Perry Institute for Marine Science

Coral reef ecosystems rely on microorganisms to carry out biogeochemical processes essential to the survival of corals and the reef food web. However, widespread shifts from coral to algal dominance as a result of anthropogenic pressures have promoted microbial communities that compromise reef health through deoxygenation and disease. These degraded reefs become locked in a “microbialized” state characterized by high microbial biomass, low oxygen, and heightened pathogenic activity that stymie efforts to outplant corals onto the reef, a common approach applied to restore these ecosystems. Over 18 months, we compared viral and microbial dynamics alongside physical and chemical parameters (“water quality”) between two coral outplanting sites and two midwater reef mesocosms called Coral Arks. Seafloor sites exhibited microbialization, whereas Arks maintained conditions with higher viral abundances and virus-to-microbe ratios, smaller and less abundant microorganisms, and consistently higher dissolved oxygen, water flow, and light availability. These conditions, which we term “viralized”, supported enhanced coral growth and survival, greater benthic diversity, increased coral recruitment, reduced turf and macroalgae, and higher fish abundance compared to outplanting sites. Despite these benefits, analysis of microbial carbon metabolism genes revealed an underlying trend towards microbialization at both sites, reflecting larger-scale regional decline. These findings emphasize that microbial and physicochemical conditions are drivers of reef restoration outcomes; to be successful, restoration strategies must target the underlying environmental factors that support coral survival and resilience. We identify key microbial and physical variables—such as oxygen levels, flow, and viral activity—associated with viralized reef states, which should serve as focal points for developing new interventions and technologies aimed at creating conditions conducive to reef recovery.

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEEditorialNEXTAccelerating Environmental Research to Achieve Sustainable Development GoalsJames R. Mihelcic*James R. MihelcicDepartment of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler Ave, ENG 030, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States*[email protected]More by James R. Mihelcichttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1736-9264, Ricardo O. BarraRicardo O. BarraFaculty of Environmental Sciences and EULA Chile Centre, University of Concepcion, Barrio Universitario s/n, Concepción 4070386, ChileMore by Ricardo O. Barra, Bryan W. BrooksBryan W. BrooksDepartment of Environmental Science, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97266, Waco, Texas 76798-7266, United StatesMore by Bryan W. Brooks, Miriam L. DiamondMiriam L. DiamondDepartment of Earth Sciences and School of the Environment, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 1A1, ON, CanadaMore by Miriam L. Diamond, Matthew J. EckelmanMatthew J. EckelmanCollege of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United StatesMore by Matthew J. Eckelman, Jacqueline MacDonald GibsonJacqueline MacDonald GibsonDepartment of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Fitts-Woolard Hall, Room 3253, 915 Partners Way, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7908, United StatesMore by Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson, Sunny GuidottiSunny GuidottiUNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office, Building 102, Alberto Tejada Street, City of Knowledge 0843, Republic of PanamaMore by Sunny Guidotti, Atsuko Ikeda-ArakiAtsuko Ikeda-ArakiFaculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12, Nishi 5, Kitaku, Sapporo 060-0812, JapanMore by Atsuko Ikeda-Araki, Manish KumarManish KumarSustainability Cluster, School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, IndiaEscuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Monterey, Monterrey 64849, Nuevo León, MexicoMore by Manish Kumar, Ynoussa MaigaYnoussa MaigaLaboratory of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, UFR SVT, University Joseph KI-ZERBO, 03 BP 7021 Ouagadougou, Burkina FasoMore by Ynoussa Maiga, Jennifer McConvilleJennifer McConvilleDepartment of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7032, Uppsala SE-750 07, SwedenMore by Jennifer McConville, Shelly L. MillerShelly L. MillerDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 427 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0427, United StatesMore by Shelly L. Miller, Valeria PizarroValeria PizarroPerry Institute for Marine Science Windsor School (Albany Campus), Frank Watson Boulevard, Adelaide, The BahamasMore by Valeria Pizarro, Fernando Rosario-OrtizFernando Rosario-OrtizDepartment of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Environmental Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United StatesMore by Fernando Rosario-Ortiz, Shuxiao WangShuxiao WangState Key Joint Laboratory of Environment, Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaState Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, ChinaMore by Shuxiao Wang, and Julie B. ZimmermanJulie B. ZimmermanSchool of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United StatesMore by Julie B. ZimmermanCite this: Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. 2023, 10, 11, 961–962Publication Date (Web):November 14, 2023Publication History Received25 October 2023Accepted25 October 2023Published online14 November 2023Published inissue 14 November 2023https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00765https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00765editorialACS PublicationsCopyright © Published 2023 by American Chemical Society. This publication is available under these Terms of Use. Request reuse permissions This publication is free to access through this site. Learn MoreArticle Views456Altmetric-Citations-LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InRedditEmail PDF (869 KB) Get e-AlertscloseSUBJECTS:Climate,Energy,Environmental science,Environmental transport,Sustainability Get e-Alerts

