A combined diagnostic approach for the investigation of lesions resembling aspergillosis in Caribbean sea fans (<i>Gorgonia spp.</i>)

Becker, Anne A.M.J.; Freeman, Mark; Dennis, Michelle M.

doi:10.1177/03009858231173355

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Among the denizens of the oceanic realm, octocorals (Cnidaria, Octocorallia) are becoming increasingly susceptible to an onslaught of novel and potent infectious agents. This heightened vulnerability has manifested in a concerning surge of epidemic outbreaks, accompanied by substantial mass mortalities, with profound repercussions for the diversity and extent of octocoral populations [1][2][3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracing Geographic and Molecular Footprints of Copepod Crustaceans Causing Multifocal Purple Spots Syndrome in the Caribbean Sea Fan Gorgonia ventalina

Korzhavina,

Nikitin,

Hoeksema

et al. 2024

Diversity

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The recent rise in ocean temperatures, accompanied by other environmental changes, has notably increased the occurrence and spread of diseases in Octocorallia, many species of which are integral to shallow tropical and subtropical coral reef ecosystems. This study focuses on the understanding of these diseases, which has been largely limited to symptomatic descriptions, with clear etiological factors identified in only a fraction of cases. A key example is the multifocal purple spots syndrome (MFPS) affecting the common Caribbean octocoral sea fan Gorgonia ventalina, linked to the gall-forming copepods of the genus Sphaerippe, a member of the widespread family, Lamippidae. The specialized nature of these copepods as endoparasites in octocorals suggests the potential for the discovery of similar diseases across this host spectrum. Our investigation employed four molecular markers to study disease hotspots in Saint Eustatius, Curaçao, northwest and southwest Cuba, and Bonaire. This led to the discovery of a group of copepod species in these varied Caribbean locations. Importantly, these species are morphologically indistinguishable through traditional methods, challenging established taxonomic approaches. The observed diversity of symbionts, despite the host species’ genetic uniformity, is likely due to variations in larval dispersal mechanisms. Our phylogenetic analyses confirmed that the Lamippidae copepods belong to the order, Poecilostomatoida (Copepoda), and revealed their sister group relationship with the Anchimolgidae, Rhynchomolgidae, and Xarifiidae clades, known for their symbiotic relationships with scleractinian corals. These results add to our understanding of the evolutionary and ecological interactions of copepods and their hosts, and the diseases that they cause, and are important data in a changing climate.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracing Geographic and Molecular Footprints of Copepod Crustaceans Causing Multifocal Purple Spots Syndrome in the Caribbean Sea Fan Gorgonia ventalina

Korzhavina,

Nikitin,

Hoeksema

et al. 2024

Diversity

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show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracing Geographic and Molecular Footprints of Copepod Crustaceans Causing Multifocal Purple Spots Syndrome in the Caribbean Sea Fan Gorgonia ventalina

Korzhavina,

Nikitin,

Hoeksema

et al. 2023

Preprint

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The recent rise in ocean temperatures, accompanied by other environmental changes, has notably increased the occurrence and spread of diseases in Octocorallia, of which many species are integral to shallow tropical and subtropical coral reef ecosystems. This study focuses on the understanding of these diseases, which has been largely limited to symptomatic descriptions, with clear etiological factors identified in only a fraction of cases. A key example is the multifocal purple spots syndrome (MPSS) affecting the common Caribbean octocoral sea fan Gorgonia ventalina, linked to the gall-forming copepods of the genus Sphaerippe, a member of the widespread family Lamippidae. The specialized nature of these copepods as endoparasites in octocorals suggests the potential for the discovery of similar diseases across this host spectrum. Our investigation employed four molecular markers to study disease hotspots in Saint Eustatius, Curaçao, northwest and southwest Cuba, and Bonaire. This led to the discovery of a group of copepod species in these varied Caribbean locations. Importantly, these species are morphologically indistinguishable through traditional methods, challenging established taxonomic approaches. The observed diversity of symbionts, despite the host species' genetic uniformity, is likely due to variations in larval dispersal mechanisms. Our phylogenetic analyses confirmed that the Lamippidae copepods belong to the order Poecilostomatoida (Copepoda) and revealed their sister group relationship with the Anchimolgidae, Rhynchomolgidae, and Xarifiidae clades, known for their symbiotic relationships with scleractinian corals. These results add to our understanding of the evolutionary and ecological interactions of copepods and their hosts, and the diseases they cause, important data in a changing climate.

