Chase the Dream of Coral is an inspiring book that shines a light on the brave scientists dedicated to saving our coral reefs.Coral reefs are often called the rainforests of the sea because they support a vast number ...Chase the Dream of Coral is an inspiring book that shines a light on the brave scientists dedicated to saving our coral reefs.Coral reefs are often called the rainforests of the sea because they support a vast number of marine species.However,they are facing serious threats from climate change,pollution and overfishing.This book highlights the urgent need to protect these beautiful and vital ecosystems.展开更多
The biocemented coral sand pile composite foundation represents an innovative foundation improvement technology,utilizing Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation(MICP)to consolidate a specific volume of coral sand...The biocemented coral sand pile composite foundation represents an innovative foundation improvement technology,utilizing Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation(MICP)to consolidate a specific volume of coral sand within the foundation into piles with defined strength,thereby enabling them to collaboratively bear external loads with the surrounding unconsolidated coral sand.In this study,a series of shaking table model tests were conducted to explore the dynamic response of the biocemented coral sand pile composite foundation under varying seismic wave types and peak accelerations.The surface macroscopic phenomena,excess pore water pressure ratio,acceleration response,and vertical settlement were measured and analysed in detail.Test results show that seismic wave types play a decisive role in the macroscopic surface phenomena and the response of the excess pore water pressure ratio.The cumulative settlement of the upper structure under the action of Taft waves was about 1.5 times that of El Centro waves and Kobe waves.The most pronounced liquefaction phenomena were recorded under the Taft wave,followed by the El Centro wave,and subsequently the Kobe wave.An observed positive correlation was established between the liquefaction phenomenon and the Aristotelian in-tensity of the seismic waves.However,variations in seismic wave types exerted minimal influence on the ac-celeration amplification factor of the coral sand foundation.Analysis of the acceleration amplification factor revealed a triphasic pattern-initially increasing,subsequently decreasing,and finally increasing again-as burial depth increased,in relation to the peak value of the input acceleration.This study confirms that the biocemented coral sand pile composite foundation can effectively enhance the liquefaction resistance of coral sand foundations..展开更多
Plastic pollution and microplastics in sediments are a growing concern for marine ecosystems worldwide.We examined the vertical distribution and properties of microplastics in beach sediments of Xuwen Coral Reef Natio...Plastic pollution and microplastics in sediments are a growing concern for marine ecosystems worldwide.We examined the vertical distribution and properties of microplastics in beach sediments of Xuwen Coral Reef National Nature Reserve,in Leizhou Peninsula,Zhanjiang,China.Sediment samples were taken in seven locations at 5-cm intervals from the surface to a depth of 30 cm.The vertical distribution of microplastic particles ranged from 0 to 1340 particles per kg on average of 119.05particles per kg.The most prevalent material was fibers(76%),followed by film(12%),fragments(11.2%),and foam(0.8%).The microplastics in size of 1-2 mm constituted the largest percentage(40%)of the total,followed by those in size of<1 mm(26.4%),2-3 mm(21.2%),3-4 mm(9.6%),and 4-5 mm(2.81%).Site S1 observed maximum sizes between 1 and 2 mm,S2 reported higher availability of microplastics with sizes ranging from 0.3 to 1 mm.Six different types of polymers were identified in the investigation,and mostly were polyethylene(PE)and polypropylene(PP).In general,the observation of microplastics in deeper sediments indicates that they have the ability to last for prolonged periods in the marine environment,which may present long-term hazards to benthic creatures.In conclusion,the discovery of microplastics in deep layers of coastal sediments highlights the necessity of minimizing plastic waste and enhancing management strategies to safeguard marine environments.展开更多
The symbiotic association between reef-building corals and Symbiodiniaceae is pivotal for coral reef ecosystems,yet remains susceptible to environmental factors.Currently,there is a dearth of research examining season...The symbiotic association between reef-building corals and Symbiodiniaceae is pivotal for coral reef ecosystems,yet remains susceptible to environmental factors.Currently,there is a dearth of research examining seasonal fluctuations in coral-associated Symbiodiniaceae communities.In this study,we investigated the seasonal dynamics of Symbiodiniaceae communities associated with coral species in the Luhuitou coral reef using high-throughput sequencing techniques and SymPortal analytical framework.The results indicated that the genus Cladocopium exhibited dominance(averaging 82%),followed by Durusdinium(18%)and Breviolum(0.01%)within the examined coral species.Among the 521 Symbiodiniaceae ITS2 sequence types,C15 emerged as the prevalent type(13.24%),trailed by C3u(9.51%)and D1(8.57%).Interestingly,Symbiodiniaceae communities varied among different coral species.Pocillopora damicornis displayed a predominant association with Durusdinium,while Porites lutea,Goniastrea retiformis,Montipora truncata,Montipora aequituberculata,and Acropora divaricata were entirely dominated by the genus Cladocopium(100%),showcasing distinct host specificity.In the cases of Hydnophora exesa,Acropora latistella,Acropora digitifera,and seawater,both Cladocopium and Durusdinium were concurrently detected.Moreover,the diversity of Symbiodiniaceae associated with P.damicornis,P.lutea,G.retiformis,M.truncata,M.aequituberculata,and A.digitifera exhibited significant variations across different seasons.Notably,the results revealed that the alterations in Symbiodiniaceae community compositions were primarily driven by nutrient concentrations and seawater temperature.The network analysis of Symbiodiniaceae revealed the dominant Symbiodiniaceae types C15,C17f,C3u,C3,and D4 were exclusive.This study provided the seasonal variation characteristics of Symbiodiniaceae communities among different coral species,which may be a potential adaptive mechanism to environmental conditions.展开更多
Acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)is a common respiratory emergency,but current clinical treatment remains at the level of symptomatic support and there is a lack of effective targeted treatment measures.Our pr...Acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)is a common respiratory emergency,but current clinical treatment remains at the level of symptomatic support and there is a lack of effective targeted treatment measures.Our previous study confirmed that inhalation of hydrogen gas can reduce the acute lung injury of ARDS,but the application of hydrogen has flammable and explosive safety concerns.Drinking hydrogen-rich liquid or inhaling hydrogen gas has been shown to play an important role in scavenging reactive oxygen species and maintaining mitochondrial quality control balance,thus improving ARDS in patients and animal models.Coral calcium hydrogenation(CCH)is a new solid molecular hydrogen carrier prepared from coral calcium(CC).Whether and how CCH affects acute lung injury in ARDS remains unstudied.In this study,we observed the therapeutic effect of CCH on lipopolysaccharide(LPS)induced acute lung injury in ARDS mice.The survival rate of mice treated with CCH and hydrogen inhalation was found to be comparable,demonstrating a significant improvement compared to the untreated ARDS model group.CCH treatment significantly reduced pulmonary hemorrhage and edema,and improved pulmonary function and local microcirculation in ARDS mice.CCH promoted mitochondrial peripheral division in the early course of ARDS by activating mitochondrial thioredoxin 2(Trx2),improved lung mitochondrial dysfunction induced by LPS,and reduced oxidative stress damage.The results indicate that CCH is a highly efficient hydrogen-rich agent that can attenuate acute lung injury of ARDS by improving the mitochondrial function through Trx2 activation.展开更多
