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“It ain’t necessarily so” – A favored mantra recited by R. K. Trench in the context of “received truth,” or established beliefs; and the title of his unfinished autobiography. Professor Robert (Bob) Kent Trench’s research career brought together multiple disciplines in the study of mutualistic symbioses that are crucial to understanding the physiology, ecology, and co-evolution of metazoan and protist associations, many of which are beneficial to the Earth’s biosphere. Through the development and use of complementary techniques, he pioneered important discoveries about metabolically coupled interactions between “plants” and animals. Having grown up in Belize (formerly British Honduras), his journey in academia started at the University College of the West Indies (UCWI) on the island nation of Jamaica, then proceeded to the University of California, Los Angeles (USA); Oxford University (UK); and Yale University (Connecticut, USA). He was a longtime faculty member in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (Figs. 1a–f). Over the course of his life (August 3 1940–April 27 2021), he recognized that many things presented as fact were often accumulated dogma. His direct application of the scientific method ultimately helped to change these misconceptions. By deconstructing established ‘beliefs,’ he greatly improved our understanding of several mutualistic symbioses, and many of his insights and hypotheses published decades ago remain at the forefront of intense investigation to this day. 

Abstract At extensional volcanic arcs, faulting often acts to localize magmatism. Santorini is located on the extended continental crust of the Aegean microplate and is one of the most active volcanoes of the Hellenic arc, but the relationship between tectonism and magmatism remains poorly constrained. As part of the Plumbing Reservoirs Of The Earth Under Santorini experiment, seismic data were acquired across the Santorini caldera and the surrounding region using a dense amphibious array of >14,300 marine sound sources and 156 short‐period seismometers, covering an area 120 km by 45 km. Here aPwave velocity model of the shallow, upper‐crustal structure (<3‐km depth), obtained using travel time tomography, is used to delineate fault zones, sedimentary basins, and tectono‐magmatic lineaments. Our interpretation of tectonic boundaries and regional faults are consistent with prior geophysical studies, including the location of basin margins and E‐W oriented basement faults within the Christiana Basin west of Santorini. Reduced seismic velocities within the basement east of Santorini, near the Anydros and Anafi Basins, are coincident with a region of extensive NE‐SW faulting and active seismicity. The structural differences between the eastern and western sides of Santorini are in agreement with previously proposed models of regional tectonic evolution. Additionally, we find that regional magmatism has been localized in NE‐SW trending basin‐like structures that connect the Christiana, Santorini, and Kolumbo volcanic centers. At Santorini itself, we find that magmatism has been localized along NE‐SW trending lineaments that are subparallel to dikes, active faults, and regional volcanic chains. These results show strong interaction between magmatism and active deformation. 

Abstract Coral bleaching is the single largest global threat to coral reefs worldwide. Integrating the diverse body of work on coral bleaching is critical to understanding and combating this global problem. Yet investigating the drivers, patterns, and processes of coral bleaching poses a major challenge. A recent review of published experiments revealed a wide range of experimental variables used across studies. Such a wide range of approaches enhances discovery, but without full transparency in the experimental and analytical methods used, can also make comparisons among studies challenging. To increase comparability but not stifle innovation, we propose a common framework for coral bleaching experiments that includes consideration of coral provenance, experimental conditions, and husbandry. For example, reporting the number of genets used, collection site conditions, the experimental temperature offset(s) from the maximum monthly mean (MMM) of the collection site, experimental light conditions, flow, and the feeding regime will greatly facilitate comparability across studies. Similarly, quantifying common response variables of endosymbiont (Symbiodiniaceae) and holobiont phenotypes (i.e., color, chlorophyll, endosymbiont cell density, mortality, and skeletal growth) could further facilitate cross‐study comparisons. While no single bleaching experiment can provide the data necessary to determine global coral responses of all corals to current and future ocean warming, linking studies through a common framework as outlined here, would help increase comparability among experiments, facilitate synthetic insights into the causes and underlying mechanisms of coral bleaching, and reveal unique bleaching responses among genets, species, and regions. Such a collaborative framework that fosters transparency in methods used would strengthen comparisons among studies that can help inform coral reef management and facilitate conservation strategies to mitigate coral bleaching worldwide.