Coral Reefs最新文献

{"title":"Deoxygenation following coral spawning and low-level thermal stress trigger mass coral mortality at Coral Bay, Ningaloo Reef","authors":"Zoe T. Richards, Lewis Haines, Claire Ross, Sophie Preston, Troy Matthews, Anthony Terriaca, Ethan Black, Yvette Lewis, Josh Mannolini, Patrick Dean, Vincent Middleton, Ben Saunders","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02476-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02476-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Oxygen depletion is well recognized for its role in the degradation of tropical coral reefs. Extreme acute hypoxic events that lead to localized mass mortality and the formation of ‘dead zones’ (a region where few or no organisms can survive due to a lack of oxygen) are particularly concerning as they can result in wide-ranging losses of biodiversity, ecosystem productivity and functioning, economic prosperity, and wellbeing. In March of 2022, the annual coral spawning event at Bills Bay (Coral Bay, Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia) coincided with elevated seawater temperature, calm weather conditions and a flood tide resulting in coral spawn becoming trapped in Bills Bay. Immediately after, there was a mass fish kill, which is believed to have been caused by local eutrophication resulting in severe oxygen depletion. The impact the deoxygenation and thermal stress event had on benthic communities has not yet been quantified; hence, the principal aim of this study is to document the extent of change that occurred in the benthic communities before and after the 2022 coral spawning event over a spatial gradient from the nearshore to mid-reef. Percent coral cover in the Bay decreased from 55.62 ± 2.26% in 2016–2018 and 70.44 ± 5.24% in 2021 to 1.16 ± 0.51% in 2022. Over the same period, the percent cover of turf algae increased from 27.40 ± 2.00% in 2016–2018 and 24.66 ± 6.67% in 2021 to 78.80 ± 3.06% in 2022, indicating a dramatic phase shift occurred at Bills Bay. The abundance of healthy coral colonies recorded on replicated belt transects at nine sites declined from 3452 healthy individuals in 2018 to 153 individuals in 2022 and coral generic richness decreased by 84.61%, dropping from 26 genera in 2018 to 4 genera in 2022. Previously dominant genera such as <i>Acropora,</i> <i>Montipora</i> and <i>Echinopora,</i> were extirpated from survey sites. Isolated colonies of massive <i>Porite</i>s spp. and encrusting <i>Cyphastrea</i> sp. survived the event and understanding the mechanisms underpinning their greater survivorship is an important area of future research. Long-term monitoring is recommended to track the community recovery process and improve our understanding of the longer-term implications of this acute mortality event on the ecological, socio-economic and cultural values of Ningaloo Reef.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140033625","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The community stability of Symbiodiniaceae and bacteria of different morphological corals and linkages to coral susceptibility to anthropogenic disturbance","authors":"Rou-Wen Chen, Zhuoran Li, Jianzhong Huang, Xiangbo Liu, Wentao Zhu, Yushan Li, Aimin Wang, Xiubao Li","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02475-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02475-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Variously shaped corals, such as branching and massive corals, exhibit divergent environmental susceptibility properties. The susceptibility potential of these corals may be regulated by specific symbiotic Symbiodiniaceae and bacteria. In this study, we investigated seawater characteristics between the north and south zones at the Wuzhizhou Island (WZZ), sampled branching coral <i>Acropora hyacinthus</i>, lamellar coral <i>Montipora informis</i>, and massive coral (<i>Galaxea fascicularis</i> and <i>Porites lutea</i>). Physiological characteristics were measured, and amplicon sequencing was performed to Symbiodiniaceae and bacterial community structure analysis. Corals experienced severe anthropogenic disturbance, with more than 1.4-fold increase in DIN, including <span>({{text{NH}}}_{4}^{+})</span>, <span>({{text{NO}}}_{3}^{-})</span>, and <span>({{text{NO}}}_{2}^{-})</span> in the north of the WZZ Island compared to the southern region. However, massive corals (<i>G. fascicularis</i> and <i>P. lutea</i>) showed relatively less disruption in both their symbiont composition and physiological responses. Notably, <i>M. informis</i> displayed distinct variations, with disturbances in the northern region resulted in a decline in the density of symbiotic micro-algae associated with <i>Cladocopium</i> sp. C26 due to elevated concentrations of ammonium and nitrate. The four coral species hosted different symbionts within the same area. <i>P. lutea</i> hosted <i>Cladocopium</i> sp. C15 with the lowest density of symbiotic micro-algae, along with the lowest Fv/Fm and YII values compared to other corals in the southern zone. <i>G. fascicularis</i> exhibited high abundance of <i>Durusdinium</i> sp. D1 and D4, which showed strong correlation with Fv/Fm. In southern <i>M. informis</i>, <i>Cladocopium</i> sp. C26 was identified as the predominant symbiotic micro-algae that displayed a significant positive correlation with YII. The bacterial community composition and metabolism functional attribution predicted by PICRUSt differed between <i>A. hyacinthus</i>, <i>M. informis</i>, and massive corals (<i>G. fascicularis</i>, <i>P. lutea</i>). Comprehensive analysis revealed different susceptibility properties among branching, lamellar, and massive corals under anthropogenic disturbance associated with changes in Symbiodiniaceae and bacterial community.