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
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
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Benjamin M. M. Mason, Mitsumasa Koyanagi, Tomohiro Sugihara, Makoto Iwasaki, Vladlen Slepak, David J. J. Miller, Yusuke Sakai, Akihisa Terakita
Summary: We identified six opsins from a coral species, including three novel opsins. We characterized the properties of four of these opsins and found that opsins 1 and 6 can activate Gs-type G protein in a light-dependent manner, with maximum sensitivities at 472 nm and 476 nm, respectively. Opsin 4 can induce intracellular Ca2+ increases through light-dependency. Our findings reveal that corals possess multiple opsins that regulate light-dependent signaling through different cascades.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sanaz Hazraty-Kari, Masaya Morita, Parviz Tavakoli-Kolour, Saki Harii
Summary: Seawater temperature rise due to climate change negatively impacts coral reef communities. The study investigated the response of Acropora tenuis larvae to thermal stress and its effect on their thermal tolerance during the juvenile stage. Larvae were exposed to different temperatures and their settlement success and survival were assessed. The results showed that larval thermal stress did not enhance thermal tolerance in juveniles, posing a potential threat to their resilience against heatwaves.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Florita Flores, Joseane A. Marques, Sven Uthicke, Rebecca Fisher, Frances Patel, Sarit Kaserzon, Andrew P. Negri
Summary: This study found that the Great Barrier Reef is negatively impacted by the combined effects of the contaminant diuron and climate change, particularly affecting the physiological responses of corals, with photosynthesis being significantly affected. It suggests that water quality guideline values may need to be adjusted as climate conditions change.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jane Xu, Oliver Mead, Aurelie Moya, Cuneyt Caglar, David J. J. Miller, Marcin Adamski, Maja Adamska
Summary: Branching scleractinian corals are niche-constructing organisms with the ability to regenerate quickly. This study identified genes involved in the regeneration process and found similarity to genes involved in wound healing and regeneration in other species. Comparing results from different experimental conditions demonstrated the feasibility of using corals as experimental models in fundamental biology research.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ryan Gasbarro, Derek Sowers, Alex Margolin, Erik E. Cordes
Summary: Climate change is reshaping the planet's biodiversity, and proactive management of species and habitats based on climate predictions is necessary. This study builds habitat suitability models for Lophelia pertusa, a reef-forming coral, in the southeast United States and projects its occurrence probability in the future. The results reveal the current extent of reef habitat in the region and identify key areas for conservation.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Brendan Cornwell, Katrina Armstrong, Nia S. Walker, Marilla Lippert, Victor Nestor, Yimnang Golbuu, Stephen R. Palumbi
Summary: Climate change is affecting ecosystem composition, with coral bleaching resistance identified as a critical trait for coral population persistence. Research shows that corals with low symbiont load are more bleaching-resistant but may have lower growth rates. Tradeoffs exist between high bleaching resistance and heat resistance, cautioning against unilateral use of this trait in restoration efforts.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
K. Petrou, B. L. Nunn, M. P. Padula, D. J. Miller, D. A. Nielsen
Summary: Coral reefs are threatened by warming oceans, with severe coral bleaching events recorded. Research on the proteome of coral host and symbiont under elevated temperature revealed significant changes in proteins related to oxidative stress, photosynthesis, and nutrient exchange, highlighting key differences between the two entities.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Brett M. Lewis, David S. Suggett, Peter J. Prentis, Luke D. Nothdurft
Summary: This study establishes an attachment model for Acropora millepora coral and provides insights into the key steps of asexual propagation. The model allows for evaluating attachment effectiveness, optimizing species-substrate compatibility, and achieving successful coral outplanting.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nia S. Walker, Brendan H. Cornwell, Victor Nestor, Katrina C. Armstrong, Yimnang Golbuu, Stephen R. Palumbi
Summary: Widespread mapping of coral thermal resilience is crucial for effective management strategies. Short-term heat stress experiments can assess heat resistance, and bleaching condition can predict mortality and survival.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ivonne Bejarano, Victor Orenes-Salazar, Rita Bento, Jose Antonio Garcia-Charton, Daniel Mateos-Molina
Summary: This study documents the decline of coral reefs in the southern Arabian Gulf, specifically the loss of Acropora corals. It found that the last remaining large stands of Acropora are located on an offshore island with less extreme environmental conditions. The study provides essential information for the management and conservation of these valuable and vulnerable corals.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Jenny Fong, Peggy P. Y. Tang, Lindsey K. Deignan, Jovena C. L. Seah, Diane McDougald, Scott A. Rice, Peter A. Todd
Summary: The allelopathic effects of four macroalgal species on the health and microbiomes of three coral species were investigated in a field experiment. The crude extracts of the macroalgae caused coral tissue bleaching and reduction in effective quantum yield, but the corals were able to recover within 72 hours, except when exposed to Lobophora challengeriae. While some macroalgal extracts increased the alpha diversity of coral microbiomes, there were no significant differences in the composition and variability of coral microbiomes between controls and macroalgal extracts. Overall, the chemically mediated interactions with macroalgae had limited impact on coral microbiomes and corals showed quick recovery from the effects of macroalgal chemicals.
