Papers by Jacqueline Padilla-Gamino
Mortaility_Corallina_Spores
Data set includes mortality of spores Corallina vancouveriensis from four different sites in Cali... more Data set includes mortality of spores Corallina vancouveriensis from four different sites in California and exposed to two different pCO2 levels
Ecosphere
Synthesis research in ecology and environmental science improves understanding, advances theory, ... more Synthesis research in ecology and environmental science improves understanding, advances theory, identifies research priorities, and supports management strategies by linking data, ideas, and tools. Accelerating environmental challenges increases the need to focus synthesis science on the most pressing questions. To leverage input from the broader research community, we convened a virtual workshop with participants from many countries and disciplines to examine how and where synthesis can address key questions and themes in ecology and environmental science in the coming decade. Seven priority research topics emerged: (1) diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ), (2) human and natural systems, (3) actionable and use-inspired science, (4) scale, (5) generality, (6) complexity and resilience, and (7) predictability. Additionally, two issues regarding the general practice of synthesis emerged: the need for increased participant diversity and inclusive research practices; and increased and improved data flow, access, and skill-building. These topics and practices provide a strategic vision for future synthesis in ecology and environmental science.
PLOS ONE, 2015
Studies have identified chemicals within the stony coral genus Montipora that have significant bi... more Studies have identified chemicals within the stony coral genus Montipora that have significant biological activities. For example, Montiporic acids A and B and other compounds have been isolated from the adult tissue and eggs of Montipora spp. and have displayed antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity in cultured cells. The ecological role of these toxic compounds is currently unclear. This study examines the role these toxins play in reproduction. Toxins were found in the eggs and larvae of the coral Montipora capitata. Releasing these toxins by crushing both the eggs and larvae resulted in irreversible inhibition of photosynthesis in endogenous and exogenous zooxanthellae within minutes. Moreover, these toxins were stable, as frozen storage of eggs and larvae did not affect toxicity. Photosynthetic competency of Porites compressa zooxanthellae treated with either frozen or fresh, crushed eggs was inhibited similarly (P > 0.05, ANCOVA). Addition of toxic eggs plugs to live P. compressa fragments caused complete tissue necrosis under the exposed area on the fragments within 1 week. Small volumes of M. capitata crushed eggs added to sperm suspensions reduced in vitro fertilization success by killing the sperm. After 30 min, untreated sperm maintained 90 ± 1.9% SEM motility while those treated with crushed eggs were rendered immotile, 4 ± 1.4% SEM. Flow cytometry indicated membrane disruption of the immotile sperm. Fertilization success using untreated sperm was 79 ± 4% SEM, whereas the success rate dropped significantly after exposure to the crushed eggs, 1.3 ± 0% SEM. Unlike the eggs and the larvae, M. capitata sperm did not reduce the photosynthetic competency of P. compressa zooxanthellae, suggesting the sperm was nontoxic. The identity of the toxins, cellular mechanism of action, advantage of the toxins for M. capitata and their role on the reef are still unknown.
Geobiology, 2007
The earliest record of animals (Metazoa) consists of trace and body fossils restricted to the las... more The earliest record of animals (Metazoa) consists of trace and body fossils restricted to the last 35 Myr of the Precambrian. It has been proposed that animals arose much earlier and underwent significant evolution as a cryptic fauna; however, the need for any unrecorded prelude of significant duration has been disputed. In this context, we consider recent published research on the nature and chronology of the earliest fossil record of metazoans and on the molecular-based analysis that yielded older dates for the appearance of major animal groups. We review recent work on the climatic, geochemical, and ecological events that preceded animal fossils and consider their portent for metazoan evolution. We also discuss inferences about the physiology and gene content of the last common ancestor of animals and their closest unicellular relatives. We propose that the recorded Precambrian evolution of animals includes three intervals of advancement that begin with sponge-grade organisms, and that any preceding cryptic fauna would be no more complex than sponges. The molecular data do not require that more complex animals appeared well before the recognized fossil record; nor, however, do they rule the possibility out, particularly if the interval of simpler metazoan ancestors lasted no more than about 100 or 200 Myr. The geological record of abrupt changes in climate, biogeochemistry, and phytoplankton diversity can be taken to be the result of changes in the carbon cycle triggered by the appearance and diversification of metazoans in an organic carbon-rich ocean, but as yet no compelling evidence exists for this interpretation. By the end of this cryptic period, animals would already have possessed sophisticated systems of cell-cell signalling, adhesion, apoptosis, and segregated germ cells, possibly with a rudimentary body plan based on anterior-posterior organization. The controls on the timing and tempo of the earliest steps in metazoan evolution are unknown, but it seems likely that oxygen was a key factor in later diversification and increase in body size. We consider several recent scenarios describing how oxygen increased near the end of the Precambrian and propose that grazing and filter-feeding animals depleted a marine reservoir of suspended organic matter, releasing a microbial 'clamp' on atmospheric oxygen.
