Impacts of human activities on coral reef ecosystems of southern Taiwan: A long-term study

The effects of a variable temperature regime on the physiology of the reef-building coralSeriatopora hystrix: results from a laboratory-based reciprocal transplant

“…As such, it remains to be demonstrated whether relatively lower densities of Symbiodinium are characteristic of upwelling reefs and whether or not such an adaptation is due to a correlation between Symbiodinium density and ROS production under thermally variable temperatures. Finally, as a second explanation for these findings, Houwan is characterized by significantly higher nutrient levels than Houbihu (Liu et al, 2012), and these relatively higher nitrogen levels, in particular, may allow for a higher standing stock of Symbiodinium, which are thought to be nitrogen-limited in many corals and sea anemones (Wang and Douglas, 1998).Higher F v /F m and psI mRNA expression in samples from the upwelling siteIn addition to Symbiodinium density and the protein:DNA ratio, both F v /F m and Symbiodinium psI (subunit III) mRNA expression were also characterized by significant SO effects (Table4), and were, specifically, higher in samples from the upwelling site, Houbihu. …”

“…As such, it remains to be demonstrated whether relatively lower densities of Symbiodinium are characteristic of upwelling reefs and whether or not such an adaptation is due to a correlation between Symbiodinium density and ROS production under thermally variable temperatures. Finally, as a second explanation for these findings, Houwan is characterized by significantly higher nutrient levels than Houbihu (Liu et al, 2012), and these relatively higher nitrogen levels, in particular, may allow for a higher standing stock of Symbiodinium, which are thought to be nitrogen-limited in many corals and sea anemones (Wang and Douglas, 1998).…”

Eco-touristic snorkelling routes at Marinha beach (Algarve): Environmental education and human impacts

“…The use of underwater flora coverage as an indicator for substratum disturbance followed the methodologies of Di Franco et al [17], Claudet et al [4] and Liu et al [43], as a tool to characterize benthic communities potentially affected by diving. This methodology was favoured due to the lack of other sessile quantifiable benthic organisms with all the characteristics needed for scuba diving census assessment (e.g.…”

“…Several successful experiments have been done with other macrobenthos species, such as counting of Halocynthia papillosa (an ascidia also known as sea peach) [39,40], or other sessile invertebrates [17,41,42]. Definition of macroalgae cover, seagrass cover and/or fish assemblages [4,41,43], and direct contact with the seabed itself [9] have also been used as a possible impact assessment frameworks.…”

Uncovering Spatio-Temporal and Treatment-Derived Differences in the Molecular Physiology of a Model Coral-Dinoflagellate Mutualism with Multivariate Statistical Approaches

“…As a comparison, the dataset of the "S. hystrix variable temperature study" (SHVTS), which was also conducted at Taiwan's National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium (NMMBA), was re-explored, as corals of this study showed clear physiological and gene expression differences across both temperature regimes (stable vs. variable) and site of origin [18]. Regarding the latter factor, unlike the SHSTTE, in which all corals were from an upwelling site within Nanwan Bay (Taiwan's southernmost embayment), Houbihu, half of those corals of the SHVTS were from a non-upwelling site, Houwan, which abuts NMMBA and is characterized by low coral cover and poor water quality due to coastal agricultural runoff [19]. It was predicted that MSA could be used to conclusively demonstrate the lack of a gene expression effect on high temperature samples of the SHSTTE and, similarly, further verify both site of origin and temperature treatment differences in the molecular physiology of samples of the SHVTS.…”