Combined passive acoustic and video monitoring of coral reefs to better understand reef soundscapes and multi-species interactions

The rapidly advancing field of metabolomics encompasses a diverse suite of powerful analytical and bioinformatic tools that can help to reveal the diversity and activity of chemical compounds in individual organisms, species interactions, and entire ecosystems. In this perspective we use examples from studies of coral reefs to illustrate ways in which metabolomics has been and can be applied to understand coastal ecosystems. Examples of new insights that can be provided by metabolomics include resolving metabolite exchange between microbes and animals in holobiont tissues, identifying the relevant metabolite exchanges associated with the onset and maintenance of diverse bacterial endosymbionts, characterizing unknown molecules associated with coral reproductive cues, or defining the suites of compounds involved in coral-algal competition and microbialization of algal-dominated ecosystems. Here we outline sampling, analytical and informatic methods that marine biologists and ecologists can apply to understand the role of chemical processes in ecosystems, with a focus on open access data analysis workflows and democratized databases. This perspective aims to demonstrate that metabolomics tools and bioinformatics approaches which leverage open access chemical databases can provide scientists the opportunity to map detailed metabolic inventories and dynamics for a holistic view of the relationships among reef organisms, their symbionts and their surrounding marine environment.

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The Extraordinary Importance of Coral-Associated Fauna

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d12090357 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 357

Author(s):

Simone Montano

Keyword(s):

Coral Reef ◽

Coral Reefs ◽

Intimate Relationships ◽

Species Interactions ◽

Associated Fauna ◽

External Disturbances ◽

Term Survival ◽

Symbiotic Relationships ◽

Coral Reef Ecosystems

Coral reefs are one of the most diverse marine ecosystems on Earth and one of the richest in terms of species interactions. Scleractinian corals are usually the most likely to provide numerous different habitats and to support many symbiotic relationships. However, many other invertebrate groups, such as sponges, bryozoans, and other cnidarians, establish strict symbiotic relationships with other marine organisms. Despite the nature of these relationships—as well as the factors that drive their establishment—being unclear in most cases, a few studies have already shown that some associations may increase the resistance of their hosts to external disturbances. Thus, the potential ability of each member of these diverse symbiotic assemblages to influence the fitness and long-term survival of their hosts bring the coral-associated fauna to the top of the list of coral reef studies. Unfortunately, the widespread degradation of coral reef ecosystems may threaten the existence of the intimate relationships that may go unrecognized complicating our understanding of the intricate networks connecting the fates of reef species. Therefore, this unprecedented loss of biodiversity calls for synergic conservation and monitoring actions aimed at significantly increasing our efforts to search for and describe as much of the diversity of coral-associated organisms as possible, shedding new light on the complex, elusive mechanisms controlling coral reef functioning.

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Shared Insights across the Ecology of Coral Reefs and African Savannas: Are Parrotfish Wet Wildebeest?

BioScience ◽

10.1093/biosci/biaa063 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 70 (8) ◽

pp. 647-658

Author(s):

Deron E Burkepile ◽

Melissa H Schmitt ◽

Keenan Stears ◽

Mary K Donovan ◽

Dave I Thompson

Keyword(s):

Natural History ◽

Coral Reefs ◽

Species Interactions ◽

Early Career ◽

Quantitative Synthesis ◽

Ecological Patterns ◽

Primary Focus ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

Comparative Systems ◽

Ecosystem State

Abstract Comparison across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems facilitates a broader understanding of ecological patterns. Although meta-analyses are important for quantitative synthesis across ecosystems, detailed comparisons of natural history and species interactions also illuminate convergence among systems. We compare the ecology of superficially dissimilar African savannas and coral reefs via shared characteristics including: (1) hyperdiverse guilds of large vertebrate herbivores and predators, (2) similar mechanisms driving positive feedback loops between herbivory and primary production, (3) similar roles of disturbance and herbivory in mediating ecosystem state, and (4) numerous smaller vertebrate and invertebrate species that underpin diversity and ecosystem processes. Our goal in comparing the natural history and ecology of these ecosystems is to facilitate others in finding their own comparative systems. We encourage scientists, especially early-career scientists, to explore ecosystems other than their primary focus. Whatever your ecosystem of study, examining the ecology of its analog in another environment may enliven your career.