Objective To investigate the chemical constituents and biological activities of soft coral Lemnalia sp.from the South China Sea.Methods The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by various chromatographic t...Objective To investigate the chemical constituents and biological activities of soft coral Lemnalia sp.from the South China Sea.Methods The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by various chromatographic techniques.The structures of all compounds were elucidated by using the modern spectrum analysis methods and comparison with the literature data.The antibacterial,immunosuppressive,and enzyme inhibitory activities of these compounds were evaluated.Results A new cembranoid diterpene,lemnaliaterpenoid A(1),and three known compounds,sinulaparvalide A(2),dihydrosinuflexolide(3),and capillolide(4)were isolated from the soft coral Lemnalia sp..Compound 1 showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli with minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC)values of 16,16μg/mL,respectively.Compounds 1−3 displayed immunosuppressive activity against ConA-induced T cell(Jurkat cell)proliferation with inhibitory rates of 64.0%,67.8%,and 49.4%,respectively,at a concentration of 5μg/mL.Compounds 1−4 did not demonstrate enzyme inhibitory activity against the aldose reductase.Conclusion Four diterpenoid compounds were isolated from the soft coral Lemnalia sp.derived from the South China Sea,including one new cembranoid diterpene.Among them,the new compound 1 exhibitsed antibacterial and cytotoxic activities.The soft coral Lemnalia sp.from the South China Sea were prolific resources that produced structurally novel and biologically active secondary metabolites.展开更多
To understand the specific behaviors of coastal coral sand slope foundations,discrete element method(DEM)was employed to examine the effect of breakable particle corners on the performance of coral sand slope foundati...To understand the specific behaviors of coastal coral sand slope foundations,discrete element method(DEM)was employed to examine the effect of breakable particle corners on the performance of coral sand slope foundations under a strip footing,from macro to micro scales.The results demonstrate that the bearing characteristics of coral sand slope foundations can be successfully modeled by utilizing breakable corner particles in simulations.The dual effects of interlocking and breakage of corners well explained the specific shallower load transmission and narrower shear stress zones in breakable corner particle slopes.Additionally,the study revealed the significant influence of breakable corners on soil behaviors on slopes.Furthermore,progressive corner breakage within slip bands was successfully identified as the underling mechanism in determining the unique bearing characteristics and the distinct failure patterns of breakable corner particle slopes.This study provides a new perspective to clarify the behaviors of slope foundations composed of breakable corner particle materials.展开更多
The environments of tropical and subtropical coral reef regions(CRR)differ from each other;however,it is not known if these environmental differences influence coral polyp and skeleton microbiome composition.In this s...The environments of tropical and subtropical coral reef regions(CRR)differ from each other;however,it is not known if these environmental differences influence coral polyp and skeleton microbiome composition.In this study,Coelastrea palauensis corals were collected from tropical and subtropical CRR in the South China Sea,and bacterial,archaeal,and fungal communities in polyps and skeletons were analyzed.Results showed that the microbial diversity and composition of C.palauensis significantly differed between the polyps and skeletons,and between the tropical and subtropical CRR.Regarding bacteria associated with corals,C.palauensis was mainly associated with bacteria closely related to the nitrogen cycle in the subtropical CRR.The relative abundances of Terasakiellaceae and Chlorobium in both coral polyps and skeletons in the subtropical CRR were higher than those in the tropical CRR.In the tropical CRR,C.palauensis was mainly associated with opportunistic pathogenic bacteria.The relative abundances of Tenacibaculum and Vibrio in coral polyps and skeletons in the tropical CRR were higher than those in the subtropical CRR.Regarding archaea associated with corals,polyps and skeletons of C.palauensis in both tropical and subtropical reef areas were dominated by n_Woesearchaeales,and the relative abundance of n_Woesearchaeales in skeletons is significantly higher than that in polyps.In addition,the relative abundances of n_Woesearchaeales in polyps and skeletons in the subtropical CRR were significantly higher than those in the tropical CRR.Regarding fungi associated with corals,Ascomycota was dominant in polyps and skeletons in the subtropical CRR,while Sordariomycetes,Periconia,Cladosporium,and Aspergillus were dominant in polyps and skeletons in the tropical CRR.Besides,the diversity differences of coral-associated microorganisms were related to environmental factors such as nutrients and temperature that may affect the survival of coral-associated microorganisms.These results implied that corals may adjust the composition of microorganisms,conducive the coral holobiont to better adapting the environment.Our research will be beneficial in understanding the differences and adaptations of coral polyp and skeletal microbiome.展开更多
Tropical coral islands represent one of the extremely stressful ecosystems,characterized by high salinity,seasonal drought,heat,strong ultraviolet radiation,and infertile soil,which constraint species occurrence,limit...Tropical coral islands represent one of the extremely stressful ecosystems,characterized by high salinity,seasonal drought,heat,strong ultraviolet radiation,and infertile soil,which constraint species occurrence,limit plant growth and development,and reduce species richness comparing to tropical continental islands with mesophytic habitats(Li et al.,2024;Ren et al.,2017;Tu et al.,2022,2024).Coupled with global climate changes,these adverse conditions have been being exacerbated,leading to extensive degradation of ecosystems throughout the tropical coral islands(Li et al.,2021).Native insular plant resources provide enormous potentials in island greening and ecological restoration,since they have colonized and become well adapted to the specialized habitat on tropical coral islands,evolving a series of functional traits and molecular strategies to accommodate the abiotic stresses.Thus,understanding the genomic make-up of these plants will help uncover molecular mechanisms underlying adaptation to tropical coral islands.However,contrary to the numerous genomic studies done for other extreme habitats,such as deserts(Hu et al.,2021;Ma et al.,2013),alpine regions(Zhang et al.,2023),intertidal habitats(Feng et al.,2021;Hu et al.,2020;Natarajan et al.,2021),and karst caves(Feng et al.,2020),molecular adaptation of plants on the tropical coral islands remains to be elucidated.展开更多
Catastrophic failure in engineering structures of island reefs would occur when the tertiary creep initiates in coral reef limestone with a transition from short-to long-term load.Due to the complexity of biological s...Catastrophic failure in engineering structures of island reefs would occur when the tertiary creep initiates in coral reef limestone with a transition from short-to long-term load.Due to the complexity of biological structures,the underlying micro-behaviors involving time-dependent deformation are poorly understood.For this,an abnormal phenomenon was observed where the axial and lateral creep deformations were mutually independent by a series of triaxial tests under constant stress and strain rate conditions.The significantly large lateral creep deformation implies that the creep process cannot be described in continuum mechanics regime.Herein,it is hypothesized that sliding mechanism of crystal cleavages dominates the lateral creep deformation in coral reef limestone.Then,approaches of polarizing microscope(PM)and scanning electronic microscope(SEM)are utilized to validate the hypothesis.It shows that the sliding behavior of crystal cleavages combats with conventional creep micro-mechanisms at certain condition.The former is sensitive to time and strain rate,and is merely activated in the creep regime.展开更多
Coralline soils,specialized materials found extensively in the South China Sea,are playing an increasingly vital role in engineering projects.However,like most terrigenous soils,fine-grained coral soil is prone to shr...Coralline soils,specialized materials found extensively in the South China Sea,are playing an increasingly vital role in engineering projects.However,like most terrigenous soils,fine-grained coral soil is prone to shrinkage and cracking,which can significantly affect its engineering properties and ultimately jeopardize engineering safety.This paper presents a desiccation cracking test of fine-grained coral soil,with a particular focus on the thickness effect.The study involved measuring the water content and recording the evolution of desiccation cracking.Advanced image processing technology is employed to analyze the variations in crack parameters,clod parameters,fractal dimensions,frequency distributions,and desiccation cracking propagation velocities of fine-grained coral soil.Furthermore,the dynamic evolution of desiccation cracking under the influence of layer thickness is analyzed.A comprehensive crack evolution model is proposed,encompassing both top-down and bottom-up crack propagation,as well as internal tensile cracking.This work introduces novel metrics for the propagation velocity of the total crack area,the characteristic propagation velocities of desiccation cracks,and the acceleration of crack propagation.Through data fitting,theoretical formulas for soil water evaporation,propagation velocities of desiccation cracks,and crack propagation acceleration are derived,laying a foundation for future soil cracking theories.展开更多
