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Staff Profile

Professor John Bythell

Professor of Coral Reef Biology, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences

  • Email: john.bythell@ncl.ac.uk
  • Address: School of Natural and Environmental Sciences
    4.64 Ridley Building
    Â鶹´«Ã½
    Â鶹´«Ã½ Upon Tyne
    NE1 7RU
Background

Background 

Coral reef ecology is at the forefront of national and international media attention because of the serious threats to these ecosystems from global climate change, disease and over-exploitation. As long ago as 1998, a global sea surface temperature event is estimated to have killed 17% of the corals of the world. Regional mass bleaching events are now common occurrences, often followed by disease outbreaks. My research has addressed two main foci in the study of coral health and disease: 1) the development of a culture-independent molecular microbial ecology approach to the study of emergent diseases in reef corals, and 2) The cellular and molecular responses of reef corals to infection and environmental stress, most recently in relation to the selection of stress-tolerant phenotypes as part of the Coralassist project (Coralassist) and latterly the CoralAdapt project. As genomic information becomes available for corals and related lower invertebrates, post-genomic and proteomic approaches to stress and disease tolerance have also become possible.


I am currently in the process of flexi-retirement and working one day a week (20% FTE).


Google Scholar page:

Research

Research Interests

Large-scale coral bleaching episodes were unknown prior to 1979 but have become more frequent with repeated mass coral bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef in 2016 and 2017. These events are linked to environmental stress, particularly temperature increases, and in addition to the local and regional loss of biodiversity, may represent the first case of the functional collapse of an ecosystem due to global climate change. Concurrent with these mass bleaching events, there has been widespread concern over the emergence of coral diseases over the past three decades. Reef core data from Belize indicates that the mass mortality of two of the dominant coral species in the Caribbean is unprecedented in at least the last 3-4000 years, which suggests a link to anthropogenic activities. Unfortunately, identification and characterisation of the causal agents of most coral diseases remains unresolved or poorly characterised, with traditional microbiological approaches to determining disease causation being misleading in these typically polymicrobial diseases. My research group addresses these areas by applying molecular approaches to understanding microbial ecology of corals and coral reefs. Other research interests focus on the host responses to environmental stress and host-microbe interactions.

Teaching


Module Leader:

