David G. Bourne
YOU?
Author Swipe
View article: Seascape Genomics Reveal Contrasting Population Structure in Sympatric and Congeneric Corals Across Thermal Clines
Seascape Genomics Reveal Contrasting Population Structure in Sympatric and Congeneric Corals Across Thermal Clines Open
Aim Understanding local adaptation in species along environmental gradients provides insight for how species can and will adapt to increasing climate‐driven marine heatwaves. Here, the population structure of two closely related Pocillopor…
View article: Bacterial Dynamics in Newly Settled <i>Acropora kenti</i> : Insights From Inoculations With Individual Probiotic Candidates
Bacterial Dynamics in Newly Settled <i>Acropora kenti</i> : Insights From Inoculations With Individual Probiotic Candidates Open
Bacterial probiotics hold promise for enhancing coral health and stress resilience; however, their application to coral juveniles, which are critical for restorative aquaculture, remains underexplored. Here, we show that the microbiome of …
View article: The planktonic microbiome of the Great Barrier Reef
The planktonic microbiome of the Great Barrier Reef Open
Large genome databases have markedly improved our understanding of marine microorganisms. Although these resources have focused on prokaryotes, genomes from many dominant marine lineages, such as Pelagibacter and Prochlorococcus , are cons…
View article: Sea-weeding enhances early coral survival on seeding devices, but benefits of seeding diminish after one year
Sea-weeding enhances early coral survival on seeding devices, but benefits of seeding diminish after one year Open
Borrowing from principles of aerial seeding in terrestrial reforestation, coral seeding utilises "devices" designed to increase coral spat survival. However, device-assisted coral survival has not been compared to natural survivorship, nor…
View article: Let the fish do the cropping: identifying fish grazers to improve coral aquaculture
Let the fish do the cropping: identifying fish grazers to improve coral aquaculture Open
Controlling the growth of fouling organisms in coral aquaculture is a recognised approach to enhance survival during grow-out of recruits. Herbivorous fish can reduce algae growth, though indiscriminate grazing by the fish pose a risk to t…
View article: Evidence for microbially-mediated tradeoffs between growth and defense throughout coral evolution
Evidence for microbially-mediated tradeoffs between growth and defense throughout coral evolution Open
Background Evolutionary tradeoffs between life-history strategies are important in animal evolution. Because microbes can influence multiple aspects of host physiology, including growth rate and susceptibility to disease or stress, changes…
View article: Improving Coral Grow‐Out Through an Integrated Aquaculture Approach
Improving Coral Grow‐Out Through an Integrated Aquaculture Approach Open
Some coral species in natural reef systems derive benefits from fish which live in close association with them. This study investigates the benefits of incorporating fish in ex situ coral culture to enhance coral physiological performance.…
View article: Biofilm development as a factor driving the degradation of plasticised marine microplastics
Biofilm development as a factor driving the degradation of plasticised marine microplastics Open
Biodegradation of microplastics facilitated by natural marine biofouling is a promising approach for ocean bioremediation. However, implementation requires a comprehensive understanding of how interactions between the marine microbiome and…
View article: Ecosystem transplant from a healthy reef boosts coral health at a degraded reef
Ecosystem transplant from a healthy reef boosts coral health at a degraded reef Open
Organismal communities associated with coral reefs, particularly invertebrates and microbes, play crucial roles in ecosystem maintenance and coral health. Here, we characterized the organismal composition of a healthy, non-urbanized reef (…
View article: Inshore coral reef sediment and turf dynamics unaffected by canopy-forming macroalgae
Inshore coral reef sediment and turf dynamics unaffected by canopy-forming macroalgae Open
Nearshore coral reefs face an increasing abundance of fleshy macroalgae, an indicator of degradation and threat to ecosystem functioning. Removal of macroalgae is proposed to assist coral recovery, though the ecological and physical impact…
View article: The early life microbiome of giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) larvae in a commercial hatchery is influenced by microorganisms in feed
The early life microbiome of giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) larvae in a commercial hatchery is influenced by microorganisms in feed Open
Fish health, growth and disease is intricately linked to its associated microbiome. Understanding the influence, source and ultimately managing the microbiome, particularly for vulnerable early life-stages, has been identified as one of th…
View article: Gene Content of Seawater Microbes is a Strong Predictor of Water Chemistry Across the Great Barrier Reef
Gene Content of Seawater Microbes is a Strong Predictor of Water Chemistry Across the Great Barrier Reef Open