Coral gardening has become a promising technique for restoring reefs worldwide in the Anthropocene era.The microbiome plays an important role in enhancing adaptive resilience in situ nursery propagation of corals.Howe...Coral gardening has become a promising technique for restoring reefs worldwide in the Anthropocene era.The microbiome plays an important role in enhancing adaptive resilience in situ nursery propagation of corals.However,little is known about the response patterns of bacterial community dynamics,co-occurrence networks and assembly processes of different species in coral restoration nurseries over time.Here,we collected two Acropora coral samples from transplanted fragments and source colonies at 1-month and 3-month post-transplantation(May and July 2022)in an upwelling-affected fragmented reef.Full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that bacterial communities of coral fragments in nurseries exhibited consistent temporal shifts compared to those of the source colonies.High host specificity was observed in the bacterial community and network structure associated with source colonies.In contrast,for the two coral species within nurseries,there were no differences in bacterial diversity,composition and core microbiome.Stochastic assembly processes were identified as the primary drivers of bacterial communities in all May samples,whereas deterministic processes played a more prominent role in July.Seawater properties(e.g.,temperature and ammonium concentration)partially explained the compositional changes in the bacterial communities of these coral samples.Our findings suggested that coral nurseries contributed to the homogenization of bacterial communities in different Acropora corals,despite the apparent temporal dynamics of bacteria.These results enhance our understanding of the coral microbiome,ecological interactions and assembly principles in different host within in situ nurseries.展开更多
Thermal stress causes the overproduction and toxic accumulation of reactive oxygen species(ROS),which seems to be correlated with coral bleaching and,ultimately,death.The reduction of ROS concentration within the cora...Thermal stress causes the overproduction and toxic accumulation of reactive oxygen species(ROS),which seems to be correlated with coral bleaching and,ultimately,death.The reduction of ROS concentration within the coral holobiont could minimize the effects of thermal stress and support efforts to reduce coral decline globally.In the current study,we explored the physiological responses of Pocillopora damicornis to ROS-scavenging bacteria inoculation as well as the microbiome restructuring that correlates with P.damicornis’s resilience to thermal stress after probiotic inoculation.Inoculation of corals with ROS-scavenging bacteria enhanced coral health and reduced ROS concentration.Furthermore,the enhanced coral thermal resistance promoted by ROS-scavenging bacteria was also correlated with an overall coral microbiome restructuring.In addition,the complex network relationships between bacteria and Symbiodiniaceae in corals after ROS-scavenging bacteria inoculation contributed to corals’resilience to high temperatures.Besides,coral heat tolerance bacterial biomarkers,such as Myxococcota,were enriched in corals with added ROS-scavenging bacteria.Collectively,our findings validate the selected ROS-scavenging bacteria as coral probiotics that could help corals resist thermal stress on a short timescale.Additionally,our data contribute to our understanding of the potential interactions between different members of the coral holobiont and the use of probiotics as tools to aid coral restoration efforts.展开更多
Coral sandy soils widely exist in coral island reefs and seashores in tropical and subtropical regions.Due to the unique marine depositional environment of coral sandy soils,the engineering characteristics and respons...Coral sandy soils widely exist in coral island reefs and seashores in tropical and subtropical regions.Due to the unique marine depositional environment of coral sandy soils,the engineering characteristics and responses of these soils subjected to monotonic and cyclic loadings have been a subject of intense interest among the geotechnical and earthquake engineering communities.This paper critically reviews the progress of experimental investigations on the undrained behavior of coral sandy soils under monotonic and cyclic loadings over the last three decades.The focus of coverage includes the contractive-dilative behavior,the pattern of excess pore-water pressure(EPWP)generation and the liquefaction mechanism and liquefaction resistance,the small-strain shear modulus and strain-dependent shear modulus and damping,the cyclic softening feature,and the anisotropic characteristics of undrained responses of saturated coral sandy soils.In particular,the advances made in the past decades are reviewed from the following aspects:(1)the characterization of factors that impact the mechanism and patterns of EPWP build-up;(2)the identification of liquefaction triggering in terms of the apparent viscosity and the average flow coefficient;(3)the establishment of the invariable form of strain-based,stress-based,or energy-based EPWP ratio formulas and the unique relationship between the new proxy of liquefaction resistance and the number of cycles required to reach liquefaction;(4)the establishment of the invariable form of the predictive formulas of small strain modulus and strain-dependent shear modulus;and(5)the investigation on the effects of stress-induced anisotropy on liquefaction susceptibility and dynamic deformation characteristics.Insights gained through the critical review of these advances in the past decades offer a perspective for future research to further resolve the fundamental issues concerning the liquefaction mechanism and responses of coral sandy sites subjected to cyclic loadings associated with seismic events in marine environments.展开更多
High-resolution sea-level data and high-precision dating of corals in the northern South China Sea(SCS)during the Holocene provide a reference and historical background for current and future sea-level changes and a b...High-resolution sea-level data and high-precision dating of corals in the northern South China Sea(SCS)during the Holocene provide a reference and historical background for current and future sea-level changes and a basis for scientific assessment of the evolutionary trend of coral reefs in the SCS.Although sporadic studies have been performed around Hainan Island in the northern SCS,the reconstructed sea level presents different values or is controversial because the indicative meaning of the sea-level indicators were neither quantified nor uniform criteria.Here,we determined the quantitative relationship between modern living coral and sea level by measuring the top surfaces of 27 live Porites corals from the inner reef flat along the east coast of Hainan Island and assessed the accuracy of results obtained using coral as sea-level indicators.Additionally,three in situ fossil Porites corals were analyzed based on elevation measurements,digital X-ray radiography,and U-Th dating.The survey results showed that the indicative meanings for the modern live Porites corals is(146.09±8.35)cm below the mean tide level(MTL).It suggested that their upward growth limit is constrained by the sea level,and the lowest low water is the highest level of survival for the modern live Porites corals.Based on the newly defined indicative meanings,6 new sea-level index points(SLIPs)were obtained and 19 published SLIPs were recalculated.Those SLIPs indicated a relative sea level fluctuation between(227.7±9.8)cm to(154.88±9.8)cm MTL between(5393±25)cal a BP and(3390±12)cal a BP,providing evidences of the Mid-Holocene sea-level highstand in the northern SCS.Besides that,our analysis demonstrated that different sea-level histories may be produced based on different indicative meanings or criteria.The dataset of 276 coral U-Th ages indicates that coral reef development in the northern SCS comprised the initial development,boom growth,decline,and flourishing development again.A comparison with regional records indicated that synergistic effects of climatic and environmental factors were involved in the development of coral reefs in the northern SCS.Thus,the cessation of coral reef development during the Holocene in the northern SCS was probably associated with the dry and cold climate in South China,as reflected in the synchronous weakening of the ENSO and East Asian summer monsoon induced by the reduction of the 65°N summer insolation,which forced the migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone.展开更多
