About
61
Publications
16,650
Reads
How we measure 'reads'
A 'read' is counted each time someone views a publication summary (such as the title, abstract, and list of authors), clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the full-text. Learn more
657
Citations
Citations since 2017
Introduction
Additional affiliations
February 2010 - May 2014
Publications
Publications (61)
Photosynthates released by benthic primary producers (BPP), such as reef algae and scleractinian corals, fuel the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) production on tropical coral reefs. DOC concentrations near BPP have repeatedly been observed to be elevated compared to those in the surrounding water column. As the DOC release of BPP increases with incr...
Turf algae increasingly dominate benthic communities on coral reefs. Given their abundance and high dissolved organic carbon (DOC) release rates, turf algae are considered important contributors to the DOC pool on modern reefs. The release of photosynthetically fixed carbon as DOC generally, but not always, increases with increased light availabili...
Coral-excavating sponges are the most important bioeroders on Caribbean reefs and increase in abundance throughout the region. This increase is commonly attributed to a concomitant increase in food availability due to eutrophication and pollution. We therefore investigated the uptake of organic matter by the two coral-excavating sponges Siphonodict...
Benthic cyanobacterial mats (BCMs) are increasing in abundance on coral reefs worldwide. However, their impacts on biogeochemical cycling in the surrounding water and sediment are virtually unknown. By measuring chemical fluxes in benthic chambers placed over sediment covered by BCMs and sediment with BCMs removed on coral reefs in Curaçao, Souther...
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) release of three algal and two coral species was determined at three light intensities (0, 30–80, and 200–400 μmol photons m–2 s–1) in ex situ incubations to quantify the effect of light availability on
DOC release by reef primary producers. DOC release of three additional algal species was quantified at the highest l...
Sponges, among the oldest extant multicellular organisms on Earth,¹ play a key role in the cycling of nutrients in many aquatic ecosystems.2, 3, 4, 5 They need to employ strategies to prevent clogging of their internal filter system by solid wastes,6, 7, 8 but self-cleaning mechanisms are largely unknown. It is commonly assumed that sponges remove...
The increased release of dissolved organic matter (DOM) by algae has been associated with the fast but inefficient growth of opportunistic microbial pathogens and the ongoing degradation of coral reefs. Turf algae (consortia of microalgae and macroalgae commonly including cyanobacteria) dominate benthic communities on many reefs worldwide. Opposite...
Reef-building corals are ecosystem engineers that compete with other benthic organisms for space and resources. Corals harvest energy through their surface by photosynthesis and heterotrophic feeding, and they divert part of this energy to defend their outer colony perimeter against competitors. Here, we hypothesized that corals with a larger space...
Sponges play a key role in (re)cycling of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and inorganic nutrients in coral reef ecosystems. Macroalgae and corals release different quantities of DOM and at different bioavailabilities to sponges and their microbiome. Given the current coral- to algal-dominance shift on coral reefs, we assessed the differential proces...
All organisms host a diversity of associated viruses, bacteria, and protists, collectively defined as the holobiont. While scientific advancements have enhanced the understanding of the functional roles played by various components of the holobiont, there is a growing need to integrate multiple types of molecular data into spatially and temporally...
Primary producers release oxygen as the by-product of photosynthetic light reactions during the day. However, a prevalent, globally-occurring nighttime spike in dissolved oxygen in the absence of light challenges the traditional assumption that biological oxygen production is limited to daylight hours, particularly in tropical coral reefs. Here we...
Sponges are important ecological and functional components of coral reefs. Recently, a new hypothesis about the functional ecology of sponges in organic matter recycling pathways, the sponge‐loop hypothesis, in which dissolved and particulate organic matter is taken up by sponges and shunted to higher trophic levels as detritus, has been proposed a...
Sponges are ubiquitous on coral reefs, mostly long lived and therefore adaptive to changing environmental conditions. They feed on organic matter withdrawn from the passing water and they may harbor microorganisms (endosymbionts), which contribute to their nutrition. Their diets and stable isotope (SI) fractionation determine the SI signature of th...
Fig. S2. Phosphate concentrations on the Saba Bank.