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140033777","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biology and epibiont community of the red decorator crab, Schizophrys aspera, on the southern Great Barrier Reef","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02479-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02479-8","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Abstract</h3> <p>Organismal symbioses are fundamental to biodiversity, evolution, and ecosystem functioning. On coral reefs, many decapod species have formed distinct epibiotic symbioses through decoration tendencies that enhance diet, camouflage, and defence. The red decorator crab, <em>Schizophrys aspera</em> (Majidae: Decapoda), has a broad Indo-Pacific distribution and is a successful predator of juvenile crown-of-thorns seastars (CoTS; <em>Acanthaster</em> sp.). However, little is known of the biology and decorating symbioses of <em>S. aspera</em> on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), where CoTS pose ongoing management challenges. We characterised <em>S. aspera</em> and its epibiont community collected in coral rubble patches on the southern GBR. <em>S. aspera</em> predominantly used sponges (94 ± 1%; mean ± SE) in its decoration, with greater proportions of the carapace covered for juveniles (58 ± 5%) and females (46 ± 4%) compared to males (24 ± 4%). In short-term (8-d) experiments, <em>S. aspera</em> substantially reduced sponge (31%) and algal (47%) cover on rubble pieces, demonstrating its potential to alter sessile communities. The close association of <em>S. aspera</em> with sponges and algae likely reflects its diet and enhances camouflage and chemical defence in its coral rubble niche on the GBR. As sessile taxa are often noxious, we postulate that these symbioses may confer resilience of <em>S. aspera</em> to plancitoxins in its consumption of CoTS. Evaluating how epibiont diversity and biochemistry shape the habitat associations, distribution, and role of <em>S. aspera</em> as predator and prey may be important to understanding its ability to mediate CoTS densities on the GBR and elsewhere.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"56 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140033804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the different heat tolerance of the scleractinian coral Pavona decussata","authors":"Man Zhang, Shan Huang, Li Luo, Xiaopeng Yu, Hao Wang, Kefu Yu, Shengping Zhong","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02478-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02478-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The increasing threat of ocean warming has led to the more frequent endangerment of coral reefs, including the heat-tolerant <i>Pavona decussata</i>. To shed light on the molecular mechanisms involved in the response of coral to ocean warming, we investigated the gene expression profiles of <i>P. decussata</i> after natural thermal stress. Using PacBio Sequel II sequencing technology, we obtained relatively complete transcriptome data for <i>P. decussata</i> and then analyzed its gene expression quantitatively with Illumina RNA-seq technology. We acquired information on gene function, structure, and expression profile from coral host and zooxanthellae. Analysis of Illumina sequencing data revealed that unbleached coral host might rely on the active utilization of amino acids to maintain a stable living condition based on the tricarboxylic acid cycle under high temperature stress, and that zooxanthellae might benefit from ammonium produced by coral host. Moreover, the downregulation of unbleached coral host gene expression in innate immune pathways centered on the transcription factors that heat shock factor and nuclear factor (NF)-κB, as well as the tyrosine kinase pathway, might be crucial for maintaining the equilibrium of the zooxanthellae under thermal stress. Thus, the differences in these molecular mechanisms could determine, to some extent, whether coral host can maintain a symbiotic relationship with algae under heat stress. This study elucidated the molecular mechanisms underlying differences in thermal tolerance within <i>P. decussata</i> species and supported further theoretical basis in coral molecular biology and ecological conservation, which enhance our comprehension of coral responses to future climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"48 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140033620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mesophotic zone as refuge: acclimation and in-depth proteomic response of yellow gorgonians in the Mediterranean sea","authors":"Anaïs Beauvieux, Bastien