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| Open AccessMesophotic coral bleaching associated with changes in thermocline depth
Rising global temperatures cause widespread bleaching of shallow coral reefs but mesophotic reefs at depths over 30 metres are thought to be sheltered by cooler waters. Here, at sites in the Chagos Archipelago, the authors show bleaching of corals at depths of 90 metres, which might be due to warm surface waters being pushed deeper by the ocean’s response to the Indian Ocean Dipole.
- Clara Diaz
- , Nicola L. Foster
- & Phil Hosegood
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| Open AccessHidden heatwaves and severe coral bleaching linked to mesoscale eddies and thermocline dynamics
Hidden marine heatwaves, associated with ocean eddies that modulate undersea internal waves, threaten coastal ecosystems by driving unexpected sub-surface heating and severe coral bleaching and mortality across depths.
- Alex S. J. Wyatt
- , James J. Leichter
- & Scott C. Burgess
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| Open AccessIncreases in reef size, habitat and metacommunity complexity associated with Cambrian radiation oxygenation pulses
During the Cambrian Radiation, oxygenation occurred in a series of short pulses. Here, the authors quantify episodic changes in reef size, extent of habitat and in metacommunity ecological complexity associated with these oxygenation pulses by examining archaeocyath sponges.
- Andrey Yu. Zhuravlev
- , Emily G. Mitchell
- & Amelia Penny
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| Open AccessExpression plasticity regulates intraspecific variation in the acclimatization potential of a reef-building coral
Phenotypic plasticity is an important response for organisms experiencing climate change. Here, Drury et al. show that stress-hardening can produce durable improvements in coral thermal tolerance, masking substantial variation between individuals.
- Crawford Drury
- , Jenna Dilworth
- & Justin B. Greer
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| Open AccessEcological changes over 90 years at Low Isles on the Great Barrier Reef
Predictions of coral reef dynamics under climate change are hindered by lack of long-term records. Here the authors couple historical and re-survey data from the Great Barrier Reef to show major phase-shifts in the coral and non-coral community over the last 90 years.
- Maoz Fine
- , Ove Hoegh-Guldberg
- & Sophie Dove
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| Open AccessSplit spawning increases robustness of coral larval supply and inter-reef connectivity
Corals occasionally split their spawning over two consecutive months rather than utilising a single annual event. Here, the authors model coral larval dispersal to show that split spawning may increase the reliability of larval supply to reefs, with implications for recovery from disturbances.
- Karlo Hock
- , Christopher Doropoulos
- & Peter J. Mumby
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Article
| Open AccessWater chemistry reveals a significant decline in coral calcification rates in the southern Red Sea
Ocean acidification and warming threaten coral reefs globally. Here, the authors show that the net contribution of corals to the CaCO3 budget of the tropical Red Sea declined dramatically between 1998 and 2015 and remained low between 2015 and 2018.
- Zvi Steiner
- , Alexandra V. Turchyn
- & Jacob Silverman
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Article
| Open AccessPrehistorical and historical declines in Caribbean coral reef accretion rates driven by loss of parrotfish
Fishing of keystone herbivores such as parrotfish is thought to negatively impact corals. Here, Cramer and colleagues analyse the sedimentary record for the last 3,000 years from three coral reef sites in the Caribbean and show that indeed coral declines are linked to parrotfish declines.
- Katie L. Cramer
- , Aaron O’Dea
- & Richard D. Norris
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Article
| Open AccessMarine reserves lag behind wilderness in the conservation of key functional roles
The establishment of marine reserves in areas previously exploited by humans is recognised as an effective conservation tool. Through modelling effects of isolation from human influence, D'agata et al. show that marine reserves fall short of supporting key ecological values compared with wilderness areas.
- Stéphanie D’agata
- , David Mouillot
- & Laurent Vigliola
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| Open AccessOverfishing and nutrient pollution interact with temperature to disrupt coral reefs down to microbial scales
Overfishing and nutrient pollution can damage coral reefs in part by increasing coral-algal competition. Here the authors simulate these stressors in a three year field experiment, and show that they interact to enhance sensitivity to temperature, predation and bacterial opportunism.
