Article
Fisheries
Kennedy Wolfe, Amelia A. Desbiens, Emma Pietsch, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: Observing and sampling cryptic species and their interactions is difficult, but important for understanding poorly described species. This study examines the red decorator crab, Schizophrys aspera, which is a newfound predator of the corallivorous Pacific crown-of-thorns seastar (CoTS). The researchers discuss the distribution and taxonomy of S. aspera and characterize its populations in different areas of the Great Barrier Reef. They also present a method to survey cryptic decapods on coral reefs and predict the distribution and impact of S. aspera in the context of CoTS outbreaks.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Kennedy Wolfe, Tania M. Kenyon, Amelia Desbiens, Kimberley de la Motte, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: Declines in habitat complexity have led to ecological degradation in various ecosystems. Coral reefs have served as a model for studying such changes, but previous research has mainly focused on corals and fish, overlooking the dominant role of small cryptic organisms. This study used a hierarchical framework to explore whether broad seascape parameters or nested microhabitat processes better describe cryptofauna communities in coral rubble. The results showed that microhabitat complexity influenced sessile organism cover, which in turn shaped the motile cryptofauna community.
ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
D'amy N. Steward, Avery B. Paxton, Nathan M. Bacheler, Christina M. Schobernd, Keith Mille, Jeffrey Renchen, Zach Harrison, Jordan Byrum, Robert Martore, Cameron Brinton, Kenneth L. Riley, J. Christopher Taylor, G. Todd Kellison
Summary: As human uses of the ocean increase, it is important to understand the distribution of natural and artificial habitats. A case study in the southeastern US revealed that artificial reefs cover a significantly smaller area compared to natural reefs, highlighting the importance of considering natural habitats in ocean planning and resource management decisions.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Yuji Ise, Jean Vacelet, Masaru Mizuyama, Yoshihisa Fujita
Summary: A new species of 'lithistid' sponge, Sollasipelta subterranea sp. nov., was discovered in near-shore submarine caves of the Ryukyu Islands in southwestern Japan. This new species is characterized by specific morphological features and represents the first lithistid sponge found in submarine caves of the Western Pacific. It is also the first species of sponge inhabiting anchialine cave environments in the Indo-West Pacific and a new record of the family Neopeltidae in Japanese waters.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rongliang Zhang, Hui Liu, Qianqian Zhang, Hua Zhang, Jianmin Zhao
Summary: This study assessed the function of artificial reefs as alternative habitats for two common reef-associated predatory fishes. The results suggested that artificial reefs have strong ecological adaptability for predatory fishes, but prey availability differs from natural reefs, leading to different degrees of resource partitioning between the two reef types.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Ofer Berman, Michael Weizman, Asa Oren, Reem Neri, Haim Parnas, Nadav Shashar, Ezri Tarazi
Summary: In this study, a novel approach to ceramic 3D printing was developed using eco-friendly materials to create bio-inspired reef designs. The Gravity-Stimulated Printing Design method allowed for the production of highly complex shapes that assembled into a unique spatial structure, supporting a diversity of coral reef residents. By installing a reef forming prototype made from 87 printed parts in a coral reef environment in the Red Sea, abundant marine organisms were observed to settle and recruit, forming a new reef after two years.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chris M. Roelfsema, Mitchell B. Lyons, Carolina Castro-Sanguino, Eva M. Kovacs, David Callaghan, Magnus Wettle, Kathryn Markey, Rodney Borrego-Acevedo, Paul Tudman, Meredith Roe, Emma Kennedy, Manuel Gonzalez-Rivero, Nicholas Murray, Stuart R. Phinn
Summary: The geomorphic and benthic composition of Australia's Great Barrier Reef are understudied, but crucial for understanding disturbance impacts and recovery potential. Through new research methods and high-resolution maps, there is now a more comprehensive understanding of the spatial extent and ecological characteristics of the Great Barrier Reef.