Mérigot, Jérémy Le Luyer, Jean-Marc Fromentin, Nathan Couffin, Adrien Brown, Olivier Bianchimani, Régis Hocdé, Didier Aurelle, Jean-Baptiste Ledoux, Fabrice Bertile, Quentin Schull","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02477-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02477-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The intensification of warming-induced mass-mortalities in invertebrate populations including in temperate regions is a critical global issue. Mesophotic zones (30–150 m depth) have been suggested as potential refuges from climate change for gorgonian populations, offering hope for reseeding damaged shallow populations. Using a proteomic approach, we investigated the responses and acclimatization ability of the yellow gorgonian <i>Eunicella cavolini</i> along an environmental gradient following reciprocal transplantations between shallow (20 m) and mesophotic (70 m) zones. Our findings indicate that yellow gorgonians from mesophotic waters exhibit a greater plasticity when transplanted to shallow waters, compared to shallow gorgonians transplanted to the mesophotic zone at 70 m. Transplanted colonies from mesophotic to shallow waters showed an increasing level of proteins involved in immune response but displayed no signs of necrosis or apoptosis, highlighting the acclimation potential of mesophotic populations. These results suggest that <i>Eunicella cavolini</i> populations may exhibit physiological plasticity in response to future climate change, allowing natural colonization from mesophotic populations. This analysis offers valuable insights into gorgonians' cellular and molecular responses to environmental changes.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140033773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global patterns of herbivorous reef fish productivity: the role of Prionurus laticlavius in the Galápagos","authors":"Sterling B. Tebbett, Helen F. Yan, Lucas L. Lutzenkirchen, Alexandre C. Siqueira, David R. Bellwood","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02473-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02473-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Herbivorous fishes play important roles on coral reefs, acting as key trophic conduits of primary productivity. Whilst these roles are widely appreciated on tropical reefs, the relative contribution of fishes which inhabit marginal reefs, such as <i>Prionurus</i> surgeonfishes, is not well understood. Here, we examine the extent to which herbivorous fish productivity varies amongst global ecoregions, specifically considering the relative contribution of <i>Prionurus</i>. We also compare the productivity of <i>Prionurus</i> to that of other herbivorous fishes in relation to water temperatures. Our analysis revealed that the Eastern Galápagos Islands support the highest levels of herbivorous fish productivity recorded to date, with <i>Prionurus laticlavius</i> accounting for over 94% of that productivity. Moreover, <i>Prionurus</i> productivity peaked at relatively cool water temperatures (~ 22–25 °C), although patterns were driven by <i>P. laticlavius</i>. These results highlight the exceptional herbivorous fish productivity in the Eastern Galápagos Islands and the disproportionate contribution of <i>P. laticlavius</i> in this locality.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"135 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140002816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Juvenile octocorals acquire similar algal symbiont assemblages across depths","authors":"Ronen Liberman, Christian R. Voolstra, Benjamin C. C. Hume, Yehuda Benayahu","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02470-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02470-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Establishment of the coral–algal symbiosis begins during early ontogeny when juveniles acquire a mix of algae from their environment that often differs from the adults’ algal assemblages. Despite the importance of the type of Symbiodiniaceae to this symbiosis, it is largely unknown how coral host identity and environment affect symbiosis establishment and is affected by the genetic composition of the symbionts. Here, we reciprocally transplanted planulae of the octocoral <i>Rhytisma fulvum</i> (Forskål, 1775) across depths and monitored the algal assemblages in the developing juveniles for 11 months. We then compared these to adult assemblages using ITS2 metabarcoding. Juveniles were consistently dominated by <i>Symbiodinium</i>, in addition to multiple <i>Cladocopium</i> species, which shifted in dominance with the juvenile age but maintained high similarity across depths. The type of Symbiodiniaceae environmentally available thus likely contributes to the algal symbionts that are initially acquired, while host identity may play a significant role in selecting for symbionts that are maintained during juvenile development.