Variations in soluble reactive phosphate (PO43−) in surface water along the S-SE and E-NE side of the Saba Bank in 2011 and 2013 with standard deviations.
Fig. S3. Dissolved organic carbon concentrations on the Saba Bank.
Variations in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in surface water along the S-SE and E-NE side of the Saba Bank in 2011 and 2013 with standard deviations.
Fig. S1. Nitrate concentrations on the Saba Bank.
Variations in inorganic nitrate (NO3−) in surface water along the S-SE and E-NE side of the Saba Bank in 2011 and 2013 with standard deviations.
Saba Bank raw sponge stable isotope and nutriënt data.
(Sheet Stations) Names and positions of stations sampled on the Saba Bank in October 2011 and October 2013.(Sheet Sponges SI) Stable isotope signatures of sponges collected on the Saba Bank in October 2011 and October 2013. Position of station numbers are presented on sheet Stations.(Sheet Macr...
Fig. S4. DIN/PO43− ratio on the Saba Bank.
Corals have built reefs on the benthos for millennia, becoming an essential element in marine ecosystems. Climate change and human impact, however, are favoring the invasion of non-calcifying benthic algae and reducing coral coverage. Corals rely on energy derived from photosynthesis and heterotrophic feeding, which depends on their surface area, t...
In situ DOC concentrations and light intensity measured during the water sampling at 20, 10, and 5 m depth
Primary production due to photosynthesis results in daytime oxygen production across marine and freshwater ecosystems. However, a prevalent, globally-occurring nighttime spike in dissolved oxygen (DO) challenges our traditional assumption that oxygen production is limited to daylight hours, particularly in tropical coral reefs. When considered in t...
Primary production due to photosynthesis results in daytime oxygen production across marine and freshwater ecosystems. However, a prevalent, globally-occurring nighttime spike in dissolved oxygen (DO) challenges our traditional assumption that oxygen production is limited to daylight hours, particularly in tropical coral reefs. When considered in t...
Primary production due to photosynthesis results in daytime oxygen production across marine and freshwater ecosystems. However, a prevalent, globally-occurring nighttime spike in dissolved oxygen (DO) challenges our traditional assumption that oxygen production is limited to daylight hours, particularly in tropical coral reefs. When considered in t...
The coral excavating sponge Cliona delitrix is one of the most aggressive and conspicuous excavating sponges on Caribbean reefs. While C. delitrix is very prominent displaying its typical encrusting growth form (β-stage) on the Caribbean island of Bonaire, it is rather elusive and only exhibits a papillated habitus (α-stage) on the neighboring isla...
The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool on tropical coral reefs is mainly fueled by photosynthates released from benthic primary producers (BPP), such as reef algae and scleractinian corals. DOC concentrations near BPP have repeatedly been observed to be elevated compared to those in the surrounding water column. As the DOC release of BPP increases...
The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool on tropical coral reefs is mainly fueled by photosynthates released from benthic primary producers (BPP), such as reef algae and scleractinian corals. DOC concentrations near BPP have repeatedly been observed to be elevated compared to those in the surrounding water column. As the DOC release of BPP increases...
Length–weight relationships (LWRs) of 139 coral reef and pelagic fish species (representing 34 fish families) were calculated based on 3806 individuals measured at local fish markets near the Davao Gulf in the southern Philippines during weekly visits between March 2009 and July 2011, as well as in June 2012. Fishes were caught with a variety of fi...
![Figure 3 (A) Nitrate [NO − 3 ], (B) nitrite [NO − 2 ], (C) ammonium [NH...](profile/Benjamin-Mueller-3/publication/286342347/figure/fig2/AS:616366080008193@1523964533771/A-Nitrate-NO-3-B-nitrite-NO-2-C-ammonium-NH-4-and-D-phosphate_Q320.jpg)
Marine organism are often kept, cultured, and experimented on in running seawater aquaria. However, surprisingly little attention is given to the nutrient composition of the water flowing through these systems, which is generally assumed to equal
in situ
conditions, but may change due to the presence of biofouling organisms. Significantly lower bac...
