ORCID Profile
0000-0003-1300-1953
Current Organisations
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
,
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
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Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 03-06-2020
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-2023
Abstract: Managing marine nonindigenous species (mNIS) is challenging, because marine environments are highly connected, allowing the dispersal of species across large spatial scales, including geopolitical borders. Cross-border inconsistencies in biosecurity management can promote the spread of mNIS across geopolitical borders, and incursions often go unnoticed or unreported. Collaborative surveillance programs can enhance the early detection of mNIS, when response may still be possible, and can foster capacity building around a common threat. Regional or international databases curated for mNIS can inform local monitoring programs and can foster real-time information exchange on mNIS of concern. When combined, local species reference libraries, publicly available mNIS databases, and predictive modeling can facilitate the development of biosecurity programs in regions lacking baseline data. Biosecurity programs should be practical, feasible, cost-effective, mainly focused on prevention and early detection, and be built on the collaboration and coordination of government, nongovernment organizations, stakeholders, and local citizens for a rapid response.
Publisher: Figshare
Date: 2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2022
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.9450
Abstract: Ocean warming is leading to more frequent coral bleaching events. However, cold stress can also induce bleaching in corals. Here, we report observations of a boreal winter bleaching event in January 2020 in the central Red Sea, mainly within a population of the branching coral Stylophora pistillata on an offshore reef flat. Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) rarely fall below 24°C in this region, but data loggers deployed on several nearby reef flats recorded overnight seawater temperatures as low as 18°C just 3 days before the observations. The low temperatures coincided with an extremely low tide and cool air temperatures, likely resulting in the aerial exposure of the corals during the night time low‐tide event. The risk of aerial exposure is rare in winter months, as the Red Sea exhibits seasonal fluctuations in sea level with winter values typically 0.3–0.4 m higher than in summer. These observations are notable for a region typically characterized as a high‐temperature sea, and highlight the need for long‐term monitoring programs as this rare event may have gone unnoticed.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-05-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S10661-022-10063-2
Abstract: Sand s les were collected from four beaches near a cement factory in Ras Baridi, north of Yanbu, which hosts the largest green turtle rookery in Saudi Arabia. Heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Pb, Fe, Cr, Ni, Se, Sb, As, and Cu) were measured at three different depths. For most elements, there were no significant differences in concentrations among depths however, significant differences were found among the nesting beaches in Ras Baridi, which were likely influenced by the wind direction from the factory. Fe, Cr, Cu, and Ni had elevated contamination factor values, suggesting that the nesting beaches downwind and adjacent to the cement factory contained moderately contaminated sand. Given the possibility of heavy metals being absorbed through eggshells, there is a potential risk of heavy metal contamination in clutches laid in Ras Baridi. The rising threat to the local ecology in Saudi Arabia due to recent coastal developments for tourism projects highlights the importance of monitoring heavy metal concentrations over time.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2021
DOI: 10.1002/BES2.1822
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-05-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-018-26332-5
Abstract: Coral reefs harbor erse assemblages of organisms yet the majority of this ersity is hidden within the three dimensional structure of the reef and neglected using standard visual surveys. This study uses Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) and licon sequencing methodologies, targeting mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I and 18S rRNA genes, to investigate changes in the cryptic reef bio ersity. ARMS, deployed at 11 sites across a near- to off-shore gradient in the Red Sea were dominated by Porifera (sessile fraction), Arthropoda and Annelida (mobile fractions). The two primer sets detected different taxa lists, but patterns in community composition and structure were similar. While the microhabitat of the ARMS deployment affected the community structure, a clear cross-shelf gradient was observed for all fractions investigated. The partitioning of beta- ersity revealed that replacement (i.e. the substitution of species) made the highest contribution with richness playing a smaller role. Hence, different reef habitats across the shelf are relevant to regional ersity, as they harbor different communities, a result with clear implications for the design of Marine Protected Areas. ARMS can be vital tools to assess bio ersity patterns in the generally neglected but species-rich cryptic benthos, providing invaluable information for the management and conservation of hard-bottomed habitats over local and global scales.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2022.114352
