Article
Environmental Sciences
Carsten G. B. Grupstra, Lauren I. Howe-Kerr, Jesse A. van der Meulen, Alex J. Veglia, Samantha R. Coy, Adrienne M. S. Correa
Summary: Animal waste is an important part of nutrient cycles and can transmit diverse microorganisms through trophic interactions. The feces of grazers/detritivores were found to cause more frequent and larger lesions on corals compared to the feces of corallivores, indicating the harmful microbial activity in grazer/detritivore feces. Analysis of bacterial diversity in feces from different fish species revealed potential differences in coral-associated bacteria and coral pathogens, suggesting the role of consumers in coral symbiont dispersal. These findings have significant implications for environmental management.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Oceanography
D. K. Kersting, M. E. Cefali, J. Movilla, M. J. Vergotti, C. Linares
Summary: Information on the distribution, population traits, and conservation status of the endangered coral Cladocora caespitosa is lacking in most of its distribution area. This study assessed these topics in the main populations of C. caespitosa in UNESCO's Menorca Biosphere Reserve (MBR). The main threats to this species in the MBR are warming-related mortality and potential impacts from human activity. The study provides a baseline for implementing conservation and management actions, including long-term monitoring, in the MBR.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Geology
Tara R. Clark, George Roff, Tess Chapman, Hannah Markham-Summers, Nicholas M. Hammerman, Faye Liu, Yuexing Feng, John M. Pandolfi, Jian-xin Zhao
Summary: The overall status of many reefs in the Great Barrier Reef is uncertain due to the lack of detailed broad-scale studies. The relative role of various threats in impacting individual reefs is generally unclear. A novel approach using uranium-thorium dating of dead corals was adopted to reconstruct historical disturbance events at Rib and Davies Reefs, providing a reliable benchmark to assess recovery and monitor coral communities effectively.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sarah Barfield, Sarah W. Davies, Mikhail V. Matz
Summary: This study investigated the possibility of sweepstakes reproductive success (SRS) in Acropora hyacinthus at Yap Island, Micronesia. The genetic diversity of adults and juveniles at different sites was compared, and a dip in genetic diversity was observed in juveniles compared to adults at two sites. However, there was no detectable genetic structure among juveniles. Nonetheless, a pair of juvenile siblings was identified at the site with the lowest genetic diversity, suggesting the existence of SRS.
Article
Ecology
Adele M. Dixon, Piers M. Forster, Maria Beger
Summary: Climate-driven changes are causing severe declines in coral reef ecosystems. Current vulnerability assessments need to include more accurate climate projections and consider a wider range of climate variables to quantify the ecological sensitivity and adaptive capacity of corals. This framework can help reduce uncertainty in projected climate vulnerability and guide targeted investment in managing coral reefs.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biology
Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip, F. Javier Gonzalez-Barrios, Esmeralda Perez-Cervantes, Ana Molina-Hernandez, Nuria Estrada-Saldivar
Summary: Diseases are major drivers of coral reef deterioration. A new disease outbreak in the Caribbean is spreading rapidly, causing significant changes in coral communities and reducing reef functionality. This outbreak is expected to be the most lethal disturbance ever recorded in the region.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pedro H. C. Pereira, Gislaine V. Lima, Antonio V. F. Pontes, Luis G. F. Cortes, Erandy Gomes, Claudio L. S. Sampaio, Taciana Kramer Pinto, Ricardo J. Miranda, Andrei Tiego Cunha Cardoso, Julia Caon Araujo, Jose Carlos Sicoli Seoane
