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Acoustic cues of healthy reefs are known to support critical settlement behaviors for one reef-building coral, but acoustic responses have not been demonstrated in additional species. Settlement of Favia fragum larvae in response to replayed coral reef soundscapes were observed by exposing larvae in aquaria and reef settings to playback sound treatments for 24–72 h. Settlement increased under 24 h sound treatments in both experiments. The results add to growing knowledge that acoustically mediated settlement may be widespread among stony corals with species-specific attributes, suggesting sound could be one tool employed to rehabilitate and build resilience within imperiled reef communities. 

The initiation of mobile-lid plate tectonics on Earth represented a critical transition towards a more familiar world in terms of surface temperature stabilization, biogeochemical cycling, topography creation, and other processes. Zircon-based estimates of the geomagnetic field intensity have recently been cited as providing evi- dence for the lack of mobile-lid motion between 3.9 and 3.4 billion years ago (Ga). We reanalyze the published dataset of 91 zircon paleointensities from the Jack Hills (Australia) and Green Sandstone Bed (GSB; South Africa) localities within this time interval and, using both analytical and bootstrap resampling approaches, show that the small number of samples result in large uncertainties in implied paleolatitude. Specifically, in more likely sce- narios that do not assume coherent motion for both localities, all latitudinal displacements on Earth are permitted within the 95 % confidence interval. We also examine the less likely scenario that the two landmasses shared a motion history, which increases the data density and presents the best-case scenario for constraining latitudinal motion. In this case, the 95 % confidence interval of the zircon paleointensity data is compatible with the displacements of between 35 % and 52 % of modern continental localities, all of which experience mobile-lid tectonics. Finally, generating expected paleointensity time series for modern continents undergoing mobile-lid motion shows that about two-thirds of these motions would not be resolved by zircon paleointensities, even in the best-case scenario of combining Jack Hills and GSB datasets. All of these analyses assume that these zircons retain a primary paleomagnetic signal, an assertion which is opposed by a number of published zircon magnetism studies. We conclude that Archean zircon paleointensities do not provide evidence for or against mobile-lid plate tectonics prior to 3.4 Ga. Future paleomagnetic investigation of tectonic regime on the early Earth should therefore focus on magnetization directions in well-preserved, oriented whole rocks. 

Abstract Speleothems are mineral deposits capable of recording detrital and/or chemical remanent magnetization at annual timescales. They can offer high‐resolution paleomagnetic records of short‐term variations in Earth's magnetic field, crucial for understanding the evolution of the dynamo. Owing to limitations on the magnetic moment sensitivity of commercial cryogenic rock magnetometers (∼10⁻¹¹ Am²), paleomagnetic studies of speleothems have been limited to samples with volumes of several hundreds of mm³, averaging tens to hundreds of years of magnetic variation. Nonetheless, smaller samples (∼1–10 mm³) can be measured using superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) microscopy, with a sensitivity better than ∼10⁻¹⁵ Am². To determine the application of SQUID microscopy for obtaining robust high‐resolution records from small‐volume speleothem samples, we analyzed three different stalagmites collected from Lapa dos Morcegos Cave (Portugal), Pau d'Alho Cave (Brazil), and Crevice Cave (United States). These stalagmites are representative of a range of magnetic properties and have been previously studied with conventional rock magnetometers. We show that by using SQUID microscopy we can achieve a five‐fold improvement in temporal resolution for samples with higher abundances of magnetic carriers (e.g., Pau d'Alho Cave and Lapa dos Morcegos Cave). In contrast, speleothems with low abundances of magnetic carriers (e.g., Crevice Cave) do not benefit from higher resolution analysis and are best analyzed using conventional rock magnetometers. Overall, by targeting speleothem samples with high concentrations of magnetic carriers we can increase the temporal resolution of magnetic records, setting the stage for resolving geomagnetic variations at short time scales. 

Coral reefs, hubs of global biodiversity, are among the world’s most imperilled habitats. Healthy coral reefs are characterized by distinctive soundscapes; these environments are rich with sounds produced by fishes and marine invertebrates. Emerging evidence suggests these sounds can be used as orientation and settlement cues for larvae of reef animals. On degraded reefs, these cues may be reduced or absent, impeding the success of larval settlement, which is an essential process for the maintenance and replenishment of reef populations. Here, in a field-based study, we evaluated the effects of enriching the soundscape of a degraded coral reef to increase coral settlement rates.Porites astreoideslarvae were exposed to reef sounds using a custom solar-powered acoustic playback system.Porites astreoidessettled at significantly higher rates at the acoustically enriched sites, averaging 1.7 times (up to maximum of seven times) more settlement compared with control reef sites without acoustic enrichment. Settlement rates decreased with distance from the speaker but remained higher than control levels at least 30 m from the sound source. These results reveal that acoustic enrichment can facilitate coral larval settlement at reasonable distances, offering a promising new method for scientists, managers and restoration practitioners to rebuild coral reefs. 

Abstract A key objective of the Perseverance rover mission is to acquire samples of Martian rocks for future return to Earth. Eventual laboratory analyses of these samples would address key questions about the evolution of the Martian climate, interior, and habitability. Many such investigations would benefit greatly from samples of Martian bedrock that are oriented in absolute Martian geographic coordinates. However, the Mars 2020 mission was designed without a requirement for orienting the samples. Here we describe a methodology that we developed for orienting rover drill cores in the Martian geographic frame and its application to Perseverance's first 20 rock samples. To orient the cores, three angles were measured: the azimuth and hade of the core pointing vector (i.e., vector oriented along the core axis) and the core roll (i.e., the solid body angle of rotation around the pointing vector). We estimated the core pointing vector from the attitude of the rover's Coring Drill during drilling. To orient the core roll, we used oriented images of asymmetric markings on the bedrock surface acquired with the rover's Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering (WATSON) camera. For most samples, these markings were in the form of natural features on the outcrop, while for four samples they were artificial ablation pits produced by the rover's SuperCam laser. These cores are the first geographically‐oriented (<2.7° 3σtotal uncertainty) bedrock samples from another planetary body. This will enable a diversity of paleomagnetic, sedimentological, igneous, tectonic, and astrobiological studies on the returned samples.