Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies

Resolving Symbiodiniaceae diversity across coral microhabitats and reef niches

The paper compares Symbiodiniaceae communities across coral microhabitats and environmental niches using ITS2 sequencing, revealing distinct community structures and shared variants between habitats.

Promiscuous endosymbionts in deep-sea corals and crinoids are shaped by nitrogen cycling

The paper identifies shared endosymbiotic microbes between deep-sea corals and crinoids that participate in nitrogen cycling, suggesting mutualistic interactions in nutrient-poor environments.

Genomic comparison of the temperate coral Astrangia poculata with tropical corals yields insights into winter quiescence, innate immunity, and sexual reproduction

This study compares the genome of the temperate coral Astrangia poculata with the tropical coral Acropora millepora to identify gene family expansions related to winter quiescence, innate immunity, and sexual reproduction.

Bacterial exposure impacts host health of the sea anemone Exaiptasia pallida

This study investigates how three bacterial species affect the health of the sea anemone Exaiptasia pallida, both with and without symbiotic dinoflagellates, finding that V. alginolyticus is harmful while R. mobilis is beneficial.

Spatial variation in benthic community composition on a minimally disturbed coral reef in the years following a prolonged marine heatwave

The paper assesses spatial variation in benthic community composition on a minimally disturbed coral reef three years after a marine heatwave, finding depth and location-specific patterns in algal and coral cover.

Genomes of the Caribbean reef-building corals Colpophyllia natans, Dendrogyra cylindrus, and Siderastrea siderea

The paper presents the first genome assemblies for three Caribbean reef-building corals and explores genomic novelties, finding abundant gene duplications and a large genome size in Siderastrea siderea.

Microbiome stability is linked to coral thermotolerance

This study links microbiome stability to coral thermotolerance by comparing microbial communities in thermotolerant and thermosensitive corals under thermal stress.

Hypoxia threatens coral and sea anemone early life stages

This study examines the effects of hypoxia on early life stages of three cnidarian species, finding decreased larval performance and impaired settlement in corals, with species-specific responses to heat stress.

Symbiont-specific uptake is mediated by integrins in cnidarian larvae

This study identifies RGD-binding integrins as key receptors mediating specific symbiont uptake in cnidarian larvae, distinguishing symbiotic algae from non-symbiotic ones.

Heat-responsive dynamic shifts in alternative splicing of the coral Acropora cervicornis

The paper investigates heat-induced alternative splicing changes in the coral Acropora cervicornis under different thermal stress conditions and finds that 40% of genes undergo alternative splicing, with intron retention dominating responses.

Multiscale Rugosity Assessment of Coral Reefs Using Underwater Photogrammetry

This study introduces a wavelet-based method to analyze coral reef rugosity across multiple scales using underwater photogrammetry, finding that underlying reef characteristics significantly influence rugosity estimates.

Cryptic diversity shapes coral symbioses, physiology, and response to thermal challenge

The paper identifies cryptic coral lineages with functional differences in thermal tolerance and growth, highlighting their role in coral reef resilience to climate change.

Exposure to a gradient of warming and acidification highlights physiological, molecular, and skeletal tolerance thresholds in Pocillopora acuta recruits

This study exposes early life stages of Pocillopora acuta to warming and acidification scenarios, finding survival under moderate conditions but significant negative effects under severe conditions.

Local alkalinity enhancement using artificial substrates increases survivorship of early-stage coral recruits

The paper tests artificial substrates with local alkalinity enhancement to improve survivorship of early-stage coral recruits under reef-like conditions.

Cell type-specific immune regulation under symbiosis in a facultatively symbiotic coral

This study investigates immune regulation in symbiotic and aposymbiotic coral tissue using multiomic approaches, revealing compartmentalized immune suppression in specific cell types during symbiosis.

Evolutionary genomics of two co-occurring congeneric fore reef coral species on Guam (Mariana Islands).

This study compares the population genetics of two sympatric coral species on Guam, finding differences in genetic diversity and structure linked to habitat and morphology.

Differential aggregation patterns of Endozoicomonas within tissues of the coral Acropora loripes

This study examines the spatial distribution of Endozoicomonas bacterial aggregates in Acropora loripes coral tissues, revealing distinct aggregation patterns between two phylogenetic clades.

History of recurrent short and long-term coral bleaching events in Indian coral reefs: a systematic review of contrasting bleaching patterns, lessons learned, and future directions

This study reviews 23 years of coral bleaching events in Indian reefs to identify species susceptibility patterns and highlight the need for repeated surveys to accurately assess bleaching impacts.

Too hot to handle? The impact of the 2023 marine heatwave on Florida Keys coral

This study examines the impact of the 2023 marine heatwave on Florida Keys corals, finding that most corals survived but some species and sites experienced significant mortality and unusual lesions.

Interspecies differences in the transcriptome response of corals to acute heat stress

The paper compares transcriptome responses of four coral species to acute heat stress, finding differences in stress response gene abundance and activation patterns that correlate with thermal tolerance.

Unravelling the universal spatial properties of coral reefs

The paper identifies universal spatial patterns in coral reefs using global data, revealing fractal geometries and power-law distributions across different reef provinces.

Accelerated growth of the scleractinian coral Orbicella faveolata under turbid and polluted water conditions

This study examines how historical water quality changes in Cartagena Bay affected the growth of Orbicella faveolata corals, finding increased linear extension and decreased skeletal density after 1981 dredging events.

Metabolomic profiles of stony coral species from the Dry Tortugas National Park display inter- and intraspecies variation

The paper analyzes metabolomic profiles of four stony coral species to identify inter- and intraspecies variation in host and endosymbiont-derived pathways related to disease resistance.

Coral larvae employ nitrogen sequestration mechanisms to stabilize carbon provisioning from algal symbionts under increased temperature

This study shows coral larvae maintain carbon provisioning from algal symbionts under heat stress by sequestering nitrogen into dipeptides, reducing symbiont growth but preserving photosynthesis and carbon transfer.

Characterizing gene expression profiles of various tissue states in stony coral tissue loss disease using a feature selection algorithm

This paper uses a supervised machine learning framework to identify genes associated with SCTLD progression in coral and its algal symbionts, revealing metabolic and immune shifts in disease states.

Distinct modes of holobiont specialization among cryptic coral lineages

The paper identifies three cryptic coral lineages with distinct thermal tolerance strategies by analyzing their associations with photobionts and bacteria across different reef environments.

Recurrent extreme climatic events are driving gorgonian populations to local extinction: low adaptive potential to marine heatwaves.

This study shows that recurrent marine heatwaves are causing gorgonian populations to decline due to low adaptive potential.

Ex situ spawning, larval development, and settlement in the massive reef-building coral Porites lobata in Palau

This study observes ex situ spawning, larval development, and settlement in Porites lobata, finding an abbreviated pelagic larval period and potential for local adaptation.

Unprecedented sighting of coral populations and associated fauna in the High Sedimentation Waters of Puerto Velero, Atlantico, Colombia

The paper reports the discovery of coral patches and associated fauna in Puerto Velero, Colombia, highlighting coral resilience despite high sedimentation and environmental stress.

Microscale sampling of the coral gastric cavity reveals a gut-like microbial community

The paper samples coral gastric cavities to characterize their microbial communities, finding similarities to animal guts and identifying core taxa that persist across environments.