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEEditorialNEXTAccelerating Environmental Research to Achieve Sustainable Development GoalsJames R. Mihelcic*James R. MihelcicDepartment of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler Ave, ENG 030, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States*[email protected]More by James R. Mihelcichttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1736-9264, Ricardo O. BarraRicardo O. BarraFaculty of Environmental Sciences and EULA Chile Centre, University of Concepcion, Barrio Universitario s/n, Concepción 4070386, ChileMore by Ricardo O. Barra, Bryan W. BrooksBryan W. BrooksDepartment of Environmental Science, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97266, Waco, Texas 76798-7266, United StatesMore by Bryan W. Brooks, Miriam L. DiamondMiriam L. DiamondDepartment of Earth Sciences and School of the Environment, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 1A1, ON, CanadaMore by Miriam L. Diamond, Matthew J. EckelmanMatthew J. EckelmanCollege of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United StatesMore by Matthew J. Eckelman, Jacqueline MacDonald GibsonJacqueline MacDonald GibsonDepartment of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Fitts-Woolard Hall, Room 3253, 915 Partners Way, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7908, United StatesMore by Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson, Sunny GuidottiSunny GuidottiUNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office, Building 102, Alberto Tejada Street, City of Knowledge 0843, Republic of PanamaMore by Sunny Guidotti, Atsuko Ikeda-ArakiAtsuko Ikeda-ArakiFaculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12, Nishi 5, Kitaku, Sapporo 060-0812, JapanMore by Atsuko Ikeda-Araki, Manish KumarManish KumarSustainability Cluster, School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, IndiaEscuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Monterey, Monterrey 64849, Nuevo León, MexicoMore by Manish Kumar, Ynoussa MaigaYnoussa MaigaLaboratory of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, UFR SVT, University Joseph KI-ZERBO, 03 BP 7021 Ouagadougou, Burkina FasoMore by Ynoussa Maiga, Jennifer McConvilleJennifer McConvilleDepartment of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7032, Uppsala SE-750 07, SwedenMore by Jennifer McConville, Shelly L. MillerShelly L. MillerDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 427 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0427, United StatesMore by Shelly L. Miller, Valeria PizarroValeria PizarroPerry Institute for Marine Science Windsor School (Albany Campus), Frank Watson Boulevard, Adelaide, The BahamasMore by Valeria Pizarro, Fernando Rosario-OrtizFernando Rosario-OrtizDepartment of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Environmental Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United StatesMore by Fernando Rosario-Ortiz, Shuxiao WangShuxiao WangState Key Joint Laboratory of Environment, Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaState Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, ChinaMore by Shuxiao Wang, and Julie B. ZimmermanJulie B. ZimmermanSchool of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United StatesMore by Julie B. ZimmermanCite this: Environ. Sci. Technol. 2023, 57, 45, 17167–17168Publication Date (Web):November 14, 2023Publication History Received25 October 2023Published online14 November 2023Published inissue 14 November 2023https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.3c08894https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c08894editorialACS PublicationsCopyright © Published 2023 by American Chemical Society. This publication is available under these Terms of Use. Request reuse permissions This publication is free to access through this site. Learn MoreArticle Views2198Altmetric-Citations-LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InRedditEmail PDF (902 KB) Get e-AlertscloseSUBJECTS:Climate,Ecotoxicology,Energy,Environmental science,Sustainability Get e-Alerts

