scholarly journals Coral Restoration Effectiveness: Multiregional Snapshots of the Long-Term Responses of Coral Assemblages to Restoration

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaux Y. Hein ◽  
Roger Beeden ◽  
Alastair Birtles ◽  
Naomi M. Gardiner ◽  
Thomas Le Berre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Cover ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Reef Management ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Coral Communities ◽  
Restoration Practices ◽  
Coral Health ◽  
Hard Coral Cover

Coral restoration is rapidly becoming a mainstream strategic reef management response to address dramatic declines in coral cover worldwide. Restoration success can be defined as enhanced reef functions leading to improved ecosystem services, with multiple benefits at socio-ecological scales. However, there is often a mismatch between the objectives of coral restoration programs and the metrics used to assess their effectiveness. In particular, the scales of ecological benefits currently assessed are typically limited in both time and space, often being limited to short-term monitoring of the growth and survival of transplanted corals. In this paper, we explore reef-scale responses of coral assemblages to restoration practices applied in four well-established coral restoration programs. We found that hard coral cover and structural complexity were consistently greater at restored compared to unrestored (degraded) sites. However, patterns in coral diversity, coral recruitment, and coral health among restored, unrestored, and reference sites varied across locations, highlighting differences in methodologies among restoration programs. Altogether, differences in program objectives, methodologies, and the state of nearby coral communities were key drivers of variability in the responses of coral assemblages to restoration. The framework presented here provides guidance to improve qualitative and quantitative assessments of coral restoration efforts and can be applied to further understanding of the role of restoration within resilience-based reef management.

scholarly journals EFECTOS DE UN INUSUAL PERÍODO DE ALTA FRECUENCIA DE HURACANES SOBRE EL BENTOS DE ARRECIFES CORALINOS

2009 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro M. Alcolado ◽  
Darlenys Hernández-Muñoz ◽  
Hansel Caballero ◽  
Linnet Busutil ◽  
Susana Perera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Cover ◽  
Disease Incidence ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Acropora Palmata ◽  
Diadema Antillarum ◽  
Porites Astreoides ◽  
Species Dominance ◽  
Montastraea Annularis ◽  
Hard Coral Cover ◽  
Diameter Reduction

En arrecifes coralinos del suroeste de Cuba, se evaluaron los impactos de la inusitada frecuencia e intensidad de huracanes entre el 2001 y el 2007, y de las enfermedades de corales, ambos factores asociados al cambio climático. En las crestas arrecifales, la reducción de la cobertura de coral duro vivo varió de nula a 21%, mientras que la reducción del diámetro máximo promedio de los corales varió de 16 a 40 cm. En los arrecifes frontales, la reducción de la cobertura de coral varió de nula a 14%, mientras que la reducción del diámetro máximo promedio varió de nula a 26 cm. Sin embargo, en todos los sitios se observaron grandes cambios en el predominio numérico de las especies. En las crestas, este se desplazó de  Acropora palmata y otros corales duros hacia Millepora complanata, Porites astreoides o Acropora prolifera. En los arrecifes frontales, el cambio ocurrió de la dominancia de Montastraea annularis (complejo de especies), Diploria strigosa y Agaricia agaricites a la de P. astreoides o Siderastrea siderea. Con esos cambios, las crestas están perdiendo efectividad como refugios y como disipadoras del oleaje, a causa de la reducción de complejidad estructural. La densidad del erizo Diadema antillarum se mantuvo insignificante y sin cambio en el sur del Golfo de Batabanó, mientras que se incrementó de manera importante en la cresta de Faro Cazones. Los porcentajes de mortalidad reciente y de incidencia de enfermedades de corales se mantuvieron bajos, lo que sugiere una influencia dominante de los huracanes en la condición de los arrecifes coralinos evaluados.In coral reefs of southwestern Cuba, we assessed the impacts from unprecedented frequent and intense hurricanes during the period 2001-2007, and from coral diseases, which are both factors considered to be associated with climate change.. At the reef crests, live hard coral cover reduction varied from null to 21%, while maximum average coral diameter reduction varied from 16 to 40 cm. In the fore-reefs, the reduction of coral cover varied from null to 14%, while diameter reduction varied from null to 26 cm. However, at all sites, great shifts in species dominance patterns were observed. In reef crests, numerical dominance of Acropora palmata and other hard corals shifted towards increases of Millepora complanata or, to a lesser extent, of Porites astreoides or Acropora prolifera. At the fore-reefs, the shifts occurred from the dominance of Montastraea annularis complex, Diploria strigosa and Agaricia agaricites, towards combined increases of P. astreoides or Siderastrea siderea. With those ongoing changes, reef crests are losing effectiveness as refuges and wave dissipators because of reduction of structural complexity. The population density of the sea-urchin Diadema antillarum remained negligible and unchanged in the southern Gulf of Batabanó, while it increased significantly at the Faro Cazones reef crest. Percentages of recent mortality and percentages of disease incidence in corals remained low, suggesting a dominant influence from hurricanes on assessed coral reef decline.