Summary: Thermal stress is the main cause of coral reef degradation, and its effects on Southwestern Atlantic (SWA) reefs have been under-studied. The SWA is a hotspot for coral endemism, with a high risk of extinction due to low-functional redundancy. Previous studies have suggested the possibility of a thermal refuge in the SWA, but our findings indicate a different trend. We report an unprecedented coral mortality event in the largest coastal Brazilian Marine Protected Area (MPA) following the worst thermal stress event since 1985.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Morgan Winston, Thomas Oliver, Courtney Couch, Mary K. Donovan, Gregory P. Asner, Eric Conklin, Kimberly Fuller, Bryant W. Grady, Brittany Huntington, Kazuki Kageyama, Tye L. Kindinger, Kelly Kozar, Lindsey Kramer, Tatiana Martinez, Amanda McCutcheon, Sheila McKenna, Ku'ulei Rodgers, Cameron Ka'ilikea Shayler, Bernardo Vargas-Angel, Brian Zgliczynski
Summary: The Hawaiian Archipelago experienced a moderate bleaching event in 2019, which was less severe than previous major heatwave events in 2014 and 2015. The bleaching observed was site- and taxon-specific, and influenced by the susceptibility of remaining coral assemblages. Environmental and anthropogenic factors were correlated with bleaching in 2019, and reefs showed little evidence of acclimation to thermal stress. The detrimental effects of local stressors may be exacerbated under high thermal stress.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Suman Nama, Ashna Shanmughan, Binaya Bhusan Nayak, Shashi Bhushan, Karankumar Ramteke
Summary: Coral reefs, as the most spectacular underwater creation, play crucial roles in ecosystem functioning and coastal community livelihood. However, marine debris poses a severe threat to these sensitive habitats and their associated organisms. Despite scientific attention, data regarding the sources, abundance, distribution, and potential consequences of marine debris on reef ecosystems are lacking. This review aims to provide an overview of the current status and impacts of marine debris, with emphasis on sources, distribution, affected species, and management strategies, as well as highlighting the adhesion mechanisms and diseases caused by microplastics to coral polyps.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
David Obura, Mishal Gudka, Melita Samoilys, Kennedy Osuka, James Mbugua, David A. Keith, Sean Porter, Ronan Roche, Ruben van Hooidonk, Said Ahamada, Armindo Araman, Juliet Karisa, John Komakoma, Mouchtadi Madi, Isabelle Ravinia, Haja Razafindrainibe, Saleh Yahya, Francisco Zivane
Summary: The study reveals that coral reefs in the Western Indian Ocean are at risk of collapsing due to future warming and fishing pressure. In order to prevent coral reef collapse, a combination of ecosystem-based management and climate change mitigation is necessary. The approach used in the study can be replicated globally to help countries meet conservation and sustainability targets set under various global conventions.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2022)
Article
Limnology
Debashish Bhattacharya, Timothy G. Stephens, Amanda I. Tinoco, Robert H. Richmond, Phillip A. Cleves
Summary: Climate change and anthropogenic stressors have led to the degradation and loss of coral reefs, driving research in genomics, proteomics, and genetics to identify resilient species and populations for restoration. The relatively isolated and species-poor coral reefs in the Hawaiian Archipelago provide an ideal platform for advancing coral biology and conservation efforts.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joan Kleypas, Denis Allemand, Ken Anthony, Andrew C. Baker, Michael W. Beck, Lynne Zeitlin Hale, Nathalie Hilmi, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Terry Hughes, Les Kaufman, Hajime Kayanne, Alexandre K. Magnan, Elizabeth Mcleod, Peter Mumby, Stephen Palumbi, Robert H. Richmond, Baruch Rinkevich, Robert S. Steneck, Christian R. Voolstra, David Wachenfeld, Jean-Pierre Gattuso
Summary: Climate change poses a growing threat to coral reefs, highlighting the importance of climate mitigation in preventing ecosystem collapse. Innovative actions are needed to enhance reef resilience, alongside strong political and social commitment as well as sufficient funding for effective protection and conservation measures.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bert W. Hoeksema, Luna M. van der Loos, Godfried W. N. M. van Moorsel
