Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Juan Shi, Chunhou Li, Teng Wang, Jinfa Zhao, Yong Liu, Yayuan Xiao
Summary: Coral reefs, known as tropical rainforests in the ocean, have a rich diversity of fish species. China has 2855 species of coral reef fishes, which can be categorized into nearshore and offshore. The diversity of coral reef fish species has a significant positive correlation with coral species diversity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christopher Doropoulos, George Roff
Summary: This study develops a novel method for colorizing large numbers of coral larvae, enabling research on their behavior and ecology, with potential applications for conservation planning and understanding patterns of connectivity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kayla Cayemitte, Nadege Aoki, Sophie R. Ferguson, T. Aran Mooney, Amy Apprill
Summary: The settlement of coral larvae is crucial for the success and longevity of coral reefs. However, the proliferation of Ramicrusta sp., a red-brown encrusting alga, poses a serious threat to coral recruitment by overgrowing corals and causing high mortality rates in larvae compared to crustose coralline algae (CCA) and control groups.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Peter J. Edmunds
Summary: Research on coral recruitment in Moorea, French Polynesia, found that recruitment is influenced by seasonal variations and environmental factors such as seawater clarity, flow speeds, coral cover, and temperature. These effects highlight the importance of understanding how early life stages of corals are affected by annual environmental conditions, and the opportunities for acclimatization to impact successful coral recruitment.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. A. Abdul Wahab, S. Ferguson, V. K. Snekkevik, G. McCutchan, S. Jeong, A. Severati, C. J. Randall, A. P. Negri, G. Diaz-Pulido
Summary: This study tested the larval settlement responses of 15 coral species to 15 species of crustose coralline algae from the Great Barrier Reef. The results showed that CCA in the family Lithophyllaceae were the best inducers for most coral species. Taxonomic and habitat-specific associations were found, providing optimal coral-algal species pairings to increase the success of larval settlement for reef restoration.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Kleyton M. Cantalice, Jesus Alvarado-Ortega, David R. Bellwood, Alexandre C. Siqueira
Summary: The discovery of fossils in Mayan tombs has fundamentally altered our understanding of the earliest origins of coral reef fishes and reconciled the conflict between fossil and phylogenetic evidence. These fossils indicate that the origins of reef fishes can be traced back to Mexico, just 3 million years after an asteroid impact, and reveal new insights into their early biogeography.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sanaz Hazraty-Kari, Masaya Morita, Parviz Tavakoli-Kolour, Saki Harii
Summary: Seawater temperature rise due to climate change negatively impacts coral reef communities. The study investigated the response of Acropora tenuis larvae to thermal stress and its effect on their thermal tolerance during the juvenile stage. Larvae were exposed to different temperatures and their settlement success and survival were assessed. The results showed that larval thermal stress did not enhance thermal tolerance in juveniles, posing a potential threat to their resilience against heatwaves.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
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
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sara. M. M. Stieb, Fabio Cortesi, Luiz Jardim de Queiroz, Karen. L. L. Carleton, Ole Seehausen, N. Justin Marshall
Summary: This study investigates the expression of visual pigment gene (opsin) in coral reef fishes and finds that algivorous species with orange/red colors exhibit high expression of long-wavelength-sensitive (lws) opsin. This enhances their ability to detect algae and orange/red-colored conspecifics, possibly enabling social signalling.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yu-Jia Lin, Lotfi Rabaoui, Abdullajid Usama Basali, Maclopez Lopez, Reynaldo Lindo, Periyadan K. Krishnakumar, Mohammad A. Qurban, Perdana K. Prihartato, Diego Lozano Cortes, Ali Qasem, Khalid Al-Abdulkader, Ruben H. Roa-Ureta
