Article
Environmental Sciences
Cheryl A. Logan, John P. Dunne, James S. Ryan, Marissa L. Baskett, Simon D. Donner
Summary: The study examines the role of algal symbiont shuffling and evolution in coral resilience to global warming and ocean acidification, highlighting that shuffling is more effective than evolution. It also reveals global vulnerability patterns due to the interaction of warming rate and adaptive capacity, emphasizing the importance of considering species' ability to adaptively respond to climate change in conservation decisions.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cameron Do, Georgia Elizabeth Saunders, Yuriy Kuleshov
Summary: This study attempts to expand the methodology of tropical cyclone risk assessment by focusing on coral reefs and to understand the risk to Australia's natural environment. The study found that the northern Ningaloo Reef and southern Great Barrier Reef regions had the highest risk values. However, the limitations in data quality mean that these results are only estimates at best.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Saskia Jurriaans, Mia O. Hoogenboom, Christine Ferrier-Pages
Summary: Contrary to expectations, tropical and temperate coral species exhibited similar performance breadths in photosynthesis and electron transport rates, with thermal optima generally below local average temperature. This suggests that corals have adapted to cope with temperature variation, but current temperatures are pushing the boundaries of coral thermal tolerance.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Juan Shi, Chunhou Li, Teng Wang, Jinfa Zhao, Yong Liu, Yayuan Xiao
Summary: Coral reefs, known as tropical rainforests in the ocean, have a rich diversity of fish species. China has 2855 species of coral reef fishes, which can be categorized into nearshore and offshore. The diversity of coral reef fish species has a significant positive correlation with coral species diversity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiwei Li, Gregory P. Asner
Summary: Three-dimensional shallow benthic complexity provides valuable information for coral reef conservation and management, as it reflects the physical conditions and biodiversity of shallow coral reef environments. This study mapped global shallow water benthic complexity using satellite images and found that high complexity regions are mainly concentrated in areas with high benthic biodiversity. However, a significant portion of coral reef regions with high benthic complexity remains unprotected. The global coral reef benthic complexity map generated in this study can contribute to improving marine protected areas, reef conservation, and management.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chloe Pozas-Schacre, Jordan M. Casey, Simon J. Brandl, Michel Kulbicki, Mireille Harmelin-Vivien, Giovanni Strona, Valeriano Parravicini
Summary: Research shows a remarkable consistency in trophic interactions across different bioregions in tropical coral reef food webs. These food webs are dominated by dietary specialists, making trophic pathways vulnerable to biodiversity loss. The existence of coral reef functioning is threatened by the reliance on species with narrow, specialized diets.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andres F. Suarez-Castro, Hawthorne L. Beyer, Caitlin D. Kuempel, Simon Linke, Pasquale Borrelli, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg
Summary: The study proposes a systematic approach to identify global forest restoration opportunities in order to reduce sediment runoff to coral reefs. Results show that coastal watersheds in Southeast Asian countries have significant sediment export impacts on coral reefs, and restoring forests could potentially decrease sediment input to 63,000 square kilometers of coral reefs.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Oliver Selmoni, Gael Lecellier, Veronique Berteaux-Lecellier, Stephane Joost
Summary: Coral reefs worldwide are facing widespread decline of hard corals due to anomalous heat waves. Different coral taxa have different sensitivities to heat, and variations in susceptibility have been observed within the same species in different environments. Understanding taxa-specific variations is crucial for efficient reef conservation strategies.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sanaz Hazraty-Kari, Masaya Morita, Parviz Tavakoli-Kolour, Takashi Nakamura, Saki Harii
Summary: As global temperatures rise, the impact of heat stress on coral remains poorly understood. In this study, Acropora tenuis juveniles were exposed to varying temperatures over three consecutive years. The results showed that while survival rates initially remained high, they gradually declined over time, particularly in groups exposed to heat stress multiple times. Symbiotic algal density and photosynthetic activity also decreased. Overall, this study highlights the vulnerability of juvenile corals to heat stress and the potential long-term consequences for reef ecosystems.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Leon L. L. Tran, Jacob L. L. Johansen
Summary: Climate change projections indicate more frequent and severe tropical marine heat waves (MHWs) and accompanying hypoxia year-round. However, this study challenges the assumption that annual maximum temperatures will induce the greatest physiological consequences by characterizing seasonal MHWs and comparing metabolic traits of winter-and summer acclimatized convict tang (Acanthurus triostegus) to the combined effects of MHWs and hypoxia. The results reveal heightened sensitivity to the deleterious effects of winter MHWs and suggest that seasonal acclimatization to warmer summer conditions may bolster metabolic resilience to warming and hypoxia.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Christopher Edward Cornwall, Steeve Comeau, Simon D. Donner, Chris Perry, John Dunne, Ruben van Hooidonk, Steve Ryan, Cheryl Annette Logan
Summary: Projecting the effects of climate change on net reef calcium carbonate production is crucial, especially considering corals' natural adaptive capacity to such change. This study estimates how symbiont evolution and shuffling may influence responses to ocean warming and acidification under different emissions scenarios. The results show that symbiont adaptive capacity can favor positive net reef calcium carbonate production, but the projections vary spatially and by emissions scenario.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anne K. S. Justino, Guilherme V. B. Ferreira, Vincent Fauvelle, Natascha Schmidt, Veronique Lenoble, Latifa Pelage, Flavia Lucena-Fredou
Summary: This study investigated the contamination of microplastics (MPs) in four coastal fish species from the southwestern Tropical Atlantic. All species analyzed were found to be contaminated with MPs, with Alphestes afer being the most contaminated. There were no significant differences in the number and size of particles detected among species, and the most common shapes were fibers and films, with polyethylene being the most abundant polymer. This study provides important baseline data on MP contamination in coastal fish species, which is relevant for conserving marine biodiversity.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Colleen B. Bove, Sarah W. Davies, Justin B. Ries, James Umbanhowar, Bailey C. Thomasson, Elizabeth B. Farquhar, Jess A. McCoppin, Karl D. Castillo
Summary: Global change driven by anthropogenic carbon emissions is causing unprecedented alterations to ecosystems, particularly coral reefs. A study on the physiological responses of three Caribbean coral species reveals that ocean warming and acidification have varying impacts on coral health, with different species exhibiting different responses to these stressors.
