Article
Environmental Sciences
Carlo Caruso, Kira Hughes, Crawford Drury
Summary: Coral reef restoration requires proactive approaches to consider future environmental conditions for long-term viability, with selective propagation of heat-tolerant species to enhance thermal resilience. Different selection strategies can be tailored to the resources and goals of individual projects for optimized restoration outcomes.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(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
Engineering, Marine
Heather N. Page, Clay Hewett, Hayden Tompkins, Emily R. Hall
Summary: This experiment assessed the impact of acidification on coral-algal, coral-sponge, and algal-sponge interactions. Results showed that sponges grew more volumetrically under acidification conditions and fleshy macroalgae had increased biomass when paired with a sponge.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lauren T. Toth, Travis A. Courtney, Michael A. Colella, Selena A. Kupfner Johnson, Robert R. Ruzicka
Summary: Coral-reef degradation is causing reductions in reef-building capacity and its associated functions. The persistence of these functions depends on coral-reef management's ability to balance reef accretion and erosion. This study reconstructs the carbonate budgets of Florida Keys reefs from 1996 to 2019 and finds that most reefs had positive budgets historically, but declines in coral populations caused a shift to negative budgets. The study also suggests that coral restoration has the potential to mitigate declines in reef accretion.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Niall P. Hanan, Anthony M. Swemmer
Summary: An analysis of carbon stored in plants and soil in an African savannah suggests that frequent fires may have less impact on atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and global warming than previously thought.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sun W. W. Kim, Brigitte Sommer, Maria Beger, John M. M. Pandolfi
Summary: Climate change is causing rapid and widespread degradation of the environmental conditions that previously supported species survival. Current projections of climate change mainly focus on acute environmental anomalies and global extinction risks, without considering species-specific patterns. As a result, we lack knowledge about the explicit dimensions of climate risk that are essential for predicting future biodiversity responses and developing effective management and conservation strategies.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nicholas P. Jones, Lystina Kabay, Kathleen Semon Lunz, David S. Gilliam
Summary: The study reveals the ecological extinction of the threatened pillar coral species Dendrogyra cylindrus in southeast Florida due to consecutive heat stress events and white-syndrome disease outbreak. It highlights the severe compromise of stony coral resilience by chronic environmental disturbance, hindering community recovery.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Geography
Russell Fielding, Jorge Julian Zaldivar
Summary: This article investigates the current status and geographical range of breadfruit in mainland United States by conducting interviews and surveys among breadfruit growers in Florida. It also considers the sustainability implications and remaining environmental challenges of breadfruit cultivation.
ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF GEOGRAPHERS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Moriaki Yasuhara, Curtis A. Deutsch
Summary: The increase in species diversity towards the tropics is a remarkable global phenomenon that has not been fully explained yet. Evidence from ocean microfossils suggests that this pattern emerged due to ancient climate cooling and polar-climate dynamics.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nikki Forrester, Andrea Fischer
Summary: Glaciologist Andrea Fischer shares her firsthand experience of studying the constantly changing ice masses.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zeljko Zgrablic
Summary: This sentence briefly introduces the work of field mycologist Zeljko Zgrablic and his dog in tracking how climate change affects truffles.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Virginia M. Weis
Summary: Biologists have found through careful analysis of nutrient cycling that corals can rely on an unexpected food source to survive in times of food scarcity.
