Article
Environmental Sciences
Jia Tang, Wenqi Cai, Zhicong Yan, Kaidian Zhang, Zhi Zhou, Jianmin Zhao, Senjie Lin
Summary: Ocean acidification and copper pollution have different effects on coral endosymbiont Symbiodiniaceae reproduction. Acidification promotes algae reproduction through increased nutrient assimilation, while copper exposure represses algae reproduction. The combined acidification and copper exposure result in decreased algae reproduction with different metabolic pathway regulation.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Huiling Kang, Xuefei Chen, Wenfeng Deng, Xijie Wang, Hao Cui, Xi Liu, Guanqiang Cai, Ti Zeng, Jian-xin Zhao, Gangjian Wei
Summary: The study reveals significant warming and persistent acidification in the open ocean of the northern South China Sea since the 1960s, leading to a slight decline in coral skeletal density while coral extension and calcification show an overall increasing trend. However, coral calcification has persistently decreased since the 1960s, indicating a pessimistic situation for corals in the northern South China Sea.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Michelle Barbosa, Caroline Schwaner, Emmanuelle Pales Espinosa, Bassem Allam
Summary: The study revealed that the eastern oyster demonstrates significant recovery and acclimation when adapting to ocean acidification, supported by transcriptomic analysis. The functions of differentially expressed genes include cell differentiation, development, biomineralization, ion exchange, and immunity. The findings suggest acclimation as a mode of resilience to ocean acidification.
Article
Ecology
Guowei Zhou, Haoya Tong, Lin Cai, Hui Huang
Summary: The study found that ocean acidification had no significant effect on the microbiome of P. damicornis, and further research is needed to determine whether transgenerational acclimation exists in the coral holobiont.
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
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Travis A. Courtney, James R. Guest, Alasdair J. Edwards, Romeo M. Dizon
Summary: The study suggests that the blue coral may become an important reef-builder under ocean warming due to its relative resistance to thermal stress and high skeletal density. Blue corals are locally distributed and may be underestimated in their ability to restore stressed reef environments.
Article
Engineering, Marine
Federica Scucchia, Katrein Sauer, Paul Zaslansky, Tali Mass
Summary: This study introduces an innovative approach combining synchrotron phase contrast-enhanced microCT (PCE-CT) with artificial intelligence (AI) to explore the 3D architecture of Rapid Accretion Deposits (RADs) and Thickening Deposits (TDs) within coral skeletons. By using deep-learning neural networks for AI segmentation, highly-detailed 3D information about the architecture of RADs and TDs is obtained. This research provides important data for studying coral biomineralization and the effects of environmental change on coral growth.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Biology
Peter J. Edmunds, Kelly W. Johnson, Scott C. Burgess
Summary: Using small coral fragments to infer the physiological responses of whole colonies can be misleading due to the lack of morphological complexity and physiological integration in these fragments. However, aggregated fragments can adjust their calcification rate to match that of whole colonies, even without integration among branches.
Article
Environmental Sciences
S. E. Cryer, C. Schlosser, N. Allison
Summary: The decrease in ocean pH and the presence of dissolved copper have negative impacts on the calcification, photosynthesis, and respiration of the tropical Stylophora pistillata coral. The effects are amplified when both stressors are combined.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Fiorella Prada, Leonardo Brizi, Silvia Franzellitti, Stefano Mengoli, Simona Fermani, Iryna Polishchuk, Nicola Baraldi, Francesco Ricci, Quinzia Palazzo, Erik Caroselli, Boaz Pokroy, Loris Giorgini, Zvy Dubinsky, Paola Fantazzini, Giuseppe Falini, Stefano Goffredo, Katharina E. Fabricius
Summary: This study found that four tropical zooxanthellate corals from Papua New Guinea underwater volcanic vent system exhibit increased skeletal porosity and changes in organic matrix and water content under long-term exposure to OA, suggesting a common phenotypic response to environmental pressures.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhenyue Lin, Liuying Wang, Mingliang Chen, Xinqing Zheng, Jianming Chen
Summary: The study found that rapid pH changes did not significantly affect the physiological calcification rate of the coral Galaxea fascicularis, but significant differences were observed in the proteome and microbiota levels. The proteome analysis identified key biological pathways, such as coral host infection and immune defense, playing important roles in the coral holobiont’s response to ocean acidification.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Limnology
Hanna C. C. Mantanona, Thomas M. M. DeCarlo
Summary: Mass bleaching events lead to reduction in coral populations and calcium carbonate production, which weakens the ability of reefs to counter rising sea levels. This study used Raman spectrometry techniques to examine the biogeochemical response of long-lived corals before, during, and after bleaching. The findings indicate that the calcification process of coral-bleaching survivors is unexpectedly resilient.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
N. Servetto, M. C. de Aranzamendi, R. Bettencourt, C. Held, D. Abele, J. Movilla, G. Gonzalez, D. M. Bustos, R. Sahade
Summary: The study shows that long-term exposure to low pH conditions leads to changes in gene expression levels in the abundant cold-water coral Malacobelemnon daytoni in the Antarctic, including upregulation of some antioxidant enzymes and heat shock proteins. The expression of carbonic anhydrase, a key enzyme involved in the calcification process, is also significantly upregulated.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tianyu Zhang, Yi Qu, Qianqian Zhang, Jia Tang, Ruiwen Cao, Zhijun Dong, Qing Wang, Jianmin Zhao
