Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christopher Doropoulos, George Roff
Summary: This study develops a novel method for colorizing large numbers of coral larvae, enabling research on their behavior and ecology, with potential applications for conservation planning and understanding patterns of connectivity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kayla Cayemitte, Nadege Aoki, Sophie R. Ferguson, T. Aran Mooney, Amy Apprill
Summary: The settlement of coral larvae is crucial for the success and longevity of coral reefs. However, the proliferation of Ramicrusta sp., a red-brown encrusting alga, poses a serious threat to coral recruitment by overgrowing corals and causing high mortality rates in larvae compared to crustose coralline algae (CCA) and control groups.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiwei Li, Gregory P. Asner
Summary: Three-dimensional shallow benthic complexity provides valuable information for coral reef conservation and management, as it reflects the physical conditions and biodiversity of shallow coral reef environments. This study mapped global shallow water benthic complexity using satellite images and found that high complexity regions are mainly concentrated in areas with high benthic biodiversity. However, a significant portion of coral reef regions with high benthic complexity remains unprotected. The global coral reef benthic complexity map generated in this study can contribute to improving marine protected areas, reef conservation, and management.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Shannon J. McMahon, Philip L. Munday, Jennifer M. Donelson
Summary: The study investigates the effects of elevated temperatures on the development and survival of larval Lutjanus carponotatus. The findings indicate that higher temperatures lead to faster yolk utilization and increased growth but reduced survival rates.
Article
Microbiology
Haoya Tong, Fang Zhang, Jin Sun, Shelby E. McIlroy, Weipeng Zhang, Yan Wang, Hui Huang, Guowei Zhou, Pei-Yuan Qian
Summary: This study investigated the physiological and transcriptomic responses of Pocillopora damicornis larvae to elevated nitrate levels. The results showed significant transcriptomic differences related to development, stress response, and transport. Higher levels of nitrate inhibited the development of Symbiodiniaceae but promoted the development of prokaryotic microbes. Additionally, most prokaryotic transcripts were negatively correlated with the physiological functions of Symbiodiniaceae.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. A. Abdul Wahab, S. Ferguson, V. K. Snekkevik, G. McCutchan, S. Jeong, A. Severati, C. J. Randall, A. P. Negri, G. Diaz-Pulido
Summary: This study tested the larval settlement responses of 15 coral species to 15 species of crustose coralline algae from the Great Barrier Reef. The results showed that CCA in the family Lithophyllaceae were the best inducers for most coral species. Taxonomic and habitat-specific associations were found, providing optimal coral-algal species pairings to increase the success of larval settlement for reef restoration.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wentao Zhu, Yuxiao Ren, Xiangbo Liu, Duanjie Huang, Jingquan Xia, Ming Zhu, Hongyang Yin, Rouwen Chen, Xiubao Li
Summary: This study examines the impact of the Qiongdong upwelling on the coastal coral reefs of Hainan Island. The results show significant differences in environmental variables between upwelling and non-upwelling areas, with colder and saltier water and lower coral coverage in the upwelling areas. The upwelling areas also face severe threats from coastal development and local anthropogenic activities.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
William S. Fisher
Summary: The goal of coral reef management is to provide habitat for fish populations, and it requires reliable methods to characterize reef features that contribute to fish habitat. By examining data from broad-area reef surveys, correlations were found between fish population measures and physical coral features, particularly coral colony height. Characterizing this relationship will improve fishery management tools and support assessment of the decline in the physical stature of reefs worldwide.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(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
Carsten G. B. Grupstra, Lauren I. Howe-Kerr, Jesse A. van der Meulen, Alex J. Veglia, Samantha R. Coy, Adrienne M. S. Correa
Summary: Animal waste is an important part of nutrient cycles and can transmit diverse microorganisms through trophic interactions. The feces of grazers/detritivores were found to cause more frequent and larger lesions on corals compared to the feces of corallivores, indicating the harmful microbial activity in grazer/detritivore feces. Analysis of bacterial diversity in feces from different fish species revealed potential differences in coral-associated bacteria and coral pathogens, suggesting the role of consumers in coral symbiont dispersal. These findings have significant implications for environmental management.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jacey C. Van Wert, Leila Ezzat, Katrina S. Munsterman, Kaitlyn Landfield, Nina M. D. Schiettekatte, Valeriano Parravicini, Jordan M. Casey, Simon J. Brandl, Deron E. Burkepile, Erika J. Eliason
Summary: Consumers play a crucial role in nutrient cycling through excretion and egestion. While the excretion of fish-derived inorganic nutrients has been studied extensively, the importance of egestion for nutrient cycling has been neglected. This study investigated the fecal nutrient content of different fish species on a coral reef and found that different species exhibit unique fecal nutrient concentrations.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Mark Hamilton, James P. W. Robinson, Cassandra E. Benkwitt, Shaun K. Wilson, M. Aaron MacNeil, Ameer Ebrahim, Nicholas A. J. Graham