High resolution photographs biofouling inlet pipe 0–4 m
R-script statistical analysis
Raw data bacterial abundances and inorganic nutrients
High resolution photographs biofouling inlet pipe 8–12 m
High resolution photographs biofouling inlet pipe 12–14 m
High resolution photographs biofouling inlet pipe 4–8 m
The effect of light on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) release of benthic primary producers (BPPs) was investigated on the coral reefs of Curaçao. Incubation experiments revealed a positive relation between the DOC release of four Caribbean reef algae (Cladophora sp., Dictyota menstrualis, Lobophora variegata, turf algae) and light availability (lig...
Many coral reef ecosystems have shifted from coral to algal dominance. To what extent this shift in dominance pattern alters the primary productivity of reefs has received relatively little attention. Using 13C labeling we assessed the contribution of different benthic primary producers and phytoplankton of a degraded coral reef in the Caribbean. T...
Mating of the relatively common sea star, Archaster typicus, provides an excellent opportunity to study maturation processes and behavioral differences between males and females, since monomorphism does not allow separation under normal conditions. The present study determined biological and behavioral features of males and females during the matin...
Removals of crown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster planci L.) are crucial initiatives in limiting the damage
to coral reefs during outbreaks, but have often been unable to control the populations. We hypothesized
that reef topography and exact timing of removals (before reproduction) determine their success and
studied these in reefs along the west...
We document the co-occurrence of two Caribbean species of free-living zooxanthellate corals, Meandrina danae (Milne-Edwards and Haime 1848) (Fig. 1a) and Manicina areolata (Linnaeus 1758) (Fig. 1b), in a previously not well-documented environment. The two species were encountered at three locations (ranging from 30 to 50 m depth) on the windward si...
Polyps of the corallimorpharian Paracorynactis hoplites were studied in coral reefs of the Davao Gulf, the Philippines, between October 2007 and January 2009. Polyps of Paracorynactis hoplites preyed mainly on echinoderms. Predation on seven species of echinoderms was observed in the fi eld (four asteroids, two echinoids and one holothurian); an ad...
The ecology of sea stars appears to be related to their locomotive abilities. This relationship was studied for the sea stars Acanthaster planci, Archaster typicus, Linckia laevigata, and Protoreaster nodosus in the coastal waters of Samal Island, the Philippines between May and July 2008. In order to avoid the sensory interruptions that sea stars...
Archaster typicus, a common sea star in Indo-Pacific regions, has been a target for the ornamental trade, even though little is known about its population biology. Spatial and temporal patterns of abundance and size structure of A. typicus were studied in the Davao Gulf, the Philippines (125°42.7′E, 7°0.6′N), from February 2008 to December 2009. Sp...
Projects
Projects (2)
Study age-class development of sea star populations.
Describe and quantify biological and ecological aspects of Indo-Pacific sea star (e.g. reproductive strategies, locomotion, predation, etc.).
SponGES is a research and innovation project funded under the H2020 Blue Growth BG1 call aimed at “Improving the preservation and sustainable exploitation of Atlantic marine ecosystems”. Its overarching goal is to develop an integrated ecosystem-based approach to preserve and sustainably use deep-sea sponge ecosystems of the North Atlantic. Its consortium, an international and interdisciplinary collaboration of 19 European and North American research institutions, environmental non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations, will focus on one of the most diverse, ecologically and biologically important and vulnerable marine ecosystems of the deep-sea - sponge grounds – that have received very little research and conservation attention to date. Over the course of four years, from March 2016 - Feb 2020, SponGES will:
1 - Strengthen the knowledge-base on North Atlantic sponge ground ecosystems by investigating their distribution, diversity, biogeography, function and dynamics;
2 - Improve innovation and industrial application by unlocking the biotechnological potential of these ecosystems;
3 - Improve the capacity to model, understand and predict threats and impacts and future anthropogenic and climate-driven changes to these ecosystems;
4 - Advance the science-policy interface and developing tools for improved resource management and good governance of these ecosystems from regional to international levels across the North Atlantic.
Want to know more? Follow us on:
www.deepseasponges.org
https://www.facebook.com/Deep-Sea-Sponges-1101396993244491/
https://twitter.com/DeepSea_Sponges
*SponGES has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 679849
