Integrative Organismal Biology最新文献

{"title":"Parasite Infections Influence Immunological Responses But Not Reproductive Success of Male Hellbender Salamanders (<i>Cryptobranchus alleganiensis</i>).","authors":"K L Slack, J Groffen, A K Davis, W A Hopkins","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/iob/obaf006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The emergence and spread of infectious diseases is a significant contributor to global amphibian declines, requiring increased surveillance and research. We assessed host-vector-parasite dynamics using a population of eastern hellbender salamanders (<i>Cryptobranchus alleganiensis</i>) that harbor leeches (<i>Placobdella appalachiensis</i>) that transmit endoparasitic blood parasites (<i>Trypanosoma</i> spp) to the host, with coinfection frequently occurring. We centered our study on adult males throughout their extended 8-month paternal care period because recent research indicates that nest failure caused by lack of paternal care and filial cannibalism is contributing to hellbender population declines. Recognizing the potential for parasites to modulate host physiology and behavior, we explored how infection severity influences paternal health and reproductive success. We assessed white blood cell profiles of adult male hellbenders in response to parasites, coinfection, and seasonal temperature fluctuations, while also investigating whether parasite infection or coinfection was predictive of nest success. We found that hellbenders exhibited seasonal shifts in white blood cell indices; as temperatures increased across seasons (from 5°C to 20°C), the proportion of neutrophils and eosinophils decreased (by 14% and 46%, respectively) in circulation while the proportion of lymphocytes and basophils increased (by 8% and 101%, respectively). Moreover, the proportion of neutrophil precursors increased by 80% under colder temperatures, which signifies seasonal immune cell recruitment. We demonstrated that neutrophils and eosinophils increased while lymphocytes decreased in response to leech infection. However, as leech and trypanosome infection intensity increased together, the proportion of lymphocytes increased while neutrophils and eosinophils decreased, underscoring the complex interactions between coinfection and immune responses of hellbenders that warrant future research. Despite the influence of infection and coinfection on hellbender physiology, we detected no evidence to support the hypothesis that parasites influence the likelihood of nest failure or whole-clutch filial cannibalism. In light of amphibian declines being exacerbated by climate change and disease, our study emphasizes the need to establish hematological reference values that account for physiological adaptations to seasonal fluctuations in temperature and different life history stages and to study the physiological responses of imperiled amphibian species to parasites.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf006"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12004113/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143998392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Role of Vibration Amplitude in the Escape-Hatching Response of Red-Eyed Treefrog Embryos.","authors":"J Jung, M S Caldwell, J G McDaniel, K M Warkentin","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/iob/obaf012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The function and adaptive significance of defensive behaviors depend on the contexts in which they naturally occur. Amplitude properties of predator cues are widely used by prey to assess predation risk, yet rarely studied in the context of the stimuli relevant to defensive decisions in nature. Red-eyed treefrog embryos, <i>Agalychnis callidryas</i>, hatch precociously in response to attacks on their arboreal egg clutches by snakes and wasps. They use vibrations excited during attacks to detect predators, but wind and rainstorms also excite intense vibrations. Past work has demonstrated that to avoid costly decision errors, <i>A. callidryas</i> nonredundantly combine information from the temporal and frequency properties of clutch vibrations. Here, we demonstrate that embryos also use absolute amplitude and fine-scale amplitude modulation information to refine their hatching decision. We used vibration recordings to characterize the amplitude properties of the most common predator and benign-source disturbances to <i>A. callidryas</i> egg clutches in nature and tested whether embryos at 3 ages across the onset of mechanosensory-cued hatching (4-6 days) respond to amplitude variation during playback of synthetic vibrations to eggs. Older embryos responded to much lower-amplitude vibrations, reflecting a >88-fold decrease in response threshold from 4 to 5 days. To assess how embryos combine amplitude with other vibration properties, we played embryos recorded exemplars of snake attack and rain vibrations of varying amplitudes and patterns of amplitude modulation. The amplitude response curve was steeper for snake recordings than for rain. While amplitude information alone is insufficient to discriminate predator attack from benign-source vibrations, <i>A. callidryas</i> employ an impressively complex strategy combining absolute amplitude, amplitude modulation, temporal, and frequency information for their hatching decision.