- Jesse R. Zaneveld
- , Deron E. Burkepile
- & Rebecca Vega Thurber
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Article
| Open AccessPlate tectonics drive tropical reef biodiversity dynamics
Over a geological timescale, plate tectonics are thought to promote biodiversity, but this link remained descriptive. Here, Leprieur et al. model dynamically how plate tectonics shaped species diversification and movement of hotspots on tropical reefs over the past 140 million years.
- Fabien Leprieur
- , Patrice Descombes
- & Loïc Pellissier
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Article
| Open AccessMicroelectrode characterization of coral daytime interior pH and carbonate chemistry
Predicting coral response to ocean acidification is dependent on our understanding of their internal carbonate chemistry. Here, using microelectrodes, the authors show that corals elevate pH and carbonate ion concentration in their calcifying fluid, but keep total dissolved inorganic carbon low.
- Wei-Jun Cai
- , Yuening Ma
- & Yongchen Wang
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| Open AccessA coral-on-a-chip microfluidic platform enabling live-imaging microscopy of reef-building corals
Studies of coral in laboratory settings are limited by a lack of reliable methods for manipulation of the coral microenvironment and monitoring of coral processes in vitro. Here the authors develop coral-on-a-chip, a microfluidic platform to enable study of coral processes at single-cell resolution.
- Orr H. Shapiro
- , Esti Kramarsky-Winter
- & Assaf Vardi
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| Open AccessThe exposure of the Great Barrier Reef to ocean acidification
As the oceans become acidic, corals reefs are threatened, generating a need to understand the driving forces controlling the chemical state of the Great Barrier Reef. Here, the authors show a greater spatial variability than previously reported, created by the interaction of reef processes and ocean circulation.
- Mathieu Mongin
- , Mark E. Baird
- & Andrew D. L. Steven
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| Open AccessNear-island biological hotspots in barren ocean basins
The Island Mass Effect (IME), where island proximity enhances phytoplankton biomass, remains a poorly understood phenomenon. Here, the authors show the IME is a common feature among Pacific reefs, driving increased production that creates biological hotspots in otherwise barren ocean basins.
- Jamison M. Gove
- , Margaret A. McManus
- & Gareth J. Williams
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| Open AccessHumans and seasonal climate variability threaten large-bodied coral reef fish with small ranges
Knowing which species traits may confer resilience to human-mediated stressors will help predict future impacts on biodiversity. Here, Mellin et al. show that large bodied fish with small geographic ranges are disproportionately affected by the negative impacts of human disturbance and climate variability.
- C. Mellin
- , D. Mouillot
- & M. J. Caley
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Article
| Open AccessCoral record of southeast Indian Ocean marine heatwaves with intensified Western Pacific temperature gradient
Intense marine heatwaves have caused extensive coral bleaching in the Southeast Indian Ocean in recent years, yet their cause remains uncertain. Here, based on a 215-year coral sea surface temperature record, the authors shed light on the mechanistic underpinnings of these extreme events.
- J. Zinke
- , A. Hoell
- & M. T. McCulloch
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| Open AccessDestructive tsunami-like wave generated by surf beat over a coral reef during Typhoon Haiyan
The failure of a broad fringing coral reef to protect the village of Hemani from a tsunami-like wave during Typhoon Haiyan came as a destructive surprise. Here, the authors present results from a phase-resolving wave model and show that the steep reef face facilitated the release of energetic infragravity waves.
- Volker Roeber
- & Jeremy D. Bricker
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| Open AccessMorphological plasticity of the coral skeleton under CO2-driven seawater acidification
Ocean acidification is predicted to cause major reductions in coral calcification rates. Here, Tambutté et al. show that in the coral, reduced calcification rates under low pH are the result of changes in skeletal morphology, rather than skeletal dissolution.
- E. Tambutté
- , A. A. Venn
- & S. Tambutté
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| Open AccessTropical Atlantic temperature seasonality at the end of the last interglacial
The last interglacial has been suggested as a test bed for models developed for future climate prediction, yet many climatic parameters remain unknown. Here, the authors present a precisely dated fossil coral and show that temperature seasonality in the southern Caribbean Sea 118 ka was similar to today.
