Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tatyana Sikorskaya, Ekaterina Ermolenko, Andrey Boroda, Taliya T. Ginanova
Summary: Research has found that during coral bleaching, the host tissues lost a significant part of symbiotic dinoflagellates, possibly through exocytosis. Symbiophagosomes with degenerative dinoflagellates were observed in the early stages of bleaching. At the end of bleaching, the appearance of oxidized phosphatidylethanolamines, indicating damage to the host membranes, and the degradation of the coral tissues were simultaneously observed.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY B-BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Or Ben-Zvi, Yoav Lindemann, Gal Eyal, Yossi Loya
Summary: Research indicates that plankton prefer swimming towards fluorescent cues over non-fluorescent targets, with green fluorescence enhancing predation success in corals, suggesting a prey-luring effect.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jack Chi-Ho Ip, Yanjie Zhang, James Y. Xie, Yip Hung Yeung, Jian-Wen Qiu
Summary: This study compares the responses of two coral species during the El Niño heat wave, finding differences in the changes in zooxanthellae density and chlorophyll a content. Transcriptome analysis reveals common metabolic and amino acid catabolism responses in heat-stressed corals, but only one species develops the bleached phenotype.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Annaleise J. Conway, Michael Gonsior, Cheryl Clark, Andrew Heyes, Carys L. Mitchelmore
Summary: This study investigated the toxicity of the UV filter BP-3 to coral reefs, showing that it does not pose an acute risk of mortality to G. fascicularis. Further research is needed to determine sublethal impacts of BP-3 under environmentally relevant concentrations and longer-term exposures.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
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)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Andrey B. Imbs, Valery M. Dembitsky
Summary: This paper provides a comprehensive exploration of the diverse world of coral-derived lipids, highlighting their potential applications in pharmacology and medicine. It also examines the impact of the symbiotic relationship between corals and dinoflagellates on lipid profiles.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gregory P. Asner, Nicholas R. Vaughn, Roberta E. Martin, Shawna A. Foo, Joseph Heckler, Brian J. Neilson, Jamison M. Gove
Summary: Corals are important habitat-building organisms in tropical reefs, supporting a quarter of all ocean species and providing ecosystem services to millions of people. However, marine heat waves threaten coral reefs by killing individual colonies and reducing diversity. This study used aerial imaging spectroscopy to monitor coral mortality during a major heat wave in Hawaii, and found that certain reefs had lower coral loss and therefore may serve as refugia. Human and environmental factors, such as coastal development and sedimentation levels, played a role in differentiating resilient reefs from more vulnerable ones.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nuria Estrada-Saldivar, Blanca A. Quiroga-Garcia, Esmeralda Perez-Cervantes, Omar O. Rivera-Garibay, Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
Summary: The SCTLD outbreak in southwest Cozumel quickly spread within a few months, causing high mortality rates among various coral species and leading to a significant decrease in coral cover with a rapid increase in algae cover. Despite the impact of disease and environmental factors, coral communities have shown resilience and potential for recovery.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rosemary Kate Steinberg, Emma L. Johnston, Teresa Bednarek, Katherine A. Dafforn, Tracy D. Ainsworth
Summary: In this study, a streamlined method was developed to quantify Symbiodiniaceae density, chlorophyll concentration, and protein content in soft-bodied octocorals. The technique is efficient, does not require extensive equipment, and is effective for samples as small as 0.2g of wet tissue.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Long Ying, Sutinee Sinutok, Pathompong Pramneechote, Pattara Aiyarak, Peter J. Ralph, Ponlachart Chotikarn
Summary: The study found that different types of marine debris have varying impacts on corals, with transparent plastic bags having little effect on P. acuta but significant impact on P. lutea, while fishing nets had the most significant effects on both species.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robert van Woesik, Chelsey Kratochwill
Summary: Coral reefs, the most diverse marine ecosystems, are facing increased thermal stress events leading to coral bleaching. The severity of bleaching varies depending on species, location, historical conditions, and local/regional influences. The Global Coral-Bleaching Database compiles over 34,000 records from 93 countries, providing crucial information on bleaching presence, site exposure, and environmental factors.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Melissa Cano, Devin A. J. Karns, Joseph C. Weissman, Mark L. Heinnickel, Matthew C. Posewitz
Summary: Picochlorum celeri demonstrates efficient growth and adaptation to varying light conditions through pigment modulation and photoacclimation mechanisms, making it a promising marine alga for biotechnological applications.
ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
D. Burn, A. S. Hoey, S. Matthews, H. B. Harrison, M. S. Pratchett
Summary: Climate-induced coral bleaching poses a major threat to coral assemblages worldwide, but susceptibility to bleaching varies among different coral taxa. In this study, we compared bleaching susceptibility among 10 coral morpho-taxa and two colony size classes across 33 reefs in the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea Marine Parks. We found that colony size and bleaching severity significantly influenced the hierarchy of bleaching susceptibility among taxa, with massive Porites shifting from being less likely to bleach to becoming highly susceptible as overall bleaching severity increased. Additionally, juvenile corals smaller than 5 cm in diameter were generally more resistant to bleaching, except for Montipora and Pocillopora colonies, which exhibited higher bleaching susceptibility compared to adult corals larger than 5 cm.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kalyan De, Mandar Nanajkar, Mohit Arora, Manickam Nithyanandan, Sambhaji Mote, Baban Ingole
Summary: The study examined the impact of consecutive coral bleaching episodes on marginalized patch reef ecosystems in the Eastern Arabian Sea using advanced satellite remote sensing data. The results showed that incorporating remote sensed sea surface temperature data into coral bleaching monitoring programs may guide targeted coral surveys and aid in decision-making and conservation of vulnerable coral reef ecosystems.