Scientific Reports, 2019
Rising sea temperatures and increasing pollution threaten the fate of coral reefs and millions of... more Rising sea temperatures and increasing pollution threaten the fate of coral reefs and millions of people who depend on them. Some reef-building corals respond to thermal stress and subsequent bleaching with increases in heterotrophy, which may increase the risk of ingesting microplastics. Whether this heterotrophic plasticity affects microplastics ingestion or whether ingesting microplastics affects heterotrophic feeding in corals is unknown. To determine this, two coral species,Montipora capitataandPocillopora damicornis, were exposed to ambient (~27 °C) and increased (~30 °C) temperature and then fed microplastics,Artemianauplii, or both. Following thermal stress, both species significantly reduced feeding onArtemiabut no significant decrease in microplastics ingestion was observed. Interestingly,P.damicornisonly ingested microplastics whenArtemiawere also present, providing evidence that microplastics are not selectively ingested by this species and are only incidentally ingested...
Appendix A
Detailed list of collection depths and dates, as well as sampling sites with latitude/longitude c... more Detailed list of collection depths and dates, as well as sampling sites with latitude/longitude coordinates and the coral cover observed around each of the 74 Leptoseris spp. samples shown for each coral sample, including the 12 Leptoseris samples that were subjected to additional genotyping from the calyx and/or other coenosarc region. Symbiodinium spp. ITS2 sequence (specific ITS2 sequence type names are shown, followed by numbers in superscript indicating how many time each type was recovered). Finally, the Leptoseris spp. clades based on the COX-1-1 mtDNA and corresponding GenBank accession numbers are shown in the last two column
Data from: Depth specialization in mesophotic corals (Leptoseris spp.) and associated algal symbionts in Hawai'i
Corals at the lower limits of mesophotic habitats are likely to have unique photosynthetic adapta... more Corals at the lower limits of mesophotic habitats are likely to have unique photosynthetic adaptations that allow them to persist and dominate in these extreme low light ecosystems. We examined the host–symbiont relationships from the dominant coral genus Leptoseris in mesophotic environments from Hawai'i collected by submersibles across a depth gradient of 65–125 m. Coral and Symbiodinium genotypes were compared with three distinct molecular markers including coral (COX1–1-rRNA intron) and Symbiodinium (COI) mitochondrial markers and nuclear ITS2. The phylogenetic reconstruction clearly resolved five Leptoseris species, including one species (Leptoseris hawaiiensis) exclusively found in deeper habitats (115–125 m). The Symbiodinium mitochondrial marker resolved three unambiguous haplotypes in clade C, which were found at significantly different frequencies between host species and depths, with one haplotype exclusively found at the lower mesophotic extremes (95–125 m). These patterns of host–symbiont depth specialization indicate that there are limits to connectivity between upper and lower mesophotic zones, suggesting that niche specialization plays a critical role in host–symbiont evolution at mesophotic extremes
Sedimentation and the reproductive biology of the Hawaiian reef-building coral Montipora capitata
The Biological bulletin, 2014
Environmental conditions can influence the physiology of marine organisms and have important impl... more Environmental conditions can influence the physiology of marine organisms and have important implications for their reproductive performance and capacity to supply new recruits. This study examined the seasonal reproductive patterns of the coral Montipora capitata in habitats exposed to different sedimentation regimes. Although M. capitata is a main reef-building coral in the Hawaiian Archipelago, little is known about the gametogenic cycle and reproductive ecology of this important species. Our results indicate that gamete production in M. capitata is a resilient process; no differences in gamete development or fecundity were observed among sites with very different sedimentation regimes. The gametogenic cycle of M. capitata lasts between 10 and 11 months, with spawning occurring over 3-5 months during warmer months (May-September). Oocytes were found throughout the year, but spermatocysts were only found April-August. The largest increases in oocyte size occurred during February t...