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf012"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11986817/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143998492","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Brief Introductory Guide to Nanoindentation for Comparative and Evolutionary Biologists, with a Case Study of Bone Material Property Diversity across Artiodactyl Skulls.","authors":"D S Adams, B L Boyce, D E Hooks, K W Garber, B Klitsner, S A Price, R Blob","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf010","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obaf010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Quantifying the material properties of hard biological materials can improve understanding of the relationships between form, function, and performance. This study illustrates the use of nanoindentation as a tool for evaluating material properties in a comparative biology framework. We provide a step-by-step guide for comparative and evolutionary biologists illustrating the collection and analysis of nanoindentation data from samples of artiodactyl skull bones. We assess the impact of methodological decisions on the output of nanoindentation tests. We also investigate whether evolutionary variations in skull bone properties are present between artiodactyl species that engage in intraspecific head-to-head combat and those that do not. Elastic modulus exhibited little variation among numbers of indents performed per test and per bone sample. The average elastic modulus was significantly lower when bones were hydrated with deionized water. The skulls of artiodactyls exhibited a gradient of elastic modulus values in which the anterior of the skull is less stiff than more posterior locations. Species involved in head-to-head combat showed little difference in elastic modulus values compared to non-combat species. This suggests that ecological factors influence the evolutionary diversity of bone material properties, rather than strictly phylogenetic constraints. In a phylogenetic context, nanoindentation reveals tetrapod bone heterogeneity and provides insights into the evolution of these traits.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf010"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11953029/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143752495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate Change and Vector-Borne Disease Transmission: The Role of Insect Behavioral and Physiological Adaptations.","authors":"E Abbasi","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/iob/obaf011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Climate change is profoundly reshaping the behavior, physiology, and distribution of insect vectors, with significant implications for vector-borne disease transmission. Rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events are driving behavioral adaptations such as altered host-seeking patterns, modified resting site preferences, and extended seasonal activity. Concurrently, vectors exhibit physiological plasticity, including enhanced thermal tolerance, desiccation resistance, and accelerated reproductive cycles, which contribute to increased survival and vector competence. This review synthesizes current research on climate-driven adaptations in major disease vectors, focusing on their epidemiological consequences and implications for public health interventions. A systematic literature review was conducted using major scientific databases to assess the impact of climate change on insect vector adaptation. Studies examining temperature-induced behavioral shifts, physiological modifications, and changes in vector competence were analyzed to identify emerging trends and knowledge gaps. Findings indicate that climate-driven vector adaptations are increasing the efficiency of disease transmission, enabling the geographic expansion of vector populations and prolonging transmission seasons. These changes challenge existing vector control strategies, necessitating innovative approaches such as genetic engineering, microbiome-based interventions, and climate-informed surveillance systems. Given the accelerating impact of climate change, there is an urgent need for adaptive, evidence-based control strategies to mitigate the growing threat of vector-borne diseases and enhance global health resilience.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf011"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12053451/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143999009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sensory nerve-secreted factors regulate basal keratinocyte function <i>in vitro</i>.","authors":"A Srivastava, A Noble, S L Payne","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf009","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obaf009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Basal keratinocytes in the skin epidermis respond to microenvironmental signals during homeostatic maintenance of the skin and following injury by proliferating, migrating, and differentiating to restore the epidermal barrier. Injuries to the skin can result in non-healing wounds, characterized by prolonged inflammation, failure to close, and chronic pain. The skin is densely innervated by peripheral sensory nerves, which contribute to the wound repair response. Although it is known that nerves are important for successful wound healing, the underlying cellular mechanisms of this phenomenon, and particularly the role of nerves in directing keratinocyte re-epithelialization, are poorly understood. To explore the relationship between sensory nerves and keratinocyte function <i>in vitro</i>, we cultured keratinocytes with conditioned media collected from dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in both homeostatic and post-wounding conditions and found that keratinocyte migration, proliferation, and phenotype, functions essential for re-epithelialization, were modulated by DRG conditioned media. Using a proteomic approach, we characterized the secretome of cultured DRG and identified key factors essential for wound healing, including extracellular matrix proteins, growth factors, and metabolic factors involved with ATP production, which was correlated with alternations in keratinocyte metabolism when cultured in DRG conditioned medium. Our results advance our understanding of the microenvironmental cues that direct keratinocyte function during normal cellular turnover and cutaneous wound healing <i>in vitro</i>, helping to drive the development of therapeutics that target dysregulated re-epithelialization.