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of ocean acidification and warming on the herbivorous gastropod Trochus niloticus, showing that both factors can lead to physiological disturbances, impaired immune functions, oxidative balance, neurotoxicity, and disorder of energy metabolism. Integrated biomarker response confirmed that the overall fitness of T. niloticus was deleteriously impacted and more stressed under the co-exposure condition, indicating potential long-term impairments to the viability of T. niloticus in the future ocean, leading to degradation of coral reef ecosystems.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Junyuan Li, Tong Zhou, Yang Li, Kuidong Xu
Summary: This study analyzed the mitochondrial genome and transcriptome of deep-sea solitary coral Polymyces wellsi living in the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) and showed the genetic mechanisms underlying its adaptation to low pH, low oxygen content, and extreme food limitation. The findings revealed positive selection and expansion of genes related to biomineralization, mitochondrial components, and ciliary motion, indicating their significance in facilitating the coral's adaptation to the stressors in the OMZ. Moreover, the study identified a novel bio-indicator, the increased isoelectric points of skeleton organic matrix proteins, which may reflect the adaptive capacity of the coral to external acidified seawater. Overall, this study provides insights into the adaptive mechanisms of deep-sea solitary corals and offers strategies for addressing global climate change.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Tengteng Tang, William Landis, Stephane Blouin, Luca Bertinetti, Markus A. Hartmann, Andrea Berzlanovich, Richard Weinkamer, Wolfgang Wagermaier, Peter Fratzl
Summary: The spatial distribution of mineralization density is vital for bone growth and remodeling processes, while alterations are linked to diseases. In addition to the known lacunocanalicular network, a new nanochannel network has been discovered in the mineralized extracellular matrix of human femoral cortical bone. This network has a greater volume fraction and surface area, potentially allowing for ion and small molecule transport.
JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biology
Fiorella Prada, Silvia Franzellitti, Erik Caroselli, Itay Cohen, Mauro Marini, Alessandra Campanelli, Lorenzo Sana, Arianna Mancuso, Chiara Marchini, Alessia Puglisi, Marco Candela, Tali Mass, Franco Tassi, Todd C. LaJeunesse, Zvy Dubinsky, Giuseppe Falini, Stefano Goffredo
Summary: Ocean acidification caused by increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations is threatening calcifying organisms such as corals. This study examined the adaptation of Mediterranean coral Balanophyllia europaea to low pH/high pCO(2) conditions. It found that the coral's dinoflagellate endosymbiont density increased at lower pH sites, along with changes in the distribution of symbiont haplotypes. The results also suggested an increase in autotrophy and diazotroph N-2 fixation in the coral tissue under ocean acidification. Overall, this study highlights the ability of some corals to adapt to predicted future ocean acidification scenarios.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Jiri Kolibac, Katerina Rosova, Jan Simon Prazak, Joerg U. Hammel, Jakub Prokop
Summary: A larva of Cleroidea in Burmese amber is described, which is the first record of an immature beetle of the basal cucujiform super-family for the Mesozoic. The well-preserved specimen is reconstructed and the integumental details of cephalic structures, especially the mouthparts, are discerned using synchrotron radiation-based micro-computed tomography. The new species, Cretorhadalus constantini gen. et sp. nov., is assigned to the melyrid lineage of Cleroidea and tentatively classified within the basal family Rhadalidae. Based on comparisons with extant rhadalids, it is inferred that the larvae and adults of this new species were probably carnivorous, living on trees or in galleries foraging on soft xylophagous insects.
ARTHROPOD SYSTEMATICS & PHYLOGENY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Peter Fratzl
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Laura Zorzetto, Ernesto Scoppola, Emeline Raguin, Kerstin G. Blank, Peter Fratzl, Cecile M. Bidan
Summary: Biofilms form when bacteria colonize a surface and produce extracellular matrix components, including mineral particles such as calcium phosphate. Understanding the mineralization mechanisms in biofilms is crucial for disease prevention and the development of biofilm-based living composites.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Geology
Jithin Johnson, Stephanie F. Loria, Ulrich Kotthoff, Jorg U. Hammel, Mathew M. Joseph, Danilo Harms
Summary: This article reports the discovery of a new genus (Burmeochthonius) and two new species (Burmeochthonius kachinae and Burmeochthonius muelleri) of the pseudoscorpion tribe Tyrannochthoniini in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber from northern Myanmar, extending the known fossil record of this group by approximately 75 million years. The study also discusses the evolution and biogeography of this tribe in tropical regions and suggests that the paleoclimate and paleoenvironments of Cretaceous Burmese forests were similar to those of present-day Myanmar.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Judith Bossen, Ruben Prange, Jan-Philip Kuehle, Sven Kuenzel, Xiao Niu, Joerg U. Hammel, Laura Krieger, Mirjam Knop, Birte Ehrhardt, Karin Uliczka, Susanne Krauss-Etschmann, Thomas Roeder
Summary: Knowing the molecular makeup of an organ system is crucial for understanding its function. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptome of the adult tracheal system in Drosophila melanogaster to gain insights into its composition and compared it to the larval tracheal system. We found major differences between the two systems, including changes in gene expression responsible for cuticular structure formation, enhanced immune activation, increased expression of G protein-coupled receptors, and the presence of a peripheral circadian clock only in the adult tracheal system.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Berit Zeller-Plumhoff, Heike Helmholz, Frank Feyerabend, Thomas Dose, Fabian Wilde, Alexander Hipp, Felix Beckmann, Regine Willumeit-Roemer, Joerg U. Hammel
Summary: Magnesium-based alloys are considered as an alternative material for bone implants. The degradation rate of the implants is crucial for their performance evaluation, but different equations based on 3D imaging have been used to determine it. In this technical note, we discuss the deviation in degradation rates determined by different equations for two sets of data and its implications for comparative studies.