Background Seawater microbes (bacteria and archaea) play essential roles in coral reefs by facilitating nutrient cycling, energy transfer, and overall reef ecosystem functioning. However, environmental disturbances such as degraded water q…
View article: Comparative genomics identifies key adaptive traits of sponge‐associated microbial symbionts
Comparative genomics identifies key adaptive traits of sponge‐associated microbial symbionts Open
Sponge microbiomes are often highly diverse making it difficult to determine which lineages are important for maintaining host health and homeostasis. Characterising genomic traits associated with symbiosis can improve our knowledge of whi…
View article: Symbiodiniaceae diversity varies by host and environment across thermally distinct reefs
Symbiodiniaceae diversity varies by host and environment across thermally distinct reefs Open
Endosymbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodiniaceae) influence coral thermal tolerance at both local and regional scales. In isolation, the effects of host genetics, environment, and thermal disturbances on symbiont communities are well underst…
View article: The road forward to incorporate seawater microbes in predictive reef monitoring
The road forward to incorporate seawater microbes in predictive reef monitoring Open
Marine bacterioplankton underpin the health and function of coral reefs and respond in a rapid and sensitive manner to environmental changes that affect reef ecosystem stability. Numerous meta-omics surveys over recent years have documente…
View article: Marine amphipods as integral members of global ocean ecosystems
Marine amphipods as integral members of global ocean ecosystems Open
Amphipod crustaceans exist across marine habitats from the polar regions to the tropics, providing a critical biological link between benthic/pelagic processes and marine/atmospheric ecosystems. They fulfil many functional roles as predato…
View article: Size matters: Microherbivores make a big impact in coral aquaculture
Size matters: Microherbivores make a big impact in coral aquaculture Open
Reef restoration activities and the ornamental trade are increasing the demand for sexually propagated corals. One challenge faced in scaling up the aquaculture production of corals is high mortality as a result of fouling organisms overgr…
View article: A coral-associated actinobacterium mitigates coral bleaching under heat stress
A coral-associated actinobacterium mitigates coral bleaching under heat stress Open
Background The positive effects of exposing corals to microorganisms have been reported though how the benefits are conferred are poorly understood. Here, we isolated an actinobacterial strain (SCSIO 13291) from Pocillopora damicornis with…
View article: Horizon scanning the application of probiotics for wildlife
Horizon scanning the application of probiotics for wildlife Open
The provision of probiotics benefits the health of a wide range of organisms, from humans to animals and plants. Probiotics can enhance stress resilience of endangered organisms, many of which are critically threatened by anthropogenic imp…
View article: Validation of key sponge symbiont pathways using genome‐centric metatranscriptomics
Validation of key sponge symbiont pathways using genome‐centric metatranscriptomics Open
The sponge microbiome underpins host function through provision and recycling of essential nutrients in a nutrient poor environment. Genomic data suggest that carbohydrate degradation, carbon fixation, nitrogen metabolism, sulphur metaboli…
View article: Life‐stage specificity and cross‐generational climate effects on the microbiome of a tropical sea urchin (Echinodermata: Echinoidea)
Life‐stage specificity and cross‐generational climate effects on the microbiome of a tropical sea urchin (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) Open
Microbes play a critical role in the development and health of marine invertebrates, though microbial dynamics across life stages and host generations remain poorly understood in most reef species, especially in the context of climate chan…
View article: Sea‐weeding: Manual removal of macroalgae facilitates rapid coral recovery
Sea‐weeding: Manual removal of macroalgae facilitates rapid coral recovery Open
Coral reef ecosystems globally are under threat, leading to declining coral cover and macroalgal proliferation. Manually removing macroalgae (i.e. ‘sea‐weeding’) may promote local‐scale coral recovery by reducing a biological barrier, thou…
View article: The microbiome of the branching coral Acropora kenti
The microbiome of the branching coral Acropora kenti Open
Microbial diversity has been extensively explored in reef-building corals however the functional roles of coral-associated microorganisms remain poorly elucidated. Here, metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) were recovered from the coral Acr…
View article: Quantifying capture and ingestion of live feeds across three coral species
Quantifying capture and ingestion of live feeds across three coral species Open
Nutrient acquisition through heterotrophy is critical for the health of reef-building corals. The optimization of exogenous nutrition protocols to support a diversity of aquaculture corals requires improved techniques to assess feeding rat…