Abstract: Globally, coral reefs are declining due to numerous global and local stressors, including increasing prevalence of coral diseases and other lesions. Declines in coral cover related to occurrence of lesions, which can be a symptom of disease, can have major effects on ecosystem function and services. While many...
Abstract: Coral reefs are essential for the foundation of marine ecosystems. However, ocean acidification (OA), driven by rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2 ) threatens coral growth and biological homeostasis. This study examines two Hawaiian coral species—Montipora capitata and Pocillopora acuta to elevated pCO2 simulating OA. Utilizing pH and O2...
Abstract: Tropical storms are a natural disturbance that cause physical damage to coral reef ecosystems. In 2019, a tropical storm named Pabuk was recorded near Malaysia and caused significant damage to the coral reefs in Pulau Bidong. This study investigated the post-disturbance recovery of coral reefs at Pantai Pasir...
Abstract: Marine litter poses growing risks to the Arabian Gulf’s major turtle nesting islands, yet its composition and ne-scale distribution have never been quanti ed. We combined two complementary surveys on Jana and Karan Islands—the region’s largest hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green turtle (Chelonia mydas) rookeries. First, 988.3 m2 of...
Abstract: In an era of increasing disturbances, understanding the capacity for coral reefs to recover and the drivers that underpin resilience is critical for predicting the health of future coral reefs. Traditional resilience paradigms for Western Atlantic reefs suggest that high herbivore biomass and low macroalgal cover are tenets...
Abstract: Ocean warming threatens the persistence of tropical corals and the biologically diverse ecosystems they sustain. While Ƥeld-based studies on heat impact have predominantly focused on quantifying coral bleaching, a symptom of thermal stress, less attention has been given to understanding trends in coral mortality, a critical metric for...
Abstract: Chinchorro Bank is the largest atoll reef in the northern Mesoamerican Reef, and due to the location, the coral assemblage is highly vulnerable to storms and hurricanes. In the context of climate change, with more intense hurricanes, it is highly relevant to analyze the damage and response of...
Abstract: Ocean acidification from increasing atmospheric CO2 is progressively affecting seawater chemistry, but predicting ongoing and near-future consequences for marine ecosystems is challenging without empirical field data. Here we quantify tropical coral reef benthic communities at 37 stations with varying exposure to submarine volcanic CO2 seeping, and determine the...
Abstract: Coral reefs are among the most valuable ecosystems on Earth, providing major benfits to human societies and hosting a wide variety of species. Today, these ecosystems are threatened by a combination of local and global factors that overcome the natural capacity of coral reefs for regeneration. Therefore, active...
Abstract: Increasing trends of coral mortality are a challenge to coral reef management worldwide, and a need exists to identify the causes and pathways involved. Pathology is useful to help decipher potential causes of mortality in animals, because it illuminates agents associated with lesions and gives insights on the...
