Review
Environmental Sciences
Jeneen Hadj-Hammou, David Mouillot, Nicholas A. J. Graham
Summary: The response-and-effect framework is a trait-based approach that aims to analyze the mechanistic links between ecosystem disturbances, species' traits, and ecosystem processes. A review of coral reef fish traits literature shows a focus on linking response traits to disturbances, with fewer studies connecting effect traits to ecosystem processes. Size and diet of fish are identified as common traits in the literature, crucial for understanding both disturbance and process in ecosystems.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lorna Howlett, Emma F. Camp, John Edmondson, Russell Hosp, Ben Taylor, Philip Coulthard, David J. Suggett
Summary: Tourism-led stewardship projects in the Great Barrier Reef have implemented coral propagation and out-planting practices to improve ecosystem function. Benthic surveys conducted over a 24-month period showed significant increases in hard coral cover at some out-planting sites, particularly for commonly out-planted genera. Despite variations in coral community responses, this tourism-led approach has demonstrated potential for increasing hard coral cover through coral propagation.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Suman Nama, Ashna Shanmughan, Binaya Bhusan Nayak, Shashi Bhushan, Karankumar Ramteke
Summary: Coral reefs, as the most spectacular underwater creation, play crucial roles in ecosystem functioning and coastal community livelihood. However, marine debris poses a severe threat to these sensitive habitats and their associated organisms. Despite scientific attention, data regarding the sources, abundance, distribution, and potential consequences of marine debris on reef ecosystems are lacking. This review aims to provide an overview of the current status and impacts of marine debris, with emphasis on sources, distribution, affected species, and management strategies, as well as highlighting the adhesion mechanisms and diseases caused by microplastics to coral polyps.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Floortje E. Roelvink, Curt D. Storlazzi, Ap R. van Dongeren, Stuart G. Pearson
Summary: The study shows that broader and shallower coral restoration projects are most effective in reducing wave-driven flooding, such as those on the upper fore reef and between the reef flat and shoreline, compared to deeper locations on the fore reef or at the reef crest. It suggests that planting more physically robust coral species in shallower and more energetic locations can increase the coastal hazard risk reduction potential of reef restoration.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emma V. Kennedy, Chris M. Roelfsema, Mitchell B. Lyons, Eva M. Kovacs, Rodney Borrego-Acevedo, Meredith Roe, Stuart R. Phinn, Kirk Larsen, Nicholas J. Murray, Doddy Yuwono, Jeremy Wolff, Paul Tudman
Summary: Improved high-resolution global mapping can benefit coral reef management and conservation. The Reef Cover classification system bridges the gap between earth observation data and geo-ecological knowledge of reefs, maximizing applicability at global scales while maintaining relevance and accuracy at local scales. Case studies demonstrate the scientific and conservation benefits of using Reef Cover for detailed mapping and management in different regions.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jenny Fong, Peter A. Todd
Summary: The study reveals that interactions between corals and macroalgae vary greatly across sites and seasons, with different coral species showing varying effects on macroalgae. It is important to consider seasonal fluctuations of macroalgae for understanding their overall long-term impacts.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Catherine E. E. Sheppard, Gareth J. J. Williams, Dan A. A. Exton, Sally A. A. Keith
Summary: Biodiversity loss is negatively impacting ecosystem functions and services globally. This study focuses on the importance of co-occurrence of different functional groups in addition to functional diversity for the coral reef benthic state. The results suggest that protecting specific herbivorous fish functional groups is crucial for promoting coral accretion.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Paul G. Carvalho, Fakhrizal Setiawan, Karizma Fahlevy, Beginer Subhan, Hawis Madduppa, Guangyu Zhu, Austin T. Humphries
Summary: Research indicates that fishing pressure is the dominant driver of size spectra slopes in coral reef fishes, with carnivores being more heavily impacted as pressure increases. Additionally, habitat structural complexity plays a role in influencing the size spectra slopes of herbivorous fishes in coral reefs.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jessica A. Benthuysen, Grant A. Smith, Claire M. Spillman, Craig R. Steinberg