The coral communities of Lord Howe Island

1995 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 457 ◽  
Author(s):  
VJ Harriott ◽  
PL Harrison ◽  
SA Banks
Keyword(s):  
Coral Cover ◽  
Benthic Communities ◽  
Tropical Species ◽  
Hard Coral ◽  
Lord Howe Island ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Status ◽  
Coral Communities ◽  
Apparent Reduction ◽  
Hard Coral Cover

Lord Howe Island (31�33′S, 159�05′E) is surrounded by the southern-most coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean. The status of the benthic communities at Lord Howe Island was quantified in 1992-93 using replicated video-transects at 20 sites in the shallow reefal area (<20 m depth). The cover of hard coral was comparable with coral cover on some tropical reefs, ranging from less than 10% at some reef flat sites to greater than 40% cover at two seaward beach sites. The process of reef formation is apparently slow, and accretion of limestone is localized. A total of 59 scleractinian coral species were recorded during this study (including 19 new records), bringing the total number recorded at Lord Howe Island to 83. The coral communities contain a unique association of tropical species at their southern limits of distribution, and subtropical species which are rare or absent from the Great Barrier Reef. Many of the species that have been recorded from Lord Howe Island are rare, and may have resulted from chance recruitment of only a few larvae. There have been few major changes in the coral communities at Lord Howe Island in the past 16 years. At two inshore sites there was an apparent reduction in hard coral cover in the 1980s.

scholarly journals Staphylococcus aureus ClpC Is Required for Stress Resistance, Aconitase Activity, Growth Recovery, and Death

2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (13) ◽  
pp. 4488-4496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Indranil Chatterjee ◽  
Petra Becker ◽  
Matthias Grundmeier ◽  
Markus Bischoff ◽  
Greg A. Somerville ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Stationary Phase ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Tca Cycle ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Phase Recovery ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Aconitase Activity

ABSTRACT The ability of Staphylococcus aureus to adapt to various conditions of stress is the result of a complex regulatory response. Previously, it has been demonstrated that Clp homologues are important for a variety of stress conditions, and our laboratory has shown that a clpC homologue was highly expressed in the S. aureus strain DSM20231 during biofilm formation relative to expression in planktonic cells. Persistence and long-term survival are a hallmark of biofilm-associated staphylococcal infections, as cure frequently fails even in the presence of bactericidal antimicrobials. To determine the role of clpC in this context, we performed metabolic, gene expression, and long-term growth and survival analyses of DSM20231 as well as an isogenic clpC allelic-replacement mutant, a sigB mutant, and a clpC sigB double mutant. As expected, the clpC mutant showed increased sensitivity to oxidative and heat stresses. Unanticipated, however, was the reduced expression of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle gene citB (encoding aconitase), resulting in the loss of aconitase activity and preventing the catabolization of acetate during the stationary phase. clpC inactivation abolished post-stationary-phase recovery but also resulted in significantly enhanced stationary-phase survival compared to that of the wild-type strain. These data demonstrate the critical role of the ClpC ATPase in regulating the TCA cycle and implicate ClpC as being important for recovery from the stationary phase and also for entering the death phase. Understanding the stationary- and post-stationary-phase recovery in S. aureus may have important clinical implications, as little is known about the mechanisms of long-term persistence of chronic S. aureus infections associated with formation of biofilms.

