Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin, is an ecologically important species in Caribbean coral reef habitats where it controls algal growth and coverage and helps keep reef surfaces clear for corals to grow and settle. In early 2022, the remaining D. antillarum populations began experiencing mass mortality in the Caribbean.
Christina Kellogg, Ph.D.
I am an environmental microbiologist that uses molecular techniques and microbiology methods to study marine microbes, particularly the microbial ecology of tropical and deep-sea corals.
Dr. Kellogg joined the U.S. Geological Survey as a Mendenhall Fellow, characterizing the microbial communities in aerosolized African desert dust, beach sediments, seagrass beds and coral reefs. Currently, she leads the Coral Microbial Ecology Laboratory at the U.S. Geological Survey, studying the microbiomes and environments of tropical and cold-water corals.
Dr. Kellogg is active in shaping the direction of microbiome research in the U.S., having represented the Department of Interior (DOI) on the Federal Microbiome Interagency Working Group, the National Microbiome Data Collaborative, and serving as Subject Matter Expert to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy rollout of the National Microbiome Initiative in 2016.
Professional Experience
2003 – Present: Research principal investigator and head of Coral Microbial Ecology Lab, USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
2001 – 2003: USGS Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow, USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
1998 – 2001: Postdoctoral Fellow, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC
1991 – 1998: Research Assistant, Department of Marine Science, University of South Florida
Education and Certifications
PhD: 1998, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL
BS: 1991, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Science and Products
Diadema antillarum Mass Mortality
Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities: Coral Propagation Technique (CPT) Development Project
Integrating Science and Management to Assist with the Response to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease
USGS Role in DEEP SEARCH: Deep Sea Exploration to Advance Research on Coral, Canyon, and Cold-seep Habitats
DISCOVRE: Diversity, Systematics and Connectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems
Microbial Processes on Reefs
Lophelia Metagenome Extraction Protocol
Coral Microbial Ecology
DISCOVRE - Diversity, Systematics and Connectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems Project
Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CREST)
Black-band disease in the Florida Keys
Coral Disease
Functional Gene Microarray Data From Cold-water Corals (Acanthogorgia spp., Desmophyllum dianthus, Desmophyllum pertusum, and Enallopsammia profunda) from the Atlantic Ocean off the Southeast Coast of the United States-Raw Data
The files in this data release (Kellogg and Voelschow, 2023) contain normalized microarray probe intensity values from GeoChip 5.0S microarrays referenced in the journal article entitled 'Functional gene composition and metabolic potential of deep-sea coral-associated microbial communities' by Pratte and others (2022). The GeoChip 5.0S microarrays, provided by Glomics Inc., contain 57,498 oligonuc
Prokaryotic Communities Shed by Diseased and Healthy Coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis, Pseudodiploria strigosa, Montastraea cavernosa, Colpophyllia natans, and Orbicella faveolata) into Filtered Seawater Mesocosms - Raw and Processed Data
The files in this data release are those referenced in the journal article by Evans and others (2023) entitled 'Investigating microbial size classes associated with the transmission of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD)'. The files contain an amplicon sequence variant (ASV) table and the raw 16S rRNA gene amplicon files from fifty-six 0.22-micrometer (µm) pore size filters, as well as six rea
Expert assessments of hypotheses concerning the etiological agent(s) of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease collected during a rapid prototyping project
Prokaryotic Communities From Marine Biofilms Formed on Stainless Steel Plates in Coral Mesocosms - Raw and Processed Data
The files in this data release are those referenced in the journal article by Evans and others (2022) entitled "Ship Biofilms as Potential Reservoirs of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease." They contain an amplicon sequence variant (ASV) table and the raw 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene amplicon deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence files from 15 microbial communities (sample names: CnD16B,
Cold-water Coral Microbiomes (Anthothela spp.) from Baltimore and Norfolk Canyons: Raw and Processed Data
Bacterial Communities Shed by Montastraea cavernosa Coral Fragments into Filtered Seawater Mesocosms-Raw Data
Cold-water Coral Microbiomes (Acanthogorgia spp. Desmophyllum dianthus, and Lophelia pertusa) from the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean off the Southeast Coast of the United States-Raw Data
Coral Microbiome Preservation and Extraction Method Comparison-Raw Data
Cold-water Coral Metagenomes (Lophelia pertusa) from Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean: Raw Data
Cold-water Coral Microbiomes (Astrangia poculata) from Narragansett Bay: Sequence Data
Cold-water Coral Microbiomes (Primnoa spp.) from Gulf of Alaska, Baltimore Canyon, and Norfolk Canyon: Raw Data
Cold-Water Coral Microbiomes (Lophelia pertusa) from Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean: Raw Data
Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin, is an ecologically important species in Caribbean coral reef habitats where it controls algal growth and coverage and helps keep reef surfaces clear for corals to grow and settle. In early 2022, the remaining D. antillarum populations began experiencing mass mortality in the Caribbean.
Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin, is an ecologically important species in Caribbean coral reef habitats where it controls algal growth and coverage and helps keep reef surfaces clear for corals to grow and settle. In early 2022, the remaining D. antillarum populations began experiencing mass mortality in the Caribbean.
Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin, is an ecologically important species in Caribbean coral reef habitats where it controls algal growth and coverage and helps keep reef surfaces clear for corals to grow and settle. In early 2022, the remaining D. antillarum populations began experiencing mass mortality in the Caribbean.
Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin, is an ecologically important species in Caribbean coral reef habitats where it controls algal growth and coverage and helps keep reef surfaces clear for corals to grow and settle. In early 2022, the remaining D. antillarum populations began experiencing mass mortality in the Caribbean.
Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin, is an ecologically important species in Caribbean coral reef habitats where it controls algal growth and coverage and helps keep reef surfaces clear for corals to grow and settle. In early 2022, the remaining D. antillarum populations began experiencing mass mortality in the Caribbean.
Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin, is an ecologically important species in Caribbean coral reef habitats where it controls algal growth and coverage and helps keep reef surfaces clear for corals to grow and settle. In early 2022, the remaining D. antillarum populations began experiencing mass mortality in the Caribbean.
Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin, is an ecologically important species in Caribbean coral reef habitats where it controls algal growth and coverage and helps keep reef surfaces clear for corals to grow and settle. In early 2022, the remaining D. antillarum populations began experiencing mass mortality in the Caribbean.
Live Lophelia pertusa is white because the calcium carbonate skeleton shows through the nonpigmented coral tissue. Dead coral is soon covered in a brown biofilm. The red-orange squat lobster (Eumunida picta) in the center of the photo is prepared to catch its dinner.
Live Lophelia pertusa is white because the calcium carbonate skeleton shows through the nonpigmented coral tissue. Dead coral is soon covered in a brown biofilm. The red-orange squat lobster (Eumunida picta) in the center of the photo is prepared to catch its dinner.
A bright orange Brisingid starfish is seen in the center of the image. The background is a thicket of live (white) and dead (brown) Lophelia coral. Several squat lobsters (Eumunida picta) can be seen in the coral, as well as a blue encrusting sponge and an urchin (foreground, lower left).
A bright orange Brisingid starfish is seen in the center of the image. The background is a thicket of live (white) and dead (brown) Lophelia coral. Several squat lobsters (Eumunida picta) can be seen in the coral, as well as a blue encrusting sponge and an urchin (foreground, lower left).
Live Lophelia pertusa is white because the calcium carbonate skeleton shows through the nonpigmented coral tissue. Dead coral is soon covered in a brown biofilm. The red-orange squat lobster (Eumunida picta) in the center of the photo is prepared to catch its dinner.
Live Lophelia pertusa is white because the calcium carbonate skeleton shows through the nonpigmented coral tissue. Dead coral is soon covered in a brown biofilm. The red-orange squat lobster (Eumunida picta) in the center of the photo is prepared to catch its dinner.
A black-bellied rosefish (Helicolenus dactylopterus) peaks out of the Lophelia coral. Behind the fish, a squat lobster (Eumunida picta) hangs upside down from a coral branch.
A black-bellied rosefish (Helicolenus dactylopterus) peaks out of the Lophelia coral. Behind the fish, a squat lobster (Eumunida picta) hangs upside down from a coral branch.
A conger eel (Conger oceanicus) cruises through a thicket of Lophelia pertusa coral.
A conger eel (Conger oceanicus) cruises through a thicket of Lophelia pertusa coral.
A cleaner shrimp (Plesionika sp.) with vivid blue eyes rests in a coral thicket next to a red soft coral (Anthomastus agassizii).
A cleaner shrimp (Plesionika sp.) with vivid blue eyes rests in a coral thicket next to a red soft coral (Anthomastus agassizii).
Fish like this Atlantic Roughy (Hoplostethus occidentalis) congregate near deep-sea corals (background is Lophelia pertusa coral).
Fish like this Atlantic Roughy (Hoplostethus occidentalis) congregate near deep-sea corals (background is Lophelia pertusa coral).
Close-up of a squat lobster, Eumunida picta, in a thicket of Lophelia pertusa coral.
Close-up of a squat lobster, Eumunida picta, in a thicket of Lophelia pertusa coral.
Close-up image of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa, with polyps extended. The coral polyps eat by grabbing tiny suspended particulates (visible against the dark water background). The bright orange claws of a squat lobster (Eumunida picta) can be seen peeking out from behind the coral branches.