Summary: The 2020 marine heatwave in the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea caused mass coral bleaching, with sea surface temperature anomalies exceeding +2 degrees C across broad regions. While the model predictions generally agreed with observations in the first week, it failed to capture the development phase and end of the heatwave. Subseasonal variability due to weather systems affected the accuracy of predicting the event's duration and intensity.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Nicholas M. Hammerman, George Roff, Tracy Lybolt, Gal Eyal, John M. Pandolfi
Summary: This study investigates the entire history of a high-latitude coral reef ecosystem in an urbanized setting and finds that reef growth and termination are controlled by environmental factors, and water quality pollution has a significant impact on coral assemblages.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nestor E. Bosch, Fernando Espino, Fernando Tuya, Ricardo Haroun, Lorenzo Bramanti, Francisco Otero-Ferrer
Summary: The degradation of shallow ecosystems has led to a need to study and understand the biodiversity and functioning of Mesophotic Ecosystems. However, most research has been limited to tropical regions and focused on species, neglecting other important aspects of biodiversity. By studying a subtropical island in the Atlantic Ocean, we found that fish communities in mesophotic black coral forests (BCFs) differed in functional structure compared to shallow reefs, indicating the importance of specific management and conservation strategies for preserving the unique biodiversity and functionality of mesophotic BCFs.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gal Eyal, Jack H. Laverick, Pim Bongaerts, Oren Levy, John M. Pandolfi
Summary: Mesophotic coral ecosystems are important, but research on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is scarce due to reasons such as strict diving regulations, involvement of new researchers, logistics, and cost. Research efforts on these ecosystems are declining, and unless this changes, the knowledge gap between Australian MCEs and other major coral reef regions worldwide will continue to widen. Action is needed to enhance understanding of these ecosystems in Australia.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Miriam Reverter, Stephanie B. Helber, Sven Rohde, Jasper M. de Goeij, Peter J. Schupp
Summary: Non-random community changes are becoming more frequent in many ecosystems, with coral reefs experiencing shifts towards communities dominated by other than hard corals. Despite the existence of various alternative communities, knowledge remains scattered on the global diversity and functioning of alternative coral reef benthic communities.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Heather A. Stewart, Jennifer L. Wright, Matthew Carrigan, Andrew H. Altieri, David Kline, Rafael J. Araujo
Summary: This study provides a scientific understanding and classification of nested mangrove-coral (CMC) habitats, and reports the discovery of a highly rich CMC habitat type in Panama. Based on literature review and field data, the researchers created a classification framework for CMC habitat categories and used GIS modeling to predict potential global distribution of CMC habitats.
Article
Oceanography
Lorna Howlett, Emma F. Camp, John Edmondson, Jenny Edmondson, Taryn Agius, Russell Hosp, Philip Coulthard, Steve Edmondson, David J. Suggett
Summary: Coral propagation through nurseries and out-planting practices has increased globally to improve stakeholder-led stewardship for local reef site health. The tourism industry in the Great Barrier Reef implemented coral propagation after back-to-back bleaching events, overcoming cost-efficiency limitations through the Coral Nurture Program (CNP) partnership model. Success of CNP relies on collaboration between researchers and operators, utilizing complementary expertise and resources for continual improvement. This study examines the CNP activity to evaluate how collective propagation by tourism operators and research validation can enhance site stewardship on the Great Barrier Reef.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Albert Pessarrodona, Sterling B. Tebbett, Nestor E. Bosch, David R. Bellwood, Thomas Wernberg
Summary: Algal turfs are expected to dominate coral reef benthos in the Anthropocene, and our study found that surgeonfishes, particularly those that crop and suck sediment, can adapt to and feed on high sediment loads in these turfs, which may be advantageous in future sediment-laden turf-dominated reefs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sterling B. Tebbett, Juliano Morais, David R. Bellwood