scholarly journals Spatial distribution of coral communities on fringing reefs at Tioman Island Marine Park, Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khodzori Fikri Akmal ◽  
Saad Shahbudin
Keyword(s):  
Scleractinian Coral ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Coastal Development ◽  
Live Coral ◽  
Point Count ◽  
Marine Park ◽  
Coral Communities ◽  
Coral Health

Monitoring coral health status is important for effective reef ecosystem management. The present study aimed to determine the coral condition and distribution at twenty sites around Tioman Island Marine Park (TIMP), Malaysia. The Coral Video Transect (CVT) method was used to survey coral, and the Coral Point Count with Excel extension (CPCe) software was used to analyse images for identification and coral coverage measurement. The findings indicate that TIMP reefs had a mean live coral cover of 48.0% ± 0.7, suggesting they were in ‘fair’ coral condition. A total of 254 species, spanning 61 genera and 15 families of scleractinian coral were identified across all reef sites. Following the recent taxonomic classification, coral surveys and past studies revealed 355 species from 67 genera and 15 families of scleractinian coral with additional 30 new species records for TIMP, and 15 for the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Overall, 29 identified scleractinian species are considered rare, 86 vulnerable, and 3 are endangered. Current data also recorded 77 genera from 24 families of hard and soft corals with Acropora, Montipora and Porites predominantly found in reef assemblages. Overall, it can be concluded that the extensive coastal development and widespread tourism activities may have influenced the variations in coral condition and distribution in this Marine Park.

The PI3K Pathway at the Crossroads of Cancer and the Immune System: Strategies for Next Generation Immunotherapy Combinations

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 355-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dearbhaile C. Collins ◽  
Maxime Chenard-Poirier ◽  
Juanita S. Lopez
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Pi3k Pathway ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Combination Strategies ◽  
Integral Role ◽  
Phosphoinositide 3 Kinase ◽  
Growth Factor Pathways

Immunotherapy has led to a paradigm shift in the treatment of some malignancies, providing long-term, durable responses for a subset of patients with advanced cancers. Increasingly, research has identified links between the immune system and critical oncogenic growth factor pathways. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT-mTOR cascade is frequently hyperactivated in cancer, and plays an integral role in many cellular processes including tumour growth and survival and can underlie resistance to therapies. In this review, we first summarize two key learnings from the initial studies of inhibitors of this pathway, including the profile of immune-related adverse events such as colitis, transaminitis and pneumonitis and the increased incidence of infections with the majority of agents that target the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway. We then discuss recent advances in our understanding of the role of this pathway in the tumour micro-environment, and in the regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses, and propose synergistic combination strategies with PI3K-network inhibitors and cancer immunotherapy.

Differences in clonal integration between the sexes: long-term demographic patterns in the dioecious, multi-stemmed shrub Lindera triloba

Botany ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (10) ◽  
pp. 1028-1035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michinari Matsushita ◽  
Nobuhiro Tomaru
Keyword(s):  
Survival Rates ◽  
Clonal Plants ◽  
Clonal Integration ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Demographic Processes ◽  
Demographic Patterns

In clonal plants, ramets connected within a genet can share resources through clonal integration, and clonal integration often facilitates the growth and survival of young ramets. However, in dioecious plants, it is not fully understood whether female and male genets differ in their integration patterns affecting the demographic processes. To test between-sex differences in the demographic process in relation to clonal integration, we conducted a long-term census for the dioecious sprouting shrub Lindera triloba (Sieb. et Zucc.) Blume. In an old-growth forest, we selected 73 female and 82 male genets, and the recruitment, growth, and mortality of ramets within those genets were monitored over six years. Ramet recruitment was greater in males than in females, whereas ramet growth and survival rates did not differ, on average, between sexes. Females and males showed different sensitivities to factors affecting their ramet dynamics. The ramet recruitment, growth, and survival within male genets were significantly positively affected by the largest main ramet size, whereas females were not sensitive to the effect. This suggested that demographic patterns of ramets within male genets were more sensitive to assimilates translocated from the main ramets than those within female genets, and the role of clonal integration worked differently on ramet dynamics between sexes.

