Download or read book The Ecology and Functional Significance of Distinct Coral Symbionts written by Allison Michelle Lewis and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Distinct coral symbiont associations have been shown to influence the response of a coral colony to environmental stress. Genetic evidence has revealed the existence of cryptic symbiont species previously masked by similar morphological traits. Thus, there is a pressing need to study the biological and underlying functional diversity of symbionts and their effects on the physiology of the coral host. Chapter 1 introduces the application of molecular genetics to understanding the diversity, evolution, and ecology of nondescript Symbiodiniaceae and how different symbiont associations respond to environmental stresses such as anthropogenic global warming. In Chapter 2, new species of Symbiodiniaceae discovered through this research are resolved. This chapter shows that a presumed symbiont generalist is actually comprised of multiple distinct species, co-evolved with specific coral taxa. These findings support the primary role of niche specialization to particular hosts in the diversification of symbiotic dinoflagellates.Dynamic or shifting symbiont associations have been observed as an adaptive mechanism to alter coral physiology, particularly for corals under acute environmental stress. It is often presumed that shifting symbiont associations is a common phenomenon, yet, few studies have investigated whether the relationship between host colony and resident symbiont is stable or dynamic over time. In Chapter 3, coral symbionts from various Indo-Pacific corals were investigated over multiple years. All colonies harbored and maintained an association with a single dominant species of Symbiodiniaceae belonging to genusCladocopium (formerly Symbiodinium Clade C). Individual clone genotypes, or strains, of the resident symbionts were diverse across the coral population, and few clones were found in more than one colony. Individual corals consistently maintained stable symbioses dominated by one or two genotypes which likely persist for the life of a colony. Chapter 4 investigates coral species from two habitats that represent extremes in environmental conditions in the Indo-Pacific. In this chapter differences in the physiology of coral with distinct symbiont pairings is investigated and then evaluated in the context of a warming climate. Our evidence shows that an association with the symbiont Durusdinium (formerly Symbiodinium Clade D) trenchii imparts thermal resilience to corals without significant trade-off to overall colony growth and stands in contrast to previous reports for corals with thermally-tolerant symbionts in other regions of the world. Symbioses involving D. trenchii in the Pacific might be better integrated and co-adapted with Pacific corals resulting in a more stable and optimized association. Thus, shifts in host-symbiont pairings to combinations that are better adapted to increasingly stressful conditions constitute an ecological response that may allow reefs to remain viable during global ocean warming.
Download or read book Coral Health and Disease written by Eugene Rosenberg and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2004-04-27 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book opens with case studies of reefs in the Red Sea, Caribbean, Japan, Indian Ocean and the Great Barrier Reef. A section on microbial ecology and physiology describes the symbiotic relations of corals and microbes, and the microbial role in nutrition or bleaching resistance of corals. Coral diseases are covered in the third part. The volume includes 50 color photos of corals and their environments
Download or read book Statistical Analysis of Next Generation Sequencing Data written by Somnath Datta and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-07-03 with total page 438 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) is the latest high throughput technology to revolutionize genomic research. NGS generates massive genomic datasets that play a key role in the big data phenomenon that surrounds us today. To extract signals from high-dimensional NGS data and make valid statistical inferences and predictions, novel data analytic and statistical techniques are needed. This book contains 20 chapters written by prominent statisticians working with NGS data. The topics range from basic preprocessing and analysis with NGS data to more complex genomic applications such as copy number variation and isoform expression detection. Research statisticians who want to learn about this growing and exciting area will find this book useful. In addition, many chapters from this book could be included in graduate-level classes in statistical bioinformatics for training future biostatisticians who will be expected to deal with genomic data in basic biomedical research, genomic clinical trials and personalized medicine. About the editors: Somnath Datta is Professor and Vice Chair of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics at the University of Louisville. He is Fellow of the American Statistical Association, Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics and Elected Member of the International Statistical Institute. He has contributed to numerous research areas in Statistics, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics. Dan Nettleton is Professor and Laurence H. Baker Endowed Chair of Biological Statistics in the Department of Statistics at Iowa State University. He is Fellow of the American Statistical Association and has published research on a variety of topics in statistics, biology and bioinformatics.