Summary: In this study of the coral reefs around St. Eustatius, it was found that there is no distinct relation between coral diversity and economic value. However, future marine park designs should consider coral diversity.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Nicolas R. Evensen, Inka Vanwonterghem, Christopher Doropoulos, Marine Gouezo, Emmanuelle S. Botte, Nicole S. Webster, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: Herbivory and nutrient availability are key factors driving benthic community succession and coral recruitment in shallow marine ecosystems. Excluding herbivores influences micro- and macrobenthic community succession, with the survival of settled corals on open tiles negatively correlated with the abundance of specific microbial groups.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Don R. Levitan, Rachael M. Best, Peter J. Edmunds
Summary: In 1983-1984, a mass mortality event led to a significant population reduction of Diadema antillarum, which caused algae blooms and devastation of coral populations in the Caribbean. Limited recovery was observed, but in 2022, a second mass mortality event occurred. Analysis of sea urchin populations from St. John, US Virgin Islands, revealed a 98.00% reduction compared to 2021 and a 99.96% reduction compared to 1983. This mortality event eliminated algal-free halos, increasing the risk of coral-free communities.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jennifer K. McWhorter, Paul R. Halloran, George Roff, William J. Skirving, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: Increases in warm seawater temperatures are causing mass coral mortality events. However, some reefs act as potential refugia, escaping severe stress. This study identifies climate refugia on the Great Barrier Reef and predicts their persistence into the future. It is found that certain reef locations experience the least thermal stress due to their oceanographic circumstances, providing potential relief from warming until global warming exceeds approximately 3 degrees C.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Rebecca C. Millington, Alice Rogers, Peter Cox, Yves-Marie Bozec, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: Ocean warming has widespread impacts on coral reef ecosystems, affecting food webs and ecosystem function. The direct impacts include increased metabolic rates of fishes and invertebrates, while indirect impacts result from loss of habitat quality due to coral bleaching. The study found that changes in biomass with warming were primarily controlled by the direct effects on growth rates, rather than indirect effects on coral habitat. Crucially for fisheries, the biomass and productivity of predators decreased significantly with warming.
Article
Limnology
Tania M. M. Kenyon, Christopher Doropoulos, Kennedy Wolfe, Gregory E. E. Webb, Sophie Dove, Daniel Harris, Peter J. J. Mumby
Summary: This article reviews the dynamics of rubble beds on coral reefs, with a focus on the changes expected in the generation, mobilization, binding, and coral recruitment of rubble on future reefs. It predicts that major disturbances, such as storms and coral bleaching, will increase in intensity and frequency, leading to larger quantities of coral rubble. With smaller recovery windows and increased bioerosion, smaller and less complex rubble pieces will be generated more often. The time available for binding will be reduced, and changing ocean chemistry may affect the efficacy of binders. Ultimately, increased rubble cover will negatively impact coral recruitment into rubble beds.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Amelia A. A. Desbiens, Peter J. J. Mumby, Symon Dworjanyn, Eva E. Plaganyi, Sven Uthicke, Kennedy Wolfe
Summary: This study investigated the predators of crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) and found 26 novel predators, but only 10 species regularly consumed juvenile CoTS. Most predation resulted in severed bodies and missing arms, rather than total consumption. The research highlights the importance of predators during the juvenile stage in controlling CoTS populations.
