Variation beneath the surface: Quantifying complex thermal environments on coral reefs in the Caribbean, Bahamas and Florida

2006 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 563-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
James J. Leichter ◽  
Brian Helmuth ◽  
Andrew M. Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Thermal Environments ◽  
The Caribbean

scholarly journals Evolution and connectivity influence the persistence and recovery of coral reefs under climate change in the Caribbean, Southwest Pacific, and Coral Triangle

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa C. McManus ◽  
Daniel L. Forrest ◽  
Edward W. Tekwa ◽  
Daniel E. Schindler ◽  
Madhavi A. Colton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Coral Triangle ◽  
Southwest Pacific ◽  
The Caribbean

scholarly journals Habitat and Client Diversity Influence the Skin Microbiome of the Caribbean Cleaner Goby Elacatinus Evelynae

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Pereira ◽  
Marta C. Soares ◽  
Teresa Santos ◽  
Ana Poças ◽  
Marcos Pérez-Losada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Virgin Islands ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Skin Microbiome ◽  
Us Virgin Islands ◽  
Alpha And Beta Diversity ◽  
Skin Bacteria ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Microbiota Diversity

Abstract Fish associated microorganisms are known to be affected by the environment and other external factors, such as microbial transfer between interacting partners. One of the most iconic mutualistic interactions on coral reefs are the cleaning interactions between cleanerfishes and their clients, during which direct physical contact occurs. Here, we characterized the skin bacteria of the Caribbean cleaner sharknose goby, Elacatinus evelynae, in four coral reefs of the US Virgin Islands using sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. We specifically tested the relationship between gobies’ level of interaction with clients and skin microbiota diversity and composition. Our results showed differences in microbial alpha- and beta-diversity in the skin of gobies from different reef habitats and high inter-individual variation in microbiota diversity and structure. Overall, the results showed that fish-to-fish direct contact and specifically, access to a diverse clientele, influences the bacterial diversity and structure of cleaner gobies’ skin. Because of their frequent contact with clients, and therefore, high potential for microbial exchange, cleanerfish may serve as models in future studies aiming to understand the role of social microbial transfer in reef fish communities.

scholarly journals Zoantharia (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia) of the Dutch Caribbean and One New Species of Parazoanthus

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 190
Author(s):  
Javier Montenegro ◽  
Bert W. Hoeksema ◽  
Maria E. A. Santos ◽  
Hiroki Kise ◽  
James Davis Reimer
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Undescribed Species ◽  
Species List ◽  
History Of Research ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Dutch Caribbean ◽  
One New Species

Species of the anthozoan order Zoantharia (=Zoanthidea) are common components of subtropical and tropical shallow water coral reefs. Despite a long history of research on their species diversity in the Caribbean, many regions within this sea remain underexamined. One such region is the Dutch Caribbean, including the islands of St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, Saba, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, as well as the Saba Bank, for which no definitive species list exists. Here, combining examinations of specimens housed in the Naturalis Biodiversity Center collection with new specimens and records from field expeditions, we provide a list of zoantharian species found within the Dutch Caribbean. Our results demonstrate the presence at least 16 described species, including the newly described Parazoanthus atlanticus, and the additional potential presence of up to four undescribed species. These records of new and undescribed species demonstrate that although the zoantharian research history of the Caribbean is long, further discoveries remain to be found. In light of biodiversity loss and increasing anthropogenic pressure on declining coral reefs, documenting the diversity of zoantharians and other coral reef species to provide baseline data takes on a new urgency.