scholarly journals U-Th dating reveals regional-scale decline of branching Acropora corals on the Great Barrier Reef over the past century

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (39) ◽  
pp. 10350-10355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara R. Clark ◽  
George Roff ◽  
Jian-xin Zhao ◽  
Yue-xing Feng ◽  
Terence J. Done ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Coral Community ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
The Past ◽  
Hard Coral Cover ◽  
Term Monitoring

Hard coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is on a trajectory of decline. However, little is known about past coral mortality before the advent of long-term monitoring (circa 1980s). Using paleoecological analysis and high-precision uranium-thorium (U-Th) dating, we reveal an extensive loss of branching Acropora corals and changes in coral community structure in the Palm Islands region of the central GBR over the past century. In 2008, dead coral assemblages were dominated by large, branching Acropora and living coral assemblages by genera typically found in turbid inshore environments. The timing of Acropora mortality was found to be occasionally synchronous among reefs and frequently linked to discrete disturbance events, occurring in the 1920s to 1960s and again in the 1980s to 1990s. Surveys conducted in 2014 revealed low Acropora cover (<5%) across all sites, with very little evidence of change for up to 60 y at some sites. Collectively, our results suggest a loss of resilience of this formerly dominant key framework builder at a regional scale, with recovery severely lagging behind predictions. Our study implies that the management of these reefs may be predicated on a shifted baseline.

scholarly journals EFECTOS DE EVENTOS OCEÁNICOS EXTREMOS EN FORMACIONES CORALINAS DE ISLAS DEL ROSARIO, CARIBE COLOMBIANO

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Carolina Vega Sequeda ◽  
Sven Zea ◽  
Gladys Bernal
Keyword(s):  
Extreme Events ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Time Windows ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Sea Temperature ◽  
Coral Diseases ◽  
Coral Health ◽  
Environmental Events ◽  
Events Data

El incremento en la frecuencia e intensidad de eventos oceánicos extremos limita la capacidad de recuperación de los ecosistemas, amenazando su subsistencia. Con el fin de entender la relación entre la estructura y salud arrecifal y los eventos extremos ambientales, se analizaron series de datos ambientales de las islas del Rosario (e.g., temperatura del mar, caudal y/o salinidad, turbidez), en comparación con cobertura coralina y signos de deterioro (e.g., blanqueamiento, enfermedades). En las series de tiempo de las variables ambientales se calcularon los eventos oceánicos que excedieron un umbral estadístico, estableciendo su intensidad, duración y frecuencia. Para los atributos de la comunidad, se evaluaron dos estaciones del Sistema Nacional de Monitoreo de Arrecifes Coralinos en Colombia (SIMAC), en dos ventanas temporales (largo plazo, 1998–2013 y corto plazo, 2013 - 2014). Los eventos extremos de temperatura superficial del mar, el caudal de descarga continental y la turbidez asociada fueron las principales variables relacionadas con la reducción de la cobertura coralina. El blanqueamiento masivo de 2005 y otros eventos posteriores dieron como resultado una reducción de la cobertura coralina entre 2004 y 2010. En el corto plazo no se registraron fuertes eventos extremos ni cambios en las formaciones coralinas, si bien el estrés térmico y las reducciones de salinidad en la época de lluvias estuvieron asociados con un ligero blanqueamiento en noviembre de 2014. Aunque los signos de deterioro sean bajos, es importante considerarlos, ya que la sinergia entre perturbaciones continuas puede conllevar a una pérdida de cobertura del coral.  Effect of extreme oceanic events in the coral formations of Islas del Rosario,  Colombian CaribbeanThe increase in frequency and intensity of extreme oceanic events limits the capacity of recovery of ecosystems, threatening their subsistence. Thus, in order to understand the relationship between coral health and extreme environmental events, data on sea temperature, runoff and / or salinity, turbidity were analyzed in the Islas del Rosario in comparison with coral cover, and coral signs of deterioration (e.g., bleaching, coral diseases). In the time series of environmental variables, oceanic events that exceeded a statistical threshold were calculated, establishing their intensity, duration and frequency. The attributes of the community were studied through observations in two stations of the National Coral Reef Monitoring System in Colombia (SIMAC), assessed in two time windows (long term, 1998-2013 and short term, 2013-2014). The extreme events of sea surface temperature, river discharge and associated turbidity, were the main variables related to the reduction of coral cover. The massive coral bleaching of 2005 and other subsequent events resulted in a reduction in coral coverage between 2004 and 2010. During the short-term observations there were no strong extreme events or changes in coral formations, although thermal stress and reductions in salinity in the rainy season were associated with a slight bleaching in November 2014. Although the signs of deterioration are low, it is important to consider them, since the synergy between continuous disturbances can lead to a loss of coral cover.

