During the last 20 years, SAM has developed a multiplicity of hypothesis-driven conservation and restoration projects. Being home to the oldest Community-based coral aquaculture and reef rehabilitation program in the Caribbean, we aim to develop a variety of scientific publications that highlight our commitment towards the conservatiion of our marine resources. Most publications are freely available on our website.
Peer reviewed publications
Toledo-Hernández, Carlos; Ruiz-Diaz, Claudia P.; Díaz-Vázquez, Liz M.; Santiago-Cárdenas, Vanessa; Rosario-Berrios, Derick N.; García-Almedina, Derek M.; Roberson, Loretta M. Comparison of chemical compounds associated with sclerites from healthy and diseased sea fan corals (Gorgonia ventalina) Journal Article In: PeerJ, vol. 10, no. 3677, pp. 1-12, 2017. Toledo-Hernández, Carlos; Ruiz-Diaz, Claudia Patricia; Ramírez-Camejo, Luis; Paniagua, Raiza; Sabat, Alberto M.; Roberson, Loretta; Bayman, Paul The role of sclerites in the defense against pathogens of the sea fan Gorgonia ventalina (Octocorallia) Journal Article In: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, vol. 483, pp. 20-24, 2016.2017
@article{Toledo-Hernández2017,
title = {Comparison of chemical compounds associated with sclerites from healthy and diseased sea fan corals (\textit{Gorgonia ventalina})},
author = {Carlos Toledo-Hernández and Claudia P. Ruiz-Diaz and Liz M. Díaz-Vázquez and Vanessa Santiago-Cárdenas and Derick N. Rosario-Berrios and Derek M. García-Almedina and Loretta M. Roberson},
editor = {Joseph Pawlik},
url = {https://peerj.com/articles/3677/
https://www.sampr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Comparison-of-chemical-compounds-associated-with-sclerites-from-healthy-and-diseased-sea-fan-corals-Gorgonia-ventalina.pdf
},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3677},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-08-25},
urldate = {2017-08-25},
journal = {PeerJ},
volume = {10},
number = {3677},
pages = {1-12},
abstract = {The roles of gorgonian sclerites as structural components and predator deterrents have been widely studied. Yet their role as barriers against microbes has only recently been investigated, and even less is known about the diversity and roles of the chemical compounds associated with sclerites.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
2016
@article{Toledo-Hernández2016,
title = {The role of sclerites in the defense against pathogens of the sea fan \textit{Gorgonia ventalina} (Octocorallia)},
author = {Carlos Toledo-Hernández and Claudia Patricia Ruiz-Diaz and Luis Ramírez-Camejo and Raiza Paniagua and Alberto M. Sabat and Loretta Roberson and Paul Bayman},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022098116301058},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2016.06.002},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-06-01},
urldate = {2016-06-01},
journal = {Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology},
volume = {483},
pages = {20-24},
abstract = {Sessile organisms such as octocorals cannot avoid threats such as predation, parasitism or fungal infections through evasive responses. Instead, they rely on strategies that deter or reduce the impact of these threats. One such strategy is the development of hard structures such as sclerites, which are minute calcium carbonate skeletal elements located on top of the ectoderm and within the mesoglea and gastrodermal tube walls. Sclerites have multiple roles, including structural support of the colony and protection from predators. The role of sclerites as a physical barrier that deters fungal infection, however, is unknown. This study examines the potential role of sea fan sclerites as protection from fungal infection. To accomplish this, four different fungi isolated from healthy sea fans were inoculated into 5 mL tubes filled with culture media and with sclerites from healthy and diseased fans placed on top. To determine whether chemical compounds in the sclerites impact infection, sclerites from healthy and diseased fans were extracted for several days with acetone prior to inoculation. Results showed that the sclerite layer delayed fungal infection from reaching the agar when compared to controls (tubes with agar but no sclerites). There was no difference between tubes with healthy and diseased sclerites, but there were differences among sclerites extracted with acetone. This study suggests that, in addition to the roles in structural support and predator deterrence, sclerites play a role as physical and chemical barriers against to fungal infection.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}