A5072147229- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Marine and fisheries research
- Ocean Acidification Effects and Responses
- Marine animal studies overview
- Marine Sponges and Natural Products
- Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Ichthyology and Marine Biology
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Cephalopods and Marine Biology
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Coastal and Marine Management
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Aquaculture disease management and microbiota
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
- Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Plant and Fungal Species Descriptions
- Diverse Educational Innovations Studies
Old Dominion University
2015-2025
Dominion University College
2020-2025
Boston University
2020
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
2007-2018
University of Hawaii System
2009-2018
Stanford University
2010-2014
Pacific University
2010-2014
NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service
2013
United States Geological Survey
2007
Recent advances in DNA-sequencing technologies now allow for in-depth characterization of the genomic stress responses many organisms beyond model taxa. They are especially appropriate such as reef-building corals, which dramatic declines abundance expected to worsen anthropogenic climate change intensifies. Different corals differ substantially physiological resilience environmental stress, but molecular mechanisms behind enhanced coral remain unclear. Here, we compare transcriptome-wide...
Reef corals are highly sensitive to heat, yet populations resistant climate change have recently been identified. To determine the mechanisms of temperature tolerance, we reciprocally transplanted between reef sites experiencing distinct regimes and tested subsequent physiological gene expression profiles. Local acclimatization fixed effects, such as adaptation, contributed about equally heat tolerance reflected in patterns expression. In less than 2 years, achieves same that would expect...
Coral bleaching is the detrimental expulsion of algal symbionts from their cnidarian hosts, and predominantly occurs when corals are exposed to thermal stress. The incidence severity often spatially heterogeneous within reef-scales (<1 km), therefore not predictable using conventional remote sensing products. Here, we systematically assess relationship between in situ measurements 20 environmental variables, along with seven remotely sensed SST stress metrics, 81 observed events at coral...
Abstract High‐throughput sequencing technologies are currently revolutionizing the field of biology and medicine, yet bioinformatic challenges in analysing very large data sets have slowed adoption these by community population biologists. We introduce ‘Simple Fool's Guide to Population Genomics via RNA ‐seq’ ( SFG ), a document intended serve as an easy‐to‐follow protocol, walking user through one example high‐throughput analysis nonmodel organisms. It is no means exhaustive but rather...
Abstract Coral bleaching is one of the main drivers reef degradation. Most corals bleach and suffer mortality at just 1–2°C above their maximum monthly mean temperatures, but some species genotypes resist or recover better than others. Here, we conducted a series 18‐hr short‐term acute heat stress assays side‐by‐side with 21‐day long‐term experiment to assess ability both approaches resolve coral thermotolerance differences reflective in situ temperature thresholds. Using suite physiological...
The degree to which coral reef ecosystems will be impacted by global climate change depends on regional and local differences in corals' susceptibility resilience environmental stressors. Here, we present data from a reciprocal transplant experiment using the common building Porites lobata between highly fluctuating back environment that reaches stressful daily extremes, more stable, neighbouring forereef. Protein biomarker analyses assessing physiological contributions stress resistance...
Corals are notoriously difficult to identify at the species-level due few diagnostic characters and variable skeletal morphology. This 'coral species problem' is an impediment understanding evolution biodiversity of this important threatened group organisms. We examined nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) mitochondrial markers (COI, putative control region) in Porites, one most taxonomically challenging ecologically genera reef-building corals. Nuclear were congruent, clearly...
The symbiosis between reef-building corals and photosynthetic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium) is an integral part of the coral reef ecosystem, as are dependent on Symbiodinium for majority their energy needs. However, this partnership increasingly at risk due to changing climatic conditions. It thought that functional diversity within may allow some rapidly adapt different environments by type with which they partner; however, very little known about molecular basis differences among symbiont...
Dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium form an endosymbiosis with reef building corals, in which photosynthetically derived nutrients comprise majority coral energy budget. An extraordinary amount functional and genetic diversity is contained within coral-associated Symbiodinium, some phylotypes (i.e., genotypic groupings), conferring enhanced stress tolerance to host corals. Recent advances DNA sequencing technologies have enabled transcriptome-wide profiling response cnidarian host;...
