Long term expansion of a deep Syringodium filiforme meadow in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands: The potential role of hurricanes in the dispersal of seeds
"Automated image classification techniques were applied to aerial photographs of a deepwater (10-20 m) Syringodium filiforme bed in Buck Island Channel, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands to quantify change in its extent from 1971 to 1999. An increase in seagra...
A new coral species introduced into the Atlantic Ocean - Tubastraea micranthus (Ehrenberg 1834) (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Scleractinia): An invasive threat?
"Over the past 60-70 years, the invasive Indo-Pacific coral Tubastraea coccinea (Lesson 1830; Cnidaria, Scleractinia) has colonized the western tropical Atlantic Ocean - the Americas, the Antilles, northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM), and many of its 3,600 oil/...
Coral reproduction and recruitment as tools for studying the ecotoxicology of coral reef ecosystems
Scleracterian corals were used in aquatic toxicology studies in tropical marine environments. The author goes into detail about the selection of coral species, collection of corals, collection of gametes and larvae, bioassays, and recruitment assays.
Consequences of yellow-band disease (YBD) on Montastraea annularis (species complex) populations on remote reefs off Mona Island, Puerto Rico
"The rate and extent of mortality from yellow band disease (YBD) to Montastraea annularis (species complex) on reefs off Mona Island, Puerto Rico, was evaluated over 8 yr. Isolated YBD infections were first observed in 1996. Prevalence of YBD increased dr...
Ten years of change to coral communities off Mona and Desecheo Islands, Puerto Rico, from disease and bleaching
"Remote reefs off southwest Puerto Rico have experienced recent losses in live coral cover of 30 to 80%, primarily due to the decline of Montastraea annularis and M. faveolata from disease and bleaching. These species were formerly the largest, oldest, an...
Global coral disease prevalence associated with sea temperature anomalies and local factors
"Coral diseases are taking an increasing toll on coral reef structure and biodiversity and are important indicators of declining health in the oceans. We implemented standardized coral disease surveys to pinpoint hotspots of coral disease, reveal vulnerab...
"Many coral diseases are characterized based on gross descriptions and, given the lack or difficulty of applying existing laboratory tools to understanding causes of coral diseases, most new diseases will continued to be described based on appearance in t...
Planktonic linkages among marine protected areas on the south Florida and southeast United States continental shelves
"One proposed benefit of marine protected areas (MPAs) is increased larval export, potentially increasing recruitment in unprotected areas. Because most marine species have planktonic larvae, information regarding planktonic transport is needed to evaluat...
The influence of bottom type and shelf position on biodiversity of tropical fish inside a recently enlarged marine reserve
"A necessary component of implementing a successful marine reserve is the quantification of the biological resources that fall under its protection. Without such an initial assessment, the future effects of the reserve on the local habitat and biotic comm...
Multivariate life-history indices of exploited coral reef fish populations used to measure the performance of no-take zones in a marine protected area
"The use of multivariate life-history indices to assess the performance of no-take zones with respect to ameliorating the impacts of harvest on exploited coral reef fish populations in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is investigated. A range of life-hi...
Long term expansion of a deep Syringodium filiforme meadow in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands: The potential role of hurricanes in the dispersal of seeds