Summary: Research conducted on Lizard Island in the Great Barrier Reef shows that coral reefs have the potential for recovery after severe cumulative disturbances, with some reefs experiencing significant increases in coral cover while others show little to no recovery. The study also indicates that recovery after disturbances may vary significantly depending on the specific location of the reef.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Juliano Morais, Renato Morais, Sterling B. Tebbett, David R. Bellwood
Summary: This study tracked the fate of 143 dead coral colonies with complex growth forms triggered by consecutive bleaching events. The results revealed rapid erosion of dead coral colonies, with an average of 79.7% completely disintegrating within 60 months. Surprisingly, factors such as bioerosion and wave exposure did not affect the observed erosion rates.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jodie A. Schlaefer, Sterling B. Tebbett, Casey L. Bowden, William P. Collins, Stephanie Duce, Christopher R. Hemingson, Victor Huertas, Michalis Mihalitsis, Juliano Morais, Renato A. Morais, Alexandre C. Siqueira, Robert P. Streit, Sam Swan, Jessica Valenzuela, David R. Bellwood
Summary: This study provides a quantitative snapshot of sediment dynamics on a coral reef, revealing the significant influence of hydrodynamic forces and on-reef processes.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sterling B. Tebbett, David R. Bellwood, Erin R. Johnson, Tory J. Chase
Summary: This study found that algal turf sediments from Lizard Island and Orpheus Island in the Great Barrier Reef contain various metals, and the loads of some metals increase significantly with turf length. These findings suggest that longer algal turfs could be an important pathway for these metals to enter food chains.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Robert P. Streit, David R. Bellwood
Summary: Functional traits can quantify an organism's ecology and predict ecosystem functions based on local communities. However, many functional traits seem to be characterized by availability and implied importance rather than ecological information content. It is necessary to identify functions of interest first and then identify traits as quantifiable proxies.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Sterling B. Tebbett, Sean R. Connolly, David R. Bellwood
Summary: By analyzing a global dataset of coral reef benthic cover, the authors found that high macroalgal cover is mainly restricted to the Western Atlantic, and there have also been significant declines in coral cover in the Western Atlantic and Central Pacific since the late 1990s. Understanding the composition and trajectory of coral reef benthic communities is crucial for managing Anthropocene coral reefs, as they are at the forefront of environmental transformation caused by human-induced stressors.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Sterling B. Tebbett, Samantha K. Crisp, Richard D. Evans, Christopher J. Fulton, Albert Pessarrodona, Thomas Wernberg, Shaun K. Wilson, David R. Bellwood
Summary: Different definitions of dominance can greatly influence the understanding of ecosystem shifts, as exemplified by coral reefs. Exclusion of crucial algal groups and variations in categorizing other benthic communities can alter perceptions of coral dominance and the detection of ecosystem phase shifts. Therefore, consensus on the application of dominance concepts is needed to gain a comprehensive understanding of ecosystem changes in aquatic and terrestrial settings.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Sophia R. L. Douglas, Sterling B. B. Tebbett, Severine Choukroun, Christopher H. R. Goatley, David R. R. Bellwood
Summary: Cryptobenthic fishes are abundant and dominant in near reef waters, although the link between pelagic and on-reef processes is not well understood. Through sampling at different depths, the study found clear variation in late-stage larval fish assemblages. Contrary to expectations, late-stage cryptobenthic larvae were found to use large portions of the water column, although their preferred positions could differ among taxa.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Sterling B. Tebbett, Scott Bennett, David R. Bellwood
Summary: Herbivorous fishes are an important group in coral reef ecosystems and have been extensively studied. However, challenges remain in quantifying patterns versus processes. This article explores how the definition of 'herbivorous reef fishes' hinders the translation between herbivore abundance and herbivory processes. The authors suggest that considering the difficulty of translating patterns in herbivore abundance to herbivory processes and focusing on quantifying herbivory in the epilithic algal matrix (EAM) will be crucial for comprehensive understanding of herbivory on Anthropocene coral reefs.