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Extended phenotypes on coral reefs: cryptic phenotypes and species interactions

Authorea ◽

10.22541/au.158359834.41966691 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Anya Brown ◽

Elizabeth Hamman ◽

Jeffrey Shima ◽

John Wares ◽

Craig Osenberg

Keyword(s):

Coral Reefs ◽

Species Interactions

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Sponge-dwelling fauna: a review of known species from the Northwest Tropical Atlantic coral reefs

Biodiversity Data Journal ◽

10.3897/bdj.9.e63372 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Antar Pérez-Botello ◽

Nuno Simões

Keyword(s):

Coral Reefs ◽

Species Interactions ◽

Species Interaction ◽

Marine Sponges ◽

Chord Diagram ◽

Tropical Atlantic ◽

Associated Fauna ◽

Symbiotic Relationships ◽

Guest Species ◽

Wide Range

Within tropical shallow-water coral reefs, marine sponges provide microhabitats for a wide range of fauna. Although there have been numerous studies and reports of symbiotic relationships amongst sponges and their associated fauna, those pieces of information are isolated and disconnected. For this reason, based on the available literature, we compiled a species-interaction dataset of coral reef marine sponge-associated fauna known to date. We introduce a dataset that includes 67 literature items that report 101 species of sponge hosts clustered in 12 Orders having a host/guest interaction with 284 guest species from six Phyla present in the Northwestern Tropical Atlantic coral reefs. This dataset consists of two types of information: 1. Machine-readable data and 2. Human-readable data. These two types of coding improve the scope of the dataset and facilitate the link between machine platforms and human-friendly displays. We also created an interactive visualisation of the species-interactions dataset and of a dynamic Chord Diagram of the host-guest species connections to generate a user-friendly link between the user and the dataset.

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Ocean Sciences in Relation to Living Resources

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f82-142 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 39 (7) ◽

pp. 1059-1070 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Andrew Bakun ◽

Jan Beyer ◽

Daniel Pauly ◽

John G. Pope ◽

Gary D. Sharp

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

Coral Reefs ◽

Species Interactions ◽

Ecological Processes ◽

Fishery Resource ◽

Larval Stages ◽

Ocean Science ◽

Research Activities ◽

Ocean Sciences ◽

Research Problems

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission's Resolution XI-17 on Ocean Sciences in Support of Living Resources specifies that programs should be formulated in applied ocean research related to fishery problems. In this report we identify some types of needed research. We discuss the relative importance of the various life history stages to the question of resource variation regarding difficulties in sampling or studying on relevant scales. Our report stresses identification and accounting for causal climate-driven ambient variations. Some testable hypotheses relating the larval stages are given as examples of useful research. We also describe research needed on predation and species interactions. Examples of specific systems where important ecological processes need intense study are given. Upwelling areas, coral reefs, tropical and shelf demersal fisheries, and the open ocean fisheries each require different types and scales of study. The importance of data accessability and multidisciplinary research activities, beginning with dialogues between the ocean research and fishery resource scientists is paramount to successful completion of these tasks. The examples provided may stimulate further effort to identify resource research problems and programs for resolving them.Key words: ocean science, living resources, life history cycles, fishery recruitment, predation, species interactions, fish eggs and larvae, vertical stability of the ocean, advection, convergence and divergence, upwelling systems, coral reefs, tropical demersal fisheries

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Time to cash in on positive interactions for coral restoration

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.3499 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. e3499 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Elizabeth C. Shaver ◽

Brian R. Silliman

Keyword(s):

Coral Reefs ◽

Species Interactions ◽

Human Impacts ◽

Coral Cover ◽

Theory And Practice ◽

Positive Interactions ◽

Coastal Protection ◽

Positive Density ◽

Live Coral ◽

Long Distance

Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems on Earth, and provide critical ecosystem services such as protein provisioning, coastal protection, and tourism revenue. Despite these benefits, coral reefs have been declining precipitously across the globe due to human impacts and climate change. Recent efforts to combat these declines are increasingly turning to restoration to help reseed corals and speed-up recovery processes. Coastal restoration theory and practice has historically favored transplanting designs that reduce potentially harmful negative species interactions, such as competition between transplants. However, recent research in salt marsh ecosystems has shown that shifting this theory to strategically incorporate positive interactions significantly enhances restoration yield with little additional cost or investment. Although some coral restoration efforts plant corals in protected areas in order to benefit from the facilitative effects of herbivores that reduce competitive macroalgae, little systematic effort has been made in coral restoration to identify the entire suite of positive interactions that could promote population enhancement efforts. Here, we highlight key positive species interactions that managers and restoration practitioners should utilize to facilitate the restoration of corals, including (i) trophic facilitation, (ii) mutualisms, (iii) long-distance facilitation, (iv) positive density-dependence, (v) positive legacy effects, and (vi) synergisms between biodiversity and ecosystem function. As live coral cover continues to decline and resources are limited to restore coral populations, innovative solutions that increase efficiency of restoration efforts will be critical to conserving and maintaining healthy coral reef ecosystems and the human communities that rely on them.

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