Coral restoration can drive rapid reef carbonate budget recovery.

Restoration is increasingly seen as a necessary tool to reverse ecological decline across terrestrial and marine ecosystems.1,2 Considering the unprecedented loss of coral cover and associated reef ecosystem services, active coral restoration is gaining traction in local management strategies and has recently seen major increases in scale. However, the extent to which coral restoration may restore key reef functions is poorly understood.3,4 Carbonate budgets, defined as the balance between calcium carbonate production and erosion, influence a reef's ability to provide important geo-ecological functions including structural complexity, reef framework production, and vertical accretion.5 Here we present the first assessment of reef carbonate budget trajectories at restoration sites. The study was conducted at one of the world's largest coral restoration programs, which transplants healthy coral fragments onto hexagonal metal frames to consolidate degraded rubble fields.6 Within 4 years, fast coral growth supports a rapid recovery of coral cover (from 17% ± 2% to 56% ± 4%), substrate rugosity (from 1.3 ± 0.1 to 1.7 ± 0.1) and carbonate production (from 7.2 ± 1.6 to 20.7 ± 2.2 kg m-2 yr-1). Four years after coral transplantation, net carbonate budgets have tripled and are indistinguishable from healthy control sites (19.1 ± 3.1 and 18.7 ± 2.2 kg m-2 yr-1, respectively). However, taxa-level contributions to carbonate production differ between restored and healthy reefs due to the preferential use of branching corals for transplantation. While longer observation times are necessary to observe any self-organization ability of restored reefs (natural recruitment, resilience to thermal stress), we demonstrate the potential of large-scale, well-managed coral restoration projects to recover important ecosystem functions within only 4 years.

Massive corals maintain a positive carbonate budget of a Maldivian upper reef platform despite major bleaching event.

Coral reefs experienced the third global bleaching event in 2015-2016 due to high sea-surface temperature (SST) anomalies. Declines in net carbonate production associated with coral bleaching are implicated in reef structural collapse and cascading impacts for adjacent coral reef islands. We present the first carbonate budget study of a reef platform surface (reef crest and reef flat) in the southern Maldives and the first record of upper reef flat condition in the central Indian Ocean post the 2015-2016 coral bleaching event. Scleractinian corals were the primary carbonate producers, with live coral cover averaging between 11.1 ± 6.5 and 31.2 ± 21.8% and dominated by massive corals. Gross carbonate production rates averaged 5.9 ± 2.5 G (kg CaCO3 m2 yr-1). Bioerosion was estimated at 3.4 ± 0.4 G, resulting in an average net carbonate production rate of 2.5 ± 2.4 G. Comparison of results with a study of the fore-reef slope highlights major differences in post-bleaching carbonate budget state between the fore-reef slope and the reef platform surface. The positive reef flat carbonate budget is attributed to the persistence of massive corals (Porites spp. and Heliopora spp.) through the bleaching event.

Assessment of Caveolae/Lipid Rafts in Isolated Cells.

This chapter outlines protocols to evaluate protein localization, recruitment or phosphorylation levels in cholesterol/sphingolipids-enriched cell membrane domains and recommends experimental designs with pharmacological tolls to evaluate potential cell functions associated with these domains. We emphasize the need for the combination of several approaches towards understanding the protein components and cellular functions attributed to these distinct microdomains.

Bioavailability and risk assessment of arsenic in surface sediments of the Yangtze River estuary.

The bioavailability and risk assessment of As were studied in sediments of the Yangtze River estuary (YRE). Results showed that residual fractions dominated the As partition (>85%), which attenuated overall bioavailability. After the residual fraction, As mainly partitioned into the Fe-Mn oxides fraction (3.16-4.22%). Arsenic bound to Fe-Mn oxides was higher in wet seasons. The carbonate fraction was minimal, which may result from the negative state presence of As in sediments. According to the risk assessment code, the YRE was classified as low risk. Additionally, the reduction of As(V) to As(III) may occur due to the reducing condition in wet seasons. Considering As(III) is more toxic and mobile, As bound to the exchangeable and Fe-Mn oxides fractions may have more potential ecological risk. Thus, the speciation and fraction should be both considered on the ecological risk of As in sediments of the YRE.

A cost effective cultivation medium for biocalcification of Bacillus pasteurii KCTC 3558 and its effect on cement cubes properties.

Application of carbonate precipitation induced by Bacillus pasteurii for improving some properties of cement has been reported. However, it is not yet successful in commercial scale due to the high cost of cultivation medium. This is the first report on the application of effluent from chicken manure bio-gas plant, a high protein content agricultural waste, as an alternative growth medium for carbonate precipitation by B. pasteurii KCTC3558. Urease activity of B. pasteurii KCTC3558 cultured in chicken manure effluent medium and other three standard media were examined using phenate method. The highest urease production was achieved in chicken manure effluent medium (16.756Umg(-1) protein). Cost per liter of chicken manure effluent medium is up to 88.2% lower than other standard media. The most effective cultivation media was selected for carbonate precipitation study in cement cubes. Water absorption, voids, apparent density and compressive strength of cement cubes were measured according to the ASTM standard. The correlation between the increasing density and compressive strength of bacterial added cement cube was evident. The density of bacterial cement cube is 5.1% higher than control while the compressive strength of cement mixed with bacterial cells in chicken manure effluent medium increases up to 30.2% compared with control. SEM and XRD analysis also found the crystalline phase of calcium carbonate within bacterial cement which confirmed that the increasing density and compressive strength were resulted from bacterial carbonate precipitation. This study indicated that the effluent from chicken manure bio-gas plant could be used as an alternative cost effective culture medium for cultivation and biocalcification of B. pasteurii KCTC3558 in cement.

