Article
Biology
Sterling B. Tebbett, Samantha K. Crisp, Richard D. Evans, Christopher J. Fulton, Albert Pessarrodona, Thomas Wernberg, Shaun K. Wilson, David R. Bellwood
Summary: Different definitions of dominance can greatly influence the understanding of ecosystem shifts, as exemplified by coral reefs. Exclusion of crucial algal groups and variations in categorizing other benthic communities can alter perceptions of coral dominance and the detection of ecosystem phase shifts. Therefore, consensus on the application of dominance concepts is needed to gain a comprehensive understanding of ecosystem changes in aquatic and terrestrial settings.
Review
Ecology
Cody S. S. Clements, Mark E. E. Hay
Summary: Tropical reefs are experiencing a shift from coral to macroalgal dominance, and the role of macroalgae in coral decline is not well understood. Research suggests that algae may harm corals through disruptions to their microbiomes, but the processes and spatial scales are uncertain. Understanding the importance of microbially-mediated algal-coral competition is crucial for predicting coral dynamics as reefs degrade.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Lisa Goberdhan, Stuart Kininmonth
Summary: Analysis of coral growth rates of Porites lutea colonies across shallow reefs in Fiji revealed declines in polluted areas and an influence of latitude on growth rates. The study also highlighted the importance of site-specific water quality and sea surface temperature in predicting coral growth distribution.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sterling B. Tebbett, David R. Bellwood
Summary: Algal turfs are a productive component of coral reef ecosystems, with depth being the primary driver of turf productivity rates and turnover mainly related to turf biomass. However, limited data availability and methodological constraints constrain our understanding of their productivity. Addressing these challenges is crucial for improving our knowledge of algal turf dynamics on coral reefs.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Hillary A. Smith, Stella E. Fulton, Ian M. Mcleod, Cathie A. Page, David G. Bourne
Summary: Manual removal of macroalgae can promote the recovery of inshore coral reefs and improve the composition of benthic reef organisms.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(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
Environmental Sciences
Karina Massei, Maria Cecilia Silva Souza, Richarde Marques da Silva, Dimitri de Araujo Costa, Pedro Costa Guedes Vianna, Maria Cristina Crispim, George Emmanuel Cavalcanti de Miranda, Linda Eggertsen, Christinne Costa Eloy, Celso Augusto Guimaraes Santos
Summary: This study conducted a comprehensive analysis of the Seixas coral reef in northeastern Brazil and found that the impacts of tourism have exacerbated negative effects on the reef's marine ecosystem. The findings emphasize the importance of strategic planning and resource management to protect the biodiversity and ecological integrity of coral reefs.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sterling B. Tebbett, David R. Bellwood, Erin R. Johnson, Tory J. Chase
Summary: This study found that algal turf sediments from Lizard Island and Orpheus Island in the Great Barrier Reef contain various metals, and the loads of some metals increase significantly with turf length. These findings suggest that longer algal turfs could be an important pathway for these metals to enter food chains.
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
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Sterling B. Tebbett, Scott Bennett, David R. Bellwood
Summary: Herbivorous fishes are an important group in coral reef ecosystems and have been extensively studied. However, challenges remain in quantifying patterns versus processes. This article explores how the definition of 'herbivorous reef fishes' hinders the translation between herbivore abundance and herbivory processes. The authors suggest that considering the difficulty of translating patterns in herbivore abundance to herbivory processes and focusing on quantifying herbivory in the epilithic algal matrix (EAM) will be crucial for comprehensive understanding of herbivory on Anthropocene coral reefs.
