Parviz Tavakoli-Kolour
@u-ryukyu.ac.jp
Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center
University of the Ryukyus
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Aquatic Science, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Molecular Biology, Ecology
Scopus Publications
Scholar Citations
Scholar h-index
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
Parviz Tavakoli-Kolour, Frederic Sinniger, Masaya Morita, Sanaz Hazraty-Kari, Takashi Nakamura, and Saki Harii
Elsevier BV
Sanaz Hazraty-Kari, Masaya Morita, Parviz Tavakoli-Kolour, and Saki Harii
Elsevier BV
Sanaz Hazraty-Kari, Masaya Morita, Parviz Tavakoli-Kolour, Takashi Nakamura, and Saki Harii
Elsevier BV
Parviz Tavakoli-Kolour, Frederic Sinniger, Masaya Morita, and Saki Harii
Elsevier BV
Parviz Tavakoli-Kolour, Frederic Sinniger, Masaya Morita, Takashi Nakamura, and Saki Harii
Frontiers Media SA
Mesophotic habitats are potential refugia for corals in the context of climate change. The seawater temperature in a mesophotic habitat is generally lower than in a shallow habitat. However, the susceptibility and threshold temperatures of mesophotic corals are not well understood. We compared 11 mesophotic and shallow species to understand their thermal stress thresholds using physiological parameters. Coral fragments were exposed to two thermal stress treatments, with temperatures set at ~30°C and ~31°C, and a low-temperature treatment set at ~28°C as the “no stress” condition for 14 days. We found that the threshold temperature of coral species at mesophotic depths is slightly lower or equal to that of corals in shallow depths. The results suggest that species in the mesophotic coral ecosystems can survive low (<4 degree heating weeks) thermal stress. However, mass bleaching and high mortality can be expected when temperatures rise above 4 degree heating weeks.
Rocktim Ramen Das, Parviz Tavakoli-Kolour, Sanaz Hazraty-Kari, and James Davis Reimer
Wildlife Information Liaison Development Society
Diseases are a growing global threat to scleractinian corals. This study used a relatively inexpensive commercial drone flown simultaneously along with reef walking/snorkeling to confirm the presence of cyanobacterial Black Band Disease (BBD) on a reef in subtropical Okinawa, Japan. At the surveyed reef, the scleractinian corals included encrusting forms (12.57% ± 5.72 coverage), followed by massive/submassive (6.09% ± 4.05) and tabular corals (2.66% ± 1.19). Our survey is unique in that drone research has not been previously applied to BBD surveys, followed by ground truthing. Thus, this study can be regarded as an example of using drones during coral disease assessments.
Sanaz Hazraty-Kari, Parviz Tavakoli-Kolour, Seiya Kitanobo, Takashi Nakamura, and Masaya Morita
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
AbstractElevated temperatures cause coral bleaching and reef degradation. However, coral may have strategies to survive by reproducing more heat-tolerable larvae. We examine the direct and carryover effects of thermal stress on fecundity and fitness in the reef-building coral Acropora tenuis. Fragments from the same colony are subjected to control temperature (~27.5 °C) or heat stress (~31 °C) for ten days. We then examine the fecundity of adults (egg number and size) and the thermal tolerance of larvae and recruits (survival rates, growth, and size). The stressed fragments show a trade-off in egg production, an increase in egg number but a decrease in size. In addition, larvae and recruits from the stressed colony show marginally higher survival rates in the higher water temperature but do not differ in the control condition. Therefore, corals produce more heat-resistant larvae and recruits after they experience heat stress, which may improve coral reef resilience.
Parviz Tavakoli-Kolour, Ahmad Farhadi, Ashkan Ajdari, Dara Bagheri, Sanaz Hazraty-Kari, Ahmad Ghasemi, and Arya Vazirzadeh
PeerJ
Many ecologically important and valuable fisheries marine species have been misidentified in terms of both the statistical data and market demand. Correct identification at the species level and the population genetic structure of the orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides), a precious fish in the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea, was tested using mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (DNA barcoding) and D-loop sequencing. The results revealed that the Epinephelus species found in the region, including E. coioides, E. bleekeri, E. polylepis, and E. chlorostigma were all mistakenly grouped together and identified as only E. coioides. Moreover, the analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) of E. coioides samples using the D-loop showed a significantly unique genetic structure (ΦST = 0.068, p < 0.001) within the E. coioides population throughout the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea, with the pairwise genetic difference between sampling locations in UAE and the Iranian coast. Moreover, D-loop sequences analysis showed two distinct haplotype groups scattered among the sampling locations, which did not correlate with the geographic distance between the sampling locations. These findings indicate that the issue of misidentification should be highlighted in the management and conservation of E. coioides. As this type of misidentification is likely to happen to other threatened marine species as well, the efficacy of using genetic markers for the correct identification, both at the species and the population level, is vital.
