Article
Environmental Sciences
Jessica Reichert, Vanessa Tirpitz, Rajshree Anand, Katharina Bach, Jonas Knopp, Patrick Schubert, Thomas Wilke, Maren Ziegler
Summary: The study found that, at ambient temperatures, microplastic particles have minor effects on the physiology and health of coral species compared to heat stress. Heat stress had more severe impacts on corals, including decreased photosynthetic efficiency, bleaching, tissue necrosis, and mortality. Therefore, while efforts to reduce plastic pollution are important, more urgent action to address global warming is needed to protect coral reef ecosystems.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Alejandro Tagliafico, Paul Baker, Brendan Kelaher, Sophia Ellis, Daniel Harrison
Summary: This study reviews 91 years of research on the effects of shade and light on coral reefs. The researchers summarized the types of studies, locations, coral species, measured variables, and types of shade used.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emily J. Howells, David Abrego, Yi Jin Liew, John A. Burt, Eli Meyer, Manuel Aranda
Summary: Research shows that corals thriving in extreme thermal environments can transfer heat tolerance genes to other populations to help them adapt to future climate warming. Selective breeding of corals with heat tolerance genes can significantly increase their survival rates.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cesar O. Pacherres, Soeren Ahmerkamp, Klaus Koren, Claudio Richter, Moritz Holtappels
Summary: Coral symbiosis with Symbiodiniaceae algae is vital for removing excess oxygen and preventing oxidative stress. The distribution of oxygen in the coral's diffusive boundary layer (DBL) is influenced by ciliary-induced flows, and there is spatial segregation between oxygen and chlorophyll. Ciliary flows play an important role in mitigating oxidative stress and bleaching in corals.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joerg Wiedenmann, Cecilia D'Angelo, M. Loreto Mardones, Shona Moore, Cassandra E. Benkwitt, Nicholas A. J. Graham, Bastian Hambach, Paul A. Wilson, James Vanstone, Gal Eyal, Or Ben-Zvi, Yossi Loya, Amatzia Genin
Summary: Research shows that corals acquire dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus by feeding on symbiont cells, which are essential nutrients for their success in nutrient-poor waters.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michael S. Studivan, Alycia Shatters, Danielle L. Dodge, Jeff L. Beal, Joshua D. Voss
Summary: Experiments on coral populations in nearshore environments in Florida revealed that corals are more responsive to thermal stress than to estuarine discharge, with evidence of a synergistic relationship between the two stressors. Transcriptomic responses to thermal stress were largely based on coral genotype, indicating potential stress resilience among certain members of coral populations from southeast Florida.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Clarissa Raguso, Francesco Saliu, Marina Lasagni, Paolo Galli, Massimiliano Clemenza, Simone Montano
Summary: This study investigated the presence of microplastics in Maldivian reef-building corals for the first time. The results showed that a high percentage of the surveyed corals were contaminated with microplastic particles, and there were no significant differences in microplastic concentration based on depth, exposure, location, or species.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Biology
Yunchi Zhu, Xin Liao, Tingyu Han, J. -Y. Chen, Chunpeng He, Zuhong Lu
Summary: This study integrates mass spectrometry with ColabFold technology to obtain digital structural proteomes of dominant reef-building corals, providing valuable predictions for coral research.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Magena R. Marzonie, Line K. Bay, David G. Bourne, Andrew S. Hoey, Samuel Matthews, Josephine J. Nielsen, Hugo B. Harrison
Summary: Scleractinian coral populations are facing increasing exposure to temperatures above their upper limits, leading to declines in coral reef ecosystem health. Variations in thermal tolerance exist among species, individual coral colonies, and populations. This study conducted heat stress experiments to assess heat tolerance across a large environmental gradient. The results showed variations in heat tolerance among species and within reefs, with mild heatwave exposure positively correlated with heat tolerance over the past 35 years, but recent severe heatwaves showing a negative relationship. These findings suggest that marine heatwaves are selecting for tolerant individuals and populations, but recent severe heatwaves may compromise this adaptive potential.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jessica Bouwmeester, Jonathan Daly, Nikolas Zuchowicz, Claire Lager, E. Michael Henley, Mariko Quinn, Mary Hagedorn