  • SPG8013 Environmental Impact Assessment (Flexible Learning)
Publications

  • Articles

    • Humanes A, Lachs L, Beauchamp E, Bukurou L, Buzzoni D, Bythell J, Craggs JRK, de la Torre Cerro R, Edwards AJ, Golbuu Y, Martinez HM, Palmowski P, van der Steeg E, Sweet M, Ward A, Wilson AJ, Guest JR. . Nature Communications 2024, 15(1), 8703.
    • Lachs L, Humanes A, Pygas DR, Bythell JC, Mumby PJ, Ferrari R, Figueira WF, Beauchamp E, East HK, Edwards AJ, Golbuu Y, Martinez HM, Sommer B, van der Steeg E, Guest JR. . Communications Biology 2023, 6(1), 400.
    • Lachs L, Donner SD, Mumby PJ, Bythell JC, Humanes A, East HK, Guest JR. . Nature Communications 2023, 14(1), 4939.
    • Humanes A, Lachs L, Beauchamp EA, Bythell JC, Edwards AJ, Golbuu Y, Martinez HM, Palmowski P, Treuman A, van der Steeg E, van Hooidonk R, Guest JR. . Proceedings of the Royal Society B 2022, 289(1981), 20220872.
    • Bouderlique T, Petersen J, Faure L, Abed-Navandi D, Bouchnita A, Mueller B, Nazarov M, Englmaier L, Tesarova M, Frade PR, Zikmund T, Koehne T, Kaiser J, Fried K, Wild C, Pantos O, Hellander A, Bythell J, Adameyko I. . Current Biology 2022, 32(12), 2596-2609.
    • Ferrari R, Lachs L, Pygas DR, Humanes A, Sommer B, Figueira WF, Edwards AJ, Bythell JC, Guest JR. . Trends in Ecology and Evolution 2021, 36(12), 1093-1101.
    • Lachs L, Bythell JC, East HK, Edwards AJ, Mumby PJ, Skirving WJ, Spady BL, Guest JR. . Remote Sensing 2021, 13(14), 2677.
    • Humanes A, Beauchamp EA, Bythell JC, Carl MK, Craggs JR, Edwards AJ, Golbuu Y, Lachs L, Martinez HM, Palmowski P, Paysinger F, Randle JL, van der Steeg E, Sweet M, Treumann A, Guest JR. . Frontiers in Marine Science 2021, 8, 669995.
    • O'Hara EP, Caldwell GS, Bythell J. The composition of anthozoan nematocyst intracapsular fluid varies with and between nematocyst types. 2019.
    • Guppy R, Brown B, Bythell JC. . Coral Reefs 2019, 38(3), 521-526.
    • Bakshani CR, Morales-Garcia AL, Althaus M, Wilcox MD, Pearson JP, Bythell JC, Burgess G. . npj Biofilms and Microbiomes 2018, 4(14), 1-12.
    • O'Hara EP, Caldwell GS, Bythell J. . Toxicon 2018, 153, 12-16.
    • Bythell JC, Brown BE, Kirkwood TBL. . Biological Reviews 2018, 93(2), 1192-1202.
    • Sweet MJ, Bythell JC. . Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 2017, 147, 136-144.
    • Sweet MJ, Bythell JC. . Molecular Ecology 2015, 24(5), 1150-1159.
    • Smith D, Leary P, Craggs J, Bythell J, Sweet M. . PLoS ONE 2015, 10(3), e0121780.
    • Miller J, Sweet MJ, Wood E, Bythell JC. . PeerJ 2015, 3, e1391.
    • Sweet MJ, Croquer A, Bythell JC. . Proceedings of the Royal Society B 2014, 281(1788), 20140094.
    • Sweet MJ, Smith D, Bythell JC, Craggs J. Changes in microbial diversity associated with two coral speciesrecovering from a stressed state in a public aquarium system. Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 2013, 1(2), 52-60.
    • Sweet M, Craggs J, Robson J, Bythell JC. . Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 2013, 1(1), 20-27.
    • Sweet MJ, Bythell JC, Nugues MM. . PLoS ONE 2013, 8(7), e69717.
    • Sweet MJ, Kirkham N, Bendall M, Currey L, Bythell JC, Heupel M. . PLoS ONE 2012, 7(8), e41989.
    • Palmer CV, Bythell JC, Willis BL. . Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 2012, 279(1743), 3879-3887.
    • Sweet MJ, Bythell JC. . Environmental Microbiology 2012, 14(8), 2184-2199.
    • Sweet MJ, Croquer A, Bythell JC. . Coral Reefs 2011, 30(4), 1121-1133.
    • Sweet MJ, Croquer A, Bythell JC. . PLoS One 2011, 6(6), e21195.
    • Palmer CV, Traylor-Knowles NG, Willis BL, Bythell JC. . PLoS One 2011, 6(8), e23992.
    • Sweet MJ, Croquer A, Bythell JC. . Coral Reefs 2011, 30(1), 39-52.
    • Palmer CV, Bythell JC, Willis BL. . Developmental & Comparative Immunology 2011, 35(10), 1098-1101.
    • Heidelberg KB, O'Neil KL, Bythell JC, Sebens KP. . Journal of Plankton Research 2010, 32(1), 75-91.
    • Sweet M, Croquer A, Bythell J. . Aquatic Microbial Ecology 2010, 61(1), 1-11.
    • Palmer CV, Bythell JC, Willis BL. . FASEB Journal 2010, 24(6), 1935-1946.
    • Jatkar AA, Brown BE, Bythell JC, Guppy R, Morris NJ, Pearson JP. . Biomacromolecules 2010, 11(4), 883-888.
    • Pantos O, Bythell JC. . Coral Reefs 2010, 29(3), 761-770.
    • Jatkar AA, Brown BE, Bythell JC, Guppy R, Morris NJ, Pearson JP. . Marine Biology 2010, 157(2), 261-267.
    • Fitt WK, Gates RD, Hoegh-Guldberg O, Bythell JC, Jatkar A, Grottoli AG, Gomez M, Fisher P, Lajuenesse TC, Pantos O, Iglesias-Prieto R, Franklin DJ, Rodrigues LJ, Torregiani JM, van Woesik R, Lesser MP. . Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 2009, 373(2), 102-110.
    • Naser H, Bythell J, Thomason J. . Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal 2008, 26(3), 201-208.
    • Ledlie MH, Graham NAJ, Bythell JC, Wilson SK, Jennings S, Polunin NVC, Hardcastle J. . Coral Reefs 2007, 26(3), 641-653.
    • Field SN, Glassom D, Bythell J. . Coral Reefs 2007, 26(2), 279-289.
    • Lesser MP, Bythell JC, Gates RD, Johnstone RW, Hoegh-Guldberg O. . Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 2007, 346(1-2), 36-44.
    • Guppy R, Bythell JC. . Marine Ecology Progress Series 2006, 328, 133-142.
    • Pantos O, Bythell JC. . Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 2006, 69(1), 79-88.
    • Dunn SR, Thomason JC, Le Tissier MDA, Bythell JC. . Cell Death and Differentiation 2004, 11(11), 1213-1222.
    • Pantos O, Cooney RP, Le Tissier MDA, Barer MR, O'Donnell AG, Bythell JC. . Environmental Microbiology 2003, 5(5), 370-382.
    • Dunn SR, Bythell JC, Le Tissier MDA, Burnett WJ, Thomason JC. . Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 2002, 272(1), 29-53.
    • Bythell JC, Barer MR, Cooney RP, Guest JR, O'Donnell AG, Pantos O, Le Tissier MDA. . Letters in Applied Microbiology 2002, 34(5), 359-364.
    • Cooney RP, Pantos O, Le Tissier MDA, Barer MR, O'Donnell AG, Bythell JC. . Environmental Microbiology 2002, 4(7), 401-413.
    • Bythell J, Pan P, Lee J. . Coral Reefs 2001, 20(3), 193-199.
    • Walker ST, Mantle D, Bythell JC, Thomason JC. . Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - B Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2000, 127(3), 347-355.
    • Bythell JC, Hillis-Starr ZM, Rogers CS. . Marine Ecology Progress Series 2000, 204, 93-100.
    • Hillis ZM, Bythell JC. "Keep up or give up": hurricanes promote coral survival by interrupting burial from sediment accumulation. CORAL REEFS 1998, 17(3), 262-262.
    • BYTHELL JC, GLADFELTER EH, BYTHELL M. CHRONIC AND CATASTROPHIC NATURAL MORTALITY OF 3 COMMON CARIBBEAN REEF CORALS. CORAL REEFS 1993, 12(3-4), 143-152.