In recent years,the development and construction of island reefs have been flourishing.Due to the remoteness of island reefs from the mainland,the scarcity of building materials,and the high transportation costs,it is...In recent years,the development and construction of island reefs have been flourishing.Due to the remoteness of island reefs from the mainland,the scarcity of building materials,and the high transportation costs,it is imperative to use local marine resources,and the potential value and status of coral mud on island reefs,which is formed by the remains of corals and other biological entities,is becoming increasingly prominent.Utilization and optimization of natural resources on island reefs have become a brand-new research direction and challenge.This article mainly focuses on the development of a new type of green engineering material,coral mud,for use in building surface layers.Thickness effects,PVA fiber(vinylon staple fiber)modification,and HPMC(Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose)adhesive modification are taken into consideration.Through laboratory tests and image processing technology,fractal theory,and electron microscopy experiments,the macro-meso-microscopic multi-scale cracking rules of the coral mud surface layer and the optimization modification rules of PVA fibers and HPMC adhesives are revealed.The results demonstrate that the performance of the coral mud surface layer is superior to that of the kaolin surface layer,and the 10 mm thickness performs better than the 5 mm and 20 mm thicknesses.As the thickness of the coral mud surface layer increases,the contact between coral mud particles becomes denser,the scale of surface micro-cracks decreases,and the number of micro-pores decreases.PVA fibers can effectively inhibit the further development of macro and micro cracks and play a good bridging role.There is a bonding and adhesion relationship between coral mud and PVA fibers,and they have a good synergistic effect in inhibiting macro and mesoscopic cracks.With the increase in HPMC adhesive content,the number of micro-cracks and the scale of micro-cracks decrease accordingly,and the structure and performance of the coral mud surface layer are further improved.Overall,PVA fibers are more effective than HPMC adhesives in inhibiting the cracking of the coral mud surface layer.This provides valuable guidance for the development and application of coral mud in wall surface materials.展开更多
Damaged structures on coral islands have been spalling and cracking due to the dual corrosion of tides and waves.To ensure easy access to aggregate materials,magnesium potassium phosphate cement(MKPC)and coral sand(CS...Damaged structures on coral islands have been spalling and cracking due to the dual corrosion of tides and waves.To ensure easy access to aggregate materials,magnesium potassium phosphate cement(MKPC)and coral sand(CS)are mixed to repair damaged structures on coral islands.However,CS is significantly different from land-sourced sand in mineral composition,particle morphology,and strength.This has a substantial impact on the hydration characteristics and macroscopic properties of MKPC mortar.Therefore,in this study we investigated the compressive strength,interfacial mechanical properties,and corrosion resistance of MKPC CS mortar.Changes in the morphology,microstructure,and relative contents of hydration products were revealed by scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectrometer(SEM-EDS)and X-ray diffraction(XRD).The results indicated that the compressive strength increased linearly with the interfacial micro-hardness,and then stabilized after long-term immersion in pure water and Na2SO4 solution,showing excellent corrosion resistance.Compared with MKPC river sand(RS)mortar,the hydration products of CS mortar were an intermediate product 6KPO2·8H2O with a relative content of 3.9%at 1 h and 4.1%at 12 h.The hydration product MgKPO_(4)·6H_(2)O increased rapidly after 7-d curing,with an increased growth rate of 1100%.Our results showed that CS promoted the nucleation and formation of hydration products of MKPC,resulting in better crystallinity,tighter overlapping,and a denser interfacial transition zone.The results of this study provide technical support for applying MKPC mortar as a rapid repair material for damaged structures on coral islands.展开更多
Different sedimentary zones in coral reefs lead to significant anisotropy in the pore structure of coral reef limestone(CRL),making it difficult to study mechanical behaviors.With X-ray computed tomography(CT),112 CRL...Different sedimentary zones in coral reefs lead to significant anisotropy in the pore structure of coral reef limestone(CRL),making it difficult to study mechanical behaviors.With X-ray computed tomography(CT),112 CRL samples were utilized for training the support vector machine(SVM)-,random forest(RF)-,and back propagation neural network(BPNN)-based models,respectively.Simultaneously,the machine learning model was embedded into genetic algorithm(GA)for parameter optimization to effectively predict uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)of CRL.Results indicate that the BPNN model with five hidden layers presents the best training effect in the data set of CRL.The SVM-based model shows a tendency to overfitting in the training set and poor generalization ability in the testing set.The RF-based model is suitable for training CRL samples with large data.Analysis of Pearson correlation coefficient matrix and the percentage increment method of performance metrics shows that the dry density,pore structure,and porosity of CRL are strongly correlated to UCS.However,the P-wave velocity is almost uncorrelated to the UCS,which is significantly distinct from the law for homogenous geomaterials.In addition,the pore tensor proposed in this paper can effectively reflect the pore structure of coral framework limestone(CFL)and coral boulder limestone(CBL),realizing the quantitative characterization of the heterogeneity and anisotropy of pore.The pore tensor provides a feasible idea to establish the relationship between pore structure and mechanical behavior of CRL.展开更多
Coral reefs have tremendous benefits to both humans and marine biodiversity but are globally endangered. Traditionally, data collection of coral reefs was fieldwork based, which is time-consuming, costly and lacking i...Coral reefs have tremendous benefits to both humans and marine biodiversity but are globally endangered. Traditionally, data collection of coral reefs was fieldwork based, which is time-consuming, costly and lacking in full coverage. This study shows that optical imageries can be utilised to map coral reefs, by fusing visible bands and depth invariant index (DII) to classify benthic features. Overall accuracy of at least 68 percent is achieved. However, to overcome the challenge of cloud cover, which is common in coastal areas, microwave imagery is used to map the emergent coral reefs. Again, remote sensing proves to be reliable in estimation of sea surface temperature (SST) and extraction of water quality parameters through Case-2 Region CoastColour (C2RCC) processor. Thereafter, regression analysis is performed to evaluate the correlation of SST and water quality. It is concluded that higher spatial resolution can improve coral mapping and that there is a need for more research on correlation to its environment.展开更多
The world’s coral reefs are threatened by the cumulative impacts of global climate change and local stressors.Driven largely by a desire to understand the interactions between corals and their symbiotic microorganism...The world’s coral reefs are threatened by the cumulative impacts of global climate change and local stressors.Driven largely by a desire to understand the interactions between corals and their symbiotic microorganisms,and to use this knowledge to eventually improve coral health,interest in coral microbiology and the coral microbiome has increased in recent years.In this review,we summarize the role of the coral microbiome in maintaining a healthy metaorganism by providing nutrients,support for growth and development,protection against pathogens,and mitigation of environmental stressors.We explore the concept of coral microbiome engineering,that is,precise and controlled manipulation of the coral microbiome to aid and enhance coral resilience and tolerance in the changing oceans.Although coral microbiome engineering is clearly in its infancy,several recent breakthroughs indicate that such engineering is an effective tool for restoration and preservation of these valuable ecosystems.To assist with identifying future research targets,we have reviewed the common principles of microbiome engineering and its applications in improving human health and agricultural productivity,drawing parallels to where coral microbiome engineering can advance in the not-too-distant future.Finally,we end by discussing the challenges faced by researchers and practitioners in the application of microbiome engineering in coral reefs and provide recommendations for future work.展开更多
文摘Chase the Dream of Coral is an inspiring book that shines a light on the brave scientists dedicated to saving our coral reefs.Coral reefs are often called the rainforests of the sea because they support a vast number of marine species.However,they are facing serious threats from climate change,pollution and overfishing.This book highlights the urgent need to protect these beautiful and vital ecosystems.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51978103,No.52308340,No.52408355)the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program of CPSF(No.BX20240450)Chongqing Talent Innovation and Entrepreneurship Demonstration Team Project(No.cstc2024ycjh-bgzxm0012).
