Caribbean yellow band disease compromises the activity of catalase and glutathione S-transferase in the reef-building coral Orbicella faveolata exposed to anthracene

Management strategy influences coral oxidative stress responses in a marine protected area in the Southwestern Atlantic

Coral reefs are experiencing accelerated degradation due to global and local stressors. The understanding of how corals cope with these disturbances is urgent. We focused on elucidating antioxidant capacity responses of the Mussismilia harttii and Siderastrea sp. corals, in reefs with use management in a marine protected area. We tested whether the activity of antioxidant enzymes in healthy colonies is higher at multiple-use reefs than at no-take reef, and whether the activity of antioxidant enzymes is higher for bleached than for healthy Siderastrea sp. colonies. Lipid peroxidation and enzymatic activity found in bleached colonies evidence chronic stress and cellular damage not related to thermal anomalies. Chronic stress in healthy colonies was also found but responses differed among species, being higher at multiple use reefs, mainly for Siderastrea sp. We highlight the role of the local conservation actions in the integrity of coral physiology and reef resilience under global climate changes.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in coral reefs with a focus on Scleractinian corals: A systematic overview

The impact of petroleum exploitation and oil spills in marine ecosystems has increased over time. Among the concerns regarding these events, the impact on coral reefs stand out because this ecosystem has ecological and economic importance and is globally threatened. We performed a systematic review and bibliometric analysis of studies that determine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in coral reefs, attempting to answer how the studies were distributed around the globe, the main environmental matrices and species of coral studied, the main PAHs found and their mean concentrations, and the methodology used. A bibliographic search resulted in 42 studies with worldwide distribution. The bibliometric results presented more explored terms, such as sediments and toxicology, and newly investigated terms, which should encourage a new area of study, such as those related to zooxanthellae and mucus. The main matrices studied in coral reefs are sediments, corals, and water, whereas air and other invertebrates have rarely been studied. Approximately 45 species of corals with several morphotypes have been reported. PAHs recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) were analyzed in all studies, while additional compounds were analyzed in only five. The methods used to determine hydrocarbons are predominantly the most traditional; however, for corals, studies have tended to separate tissue, zooxanthellae, skeleton, and mucus. In the future, we recommend investment in improving the capacity to detect non-conventional PAHs, more studies in regions that are rarely explored in developing countries, and the creation of databases to facilitate management planning on marine coasts.