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
Biodiversity Conservation
Robert A. B. Mason, Yves-Marie Bozec, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: This article analyses the future scenarios of the Great Barrier Reef under various realistic drivers and finds that under a limited warming scenario, the coral cover can eventually recover to present-day levels. However, under higher warming scenarios, the coral cover declines drastically and may even disappear.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Thomas J. Richards, Katrina McGuigan, J. David Aguirre, Adriana Humanes, Yves-Marie Bozec, Peter J. Mumby, Cynthia Riginos
Summary: Global environmental change is happening rapidly, with coral reefs being one of the most threatened ecosystems. To ensure the survival of wild populations, adaptation is necessary. However, our understanding of the complex ecological and evolutionary dynamics of corals is limited, hindering predictions about their ability to adapt to future conditions.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Chelsey M. Beese, Peter J. Mumby, Alice Rogers
Summary: The quality of coral reef habitats is declining due to heatwaves and other disturbances, resulting in reduced complexity and energy transfer to higher trophic levels. By using a size-based ecosystem model, researchers found that providing refuge for fish between 5 and 10 cm in length can significantly enhance fish biomass and fisheries productivity. The study also identifies refuge profiles that can improve ecosystem service provision by up to sixfold.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
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
Environmental Sciences
Graeme S. Cumming, Maja Adamska, Michele L. Barnes, Jon Barnett, David R. Bellwood, Joshua E. Cinner, Philippa J. Cohen, Jennifer M. Donelson, Katharina Fabricius, R. Quentin Grafton, Alana Grech, Georgina G. Gurney, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Andrew S. Hoey, Mia O. Hoogenboom, Jacqueline Lau, Catherine E. Lovelock, Ryan Lowe, David J. Miller, Tiffany H. Morrison, Peter J. Mumby, Martin Nakata, John M. Pandolfi, Garry D. Peterson, Morgan S. Pratchett, Timothy Ravasi, Cynthia Riginos, Jodie L. Rummer, Britta Schaffelke, Thomas Wernberg, Shaun K. Wilson
Summary: SDG 14 aims to secure marine sustainability by 2030, and understanding the changing seascape, global actions, and the collaboration between science and society are vital for achieving this goal in the Asia-Pacific region. Through a horizon scan, researchers identified nine emerging research priorities that can contribute to marine sustainability, including understanding seascape evolution, drivers of change, and the costs and benefits to people. Researchers can contribute by developing interdisciplinary understandings, emphasizing equity and justice, and improving knowledge of cross-scale processes.
REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Kennedy Wolfe, Amelia A. A. Desbiens, Peter J. J. Mumby
Summary: Patterns of movement of marine species can provide valuable information about reproduction and dispersal strategies, species interactions, trophodynamics, and vulnerability to change, which is crucial for population and ecosystem management. In coral reefs, the highest density and diversity of metazoan taxa are found in dead coral and rubble, but the energy stored in rubble is mainly accessible to small individuals, limiting its availability to higher trophic levels.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Carolina Castro-Sanguino, Yves-Marie Bozec, Scott A. Condie, Cameron S. Fletcher, Karlo Hock, Chris Roelfsema, David A. Westcott, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: CoTS outbreaks on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia have caused significant damage to coral ecosystems. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the current CoTS control program and suggests increasing control efforts to ensure coral persistence in the face of climate change impacts.
Article
Biology
Liam Lachs, Adriana Humanes, Daniel R. Pygas, John C. Bythell, Peter J. Mumby, Renata Ferrari, Will F. Figueira, Elizabeth Beauchamp, Holly K. East, Alasdair J. Edwards, Yimnang Golbuu, Helios M. Martinez, Brigitte Sommer, Eveline van der Steeg, James R. Guest
Summary: As marine species adapt to climate change, their heat tolerance will be under strong selection, but trade-offs between heat tolerance and other traits may compromise adaptation. The study focused on reef-building corals and found no trade-offs between heat tolerance and fecundity or growth. Surprisingly, faster-growing corals tended to bleach and die at higher levels of heat stress. Overall, this suggests that some high-performing corals excel across multiple traits and trade-offs may not be major barriers to adaptation or evolution interventions.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Elizabeth Buccheri, Gerard F. Ricardo, Russell C. Babcock, Peter J. Mumby, Christopher Doropoulos
Summary: This study investigated the sensitivity of coral reproduction to changes in sperm concentration and contact time between gametes. The results showed that fertilisation was most successful at high sperm concentrations and longer contact times, with variations between different coral species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Liam Lachs, Simon D. D. Donner, Peter J. J. Mumby, John C. C. Bythell, Adriana Humanes, Holly K. K. East, James R. R. Guest
Summary: Recurrent mass bleaching events pose a threat to coral reefs and their future. However, this study suggests that the thermal tolerance of coral assemblages in a remote Pacific coral reef system has been increasing, leading to less severe bleaching impacts. Future climate projections indicate that further increases in thermal tolerance could substantially reduce bleaching trajectories, highlighting the importance of reducing carbon emissions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)