Summary: Coral reefs worldwide are under threat from climate change, which leads to an increase in coral bleaching. Even the surviving corals can experience temporary reproductive failure for several years. We conducted long-term experiments in aquaria to study the impact of temperature, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on the spawning patterns and reproductive physiology of the Hawaiian mushroom coral Lobactis scutaria. The results showed that warmer temperatures and filtering UVR altered the timing of spawning, warmer temperatures caused a drop in fertilisation success, and warmer temperatures and higher PAR negatively affected sperm and egg physiology. These findings highlight the urgent need for similar reproductive data to predict future trends in other coral species and emphasize the importance of addressing thermal stress from climate change to ensure the survival of reef-building corals.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Na'ama-Rose Kochman-Gino, Maoz Fine
Summary: Coral reefs are facing rapid deterioration due to rising seawater temperature, and the frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves are increasing. The Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea is home to resilient corals, but concerns have been raised about the potential risks of marine heatwaves. A recent study found that the hottest marine heatwave in the Gulf of Aqaba did not cause coral bleaching or mortality, but different physiological responses were observed in different coral species.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael D. Fox, Robin Guillaume-Castel, Clinton B. Edwards, J. Glanz, Jamison M. Gove, J. A. Mattias Green, E. Juhlin, Jennifer E. Smith, Gareth J. Williams
Summary: Marine heatwaves caused coral bleaching events and devastation of coral populations worldwide, emphasizing the importance of identifying processes that promote coral survival. By studying a central Pacific coral reef, researchers found that an acceleration of ocean currents and shallowing of the surface mixed layer enhanced localized upwelling during El Nino-associated marine heatwaves. These conditions mitigated declines in primary production and increased the supply of nutrients to corals, resulting in limited post-bleaching coral mortality. This study sheds light on the impact of large-scale ocean-climate interactions on reef ecosystems and provides a framework for identifying reefs that may benefit from biophysical linkages during future bleaching events.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jessica Reichert, Angelina L. Arnold, Nils Hammer, Ingo B. Miller, Marvin Rades, Patrick Schubert, Maren Ziegler, Thomas Wilke
Summary: Microplastic pollution in the marine environment is widespread, with plastic particles accumulating in environmental sinks; Coral reefs may serve as unique, long-term sinks for microplastics; A study shows that microplastic particles accumulate permanently in coral skeletons, indicating the importance of coral reefs as a long-term sink for microplastic.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mayandi Sivaguru, Lauren G. Todorov, Courtney E. Fouke, Cara M. O. Munro, Kyle W. Fouke, Kaitlyn E. Fouke, Melinda E. Baughman, Bruce W. Fouke
Summary: The study found that the scleractinian corals Orbicella annularis and O. faveolata can acclimatize to environmental changes by modulating the abundance of Symbiodiniaceae and various biomolecules. Additionally, during warmer sea surface temperature, the corals compensate for decreased mucus production and Symbiodiniaceae abundance by increasing photosynthetic activity to enhance calcification, showcasing remarkable adaptability.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Andrew H. Baird, Irina M. Yakovleva, Saki Harii, Frederic Sinniger, Michio Hidaka
Summary: In coral larvae, the presence of symbionts led to lower survivorship compared to those without symbionts when exposed to natural sunlight. This is likely due to reactive oxygen species produced by stress on the symbionts' photosynthetic apparatus causing higher levels of cellular damage and mortality rates under solar radiation.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
(2021)
Letter
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. Thibault, F. Houlbreque, A. Lorrain, E. Vidal
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Emma F. Camp, David J. Suggett, Claudia Pogoreutz, Matthew R. Nitschke, Fanny Houlbreque, Benjamin C. C. Hume, Stephanie G. Gardner, Marco Zampighi, Riccardo Rodolfo-Metalpa, Christian R. Voolstra
Article
Microbiology
Stephane Roberty, Eric Beraud, Renaud Grover, Christine Ferrier-Pages
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sylvain Agostini, Fanny Houlbreque, Tom Biscere, Ben P. Harvey, Joshua M. Heitzman, Risa Takimoto, Wataru Yamazaki, Marco Milazzo, Riccardo Rodolfo-Metalpa
Summary: Coral communities around the world are projected to be negatively affected by ocean acidification. Different coral species exhibit varying levels of resistance to elevated CO2 levels, with some species able to adapt while others decline. Physiological traits related to energy production and biomass differ between winning and losing species, indicating that inherent resistance to ocean acidification may be determined by these differences.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Valentine Meunier, Laura Geissler, Sophie Bonnet, Nils Raedecker, Gabriela Perna, Olivier Grosso, Christophe Lambert, Riccardo Rodolfo-Metalpa, Christian R. Voolstra, Fanny Houlbreque
Summary: The study revealed that corals adapt to high CO2 conditions by modifying their nitrogen assimilation pathways and increasing feeding on nitrogen-rich picoplankton. This flexible adaptation may help corals cope better in a high pCO2 world.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Martin Thibault, Anne Lorrain, Fanny Houlbreque
