Article
Environmental Sciences
Dana E. Williams, Allan J. Bright, Olivia M. Williamson, Amelia Moura, Mark C. Ladd
Summary: This article provides the first reports of spawning activity by outplanted Acropora palmata colonies on reefs in Florida, USA. The observation of light spawning from A. palmata colonies in 2021 and 2022 indicates that restoration efforts for A. palmata may be close to achieving self-sustaining populations that can produce viable larvae. The gametes collected from the outplanted colonies yielded high fertilization rates and viable larvae, suggesting the potential for an increase in the population's genotypic diversity upon successful recruitment to the reef.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Abigail Engleman, Kieran Cox, Sandra Brooke
Summary: The study highlights the contribution of dead coral to reef complexity and the potential implications for coral reef conservation. Dead coral maintains more varied profile curvatures and higher fractal dimensions compared to live or non-coral substrate, providing alternative insights into the mechanisms driving structural complexity on reefs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Amanda L. Bayless, Steven J. Christopher, Russell D. Day, Jennifer M. Ness, Colleen E. Bryan, Anna Toline, Cheryl M. Woodley
Summary: Biological impairments have been observed on reefs at two national parks in St. Croix, USVI, with potential impacts from water quality parameters and trace elements (such as Cu, Pb, Zn) that may originate from anthropogenic sources. Analyzing trace elements in coral skeletons and stable isotope levels can help identify potential pollution sources and determine the heavy metal impacts on these invaluable reefs.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rocio Garcia-Uruena, Sheila A. Kitchen, Nikolaos Schizas
Summary: Using a standardized SNP array, two populations of Acropora cervicornis and one population of A. palmata were identified in the Caribbean coast of Colombia. The study supports previous bio-physical model predictions and suggests the Panama-Colombia gyre as a possible isolating mechanism within the western Caribbean. However, the lower genetic diversity in both species, along with their relative isolation and high levels of reef degradation, raises concerns for conservation and may require species-specific management and restoration efforts.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yaeli Rosenberg, Tirza Doniger, Sarit Lampert, Frederic Sinniger, Saki Harii, Oren Levy
Summary: The study aimed to understand the daily fluctuations in gene expression at a transcript level in the coral Acropora digitifera and create a map of the biological processes that occur under natural environmental conditions. The results showed specific patterns of gene expression at different times of the day, with genes playing critical roles in physiological and behavioral processes. Understanding the daily rhythms of gene expression in marine organisms is crucial for coral survival and reef preservation.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Leah Maurer, Lauren Puishys, Nancy Kim Pham Ho, Craig Dahlgren, Tanya Y. Kamerman, Scott Martin, M. Andrew Stamper
Summary: This study analyzes the survival and design durability of two coral nurseries in The Bahamas, showing that the design is very durable with materials showing a life expectancy of five years or more. The survivorship ranged from 70 to 97% and only two maintenance visits a year were required.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joicye Hernandez-Zulueta, Leopoldo Diaz-Perez, Alex Echeverria-Vega, Gabriela Georgina Nava-Martinez, Miguel angel Garcia-Salgado, Fabian A. Rodriguez-Zaragoza
Summary: This study used sequencing analysis to investigate the bacterial microbiota associated with different coral species and sediments, and their relationship with environmental variables. The results showed that the bacterial assemblages in different corals and sediments varied and were influenced by environmental factors. However, no significant differences were found in the bacterial assemblages between different sites for apparently healthy corals and sediments. The relative abundance of different bacterial families also varied in coral, sediment, and seawater samples.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wyatt C. Million, Maria Ruggeri, Sibelle O'Donnell, Erich Bartels, Trinity Conn, Cory J. Krediet, Carly D. Kenkel
Summary: Genotype-by-environment interactions are crucial for the persistence and restoration strategies of tropical coral reefs. Through a transplant experiment on Acropora cervicornis, we found significant GxE effects on coral size, shape, and survivorship, with individual-level morphological plasticity positively influencing growth and survival.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jason D. Selwyn, Steven V. Vollmer