Marine and Freshwater Research, 2015
Compiled abundances of juvenile corals revealed no change over time in the Pacific, but a decline... more Compiled abundances of juvenile corals revealed no change over time in the Pacific, but a decline in the Caribbean. Using these analyses as a rationale, we explored recruitment and post-settlement success in determining coral cover using studies in the Caribbean (St John, Bonaire) and Pacific (Moorea, Okinawa). Juvenile corals, coral recruits, and coral cover have been censused in these locations for years, and the ratio of juvenile (J) to recruiting (R) corals was used to measure post-settlement success. In St John and Bonaire, coral cover was stable but different between studies, with the ratio of the density of juveniles to density of recruits (J:R) ~0.10; in Moorea, declines in coral cover were followed by recovery that was related to the density of juvenile corals 3 years before, with J:R ~0.40; and in Okinawa, a decline in coral cover in 1998 was followed by a slow recovery with J/R ~0.01. Coral cover was associated positively with juvenile corals in St John, and in Okinawa, t...
Royal Society Open Science, 2015
Corals at the lower limits of mesophotic habitats are likely to have unique photosynthetic adapta... more Corals at the lower limits of mesophotic habitats are likely to have unique photosynthetic adaptations that allow them to persist and dominate in these extreme low light ecosystems. We examined the host–symbiont relationships from the dominant coral genus Leptoseris in mesophotic environments from Hawai'i collected by submersibles across a depth gradient of 65–125 m. Coral and Symbiodinium genotypes were compared with three distinct molecular markers including coral ( COX1–1-rRNA intron) and Symbiodinium ( COI ) mitochondrial markers and nuclear ITS2 . The phylogenetic reconstruction clearly resolved five Leptoseris species, including one species ( Leptoseris hawaiiensis ) exclusively found in deeper habitats (115–125 m). The Symbiodinium mitochondrial marker resolved three unambiguous haplotypes in clade C, which were found at significantly different frequencies between host species and depths, with one haplotype exclusively found at the lower mesophotic extremes (95–125 m). Th...
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 2013
We examined the impact of Montipora capitata coral spawning on local biogeochemistry in Kane'ohe ... more We examined the impact of Montipora capitata coral spawning on local biogeochemistry in Kane'ohe Bay, Hawai'i. This event supplied labile, spawn-derived organic matter (SDOM) to the water column, triggering a cascading series of related effects on the biogeochemistry of the reef. Specifically, we measured the isotopic composition and nutrient ratios of spawning material and coral tissues, and utilized these signatures to track pathways of SDOM incorporation into this coral-dominated ecosystem. We observed: (1) shifts in the isotopic signatures of coral tissues after the spawning event, (2) rapid turnover of SDOM within the water column and enhanced deposition of POM to the sediment surface, (3) enhanced sediment efflux of NH 4 þ after the spawning event that triggered a phytoplankton bloom in the overlying water, and (4) drawdown of dissolved nutrients in the water column after spawning that coincided with the occurrence of a water column phytoplankton bloom. Our results show that single-species spawning events can serve as a source of substantial nutrient input to the water column, contributing in similar ways to storm-driven river nutrient input, and with measurable impact on the biogeochemistry of the reef.
Formation and structural organization of the egg–sperm bundle of the scleractinian coral Montipora capitata
Coral Reefs, 2010
... All of these processes are variable and are influenced by interactions between coral biology ... more ... All of these processes are variable and are influenced by interactions between coral biology and spatial and temporal fluctuations in the environment (Tomascik and Sander 1987; Harrison and Wallace 1990; Richmond and Hunter 1990; Szmant and Gassman 1990; Hughes ...