文摘The biocemented coral sand pile composite foundation represents an innovative foundation improvement technology,utilizing Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation(MICP)to consolidate a specific volume of coral sand within the foundation into piles with defined strength,thereby enabling them to collaboratively bear external loads with the surrounding unconsolidated coral sand.In this study,a series of shaking table model tests were conducted to explore the dynamic response of the biocemented coral sand pile composite foundation under varying seismic wave types and peak accelerations.The surface macroscopic phenomena,excess pore water pressure ratio,acceleration response,and vertical settlement were measured and analysed in detail.Test results show that seismic wave types play a decisive role in the macroscopic surface phenomena and the response of the excess pore water pressure ratio.The cumulative settlement of the upper structure under the action of Taft waves was about 1.5 times that of El Centro waves and Kobe waves.The most pronounced liquefaction phenomena were recorded under the Taft wave,followed by the El Centro wave,and subsequently the Kobe wave.An observed positive correlation was established between the liquefaction phenomenon and the Aristotelian in-tensity of the seismic waves.However,variations in seismic wave types exerted minimal influence on the ac-celeration amplification factor of the coral sand foundation.Analysis of the acceleration amplification factor revealed a triphasic pattern-initially increasing,subsequently decreasing,and finally increasing again-as burial depth increased,in relation to the peak value of the input acceleration.This study confirms that the biocemented coral sand pile composite foundation can effectively enhance the liquefaction resistance of coral sand foundations..
基金Supported by the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory、Zhanjiang(No.ZJW-2019-08)APN、CRRP2019-09MYOnodera、Shinichi Onodera、and the SCS Scholar Grant(No.002029002008/2019)。
文摘Plastic pollution and microplastics in sediments are a growing concern for marine ecosystems worldwide.We examined the vertical distribution and properties of microplastics in beach sediments of Xuwen Coral Reef National Nature Reserve,in Leizhou Peninsula,Zhanjiang,China.Sediment samples were taken in seven locations at 5-cm intervals from the surface to a depth of 30 cm.The vertical distribution of microplastic particles ranged from 0 to 1340 particles per kg on average of 119.05particles per kg.The most prevalent material was fibers(76%),followed by film(12%),fragments(11.2%),and foam(0.8%).The microplastics in size of 1-2 mm constituted the largest percentage(40%)of the total,followed by those in size of<1 mm(26.4%),2-3 mm(21.2%),3-4 mm(9.6%),and 4-5 mm(2.81%).Site S1 observed maximum sizes between 1 and 2 mm,S2 reported higher availability of microplastics with sizes ranging from 0.3 to 1 mm.Six different types of polymers were identified in the investigation,and mostly were polyethylene(PE)and polypropylene(PP).In general,the observation of microplastics in deeper sediments indicates that they have the ability to last for prolonged periods in the marine environment,which may present long-term hazards to benthic creatures.In conclusion,the discovery of microplastics in deep layers of coastal sediments highlights the necessity of minimizing plastic waste and enhancing management strategies to safeguard marine environments.
文摘The symbiotic association between reef-building corals and Symbiodiniaceae is pivotal for coral reef ecosystems,yet remains susceptible to environmental factors.Currently,there is a dearth of research examining seasonal fluctuations in coral-associated Symbiodiniaceae communities.In this study,we investigated the seasonal dynamics of Symbiodiniaceae communities associated with coral species in the Luhuitou coral reef using high-throughput sequencing techniques and SymPortal analytical framework.The results indicated that the genus Cladocopium exhibited dominance(averaging 82%),followed by Durusdinium(18%)and Breviolum(0.01%)within the examined coral species.Among the 521 Symbiodiniaceae ITS2 sequence types,C15 emerged as the prevalent type(13.24%),trailed by C3u(9.51%)and D1(8.57%).Interestingly,Symbiodiniaceae communities varied among different coral species.Pocillopora damicornis displayed a predominant association with Durusdinium,while Porites lutea,Goniastrea retiformis,Montipora truncata,Montipora aequituberculata,and Acropora divaricata were entirely dominated by the genus Cladocopium(100%),showcasing distinct host specificity.In the cases of Hydnophora exesa,Acropora latistella,Acropora digitifera,and seawater,both Cladocopium and Durusdinium were concurrently detected.Moreover,the diversity of Symbiodiniaceae associated with P.damicornis,P.lutea,G.retiformis,M.truncata,M.aequituberculata,and A.digitifera exhibited significant variations across different seasons.Notably,the results revealed that the alterations in Symbiodiniaceae community compositions were primarily driven by nutrient concentrations and seawater temperature.The network analysis of Symbiodiniaceae revealed the dominant Symbiodiniaceae types C15,C17f,C3u,C3,and D4 were exclusive.This study provided the seasonal variation characteristics of Symbiodiniaceae communities among different coral species,which may be a potential adaptive mechanism to environmental conditions.
基金supported by the Nanjing Medical Science and Technology Development Project,China(Project No.:YKK23221)Open Project of Immune Cell Translational Research Center of Jiangning Hospital,Nanjing Medical University,China(Project No.:JNYYZXKY202216)+1 种基金General Project of Medical Education Collaborative Innovation Fund of Jiangsu University,China(Project No.:JDYY2023094)China Red Cross Foundation Medical Empowerment Charity Special Fund Project(Project No.:CRCF-YXFN-202302028).
文摘Acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)is a common respiratory emergency,but current clinical treatment remains at the level of symptomatic support and there is a lack of effective targeted treatment measures.Our previous study confirmed that inhalation of hydrogen gas can reduce the acute lung injury of ARDS,but the application of hydrogen has flammable and explosive safety concerns.Drinking hydrogen-rich liquid or inhaling hydrogen gas has been shown to play an important role in scavenging reactive oxygen species and maintaining mitochondrial quality control balance,thus improving ARDS in patients and animal models.Coral calcium hydrogenation(CCH)is a new solid molecular hydrogen carrier prepared from coral calcium(CC).Whether and how CCH affects acute lung injury in ARDS remains unstudied.In this study,we observed the therapeutic effect of CCH on lipopolysaccharide(LPS)induced acute lung injury in ARDS mice.The survival rate of mice treated with CCH and hydrogen inhalation was found to be comparable,demonstrating a significant improvement compared to the untreated ARDS model group.CCH treatment significantly reduced pulmonary hemorrhage and edema,and improved pulmonary function and local microcirculation in ARDS mice.CCH promoted mitochondrial peripheral division in the early course of ARDS by activating mitochondrial thioredoxin 2(Trx2),improved lung mitochondrial dysfunction induced by LPS,and reduced oxidative stress damage.The results indicate that CCH is a highly efficient hydrogen-rich agent that can attenuate acute lung injury of ARDS by improving the mitochondrial function through Trx2 activation.
