora and Pocillopora colonies, which exhibited higher bleaching susceptibility compared to adult corals larger than 5 cm.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Biology
Yunqing Liu, Xin Liao, Tingyu Han, Ao Su, Zhuojun Guo, Na Lu, Chunpeng He, Zuhong Lu
Summary: This study obtained relatively complete transcriptome data of Montipora foliosa through PacBio Sequel II sequencing technology, providing valuable resources for the study of coral symbiosis. Analysis of symbiosis-related genes' function and isoforms was conducted, shedding light on the mechanisms behind coral-zooxanthellae symbiosis.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
V. H. F. Neo, J. Zinke, T. Fung, C. J. Merchant, K. J. A. Zawada, H. Krawczyk, J. M. Maina
Summary: Coral reefs are at risk of accelerated decline due to climate change-induced changes, and it is uncertain if the Sea Surface Temperature data used for coral reef studies are consistent among different data products. Understanding the consistency among different SST data sources can help improve monitoring and understanding of the impact of global warming on coral reefs. The study compares four types of SST data and highlights the need to compare existing indicators of thermal stress from different data sets. Rating: 8/10
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Michael P. Lesser
Summary: Coral reefs are facing extreme environmental pressure from climate change and eutrophication. Changes in nutrient balance may increase coral mortality, while eutrophication can lead to shifts in coral reefs dominated by macroalgae. The effects of eutrophication are compounded by the presence of chemical pollutants, making it difficult to separate their impact from that of climate change on coral reefs.
Article
Plant Sciences
Xinqiao Zhan, Yingpeng Tong
Summary: In this study, comparative transcriptome analyses revealed significant enrichment of terpenoid biosynthesis and cytochrome P450 pathways in Sinocalycanthus chinensis. Phylogenetic analysis showed high sequence similarity of terpene synthases between S. chinensis and Arabidopsis, classified into three subfamilies. Most phytohormone pathway-related genes were upregulated in flowers and downregulated in leaves.
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Or Ben-Zvi, Yoav Lindemann, Gal Eyal, Yossi Loya
Summary: Research indicates that plankton prefer swimming towards fluorescent cues over non-fluorescent targets, with green fluorescence enhancing predation success in corals, suggesting a prey-luring effect.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Ty N. F. Roach, Jenna Dilworth, Christian H. Martin, A. Daniel Jones, Robert A. Quinn, Crawford Drury
Summary: This study demonstrates a stable impact of coral bleaching on the metabolomics of both the coral host and algal symbiont, leading to different physiological responses to temperature stress. Metabolomic differences help predict bleaching phenotype and offer new insights into the biochemical mechanisms of coral bleaching.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
T. R. McClanahan
Summary: This article provides a brief historical narrative of coral responses to climate change exposures, followed by a review of evidence from multiple-site field studies. The findings reveal that environmental variables, especially excess thermal exposure, play a crucial role in coral bleaching and mortality response. Two categories of investigations, focused on excess thermal stress thresholds (TM) or continuous variables (VM), were identified, with TM investigations receiving more citations and being used to identify future climate change impacts and sanctuaries. The study emphasizes the importance of considering additive and interactive mechanisms of causation in coral responses to exposure. Additionally, it points out that some important variables for predicting coral responses have been seldom studied or modeled. The future status and health of coral reefs is expected to be better than predicted by TM investigations.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Crawford Drury, Diego Lirman
Summary: The development of next-generation coral conservation strategies relies on the movement of adaptive variation across genetic and environmental gradients. A study on reciprocal transplantation of Acropora cervicornis genotypes along the Florida Reef Tract revealed significant genotype x environment interactions in bleaching response during the 2015 bleaching event. The correlations with genetic markers, specifically in DNA repair, cell signalling, and apoptosis, provide important implications for assisted gene flow and managed relocation strategies.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Thayna Jeremias Mello, Edson Aparecido Vieira, Amana Guedes Garrido, Carla Zilberberg, Juliana Lopes De Lima, Lucas Penna Soares Santos, Guilherme Ortigara Longo
Summary: However, the coral health was significantly affected by sea temperature anomalies, leading to paleness, bleaching, and unhealthy purple/pink color, as well as changes in the associated symbionts.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)