Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies

Coral reef habitat complexity decreases and diversifies local availability of light

This study examines how light availability varies with reef surface complexity, finding that increased rugosity reduces light availability at local scales.

Symbiont spatial organisation is dynamically regulated within cnidarian host tissues

This study reveals that symbiont spatial organisation in cnidarian host tissues is dynamically regulated through mechanical constraints and environmental changes.

Spatial genotypic patterns within monospecific stands of a dominant coral revealed through photogrammetry-guided sampling.

The paper uses photogrammetry-guided sampling to assess genotypic diversity in monospecific coral stands, finding substantial genetic diversity within a dominant coral species.

Limited neutral and adaptive genomic divergence suggests Acropora cervicornis can be managed as a single conservation unit across its range

The paper analyzes genomic data from Acropora cervicornis to assess neutral and adaptive divergence, finding limited genetic structure and suggesting it can be managed as a single conservation unit.

Aiptasia larvae are phenotypically validated as a model of coral bleaching using high-throughput machine-learning image analysis

This paper validates Aiptasia larvae as a coral bleaching model and introduces SYMPHONY, an ML pipeline that efficiently identifies algal localization in larvae under heat stress.

Extended genomic regions flanking ultraconserved elements allow efficient species identification and intraspecific diversity assessment in coral

This paper presents a method using ultraconserved elements to identify coral species and assess intraspecific diversity efficiently.

Algae-specific Immune Modulation Influences Responses to Heat and Pathogen Challenge in a Symbiotic Coral

This study shows that hosting different algal symbionts in corals affects immune responses and stress tolerance, with trade-offs in survival under heat and pathogen challenges.

Optimising fertilisation kinetics models for broadcast spawning corals in the genus Acropora

This study optimises fertilisation kinetics models for two Acropora coral species using experimental data to improve predictions of reproductive success and inform reef management.

Bounded ecological memory in coral reefs: divergent demographic pathways under recurrent heatwaves and collapse under extreme thermal stress

The paper shows coral reefs exhibit bounded ecological memory, with reduced bleaching under predictable heatwaves but collapse under extreme thermal stress due to demographic shifts and loss of resilience.

Asymmetric depth acclimation and plasticity limit the refugial potential of mesophotic Porites astreoides

This study transplants corals between shallow and mesophotic depths to assess their physiological and transcriptomic plasticity, finding shallow corals have greater acclimatory capacity than mesophotic ones.

Genomic variation associated with endosymbiont shuffling and areal growth in the endangered elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata

The paper identifies genomic variants associated with endosymbiont shuffling and areal growth in Acropora palmata using genome-wide association and gene expression data.

Genomic repeatability and predictability of climate (mal)adaptation in a reef-building coral

Thermal adaptation in coral Stylophora pistillata is polygenic and largely population-specific across the Great Barrier Reef, yet range-wide models predict regional genotype-environment patterns and future maladaptation.

Experimental Thermal Stress Increases Corallicolid Relative Abundance in the Stony Coral Pocillopora damicornis

This study shows thermal stress increases corallicolid abundance in Pocillopora damicornis, suggesting a shift from commensal to parasitic role, contributing to coral mortality.

Warming exacerbates fungal pathogenicity to drive physiological collapse and microbiome reorganization in octocorals

This study shows that ocean warming increases fungal pathogenicity in octocorals, leading to physiological collapse and microbiome reorganization.

Decoupling epigenetic variation from genetic variation reveals complementary dimensions of coral eco-evolutionary dynamics

The paper decouples genetic and epigenetic variation in corals to show they provide complementary insights into eco-evolutionary dynamics.

Ca. Steroidedax gorgoniicola, a heterotrophic coral associate with horizontally acquired genes from Endozoicomonadaceae

The paper genomes an octocoral-associated bacterium classified as BD1-7, revealing it is a heterotrophic coral associate with horizontally acquired genes from Endozoicomonadaceae.

Host and environment shape the giant clam-associated photosymbiont community

The paper profiles Symbiodiniaceae communities in giant clams across multiple species and sites, finding that both host and environmental factors shape these communities.

Contrast-enhanced micro-XCT as a tool for organismal and reproductive trait observations in corals based on scans of Thesea nivea Deichmann, 1936

This study evaluates contrast-enhanced micro-XCT for visualizing soft tissue structures in corals, demonstrating its utility for systematics and histology.

Species-specific bleaching trajectories during the 4th global coral bleaching event in northeastern Peninsular Malaysia

The paper quantifies species-specific coral bleaching and mortality trajectories during the 4th global coral bleaching event in northeastern Peninsular Malaysia, revealing varied responses and challenging previous assumptions about heat tolerance.

Oxygen deprivation implicated in rapid coral mortality -- an emerging perilous threat to coral reefs

This study identifies oxygen deprivation as a key factor in rapid coral mortality triggered by temperature increases, highlighting its implications for coral reef health.

Benthic composition drives functional composition of fish assemblages despite varying recreational diving intensity

The paper examines how benthic composition, not diving intensity, influences fish functional composition on coral reefs in Utila, Honduras.

No-take marine reserves promote oligotrophic reef bacterioplankton communities across the Great Barrier Reef

The paper examines how marine reserves affect seawater microbial communities in the Great Barrier Reef, finding distinct microbiomes between protected and fished areas.

Host traits, phylogeny, and symbiont identity explain variation in colony-level symbiont switching across reef-building corals

This study examines colony-level symbiont switching in corals, finding that host traits, phylogeny, and resident symbiont identity are key predictors of switching behavior under environmental change.

Coral Guard substrates accelerate growth and fragment fusion for coral restoration

This study evaluates Coral Guard substrates, showing they accelerate coral growth, skeletal development, and fragment fusion, improving reef restoration efficiency.

Compound hypoxia with heat or acidification stress induces synergistic and additive effects on coral physiology

This study examines how hypoxia combined with heat or acidification affects coral physiology, finding synergistic and additive effects across multiple species.

Contact- and diffusion-based allelopathic interaction of a seaweed with coral holobionts

This study examines how macroalgal contact affects coral microbiomes and Symbiodiniaceae communities in two coral species, finding inter-colony variation in responses to macroalgal stress.

Decadal tracking reveals species-specific limits to coral thermal acclimatization

The paper tracks coral thermal performance over a decade, showing species-specific changes in thermal acclimatization and recovery after a marine heatwave.

High relatedness in sexually produced restoration cohorts of the endangered elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata

The paper assesses genetic diversity and relatedness in sexually produced coral offspring to inform restoration strategies.

Cell-resolved transcriptional responses during heat-induced coral bleaching and recovery

The paper generates a single-cell transcriptomic atlas of coral during heat stress and recovery, revealing cell type-specific transcriptional responses and symbiont dynamics.

Deep tissue removal in wounds facilitates algal colonization and inhibits healing and regeneration in tropical corals

This study shows that deep tissue removal in coral wounds promotes algal colonization and inhibits healing, while scraping wounds regenerate rapidly in some coral species.