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Yan A, Zhang R, Yu K, Kang Y, Huang X, Hu J, Xie S, Yang X, Wang J. Organophosphate esters (OPEs) in corals of the South China Sea: Occurrence, distribution, and bioaccumulation. Sci Total Environ 2024; 927:172212. [PMID: 38580121 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172212] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Organophosphate esters (OPEs) have garnered significant attention in recent years. In view of the enormous ecosystem services value and severe degradation of coral reefs in the South China Sea, this study investigated the occurrence, distribution, and bioaccumulation of 11 OPEs in five coral regions: Daya Bay (DY), Weizhou Island (WZ), Sanya Luhuitou (LHT), Xisha (XS) Islands, and Nansha (NS) Islands. Although OPEs were detected at a high rate, their concentration in South China Sea seawater (1.56 ± 0.89 ng L-1) remained relatively low compared to global levels. All OPEs were identified in coral tissues, with Luhuitou (575 ± 242 ng g-1 dw) showing the highest pollution levels, attributed to intense human activities. Coral mucus, acting as a defense against environmental stresses, accumulated higher ∑11OPEs (414 ± 461 ng g-1 dw) than coral tissues (412 ± 197 ng g-1 dw) (nonparametric test, p < 0.05), and their compositional characteristics varied greatly. In the case of harsh aquatic environments, corals increase mucus secretion and then accumulate organic pollutants. Tissue-mucus partitioning varied among coral species. Most OPEs were found to be bioaccumulative (BAFs >5000 L kg-1) in a few coral tissue samples besides Triphenyl phosphate (TPHP). Mucus' role in the bioaccumulation of OPEs in coral shouldn't be ignored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annan Yan
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
| | - Ruijie Zhang
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519080, China.
| | - Kefu Yu
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519080, China.
| | - Yaru Kang
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
| | - Xueyong Huang
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
| | - Junjie Hu
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
| | - Songlin Xie
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
| | - Xinyu Yang
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
| | - Jingyu Wang
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
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2
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Wei Z, Zhang X, Chen Y, Liu H, Wang S, Zhang M, Ma H, Yu K, Wang L. A new strategy based on a cascade amplification strategy biosensor for on-site eDNA detection and outbreak warning of crown-of-thorns starfish. Sci Total Environ 2024; 927:172258. [PMID: 38583618 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172258] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) seriously threaten the sustainability of coral reef ecosystems. However, traditional ecological monitoring techniques cannot provide early warning before the outbreaks, thus preventing timely intervention. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a more accurate and faster technology to predict the outbreaks of COTS. In this work, we developed an electrochemical biosensor based on a programmed catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) and hybridization chain reaction (HCR) cyclic amplification strategy for sensitive and selective detection of COTS environmental DNA (eDNA) in water bodies. This biosensor exhibited excellent electrochemical characteristics, including a low limit of detection (LOD = 18.4 fM), low limit of quantification (LOQ = 41.1 fM), and wide linear range (50 fM - 10 nM). The biosensing technology successfully allowed the detection of COTS eDNA in the aquarium environment, and the results also demonstrated a significant correlation between eDNA concentration and COTS number (r = 0.990; P < 0.001). The reliability and accuracy of the biosensor results have been further validated through comparison with digital droplet PCR (ddPCR). Moreover, the applicability and accuracy of the biosensor were reconfirmed in field tests at the COTS outbreak site in the South China Sea, which has shown potential application in dynamically monitoring the larvae before the COTS outbreak. Therefore, this efficient electrochemical biosensing technology offers a new solution for on-site monitoring and early warning of the COTS outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongwu Wei
- School of Resources, Environment and Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Xuzhe Zhang
- School of Resources, Environment and Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Yingzhan Chen
- School of Resources, Environment and Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Hongjie Liu
- School of Resources, Environment and Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Shaopeng Wang
- School of Resources, Environment and Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Man Zhang
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Honglin Ma
- Sansha Track Ocean Coral Reef Conservation Research Institute Co. Ltd., Qionghai 571499, China
| | - Kefu Yu
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China.
| | - Liwei Wang
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
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3
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Lin J, Zhao YM, Zhan ZG, Zheng JY, Zhou QZ, Peng J, Li Y, Xiao X, Wang JH. Microplastics in remote coral reef environments of the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea: Source, accumulation and potential risk. J Hazard Mater 2024; 469:133872. [PMID: 38447364 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133872] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are of great concern to coral health, particularly enhanced biotoxicity of small microplastics (< 100 µm) (SMPs). However, their fate and harm to remote coral reef ecosystems remain poorly elucidated. This work systematically investigated the distributions and features of MPs and SMPs in sediments from 13 islands/reefs of the Xisha Islands, the South China Sea for comprehensively deciphering their accumulation, sources and risk to coral reef ecosystems. The results show that both MPs (average, 682 items/kg) and SMPs (average, 375 items/kg) exhibit heterogeneous distributions, with accumulation within atolls and dispersion across fringing islands, which controlled by human activities and hydrodynamic conditions. Cluster analysis for the first time reveals a pronounced difference in their compositions between the southern and northern Xisha Islands and resultant distinct sources, i.e., MPs in the north part were leaked mainly from local domestic sewage and fishing waste, while in the south part were probably derived from industrial effluents from adjacent countries. Our ecological risk assessment suggests that the ecosystem within the Yongle Atoll is exposed to a high-risk of MPs pollution. The novel results and proposed framework facilitate to effectively manage and control MPs and accordingly preserve a fragile biosphere in remote coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Yuan-Ming Zhao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Zhi-Geng Zhan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Jia-Yuan Zheng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Qian-Zhi Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Juan Peng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Yan Li
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Xi Xiao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Mineral Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources, Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey, Guangzhou 510075, China.
| | - Jiang-Hai Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China.
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Cobacho SP, van de Leemput IA, Holmgren M, Christianen MJA. Impact of human disturbance on biogeochemical fluxes in tropical seascapes. Mar Environ Res 2024; 197:106479. [PMID: 38583357 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106479] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Tropical seascapes rely on the feedback relationships among mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs, as they mutually facilitate and enhance each other's functionality. Biogeochemical fluxes link tropical coastal habitats by exchanging material flows and energy through various natural processes that determine the conditions for life and ecosystem functioning. However, little is known about the seascape-scale implications of anthropogenic disruptions to these linkages. Despite the limited number of integrated empirical studies available (with only 11 out of 81 selected studies focusing on the integrated dynamics of mangroves, seagrass, and corals), this review emphasizes the importance of biogeochemical fluxes for ecosystem connectivity in tropical seascapes. It identifies four primary anthropogenic influences that can disturb these fluxes-nutrient enrichment, chemical pollution, microbial pollution, and solid waste accumulation-resulting in eutrophication, increased disease incidence, toxicity, and disruptions to water carbonate chemistry. This review also highlights significant knowledge gaps in our understanding of biogeochemical fluxes and ecosystem responses to perturbations in tropical seascapes. Addressing these knowledge gaps is crucial for developing practical strategies to conserve and manage connected seascapes effectively. Integrated research is needed to shed light on the complex interactions and feedback mechanisms within these ecosystems, providing valuable insights for conservation and management practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara P Cobacho
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, 6708, PB Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Ingrid A van de Leemput
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, 6708, PB Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Milena Holmgren
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, 6708, PB Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Marjolijn J A Christianen
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, 6708, PB Wageningen, the Netherlands
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5
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Marzonie MR, Nitschke MR, Bay LK, Bourne DG, Harrison HB. Symbiodiniaceae diversity varies by host and environment across thermally distinct reefs. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17342. [PMID: 38584356 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17342] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Endosymbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodiniaceae) influence coral thermal tolerance at both local and regional scales. In isolation, the effects of host genetics, environment, and thermal disturbances on symbiont communities are well understood, yet their combined effects remain poorly resolved. Here, we investigate Symbiodiniaceae across 1300 km in Australia's Coral Sea Marine Park to disentangle these interactive effects. We identified Symbiodiniaceae to species-level resolution for three coral species (Acropora cf humilis, Pocillopora verrucosa, and Pocillopora meandrina) by sequencing two genetic markers of the symbiont (ITS2 and psbAncr), paired with genotype-by-sequencing of the coral host (DArT-seq). Our samples predominantly returned sequences from the genus Cladocopium, where Acropora cf humilis affiliated with C3k, Pocillopora verrucosa with C. pacificum, and Pocillopora meandrina with C. latusorum. Multivariate analyses revealed that Acropora symbionts were driven strongly by local environment and thermal disturbances. In contrast, Pocillopora symbiont communities were both partitioned 2.5-fold more by host genetic structure than by environmental structure. Among the two Pocillopora species, the effects of environment and host genetics explained four times more variation in symbionts for P. meandrina than P. verrucosa. The concurrent bleaching event in 2020 had variable impacts on symbiont communities, consistent with patterns in P. verrucosa and A. cf humilis, but not P. meandrina. Our findings demonstrate how symbiont macroscale community structure responses to environmental gradients depend on host species and their respective population structure. Integrating host, symbiont, and environmental data will help forecast the adaptive potential of corals and their symbionts amidst a rapidly changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magena R Marzonie
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- AIMS@JCU, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Matthew R Nitschke
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Line K Bay
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- AIMS@JCU, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - David G Bourne
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Hugo B Harrison
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- AIMS@JCU, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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6
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Han DHT, James D, Waheed Z, Phua MH. THREE-DECADE changes of reef cover in Pulau Layang-Layang, Malaysia using multitemporal Landsat images. Mar Environ Res 2024; 197:106454. [PMID: 38552455 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106454] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Over the years, coral reefs in the South China Sea have degraded and faced severe threats from rapid development, coral bleaching, and Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS) outbreak. There is limited knowledge relating to the effects of anthropogenic disturbances and natural events on the coral reefs of Pulau Layang-Layang. This study aims to assess reef cover changes by utilizing Landsat satellite images spanning from 1989 to 2022. Using the object-based image analysis method, this study classified the reef cover into three categories: coral, rock and rubble, and sand. The supervised classification had an overall accuracy of 86.41-87.38 % and Tau's coefficients of 0.80-0.81. The results showed island development and construction of artificial bird sanctuary have led to an increase in coral cover. Furthermore, it was illustrated that the impact of COTS outbreaks in 2010 and 2020 differed significantly, with the latter showing no signs of recovery. Our study underscores the importance of timely intervention to mitigate the spread of COTS. This study provides insights into the resilience and vulnerability of these ecosystems in the face of various stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniella Hsu Tsyr Han
- Borneo Marine Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Daniel James
- Faculty of Tropical Forestry, UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Zarinah Waheed
- Borneo Marine Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia; Small Islands Research Centre, Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Mui-How Phua
- Faculty of Tropical Forestry, UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia; Small Islands Research Centre, Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
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7
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Matthews SA, Williamson DH, Beeden R, Emslie MJ, Abom RTM, Beard D, Bonin M, Bray P, Campili AR, Ceccarelli DM, Fernandes L, Fletcher CS, Godoy D, Hemingson CR, Jonker MJ, Lang BJ, Morris S, Mosquera E, Phillips GL, Sinclair-Taylor TH, Taylor S, Tracey D, Wilmes JC, Quincey R. Protecting Great Barrier Reef resilience through effective management of crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298073. [PMID: 38656948 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Resilience-based management is essential to protect ecosystems in the Anthropocene. Unlike large-scale climate threats to Great Barrier Reef (GBR) corals, outbreaks of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS; Acanthaster cf. solaris) can be directly managed through targeted culling. Here, we evaluate the outcomes of a decade of strategic COTS management in suppressing outbreaks and protecting corals during the 4th COTS outbreak wave at reef and regional scales (sectors). We compare COTS density and coral cover dynamics during the 3rd and 4th outbreak waves. During the 4th outbreak wave, sectors that received limited to no culling had sustained COTS outbreaks causing significant coral losses. In contrast, in sectors that received timely and sufficient cull effort, coral cover increased substantially, and outbreaks were suppressed with COTS densities up to six-fold lower than in the 3rd outbreak wave. In the Townsville sector for example, despite exposure to comparable disturbance regimes during the 4th outbreak wave, effective outbreak suppression coincided with relative increases in sector-wide coral cover (44%), versus significant coral cover declines (37%) during the 3rd outbreak wave. Importantly, these estimated increases span entire sectors, not just reefs with active COTS control. Outbreaking reefs with higher levels of culling had net increases in coral cover, while the rate of coral loss was more than halved on reefs with lower levels of cull effort. Our results also indicate that outbreak wave progression to adjoining sectors has been delayed, probably via suppression of COTS larval supply. Our findings provide compelling evidence that proactive, targeted, and sustained COTS management can effectively suppress COTS outbreaks and deliver coral growth and recovery benefits at reef and sector-wide scales. The clear coral protection outcomes demonstrate the value of targeted manual culling as both a scalable intervention to mitigate COTS outbreaks, and a potent resilience-based management tool to "buy time" for coral reefs, protecting reef ecosystem functions and biodiversity as the climate changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A Matthews