Close-up image of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa, with polyps extended. The coral polyps eat by grabbing tiny suspended particulates (visible against the dark water background). The bright orange claws of a squat lobster (Eumunida picta) can be seen peeking out from behind the coral branches.
A fish (Gephyroberyx darwinii) peeks through a forest of soft corals and anemones at about 300 meters in depth in the Gulf of Mexico.
A fish (Gephyroberyx darwinii) peeks through a forest of soft corals and anemones at about 300 meters in depth in the Gulf of Mexico.
Collected from more than 1000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, this fragile brittle star clings to a soft coral. These deep-sea coral ecosystems ar biodiversity hot-spots in the deep ocean, but they are also vulnerable to climate change issues such as increased temperature and ocean acidification.
Collected from more than 1000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, this fragile brittle star clings to a soft coral. These deep-sea coral ecosystems ar biodiversity hot-spots in the deep ocean, but they are also vulnerable to climate change issues such as increased temperature and ocean acidification.
Christmas tree worms have made their home on a brain coral. Tropical corals reefs are complex ecosystems, but are rapidly being lost to bleaching and disease, linked to increasing water temperatures.
Christmas tree worms have made their home on a brain coral. Tropical corals reefs are complex ecosystems, but are rapidly being lost to bleaching and disease, linked to increasing water temperatures.
A queen trigger fish and a green turtle feeding together on a reef in Belize.
A queen trigger fish and a green turtle feeding together on a reef in Belize.
A tiny brittle star (the central disc is smaller than a dime) clings to the branches of a soft coral in a sample bucket brought into the shipboard laboratory from a submersible dive. This creature makes its home on the deep, dark ocean floor.
A tiny brittle star (the central disc is smaller than a dime) clings to the branches of a soft coral in a sample bucket brought into the shipboard laboratory from a submersible dive. This creature makes its home on the deep, dark ocean floor.
Transglobal spread of an ecologically relevant sea urchin parasite
Investigating microbial size classes associated with the transmission of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD)
Effective treatment and prevention of any disease necessitates knowledge of the causative agent, yet the causative agents of most coral diseases remain unknown, in part due to the difficulty of distinguishing the pathogenic microbe(s) among the complex microbial backdrop of coral hosts. Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is a particularly destructive disease of unknown etiology, capable of tr
Functional gene composition and metabolic potential of deep-sea coral-associated microbial communities
Over the past decade, an abundance of 16S rRNA gene surveys have provided microbiologists with data regarding the prokaryotes present in a coral-associated microbial community. Functional gene studies that provide information regarding what those microbes might do are fewer, particularly for non-tropical corals. Using the GeoChip 5.0S microarray, we present a functional gene study of microbiomes f
A scuticociliate causes mass mortality of Diadema antillarum in the Caribbean Sea
Rapid prototyping for quantifying belief weights of competing hypotheses about emergent diseases
A meta-analysis of the stony coral tissue loss disease microbiome finds key bacteria in unaffected and lesion tissue in diseased colonies
Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has been causing significant whole colony mortality on reefs in Florida and the Caribbean. The cause of SCTLD remains unknown, with the limited concurrence of SCTLD-associated bacteria among studies. We conducted a meta-analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA gene datasets generated by 16 field and laboratory SCTLD studies to find consistent bacteria associated with S
Biofilms as potential reservoirs of stony coral tissue loss disease
Since 2014, corals throughout Florida’s Coral Reef have been plagued by an epizootic of unknown etiology, colloquially termed stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD). Although in Florida the movement of this waterborne coral disease has been consistent with natural transport via water currents, outbreaks in the Caribbean have been more sporadic, with infections occurring in locations inconsistent
Combining tangential flow filtration and size fractionation of mesocosm water as a method for the investigation of waterborne coral diseases
Unexpected diversity of Endozoicomonas in deep-sea corals
Comparison of preservation and extraction methods on five taxonomically disparate coral microbiomes
Identifying mangrove-coral habitats in the Florida Keys
Assessing the water quality impacts of two Category-5 hurricanes on St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
Science and Products
- Science
Diadema antillarum Mass Mortality
Diadema antillarum scuticociliatosis (DaSc) is an emerging infectious disease affecting sea urchins of the genus Diadema . Caused by a ciliate most closely related to Philaster apodigitiformis , the infection caused mass mortalities of urchins in the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas in 2022-2023.Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities: Coral Propagation Technique (CPT) Development Project
Through a collaborative effort with other federal agencies and academic and research institutions, the USGS is working to inform and enhance the protection and management of coral communities in mesophotic and deep benthic areas of the Gulf of Mexico.Integrating Science and Management to Assist with the Response to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease
A USGS multi-disciplinary team will use laboratory and modeling approaches to investigate the cause of stony coral tissue loss disease.USGS Role in DEEP SEARCH: Deep Sea Exploration to Advance Research on Coral, Canyon, and Cold-seep Habitats
USGS scientists are collaborating with multiple agencies to provide the esssential foundation for understanding these deep-sea environments.ByEcosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization, Gulf of MexicoDISCOVRE: Diversity, Systematics and Connectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems
DISCOVRE ( DI versity, S ystematics and CO nnectivity of V ulnerable R eef E cosystems) is an integrated, multidisciplinary, international effort investigating the unique and fragile deep-sea coral environments from the microscopic level to the ecosystem level.Microbial Processes on Reefs
The microbial community on coral reefs is generally underappreciated given the ubiquity, abundance, complexity, and formative role these prokaryotes serve in the metabolic and chemical processes on reefs. We use microbiological and metagenomic techniques to decipher the roles the microbial community are playing in processes such as coral disease, submarine groundwater discharge, calcification, and...Lophelia Metagenome Extraction Protocol
Lophelia Metagenome Extraction ProtocolCoral Microbial Ecology
The coral microbial ecology group has an active research program identifying and characterizing the microbial associates of both tropical and cold-water (deep-sea) corals and their surrounding habitat. Current projects focus on coral disease dynamics, bacterial diversity, and using metagenomics to elucidate the functional roles of coral microbes.DISCOVRE - Diversity, Systematics and Connectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems Project
This project uses amplicon sequencing, and functional microarrays to examine the microbiomes of several deep-sea coral species, with priority given to species that are also of interest to the population genetics group: Desmophyllum dianthus, Lophelia pertusa , Enallopsammia sp., and Acanthogorgia sp. The project also uses metagenomics to survey benthic habitats including coral mounds, cold seeps...Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CREST)
The specific objectives of this project are to identify and describe the processes that are important in determining rates of coral-reef construction. How quickly the skeletons of calcifying organisms accumulate to form massive barrier-reef structure is determined by processes of both construction (how fast organisms grow and reproduce) and destruction (how fast reefs break down by mechanical...Black-band disease in the Florida Keys
Photos of corals affected by black-band disease in the Florida Keys.Coral Disease
We investigated coral disease processes and causes by characterizing microbial communities in diseased and healthy representatives of selected coral species both temporally and spatially by employing microarray technology. We tested the diagnostic potential of coral fluorescence for identifying disease-induced physiological stress. - Data
Filter Total Items: 14
Functional Gene Microarray Data From Cold-water Corals (Acanthogorgia spp., Desmophyllum dianthus, Desmophyllum pertusum, and Enallopsammia profunda) from the Atlantic Ocean off the Southeast Coast of the United States-Raw Data
The files in this data release (Kellogg and Voelschow, 2023) contain normalized microarray probe intensity values from GeoChip 5.0S microarrays referenced in the journal article entitled 'Functional gene composition and metabolic potential of deep-sea coral-associated microbial communities' by Pratte and others (2022). The GeoChip 5.0S microarrays, provided by Glomics Inc., contain 57,498 oligonuc
Prokaryotic Communities Shed by Diseased and Healthy Coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis, Pseudodiploria strigosa, Montastraea cavernosa, Colpophyllia natans, and Orbicella faveolata) into Filtered Seawater Mesocosms - Raw and Processed Data
The files in this data release are those referenced in the journal article by Evans and others (2023) entitled 'Investigating microbial size classes associated with the transmission of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD)'. The files contain an amplicon sequence variant (ASV) table and the raw 16S rRNA gene amplicon files from fifty-six 0.22-micrometer (µm) pore size filters, as well as six rea
Expert assessments of hypotheses concerning the etiological agent(s) of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease collected during a rapid prototyping project
This dataset is from expert elicitation of a panel of 15 experts with knowledge of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) and its impacts on coral reefs. We gathered this group of 15 participants with diverse expertise who had previously studied SCTLD including at universities and various government agencies as microbiologists, pathologists, disease ecologists, population ecologists, and coral exProkaryotic Communities From Marine Biofilms Formed on Stainless Steel Plates in Coral Mesocosms - Raw and Processed Data
The files in this data release are those referenced in the journal article by Evans and others (2022) entitled "Ship Biofilms as Potential Reservoirs of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease." They contain an amplicon sequence variant (ASV) table and the raw 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene amplicon deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence files from 15 microbial communities (sample names: CnD16B,
Cold-water Coral Microbiomes (Anthothela spp.) from Baltimore and Norfolk Canyons: Raw and Processed Data
