Article
Environmental Sciences
Emre Turak, Lyndon DeVantier, Robert Szava-Kovats, Jon Brodie
Summary: Logging and plantation agriculture are crucial for tropical nations like Papua New Guinea, but they can lead to hydrological changes and increased sediment, nutrient, and pesticide runoff, affecting downstream habitats. Effective catchment management, such as avoiding steep slopes, expanding buffer zones, minimizing chemical use, and monitoring, can reduce sediment and related impacts.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jenny Fong, Peter A. Todd
Summary: The study reveals that interactions between corals and macroalgae vary greatly across sites and seasons, with different coral species showing varying effects on macroalgae. It is important to consider seasonal fluctuations of macroalgae for understanding their overall long-term impacts.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jenny Fong, Peggy P. Y. Tang, Lindsey K. Deignan, Jovena C. L. Seah, Diane McDougald, Scott A. Rice, Peter A. Todd
Summary: The allelopathic effects of four macroalgal species on the health and microbiomes of three coral species were investigated in a field experiment. The crude extracts of the macroalgae caused coral tissue bleaching and reduction in effective quantum yield, but the corals were able to recover within 72 hours, except when exposed to Lobophora challengeriae. While some macroalgal extracts increased the alpha diversity of coral microbiomes, there were no significant differences in the composition and variability of coral microbiomes between controls and macroalgal extracts. Overall, the chemically mediated interactions with macroalgae had limited impact on coral microbiomes and corals showed quick recovery from the effects of macroalgal chemicals.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mohsen Kayal, Mehdi Adjeroud
Summary: Predicting species' responses to future environments is crucial for biodiversity conservation. This study found that coral competitive performances may serve as indicators of species' ecological niches and responses to future environments, highlighting complex interactions between life-history, warfare-strategy, and niche segregation.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Henry A. Bartelet, Michele L. Barnes, Graeme S. Cumming
Summary: Coral reefs are heavily impacted by climate-induced disturbances, and the loss of coral reefs has a significant effect on people who rely on the ecosystem services they provide. However, the impacts of coral loss and the ability of individuals and businesses to adapt to it are not well understood, especially in the private sector. To address this gap, a survey was conducted among Australian reef tourism operators to understand their responses to severe bleaching and cyclone impacts. The results highlight the importance of response diversity, spatial heterogeneity, and learning for social-ecological resilience.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dor Shefy, Gabrielle Guerrini, Nir Marom, Nadav Shashar, Baruch Rinkevich
Summary: This study investigates the settlement patterns of the brooding coral Stylophora pistillata, showing that larval settlement is mainly influenced by the number of larval donors and tends to aggregate. Aggregated settlement carries disadvantages but can also have benefits such as enhanced fertilization and ecological advantages.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Haoran Gu, Haoyu Wang, Sihong Deng, Xiangyan Dai, Zhijian Wang
Summary: Hybrid escape in aquaculture is common and can negatively impact indigenous species. In this study, the concept of postzygotic ecological isolation was introduced to reduce ecological risk caused by the escape of transgenic and genome edited varieties. The study highlights the importance of considering ecological adaptability in genetic containment strategies.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yijun Liu, Guangliang Yang, Jie Zhang, Bingjie Zhao
Summary: The construction of a high-resolution Moho depth model is important for studying complex tectonic movements in Papua New Guinea, such as seafloor spreading and plate subduction phenomena. The study calculates the Moho relief and lithosphere thinning factor in the region using the XGM 2019e gravity field model and nonlinear fast gravity inversion method. The findings reveal two large depressions in Woodlark Basin and Solomon Sea Plate, with significant differences in the shape and tectonic movement of the oceanic crust in the North and South of Woodlark Basin.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Baruch Rinkevich