Review
Plant Sciences
Glynn C. Percival
Summary: The frequency and intensity of heat stress events globally have increased over the past 20 years. Climatic modeling predicts that this trend will continue throughout the 21st century. Heat stress influences processes from the molecular level to whole-tree biology.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Joana Figueiredo, Christopher J. Thomas, Eric Deleersnijder, Jonathan Lambrechts, Andrew H. Baird, Sean R. Connolly, Emmanuel Hanert
Summary: The study demonstrates that a 2-degree Celsius warming will reduce the dispersal distance of coral larvae and connectivity between reefs, impacting coral reef recovery and the spread of warm-adapted genes.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Adam T. Downie, Jeffrey M. Leis, Peter F. Cowman, Mark McCormick, Jodie L. Rummer
Summary: Latitude and body size are important factors affecting swimming performance of larval marine fishes, with evolutionary relationships and habitat also playing a role. Temperate reef fishes show the greatest increase in swimming performance with body length, and reef fishes have higher swimming capacity compared to non-reef fishes due to their larger body sizes. High swimming performance and larger body sizes of reef fishes are likely adaptations to finding specific habitats for settlement.
FISH AND FISHERIES
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biology
Lauren Nadler
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
A. J. Bowden, M. B. Adams, S. J. Andrewartha, N. G. Elliott, P. B. Frappell, T. D. Clark
Summary: The study found that as amoebic gill disease progresses, the basal energy requirements of Atlantic salmon increase, aerobic scope decreases, and hypoxia tolerance weakens.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jingliang Kang, Ivan Nagelkerken, Jodie L. Rummer, Riccardo Rodolfo-Metalpa, Philip L. Munday, Timothy Ravasi, Celia Schunter
Summary: Ocean acidification affects different fish species in different ways, with some species showing the ability to adapt and cope with elevated pCO(2) levels.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Jose E. Trujillo, Ian Bouyoucos, William J. Rayment, Paolo Domenici, Serge Planes, Jodie L. Rummer, Bridie J. M. Allan
Summary: This study quantitatively assessed the escape performance of neonate tropical sharks, finding that they have high maneuverability and low propulsive performance, but short reaction times. These results are of importance for understanding the vulnerability of these sharks to predation.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Marco A. Vindas, Helene L. E. Midttun, Lauren E. Nadler, Romain Fontaine, Finn-Arne Weltzien, Oyvind Overli, Ida B. Johansen
Summary: Parasites can affect interactions at the population and community levels by influencing host behavior, physiology, and fitness. Even without establishing viable infections, parasite encounters can induce behavioral changes. This study used Japanese rice fish and a brain-infecting microsporidian parasite to investigate how parasite resistance affects behavior. The results show that parasite exposure led to significant behavioral alterations in non-susceptible hosts.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Neil B. Metcalfe, Jakob Bellman, Pierre Bize, Pierre U. Blier, Amelie Crespel, Neal J. Dawson, Ruth E. Dunn, Lewis G. Halsey, Wendy R. Hood, Mark Hopkins, Shaun S. Killen, Darryl McLennan, Lauren E. Nadler, Julie J. H. Nati, Matthew J. Noakes, Tommy Norin, Susan E. Ozanne, Malcolm Peaker, Amanda K. Pettersen, Anna Przybylska-Piech, Alann Rathery, Charlotte Recapet, Enrique Rodriguez, Karine Salin, Antoine Stier, Elisa Thoral, Klaas R. Westerterp, Margriet S. Westerterp-Plantenga, Michal S. Wojciechowski, Pat Monaghan
Summary: Researchers from various fields have been trying to understand the causes and consequences of metabolic rate variation among individual animals of the same species. Differences in approach, terminology, and methodology have hindered research in this area. Recent advances provide opportunities to address key questions by standardizing across disciplines. A common conceptual and methodological toolkit for studying metabolic variation in animals can now be developed.
