Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jessica Bleuel, Maria Grazia Pennino, Guilherme O. Longo
Summary: Global climate change poses a major threat to coral reefs, with ocean warming increasing the frequency and severity of coral bleaching events over time, leading to a reduction in coral cover and diversity. Predictions suggest that with ocean warming, coral distribution and cover will decrease and shift to new suitable extratropical reefs.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Kristen T. Brown, Matheus A. Mello-Athayde, Eugenia M. Sampayo, Aaron Chai, Sophie Dove, Katie L. Barott
Summary: Ocean acidification poses a growing threat to coral growth and coral reef ecosystems. Corals that have experienced pCO(2) fluctuations may be more resilient to acidification and better able to survive in future reefs.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Steeve Comeau, Christopher E. Cornwall, Tom Shlesinger, Mia Hoogenboom, Ralph Mana, Malcolm T. McCulloch, Riccardo Rodolfo-Metalpa
Summary: This study examines multiple coral species from two CO2 seeps in Papua New Guinea to assess their ability to control their calcifying fluid chemistry. The researchers find that corals living in low but highly variable pH environments have a greater ability to maintain constant CF pH. However, corals with limited pH reduction in less variable low pH seawater tend to be more abundant at the seep sites. The findings suggest a potential association between ecological success and greater pH homeostasis, but more research is needed.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ronen Liberman, Maoz Fine, Yehuda Benayahu
Summary: Climate change affects the sexual reproduction and photosynthetic capacity of Red Sea coral, leading to changes in reproductive timing and synchronicity. Survival and metamorphosis rates of offspring reared under simulated conditions are significantly reduced, highlighting potential long-term impacts on the coral population.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Elena Couce, Benjamin Cowburn, David Clare, Joanna K. Bluemel
Summary: Coral reef ecosystems are projected to experience significant declines due to ocean warming and acidification. This study examines the environmental resilience of over 650 coral species and predicts a substantial decrease in coral species richness globally, with a potential net loss ranging from 73% to 91% by 2080-2090. The Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, Western Indian Ocean, and Caribbean are expected to be severely impacted. Mitigating climate change is crucial to prevent massive coral species extinctions.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Alyx P. Terrell, Emma Marangon, Nicole S. Webster, Ira Cooke, Kate M. Quigley
Summary: The symbiotic relationship between coral and its endosymbiotic algae greatly affects their ability to withstand environmental stress. Most studies have focused on adult corals, but it is important to understand the effects of stress on the establishment of symbiosis in early life stages to predict coral's response to climate change.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Wiebke E. Kramer, Roberto Iglesias-Prieto, Susana Enriquez
Summary: After decades of research on the impact of climate change on coral, there is a consensus on the negative effects of heat stress, but the effects of ocean acidification are still uncertain. A review of published studies and experimental analysis confirm the species-specific response to ocean acidification, predicting moderate impacts on coral physiology and pigmentation by 2100. However, global warming poses a greater threat to coral calcification than ocean acidification. The lack of understanding of the moderate response to ocean acidification is due to insufficient attention to key regulatory processes of coral symbiosis.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. E. Lawman, S. G. Dee, K. L. DeLong, A. M. S. Correa
Summary: Rising temperatures and ocean acidification due to climate change pose significant threats to coral reef ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico and western Caribbean Sea. The decline in coral reefs since the 1970s has been substantial, with few reefs still exhibiting healthy coral cover. This study uses climate model simulations to assess the individual impacts of climate stressors on corals and highlights the need for mitigation efforts to protect these ecosystems.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hannah C. Barkley, Thomas A. Oliver, Ariel A. Halperin, Noah V. Pomeroy, Joy N. Smith, Rebecca M. Weible, Charles W. Young, Courtney S. Couch, Russell E. Brainard, Jennifer C. Samson
Summary: The study evaluates coral reef community structure and reef processes across a strong natural gradient in pH and aragonite saturation state. It finds that net carbonate accretion rates are sensitive to declining omega(ar), while benthic ecological metrics show fewer direct responses to lower-omega(ar) conditions. This highlights the importance of monitoring coral reef net carbonate accretion as a critical tool for assessing the long-term impacts of ocean acidification.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Federica Scucchia, Katrein Sauer, Paul Zaslansky, Tali Mass
Summary: This study introduces an innovative approach combining synchrotron phase contrast-enhanced microCT (PCE-CT) with artificial intelligence (AI) to explore the 3D architecture of Rapid Accretion Deposits (RADs) and Thickening Deposits (TDs) within coral skeletons. By using deep-learning neural networks for AI segmentation, highly-detailed 3D information about the architecture of RADs and TDs is obtained. This research provides important data for studying coral biomineralization and the effects of environmental change on coral growth.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Negar Vakilifard, Euripides P. Kantzas, Neil R. Edwards, Philip B. Holden, David J. Beerling
Summary: Deployment of Terrestrial Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) together can increase the probability of reaching the 1.5 degrees C target, with potential positive impacts on marine ecosystems. However, ERW deployment cannot substitute for rapid CO2 emissions reduction in the near term.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Review
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Amy G. Coppock, Michael J. Kingsford, Christopher N. Battershill, Geoffrey P. Jones
Summary: In this study, the relationships between coral reef fish and sponges were evaluated. The role of sponges in providing food and shelter for fishes, the influence of fishes on sponge distribution and abundance, and the possible outcomes of climate change on fish-sponge interactions were examined.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Fiorella Prada, Leonardo Brizi, Silvia Franzellitti, Stefano Mengoli, Simona Fermani, Iryna Polishchuk, Nicola Baraldi, Francesco Ricci, Quinzia Palazzo, Erik Caroselli, Boaz Pokroy, Loris Giorgini, Zvy Dubinsky, Paola Fantazzini, Giuseppe Falini, Stefano Goffredo, Katharina E. Fabricius
Summary: This study found that four tropical zooxanthellate corals from Papua New Guinea underwater volcanic vent system exhibit increased skeletal porosity and changes in organic matrix and water content under long-term exposure to OA, suggesting a common phenotypic response to environmental pressures.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexandra M. Good, Keisha D. Bahr
Summary: This article outlines the various local and global anthropogenic stressors threatening reef resilience and discusses the recent disagreements surrounding present-day conservation practices. While global reef degradation occurs, local solutions should be implemented to efficiently protect the valuable coral reef ecosystem services for marine and terrestrial environments.
SN APPLIED SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biology
Paola Santiago-Padua, Jeremy Velazquez-Alvarado, Arelys Del Mar Lopez-Perez, Julimar Nevarez-Melendez, Lemuel E. Diaz-Druet, Samuel E. Suleiman-Ramos, Alex E. Mercado-Molina
Summary: This study examines the predation effect of fireworms on threatened corals. It finds that while fireworm predation negatively affects coral growth, the high survival rate of pre-dated colonies compensates for the adverse impact. Therefore, fireworm predation may not be the primary cause of the decline in the Acropora cervicornis population during non-outbreak periods.
REVISTA DE BIOLOGIA TROPICAL
(2023)