1
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Rotjan RD, Ray NE, Cole I, Castro KG, Kennedy BRC, Barbasch T, Lesneski KC, Lord KS, Bhardwaj A, Edens M, Karageorge I, Klawon C, Kruh-Needleman H, McCarthy G, Perez R, Roberts C, Trumble IF, Volk A, Torres J, Morey J. Shifts in predator behaviour following climate induced disturbance on coral reefs. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221431. [PMID: 36541169 PMCID: PMC9768634 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are increasingly ecologically destabilized across the globe due to climate change. Behavioural plasticity in corallivore behaviour and short-term trophic ecology in response to bleaching events may influence the extent and severity of coral bleaching and subsequent recovery potential, yet our understanding of these interactions in situ remains unclear. Here, we investigated interactions between corallivory and coral bleaching during a severe high thermal event (10.3-degree heating weeks) in Belize. We found that parrotfish changed their grazing behaviour in response to bleaching by selectively avoiding bleached Orbicella spp. colonies regardless of bleaching severity or coral size. For bleached corals, we hypothesize that this short-term respite from corallivory may temporarily buffer coral energy budgets by not redirecting energetic resources to wound healing, and may therefore enable compensatory nutrient acquisition. However, colonies that had previously been heavily grazed were also more susceptible to bleaching, which is likely to increase mortality risk. Thus, short-term respite from corallivory during bleaching may not be sufficient to functionally rescue corals during prolonged bleaching. Such pairwise interactions and behavioural shifts in response to disturbance may appear small scale and short term, but have the potential to fundamentally alter ecological outcomes, especially in already-degraded ecosystems that are vulnerable and sensitive to change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randi D. Rotjan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Nicholas E. Ray
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Ingrid Cole
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kurt G. Castro
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Brian R. C. Kennedy
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Tina Barbasch
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kathryn C. Lesneski
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Karina Scavo Lord
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Anjali Bhardwaj
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Madeleine Edens
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Ioanna Karageorge
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Caitlynn Klawon
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Hallie Kruh-Needleman
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Gretchen McCarthy
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Raziel Perez
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Christopher Roberts
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Isabela F. Trumble
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Aryanna Volk
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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2
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Gauthier AE, Rotjan RD, Kagan JC. Lipopolysaccharide detection by the innate immune system may be an uncommon defence strategy used in nature. Open Biol 2022; 12:220146. [PMID: 36196535 PMCID: PMC9533005 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the publication of the Janeway's Pattern Recognition hypothesis in 1989, study of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and their immuno-stimulatory activities has accelerated. Most studies in this area have been conducted in model organisms, which leaves many open questions about the universality of PAMP biology across living systems. Mammals have evolved multiple proteins that operate as receptors for the PAMP lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria, but LPS is not immuno-stimulatory in all eukaryotes. In this review, we examine the history of LPS as a PAMP in mammals, recent data on LPS structure and its ability to activate mammalian innate immune receptors, and how these activities compare across commonly studied eukaryotes. We discuss why LPS may have evolved to be immuno-stimulatory in some eukaryotes but not others and propose two hypotheses about the evolution of PAMP structure based on the ecology and environmental context of the organism in question. Understanding PAMP structures and stimulatory mechanisms across multi-cellular life will provide insights into the evolutionary origins of innate immunity and may lead to the discovery of new PAMP variations of scientific and therapeutic interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna E. Gauthier
- Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Virology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Randi D. Rotjan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Jonathan C. Kagan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Medical School, and Boston Children's Hospital, Division of Immunology, Division of Gastroenterology, USA
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3
