Abstract: Coral bleaching is intensifying with global climate change. Although the causes for these catastrophic events are well understood, the cellular mechanism that triggers bleaching is not well established. Our understanding of coral bleaching processes is hindered by the lack of robust methods for studying interactions between host and...
Abstract: Ecological monitoring is an essential precursor when developing comprehensive management plans for marine protected areas and their surrounding habitats. In small island nations that lack historical baseline datasets, ongoing monitoring programmes, and associated threat assessments, paper park scenarios are common, with marine protected areas usually existing under little...
Abstract: Coral reproduction is vulnerable to both declining water quality and warming temperatures, with simultaneous exposures likely compounding the negative impact of each stressor. We investigated how early life processes of the coral Acropora tenuis respond to increasing levels of suspended sediments in combination with temperature or organic nutrients....
Abstract: Local point source pollution and/or nutrient enrichment has been a recognised source of stress to coral reef habitats for a number of years. It has been documented to lead to increased algal growth and an overall reduction in habitat resilience. These local sources, although potentially contributing to regional...
Summary: This report presents the most up-to-date information available for the wreck dive sites of Anguilla. This includes the seven established wreck sites (Commerce, Ida Maria, Catheley H, Oosterdiep, Meppel, Lady Vie & Sarah), and the recently relocated lost wreck of the Marva W. This latter wreck is not...
Abstract: Ocean warming threatens corals and the coral reef ecosystem. Nevertheless, corals can be adapted to their thermal environment and inherit heat tolerance across generations. In addition, the diverse microbes that associate with corals have the capacity for more rapid change, potentially aiding the adaptation of long-lived corals. Here,...
Abstract: Floating tropical brown macroalgae, commonly called Sargassum, besieging the Caribbean coastlines have long been a regular occurrence in the region, especially during the fall and winter months. These washed-up seaweeds are considered by scientists as an important part of the coastal ecosystem, as they serve as habitat and...
Abstract: When conducting fishery assessments of demersal species it is essential to have habitat information that relates to the associated fishing grounds. Over the last decade there have been a number of research projects that addressed this issue for coastal areas around Anguilla. Until recently however, no habitat data...
Abstract: Caribbean coral reefs have transformed into algal-dominated habitats over recent decades, but the mechanisms of change are unresolved due to a lack of quantitative ecological data before large-scale human impacts. To understand the role of reduced herbivory in recent coral declines, we produce a high-resolution 3,000 year record...
Abstract: The term “microbiome” was first coined in 1988 and given the definition of a characteristic microbial community occupying a reasonably well defined habitat which has distinct physio-chemical properties. A more recent term has also emerged, taking this one step further and focusing on diseases in host organisms. The...
