Article
Environmental Sciences
Leila Chapron, Verena Schoepf, Stephen J. Levas, Matthew D. Aschaffenburg, Mark E. Warner, Andrea G. Grottoli
Summary: This study finds that natural physiological variability among coral species appears to be a stronger predictor of coral bleaching resilience than intra- or inter-annual physiological variability within a coral species.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Florentine Riquet, Aurelien Japaud, Flavia L. D. Nunes, Xaymara M. Serrano, Andrew C. Baker, Etienne Bezault, Claude Bouchon, Cecile Fauvelot
Summary: The mustard hill coral Porites astreoides has recently experienced an increase in relative coverage across its distribution range in the Caribbean. The genetic structure of P. astreoides shows a complex spatial pattern, with both genetic homogeneity and differentiation existing simultaneously, possibly due to mixed reproductive strategies, among other factors.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Erin N. Shilling, Ryan J. Eckert, Alexis B. Sturm, Joshua D. Voss
Summary: Coral reefs in southeast Florida have suffered from severe coral loss and reduced diversity due to disease outbreaks, bleaching events, and human activities. In response, there has been an increase in weedy coral species like Agaricia spp. and Porites spp. in the region. The abundance of Porites astreoides, in particular, has notably increased in St. Lucie Reef in Martin County, the northernmost boundary of Florida's Coral Reef. The genetic structure analysis of P. astreoides populations in southeast Florida suggests that the recent increase in abundance may be driven by successful genotypes with high fecundity and long-range dispersal.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Colleen B. Bove, Sarah W. Davies, Justin B. Ries, James Umbanhowar, Bailey C. Thomasson, Elizabeth B. Farquhar, Jess A. McCoppin, Karl D. Castillo
Summary: Global change driven by anthropogenic carbon emissions is causing unprecedented alterations to ecosystems, particularly coral reefs. A study on the physiological responses of three Caribbean coral species reveals that ocean warming and acidification have varying impacts on coral health, with different species exhibiting different responses to these stressors.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Lais F. O. Lima, Hayden Bursch, Elizabeth A. Dinsdale
Summary: The study reveals that Porites astreoides exhibits varying levels of sensitivity to environmental stress, particularly in terms of temperature, pH, and macroalgal competition. While coral-algal photosynthesis and coral tissue condition can withstand single thermal stress events, repeated bleaching events may hinder long-term success.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Aziz J. Mulla, Che-Hung Lin, Shunichi Takahashi, Yoko Nozawa
Summary: The vertical positioning of coral larvae is influenced by photomovement, particularly in P. verrucosa species. While buoyancy and physical/chemical cues play a role, the positive photomovement observed in P. verrucosa larvae suggests that light can be an important factor in regulating dispersal behavior and contributing to their wide geographical distribution.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Vilhelm Fagerstrom, Goran Brostrom, Ann Larsson
Summary: The study reveals that pre-competent L. pertusa larvae exhibit upward swimming behavior, aiding in their drift near the surface in strong currents. However, their swimming speed decreases in the presence of turbulence, particularly near ocean boundaries. This new insight enhances understanding of the species' potential for long-distance dispersal and population connectivity.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Margaret E. Rushmore, Cliff Ross, Nicole D. Fogarty
Summary: The study found that sediment of different grain sizes had varying impacts on the survival and condition of Porites astreoides recruits, as well as on adult corals, highlighting the differential susceptibilities within and between species. While coarse-grained sediments significantly reduced survivorship and condition of recruits, adult Montastraea cavernosa showed significant recovery in maximum quantum yield after exposure to high sediment levels.
Article
Plant Sciences
Zheng Zhang, Guangyue Wen, Dexiao Bu, Guojun Sun, Sheng Qiang
Summary: Canada goldenrod is an invasive plant species that spreads rapidly through wind dispersal, traveling longer distances and in greater amounts in the downwind direction. The temperature and wind speed positively affect the dispersal amount, while relative humidity negatively affects it.
