Sonia Bejarano

Sonia Bejarano

Dr. Sonia Bejarano

Programme Area Lead (PA 2), Working Group Leader

Programme Area: Programme Area 2 - Global Change Impacts and Adaptation
Working Group: WG Reef Systems

+49 (0)421 23800 - 51

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Office: Fahrenheitstr. 6, Annexe
28359 Bremen
Room: 2008 (ground floor)

Research interests

- Ecosystem processes and functioning of coral reefs
- Survival of reef-building corals (and non-reef building corals) throughout environmental change
- Large scale consequences of climate change on coral reefs (e.g. species range shifts)
- Connections between organisms' morphology and their ecosystem function
- Connections between ecosystem functions and resources and benefits derived by people
- Response diversity and species vulnerability to perturbations
- Traditional and proactive measures to preserve and/or restore functioning coral reef ecosystems
- Natural and anthropogenic drivers of functional diversity on coral reefs
- Fishing and fish functional ecology

Publications

See my profile at Publons, Google Scholar.

 

Peer-reviewed papers

  1. Voolstra CR, Schlotheuber M, Camp E, Nitschke MR, Szereday S, and S Bejarano (2025) Spatially restricted coral bleaching as an ecological manifestation of within-colony heterogeneity. Communications Biology 8: 740
  2. Plazas-Gomez RA, Bejarano S, Magneville C and M Fujitani (2025) Beyond taxonomy: A functional approach reveals patterns of reef fish response to wastewater pollution. Marine Pollution Bulletin 216: 118024
  3. Estradivari, Pratama AMA, Syafruddin G, Kanna PL, Stuhr M, Torres AF, Munawwarah, Ramos DA, Ambo-Rappe R, Bejarano S, Puebla O, Wild C and SCA Ferse (2025) Coastal urbanization-related stressors affect fish herbivory in the Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia. Frontiers in Marine Science 12:1359139
  4. Scardino G, Rovere A, Barile C, Nandasena NAK, Chauveau D, Dahm M, Boyden P, Bejarano S, Casella E, Kelly H, Mijts E and G Scicchitano (2025) Coastal boulders emplaced by extreme wave events impacting the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao; Leeward Antilles, Caribbean). Quaternary Science Reviews 349: 109136
  5. Flandrin U, Mouillot D, Albouy C, Bejarano S, Casajus N, Cinner J, Edgar G, Ghilardi M, Leprieur F, Loiseau N and MacNeil A (2024) Fish communities can simultaneously contribute to nature and people across the world’s tropical reefs. One Earth 7(10):1772-85

  6. Estradivari, Kartika I, Adhuri DS, Adrianto L, Agung F, Ahmadia GN, Bejarano S, Campbell SJ, Fachri FR, Kushardanto H, Marlessy C and Pane B (2024) Prospective ecological contributions of potential marine OECMs and MPAs to enhance marine conservation in Indonesia. Ocean & Coastal Management 258:107411

  7. von Hammerstein H, Fett TM, Ferse SCA, Helfer V, Kinninmoth S and S Bejarano (2024) Individual mangrove trees provide alternative reef fish habitat on backreefs. Scientific Reports 14: 18574

  8. Schlotheuber M, Voolstra CR, de Beer D, Camp EF, Klatt JM, Ghilardi M, Neumüller K, Ousley S and S Bejarano (2024) High temporal resolution of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) dynamics during heat stress does not support a causative role in coral bleaching. Coral Reefs 43: 119-133

  9. Lucas CC, Lima IC, Garcia TM, Tavares TCL, Carneiro PBM, Teixeira CEP, Bejarano S, Rossi S and MO Soares (2023) Turbidity buffers coral bleaching under extreme wind and rainfall conditions. Marine Environmental Research 192: 106215

  10. Dubuc A, Quimbayo JP, Alvarado JJ, Araya-Arce T, Arriaga A, Ayala-Bocos A, Casas-Maldonado JJ, Chasqui L, Cortés J, Cupul-Magaña A, Olivier D, Olán-González M, González-Leiva A, Reyes-Bonilla H, Smith F, Rivera F, Rodríguez-Zaragoza FA, Rodríguez-Villalobos JC, Segovia J, Zapata FA and S Bejarano (2023) Patterns of reef fish taxonomic and functional diversity in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Ecography 2023: e06536

  11. Soares MO, Garcia TM, Giarrizzo T, Martinelli-Filho JE, Tavares TCL, Ziveri P, Smith TB, Bejarano S and CE Peres-Texeira (2023) Marine debris provide long-distance pathways for spreading invasive corals. Science of the Total Environment 900: 165637

  12. Ghilardi M, Salter M, Parravicini V, Ferse S, Rixen T, Wild C, Birkicht M, Perry C, Berry A, Wilson R, Mouillot D and S Bejarano (2023) Temperature, species identity and morphological traits predict carbonate excretion and mineralogy in tropical reef fishes. Nature Communications 14: 985

  13. Soares MO, Kitahara MV, Alves-Santos ME, Bejarano S, Fontenele-Rabelo E and IC Silva-Cruz (2022) The flourishing and vulnerabilities of zoantharians on Southwestern Atlantic reefs. Marine Environmental Research 173:105535

