Article
Environmental Sciences
Matthew S. Mills, Tom Schils, Andrew D. Olds, Javier X. Leon
Summary: The complexity of tropical reef habitats affects the organisms residing in these ecosystems. This study used structure-from-motion photogrammetry to quantify the structural complexity of reefs in Guam and found correlations between terrain complexity, benthic community diversity, and coral cover. The study provides insights into Guam's reef complexity and its importance for future assessments.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Steven Mana'oakamai Johnson, Angelo O. Villagomez
Summary: This study applied the MPA Guide to assess marine protected areas in the Mariana Islands and found that most areas are actively managed and associated with tourism activities. The protected area varies in size depending on jurisdiction, emphasizing the importance of quality, quantity, and scale in determining effective conservation measures.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Christopher A. Leber, Andres Joshua Reyes, Jason S. Biggs, William H. Gerwick
Summary: This study investigated the ecological habits of cyanobacteria and shrimp symbiosis through various methods, revealing a considerable habitat specificity of these organisms on coral reefs. The presence of shrimp can alter the pigmentation and nutrient levels of cyanobacteria colonies, indicating a mutualistic relationship between the two species.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Fiona Petchey, Geoffrey Clark
Summary: This paper responds to criticism by Carson (2020) on the age of the Unai Bapot archaeological site in the Mariana Islands, discussing issues encountered in marine radiocarbon research and addressing the incompatibility with stratigraphy and dating.
Article
Archaeology
Rebeca Salgado-Pizarro, Sara Camacho, Sandra Monton-Subias, Natalia Moragas, Ana Ines Fernandez
Summary: This study presents the results of archaeometallurgical analyses conducted on historic iron nails from the Marianas archipelago. The nails were obtained through exchange, trade, or reuse of shipwreck materials by the native communities. The samples showed different metallographic and mechanical characteristics.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE-REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Robert M. McElderry, Eben H. Paxton, Andre Nguyen, Shane R. Siers
Summary: The study examines the potential for native bird population persistence and reintroduction following the invasion of brown treesnakes on Guahan. Modeling the life history characteristics and sensitivity of different bird species to predation by brown treesnakes, the researchers find that bird persistence is possible in Guahan's forests with suppression of the snakes, but the contact rates with the snakes need to be reduced to certain thresholds. The findings of the study provide valuable management insights for brown treesnake control and bird reintroduction efforts.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ning Li, Gabriel Garcia Medina, Zhaoqing Yang, Kwok Fai Cheung, David Hitzl, Yi-Leng Chen
Summary: A high-resolution wave hindcast from 1979 to 2020 was developed for Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, which are influenced by mesoscale and synoptic weather systems from the western Pacific Rim to the Central Pacific. The hindcast demonstrates its capability in capturing multi-modal seas through reproduction of bulk and partitioned wave parameters derived from altimetry and buoy measurements. The local wave climate is influenced by the year-round trade winds and tropical cyclones as well as seasonal monsoons, frontal systems, and midlatitude high- and low-pressure systems.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sofia B. B. Ferreira, John H. R. Burns, Kailey H. H. Pascoe, Clifford A. A. Kapono, Andres J. J. Reyes, Atsuko Fukunaga
Summary: This study used a trait-based approach to examine the relationships between habitat complexity and coral morphology. The results showed that different coral traits contribute disproportionately to different metrics of habitat complexity. This highlights the importance of considering colony morphology and size for understanding and monitoring reef structural complexity.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Lydia S. Kaforau, Gizachew A. Tessema, Jonine Jancey, Hugo Bugoro, Gavin Pereira
Summary: Based on the Solomon Islands Demographic and Health Survey 2015 data, the under-five mortality rate in the country was high and associated with maternal health, behavioral, and sociodemographic factors. Further studies are recommended to confirm these associations.
LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH-WESTERN PACIFIC
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ahmed Eladawy, Takashi Nakamura, Masaya Yoshikai
Summary: This study used the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) to simulate the hydrodynamics of the Red Sea and validated the model results using remotely sensed sea surface temperature data. The study revealed that the relatively warmer water in the southern parts of the Red Sea originated from the eastern boundary current, but the northern islands acted as barriers with unique thermal moderating mechanisms. Additionally, the study introduced a new approach of applying higher-resolution models to accurately represent the spatial and temporal variations of thermal indices. In conclusion, multiscale modeling provides a valuable method for assessing precious marine ecosystems.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Wenbin Zhao, Leiran Chen, Mei Liu, Keyi Huang, Yunqi Ding, Jiaguang Xiao, Peng Tian, Jiwen Liu, Xiao-Hua Zhang, Wentao Niu, Xiaolei Wang
Summary: This study investigated the distribution pattern and interactions of total bacteria and Vibrio spp. in the sediments from Xisha Islands during the coral bleaching event of 2020. The results showed that the abundances of Vibrio were high, indicating the bloom of sedimentary Vibrio spp. Coral pathogenic Vibrio species were abundant in the sediments, likely reflecting adverse effects on several kinds of corals. The compositions of the Vibrio spp. were separated by geographical location, which was mainly attributable to the spatial distance and coral species.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rachel R. R. Carlson, Jiwei Li, Larry B. B. Crowder, Gregory P. P. Asner
Summary: Turbidity from land-based runoff can have both negative and positive effects on coral bleaching during ocean heatwaves. This study used high-resolution satellite data to examine the relationship between turbidity and coral bleaching severity in Hawaii. The results showed that the effect of turbidity on bleaching severity weakened at higher temperatures, but still had a slightly negative impact in urban settings. Additionally, interactions between temperature and local variables like turbidity and wave energy were found to be the most significant drivers of bleaching severity.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Annaleise J. Conway, Michael Gonsior, Cheryl Clark, Andrew Heyes, Carys L. Mitchelmore
Summary: This study investigated the toxicity of the UV filter BP-3 to coral reefs, showing that it does not pose an acute risk of mortality to G. fascicularis. Further research is needed to determine sublethal impacts of BP-3 under environmentally relevant concentrations and longer-term exposures.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Yurii B. Shvetsov, Lynne R. Wilkens, Kami K. White, Marie Chong, Arielle Buyum, Grazyna Badowski, Rachael T. Leon Guerrero, Rachel Novotny
Summary: This study aimed to develop a breast cancer risk prediction model for Chamorro and Filipino women in the Mariana Islands and compared its performance to that of the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (BCRAT). The study found that the ability to develop breast cancer risk models for Mariana Islands women is constrained by the small population size and limited availability of health services and data. However, it demonstrated that breast cancer risk prediction models with adequate discriminatory performance can still be built for small populations like in the Mariana Islands.
Article
Biology
S. A. Keith, J-P A. Hobbs, L. Bostrom-Einarsson, I. R. Hartley, N. J. Sanders
Summary: Avoiding costly fights can conserve energy needed to survive environmental change, but how resource depletion affects competitor recognition processes in butterflyfishes is poorly understood. We conducted a study using a coral mortality event and field observations to test the impact of rapid resource loss on recognition processes in butterflyfishes. The results showed that competitor recognition became less accurate for heterospecifics after the coral mortality, potentially due to altered resource overlaps.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
L. J. Raymundo, D. Burdick, V. A. Lapacek, R. Miller, V. Brown
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2017)
Article
Ecology
L. J. Raymundo, D. Burdick, V. A. Lapacek, R. Miller, V. Brown
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2017)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
L. J. Raymundo, W. L. Licuanan, A. M. Kerr
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Supin Wongbusarakum, Valerie Brown, Adrienne Loerzel, Matt Gorstein, Danika Kleiber, Marybelle Quinata, Mia Iwane, Adel Heenan
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Ecology
Austin Greene, William Leggat, Megan J. Donahue, Aurie J. Raymundo, Jamie M. Caldwell, Tess Moriarty, Scott F. Heron, Tracy D. Ainsworth
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Colin Lock, Bastian Bentlage, Laurie J. Raymundo
Summary: This study utilized RNA-seq technology to investigate the physiological responses of Porites lobata colonies to physical fragmentation and outplanting. The results demonstrate significant impacts of fragmentation and outplanting on energy production, calcium homeostasis, antioxidant expression, and protein turnover in the coral host. These findings shed light on the physiological mechanisms that enable rapid wound healing and stabilization in response to physical injury in corals.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)