Summary: The study found that the coral reef ecosystems in the Arabian Gulf underwent long-term ecological changes following heat shocks, including a phase shift from predominantly reef-building corals to barren grounds. Macro-invertebrates responded rapidly to these changes, while fishes exhibited lagged responses. Increased levels of herbivory may have suppressed macro-algae expansion, leading to the dominance of barren ground.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
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
Mikaela Nordborg, Diane L. Brinkman, Rebecca Fisher, Thomas F. Parkerton, Michael Oelgemoller, Andrew P. Negri
Summary: The application of oil toxicity modelling for coral reefs remains uncertain due to lack of data, but this study provides insights on the sensitivity of Acropora millepora larvae to aromatic hydrocarbons and UV radiation. The larvae exhibited inhibited metamorphosis and reduced survival when exposed to these compounds, highlighting their vulnerability compared to adult corals. The phototoxic TLM could potentially offer protection for A. millepora larvae, if sufficient chemical and light data are available.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Paul G. Carvalho, Fakhrizal Setiawan, Karizma Fahlevy, Beginer Subhan, Hawis Madduppa, Guangyu Zhu, Austin T. Humphries
Summary: Research indicates that fishing pressure is the dominant driver of size spectra slopes in coral reef fishes, with carnivores being more heavily impacted as pressure increases. Additionally, habitat structural complexity plays a role in influencing the size spectra slopes of herbivorous fishes in coral reefs.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Melita Samoilys, Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip, Robert Myers, Pascale Chabanet
Summary: Communities of coral reef fishes are changing due to global warming and overfishing. To understand these changes and inform conservation, knowledge of species diversity and distributions is needed. The western Indian Ocean (WIO) contains the second highest coral reef biodiversity hotspot globally, yet a detailed analysis of the diversity of coral reef fishes is lacking. This study developed a timed visual census method and recorded 356 species from 19 families across four countries in the WIO to examine patterns in species diversity.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nestor E. Bosch, Fernando Espino, Fernando Tuya, Ricardo Haroun, Lorenzo Bramanti, Francisco Otero-Ferrer
Summary: The degradation of shallow ecosystems has led to a need to study and understand the biodiversity and functioning of Mesophotic Ecosystems. However, most research has been limited to tropical regions and focused on species, neglecting other important aspects of biodiversity. By studying a subtropical island in the Atlantic Ocean, we found that fish communities in mesophotic black coral forests (BCFs) differed in functional structure compared to shallow reefs, indicating the importance of specific management and conservation strategies for preserving the unique biodiversity and functionality of mesophotic BCFs.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Kosmas Hench, Marta Vargas, Marc P. Hoeppner, W. Owen McMillan, Oscar Puebla
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2019)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Sophie Picq, Marco Scotti, Oscar Puebla
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Benjamin M. Moran, Kosmas Hench, Robin S. Waples, Marc P. Hoeppner, Carole C. Baldwin, William Owen McMillan, Oscar Puebla
Letter
Ecology
Stephanie Manel, Nicolas Loiseau, Oscar Puebla
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2019)
Article
Ecology
Jorge Pena, Georg Noldeke, Oscar Puebla
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Danielle S. W. de Jonge, Veronique Merten, Till Bayer, Oscar Puebla, Thorsten B. H. Reusch, Henk-Jan T. Hoving
Summary: A novel universal primer pair, Ceph18S, was developed for metabarcoding cephalopods from environmental DNA, allowing for accurate amplification and identification of a large percentage of cephalopod species. The study estimates that a multi-marker approach using Ceph18S in conjunction with two previously published mitochondrial 16S rRNA primer sets can amplify and identify 89% of all cephalopod species, with 19% uniquely identifiable by Ceph18S. The new primer pair provides a promising method for studying cephalopod biodiversity.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biology
L. Benestan, K. Fietz, N. Loiseau, P. E. Guerin, E. Trofimenko, S. Ruehs, C. Schmidt, W. Rath, A. Biastoch, A. Perez-Ruzafa, P. Baixauli, A. Forcada, E. Arcas, P. Lenfant, S. Mallol, R. Goni, L. Velez, M. Hoeppner, S. Kininmonth, D. Mouillot, O. Puebla, S. Manel