Summary: The need to enhance the adaptive potential of corals in the face of unceasing climate change and anthropogenic impacts has led to the successful approach of 'coral gardening' for restoring degraded reefs. This method is structured within a hierarchical list of five encircling tiers, focusing on the nursery phase and including activities such as coral mariculture and ecological engineering. The key importance of adaptation-based reef restoration (ABRR), which includes phenotypic plasticity and assisted migration among other classes, is emphasized for enhancing coral adaptation to climate change.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
John P. Rippe, Groves Dixon, Zachary L. Fuller, Yi Liao, Mikhail Matz
Summary: The study revealed that two common coral species in the Florida Keys are each composed of four genetically distinct lineages, with two lineages specialized for deep habitats. Furthermore, corals migrating across reef zones are more likely to die before reaching adulthood.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Erick Barrera-Falcon, Rodolfo Rioja-Nieto, Roberto C. Hernandez-Landa, Edgar Torres-Irineo
Summary: This study compared main ecological metrics for coral reef condition assessment obtained with an underwater digital photogrammetry protocol and traditional sampling design simulations in the Cozumel Reefs National Park. The results suggest that the underwater digital photogrammetry protocol is more accurate in assessing coral reefs in comparison with traditional sampling designs. The study highlights the importance of precise assessing and monitoring of coral reefs for understanding the threats and changes in coral communities.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alex S. J. Wyatt, James J. Leichter, Libe Washburn, Li Kui, Peter J. Edmunds, Scott C. Burgess
Summary: Marine heatwaves hidden beneath the surface, induced by ocean eddies and internal waves, pose a threat to coastal ecosystems by causing unexpected heating and severe coral bleaching and mortality. Previous assessments of marine heatwaves (MHWs) have mainly relied on sea-surface temperature data, without considering heating across ecosystem depths. This study used a unique combination of satellite data, high-resolution in-situ temperature measurements, and sea level anomalies to reveal subsurface MHWs that were paradoxical compared to surface temperature metrics and associated with unexpected coral bleaching.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jimmy Arguelles-Jimenez, Fabian A. Rodriguez-Zaragoza, Carlos Gonzalez-Gandara, Jorge C. Alva-Basurto, Jesus E. Arias-Gonzalez, Roberto Hernandez-Landa, Alfonso Aguilar-Perera, Yuri B. Okolodkov, Ana Lilia Gutierrez-Velazquez, Manuel J. Zetina-Rejon, Robert Ulanowicz, Horacio Perez-Espana
Summary: This study investigated the geomorphology of a set of coral reefs in the Greater Caribbean, revealing a gradient of maturity in coral reef functional developmental states (FDS) that can be described through trophic networks and topological indices. The results showed that energy flow control increases with maturity and complexity of geomorphological and physical structures, while betweenness centrality, number of connections, and predator-prey interactions decrease with functional maturity.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Joshua S. S. Madin, Andrew H. H. Baird, Sean R. R. Connolly, Maria A. A. Dornelas, Mariana Alvarez-Noriega, Michael J. J. McWilliam, Miguel Barbosa, Shane A. A. Blowes, Paulina Cetina-Heredia, Alec P. P. Christie, Vivian R. R. Cumbo, Marcela Diaz, Madeleine A. A. Emms, Erin Graham, Dominique Hansen, Mizue Hisano, Emily Howells, Chao-Yang Kuo, Caroline Palmer, James Tan Chun Hong, Theophilus Zhi En Teo, Rachael M. M. Woods
Summary: In this study, scleractinian corals were tagged and tracked to measure their vital rates and competitive interactions. Despite being disrupted by a tropical cyclone, the data collected can still be valuable for researchers interested in coral ecology and population dynamics.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Robert A. B. Mason, Yves-Marie Bozec, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: Boat anchoring is a common practice at coral reefs with high economic or social value, but its impact on reef resilience has been understudied. Using an individual-based model, we simulated the effects of anchor damage on coral populations and estimated the carrying capacity of anchoring for different coral assemblages. We found that even a small to medium-sized recreational vessel can cause 0 to 3.1 anchor strikes per hectare per day. In a case study of the Great Barrier Reef, we demonstrated that mitigating anchoring can lead to significant coral gains under bleaching scenarios.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Davina E. Poulos, Mark McCormick
Summary: The effect of habitat loss on habitat specialists and generalists in coral reef fishes has been studied. The order of species arrival and timing affects their interactions and propensity to migrate. This has important consequences for the persistence of specialist species and the fish community in changing environments.
