The influence of urban pressures on coral physiology on marginal coral reefs of the Mexican Pacific

Martínez-Castillo, Violeta; Rodríguez-Troncoso, Alma Paola; Santiago-Valentín, Jeimy Denisse; Cupul-Magaña, Amílcar Leví

doi:10.1007/s00338-020-01957-z

Cited by 20 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…It therefore appears possible that sediment‐stressed corals use the glyoxylate cycle to access their lipid stores and convert them into glucose/glycogen or other intermediates via a gluconeogenic‐type pathway; this is supported by the results of a previous study, which reported depletion of storage lipids in corals exposed to simulated sedimentation (Sheridan et al, 2014), and by proteomic evidence of increased lipid β‐oxidation in corals transplanted to a more sedimented site (Tisthammer et al, 2021). However, some corals are able to utilize organic matter associated with sediment as a heterotrophic energy source (Anthony, 1999; Mills et al, 2004; Mills & Sebens, 2004), and higher lipid contents have been found in corals from locations with higher sedimentation rates (Anthony, 2006; Martínez‐Castillo et al, 2020; Tisthammer et al, 2021). Therefore, we suggest that the balance between energy consumed through clearing mechanisms and energy gained via sediment‐associated organic matter might be one of the determinants of whether a species is able to thrive under a particular turbidity regime.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untangling the molecular basis of coral response to sedimentation

et al. 2021

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Urbanized coral reefs are often chronically affected by sedimentation and reduced light levels, yet many species of corals appear to be able to thrive under these highly disturbed conditions. Recently, these marginal ecosystems have gained attention as potential climate change refugia due to the shading effect of suspended sediment, as well as potential reservoirs for stress‐tolerant species. However, little research exists on the impact of sedimentation on coral physiology, particularly at the molecular level. Here, we investigated the transcriptomic response to sediment stress in corals of the family Merulinidae from a chronically turbid reef (one genet each of Goniastrea pectinata and Mycedium elephantotus from Singapore) and a clear‐water reef (multiple genets of G. pectinata from the Gulf of Aqaba/Eilat). In two ex‐situ experiments, we exposed corals to either natural sediment or artificial sediment enriched with organic matter and used whole‐transcriptome sequencing (RNA sequencing) to quantify gene expression. Analysis revealed a shared basis for the coral transcriptomic response to sediment stress, which involves the expression of genes broadly related to energy metabolism and immune response. In particular, sediment exposure induced upregulation of anaerobic glycolysis and glyoxylate bypass enzymes, as well as genes involved in hydrogen sulphide metabolism and in pathogen pattern recognition. Our results point towards hypoxia as a probable driver of this transcriptomic response, providing a molecular basis to previous work that identified hypoxia as a primary cause of tissue necrosis in sediment‐stressed corals. Potential metabolic and immunity trade‐offs of corals living under chronic sedimentation should be considered in future studies on the ecology and conservation of turbid reefs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untangling the molecular basis of coral response to sedimentation

et al. 2021

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“…Accurate identification of members of the Trapezia genus is of value not only for the future study of decapods, but also for study of their coral hosts. Pocillopora is considered the main reef-builder of the TEP region [40][41][42] and, unlike dominant corals in other parts of the Indo-Pacific, are markedly resilient to environmental change [43,44]. Given that adult healthy colonies seem always to be associated with at least one Trapezia sp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Phylogenetics of Trapezia Crabs in the Central Mexican Pacific

Canizales-Flores¹,

Rodríguez-Troncoso²,

Bautista‐Guerrero³

et al. 2020

Oceans

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To date, Trapezia spp. crabs have been considered obligate symbionts of pocilloporid corals. They protect their coral hosts from predators and are essential for the health of certain coral species. However, the basic details of this group of crustaceans are lacking, and there is a need for species-level molecular markers. The Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) region harbors important coral communities mainly built by corals of the genus Pocillopora, with three known Trapezia species known to associate with them: Trapezia bidentata, T. formosa and T. corallina. Both taxonomic and molecular analyses were carried out with samples of all three crab species collected from Pocillopora spp. in the Central Mexican Pacific. Analysis of both a mitochondrial and a nuclear gene revealed only two species, T. corallina and T. bidentata. T. formosa however appears to be a morphotype of T. bidentata. The use of integrative taxonomy for this group has increased the knowledge of the biodiversity not only of the study area, but of the whole TEP and will enhance the future study of the Trapezia–Pocillopora symbiosis.

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“…Coral reefs in impacted urban coastlines hold immense probiotic potential. "Urban corals" have adapted to highly variable conditions (i.e., turbidity, eutrophication, pollution, and fishing) due to their robustness, stress tolerance, and relative resistance to bleaching [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]. This adaptation is thought to be related to flexible host-bacterial associations that provide a dynamic microbiome that allows corals to respond more rapidly to prevailing conditions [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Status of an Urban Coral and the Presence of Potential Probiotic Traits in Culturable Bacteria

Ruiz-Toquica,

Yañez-Dukon,

Herrera Khenayzir

et al. 2023

JMSE

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Improving the availability of new sources of probiotics is essential to continue implementing alternative solutions to improve coral health; one such source is urban corals. However, little is known about urban coral’s health status and whether they can harbor bacteria exhibiting probiotic traits. Here, we explored the status of the urban coral Madracis auretenra and the presence of probiotic traits in its associated culturable bacteria. After assessing ecological attributes, we observed a similar abundance (cover %) when comparing patches of M. auretenra occurring in both an urban site and a marine protected area. The urban patch also exhibited a high abundance of vibrios in coral tissues and signs of ecosystem deterioration. However, this patch showed a “good” health index condition; so, we hypothesized the presence of beneficial bacteria. We isolated 132 bacterial strains from this healthy urban M. auretenra. These bacteria were affiliated with 11 genera, including Vibrio, Shewanella, Bacillus, Exiguobacterium, Priestia, and Niallia, among others. Screenings revealed the predominant presence of potential probiotic traits such as catalase, antiQS, and the production of siderophores activities among the bacterial isolates. We proposed a list of 24 bacterial isolates as probiotic precandidates that jointly exhibited three or more of these traits, among which the Vibrio and Bacilli strains stand out. We provide insights into the health status of this urban coral and its potential as a source of bacteria exhibiting potential probiotic traits.

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The influence of urban pressures on coral physiology on marginal coral reefs of the Mexican Pacific

Cited by 20 publications

References 45 publications

Untangling the molecular basis of coral response to sedimentation

Untangling the molecular basis of coral response to sedimentation

Molecular Phylogenetics of Trapezia Crabs in the Central Mexican Pacific

Exploring the Status of an Urban Coral and the Presence of Potential Probiotic Traits in Culturable Bacteria

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