The files in this data release are the raw and processed DNA sequence files referenced in the journal article by Lawler and others (2016) titled "Coral-Associated Bacterial Diversity is Conserved across Two Deep-Sea Anthothela Species." They represent a 16S rRNA gene amplicon survey of the coral's microbiome completed using Roche 454 pyrosequencing with titanium reagents. Baltimore and Norfolk CanBacterial Communities Shed by Montastraea cavernosa Coral Fragments into Filtered Seawater Mesocosms-Raw Data
The files in this data release contain an amplicon sequence variant (ASV) table and the raw 16S rRNA gene amplicon files from six 0.22-micron size fractions of tangential flow filtration-concentrated microbial communities (Mcav17, Mcav18, McH-101, McH-103, McD-57, and McD-58) derived from mesocosms consisting of filtered seawater in which either healthy or diseased fragments of Montastraea cavernoCold-water Coral Microbiomes (Acanthogorgia spp. Desmophyllum dianthus, and Lophelia pertusa) from the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean off the Southeast Coast of the United States-Raw Data
The files in this data release are the raw 16S rRNA gene amplicon DNA sequence files from 28 samples of deep-sea corals Acanthogorgia aspera, Acanthogorgia spissa, Desmophyllum dianthus, and Lophelia pertusa, as well as an extraction blank for the Qiagen PowerBiofilm kit used for DNA extraction. The samples were collected during four research cruises from various locations in the Gulf of Mexico anCoral Microbiome Preservation and Extraction Method Comparison-Raw Data
The files in this data release are the raw 16S rRNA gene amplicon DNA sequence files from 90 samples of tropical and cold-water corals, as well as sequence files from a mock community and extraction blanks for the kits used for DNA extraction. The tropical coral samples (three species) were collected under permit FKNMS-2017-064 (Kellogg) in March 2018 from a nursery in the Florida Keys National MaCold-water Coral Metagenomes (Lophelia pertusa) from Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean: Raw Data
The files in this data release are the raw DNA metagenome sequence files referenced in Chapter 2 of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Environmental Studies Program Report entitled "Multidisciplinary Assessment of Deep-Water Coral Ecosystems: Tools to Detect Impacts of Sub-lethal Stress." Chapter 2, written by Christina A. Kellogg, is entitled "Deep-Sea Coral Metagenomes." The files represent aCold-water Coral Microbiomes (Astrangia poculata) from Narragansett Bay: Sequence Data
The files in this data release are the DNA sequence files referenced in Goldsmith and others (2019), which represent a 16S rRNA gene amplicon survey of Astrangia poculata microbiomes completed using Sanger dideoxy sequencing. The coral samples were collected from Narragansett Bay (Fort Wetherill State Park, Jamestown, Rhode Island) in 2015 and 2016. Sequences were obtained by first extracting DNACold-water Coral Microbiomes (Primnoa spp.) from Gulf of Alaska, Baltimore Canyon, and Norfolk Canyon: Raw Data
The files in this data release are the raw DNA sequence files referenced in the journal article by Goldsmith and others (2018) entitled "Comparison of microbiomes of cold-water corals Primnoa pacifica and Primnoa resedaeformis, with possible link between microbiome composition and host genotype." They represent a 16S rRNA gene amplicon survey of the corals' microbiomes (Primnoa spp.) completed usiCold-Water Coral Microbiomes (Lophelia pertusa) from Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean: Raw Data
The files in this data release are the raw DNA sequence files referenced in the submitted journal article by Christina A. Kellogg, Dawn B. Goldsmith and Michael A. Gray entitled "Biogeographic comparison of Lophelia-associated bacterial communities in the western Atlantic reveals conserved core microbiome." They represent a 16S rRNA gene amplicon survey of the coral's microbiomes completed using R - Multimedia
Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin
Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin, is an ecologically important species in Caribbean coral reef habitats where it controls algal growth and coverage and helps keep reef surfaces clear for corals to grow and settle. In early 2022, the remaining D. antillarum populations began experiencing mass mortality in the Caribbean.
Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin, is an ecologically important species in Caribbean coral reef habitats where it controls algal growth and coverage and helps keep reef surfaces clear for corals to grow and settle. In early 2022, the remaining D. antillarum populations began experiencing mass mortality in the Caribbean.
Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchinDiadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin, is an ecologically important species in Caribbean coral reef habitats where it controls algal growth and coverage and helps keep reef surfaces clear for corals to grow and settle. In early 2022, the remaining D. antillarum populations began experiencing mass mortality in the Caribbean.
Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin, is an ecologically important species in Caribbean coral reef habitats where it controls algal growth and coverage and helps keep reef surfaces clear for corals to grow and settle. In early 2022, the remaining D. antillarum populations began experiencing mass mortality in the Caribbean.
Group of Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchinGroup of Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchinDiadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin, is an ecologically important species in Caribbean coral reef habitats where it controls algal growth and coverage and helps keep reef surfaces clear for corals to grow and settle. In early 2022, the remaining D. antillarum populations began experiencing mass mortality in the Caribbean.
Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin, is an ecologically important species in Caribbean coral reef habitats where it controls algal growth and coverage and helps keep reef surfaces clear for corals to grow and settle. In early 2022, the remaining D. antillarum populations began experiencing mass mortality in the Caribbean.
Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchinDiadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin, is an ecologically important species in Caribbean coral reef habitats where it controls algal growth and coverage and helps keep reef surfaces clear for corals to grow and settle. In early 2022, the remaining D. antillarum populations began experiencing mass mortality in the Caribbean.
Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin, is an ecologically important species in Caribbean coral reef habitats where it controls algal growth and coverage and helps keep reef surfaces clear for corals to grow and settle. In early 2022, the remaining D. antillarum populations began experiencing mass mortality in the Caribbean.
Deep-Sea Coral: Lophelia pertusaLive Lophelia pertusa is white because the calcium carbonate skeleton shows through the nonpigmented coral tissue. Dead coral is soon covered in a brown biofilm. The red-orange squat lobster (Eumunida picta) in the center of the photo is prepared to catch its dinner.
Live Lophelia pertusa is white because the calcium carbonate skeleton shows through the nonpigmented coral tissue. Dead coral is soon covered in a brown biofilm. The red-orange squat lobster (Eumunida picta) in the center of the photo is prepared to catch its dinner.
Deep-Sea Coral: Brisingid StarfishA bright orange Brisingid starfish is seen in the center of the image. The background is a thicket of live (white) and dead (brown) Lophelia coral. Several squat lobsters (Eumunida picta) can be seen in the coral, as well as a blue encrusting sponge and an urchin (foreground, lower left).
A bright orange Brisingid starfish is seen in the center of the image. The background is a thicket of live (white) and dead (brown) Lophelia coral. Several squat lobsters (Eumunida picta) can be seen in the coral, as well as a blue encrusting sponge and an urchin (foreground, lower left).
Deep-Sea Coral: Lophelia pertusaLive Lophelia pertusa is white because the calcium carbonate skeleton shows through the nonpigmented coral tissue. Dead coral is soon covered in a brown biofilm. The red-orange squat lobster (Eumunida picta) in the center of the photo is prepared to catch its dinner.
Live Lophelia pertusa is white because the calcium carbonate skeleton shows through the nonpigmented coral tissue. Dead coral is soon covered in a brown biofilm. The red-orange squat lobster (Eumunida picta) in the center of the photo is prepared to catch its dinner.
Deep-Sea Cold Water CoralA black-bellied rosefish (Helicolenus dactylopterus) peaks out of the Lophelia coral. Behind the fish, a squat lobster (Eumunida picta) hangs upside down from a coral branch.
A black-bellied rosefish (Helicolenus dactylopterus) peaks out of the Lophelia coral. Behind the fish, a squat lobster (Eumunida picta) hangs upside down from a coral branch.
Deep-Sea Cold Water CoralA conger eel (Conger oceanicus) cruises through a thicket of Lophelia pertusa coral.
A conger eel (Conger oceanicus) cruises through a thicket of Lophelia pertusa coral.
Deep-Sea Cold Water CoralA cleaner shrimp (Plesionika sp.) with vivid blue eyes rests in a coral thicket next to a red soft coral (Anthomastus agassizii).
A cleaner shrimp (Plesionika sp.) with vivid blue eyes rests in a coral thicket next to a red soft coral (Anthomastus agassizii).
Deep-Sea Cold Water CoralFish like this Atlantic Roughy (Hoplostethus occidentalis) congregate near deep-sea corals (background is Lophelia pertusa coral).
Fish like this Atlantic Roughy (Hoplostethus occidentalis) congregate near deep-sea corals (background is Lophelia pertusa coral).
Deep-Sea Cold Water CoralClose-up of a squat lobster, Eumunida picta, in a thicket of Lophelia pertusa coral.
Close-up of a squat lobster, Eumunida picta, in a thicket of Lophelia pertusa coral.
Deep-Sea, Cold Water CoralClose-up image of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa, with polyps extended. The coral polyps eat by grabbing tiny suspended particulates (visible against the dark water background). The bright orange claws of a squat lobster (Eumunida picta) can be seen peeking out from behind the coral branches.
Close-up image of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa, with polyps extended. The coral polyps eat by grabbing tiny suspended particulates (visible against the dark water background). The bright orange claws of a squat lobster (Eumunida picta) can be seen peeking out from behind the coral branches.
Gulf of Mexico Deep-Sea CoralA fish (Gephyroberyx darwinii) peeks through a forest of soft corals and anemones at about 300 meters in depth in the Gulf of Mexico.
A fish (Gephyroberyx darwinii) peeks through a forest of soft corals and anemones at about 300 meters in depth in the Gulf of Mexico.