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Amon DJ, Rotjan RD, Kennedy BRC, Alleng G, Anta R, Aram E, Edwards T, Creary-Ford M, Gjerde KM, Gobin J, Henderson LA, Hope A, Ali RK, Lanser S, Lewis K, Lochan H, MacLean S, Mwemwenikarawa N, Phillips B, Rimon B, Sarjursingh SA, Teemari T, Tekiau A, Turchik A, Vallès H, Waysang K, Bell KLC. My Deep Sea, My Backyard: a pilot study to build capacity for global deep-ocean exploration and research. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210121. [PMID: 35574849 PMCID: PMC9108943 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The deep ocean is the largest ecosystem on the planet, constituting greater than 90% of all habitable space. Over three-quarters of countries globally have deep ocean within their Exclusive Economic Zones. While maintaining deep-ocean function is key to ensuring planetary health, deficiencies in knowledge and governance, as well as inequitable global capacity, challenge our ability to safeguard the resilience of this vast realm, leaving the fate of the deep ocean in the hands of a few. Historically, deep-ocean scientific exploration and research have been the purview of a limited number of nations, resulting in most of humankind not knowing the deep ocean within their national jurisdiction or beyond. In this article, we highlight the inequities and need for increased deep-ocean knowledge generation, and discuss experiences in piloting an innovative project ‘My Deep Sea, My Backyard’ toward this goal. Recognizing that many deep-ocean endeavours take place in countries without deep-ocean access, this project aimed to reduce dependency on external expertise and promote local efforts in two small island developing states, Trinidad and Tobago and Kiribati, to explore their deep-sea backyards using comparatively low-cost technology while building lasting in-country capacity. We share lessons learned so future efforts can bring us closer to achieving this goal. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Nurturing resilient marine ecosystems’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diva J Amon
- SpeSeas, D'Abadie, Trinidad and Tobago.,Natural History Museum, London SW5 7BD, UK
| | - Randi D Rotjan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Gerard Alleng
- Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Rafael Anta
- Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Eriatera Aram
- Coastal Fisheries Division, Ministry of Fisheries & Marine Resources Development, Bairiki, Kiribati
| | - Thera Edwards
- Department of Geography and Geology, The University of the West Indies-Centre for Marine Sciences, Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Marcia Creary-Ford
- The University of the West Indies-Centre for Marine Sciences, Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Kristina M Gjerde
- IUCN Global Marine and Polar Programme and World Commission on Protected Areas, Cambridge, MA 02 02138, USA
| | - Judith Gobin
- The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Saint Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Laura-Ashley Henderson
- The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Saint Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | | | - Raquel Khan Ali
- The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Saint Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | | | - Keith Lewis
- COAST Foundation, Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Hannah Lochan
- The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Saint Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | | | | | - Brennan Phillips
- Department of Ocean Engineering and Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | | | - Stacey-Ann Sarjursingh
- National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Tooreka Teemari
- Coastal Fisheries Division, Ministry of Fisheries & Marine Resources Development, Bairiki, Kiribati
| | - Aranteiti Tekiau
- Coastal Fisheries Division, Ministry of Fisheries & Marine Resources Development, Bairiki, Kiribati
| | - Alan Turchik
- Exploration Technology Lab, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Henri Vallès
- The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Cave Hill, Barbados
| | - Kareati Waysang
- Phoenix Islands Protected Area Implementation Office, Tarawa, Kiribati
| | - Katherine L C Bell
- MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.,Ocean Discovery League, Saunderstown, RI 02874, USA
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4
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Gerstenbacher CM, Finzi AC, Rotjan RD, Novak AB. A review of microplastic impacts on seagrasses, epiphytes, and associated sediment communities. Environ Pollut 2022; 303:119108. [PMID: 35259472 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics have been discovered ubiquitously in marine environments. While their accumulation is noted in seagrass ecosystems, little attention has yet been given to microplastic impacts on seagrass plants and their associated epiphytic and sediment communities. We initiate this discussion by synthesizing the potential impacts microplastics have on relevant seagrass plant, epiphyte, and sediment processes and functions. We suggest that microplastics may harm epiphytes and seagrasses via impalement and light/gas blockage, and increase local concentrations of toxins, causing a disruption in metabolic processes. Further, microplastics may alter nutrient cycling by inhibiting dinitrogen fixation by diazotrophs, preventing microbial processes, and reducing root nutrient uptake. They may also harm seagrass sediment communities via sediment characteristic alteration and organism complications associated with ingestion. All impacts will be exacerbated by the high trapping efficiency of seagrasses. As microplastics become a permanent and increasing member of seagrass ecosystems it will be pertinent to direct future research towards understanding the extent microplastics impact seagrass ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adrien C Finzi
- Department of Biology, Boston University, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Randi D Rotjan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Alyssa B Novak
- Department of Earth and Environment, Boston University, MA, 02215, USA.