MATERIALS AND CORROSION-WERKSTOFFE UND KORROSION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chloe Lee, Erik Caroselli, Mariana Machado Toffolo, Arianna Mancuso, Chiara Marchini, Marta Meschini, Stefano Goffredo
Summary: Large artificial coral reefs, such as sunken shipwrecks, can have community structures similar to nearby natural coral reefs, and their long-term dynamics may enhance reef resilience to environmental changes. A study was conducted on the SS Thistlegorm wreck in the Red Sea from 2007 to 2014, using data collected by volunteer divers. The study found significant yearly variations in the community structure, but no clear temporal trend, with the majority of target taxa sighted throughout the eight years. The SS Thistlegorm serves as a compelling example of how artificial coral reefs can sustain a well-established community structure similar to natural reefs.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
David Peris, Joerg U. Hammel, Chenyang Cai, Monica M. Solorzano-Kraemer
Summary: This article reports a fossil of Jacobsoniidae preserved in Holocene copal from Tanzania. The discovery expands the family's distribution range and supports the relevance of younger resins in preserving pre-Anthropocene arthropods. However, human activity may be causing the loss of local biodiversity.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mirko Riedel, Kirsten Taphorn, Alex Gustschin, Madleen Busse, Joerg U. Hammel, Julian Moosmann, Felix Beckmann, Florian Fischer, Pierre Thibault, Julia Herzen
Summary: Phase-contrast computed tomography is a technique that can visualize soft tissue samples with high contrast. While propagation-based imaging (PBI) techniques are commonly used due to their simplicity and high-resolution images, they lack quantitative data. To overcome this limitation, we developed a new imaging setup using a 2D Talbot array illuminator and speckle-based imaging phase-retrieval techniques. Our setup achieves comparable spatial resolution to PBI scans while successfully imaging samples that break the homogeneity assumption used in PBI.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Paleontology
Simon Beurel, Julien B. Bachelier, Joerg U. Hammel, Gong-Le Shi, Xie-Ting Wu, Peter T. Ruehr, Eva-Maria Sadowski
Summary: This study investigates flower inclusions from the Miocene amber from Zhangpu, China using synchrotron-radiation-based X-ray micro-computed tomography (SRlCT). It identifies two new fossil species of Canarium and provides new insights into the diversity of the Zhangpu amber forest and the paleoenvironment during the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum.
Article
Biology
Henry Jahn, Joerg U. Hammel, Torben Goepel, Christian S. S. Wirkner, Georg Mayer
Summary: An antagonistic hemolymph-muscular system is crucial for soft-bodied invertebrates. Onychophorans (velvet worms) serve as key relatives of arthropods and tardigrades to understand the evolution of their circulatory system. The circulatory system of velvet worms was studied using various methods, revealing a complex organization and potential similarities with arthropods.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shahrouz Amini, Tingting Zhu, Abin Biswas, Mohammad Avalin Charsooghi, Kyoohyun Kim, Simone Reber, Yannicke Dauphin, Peter Fratzl
Summary: The shells of the Pinnidae family have a structure that includes calcitic prisms and inner aragonitic nacre, providing exceptional mechanical performance. However, the absence of nacre on the posterior side raises the question of its functional role. Recent research has shown that the prismatic part of the Pinna nobilis shell has unique optical properties, where each prism acts as an individual optical fiber guiding light to the inner shell cavity through total internal reflection. This optical system enhances spatial resolution, contrast, and reduces angular blurring, making it ideal for tracking moving objects.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Business, Finance
Giulia Baschieri, Andrea Carosi, Stefano Mengoli
Summary: Local IPO waves refer to when companies from different industries but located in the same area go public at the same time. Research shows that there is a slight overlap between IPO waves by industry and IPO waves by region, and early-in-the-wave IPOs are more underpriced. The listing decision is sensitive to high valuations of both same-industry firms and same-region but different-industry firms. Information spillover is not found to be a driver of local IPO waves.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FINANCE & ECONOMICS
(2023)