Coral reefs are the most biodiverse and biologically productive of all marine ecosystems. Corals harbor diverse and abundant prokaryotic communities. However, little is known about the diversity of coral-associated bacterial communities. Mucus is a characteristic product of all corals, forming a coating over their polyps. The coral mucus is a rich substrate for microorganisms. Mucus was collect...

Risks posed by oil spills to coral reefs are difficult to evaluate, partially due to the absence of studies that adequately assess toxicity to relevant coral reef species. Here we experimentally tested the acute toxicity of condensate, representing a fraction of light crude oil, to coral (Acropora tenuis) and sponge (Rhopaloeides odorabile) larvae. The metamorphosis of coral larvae was inhibite...

On 1st April 2010, the British Government announced designation of the British Indian Ocean Territory--or Chagos Archipelago--as the world's largest marine protected area (MPA). This near pristine ocean ecosystem now represents 16% of the worlds fully protected coral reef, 60% of the world's no-take protected areas and an uncontaminated reference site for ecological studies. In addition these g...

Concerns over worldwide declines in marine resources have prompted the search for innovative solutions for their conservation and management, particularly for coral reef ecosystems. Rapid advances in sensor resolution, coupled with image analysis techniques tailored to the unique optical problems of marine environments have enabled the derivation of detailed benthic habitat maps of coral reef h...

The recent increase in interest about effects of trawling and dredging on seafloor ecosystems and their fisheries can be understood by examining three phases in the history of conservation thinking. The primary focus in nonmarine conservation thinking and management worldwide is on maintaining biodiversity, while marine managers are still focused mainly on use of marine life. Marine conservatio...

Coral reefs are in severe decline. Infections by the human pathogen Serratia marcescens have contributed to precipitous losses in the common Caribbean elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, culminating in its listing under the United States Endangered Species Act. During a 2003 outbreak of this coral disease, called acroporid serratiosis (APS), a unique strain of the pathogen, Serratia marcescens str...

Coral reefs are deteriorating worldwide due to various stresses, including pollution of hazardous chemicals such as antifouling chemicals. Occurrence and impacts of a new antifouling biocide Irgarol-1051 (2-methylthio4-tertbutylamino -6-cyclopropylamino -s-triazine) have been studied in coral reef waters around Okinawa Islands, Japan. The average concentration of Irgarol detected at commercial ...

Isabelle Côté is Professor of Tropical Marine Ecology in the Department of Biological Sciences at Simon Fraser University, in Vancouver, Canada. She pioneered the use of meta-analysis to reconstruct ecological changes on coral reefs and measure the effectiveness of marine protected areas at enhancing fish and their habitats. She is actively involved in marine protected area issues in Canada. Sh...

Marine Actinobacteria, particularly coral-associated Actinobacteria, have attracted attention recently. In this study, the abundance and diversity of Actinobacteria associated with three types of coral thriving in a thermally stressed coral reef system north of the Arabian Gulf were investigated. Coscinaraea columna, Platygyra daedalea and Porites harrisoni have been found to harbor equivalent ...

The coral holobiont is the integrated assemblage of the coral animal, its symbiotic algae, protists, fungi and a diverse consortium of Bacteria and Archaea. Corals are a model system for the study of symbiosis, the breakdown of which can result in disease and mortality. Little is known, however, about viruses that infect corals and their symbionts. Here we present metagenomic analyses of the vi...