Deepsea Brittle StarCollected from more than 1000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, this fragile brittle star clings to a soft coral. These deep-sea coral ecosystems ar biodiversity hot-spots in the deep ocean, but they are also vulnerable to climate change issues such as increased temperature and ocean acidification.
Collected from more than 1000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, this fragile brittle star clings to a soft coral. These deep-sea coral ecosystems ar biodiversity hot-spots in the deep ocean, but they are also vulnerable to climate change issues such as increased temperature and ocean acidification.
Brain Coral ChristmasChristmas tree worms have made their home on a brain coral. Tropical corals reefs are complex ecosystems, but are rapidly being lost to bleaching and disease, linked to increasing water temperatures.
Christmas tree worms have made their home on a brain coral. Tropical corals reefs are complex ecosystems, but are rapidly being lost to bleaching and disease, linked to increasing water temperatures.
Lunch DateA queen trigger fish and a green turtle feeding together on a reef in Belize.
A queen trigger fish and a green turtle feeding together on a reef in Belize.
Brittle StarA tiny brittle star (the central disc is smaller than a dime) clings to the branches of a soft coral in a sample bucket brought into the shipboard laboratory from a submersible dive. This creature makes its home on the deep, dark ocean floor.
A tiny brittle star (the central disc is smaller than a dime) clings to the branches of a soft coral in a sample bucket brought into the shipboard laboratory from a submersible dive. This creature makes its home on the deep, dark ocean floor.
- Publications
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Transglobal spread of an ecologically relevant sea urchin parasite
Mass mortality of the dominant coral reef herbivore Diadema antillarum in the Caribbean in the early 1980s contributed to a persistent phase shift from coral- to algal-dominated reefs. In 2022, a scuticociliate most closely related to Philaster apodigitiformis caused further mass mortality of D. antillarum across the Caribbean, leading to >95% mortality at affected sites. Mortality was also reportAuthorsIsabella T. Ritchie, Brayan Vilanova-Cuevas, Ashley Altera, Kaileigh Cornfield, Ceri Evans, James S. Evans, Maria Hopson-Fernandes, Christina A. Kellogg, Elayne Looker, Oliver Taylor, Ian Hewson, Mya BreitbartInvestigating microbial size classes associated with the transmission of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD)
Effective treatment and prevention of any disease necessitates knowledge of the causative agent, yet the causative agents of most coral diseases remain unknown, in part due to the difficulty of distinguishing the pathogenic microbe(s) among the complex microbial backdrop of coral hosts. Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is a particularly destructive disease of unknown etiology, capable of tr
AuthorsJames S. Evans, Valerie J. Paul, Blake Ushijima, Kelly A. Pitts, Christina A. KelloggFunctional gene composition and metabolic potential of deep-sea coral-associated microbial communities
Over the past decade, an abundance of 16S rRNA gene surveys have provided microbiologists with data regarding the prokaryotes present in a coral-associated microbial community. Functional gene studies that provide information regarding what those microbes might do are fewer, particularly for non-tropical corals. Using the GeoChip 5.0S microarray, we present a functional gene study of microbiomes f
AuthorsZoe A. Pratte, Frank J. Stewart, Christina A. KelloggA scuticociliate causes mass mortality of Diadema antillarum in the Caribbean Sea
Echinoderm mass mortality events shape marine ecosystems by altering the dynamics among major benthic groups. The sea urchin Diadema antillarum, virtually extirpated in the Caribbean in the early 1980s by an unknown cause, recently experienced another mass mortality beginning in January 2022. We investigated the cause of this mass mortality event through combined molecular biological and veterinarAuthorsIan Hewson, Isabella T. Ritchie, James S. Evans, Ashley Altera, Donald Behringer, Erin Bowman, Marilyn E. Brandt, Kayla A. Budd, Ruleo A. Camacho, Tomas O. Cornwell, Peter D. Countway, Aldo Croquer, Gabriel A. Delgado, Christopher M. DeRito, Elizabeth Duermit-Moreau, Ruth Francis-Floyd, Samuel Gittens Jr., Leslie Henderson, Alwin Hylkema, Christina A. Kellogg, Yasunari Kiryu, Kimani A. Kitson-Walters, Patricia Kramer, Judith C. Lang, Harilaos Lessios, Lauren Liddy, David Marancik, Stephen Nimrod, Joshua T. Patterson, Marit Pistor, Isabel C. Romero, Rita Sellares-Blasco, Moriah L. B. Sevier, William C. Sharp, Matthew Souza, Andreina Valdez-Trinidad, Marijn van der Laan, Brayan Vilanova-Cuevas, Maria Villalpando, Sarah D. Von Hoene, Matthew Warham, Tom Wijers, Stacey M. Williams, Thierry M. Work, Roy P. Yanong, Someira Zambrano, Alizee Zimmermann, Mya BreitbartRapid prototyping for quantifying belief weights of competing hypotheses about emergent diseases