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
Lauren T. Toth, Travis A. Courtney, Michael A. Colella, Rob R. Ruzicka
Summary: SCTLD has had an unprecedented impact on the western Atlantic coral-reef ecosystems, causing a decline in reef-accretion potential and altering the composition of coral assemblages. The loss of reef-building corals has significantly decreased carbonate production, leading to a decline in their capacity for growth.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Scott F. Lovell, M. Ross Lein, Sean M. Rogers
Summary: Eastern and western forms of the Warbling Vireo have allopatric breeding ranges in North America but come into contact in central Alberta, Canada. Genetic and morphological differences suggest they may be distinct cryptic species, but limited DNA evidence supports this claim so far.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenjia Hu, Xinqing Zheng, Yuanchao Li, Jianguo Du, Yihua Lv, Shangke Su, Baohua Xiao, Xiaomin Ye, Qutu Jiang, Hongjian Tan, Baolin Liao, Bin Chen
Summary: This study developed a rapid assessment approach to map the vulnerability of scleractinian corals in South China. The results showed high exposure pressure and large conservation gaps for coral habitats, with Guangdong Province being the most vulnerable.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Theresa M. Davenport, A. Randall Hughes, Philine S. E. zu Ermgassen, Jonathan H. Grabowski
Summary: Research on restored reefs shows differences in enhancing nekton recruitment between restored and natural reefs, with insufficient information on characteristics such as size and vertical relief of restored reefs, impacting the return on restoration investments.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrew S. S. Kough, Carolyn A. A. Belak
Summary: The study found that establishing a marine reserve did not significantly affect predation rates in comparison to surrounding actively fished waters. Evaluating the efficacy of marine reserves in protecting vital ecosystem processes requires studies beyond abundance and diversity surveys.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Sofie E. Voerman, Beauregard C. Marsh, Ricardo G. Bahia, Guilherme H. Pereira-Filho, Thomas W. Yee, Ana Clara F. Becker, Gilberto M. Amado-Filho, Arvydas Ruseckas, Graham A. Turnbull, Ifor D. W. Samuel, Heidi L. Burdett
Summary: This study investigated the mechanisms affecting the biodiversity-supporting potential of free-living red coralline algae towards mesophotic depths. The results showed a general decline in macrofaunal biodiversity but an increase in beta-diversity at the deepest site, highlighting the importance of these habitats as coastal refugia.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Adan Guillermo Jordan-Garza, Paul Blanchon, Juan P. Carricart-Ganivet, Eric Jordan-Dahlgren
Summary: Despite warmer conditions during the Last Interglacial, Orbicella corals were abundant and large on Caribbean reefs. Comparisons between fossil and modern Orbicella species revealed lower growth rates in the fossils, likely due to past habitat conditions.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Correction
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gawain T. Antell, Wolfgang Kiessling, Martin Aberhan, Erin E. Saupe
Article
Ecology
Timothy L. Staples, Wolfgang Kiessling, John M. Pandolfi
Summary: Anthropogenic disturbance and climate change can greatly increase the emergence of new, ecologically novel communities. Post-glacial warming of the past 8000 years led to a threefold increase in the emergence of local novel communities. However, in the last 200 years, the emergence of local novel communities has already matched estimates of glacial retreat. These novel communities are mainly found in high latitude regions and are influenced by global and local temperature changes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexandre C. Siqueira, Wolfgang Kiessling, David R. Bellwood
Summary: The study finds that biotic interactions among reef corals have a significant impact on the macroevolutionary patterns of coral diversity. Staghorn corals, in particular, affect the fossil diversity trajectories of other coral groups.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Frank Mattern, Andreas Scharf, Bernhard Pracejus, Issa S. A. Al Shibli, Bader M. S. Al Kabani, Waleed Y. A. Al Qasmi, Wolfgang Kiessling, Ivan Callegari
Summary: The article discusses the generation of olistostromes in the Mid- to Late Cretaceous period and their different basin origins in the Hawasina Basin.
JOURNAL OF AFRICAN EARTH SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Paleontology
Jana Gliwa, Michael Wiedenbeck, Martin Schobben, Clemenz Ullmann, Wolfgang Kiessling, Abbas Ghaderi, Ulrich Struck, Dieter Korn
Summary: A study using oxygen isotope ratios from late Permian ostracods in north-western Iran found that the ambient seawater temperature began to rise at least 300 kyr prior to the main extinction event. It is suggested that the gradual warming of approximately 12 degrees C was responsible for the initial environmental degradation that eventually led to the global end-Permian mass extinction.