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Roger Beeden
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Michael J Emslie
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | - Mary Bonin
- Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Brisbane City, QLD, Australia
| | - Peran Bray
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | - Leanne Fernandes
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Dan Godoy
- Blue Planet Marine, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Christopher R Hemingson
- The University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, Texas, United States of America
| | | | - Bethan J Lang
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
- The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | - Gareth L Phillips
- Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators Ltd, Cairns, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Sascha Taylor
- Queensland Department of Environment and Science, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Partnerships (Marine Parks), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Dieter Tracey
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Jennifer C Wilmes
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Richard Quincey
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
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Muenzel D, Bani A, De Brauwer M, Stewart E, Djakiman C, Halwi, Purnama R, Yusuf S, Santoso P, Hukom FD, Struebig M, Jompa J, Limmon G, Dumbrell A, Beger M. Combining environmental DNA and visual surveys can inform conservation planning for coral reefs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2307214121. [PMID: 38621123 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307214121] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding has the potential to revolutionize conservation planning by providing spatially and taxonomically comprehensive data on biodiversity and ecosystem conditions, but its utility to inform the design of protected areas remains untested. Here, we quantify whether and how identifying conservation priority areas within coral reef ecosystems differs when biodiversity information is collected via eDNA analyses or traditional visual census records. We focus on 147 coral reefs in Indonesia's hyper-diverse Wallacea region and show large discrepancies in the allocation and spatial design of conservation priority areas when coral reef species were surveyed with underwater visual techniques (fishes, corals, and algae) or eDNA metabarcoding (eukaryotes and metazoans). Specifically, incidental protection occurred for 55% of eDNA species when targets were set for species detected by visual surveys and 71% vice versa. This finding is supported by generally low overlap in detection between visual census and eDNA methods at species level, with more overlap at higher taxonomic ranks. Incomplete taxonomic reference databases for the highly diverse Wallacea reefs, and the complementary detection of species by the two methods, underscore the current need to combine different biodiversity data sources to maximize species representation in conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic Muenzel
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NR, United Kingdom
| | - Alessia Bani
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
- College of Science and Engineering, School of Built and Natural Environment, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1 GB, United Kingdom
| | - Maarten De Brauwer
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Oceans & Atmosphere, Battery Point, Hobart, TAS 7004, Australia
| | - Eleanor Stewart
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NR, United Kingdom
| | - Cilun Djakiman
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
- Maritime and Marine Science Center of Excellence, Pattimura University, Ambon 85XW+H66, Indonesia
| | - Halwi
- Graduate School, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar 90245, Indonesia
| | - Ray Purnama
- Maritime and Marine Science Center of Excellence, Pattimura University, Ambon 85XW+H66, Indonesia
| | - Syafyuddin Yusuf
- Faculty of Marine Science and Fisheries, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar 90245, Indonesia
| | - Prakas Santoso
- Department of Marine Science and Technology, Institut Pertanian Bogor, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
| | - Frensly D Hukom
- Research Centre for Oceanography, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional, Jakarta 14430, Indonesia
- The Center for Collaborative Research on Aquatic Ecosystem in Eastern Indonesia, Pattimura University, Ambon 97234, Indonesia
| | - Matthew Struebig
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NR, United Kingdom
| | - Jamaluddin Jompa
- Faculty of Marine Science and Fisheries, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar 90245, Indonesia
| | - Gino Limmon
- Maritime and Marine Science Center of Excellence, Pattimura University, Ambon 85XW+H66, Indonesia
- The Center for Collaborative Research on Aquatic Ecosystem in Eastern Indonesia, Pattimura University, Ambon 97234, Indonesia
| | - Alex Dumbrell
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Beger
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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9
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Trznadel M, Holt CC, Livingston SJ, Kwong WK, Keeling PJ. Coral-infecting parasites in cold marine ecosystems. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1810-1816.e4. [PMID: 38608678 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.026] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Coral reefs are a biodiversity hotspot,1,2 and the association between coral and intracellular dinoflagellates is a model for endosymbiosis.3,4 Recently, corals and related anthozoans have also been found to harbor another kind of endosymbiont, apicomplexans called corallicolids.5 Apicomplexans are a diverse lineage of obligate intracellular parasites6 that include human pathogens such as the malaria parasite, Plasmodium.7 Global environmental sequencing shows corallicolids are tightly associated with tropical and subtropical reef environments,5,8,9 where they infect diverse corals across a range of depths in many reef systems, and correlate with host mortality during bleaching events.10 All of this points to corallicolids being ecologically significant to coral reefs, but it is also possible they are even more widely distributed because most environmental sampling is biased against parasites that maintain a tight association with their hosts throughout their life cycle. We tested the global distribution of corallicolids using a more direct approach, by specifically targeting potential anthozoan host animals from cold/temperate marine waters outside the coral reef context. We found that corallicolids are in fact common in such hosts, in some cases at high frequency, and that they infect the same tissue as parasites from topical coral reefs. Parasite phylogeny suggests corallicolids move between hosts and habitats relatively frequently, but that biogeography is more conserved. Overall, these results greatly expand the range of corallicolids beyond coral reefs, suggesting they are globally distributed parasites of marine anthozoans, which also illustrates significant blind spots that result from strategies commonly used to sample microbial biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morelia Trznadel
- Botany Department, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Corey C Holt
- Botany Department, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Samuel J Livingston
- Botany Department, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Waldan K Kwong
- Botany Department, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Patrick J Keeling
- Botany Department, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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10
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Qin B, Yu K, Fu Y, Zhou Y, Wu Y, Zhang W, Chen X. Responses in reef-building corals to wildfire emissions: Heterotrophic plasticity and calcification. Sci Total Environ 2024; 922:171271. [PMID: 38428592 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171271] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Extreme wildfire events are on the rise globally, and although substantial wildfire emissions may find their way into the ocean, their impact on coral reefs remains uncertain. In a five-week laboratory experiment, we observed a significant reduction in photosynthesis in coral symbionts (Porites lutea) when exposed to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from wildfires. At low PM2.5 level (2 mg L-1), the changes in δ13C and δ15N values in the host and symbiotic algae suggest reduced autotrophy and the utilization of wildfire particulates as a source of heterotrophic nutrients. This adaptive strategy, characterized by an increase in heterotrophy, sustained some aspects of coral growth (total biomass, proteins and lipids) under wildfire stress. Nevertheless, at high PM2.5 level (5 mg L-1), both autotrophy and heterotrophy significantly decreased, resulting in an imbalanced coral-algal nutritional relationship. These changes were related to light attenuation in seawater and particulate accumulation on the coral surface during PM2.5 deposition, ultimately rendering the coral growth unsustainable. Further, the calcification rates decreased by 1.5 to 1.85 times under both low and high levels of PM2.5, primarily affected by photosynthetic autotrophy rather than heterotrophy. Our study highlights a constrained heterotrophic plasticity of corals under wildfire stress. This limitation may restrict wildfire emissions as an alternative nutrient source to support coral growth and calcification, especially when oceanic food availability or autotrophy declines, as seen during bleaching induced by the warming ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Qin
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Kefu Yu
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China.
| | - Yichen Fu
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Yanliu Wu
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Wenqian Zhang
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Xiaoyan Chen
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
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Winslow EM, Speare KE, Adam TC, Burkepile DE, Hench JL, Lenihan HS. Corals survive severe bleaching event in refuges related to taxa, colony size, and water depth. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9006. [PMID: 38637581 PMCID: PMC11026537 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58980-1] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Marine heatwaves are increasing in frequency and duration, threatening tropical reef ecosystems through intensified coral bleaching events. We examined a strikingly variable spatial pattern of bleaching in Moorea, French Polynesia following a heatwave that lasted from November 2018 to July 2019. In July 2019, four months after the onset of bleaching, we surveyed > 5000 individual colonies of the two dominant coral genera, Pocillopora and Acropora, at 10 m and 17 m water depths, at six forereef sites around the island where temperature was measured. We found severe bleaching increased with colony size for both coral genera, but Acropora bleached more severely than Pocillopora overall. Acropora bleached more at 10 m than 17 m, likely due to higher light availability at 10 m compared to 17 m, or greater daily temperature fluctuation at depth. Bleaching in Pocillopora corals did not differ with depth but instead varied with the interaction of colony size and Accumulated Heat Stress (AHS), in that larger colonies (> 30 cm) were more sensitive to AHS than mid-size (10-29 cm) or small colonies (5-9 cm). Our findings provide insight into complex interactions among coral taxa, colony size, and water depth that produce high spatial variation in bleaching and related coral mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin M Winslow
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
| | - Kelly E Speare
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Thomas C Adam
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Deron E Burkepile
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - James L Hench
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, NC, 28516, USA
| | - Hunter S Lenihan
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
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Hynes MG, O'Dea A, Webster JM, Renema W. RADReef: A global Holocene Reef Rate of Accretion Dataset. Sci Data 2024; 11:398. [PMID: 38637551 PMCID: PMC11026384 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03228-w] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Reef cores are a powerful tool for investigating temporal changes in reef communities. Radiometric dating facilitates the determination of vertical accretion rates, which has allowed for examination of local-regional controlling factors, such as subsidence and sea level changes. Coral reefs must grow at sufficient rates to keep up with sea level rise, or risk 'drowning.' As sea level is expected to rise significantly in the next 100 years and beyond, it is important to understand whether reefs will be able to survive. Historical records of reef accretion rates extracted from cores provide valuable insights into extrinsic controlling factors of reef growth and are instrumental in helping predict if future reefs can accrete at rates needed to overcome predicted sea level changes. While extensive research exists at local and regional scales, limited attention has been given to identifying global patterns and drivers. To address this, we present "RADReef": A global dataset of dated Holocene reef cores. RADReef serves as a foundation for further research on past, present and future reef accretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Hynes
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, 2300RA, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), Universiteit van Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Aaron O'Dea
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Republic of Panama
- Sistema Nacional de Investigación, SENACYT, Clayton, Republic of Panama
| | - Jody M Webster
- Geocoastal Research Group, School of Geosciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Willem Renema
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, 2300RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), Universiteit van Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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13
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Williams J, Pettorelli N, Hartmann AC, Quinn RA, Plaisance L, O'Mahoney M, Meyer CP, Fabricius KE, Knowlton N, Ransome E. Decline of a distinct coral reef holobiont community under ocean acidification. Microbiome 2024; 12:75. [PMID: 38627822 PMCID: PMC11022381 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01683-y] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microbes play vital roles across coral reefs both in the environment and inside and upon macrobes (holobionts), where they support critical functions such as nutrition and immune system modulation. These roles highlight the potential ecosystem-level importance of microbes, yet most knowledge of microbial functions on reefs is derived from a small set of holobionts such as corals and sponges. Declining seawater pH - an important global coral reef stressor - can cause ecosystem-level change on coral reefs, providing an opportunity to study the role of microbes at this scale. We use an in situ experimental approach to test the hypothesis that under such ocean acidification (OA), known shifts among macrobe trophic and functional groups may drive a general ecosystem-level response extending across macrobes and microbes, leading to reduced distinctness between the benthic holobiont community microbiome and the environmental microbiome. RESULTS We test this hypothesis using genetic and chemical data from benthic coral reef community holobionts sampled across a pH gradient from CO2 seeps in Papua New Guinea. We find support for our hypothesis; under OA, the microbiome and metabolome of the benthic holobiont community become less compositionally distinct from the sediment microbiome and metabolome, suggesting that benthic macrobe communities are colonised by environmental microbes to a higher degree under OA conditions. We also find a simplification and homogenisation of the benthic photosynthetic community, and an increased abundance of fleshy macroalgae, consistent with previously observed reef microbialisation. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate a novel structural shift in coral reefs involving macrobes and microbes: that the microbiome of the benthic holobiont community becomes less distinct from the sediment microbiome under OA. Our findings suggest that microbialisation and the disruption of macrobe trophic networks are interwoven general responses to environmental stress, pointing towards a universal, undesirable, and measurable form of ecosystem changed. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake Williams
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Nathalie Pettorelli
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Aaron C Hartmann
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Robert A Quinn
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Laetitia Plaisance
- Laboratoire Evolution Et Diversité Biologique, CNRS/UPS, Toulouse, France
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA
| | - Michael O'Mahoney
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA
| | - Chris P Meyer
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA
| | | | - Nancy Knowlton
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA
| | - Emma Ransome
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK.