Article
Fisheries
Julia G. Mason, Jacob G. Eurich, Jacqueline D. Lau, Willow Battista, Christopher M. Free, Katherine E. Mills, Kanae Tokunaga, Lily Z. Zhao, Mark Dickey-Collas, Mireia Valle, Gretta T. Pecl, Joshua E. Cinner, Tim R. McClanahan, Edward H. Allison, Whitney R. Friedman, Claudio Silva, Eleuterio Yanez, Maria A. Barbieri, Kristin M. Kleisner
Summary: This study develops a comprehensive resilience framework to examine fishery systems across ecological, socio-economic, and governance dimensions, distilling and defining 38 attributes that confer climate resilience. The directionality and mechanism of these attributes depend on specific context, capacities, and scale, with evidence of interdependencies among them. However, meaningful quantification of the attributes' contributions to resilience in fisheries remains a challenge, as most studies focus on the ecological dimension.
FISH AND FISHERIES
(2022)
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
Sophie L. Nedelec, Andrew N. Radford, Peter Gatenby, Isla Keesje Davidson, Laura Velasquez Jimenez, Maggie Travis, Katherine E. Chapman, Kieran P. McCloskey, Timothy A. C. Lamont, Bjorn Illing, Mark McCormick, Stephen D. Simpson
Summary: This study demonstrates that reducing noise pollution can improve animal reproductive success and enhance the resilience of coral reef ecosystems, based on field and laboratory experiments with a model fish system on the Great Barrier Reef.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Neil L. Andrew, Edward H. Allison, Tom Brewer, John Connell, Hampus Eriksson, Jacob G. Eurich, Anna Farmery, Jessica A. Gephart, Christopher D. Golden, Mario Herrero, Karen Mapusua, Katherine L. Seto, Michael K. Sharp, Phillip Thornton, Anne Marie Thow, Jillian Tutuo
Summary: The Pacific food system has become more integrated into global food regimes, affecting availability and consumption of food, population health, and vulnerability to external drivers. Despite doubling crop production in the last fifty years, it has not kept up with population growth, leading to increased reliance on imported foods and resulting in malnutrition and poor health outcomes. The proposal is to transition the Pacific food system towards a hybrid form that supports healthy regionally-produced food.
GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY-AGRICULTURE POLICY ECONOMICS AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Christopher D. Golden, Julien Ayroles, Jacob G. Eurich, Jessica A. Gephart, Katherine L. Seto, Michael K. Sharp, Prentiss Balcom, Haley M. Barravecchia, Keegan K. Bell, Kelvin D. Gorospe, Joy Kim, William H. Koh, Jessica Zamborain-Mason, Douglas J. McCauley, Helen Murdoch, Nilendra Nair, Kaaro Neeti, Simone Passarelli, Aaron Specht, Elsie M. Sunderland, Aritita Tekaieti, Aranteiti Tekiau, Rosemary Tekoaua, Eretii Timeon
Summary: The Kiribati 2019 Integrated Household Income and Expenditure Survey conducted research on the health status of a diverse I-Kiribati population, incorporating ecological and human health research, and focusing on access to seafood and its potential benefits. This study created a baseline for future assessments and monitoring of ecological, social, economic, and human health conditions.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Katherine E. Mills, Derek Armitage, Jacob G. Eurich, Kristin M. Kleisner, Gretta T. Pecl, Kanae Tokunaga
Summary: Knowledge co-production is a promising approach for achieving development goals. The FishSCORE programme, part of the United Nations Ocean Decade, aims to co-produce knowledge and solutions for climate resilient fisheries through collaborations among scientists, stakeholders, practitioners, managers, and policy experts. FishSCORE will establish a global network to develop tools and information for assessing and implementing climate resilience in marine fisheries, and also form local and regional partnerships to apply these strategies. The programme emphasizes inclusivity, equity, co-leadership, co-ownership, and reciprocity, and seeks to address capacity, power, and agency issues in decision-making. This collaborative process requires significant investments of time and funding.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Saul Gonzalez-Murcia, Merrick Ekins, Tom C. L. Bridge, Christopher N. Battershill, Geoffrey P. Jones
Summary: Substratum preferences and contact interactions among sessile organisms play a crucial role in shaping the structure of benthic communities on coral reefs. This study investigated the substratum preferences and interactions of sponges in coastal coral reefs, revealing their high association with dead coral, coral rubble, and calcium carbonate rock. The most frequent interactions were observed with algae, corals, and crustose coralline algae, with sponges often overgrowing their spatial competitors. Our findings highlight the importance of substratum preferences and interactions in influencing community dynamics on coral reefs.