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5
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Gauthier AE, Chandler CE, Poli V, Gardner FM, Tekiau A, Smith R, Bonham KS, Cordes EE, Shank TM, Zanoni I, Goodlett DR, Biller SJ, Ernst RK, Rotjan RD, Kagan JC. Deep-sea microbes as tools to refine the rules of innate immune pattern recognition. Sci Immunol 2021; 6:eabe0531. [PMID: 33712473 PMCID: PMC8367048 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abe0531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The assumption of near-universal bacterial detection by pattern recognition receptors is a foundation of immunology. The limits of this pattern recognition concept, however, remain undefined. As a test of this hypothesis, we determined whether mammalian cells can recognize bacteria that they have never had the natural opportunity to encounter. These bacteria were cultivated from the deep Pacific Ocean, where the genus Moritella was identified as a common constituent of the culturable microbiota. Most deep-sea bacteria contained cell wall lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structures that were expected to be immunostimulatory, and some deep-sea bacteria activated inflammatory responses from mammalian LPS receptors. However, LPS receptors were unable to detect 80% of deep-sea bacteria examined, with LPS acyl chain length being identified as a potential determinant of immunosilence. The inability of immune receptors to detect most bacteria from a different ecosystem suggests that pattern recognition strategies may be defined locally, not globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna E Gauthier
- Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Virology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Courtney E Chandler
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 650 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Valentina Poli
- Harvard Medical School, and Boston Children's Hospital, Division of Immunology, Division of Gastroenterology, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Francesca M Gardner
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 650 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | | | - Richard Smith
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 650 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Kevin S Bonham
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College, 106 Central St., Wellesley, MA 02481, USA
| | - Erik E Cordes
- Department of Biology, Temple University, 1900 N. 12th St., Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Timothy M Shank
- Biology Department, MS33, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Ivan Zanoni
- Harvard Medical School, and Boston Children's Hospital, Division of Immunology, Division of Gastroenterology, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David R Goodlett
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 650 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Steven J Biller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College, 106 Central St., Wellesley, MA 02481, USA
| | - Robert K Ernst
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 650 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Randi D Rotjan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - Jonathan C Kagan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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6
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Helmuth B, Leichter JJ, Rotjan RD, Castillo KD, Fieseler C, Jones S, Choi F. High resolution spatiotemporal patterns of seawater temperatures across the Belize Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Sci Data 2020; 7:396. [PMID: 33199700 PMCID: PMC7670415 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-020-00733-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are under increasingly severe threat from climate change and other anthropogenic stressors. Anomalously high seawater temperatures in particular are known to cause coral bleaching (loss of algal symbionts in the family Symbiodiniaceae), which frequently leads to coral mortality. Remote sensing of sea surface temperature (SST) has served as an invaluable tool for monitoring physical conditions that can lead to bleaching events over relatively large scales (e.g. few kms to 100 s of kms). But, it is also well known that seawater temperatures within a site can vary significantly across depths due to the combined influence of solar heating of surface waters, water column thermal stratification, and cooling from internal waves and upwelling. We deployed small autonomous benthic temperature sensors at depths ranging from 0-40 m in fore reef, back reef, and lagoonal reef habitats on the Belize Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System from 2000-2019. These data can be used to calculate depth-specific climatologies across reef depths and sites, and emphasize the dynamic and spatially-variable nature of coral reef physical environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Helmuth
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA, 01908-1557, USA.
| | - James J Leichter
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0227, USA
| | - Randi D Rotjan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215-4775, USA
| | - Karl D Castillo
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3300, USA
| | - Clare Fieseler
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3300, USA
- Science, Technology, & International Affairs, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20011, USA
| | - Scott Jones
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, 34949, USA
| | - Francis Choi
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA, 01908-1557, USA.
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7
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Sandin SA, Edwards CB, Pedersen NE, Petrovic V, Pavoni G, Alcantar E, Chancellor KS, Fox MD, Stallings B, Sullivan CJ, Rotjan RD, Ponchio F, Zgliczynski BJ. Considering the rates of growth in two taxa of coral across Pacific islands. Adv Mar Biol 2020; 87:167-191. [PMID: 33293010 DOI: 10.1016/bs.amb.2020.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Reef-building coral taxa demonstrate considerable flexibility and diversity in reproduction and growth mechanisms. Corals take advantage of this flexibility to increase or decrease size through clonal expansion and loss of live tissue area (i.e. via reproduction and mortality of constituent polyps). The biological lability of reef-building corals may be expected to map onto varying patterns of demography across environmental contexts which can contribute to geographic variation in population dynamics. Here we explore the patterns of growth of two common coral taxa, corymbose Pocillopora and massive Porites, across seven islands in the central and south Pacific. The islands span a natural gradient of environmental conditions, including a range of pelagic primary production, a metric linked to the relative availability of inorganic nutrients and heterotrophic resources for mixotrophic corals, and sea surface temperature and thermal histories. Over a multi-year sampling interval, most coral colonies experienced positive growth (greater planar area of live tissue in second relative to first time point), though the distributions of growth varied across islands. Island-level median growth did not relate simply to estimated pelagic primary productivity or temperature. However, at locations that experienced an extreme warm-water event during the sampling interval, most Porites colonies experienced net losses of live tissue and nearly all Pocillopora colonies experienced complete mortality. While descriptive statistics of demographics offer valuable insights into trends and variability in colony change through time, simplified models predicting growth patterns based on summarized oceanographic metrics appear inadequate for robust demographic prediction. We propose that the complexity of life history strategies among colonial reef-building corals introduces unique demographic flexibility for colonies to respond to a wide breadth of environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart A Sandin
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.