Rocktim Ramen Das, Haruka Wada, Giovanni Diego Masucci, Tanya Singh, Parviz Tavakoli-Kolour, Naohisa Wada, Sen-Lin Tang, Hideyuki Yamashiro, and James Davis Reimer
MDPI AG
The Indo-Pacific zooxanthellate scleractinian coral genus Montipora is the host of many coral diseases. Among these are cyanobacterial Black Band Disease (BBD) and Skeletal Growth Anomalies (GAs), but in general data on both diseases are lacking from many regions of the Indo-Pacific, including from Okinawa, southern Japan. In this study, we collected annual prevalence data of Black Band Disease (BBD) and Skeletal Growth Anomalies (GAs) affecting the encrusting form of genus Montipora within the shallow reefs of the subtropical Sesoko Island (off the central west coast of Okinawajima Island) from summer to autumn for four years (2017 to 2020). In 2020 Montipora percent coverage and colony count were also assessed. Generalized Linear Models (GLM) were used to understand the spatial and temporal variation of both BBD and GAs in the nearshore (NE) and reef edge (RE) sites, which revealed higher probability of BBD occurrence in RE sites. BBD prevalence was significantly higher in 2017 in some sites than all other years with site S12 having significant higher probability during all four surveyed years. In terms of GAs, certain sites in 2020 had higher probability of occurrence than during the other years. While the general trend of GAs increased from 2017 to 2020, it was observed to be non-fatal to colonies. In both diseases, the interaction between sites and years was significant. We also observed certain BBD-infected colonies escaping complete mortality. BBD progression rates were monitored in 2020 at site S4, and progression was related to seawater temperatures and was suppressed during periods of heavy rain and large strong typhoons. Our results suggest that higher BBD progression rates are linked with high sea water temperatures (SST > bleaching threshold SST) and higher light levels (>1400 µmol m−2 s−1), indicating the need for further controlled laboratory experiments. The current research will help form the basis for continued future research into these diseases and their causes in Okinawa and the Indo-Pacific Ocean.
Sanaz Hazraty-Kari, Parviz Tavakoli-Kolour, Rocktim Ramen Das, Mina Farhadi, Abbas Barkhordari-Ahmadi, Maziar Yahyavi, and Hamid Rezai
Elsevier BV
Shadi Khatami, Parviz Tavakoli-Kolour, Tooraj Valinassab, Frank E. Anderson, and Ahmad Farhadi
Informa UK Limited
ABSTRACT The Persian Gulf and Oman Sea constitute one of the most important marine ecosystems and have many economically important aquatic species, including several coleoid cephalopods. Some coleoids are difficult to identify using traditional morphological characteristics. In this study, two mitochondrial fragments, cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and the large ribosomal subunit (16S rRNA), were used for identification of coleoid species in four regions in the northern Persian Gulf and Oman Sea. The study led to the identification of potential cryptic species of Sepia, Amphioctopus and Uroteuthis. Furthermore, Euprymna hyllebergi was reported for the first time from the Persian Gulf. A high diversity of Coeloidea was found in the study area. Mean intraspecific and interspecific nucleotide distances for COI were 0%–2% and 2%–7%, respectively, while these values for 16S rRNA sequences were 0%–1% and 1%–4%. Given the uncertainty about species identity and the high levels of intraspecific genetic diversity reported for some species in GenBank, a comprehensive global study will be needed to resolve the taxonomic status of several coleoid species.
S. Hazraty-Kari and P. Tavakoli-Kolour
Hindawi Limited
Summary
The investigation presents length–weight relationships for three coral reef fish species: Cephalopholis formosa (Shaw, 1812); Chaetodon nigropunctatus Sauvage, 1880; and Pomacanthus maculosus (Forsskal, 1775). The specimens were captured between April to August 2015 by spear-gun and wire trap (mesh size: 35 mm) in coral reefs of the northeastern areas of the Persian Gulf.
Pavriz Tavakoli-Kolour, Javid Kavousi, and Hamid Rezai
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
P. Tavakoli-Kolour, S. Khatami, A. Barkhordari, and A. Farhadi
Hindawi Limited
Javid Kavousi, Parviz Tavakoli-Kolour, Maria Mohammadizadeh, Arezoo Bahrami, and Abbas Barkhordari
Editorial CSIC
Coral bleaching events due to elevated temperatures are increasing in both frequency and magnitude worldwide. Mass bleaching was recorded at five sites in the northern Persian Gulf during August and September 2012. Based on available seawater temperature data from field, satellite and previous studies, we suggest that the coral bleaching threshold temperature in the northern Persian Gulf is between 33.5 and 34°C, which is about 1.5 to 2.5°C lower than that in the southern part. To assess the bleaching effects, coral genera counted during 60-minute dives were categorized into four groups including healthy, slightly bleached ( 50% bleached tissue) and fully bleached colonies. The anomalously high sea surface temperature resulted in massive coral bleaching (~84% coral colonies affected). Acropora spp. colonies, which are known as the most vulnerable corals to thermal stress, were less affected by the bleaching than massive corals, such as Porites , which are among the most thermo-tolerant corals. Turbid waters, suggested as coral refugia against global warming, did not protect corals in this study since most affected corals were found in the most turbid waters. The 2012 bleaching in the northern Persian Gulf was relatively strong from the viewpoint of coral bleaching severity. Long-term monitoring is needed to understand the actual consequences of the bleaching event on the coral reefs and communities.