Coral micro- and macro-morphological skeletal properties in response to life-long acclimatization at CO2 vents in Papua New Guinea

AbstractThis study investigates the effects of long-term exposure to OA on skeletal parameters of four tropical zooxanthellate corals naturally living at CO2 seeps and adjacent control sites from two locations (Dobu and Upa Upasina) in the Papua New Guinea underwater volcanic vent system. The seeps are characterized by seawater pH values ranging from 8.0 to about 7.7. The skeletal porosity of Galaxea fascicularis, Acropora millepora, massive Porites, and Pocillopora damicornis was higher (up to ~ 40%, depending on the species) at the seep sites compared to the control sites. Pocillopora damicornis also showed a decrease of micro-density (up to ~ 7%). Thus, further investigations conducted on this species showed an increase of the volume fraction of the larger pores (up to ~ 7%), a decrease of the intraskeletal organic matrix content (up to ~ 15%), and an increase of the intraskeletal water content (up to ~ 59%) at the seep sites. The organic matrix related strain and crystallite size did not vary between seep and control sites. This multi-species study showed a common phenotypic response among different zooxanthellate corals subjected to the same environmental pressures, leading to the development of a more porous skeletal phenotype under OA.

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Life-Long Coral Skeletal Acclimatization at CO2 Vents in Papua New Guinea Reveals Species- and Environment-Specific Effects

10.21203/rs.3.rs-138498/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Fiorella Prada ◽

Leonardo Brizi ◽

Silvia Franzellitti ◽

Stefano Mengoli ◽

Simona Fermani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Papua New Guinea ◽

Volume Fraction ◽

Organic Matrix ◽

New Guinea ◽

Pocillopora Damicornis ◽

Related Strain ◽

Acropora Millepora ◽

Specific Effects ◽

Seep Site

Abstract The responses of corals and other marine calcifying organisms to ocean acidification (OA) are variable and span from no effect to severe responses. Here we investigated the effect of long-term exposure to OA on skeletal parameters of four tropical zooxanthellate corals living at two CO2 vents in Papua New Guinea, namely in Dobu and Upa Upasina. The skeletal porosity of Galaxea fascicularis, Acropora millepora, and Pocillopora damicornis was higher (from 17% to 38%, depending on the species) at the seep site compared to the control only at Upa Upasina. Massive Porites showed no differences at any of the locations. Pocillopora damicornis also showed a ~ 7% decrease of micro-density and an increase of the volume fraction of the larger pores, a decrease of the intraskeletal organic matrix content with an increase of the intraskeletal water content, and no variation in the organic matrix related strain and crystallite size. The fact that the skeletal parameters varied only at one of the two seep sites suggests that other local environmental conditions interact with OA to modify the coral skeletal parameters. This might also contribute to explain the great deal of responses to OA reported for corals and other marine calcifying organisms.

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Jesus Came Here Too: The Making of a Culture Hero and Control over History in Simbu, Papua New Guinea

Ethnology ◽

10.2307/3773756 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 177

Author(s):

Karl F. Rambo

Keyword(s):

Papua New Guinea ◽

New Guinea ◽

And Control

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Cyclic patterns of cerebral malaria admissions in Papua New Guinea for the years 1987–1996

Epidemiology and Infection ◽

10.1017/s0950268812003111 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 141 (11) ◽

pp. 2317-2327 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

B. D. DIMITROV ◽

D. VALEV ◽

R. WERNER ◽

P. A. ATANASSOVA

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Malaria ◽

Papua New Guinea ◽

Malaria Incidence ◽

New Guinea ◽

Cyclic Patterns ◽

Environment Temperature ◽

Vector Borne ◽

And Control ◽

Parametric Regression Models ◽

Annual Period

SUMMARYData on the dynamics of malaria incidence, admissions and mortality and their best possible description are very important to better forecast and assess the implementation of programmes to register, monitor (e.g. by remote sensing) and control the disease, especially in endemic zones. Semi-annual and seasonal cycles in malaria rates have been observed in various countries and close similarity with cycles in the natural environment (temperature, heliogeophysical activity, etc.), host immunity and/or virulence of the parasite suggested. This study aimed at confirming previous results on malaria cyclicity by exploring whether trans-year and/or multiannual cycles might exist. The exploration of underlying chronomes (time structures) was done with raw data (without smoothing) by linear and nonlinear parametric regression models, autocorrelation, spectral (Fourier) and periodogram regression analysis. The strongest cyclical patterns of detrended malaria admissions were (i) annual period of 1·0 year (12 months or seasonality); (ii) quasi-biennial cycle of about 2·25 years; and (iii) infrannual, circadecennial cycle of about 10·3 years. The seasonal maximum occurred in May with the minimum in September. Notably, these cycles corresponded to similar cyclic components of heliogeophysical activity such as sunspot seasonality and solar activity cyclicities and well-known climate/weather oscillations. Further analyses are thus warranted to investigate such similarities. In conclusion, multicomponent cyclical dynamics of cerebral malaria admissions in Papua New Guinea were observed thus allowing more specific analyses and modelling as well as correlations with environmental factors of similar cyclicity to be explored. Such further results might also contribute to and provide more precise estimates for the forecasting and prevention, as well as the better understanding, of the dynamics and aetiology of this vector-borne disease.

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Phenotypic differences between highlanders and lowlanders in Papua New Guinea

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0253921 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (7) ◽

pp. e0253921

Author(s):

Mathilde André ◽

Nicolas Brucato ◽

Sébastien Plutniak ◽

Jason Kariwiga ◽

John Muke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Altitude ◽

Papua New Guinea ◽

Haemoglobin Concentration ◽

Circulatory System ◽

New Guinea ◽

P Value ◽

Human Populations ◽

Environmental Pressures ◽

Phenotypic Differences ◽

Papua New Guinean

Objectives Altitude is one of the most demanding environmental pressures for human populations. Highlanders from Asia, America and Africa have been shown to exhibit different biological adaptations, but Oceanian populations remain understudied [Woolcock et al., 1972; Cotes et al., 1974; Senn et al., 2010]. We tested the hypothesis that highlanders phenotypically differ from lowlanders in Papua New Guinea, as a result of inhabiting the highest mountains in Oceania for at least 20,000 years. Materials and methods We collected data for 13 different phenotypes related to altitude for 162 Papua New Guineans living at high altitude (Mont Wilhelm, 2,300–2,700 m above sea level (a.s.l.) and low altitude (Daru, <100m a.s.l.). Multilinear regressions were performed to detect differences between highlanders and lowlanders for phenotypic measurements related to body proportions, pulmonary function, and the circulatory system. Results Six phenotypes were significantly different between Papua New Guinean highlanders and lowlanders. Highlanders show shorter height (p-value = 0.001), smaller waist circumference (p-value = 0.002), larger Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) (p-value = 0.008), larger maximal (p-value = 3.20e -4) and minimal chest depth (p-value = 2.37e -5) and higher haemoglobin concentration (p-value = 3.36e -4). Discussion Our study reports specific phenotypes in Papua New Guinean highlanders potentially related to altitude adaptation. Similar to other human groups adapted to high altitude, the evolutionary history of Papua New Guineans appears to have also followed an adaptive biological strategy for altitude.

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