scholarly journals Reef Rugosity and Butterflyfish Community Structure in Punta Dumalag Marine Protected Area, Davao City

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 2
Author(s):  
Samuel Herbert T. Mamora
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Hard Coral ◽  
Confounding Effect ◽  
Hard Coral Cover

This study investigated the rugosity and butterflyfish community structure in Punta Dumalag, Davao City in twelve transects distributed in three stations. The transects were laid parallel to the shore at a depth of five to six meters in three stations. Rugosity indices, percent hard coral cover, butterflyfish species richness, abundance, diversity, biomass and density across all sampling stations registered low values, which may be attributed to a combination of fishing pressure and a strong prolonged southeast monsoon. Correlation analysis between rugosity and butterflyfish abundance showed low correlation coefficients that were statistically not significant, which may be caused by the confounding effect of interactions among fish species, territorial activities by fish species affecting reef structural complexity and low sample size. Read full article here.

Seasonal variations in the density of and corallivory by Drupella rugosa and Cronia margariticola (Caenogastropoda: Muricidae) from the coastal waters of Hong Kong: ‘plagues’ or ‘aggregations’?

2008 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Morton ◽  
Graham Blackmore
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Feeding Behaviour ◽  
Prey Selection ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Hard Coral ◽  
Coral Communities ◽  
Hard Coral Cover ◽  
Muricid Gastropods

Sixteen coral sites in the coastal waters of Hong Kong were examined for the corallivorous muricid gastropods Drupella rugosa and Cronia margariticola. These were recorded from all sites where there was significant hard coral cover and observed feeding upon species of Platygyra, Leptastrea, Stylocoeniella, Porites, Favites, Cyphastrea, Goniastrea, Favia, Acropora, Montipora, Pavona, Lithophyllon, Hydnophora, Echinophyllia and Plesiastrea. One large aggregation (~2000 individuals) of, mainly, D. rugosa was observed but much smaller groups (<20 individuals) were more typical. Five sites were chosen for more detailed study and surveyed during winter and summer. Despite being characterized by different coral communities, inter-site densities of D. rugosa were not significantly different and, usually, ~2 individuals · m2 were recorded. Seasonal differences were, however, significant with numbers greater during the summer, possibly related to reproduction. Feeding activity followed a similar pattern and was also largely confined to summer.Prey selection by Drupella rugosa was complex in the field and changed according to the relative abundance of each coral taxon. Acropora was strongly selected for at all sites where it was present and Montipora, Platygyra and Pavona were usually fed upon in greater proportions than their abundances. Leptastrea, Cyphastrea, Favites, Favia and Goniastrea were fed upon but in proportions lower than suggested by their abundances. Goniopora was never fed upon despite being relatively common. The seasonality of feeding, low density, rarity of large feeding aggregations, prey selection and aspects of the feeding behaviour, that is, generally only consuming the coral's coenenchyme (the polyps surviving), suggest that while D. rugosa is widespread in Hong Kong, and contrary to other views, it poses little, if any, threat to local coral communities. Thus, reported feeding clusters of D. rugosa are probably not ‘plague’ outbreaks but examples of seasonally fostered ‘aggregations’ of feeding (and probably reproducing) individuals. Indeed, no ‘plague-like’ outbreak of any species of Drupella has been reported upon in the literature since 1999.

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