| | - Clinton B Edwards
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Nicole E Pedersen
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Vid Petrovic
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Gaia Pavoni
- Visual Computing Lab, Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell'Informazione "A. Faedo", Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pisa, Italy
| | - Esmeralda Alcantar
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | | | - Michael D Fox
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, United States
| | - Brenna Stallings
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Randi D Rotjan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Federico Ponchio
- Visual Computing Lab, Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell'Informazione "A. Faedo", Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pisa, Italy
| | - Brian J Zgliczynski
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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8
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Jennings LA, Bojko J, Rotjan RD, Behringer DC. Cirolana westbyi, (Isopoda: Cirolanidae) a new species in the ‘ Cirolana parva-group’ from the Turneffe Atoll, Belize. J NAT HIST 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2020.1837273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas A. Jennings
- Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jamie Bojko
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK
- National Horizons Centre, Teeside University Darlington, Darlington, UK
| | - Randi D. Rotjan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Donald C. Behringer
- Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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9
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Rotjan RD, Sharp KH, Gauthier AE, Yelton R, Lopez EMB, Carilli J, Kagan JC, Urban-Rich J. Patterns, dynamics and consequences of microplastic ingestion by the temperate coral, Astrangia poculata. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190726. [PMID: 31238843 PMCID: PMC6599985 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Microplastics (less than 5 mm) are a recognized threat to aquatic food webs because they are ingested at multiple trophic levels and may bioaccumulate. In urban coastal environments, high densities of microplastics may disrupt nutritional intake. However, behavioural dynamics and consequences of microparticle ingestion are still poorly understood. As filter or suspension feeders, benthic marine invertebrates are vulnerable to microplastic ingestion. We explored microplastic ingestion by the temperate coral Astrangia poculata. We detected an average of over 100 microplastic particles per polyp in wild-captured colonies from Rhode Island. In the laboratory, corals were fed microbeads to characterize ingestion preference and retention of microplastics and consequences on feeding behaviour. Corals were fed biofilmed microplastics to test whether plastics serve as vectors for microbes. Ingested microplastics were apparent within the mesenterial tissues of the gastrovascular cavity. Corals preferred microplastic beads and declined subsequent offerings of brine shrimp eggs of the same diameter, suggesting that microplastic ingestion can inhibit food intake. The corals co-ingested Escherichia coli cells with microbeads. These findings detail specific mechanisms by which microplastics threaten corals, but also hint that the coral A. poculata, which has a large coastal range, may serve as a useful bioindicator and monitoring tool for microplastic pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randi D. Rotjan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, USA
- School for the Environment, UMass Boston, 100 William T Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Koty H. Sharp
- Department of Biology, Marine Biology, and Environmental Sciences, Roger Williams University, 1 Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 02809, USA
| | - Anna E. Gauthier
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rowan Yelton
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, USA
| | - Eliya M. Baron Lopez
- New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, USA
- School for the Environment, UMass Boston, 100 William T Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Jessica Carilli
- School for the Environment, UMass Boston, 100 William T Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Jonathan C. Kagan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Juanita Urban-Rich
- School for the Environment, UMass Boston, 100 William T Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125, USA
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10
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Burmester EM, Breef-Pilz A, Lawrence NF, Kaufman L, Finnerty JR, Rotjan RD. The impact of autotrophic versus heterotrophic nutritional pathways on colony health and wound recovery in corals. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:10805-10816. [PMID: 30519408 PMCID: PMC6262932 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
For animals that harbor photosynthetic symbionts within their tissues, such as corals, the different relative contributions of autotrophy versus heterotrophy to organismal energetic requirements have direct impacts on fitness. This is especially true for facultatively symbiotic corals, where the balance between host‐caught and symbiont‐produced energy can be altered substantially to meet the variable demands of a shifting environment. In this study, we utilized a temperate coral–algal system (the northern star coral, Astrangia poculata, and its photosynthetic endosymbiont, Symbiodinium psygmophilum) to explore the impacts of nutritional sourcing on the host's health and ability to regenerate experimentally excised polyps. For fed and starved colonies, wound healing and total colony tissue cover were differentially impacted by heterotrophy versus autotrophy. There was an additive impact of positive nutritional and symbiotic states on a coral's ability to initiate healing, but a greater influence of symbiont state on the recovery of lost tissue at the lesion site and complete polyp regeneration. On the other hand, regardless of symbiont state, fed corals maintained a higher overall colony tissue cover, which also enabled more active host behavior (polyp extension) and endosymbiont behavior (photosynthetic ability of Symbiondinium). Overall, we determined that the impact of nutritional state and symbiotic state varied between biological functions, suggesting a diversity in energetic sourcing for each of these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Burmester