Article
Ecology
Joseph T. Flannery-Sutherland, Nussaibah B. Raja, Adam T. Kocsis, Wolfgang Kiessling
Summary: Cleaning fossil occurrence data is essential for improving data quality and detecting anomalies before downstream analysis. The study introduces a semi-automated cleaning solution, fossilbrush, which is applied to the Paleobiology Database to assess data quality and anomaly prevalence.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nussaibah B. Raja, Danijela Dimitrijevic, Mihaela Cristina Krause, Wolfgang Kiessling
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lin Na, Adam T. Kocsis, Qijian Li, Wolfgang Kiessling
Summary: This study examines the temporal and spatial changes of marine animals during the Cambrian period using a compositional network based on fossil occurrence data. The results show an increase in regional differences of faunal composition and a decrease in by-species geographic distribution during the first three stages of the Cambrian period. The study also suggests that general biogeography tends to be reshaped after global extinction pulses. The abrupt biogeographic differentiation during the Cambrian radiation was likely controlled by a combination of tectonics, paleoclimate, and dispersal capacity changes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wolfgang Kiessling, Jansen A. Smith, Nussaibah B. Raja
Summary: Paleontology provides valuable knowledge on Earth's history and can contribute to addressing societal challenges like climate change. However, its long-term perspective poses obstacles to its relevance for policy bodies like the IPCC. The issue lies more in inappropriate framing and reporting in paleontological publications, rather than the temporal scope.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Geology
Nussaibah B. Raja, John M. M. Pandolfi, Wolfgang Kiessling
Summary: The drivers of reef decline are well understood, but the conditions for pantropical expansion of coral reefs are less known. A new co-occurrence hypothesis (COH) suggests that reefs thrive when fast-growing hypercalcifiers co-occur with encrusting organisms to construct wave-resistant structures. Positive co-occurrence patterns are more common in reefal communities, supporting COH. Modularity in reefs stabilizes reef ecosystems, promoting reef growth.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Dorothee Hodapp, Irene T. Roca, Dario Fiorentino, Cristina Garilao, Kristin Kaschner, Kathleen Kesner-Reyes, Birgit Schneider, Joachim Segschneider, Adam T. Kocsis, Wolfgang Kiessling, Thomas Brey, Rainer Froese
Summary: Driven by climate change, marine biodiversity is undergoing rapid changes, faster than those in terrestrial ecosystems. Understanding the impact of these changes on future marine life is crucial for conservation, due to increasing demands for marine resources. Our analysis predicts a decline in core habitat area for many species, with a net loss of 50% for almost half of all marine species by 2100 under the high-emission scenario. Distributional reorganization will lead to gaps around the equator for a significant number of marine species, disrupting their continuous ranges. Invasion rates in higher latitudes and polar regions will also introduce new predators and change ecosystem and food web structure. The degree of reorganization and its consequences will depend on greenhouse gas emission pathway.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
H. -O. Poertner, R. J. Scholes, A. Arneth, D. K. A. Barnes, M. T. Burrows, S. E. Diamond, C. M. Duarte, W. Kiessling, P. Leadley, S. Managi, P. McElwee, G. Midgley, H. T. Ngo, D. Obura, U. Pascual, M. Sankaran, Y. J. Shin, A. L. Val
Summary: Earth's biodiversity and human societies are threatened by pollution, overconsumption of resources, urbanization, demographic changes, inequalities, and habitat loss, which are worsened by climate change. This review examines the connection between climate, biodiversity, and society, and proposes a roadmap for sustainability. The roadmap includes limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and preserving and restoring ecosystems on a significant portion of land and water. It emphasizes the need for interconnected protected areas and shared spaces to enhance biodiversity, and the ability of people and nature to adapt to and mitigate climate change. It calls for bold policy interventions and interconnected systems at all levels to promote human, ecosystem, and planetary health for a livable future.
Article
Ecology
Jansen Smith, Marina C. C. Rillo, Adam T. Kocsis, Maria Dornelas, David Fastovich, Huai-Hsuan M. Huang, Lukas Jonkers, Wolfgang Kiessling, Qijian Li, Lee Hsiang Liow, Miranda Margulis-Ohnuma, Stephen Meyers, Lin Na, Amelia M. M. Penny, Kate Pippenger, Johan Renaudie, Erin E. E. Saupe, Manuel J. J. Steinbauer, Mauro Sugawara, Adam Tomasovych, John W. W. Williams, Moriaki Yasuhara, Seth Finnegan, Pincelli M. M. Hull
Summary: BioDeepTime is a database that collects time series data of terrestrial and aquatic community compositions, facilitating research on community dynamics and responses to environmental perturbations. It includes time series data from various spatial and temporal scales, ranging from present-day to millions of years ago, covering diverse taxa and measurement variables.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Danijela Dimitrijevic, Nussaibah B. Raja, Wolfgang Kiessling
Summary: Corallite sizes reflect the efficacy of photosymbiosis in colonial reef corals, with smaller sizes associated with higher autotrophy. The analysis of corallite sizes indicates a slight increase in recent times, but a pronounced decrease since the Mesozoic, which may provide a selective advantage to reef corals in oligotrophic environments.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Carl J. Reddin, Martin Aberhan, Danijela Dimitrijevic, Elizabeth M. Dowding, adam T. Kocsis, Gregor Mathes, Paulina S. Naetscher, Mark E. Patzkowsky, Wolfgang Kiessling
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