Corals from the northern Red Sea, in particular Gulf of Aqaba (GoA), have exceptionally high bleaching thresholds approaching >5℃ above their maximum monthly mean (MMM) temperatures. These elevated are thought to be due historical selection, as corals passed through warmer Southern Sea during recolonization Arabian Sea. To test this hypothesis, we determined thermal tolerance GoA versus central (CRS) Stylophora pistillata using multi-temperature acute stress assays determine thresholds....
Corals from the northern Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba exhibit extreme thermal tolerance. To examine underlying gene expression dynamics, we exposed
Abstract Global warming is resulting in unprecedented levels of coral mortality due to mass bleaching events and, more recently, marine heatwaves, where rapid increases seawater temperature cause within days. Here, we compare the response a ubiquitous scleractinian coral, Stylophora pistillata , from northern Red Sea acute (7 h) and chronic (7–11 d) thermal stress that include treatments 27°C (i.e., local maximum monthly mean), 29.5°C, 32°C, 34.5°C, assess recovery corals following exposure....
Abstract Global warming is causing an unprecedented loss of species and habitats worldwide. This particularly apparent for tropical coral reefs, with increasing number reefs experiencing mass bleaching mortality on annual basis. As such, there a growing need standardized experimental approach to rapidly assess the thermal limits corals predict survival across regions. Using portable system, Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (CBASS), we conducted 18 h acute stress assays quantitively...
Abstract Ocean warming is increasingly affecting marine ecosystems across the globe. Reef‐building corals are particularly affected by warming, with mass bleaching events increasing in frequency and leading to widespread coral mortality. Yet, some can resist or recover from better than others. Such variability thermal resilience could be critical reef persistence; however, scientific community lacks standardized diagnostic approaches rapidly comparatively assess vulnerability prior events....
Abstract Global habitat degradation heightens the need to better understand patterns of genetic connectivity and diversity marine biota across geographical ranges guide conservation efforts. Corals Red Sea are subject pronounced environmental differences, but studies so far suggest that animal populations largely connected, excepting evidence for a break between northern‐central southern regions. Here, we investigated population structure holobiont assemblage two common pocilloporid corals,...
Coral bleaching events are increasing in frequency and severity, resulting widespread losses coral cover. However, branching corals native to highly variable (HV) thermal environments can have higher resistance than from more moderate habitats. Here, we investigated the response of two massive corals, Porites lobata Goniastrea retiformis , a moderately (MV) low variability (LV) pool transplanted into HV on Ofu Island American Samoa. Paired transplant ramets were exposed an acute stress after...
Rapid ocean warming due to climate change poses a serious risk the survival of coral reefs. It is estimated that 70-90 percent all reefs will be severely degraded by mid-century even if 1.5oC goal Paris Climate Agreement achieved. However, one reef ecosystem seems more resilient rising sea temperatures than most others. The Red Sea's longest continuous living in world, and its northernmost portion extends into Gulf Aqaba. scleractinian corals have an unusually high tolerance for rapidly...
The emerging field of next-generation sequencing (NGs) is rapidly expanding capabilities for cutting edge genomic research, with applications that can help meet marine conservation challenges food security, biodiversity loss, and climate change.Navigating the use these tools, however, complex at best.Furthermore, questions are limited in developing nations where both threats to most concentrated.This particularly true southeast Asia.The first Pan-Pacific Advanced studies Institute (PacAsI)...
We develop a model based on the Dirichlet-compound multinomial distribution (CMD) and Ewens sampling formula to predict fraction of SNP loci that will appear fixed for alternate alleles between two pooled samples drawn from same underlying population. apply this next-generation sequencing (NGS) data Baltic Sea herring recently published by (Corander et al., 2013, Molecular Ecology, 2931-2940), show there are many more than expected in absence genetic structure. However, we through coalescent...
Spatial heterogeneity in environmental characteristics can drive adaptive differentiation when contrasting environments exert divergent selection pressures. This and genetic substantially influence population community resilience to disturbance events. Here, we investigated corals from the highly variable back reef habitats of Ofu Island American Samoa that thrive thermal conditions known elicit widespread bleaching mortality elsewhere. To investigate relative importance acclimation vs. site...