Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies

microRNA expression during early development in the coral Acropora digitifera

This study identifies microRNAs expressed during early development of Acropora digitifera and shows their dynamic regulation across developmental stages.

Seasonal microbiome community dynamics in the massive coral Porites lobata impacted by sedimentation

The paper examines seasonal changes in coral-associated microbiomes of Porites lobata in a sediment-impacted bay, finding spatial and temporal variations in microbial communities linked to sedimentation and terrestrial influences.

Population structure and gene flow in the endangered Caribbean reef-building coral, Acropora palmata

The paper updates the population genomic analysis of Acropora palmata, identifying nine genetic clusters and highlighting the role of ocean currents in gene flow.

Eleven deep-sea coral genome assemblies unveil insights into evolution, adaptation, and coral biodiversity

The paper presents 11 deep-sea coral genome assemblies, revealing evolutionary dynamics, environmental adaptation, and genetic differences between deep-sea and shallow-sea corals.

RNAseq sheds light on 'who is doing what' in the coral Porites lutea

The paper uses RNAseq to analyze the functional roles of different compartments in the coral holobiont Porites lutea, revealing metabolic interactions and nutrient cycling.

Strain-Specific Surface Polysaccharides Mediate BacterialInduction of Metamorphosis in the coralPocillopora acuta

The paper identifies bacterial O-antigen polysaccharides as specific settlement cues for coral larvae, showing species and strain specificity and ecological relevance.

Genomic insights into photosymbiosis in giant clams: Comparisons with coral strategies

This study compares the molecular mechanisms of photosymbiosis in giant clams with corals, identifying conserved and divergent strategies in nutrient exchange.

Maintenance cost of photosynthesis sets key ecological constraints on zooxanthellate corals

The paper quantifies the maintenance cost of photosynthesis in zooxanthellate corals and shows it limits depth distribution by increasing ATP demand and reducing energy available for the host.

Comparing Symbiodiniaceae diversity across unicellular hosts, multicellular hosts, and environmental reservoirs

The paper compares Symbiodiniaceae diversity across different hosts and environments, finding distinct community structures and shared variants.

Water-mediated productivity dynamics in shifting coral reef communities

The paper investigates water-mediated interactions in coral reef communities, finding that these interactions can alter ecosystem productivity and functioning during phase shifts, independent of physical competition.

Impacts of wind-driven hydrodynamics on the early stages of coral development

This study examines how wind-driven hydrodynamics affect coral fertilization and larval development, finding that increased wind speeds reduce fertilization success and embryo viability.

Past thermal history and heat stress shape patterns of coral-algal symbioses in massive Porites

The paper examines how thermal history and heat stress influence Symbiodiniaceae diversity in Porites corals across a reef, finding higher thermotolerant symbiont prevalence in areas with more heat stress.

Combined-stress priming alters physiology, transcriptional dynamics, and acute thermal resistance in Acropora cervicornis corals

This study shows that pre-exposing Acropora cervicornis corals to combined stressors improves their thermal tolerance and transcriptional resilience during acute heat stress.

Coral reef ecosystem functions in a human-dominated world

The paper quantifies global coral reef ecosystem functions using metabolic models and surveys, revealing a continuous functional spectrum influenced by climate and human factors.

Baseline microbiomes of the pillar coral Dendrogyra cylindrus reveal novel taxa and regional differences

The paper characterizes the microbiome of pillar coral Dendrogyra cylindrus in Belize and Curacao, revealing regional differences and novel bacterial taxa.

Symbiosis collapses during development of asexual offspring in the absence of heterotrophic feeding in a model cnidarian-algal symbiosis

The paper examines the role of symbiotic algae and heterotrophic feeding in the development of asexual offspring in Aiptasia, showing that symbionts enhance growth under feeding but hinder development under starvation.

Contrasting patterns of seascape genetics in Acropora cf. tenuis and their symbiotic algae.

The paper examines genetic variation in Acropora cf. tenuis corals and their algal symbionts across a reefscape, finding contrasting dispersal patterns between hosts and symbionts.

Nemo knows: clownfishes differentiate cryptic host species across fine and broad geographic scales and reveal a potential adaptive radiation in the clownfish-hosting sea anemones.

The paper identifies cryptic species in the sea anemone Entacmaea quadricolor and suggests it may be undergoing adaptive radiation in response to clownfish symbiosis.

CRISPR/Cas9-mutagenesis reveals that varying dependence on HSF1 is associated with differences in coral heat tolerance

The paper uses CRISPR/Cas9 to show that heat-tolerant corals rely less on HSF1 for survival during heat stress compared to heat-sensitive corals.

Coral Probiotics Buffer Adjacent Ecosystem-Level Responses to Extreme Marine Heatwave

This study shows coral probiotics reduce ecosystem-level impacts of marine heatwaves by maintaining biodiversity and microbial interactions in adjacent communities.

Complex benthic habitats retain larvae sinking in response to soluble cues: field study of coral reefs in wave-driven flow

The paper investigates how larval sinking in response to chemical cues affects retention in complex reef habitats, finding that sinking larvae are retained within reefs while other particles are advected away.

Estimates of habitat selection reveal distinct habitat associations across life-stages in three coral-reef damselfish.

The paper estimates habitat selection across life-stages in three coral-reef damselfish species and finds species-specific changes in habitat associations.

RGB color indices as proxy for symbiont cell density and chlorophyll content during coral bleaching

This study uses RGB color indices to estimate symbiont cell density and chlorophyll content in corals under bleaching conditions, finding the Red index provides strong correlations across species.

The genome of the reef-building coral Porites harrisoni from the southern Persian/Arabian Gulf

This paper presents the genome assembly of the coral Porites harrisoni from the southern Persian/Arabian Gulf, providing insights into its genomic architecture and thermal resilience.

Degree heating weeks fail to reach alert thresholds yet coral bleaching is widespread: structural insensitivity of anomaly-based metrics across Japan's latitudinal gradient

The paper shows that Degree Heating Weeks (DHW) underperform in predicting coral bleaching in Japan's latitudinal gradient, with a simpler temperature metric outperforming DHW in detecting bleaching.

Bimodal distribution of coral bleaching prevalence is consistent with state transition dynamics in thermal stress response: five years of standardised monitoring in Japan

The paper analyzes five years of coral bleaching data from Japan, finding a bimodal distribution and showing that ecological severity thresholds are inseparable from metric design.

Stony Coral Symbioses Show Variable Responses to Future Ocean Conditions

This study examines how coral symbioses respond to future ocean conditions through long-term mesocosm experiments, finding both adaptive and stochastic changes in symbiont communities.

Unexpected global biodiversity responses to climate change arise from complex adaptation, seascape, and dispersal dynamics

This study shows that climate change impacts on marine biodiversity are more complex than previously thought, due to interactions between adaptation, dispersal, and seascape dynamics.

Light-harvesting strategies and competition drive niche partitioning among Ostreobium lineages in the spectral architecture of the coral reef

This study examines spectral niche preferences and physiological strategies of Ostreobium lineages in coral reefs, showing that inter-species competition and physiological heterogeneity shape community structure.

A quick and reliable menthol-induced bleaching protocol for the Caribbean staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis

This study compares menthol and thermal stress as methods to induce bleaching in staghorn coral, finding menthol more effective at reducing algal symbiont photosynthetic capacity without harming coral health.