- Billion Oyster Project New York New York.,Department of Biology Boston University Boston Massachusetts.,John H Prescott Marine Laboratory Anderson-Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium Boston Massachusetts
| | - Adrienne Breef-Pilz
- John H Prescott Marine Laboratory Anderson-Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium Boston Massachusetts
| | - Nicholas F Lawrence
- John H Prescott Marine Laboratory Anderson-Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium Boston Massachusetts
| | - Les Kaufman
- Department of Biology Boston University Boston Massachusetts
| | - John R Finnerty
- Department of Biology Boston University Boston Massachusetts
| | - Randi D Rotjan
- Department of Biology Boston University Boston Massachusetts.,John H Prescott Marine Laboratory Anderson-Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium Boston Massachusetts
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Vogt DM, Becker KP, Phillips BT, Graule MA, Rotjan RD, Shank TM, Cordes EE, Wood RJ, Gruber DF. Shipboard design and fabrication of custom 3D-printed soft robotic manipulators for the investigation of delicate deep-sea organisms. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200386. [PMID: 30067780 PMCID: PMC6070194 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Soft robotics is an emerging technology that has shown considerable promise in deep-sea marine biological applications. It is particularly useful in facilitating delicate interactions with fragile marine organisms. This study describes the shipboard design, 3D printing and integration of custom soft robotic manipulators for investigating and interacting with deep-sea organisms. Soft robotics manipulators were tested down to 2224m via a Remotely-Operated Vehicle (ROV) in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) and facilitated the study of a diverse suite of soft-bodied and fragile marine life. Instantaneous feedback from the ROV pilots and biologists allowed for rapid re-design, such as adding "fingernails", and re-fabrication of soft manipulators at sea. These were then used to successfully grasp fragile deep-sea animals, such as goniasterids and holothurians, which have historically been difficult to collect undamaged via rigid mechanical arms and suction samplers. As scientific expeditions to remote parts of the world are costly and lengthy to plan, on-the-fly soft robot actuator printing offers a real-time solution to better understand and interact with delicate deep-sea environments, soft-bodied, brittle, and otherwise fragile organisms. This also offers a less invasive means of interacting with slow-growing deep marine organisms, some of which can be up to 18,000 years old.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M. Vogt
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Kaitlyn P. Becker
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Brennan T. Phillips
- Department of Ocean Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI, United States of America
| | - Moritz A. Graule
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Randi D. Rotjan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Timothy M. Shank
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, United States of America
| | - Erik E. Cordes
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Robert J. Wood
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - David F. Gruber
- Department of Natural Sciences, Baruch College and The Graduate Center PhD Program in Biology, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States of America
- Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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Sharp KH, Pratte ZA, Kerwin AH, Rotjan RD, Stewart FJ. Season, but not symbiont state, drives microbiome structure in the temperate coral Astrangia poculata. Microbiome 2017; 5:120. [PMID: 28915923 PMCID: PMC5603060 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-017-0329-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/20/2017] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the associations among corals, their photosynthetic zooxanthella symbionts (Symbiodinium), and coral-associated prokaryotic microbiomes is critical for predicting the fidelity and strength of coral symbioses in the face of growing environmental threats. Most coral-microbiome associations are beneficial, yet the mechanisms that determine the composition of the coral microbiome remain largely unknown. Here, we characterized microbiome diversity in the temperate, facultatively symbiotic coral Astrangia poculata at four seasonal time points near the northernmost limit of the species range. The facultative nature of this system allowed us to test seasonal influence and symbiotic state (Symbiodinium density in the coral) on microbiome community composition. RESULTS Change in season had a strong effect on A. poculata microbiome composition. The seasonal shift was greatest upon the winter to spring transition, during which time A. poculata microbiome composition became more similar among host individuals. Within each of the four seasons, microbiome composition differed significantly from that of surrounding seawater but was surprisingly uniform between symbiotic and aposymbiotic corals, even in summer, when differences in Symbiodinium density between brown and white colonies are the highest, indicating that the observed seasonal shifts are not likely due to fluctuations in Symbiodinium density. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that symbiotic state may not be a primary driver of coral microbial community organization in A. poculata, which is a surprise given the long-held assumption that excess photosynthate is of importance to coral-associated microbes. Rather, other environmental or host factors, in this case, seasonal changes in host physiology associated with winter quiescence, may drive microbiome diversity. Additional studies of A. poculata and other facultatively symbiotic corals will provide important comparisons to studies of reef-building tropical corals and therefore help to identify basic principles of coral microbiome assembly, as well as functional relationships among holobiont members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koty H. Sharp
- Department of Biology, Marine Biology and Environmental Science, Roger Williams University, 1 Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 02809 USA
| | | | | | - Randi D. Rotjan
- Boston University, Boston, USA
- New England Aquarium, Boston, USA
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Newman RM, Rotjan RD. Re-examining the fundamentals of grazing: freshwater, marine and terrestrial similarities and contrasts (commentary on Burkepile 2013). OIKOS 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2012.21045.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Thornhill DJ, Rotjan RD, Todd BD, Chilcoat GC, Iglesias-Prieto R, Kemp DW, LaJeunesse TC, Reynolds JM, Schmidt GW, Shannon T, Warner ME, Fitt WK. A connection between colony biomass and death in Caribbean reef-building corals. PLoS One 2011; 6:e29535. [PMID: 22216307 PMCID: PMC3245285 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2011] [Accepted: 11/30/2011] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased sea-surface temperatures linked to warming climate threaten coral reef ecosystems globally. To better understand how corals and their endosymbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium spp.) respond to environmental change, tissue biomass and Symbiodinium density of seven coral species were measured on various reefs approximately every four months for up to thirteen years in the Upper Florida Keys, United States (1994–2007), eleven years in the Exuma Cays, Bahamas (1995–2006), and four years in Puerto Morelos, Mexico (2003–2007). For six out of seven coral species, tissue biomass correlated with Symbiodinium density. Within a particular coral species, tissue biomasses and Symbiodinium densities varied regionally according to the following trends: Mexico≥Florida Keys≥Bahamas. Average tissue biomasses and symbiont cell densities were generally higher in shallow habitats (1–4 m) compared to deeper-dwelling conspecifics (12–15 m). Most colonies that were sampled displayed seasonal fluctuations in biomass and endosymbiont density related to annual temperature variations. During the bleaching episodes of 1998 and 2005, five out of seven species that were exposed to unusually high temperatures exhibited significant decreases in symbiotic algae that, in certain cases, preceded further decreases in tissue biomass. Following bleaching, Montastraea spp. colonies with low relative biomass levels died, whereas colonies with higher biomass levels survived. Bleaching- or disease-associated mortality was also observed in Acropora cervicornis colonies; compared to A. palmata, all A. cervicornis colonies experienced low biomass values. Such patterns suggest that Montastraea spp. and possibly other coral species with relatively low biomass experience increased susceptibility to death following bleaching or other stressors than do conspecifics with higher tissue biomass levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Thornhill
- Department of Field Conservation, Defenders of Wildlife, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, and Department of Biology, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DT); (WF)
| | - Randi D. Rotjan
- Edgerton Research Laboratory, New England Aquarium, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Brian D. Todd
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Geoff C. Chilcoat
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Roberto Iglesias-Prieto
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Cancun, Mexico
| | - Dustin W. Kemp
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Todd C. LaJeunesse
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | | | - Gregory W. Schmidt
- Department of Field Conservation, Defenders of Wildlife, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, and Department of Biology, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, United States of America
- Edgerton Research Laboratory, New England Aquarium, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Cancun, Mexico
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of Delaware, Lewes, Delaware, United States of America
| | - Thomas Shannon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Mark E. Warner
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of Delaware, Lewes, Delaware, United States of America
| | - William K. Fitt
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DT); (WF)
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Affiliation(s)
- Randi D. Rotjan
- Research Department, New England Aquarium, Boston, MA 02110, USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Jeffrey R. Chabot
- Applied Quantitative Genotheropeutics, Research Technology Center, Pfizer, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sara M. Lewis
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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