Article
Ecology
Frederik De Laender, Camille Carpentier, Timoteo Carletti, Chuliang Song, Samantha L. Rumschlag, Michael B. Mahon, Marie Simonin, Geza Meszena, Gyorgy Barabas
Summary: Environmental change research is plagued by the complexity of multiple communities and environmental drivers. However, we provide evidence that a general understanding of ecological effects is achievable. Our findings demonstrate that the effects of environmental change on coexistence depend on species responses and trophic interactions, and can be predicted using temperature optima and species sensitivities to pollution. We also show the applicability of our theory in analyzing field data on land use change and its impact on coexistence in natural invertebrate communities.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anderson B. Mayfield, Catalina Aguilar, Graham Kolodziej, Ian C. Enochs, Derek P. Manzello
Summary: This study examined the proteomic responses of inshore reefs of the Upper Florida Keys reef tract and offshore reefs to high temperatures. Proteomic signatures varied significantly across temperatures, host genotypes, and Symbiodiniaceae assemblages.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alexis A. Bernal, Scott L. Stephens, Brandon M. Collins, John J. Battles
Summary: The restoration of fire-prone forests and their resilience to disturbances is important, but it may conflict with climate mitigation goals by reducing biomass stocks. This study analyzed historical inventories in the Sierra Nevada/southern Cascade region to identify drivers of historical forest characteristics and projected future changes under climate scenarios. The predictions showed convergence in forest structure, with frequent fire being the likely explanation. Under projected climate, hotter sites favor low tree densities, low biomass, and high pine dominance. The study suggests that by 2069, the region may not be able to support aboveground biomass exceeding 25% of current average biomass stocks. Carbon policy needs to be adjusted to match the limited future aboveground carbon stocks in this region.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(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
Limnology
Melissa Melendez, Joseph Salisbury, Dwight Gledhill, Chris Langdon, Julio M. Morell, Derek Manzello, Adrienne Sutton
Summary: The study presents a quantitative approach to analyze the metabolic processes of coral reef ecosystems and demonstrates the impacts of ocean acidification using long-term observational data. The dominant metabolic processes were net respiration and net dissolution, and the net ecosystem calcification rates were found to be relatively low. The results suggest that net ecosystem production plays a significant role in net ecosystem calcification.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2022)
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
Environmental Sciences
Li-Qing Jiang, Denis Pierrot, Rik Wanninkhof, Richard A. Feely, Bronte Tilbrook, Simone Alin, Leticia Barbero, Robert H. Byrne, Brendan R. Carter, Andrew G. Dickson, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, Dana Greeley, Mario Hoppema, Matthew P. Humphreys, Johannes Karstensen, Nico Lange, Siv K. Lauvset, Ernie R. Lewis, Are Olsen, Fiz F. Perez, Christopher Sabine, Jonathan D. Sharp, Toste Tanhua, Thomas W. Trull, Anton Velo, Andrew J. Allegra, Paul Barker, Eugene Burger, Wei-Jun Cai, Chen-Tung A. Chen, Jessica Cross, Hernan Garcia, Jose Martin Hernandez-Ayon, Xinping Hu, Alex Kozyr, Chris Langdon, Kitack Lee, Joe Salisbury, Zhaohui Aleck Wang, Liang Xue
Summary: Effective data management is crucial for oceanographic research, and this article introduces new and updated best practice data standards for discrete chemical oceanographic observations. These standards cover column header abbreviations, quality control flags, missing value indicators, and standardized calculation of certain properties. The aim is to improve current practices, promote international usage, and facilitate data sharing and permanent archiving for better research in ocean biogeochemistry.
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.
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
Environmental Sciences
Michelle A. Johnston, Michael S. Studivan, Ian C. Enochs, Adrienne M. S. Correa, Nicole Besemer, Ryan J. Eckert, Kimberly Edwards, Ryan Hannum, Xinping Hu, Marissa Nuttall, Kelly O'Connell, Ana M. Palacio-Castro, George P. Schmahl, Alexis B. Sturm, Blake Ushijima, Joshua D. Voss
Summary: East and West Flower Garden Bank in the Gulf of Mexico experienced a disease outbreak in August 2022, with disease-like lesions observed on seven coral species. Rapid response cruises were conducted to characterize the disease, treat affected corals, and collect baseline images. This provides an opportunity to study coral disease in a relatively healthy ecosystem and inform mitigation efforts.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michael T. Connelly, Grace Snyder, Ana M. Palacio-Castro, Phillip R. Gillette, Andrew C. Baker, Nikki Traylor-Knowles
Summary: This study demonstrated that antibiotics can alter the composition and reduce the diversity of coral-associated bacteria, leading to decreased oxygen consumption and activation of host immunity without directly impairing symbiotic algae photosynthesis. These findings highlight the importance of coral-associated bacteria for holobiont health and provide insights for future experiments.