Download or read book Molecular and functional ecology of aquatic microbial symbionts written by Hans-Peter Grossart and published by Frontiers E-books. This book was released on with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nothing provided
Download or read book Physiological Ecology and Functional Genomics of Symbiotic Corals written by Kelly Gomez Campo and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tropical coral reefs are biodiversity reservoirs that protect our coastlines from tsunamis and hurricanes, supply food for 1 billion people, and create millions of jobs in the tourism and fishing industries, generating billions of dollars annually. Symbiotic corals support the formation of these reefs by significantly contributing to the net accumulation of structural calcium carbonate over space and time. However, these ecosystem engineers are threatened by the impacts of climate change; thermal anomalies expose coral species to heat-stress levels well past most tolerance limits, and lead to the disruption of coral-algal symbioses, in some cases, to coral mass mortality and subsequent ecosystem collapse. To predict how corals will respond to present and future environmental challenges and best prepare conservationists to act, a detailed understanding of their acclimatory mechanisms is required. In this dissertation, (1) I first map the cascade of cellular events triggered by thermal stress in symbiotic corals. Based on existing knowledge, I propose a model that maps coral responses from the initial stimulus in the algal symbiont chloroplast to the complex cascade of events leading to seasonal phenotypic changes (i.e. seasonal acclimation), and to the downstream coral bleached phenotype if stress progresses (i.e. when the coral's capacity to acclimate is overwhelmed by heat stress). (2) I then use an experimental approach to quantify the implications of photoacclimation and light-stress in protein turnover. By characterizing these responses, we were able to discuss the variable energetic costs of maintenance of symbionts in hospite (higher metabolic costs in shallow high light environments), which may explain the variable energy balance of the coral holobiont across depth (and light) gradients. This prompted to (3) combine experimental data with theoretical concepts to build a bio-optical model capable of testing hypotheses by predicting changes in symbiotic coral calcification. The model describes and hindcasts 'bio-optical states', namely energy available for coral calcification (EAC) as a function of depth (or light). This model was implemented using available published data, resolving changes in calcification rates in depth gradients and future global warming conditions. In order to understand strategies that corals use to thrive in shallow -- costly -- environments, (4) I use an experimental approach to induce light-mediated phenotypic responses and investigate underlying molecular mechanisms, such as, DNA methylation, accompanied with transcriptional responses, potentially responsible for the well-known plasticity in symbiotic corals. Results show that coral plasticity is a colony trait emerging from comprehensive morphological and physiological changes at the module level. These changes optimize light harvesting and utilization and were initiated by differentially methylated and expressed coral genes that together altered biological networks. These findings fundamentally rewire our understanding of how cnidarian invertebrates repattern the methylome to affect the phenotype and uncover an important role of light sensing by the coral animal to optimize photosynthetic performance of the symbionts.
Download or read book Symbiotic Microbiomes of Coral Reefs Sponges and Corals written by Zhiyong Li and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-06-07 with total page 570 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book focuses on the symbiotic microbiomes of invertebrates in coral reefs, especially sponges and corals. It provides in-depth and up-to-date reviews on the microbial structure and diversity, metabolism and function, symbiosis and coevolution, environment and adaption, and bioactive potentials. Meanwhile, the future perspectives will be discussed according to the existing problems and the development trend. This book will be of particular interest to the professionals in marine ecology, marine biotechnology, as well as medicinal chemists and molecular biologists.