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEEditorialNEXTEnvironmental Research Addressing Sustainable Development GoalsJames R. Mihelcic*James R. MihelcicDepartment of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler Ave, Tampa 33620, Florida, United StatesMore by James R. MihelcicView Biographyhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1736-9264, Ricardo O. BarraRicardo O. BarraFaculty of Environmental Sciences and EULA Chile Centre, University of Concepcion, Barrio Universitario s/n, Concepción 4070386, ChileMore by Ricardo O. Barrahttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1567-7722, Bryan W. BrooksBryan W. BrooksDepartment of Environmental Science, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97266, Waco 76798-7266, Texas, United StatesMore by Bryan W. Brookshttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6277-9852, Miriam L. DiamondMiriam L. DiamondDepartment of Earth Sciences and School of the Environment, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 1A1, ON, CanadaMore by Miriam L. Diamondhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6296-6431, Matthew J. EckelmanMatthew J. EckelmanCollege of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston 02115, Massachusetts, United StatesMore by Matthew J. Eckelmanhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0595-3682, Jacqueline MacDonald GibsonJacqueline MacDonald GibsonDepartment of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Fitts-Woolard Hall, Room 3253, 915 Partners Way, Raleigh 27695-7908, North Carolina, United StatesMore by Jacqueline MacDonald Gibsonhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5468-0713, Sunny GuidottiSunny GuidottiUNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office, Building 102, Alberto Tejada St., City of Knowledge 0843, Panama, Republic of PanamaMore by Sunny Guidotti, Atsuko Ikeda-ArakiAtsuko Ikeda-ArakiFaculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12, Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, JapanMore by Atsuko Ikeda-Arakihttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3065-262X, Manish KumarManish KumarSustainability Cluster, School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun Uttarakhand, 248007, IndiaEscuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Monterey, Monterrey 64849, Nuevo León, MéxicoMore by Manish Kumarhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3351-7298, Ynoussa MaigaYnoussa MaigaLaboratory of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, UFR SVT, University Joseph KI-ZERBO, Ouagadougou CFX2+7R6, Burkina FasoMore by Ynoussa Maigahttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8077-9952, Jennifer McConvilleJennifer McConvilleDepartment of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7032, Uppsala SE-750 07, SwedenMore by Jennifer McConvillehttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0373-685X, Shelly L. MillerShelly L. MillerDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder, 112 ECES Engineering Center, Boulder 80309, Colorado, United StatesMore by Shelly L. Millerhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1967-7551, Valeria PizarroValeria PizarroPerry Institute for Marine Science Windsor School (Albany Campus), Frank Watson Boulevard, Adelaide 00000, The BahamasMore by Valeria Pizarro, Fernando Rosario-OrtizFernando Rosario-OrtizDepartment of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Environmental Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309, Colorado, United StatesMore by Fernando Rosario-Ortizhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3311-9089, Shuxiao WangShuxiao WangState Key Joint Laboratory of Environment, Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaState Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing100084, ChinaMore by Shuxiao Wanghttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9727-1963, and Julie B. ZimmermanJulie B. ZimmermanSchool of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven 06511, Connecticut, United StatesMore by Julie B. Zimmermanhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5392-312XCite this: Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. 2023, 10, 3, 210–213Publication Date (Web):February 22, 2023Publication History Received8 February 2023Accepted8 February 2023Published online22 February 2023Published inissue 14 March 2023https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00093https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00093editorialACS PublicationsCopyright © 2023 American Chemical Society. This publication is available under these Terms of Use. Request reuse permissions This publication is free to access through this site. Learn MoreArticle Views2031Altmetric-Citations-LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InRedditEmail PDF (2 MB) Get e-AlertscloseSUBJECTS:Air pollution,Energy,Environmental science,Planets,Water treatment Get e-Alerts

The first standardized, global assessment of these fishes, using Red List criteria, reveals threatened species needing protection.

BackgroundThe rising temperature of the world's oceans has become a major threat to coral reefs globally as the severity and frequency of mass coral bleaching and mortality events increase. In 2005, high ocean temperatures in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean resulted in the most severe bleaching event ever recorded in the basin.Methodology/Principal FindingsSatellite-based tools provided warnings for coral reef managers and scientists, guiding both the timing and location of researchers' field observations as anomalously warm conditions developed and spread across the greater Caribbean region from June to October 2005. Field surveys of bleaching and mortality exceeded prior efforts in detail and extent, and provided a new standard for documenting the effects of bleaching and for testing nowcast and forecast products. Collaborators from 22 countries undertook the most comprehensive documentation of basin-scale bleaching to date and found that over 80% of corals bleached and over 40% died at many sites. The most severe bleaching coincided with waters nearest a western Atlantic warm pool that was centered off the northern end of the Lesser Antilles.Conclusions/SignificanceThermal stress during the 2005 event exceeded any observed from the Caribbean in the prior 20 years, and regionally-averaged temperatures were the warmest in over 150 years. Comparison of satellite data against field surveys demonstrated a significant predictive relationship between accumulated heat stress (measured using NOAA Coral Reef Watch's Degree Heating Weeks) and bleaching intensity. This severe, widespread bleaching and mortality will undoubtedly have long-term consequences for reef ecosystems and suggests a troubled future for tropical marine ecosystems under a warming climate.

Since the mass mortality of the urchin Diadema antillarum in 1983, parrotfishes have become the dominant grazer on Caribbean reefs. The grazing capacity of these fishes could be impaired if marine reserves achieve their long-term goal of restoring large consumers, several of which prey on parrotfishes. Here we compare the negative impacts of enhanced predation with the positive impacts of reduced fishing mortality on parrotfishes inside reserves. Because large-bodied parrotfishes escape the risk of predation from a large piscivore (the Nassau grouper), the predation effect reduced grazing by only 4 to 8%. This impact was overwhelmed by the increase in density of large parrotfishes, resulting in a net doubling of grazing. Increased grazing caused a fourfold reduction in the cover of macroalgae, which, because they are the principal competitors of corals, highlights the potential importance of reserves for coral reef resilience.

Abstract The petrology and stratification of the late Pleistocene and Recent mesa deposits in the Mesa Verde area are described. These deposits are believed to have been formed by eolian deposition. Measurements of present-day dust accumulation are reported. The age relationships of the strata are discussed on the basis of measurements of the radioactivity of organic carbon and carbonate precipitates and with reference to the early Mesa Verde culture.Our of the dust of timecomes a nation's heritage.Eugene W. Ingle