GEOCARTO INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Biology
Yunqing Liu, Xin Liao, Tingyu Han, Ao Su, Zhuojun Guo, Na Lu, Chunpeng He, Zuhong Lu
Summary: This study obtained relatively complete transcriptome data of Montipora foliosa through PacBio Sequel II sequencing technology, providing valuable resources for the study of coral symbiosis. Analysis of symbiosis-related genes' function and isoforms was conducted, shedding light on the mechanisms behind coral-zooxanthellae symbiosis.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Leonardo Laiolo, Richard Matear, Monika Soja-Woiniak, David J. Suggett, David J. Hughes, Mark E. Baird, Martina A. Doblin
Summary: Ocean colour data are crucial for understanding marine ecosystems, with phytoplankton size structure playing a significant role in the accuracy of remote sensing Chl-a products. Larger phytoplankton cells can lead to underestimation in satellite Chl-a estimates. More research combining in situ optical measurements with phytoplankton size distribution would help clarify this relationship further.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
David J. Hughes, Fernanda C. Giannini, Aurea M. Ciotti, Martina A. Doblin, Peter J. Ralph, Deepa Varkey, Arjun Verma, David J. Suggett
Summary: The variability of phi(e,C) was found to be considerable and negatively correlated with growth rate. Diatoms exhibited a lower phi(e,C) compared to chlorophytes during steady-state, nutrient-replete growth. There were no significant relationships found between phi(e,C) and class, or growth rate, suggesting confounding factors from methodological inconsistencies between studies.
JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Caitlin A. Lawson, Jean-Baptiste Raina, Elisabeth Deschaseaux, Victoria Hrebien, Malcolm Possell, Justin R. Seymour, David J. Suggett
Summary: Terrestrial ecosystems emit a large amount of BVOCs which play crucial roles in various biological processes, while the diversity and functional potential of BVOCs produced in marine environments, particularly in coral reefs, remain poorly understood. This study examined the volatile organic compounds emitted by two common reef-building corals and found that heat stress events significantly reduced the chemical richness and functional potential of their gaseous emissions, which could compromise the healthy functioning of coral reef ecosystems in the future.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Todd C. LaJeunesse, Joerg Wiedenmann, Pilar Casado-Amezua, Isabella D'Ambra, Kira E. Turnham, Matthew R. Nitschke, Clinton A. Oakley, Stefano Goffredo, Carlos A. Spano, Victor M. Cubillos, Simon K. Davy, David J. Suggett
Summary: The genus Philozoon, characterized by a symbiotic relationship with temperate invertebrates, has been identified and named using a term discarded from the golden age of Natural Historians. This lineage, closely related to Symbiodinium, thrives in shallow temperate marine habitats in the northern and southern hemispheres. Each symbiont species in the genus displays high host fidelity for specific species of sea anemone, soft coral, stony coral, and rhizostome jellyfish.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Nina Schuback, Philippe D. D. Tortell, Ilana Berman-Frank, Douglas A. A. Campbell, Aurea Ciotti, Emilie Courtecuisse, Zachary K. K. Erickson, Tetsuichi Fujiki, Kimberly Halsey, Anna E. E. Hickman, Yannick Huot, Maxime Y. Y. Gorbunov, David J. J. Hughes, Zbigniew S. S. Kolber, C. Mark Moore, Kevin Oxborough, Ondrej Prasil, Charlotte M. M. Robinson, Thomas J. J. Ryan-Keogh, Greg Silsbe, Stefan Simis, David J. J. Suggett, Sandy Thomalla, Deepa R. R. Varkey
Summary: Phytoplankton photosynthetic physiology can be studied through single-turnover variable chlorophyll fluorescence methods, which can provide valuable insights into large-scale patterns and trends. However, the increasing diversity of sensor types and data processing algorithms has led to confusion and inconsistencies among users. It is crucial to adhere to basic operational and quality control standards to ensure data comparability and to unlock the full potential of globally coherent observations in understanding phytoplankton physiology.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Christian R. Voolstra, Kate M. Quigley, Sarah W. Davies, John Everett Parkinson, Raquel S. Peixoto, Manuel Aranda, Andrew C. Baker, Adam R. Barno, Daniel J. Barshis, Francesca Benzoni, Victor Bonito, David G. Bourne, Carol Buitrago-Lopez, Tom C. L. Bridge, Cheong Xin Chan, David J. Combosch, Jamie Craggs, Joerg C. Frommlet, Santiago Herrera, Andrea M. Quattrini, Till Roethig, James D. Reimer, Esther Rubio-Portillo, David J. Suggett, Helena Villela, Maren Ziegler, Michael Sweet
Summary: Coral research is transitioning to the genomic era, where effective pairing of high-quality genomes with taxonomic characterizations and ecological relevance is needed. Lack of a formal framework calls for consensus guidelines to reconcile different types of data, especially for the metaorganism nature of the coral holobiont. While exhaustive taxonomic characterization of all coral holobiont member species is currently not feasible, guidelines on minimal, recommended, and ideal-case descriptions will aid in future referencing and comparative studies.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kate M. Quigley, Margaux Hein, David J. Suggett
