Bennett-Smith et al. 2022
Novel in situ observations of asexual reproduction in the carpet sea anemone, Stichodactyla mertensii.
https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/84415/
Thomson et al. 2022
‘Contrasting Effects of Local Environmental and Biogeographic Factors on the Composition and Structure of Bacterial Communities in Arid Monospecific Mangrove Soils’
T. Thomson, M. Fusi, M. F. Bennett-Smith, N. Prinz, E. Aylagas, S. Carvalho, C. E. Lovelock, B. H. Jones, and J. I. Ellis
Abstract
Mangrove forests are important biotic sinks of atmospheric CO2 and play an integral role in nutrient-cycling and decontamination of coastal waters, thereby mitigating climatic and anthropogenic stressors. These services are primarily regulated by the activity of the soil microbiome. To understand how environmental changes may affect this vital part of the ecosystem, it is key to understand the patterns that drive microbial community assembly in mangrove forest soils. High-throughput amplicon sequencing (16S rRNA) was applied on samples from arid Avicennia marina forests across different spatial scales from local to regional. Alongside conventional analyses of community ecology, microbial co-occurrence networks were assessed to investigate differences in composition and structure of the bacterial community. The bacterial community composition varied more strongly along an intertidal gradient within each mangrove forest, than between forests in different geographic regions (Australia/Saudi Arabia). In contrast, co-occurrence networks differed primarily between geographic regions, illustrating that the structure of the bacterial community is not necessarily linked to its composition. The local diversity in mangrove forest soils may have important implications for the quantification of biogeochemical processes and is important to consider when planning restoration activities.
Bennett-Smith et al. 2021
‘Clownfish hosting anemones (Anthozoa, Actiniaria) of the Red Sea: new associations and distributions, historical misidentifications, and morphological variability’
Morgan F. Bennett-Smith, John E. Majoris, Benjamin M. Titus & Michael L. Berumen.
Abstract
Background
The Red Sea contains thousands of kilometers of fringing reef systems inhabited by clownfish and sea anemones, yet there is no consensus regarding the diversity of host anemone species that inhabit this region. We sought to clarify a historical record and recent literature sources that disagree on the diversity of host anemone species in the Red Sea, which contains one endemic anemonefish, Amphiprion bicinctus Rüppell 1830.
Results
We conducted 73 surveys spanning ~ 1600 km of coastline from the northern Saudi Arabian Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and encountered seven species of host anemones, six of which hosted A. bicinctus. We revise the list of symbionts for A. bicinctus to include Stichodactyla haddoni (Saville-Kent, 1893) and Stichodactyla mertensii Brandt, 1835 which were both observed in multiple regions. We describe Red Sea phenotypic variability in Heteractis crispa (Hemprich & Ehrenberg in Ehrenberg, 1834) and Heteractis aurora (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833), which may indicate that these species hybridize in this region. We did not encounter Stichodactyla gigantea (Forsskål, 1775), although the Red Sea is the type locality for this species. Further, a thorough review of peer-reviewed literature, occurrence records, and misidentified basis of record reports dating back to the early twentieth century indicate that it is unlikely that S. gigantea occurs in the Red Sea.
Conclusions
In sum, we present a new guide for the host anemones of the Red Sea, revise the host specificity of A. bicinctus, and question whether S. gigantea occurs in the central and western Indian Ocean.
Clownfish hosting anemones (Anthozoa, Actiniaria) of the Red Sea: new associations and distributions, historical misidentifications, and morphological variability
Abstract
Background
The Red Sea contains thousands of kilometers of fringing reef systems inhabited by clownfish and sea anemones, yet there is no consensus regarding the diversity of host anemone species that inhabit this region. We sought to clarify a historical record and recent literature sources that disagree on the diversity of host anemone species in the Red Sea, which contains one endemic anemonefish, Amphiprion bicinctus Rüppell 1830.
Results
We conducted 73 surveys spanning ~ 1600 km of coastline from the northern Saudi Arabian Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and encountered seven species of host anemones, six of which hosted A. bicinctus. We revise the list of symbionts for A. bicinctus to include Stichodactyla haddoni (Saville-Kent, 1893) and Stichodactyla mertensii Brandt, 1835 which were both observed in multiple regions. We describe Red Sea phenotypic variability in Heteractis crispa(Hemprich & Ehrenberg in Ehrenberg, 1834) and Heteractis aurora (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833), which may indicate that these species hybridize in this region. We did not encounter Stichodactyla gigantea (Forsskål, 1775), although the Red Sea is the type locality for this species. Further, a thorough review of peer-reviewed literature, occurrence records, and misidentified basis of record reports dating back to the early twentieth century indicate that it is unlikely that S. gigantea occurs in the Red Sea.
Conclusions
In sum, we present a new guide for the host anemones of the Red Sea, revise the host specificity of A. bicinctus, and question whether S. gigantea occurs in the central and western Indian Ocean.
Hidden Gems of the Middle East
My thoughts on diving and photographing the hidden gems of the Eastern Red Sea in Saudi Arabia, for housingcamera.com
My thoughts on diving and photographing some of the habitats of the Eastern Red Sea, for housingcamera.com.
Shooting Split Shots with a Small Dome Port
One piece of advice in capturing split shots is often, “use a giant dome port.” But most people shooting underwater don’t have giant dome ports. They’re hard to travel with, expensive, and usually reserved for larger-sensor cameras.
So, can you shoot split shots with a small dome, on a smaller camera?
Yes - and in this article I describe my experiences shooting splits with a relatively small dome on a micro 4/3 camera. For housing camera.com.
One piece of advice in capturing split shots is often, “use a giant dome port.” But most people shooting underwater don’t have giant dome ports. They’re hard to travel with, expensive, and usually reserved for larger-sensor cameras.
So, can you shoot split shots with a small dome, on a smaller camera?
Yes - and in this article I describe my experiences shooting splits with a relatively small dome on a micro 4/3 camera. For housing camera.com.
https://www.housingcamera.com/blog/underwater-photography/shooting-split-shots-with-a-small-dome-port