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“…The goal of the simulated adaptive exploration missions was to locate and collect images of as many of these sea fans as possible. In testing, we found that Scientific Context & Motivation Caribbean sea fans have been the subject of significant study due to recent outbreaks of disease and parasites which target them [224]- [226]. They are a type of soft coral, and while they most often grow within reef habitats, they can also be found on rocks isolated in mostly sandy regions.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They are a type of soft coral, and while they most often grow within reef habitats, they can also be found on rocks isolated in mostly sandy regions. Diseases can have a significant affect on the appearance of Gorgonia species [226], which would make it challenging to train a detector to robustly recognize specimens suffering from novel diseases, which are likely the most important to discover. In effect, we simulate a human supervisor who takes an interest in the state of the sea fans at these sites, without necessarily having planned to in advance.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enabling human-multi-robot collaborative visual exploration in underwater environments

Jamieson

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This thesis presents novel approaches to vision-based autonomous exploration in underwater environments using human-multi-robot systems, enabling robots to adapt to evolving mission priorities learned via a human supervisor’s responses to images collected in situ. The robots model the spatial distribution of various habitats and terrain types in the environment using semantic classes learned online, and send image queries to the supervisor to learn which of these classes are associated with the highest concentration of targets of interest. The robots do not require prior examples of these targets, and learn these concentration parameters online. This approach is suitable for exploration in unfamiliar environments where unexpected phenomena are frequently discovered, such as coral reefs. A novel risk-based online learning algorithm identifies the concentration parameters using the fewest possible number of queries, enabling the robots to adapt quickly and reducing the operational burden on the supervisor. I introduce four primary contributions to address prevalent challenges in underwater exploration. Firstly, a multi-robot semantic representation matching algorithm enables interrobot sharing of semantic maps, generating consistent global maps with 20-60% higher quality scores than those produced by other methods. Next, we present DeepSeeColor, a novel real-time algorithm for correcting underwater image color distortions, which achieves up to 60 Hz processing speeds, thereby enabling improved semantic mapping and target recognition accuracy online. Thirdly, an efficient risk-based online learning algorithm ensures effective communication between robots and human supervisors, and, while remaining computationally tractable, overcomes the myopia which would cause previous algorithms to underestimate a query’s value. Lastly, we propose a new reward model and planning algorithm tailored for autonomous exploration, together enabling a 25-75% increase in the number of targets of interest located when compared to baseline surveys. These experiments were conducted with simulated robots exploring real coral reef maps and with real, ecologically meaningful targets of interest. Collectively, these contributions overcome key barriers to vision-based autonomous underwater exploration, and enhance the capability of autonomous underwater vehicles to adapt to new and evolving mission objectives in situ. Beyond marine exploration, these contributions have value in broader applications, such as space exploration, ecosystem monitoring, and other online learning problems.

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A combined diagnostic approach for the investigation of lesions resembling aspergillosis in Caribbean sea fans (Gorgonia spp.)

Cited by 6 publications

References 46 publications

Tracing Geographic and Molecular Footprints of Copepod Crustaceans Causing Multifocal Purple Spots Syndrome in the Caribbean Sea Fan Gorgonia ventalina

Tracing Geographic and Molecular Footprints of Copepod Crustaceans Causing Multifocal Purple Spots Syndrome in the Caribbean Sea Fan Gorgonia ventalina

Tracing Geographic and Molecular Footprints of Copepod Crustaceans Causing Multifocal Purple Spots Syndrome in the Caribbean Sea Fan Gorgonia ventalina

Enabling human-multi-robot collaborative visual exploration in underwater environments

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