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The Fourth Global Coral Bleaching Event, confirmed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), is a significant environmental challenge caused by climate change. The event began in the Caribbean in 2023 and has since spread to the Southern Hemisphere. The severity of the bleaching is driven by climate change, with El Niño events exacerbating the situation. The event has already caused devastating damage to coral reefs worldwide. To address this crisis, the International Coral Reef Society (ICRS) emphasizes the need for action in three key areas: mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, mitigating local stressors, and conducting active restoration efforts. Coral reef scientists play a crucial role in collecting standardized data, collaborating internationally, and protecting local reefs. Additionally, direct interventions such as coral restoration can provide hope for the future of coral reefs. However, urgent global efforts and funding are necessary to prevent further damage and ensure the survival of these ecosystems. [Extracted from the article]

Schnyder’s crystalline corneal dystrophy (SCCD) is a rare autosomal dominant eye disease with a spectrum of clinical manifestations that may include bilateral corneal clouding, arcus lipoides, and anterior corneal crystalline cholesterol deposition. We have previously performed a genome-wide linkage analysis on two large Swede-Finn families and mapped the SCCD locus to a 16-cM interval between markers D1S2633 and D1S228 on chromosome 1p36. We have collected 11 additional families from Finland, Germany, Turkey, and USA to narrow the critical region for SCCD. Here, we have used haplotype analysis with densely spaced microsatellite markers in a total of 13 families to refine the candidate interval. A common disease haplotype was observed among the four Swede-Finn families indicating the presence of a founder effect. Recombination results from all 13 families refined the SCCD locus to 2.32 Mbp between markers D1S1160 and D1S1635. Within this interval, identity-by-state was present in all 13 families for two markers D1S244 and D1S3153, further refining the candidate region to 1.58 Mbp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]