文摘Objective To investigate the chemical constituents and biological activities of soft coral Lemnalia sp.from the South China Sea.Methods The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by various chromatographic techniques.The structures of all compounds were elucidated by using the modern spectrum analysis methods and comparison with the literature data.The antibacterial,immunosuppressive,and enzyme inhibitory activities of these compounds were evaluated.Results A new cembranoid diterpene,lemnaliaterpenoid A(1),and three known compounds,sinulaparvalide A(2),dihydrosinuflexolide(3),and capillolide(4)were isolated from the soft coral Lemnalia sp..Compound 1 showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli with minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC)values of 16,16μg/mL,respectively.Compounds 1−3 displayed immunosuppressive activity against ConA-induced T cell(Jurkat cell)proliferation with inhibitory rates of 64.0%,67.8%,and 49.4%,respectively,at a concentration of 5μg/mL.Compounds 1−4 did not demonstrate enzyme inhibitory activity against the aldose reductase.Conclusion Four diterpenoid compounds were isolated from the soft coral Lemnalia sp.derived from the South China Sea,including one new cembranoid diterpene.Among them,the new compound 1 exhibitsed antibacterial and cytotoxic activities.The soft coral Lemnalia sp.from the South China Sea were prolific resources that produced structurally novel and biologically active secondary metabolites.
基金Projects(51878103,52208370)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject(cstc2020jcyjcxtt X0003)supported by the Innovation Group Science Foundation of the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing,ChinaProject(2022CDJQY-012)supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,China。
文摘To understand the specific behaviors of coastal coral sand slope foundations,discrete element method(DEM)was employed to examine the effect of breakable particle corners on the performance of coral sand slope foundations under a strip footing,from macro to micro scales.The results demonstrate that the bearing characteristics of coral sand slope foundations can be successfully modeled by utilizing breakable corner particles in simulations.The dual effects of interlocking and breakage of corners well explained the specific shallower load transmission and narrower shear stress zones in breakable corner particle slopes.Additionally,the study revealed the significant influence of breakable corners on soil behaviors on slopes.Furthermore,progressive corner breakage within slip bands was successfully identified as the underling mechanism in determining the unique bearing characteristics and the distinct failure patterns of breakable corner particle slopes.This study provides a new perspective to clarify the behaviors of slope foundations composed of breakable corner particle materials.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract Nos 42206157,42030502,and 42090041the Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi Province under contract No.2022GXNSFBA035449the Self-Topic Project of Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea under contract No.GXLSCRSCS2022103.
文摘The environments of tropical and subtropical coral reef regions(CRR)differ from each other;however,it is not known if these environmental differences influence coral polyp and skeleton microbiome composition.In this study,Coelastrea palauensis corals were collected from tropical and subtropical CRR in the South China Sea,and bacterial,archaeal,and fungal communities in polyps and skeletons were analyzed.Results showed that the microbial diversity and composition of C.palauensis significantly differed between the polyps and skeletons,and between the tropical and subtropical CRR.Regarding bacteria associated with corals,C.palauensis was mainly associated with bacteria closely related to the nitrogen cycle in the subtropical CRR.The relative abundances of Terasakiellaceae and Chlorobium in both coral polyps and skeletons in the subtropical CRR were higher than those in the tropical CRR.In the tropical CRR,C.palauensis was mainly associated with opportunistic pathogenic bacteria.The relative abundances of Tenacibaculum and Vibrio in coral polyps and skeletons in the tropical CRR were higher than those in the subtropical CRR.Regarding archaea associated with corals,polyps and skeletons of C.palauensis in both tropical and subtropical reef areas were dominated by n_Woesearchaeales,and the relative abundance of n_Woesearchaeales in skeletons is significantly higher than that in polyps.In addition,the relative abundances of n_Woesearchaeales in polyps and skeletons in the subtropical CRR were significantly higher than those in the tropical CRR.Regarding fungi associated with corals,Ascomycota was dominant in polyps and skeletons in the subtropical CRR,while Sordariomycetes,Periconia,Cladosporium,and Aspergillus were dominant in polyps and skeletons in the tropical CRR.Besides,the diversity differences of coral-associated microorganisms were related to environmental factors such as nutrients and temperature that may affect the survival of coral-associated microorganisms.These results implied that corals may adjust the composition of microorganisms,conducive the coral holobiont to better adapting the environment.Our research will be beneficial in understanding the differences and adaptations of coral polyp and skeletal microbiome.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32170232,32070222,32271613)the National Key R&D Programof China(Key Special Project for Marine Environmental Security and Sustainable Development of Coral Reefs 2021-400)+1 种基金Guangdong Science and Technology Program(2024B1212050007)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFC3100405)。
文摘Tropical coral islands represent one of the extremely stressful ecosystems,characterized by high salinity,seasonal drought,heat,strong ultraviolet radiation,and infertile soil,which constraint species occurrence,limit plant growth and development,and reduce species richness comparing to tropical continental islands with mesophytic habitats(Li et al.,2024;Ren et al.,2017;Tu et al.,2022,2024).Coupled with global climate changes,these adverse conditions have been being exacerbated,leading to extensive degradation of ecosystems throughout the tropical coral islands(Li et al.,2021).Native insular plant resources provide enormous potentials in island greening and ecological restoration,since they have colonized and become well adapted to the specialized habitat on tropical coral islands,evolving a series of functional traits and molecular strategies to accommodate the abiotic stresses.Thus,understanding the genomic make-up of these plants will help uncover molecular mechanisms underlying adaptation to tropical coral islands.However,contrary to the numerous genomic studies done for other extreme habitats,such as deserts(Hu et al.,2021;Ma et al.,2013),alpine regions(Zhang et al.,2023),intertidal habitats(Feng et al.,2021;Hu et al.,2020;Natarajan et al.,2021),and karst caves(Feng et al.,2020),molecular adaptation of plants on the tropical coral islands remains to be elucidated.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41877267,41877260)the Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Science(Grant No.XDA13010201).
文摘Catastrophic failure in engineering structures of island reefs would occur when the tertiary creep initiates in coral reef limestone with a transition from short-to long-term load.Due to the complexity of biological structures,the underlying micro-behaviors involving time-dependent deformation are poorly understood.For this,an abnormal phenomenon was observed where the axial and lateral creep deformations were mutually independent by a series of triaxial tests under constant stress and strain rate conditions.The significantly large lateral creep deformation implies that the creep process cannot be described in continuum mechanics regime.Herein,it is hypothesized that sliding mechanism of crystal cleavages dominates the lateral creep deformation in coral reef limestone.Then,approaches of polarizing microscope(PM)and scanning electronic microscope(SEM)are utilized to validate the hypothesis.It shows that the sliding behavior of crystal cleavages combats with conventional creep micro-mechanisms at certain condition.The former is sensitive to time and strain rate,and is merely activated in the creep regime.
基金supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant No.2022CDJQY-012)the Innovation Group Science Foundation of the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing,China(Grant No.cstc2020jcyj-cxttX0003).
