A5005084974- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Marine and fisheries research
- Aquaculture disease management and microbiota
- Ocean Acidification Effects and Responses
- Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis
- Marine animal studies overview
- Viral Infectious Diseases and Gene Expression in Insects
- Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry Studies
- Nematode management and characterization studies
- Biological Research and Disease Studies
- Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
- Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Marine Sponges and Natural Products
NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratories
2020-2025
University of Miami
2017-2025
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
2023-2024
Universidad del Valle
2021-2022
Climate change is radically altering coral reef ecosystems, mainly through increasingly frequent and severe bleaching events. Yet, some reefs have exhibited higher thermal tolerance after severely the first time. To understand changes in eastern tropical Pacific (ETP), we compiled four decades of temperature, cover, bleaching, mortality data, including three mass events during 1982 to 1983, 1997 1998 2015 2016 El Niño heatwaves. Higher heat resistance later was detected dominant...
Abstract Coral reefs worldwide are threatened by thermal stress caused climate change. Especially devastating periods of coral loss frequently occur during El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events originating in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP). Niño‐induced is considered primary threat to ETP reefs. An increase frequency and intensity ENSO predicted coming decades threatens a pan‐tropical collapse During 1982–1983 Niño, most Galapagos Islands collapsed, many more region were decimated...
Abstract Corals are important models for understanding invertebrate host–microbe interactions; however, to fully discern mechanisms involved in these relationships, experimental approaches manipulating coral–bacteria associations needed. Coral‐associated bacteria affect holobiont health via nutrient cycling, metabolic exchanges and pathogen exclusion, yet it is not understood how bacterial community shifts physiology. In this study, a combination of antibiotics (ampicillin, streptomycin...
Coral reefs are the most biodiverse ocean ecosystem and a valuable marine resource that supports fishing tourism, while protecting our coastal communities from storms. Reefs also imperiled by myriad stressors, which have led to worldwide decline in coral cover health. This is particularly true Caribbean western Atlantic, where stony tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has spread throughout 30 countries territories decade, killing countless corals matter of months following transmission. rapid across...
Coral restoration programs are expanding to revive coral populations and ecosystem services, but local global stressors still threaten survival. In the Caribbean, ESA-listed staghorn Acropora cervicornis has experienced profound declines due multiple stressors, including disease nutrient pollution. We studied impact of these two on ten A. genotypes for which susceptibility was previously ranked in a transmission experiment. Results showed that elevated ammonium, disease, their combination...
Scleractinian corals are the principal builders of coral reefs. These megadiverse ecosystems declining due to mortality from a variety stressors, including disease. Corals dependent upon symbiotic dinoflagellates in family Symbiodiniaceae for phototrophic contributions their energy budgets. However, suppression host immunity may be necessary maintain these intracellular symbioses. To explore consequences symbiosis on immunity, we manipulated symbiont density by increasing nitrogen...
East and West Flower Garden Bank (FGB) are part of Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) in the northwest Gulf Mexico. This geographically-isolated reef system contains extensive coral communities with highest cover (>50%) continental United States due, part, to their remoteness depth, have historically exhibited low incidence disease bleaching despite ocean warming. Yet late August 2022, disease-like lesions on seven species were reported during routine monitoring surveys FGB...
Abstract Ocean acidification (OA) threatens coral reef persistence by decreasing calcification and accelerating the dissolution of frameworks. The carbonate chemistry coastal areas where many reefs exist is strongly influenced metabolic activity underlying benthic community, contributing to high spatiotemporal variability. While characterizing this variability difficult, it has important implications for progression OA ecosystems. Here, we characterized at 38 permanent stations located along...
The effects of turbidity and sedimentation stress on early life stages corals are poorly understood, particularly in Atlantic species. Dredging operations, beach nourishment, other coastal construction activities can increase nearby coral reef habitats have the potential to negatively affect larval development metamorphosis, reducing sexual reproduction success. In this study, we investigated performance larvae threatened Caribbean species Orbicella faveolata exposed suspended sediments...
Abstract As the balance between erosional and constructive processes on coral reefs tilts in favor of framework loss under human‐induced local global change, many reef habitats worldwide degrade flatten. The resultant generation rubble beds they form can have lasting effects communities structural complexity, threatening continuity ecological functions services provide. To comprehensively capture changing predict their evolution context climate heavily colonized fragments were exposed to...
Abstract Coral cover is declining worldwide due to multiple interacting threats. We compared the effects of elevated nutrients and temperature on three Caribbean corals: Acropora cervicornis, Orbicella faveolata , Siderastrea siderea . Colonies hosting different algal types were exposed either ambient (A), NH 4 (N), or + PO (N+P) at control temperatures (26 °C) for > 2 months, followed by a 3-week thermal challenge (31.5 °C). A. cervicornis hosted Symbiodinium (S. fitti) was highly...
Summary The staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis , was once abundant in the Caribbean, but now is listed as critically endangered. To recover A. populations, restoration efforts have focused on preserving genetic diversity and increasing coral cover. However, identifying stress-resistant corals can help to increase success, by allocating genotypes reefs where they are more likely survive. We assessed performance (growth, survivorship, photochemical efficiency) characterized microbiome...
Abstract The effects of turbidity and sedimentation stress on early life stages corals are poorly understood, particularly in Atlantic species. Dredging operations, beach nourishment, other coastal construction activities can increase nearby coral reef habitats have the potential to negatively affect larval development metamorphosis, reducing sexual reproduction success. In this study, we investigated performance larvae threatened Caribbean species Orbicella faveolata exposed sediments...