Article
Ecology
Edward W. Tekwa, Lisa C. McManus, Ariel Greiner, Madhavi A. Colton, Michael M. Webster, Malin L. Pinsky
Summary: Coral reefs are believed to exhibit regime shifts between alternative stable states, single-species dominance, and coexistence. Changes in grazing, spatial clustering, and ocean temperature are proposed as drivers of these regime shifts. The study distills the dynamic regimes of coral-macroalgal interactions into a three-dimensional geometry, allowing for a better understanding of the stability and persistence of interacting species. By analyzing forces as trajectories through the cubic regime geometry, one can understand the complex interplay of factors influencing coral-macroalgal communities.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Nicholas P. Jones, Rob R. Ruzicka, Mike A. Colella, Morgan S. Pratchett, David S. Gilliam
Summary: Acute disturbances and chronic pressures have significant and increasing impacts on coral reef community structure. This study reveals that high disturbance frequency and chronic anthropogenic pressures have led to sustained declines in stony corals and proliferation of macroalgae on Florida's Coral Reef. Even in locations with lower chronic pressure, recovery of stony corals is severely limited.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Caitlin R. Fong, Tyler B. Smith, Ranjan Muthukrishnan, Peggy Fong
Summary: The global evidence of phase shifts to alternate community types is of particular concern due to their fundamentally different and often novel ecosystem functions and services compared to the original community. We observed green algal mats on reefs in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, which supported a more speciose macroalgal community and facilitated growth of an associated understory macroalgal species. These results demonstrate the importance of further research on community shifts, which will become increasingly common in the Anthropocene.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Hillary A. Smith, Dylan A. Brown, Chaitanya Arjunwadkar, Stella E. Fulton, Taylor Whitman, Bambang Hermanto, Elissa Mastroianni, Neil Mattocks, Adam K. Smith, Peter L. Harrison, Lisa Bostrom-Einarsson, Ian M. McLeod, David G. Bourne
Summary: Removing macroalgae may be an effective intervention to boost recruitment and facilitate recovery on degraded tropical coral reefs.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Daniel Wangpraseurt, Yazhi Sun, Shangting You, Sing-Teng Chua, Samantha K. Noel, Helena F. Willard, David B. Berry, Alexander M. Clifford, Sydney Plummer, Yi Xiang, Henry H. Hwang, Jaap Kaandorp, Julia M. Diaz, Todd C. La Jeunesse, Mathieu Pernice, Silvia Vignolini, Martin Tresguerres, Shaochen Chen
Summary: This study uses 3D bioprinting technology to construct biomimetic coral microhabitats, replicating the biological processes involved in coral-algal symbiosis and providing a potential method for manufacturing synthetic designer corals.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Guilherme O. Longo, Mark E. Hay, Carlos E. L. Ferreira, Sergio R. Floeter
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2019)
Article
Ecology
Cody S. Clements, Mark E. Hay
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Deanna S. Beatty, Jinu Mathew Valayil, Cody S. Clements, Kim B. Ritchie, Frank J. Stewart, Mark E. Hay
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sarah E. Lester, Andrew Rassweiler, Sophie J. McCoy, Alexandra K. Dubel, Mary K. Donovan, Margaret W. Miller, Scott D. Miller, Benjamin I. Ruttenberg, Jameal F. Samhouri, Mark E. Hay
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nicole K. Johnston, Justin E. Campbell, Valerie J. Paul, Mark E. Hay
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kelly Y. Inagaki, Maria Grazia Pennino, Sergio R. Floeter, Mark E. Hay, Guilherme O. Longo
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Limnology
Madison S. Willert, Christine A. M. France, Barrett L. Brooks, Carole C. Baldwin, Mark E. Hay
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY-METHODS
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rohan M. Brooker, Angelia L. Seyfferth, Alesia Hunter, Jennifer M. Sneed, Danielle L. Dixson, Mark E. Hay
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Stephanie M. Bilodeau, Mark E. Hay
Summary: Marine and freshwater ecosystems differ in persistence, size, population connectivity, and the variance in physical and biotic conditions they experience. These differences may select for differing reproductive modes and chemically cued recruitment behaviors. In marine systems, adults are less mobile and larvae disperse in the plankton, while in freshwater systems, adults commonly disperse over greater distances and determine juvenile recruitment sites. Chemical cues have been shown to affect recruitment in both marine and freshwater systems.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Natalie Grayson, Cody S. Clements, Alexandra A. Towner, Deanna S. Beatty, Mark E. Hay
Summary: Detritivore sea cucumbers were abundant on historic tropical reefs but have been heavily exploited since the mid-1800s, resulting in their depletion from modern marine communities. Experiments have shown that the removal of detritovores may make some co-occurring foundation species in shallow tropical seas more susceptible to pathogens during periods of elevated temperatures or other stresses.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cody S. Clements, Mark E. Hay
Summary: Research found that mixed coral assemblages showed better productivity and survival, with positive effects exceeding agonistic interactions predicted by competition theory. Peak coral performance was observed at intermediate levels of species richness, declining thereafter. Therefore, the positive effects of coral diversity are crucial for the recovery of degraded reefs and the conservation of marine ecosystems.
Article
Ecology
Madison S. Willert, Christine A. M. France, Carole C. Baldwin, Mark E. Hay
Summary: Overfishing globally simplifies marine food webs, changes trophic patterns, and alters community structure, impacting harvested species density and trophic function. Northwestern Atlantic has a history of heavy fishing and destructive bottom fishing and mobile fishing gear. Analysis of nitrogen stable isotopes in museum specimens and modern samples revealed significant declines in trophic positions for two common fishes, Centropristis striata (black sea bass) and Stenotomus chrysops (scup), over time. Heavy fishing activities may shorten food chains, simplify trophic complexity, and flatten food webs, potentially causing cascading impacts on community structure and function. Utilizing archived collections and stable isotope analysis can help quantify the long-term effects of fishing on ecosystems and food webs.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rebecca Vega Thurber, Mark Hay
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Zoe A. Pratte, Guilherme O. Longo, Andrew S. Burns, Mark E. Hay, Frank J. Stewart