Article
Ecology
Benjamin S. Halpern, Carl Boettiger, Michael C. Dietze, Jessica A. Gephart, Patrick Gonzalez, Nancy B. Grimm, Peter M. Groffman, Jessica Gurevitch, Sarah E. Hobbie, Kimberly J. Komatsu, Kristy J. Kroeker, Heather J. Lahr, David M. Lodge, Christopher J. Lortie, Julie S. S. Lowndes, Fiorenza Micheli, Hugh P. Possingham, Mary H. Ruckelshaus, Courtney Scarborough, Chelsea L. Wood, Grace C. Wu, Lina Aoyama, Eva E. Arroyo, Christie A. Bahlai, Erin E. Beller, Rachael E. Blake, Karrigan S. Bork, Trevor A. Branch, Norah E. M. Brown, Julien Brun, Emilio M. Bruna, Lauren B. Buckley, Jessica L. Burnett, Max C. N. Castorani, Samantha H. Cheng, Sarah C. Cohen, Jessica L. Couture, Larry B. Crowder, Laura E. Dee, Arildo S. Dias, Ignacio J. Diaz-Maroto, Martha R. Downs, Joan C. Dudney, Erle C. Ellis, Kyle A. Emery, Jacob G. Eurich, Bridget E. Ferriss, Alexa Fredston, Hikaru Furukawa, Sara A. Gagne, Sarah R. Garlick, Colin J. Garroway, Kaitlyn M. Gaynor, Angelica L. Gonzalez, Eliza M. Grames, Tamar Guy-Haim, Ed Hackett, Lauren M. Hallett, Tamara K. Harms, Danielle E. Haulsee, Kyle J. Haynes, Elliott L. Hazen, Rebecca M. Jarvis, Kristal Jones, Gaurav S. Kandlikar, Dustin W. Kincaid, Matthew L. Knope, Anil Koirala, Jurek Kolasa, John S. Kominoski, Julia Koricheva, Lesley T. Lancaster, Jake A. Lawlor, Heili E. Lowman, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Kari E. A. Norman, Nan Nourn, Casey C. O'Hara, Suzanne X. Ou, Jacqueline L. Padilla-Gamino, Paula Pappalardo, Ryan A. Peek, Dominique Pelletier, Stephen Plont, Lauren C. Ponisio, Cristina Portales-Reyes, Diogo B. Provete, Eric J. Raes, Carlos Ramirez-Reyes, Irene Ramos, Sydne Record, Anthony J. Richardson, Roberto Salguero-Gomez, Erin Satterthwaite, Chloe Schmidt, Aaron J. Schwartz, Craig R. See, Brendan D. Shea, Rachel S. Smith, Eric R. Sokol, Christopher T. Solomon, Trisha Spanbauer, Paris Stefanoudis, Beckett W. Sterner, Vitor Sudbrack, Jonathan D. Tonkin, Ashley R. Townes, Mireia Valle, Jonathan A. Walter, Kathryn Wheeler, William R. Wieder, David R. Williams, Marten Winter, Barbora Winterova, Lucy C. Woodall, Adam S. Wymore, Casey Youngflesh
Summary: Synthesis research in ecology and environmental science is important for improving understanding, advancing theory, identifying research priorities, and supporting management strategies. A virtual workshop with participants from different countries and disciplines was held to discuss how synthesis can address key questions and themes in the field in the next decade. Seven priority research topics and two issues regarding synthesis practices were identified, providing a strategic vision for future synthesis in ecology and environmental science.