Article
Ecology
Rosa M. van der Ven, Jean-Francois Flot, Carol Buitrago-Lopez, Marc Kochzius
Summary: Coral reefs are degrading rapidly due to anthropogenic stressors, with limited conservation measures in place due to poor knowledge of population connectivity and genetic structure. High genetic differentiation was found in S. hystrix between the Red Sea and Western Indian Ocean, as well as along the East African coast. This study highlights the importance of considering genetic diversity and connectivity in coral reef management decisions.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kwok-Wai Lam, Crystal J. McRae, Xuan-Ci Zhang, Zong-Min Ye, Yu-Ting Qiu, Ming-Qi Jiang, Ting-Hui Cheng, Guanyan Keelung Chen, Tung-Yung Fan
Summary: The ongoing impact of local and global stressors on coral reefs worldwide has led to the exploration of new approaches to mitigate the bleak future projections for corals. Ex situ aquaculture has the potential to provide a standardized supply of source corals for research and reef restoration. It is important for ex situ aquaculture systems to effectively maintain reproducing colonies and support each coral life stage.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Stephen R. Palumbi, Nia S. Walker, Erik Hanson, Katrina Armstrong, Marilla Lippert, Brendan Cornwell, Victor Nestor, Yimnang Golbuu
Summary: Long distance dispersal in corals is rare but some identical mitochondrial genomes have been found across the Pacific, suggesting the possibility of dispersal. The higher retention of coral larvae on local reefs than predicted by current models may affect the accuracy of future adaptation and assisted migration models for corals.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Chuya Shinzato, Takeshi Takeuchi, Yuki Yoshioka, Ipputa Tada, Miyuki Kanda, Cedric Broussard, Akira Iguchi, Makoto Kusakabe, Frederic Marin, Noriyuki Satoh, Mayuri Inoue
Summary: Massive corals of the genus Porites, known for their stress tolerance and longevity, have unique genetic bases that contribute to their ability to respond differently to environmental stressors like increased water temperature. Through genome sequencing and proteome analysis, it was found that some skeletal matrix protein genes in Porites are unique to this genus, which may explain their thermal tolerance compared to other coral species.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Chuya Shinzato, Takeshi Takeuchi, Yuki Yoshioka, Ipputa Tada, Miyuki Kanda, Cedric Broussard, Akira Iguchi, Makoto Kusakabe, Frederic Marin, Noriyuki Satoh, Mayuri Inoue
Summary: The study found that corals of the genus Porites have unique genetic characteristics that give rise to their stress tolerance and longevity. Specifically, 30% of the skeletal matrix proteins in Porites were found to be unique to this coral species and not present in other corals. Comparative genomic analyses revealed that genes widely conserved among other organisms are selectively expanded in Porites, potentially contributing to their thermal tolerances and unique biological characteristics.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Klemen Candek, Ingi Agnarsson, Greta J. Binford, Matjaz Kuntner
Summary: Dispersal ability affects levels of gene flow and shapes species distribution and richness patterns. Long-jawed spiders in the Caribbean exhibit high diversity, potentially due to multiple colonization events.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Olivia M. Williamson, Corinne E. Allen, Dana E. Williams, Matthew W. Johnson, Margaret W. Miller, Andrew C. Baker
Summary: The study found that coral recruits can acquire symbionts from nearby corals of different species, and early exposure to high temperature can enhance the resilience of coral recruits to future thermal stress. However, hosting more D. trenchii symbionts may affect coral growth, indicating a trade-off between growth and heat tolerance. Practitioners will need to carefully weigh the benefits and costs of using donor colonies to seed coral recruits with thermotolerant symbionts in restoration strategies.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Florentine Riquet, Aurelien Japaud, Flavia L. D. Nunes, Xaymara M. Serrano, Andrew C. Baker, Etienne Bezault, Claude Bouchon, Cecile Fauvelot
Summary: The mustard hill coral Porites astreoides has recently experienced an increase in relative coverage across its distribution range in the Caribbean. The genetic structure of P. astreoides shows a complex spatial pattern, with both genetic homogeneity and differentiation existing simultaneously, possibly due to mixed reproductive strategies, among other factors.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Sheila A. Kitchen, C. Cornelia Osborne, Nicole D. Fogarty, Iliana B. Baums
Summary: The study found that the morphology of Caribbean Acropora corals is not necessarily linked to their maternal species and cannot be predicted by mitochondrial haplogroups. Expert classification showed lower accuracy in identifying hybrids and A. palmata.