Summary: In an era of significant environmental changes, understanding corals' resistance to bleaching is crucial. A new framework for inferring corals' trophic strategies has been proposed, but a potential bias risk was identified in its application, leading to the proposal of three alternative adjustments.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Enrico Montalbetti, Tom Biscere, Christine Ferrier-Pages, Fanny Houlbreque, Ivan Orlandi, Matilde Forcella, Paolo Galli, Marina Vai, Davide Seveso
Summary: The study analyzed the effects of heat stress and manganese, iron enrichments on coral cells and found that iron did not seem to mitigate cellular damages and coral bleaching, while manganese may help mitigate the negative cellular effects produced by thermal stress.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Valentin Meunier, Sophie Bonnet, Mar Benavides, Andreas Ravache, Olivier Grosso, Christophe Lambert, Fanny Houlbreque
Summary: The research discovered that the three species of corals have different dependencies on heterotrophy, with Galaxea fascicularis and Pocillopora damicornis being highly efficient at capturing plankton, while Acropora muricata relies mainly on autotrophy to meet its nitrogen and energy needs.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Chloe Stevenne, Maud Micha, Jean-Christophe Plumier, Stephane Roberty
Summary: The concept of holobiont, which encompasses the host organism and its associated microorganisms, has gained prominence in marine biology research over the past two decades. It provides insights into the functioning, evolution, ecological roles, and adaptation of marine organisms in the face of environmental changes. Holobiont studies offer valuable information on the impact of symbiotic relationships and microbiome interactions on the resilience and vulnerability of marine ecosystems.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Laura Geissler, Valentine Meunier, Nils Radecker, Gabriela Perna, Riccardo Rodolfo-Metalpa, Fanny Houlbreque, Christian R. Voolstra
Summary: The diversity of diazotroph communities within corals is generally low and shows variability among different host species and within the same species. Changes in diazotroph communities in response to volcanic CO2 seeps suggest a random assembly of these communities, highlighting the need for further research into the factors influencing their structure and functional role in the coral holobiont.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Martin Thibault, Fanny Houlbreque, Nicolas N. Duprey, Noemie Choisnard, David P. Gillikin, Valentine Meunier, Francesca Benzoni, Andreas Ravache, Anne Lorrain
Summary: This study investigates the ability of corals to modulate their nutrition strategy in response to variable nutrient supply. The results show that corals are able to switch between autotrophy and heterotrophy in response to changes in nitrogen supply induced by seabird island communities.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Stephane Roberty, Jean-Christophe Plumier
Summary: This article reviews the cellular mechanisms caused by thermal stress that lead to coral bleaching. Studies have shown that reactive species from compromised bioenergetic pathways are the main cause of cellular imbalance and symbiotic breakdown.
EMERGING TOPICS IN LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Juliette Jacquemont, Fanny Houlbreque, Clement Tanvet, Riccardo Rodolfo-Metalpa
Summary: This study investigates physiological differences in coral species from the extreme reef environment of Bourake in New Caledonia. The results show that different species exhibit species-specific responses to extreme climate conditions, with lower photosynthetic rates but compensated by higher chlorophyll contents in Bourake corals compared to reference corals.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Valentine Meunier, Sophie Bonnet, Mercedes Camps, Mar Benavides, Jeff Dubosc, Riccardo Rodolfo-Metalpa, Fanny Houlbreque
Summary: Over the past decade, coral bleaching events have continued to occur and worsen. Feeding corals with planktonic diazotrophs (PD) can help them survive under high temperature stress and promote their growth. PDs provide an alternative source of bioavailable nitrogen and carbon, playing an important role in the recovery of coral bleaching.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Stephane Roberty, Felix Vega de Luna, Mattia Pierangelini, Julie Bomhals, Jean-Christophe Plumier, Oren Levy, Pierre Cardol
Summary: The study compared the use of photosynthetic alternative electron flows (AEFs) in shallow and mesophotic colonies of Stylophora pistillata coral and evaluated the plasticity of photosynthesis under light stress. The results showed that both coral types were able to efficiently utilize photosynthetically derived electrons, but mesophotic colonies had lower capacity for dissipating light energy under high light intensity, leading to strong photoinhibition. This study highlights the importance of photosynthetic alternative electron flows in coral's acclimation to light and how the plasticity of photosynthetic processes in Symbiodiniaceae may shape the vertical distribution of corals.