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"68 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139968198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Three-dimensional morphological variation and physical functionality of Caribbean corals","authors":"Sergio D. Guendulain-Garcia, Anastazia T. Banaszak, Lorenzo Álvarez-Filip, Andrea M. Quattrini, Andrés Lopez-Perez","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02472-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02472-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Reef functionality depends on the coral community’s species composition, abundance, and on the capacity of corals to build carbonate structures. Nevertheless, the coral’s contribution to functionality remains hidden in species morphological variation displayed. Here, we use three-dimensional (3D) models to estimate the morpho-functional space of 14 Caribbean coral species by combining information from five morphological traits (sphericity, convexity, packing, first moment of surface area, and first moment of volume). Based on a principal component analysis, we selected the trait that captured most of the coral morphological variation to address the effect of colony size on structural complexity, shelter volume, and efficiency of resource use in terms of colony volume and calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) investment. At the species level, structural complexity increased as a function of coral colony size in branching, digitate, and columnar coral species. Shelter volume increased with colony size in all species; however, branching species such as <i>Acropora palmata</i> not only provide more shelter volume than species with simpler morphologies, but they do so more efficiently, investing less colony volume and CaCO₃ mass for attaining the same shelter volume. Tracking changes in coral morphologies and colony size can improve our ability to predict functional repercussions from modifications to coral assemblages that are caused by, for example, disease outbreaks or environmental disturbances.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139968007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Studying functions on coral reefs: past perspectives, current conundrums, and future potential","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02474-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02474-z","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Abstract</h3> <p>Function-based studies have opened a new chapter in our understanding of coral reefs. Unfortunately, we are opening this chapter as the world’s reefs rapidly transform. In this context, one of the most important roles of function-based studies is to inform coral reef conservation. At this critical juncture, we have a chance to reflect on where we have come from, and where we are going, in coral reef functional ecology, with specific consideration of what this means for our approaches to conserving reefs. As focal examples, we examine the role of corals on reefs, and the practice of culling crown-of-thorns starfish, from a functional perspective. We also consider how the papers in this special issue build on our current understanding. Ultimately, we highlight how robust scientific investigation, based on an understanding of ecosystem functions, will be key in helping us navigate reefs through the current coral reef crisis.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139954678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cryptic diversification, phenotypic plasticity, and host specialization in a sponge-dwelling goby","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02466-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02466-z","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Abstract</h3> <p>Coral reefs harbor 30% of oceanic biodiversity, but many species remain undiscovered. Indeed, coral reef taxonomic inventories are heavily skewed toward large, conspicuous organisms, leaving numerous smaller, cryptic species undescribed. Cryptobenthic reef fishes, such as gobies, can speciate rapidly due to short lifespans and limited dispersal, and ecological specialization may facilitate their diversification. Here, we examine whether habitat specialization correlates with genetic and phenotypic divergence in <em>Risor ruber</em>, a sponge-dwelling goby distributed across the western Atlantic Ocean. By integrating phylogenetic evidence, morphometrics, and network analysis, we identify seven distinct genetic lineages within <em>Risor</em> and reveal concordant patterns of <em>Risor</em>–sponge specialization. Despite the absence of lineage-specific morphologies, morphological traits are associated with sponge hosts, indicating high phenotypic plasticity within lineages. Two <em>Risor</em> lineages specialize on a single host sponge across the Caribbean, while five lineages are generalists. Finally, high modularity across <em>Risor</em>–sponge networks provides further evidence that ecological specialization contributes to <em>Risor</em> diversification. Given the rapid changes in coral reef benthic communities, habitat specialists are more likely to lose their primary habitat and face extinction. Documenting and understanding genetic diversification is imperative, especially in understudied, vulnerable organisms such as cryptobenthic reef fishes.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139954672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}