Light-induced polyp retraction and tissue rupture in the photosensitive, reef-building coral <i>Acropora muricata</i>

Laissue, Pierre Philippe; Gu, Yan; Qian, Chen; Smith, David J.

doi:10.1101/862045

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 41 publications

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“…To image these photosensitive corals, a custom light‐sheet microscope was made. This image won the 2019 Nikon Small World in Motion Competition, and method details can be found in Laissue et al (2019). B. Fluorescence micrograph of the diatom Thalassiosira nanae .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visualizing the invisible: class excursions to ignite children’s enthusiasm for microbes

McGenity

Gessesse

Hallsworth

et al. 2020

Microbial Biotechnology

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Summary We have recently argued that, because microbes have pervasive – often vital – influences on our lives, and that therefore their roles must be taken into account in many of the decisions we face, society must become microbiology‐literate, through the introduction of relevant microbiology topics in school curricula (Timmis et al. 2019. Environ Microbiol 21: 1513‐1528). The current coronavirus pandemic is a stark example of why microbiology literacy is such a crucial enabler of informed policy decisions, particularly those involving preparedness of public‐health systems for disease outbreaks and pandemics. However, a significant barrier to attaining widespread appreciation of microbial contributions to our well‐being and that of the planet is the fact that microbes are seldom visible: most people are only peripherally aware of them, except when they fall ill with an infection. And it is disease, rather than all of the positive activities mediated by microbes, that colours public perception of ‘germs’ and endows them with their poor image. It is imperative to render microbes visible, to give them life and form for children (and adults), and to counter prevalent misconceptions, through exposure to imagination‐capturing images of microbes and examples of their beneficial outputs, accompanied by a balanced narrative. This will engender automatic mental associations between everyday information inputs, as well as visual, olfactory and tactile experiences, on the one hand, and the responsible microbes/microbial communities, on the other hand. Such associations, in turn, will promote awareness of microbes and of the many positive and vital consequences of their actions, and facilitate and encourage incorporation of such consequences into relevant decision‐making processes. While teaching microbiology topics in primary and secondary school is key to this objective, a strategic programme to expose children directly and personally to natural and managed microbial processes, and the results of their actions, through carefully planned class excursions to local venues, can be instrumental in bringing microbes to life for children and, collaterally, their families. In order to encourage the embedding of microbiology‐centric class excursions in current curricula, we suggest and illustrate here some possibilities relating to the topics of food (a favourite pre‐occupation of most children), agriculture (together with horticulture and aquaculture), health and medicine, the environment and biotechnology. And, although not all of the microbially relevant infrastructure will be within reach of schools, there is usually access to a market, local food store, wastewater treatment plant, farm, surface water body, etc., all of which can provide opportunities to explore microbiology in action. If children sometimes consider the present to be mundane, even boring, they are usually excited with both the past and the future so, where possible, visits to local museums (the past) and research institutions advancing knowledge frontiers (the...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visualizing the invisible: class excursions to ignite children’s enthusiasm for microbes

McGenity

Gessesse

Hallsworth

et al. 2020

Microbial Biotechnology

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No short-term effect of sinking microplastics on heterotrophy or sediment clearing in the tropical coral Stylophora pistillata

Bejarano

Diemel

Feuring

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Investigations of encounters between corals and microplastics have, to date, used particle concentrations that are several orders of magnitude above environmentally relevant levels. Here we investigate whether concentrations closer to values reported in tropical coral reefs affect sediment shedding and heterotrophy in reef-building corals. We show that single-pulse microplastic deposition elicits significantly more coral polyp retraction than comparable amounts of calcareous sediments. When deposited separately from sediments, microplastics remain longer on corals than sediments, through stronger adhesion and longer periods of examination by the coral polyps. Contamination of sediments with microplastics does not retard corals’ sediment clearing rates. Rather, sediments speed-up microplastic shedding, possibly affecting its electrostatic behaviour. Heterotrophy rates are three times higher than microplastic ingestion rates when corals encounter microzooplankton (Artemia salina cysts) and microplastics separately. Exposed to cysts-microplastic combinations, corals feed preferentially on cysts regardless of microplastic concentration. Chronic-exposure experiments should test whether our conclusions hold true under environmental conditions typical of inshore marginal coral reefs.

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Light-induced polyp retraction and tissue rupture in the photosensitive, reef-building coral Acropora muricata

Cited by 2 publications

References 41 publications

Visualizing the invisible: class excursions to ignite children’s enthusiasm for microbes

Visualizing the invisible: class excursions to ignite children’s enthusiasm for microbes

No short-term effect of sinking microplastics on heterotrophy or sediment clearing in the tropical coral Stylophora pistillata

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