Editorial Material
Ecology
Lauren E. Nadler, Shelley A. Adamo, Dana M. Hawley, Sandra A. Binning
Summary: Researchers studying animal phenotypes often neglect the influence of parasites on their study organisms. However, most wild animals harbor parasites that can alter individual phenotypes, including morphology, physiology, and behavior. These changes in host phenotype can have far-reaching effects on various biological levels, but the nature and magnitude of the effects depend on environmental factors experienced by the hosts and parasites. This special feature presents recent insights into how parasites modify host phenotypes across different systems, emphasizing the need for further understanding of infection-induced phenotypes and their relationship to natural variation and environmental conditions.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Leon L. L. Tran, Jacob L. L. Johansen
Summary: Climate change projections indicate more frequent and severe tropical marine heat waves (MHWs) and accompanying hypoxia year-round. However, this study challenges the assumption that annual maximum temperatures will induce the greatest physiological consequences by characterizing seasonal MHWs and comparing metabolic traits of winter-and summer acclimatized convict tang (Acanthurus triostegus) to the combined effects of MHWs and hypoxia. The results reveal heightened sensitivity to the deleterious effects of winter MHWs and suggest that seasonal acclimatization to warmer summer conditions may bolster metabolic resilience to warming and hypoxia.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Carolyn R. R. Wheeler, Duncan J. J. Irschick, John W. W. Mandelman, Jodie L. L. Rummer
Summary: Body condition is an important indicator of the overall health and energetic status of fishes. The commonly used Fulton's condition factor requires length and mass measurements, but mass can be difficult to obtain in large species. Girth measurements can replace mass for wild pelagic sharks, but the validity of this method has not been fully confirmed.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Peyton A. Thomas, Emily E. Peele, Carolyn R. Wheeler, Kara Yopak, Jodie L. Rummer, John W. Mandelman, Stephen T. Kinsey
Summary: This study examined the differences in skeletal muscle morphological and metabolic properties in neonate epaulette sharks exposed to their current-day ambient or projected end-of-century habitat temperatures. The results showed that sharks hatched earlier but were similar in body size at the end of the study. Muscle fiber size, nuclear density, and capillary density were similar between temperature regimes. However, fiber density was lower, satellite cell density was higher, and fibers associated with satellite cells were smaller in sharks reared at the projected end-of-century temperature.
Article
Fisheries
Kim B. Eustache, Emiel van Loon, Jodie L. Rummer, Serge Planes, Isabel Smallegange
Summary: Reef shark species have experienced significant declines due to human activities, and their conservation requires policies at local, federal, and global levels. This study monitored the blacktip reef shark population around Moorea and within the world's largest shark sanctuary for nine years. The results indicate that local and likely federal policies have been effective in maintaining stable juvenile shark density. However, some nursery areas showed increasing shark densities, potentially due to changes in reproductive behavior or habitat type and resources. Water temperature did not have a significant impact on juvenile shark density over time.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Kelly L. Weinersmith, Lauren E. Nadler, Erik Bengston, Andrew V. Turner, Abhinav Birda, Karina Cobian, Jennifer A. Dusto, Siri H. Helland-Riise, Jasmine M. Terhall, Oyvind Overli, Ryan F. Hechinger
Summary: Some parasites manipulate their host's phenotype to enhance predation rates by the next host in the parasite's life cycle. However, studying this phenomenon is challenging due to design difficulties in obtaining uninfected hosts with coevolutionary history with the parasites. In a classic example, a brain-infecting trematode was found to be positively associated with conspicuous behaviors in infected fish, leading to increased predation by final host birds. Experimental infections confirmed that the trematode infection caused overall increases in conspicuous behaviors, although the effects were less consistent than previously documented.
JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kim B. Eustache, Emilie Boissin, Celine Tardy, Ian A. Bouyoucos, Jodie L. Rummer, Serge Planes
Summary: This study monitored and sampled blacktip reef sharks in nursery habitats to improve understanding of shark reproductive behavior and biology. The research revealed evidence of plastic philopatric behavior, with some female sharks changing parturition areas between seasons while others consistently returning to the same site. Additionally, resource allocation within some shark litters appeared to be unbalanced. These findings contribute to our knowledge of shark populations and can inform future conservation strategies.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biology
P. Ferreira, G. T. Kwan, S. Haldorson, J. L. Rummer, F. Tashiro, L. F. C. Castro, M. Tresguerres, J. M. Wilson
Summary: Puffer and porcupine fishes have the ability to inflate themselves by swallowing seawater to defend against predation, but this mechanism leads to the loss of stomach function. Through studying the stomach phenotype and genotype of four different fish species, it was found that this inflation mechanism is only present in Tetraodontiformes and is not a selective pressure for stomach loss in other gastric inflating fishes.