Article
Fisheries
M. McCormick, E. P. Fakan, G. Vamvounis, S. Bosshard, C. Moad, E. Smyth, P. Gatenby, J. Edmiston, K. Patel, B. J. M. Allan
Summary: This study examined the effects of ingesting polystyrene microplastic fragments on the body condition and fitness of a tropical marine fish. The results showed that ingestion of plastic had no significant impact on growth, body condition indices, or reproductive health indicators. Histological analysis also revealed no adverse effects on liver cells. The low levels of toxic compounds due to the inert nature of polystyrene and low leaching of plasticizers from the fragments contributed to the observed results.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biology
H. B. Harrison, L. Drane, M. L. Berumen, B. J. Cresswell, R. D. Evans, G. F. Galbraith, M. Srinivasan, B. M. Taylor, D. H. Williamson, G. P. Jones
Summary: Temporal patterns in spawning and juvenile recruitment of coral reef fishes have significant impacts on population size and demographic structure. The study focuses on the commercially important coral grouper and reveals year-round spawning activity with variable peak spawning times and no clear association with environmental cues. The findings suggest the need for additional and longer seasonal closures or alternative fisheries management strategies to maximize recruitment contribution during periods of greatest reproductive success.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gemma Carroll, Jacob G. Eurich, Krista D. Sherman, Robert Glazer, Michael T. Braynen, Karlisa A. Callwood, Adriel Castaneda, Craig Dahlgren, Kendra A. Karr, Kristin M. Kleisner, Virginia Burns-Perez, Sarah E. Poon, Nicanor Requena, Victor Sho, Shervin N. Tate, Sepp Haukebo
Summary: Recreational fishing is crucial to the Caribbean tourism sector, but climate change threatens the habitat and species vital to this industry. A comprehensive climate vulnerability assessment was conducted for three important tidal flats species in Belize and The Bahamas, which found high vulnerability due to rapid temperature increases and storm damage. While stakeholders confirmed the magnitude of climate impacts, they observed greater resilience in two of the species, highlighting the need for participatory approaches to enhance climate resilience and readiness in the recreational fishing sector.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Jacob G. Eurich, Whitney R. Friedman, Kristin M. Kleisner, Lily Z. Zhao, Christopher M. Free, Meghan Fletcher, Julia G. Mason, Kanae Tokunaga, Alba Aguion, Andrea Dell'Apa, Mark Dickey-Collas, Rod Fujita, Christopher D. Golden, Anne B. Hollowed, Gakushi Ishimura, Kendra A. Karr, Stephen Kasperski, Yuga Kisara, Jacqueline D. Lau, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Layla Osman, Gretta T. Pecl, Joern O. Schmidt, Edward H. Allison, Patrick J. Sullivan, Joshua E. Cinner, Roger B. Griffis, Timothy R. Mcclanahan, Richard C. Stedman, Katherine E. Mills
Summary: The ecological and social dimensions of fisheries are being impacted by climate change. This study aims to identify key attributes of resilience in fisheries and connect them to social-ecological outcomes. By assessing 18 case studies, the researchers found that attributes such as population abundance, learning capacity, and responsive governance were the most important for building resilience. They also developed a typology and identified five fishery archetypes to guide stakeholders in improving resilience. Two pathways to resilience were observed: building ecological assets and strengthening communities, or building economic assets and improving governance.
FISH AND FISHERIES
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joshua G. Smith, Christopher M. Free, Cori Lopazanski, Julien Brun, Clarissa R. Anderson, Mark H. Carr, Joachim Claudet, Jenifer E. Dugan, Jacob G. Eurich, Tessa B. Francis, Scott L. Hamilton, David Mouillot, Peter T. Raimondi, Richard M. Starr, Shelby L. Ziegler, Kerry J. Nickols, Jennifer E. Caselle
Summary: Marine protected areas (MPAs) have limited ability to enhance ecological resilience to climate change, according to a study conducted in the largest MPA network off the coast of California. While rocky intertidal habitats showed significant resistance to a marine heatwave, other habitats did not exhibit habitat-wide resistance or recovery.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Christopher M. Free, Joshua G. Smith, Cori J. Lopazanski, Julien Brun, Tessa B. Francis, Jacob G. Eurich, Joachim Claudet, Jenifer E. Dugan, David A. Gill, Scott L. Hamilton, Kristin Kaschner, David Mouillot, Shelby L. Ziegler, Jennifer E. Caselle, Kerry J. Nickols
Summary: Calls for using marine protected areas (MPAs) to achieve goals for nature and people are increasing globally. This study examines human engagement in California's MPA network and identifies traits associated with higher engagement. The results suggest that increasing access to coastal MPAs and locating new MPAs near existing amenities can promote human engagement.