Article
Ecology
A. L. Brown, E. A. Hamman, J. S. Shima, J. P. Wares, C. W. Osenberg
Summary: Phenotypic variation in corals exposed to vermetid gastropods can show plastic responses influenced by prior exposure, with differences in traits like calcification, tissue thickness, microbial composition, and more. These phenotypic differences may be heritable, as indicated by distinct genetic variation in coral mitotypes with and without vermetids. Understanding how different coral genotypes respond to environmental stressors like vermetid gastropods can provide insights into the resilience and trajectory of coral reef ecosystems.
Article
Biology
Jeffrey S. Shima, Craig W. Osenberg, Erik G. Noonburg, Suzanne H. Alonzo, Stephen E. Swearer
Summary: Research on the growth rates of larval fishes, particularly the sixbar wrasse, shows that growth is strongly linked to lunar periodicity and nocturnal brightness. Cloud cover obscuring moonlight provided a natural experiment to confirm the impact of moonlight on growth. The lunar-periodic growth of larvae may be attributed to the light-mediated suppression of diel vertical migrations of predators and prey.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
A. Raine Detmer, Robert J. Miller, Daniel C. Reed, Tom W. Bell, Adrian C. Stier, Holly Moeller
Summary: The study found that storm disturbance has significant impacts on benthic community structure, with extreme storm regimes leading to increased understory macroalgae and decreased sessile invertebrates. The periodic loss of giant kelp and direct storm impacts on benthos influenced competition outcomes among benthic community members.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Amy A. Briggs, Anya L. Brown, Craig W. Osenberg
Summary: Microbes play a crucial role in mediating the interactions between corals and algae in coral reefs. The presence of algae and macroalgal cover can influence the diversity of coral microbiomes, with effects observed at both local and site-level scales. The results highlight the complex and interconnected relationships between corals, algae, and microbial communities in reef ecosystems.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2021)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Chao Song, Scott D. Peacor, Craig W. Osenberg, James R. Bence
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Justin H. Baumann, Lily Z. Zhao, Adrian C. Stier, John F. Bruno
Summary: The study found that remote coral reefs are not necessarily more resilient to disturbances compared to reefs near human activities. Only drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions can ensure coral survival.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jeffrey S. Shima, Craig W. Osenberg, Suzanne H. Alonzo, Erik G. Noonburg, Stephen E. Swearer
Summary: The lunar cycle affects nocturnal brightness of coral reef organisms, influencing reproduction, larval development, and settlement timing. The changes in nocturnal illumination are closely related to the trophic linkages between coral reefs and adjacent pelagic ecosystems.
EMERGING TOPICS IN LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biology
Rebecca L. Atkins, Kathleen M. Clancy, William T. Ellis, Craig W. Osenberg
Summary: Physiological processes influence individual performance in different environmental contexts. This study found intraspecific variation in the parameters of the thermal performance curve in a gastropod species, Littoraria irrorata. The variation in thermal traits and scaling with body size differed across populations and sites, highlighting the importance of considering variation and physiological allometry in predicting the effects of temperature change.
BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Mae Rennick, Bartholomew P. DiFiore, Joseph Curtis, Daniel C. Reed, Adrian C. Stier
Summary: Herbivores can reach high abundances in ecosystems, and excessive grazing can cause regime shifts. This study combines experiments and long-term monitoring data to confirm the hypothesis that herbivores drive regime shifts when herbivory exceeds primary production.
Article
Biology
Adrian C. Stier, Timothy E. Essington, Jameal F. Samhouri, Margaret C. Siple, Benjamin S. Halpern, Crow White, John M. Lynham, Anne K. Salomon, Phillip S. Levin
Summary: This study investigates how the value of monitoring information increases as a natural resource approaches a critical threshold, and proposes that precautionary buffers triggering increased monitoring precision as resource levels decline may minimize monitoring costs and maximize profits.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Hunter S. Lenihan, Sean P. Fitzgerald, Daniel C. Reed, Jennifer K. K. Hofmeister, Adrian C. Stier
Summary: The contribution of marine reserves to adjacent fisheries through spillover is uncertain and context-dependent. This study conducted over a ten-year period in the Northern Channel Islands of southern California found that the establishment of no-take marine reserves led to substantial increases in lobster abundance and biomass within the reserves, as well as significant spillover of adult lobsters across reserve borders.
Article
Ecology
Holly V. Moeller, Roger M. Nisbet, Adrian C. Stier
Summary: Multispecies mutualisms are influenced by predation, with predators reducing mutualist abundance and service provision. However, a mathematical model shows that predators can have indirect positive effects on hosts when they preferentially consume competitively dominant, lower-quality mutualists. The direction and strength of predator effects depend on asymmetries in mutualist competition, service provision, and predation vulnerability, indicating that changes in predation strength can lead to dynamic responses in mutualist communities.
Article
Ecology
Kai L. Kopecky, Adrian C. Stier, Russell J. Schmitt, Sally J. Holbrook, Holly V. Moeller
Summary: Standing dead structures of habitat-forming organisms can affect ecosystem recovery processes. A mathematical model was used to quantify the differential effects of structure-removing and structure-retaining disturbance events on the resilience of coral reef ecosystems. Dead coral skeletons can diminish coral resilience by providing macroalgae refuge from herbivory, altering the underlying relationship between herbivory and coral cover.
Article
Ecology
Bartholomew P. DiFiore, Adrian C. Stier
Summary: The interaction strength between predators and prey is context dependent and difficult to measure. However, a relationship between interaction strength and predator size, prey size, and prey density suggests that this can be used to predict interaction strength between individual species.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Paula Pappalardo, Chao Song, Bruce A. Hungate, Craig W. Osenberg
Summary: Quantitative summarization of primary study results using meta-analysis can address ecological questions and identify knowledge gaps. However, the accuracy of these answers depends on the quality of the meta-analysis. This article reviewed the literature on the quality of ecological meta-analyses to evaluate current practices and highlight areas for improvement. The findings revealed that criteria related to reporting performed better than those related to execution. There was also a wide variation in compliance with different criteria and among different meta-analyses.
Article
Ecology
Katja J. Geiger, Julio Arrontes, Antonella Rivera, Consolacion Fernandez, Jorge Alvarez, Jose Luis Acuna
Summary: A two-year experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of Pollicipes pollicipes harvest on intertidal community structure and ecological diversity. The study found that intensive exploitation resulted in a decrease in P. pollicipes and Mytilus spp. coverage, while Chthamalus spp. and Corallina spp. increased. The recovery of P. pollicipes aggregations was slow and variable, but their coverage increased under non-extracted conditions.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Daniel Castro Martignago, Leandro Godoy, Amanda Pereira Amaral, Guendalina Turcato Oliveira
Summary: This study evaluates the effects of bleaching on the oocytes of the Mussismilia harttii coral and investigates the strategies employed by these cells to maintain antioxidant balance and cellular homeostasis. The research finds that bleached coral oocytes experience lipid damage, but are still able to maintain their quality and potentially elongate their lifespan and fertilization capability. This response may be linked to an intensification of heterotrophy in bleached corals.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
(2024)