Abstract: Anthropogenic stressors increasingly cause ecosystem-level changes to sensitive marine habitats such as coral reefs. Intensification of coastal development and shipping traffic can increase nutrient and oil pollution on coral reefs, yet these two stressors have not been studied in conjunction. Here, we simulate a disturbance scenario exposing carbonate settlement tiles to nutrient and oil pollution in a full-factorial design with four treatments: control, nutrients, oil, and combination to examine community structure and net primary productivity (NPP) of pioneer communities throughout 28 weeks. Compared to the control treatment oil pollution decreased overall settlement and NPP, while nutrients increased turf algae and NPP. However, the combination of these two stressors resulted in similar community composition and NPP as the control. These results indicate that pioneer communities may experience shifts due to nutrient enrichment, and/or oil pollution. However, the timing and duration of an event will influence recovery trajectories requiring further study.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-10-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-022-21304-2
Abstract: The combination of molecular tools, standard surveying techniques, and long-term monitoring programs are relevant to understanding environmental and ecological changes in coral reef communities. Here we studied temporal variability in cryptobenthic coral reef communities across the continental shelf in the central Red Sea spanning 6 years (three s ling periods: 2013–2019) and including the 2015 mass bleaching event. We used a combination of molecular tools (barcoding and metabarcoding) to assess communities on Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) as a standardized s ling approach. Community composition associated with ARMS for both methodologies (barcoding and metabarcoding) was statistically different across reefs (shelf position) and time periods. The partition of beta ersity showed a higher turnover and lower nestedness between pre-bleaching and post-bleaching s les than between the two post-bleaching periods, revealing a community shift from the bleaching event. However, a slight return to the pre-bleaching community composition was observed in 2019 suggesting a recovery trajectory. Given the predictions of decreasing time between bleaching events, it is concerning that cryptobenthic communities may not fully recover and communities with new characteristics will emerge. We observed a high turnover among reefs for all time periods, implying a homogenization of the cryptobiome did not occur across the cross shelf following the 2015 bleaching event. It is possible that dispersal limitations and the distinct environmental and benthic structures present across the shelf maintained the heterogeneity in communities among reefs. This study has to the best of our knowledge presented for the first time a temporal aspect into the analysis of ARMS cryptobenthic coral reef communities and encompasses a bleaching event. We show that these structures can detect cryptic changes associated with reef degradation and provides support for these being used as long-term monitoring tools.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-07-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41564-022-01173-1
Abstract: Global bio ersity loss and mass extinction of species are two of the most critical environmental issues the world is currently facing, resulting in the disruption of various ecosystems central to environmental functions and human health. Microbiome-targeted interventions, such as probiotics and microbiome transplants, are emerging as potential options to reverse deterioration of bio ersity and increase the resilience of wildlife and ecosystems. However, the implementation of these interventions is urgently needed. We summarize the current concepts, bottlenecks and ethical aspects encompassing the careful and responsible management of ecosystem resources using the microbiome (termed microbiome stewardship) to rehabilitate organisms and ecosystem functions. We propose a real-world application framework to guide environmental and wildlife probiotic applications. This framework details steps that must be taken in the upscaling process while weighing risks against the high toll of inaction. In doing so, we draw parallels with other aspects of contemporary science moving swiftly in the face of urgent global challenges.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 13-02-2019
