Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.0
2.8
Journals
JMSE
Special Issues
Coral Reefs in a Changing World: Disturbance, Recovery, and Resilience
share announcement

Coral Reefs in a Changing World: Disturbance, Recovery, and Resilience

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 October 2026 | Viewed by 3884

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Enrico Montalbetti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano, Italy
Interests: coral reef ecology; coral molecular biology; coral reef resilience; climate change
Dr. Yohan Didier Louis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
Interests: coral reef ecology; coral molecular biology; coral reef resilience; climate change
Dr. Davide Seveso

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
2. MaRHE Center (Marine Research and High Education Centre), Magoodhoo Island, Faafu Atoll, Maldives
Interests: coral reef biodiversity; coral reef ecology; coral bleaching; coral cellular biology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Coral reefs are undergoing unprecedented changes due to increasing environmental and anthropogenic pressures, threatening their structure, function, and biodiversity. This Special Issue addresses the urgent need to understand how coral reef ecosystems respond to disturbances and what drives their capacity for resilience and recovery.

We aim to gather multidisciplinary research exploring the ecological mechanisms behind reef resistance, degradation, and regeneration across different biogeographic regions and reef types. Building on a strong history of coral reef science, this Special Issue emphasizes integrating traditional and emerging approaches.

We welcome cutting-edge research, including field studies, experiments, remote sensing, modeling, and biotechnology-based solutions that provide novel insights into reef dynamics under stress.

We seek high-quality original research articles, reviews, and short but substantial communications that advance ecological understanding of reef disturbances and resilience, particularly those offering broadly applicable findings relevant to conservation and restoration efforts.

Dr. Enrico Montalbetti
Dr. Yohan Didier Louis
Dr. Davide Seveso
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • coral reefs
  • disturbance ecology
  • ecosystem resilience
  • climate change
  • reef recovery
  • marine biodiversity
  • anthropogenic stressors
  • benthic community dynamics
  • thermal stress
  • reef degradation

