Article
Ecology
Katie L. Cramer, Mary K. Donovan, Jeremy B. C. Jackson, Benjamin J. Greenstein, Chelsea A. Korpanty, Geoffrey M. Cook, John M. Pandolfi
Summary: The mass die-off of Caribbean corals has led to a shift toward macroalgal-dominated habitats since the 1970s. The loss of Acropora corals due to local human disturbances in the 1960s has resulted in the increase of stress-tolerant and weedy corals, as well as the competitive hydrozoan Millepora. However, since the 1980s and 1990s, there has been a slowdown or reversal in the increase of these corals due to intensified coral bleaching and disease, indicating the long history of increasingly stressful environmental conditions on Caribbean reefs.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Caroline S. Rogers, Carlos E. Ramos-Scharron
Summary: Coral reefs in the western Atlantic and Caribbean are facing deterioration from sedimentation, resulting in changes in coral cover and community composition, as well as overall degradation of the reefs. The lack of long-term studies on sediment stress and recovery, as well as evidence of watershed management actions on coral reefs, is a major gap in our current knowledge. Understanding erosion and sediment discharge pathways can contribute to potential management interventions.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bert W. Hoeksema, Luna M. van der Loos, Godfried W. N. M. van Moorsel
Summary: In this study of the coral reefs around St. Eustatius, it was found that there is no distinct relation between coral diversity and economic value. However, future marine park designs should consider coral diversity.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nuria Estrada-Saldivar, Blanca A. Quiroga-Garcia, Esmeralda Perez-Cervantes, Omar O. Rivera-Garibay, Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
Summary: The SCTLD outbreak in southwest Cozumel quickly spread within a few months, causing high mortality rates among various coral species and leading to a significant decrease in coral cover with a rapid increase in algae cover. Despite the impact of disease and environmental factors, coral communities have shown resilience and potential for recovery.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Tries B. Razak, Bilqis A. Ramadhani, Sarra Corni, Chris Roelfsema, Kathryn Markey, Brianna Bambic, Maarten De Brauwer, Halwi Masdar, Ray Purnama, Alex J. Dumbrell, Jamaluddin Jompa, Gino Limmon, Maria Beger, Helen E. Fox
Summary: This study quantifies the large-scale spatial distribution of benthic communities in shallow coral reef ecosystems across four locations in Eastern Indonesia. The study found that the reef benthic communities in the surveyed locations were mainly characterized by low to moderate cover of live hard corals and relatively high cover of dead corals or abiotic components.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sivajyodee Sannassy Pilly, Laura E. Richardson, John R. Turner, Ronan C. Roche
Summary: The study assessed depth zonation in benthic communities on the fore reef slope of the Central Indian Ocean and found significant differences in major functional groups and hard coral assemblages between different atolls and within the atolls. The results revealed spatial variation in depth zonation of benthic communities, potentially influenced by biophysical processes across depths and atolls, serving as a baseline for understanding the impacts of future global climate change on benthic communities across depths.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yip Hung Yeung, James Y. Xie, Chun Kit Kwok, Keith Kei, Put Ang, Leo Lai Chan, Walter Dellisanti, Chi Chiu Cheang, Wing Kuen Chow, Jian-Wen Qiu
Summary: The study identified five community types in Hong Kong's coral communities, with the most common one dominated by massive and upward-plating corals. Coral cover and generic richness were negatively correlated with water quality parameters, indicating constraints on the development of coral communities. Management actions are recommended to reduce bioerosion and monitor sites affected by bleaching.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Helen V. Ford, Jamison M. Gove, Andrew J. Davies, Nicholas A. J. Graham, John R. Healey, Eric J. Conklin, Gareth J. Williams
Summary: This study, based on benthic community data collected around five uninhabited central Pacific oceanic islands, reveals the autocorrelated nature of coral reef seascapes, with differences in patterns across geographies but similarities between islands in closer proximity and of similar size. Physical environmental drivers, particularly surface wave energy, play a key role in governing the spatial scaling properties of benthic competitors on coral reefs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jennifer E. Mallon, Alyssa M. Demko, Jennifer M. Sneed, Lilyana Newman, Carle Dugan, Andrew H. Altieri, Valerie Jean Paul, Maggie D. Johnson
Summary: Deoxygenation poses a major threat to coral reefs, causing catastrophic effects such as mass coral mortality. Different coral species have different tolerances to reduced dissolved oxygen concentrations, with some species surviving only a few days while others can tolerate deoxygenation for weeks. This study found that severe deoxygenation had a significant negative impact on recruit survivorship in certain coral species, highlighting the importance of considering species-specific variations in deoxygenation tolerance during reef conservation and restoration efforts.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Joseph A. Henry, Ram B. Khattri, Joy Guingab-Cagmat, Matthew E. Merritt, Timothy J. Garrett, Joshua T. Patterson, Kathryn E. Lohr
Summary: This study focused on comparing metabolomic profiles of unique genotypes of the threatened coral Acropora cervicornis, aiming to identify key metabolites driving separation among genotypes and improve restoration efforts. Results showed significant variation in metabolite profiles among A. cervicornis genotypes, indicating differences in metabolome structure could influence phenotypic variation among genotypes.
Article
Ecology
Jue Alef A. Lalas, Geminne G. Manzano, Lee Arraby B. Desabelle, Maria Vanessa Baria-Rodriguez
Summary: A study of an ecologically and economically important coral reef system in the central Philippines reveals significant variations in benthic community structure, influenced by environmental factors such as monsoons and water quality. This highlights the importance of conducting more detailed analyses of understudied taxa during coral reef surveys to improve our understanding of coral reef community dynamics, which is crucial for management.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Diana Carolina Ballesteros-Contreras, Lina M. M. Barrios, Richard Preziosi
Summary: The shallow coral Madracis auretenra plays an important role in the diversity of coral reef ecosystems in the Caribbean Sea. This study examined the population structure of M. auretenra using microsatellite markers and found high levels of inbreeding and the influence of physical barriers on genetic diversity distribution.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gina M. Clementi, Judith Bakker, Kathryn Flowers, Bautisse D. Postaire, Elizabeth A. Babcock, Mark E. Bond, Dayne Buddo, Diego Cardenosa, Leanne M. Currey-Randall, Jordan S. Goetze, Euan S. Harvey, Michelle Heupel, Jeremy J. Kiszka, Fabian Kyne, M. Aaron MacNeil, Mark G. Meekan, Matthew J. Rees, Colin A. Simpfendorfer, Conrad W. Speed, Michael R. Heithaus, Demian D. Chapman
Summary: The study found that the proximity and size of the nearest market have a positive impact on moray eels and a negative impact on predators subject to exploitation. This could be due to the depletion of moray competitors and predators near humans.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yu Zhao, Yu Sheung Law, Xiaohui Zhai, Kai Zhou, Mingru Chen, Jian-Wen Qiu
Summary: Coral communities in China's Great Bay Area have been severely degraded, with live coral cover and generic richness negatively correlated with nutrient pollution.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Christopher R. Hemingson, Michalis Mihalitsis, David R. Bellwood
Summary: The diversity of colors in fish communities is directly related to the composition of the local environment, with areas of complex coral cover supporting more diverse and brighter colored fish species. However, global environmental changes and human-induced disturbances can lead to significant declines in the perception of color in fish communities.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