Summary: Efforts to protect and restore ecosystems globally are increasing, but there is a lack of clear framework for restoring coral reefs. This article proposes adopting lessons from terrestrial ecosystem restoration to accelerate coral reef restoration and summarizes the specific steps for reef restoration as a management strategy.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Timothy A. C. Lamont, Ben Williams, Lucille Chapuis, Mochyudho E. Prasetya, Marie J. Seraphim, Harry R. Harding, Eleanor B. May, Noel Janetski, Jamaluddin Jompa, David J. Smith, Andrew N. Radford, Stephen D. Simpson
Summary: The degradation of coral reefs worldwide has led to significant investments in their active restoration. Research shows that restoration efforts not only help increase coral cover but also play a vital role in restoring the soundscape of the reef ecosystem, which is essential for the recruitment of reef organisms. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) could be a valuable tool for evaluating ecosystem-level recovery, but caution is needed when choosing metrics and interpreting results as different PAM metrics may reflect different aspects of the reef soundscape.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
William Leggat, Scott F. Heron, Alexander Fordyce, David J. Suggett, Tracy D. Ainsworth
Summary: Despite decades of research into coral bleaching, a standardized metric for comparing ecological observations and experimental simulations is still lacking. The introduction of the experimental Degree Heating Week (eDHW) metric aims to standardize the variable thermal conditions employed in experimental studies of coral bleaching.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yayla Sezginer, David J. Suggett, Robert W. Izett, Philippe D. Tortell
Summary: In this study, Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry was used to map marine phytoplankton photophysiology and primary photochemistry in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The results showed higher photochemical efficiency in the Barrow Strait region. By employing a new algorithm to analyze fluorescence kinetics, more accurate electron transport rate measurements were obtained, with discrepancies in estimates likely due to the use of different algorithms and numerical models.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Elizabeth C. Shaver, Elizabeth McLeod, Margaux Y. Hein, Stephen R. Palumbi, Kate Quigley, Tali Vardi, Peter J. Mumby, David Smith, Phanor Montoya-Maya, Erinn M. Muller, Anastazia T. Banaszak, Ian M. McLeod, David Wachenfeld
Summary: Recent warm temperatures caused by climate change have led to coral bleaching and mortality worldwide. As a result, restoration has been embraced as a strategy to sustain coral reefs. However, few restoration programs are incorporating climate change and resilience into project design. This article provides recommendations for integrating resilience principles into restoration design and practice, to enhance coral reef recovery, resistance, and adaptation.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emma F. Camp, Tim Kahlke, Brandon Signal, Clinton A. Oakley, Adrian Lutz, Simon K. Davy, David J. Suggett, William P. Leggat
Summary: The Symbiodiniaceae are a diverse family of marine dinoflagellates that have a symbiotic relationship with invertebrates. They are sensitive to thermal stress, and research shows that this sensitivity is influenced by both phylogenetic dependent and independent traits. To understand the drivers of Symbiodiniaceae heat stress tolerance, researchers have provided a dataset that includes transcriptome, metabolome, and proteome data.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Rowan Watt-Pringle, David J. Smith, Rohani Ambo-Rappe, Timothy A. C. Lamont, Jamaluddin Jompa
Summary: Mass coral bleaching events have a disproportionate impact on branching corals, leading to coral community restructuring, reduced biodiversity, and decreased structural complexity. A study conducted in Indonesia's Wakatobi Marine National Park found that a mass bleaching event in 2010 significantly reduced the cover of Acropora and other branching corals, and Acropora showed suppressed recovery compared to other branching corals.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lorna Howlett, Emma F. Camp, John Edmondson, Russell Hosp, Ben Taylor, Philip Coulthard, David J. Suggett
Summary: Tourism-led stewardship projects in the Great Barrier Reef have implemented coral propagation and out-planting practices to improve ecosystem function. Benthic surveys conducted over a 24-month period showed significant increases in hard coral cover at some out-planting sites, particularly for commonly out-planted genera. Despite variations in coral community responses, this tourism-led approach has demonstrated potential for increasing hard coral cover through coral propagation.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Julian Clifton, Eslam O. Osman, David J. Suggett, David J. Smith
Summary: The paper discusses the importance of managing and conserving marine resources in Seychelles, a small island developing state heavily reliant on international tourism. It highlights the increasing trend of empowering non-governmental organisations and parastatal entities due to chronic underfunding of the state protected area management institution. The study reveals the detrimental consequences of not fully utilizing economic incentives in managing the ecological assets of marine national parks in the face of tourism and fisheries impacts.