Current Affiliation Organization 【 display / non-display 】

Current Affiliation Organization 【 display / non-display 】

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External Career 【 display / non-display 】

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Affiliated academic organizations 【 display / non-display 】

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Research Areas 【 display / non-display 】

Research Areas 【 display / non-display 】

Published Papers 【 display / non-display 】

Published Papers 【 display / non-display 】

• A method for detecting acid phosphatase activity in corals

  Tomohiro Sasamoto, Kento Muta, Kanae Koike, Yuuki Kodama, Masahiro Fujishima, Seiya Kitanobo, Tomihiko Higuchi, Masaya Morita, Saki Harii, and Ikuko Yuyama

  Galaxea, J Coral Reef Stud ( JCRS )    2025 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

  Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

• Shallow corals acclimate to mesophotic depths while maintaining their heat tolerance against ongoing climate change

  Parviz Tavakoli-Kolour, Frederic Sinniger, Masaya Morita, Sanaz Hazraty-Kari, Takashi Nakamura, Saki Harii

  Marine Pollution Bulletin ( Elsevier BV )  209   117277 - 117277   2024.12 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

  Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

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• Using underwater mini-ROV for coral eDNA survey: a case study in Okinawan mesophotic ecosystems

  Noriyuki Satoh, Frederic Sinniger, Haruhi Narisoko, Shinichiro Nagahama, Nobuhiro Okada, Yuki Shimizu, Yuki Yoshioka, Kanako Hisata, Saki Harii

  Coral Reefs ( Springer Science and Business Media LLC )    2024.11 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

  Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

  　View Summary

  Abstract Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) are light-dependent communities occurring at depths of 30–150 m. They have been suggested to serve as refuge against thermal stress during heat waves for some coral species. Recent studies on MCEs have revealed a high diversity of communities, some unique, and that these ecosystems are far from being immune to anthropogenic threats. However, the depths at which these ecosystems are found make their exploration and study challenging. Consequently, most suitable environments for MCEs remain unexplored. To facilitate the detection and characterization of MCEs, we improved the methodology for mesophotic scleractinian survey by environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding analysis using seawater collected by underwater mini-Remote Operated Vehicle (mini-ROV). We tested this improved approach at upper mesophotic sites in Okinawa, Japan, with different corals dominating the communities (i.e., Alveopora-dominated, Seriatopora-dominated, and Acropora-dominated communities). Despite the proximity of the different sites, our eDNA metabarcoding analyses detected the dominant coral genera specific to each site. In addition, this study detected numerous other genera present at these sites, including Acropora, Pachyseris, Galaxea, Lobophyllia, Montipora, Pocillopora, Porites, and others. Therefore, this study might support a new technical gate for comprehensive survey of MCEs using eDNA samples collected by underwater mini-ROV, although further technical improvement is required for quantitative estimation.

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• Presence of coral-killing sponges in Okinawan mesophotic coral ecosystems

  Ritzelle L Albelda, Frederic Sinniger, Yuji Ise, Saki Harii

  Bulletin of Marine Science ( Bulletin of Marine Science )  100 ( 3 ) 503 - 518   2024.07 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

  Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

  　View Summary

  Shallow reefs worldwide are degrading due to multiple threats. Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; 30– 150 m depth) have been investigated for their diversity and potential to serve as a coral refuge and re-seed shallow reefs. However, recent studies showed that MCEs are also disturbed by various factors, including diseases, pollution, storms, and thermal-induced bleaching. Among the disturbances, coral-killing sponges are also known to decimate many Indo-Pacific shallow reefs but are rarely reported at mesophotic depths. Here, we report the first comprehensive assessment of the coral-killing sponges Chalinula nematifera (de Laubenfels, 1954) and Terpios hoshinota Rützler and Muzik, 1993 in MCEs. Specifically, we investigated (1) their prevalence, (2) sponge-affected corals, and (3) coral-sponge interaction types at 40 m depth in Okinawa, southern Japan. We found that C. nematifera and T. hoshinota were present but at low prevalences, with the highest mean cover of 3.8% and 1.8%, respectively. Although both species appeared to be substrate- generalists, they mainly affected the dominant coral taxa, such as branching corals Acropora tenella and Seriatopora sp. Both sponges mainly interacted with corals by overgrowth, followed by tissue and peripheral contact. Due to lack of prior knowledge, it is unclear whether the current observation of the coral-killing sponges captured their expansion, decline, or steady state in Okinawan MCEs. Thus, this study provides unprecedented insights about coral-killing sponges at mesophotic depths which highlights the need to monitor more MCEs globally, prioritizing regions with shallow reefs that are already threatened by these sponges.