Modern and Ancient Sclerospongiae

1983 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 116-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willard D. Hartman
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Carbonate ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Thin Layer ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Living Tissue ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Siliceous Spicules ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Collagenous Fibers ◽  
Warm Temperate

Sclerosponges secrete a basal crystalline and aspicular skeleton of calcium carbonate, either aragonite or calcite, above which lies a thin layer of living tissue which also secretes siliceous spicules and collagenous fibers. The tripartite skeleton of sclerosponges distinguishes them from all other sponges and also from all other multicellular animals, no one of which has an abundant quantity of two disparate minerals helping to make up its skeleton. The cell types and their organization as well as what little is known about their development indicate that the sclerosponges are related to the demosponges. Sclerosponges are inhabitants of shaded crevices, caves and tunnels on coral reefs in both the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific regions. The range of only one species, Merlia normani Kirkpatrick, extends from the tropics into the warm temperate waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

THE ATLANTIC EMPRESS SINKING—A LARGE SPILL WITHOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER

1981 ◽  
Vol 1981 (1) ◽  
pp. 429-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart A. Horn ◽  
Captain Phillip Neal
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Crude Oil ◽  
Pollution Control ◽  
Caribbean Sea ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Response Effort ◽  
Environmental Disaster ◽  
Response Team ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Pollution Control Equipment

ABSTRACT At 1900 hours on July 19, 1979, the 288,000-deadweight-ton (dwt) Atlantic Empress and the 207,000-dwt Aegean Captain collided in the Caribbean Sea. In the fiery aftermath of the accident, 27 crewmen lost their lives. There was a strong possibility that a total of 3.5 million barrels of crude oil would be spilled; this would have been the largest spill to that time. Nearby islands with their tourist beaches and coral reefs were threatened. And yet, even though the Atlantic Empress eventually sank after burning for 14 days, no oil came ashore and no indications of any environmental damage were observed. This paper provides a chronicle of the events of the days following the collision, including (1) activation of the Clean Caribbean Cooperative equipment stockpile, (2) airlifting 13 planeloads of ftrefighting foam, oil transfer gear, dispersants and pollution control equipment, (3) assembling an expert response team with an operation based on Trinidad, (4) providing four single-engine aircraft dispersant-spraying capability, and (5) mounting a major firefighting effort on board the burning ship. The Atlantic Empress was the largest ship ever to sink. However, through a coordinated response effort and considerable assistance from natural forces, no harmful pollution resulted.

Coral boring Aka-species (Porifera: Phloeodictyidae) from Mexico with description of Aka cryptica sp. nov.

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (6) ◽  
pp. 1477-1484 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Luis Carballo ◽  
Leanne Hepburn ◽  
Héctor H. Nava ◽  
José Antonio Cruz-Barraza ◽  
Eric Bautista-Guerrero
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Mexican Pacific ◽  
East Pacific ◽  
Mexican Caribbean ◽  
Caribbean Coral Reefs ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
East Pacific Ocean ◽  
First Time

This paper focuses on Aka species boring coral of the East Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea (Mexico). The new species Aka cryptica sp. nov. is described from Mexican Pacific coral reefs, which constitutes the first time that a species of the genus Aka is reported from the East Pacific Ocean. The new species lives cryptically boring coral species of the genus Pocillopora. It is characterized by the small size of their papillae (from 1 to 4.5 mm high and from 0.8 to 1.8 mm in diameter), and oxeas (from 67 to 120 μm), and their exposed parts blend in well with background colours which tend to be overlooked during benthic marine surveys. In addition, Aka coralliphaga and Aka brevitubulata from Mexican Caribbean coral reefs are redescribed. The latter species is reported for the first time in Mexico.

scholarly journals Climate Change and Caribbean Coral Reefs

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
Anastasia Deonarinesingh
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Caribbean Studies ◽  
Bachelor Of Science ◽  
University Of Toronto ◽  
Caribbean Coral ◽  
Caribbean Coral Reefs ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
A Minor ◽  
The University

Anastasia, a student at the University of Toronto, St. George, is pursuing a Bachelor of Science Double Major in Physics and Caribbean Studies and a Minor in Mathematics. She is a pianist, plays the guitar and steelpan and spends her free time arranging music. Her love for soca music and steelpan in no way takes away from her passion for classical piano and physics. As a person of the Trinidadian Diaspora with many interests, Ana has decided to look at the Caribbean from a different perspective by combining her love for science and the region.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document