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14
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Xu M, Cai Z, Cheng K, Chen G, Zhou J. Mitigation of Vibrio coralliilyticus-induced coral bleaching through bacterial dysbiosis prevention by Ruegeria profundi. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0227423. [PMID: 38470181 PMCID: PMC11022554 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02274-23] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Vibrio species are prevalent in ocean ecosystems, particularly Vibrio coralliilyticus, and pose a threat to corals and other marine organisms under global warming conditions. While microbiota manipulation is considered for coral disease management, understanding the role of commensal bacteria in stress resilience remains limited. Here, a single bacterial species (Ruegeria profundi) rather than a consortium of native was used to combat pathogenic V. coralliilyticus and protect corals from bleaching. R. profundi showed therapeutic activity in vivo, preventing a significant reduction in bacterial diversity in bleached corals. Notably, the structure of the bacterial community differed significantly among all the groups. In addition, compared with the bleached corals caused by V. coralliilyticus, the network analysis revealed that complex interactions and positive correlations in the bacterial community of the R. profundi protected non-bleached corals, indicating R. profundi's role in fostering synergistic associations. Many genera of bacteria significantly increased in abundance during V. coralliilyticus infection, including Vibrio, Alteromonas, Amphritea, and Nautella, contributing to the pathogenicity of the bacterial community. However, R. profundi effectively countered the proliferation of these genera, promoting potential probiotic Endozoicomonas and other taxa, while reducing the abundance of betaine lipids and the type VI section system of the bacterial community. These changes ultimately influenced the interactive relationships among symbionts and demonstrated that probiotic R. profundi intervention can modulate coral-associated bacterial community, alleviate pathogenic-induced dysbiosis, and preserve coral health. These findings elucidated the relationship between the behavior of the coral-associated bacterial community and the occurrence of pathological coral bleaching.IMPORTANCEChanges in the global climate and marine environment can influence coral host and pathogen repartition which refers to an increased likelihood of pathogen infection in hosts. The risk of Vibrio coralliilyticus-induced coral disease is significantly heightened, primarily due to its thermos-dependent expression of virulent and populations. This study investigates how coral-associated bacterial communities respond to bleaching induced by V. coralliilyticus. Our findings demonstrate that Ruegeria profundi exhibits clear evidence of defense against pathogenic bacterial infection, contributing to the maintenance of host health and symbiont homeostasis. This observation suggests that bacterial pathogens could cause dysbiosis in coral holobionts. Probiotic bacteria display an essential capability in restructuring and manipulating coral-associated bacterial communities. This restructuring effectively reduces bacterial community virulence and enhances the pathogenic resistance of holobionts. The study provides valuable insights into the correlation between the health status of corals and how coral-associated bacterial communities may respond to both pathogens and probiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiting Xu
- School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology (Weihai), Weihai, China
| | - Zhonghua Cai
- Shenzhen Public Platform for Screening and Application of Marine Microbial Resources, Institute for Ocean Engineering, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Keke Cheng
- Shenzhen Public Platform for Screening and Application of Marine Microbial Resources, Institute for Ocean Engineering, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guofu Chen
- School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology (Weihai), Weihai, China
| | - Jin Zhou
- Shenzhen Public Platform for Screening and Application of Marine Microbial Resources, Institute for Ocean Engineering, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, China
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15
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Chen B, Wei Y, Yu K, Liang Y, Yu X, Liao Z, Qin Z, Xu L, Bao Z. The microbiome dynamics and interaction of endosymbiotic Symbiodiniaceae and fungi are associated with thermal bleaching susceptibility of coral holobionts. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0193923. [PMID: 38445866 PMCID: PMC11022545 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01939-23] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The thermal bleaching percentage of coral holobionts shows interspecific differences under heat-stress conditions, which are closely related to the coral-associated microbiome. However, the ecological effects of community dynamics and interactions between Symbiodiniaceae and fungi on coral thermal bleaching susceptibility remain unclear. In this study, we analyzed the diversity, community structure, functions, and potential interaction of Symbiodiniaceae and fungi among 18 coral species from a high thermal bleaching risk atoll using next-generation sequencing. The results showed that heat-tolerant C3u sub-clade and Durusdinium dominated the Symbiodiniaceae community of corals and that there were no core amplicon sequence variants in the coral-associated fungal community. Fungal richness and the abundance of confirmed functional animal-plant pathogens were significantly positively correlated with the coral thermal bleaching percentage. Fungal indicators, including Didymellaceae, Chaetomiaceae, Schizophyllum, and Colletotrichum, were identified in corals. Each coral species had a complex Symbiodiniaceae-fungi interaction network (SFIN), which was driven by the dominant Symbiodiniaceae sub-clades. The SFINs of coral holobionts with low thermal bleaching susceptibility exhibited low complexity and high betweenness centrality. These results indicate that the extra heat tolerance of coral in Huangyan Island may be linked to the high abundance of heat-tolerant Symbiodiniaceae. Fungal communities have high interspecific flexibility, and the increase of fungal diversity and pathogen abundance was correlated with higher thermal bleaching susceptibility of corals. Moreover, fungal indicators were associated with the degrees of coral thermal bleaching susceptibility, including both high and intermediate levels. The topological properties of SFINs suggest that heat-tolerant coral have limited fungal parasitism and strong microbial network resilience.IMPORTANCEGlobal warming and enhanced marine heatwaves have led to a rapid decline in coral reef ecosystems worldwide. Several studies have focused on the impact of coral-associated microbiomes on thermal bleaching susceptibility in corals; however, the ecological functions and interactions between Symbiodiniaceae and fungi remain unclear. We investigated the microbiome dynamics and potential interactions of Symbiodiniaceae and fungi among 18 coral species in Huangyan Island. Our study found that the Symbiodiniaceae community of corals was mainly composed of heat-tolerant C3u sub-clade and Durusdinium. The increase in fungal diversity and pathogen abundance has close associations with higher coral thermal bleaching susceptibility. We first constructed an interaction network between Symbiodiniaceae and fungi in corals, which indicated that restricting fungal parasitism and strong interaction network resilience would promote heat acclimatization of corals. Accordingly, this study provides insights into the role of microorganisms and their interaction as drivers of interspecific differences in coral thermal bleaching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biao Chen
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Yuxin Wei
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Kefu Yu
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanting Liang
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Xiaopeng Yu
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Zhiheng Liao
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Change and Resource Use in Beibu Gulf, Ministry of Education, Nanning Normal University, Nanning, China
| | - Zhenjun Qin
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Lijia Xu
- South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, MEE, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zeming Bao
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
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16
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Ferris Z, Ribeiro E, Nagata T, van Woesik R. ReScape: transforming coral-reefscape images for quantitative analysis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8915. [PMID: 38632306 PMCID: PMC11024090 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59123-2] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Ever since the first image of a coral reef was captured in 1885, people worldwide have been accumulating images of coral reefscapes that document the historic conditions of reefs. However, these innumerable reefscape images suffer from perspective distortion, which reduces the apparent size of distant taxa, rendering the images unusable for quantitative analysis of reef conditions. Here we solve this century-long distortion problem by developing a novel computer-vision algorithm, ReScape, which removes the perspective distortion from reefscape images by transforming them into top-down views, making them usable for quantitative analysis of reef conditions. In doing so, we demonstrate the first-ever ecological application and extension of inverse-perspective mapping-a foundational technique used in the autonomous-driving industry. The ReScape algorithm is composed of seven functions that (1) calibrate the camera lens, (2) remove the inherent lens-induced image distortions, (3) detect the scene's horizon line, (4) remove the camera-roll angle, (5) detect the transformable reef area, (6) detect the scene's perspective geometry, and (7) apply brute-force inverse-perspective mapping. The performance of the ReScape algorithm was evaluated by transforming the perspective of 125 reefscape images. Eighty-five percent of the images had no processing errors and of those, 95% were successfully transformed into top-down views. ReScape was validated by demonstrating that same-length transects, placed increasingly further from the camera, became the same length after transformation. The mission of the ReScape algorithm is to (i) unlock historical information about coral-reef conditions from previously unquantified periods and localities, (ii) enable citizen scientists and recreational photographers to contribute reefscape images to the scientific process, and (iii) provide a new survey technique that can rigorously assess relatively large areas of coral reefs, and other marine and even terrestrial ecosystems, worldwide. To facilitate this mission, we compiled the ReScape algorithm into a free, user-friendly App that does not require any coding experience. Equipped with the ReScape App, scientists can improve the management and prediction of the future of coral reefs by uncovering historical information from reefscape-image archives and by using reefscape images as a new, rapid survey method, opening a new era of coral-reef monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Ferris
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, 32901, USA
| | - E Ribeiro
- Department of Computer Science, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, 32901, USA
| | - T Nagata
- Incorporated Foundation Okinawa Environment Science Center, Urasoe, Okinawa, 901-2111, Japan
| | - R van Woesik
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, 32901, USA.