Baseline Assessment of Net Calcium Carbonate Accretion Rates on U.S. Pacific Reefs.

This paper presents a comprehensive quantitative baseline assessment of in situ net calcium carbonate accretion rates (g CaCO3 cm(-2) yr(-1)) of early successional recruitment communities on Calcification Accretion Unit (CAU) plates deployed on coral reefs at 78 discrete sites, across 11 islands in the central and south Pacific Oceans. Accretion rates varied substantially within and between islands, reef zones, levels of wave exposure, and island geomorphology. For forereef sites, mean accretion rates were the highest at Rose Atoll, Jarvis, and Swains Islands, and the lowest at Johnston Atoll and Tutuila. A comparison between reef zones showed higher accretion rates on forereefs compared to lagoon sites; mean accretion rates were also higher on windward than leeward sites but only for a subset of islands. High levels of spatial variability in net carbonate accretion rates reported herein draw attention to the heterogeneity of the community assemblages. Percent cover of key early successional taxa on CAU plates did not reflect that of the mature communities present on surrounding benthos, possibly due to the short deployment period (2 years) of the experimental units. Yet, net CaCO3 accretion rates were positively correlated with crustose coralline algae (CCA) percent cover on the surrounding benthos and on the CAU plates, which on average represented >70% of the accreted material. For foreeefs and lagoon sites combined CaCO3 accretion rates were statistically correlated with total alkalinity and Chlorophyll-a; a GAM analysis indicated that SiOH and Halimeda were the best predictor variables of accretion rates on lagoon sites, and total alkalinity and Chlorophyll-a for forereef sites, demonstrating the utility of CAUs as a tool to monitor changes in reef accretion rates as they relate to ocean acidification. This study underscores the pivotal role CCA play as a key benthic component and supporting actively calcifying reefs; high Mg-calcite exoskeletons makes CCA extremely susceptible changes in ocean water pH, emphasizing the far-reaching threat that ocean acidification poses to the ecological function and persistence of coral reefs worldwide.

The biology and economics of coral growth.

To protect natural coral reefs, it is of utmost importance to understand how the growth of the main reef-building organisms-the zooxanthellate scleractinian corals-is controlled. Understanding coral growth is also relevant for coral aquaculture, which is a rapidly developing business. This review paper provides a comprehensive overview of factors that can influence the growth of zooxanthellate scleractinian corals, with particular emphasis on interactions between these factors. Furthermore, the kinetic principles underlying coral growth are discussed. The reviewed information is put into an economic perspective by making an estimation of the costs of coral aquaculture.

Is the availability of different nutrients a critical factor for the impact of bacteria on subterraneous carbon budgets?

Bacteria thriving in underground systems, such as karsts, adapt to use a variety of nutrients. Most of these nutrients derive from superficial processes. This study shows that bacteria are able to differentially induce carbonate precipitation or dissolution depending on the availability of nutrients for growth. Different bacterial strains isolated from caves, representing the most common components of these microbial communities, were cultured with different carbon and nitrogen sources (e.g., acetate, glucose, peptone, humic acids) and induced changes in pH were measured during growth. Carbonate can either precipitate or dissolve during bacterial growth. The induction of carbonate precipitates or their dissolution as a function of consumption of specific carbon sources revealed the existence of an active nutrient cycling process in karsts and links nutrients and environmental conditions to the existence of a highly significant carbon sink in subterraneous environments.

Clinical use of NISR 440 polycarbonate membrane for hemodialysis.

1. In order to accredit the NISR440 Polycarbonate Membrane for clinical studies, the following was accomplished and/or established: a. Casting and synthesis were increased from the laboratory level to production scale. b. Quality control of permeabilities and physical properties was within +/- 5%, from membrane lot to lot and within the same roll. c. The target properties of the Artificial Kidney Program (NIH) were reached(7): 1) Middle M. W. solute permeability of marked molecules was established by 3 different laboratories and averaged: Vitamin B12 - 296 x Cuprophan¿; Inulin 3.6 x Cuprophan¿; Bacitracin 2.94 x Cuprophan¿. 2) Low M. W. species permeabilities were approximately the same as Cuprophan¿, to avoid a depletion syndrome. 3) Hydraulic permeability was essentially the same as Cuprophan¿ (UF rate 1.25 to 2.0 x Cuprophan¿) to avoid dehydration and hypotension. 4) Burst strength was 1.5 to 2.0 x Cuprophan¿. d. Toxicology studies were all negative in spot and in serial lot testing. e. Non-thrombogenicity tests (Lindholm test) were up to 36.6% better than Cuprophan¿. f. No protein adsorption was found. g. The membrane could be produced in the wet and dry state with the same permeability and physical properties. 2. In an earlier clinical study at USC, it was established that: a. There were no toxic effects manifested in patients in 25 episodic studies. b. Clearances forlow M. W. solutes and hydraulic permeabilities were, as targeted, approximately the same as Cuprophan¿. c. In 4 1/2 mos of a double blind study of 6 patients, no significant toxic effects were noted for either the patients on Cuprophan¿ or NISR 440 Polycarbonate Membrane. Two patients had an increase of hematocrit. 3. The ability to heat seal the membrane in the periphery and in channels through many layers, combined with its relative rigidity when wet, make possible clinical hemodialyzer designs approximately the size of a package of cigarettes and inexpensive to produce.