Summary: Coral species in the Acropora genus play crucial ecological roles in coral reefs worldwide. In this study, the first annotated genome of the endangered Caribbean staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis, is presented. The genome was assembled and annotated using high-fidelity nanopore long-read sequencing, with gene annotations validated using mRNA sequencing. Comparative genomic analysis revealed unique features in A. cervicornis, including immune pathway contractions and signaling pathway expansions. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that A. cervicornis diverged from Indo-Pacific relatives around 41 million years ago. This annotated genome contributes to our understanding of the diverse Acropora genus and addresses evolutionary inquiries regarding speciation and hybridization.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Monica D. Schul, Dagny-Elise Anastasious, Lindsay J. Spiers, Julie L. Meyer, Thomas K. Frazer, Anya L. Brown
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the impact of white band disease on the microbiome of Acropora cervicornis corals. The study found that healthy corals and diseased corals differed in microbial composition, and microbial communities in diseased tissues were more similar to those in healthy tissues. Additionally, the microbiome of nursery-reared corals in the ocean nursery remained stable over a two-year period.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Diane L. Brinkman, Florita Flores, Heidi M. Luter, F. Mikaela Nordborg, Maxime Brooks, Thomas F. Parkerton, Andrew P. Negri
Summary: The risks posed by petroleum spills to coral reefs are not well understood. This study aims to quantify the toxicity thresholds of aromatic hydrocarbons to reef-building corals. The results show that Acropora millepora is more sensitive to aromatic hydrocarbons compared to other corals and aquatic taxa.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
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
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Benjamin D. Young, Stephanie M. Rosales, Ian C. Enochs, Graham L. Kolodziej, Nathan Formel, Amelia Moura, Gabrielle L. D'Alonso, Nikki Traylor-Knowles
Summary: In this study, the transcriptomic and prokaryotic microbiome responses of Acropora palmata corals to different disease inoculations were characterized. The findings contribute to the future development of coral disease research, particularly in the field of potential disease diagnostic tools.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Angela Randazzo-Eisemann, Joaquin Rodrigo Garza-Perez, Baruch Figueroa-Zavala
Summary: The study found that coral diseases outbreaks, along with the effects of coastal development and thermal stressors, have significantly decreased the coverage and abundance of major reef-building corals in the Akumal reef over the past two decades, shifting the dominant species to non-framework weedy life history strategies.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
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
Environmental Sciences
Tracey Dalton, Richard Pollnac, Graham Forrester
COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2015)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Graham Forrester, Patricia Baily, Dennis Conetta, Linda Forrester, Elizabeth Kintzing, Lianna Jarecki
JOURNAL FOR NATURE CONSERVATION
(2015)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Thomas E. Kutcher, Graham E. Forrester
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2018)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Graham E. Forrester, Megan A. Ferguson, Caitlin E. O'Connell-Rodwell, Lianna L. Jarecki
AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS
(2014)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Graham E. Forrester, Amy Maynard, Stephanie Schofield, Kerianne Taylor
BULLETIN OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2012)
Article
Ecology
Clare L. Wormald, Mark A. Steele, Graham E. Forrester
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2013)
Article
Ecology
Richard R. Vance, Mark A. Steele, Graham E. Forrester
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2010)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tracey Dalton, Graham Forrester, Richard Pollnac
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2012)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Graham E. Forrester, Kerianne Taylor, Stephanie Schofield, Amy Maynard
MARINE ECOLOGY-AN EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVE
(2013)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Graham E. Forrester, Rebecca L. Flynn, Linda M. Forrester, Lianna L. Jarecki
Article
Ecology
Graham Forrester, Lindsay Harmon, Jason Helyer, William Holden, Rebecca Karis
POPULATION ECOLOGY
(2011)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Graham E. Forrester, Erin Chille, Katie Nickles, Kiran Reed
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2019)
Article
Ecology
Vida Samantha Osei, Graham Forrester, Michelle Naa Kordei Clottey, M. Conor McManus, Jeremy Collie
Summary: This study examined the effects of fishing and environmental variables on fish abundance and distribution on the continental shelf of Ghana using fishery-independent trawl survey data. The results showed that both commercial and non-commercial species were impacted by fishing efforts and environmental changes, with fish species tracking spatial and temporal changes in environmental conditions from year to year. Future fisheries management measures in the region should consider both fishing effort and environmental variables.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Tracey Dalton, Graham Forrester, Richard Pollnac