Effects of herbivory, nutrients, and reef protection on algal proliferation and coral growth on a tropical reef

Maintaining coral reef resilience against increasing anthropogenic disturbance is critical for effective reef management. Resilience is partially determined by how processes, such as herbivory and nutrient supply, affect coral recovery versus macroalgal proliferation following disturbances. However, the relative effects of herbivory versus nutrient enrichment on algal proliferation remain debated. Here, we manipulated herbivory and nutrients on a coral-dominated reef protected from fishing, and on an adjacent macroalgal-dominated reef subject to fishing and riverine discharge, over 152 days. On both reefs, herbivore exclusion increased total and upright macroalgal cover by 9–46 times, upright macroalgal biomass by 23–84 times, and cyanobacteria cover by 0–27 times, but decreased cover of encrusting coralline algae by 46–100% and short turf algae by 14–39%. In contrast, nutrient enrichment had no effect on algal proliferation, but suppressed cover of total macroalgae (by 33–42%) and cyanobacteria (by 71% on the protected reef) when herbivores were excluded. Herbivore exclusion, but not nutrient enrichment, also increased sediment accumulation, suggesting a strong link between herbivory, macroalgal growth, and sediment retention. Growth rates of the corals Porites cylindrica and Acropora millepora were 30–35% greater on the protected versus fished reef, but nutrient and herbivore manipulations within a site did not affect coral growth. Cumulatively, these data suggest that herbivory rather than eutrophication plays the dominant role in mediating macroalgal proliferation, that macroalgae trap sediments that may further suppress herbivory and enhance macroalgal dominance, and that corals are relatively resistant to damage from some macroalgae but are significantly impacted by ambient reef condition

Coral reefs in crisis: reversing the biotic death spiral

Coral reefs are disappearing due to global warming, overfishing, ocean acidification, pollution, and interactions of these and other stresses. Ecologically informed management of fishes that facilitate corals by suppressing seaweeds may be our best bet for bringing reefs back from the brink of extinction

Peran Asisten Sutradara 3 dalam Film Mothernet di Base Entertainment

Pengalaman magang ini membahas kegiatan atau pekerjaan saya sebagai Asisten Sutradara 3 dalam produksi film Mothernet yang diproduksi oleh Base Entertainment. Tugas utama saya mencakup pekerjaan administratif selama fase pra-produksi, seperti menyusun extras breakdown dan dokumentasi lainnya, serta mendukung berbagai kebutuhan yang diajukan oleh Asisten Sutradara 1 dan 2. Selama produksi, saya juga bertanggung jawab mengatur extras di lapangan untuk memastikan kelancaran jadwal pengambilan gambar. Pengalaman ini memberikan pemahaman mendalam tentang proses produksi film, khususnya peran koordinasi dan detail teknis dalam tim asisten sutradara. Pengalaman ini menjadi pengalaman berharga yang akan berguna untuk karir kedepannya khususnya dalam tim asisten sutradara, produksi dan juga penyutradaraan serta juga membangun relasi dalam industri perfilman di Indonesia maupun mancanegara

Cascading predator effects in a Fijian coral reef ecosystem

Coral reefs are among Earth's best-studied ecosystems, yet the degree to which large predators influence the ecology of coral reefs remains an open and contentious question. Recent studies indicate the consumptive effects of large reef predators are too diffuse to elicit trophic cascades. Here, we provide evidence that such predators can produce non-consumptive (fear) effects that flow through herbivores to shape the distribution of seaweed on a coral reef. This trophic cascade emerged because reef topography, tidal oscillations, and shark hunting behaviour interact to create predictable "hot spots" of fear on the reef where herbivores withhold feeding and seaweeds gain a spatial refuge. Thus, in risky habitats, sharks can exert strong ecological impacts even though they are trophic generalists that rarely feed. These findings contextualize the debate over whether predators influence coral reef structure and function and move us to ask not if, but under what specific conditions, they generate trophic cascades

Perancangan Staging untuk Menunjukkan Dinamika Relasi Karakter dalam Film "A Shiny Day"

Hubungan relasi antar manusia merupakan suatu hal yang kompleks, karena hubungan kita dengan orang lain tidak terbatas pada hubungan statis namun juga memiliki dinamika yang terus berubah sesuai dengan kondisi yang dihadapi. Kompleksitas dinamika dalam suatu hubungan bisa terjadi pada siapa saja termasuk pada hubungan ibu dan anak, khususnya ketika keduannya menghadapi konflik yang sama. Penulis mengeksplor dinamika relasi ibu dan anak dalam bentuk horror yang digambarkan menggunakan teknik staging. Staging merupakan suatu teknik penting bagi sutradara untuk dikuasai karena staging bertujuan untuk menampilkan makna khusus secara tersirat. Teori staging yang digunakan oleh penulis adalah milik Kocka, Rabiger, Proferes dan lainnya. Pada penelitian ini, penulis akan berfokus pada cara merancang staging in depth dan staging on line untuk bisa menyampaikan dinamika relasi yang terjadi pada karakter Philip dan Agita di film "A Shiny Day". Staging in depth sendiri merupakan rancangan dimana penempatan dan pergerakan karakter dibuat pada sumbu z sedangkan staging on line menempatkan dan menggerakkan aktor pada sumbu x. Kedua teknik ini akan memberikan makna tentang bagaimana sosok orang tua yang dominan membuat sang anak menjadi tidak berdaya dalam mengambil keputusannya. Perancangan staging yang dibuat diharapkan bisa menyampaikan maksud dari penulis kepada penonton dengan tepat, pada akhirnya seluruh rancangan staging yang ada harus memiliki kerjasama yang kuat dengan aspek visual lainnya seperti lighting, kostum, properti, shot dan bahasa film lainnya

Predictive functional profiling of microbial communities using 16S rRNA marker gene sequences

Profiling phylogenetic marker genes, such as the 16S rRNA gene, is a key tool for studies of microbial communities but does not provide direct evidence of a community’s functional capabilities. Here we describe PICRUSt (Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States), a computational approach to predict the functional composition of a metagenome using marker gene data and a database of reference genomes. PICRUSt uses an extended ancestral-state reconstruction algorithm to predict which gene families are present and then combines gene families to estimate the composite metagenome. Using 16S information, PICRUSt recaptures key findings from the Human Microbiome Project and accurately predicts the abundance of gene families in host-associated and environmental communities, with quantifiable uncertainty. Our results demonstrate that phylogeny and function are sufficiently linked that this ‘predictive metagenomic’ approach should provide useful insights into the thousands of uncultivated microbial communities for which only marker gene surveys are currently available