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17
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McWhorter JK, Halloran PR, Roff G, Mumby PJ. Climate change impacts on mesophotic regions of the Great Barrier Reef. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2303336121. [PMID: 38588432 PMCID: PMC11032494 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2303336121] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Climate change projections for coral reefs are founded exclusively on sea surface temperatures (SST). While SST projections are relevant for the shallowest reefs, neglecting ocean stratification overlooks the striking differences in temperature experienced by deeper reefs for all or part of the year. Density stratification creates a buoyancy barrier partitioning the upper and lower parts of the water column. Here, we mechanistically downscale climate models and quantify patterns of thermal stratification above mesophotic corals (depth 30 to 50 m) of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Stratification insulates many offshore regions of the GBR from heatwaves at the surface. However, this protection is lost once global average temperatures exceed ~3 °C above preindustrial, after which mesophotic temperatures surpass a recognized threshold of 30 °C for coral mortality. Bottom temperatures on the GBR (30 to 50 m) from 2050 to 2060 are estimated to increase by ~0.5 to 1 °C under lower climate emissions (SSP1-1.9) and ~1.2 to 1.7 °C under higher climate emissions (SSP5-8.5). In short, mesophotic coral reefs are also threatened by climate change and research might prioritize the sensitivity of such corals to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K. McWhorter
- Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, ExeterEX4 4QJ, United Kingdom
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of the Environment The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD4072, Australia
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystem Divisions, Miami, FL33149
| | - Paul R. Halloran
- Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, ExeterEX4 4QJ, United Kingdom
| | - George Roff
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of the Environment The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD4072, Australia
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Oceans & Atmosphere, St Lucia, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Peter J. Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of the Environment The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD4072, Australia
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Villalobos R, Aylagas E, Ellis JI, Pearman JK, Anlauf H, Curdia J, Lozano-Cortes D, Mejia A, Roth F, Berumen ML, Carvalho S. Responses of the coral reef cryptobiome to environmental gradients in the Red Sea. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301837. [PMID: 38626123 PMCID: PMC11020721 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
An essential component of the coral reef animal diversity is the species hidden in crevices within the reef matrix, referred to as the cryptobiome. These organisms play an important role in nutrient cycling and provide an abundant food source for higher trophic levels, yet they have been largely overlooked. Here, we analyzed the distribution patterns of the mobile cryptobiome (>2000 μm) along the latitudinal gradient of the Saudi Arabian coast of the Red Sea. Analysis was conducted based on 54 Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures. We retrieved a total of 5273 organisms, from which 2583 DNA sequences from the mitochondrially encoded cytochrome c oxidase I were generated through sanger sequencing. We found that the cryptobiome community is variable over short geographical distances within the basin. Regression tree models identified sea surface temperature (SST), percentage cover of hard coral and turf algae as determinant for the number of operational taxonomic units present per Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS). Our results also show that the community structure of the cryptobiome is associated with the energy available (measured as photosynthetic active radiation), sea surface temperature, and nearby reef habitat characteristics (namely hard corals, turf and macroalgae). Given that temperature and reef benthic characteristics affect the cryptobiome, current scenarios of intensive climate change are likely to modify this fundamental biological component of coral reef functioning. However, the trajectory of change is unknow and can be site specific, as for example, diversity is expected to increase above SST of 28.5°C, and with decreasing hard coral and turf cover. This study provides a baseline of the cryptobenthic community prior to major coastal developments in the Red Sea to be used for future biodiversity studies and monitoring projects. It can also contribute to better understand patterns of reef biodiversity in a period where Marine Protected Areas are being discussed in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Villalobos
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Red Sea Research Center, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eva Aylagas
- The Red Sea Development Company, AlRaidah Digital City, Saudi Arabia
| | - Joanne I. Ellis
- School of Biological Sciences, Waikato University, Tauranga, New Zealand
| | - John K. Pearman
- Coastal and Freshwater Group, Cawthron Institute, Nelson, New Zealand
| | - Holger Anlauf
- University of Seychelles and Blue Economy Research Institute Anse Royal, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles
| | - Joao Curdia
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Red Sea Research Center, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Alejandro Mejia
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Red Sea Research Center, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Florian Roth
- Stockholm University, Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michael L. Berumen
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Red Sea Research Center, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Susana Carvalho
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Red Sea Research Center, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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19
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Roberts LR, Kersting DK, Zinke J, Rose NL. First recorded presence of anthropogenic fly-ash particles in coral skeletons. Sci Total Environ 2024; 921:170665. [PMID: 38311084 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170665] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Fly-ash particles formed during industrial fossil-fuel combustion show a globally observed rapid increase in concentration within natural archives post-1950 and have been proposed as a marker for the Anthropocene Epoch. Here, we present the first record of fly-ash particles incorporated into coral skeletons. Particles are present in Mediterranean corals between CE 1957 and 1992 at concentrations of 8-30 g-1 coral, mirroring the period of increased industrial activity in the area, and corroborating with spheroidal carbonaceous particle (SCP) records globally. The findings have important implications for the use of SCPs as markers in natural archives. With the exception of microplastics, this is the first evidence of particulate contamination in corals collected from natural environments. Further research is needed to understand incorporation pathways into coral skeletons, any subsequent ecotoxicological impact of contaminants, and the influence on overall coral health globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- L R Roberts
- Environmental Change Research Centre, Department of Geography, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - D K Kersting
- Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre de la Sal (IATS-CSIC), 12595 Ribera de Cabanes, Castelló, Spain
| | - J Zinke
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - N L Rose
- Environmental Change Research Centre, Department of Geography, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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20
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Jiang L, Zhang P, Huang LT, Yu XL, Liu CY, Yuan XC, Liu S, Huang H. Life-stage specificity and temporal variations in transcriptomes and DNA methylomes of the reef coral Pocillopora damicornis in response to thermal acclimation. Sci Total Environ 2024; 921:171098. [PMID: 38387572 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171098] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the acclimation capacity of reef corals across generations to thermal stress and its underlying molecular underpinnings could provide insights into their resilience and adaptive responses to future climate change. Here, we acclimated adult brooding coral Pocillopora damicornis to high temperature (32 °C vs. 29 °C) for three weeks and analyzed the changes in phenotypes, transcriptomes and DNA methylomes of adult corals and their brooded larvae. Results showed that although adult corals did not show noticeable bleaching after thermal exposure, they released fewer but larger larvae. Interestingly, larval cohorts from two consecutive lunar days exhibited contrasting physiological resistance to thermal stress, as evidenced by the divergent responses of area-normalized symbiont densities and photochemical efficiency to thermal stress. RNA-seq and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing revealed that adult and larval corals mounted distinct transcriptional and DNA methylation changes in response to thermal stress. Remarkably, larval transcriptomes and DNA methylomes also varied greatly among lunar days and thermal treatments, aligning well with their physiological metrics. Overall, our study shows that changes in transcriptomes and DNA methylomes in response to thermal acclimation can be highly life stage-specific. More importantly, thermally-acclimated adult corals could produce larval offspring with temporally contrasting photochemical performance and thermal resilience, and such variations in larval phenotypes are associated with differential transcriptomes and DNA methylomes, and are likely to increase the likelihood of reproductive success and plasticity of larval propagules under thermal stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Ocean Eco-Environmental Engineering, SCSIO, Sanya 572000, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Pan Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Ocean Eco-Environmental Engineering, SCSIO, Sanya 572000, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lin-Tao Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Ocean Eco-Environmental Engineering, SCSIO, Sanya 572000, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiao-Lei Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Ocean Eco-Environmental Engineering, SCSIO, Sanya 572000, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Cheng-Yue Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Ocean Eco-Environmental Engineering, SCSIO, Sanya 572000, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Xiang-Cheng Yuan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Ocean Eco-Environmental Engineering, SCSIO, Sanya 572000, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Sheng Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Ocean Eco-Environmental Engineering, SCSIO, Sanya 572000, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Hui Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Ocean Eco-Environmental Engineering, SCSIO, Sanya 572000, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China.
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21
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Yen LP, Yong CLX, Todd PA. The effect of coral colony morphology, coral surface condition, particle size, and seeding point on the trapping and deposition of microplastics. Sci Total Environ 2024; 921:171077. [PMID: 38382597 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171077] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Coral reefs are increasingly identified as microplastic sinks. Understanding the trapping and deposition effects on microplastics among coral colonies of different morphologies can help identify which corals and coral reefs are at higher risk of microplastic exposure. Here, we used a current-generating saltwater flume to explore microplastic trapping and deposition among branching coral, Pocillopora acuta, colonies with contrasting morphologies (open and compact), together with varying coral surface conditions (live, dead, and waxed), microplastic sizes (400 to 500 μm and 900 to 1000 μm), and seeding points (above-colony and mid-colony). Results revealed that more microplastics were trapped by, and deposited nearer to, compact colonies compared to those with a more open morphology-likely due to differences in flow dynamics. More of the larger microplastics were trapped, as were those introduced at the mid seeding point, but coral surface condition had no significant effect. These findings add to the growing evidence that corals are effective at trapping and facilitating deposition of microplastics. Branching corals with compact structures are potentially at high risk of microplastic pollution impact. We posit that coral composition, i.e. the relative abundance of compact branching colonies, will affect microplastic accumulation in natural reef environments. SYNOPSIS: This study demonstrates the effects of coral morphology on microplastic trapping and deposition, providing mechanistic insights into the factors that contribute to coral reefs acting as microplastic sinks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Peng Yen
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117558, Singapore
| | - Clara Lei Xin Yong
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117558, Singapore
| | - Peter A Todd
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117558, Singapore.
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22
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Sosdian SM, Gagan MK, Natawidjaja DH, Kimbrough AK, Suwargadi BW, Rifai H, Scott-Gagan H, Prayudi D, Suprihanto I, Hantoro WS. Coral geochemical response to uplift in the aftermath of the 2005 Nias-Simeulue earthquake. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8686. [PMID: 38622214 PMCID: PMC11018842 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57833-1] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
On 28 March 2005, the Indonesian islands of Nias and Simeulue experienced a powerful Mw 8.6 earthquake and coseismic uplift and subsidence. In areas of coastal uplift (up to ~ 2.8 m), fringing reef coral communities were killed by exposure, while deeper corals that survived were subjected to habitats with altered runoff, sediment and nutrient regimes. Here we present time-series (2000-2009) of Mn/Ca, Y/Ca and Ba/Ca variability in massive Porites corals from Nias to assess the environmental impact of a wide range of vertical displacement (+ 2.5 m to - 0.4 m). High-resolution LA-ICP-MS measurements show that skeletal Mn/Ca increased at uplifted sites, regardless of reef type, indicating a post-earthquake increase in suspended sediment delivery. Transient and/or long-term increases in skeletal Y/Ca at all uplift sites support the idea of increased sediment delivery. Coral Mn/Ca and Ba/Ca in lagoonal environments highlight the additional influences of reef bathymetry, wind-driven sediment resuspension, and phytoplankton blooms on coral geochemistry. Together, the results show that the Nias reefs adapted to fundamentally altered hydrographic conditions. We show how centuries of repeated subsidence and uplift during great-earthquake cycles along the Sunda megathrust may have shaped the modern-day predominance of massive scleractinian corals on the West Sumatran reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sindia M Sosdian
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK.
- Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
| | - Michael K Gagan
- Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Danny H Natawidjaja
- Research Center for Geological Disaster, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Bandung, 40135, Indonesia
| | - Alena K Kimbrough
- Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Bambang W Suwargadi
- Research Center for Geotechnology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Bandung, 40135, Indonesia
| | - Hamdi Rifai
- Department of Physics, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, 25131, Indonesia
| | - Heather Scott-Gagan
- Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Dudi Prayudi
- Research Center for Geotechnology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Bandung, 40135, Indonesia
| | - Imam Suprihanto
- Research Center for Geotechnology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Bandung, 40135, Indonesia
| | - Wahyoe S Hantoro
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Research Center for Geotechnology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Bandung, 40135, Indonesia
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23
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van Woesik R, Kratochwill C. A global database on coral recovery following marine heatwaves. Sci Data 2024; 11:367. [PMID: 38605060 PMCID: PMC11009248 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03221-3] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs support the world's most diverse marine ecosystem and provide invaluable goods and services for millions of people worldwide. They are however experiencing frequent and intensive marine heatwaves that are causing coral bleaching and mortality. Coarse-grained climate models predict that few coral reefs will survive the 3 °C sea-surface temperature rise in the coming century. Yet, field studies show localized pockets of coral survival and recovery even under high-temperature conditions. Quantifying recovery from marine heatwaves is central to making accurate predictions of coral-reef trajectories into the near future. Here we introduce the world's most comprehensive database on coral recovery following marine heatwaves and other disturbances, called Heatwaves and Coral-Recovery Database (HeatCRD) encompassing 29,205 data records spanning 44 years from 12,266 sites, 83 countries, and 160 data sources. These data provide essential information to coral-reef scientists and managers to best guide coral-reef conservation efforts at both local and regional scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert van Woesik
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida, 32901, United States of America.
| | - Chelsey Kratochwill
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida, 32901, United States of America
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24
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Bisanti L, La Corte C, Dara M, Bertini F, Parisi MG, Chemello R, Cammarata M, Parrinello D. Global warming-related response after bacterial challenge in Astroides calycularis, a Mediterranean thermophilic coral. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8495. [PMID: 38605161 PMCID: PMC11009343 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58652-0] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
A worldwide increase in the prevalence of coral diseases and mortality has been linked to ocean warming due to changes in coral-associated bacterial communities, pathogen virulence, and immune system function. In the Mediterranean basin, the worrying upward temperature trend has already caused recurrent mass mortality events in recent decades. To evaluate how elevated seawater temperatures affect the immune response of a thermophilic coral species, colonies of Astroides calycularis were exposed to environmental (23 °C) or elevated (28 °C) temperatures, and subsequently challenged with bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Using immunolabeling with specific antibodies, we detected the production of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), molecules involved in coral immune responses, and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) activity, involved in general responses to thermal stress. A histological approach allowed us to characterize the tissue sites of activation (epithelium and/or gastroderm) under different experimental conditions. The activity patterns of the examined markers after 6 h of LPS stimulation revealed an up-modulation at environmental temperature. Under warmer conditions plus LPS-challenge, TLR4-NF-kB activation was almost completely suppressed, while constituent elevated values were recorded under thermal stress only. An HSP70 up-regulation appeared in both treatments at elevated temperature, with a significantly higher activation in LPS-challenge colonies. Such an approach is useful for further understanding the molecular pathogen-defense mechanisms in corals in order to disentangle the complex interactive effects on the health of these ecologically relevant organisms related to global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Bisanti
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128, Palermo, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - C La Corte
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128, Palermo, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - M Dara
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128, Palermo, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - F Bertini
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128, Palermo, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - M G Parisi
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128, Palermo, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - R Chemello
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128, Palermo, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - M Cammarata
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128, Palermo, Italy.