Abstract: In an era of coral reef degradation, our knowledge of ecological patterns in reefs is biased towards large conspicuous organisms. The majority of bio ersity, however, inhabits small cryptic spaces within the framework of the reef. To assess this bio erse community, which we term the ‘reef cryptobiome’, we deployed 87 autonomous reef monitoring structures (ARMS), on 22 reefs across 16 degrees latitude of the Red Sea. Combining ARMS with metabarcoding of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene, we reveal a rich community, including the identification of 14 metazoan phyla within 10 416 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). While mobile and sessile subsets were similarly structured along the basin, the main environmental driver was different (particulate organic matter and sea surface temperature, respectively). Distribution patterns of OTUs showed that only 1.5% were present in all reefs, while over half were present in a single reef. On both local and regional scales, the majority of OTUs were rare. The high heterogeneity in community patterns of the reef cryptobiome has implications for reef conservation. Understanding the bio ersity patterns of this critical component of reef functioning will enable a sound knowledge of how coral reefs will respond to future anthropogenic impacts.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2023
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-06-2021
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.15719
Abstract: Intensified coastal development is compromising the health and functioning of marine ecosystems. A key ex le of this is the Red Sea, a bio ersity hotspot subjected to increasing local human pressures. While some marine‐protected areas (MPAs) were placed to alleviate these stressors, it is unclear whether these MPAs are managed or enforced, thus providing limited protection. Yet, most importantly, MPAs in the Red Sea were not designed using climate considerations, likely diminishing their effectiveness against global stressors. Here, we propose to tailor the design of MPAs in the Red Sea by integrating approaches to enhance climate change mitigation and adaptation. First, including coral bleaching susceptibility could produce a more resilient network of MPAs by safeguarding reefs from different thermal regions that vary in spatiotemporal bleaching responses, reducing the risk that all protected reefs will bleach simultaneously. Second, preserving the basin‐wide genetic connectivity patterns that are assisted by mesoscale eddies could further ensure recovery of sensitive populations and maintain species potential to adapt to environmental changes. Finally, protecting mangrove forests in the northern and southern Red Sea that act as major carbon sinks could help offset greenhouse gas emissions. If implemented with multinational cooperation and concerted effort among stakeholders, our portfolio of climate‐tailored approaches may help build a network of MPAs in the Red Sea that protects more effectively its coastal resources against escalating coastal development and climate instability. Beyond the Red Sea, we anticipate this study to serve as an ex le of how to improve the utility of tropical MPAs as climate‐informed conservation tools.
Publisher: American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Date: 02-2021
DOI: 10.1029/2020JC016493
Abstract: Coral reef ecosystems are highly sensitive to thermal anomalies, making them vulnerable to ongoing global warming. Yet, a variety of cooling mechanisms, such as upwelling, can offer some respite to certain reefs. The Farasan Banks in the southern Red Sea is home to hundreds of coral reefs covering 16,000 km 2 and experiences among the highest water temperatures of any coral‐reef region despite exposure to summertime upwelling. We deployed an array of temperature loggers on coral reefs in the Farasan Banks, enabling us to evaluate the skill of satellite‐based sea surface temperature (SST) products for capturing patterns of upwelling. Additionally, we used remote sensing products to investigate the physical drivers of upwelling, and to better understand how upwelling modulates summertime heat stress on coral communities. Our results show that various satellite SST products underestimate reef‐water temperatures but differ in their ability to capture the spatial and temporal dynamics of upwelling. Monsoon winds from June to September drive the upwelling in the southern Red Sea via Ekman transport of surface waters off the shelf, and this process is ultimately controlled by the southwest Indian monsoon in the Arabian Sea. Further, the timing of the cessation of monsoon winds regulates the maximum water temperatures that are reached in September and October. In addition to describing the patterns and mechanisms of upwelling, we discuss the potential ecological implications of this upwelling system, including modulation of coral bleaching events and effects on bio ersity, sea turtle reproduction, fish pelagic larval duration, and planktivore populations.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-10-2020