Download or read book Recent Advances in Symbiosis Research Integrative Approaches written by M. Pilar Francino and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2017-02-02 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Traditionally, symbiosis research has been undertaken by researchers working independently of one another and often focused on a few cases of bipartite host-symbiont interactions. New model systems are emerging that will enable us to fill fundamental gaps in symbiosis research and theory, focusing on a broad range of symbiotic interactions and including a variety of multicellular hosts and their complex microbial communities. In this Research Topic, we invited researchers to contribute their work on diverse symbiotic networks, since there are a large variety of symbioses with major roles in the proper functioning of terrestrial or aquatic ecosystems, and we wished the Topic to provide a venue for communicating findings across diverse taxonomic groups. A synthesis of recent investigations in symbiosis can impact areas such as agriculture, where a basic understanding of plant-microbe symbiosis will provide foundational information on the increasingly important issue of nitrogen fixation; climate change, where anthropogenic factors are threatening the survival of marine symbiotic ecosystems such as coral reefs; animal and human health, where unbalances in host microbiomes are being increasingly associated with a wide range of diseases; and biotechnology, where process optimization can be achieved through optimization of symbiotic partnerships. Overall, our vision was to produce a volume of works that will help define general principles of symbiosis within a new conceptual framework, in the road to finally establish symbiology as an overdue central discipline of biological science.
Download or read book Coral Bleaching written by Madeleine J. H. van Oppen and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-07-05 with total page 357 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most serious consequences of global climate change for coral reefs is the increased frequency and severity of mass coral bleaching events and, since the first edition of this volume was published in 2009, there have been additional mass coral bleaching events. This book provides comprehensive information on the causes and consequences of coral bleaching for coral reef ecosystems, from the genes and microbes involved in the bleaching response, to individual coral colonies and whole reef systems. It presents detailed analyses of how coral bleaching can be detected and quantified and reviews future scenarios based on modeling efforts and the potential mechanisms of acclimatisation and adaptation. It also briefly discusses emerging research areas that focus on the development of innovative interventions aiming to increase coral climate resilience and restore reefs.
Download or read book Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems written by Yossi Loya and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-06-21 with total page 1003 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book summarizes what is known about mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) geographically and by major taxa. MCEs are characterized by light-dependent corals and associated communities typically found at depths ranging from 30-40 m. and extending to over 150 m. in tropical and subtropical ecosystems. They are populated with organisms typically associated with shallow coral reefs, such as macroalgae, corals, sponges, and fishes, as well as specialist species unique to mesophotic depths. During the past decade, there has been an increasing scientific and management interest in MCEs expressed by the exponential increase in the number of publications studying this unique environment. Despite their close proximity to well-studied shallow reefs, and the growing evidence of their importance, our scientific knowledge of MCEs is still in its early stages. The topics covered in the book include: regional variation in MCEs; similarities and differences between mesophotic and shallow reef taxa, biotic and abiotic conditions, biodiversity, ecology, geomorphology, and geology; potential connectivity between MCEs and shallow reefs; MCE disturbances, conservation, and management challenges; and new technologies, key research questions/knowledge gaps, priorities, and future directions in MCE research.
Download or read book The Role of Intraspecific Diversity in Coral algal Symbiosis Ecology and Evolution written by John Parkinson and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coral-algal mutualisms, the foundation of reef ecosystems, can break down during periods of thermal stress. The extent to which such partnerships may acclimate or evolve to survive a changing climate is poorly understood. Though evolutionary responses are driven by the natural selection of functional variation among individuals within species, such variation has been difficult to quantify in coral systems. Here, I use high-resolution molecular techniques to differentiate individuals, populations, and species within coral symbioses and subsequently quantify the ecological and evolutionary relevance of intraspecific variation. In the first chapter, I review the technological advances that have made such work possible, and describe preliminary data from several researchers indicating that intraspecific variation may be extensive among coral hosts and symbionts. In the second chapter, I test the value of manipulating coral-algal partnerships during host larval development for restoration purposes, finding little influence of symbiont identity on growth rates during early ontogeny. In the third chapter, I formally describe several new species of Symbiodinium, the morphologically cryptic dinoflagellate endosymbionts that associate with cnidarians, and draw attention to the ecological diversity that can be found even among closely-related groups. In the fourth chapter, I characterize molecular variation among individuals of the coral Acropora palmata that affects the photochemistry of a clonal symbiont responding to thermal stress, emphasizing that fine scale partner interactions can yield functional variation among coral holobionts with potential evolutionary consequences. In the fifth chapter, I compare gene content and steady-state expression among several closely related Symbiodinium within the Clade B lineage, identifying phylogenetic and ecological transcriptional signatures among species. This work represents a few first steps into the complex and exciting territory of fine scale variation among marine mutualisms.
