Digital Commons Network^™

Marginal Coral Populations: The Densest Known Aggregation Of Pocillopora In The Galápagos Archipelago Is Of Asexual Origin, Iliana B. Baums, Meghann Devlin-Durante, Beatrice A. A. Laing, Joshua S. Feingold, Tyler B. Smith, Andrew Bruckner, Joao Monteiro

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Coral populations at distributional margins frequently experience suboptimal and variable conditions. Recurrent El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) warming events have caused extensive mortality of reef-building corals in the Eastern Pacific, and particularly impacted branching pocilloporid corals in the Galápagos Islands. Pocillopora spp. were previously more common and formed incipient reefs at several locations in the archipelago but now occur as scattered colonies. Here, we report an unusually concentrated aggregation of colonies and evaluate their current genetic diversity. In particular we focus on a large population of 1614 live Pocillopora colonies found in a volcanic lagoon along the southern shore of Isabela …

Two Distinct Microbial Communities Revealed In The Sponge Cinachyrella, Marie L. Cuvelier, Emily Blake, Rebecca Mulheron, Peter J. Mccarthy, Patricia Blackwelder, Rebecca Vega-Thurber, Jose V. Lopez

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Marine sponges are vital components of benthic and coral reef ecosystems, providing shelter and nutrition for many organisms. In addition, sponges act as an essential carbon and nutrient link between the pelagic and benthic environment by filtering large quantities of seawater. Many sponge species harbor a diverse microbial community (including Archaea, Bacteria and Eukaryotes), which can constitute up to 50% of the sponge biomass. Sponges of the genus Cinachyrella are common in Caribbean and Floridian reefs and their archaeal and bacterial microbiomes were explored here using 16S rRNA gene tag pyrosequencing. Cinachyrella specimens and seawater samples were collected from the …

Enhanced Acidification Of Global Coral Reefs Driven By Regional Biogeochemical Feedbacks, Tyler Cyronak, Kai G. Schulz, Isaac R. Santos, Bradley D. Eyre

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Physical uptake of anthropogenic CO₂ is the dominant driver of ocean acidification (OA) in the open ocean. Due to expected decreases in calcification and increased dissolution of CaCO₃ framework, coral reefs are thought to be highly susceptible to OA. However, biogeochemical processes can influence the pCO₂ and pH of coastal ecosystems on diel and seasonal time scales, potentially modifying the long‐term effects of increasing atmospheric CO₂. By compiling data from the literature and removing the effects of short‐term variability, we show that the average pCO₂ of coral reefs throughout the globe has increased ~3.5‐fold …

Genetic Variations Affecting Serum Carcinoembryonic Antigen Levels And Status Of Regional Lymph Nodes In Patients With Sporadic Colorectal Cancer From Southern China, Yu Liang, Weizhong Tang, Tiquiang Huang, Yong Gao, Aihua Tan, Xiaobo Yang, Haiying Zhang, Yanling Hu, Xue Qin, Shan Li, Shijun Zhang, Linjian Mo, Zhenjia Liang, Deyi Shi, Zhang Huang, Yingyong Guan, Jicheng Zhou, Cheryl Winkler, Stephen J. O'Brien, Jianfeng Xu, Zengnan Mo, Tao Peng

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Background: Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (sCEA) level might be an indicator of disease. Indeed, an elevated sCEA level is a prognostic factor in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. However, the genetic determinants of sCEA level in healthy and CRC population remains unclear. Thus we investigated the genetic markers associated with elevated serum sCEA level in these two populations and its clinical implications.

Methods and Findings: Genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted in a cohort study with 4,346 healthy male adults using the Illumina Omni 1 M chip. Candidate SNPs associated with elevated sCEA levels were validated in 194 CRC patients on ABI …

Lectotypification Of Ardisia Dawnaea (Myrsinaceae), Jon M. Ricketson, John J. Pipoly Iii

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

A taxonomically complex issue regarding Ardisia gracilis Lace, A. dawnaea C. E. Parkinson, and A. dawnensis M. P. Nayar & G. S. Giri (Myrsinaceae) from Burma [Myanmar] is discussed and resolved with the lectotypification of A. dawnaea.

A New Combination In Ardisia (Myrsinaceae) From Vietnam, Jon M. Ricketson, John J. Pipoly Iii

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The lectotypification of Ardisia tinctoria Pit. and subsequent reidentification of the type material as A. quinquegona Blume subsp. quinquegona resulted in two collections being orphaned under the name A. tinctoria var. microcarpa Pit. We elect to elevate the variety name A. tinctoria var. microcarpa and, here, propose the following new combination, A. microcarpa (Pit.) Ricketson & Pipoly, comb. et stat. nov., to accommodate these orphaned collections.

A New Species Of Cybianthus (Myrsinaceae) From Tobago And Venezuela, John J. Pipoly Iii, Jon M. Ricketson

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

ybianthus pittierianus Pipoly & Ricketson (Myrsinaceae) is described from Tobago, and its taxonomic relationships are discussed. This species is often confused with C. rostratus (Hassk.) G. Agostini owing to its free portions of the filaments being longer than the anthers, and leaves with similar elliptic shapes and with petioles less than 1.2 cm. However, C. pittierianus is easily distinguished from C. rostratus by the former's leaf blade apices abruptly acute to short-acuminate (vs. long-acuminate to caudate), with secondary veins in 18 to 24 pairs (vs. 28 to 32 pairs), corollas 2.4–3 mm (vs. 2.1–2.5 mm), and corolla lobes chartaceous (vs. …

Age And Growth Of Three Coastal-Pelagic Tunas (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Scombridae) In The Florida Straits, Usa: Blackfin Tuna, Thunnus Atlanticus, Little Tunny, Euthynnus Alletteratus, And Skipjack Tuna, Katsuwonus Pelamis, Jessica L. Adams, David W. Kerstetter

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Background. Understanding the life history of a species is essential for fully understanding its role within an ecosystem. However, many of the fish species of high ecological value have not been studied due to their less prominent roles in local recreational and commercial fisheries in comparison to other targeted species. These valuable fishes are also important trophic linkages between small neritic fishes and large, economically valuable apex predators. This study describes for the first time the yearly age and growth patterns of three small tuna species inhabiting South Florida (USA) waters: blackfin tuna, Thunnus atlanticus (Lesson, 1831); little tunny, …