Summary: Changes in fish assemblages after coral bleaching and mortality can affect fisheries, particularly fish productivity and turnover. In Seychelles, fish productivity increased on reefs recovering to coral-dominated habitats, especially in fished areas, while it remained stable on reefs that shifted to macroalgae-dominated regimes. The benthic recovery trajectory strongly influenced post-bleaching fish productivity, emphasizing the importance of herbivore and invertivore species in sustaining small-scale inshore fisheries following climate disturbances.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Juan Shi, Chunhou Li, Teng Wang, Jinfa Zhao, Yong Liu, Yayuan Xiao
Summary: Coral reefs, known as tropical rainforests in the ocean, have a rich diversity of fish species. China has 2855 species of coral reef fishes, which can be categorized into nearshore and offshore. The diversity of coral reef fish species has a significant positive correlation with coral species diversity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Peter L. Harrison, Dexter W. dela Cruz, Kerry A. Cameron, Patrick C. Cabaitan
Summary: Loss of foundation reef-corals is damaging reef communities globally, leading to a decline in ecosystem function. Active intervention and effective coral restoration techniques are needed to enhance coral recruitment and density. Enhancing larval supply significantly increases settlement on reefs, facilitating rapid re-establishment of breeding coral populations and enhancing fish abundance.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
A. Nassiri, O. Thebaud, S. J. Holbrook, M. Lauer, A. Rassweiler, R. J. Schmitt, J. Claudet
Summary: This evaluation using the two-stage Rosen's model aims to deduce the implicit prices of coral-reef fish species commonly encountered in the road-side market in Moorea, French Polynesia during 2014-2015. The results show positive cross-species elasticities, indicating complementarity between reef species in bundles which enhances the value of catches. These findings demonstrate the importance of empirical economic analysis in understanding small-scale coral-reef fisheries in the Pacific.
Article
Fisheries
M. J. Kingsford, R. G. Cole
Summary: Multifactorial sampling designs were used to determine the vertical distribution of ichthyoplankton at multiple temporal and spatial scales in New Zealand. Consistent patterns of abundance were found across different depths and sites, suggesting that depth-related factors influence the vertical distribution of fish larvae. Diel vertical movements were also detected, indicating that day-night patterns affect the distribution of certain taxa.
MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Michael J. Kingsford, Emily A. Krunes, April E. Hall
Summary: The critical size hypothesis proposes that pelagic larvae must reach a certain size to undergo metamorphosis and settle in the reef habitat. This study tested this hypothesis on two species of coral reef fish and found supporting evidence for one species but not the other.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2022)
Correction
Marine & Freshwater Biology
April E. Hall, Katie T. Sievers, Michael J. Kingsford
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Nils Schroeder, Marc Schmidtmann, Henrik Mouritsen, Jens Christoffers
Summary: The synthesis of flavin-indole conjugates with a trans-1,4-diaminocyclohexane and a 2,6-diaminodecahydronaphthalene linker is described. These compounds can serve as artificial model compounds for natural cryptochrome. It is believed that the light-dependent quantum effect exhibited by cryptochrome photoreceptor proteins in the retina enables migratory birds to perceive the Earth's magnetic field and navigate. The model compounds were prepared through stepwise reductive aminations of indole carbaldehyde and a flavin-substituted acetaldehyde with the appropriate diamine linkers.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Vaishnavi Balaji, Silke Haverkamp, Pranav Kumar Seth, Anja Guenther, Ezequiel Mendoza, Jessica Schmidt, Maike Herrmann, Leonie Lovis Pfeiffer, Pavel Nemec, Constance Scharff, Henrik Mouritsen, Karin Dedek
Summary: Visual signal processing starts at the first synapse, where different types of bipolar cells receive information from photoreceptors and feed it into different processing channels. This study systematically tested 12 antibodies for their ability to label individual bipolar cells in the bird retina and identified 8 suitable antibodies across different bird species and retinal regions. The catalog of bipolar cell markers provided in this study will greatly facilitate the analysis of retinal circuitry in birds on a larger scale.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gediminas Jurgis Pazera, Philip Benjamin, Henrik Mouritsen, P. J. Hore
Summary: The biophysical mechanism of the magnetic compass sense of migratory songbirds is believed to be related to photochemical reactions in cryptochrome proteins. This report explores the effects of isotopic substitutions on the functioning of cryptochrome 4a as a magnetic direction sensor. It suggests that uniform deuteration of the flavin chromophore and 13C substitution of certain flavin carbons could enhance or attenuate the magnetic field effect.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
M. J. Kingsford, M. Byrne
Summary: Rocky reefs in NSW consist of kelp forests and urchin-grazed barrens, which support a diverse range of species. The presence of barrens habitat is determined by the feeding activities of herbivorous invertebrates, especially the black sea urchin. This habitat has remained stable for decades and is crucial for reef-based organisms. However, in Tasmania, the situation regarding the black sea urchin differs from that in NSW, and this should be considered in the management approach for this species in both states.
MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lisa Spiecker, Franziska Curdt, Andreas Bally, Nadja Janzen, Philipp Kraemer, Bo Leberecht, Michael J. Kingsford, Henrik Mouritsen, Michael Winklhofer, Gabriele Gerlach
Summary: Millions of newly hatched coral reef fish larvae are carried into the open ocean by complex currents, and previous studies have shown that they frequently return to their home reefs. However, a study on displaced cardinalfish larvae suggests that they rely on innate or learned compass directions rather than map-based navigation to find their way back.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Maja Hanic, Lewis M. Antill, Angela S. Gehrckens, Jessica Schmidt, Katharina Gortemaker, Rabea Bartolke, Tarick J. El-Baba, Jingjing Xu, Karl-Wilhelm Koch, Henrik Mouritsen, Justin L. P. Benesch, P. J. Hore, Ilia A. Solov'yov
Summary: Experimental and computational investigations were conducted to explore the dimerization of robin Cry4a protein. It was found that disulfide-linked dimers are routinely formed, especially under blue light exposure. Computational modeling and molecular dynamics simulations were used to assess possible dimer structures. The relevance of these findings to avian magnetoreception was discussed.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marco Bassetto, Thomas Reichl, Dmitry Kobylkov, Daniel R. Kattnig, Michael Winklhofer, P. J. Hore, Henrik Mouritsen
Summary: Migratory songbirds can use the magnetic field for direction, possibly through the quantum spin dynamics of radical pairs formed in cryptochrome proteins. However, a study on fruit flies found no evidence of magnetically sensitive behavior, challenging the hypothesis. This suggests that further research should focus on migratory songbirds to understand the mechanism of light-dependent magnetoreception.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bo Leberechta, Siu Ying Wongb, Baladev Satisha, Sara Doegea, Jakob Hindmana, Lalitha Venkatramana, Shambhavi Aptea, Katrin Haasea, Isabelle Musielaka, Glen Dautaja, Ilia A. Solov'yovb, Michael Winklhofera, Henrik Mouritsena, P. J. Hored
Summary: Night-migratory songbirds have a light-dependent magnetic compass sense that relies on the formation of radical pairs in cryptochrome proteins. Weak radiofrequency electromagnetic fields were believed to disrupt birds' orientation, providing insight on the radicals involved. However, the study found that the magnetic orientation of Eurasian blackcaps is not affected by RF noise in specific frequency bands. These results support the theory that the magnetic compass of migratory birds operates through a radical pair mechanism.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Anders Frederiksen, Corinna Langebrake, Maja Hanic, Georg Manthey, Henrik Mouritsen, Miriam Liedvogel, Ilia A. A. Solov'yov
Summary: Migratory birds have the ability to sense magnetic fields, and this ability is believed to be mediated by a protein called cryptochrome 4a. Through evolutionary analysis and molecular dynamics simulations, researchers have identified specific amino acid residues in cryptochrome 4a that are crucial for its activation and overall dynamics. Mutations in these residues do not compromise the stability of the protein.
Article
Biology
Joe Wynn, Bo Leberecht, Miriam Liedvogel, Lars Burnus, Raisa Chetverikova, Sara Doege, Thiemo Karwinkel, Dmitry Kobylkov, Jingjing Xu, Henrik Mouritsen
Summary: The role of inherited orientation programmes in determining migratory routes of birds is well understood, but not much is known about the influence of inherited information on return migration. This study shows that juvenile Eurasian blackcaps, which have never left northwest Europe, exhibit significant spring orientation in a direction similar to that expected based on ringing recoveries. It suggests that birds may inherit an orientation programme for both spring and autumn migration, and that inherited spring migratory trajectories could be accurate enough for targeting breeding sites.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Raisa Chetverikova, Glen Dautaj, Leonard Schwigon, Karin Dedek, Henrik Mouritsen
Summary: Through studying the retinas of European robins and domestic chickens, it has been found that their double cone photoreceptors are highly ordered, which may aid their function in light-dependent magnetoreception and/or polarized light sensing.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2022)
