Temporal trend data (2005-2020) in density and biomass of 13 herbivorous fishes in the Gulf of California.

This dataset comes from a multi-institution compilation of monitoring information for 13 marine herbivorous fishes belonging to six genera of five families: Acanthuridae, Girellidae, Kyphosidae, Pomacentridae and Scaridae, gathered from 2005 to 2020 in the Gulf of California. The database presents a total of 884 records of biomass and density got from 15,542 visual censuses performed using scuba diving in 34 localities comprising 268 rocky and coral reef sites. The censuses consisted of belt transects (250 m, 100 m, and 60 m) laid parallel to the coastline, where expert monitors recorded the abundance of all observed adult individuals of the 13 target herbivorous species, and visually estimated the total length (cm) of each fish.

An integrated system to assess marine extinctions.

More than 20 global marine extinctions and over 700 local extinctions have reportedly occurred during the past 500 years. However, available methods to determine how many of these species can be confidently declared true disappearances tend to be data-demanding, time-consuming, and not applicable to all taxonomic groups or scales of marine extinctions (global [G] and local [L]). We developed an integrated system to assess marine extinctions (ISAME) that can be applied to any taxonomic group at any geographic scale.

Blood analyte reference intervals and correlations with trace elements of immature and adult Eastern Pacific green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in coastal lagoons of Baja California Sur, México.

Sea turtles can bioaccumulate high concentrations of potentially toxic contaminants. To better understand trace element effects on sea turtles' health, we established reference intervals for hematological and plasma biochemical analytes in 40 in-water, foraging immature and adult Eastern Pacific green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from two coastal lagoons in Baja California Sur, quantified whole blood concentrations of eight trace elements, and assessed their correlations. Rank-order trace element concentrations in both immature and adult turtles was zinc > selenium > nickel > arsenic > copper > cadmium > lead > manganese.

High physiological function for corals with thermally tolerant, host-adapted symbionts.

The flexibility to associate with more than one symbiont may considerably expand a host's niche breadth. Coral animals and dinoflagellate micro-algae represent one of the most functionally integrated and widespread mutualisms between two eukaryotic partners. Symbiont identity greatly affects a coral's ability to cope with extremes in temperature and light.