Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Yenny Risjani, Andrzej Witkowski, Adrian Kryk, Yunianta, Ewa Gorecka, Marta Krzywda, Ikha Safitri, Ajuk Sapar, Przemyslaw Dabek, Sulastri Arsad, Evgeniy Gusev, Rudiyansyah, Lukasz Peszek, Rafal J. Wrobel
Summary: This study presents the results of the first ever research on biodiversity and biogeography of marine benthic diatoms from coral reefs in Indonesia, revealing a high abundance and diversity of diatoms. Biodiversity indices were higher in Indonesia compared to other tropical oceanic islands, with habitat type playing a more significant role in taxonomic composition than geographic factors. Cosmopolitan taxa were dominant in relative abundance, while species richness was higher in tropical and local forms. Many taxa were identified only at the genus level, potentially indicating new species.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Joon Sang Park, Christopher S. Lobban, Kyun-Woo Lee, Seung Won Jung
Summary: This study enhances the understanding of diatom biodiversity in Chuuk, Micronesia. By collecting samples from different areas and using scanning electron microscopy, the study documents 109 diatom taxa, including 31 newly recorded species. The study also highlights the adaptation of benthic diatoms to the specific environmental conditions in Chuuk.
JOURNAL OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Karina Massei, Maria Cecilia Silva Souza, Richarde Marques da Silva, Dimitri de Araujo Costa, Pedro Costa Guedes Vianna, Maria Cristina Crispim, George Emmanuel Cavalcanti de Miranda, Linda Eggertsen, Christinne Costa Eloy, Celso Augusto Guimaraes Santos
Summary: This study conducted a comprehensive analysis of the Seixas coral reef in northeastern Brazil and found that the impacts of tourism have exacerbated negative effects on the reef's marine ecosystem. The findings emphasize the importance of strategic planning and resource management to protect the biodiversity and ecological integrity of coral reefs.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Madhavi A. Colton, Lisa C. McManus, Daniel E. Schindler, Peter J. Mumby, Stephen R. Palumbi, Michael M. Webster, Timothy E. Essington, Helen E. Fox, Daniel L. Forrest, Steven R. Schill, F. Joseph Pollock, Lukas B. DeFilippo, E. W. Tekwa, Timothy E. Walsworth, Malin L. Pinsky
Summary: To enable better adaptation to climate change, it is essential to conserve a variety of coral reef networks rather than just focusing on visible safe havens.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maria Cecilia Silva Souza, Karina Massei, Pedro Costa Guedes Vianna, Celso Augusto Guimaraes Santos, Manoranjan Mishra, Richarde Marques da Silva
Summary: This study analyzed the diversity and conservation status of macrobenthos in the Seixas coral reef, proposed a zoning plan, and provided decision-makers with a snapshot of species distribution and a methodology for assessing environmental impacts.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Laurence Dugal, Luke Thomas, Abinaya Meenakshisundaram, Tiffany Simpson, Rose Lines, Jamie Colquhoun, Simon Jarman, Mark Meekan
Summary: By applying eDNA metabarcoding, this study explored the differences in community profiles between different habitats in the Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area in Western Australia. The results showed distinct clustering of samples by habitat type, and the differences were largely driven by spatial turnover. Additionally, a pattern of spatial stratification within the slope samples was detected.
Article
Biology
Florian Baletaud, Gael Lecellier, Antoine Gilbert, Laetitia Mathon, Jean-Marie Come, Tony Dejean, Mahe Dumas, Sylvie Fiat, Laurent Vigliola
Summary: Seamounts are deep-sea ecosystems that have fewer fish species compared to coral reefs, but higher biomass of large fish species like sharks in the shallowest seamounts. This study calls for the protection of the shallowest seamounts.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Heather A. Stewart, Jennifer L. Wright, Matthew Carrigan, Andrew H. Altieri, David Kline, Rafael J. Araujo
Summary: This study provides a scientific understanding and classification of nested mangrove-coral (CMC) habitats, and reports the discovery of a highly rich CMC habitat type in Panama. Based on literature review and field data, the researchers created a classification framework for CMC habitat categories and used GIS modeling to predict potential global distribution of CMC habitats.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Bing Lin, Yiwen Zeng, Gregory P. P. Asner, David S. S. Wilcove
Summary: By combining Instagram data from tourists and live coral cover maps in Hawaii, this study reveals that coral reefs both attract and suffer from coastal tourism. Higher live coral cover attracts more visitors, but their visitation contributes to subsequent reef degradation. This finding highlights the economic value of coral reefs and the importance of effective conservation management.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elena Bollati, Yaeli Rosenberg, Noa Simon-Blecher, Raz Tamir, Oren Levy, Danwei Huang
Summary: Urbanized coral reefs are often impacted by sedimentation and reduced light levels, but many coral species can still thrive under these disturbed conditions. A study on the transcriptomic response to sediment stress in corals found that exposure to sediment induced upregulation of genes related to energy metabolism and immune response, with anaerobic glycolysis and glyoxylate bypass enzymes being significantly affected. This suggests that hypoxia may be a driving factor for the molecular response of corals to sediment stress.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Katherine Mejia-Quintero, Cristina Cedeno-Posso, Santiago Millan, Luis Chasqui
Summary: By analyzing videos and images, we identified ecological units and geomorphic units in mesophotic coral ecosystems on the western side of San Andres Island, Colombia. These findings are important for updating the coral reef atlas of Colombia.
Article
Ecology
Alexandre C. C. Siqueira, Pooventhran Muruga, David R. R. Bellwood
Summary: The biodiversity of tropical reefs is characterized by the interaction between fishes and corals. However, only a minority of fish species strongly associate with live corals, and there is no coevolutionary pattern between the fish and coral lineages. The expansion of reef structures, rather than coral association, is more likely responsible for the Miocene fish diversification.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Thomas J. F. Goreau
Summary: Coral reefs are collapsing rapidly due to various factors, and urgent steps are necessary to regenerate them. The use of safe electrical stimulation has shown potential in increasing settlement, growth, and survival of marine organisms under extreme stress conditions. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms at the cellular and molecular levels. Electrical stimulation is the only known method to reverse the impacts of extreme stresses on corals and other marine organisms.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Crawford Drury, Roberta E. Martin, David E. Knapp, Joseph Heckler, Joshua Levy, Ruth D. Gates, Gregory P. Asner
Summary: To improve coral conservation and management, we used historical bleaching phenotypes, imaging spectroscopy, and temperature stress to map coral species composition and thermal tolerance. Spectral data accurately distinguished benthic composition and coral species and showed potential for mapping thermal tolerance. Additionally, we strengthened the relationship between predictions and conserved tolerance phenotypes through a study of a marine heatwave in 2019.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biology
Peter J. J. Edmunds
Summary: Coral recruitment is the addition of new individuals to populations and plays a crucial role in population size. Understanding the factors influencing coral recruitment and its ability to support community resilience is crucial due to declines in coral cover and abundance. Settlement tiles have proven to be effective tools in measuring coral recruitment and future studies should focus on expanding taxonomic resolution and using time series of settlement tile deployments.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)