Download or read book Coral Reefs of the Red Sea written by Christian R. Voolstra and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-05-07 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume is a complete review and reference work for scientists, engineers, and students concerned with coral reefs in the Red Sea. It provides an up-to-date review on the geology, ecology, and physiology of coral reef ecosystems in the Red Sea, including data from most recent molecular studies. The Red Sea harbours a set of unique ecological characteristics, such as high temperature, high alkalinity, and high salinity, in a quasi-isolated environment. This makes it a perfect laboratory to study and understand adaptation in regard to the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems. This book can be used as a general reference, guide, or textbook.
Download or read book The Biology of Coral Reefs written by Charles R. C. Sheppard and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018 with total page 393 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coral reefs represent the most spectacular and diverse marine ecosystem on the planet as well as a critical source of income for millions of people. However, the combined effects of human activity have led to a rapid decline in the health of reefs worldwide, with many now facing complete destruction. Their world-wide deterioration and over-exploitation has continued and even accelerated in many areas since the publication of the first edition in 2009. At the same time, there has been a near doubling in the number of scientific papers that have been written in this short time about coral reef biology and the ability to acclimate to ocean warming and acidification. This new edition has been thoroughly revised and updated, incorporating the significant increase in knowledge gained over the last decade whilst retaining the book's focus as a concise and affordable overview of the field. The Biology of Coral Reefs provides an integrated overview of the function, physiology, ecology, and behaviour of coral reef organisms. Each chapter is enriched with a selection of 'boxes' on specific aspects written by internationally recognised experts. As with other books in the Biology of Habitats Series, the emphasis in this book is on the organisms that dominate this marine environment although pollution, conservation, climate change, and experimental aspects are also included. Indeed, particular emphasis is placed on conservation and management due to the habitat's critically endangered status. A global range of examples is employed which gives the book international relevance.
Download or read book Symbiosis written by Surindar Paracer and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2000 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Taking account of developments over the last decade, this 2nd edition addresses advances in the field and the emergence of fields such as cellular microbiology, immunoparasitology and cytobiology which have revealed new aspects of symbiosis.