Article
Ecology
Mark C. Ladd, Erin M. Winslow, Deron E. Burkepile, Hunter S. Lenihan
Summary: Water depth and corallivory have independent and interactive effects on coral growth rates. Coral populations recover at different rates after a major disturbance, with shallower populations recovering more quickly. Coral predators significantly reduce growth rates at 5 and 10 meters depth where corallivory intensity is greatest.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sara D. Williams, J. Grace Klinges, Samara Zinman, Abigail S. Clark, Erich Bartels, Marina Villoch Diaz Maurino, Erinn M. Muller
Summary: Effective coral restoration requires comprehensive investigations of targeted coral communities, including the coral host, symbiotic algae, and microbiome. This study found that the microbiomes of Acropora cervicornis genotypes differed based on the collection region, indicating that regional processes influenced bacterial community composition. Corals with low abundance of Aquarickettsia had higher species richness and diversity, suggesting their potential for restoration.
Article
Ecology
Melissa S. Roth, Jacqueline L. Padilla-Gamino, Xavier Pochon, Robert R. Bidigare, Ruth D. Gates, Celia M. Smith, Heather L. Spalding
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2015)
Article
Ecology
Melissa S. Roth, Jacqueline L. Padilla-Gamino, Xavier Pochon, Robert R. Bidigare, Ruth D. Gates, Celia M. Smith, Heather L. Spalding
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2015)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Melissa S. Roth, Shawn J. Cokus, Sean D. Gallaher, Andreas Walter, David Lopez, Erika Erickson, Benjamin Endelman, Daniel Westcott, Carolyn A. Larabell, Sabeeha S. Merchant, Matteo Pellegrini, Krishna K. Niyogi
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2017)
Article
Plant Sciences
Masakazu Iwai, Melissa S. Roth, Krishna K. Niyogi
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Jacqueline L. Padilla-Gamino, Robert R. Bidigare, Daniel J. Barshis, Ada Alamaru, Laetitia Hedouin, Xavier Hernandez-Pech, Frederique Kandel, Sherril Leon Soon, Melissa S. Roth, Lisa J. Rodrigues, Andrea G. Grottoli, Claudia Portocarrero, Stephanie A. Wagenhauser, Fenina Buttler, Ruth D. Gates
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Melissa S. Roth, Tung-Yung Fan, Dimitri D. Deheyn
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Melissa S. Roth, Dimitri D. Deheyn
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2013)
Review
Microbiology
Melissa S. Roth
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2014)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Melissa S. Roth, Sean D. Gallaher, Daniel J. Westcott, Masakazu Iwai, Katherine B. Louie, Maria Mueller, Andreas Walter, Fatima Foflonker, Benjamin P. Bowen, Nassim N. Ataii, Junha Song, Jian-Hua Chen, Crysten E. Blaby-Haas, Carolyn Larabell, Manfred Auer, Trent R. Northen, Sabeeha S. Merchant, Krishna K. Niyogi
Article
Limnology
Jacqueline L. Padilla-Gamino, Melissa S. Roth, Lisa J. Rodrigues, Christina J. Bradley, Robert R. Bidigare, Ruth D. Gates, Celia M. Smith, Heather L. Spalding
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2019)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Exequiel Gabriel S. Dizon, Jeric P. Da-Anoy, Melissa S. Roth, Cecilia Conaco
Summary: Fluorescent proteins (FPs) are important for photoprotection and antioxidant functions in corals under stress. Different coral species express a unique complement of FP transcripts with distinct spectral properties, with temperature-tolerant coral species like Favites colemani showing the most diverse and abundant repertoire of FP transcripts. Further studies are needed to understand the roles of specific FP transcripts in thermal stress tolerance.
JOURNAL OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sean D. Gallaher, Rory J. Craig, Iniyan Ganesan, Samuel O. Purvine, Sean R. McCorkle, Jane Grimwood, Daniela Strenkert, Lital Davidi, Melissa S. Roth, Tim L. Jeffers, Mary S. Lipton, Krishna K. Niyogi, Jeremy Schmutz, Steven M. Theg, Crysten E. Blaby-Haas, Sabeeha S. Merchant
Summary: The common belief that polycistronic gene expression is rare in eukaryotes has been challenged by the discovery of hundreds of examples in green algae using the Iso-Seq technology. Various approaches confirmed that multiple proteins are translated from a shared transcript at numerous loci, with transcription starting exclusively at upstream genes and ending after downstream genes. The conservation of this mechanism in different green algae species suggests it may be evolutionarily ancient and biologically significant.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Monica Medina, David M. Baker, David A. Baltrus, Gordon M. Bennett, Ulisse Cardini, Adrienne M. S. Correa, Sandie M. Degnan, Gregor Christa, Eunsoo Kim, Jingchun Li, David R. Nash, Ezequiel Marzinelli, Michele Nishiguchi, Carlos Prada, Melissa S. Roth, Mahasweta Saha, Christopher I. Smith, Kevin R. Theis, Jesse Zaneveld
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Melissa S. Roth, Daniel J. Westcott, Masakazu Iwai, Krishna K. Niyogi
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Biology
Sean D. Gallaher, Melissa S. Roth