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf009"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11945292/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143729784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modulation of Paternal Care Behaviors in Response to Stream Conditions by Eastern Hellbenders (<i>Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis</i>).","authors":"R S M O'Brien, J Groffen, A A Dayer, W A Hopkins","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf007","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obaf007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The rapid environmental changes associated with the Anthropocene mean that flexible behavioral responses may be a critical determinant of animals' resiliency to anthropogenic disturbance, particularly for species with long generation times and low vagility. One type of behavior that exemplifies this potentially important flexibility is parental care. Eggs and juvenile animals are sensitive to environmental stressors, and the ability of parents to adjust care behaviors to buffer their offspring from rapidly changing conditions may be critical to successful reproduction. In this study, we explore the role of parental care in buffering eggs from anthropogenic stressors in the long-lived, fully aquatic eastern hellbender salamander (<i>Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis</i>). Using custom-designed infrared cameras installed in underwater artificial shelters in a natural stream, we describe hellbender paternal care behaviors in greater detail than has previously been possible, assess the extent to which hellbender fathers buffer their eggs from increasing levels of silt and decreasing concentrations of dissolved oxygen in nesting cavities, and describe the possible trade-offs that hellbender fathers exhibit between paternal care and self-maintenance behaviors. We found that while hellbender parents buffered their offspring from low dissolved oxygen concentrations by increasing parental care, there was an apparent trade-off between parental care and self-maintenance responses to low oxygen. Hellbender fathers did not show evidence of buffering their offspring from the effects of increasing silt or organic material in their nest cavities. We also found that filial cannibalism is a widespread behavior across nests, with almost all fathers exhibiting some cannibalism, although the extent varied widely. Our study indicates that hellbender parents may be able to reduce the impacts of declines in dissolved oxygen concentration on their offspring to a limited extent, but they may be unable to fully protect offspring from increasing silt.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf007"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11925150/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143669822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Winter Is Coming: Integrative Analysis of Cold Acclimation in a Freeze Tolerant Frog.","authors":"E E Yokum, D L Goldstein, C M Krane","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf008","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obaf008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cope's gray treefrog <i>Dryophytes chrysoscelis</i> is a seasonally freeze tolerant anuran that undergoes a preparatory period of cold acclimation in order to survive repeated freezing and thawing each winter. The mechanisms that enable freeze tolerance in this species are not entirely understood and the ecophysiological cues that regulate cold acclimation are unstudied. In the present study, we describe aspects of behavior, morphology, and physiology of frogs progressing through cold acclimation, using a previously established protocol of changing light and temperature that successfully induces the capacity to survive whole body freezing and thawing. Wild-caught males were captured in July in southwest Ohio, and behavioral, morphological, and physiological variables were compared beginning in August among frogs maintained under constant (\"warm\") environmental conditions (22°C, 12:12 light: dark) and those undergoing cold acclimation (October through December) to 5°C, 8:16 light: dark. During cold acclimation frogs ceased eating, heart rate (HR) was reduced, body mass decreased, and the righting response and toe pinch reflexes were slower and less coordinated. Some of these variables also changed in animals maintained under constant, warm, and environmental conditions during the same period: feeding decreased, HR decreased, body mass increased, and dorsal skin color shifted from green to brown. However, these warm frogs began to reverse those changes and increased feeding and HR in late January. These data indicate that behavior, morphology, and physiology in <i>D. chrysoscelis</i> are subject to seasonal variations that are augmented by cold acclimation (i.e., a reduction in photoperiod and environmental temperature). Freeze competence derived from these events may be affected by volatile climates and seasonal warming.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf008"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11933796/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143709796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating Metrics of Discrete-Individual Repeatability of the Stress Response.","authors":"U K Beattie, L M Romero, J M Reed","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf005","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obaf005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There is currently no consensus on the most biologically meaningful way to calculate discrete-individual repeatability of stress response curves. In the current study, we compared three metrics of discrete-individual repeatability that incorporate the whole stress response curve: profile repeatability, Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) flexibility. As part of this work, we present a new R package for computing profile repeatability, \"profrep.\" Using three datasets (one synthetic and two corticosterone datasets from live birds), our objectives were (1) to compare how these metrics correlate with one another and (2) to determine how representative repeatability scores of fewer replicates were to the \"consensus\" score (i.e., the score of the full dataset). We found that (1) these three discrete-individual repeatability metrics do not consistently correlate with one another; (2) KL divergence and HPA flexibility are poor at distinguishing individuals from each other (i.e., they give similar scores for each individual regardless of perceived repeatability); and (3) profile repeatability tends to overestimate repeatability when fewer replicates are available, and the consensus score is low. Despite this drawback of profile repeatability, we suggest that it may be the most well-suited metric for assessing discrete-individual repeatability.