Download or read book The Importance of the Rare written by Rachel Silverstein and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reef ecosystems throughout much of the tropics are predicted to decline in coral cover and diversity as a result of ongoing climate change (ocean acidification, temperature increases, sea level rise), disease, pollution, and overfishing. Corals may be able to respond to some of these stressors by associating with diverse algal symbionts (Symbiodinium spp.) which vary in their physiological traits and therefore expand corals' realized niche space. This dissertation used high-sensitivity molecular techniques to investigate the presence and functional role of "background" or "rare" Symbiodinium, which occur at low abundance, and therefore may not be detected using standard molecular methods. First, in order to determine the prevalence of mixed-clade symbiont communities (including potentially low-abundance populations), I used a highly-sensitive, real-time PCR assay to analyze archived DNA from a collection of geographically and phylogenetically diverse corals. I found that mixed-clade Symbiodinium communities were common, and that clades C and D were present in all 39 coral species examined. These findings provide strong evidence that no coral species is restricted to hosting only a single symbiont type. I then investigated the functional role of low-abundance symbionts through a series of bleaching and recovery experiments involving the Caribbean coral Montastraea cavernosa. I monitored changes in symbiont community structure using newly-designed quantitative PCR assays, and monitored symbiont community function using chlorophyll fluorometry. Corals hosted only clade C symbionts before bleaching (except for 2 of 139 cores which hosted trace amounts of clade D as well). All bleached colonies (both herbicide-bleached and heat-bleached) recovered with dominant communities of clade D symbionts at both 24oC and 29oC recovery temperatures. Therefore, low-abundance (or even undetectable) symbionts became dominant in corals after disturbance. Increased temperatures, without acute disturbance, underwent less-dramatic, slower symbiont community changes. Corals that bleached, but which were not exposed to heat either during bleaching or during recovery, recovered with fewer D1a symbionts than corals bleached by heat or acclimated to higher temperatures. During a third experiment, I used these same corals to investigate how changes in symbiont clade, past thermal history, and host genotype, affect coral thermotolerance during a second heat stress exposure. I found that, during heat stress, previously-bleached corals hosting D1a symbionts lost fewer symbionts and exhibited less photochemical damage than corals hosting C3 symbionts. Prior heat exposure, either during bleaching or during recovery, did not increase coral thermotolerance, unless it was also associated with symbiont community shifts to D1a-dominance. This demonstrates that rare (or even undetectable symbionts) can become dominant, and can eventually play a critical role in coral bleaching response. Finally, a two-part experiment investigated the effect of incremental warming and cooling on these corals. D1a symbionts in corals that were incrementally heated to 33oC had higher photochemical efficiency than cores containing C3 symbionts, and experienced less symbiont loss. During cooling, however, the photochemical efficiency of D1a was either equal to, or lower than C3. Despite this, fewer D1a symbionts were still lost compared to C3. This suggests that photochemical efficiency and symbiont loss may be decoupled from one another during stress, and that D1a symbionts may be generally more resistant to expulsion, regardless of their performance in hospite. This study also shows that M. cavernosa corals hosting D1a can expand their realized thermal niches wider corals hosting C3 symbionts, reinforcing the importance of functional redundancy in dynamic environments. Together, these studies show that mixed algal symbiont communities can increase both the resistance and resilience of corals to stress and disturbance. These findings have indicate that symbiont community shifts have the potential to allow reef corals to rapidly adapt or acclimatize to environmental change.
Download or read book Beneficial Microorganisms in Multicellular Life Forms written by Eugene Rosenberg and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-08-30 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: All animals and plants form associations with hundreds or thousands of different beneficial microorganisms. These symbiotic microbes play an important role in the development, adaptation, health and evolution of their hosts. This book brings together a group of diverse biologists to discuss microbial interactions with multicellular life forms including insects, corals, plants, and mammals, including humans. The various mechanisms by which microorganisms benefit their hosts are discussed, including providing essential nutrients, preventing disease, inducing the immune system, and combating stress. Since the microbiota can be transferred from parent to offspring, it plays an important role in the origin and evolution of animal and plant species. This book should be of interest to the widest range of biological scientists, merging the studies of host and microbial physiology, symbiosis, and the ecology and evolution of symbiotic partners.
Download or read book The Future of Coral Reefs Subject to Rapid Climate Change Lessons from Natural Extreme Environments written by Emma F. Camp and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2019-01-22 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examination of corals and reef-associated organisms which endure in extreme coral reef environments is challenging our understanding of the conditions that organisms can survive under. By studying individuals naturally adapted to unfavorable conditions, we begin to better understand the important traits required to survive rapid environmental and climate change. This Research Topic, comprising reviews, and original research articles, demonstrates the current state of knowledge regarding the diversity of extreme coral habitats, the species that have been studied, and the knowledge to-date on the mechanisms, traits and trade-offs that have facilitated survival.
Download or read book Physiological Regulation and Homeostasis Among Coral Holobiont Partners written by Zhi Zhou and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2022-05-31 with total page 119 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