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 5635 KB  
Article
Integrated Ecological and Molecular Assessment of a Crown-of-Thorns Seastar (Acanthaster planci) Outbreak in the Gulf of Oman (UAE)
by Eleonora Concari, Enrico Montalbetti, Davide Maggioni, Alison Landes, Paolo Galli, Davide Seveso and John Henrik Stahl
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2026, 14(8), 750; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14080750 - 20 Apr 2026
Viewed by 548
Abstract
Outbreaks of crown-of-thorns sea stars (CoTS) threaten coral reef integrity and biodiversity, yet local dynamics and short-term responses to control remain insufficiently described. This study characterised an outbreaking Acanthaster population in two specific sites of the coast of Khor Fakkan (Gulf of Oman, [...] Read more.
Outbreaks of crown-of-thorns sea stars (CoTS) threaten coral reef integrity and biodiversity, yet local dynamics and short-term responses to control remain insufficiently described. This study characterised an outbreaking Acanthaster population in two specific sites of the coast of Khor Fakkan (Gulf of Oman, United Arab Emirates) to resolve species identity, population composition, prey selection and the effects of targeted removals. All sequenced individuals clustered in two related haplotypes belonging to the species Acanthaster planci. Benthic surveys showed moderate live-coral cover, dominated by massive Porites sp. colonies. Moreover, the observations of 139 preyed colonies revealed pronounced genus-level selectivity, with branching and complex morphologies suffering disproportionately and massive forms largely avoided. However, the selection of massive Plesiastrea and Favites genera as preferred coral prey might suggest a shift towards less preferred coral in the CoTS diet, posing a severe threat to coral reefs’ integrity. Intensive removal reduced the local density, up to 86%, and provided substantial short-term relief, but continued monitoring is required to secure long-term reef resilience. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coral Reefs in a Changing World: Disturbance, Recovery, and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 4799 KB  
Article
The USGS Rotating X-Ray Computed Tomography (RXCT) Coral-Core Archive: Scope, Access, and Standardization
by Ferdinand K. J. Oberle, Lauren T. Toth, Nancy G. Prouty, Brooke Santos, Jessica A. Jacobs, Sierra Bloomer, Kian Bagheri, Breanna N. Williams, Jason S. Padgett, Anastasios Stathakopoulos and SeanPaul La Selle
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2026, 14(5), 490; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14050490 - 4 Mar 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 759
Abstract
We announce the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Rotating X-ray Computed Tomography (RXCT) Coral-Core Archive, a digital resource derived from ~360 coral reef cores curated at the USGS Pacific and St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Centers. The archive delivers calibrated 3-dimensional image volumes [...] Read more.
We announce the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Rotating X-ray Computed Tomography (RXCT) Coral-Core Archive, a digital resource derived from ~360 coral reef cores curated at the USGS Pacific and St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Centers. The archive delivers calibrated 3-dimensional image volumes that enable reproducible values of skeletal density, linear extension, and calcification from decadal- to centennial-scale records of coral growth and bioerosion. Cross-study comparability within the archive is supported by a unified RXCT workflow that minimizes imaging artifacts. This includes rejecting image-intensity–density calibrations with r2 < 0.95, back-calculating standard densities to verify a ±10% target precision, and confirming that band-averaged density values fall within published species- and site-specific ranges. Our release of data under FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles is important given global coral reef decline and the rarity of physical coral archives. Calibrated imagery and scan metadata are distributed through CoralCache/CoralCT for analysis (DOI: 10.5194/essd-2025-598), while core locations and collection metadata are published through the USGS Geologic Core and Sample Database (DOI: 10.5066/F7319TR3) with links to CT imagery in a USGS ScienceBase repository (DOI: 10.5066/P139Y9H4). This archive provides a powerful dataset for evaluating environmental controls on coral growth, establishing restoration baselines, and improving coastal hazard assessments in the face of global coral reef declines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coral Reefs in a Changing World: Disturbance, Recovery, and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 2993 KB  
Article
Coral Recruitment and Survival in a Remote Maldivian Atoll 11 Years Apart
by Alice Oprandi, Ilaria Mancini, Annalisa Azzola, Carlo Nike Bianchi, Carla Morri, Valentina Asnaghi and Monica Montefalcone
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(12), 2274; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13122274 - 28 Nov 2025
Viewed by 748
Abstract
Recruitment is a crucial process for the recovery of coral populations after large-scale disturbances causing mass mortality events such as coral bleaching. This study examined the juvenile coral community of the remote Huvadhoo Atoll (southern Maldives, Indian Ocean) 11 years apart (2009 and [...] Read more.
Recruitment is a crucial process for the recovery of coral populations after large-scale disturbances causing mass mortality events such as coral bleaching. This study examined the juvenile coral community of the remote Huvadhoo Atoll (southern Maldives, Indian Ocean) 11 years apart (2009 and 2020). Coral recruits (≤5 cm) and juveniles (5–15 cm) were surveyed at eight reef sites located in both lagoon- and ocean-facing environments, under the hypothesis that density and survival of recruits differ with respect to exposure. The total mean number of recruits differed slightly between years, with densities of 25 individuals·m−2 in 2009 and 30 individuals·m−2 in 2020. However, Acropora populations, which represented 60% of juvenile corals in 2009, halved in 2020, particularly in ocean reefs. The decrease in Acropora recruits seems to have favoured other corals: Pocillopora doubled compared to 2009, and species with massive growth morphologies became dominant. In all, the juvenile coral community structure underwent substantial changes between the two surveys. The comparison between the number of recruits and that of juvenile corals suggested higher survival of the species with massive growth morphologies. Whether branching corals will also have the ability to adapt to increasingly frequent climatic disturbances deserves attention in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coral Reefs in a Changing World: Disturbance, Recovery, and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 1971 KB  
Article
Temporal Dynamics and Recovery Patterns of Reef Benthic Communities in the Maldives Following a Mass Global Bleaching Event
by Eva Germani, Valentina Asnaghi and Monica Montefalcone
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(12), 2265; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13122265 - 28 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 970
Abstract
Coral reefs are crucial ecosystems for marine biodiversity but are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic pressures and climate anomalies. The 2016 global bleaching event resulted in widespread coral mortality, altering reef structure and benthic communities. Here, we examine the evolution of Maldivian reefs from [...] Read more.
Coral reefs are crucial ecosystems for marine biodiversity but are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic pressures and climate anomalies. The 2016 global bleaching event resulted in widespread coral mortality, altering reef structure and benthic communities. Here, we examine the evolution of Maldivian reefs from 2015 to 2023 using long-term monitoring data to assess post-disturbance dynamics. Analyses of 26 benthic descriptors revealed severe impacts from thermal stress, with heterogeneous recovery patterns. Reef-building capacity, which reflects the reef’s accretion potential and is mainly sustained by primary (e.g., Acropora branching corals) and secondary constructors (e.g., Tridacna spp.), rebounded substantially, while binders (e.g., coralline algae) and bafflers (e.g., erect sponges) remained depleted. Among growth forms, fast-growing branching and digitate corals, despite substantial declines, drove rapid recovery. Massive corals were less affected and continued growing, while encrusting corals declined steadily over the period. Post-bleaching community composition shifted markedly toward increased abiotic cover and reduced coral dominance, with partial reversion by 2023. Despite the 2016 collapse in constructional capacity, most reefs exhibited notable recovery within seven years. These findings underscore the moderate yet promising resilience of Maldivian reefs, exceeding previous bleaching events, and emphasize the importance of long-term monitoring to understand ecosystem responses under accelerating climate stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coral Reefs in a Changing World: Disturbance, Recovery, and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop