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1
Tupper, M., and W. Hunte. "Recruitment dynamics of coral reef fishes in Barbados." Marine Ecology Progress Series 108 (1994): 225–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps108225.
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Taylor, Frederick W., and Paul Mann. "Late Quaternary folding of coral reef terraces, Barbados." Geology 19, no. 2 (1991): 103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1991)019<0103:lqfocr>2.3.co;2.
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Vallès, Henri, Hazel A. Oxenford, and Alex Henderson. "Switching between standard coral reef benthic monitoring protocols is complicated: proof of concept." PeerJ 7 (December 3, 2019): e8167. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8167.
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Monitoring the state of coral reefs is necessary to identify drivers of change and assess effectiveness of management actions. There are several widely-used survey methods, each of which is likely to exhibit different biases that should be quantified if the purpose is to combine datasets obtained via different survey methods. The latter is a particularly important consideration when switching methodologies in long-term monitoring programs and is highly relevant to the Caribbean today. This is because of the continuing need for regionally comparable coral reef monitoring datasets and the fact that the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN)-Caribbean node is now recommending a photoquadrat (PQ) method over the chain intercept transect method widely adopted by the members of the first truly regional monitoring network, Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity Program (CARICOMP), in the early-1990s. Barbados, a member of the CARICOMP network, has been using a variation of the chain intercept method in its long-term coral reef monitoring program for more than two decades. Now a member of GCRMN-Caribbean, Barbados is considering switching to the PQ method in conformity with other regional members. Since we expect differences between methods, this study seeks to quantify the nature of those differences to inform Barbados and others considering switching methods. In 2017, both methods were concurrently implemented at 21 permanent monitoring plots across three major reef types in Barbados. Differences in % cover estimates for the six major benthic components, that is, hard corals, sponges, gorgonians, macroalgae, turf algae and crustose coralline algae, were examined within and among reef types. Overall, we found a complex pattern of differences between methods that depended on the benthic component, its relative abundance, and the reef type. We conclude that most benthic components would require a different conversion procedure depending on the reef type, and we provide an example of these procedures for Barbados. The factors that likely contribute to the complex pattern of between-method differences are discussed. Overall, our findings highlight that switching methods will be complicated, but not impossible. Finally, our study fills an important gap by underscoring a promising analytical framework to guide the comparison of ecological survey methods on coral reefs.
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Radtke, Ulrich, Rainer Grün, and Henry P. Schwarcz. "Electron Spin Resonance Dating of the Pleistocene Coral Reef Tracts of Barbados." Quaternary Research 29, no. 3 (May 1988): 197–215. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0033-5894(88)90030-0.
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The reef tracts of Barbados have been investigated by electron spin resonance dating; all parameters necessary for ESR dating (including effective α-efficiency and thermal stability) were determined without cross checking with another independent dating method. In addition, some U-series analyses were carried out in order to test the reliability of ESR. In most cases, the results show a satisfactory agreement between ESR and both these and previously published U-series dates (M. L. Bender, R. G. Fairbanks, F. W. Taylor, R. K. Matthews, J. G. Goddard, and W. S. Broecker (1979). Geological Society of America. Bulletin 90 , 577–594). For the oldest samples, ESR dates tend to exceed He/U dates, suggesting that there might have been He loss from aragonite. Raised reef tracts are assigned to high sea stands from successive interglacial stages 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15. ESR and U-series (230Th/234U) dates for corals and molluses in North Barbados do not support the suggestion of N. P. James ((1971). Unpublished Thesis, McGill University, Montreal) that this region has subsided during part of the past 125,000 yr. Whereas the experimentally determined mean life (τ) of trapped electrons is only 500,000 yr for the ambient temperature in Barbados, there is no evidence from the comparison between ESR and other dates for thermal fading. This emphasizes the difficulty of experimental measurement of τ.
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MacIntosh, Kevin, Tundi Agardy, and Seth Logan. "FOCUS ON ECOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DESIGN OF A BEACH STABILIZATION PROJECT." Coastal Engineering Proceedings, no. 36 (December 30, 2018): 6. http://dx.doi.org/10.9753/icce.v36.risk.6.
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Baird harnessed the latest technology to improve the beach while minimizing environmental impacts and improving habitat wherever possible at a west coast location in Barbados. Baird used an Echoscope to precisely map bathymetry, living reef, and voids in relic reef. Following numerical and physical modeling, underwater structures for beach stabilization were specifically designed to accommodate coral transplants and lab grown corals. This first phase of shoreline stabilization creates new opportunities for enhancement, training, and education. Subsequent monitoring of biodiversity will measure the rate of reef recovery. Turbidity monitoring, as well as rainfall and surface run-off rates, will provide much needed information regarding the relative impacts of wave sediment resuspension and surface run-off on coral health.
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Sponaugle, S., and RK Cowen. "Nearshore patterns of coral reef fish larval supply to Barbados, West Indies." Marine Ecology Progress Series 133 (1996): 13–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps133013.
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Vallès, H., DL Kramer, and W. Hunte. "Temporal and spatial patterns in the recruitment of coral-reef fishes in Barbados." Marine Ecology Progress Series 363 (July 15, 2008): 257–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps07432.
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Champ, C. M., M. Vorobyev, and N. J. Marshall. "Colour thresholds in a coral reef fish." Royal Society Open Science 3, no. 9 (September 2016): 160399. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160399.
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Coral reef fishes are among the most colourful animals in the world. Given the diversity of lifestyles and habitats on the reef, it is probable that in many instances coloration is a compromise between crypsis and communication. However, human observation of this coloration is biased by our primate visual system. Most animals have visual systems that are ‘tuned’ differently to humans; optimized for different parts of the visible spectrum. To understand reef fish colours, we need to reconstruct the appearance of colourful patterns and backgrounds as they are seen through the eyes of fish. Here, the coral reef associated triggerfish, Rhinecanthus aculeatus , was tested behaviourally to determine the limits of its colour vision. This is the first demonstration of behavioural colour discrimination thresholds in a coral reef species and is a critical step in our understanding of communication and speciation in this vibrant colourful habitat. Fish were trained to discriminate between a reward colour stimulus and series of non-reward colour stimuli and the discrimination thresholds were found to correspond well with predictions based on the receptor noise limited visual model and anatomy of the eye. Colour discrimination abilities of both reef fish and a variety of animals can therefore now be predicted using the parameters described here.
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Gleibs, S., and D. Mebs. "Distribution and sequestration of palytoxin in coral reef animals." Toxicon 37, no. 11 (November 1999): 1521–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0041-0101(99)00093-8.
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Rakitin, A., and DL Kramer. "Effect of a marine reserve on the distribution of coral reef fishes in Barbados." Marine Ecology Progress Series 131 (1996): 97–113. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps131097.
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Krueger, BH, MY Chaloupka, PA Leighton, JA Dunn, and JA Horrocks. "Somatic growth rates for a hawksbill turtle population in coral reef habitat around Barbados." Marine Ecology Progress Series 432 (June 27, 2011): 269–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps09125.
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Chiarello, Marlène, Jean-Christophe Auguet, Nicholas A. J. Graham, Thomas Claverie, Elliott Sucré, Corinne Bouvier, Fabien Rieuvilleneuve, et al. "Exceptional but vulnerable microbial diversity in coral reef animal surface microbiomes." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 287, no. 1927 (May 13, 2020): 20200642. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.0642.
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Coral reefs host hundreds of thousands of animal species that are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic disturbances. These animals host microbial communities at their surface, playing crucial roles for their fitness. However, the diversity of such microbiomes is mostly described in a few coral species and still poorly defined in other invertebrates and vertebrates. Given the diversity of animal microbiomes, and the diversity of host species inhabiting coral reefs, the contribution of such microbiomes to the total microbial diversity of coral reefs could be important, yet potentially vulnerable to the loss of animal species. Analysis of the surface microbiome from 74 taxa, including teleost fishes, hard and soft corals, crustaceans, echinoderms, bivalves and sponges, revealed that more than 90% of their prokaryotic phylogenetic richness was specific and not recovered in surrounding plankton. Estimate of the total richness associated with coral reef animal surface microbiomes reached up to 2.5% of current estimates of Earth prokaryotic diversity. Therefore, coral reef animal surfaces should be recognized as a hotspot of marine microbial diversity. Loss of the most vulnerable reef animals expected under present-day scenarios of reef degradation would induce an erosion of 28% of the prokaryotic richness, with unknown consequences on coral reef ecosystem functioning.
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Ku, Teh-Lung, M. Ivanovich, and Shangde Luo. "U-Series Dating of Last Interglacial High Sea Stands: Barbados Revisited." Quaternary Research 33, no. 2 (March 1990): 129–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0033-5894(90)90014-c.
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AbstractU-series chronologies of the emerged coral limestone terraces on Barbados, West Indies, together with those of the terraces from New Guinea, have formed the basis for most late Pleistocene eustatic models. The so-called “Barbados sea level model” has been challenged in recent years, however. A major issue is whether during oxygen isotope stage 5e, when Rendezvous Hill reef complex on Barbados Island formed, the sea rose above the present position for one relatively brief period of <10,000 yr, or for two or more periods spanning approximately from 140,000 to 115,000 yr B.P. Evidence for the latter scenario has not come from initial studies of Barbados but from elsewhere; it is also inconclusive because of the dating uncertainties involved. We have carried out careful redeterminations of U-series ages on a suite of 29 Acropora palmata samples systematically collected from four of the lowest terraces on the island. Diagenetic disturbance may have caused the age spreads at some sampling outcrops. A model for the diagenetic exchange of uranium isotopes in coral samples with those in groundwater explains the anomalous 234U/238U ratios in samples with apparently unaltered mineralogy (aragonite) and trace element (Mg and Sr) chemistry. It shows that age dispersions of 5–10% can be engendered by a U exchange coefficient of the order of 10−6 yr−1. The lower-limit terrace ages, estimated from averaging the multiple measurements, are 81,000 ± 2000 yr (Worthing), 105,000 ± 1000 yr (Ventnor), 120,000 ± 2000 yr (Maxwell), and 117,000 ± 3000 yr (Rendezvous Hill). No evidence was found of previously inferred bipartite sea levels centering around 118,000 and 135,000 yr ago. This study documents the need of dating coral with the high precision/sensitivity mass-spectrometric techniques for future resolution of the temporal relationships among sea level changes, climate oscillations, and astronomical forcing—relationships originally addressed by the Barbados sea level model.
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Smith, Anne E., Philip M. Wheeler, and Magnus L. Johnson. "Artificial reefs and marine protected areas: a study in willingness to pay to access Folkestone Marine Reserve, Barbados, West Indies." PeerJ 4 (July 20, 2016): e2175. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2175.
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Artificial reefs in marine protected areas provide additional habitat for biodiversity viewing, and therefore may offer an innovative management solution for managing for coral reef recovery and resilience. Marine park user fees can generate revenue to help manage and maintain natural and artificial reefs. Using a stated preference survey, this study investigates the present consumer surplus associated with visitor use of a marine protected area in Barbados. Two hypothetical markets were presented to differentiate between respondents use values of either: (a) natural reefs within the marine reserve or (b) artificial reef habitat for recreational enhancement. Information was also collected on visitors’ perceptions of artificial reefs, reef material preferences and reef conservation awareness. From a sample of 250 visitors on snorkel trips, we estimate a mean willingness to pay of US$18.33 (median—US$15) for natural reef use and a mean value of US$17.58 (median—US$12.50) for artificial reef use. The number of marine species viewed, age of respondent, familiarity with the Folkestone Marine Reserve and level of environmental concern were statistically significant in influencing willingness to pay. Regression analyses indicate visitors are willing to pay a significant amount to view marine life, especially turtles. Our results suggest that user fees could provide a considerable source of income to aid reef conservation in Barbados. In addition, the substantial use value reported for artificial reefs indicates a reef substitution policy may be supported by visitors to the Folkestone Marine Reserve. We discuss our findings and highlight directions for future research that include the need to collect data to establish visitors’ non-use values to fund reef management.
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Roberts, J. M. "Reef-aggregating behaviour by symbiotic eunicid polychaetes from cold-water corals: do worms assemble reefs?" Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 85, no. 4 (June 27, 2005): 813–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315405011756.
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In the north-east Atlantic, the dominant reef-framework forming coral species, Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata, form a symbiotic association with the polychaete worm Eunice norvegica. The polychaete–coral symbiosis was studied by visually observing and photographing live animals in aquaria over many months and using time-lapse video under infra-red lighting to record activity patterns. The polychaetes act as reef aggregating agents by joining coral colonies and enhancing the development of reef patches in deep water. The symbiosis was investigated using samples collected from a relatively shallow site in a Norwegian fjord and from a deeper open ocean site in the Porcupine Seabight. The potential functional roles of this symbiosis are considered. The reef aggregating behaviour of the polychaete symbiont allied with the ability of the coral host to anastomose its branches, the polychaete tubes and debris falling onto the reef structure will help to shift the balance between reef growth and (bio)erosion in favour of growth.
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Diaz-Castaneda, Victoria, and Cesar Almeda-Jauregui. "Early Benthic Organism Colonization on a Caribbean Coral Reef (Barbados, West Indies): a Plate Experimental Approach." Marine Ecology 20, no. 3-4 (December 1999): 197–220. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1439-0485.1999.2034074.x.
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Oxenford, Hazel A., and Henri Vallès. "Transient turbid water mass reduces temperature-induced coral bleaching and mortality in Barbados." PeerJ 4 (June 14, 2016): e2118. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2118.
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Global warming is seen as one of the greatest threats to the world's coral reefs, and with the continued rise in sea surface temperature predicted into the future, there is a great need for further understanding of how to prevent and address the damaging impacts. This is particularly so for countries whose economies depend heavily on healthy reefs, such as those of the eastern Caribbean. Here, we compare the severity of bleaching and mortality for five dominant coral species at six representative reef sites in Barbados during the two most significant warm-water events ever recorded in the eastern Caribbean, i.e., 2005 and 2010, and describe prevailing island-scale sea water conditions during both events. In so doing, we demonstrate that coral bleaching and subsequent mortality were considerably lower in 2010 than in 2005 for all species, irrespective of site, even though the anomalously warm water temperature profiles were very similar between years. We also show that during the 2010 event, Barbados was engulfed by a transient dark green turbid water mass of riverine origin coming from South America. We suggest that reduced exposure to high solar radiation associated with this transient water mass was the primary contributing factor to the lower bleaching and mortality observed in all corals. We conclude that monitoring these episodic mesoscale oceanographic features might improve risk assessments of southeastern Caribbean reefs to warm-water events in the future.
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van Oppen, Madeleine J. H., James K. Oliver, Hollie M. Putnam, and Ruth D. Gates. "Building coral reef resilience through assisted evolution." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112, no. 8 (February 2, 2015): 2307–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1422301112.
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The genetic enhancement of wild animals and plants for characteristics that benefit human populations has been practiced for thousands of years, resulting in impressive improvements in commercially valuable species. Despite these benefits, genetic manipulations are rarely considered for noncommercial purposes, such as conservation and restoration initiatives. Over the last century, humans have driven global climate change through industrialization and the release of increasing amounts of CO2, resulting in shifts in ocean temperature, ocean chemistry, and sea level, as well as increasing frequency of storms, all of which can profoundly impact marine ecosystems. Coral reefs are highly diverse ecosystems that have suffered massive declines in health and abundance as a result of these and other direct anthropogenic disturbances. There is great concern that the high rates, magnitudes, and complexity of environmental change are overwhelming the intrinsic capacity of corals to adapt and survive. Although it is important to address the root causes of changing climate, it is also prudent to explore the potential to augment the capacity of reef organisms to tolerate stress and to facilitate recovery after disturbances. Here, we review the risks and benefits of the improvement of natural and commercial stocks in noncoral reef systems and advocate a series of experiments to determine the feasibility of developing coral stocks with enhanced stress tolerance through the acceleration of naturally occurring processes, an approach known as (human)-assisted evolution, while at the same time initiating a public dialogue on the risks and benefits of this approach.
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Simpson, C. J., J. L. Cary, and R. J. Masini. "Destruction of corals and other reef animals by coral spawn slicks on Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia." Coral Reefs 12, no. 3-4 (November 1993): 185–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf00334478.
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Faiqoh, Elok, I. Wayan Gede Astawa Karang, and Dwi Budi Wiyanto. "Dampak Pemutihan Karang Keras pada Komunitas Ikan Karang dan Makrozoobenthos di Wilayah Perairan Tejakula, Buleleng, Bali." Rekayasa 12, no. 1 (April 30, 2019): 24. http://dx.doi.org/10.21107/rekayasa.v12i1.5290.
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<p>ABSTRAK<br />Pemutihan karang merupakan salah satu dampak dari perubahan iklim global, kenaikan suhu tersebut memberikan dampak negatif bagi keseimbangan ekosistem terumbu karang. Terumbu karang yang memutih dan kehilangan zooxanthella nya akan rentan terkena infeksi dan penyakit. Populasi komunitas ikan karang pemakan hewan karang dan makrozoobenthos juga akan menurun. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui besar dampak kerusakan terumbu karang dan dampaknya bagi populasi ikan dan makrozoobenthos. Survey dilakukan pada 3 titik di wilayah perairan Tejakula dengan metode reefcheck. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan kematian terumbu karang sebesar 5-7.5%, jumlah alga yang menutupi 3.125%. Kondisi ikan kepe-kepe yang merupakan pemakan hewan karang juga sudah ditemukan dalam jumlah cukup banyak. Keberadaan ikan herbivora dan makrozoobenthos herbivore membantu mengurangi jumlah alga yang menutupi. Sedangkan keberadaan ikan pemakan terumbu karang dan ikan predator memperlihatkan bahwa sistem ekologi yang ada di terumbu karang tersebut hampir kembali normal. <br />Kata Kunci: terumbu karang, komunitas ikan karang, makrozoobenthos.</p><p><strong>The Impact of Hard Coral Bleaching in Coral and Macrozoobenthos Fish Communities in Tejakula, Buleleng, Bali Water Areas</strong></p><p>ABSTRACT<br />Coral bleaching is one of the consequences of global climate change, as the rise of temperature negatively impacts the ecological balance of reef ecosystems. Bleached coral reefs lose their zooxanthellae, increasing vulnerability to infection and disease and consequently, causing population decline of macrozoobenthos and reef fish communities which prey on coral-consuming organisms. This research aims to determine the degree of coral reef damage and its impact on fish and macrozoobenthos population. The survey was conducted on 3 stations in Tejakula waters with the reef check method. Results show that coral reef death reaches 5-7.5%, with algal coverage of 3.125%. Kepe-kepe fish which prey on coral-consuming animals were also found in relatively high abundance. The presence of herbivore fish and macrozoobenthos help reduce algal cover. Meanwhile, the presence of coral-consuming and predator fish indicate that the coral reef ecological system has mostly returned to normal. <br />Keywords: coral reef, reef fish community, macrozoobenthos</p>
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Johnson, Robert G. "The role of the formation and destruction of the Hudson Strait glacial ice dam in changes of climate and sea level during the Last Interglacial-Glacial transition." JOURNAL OF ADVANCES IN NATURAL SCIENCES 8 (June 30, 2021): 12–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.24297/jns.v8i.9055.
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During the Last interglacial period of constant sea level, large coral reefs formed on the tectonically rising island of Barbados, and a broad lagoon with a small barrier reef formed at the Cane Vale site. The constant sea level was ended by a rapid glaciation, causing a fall of world sea level of 2.4 m, as measured by surveys of features associated with breaking waves on Barbados. The fall began about 120 ka BP, and lasted roughly 400 years, according to a lake pollen record from western Europe. That rapid fall was terminated at a wave-cut step on Barbados and with a quite small reversal in falling sea level. The rise was caused by rapid melting of the marine-based Barents Sea ice dome and other ice masses, due to a restored strong Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) flow. The sea level fall then resumed until it was halted at a wave-cut step at a world sea level 12.3 m below the last interglacial level, as recorded at the University of the West Indies site on Barbados. Following the erosion of that second step, a zonal northern North Atlantic circulation prevailed, causing a glacial ice-volume decrease and rise in sea level of 3.8 m. These two sea level fall reversals were caused respectively by the formation and destruction of a Hudson Strait ice dam and the resulting increase and much later decrease in the rate of AMOC flow.
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Napitupulu, Patritia, Hanny Tioho, and Agung Windarto. "POPULATION STRUCTURE OF ACANTHASTER PLANCI ON THE REEF FLAT AT THE SOUTHERN PART OF BUNAKEN ISLAND." JURNAL PESISIR DAN LAUT TROPIS 1, no. 1 (March 27, 2013): 34. http://dx.doi.org/10.35800/jplt.1.1.2013.1291.
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The information on population structure of Acanthaster planci in Bunaken National Park (BNP) is urgent to be presented in order to be considered in decision making especially on coral reef management in BNP. The objectives of this study was to examine the population structure of A. planci, represented by the diameter and weight, number of arms, while the density, distribution and types of coral predation by reef animals in the Southern part of Bunaken Island also observed. Data were collected at the three locations namely, front reef flat (FRF), middle reef flat (MRF) and back reef flat (BRF) with total coverage area of 100 x 50 meters. Sixty two individuals (41 at night and 21 at day time) were found with a body diameter ranging between 14 – 28 cm, whereas body weight ranged from 80 – 700 gr, with the number of arms between 9 until 17. The density of A. planci during day time was 0.0042 ind/m2, while the night time was 0.0082 ind/m2, moreover the animal is generally spread aggregated. The results of this study indicated that the population of A. planci in BNP was an adult population with density is still relatively normal, despite an alert sign for the sustainability of coral reef ecosystems in the BNP.
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Napitupulu, Patritia, Hanny Tioho, and Agung Windarto. "POPULATION STRUCTURE OF Acanthaster planci ON THE REEF FLAT AT THE SOUTHERN PART OF BUNAKEN ISLAND." JURNAL PESISIR DAN LAUT TROPIS 1, no. 1 (February 28, 2013): 34. http://dx.doi.org/10.35800/jplt.1.1.2013.1625.
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The information on population structure of Acanthaster planci in Bunaken National Park (BNP) is urgent to be presented in order to be considered in decision making especially on coral reef management in BNP. The objectives of this study was to examine the population structure of A. planci, represented by the diameter and weight, number of arms, while the density, distribution and types of coral predation by reef animals in the Southern part of Bunaken Island also observed. Data were collected at the three locations namely, front reef flat (FRF), middle reef flat (MRF) and back reef flat (BRF) with total coverage area of 100 x 50 meters. Sixty two individuals (41 at night and 21 at day time) were found with a body diameter ranging between 14 – 28 cm, whereas body weight ranged from 80 – 700 gr, with the number of arms between 9 until 17. The density of A. planci during day time was 0.0042 ind/m2, while the night time was 0.0082 ind/m2, moreover the animal is generally spread aggregated. The results of this study indicated that the population of A. planci in BNP was an adult population with density is still relatively normal, despite an alert sign for the sustainability of coral reef ecosystems in the BNP.
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Khokiattiwong, Somkiat, Narumol Kornkanitnan, Walter Goessler, Sabine Kokarnig, and Kevin A. Francesconi. "Arsenic compounds in tropical marine ecosystems: similarities between mangrove forest and coral reef." Environmental Chemistry 6, no. 3 (2009): 226. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/en09009.
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Environmental context. Despite the widespread occurrence of arsenobetaine in marine animals the origin of this arsenic compound remains unknown. A current hypothesis is that arsenobetaine is formed from more complex arsenic compounds found in marine algae. To test this hypothesis, we examined the arsenic compounds in a mangrove ecosystem where algae play a limited role in primary productivity. Abstract. Marine algae are known to bioaccumulate arsenic and transform it into arsenosugars, which are thought to be precursors of the major arsenic compound, arsenobetaine, found in marine animals. Marine ecosystems based on mangrove forests have high nutrient input from mangrove leaves, and thus provide a unique opportunity to study the cycling of arsenic in a marine system where algae are not the dominant food source. Two mangrove forests in Phuket, Thailand were selected as sampling sites for this study. For comparison, samples were also collected from two coral reef sites at and near Phuket. The samples collected included mangrove leaves, corals, algae, molluscs, fish and crustaceans. Arsenic contents in the samples and in aqueous extracts of the samples were determined by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry following a dry-ashing mineralisation procedure, and arsenic species were determined in the aqueous extracts by HPLC-MS (mainly ICPMS). Mangrove leaves contained only low concentrations of total arsenic (0.10–0.73 mg kg–1 dry mass) and the aqueous extracts thereof contained inorganic arsenic species, methylarsonate and dimethylarsinate, but arsenosugars were not detected. The total mean arsenic contents (3.2–86 mg kg–1 dry mass) of the animals from the mangrove ecosystem, however, were typical of those found in animal samples from other marine ecosystems. Similarly the arsenic compounds present were typical of those in animals from other marine ecosystems comprising mainly arsenobetaine with smaller quantities of other common arsenicals including arsenosugars, arsenocholine, tetramethylarsonium ion, trimethylarsine oxide and dimethylarsinate. A trimethylated arsenosugar, which is not commonly reported in marine organisms, was a significant arsenical (6–8% of total As) in some gastropod species from the mangrove ecosystem. The coral samples contained mainly arsenosugars and arsenobetaine, and the other animals collected from the coral ecosystem contained essentially the same pattern of arsenicals found for the mangrove animals. The data suggest that food chains based on algae are not necessary for animals to accumulate large concentrations of arsenobetaine.
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León-Zayas, Rosa, Molly McCargar, Joshua A. Drew, and Jennifer F. Biddle. "Microbiomes of fish, sediment and seagrass suggest connectivity of coral reef microbial populations." PeerJ 8 (September 21, 2020): e10026. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.10026.
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The benthic environments of coral reefs are heavily shaped by physiochemical factors, but also the ecological interactions of the animals and plants in the reef ecosystem. Microbial populations may be shared within the ecosystem of sediments, seagrasses and reef fish. In this study, we hypothesize that coral reef and seagrass environments share members of the microbial community that are rare in some habitats and enriched in others, and that animals may integrate this connectivity. We investigated the potential connectivity between the microbiomes of sediments, seagrass blades and roots (Syringodium isoetifolium), and a seagrass-specialist parrotfish (C. spinidens) guts in reef areas of Fiji. We contrasted these with sediment samples from the Florida Keys, gut samples from surgeonfish (A. nigricauda, Acanthurinae sp. unknown, C. striatus), and ocean water microbiomes from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans to test the robustness of our characterizations of microbiome environments. In general, water, sediment and fish gut samples were all distinct microbiomes. Sediment microbiomes were mostly similar between Fiji and Florida, but also showed some regional similarities. In Fiji, we show connectivity of a shared microbiome between seagrass, fish and sediments. Additionally, we identified an environmental reservoir of a surgeonfish symbiont, Epulopiscium. The connection of these ecosystem components suggests that the total microbiome of these environments may vary as their animal inhabitants shift in a changing ocean.
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Takada, Yoshitake, Hideki Ikeda, Yuriko Hirano, Masayuki Saigusa, Kazumasa Hashimoto, Osamu Abe, and Takuro Shibuno. "Assemblages of cryptic animals in coral rubble along an estuarine gradient spanning mangrove, seagrass, and coral reef habitats." Bulletin of Marine Science 90, no. 2 (April 1, 2014): 723–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.5343/bms.2013.1085.
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Schellmann, G., and U. Radtke. "A revised morpho- and chronostratigraphy of the Late and Middle Pleistocene coral reef terraces on Southern Barbados (West Indies)." Earth-Science Reviews 64, no. 3-4 (February 2004): 157–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0012-8252(03)00043-6.
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AULT, JERALD S., STEVEN G. SMITH, JIANGANG LUO, MARK E. MONACO, and RICHARD S. APPELDOORN. "Length-based assessment of sustainability benchmarks for coral reef fishes in Puerto Rico." Environmental Conservation 35, no. 3 (September 2008): 221–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892908005043.
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SUMMARYThe sustainability of multispecies coral reef fisheries is a key conservation concern given their economic and ecological importance. Empirical estimation and numerical model analyses were conducted to evaluate exploitation status via resource reference points (or sustainability benchmarks) for coral reef fishes of the snapper-grouper complex in Puerto Rico. Mean size (L, in length) of animals in the exploited part of the population was estimated from fishery-dependent and fishery-independent size composition data and used as an indicator variable of exploitation rates. In application, fishing mortality rates estimated from L of various data sources were comparable. Of the 25 reef fish species assessed, 16 were below 30% spawning potential ratio (SPR), six were above 30% SPR, and three could not be reliably determined owing to low sample sizes. These findings indicate that a majority of snapper-grouper species in Puerto Rico are currently fished at unsustainable levels.
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Alonso, Wladimir J. "Evolution of bright colours in animals: worlds of prohibition and oblivion." F1000Research 4 (March 22, 2016): 115. http://dx.doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.6493.2.
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Because the ability to hide in plain sight provides a major selective advantage to both prey and predator species, the emergence of the striking colouration of some animal species (such as many coral reef fish) represents an evolutionary conundrum that remains unsolved to date. Here I propose a framework by which conspicuous colours can emerge when the selective pressures for camouflage are relaxed (1) because camouflage is not essential under specific prey/predator conditions or (2) due to the impossibility of reducing the signal-to-background noise in the environment. The first case is found among non-predator-species that possess effective defences against predators (hence a “Carefree World”), such as the strong macaws’ beaks and the flight abilities of hummingbirds. The second case is found in diurnal mobile fish of coral reef communities, which swim in clear waters against highly contrasting and unpredictable background (hence an "Hyper-Visible World”). In those contexts the selective pressures that usually come secondary to camouflage (such as sexual, warning, species recognition or territorial display) are free to drive the evolution of brilliant and diverse colouration. This theoretical framework can also be useful for studying the conditions that allow for conspicuousness in other sensory contexts (acoustic, chemical, electrical, etc.).
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Nowicki, Jessica P., Morgan S. Pratchett, Stefan P. W. Walker, Darren J. Coker, and Lauren A. O'Connell. "Gene expression correlates of social evolution in coral reef butterflyfishes." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 287, no. 1929 (June 24, 2020): 20200239. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.0239.
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Animals display remarkable variation in social behaviour. However, outside of rodents, little is known about the neural mechanisms of social variation, and whether they are shared across species and sexes, limiting our understanding of how sociality evolves. Using coral reef butterflyfishes, we examined gene expression correlates of social variation (i.e. pair bonding versus solitary living) within and between species and sexes. In several brain regions, we quantified gene expression of receptors important for social variation in mammals: oxytocin ( OTR ), arginine vasopressin ( V1aR ), dopamine ( D1R, D2R ) and mu-opioid ( MOR ). We found that social variation across individuals of the oval butterflyfish, Chaetodon lunulatus, is linked to differences in OTR , V1aR, D1R, D2R and MOR gene expression within several forebrain regions in a sexually dimorphic manner. However, this contrasted with social variation among six species representing a single evolutionary transition from pair-bonded to solitary living. Here, OTR expression within the supracommissural part of the ventral telencephalon was higher in pair-bonded than solitary species, specifically in males. These results contribute to the emerging idea that nonapeptide, dopamine and opioid signalling is a central theme to the evolution of sociality across individuals, although the precise mechanism may be flexible across sexes and species.
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Goatley, Christopher Harry Robert, and David Roy Bellwood. "Body size and mortality rates in coral reef fishes: a three-phase relationship." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 283, no. 1841 (October 26, 2016): 20161858. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.1858.
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Body size is closely linked to mortality rates in many animals, although the overarching patterns in this relationship have rarely been considered for multiple species. A meta-analysis of published size-specific mortality rates for coral reef fishes revealed an exponential decline in mortality rate with increasing body size, however, within this broad relationship there are three distinct phases. Phase one is characterized by naive fishes recruiting to reefs, which suffer extremely high mortality rates. In this well-studied phase, fishes must learn quickly to survive the many predation risks. After just a few days, the surviving fishes enter phase two, in which small increases in body size result in pronounced increases in lifespan (estimated 11 d mm –1 ). Remarkably, approximately 50% of reef fish individuals remain in phase two throughout their lives. Once fishes reach a size threshold of about 43 mm total length (TL) they enter phase three, where mortality rates are relatively low and the pressure to grow is presumably, significantly reduced. These phases provide a clearer understanding of the impact of body size on mortality rates in coral reef fishes and begin to reveal critical insights into the energetic and trophic dynamics of coral reefs.
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Schuhmann, Peter, Ryan Skeete, Richard Waite, Prosper Bangwayo-Skeete, James Casey, Hazel A. Oxenford, and David A. Gill. "Coastal and Marine Quality and Tourists’ Stated Intention to Return to Barbados." Water 11, no. 6 (June 17, 2019): 1265. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w11061265.
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Seawater quality is critical for island and coastal communities dependent on coastal tourism. Improper management of coastal development and inland watersheds can decrease seawater quality and adversely impact marine life, human health, and economic growth. Agricultural runoff and improper sewage management compromise nearshore water quality in many coastal regions and can impact visitation decisions of tourists who are drawn to these destinations. The purpose of this paper is to understand how tourists’ decisions to revisit Barbados might be affected by changes in coastal and marine quality. We use data collected from tourists to examine how tourists’ stated willingness to return is affected by scenarios involving changes in seawater quality, beach width and coral reef health. Results reveal that return decisions are sensitive to changes in all aspects of coastal and marine quality. A reduction in seawater quality discourages tourists’ intention to return more than other environmental factors. These results are of paramount interest to destination managers, marketers and policymakers who rely on repeat visitation data to develop marketing strategies and infer future direction. This research highlights the importance of prioritizing seawater quality management to protect the coastal tourism product, especially in small island developing states (SIDS) with a high reliance on tourism income.
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Peel, Lauren R., Ryan Daly, Clare A. Keating Daly, Guy M. W. Stevens, Shaun P. Collin, and Mark G. Meekan. "Stable isotope analyses reveal unique trophic role of reef manta rays ( Mobula alfredi ) at a remote coral reef." Royal Society Open Science 6, no. 9 (September 11, 2019): 190599. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.190599.
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Stable isotope analyses provide the means to examine the trophic role of animals in complex food webs. Here, we used stable isotope analyses to characterize the feeding ecology of reef manta rays ( Mobula alfredi ) at a remote coral reef in the Western Indian Ocean. Muscle samples of M. alfredi were collected from D'Arros Island and St. Joseph Atoll, Republic of Seychelles, in November 2016 and 2017. Prior to analysis, lipid and urea extraction procedures were tested on freeze-dried muscle tissue in order to standardize sample treatment protocols for M. alfredi . The lipid extraction procedure was effective at removing both lipids and urea from samples and should be used in future studies of the trophic ecology of this species. The isotopic signatures of nitrogen (δ 15 N) and carbon (δ 13 C) for M. alfredi differed by year, but did not vary by sex or life stage, suggesting that all individuals occupy the same trophic niche at this coral reef. Furthermore, the isotopic signatures for M. alfredi differed to those for co-occurring planktivorous fish species also sampled at D'Arros Island and St. Joseph Atoll, suggesting that the ecological niche of M. alfredi is unique. Pelagic zooplankton were the main contributor (45%) to the diet of M. alfredi , combined with emergent zooplankton (38%) and mesopelagic prey items (17%). Given the extent of movement that would be required to undertake this foraging strategy, individual M. alfredi are implicated as important vectors of nutrient supply around and to the coral reefs surrounding D'Arros Island and St. Joseph Atoll, particularly where substantial site fidelity is displayed by these large elasmobranchs.
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Chapman, MR, and DL Kramer. "Gradients in coral reef fish density and size across the Barbados Marine Reserve boundary:effects of reserve protection and habitat characteristics." Marine Ecology Progress Series 181 (1999): 81–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps181081.
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Biondi, Piera, Giovanni Diego Masucci, and James Davis Reimer. "Coral cover and rubble cryptofauna abundance and diversity at outplanted reefs in Okinawa, Japan." PeerJ 8 (September 22, 2020): e9185. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9185.
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Global climate change is leading to damage and loss of coral reef ecosystems. On subtropical Okinawa Island in southwestern Japan, the prefectural government is working on coral reef restoration by outplanting coral colonies from family Acroporidae back to reefs after initially farming colonies inside protected nurseries. In order to establish a baseline for future comparisons, in this study we documented the current status of reefs undergoing outplanting at Okinawa Island, and nearby locations where no human manipulation has occurred. We examined three sites on the coast of Onna Village on the west coast of the island; each site included an outplanted and control location. We used (1) coral rubble sampling to measure and compare abundance and diversity of rubble cryptofauna; and (2) coral reef monitoring using Line Intercept Transects to track live coral coverage. Results showed that rubble shape had a positive correlation with the numbers of animals found within rubble themselves and may therefore constitute a reliable abundance predictor. Each outplanted location did not show differences with the corresponding control location in terms of rubble cryptofauna abundance, but outplanted locations had significantly lower coral coverage. Overall, differences between sites (Maeganeku1, Maeganeku2 and Manza, each including both outplanted and control locations) were significant, for both rubble cryptofauna and coral coverage. We recommend (1) to outplant colonies from more stress-resistant genera in place of Acropora, and (2) to conduct regular surveys to monitor the situation closely. With a lack of baseline data preceding impacts, rigorous monitoring over time can highlight trends towards increases or decreases in evaluated variables, allowing to obtain a clearer idea of the effects of transplants and on the trajectory of impacts due to climate change and local stressors . Finally, we also recommend (3) to establish conservation and sustainable practices that could aid the ongoing restoration efforts such as installing anchoring buoys to reduce impacts from anchoring, which could reduce coral mortality of both outplanted and native coral colonies.
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E Kolenbrander, Paul, Patricia I Diaz, Nicholas S Jakubovics, Alexander H Rickard, Natalia I Chalmers, and Robert J Palmer Jr. "The Great Bacterial Reef: Communication and development in human oral bacterial biofilms." Microbiology Australia 26, no. 3 (2005): 130. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ma05130.
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Consider that The Great Barrier Reef is home to thousands of species of plants and animals with spatiotemporally predictable fish communities on coral reefs, and compare this with the fact that human oral bacteria develop spatiotemporally predictable dental plaque communities on enamel after each oral hygiene procedure. This reassembling of oral bacterial communities over a time interval of only a few hours offers an opportunity to investigate the role of communication in community architecture and composition.
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Runnalls, Lesley A., and Max L. Coleman. "Record of natural and anthropogenic changes in reef environments (Barbados West Indies) using laser ablation ICP-MS and sclerochronology on coral cores." Coral Reefs 22, no. 4 (December 1, 2003): 416–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00338-003-0349-7.
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Nevitt, G., N. Pentcheff, K. Lohmann, and R. Zimmer-Faust. "Evidence for hydrodynamic orientation by spiny lobsters in a patch reef environment." Journal of Experimental Biology 198, no. 10 (October 1, 1995): 2049–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.198.10.2049.
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Western Atlantic spiny lobsters (Panulirus argus) are superb underwater navigators. Spiny lobsters perform dramatic seasonal offshore migrations and have also been shown to locate and home to specific den sites within the elaborate coral reef environment in which they live. How these animals perform such complex orientation tasks is not known. The study reported here was designed to explore the sensory mechanisms that spiny lobsters use to orient in and around a familiar patch reef environment. Our results show that, in the absence of visual cues, lobsters displaced a short (50 m) distance off the reef do not initially (i.e. within 20 min) travel towards their dens or return to the patch reef where their dens are located. Instead, the headings lobsters follow are significantly correlated to the direction of local hydrodynamic cues and, specifically, to the direction of approaching wave surge. Results from ultrasonic tracking experiments over longer periods (24 h) suggest that displaced lobsters are able to relocate the reef where they were captured, even without visual cues. These results suggest that hydrodynamic cues may provide useful and immediate directional information to lobsters within the local environment of the home reef.
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Hutchings, Pat, Mireille Peyrot-Clausade, and Anke Stuken. "Internal macrobioerosion on five species of Acropora following the 1998 bleaching event: Implications for the long-term impact of bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef." Pacific Conservation Biology 19, no. 4 (2013): 409. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc130409.
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While bleaching events have received wide public attention, little attention has been given to the follow on effects on coral reefs. Bleached colonies of five species of Acropora of known age were sampled to study rates and agents of internal bioerosion at two sites on the southern Great Barrier Reef. The dominant erosion agents were worms and sponges and up to 23% of branches were eroded after 37 months. Significant differences were exhibited between species and between sites in terms of the animals responsible for internal erosion. The significance of bleaching and subsequent death of coral colonies is discussed with regard to their increased susceptibility storm damage and the loss of associated fish and invertebrates dependent on these habitat forming corals.
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Daud, Devidson, Joshian N. W. Schaduw, Chatrien Luzianna Sinjal, Janny D. Kusen, Erli Y. Kaligis, and Adnan S. Wantasen. "KONDISI TERUMBU KARANG PADA KAWASAN WISATA PANTAI MALALAYANG KOTA MANADO PROVINSI SULAWESI UTARA DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN METODE UNDERWATER PHOTO TRANSECT." JURNAL PESISIR DAN LAUT TROPIS 9, no. 1 (March 29, 2021): 44. http://dx.doi.org/10.35800/jplt.9.1.2021.33575.
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Coral reefs are coastal ecosystems with the highest level of diversity with around one million species worldwide. Corals are invertebrates belonging to the Phylum Coelenterate (hollow animals) or Cnidaria. The Underwater Photo Transect (UPT) method is a method that utilizes technological developments, both digital camera technology and computer software technology. Capturing data in the field in the form of underwater photos carried out by shooting using a Canon G-16 camera equipped with a waterproof protector (housing). In this study it can be seen that the percentage of hard corals at point 1 is in the medium category, point 2 is in the medium category, and point 3 is in the bad category with the percentage of hard coral cover as follows: point 1 (one) 29.75%, point 2 (two) 31.16%, and point 3 (three) 24.26%, of the three points can represent the overall condition of the coral reefs in Malalayang Beach which is in moderate condition with a percentage of 28.39%.Keywords: Malalayang Beach, Coral Reef, UPT, CPCe
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Maududi, Muhammad Akhyar, and Oktiyas Muzaky Luthfi. "Tutupan makroalga pada terumbu karang di kawasan konservasi perairan (KKP) Nusa Penida, Bali." Depik 7, no. 1 (May 1, 2018): 69–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.13170/depik.7.1.8864.
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The interaction between algae and coral is one of the most important of ecological processes in coral reef ecosystems. They are one of the main food sources in a large number of herbivorous animals in coral reef ecosystems. Makroalgae is also a major competitor in degrading coral reefs at a time when macroalgae gains dominate the coral reefs. Algae growth is relatively very fast, so it can be used as an indicator in the initial study to determine the processes that affect populations and coral reef communities. The purpose of this study is to determine the distribution of macroalgae cover on coral reefs in the Nusa Penida, Bali using the transect quadrant (1x1m2)x 100m method. This study shows that the lowest macroalgae cover at Crystal Bay and the highest in Buyuk can be concluded that the high macroalgae cover is made possible by the large supply of nutrients from the land which becomes the supplier of organic materials that increases the fertility of waters, meanwhile in the waters close to the high seas obtain additional nutrients derived from the lifting of the water mass (upwelling). Data and information are needed for the interest of regional planning towards the future related to the management and utilization of marine resources potential in the coastal area in Nusa Penida, Bali.Interaksi antara alga dan karang merupakan hal terpenting dari proses ekologi pada ekosistem terumbu karang. Mereka merupakan salah satu sumber produsen primer pada sejumlah besar hewan herbivora pada ekosistem terumbu karang. Makroalga juga menjadi pesaing utama dalam mendegradasi terumbu karang pada saat kelimpahaan makroalga mendominasi terhadap terumbu karang. Pertumbuhan alga tergolong sangat cepat, sehingga dapat digunakan sebagai indikator dalam studi awal untuk mengetahui proses yang mempengaruhi populasi dan komunitas terumbu karang. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah mengetahui sebaran tutupan makroalga pada terumbu karang di daerah utama wisata penyelaman Nusa Penida, Bali dengan menggunakan metode transek kuadran dengan ukuran (1x1m2) x 100 m. Penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa tutupan makroalga terendah pada Crystal Bay dan tertinggi di Buyuk dapat ditarik kesimpulan jika tingginya tutupan makroalga dimungkinkan oleh besarnya suplai nutrien daratan yang menjadi pensuplai bahan organik yang meningkatkan kesuburan perairan. Sedangkan pada perairan yang dekat dengan laut lepas mendapat tambahan nutrien yang berasal dari pengangkatan massa air (upwelling). Data dan informasi ini diperlukan untuk kepentingan perencanaan pengembangan wilayah ke depannya yang terkait dengan pengelolaan dan pemanfaatan potensi sumberdaya laut di wilayah pesisir di Nusa Penida, Bali.
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Paat, Englin Meiva, Defny S. Wewengkang, and Henki Rotinsulu. "AKTIVITAS ANTIMIKROBA EKSTRAK ETIL ASETAT JAMUR LAUT YANG DIISOLASI DARI KARANG LUNAK Sarcophyton sp. DARI PERAIRAN DESA TUMBAK KECAMATAN PUSOMAEN." PHARMACON 9, no. 1 (February 28, 2020): 142. http://dx.doi.org/10.35799/pha.9.2020.27421.
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ABSTRACT Soft coral is one type of Coelenterata that lives at sea, namely coral reef waters. Soft Coral acts as one of the constituent animals of coral reef ecosystems and is the largest supplier of growth compounds, such as carbonate compounds in which 50% of the bioactive compounds found in these invertebrates are toxic. This study aims to determine the antimicrobial activity of marine fungi associated with soft coral Sarcophyton sp., which was obtained from Tumbak Village, Posumaen Sub-district, Southeast Minahasa Regency, North Sulawesi. The antimicrobial testing uses diffusion methods to determine the inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive bacteria), Escherichia coli (Gram negative bacteria) and Candida albicans (fungi). The results showed that the antimicrobial activity of fungal extracts isolated from soft coral Sarcophyton sp., against bacteria, Escherechia coli, and Candida albicans by measuring the inhibitory activity is the formation of clear zones which categorize as medium, whereas for Staphylococcus aureus bacteria do not have antimicrobial activity. Keywords: Antimicrobial, Soft Coral (Sarcophyton sp.), Staphylococcus aureus, Eschrichia coli, Candida albicans ABSTRAK Karang Lunak merupakan salah satu jenis Coelenterata yang hidupnya dilaut yaitu perairan terumbu karang. Karang Lunak berperan sebagai salah satu hewan penyusun ekosistem terumbu karang dan pemasok senyawa pertumbuhan terbesar yaitu senyawa karbonat yang dimana sebanyak 50 % senyawa bioaktif yang terdapat pada invetebrata ini bersifat toksik. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui adanya aktivitas antimikroba dari jamur laut yang berasosisasi dengan karang lunak Sarcophyton sp., yang diperoleh dari desa Tumbak Kecamatan Posumaen Minahasa Tenggara Sulawesi Utara. Pengujian daya antimikroba menggunakan metode difusi untuk mengetahui aktivitas penghambatan yang diuji terhadap Staphylococcus aureus (bakteri Gram positif), Eschrichia coli (bakteri Gram negatif) dan Candida albicans (jamur). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa adanya aktivitas antimikroba ekstrak jamur yang diisolasi dari karang lunak Sarcophyton sp., terhadap bakteri, Escherechia coli, dan jamur Candida albicans dengan pengukuran daya hambat yaitu terbentuknya zona bening yang ada dalam kategori sedang, sedangkan untuk bakteri Staphylococcus aureus tidak memiliki aktivitas antimikroba. Kata Kunci: Antimikroba, Karang Lunak (Sarcophyton sp.), Staphylococcus aureus, Eschrichia coli, Candida albicans
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Dimos, Bradford A., Caleb C. Butler, Contessa A. Ricci, Nicholas J. MacKnight, and Laura D. Mydlarz. "Responding to Threats Both Foreign and Domestic: NOD-Like Receptors in Corals." Integrative and Comparative Biology 59, no. 4 (June 24, 2019): 819–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icb/icz111.
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Abstract Historically mechanisms with which basal animals such as reef-building corals use to respond to changing and increasingly stressful environments have remained elusive. However, the increasing availability of genomic and transcriptomic data from these organisms has provided fundamental insights into the biology of these critically important ecosystem engineers. Notably, insights into cnidarians gained in the post-genomics age have revealed a surprisingly complex immune system which bears a surprising level of similarity with the vertebrate innate immune system. This system has been critically linked to how corals respond to the two most prominent threats on a global scale, emerging coral diseases and increasing water temperature, which are recognized cellularly as either foreign or domestic threats, respectively. These threats can arise from pathogenic microbes or internal cellular dysfunction, underscoring the need to further understand mechanisms corals use to sense and respond to threats to their cellular integrity. In this investigation and meta-analysis, we utilize resources only recently available in the post-genomic era to identify and characterize members of an underexplored class of molecules known as NOD-like receptors in the endangered Caribbean coral Orbicella faveolata. We then leverage these data to identify pathways possibly mediated by NLRs in both O. faveolata and the ecologically important branching coral Acropora digitifera. Overall, we find support that this class of proteins may provide a mechanistic link to how reef-building corals respond to threats both foreign and domestic.
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Cardini, Ulisse, Vanessa N. Bednarz, Malik S. Naumann, Nanne van Hoytema, Laura Rix, Rachel A. Foster, Mamoon M. D. Al-Rshaidat, and Christian Wild. "Functional significance of dinitrogen fixation in sustaining coral productivity under oligotrophic conditions." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 282, no. 1818 (November 7, 2015): 20152257. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.2257.
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Functional traits define species by their ecological role in the ecosystem. Animals themselves are host–microbe ecosystems (holobionts), and the application of ecophysiological approaches can help to understand their functioning. In hard coral holobionts, communities of dinitrogen (N 2 )-fixing prokaryotes (diazotrophs) may contribute a functional trait by providing bioavailable nitrogen (N) that could sustain coral productivity under oligotrophic conditions. This study quantified N 2 fixation by diazotrophs associated with four genera of hermatypic corals on a northern Red Sea fringing reef exposed to high seasonality. We found N 2 fixation activity to be 5- to 10-fold higher in summer, when inorganic nutrient concentrations were lowest and water temperature and light availability highest. Concurrently, coral gross primary productivity remained stable despite lower Symbiodinium densities and tissue chlorophyll a contents. In contrast, chlorophyll a content per Symbiodinium cell increased from spring to summer, suggesting that algal cells overcame limitation of N, an essential element for chlorophyll synthesis. In fact, N 2 fixation was positively correlated with coral productivity in summer, when its contribution was estimated to meet 11% of the Symbiodinium N requirements. These results provide evidence of an important functional role of diazotrophs in sustaining coral productivity when alternative external N sources are scarce.
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Quistad, Steven D., Yan Wei Lim, Genivaldo Gueiros Z. Silva, Craig E. Nelson, Andreas F. Haas, Linda Wegley Kelly, Robert A. Edwards, and Forest L. Rohwer. "Using viromes to predict novel immune proteins in non-model organisms." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 283, no. 1837 (August 31, 2016): 20161200. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.1200.
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Immunity is mostly studied in a few model organisms, leaving the majority of immune systems on the planet unexplored. To characterize the immune systems of non-model organisms alternative approaches are required. Viruses manipulate host cell biology through the expression of proteins that modulate the immune response. We hypothesized that metagenomic sequencing of viral communities would be useful to identify both known and unknown host immune proteins. To test this hypothesis, a mock human virome was generated and compared to the human proteome using tBLASTn, resulting in 36 proteins known to be involved in immunity. This same pipeline was then applied to reef-building coral, a non-model organism that currently lacks traditional molecular tools like transgenic animals, gene-editing capabilities, and in vitro cell cultures. Viromes isolated from corals and compared with the predicted coral proteome resulted in 2503 coral proteins, including many proteins involved with pathogen sensing and apoptosis. There were also 159 coral proteins predicted to be involved with coral immunity but currently lacking any functional annotation. The pipeline described here provides a novel method to rapidly predict host immune components that can be applied to virtually any system with the potential to discover novel immune proteins.
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López, Elora H., and Stephen R. Palumbi. "Somatic Mutations and Genome Stability Maintenance in Clonal Coral Colonies." Molecular Biology and Evolution 37, no. 3 (November 13, 2019): 828–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msz270.
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Abstract One challenge for multicellular organisms is maintaining genome stability in the face of mutagens across long life spans. Imperfect genome maintenance leads to mutation accumulation in somatic cells, which is associated with tumors and senescence in vertebrates. Colonial reef-building corals are often large, can live for hundreds of years, rarely develop recognizable tumors, and are thought to convert somatic cells into gamete producers, so they are a pivotal group in which to understand long-term genome maintenance. To measure rates and patterns of somatic mutations, we analyzed transcriptomes from 17 to 22 branches from each of four Acropora hyacinthus colonies, determined putative single nucleotide variants, and verified them with Sanger resequencing. Unlike for human skin carcinomas, there is no signature of mutations caused by UV damage, indicating either higher efficiency of repair than in vertebrates, or strong sunscreen protection in these shallow water tropical animals. The somatic mutation frequency per nucleotide in A. hyacinthus is on the same order of magnitude (10−7) as noncancerous human somatic cells, and accumulation of mutations with age is similar. Loss of heterozygosity variants outnumber gain of heterozygosity mutations ∼2:1. Although the mutation frequency is similar in mammals and corals, the preponderance of loss of heterozygosity changes and potential selection may reduce the frequency of deleterious mutations in colonial animals like corals. This may limit the deleterious effects of somatic mutations on the coral organism as well as potential offspring.
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Williams, Ivor D., and Nicholas V. C. Polunin. "Differences between protected and unprotected reefs of the western Caribbean in attributes preferred by dive tourists." Environmental Conservation 27, no. 4 (December 2000): 382–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892900000436.
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Tropical marine protected areas (MPAs) may promote conditions that are attractive to dive tourists, but a systematic basis for assessing their effectiveness in this regard is currently lacking. We therefore interviewed 195 dive tourists in Jamaica to determine which reef attributes they most preferred to see on dives. Attributes relating to fishes and other large animals (‘big fishes’, ‘other large animals’, ‘variety of fishes’, ‘abundance of fishes’, and ‘unusual fishes’) were more appreciated than those relating to reef structure and benthos (‘reef structure e.g., drop-offs’, ‘variety of corals’, ‘large corals’, ‘coral cover’, ‘unusual corals’, ‘sponges’, ‘unusual algae’, ‘lobsters, crabs etc.’). We then surveyed reef condition with regard to those aspects (abundance and variety of fishes, number of ‘unusual’, and number of ‘large’ fish) at four Caribbean MPAs and reference areas. In two cases, Hol Chan Marine Reserve in Belize and Parque Nacional Punta Frances in Cuba, these fish attributes were more pronounced in the MPAs than in the reference areas. Differences between the Montego Bay Marine Park in Jamaica (MBMP) and adjacent reference areas were mainly restricted to shallow sites (<6m), while at Grand Cayman no differences between fully protected and partially protected areas were detected. Management had not been fully effective in the MBMP in the preceding months, while fishing pressure in the partially protected areas on Grand Cayman was very light. We conclude that, if fishing restrictions are well enforced, western Caribbean MPAs can be expected to be effective in ways appreciated by dive tourists.
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van den Berg, Cedric P., Michelle Hollenkamp, Laurie J. Mitchell, Erin J. Watson, Naomi F. Green, N. Justin Marshall, and Karen L. Cheney. "More than noise: context-dependent luminance contrast discrimination in a coral reef fish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus)." Journal of Experimental Biology 223, no. 21 (September 23, 2020): jeb232090. http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.232090.
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ABSTRACTAchromatic (luminance) vision is used by animals to perceive motion, pattern, space and texture. Luminance contrast sensitivity thresholds are often poorly characterised for individual species and are applied across a diverse range of perceptual contexts using over-simplified assumptions of an animal's visual system. Such thresholds are often estimated using the receptor noise limited model (RNL). However, the suitability of the RNL model to describe luminance contrast perception remains poorly tested. Here, we investigated context-dependent luminance discrimination using triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus) presented with large achromatic stimuli (spots) against uniform achromatic backgrounds of varying absolute and relative contrasts. ‘Dark’ and ‘bright’ spots were presented against relatively dark and bright backgrounds. We found significant differences in luminance discrimination thresholds across treatments. When measured using Michelson contrast, thresholds for bright spots on a bright background were significantly higher than for other scenarios, and the lowest threshold was found when dark spots were presented on dark backgrounds. Thresholds expressed in Weber contrast revealed lower thresholds for spots darker than their backgrounds, which is consistent with the literature. The RNL model was unable to estimate threshold scaling across scenarios as predicted by the Weber–Fechner law, highlighting limitations in the current use of the RNL model to quantify luminance contrast perception. Our study confirms that luminance contrast discrimination thresholds are context dependent and should therefore be interpreted with caution.
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Baronio, Mateus de A., and Daniel J. Bucher. "Artificial crevice habitats to assess the biodiversity of vagile macro-cryptofauna of subtidal rocky reefs." Marine and Freshwater Research 59, no. 8 (2008): 661. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf07170.
Full textAbstract:
Reef cryptofauna (animals inhabiting cracks and crevices) represent much of a reef’s biodiversity yet are seldom studied owing to their inaccessibility. Subtidal rocky reefs off Brunswick Heads and Byron Bay in northern New South Wales, Australia support benthic communities ranging from coral-dominated offshore reefs to kelp beds of Ecklonia radiata on inshore reefs. It was hypothesised that differential exposure to river discharge and the East Australian Current, as well as proximity to other reef habitats, may produce differences in recruitment and persistence of cryptofauna between superficially similar reefs within a small geographical range. Artificial crevice habitats were deployed at similar depths on three inshore reefs supporting similar Ecklonia densities. Although the species richness of crevice fauna was similar at all reefs, the species composition differed significantly along with the assemblages recruited in different seasons and to different crevice sizes. Neither reef faunas nor that of varying crevice sizes changed consistently with the seasons, yet all crevices appeared equally accessible to colonists. These results demonstrate the potential inadequacy of classifying reef communities for management of regional biodiversity based on the visual dominance of a few species that may not be as sensitive to environmental variables as many of the less obvious taxa.
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Hoeksema, Bert W., Sancia E. T. Van der Meij, and Charles H. J. M. Fransen. "The mushroom coral as a habitat." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 92, no. 4 (September 23, 2011): 647–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315411001445.
Full textAbstract:
The evolution of symbiotic relationships involving reef corals has had much impact on tropical marine biodiversity. Because of their endosymbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) corals can grow fast in tropical shallow seas where they form reefs that supply food, substrate and shelter for other organisms. Many coral symbionts are host-specific, depending on particular coral species for their existence. Some of these animals have become popular objects for underwater photographers and aquarists, whereas others are hardly noticed or considered pests. Loss of a single coral host species also leads to the disappearance of some of its associated fauna. In the present study we show which mushroom corals (Scleractinia: Fungiidae) are known to act as hosts for other organisms, such as acoel flatworms, copepods, barnacles, gall crabs, pontoniine shrimps, mytilid bivalves, epitoniid snails, coralliophilid snails, fish and certain types of zooxanthellae. Several of these associated organisms appear to be host-specific whereas other species are generalists and not even necessarily restricted to fungiid hosts.Heliofungia actiniformisis one of the most hospitable coral species known with a recorded associated fauna consisting of at least 23 species. The availability of a phylogeny reconstruction of the Fungiidae enables comparisons of closely related species of mushroom corals regarding their associated fauna. Application of a phylogenetic ecological analysis indicates that the presence or absence of associated organisms is evolutionarily derived or habitat-induced. Some associations appear to be restricted to certain evolutionary lineages within the Fungiidae, whereas the absence of associated species may be determined by ecomorphological traits of the host corals, such as coral dimensions (coral diameter and thickness) and polyp shape (tentacle size).