Emerging diseases can have devastating consequences for wildlife and require a rapid response. A critical first step towards developing appropriate management is identifying the etiology of the disease, which can be difficult to determine, particularly early in emergence. Gathering and synthesizing existing information about potential disease causes, by leveraging expert knowledge or relevant exisAuthorsEllen Padgett Robertson, Daniel P. Walsh, Julien Martin, Thierry M. Work, Christina A. Kellogg, James S. Evans, Aine Marie Alice Campbell Hawthorn, Greta Aeby, Valerie J. Paul, Brian Walker, Yasunari Kiryu, Cheryl M. Woodley, Julie L. Meyer, Stephanie M. Rosales, Michael S. Studivan, Jennifer Moore, Marilyn E. Brandt, Andrew BrucknerA meta-analysis of the stony coral tissue loss disease microbiome finds key bacteria in unaffected and lesion tissue in diseased colonies
Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has been causing significant whole colony mortality on reefs in Florida and the Caribbean. The cause of SCTLD remains unknown, with the limited concurrence of SCTLD-associated bacteria among studies. We conducted a meta-analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA gene datasets generated by 16 field and laboratory SCTLD studies to find consistent bacteria associated with S
AuthorsStephanie M. Rosales, Lindsay K. Huebner, James S. Evans, Amy Apprill, Andew C. Baker, Anthony J. Bellantuono, Marilyn E. Brandt, Abigail S. Clark, Javier del Campo, Caroline E. Dennison, Katherine R. Eaton, Naomi E. Huntley, Christina A. Kellogg, Monica Medina, Julie L. Meyer, Erinn M. Muller, Mauricio Rodriguez-Lanetty, Jennifer L. Salerno, W. Bane Schill, Erin N. Shilling, Julia Marie Stewart, Joshua D. VossBiofilms as potential reservoirs of stony coral tissue loss disease
Since 2014, corals throughout Florida’s Coral Reef have been plagued by an epizootic of unknown etiology, colloquially termed stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD). Although in Florida the movement of this waterborne coral disease has been consistent with natural transport via water currents, outbreaks in the Caribbean have been more sporadic, with infections occurring in locations inconsistent
AuthorsJames S. Evans, Valerie J. Paul, Christina A. KelloggCombining tangential flow filtration and size fractionation of mesocosm water as a method for the investigation of waterborne coral diseases
The causative agents of most coral diseases today remain unknown, complicating disease response and restoration efforts. Pathogen identifications can be hampered by complex microbial communities naturally associated with corals and seawater, which create complicating “background noise” that can potentially obscure a pathogen’s signal. Here, we outline an approach to investigate waterborne coral diAuthorsJames S. Evans, Valerie J. Paul, Blake Ushijima, Christina A. KelloggUnexpected diversity of Endozoicomonas in deep-sea corals
ABSTRACT: The deep ocean hosts a large diversity of azooxanthellate cold-water corals whose associated microbiomes remain to be described. While the bacterial genus Endozoicomonas has been widely identified as a dominant associate of tropical and temperate corals, it has rarely been detected in deep-sea corals. Determining microbial baselines for these cold-water corals is a critical first step toAuthorsChristina A. Kellogg, Zoe A. PratteComparison of preservation and extraction methods on five taxonomically disparate coral microbiomes
All animals are host to a multitude of microorganisms that are essential to the animal’s health. Host-associated microbes have been shown to defend against potential pathogens, provide essential nutrients, interact with the host’s immune system, and even regulate mood. However, it can be difficult to preserve and obtain nucleic acids from some host-associated microbiomes, making studying their micAuthorsZoe A. Pratte, Christina A. KelloggIdentifying mangrove-coral habitats in the Florida Keys
Coral reefs are degrading due to many synergistic stressors. Recently there have been a number of global reports of corals occupying mangrove habitats that provide a supportive environment or refugium for corals, sheltering them by reducing stressors such as oxidative light stress and low pH. This study used satellite imagery and manual ground-truthing surveys to search for mangrove-coral habitatsAuthorsChristina A. Kellogg, Ryan P. Moyer, Mary Jacobsen, Kimberly K. YatesAssessing the water quality impacts of two Category-5 hurricanes on St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
Managing waterborne and water-related diseases is one of the most critical factors in the aftermath of hurricane-induced natural disasters. The goal of the study was to identify water-quality impairments in order to set the priorities for post-hurricane relief and to guide future decisions on disaster preparation and relief administration. Field investigations were carried out on St. Thomas, U.S.AuthorsSunny Jiang, Muyue Han, Srikiran Chandrasekaran, Yingcong Fang, Christina A. Kellogg - News
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