Summary: The study explores how far marine larvae disperse in the ocean using a continuous sampling strategy along the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Weak genetic structure was observed at large spatial scales, but isolation by distance patterns were found at small spatial scales in two species. Simulations indicated restricted dispersal with rare long-distance events, supported by a high-resolution biophysical model. This combination of limited dispersal and occasional long-distance events may be common in marine species.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
F. Visser, V. J. Merten, T. Bayer, M. G. Oudejans, D. S. W. de Jonge, O. Puebla, T. B. H. Reusch, J. Fuss, H. J. T. Hoving
Summary: Insights into predator-prey dynamics in the deep sea are hindered by a lack of comprehensive data on hunting behavior and prey spectra. Risso's dolphin and Cuvier's beaked whale selectively target different cephalopod communities in deep-sea foraging habitats, with predator niche segregation not solely driven by prey community composition but potentially by intraspecific differences in prey spectra and habitat selection. The novel combination of eDNA metabarcoding and biologging shows promise in revealing elusive deep-sea predator-prey systems and aiding in their conservation efforts.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Concepcion Marcos, David Diaz, Katharina Fietz, Aitor Forcada, Amanda Ford, Jose Antonio Garcia-Charton, Raquel Goni, Philippe Lenfant, Sandra Mallol, David Mouillot, Maria Perez-Marcos, Oscar Puebla, Stephanie Manel, Angel Perez-Ruzafa
Summary: Marine protected areas (MPAs) serve as crucial environmental management tools to protect marine biodiversity and resources, while also providing ecosystem services and beneficial outcomes for humans. However, there can be confusion in distinguishing between ecosystem services and societal benefits, with the former being the inherent abilities of ecosystems and the latter being the economic or other gains obtained by humans.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Zoology
Oscar Puebla, Floriane Coulmance, Carlos J. Estape, Allison Morgan Estape, D. Ross Robertson
Summary: The hamlets (Hypoplectrus spp.) are a unique model system for studying various ecological and evolutionary processes. This review provides a comprehensive taxonomy of the hamlets, highlighting the 17 recognized species. The study also presents new findings on the behavior and genetic distinction of Hypoplectrus affinis, and discusses taxonomic issues and the overall species status of the hamlets.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Veronique Merten, Till Bayer, Thorsten B. H. Reusch, Oscar Puebla, Janina Fuss, Julia Stefanschitz, Alexandra Lischka, Helena Hauss, Philipp Neitzel, Uwe Piatkowski, Stephanie Czudaj, Bernd Christiansen, Anneke Denda, Henk-Jan T. Hoving
Summary: This study established a baseline of cephalopod community composition and distribution off Cabo Verde, using multiple methods to gather data. The research found that the cephalopod species and quantity in Cabo Verde are similar to those in the Canary Islands and Azores, but the octopus fauna in Cabo Verde seems to differ.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Laura Benestan, Nicolas Loiseau, Pierre-Edouard Guerin, Angel Perez-Ruzafa, Aitor Forcada, Esther Arcas, Philippe Lenfant, Sandra Mallol, Raquel Goni, Laure Velez, David Mouillot, Oscar Puebla, Stephanie Manel
Summary: This study compares genomic variation in protected versus unprotected areas in a network of eight reserves in the Mediterranean Sea. It reveals that there are homogeneous patterns of local genetic diversity within and outside reserves in three species, but one species shows lower genetic diversity in protected areas.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kosmas Hench, Martin Helmkampf, W. Owen McMillan, Oscar Puebla
Summary: This study presents a striking example of rapid radiation in a highly diverse marine habitat. The analysis suggests that color pattern diversity is generated by different combinations of alleles at a few large-effect loci. The findings provide important insights for understanding the drivers of adaptive radiation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Katharina Fietz, Elena Trofimenko, Pierre-Edouard Guerin, Veronique Arnal, Montserrat Torres-Oliva, Stephane Lobreaux, Angel Perez-Ruzafa, Stephanie Manel, Oscar Puebla
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Eric K. Moody, Fernando Alda, Krista A. Capps, Oscar Puebla, Benjamin L. Turner