文摘Coralline soils,specialized materials found extensively in the South China Sea,are playing an increasingly vital role in engineering projects.However,like most terrigenous soils,fine-grained coral soil is prone to shrinkage and cracking,which can significantly affect its engineering properties and ultimately jeopardize engineering safety.This paper presents a desiccation cracking test of fine-grained coral soil,with a particular focus on the thickness effect.The study involved measuring the water content and recording the evolution of desiccation cracking.Advanced image processing technology is employed to analyze the variations in crack parameters,clod parameters,fractal dimensions,frequency distributions,and desiccation cracking propagation velocities of fine-grained coral soil.Furthermore,the dynamic evolution of desiccation cracking under the influence of layer thickness is analyzed.A comprehensive crack evolution model is proposed,encompassing both top-down and bottom-up crack propagation,as well as internal tensile cracking.This work introduces novel metrics for the propagation velocity of the total crack area,the characteristic propagation velocities of desiccation cracks,and the acceleration of crack propagation.Through data fitting,theoretical formulas for soil water evaporation,propagation velocities of desiccation cracks,and crack propagation acceleration are derived,laying a foundation for future soil cracking theories.
基金The Innovative Talent Foundation of Hainan Province under contract No.KJRC2023C39the National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract Nos 42161144006 and 42076108.
文摘Coral gardening has become a promising technique for restoring reefs worldwide in the Anthropocene era.The microbiome plays an important role in enhancing adaptive resilience in situ nursery propagation of corals.However,little is known about the response patterns of bacterial community dynamics,co-occurrence networks and assembly processes of different species in coral restoration nurseries over time.Here,we collected two Acropora coral samples from transplanted fragments and source colonies at 1-month and 3-month post-transplantation(May and July 2022)in an upwelling-affected fragmented reef.Full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that bacterial communities of coral fragments in nurseries exhibited consistent temporal shifts compared to those of the source colonies.High host specificity was observed in the bacterial community and network structure associated with source colonies.In contrast,for the two coral species within nurseries,there were no differences in bacterial diversity,composition and core microbiome.Stochastic assembly processes were identified as the primary drivers of bacterial communities in all May samples,whereas deterministic processes played a more prominent role in July.Seawater properties(e.g.,temperature and ammonium concentration)partially explained the compositional changes in the bacterial communities of these coral samples.Our findings suggested that coral nurseries contributed to the homogenization of bacterial communities in different Acropora corals,despite the apparent temporal dynamics of bacteria.These results enhance our understanding of the coral microbiome,ecological interactions and assembly principles in different host within in situ nurseries.
基金Supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2022YFC3103602)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41976147)+4 种基金the NSFC-Shandong Joint Fund(No.U 2106208)the Key Special Project for Introduced Talents Team of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory(Guangzhou)(No.GML2019ZD0402)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2018FY100105)the Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering,Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.ISEE2021ZD03)the Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province,China(No.2020B1212060058)。
文摘Thermal stress causes the overproduction and toxic accumulation of reactive oxygen species(ROS),which seems to be correlated with coral bleaching and,ultimately,death.The reduction of ROS concentration within the coral holobiont could minimize the effects of thermal stress and support efforts to reduce coral decline globally.In the current study,we explored the physiological responses of Pocillopora damicornis to ROS-scavenging bacteria inoculation as well as the microbiome restructuring that correlates with P.damicornis’s resilience to thermal stress after probiotic inoculation.Inoculation of corals with ROS-scavenging bacteria enhanced coral health and reduced ROS concentration.Furthermore,the enhanced coral thermal resistance promoted by ROS-scavenging bacteria was also correlated with an overall coral microbiome restructuring.In addition,the complex network relationships between bacteria and Symbiodiniaceae in corals after ROS-scavenging bacteria inoculation contributed to corals’resilience to high temperatures.Besides,coral heat tolerance bacterial biomarkers,such as Myxococcota,were enriched in corals with added ROS-scavenging bacteria.Collectively,our findings validate the selected ROS-scavenging bacteria as coral probiotics that could help corals resist thermal stress on a short timescale.Additionally,our data contribute to our understanding of the potential interactions between different members of the coral holobiont and the use of probiotics as tools to aid coral restoration efforts.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.52278503。
文摘Coral sandy soils widely exist in coral island reefs and seashores in tropical and subtropical regions.Due to the unique marine depositional environment of coral sandy soils,the engineering characteristics and responses of these soils subjected to monotonic and cyclic loadings have been a subject of intense interest among the geotechnical and earthquake engineering communities.This paper critically reviews the progress of experimental investigations on the undrained behavior of coral sandy soils under monotonic and cyclic loadings over the last three decades.The focus of coverage includes the contractive-dilative behavior,the pattern of excess pore-water pressure(EPWP)generation and the liquefaction mechanism and liquefaction resistance,the small-strain shear modulus and strain-dependent shear modulus and damping,the cyclic softening feature,and the anisotropic characteristics of undrained responses of saturated coral sandy soils.In particular,the advances made in the past decades are reviewed from the following aspects:(1)the characterization of factors that impact the mechanism and patterns of EPWP build-up;(2)the identification of liquefaction triggering in terms of the apparent viscosity and the average flow coefficient;(3)the establishment of the invariable form of strain-based,stress-based,or energy-based EPWP ratio formulas and the unique relationship between the new proxy of liquefaction resistance and the number of cycles required to reach liquefaction;(4)the establishment of the invariable form of the predictive formulas of small strain modulus and strain-dependent shear modulus;and(5)the investigation on the effects of stress-induced anisotropy on liquefaction susceptibility and dynamic deformation characteristics.Insights gained through the critical review of these advances in the past decades offer a perspective for future research to further resolve the fundamental issues concerning the liquefaction mechanism and responses of coral sandy sites subjected to cyclic loadings associated with seismic events in marine environments.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract Nos 42366002 and 41702182the National Key R&D Program of China under contract No.2017YFA0603300the Guangxi Scientific Projects under contract No.2018GXNSFAA281293。
文摘High-resolution sea-level data and high-precision dating of corals in the northern South China Sea(SCS)during the Holocene provide a reference and historical background for current and future sea-level changes and a basis for scientific assessment of the evolutionary trend of coral reefs in the SCS.Although sporadic studies have been performed around Hainan Island in the northern SCS,the reconstructed sea level presents different values or is controversial because the indicative meaning of the sea-level indicators were neither quantified nor uniform criteria.Here,we determined the quantitative relationship between modern living coral and sea level by measuring the top surfaces of 27 live Porites corals from the inner reef flat along the east coast of Hainan Island and assessed the accuracy of results obtained using coral as sea-level indicators.Additionally,three in situ fossil Porites corals were analyzed based on elevation measurements,digital X-ray radiography,and U-Th dating.The survey results showed that the indicative meanings for the modern live Porites corals is(146.09±8.35)cm below the mean tide level(MTL).It suggested that their upward growth limit is constrained by the sea level,and the lowest low water is the highest level of survival for the modern live Porites corals.Based on the newly defined indicative meanings,6 new sea-level index points(SLIPs)were obtained and 19 published SLIPs were recalculated.Those SLIPs indicated a relative sea level fluctuation between(227.7±9.8)cm to(154.88±9.8)cm MTL between(5393±25)cal a BP and(3390±12)cal a BP,providing evidences of the Mid-Holocene sea-level highstand in the northern SCS.Besides that,our analysis demonstrated that different sea-level histories may be produced based on different indicative meanings or criteria.The dataset of 276 coral U-Th ages indicates that coral reef development in the northern SCS comprised the initial development,boom growth,decline,and flourishing development again.A comparison with regional records indicated that synergistic effects of climatic and environmental factors were involved in the development of coral reefs in the northern SCS.Thus,the cessation of coral reef development during the Holocene in the northern SCS was probably associated with the dry and cold climate in South China,as reflected in the synchronous weakening of the ENSO and East Asian summer monsoon induced by the reduction of the 65°N summer insolation,which forced the migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone.