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy.
| | - D Parrinello
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128, Palermo, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy
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25
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Ayalon I, Avisar D, Jechow A, Levy O. Corals nitrogen and carbon isotopic signatures alters under Artificial Light at Night (ALAN). Sci Total Environ 2024; 920:170513. [PMID: 38360314 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170513] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
This study examines the impact of Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) on two coral species, Acropora eurystoma and Pocillopora damicornis, in the Gulf of Aqaba/Eilat Red Sea, assessing their natural isotopic responses to highlight changes in energy and nutrient sourcing due to sensory light pollution. Our findings indicate significant disturbances in photosynthetic processes in Acropora eurystoma, as evidenced by shifts in δ13C values under ALAN, pointing to alterations in carbon distribution or utilization. In Pocillopora damicornis, similar trends were observed, with changes in δ13C and δ15N values suggesting a disruption in its nitrogen cycle and feeding strategies. The study also uncovers species-specific variations in heterotrophic feeding, a crucial factor in coral resilience under environmental stress, contributing to the corals' fixed carbon budget. Light measurements across the Gulf demonstrated a gradient of light pollution which possess the potential of affecting marine biology in the region. ALAN was found to disrupt natural diurnal tentacle behaviors in both coral species, crucial for prey capture and nutrient acquisition, thereby impacting their isotopic composition and health. Echoing previous research, our study underscores the need to consider each species' ecological and physiological contexts when assessing the impacts of anthropogenic changes. The findings offer important insights into the complexities of marine ecosystems under environmental stress and highlight the urgency of developing effective mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inbal Ayalon
- Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 39040, Israel; Israel The H. Steinitz Marine Biology Laboratory, The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences of Eilat, P.O. Box 469, Eilat 88103, Israel; Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel.
| | - Dror Avisar
- Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 39040, Israel
| | - Andreas Jechow
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin 12587, Germany; Department of Engineering, Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences, 14770 Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany
| | - Oren Levy
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel.
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26
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Messer LF, Bourne DG, Robbins SJ, Clay M, Bell SC, McIlroy SJ, Tyson GW. A genome-centric view of the role of the Acropora kenti microbiome in coral health and resilience. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2902. [PMID: 38575584 PMCID: PMC10995205 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46905-5] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbial diversity has been extensively explored in reef-building corals. However, the functional roles of coral-associated microorganisms remain poorly elucidated. Here, we recover 191 bacterial and 10 archaeal metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from the coral Acropora kenti (formerly A. tenuis) and adjacent seawater, to identify microbial functions and metabolic interactions within the holobiont. We show that 82 MAGs were specific to the A. kenti holobiont, including members of the Pseudomonadota, Bacteroidota, and Desulfobacterota. A. kenti-specific MAGs displayed significant differences in their genomic features and functional potential relative to seawater-specific MAGs, with a higher prevalence of genes involved in host immune system evasion, nitrogen and carbon fixation, and synthesis of five essential B-vitamins. We find a diversity of A. kenti-specific MAGs encode the biosynthesis of essential amino acids, such as tryptophan, histidine, and lysine, which cannot be de novo synthesised by the host or Symbiodiniaceae. Across a water quality gradient spanning 2° of latitude, A. kenti microbial community composition is correlated to increased temperature and dissolved inorganic nitrogen, with corresponding enrichment in molecular chaperones, nitrate reductases, and a heat-shock protein. We reveal mechanisms of A. kenti-microbiome-symbiosis on the Great Barrier Reef, highlighting the interactions underpinning the health of this keystone holobiont.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren F Messer
- Centre for Microbiome Research, School of Biomedical Sciences, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4102, Australia.
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK.
| | - David G Bourne
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia
| | - Steven J Robbins
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Megan Clay
- Centre for Microbiome Research, School of Biomedical Sciences, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Sara C Bell
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia
| | - Simon J McIlroy
- Centre for Microbiome Research, School of Biomedical Sciences, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Gene W Tyson
- Centre for Microbiome Research, School of Biomedical Sciences, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4102, Australia.
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Thomas L, Şahin D, Adam AS, Grimaldi CM, Ryan NM, Duffy SL, Underwood JN, Kennington WJ, Gilmour JP. Resilience to periodic disturbances and the long-term genetic stability in Acropora coral. Commun Biol 2024; 7:410. [PMID: 38575730 PMCID: PMC10995172 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06100-0] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Climate change is restructuring natural ecosystems. The direct impacts of these events on biodiversity and community structure are widely documented, but the impacts on the genetic variation of populations remains largely unknown. We monitored populations of Acropora coral on a remote coral reef system in northwest Australia for two decades and through multiple cycles of impact and recovery. We combined these demographic data with a temporal genetic dataset of a common broadcast spawning corymbose Acropora to explore the spatial and temporal patterns of connectivity underlying recovery. Our data show that broad-scale dispersal and post-recruitment survival drive recovery from recurrent disturbances, including mass bleaching and mortality. Consequently, genetic diversity and associated patterns of connectivity are maintained through time in the broader metapopulation. The results highlight an inherent resilience in these globally threatened species of coral and showcase their ability to cope with multiple disturbances, given enough time to recover is permitted.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Thomas
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, Australia.
- UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.
| | - D Şahin
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, Australia
- UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - A S Adam
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, Australia
| | - C M Grimaldi
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, Australia
- UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - N M Ryan
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, Australia
| | - S L Duffy
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, Australia
- UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - J N Underwood
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, Australia
| | - W J Kennington
- UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - J P Gilmour
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, Australia
- UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
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Castillo KD, Bove CB, Hughes AM, Powell ME, Ries JB, Davies SW. Gene expression plasticity facilitates acclimatization of a long-lived Caribbean coral across divergent reef environments. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7859. [PMID: 38570591 PMCID: PMC10991280 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57319-0] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Local adaptation can increase fitness under stable environmental conditions. However, in rapidly changing environments, compensatory mechanisms enabled through plasticity may better promote fitness. Climate change is causing devastating impacts on coral reefs globally and understanding the potential for adaptive and plastic responses is critical for reef management. We conducted a four-year, three-way reciprocal transplant of the Caribbean coral Siderastrea siderea across forereef, backreef, and nearshore populations in Belize to investigate the potential for environmental specialization versus plasticity in this species. Corals maintained high survival within forereef and backreef environments, but transplantation to nearshore environments resulted in high mortality, suggesting that nearshore environments present strong environmental selection. Only forereef-sourced corals demonstrated evidence of environmental specialization, exhibiting the highest growth in the forereef. Gene expression profiling 3.5 years post-transplantation revealed that transplanted coral hosts exhibited profiles more similar to other corals in the same reef environment, regardless of their source location, suggesting that transcriptome plasticity facilitates acclimatization to environmental change in S. siderea. In contrast, algal symbiont (Cladocopium goreaui) gene expression showcased functional variation between source locations that was maintained post-transplantation. Our findings suggest limited acclimatory capacity of some S. siderea populations under strong environmental selection and highlight the potential limits of coral physiological plasticity in reef restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl D Castillo
- Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Environment, Ecology and Energy Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Colleen B Bove
- Environment, Ecology and Energy Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | | | - Maya E Powell
- Environment, Ecology and Energy Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Justin B Ries
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Marine Sciences Center, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA, USA
| | - Sarah W Davies
- Environment, Ecology and Energy Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
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Walker BK, Fisco Becker D, Williams GJ, Kilfoyle AK, Smith SG, Kozachuk A. Regional reef fish assemblage maps provide baseline biogeography for tropicalization monitoring. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7893. [PMID: 38570549 PMCID: PMC10991435 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58185-6] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The Anthropocene rise in global temperatures is facilitating the expansion of tropical species into historically non-native subtropical locales, including coral reef fish. This redistribution of species, known as tropicalization, has serious consequences for economic development, livelihoods, food security, human health, and culture. Measuring the tropicalization of subtropical reef fish assemblages is difficult due to expansive species ranges, temporal distribution shifts with the movement of isotherms, and many dynamic density-dependent factors affecting occurrence and density. Therefore, in locales where tropical and subtropical species co-occur, detecting tropicalization changes relies on regional analyses of the relative densities and occurrence of species. This study provides a baseline for monitoring reef fish tropicalization by utilizing extensive monitoring data from a pivotal location in southeast Florida along a known transition between tropical and subtropical ecotones to define regional reef fish assemblages and use benthic habitat maps to spatially represent their zoogeography. Assemblages varied significantly by ecoregion, habitat depth, habitat type, and topographic relief. Generally, the southern assemblages had higher occurrences and densities of tropical species, whereas the northern assemblages had a higher occurrence and density of subtropical species. A total of 108 species were exclusive to regions south of the Bahamas Fracture Zone (BFZ) (South Palm Beach, Deerfield, Broward-Miami) and 35 were exclusive to the north (North Palm Beach, Martin), supporting the BFZ as a pivotal location that affects the coastal biogeographic extent of tropical marine species in eastern North America. Future tropicalization of reef fish assemblages are expected to be evident in temporal deviance of percent occurrence and/or relative species densities between baseline assemblages, where the poleward expansion of tropical species is expected to show the homogenization of assemblage regions as adjacent regions become more similar or the regional boundaries expand poleward. Ecoregions, habitat depth, habitat type, and relief should be incorporated into the stratification and analyses of reef fish surveys to statistically determine assemblage differences across the seascape, including those from tropicalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian K Walker
- GIS and Spatial Ecology Lab, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL, 33004, USA.
| | - Dana Fisco Becker
- GIS and Spatial Ecology Lab, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL, 33004, USA
| | - Gareth J Williams
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, LL59 5AB, UK
| | - Audie K Kilfoyle
- Resilient Environment Department, Broward County Florida, 115 S Andrews Ave, Room 329-H, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33301, USA
| | - Steven G Smith
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL, 33149, USA
| | - Allie Kozachuk
- GIS and Spatial Ecology Lab, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL, 33004, USA
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Shirodkar G, Uskaikar H, Naqvi SWA, Pratihary A, Hussain A, Shenoy DM, Gauns M, Manikandan B, Manjrekar S, Patil A. Seasonally varying biogeochemical regime around the coral habitats off central west coast of India. Mar Environ Res 2024; 196:106427. [PMID: 38479295 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106427] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
The Western Indian Continental Shelf (WICS) experiences upwelling during the Southwest Monsoon (SWM), leading to deoxygenation and acidification of subsurface waters. The region has patchy growth of corals, e.g. in the Grande Island and Angria Bank. Measurements made during the late SWM of 2022 reveal that the shelf waters around the Grande Island were subject to varying environmental conditions, viz. lower temperature (21.3-26.1°C), oxygen (0-4.9 mL L-1) and pHT (7.506-7.927). Complete anoxia was associated with sulphide build-up to a maximum of 5.9 μmol L-1 at 17 m depth. An additional episodic condition (high temperature, low oxygen and pH) also occurred associated presumably with a plankton bloom in April 2017. Hence, unlike the offshore coral site Angria Bank, waters around the Grande Island experiences extreme changes in physico-chemical conditions (e.g. Ωarg ∼1.2-1.8 during October 2022) seasonally as reported here. The biogeochemical conditions are however not as intense (Ωarg = 0.6) as observed along the eastern boundary upwelling system of the Pacific Ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gayatri Shirodkar
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa-403004, India.