Article
Ecology
Juliano Morais, Sterling B. Tebbett, Renato A. Morais, David R. Bellwood
Summary: Ecosystem recovery from human-induced disturbances is occurring worldwide, but the dynamics and implications for ecosystem management remain unclear. Using coral reefs as a case study, this research found that coral reefs can recover to global average levels within just 2 years, with as few as 11.5 coral recruits per square meter. However, factors such as wave exposure, growth form, and colony density can impact the recovery rates. This study emphasizes the importance of considering natural recovery in management and restoration, and provides insights into the recovery dynamics of high-diversity climate-disturbed ecosystems.
Article
Environmental Sciences
James Gahan, David R. Bellwood, Leo Nankervis, Sterling B. Tebbett
Summary: This study analyzed the characteristics of zooplankton communities in the offshore regions of the Queensland shelf using Australian data and found that the composition of these communities was predictable at a broad taxonomic level, but the variation in relative abundance was unpredictable.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sterling B. Tebbett, Jodie A. Schlaefer, Casey L. Bowden, William P. Collins, Christopher R. Hemingson, Scott D. Ling, Juliano Morais, Renato A. Morais, Alexandre C. Siqueira, Robert P. Streit, Sam Swan, David R. Bellwood
Summary: Sediments on coral reefs are influenced by the amount and movement of sediment in different reservoirs. However, research on reef sediment dynamics and their drivers is limited, especially on clear-water offshore reefs. Using quantification methods, this study examined sediment reservoirs/processes and bio-physical drivers in different reef habitats at Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef. The findings showed that a significant amount of suspended sediment passed over the reef, but only a small portion settled. Spatial differences in sediment deposition and accumulation were observed, influenced by wave energy and reef geomorphology. These findings highlight the importance of local hydrodynamic conditions in determining sediment fate on coral reefs.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Sterling B. Tebbett, David R. Bellwood, Tahlia Bassett, Michael V. W. Cuttler, Molly Moustaka, Shaun K. Wilson, Helen F. Yan, Richard D. Evans
Summary: Herbivorous fishes and algal turfs are important for the functioning of coral reefs, but their nature on turbid reefs is limited. High turbidity reefs have low herbivorous fish abundance and limited nutritional resources, resulting in reduced productivity compared to clear-water reefs in the Indo-Pacific. This suggests bottom-up nutrient resource limitation due to reduced light levels and sediment-laden conditions on turbid reefs.
REVIEWS IN FISH BIOLOGY AND FISHERIES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emily Curren, Sandric Chee Yew Leong
Summary: Microplastics in marine ecosystems serve as microhabitats for diverse toxic plankton species, including viable resting cysts of dinoflagellates. The diversity of plankton communities on the plastisphere is influenced by anthropogenic factors. This study highlights the importance of plastics as vectors for the transport of harmful opportunistic species in the marine environment.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Vladimir G. Dvoretsky, Alexander G. Dvoretsky
Summary: The Barents Sea, as the largest Arctic shelf region, plays a vital role in supporting commercial fisheries. The ecosystem of this region is significantly influenced by both warm Atlantic Water (AW) and cold Arctic Water (ARW), resulting in distinct frontal zones. This study found that copepod populations, particularly herbivorous copepods, were most abundant and productive in the Polar Front, as well as in the eastern frontal zones. The geographic positions of sampling stations, depth, and chlorophyll a concentration were identified as the main factors influencing copepod biomass and production.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alberto Rovellini, Charlotte L. Mortimer, Matthew R. Dunn, Elizabeth A. Fulton, Jamaluddin Jompa, Abdul Haris, James J. Bell
Summary: This study compared the structural complexity of coral- and sponge-dominated areas of an Indonesian coral reef using 3D photogrammetry. The results showed that smaller-scale refugia were reduced in sponge-dominated reefs, potentially impacting smaller reef fauna.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2024)