- Thomas Felis
- , Cyril Giry
- & Sander R. Scheffers
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Corals concentrate dissolved inorganic carbon to facilitate calcification
Understanding how corals may react to ocean acidification is hampered due to a lack of insight into how corals source the inorganic carbon required to build their skeletons. Here, the authors show that corals are able to concentrate dissolved carbon and that bicarbonate contributes to the carbon pool used to build their skeletons.
- Nicola Allison
- , Itay Cohen
- & Alexander W. Tudhope
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Larval dispersal drives trophic structure across Pacific coral reefs
Species richness of predators in Pacific coral reef communities is less sensitive to habitat isolation than the species richness of their prey. Here, Stier et al. develop a colonization–extinction model to show that this pattern can be explained by limitations in prey dispersal at the larval stage.
- Adrian C. Stier
- , Andrew M. Hein
- & Michel Kulbicki
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| Open AccessIntensification of the meridional temperature gradient in the Great Barrier Reef following the Last Glacial Maximum
The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is under threat from rising ocean temperatures, yet its response to past temperature change is poorly known. Felis et al. show that the GBR experienced a much steeper temperature gradient during the last deglaciation, suggesting it may be more resilient than previously thought.
- Thomas Felis
- , Helen V. McGregor
- & Jody M. Webster
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| Open AccessThe effectiveness of coral reefs for coastal hazard risk reduction and adaptation
The risks of flooding to coastal communities are increasing due to coastal development and climate change. Here, the authors use meta-analyses to quantitatively show that coral reefs can significantly reduce risks from natural hazards, and that reef defences can be enhanced cost effectively.
- Filippo Ferrario
- , Michael W. Beck
- & Laura Airoldi
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| Open AccessCorals record long-term Leeuwin current variability including Ningaloo Niño/Niña since 1795
El Niño Southern Oscillation has a strong impact on current strength and ocean temperatures off the western Australian coast, but long-term variability is poorly understood. Zinke et al.show a strong link between La Niña and El Niño events and decadal Leeuwin current variability in coral records since 1795.
- J. Zinke
- , A. Rountrey
- & M.T. McCulloch
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| Open AccessGreenhouse conditions induce mineralogical changes and dolomite accumulation in coralline algae on tropical reefs
Ocean acidification is affecting the stability of coral reefs, but the exact mineralogical response is poorly understood. Diaz-Pulido et al.show that, under warming conditions, the relative abundance of dolomite increases by as much as 200% and could therefore slow the climate-induced break-up of coral reefs.
- Guillermo Diaz-Pulido
- , Merinda C. Nash
- & Ulrike Troitzsch
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Evolution of long-toothed fishes and the changing nature of fish–benthos interactions on coral reefs
Little is known about the evolution of the feeding ecology of coral reef fishes. Here, Bellwood et al.show that the tooth shape of coral reef fishes has remained unchanged for 240 million years, with the exception of the emergence of a distinct long-toothed form within the last 40 million years.
- David R. Bellwood
- , Andrew S. Hoey
- & Christopher H.R. Goatley
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| Open AccessHuman deforestation outweighs future climate change impacts of sedimentation on coral reefs
Forest cover up-river influences the sediments reaching coral reefs, but how this relationship is affected by future climate change is not clear. In a study of the Malagasy coral reefs, Maina et al.find that regional land-use management is more important than mediating climate change for reducing reef sedimentation.
- Joseph Maina
- , Hans de Moel
- & Jan E. Vermaat
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| Open AccessCaribbean-wide decline in carbonate production threatens coral reef growth
Coral reef health is declining globally and is projected to lead to net loss of reef structure. This study shows that ecological change across the Caribbean has reduced reef growth rates to levels lower than those measured over the last ~8,000 years, threatening the ability of reefs to keep pace with future sea-level rise.
- Chris T. Perry
- , Gary N. Murphy
- & Peter J. Mumby
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Growth rates of Florida corals from 1937 to 1996 and their response to climate change
Ocean acidification due to increasing carbon dioxide levels can affect the growth and viability of corals. In this study, the authors measured extension, calcification and density in Florida corals collected in 1996, and show that recent climate change did not cause a decline in their extension or calcification.
- Kevin P. Helmle
- , Richard E. Dodge
- & C. Mark Eakin