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf005"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11894371/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143604810","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dietary Breadth Predicts Toxin Expression Complexity in the Venoms of North American Gartersnakes.","authors":"T C Heptinstall, R A Rosales García, R M Rautsaw, E A Myers, M L Holding, A J Mason, E P Hofmann, T D Schramer, M P Hogan, M Borja, G Castañeda-Gaytán, C R Feldman, D R Rokyta, C L Parkinson","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf003","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obaf003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Selection on heritable phenotypic variation has played a prominent role in shaping the remarkable adaptations found across the Tree of Life. Complex ecological traits, such as snake venoms, are thought to be the products of selection because they directly link to fitness and survival. Snake venom increases the efficiency of prey capture and processing and is thus likely under intense selection. While many studies of snake venom have investigated the relationship between venom and diet, they have primarily focused on medically relevant front-fanged snakes. However, recent work has suggested that many non-front fanged snakes also rely on venom for subduing prey, despite having reduced toxicity toward humans. Here, we set out to uncover variation in toxin-producing genes, along with the ecological and evolutionary pressures impacting snake venom characteristics in the North American gartersnakes (Squamata: Natricidae: <i>Thamnophis</i>), a model group of non-front-fanged snakes. We annotated and analyzed Duvernoy's venom gland transcriptomes from 16 species representing all the major lineages within <i>Thamnophis</i>. We then generated measures of complexity of both toxins and dietary breadth. We found strong correlations between the complexity of toxin gene expression and phylogenetic diversity of diet, but no relationship between the complexity of the genetic makeup of the transcriptomes (allelic or sequence variation) and diet complexities. We also found phylogenetic signal associated with venom complexity, suggesting some influence of ancestry on venom characteristics. We suggest that, in non-front-fanged snakes, expression of toxins rather than sequence complexity is under strong selection by dietary diversity. These findings contradict similar studies from front-fanged snakes where increased transcriptomic complexity varies positively with dietary diversity, exposing a potential novel relationship between a complex phenotype-toxin expression-and its selective pressures-diet.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf003"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11822205/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143433014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anthropogenic Impacts on Coral-Algal Interactions of the Subtropical Lagoonal Reef, Norfolk Island.","authors":"M L Ho, C Page, B Leggat, T Gaston, S Eckhardt, T Ainsworth","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf004","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obaf004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Reef building corals are important in subtropical marine ecoregions, shaping ecosystems and providing habitats for fish and benthic species. Algal communities contribute substantially to the benthic population structure across subtropical coral reefs, however increasing algal cover on subtropical reefs is also linked to degraded ecosystems as has been shown on tropical systems. As such, the dynamics of coral-algal interactions on subtropical reefs are also likely to be an indicator of ecosystem health on subtropical ecosystems. The subtropical lagoonal coral reef of Norfolk Island within the Norfolk Marine Park has been impacted by a regime of disturbance since 2020 including flooding, sedimentation, and heat stress events. Assessing the type and extent of algal interactions with the dominant coral <i>Pocillopora damiconis</i> within the reef sites of Emily Bay, Slaughter Bay, and Cemetery Bay has the potential to provide insight into drivers of ecosystem decline within the reef. Similarly, photochemical efficiency, as measured by yield (Fv/Fm) using pulse amplitude modulated fluorometry, can be used to provide a measure of the health of corals on reefs during degradation events. Here we assess the extent of coral-algal interactions and health of colonies of <i>P. damicornis</i> prior to the onset of summertime conditions (April 2023) and during summertime conditions (December 2023). Seasonal and within site dynamics of coral-algal interactions were evident by a significant bloom of red cyanobacteria (<i>P</i> < 0.0001, April 2023) and <i>Lyngbya</i> {<i>P</i> < 0.01 [Slaughter Bay West (SBW)], <i>P</i> < 0.01 [Slaughter Bay East (SBE)], December 2023}. Within reef, variability of coral-algal interactions was most evident for <i>Lyngbya</i>, and on the Norfolk reef, interactions of <i>Lyngbya</i> with <i>P. damincornis</i> were found to be significantly higher at slaughter bay west (SBW 30.2% of interactions) and east (SBE 24.6% of interactions) in December 2023 than at neighboring Emily (11.6% of interactions) and Cemetery Bay (0.6% of interactions). Pulse Amplitude Modulated (PAM) fluorometry also highlighted the potential for algal interactions to influence the photochemical efficiency of <i>Pocillopora damicornis</i>. Benthic structure, as measured by coral-algal interactions, and coral health within the Norfolk lagoonal, both highlight the potential for anthropogenic drivers of reef decline to influence the health of the ecosystem. Further investigation is therefore necessary to elucidate the specific causes and consequences of algae linked to poor water quality, such as red cyanobacteria and <i>Lyngbya</i>, interacting with corals.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf004"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11851010/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143501000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}