| | - Hema Uskaikar
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa-403004, India
| | - S W A Naqvi
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa-403004, India
| | - Anil Pratihary
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa-403004, India
| | - Afreen Hussain
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa-403004, India
| | - Damodar M Shenoy
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa-403004, India
| | - Manguesh Gauns
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa-403004, India
| | - B Manikandan
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa-403004, India
| | | | - Anagha Patil
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa-403004, India
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31
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Segura-García I, Olson JB, Gochfeld DJ, Brandt ME, Chaves-Fonnegra A. Severe hurricanes increase recruitment and gene flow in the clonal sponge Aplysina cauliformis. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17307. [PMID: 38444224 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17307] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Upright branching sponges, such as Aplysina cauliformis, provide critical three-dimensional habitat for other organisms and assist in stabilizing coral reef substrata, but are highly susceptible to breakage during storms. Breakage can increase sponge fragmentation, contributing to population clonality and inbreeding. Conversely, storms could provide opportunities for new genotypes to enter populations via larval recruitment, resulting in greater genetic diversity in locations with frequent storms. The unprecedented occurrence of two Category 5 hurricanes in close succession during 2017 in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) provided a unique opportunity to evaluate whether recolonization of newly available substrata on coral reefs was due to local (e.g. re-growth of remnants, fragmentation, larval recruitment) or remote (e.g. larval transport and immigration) sponge genotypes. We sampled A. cauliformis adults and juveniles from four reefs around St. Thomas and two in St. Croix (USVI). Using a 2bRAD protocol, all samples were genotyped for single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Results showed that these major storm events favoured sponge larval recruitment but did not increase the genetic diversity of A. cauliformis populations. Recolonization of substratum post-storms via clonality was lower (15%) than expected and instead was mainly due to sexual reproduction (85%) via local larval recruitment. Storms did enhance gene flow among and within reef sites located south of St. Thomas and north of St. Croix. Therefore, populations of clonal marine species with low pelagic dispersion, such as A. cauliformis, may benefit from increased frequency and magnitude of hurricanes for the maintenance of genetic diversity and to combat inbreeding, enhancing the resilience of Caribbean sponge communities to extreme storm events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Segura-García
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
| | - Julie B Olson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Deborah J Gochfeld
- National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi, USA
| | - Marilyn E Brandt
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, USA
| | - Andia Chaves-Fonnegra
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
- Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida, USA
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32
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Lintner M, Schagerl M, Lintner B, Wanek W, Goleń J, Tyszka J, Heinz P. Impact of pesticides on marine coral reef foraminifera. Mar Pollut Bull 2024; 201:116237. [PMID: 38457881 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116237] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Our laboratory study looked into how pesticides affect the foraminifera species Heterostegina depressa and their obligatory algal endosymbionts. We incubated the foraminifera separately with different types of pesticides at varying concentrations (1 %, 0.01 % and 0.0001 %); we included the insecticide Confidor© (active substance: imidacloprid), the fungicide Pronto©Plus (tebuconazole), and the herbicide Roundup© (glyphosate). Our evaluation focused on the symbiont's photosynthetically active area (PA), and the uptake of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and nitrogen (nitrate) to determine the vitality of the foraminifera. Our findings showed that even the lowest doses of the fungicide and herbicide caused irreparable damage to the foraminifera and their symbionts. While the insecticide only deactivated the symbionts (PA = 0) at the highest concentration (1 %), the fungicide, and herbicide caused complete deactivation even at the lowest levels provided (0.0001 %). The fungicide had the strongest toxic effect on the foraminiferal host regarding reduced isotope uptake. In conclusion, all pesticides had a negative impact on the holosymbiont, with the host showing varying degrees of sensitivity towards different types of pesticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Lintner
- ING PAN - Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Research Centre in Kraków, Poland; Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Schagerl
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bianca Lintner
- ING PAN - Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Research Centre in Kraków, Poland
| | - Wolfgang Wanek
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jan Goleń
- ING PAN - Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Research Centre in Kraków, Poland
| | - Jarosław Tyszka
- ING PAN - Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Research Centre in Kraków, Poland
| | - Petra Heinz
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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33
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McIlroy SE, Guibert I, Archana A, Chung WYH, Duffy JE, Gotama R, Hui J, Knowlton N, Leray M, Meyer C, Panagiotou G, Paulay G, Russell B, Thompson PD, Baker DM. Life goes on: Spatial heterogeneity promotes biodiversity in an urbanized coastal marine ecosystem. Glob Chang Biol 2024; 30:e17248. [PMID: 38581126 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17248] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Both human populations and marine biodiversity are concentrated along coastlines, with growing conservation interest in how these ecosystems can survive intense anthropogenic impacts. Tropical urban centres provide valuable research opportunities because these megacities are often adjacent to mega-diverse coral reef systems. The Pearl River Delta is a prime exemplar, as it encompasses one of the most densely populated and impacted regions in the world and is located just northwest of the Coral Triangle. However, the spatial and taxonomic complexity of this biodiversity, most of which is small, cryptic in habitat and poorly known, make comparative analyses challenging. We deployed standardized settlement structures at seven sites differing in the intensity of human impacts and used COI metabarcoding to characterize benthic biodiversity, with a focus on metazoans. We found a total of 7184 OTUs, with an average of 665 OTUs per sampling unit; these numbers exceed those observed in many previous studies using comparable methods, despite the location of our study in an urbanized environment. Beta diversity was also high, with 52% of the OTUs found at just one site. As expected, we found that the sites close to point sources of pollution had substantially lower diversity (44% less) relative to sites bathed in less polluted oceanic waters. However, the polluted sites contributed substantially to the total animal diversity of the region, with 25% of all OTUs occurring only within polluted sites. Further analysis of Arthropoda, Annelida and Mollusca showed that phylogenetic clustering within a site was common, suggesting that environmental filtering reduced biodiversity to a subset of lineages present within the region, a pattern that was most pronounced in polluted sites and for the Arthropoda. The water quality gradients surrounding the PRD highlight the unique role of in situ studies for understanding the impacts of complex urbanization pressures on biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby E McIlroy
- School of Biological Sciences, The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P.R. China
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P.R. China
| | - Isis Guibert
- School of Biological Sciences, The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P.R. China
| | - Anand Archana
- School of Biological Sciences, The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P.R. China
- San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Wing Yi Haze Chung
- School of Biological Sciences, The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P.R. China
| | - J Emmett Duffy
- MarineGEO Program and Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, Maryland, USA
| | - Rinaldi Gotama
- School of Biological Sciences, The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P.R. China
- Indo Ocean Project, Banjar Adegan Kawan, Desa Ped, Bali, Indonesia
| | - Jerome Hui
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P.R. China
| | - Nancy Knowlton
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Matthieu Leray
- MarineGEO Program and Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, Maryland, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Panama City, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama
| | - Chris Meyer
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Gianni Panagiotou
- Department of Microbiome Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany
- Friedrich Schiller University, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Jena, Germany
- Department of Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Gustav Paulay
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Bayden Russell
- School of Biological Sciences, The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P.R. China
| | - Philip D Thompson
- School of Biological Sciences, The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P.R. China
| | - David M Baker
- School of Biological Sciences, The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P.R. China
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Perry WB. Macabre 'Finding Nemo' remake, starring the reticulated damselfish (Dascyllus reticulatus). J Fish Biol 2024; 104:911. [PMID: 38602864 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
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Canty SWJ, Nowakowski AJ, Cox CE, Valdivia A, Holstein DM, Limer B, Lefcheck JS, Craig N, Drysdale I, Giro A, Soto M, McField M. Interplay of management and environmental drivers shifts size structure of reef fish communities. Glob Chang Biol 2024; 30:e17257. [PMID: 38572701 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17257] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Countries are expanding marine protected area (MPA) networks to mitigate fisheries declines and support marine biodiversity. However, MPA impact evaluations typically assess total fish biomass. Here, we examine how fish biomass disaggregated by adult and juvenile life stages responds to environmental drivers, including sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies and human footprint, and multiple management types at 139 reef sites in the Mesoamerican Reef (MAR) region. We found that total fish biomass generally appears stable across the region from 2006 to 2018, with limited rebuilding of fish stocks in MPAs. However, the metric of total fish biomass masked changes in fish community structure, with lower adult than juvenile fish biomass at northern sites, and adult:juvenile ratios closer to 1:1 at southern sites. These shifts were associated with different responses of juvenile and adult fish to environmental drivers and management. Juvenile fish biomass increased at sites with high larval connectivity and coral cover, whereas adult fish biomass decreased at sites with greater human footprint and SST anomalies. Adult fish biomass decreased primarily in Honduran general use zones, which suggests insufficient protection for adult fish in the southern MAR. There was a north-south gradient in management and environmental drivers, with lower coverage of fully protected areas and higher SST anomalies and coastal development in the south that together may undermine the maintenance of adult fish biomass in the southern MAR. Accounting for the interplay between environmental drivers and management in the design of MPAs is critical for increasing fish biomass across life history stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven W J Canty
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, Maryland, USA
| | - A Justin Nowakowski
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, Maryland, USA
- Moore Center for Science, Conservation International, Arlington, Virginia, USA
| | | | - Abel Valdivia
- World Wildlife Fund, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Daniel M Holstein
- Department of Oceanography and Coastal Studies, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Benjamin Limer
- Department of Oceanography and Coastal Studies, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Jonathan S Lefcheck
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, Maryland, USA
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge, Maryland, USA
| | - Nicole Craig
- Healthy Reefs Initiative, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
| | - Ian Drysdale
- Healthy Reefs Initiative, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
| | - Ana Giro
- Healthy Reefs Initiative, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
| | - Mélina Soto
- Healthy Reefs Initiative, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
| | - Melanie McField
- Healthy Reefs Initiative, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
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36
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Mattos FMG, Dreyer N, Fong CL, Wen YHV, Jain D, De Vivo M, Huang YS, Mwihaki JK, Wang TY, Ho MJ, Tsai IJ, Wang J, Chan BKK, Machida RJ. Potential PCR amplification bias in identifying complex ecological patterns: Higher species compositional homogeneity revealed in smaller-size coral reef zooplankton by metatranscriptomics. Mol Ecol Resour 2024; 24:e13911. [PMID: 38063371 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13911] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
PCR-based high-throughput sequencing has permitted comprehensive resolution analyses of zooplankton diversity dynamics. However, significant methodological issues still surround analyses of complex bulk community samples, not least as in prevailing PCR-based approaches. Marine drifting animals-zooplankton-play essential ecological roles in the pelagic ecosystem, transferring energy and elements to higher trophic levels, such as fishes, cetaceans and others. In the present study, we collected 48 size-fractionated zooplankton samples in the vicinity of a coral reef island with environmental gradients. To investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of zooplankton diversity patterns and the effect of PCR amplification biases across these complex communities, we first took metatranscriptomics approach. Comprehensive computational analyses revealed a clear pattern of higher/lower homogeneity in smaller/larger zooplankton compositions across samples respectively. Our study thus suggests changes in the role of dispersal across the sizes. Next, we applied in silico PCR to the metatranscriptomics datasets, in order to estimate the extent of PCR amplification bias. Irrespective of stringency criteria, we observed clear separations of size fraction sample clusters in both metatranscriptomics and in silico datasets. In contrast, the pattern-smaller-fractioned communities had higher compositional homogeneity than larger ones-was observed in the metatranscriptomics data but not in the in silico datasets. To investigate this discrepancy further, we analysed the mismatches of widely used mitochondrial CO1 primers and identified priming site mismatches likely driving PCR-based biases. Our results suggest the use of metatranscriptomics or, although less ideal, redesigning the CO1 primers is necessary to circumvent these issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe M G Mattos
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Biodiversity Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Niklas Dreyer
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Biodiversity Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, Invertebrate Zoology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Chia-Ling Fong
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Biodiversity Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Hui Victoria Wen
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Ph.D. Program in Microbial Genomics, National Chung Hsing University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Dharmesh Jain
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Molecular and Biological Agricultural Sciences, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Chung Hsing University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mattia De Vivo
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Biodiversity Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Sin Huang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Biodiversity Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - John Karichu Mwihaki
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Biodiversity Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tzi-Yuan Wang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Jay Ho
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - John Wang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Benny K K Chan
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ryuji J Machida
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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Ishibashi H, Nishimura S, Tanaka K, Haruta S, Takayama K, Yamashiro H, Takeuchi I. Transcriptome analysis reveals limited toxic effects of the UV-filter benzophenone-3 (BP-3) on the hermatypic coral Acropora tenuis and its symbiotic dinoflagellates. Mar Pollut Bull 2024; 201:116260. [PMID: 38522341 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116260] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the toxic and transcriptomic effects of the ultraviolet filter benzophenone-3 (BP-3) on Acropora tenuis and its symbiotic dinoflagellates while using acetone as a solvent. Seven-day exposure to 50 and 500 μg/L, which is higher than most BP-3 records from coastal waters, did not affect coral colour or dinoflagellate photosynthesis. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between seawater and solvent controls were <20 in both corals and dinoflagellates. Eleven coral DEGs were detected after treatment with 50 μg/L BP-3. Fourteen coral DEGs, including several fluorescent protein genes, were detected after treatment with 500 μg/L BP-3. In contrast, no dinoflagellate DEGs were detected in the BP-3 treatment group. These results suggest that the effects of 50-500 μg/L BP-3 on adult A. tenuis and its dinoflagellates are limited. Our experimental methods with lower acetone toxicity provide a basis for establishing standard ecotoxicity tests for corals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Ishibashi
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Ehime University, 3-5-7 Tarumi, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8566, Japan; Center of Advanced Technology for the Environment, Graduate School of Agriculture, Ehime University, 3-5-7 Tarumi, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8566, Japan
| | - Saori Nishimura
- Faculty of Agriculture, Ehime University, 3-5-7 Tarumi, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8566, Japan
| | - Kokoro Tanaka
- Faculty of Agriculture, Ehime University, 3-5-7 Tarumi, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8566, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Haruta
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Ehime University, 3-5-7 Tarumi, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8566, Japan; Center of Advanced Technology for the Environment, Graduate School of Agriculture, Ehime University, 3-5-7 Tarumi, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8566, Japan
| | - Kotaro Takayama
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Ehime University, 3-5-7 Tarumi, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8566, Japan; Center of Advanced Technology for the Environment, Graduate School of Agriculture, Ehime University, 3-5-7 Tarumi, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8566, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Yamashiro
- Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 3422 Sesoko, Motobu, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Ichiro Takeuchi
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Ehime University, 3-5-7 Tarumi, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8566, Japan; Center of Advanced Technology for the Environment, Graduate School of Agriculture, Ehime University, 3-5-7 Tarumi, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8566, Japan.