Article
Ecology
Lydia J. Baker, Hannah G. Reich, Sheila A. Kitchen, J. Grace Klinges, Hanna R. Koch, Iliana B. Baums, Erinn M. Muller, Rebecca Vega Thurber
Summary: This study investigated the infection and ecology of the symbiont Candidatus Aquarickettsia rohweri in threatened Acropora corals, finding that the infection magnitude is influenced by coral host and geographic location. Phylogenomic analysis showed clustering by geographic region, with positive selection observed in Florida populations due to greater nutrient stress. Aquarickettsia was not found to codiversify significantly with coral animal or algal symbiont, suggesting horizontal transmission as the likely route of infection.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Javier A. Rodriguez-Casariego, Ross Cunning, Andrew C. Baker, Jose M. Eirin-Lopez
Summary: The study shows that changes in algal symbionts favoring more heat tolerant associations lead to significant modifications in DNA methylation in the coral host, suggesting a crucial role of symbionts in coral adaptation to heat stress.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kathryn H. Stankiewicz, Kate L. Vasquez Kuntz, Iliana B. Baums
Summary: The traditional method Delta K for determining population structure may underestimate the true number of clusters and be sensitive to uneven sampling. Using a combination of different estimators is recommended for more accurate results, as relying on a single estimator may not be sufficient in determining the optimal number of clusters.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2022)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Jesus E. Arias-Gonzalez, Iliana B. Baums, Anastazia T. Banaszak, Carlos Prada, Sergio Rossi, Edwin A. Hernandez-Delgado, Baruch Rinkevich
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Olivia M. Williamson, Caroline E. Dennison, Keri L. O'Neil, Andrew C. Baker
Summary: This study investigated the susceptibility and potential resilience of two coral recruits to SCTLD. The results showed that Colpophyllia natans recruits were more susceptible to SCTLD compared to Diploria labyrinthiformis recruits, and larger recruits and chimeras had higher survivorship. However, both species of recruits were unable to develop absolute resistance even after repeated exposures. This study highlights the importance of understanding the impact of SCTLD on coral recruits and its implications for reef restoration efforts.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Ana M. Palacio-Castro, Stephanie M. Rosales, Caroline E. Dennison, Andrew C. Baker
Summary: This study found significant variation among genotypes in the response of Acropora cervicornis to elevated nutrients and temperatures. Microbiome screening may help identify resistant genotypes and facilitate targeted outplanting.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Casey Harris, Nina K. Bean, Andrew C. Baker, Ruth D. Gates, Crawford Drury
Summary: This study examined the effects of parental bleaching on symbiont community composition and offspring size in Montipora capitata. The results showed that parental bleaching history influenced the symbiont community composition in parents, gametes, and larvae, and larval size was also affected by maternal effects. These findings suggest that larval recruitment from bleached parents may decline as ocean warming becomes more frequent and severe, leading to generational shifts in symbiont community.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Eslam O. Osman, Samuel A. Vohsen, Fanny Girard, Rafaelina Cruz, Orli Glickman, Lena M. Bullock, Kaitlin E. Anderson, Alexis M. Weinnig, Erik E. Cordes, Charles R. Fisher, Iliana B. Baums
Summary: This study investigates the reliance of coral species living near deep-sea cold seeps on chemosynthetically-derived food and the impact of proximity to cold seeps. The researchers find that some coral species utilize chemosynthetically derived food and that the restructuring of the microbiome community may aid corals in utilizing seepage-derived carbon.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kate L. Vasquez Kuntz, Sheila A. Kitchen, Trinity L. Conn, Samuel A. Vohsen, Andrea N. Chan, Mark J. A. Vermeij, Christopher Page, Kristen L. Marhaver, Iliana B. Baums
Summary: The study reveals that somatic mutations in animals can be passed on to offspring, increasing genetic diversity and facilitating adaptation across generations.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Nikki Traylor-Knowles, Andrew C. Baker, Kelsey M. Beavers, Neha Garg, Jeffrey R. Guyon, Aine Hawthorn, Nicholas J. MacKnight, Monica Medina, Laura D. Mydlarz, Esther C. Peters, Julia Marie Stewart, Michael S. Studivan, Joshua D. Voss
Summary: Coral disease has become a pressing issue for coral reef survival, particularly in the Caribbean where disease outbreaks have led to significant coral death. 'Omics techniques have been used to study the coral immune system and develop biomarkers to improve coral disease experiments and combat future outbreaks.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Hanny E. Rivera, Anne L. Cohen, Janelle R. Thompson, Iliana B. Baums, Michael D. Fox, Kirstin S. Meyer-Kaiser
Summary: Ocean warming is causing coral mortality, but some heat-tolerant populations can replenish affected reefs. The Rock Islands in Palau harbor two thermally tolerant genetic lineages, which can provide tolerant larvae to neighboring areas, essential for coral survival.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ana M. Palacio-Castro, Tyler B. Smith, Viktor Brandtneris, Grace A. Snyder, Ruben van Hooidonk, Juan L. Mate, Derek Manzello, Peter W. Glynn, Peggy Fong, Andrew C. Baker
Summary: Climate change is changing coral reef ecosystems by causing more frequent and severe bleaching events. Some reefs, particularly Pocillopora colonies with thermotolerant algal symbionts, have shown higher heat resistance after severe bleaching. However, this state may not be long-lasting unless global greenhouse gas emissions and global warming are reduced.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)