Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies

A dominant coral parasite, Candidatus Aquirickettsia rohweri, resists antibiotic exposure and thermal challenge below the bleaching threshold in disease-susceptible Acropora cervicornis

This study shows that the coral parasite Candidatus Aquirickettsia rohweri resists antibiotics and thermal stress in disease-susceptible Acropora cervicornis, suggesting antibiotic treatment may not disrupt its dominance.

First detection of peroxynitrite in live coral cells during thermal stress

The paper detects peroxynitrite in live coral cells under thermal stress using optimized fluorescent dyes and highlights challenges in probe application.

Comparative 3D analysis reveals species-specific patterns of coral polyp morphology and gastrovascular integration

This study uses X-ray tomography to compare internal polyp architecture across four coral species, revealing species-specific patterns of tissue organization and connectivity.

Improving coral oxidative stress assessments through compartment-specific lipid peroxidation measurements and increased methodological standardization

This study improves coral oxidative stress assessments by showing that lipid peroxidation varies between host and algal symbiont fractions and highlights the importance of standardized normalization methods.

Contrasting defensive strategies underlie differential susceptibility of corals to crown-of-thorns sea star (CoTS; Acanthaster cf. solaris) predation

The paper examines gene expression differences in preferred and non-preferred coral species during CoTS predation, revealing distinct defensive strategies.

Five Decades of Rariphotic Research: A Systematic Reviewof Trends, Biases, and Future Directions

This study reviews 185 studies on rariphotic ecosystems from 1970 to 2025, showing increased research effort driven by technology, but highlighting geographic and methodological biases.

Population genomics highlight the vulnerability of coral-dwelling gobies to ecological losses due to climatic disturbances

The paper analyzes genomic changes in coral-dwelling gobies after climatic disturbances, finding genetic bottlenecks and extirpations in some species.

Co-option of lysosomal machinery shapes the symbiosis supporting coral reefs

The paper identifies lysosomal protein co-option in symbiosomes of coral and anemone models, showing its role in supporting photosymbiosis through carbon-concentrating and sulfate transport mechanisms.

Conserved transcriptomic heat stress response signatures in coral recruits selectively bred from thermally distinct broodstock in a low-differentiation system

The paper examines transcriptomic responses to heat stress in coral recruits from thermally distinct broodstock, finding conserved stress-response pathways and limited genetic differentiation.

Coral settlement module designs for scalable reef restoration

This paper evaluates coral settlement module designs for large-scale reef restoration, finding that helix recess structures significantly enhance coral recruitment compared to controls and natural substrates.

Novel Evidence for Nitrogen-Dependent Regulation of Nitrate Reductase in Coral Symbiosis

This study characterizes nitrate reductase regulation in coral symbionts under varying nitrogen sources and light conditions, showing it is post-transcriptionally controlled and facultative.

Geomorphic evolution of a Caribbean biological hotspot

This study reconstructs the geomorphic history of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago to understand how dynamic connectivity and isolation shaped island biodiversity over time.

Within-colony microbial response of three species with different susceptibility to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease

The paper examines microbial community shifts in three coral species with varying susceptibility to SCTLD, finding species-specific changes in diseased tissue.

Multi-omics data of a weedy coral species from Ulithi Atoll (Micronesia) to investigate the impact of human disturbance on coral health and resilience

Dispersal behavior in a cold-water coral is orchestrated via stage and species-specific physiology.

The paper investigates dispersal behavior in cold-water coral larvae, showing how physiological changes drive shifts from passive to active swimming behaviors.

Diversity, host-specificity, and environmental drivers of the coral reef eukaryome

The paper characterizes the eukaryotic diversity in coral reef environments, revealing high diversity and identifying environmental drivers shaping these communities.

Heatwave winners and losers: cryptic coral holobionts differ in thermal tolerance

The paper examines thermal tolerance differences among cryptic coral taxa during a heatwave, finding that survival correlates with biological factors rather than environmental exposure.

Nature vs nurture? Light availability drives phenotypic plasticity within a reef coral species

This study shows that light availability significantly affects the morphology of Montipora capitata corals, demonstrating high phenotypic plasticity without changes in symbiont communities.

Spatiotemporal patterns of genetic diversity in the world's coral reefs

The paper analyzes genetic diversity in coral reefs using genome-wide data from 2,520 individuals across 173 reefs, finding no overall temporal decline but within-reef diversity loss linked to environmental factors.

Coral restoration alters reef soundscapes but machine learning and manual analyses suggest different recovery rates

This study uses passive acoustic monitoring and two analysis methods to assess how coral restoration affects reef soundscapes, finding differing recovery rates between manual and machine learning approaches.

Improved coral thermal tolerance through modulation of antioxidant defenses

This study shows that antioxidant supplementation improves coral thermal tolerance by enhancing oxidative stress regulation in three Red Sea coral species.

Cell-type-specific transposable element transcription tracks symbiosis and calcification programs in the reef-building coral Acropora hemprichii

The paper uses single-cell RNA sequencing to show that transposable element transcription is linked to cell-type identity and physiological functions in the coral Acropora hemprichii.

Ocean-scale transcriptomic analysis of corallicolids (Apicomplexa) reveals their ubiquity and molecular interactions with Pocillopora corals.

The paper analyzes corallicolid parasites in Pocillopora corals across the Pacific Ocean, finding their widespread presence and linking their abundance to environmental factors and host immune responses.

Heat and Nitrate Drive Metabolic and Immune Reprogramming Leading to the Collapse of Symbiosis in the Model Sea Anemone Aiptasia

This study examines how heat and nitrate affect symbiosis in sea anemones, finding that while nitrate can temporarily buffer thermal stress, combined stressors lead to holobiont failure.

Comparative somatic genomics reveals divergent development of cell lineages across scleractinian corals

The paper compares somatic mutation accumulation in two coral species, finding distinct patterns suggesting different cell lineage development mechanisms.

Ecological bleaching trajectories under severe heat stress are only partially captured by acute heat stress assays

The paper assesses whether acute heat stress assays predict coral bleaching and mortality under severe heat stress, finding limited predictive power and context-dependent outcomes.

Reproductive Trade-offs in Caribbean Corals: Plasticity Accelerates While Fragmentation Delays Reproductive Capacity

This study shows fragmentation reduces reproductive capacity in corals, but morphological plasticity can offset this effect.

Environmental drivers of metabolomic profiles within and between cryptic lineages of Montastraea cavernosa, the great star coral

This study examines how environmental factors influence metabolomic profiles in two cryptic lineages of Montastraea cavernosa, finding similar adaptive responses despite genetic divergence.

Environmentally-determined symbiont communities highlight flexibility of Aiptasia-algal symbiosis

This study examines the flexibility of symbiont communities in Exaiptasia diaphana across a latitudinal gradient, finding that symbiont associations are environmentally determined and not strictly genetically controlled.

The paradox of neutral carbonate budgets on coral-dominated reefs

The paper examines carbonate budget states on coral reefs, finding that high coral production is balanced by strong bioerosion, resulting in neutral budgets despite high coral cover.