  • Book Chapter

    • Bythell JC, Pantos O, Richardson LL. . In: Rosenberg, E., Loya, Y, ed. Coral Health and Disease. New York: Springer, 2004, pp.351-365.

  • Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

    • Lindop AAM, Hind EJ, Bythell JC. . In: Proc 11th Int Coral Reef Symp. 2009, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
    • Bythell J, Johnstone R, Pantos O. . In: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, Annual Main Meeting of the Society for Experimental Biology. 2006, Canterbury, UK: Elsevier Inc.
    • Dunn SR, Thomason JC, Le Tissier MDA, Bythell JC. . In: 9th International Coral Reef Symposium. 2002, Bali: ICRS.
    • Rogers C, Gladfelter W, Hubbard D, Gladfelter E, Bythell J, Dunsmore R, Loomis C, Devine B, Hillis-Starr Z, Phillips B. . In: Proceedings of the Caribbean Acropora Workshop. 2002, Miami, Florida: US Dept of Commerce.
    • BYTHELL JC, BYTHELL M, GLADFELTER EH. INITIAL RESULTS OF A LONG-TERM CORAL-REEF MONITORING PROGRAM - IMPACT OF HURRICANE HUGO AT BUCK ISLAND REEF NATIONAL MONUMENT, ST-CROIX, UNITED-STATES VIRGIN-ISLANDS. In: JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY. 1993.

  • Note

    • Leggat W, Ainsworth T, Bythell J, Dove S, Gates R, Hoegh-Guldberg O, Iglesias-Prieto R, Yellowlees D. . Nature Reviews Microbiology 2007, 5(10).

  • Report

    • HoeghGuldberg O, Loya Y, Bythell J, Fitt W, Gates R, IglesiasPrieto R, Lesser M, McClanahan T, vanWoesik R, Wild C. . Australia: University of Queensland, 2009. CRTR Working Group Findings 2004-2009 004/2009.

  • Reviews

    • Sweet MJ, Jones R, Bythell JC. . Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK 2012, 92(4), 791-801.
    • Wild C, Hoegh-Guldberg O, Naumann M, Colombo-Pallotta MF, Fitt W, Ateweberhan M, Iglesias-Prieto R, Palmer C, Bythell JC, Ortiz JC, Loya Y, van Woesik R. . Marine and Freshwater Research 2011, 62(2), 205-215.
    • Bythell JC, Wild C. . Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 2011, 408(1-2), 88-93.
    • Brown BE, Bythell JC. . Marine Ecology Progress Series 2005, 296, 291-309.