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38
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Ruiz-Moreno A, Emslie MJ, Connolly SR. High response diversity and conspecific density-dependence, not species interactions, drive dynamics of coral reef fish communities. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14424. [PMID: 38634183 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14424] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Species-to-species and species-to-environment interactions are key drivers of community dynamics. Disentangling these drivers in species-rich assemblages is challenging due to the high number of potentially interacting species (the 'curse of dimensionality'). We develop a process-based model that quantifies how intraspecific and interspecific interactions, and species' covarying responses to environmental fluctuations, jointly drive community dynamics. We fit the model to reef fish abundance time series from 41 reefs of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. We found that fluctuating relative abundances are driven by species' heterogenous responses to environmental fluctuations, whereas interspecific interactions are negligible. Species differences in long-term average abundances are driven by interspecific variation in the magnitudes of both conspecific density-dependence and density-independent growth rates. This study introduces a novel approach to overcoming the curse of dimensionality, which reveals highly individualistic dynamics in coral reef fish communities that imply a high level of niche structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Ruiz-Moreno
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Michael J Emslie
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sean R Connolly
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
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Aichelman HE, Huzar AK, Wuitchik DM, Atherton KF, Wright RM, Dixon G, Schlatter E, Haftel N, Davies SW. Symbiosis modulates gene expression of symbionts, but not coral hosts, under thermal challenge. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17318. [PMID: 38488669 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17318] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Increasing ocean temperatures are causing dysbiosis between coral hosts and their symbionts. Previous work suggests that coral host gene expression responds more strongly to environmental stress compared to their intracellular symbionts; however, the causes and consequences of this phenomenon remain untested. We hypothesized that symbionts are less responsive because hosts modulate symbiont environments to buffer stress. To test this hypothesis, we leveraged the facultative symbiosis between the scleractinian coral Oculina arbuscula and its symbiont Breviolum psygmophilum to characterize gene expression responses of both symbiotic partners in and ex hospite under thermal challenges. To characterize host and in hospite symbiont responses, symbiotic and aposymbiotic O. arbuscula were exposed to three treatments: (1) control (18°C), (2) heat (32°C), and (3) cold (6°C). This experiment was replicated with B. psygmophilum cultured from O. arbuscula to characterize ex hospite symbiont responses. Both thermal challenges elicited classic environmental stress responses (ESRs) in O. arbuscula regardless of symbiotic state, with hosts responding more strongly to cold challenge. Hosts also exhibited stronger responses than in hospite symbionts. In and ex hospite B. psygmophilum both down-regulated gene ontology pathways associated with photosynthesis under thermal challenge; however, ex hospite symbionts exhibited greater gene expression plasticity and differential expression of genes associated with ESRs. Taken together, these findings suggest that O. arbuscula hosts may buffer environments of B. psygmophilum symbionts; however, we outline the future work needed to confirm this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexa K Huzar
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Daniel M Wuitchik
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Rachel M Wright
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Groves Dixon
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - E Schlatter
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nicole Haftel
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sarah W Davies
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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40
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Lyu Y, Wang W, Zhou Z, Geng Z, Jia H, Lu C, Chen Z, Deng W, Xiong X, Shi R, Li H, Yang Z, Lou Q. Evaluation of the ecological status of shallow-water coral reefs in China using a novel method and identification of environmental factors for coral decline. Mar Pollut Bull 2024; 201:116227. [PMID: 38531204 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116227] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Coral reefs worldwide have faced extensive damage due to natural catastrophes and anthropogenic disturbances.The decline can cause their widespread collapse and an inability to recover from natural disturbances, highlighting the urgent need for their protection. This study conducted an extensive ecological condition assessment of seven coral reef regions in China's offshore. Our findings revealed the presence of 204 species of scleractinian corals belonging to 16 families. Massive corals were the predominant reef-building corals in all regions. The degradation of coral reef ecosystems was apparent in the present compared to historical reef conditions. The ecosystem suffered varying degrees of damage in surveyed regions according to a novel assessment approach, impling more effective measures should be taken to mitigate the local pressures. Our research establishes a baseline for understanding the status of coral reefs that can be used in future and provides a crucial foundation to designate protective zones for their conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihua Lyu
- South China Sea Ecological Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China; Nansha Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Weina Wang
- South China Sea Ecological Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China; Nansha Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Zihua Zhou
- South China Sea Ecological Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China; Nansha Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China
| | | | - Houlei Jia
- South China Sea Ecological Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China; Nansha Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Chuqian Lu
- South China Sea Ecological Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Zhiqiang Chen
- South China Sea Ecological Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China; Nansha Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Wei Deng
- South China Sea Ecological Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xiaofei Xiong
- South China Sea Ecological Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China; Nansha Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Ronggui Shi
- South China Sea Ecological Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Haitao Li
- South China Sea Ecological Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China; Nansha Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Zhenxiong Yang
- South China Sea Ecological Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Quansheng Lou
- Nansha Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Guangzhou 510300, Guangdong Province, China.
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Muruga P, Siqueira AC, Bellwood DR. Meta-analysis reveals weak associations between reef fishes and corals. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:676-685. [PMID: 38374185 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02334-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Habitat associations underpin species ecologies in high-diversity systems. Within tropical, shallow water coral reefs, the relationship between fishes and corals is arguably the most iconic and highly scrutinized. A strong relationship between fishes and reef-building hard corals is often assumed, a belief supported by studies that document the decline of reef fishes following coral loss. However, the extent of this relationship is often unclear, as evidenced by conflicting reports. Here we assess the strength of this ecological association by relying on literature that has surveyed both fishes and corals synchronously. We quantitatively synthesize 723 bivariate correlation coefficients (from 66 papers), published over 38 years, that relate fish metrics (abundance, biomass and species richness) with the percentage of hard coral cover. Remarkably, despite extensive variation, the pattern of association on a global scale reveals a predominantly positive, albeit weak (|r| < 0.4), correlation. Even for commonly hypothesized drivers of fish-coral associations, fish family and trophic group, associations were consistently weak. These findings question our assumptions regarding the strength and ubiquity of fish-coral associations, and caution against assuming a direct and omnipresent relationship between these two iconic animal groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooventhran Muruga
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Alexandre C Siqueira
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - David R Bellwood
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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Sasaki S, Mori T, Enomoto H, Nakamura S, Yokota H, Yamashita H, Goto-Inoue N. Assessing Molecular Localization of Symbiont Microalgae in Coral Branches Through Mass Spectrometry Imaging. Mar Biotechnol (NY) 2024; 26:223-229. [PMID: 38345665 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-024-10294-z] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Reef-building corals are a fundamental pillar of coral reef ecosystems in tropical and subtropical shallow environments. Corals harbor symbiotic dinoflagellates belonging to the family Symbiodiniaceae, commonly known as zooxanthellae. Extensive research has been conducted on this symbiotic relationship, yet the fundamental information about the distribution and localization of Symbiodiniaceae cells in corals is still limited. This information is crucial to understanding the mechanism underlying the metabolite exchange between corals and their algal symbionts, as well as the metabolic flow within holobionts. To examine the distribution of Symbiodiniaceae cells within corals, in this study, we used fluorescence imaging and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MS-Imaging) on branches of the Acropora tenuis coral. We successfully prepared frozen sections of the coral for molecular imaging without fixing or decalcifying the coral branches. By combining the results of MS-Imaging with that of the fluorescence imaging, we determined that the algal Symbiodiniaceae symbionts were not only localized in the tentacle and surface region of the coral branches but also inhabited the in inner parts. Therefore, the molecular imaging technique used in this study could be valuable to further investigate the molecular dynamics between corals and their symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shudai Sasaki
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, , Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0880, Japan
| | - Tsukasa Mori
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, , Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0880, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Enomoto
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Teikyo University, 1-1 Toyosatodai, Utsunomiya-Shi, Tochigi, 320-8551, Japan
| | - Sakiko Nakamura
- Image Processing Research Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics, Wako, Japan
| | - Hideo Yokota
- Image Processing Research Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics, Wako, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Yamashita
- Fisheries Technology Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, 148 Fukai-Ohta, Ishigaki, Okinawa, 907-0451, Japan
| | - Naoko Goto-Inoue
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, , Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0880, Japan.
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Wang S, Lu C, Zhang Q, He X, Wang W, Li J, Su H. Microbial community and transcriptional responses to V. coralliilyticus stress in coral Favites halicora and Pocillopora damicornis holobiont. Mar Environ Res 2024; 196:106394. [PMID: 38340371 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106394] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Variability in coral hosts susceptibility to Vibrio coralliilyticus is well-documented; however, the comprehensive understanding of tolerance of response to pathogen among coral species is lacked. Herein, we investigated the microbial communities and transcriptome dynamics of two corals in response to Vibrio coralliilyticus. Favites halicora displayed greater resistance to Vibrio coralliilyticus challenge than Pocillopora damicornis. Furthermore, the relative abundances of Flavobacteriaceae, Vibrionacea, Rhodobacteraceae, and Roseobacteraceae increased significantly in Favites halicora following pathogen stress, whereas that of Akkermansiaceae increased significantly in Pocillopora damicornis, leading to bacterial community imbalance. In contrast to the previous results, pathogen infection did not have much effect on the community structures of Symbiodiniaceae and fungi, but led to a decrease in the density of Symbiodiniaceae. Transcriptome analysis indicated that Vibrio infection triggered a coral immune response, resulting in higher expression of immune-related genes, which appeared to have higher transcriptional plasticity in Favites halicora than in Pocillopora damicornis. Specifically, the upregulated genes of Favites halicora were predominantly involved in the apoptosis pathway, whereas Pocillopora damicornis were significantly enriched in the nucleotide excision repair and base excision repair pathways. These findings suggest that coral holobionts activate different mechanisms across species in response to pathogens through shifts in microbial communities and transcriptomes, which provides novel insight into assessing the future coral assemblages suffering from disease outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuying Wang
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China; School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Chunrong Lu
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Xucong He
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Weihui Wang
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Jiani Li
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Hongfei Su
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China.