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• Acoustic Distribution Maps of Phonating Species in Coral Reefs

  Tomonari Akamatsu 1, Frederic Sinniger, Saki Harii

  Marine Research   4 ( 1 ) 27 - 36   2024.05 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

  Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

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Books 【 display / non-display 】

Books 【 display / non-display 】

• Ryukyu Islands, Japan. In Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems

  Sinniger F, Harii S, Humblet M, Nakamura S, Ohba H, Prasetia R ( Part: Single Author ,  Ryukyu Islands, Japan )

  Springer  2019

• Coral sclerochronology: similarities and differences in coral isotopic signatures between mesophotic and shallow-water reefs. In Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems.

  Watanabe T, Watanabe TK, Yamazaki A, Yoneta S, Sowa K, Sinniger F, Eyal G, Loya Y, Harii S ( Part: Single Author )

  2019

• Coral Reef Studies of Japan, Coral Reefs of the World vol. 13

  Sinniger F, Harii S ( Part: Single Author ,  Studies on mesophotic coral ecosystems in Japan )

  Springer Nature Singapore  2018

Other Papers 【 display / non-display 】

Other Papers 【 display / non-display 】

• Journal publication of the Japanese Coral Reef Society: Past, present and future

  FUJITA Kazuhiko, HARII Saki, HIDAKA Michio, YAMASHIRO Hideyuki

  Journal of the Japanese Coral Reef Society ( The Japanese Coral Reef Society )  20 ( 1 ) 89 - 97   2018  [Refereed]

   

  DOI

Presentations 【 display / non-display 】

Presentations 【 display / non-display 】

• Exploring the depths: deep sequencing sheds light on Symbiodiniaceae depth distribution

  Meron Ghirmay Tekle, Frederic Sinniger, Yukuto Sato, Saki Harii

  日本サンゴ礁学会第27回大会  (宮崎市)  2024.11  -  2024.12 

• When Leptoseris meets the deep sea: deepest photosymbiotic corals in the world

  Easton E, Sinniger F, Tapia Guerra M, Gonzales Soto M, Harii S, Sellanes Lopez J

  日本サンゴ礁学会第27回大会  2024.11  -  2024.12 

• The trophic ecology of photosymbiotic corals in the lower photic zone

  Samuel E. KAHNG, Stephane MARTINEZ, Frederic SINNIGER, Saki HARII, Yoshito CHIKARAISHI

  European Coral Reef Symposium – ECRS 2024  2024.07  -  2024.07 

• Predicting demography from species traits: larval development time and its sensitivity to warming depend on egg size in corals

  Figueiredo, Joana; Baird, Andrew H.; Harii, Saki; Connolly, Sean R.

  European Coral Reef Symposium – ECRS 2024  2024.07  -  2024.07 

• Hidden lineages and potential deep to shallow connectivity of the brooding coral, Seriatopora hystrix

  Kenji Takata, Yuji Narita, Nanami Noguchi, Satoshi Nagai, Taisei Kikuchi, Frederic Sinniger, Saki Harii, Nina Yasuda

  European Coral Reef Symposium – ECRS 2024  2024.07  -  2024.07 

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Academic Awards 【 display / non-display 】

Academic Awards 【 display / non-display 】

• 日本サンゴ礁学会第21回大会最優秀口頭発表賞

  2018.11     Effect of quantitative changes of Symbiodiniaceae on survival of different coral life stages under heat stress

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research 【 display / non-display 】

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research 【 display / non-display 】

• New coral reef conservation approaches in the Anthropocene across depths

  Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(A)

  Project Year: 2021.04  -  2025.03 

  Direct: 27,000,000 (YEN)  Overheads: 35,100,000 (YEN)  Total: 8,100,000 (YEN)

• Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(B)

  Project Year: 2020.04  -  2023.03 

  Direct: 12,200,000 (YEN)  Overheads: 15,860,000 (YEN)  Total: 3,660,000 (YEN)

• Monitoring of coral reef ecosystem by underwater biological sounds

  Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(A)

  Project Year: 2017.04  -  2020.03 

  Direct: 29,500,000 (YEN)  Overheads: 38,350,000 (YEN)  Total: 8,850,000 (YEN)

• Breakdown of symbioses in mesophotic corals using omics aproach (Fostering Joint International Research)

  Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research)

  Project Year: 2017  -  2019 

  Direct: 11,100,000 (YEN)  Overheads: 14,430,000 (YEN)  Total: 3,330,000 (YEN)

• Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(A)

  Project Year: 2016.04  -  2020.03 

  Direct: 31,600,000 (YEN)  Overheads: 9,480,000 (YEN)  Total: 41,080,000 (YEN)

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SDGs 【 display / non-display 】

SDGs 【 display / non-display 】

Academic Activities 【 display / non-display 】

Academic Activities 【 display / non-display 】

• 一般社団法人　日本サンゴ礁学会 

  2021.10

  　

  　

  種別： Academic society, research group, etc. 

• 熊本大学くまもと水循環・減災研究教育センター 

  2023.4