  14. Grutter A, Sun D, Bejarano S and PJ Mumby (2022) Indirect effects of cleaner fish Labroides dimidiatus on fish grazing per reef area and benthic community structure. Marine Biology 169:135

  15. Carneiro PBM, Ximenes Neto AR, Jucá‐Queiroz B, Teixeira CEP, Feitosa CV, Barroso CX, Matthews‐Cascon H, de Morais JO, Freitas JEP, Santander‐Neto J, de Araújo JT, Monteiro LHU, Pinheiro LDS, Braga MDA, Cordeiro RTS, Rossi S, Bejarano S, Salani S, Garcia TM, Lotufo TMC, Smith TB, Faria VV and MO Soares (2022) Interconnected marine habitats form a single continental‐scale reef system in South America. Scientific Reports 12:17359

  16. Casella, E, Lewin P, Ghilardi, Rovere A, S Bejarano (2022) Assessing the relative accuracy of coral heights reconstructed from drones and structure from motion photogrammetry on coral reefs. Coral Reefs 41:869–875

  17. Quitzau M, Frelat R, Bonhomme V, Möllmann C, Nagelkerke L and S Bejarano (2022) Traits, landmarks and outlines: Three congruent sides of a tale on coral reef fish morphology. Ecology and Evolution 12:e8787

  18. Bejarano S, Diemel V, Feuring A, Ghilardi M and T Harder (2022) No short-term effect of sinking microplastics on heterotrophy or sediment clearing in the tropical coral Stylophora pistillata. Scientific Reports 12:1468

  19. Ousley S, de Beer D, Bejarano S and A Chennu (2022) High-resolution dynamics of hidrogen peroxide on the surface of scleractinian corals in relation to photosynthesis and feeding. Frontiers in Marine Science 9:812839

  20. Moreira-Saporiti A, Bejarano S, Viana IG, Belshe EF, Mtolera MSP and M. Teichberg (2021) Local victory: Assessing interspecific competition in seagrass from a trait-based perspective. Frontiers in Plant Science (Functional Plant Ecology) 12: 709257

  21. Sanchez JA, Bejarano S, S Herrera (2021) SeaFlower Biosphere Reserve: Biodiversity and Ecosystem change in the largest Caribbean coral reef complex (Editorial). Frontiers in Marine Science (Marine Conservation and Sustainability) 8:772150

  22. Ghilardi M, Schiettekatte NMD, Casey JM, Brandl SJ, Degregori S, Mercière, Morat F, Letourneur Y, Bejarano S, and V Parravicini (2021) Phylogeny, body morphology, and trophic level shape intestinal traits in coral reef fishes. Ecology and Evolution 11:13218–13231

  23. Ford A, Jouffray JB, Norström A, Moore BR, Nugues MM, Williams G, Bejarano S, Magron F, Wild C, SCA Ferse (2020) Local human impacts disrupt relationships between benthic reef assemblages and environmental predictors. Frontiers in Marine Science 7: 571115

  24. Grutter AS, Bejarano S, Cheney KL, Goldizen AW, Sinclair-Taylor T and PA Waldie (2020) Effects of the cleaner fish Labroides dimidiatus on grazing fishes and coral reef benthos. Marine Ecology Progress Series 643: 99-114

  25. Prinz N, Story R, Lyon S, Ferse SCA and S Bejarano (2020) To feed or not to feed? Coral reef fish responses to artificial feeding and stakeholder perceptions in the Aitutaki Lagoon, Cook Islands. Frontiers in Marine Science 7: 145

  26. Bejarano S, Pardede S, Campbell SJ, Hoey AS, and SCA Ferse (2019) Herbivorous fish rise as a destructive fishing practice falls in an Indonesian marine national Park. Ecological Applications 29(8) e01981

  27. McAndrews R, Eich A, Ford AK, Bejarano S, Lal RR, and SCA Ferse (2019) Algae sediment dynamics are mediated by herbivorous fishes on a nearshore coral reef. Coral Reefs 38: 431-441

  28. Roff G, Bejarano S, Priest M, Marshell A, Chollett I, Steneck RS, Doropoulos C,  Golbuu Y, PJ Mumby (2019) Seascapes as drivers of coral reef ecosystem function, Ecological Monographs 89: e01336

  29. Ford A, Bejarano S, Nugues M, Viser PM, Albert S and SCA Ferse (2018) Reefs under siege – the rise, putative drivers and consequences of benthic cyanobacterial mats. Frontiers in Marine Science 5:18

  30. Gauff R, Bejarano S, Madduppa HH, Subhan B, Dugeny EMA, Perdana YA and SCA Ferse (2018) Influence of predation risk on the sheltering behaviour of the coral dwelling damselfish Pomacentrus moluccensis. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 101:639-651

  31. Ford AK, Eich A, McAndrews RS, Mangubhai S, Nugues MM, Bejarano S, Moore BR, Rico C, Wild C and SCA Ferse (2018) Evaluation of coral reef management effectiveness using conventional versus resilience-based metrics. Ecological Indicators 85: 308-317

  32. Peiffer F, Bejarano S, Palavicini de Witte G, and Wild C (2017) Ongoing removals of invasive lionfish in Honduras and their effect on native Caribbean prey fishes. PeerJ 5:e3818

  33. Bejarano S, Jouffray JB, Chollett I, Allen R, Marshell A, Roff G, Steneck R, Ferse S and PJ Mumby (2017) The shape of success in a turbulent world: Wave exposure filtering of coral reef herbivory. Functional Ecology 31: 1312-1324

  34. Casella E, Rovere A, Harris D, Ferse S, Bejarano S, Parravicini V (2017) Mapping coral reefs using drones and structure from motion photogrammetry techniques. Coral Reefs 36: 269-275

  35. Ford AK, Bejarano S, Marshell A, and PJ Mumby (2016) Linking the biology and ecology of key herbivorous unicornfish to fisheries management in the Pacific. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 26: 790-805

  36. Hedley JD, Roelfsema CM, Chollett I, Harborne AR, Heron SF, Weeks S, Skirving WJ, Strong AE, Eakin CM, Christensen TRL, Ticzon V, Bejarano S, and PJ Mumby (2016) Remote sensing of coral reefs for monitoring and management: A review. Remote Sensing 8(2): 118

  37. Lohr K, Bejarano S, Lirman D, Schopmeyer S, and C Manfrino (2015) Optimizing the productivity of a coral nursery focused on staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis. Endangered Species Research 27: 247-250

  38. Bejarano S,  Lohr K, Hamilton S and C Manfrino (2015) Relationships of invasive lionfish with topographic complexity, groupers, and native prey fishes in Little Cayman. Marine Biology 162: 253-266

  39. Roff G, Bejarano S, Bozec, YM, Nugues M, Steneck RS, and PJ. Mumby (2014) Porites and the Phoenix effect: unprecedented recovery after a mass coral bleaching event at Rangiroa Atoll, French Polynesia. Marine Biology 161: 1385-1393

  40. Bejarano S, Golbuu Y, and PJ Mumby (2013) Changes in the herbivore spear fishery associated with the grouper closure in Palau. Animal Conservation 17 (2):133–143

  41. Bejarano S, Golbuu Y, T Sapolu and Mumby PJ (2013) Ecological risk and the exploitation of herbivorous fish in Micronesia. Marine Ecology Progress Series 482: 197-215

  42. Mumby PJ, Bejarano S, Golbuu Y, Steneck RS, Arnold SN, van Woesik R and A Friedlander (2013) Empirical relationships among resilience indicators on Micronesian Reefs. Coral Reefs 32:213-226

  43. Bozec YM, Yakob L, Bejarano S, and PJ Mumby (2012) Reciprocal facilitation and non-linearity maintain habitat engineering on coral reefs. Oikos 122(3): 428-440

  44. Ticzon V, Mumby PJ, Samaniego B, Bejarano S and L David (2012) Microhabitat use of juvenile coral reef fish in Palau. Environmental Biology of Fishes 95(3): 355-370

  45. Bejarano S, Mumby PJ and I Sotheran (2011) Predicting the structural complexity of reefs and fish abundance using remote sensing (RoxAnn). Marine Biology 158:489-504

  46. Bejarano S, Mumby PJ, Hedley J and I Sotheran (2010) Combining optical and acoustic data to enhance the accuracy of coral reef habitat maps. Remote Sensing of Environment 114: 2768-2778

  47. Rodriguez-Ramirez A, Reyes–Nivia MC, Zea S, Navas-Camacho R, Garzon-Ferreira J, Bejarano S, Herron P and C Orozco (2010) Recent dynamics and condition of coral reefs in the Colombian Caribbean. Revista de Biologia Tropical 58 (Suppl 1): 107-131

  48. Gil-Agudelo D, Navas-Camacho R, Rodriguez-Ramirez A, Reyes – Nivia MC, Bejarano S, Garzon-Ferreira J and G Smith (2009) Coral diseases and their research in Colombian coral reefs. Boletin de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras INVEMAR 38(2): 189-224

  49. Manrique-Rodriguez N, Bejarano S and J Garzón-Ferreira (2006) Growth of the gorgonian seafan Gorgonia ventalina (Linnaeus, 1758) (Cnidaria: Gorgoniidae) in Santa Marta, Colombian Caribbean. Boletin de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras INVEMAR 35: 77-90

  50. Bejarano S, Zea S, and JM Diaz (2004) Sponges and other microhabitats for ophiuroids on coral reefs of the San Bernardo Archipelago Boletin de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras INVEMAR 38(2): 189-224

  51. Friedlander A, Sladek-Nowlis J, Sanchez JA, Appledoorn R, Usseglio P, McCormick C, Bejarano S and M. Chui (2003) Designing effective marine protected areas in Sea flower biosphere reserve, Colombia, based on biological and sociological information. Conservation Biology 17 (6): 1769-1784

  52. Garzon-Ferreira J, Rodriguez-Ramirez A, Bejarano S, Navas R and C Reyes-Nivia (2002). State of the coralline reefs. Boletin de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras INVEMAR, 27(102): 29-40