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)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Li-Qing Jiang, Alex Kozyr, John M. Relph, Errol I. Ronje, Linus Kamb, Eugene Burger, Jonathan Myer, Liem Nguyen, Krisa M. Arzayus, Tim Boyer, Scott Cross, Hernan Garcia, Patrick Hogan, Kirsten Larsen, A. Rost Parsons
Summary: OCADS is a data management system that manages various ocean carbon and acidification data, including observations and experimental results. It aims to provide data, information, products, and services related to ocean carbon and acidification, and adopts a customer-centric approach to improve its data management practices.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emma Pontes, Chris Langdon, Fuad A. Al-Horani
Summary: Climate change and increasing sea surface temperature have worsened ocean deoxygenation, affecting the metabolic response and tolerance range of Caribbean coral species and their algal symbionts. This study found that they exhibited varying degrees of tolerance to hypoxia, providing insights into the community composition of reefs under changing climate and guiding restoration efforts.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Soledad Alvarez, Ignacio Gestoso, Patricio Ramalhosa, Joao Canning-Clode
Summary: The introduction of non-indigenous species poses a threat to coastal biodiversity, with maritime traffic as a primary vector. This study compares the performance of three methods and evaluates their attributes to develop improved strategies for monitoring and mitigating the impact of non-indigenous species.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Ya-Qin Zhang, Chun-Hui Gong, Xiang-Hua Qi, Wen-Jun Wang, Peng-Tao Cao, Qiang Li, Peng Wang, Yi Yang
Summary: This study investigated the concentrations of heavy metals in marine organisms from Gaogong Island in Lianyungang and evaluated the associated health risks. The results showed significant variations in heavy metal concentrations among different sampling months and marine organisms. However, the assessed health risks from consuming these marine organisms were found to be within acceptable thresholds.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Bo Yang, Huina Zheng, Zhouping Cui, Hao Sun, Baolin Liao, Ziqiang Xie, Bogui Chen, Jin Zhou, Baohua Xiao
Summary: This study found that coral transplantation on the "chessboard" reef and natural substrate in Dapeng Bay was successful, with corals on the reef showing better growth advantage. Temperature and suspended particulate matter were identified as the main factors affecting the health and growth of transplanted corals.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2024)
Review
Ecology
Bilal Mghili, Mohamed Ben -Haddad, Ouafae Zerrad, Nelson Rangel-Buitrago, Mustapha Aksissou
Summary: This review critically analyzes the available literature on plastic pollution in Morocco's marine environment. It discusses the abundance, composition, and sources of plastic litter, as well as the impact on the biota and ecosystem services. The review highlights the limited studies conducted and the scarcity of data, particularly regarding the prevalence of microplastics. It also emphasizes the considerable threat plastic litter poses to Moroccan biodiversity.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Khaled M. Abdelsalam, Mohamed F. Nour Eldeen, Mohamed H. Mona, Fayez A. Shoukr, Mona M. El Gamal
Summary: This research paper investigates the biodiversity of macro-benthic invertebrates collected along the eastern coast of Egypt. The study found a total of 118 taxa, with Mollusca being the most diverse and Arthropoda being the most dominant phylum. The most prevalent species was the stomatopod Erugosquilla massavensis. Eleven species were newly recorded in the Egyptian Mediterranean Sea. It is recommended to establish national monitoring programs to record any new alien species in the study area.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Haruka Nakano, Maria Belen Alfonso, Suppakan Jandang, Keiri Imai, Hisayuki Arakawa
Summary: This study evaluated the level of microplastic pollution in marine environments around Japan using the pollution load index, polymer risk index, and pollution risk index. The results showed low to moderate pollution levels in each area, but predicted an increase in pollution levels in the future. The study highlights the importance of taking action to prevent additional plastic pollution and the need for continued monitoring of microplastics in the environment.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2024)