Husbandry & Science17

• Lithochloron , a new genus of green algae residing in coral skeleton (Cladophorales, Chlorophyta)

  New endolithic green alga genus discovered living within coral skeletons on the Great Barrier Reef. Coral holobiont biology and algal-coral symbiosis directly inform understanding of what keeps corals alive and healthy.

  Journal of Phycology · Heroen Verbruggen et al. · Sep 24 · doi.org

• mGem: The two-decade evolution of in vivo coral microbiome manipulations

  A two-decade review of coral microbiome manipulations and probiotic interventions to improve health. Synthesizes practical coral-restoration techniques and identifies research gaps applicable to both wild and captive recovery programs.

  mBio · Lauren Speare et al. · Sep 22 · doi.org

• Species-specific variation in thermal tolerance in Montipora capitata and Porites compressa corals across two Hawaiian bay habitats

  Study quantifies thermal tolerance variation in two dominant Hawaiian reef-builders using controlled heat stress and PAM fluorometry. Understanding species-specific thermal limits is essential for predicting coral survival under ocean warming.

  Scientific Reports · Allison M. Klein et al. · Sep 22 · doi.org

• A miRNA-mediated gene regulatory network supports seasonal plasticity in the temperate coral Astrangia poculata

  Research identifies miRNA regulation of seasonal plasticity in temperate coral Astrangia poculata across temperature ranges. Gene-regulatory mechanisms explain how corals tolerate extreme seasonal stress and may inform hardiness in captive systems.

  Journal of Experimental Biology · Jill Ashey et al. · Sep 21 · doi.org

• Microbiota and metabolic disturbance caused by sulfamethoxazole exposure in the scleractinian coral Pocillopora damicornis

  Study shows sulfamethoxazole antibiotic exposure triggers immune and metabolic disruptions in Pocillopora corals at low concentrations. Aquaculture antibiotic runoff into reefs is widespread; this reveals molecular mechanisms of antibiotic harm to corals.

  Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety · Zhicong Yan et al. · Sep 19 · doi.org

• Linking coral stress to groundwater phosphorus loading: a model-based novel framework for water resource management and coral reef protection

  Groundwater phosphorus loading drives excess nutrients that stress reefs. A novel modeling framework helps island communities target nutrient reduction to protect local reef ecosystems.

  Hydrological Sciences Journal · Chris Leong et al. · Sep 23 · doi.org

• Food selectivity and grazing responses of the Lawnmower Blenny ( Salarias fasciatus ) to nutrient enrichment and ammonia exposure

  Research shows lawnmower blenny feeding selectivity changes with nutrient enrichment and ammonia exposure, altering the nutritional value of algal matrices. Reef tanks with nutrient or waste issues may see altered grazer behavior and tank dynamics.

  Journal of Fish Biology · Ramón Gómez et al. · Sep 22 · doi.org

• Does light and short-term high food availability enhance larval success in the coral eating crown-of-thorns seastar (Acanthaster cf. solaris)?

  Study of crown-of-thorns seastar larvae tested how light and phytoplankton pulses affect development and settlement success. Understanding larval drivers matters because COTS outbreaks devastate reefs, and predicting recruitment helps managers intervene early.

  Coral Reefs · Frances Patel et al. · Sep 20 · doi.org

• 📑 #NewStudy by Gojanovic et al. investigates whether the time of day a juvenile coral reef fish is released…

  A study examined whether release timing affects juvenile coral reef fish survival in the wild. Understanding wild recruitment and larval ecology informs captive rearing and restocking decisions.

  Australian Society for Fish Biology — Bluesky · Sep 24 · bsky.app

• Genomic and phenotypic characterization of a multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas putida strain associated with skin ulceration disease in farmed sea cucumbers (Apostichopus japonicus)

  Pseudomonas putida causes skin ulceration in farmed sea cucumbers; genomic characterization shows multidrug resistance. Sea cucumbers are reef invertebrates widely kept in tanks; pathogen identification informs disease prevention and treatment.

  Frontiers in Marine Science — Journal · Xiaoke Zhang · Sep 24 · frontiersin.org

• Structural Characteristics of Artificial Reefs and Coral Larval Recruitment in Turbid Coastal Waters

  Artificial reef structure and materials influence coral larval recruitment in turbid waters. Understanding reef engineering design directly informs captive coral restoration and propagation protocols.

  Theoretical and Natural Science · Yiman Wei · Sep 22 · doi.org

• 📑 #NewStudy by Darnley et al. investigate an emerging disease affecting an ancient fish, and discover seven…

  Researchers discovered seven novel RNA viruses, including two coronaviruses, in an ancient fish species. Understanding emerging diseases in marine organisms informs disease management in captive settings.

  Australian Society for Fish Biology — Bluesky · Sep 22 · bsky.app

• The chromosomal genome sequence of the blushing star coral, Stephanocoenia intersepta (Lamarck, 1816) (Scleractinia: Astrocoeniidae) and its associated microbial metagenome sequences

  Complete chromosome and mitochondrial genome assembly published for blushing star coral with 26,627 protein-coding genes and associated microbial data. Genomic resources enable studies of coral physiology, symbiosis, and stress response.

  Wellcome Open Research · D. Abigail Renegar et al. · Sep 21 · doi.org

• Functional distinctions in feeding behavior of two herbivorous reef fish lineages

  Comparative study identifies feeding-behavior differences between rabbitfish and surgeonfish families on algae-covered reefs. Understanding herbivory mechanics illuminates how different fish species control algae growth that competes with corals.

  Integrative Organismal Biology · Ava Luenenborg et al. · Sep 19 · doi.org

• Parasite infestation patterns in nine families of coral reef fishes from Saint Martin’s Island, Bay of Bengal

  Survey of parasite species infecting nine families of coral-reef fish at Saint Martin's Island. Parasite identification and infestation patterns in wild reef fish inform disease management in captive reef systems.

  Dhaka University Journal of Biological Sciences · Subrina Sehrin et al. · Sep 24 · doi.org

• High-frequency observations of the variations of pCO2 in the Bohai Sea

  High-frequency pCO2 monitoring in the Bohai Sea reveals fine-scale carbon-cycle dynamics. Seawater chemistry data from a productive marginal sea contributes to understanding of pH and alkalinity drivers relevant to reef systems.

  Frontiers in Marine Science — Journal · Song Gao · Sep 24 · frontiersin.org

• Tropical Eastern Pacific coral morphometrics: a toolkit for coral studies

  3D digitization toolkit developed to distinguish morphologically similar Pocillopora species in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Better species identification improves restoration outcomes and research accuracy.

  Coral Reefs · Sergio D. Guendulain-García et al. · Sep 21 · doi.org