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Chen X, Liao X, Chang S, Chen Z, Yang Q, Peng J, Hu W, Zhang X. Comprehensive insights into the differences of fungal communities at taxonomic and functional levels in stony coral Acropora intermedia under a natural bleaching event. Mar Environ Res 2024; 196:106419. [PMID: 38408405 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106419] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies have reported the correlations between bacterial communities and coral bleaching, but the knowledge of fungal roles in coral bleaching is still limited. In this study, the taxonomic and functional diversities of fungi in unbleached, partly bleached and bleached stony coral Acropora intermedia were investigated through the ITS-rRNA gene next-generation sequencing. An unexpected diversity of successfully classified fungi (a total of 167 fungal genera) was revealed in this study, and the partly bleached coral samples gained the highest fungal diversity, followed by bleached and unbleached coral samples. Among these fungi, 122 genera (nearly 73.2%) were rarely found in corals in previous studies, such as Calostoma and Morchella, which gave us a more comprehensive understanding of coral-associated fungi. Positively correlated fungal genera (Calostoma, Corticium, Derxomyces, Fusicolla, Penicillium and Vishniacozyma) and negative correlated fungal genera (Blastobotrys, Exophiala and Dacryopinax) with the coral bleaching were both detected. It was found that a series of fungal genera, dominant by Apiotrichum, a source of opportunistic infections, was significantly enriched; while another fungal group majoring in Fusicolla, a probiotic fungus, was distinctly depressed in the bleached coral. It was also noteworthy that the abundance of pathogenic fungi, including Fusarium, Didymella and Trichosporon showed a rising trend; while the saprotrophic fungi, including Tricladium, Botryotrichum and Scleropezicula demostrated a declining trend as the bleaching deteriorating. The rising of pathogenic fungi and the declining of saprotrophic fungi revealed the basic rules of fungal community transitions in the coral bleaching, but the mechanism of coral-associated fungal interactions still lacks further investigation. Overall, this is an investigation focused on the differences of fungal communities at taxonomic and functional levels in stony coral A. intermedia under different bleaching statuses, which provides a better comprehension of the correlations between fungal communities and the coral bleaching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinye Chen
- University Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Xinyu Liao
- University Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Shihan Chang
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Zihui Chen
- University Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Qiaoting Yang
- University Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Jingjing Peng
- University Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Weihui Hu
- University Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Xiaoyong Zhang
- University Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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Gregorin C, Di Vito M, Roveta C, Pulido Mantas T, Gridelli S, Domenichelli F, Cilenti L, Vega Fernández T, Puce S, Musco L. Reduction of small-prey capture rate and collective predation in the bleached sea anemone Exaiptasiadiaphana. Mar Environ Res 2024; 196:106435. [PMID: 38467089 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106435] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Cnidarians may dominate benthic communities, as in the case of coral reefs that foster biodiversity and provide important ecosystem services. Polyps may feed by predating mesozooplantkon and large motile prey, but many species further obtain autotrophic nutrients from photosymbiosis. Anthropogenic disturbance, such as the rise of seawater temperature and turbidity, can lead to the loss of symbionts, causing bleaching. Prolonged periods of bleaching can induce mortality events over vast areas. Heterotrophy may allow bleached cnidarians to survive for long periods of time. We tested the reinforcement of heterotrophic feeding of bleached polyps of Exaiptasia diaphana fed with both small zooplantkon and large prey, in order to evaluate if heterotrophy allows this species to compensate the reduction of autotrophy. Conversely to expected, heterotrophy was higher in unbleached polyps (+54% mesozooplankton prey and +11% large prey). The increase of heterotrophic intake may not be always used as a strategy to compensate autotrophic depletion in bleached polyps. Such a resilience strategy might be more species-specific than expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Gregorin
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy
| | - Marica Di Vito
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Camilla Roveta
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Torcuato Pulido Mantas
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Stefano Gridelli
- Cattolica Aquarium, Piazzale Delle Nazioni 1/A, 47841 Cattolica, Italy
| | | | - Lucrezia Cilenti
- National Research Council -National Research Council, Institute of Sciences of Food Production (CNR-ISPA), Via Michele Protano, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Tomás Vega Fernández
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy
| | - Stefania Puce
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Luigi Musco
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy; Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, Salento University, Via Lecce - Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Piazza Marina, 61 90133 Palermo, Italy.
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46
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Cissell EC, McCoy SJ. Convergent photophysiology and prokaryotic assemblage structure in epilithic cyanobacterial tufts and algal turf communities. J Phycol 2024; 60:343-362. [PMID: 38240472 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13424] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
As global change spurs shifts in benthic community composition on coral reefs globally, a better understanding of the defining taxonomic and functional features that differentiate proliferating benthic taxa is needed to predict functional trajectories of reef degradation better. This is especially critical for algal groups, which feature dramatically on changing reefs. Limited attention has been given to characterizing the features that differentiate tufting epilithic cyanobacterial communities from ubiquitous turf algal assemblages. Here, we integrated an in situ assessment of photosynthetic yield with metabarcoding and shotgun metagenomic sequencing to explore photophysiology and prokaryotic assemblage structure within epilithic tufting benthic cyanobacterial communities and epilithic algal turf communities. Significant differences were not detected in the average quantum yield. However, variability in yield was significantly higher in cyanobacterial tufts. Neither prokaryotic assemblage diversity nor structure significantly differed between these functional groups. The sampled cyanobacterial tufts, predominantly built by Okeania sp., were co-dominated by members of the Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidota, as were turf algal communities. Few detected ASVs were significantly differentially abundant between functional groups and consisted exclusively of taxa belonging to the phyla Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. Assessment of the distribution of recovered cyanobacterial amplicons demonstrated that alongside sample-specific cyanobacterial diversification, the dominant cyanobacterial members were conserved across tufting cyanobacterial and turf algal communities. Overall, these data suggest a convergence in taxonomic identity and mean photosynthetic potential between tufting epilithic cyanobacterial communities and algal turf communities, with numerous implications for consumer-resource dynamics on future reefs and trajectories of reef functional ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan C Cissell
- Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sophie J McCoy
- Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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47
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Becker CC, Weber L, Llopiz JK, Mooney TA, Apprill A. Microorganisms uniquely capture and predict stony coral tissue loss disease and hurricane disturbance impacts on US Virgin Island reefs. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16610. [PMID: 38576217 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Coral reef ecosystems are now commonly affected by major climate and disease disturbances. Disturbance impacts are typically recorded using reef benthic cover, but this may be less reflective of other ecosystem processes. To explore the potential for reef water-based disturbance indicators, we conducted a 7-year time series on US Virgin Island reefs where we examined benthic cover and reef water nutrients and microorganisms from 2016 to 2022, which included two major disturbances: hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 and the stony coral tissue loss disease outbreak starting in 2020. The disease outbreak coincided with the largest changes in the benthic habitat, with increases in the percent cover of turf algae and Ramicrusta, an invasive alga. While sampling timepoint contributed most to changes in reef water nutrient composition and microbial community beta diversity, both disturbances led to increases in ammonium concentration, a mechanism likely contributing to observed microbial community shifts. We identified 10 microbial taxa that were sensitive and predictive of increasing ammonium concentration. This included the decline of the oligotrophic and photoautotrophic Prochlorococcus and the enrichment of heterotrophic taxa. As disturbances impact reefs, the changing nutrient and microbial regimes may foster a type of microbialization, a process that hastens reef degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia C Becker
- MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering, Cambridge and Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Laura Weber
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joel K Llopiz
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
| | - T Aran Mooney
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Amy Apprill
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
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48
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Dingemanse NJ, Guse A. Linking cell biology and ecology to understand coral symbiosis evolution. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002593. [PMID: 38603520 PMCID: PMC11008794 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the evolution of coral endosymbiosis requires a predictive framework that integrates life-history theory and ecology with cell biology. The time has come to bridge disciplines and use a model systems approach to achieve this aim.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Annika Guse
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Munich, Germany
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49
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Linsmayer LB, Noel SK, Leray M, Wangpraseurt D, Hassibi C, Kline DI, Tresguerres M. Effects of bleaching on oxygen dynamics and energy metabolism of two Caribbean coral species. Sci Total Environ 2024; 919:170753. [PMID: 38360316 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170753] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
As mass coral bleaching events become more frequent, it is increasingly important to elucidate the factors underlying coral susceptibility and survival. We measured photosynthesis, respiration, and O2 concentration at the coral tissue surface, Symbiodiniaceae genotypes, and energy metabolic enzyme activities in Agaricia agaricites and Orbicella franksi throughout experimentally-induced thermal bleaching (+3 °C). A. agaricites colonies started to bleach two days into the thermal treatment and were fully bleached between Days 19-31. In contrast, O. franksi colonies only started to bleach on Day 12 and five colonies fully bleached between Days 24-38 while the remining three colonies took up 55 days. Both species experienced decreased photosynthesis and respiration rates as bleaching progressed. As a result, daytime O2 concentration at the coral surface shifted from hyperoxia in unbleached corals to normoxia in partially bleached corals, and to near hypoxia in fully bleached corals. Additionally, nighttime tissue surface O2 concentration shifted from hypoxia to normoxia, likely resulting from decreased symbiotic algae density, respiration, and photosynthates that fuel coral aerobic respiration. Genetic profiling of internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) revealed differences in Symbiodiniaceae clade proportions between control and bleached colonies. Activity levels of energy metabolic enzymes did not significantly vary between control and bleached A. agaricites, but malate dehydrogenase and strombine dehydrogenase activities were significantly higher in bleached O. franksi colonies compared to controls. These differences were driven by the three O. franksi colonies that took the longest to bleach and contained >98 % Durusdinium sp. D1. The shifts in O2 dynamics within the microhabitat of bleached corals may have important implications for the metabolism of the coral holobiont while the changes in Symbiodiniaceae ITS2 profile and the upregulation of energy metabolic enzymes identify a potential factor contributing to bleaching dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- L B Linsmayer
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - S K Noel
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - M Leray
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Postal 0843-03092, Panamá, Panama
| | - D Wangpraseurt
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Nanoengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - C Hassibi
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - D I Kline
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Postal 0843-03092, Panamá, Panama
| | - M Tresguerres
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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50
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Patel ZZ, Joshi H, Puvar A, Pandit R, Joshi C, Joshi M, Tipre DR. A study into the diversity of coral-associated bacteria using culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches in coral Dipsastraea favus from the Gulf of Kutch. Mar Pollut Bull 2024; 201:116172. [PMID: 38394797 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116172] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Corals harbour ~25 % of the marine diversity referring to biodiversity hotspots in marine ecosystems. Global efforts to find ways to restore the coral reef ecosystem from various threats can be complemented by studying coral-associated bacteria. Coral-associated bacteria are vital components of overall coral wellbeing. We explored the bacterial diversity associated with coral Dipsastraea favus (D. favus) collected from the Gulf of Kutch, India, using both culture-dependent and metagenomic approaches. In both approaches, phylum Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria predominated, comprising the genera Vibrio, Bacillus, Shewanella, Pseudoalteromonas, Exiguobacterium and Streptomyces. Moreover, the majority of culturable isolates showed multiple antibiotic resistance index ≥0.2. In this study, specific bacterial diversity associated with coral sp. D. favus and its possible role in managing coral health was established. Almost 43 strains from the samples were successfully cultured, creating a base for exploring these microbes for their potential use in coral conservation methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zarna Z Patel
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad 380009, India; Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar 382011, India
| | - Himanshu Joshi
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar 382011, India
| | - Apurvasinh Puvar
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar 382011, India
| | - Ramesh Pandit
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar 382011, India
| | - Chaitanya Joshi
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar 382011, India
| | - Madhvi Joshi
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar 382011, India.
| | - Devayani R Tipre
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad 380009, India.
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