基金supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant Nos.2022CDJQY-012).
文摘In recent years,the development and construction of island reefs have been flourishing.Due to the remoteness of island reefs from the mainland,the scarcity of building materials,and the high transportation costs,it is imperative to use local marine resources,and the potential value and status of coral mud on island reefs,which is formed by the remains of corals and other biological entities,is becoming increasingly prominent.Utilization and optimization of natural resources on island reefs have become a brand-new research direction and challenge.This article mainly focuses on the development of a new type of green engineering material,coral mud,for use in building surface layers.Thickness effects,PVA fiber(vinylon staple fiber)modification,and HPMC(Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose)adhesive modification are taken into consideration.Through laboratory tests and image processing technology,fractal theory,and electron microscopy experiments,the macro-meso-microscopic multi-scale cracking rules of the coral mud surface layer and the optimization modification rules of PVA fibers and HPMC adhesives are revealed.The results demonstrate that the performance of the coral mud surface layer is superior to that of the kaolin surface layer,and the 10 mm thickness performs better than the 5 mm and 20 mm thicknesses.As the thickness of the coral mud surface layer increases,the contact between coral mud particles becomes denser,the scale of surface micro-cracks decreases,and the number of micro-pores decreases.PVA fibers can effectively inhibit the further development of macro and micro cracks and play a good bridging role.There is a bonding and adhesion relationship between coral mud and PVA fibers,and they have a good synergistic effect in inhibiting macro and mesoscopic cracks.With the increase in HPMC adhesive content,the number of micro-cracks and the scale of micro-cracks decrease accordingly,and the structure and performance of the coral mud surface layer are further improved.Overall,PVA fibers are more effective than HPMC adhesives in inhibiting the cracking of the coral mud surface layer.This provides valuable guidance for the development and application of coral mud in wall surface materials.
基金This work is supported by the Key Technologies R&D Program of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region(No.GUIKE AB22080073)the Open Research Program of State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering(No.SKLGME021026),China.
文摘Damaged structures on coral islands have been spalling and cracking due to the dual corrosion of tides and waves.To ensure easy access to aggregate materials,magnesium potassium phosphate cement(MKPC)and coral sand(CS)are mixed to repair damaged structures on coral islands.However,CS is significantly different from land-sourced sand in mineral composition,particle morphology,and strength.This has a substantial impact on the hydration characteristics and macroscopic properties of MKPC mortar.Therefore,in this study we investigated the compressive strength,interfacial mechanical properties,and corrosion resistance of MKPC CS mortar.Changes in the morphology,microstructure,and relative contents of hydration products were revealed by scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectrometer(SEM-EDS)and X-ray diffraction(XRD).The results indicated that the compressive strength increased linearly with the interfacial micro-hardness,and then stabilized after long-term immersion in pure water and Na2SO4 solution,showing excellent corrosion resistance.Compared with MKPC river sand(RS)mortar,the hydration products of CS mortar were an intermediate product 6KPO2·8H2O with a relative content of 3.9%at 1 h and 4.1%at 12 h.The hydration product MgKPO_(4)·6H_(2)O increased rapidly after 7-d curing,with an increased growth rate of 1100%.Our results showed that CS promoted the nucleation and formation of hydration products of MKPC,resulting in better crystallinity,tighter overlapping,and a denser interfacial transition zone.The results of this study provide technical support for applying MKPC mortar as a rapid repair material for damaged structures on coral islands.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41877267 and 41877260)the Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDA13010201).
文摘Different sedimentary zones in coral reefs lead to significant anisotropy in the pore structure of coral reef limestone(CRL),making it difficult to study mechanical behaviors.With X-ray computed tomography(CT),112 CRL samples were utilized for training the support vector machine(SVM)-,random forest(RF)-,and back propagation neural network(BPNN)-based models,respectively.Simultaneously,the machine learning model was embedded into genetic algorithm(GA)for parameter optimization to effectively predict uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)of CRL.Results indicate that the BPNN model with five hidden layers presents the best training effect in the data set of CRL.The SVM-based model shows a tendency to overfitting in the training set and poor generalization ability in the testing set.The RF-based model is suitable for training CRL samples with large data.Analysis of Pearson correlation coefficient matrix and the percentage increment method of performance metrics shows that the dry density,pore structure,and porosity of CRL are strongly correlated to UCS.However,the P-wave velocity is almost uncorrelated to the UCS,which is significantly distinct from the law for homogenous geomaterials.In addition,the pore tensor proposed in this paper can effectively reflect the pore structure of coral framework limestone(CFL)and coral boulder limestone(CBL),realizing the quantitative characterization of the heterogeneity and anisotropy of pore.The pore tensor provides a feasible idea to establish the relationship between pore structure and mechanical behavior of CRL.
文摘Coral reefs have tremendous benefits to both humans and marine biodiversity but are globally endangered. Traditionally, data collection of coral reefs was fieldwork based, which is time-consuming, costly and lacking in full coverage. This study shows that optical imageries can be utilised to map coral reefs, by fusing visible bands and depth invariant index (DII) to classify benthic features. Overall accuracy of at least 68 percent is achieved. However, to overcome the challenge of cloud cover, which is common in coastal areas, microwave imagery is used to map the emergent coral reefs. Again, remote sensing proves to be reliable in estimation of sea surface temperature (SST) and extraction of water quality parameters through Case-2 Region CoastColour (C2RCC) processor. Thereafter, regression analysis is performed to evaluate the correlation of SST and water quality. It is concluded that higher spatial resolution can improve coral mapping and that there is a need for more research on correlation to its environment.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42122045,41890853,and 42106197)the Key Special Project for Introduced Talents Team of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory(Guangzhou)(GML2019ZD0401 and GML2019ZD0402)Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDA13020300).
文摘The world’s coral reefs are threatened by the cumulative impacts of global climate change and local stressors.Driven largely by a desire to understand the interactions between corals and their symbiotic microorganisms,and to use this knowledge to eventually improve coral health,interest in coral microbiology and the coral microbiome has increased in recent years.In this review,we summarize the role of the coral microbiome in maintaining a healthy metaorganism by providing nutrients,support for growth and development,protection against pathogens,and mitigation of environmental stressors.We explore the concept of coral microbiome engineering,that is,precise and controlled manipulation of the coral microbiome to aid and enhance coral resilience and tolerance in the changing oceans.Although coral microbiome engineering is clearly in its infancy,several recent breakthroughs indicate that such engineering is an effective tool for restoration and preservation of these valuable ecosystems.To assist with identifying future research targets,we have reviewed the common principles of microbiome engineering and its applications in improving human health and agricultural productivity,drawing parallels to where coral microbiome engineering can advance in the not-too-distant future.Finally,we end by discussing the challenges faced by researchers and practitioners in the application of microbiome engineering in coral reefs and provide recommendations for future work.