DOI: 10.1002/LOL2.10170
Abstract: Mangroves have the capacity to sequester organic carbon (C org ) in their sediments permanently. However, the carbon budget of mangroves is also affected by the total alkalinity (TA) budget. Principally, TA emitted from carbonate sediment dissolution is a perennial sink of atmospheric CO 2 . The assessment of the TA budget of mangrove carbonate sediments in the Red Sea revealed a large TA emission of 403 ± 17 mmol m −2 d −1 , independent of light, seasons, or the presence of pneumatophores, compared to −36 ± 10 mmol m −2 d −1 in lagoon sediment. We estimate the TA emission from carbonate dissolution in Red Sea mangroves supported a CO 2 uptake of 345 ± 15 gC m −2 yr −1 , 23‐fold the C org burial rate of 15 gC m −2 yr −1 . The focus on C org burial in sediments may substantially underestimate the role of mangroves in CO 2 removal. Quantifying the role of mangroves in climate change mitigation requires carbonate dissolution to be included in assessments.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-08-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-022-17908-3
Abstract: Demographic analyses offer insight into the state of a population. Here, we surveyed different reef flat zones (exposed, midreef and sheltered) of six reefs over a cross-shelf gradient to characterize the population structure of Stylophora pistillata , a coral species which dominates reef flats in the central Red Sea. Phototransects were conducted at each reef flat zone, and the density of S. pistillata , the planar area of each colony, and the occurrence of partial mortality were calculated using the program ImageJ. Each colony was also assigned a color morph (yellow, purple or mixed colors). Density and mean size were extremely variable, both among reef flat zones and reefs, but overall, both metrics were lower on the midshelf reefs. The yellow color morph accounted for nearly 90% of colonies surveyed and dominated most reef flats assessed, with the exception of one site where 81% of colonies were purple morphs. There were no spatial trends in the percentage of colonies suffering partial mortality, but overall there is a positive correlation with size class and proportion of colonies with partial mortality. Despite few trends emerging from assessing in idual parameters, a PERMANOVA analysis revealed differences among reef flat zones in most of the reefs, highlighting the importance of multivariate analysis. The data presented here serve as a baseline for monitoring and may identify possible future demographic changes to this important coral species in a region increasingly affected by bleaching events.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2021.151639
Abstract: Sometimes called the "lab rat" of coral research, Stylophora pistillata (Esper, 1797) has been extensively used in coral biology in studies ranging from reef ecology to coral metabolic processes, and has been used as a model for investigations into molecular and cellular biology. Previously thought to be a common species spanning a wide distribution through the Indo-Pacific region, "S. pistillata" is in fact four genetically distinct lineages (clades) with different evolutionary histories and geographical distributions. Here, we review the studies of stress responses of S. pistillatasensulato (clades 1-4) and highlight research trends and knowledge gaps. We identify 126 studies on stress responses including effects of temperature, acidification, eutrophication, pollutants and other local impacts. We find that most studies have focused on the effect of single stressors, especially increased temperature, and have neglected the combined effects of multiple stressors. Roughly 61% of studies on S. pistillata come from the northern Red Sea (clade 4), at the extreme limit of its current distribution clades 2 and 3 are virtually unstudied. The overwhelming majority of studies were conducted in laboratory or mesocosm conditions, with field experiments constituting only 2% of studies. We also note that a variety of experimental designs and treatment conditions makes it difficult to draw general conclusions about the effects of particular stressors on S. pistillata. Given those knowledge gaps and limitations in the published research, we suggest a more standardized approach to compare responses across geographically disparate populations and more accurately anticipate responses to predicted future climate conditions.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2020
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 23-02-2022
DOI: 10.1128/SPECTRUM.00903-21
Abstract: Mangrove ecosystems are increasingly being recognized for their potential to sequester atmospheric carbon, thereby mitigating the effects of anthropogenically driven greenhouse gas emissions. The bacterial community in the soils plays an important role in the breakdown and recycling of carbon and other nutrients.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-12-2020
DOI: 10.1002/ECY.3226
Location: No location found
Location: Saudi Arabia
Location: Saudi Arabia
No related grants have been discovered for Susana Carvalho.