Coral Reefs, 2012
Parental effects have been largely unexplored in marine organisms and may play a significant role... more Parental effects have been largely unexplored in marine organisms and may play a significant role in dictating the phenotypic range of traits in coral offspring, influencing their ability to survive environmental challenges. This study explored parental effects and life-stage differences in the Hawaiian reef-building coral Montipora capitata from different environments by examining the biochemical composition of mature coral colonies and their eggs. Our results indicate that there are large biochemical differences between adults and eggs, with the latter containing higher concentration of lipids (mostly wax esters), ubiquitinated proteins (which may indicate high turnover rate of proteins) and antioxidants (e.g., manganese superoxide dismutase). Adults displayed high phenotypic plasticity, with corals from a highlight environment having more wax esters, lighter tissue d 13 C signatures and higher Symbiodinium densities than adults from the low-light environment who had higher content of accessory pigments. A green-algal pigment (a-carotene) and powerful antioxidant was present in eggs; it is unclear whether this pigment is acquired from heterotrophic food sources or from endolithic green algae living in the adult coral skel-Communicated by Biology Editor Dr. Mark Vermeij
PLoS ONE, 2012
Parental effects are ubiquitous in nature and in many organisms play a particularly critical role... more Parental effects are ubiquitous in nature and in many organisms play a particularly critical role in the transfer of symbionts across generations; however, their influence and relative importance in the marine environment has rarely been considered. Coral reefs are biologically diverse and productive marine ecosystems, whose success is framed by symbiosis between reefbuilding corals and unicellular dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium. Many corals produce aposymbiotic larvae that are infected by Symbiodinium from the environment (horizontal transmission), which allows for the acquisition of new endosymbionts (different from their parents) each generation. In the remaining species, Symbiodinium are transmitted directly from parent to offspring via eggs (vertical transmission), a mechanism that perpetuates the relationship between some or all of the Symbiodinium diversity found in the parent through multiple generations. Here we examine vertical transmission in the Hawaiian coral Montipora capitata by comparing the Symbiodinium ITS2 sequence assemblages in parent colonies and the eggs they produce. Parental effects on sequence assemblages in eggs are explored in the context of the coral genotype, colony morphology, and the environment of parent colonies. Our results indicate that ITS2 sequence assemblages in eggs are generally similar to their parents, and patterns in parental assemblages are different, and reflect environmental conditions, but not colony morphology or coral genotype. We conclude that eggs released by parent colonies during mass spawning events are seeded with different ITS2 sequence assemblages, which encompass phylogenetic variability that may have profound implications for the development, settlement and survival of coral offspring.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2013
Ocean warming and ocean acidification, both consequences of anthropogenic production of CO 2 , wi... more Ocean warming and ocean acidification, both consequences of anthropogenic production of CO 2 , will combine to influence the physiological performance of many species in the marine environment. In this study, we used an integrative approach to forecast the impact of future ocean conditions on larval purple sea urchins ( Strongylocentrotus purpuratus ) from the northeast Pacific Ocean. In laboratory experiments that simulated ocean warming and ocean acidification, we examined larval development, skeletal growth, metabolism and patterns of gene expression using an orthogonal comparison of two temperature (13°C and 18°C) and pCO 2 (400 and 1100 μatm) conditions. Simultaneous exposure to increased temperature and pCO 2 significantly reduced larval metabolism and triggered a widespread downregulation of histone encoding genes. pCO 2 but not temperature impaired skeletal growth and reduced the expression of a major spicule matrix protein, suggesting that skeletal growth will not be furthe...
First confirmation of the shell-boring oyster parasite Polydora websteri (Polychaeta: Spionidae) in Washington State, USA
Invasions by the spionid polychaete Polydora websteri have resulted in the collapse of oyster aqu... more Invasions by the spionid polychaete Polydora websteri have resulted in the collapse of oyster aquaculture industries in Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii. These worms burrow into the shells of bivalves, creating unsightly mud blisters that are unappealing to consumers and, when nicked during shucking, release mud and detritus that can foul oyster meats. Recent sightings of mud blisters on the shells of Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) in Puget Sound, Washington, suggest a new spionid polychaete invasion. To determine the identity of the polychaete causing these mud blisters, we obtained Pacific oysters from two locations in Puget Sound and examined them for blisters and burrows associated with spionid infection. We then extracted polychaetes and sequenced mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase I [COI]) and nuclear (18S rRNA) genes to obtain species-level identifications for a subset of these worms. Our data confirm that P. websteri is present in mud blisters of Puget Sound oysters,...
Physiological plasticity and local adaptation to elevated pCO2in calcareous algae: An ontogenetic and geographic approach
Evolutionary Applications, 2016
C-MORE Professional Development Training Program for graduate students and post-doctoral researchers
El mar y sus microbios, Hélix, Ciencia y Desarrollo
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Papers by Jacqueline Padilla-Gamino