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Bank MS, Frantzen S, Duinker A, Amouroux D, Tessier E, Nedreaas K, Maage A, Nilsen BM. Rapid temporal decline of mercury in Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 289:117843. [PMID: 34340180 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) pollution in the ocean is an issue of global concern, however bioaccumulation regimes of this ubiquitous pollutant in marine apex predators have important knowledge gaps. Our fish length and stable isotope (δ15N and δ13C) normalized data of Greenland halibut (GH) (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) showed that Hg bioaccumulation in fillet tissue decreased by ~35-50 %, over a ten-year period from 2006 to 2015 (n = 7 individual sampling years). Hg was predominantly in the methylmercury form (>77 %). Results from a Bayesian information theoretic model showed that GH Hg concentrations decreased with time and its associated declines in Hg air emissions, estimated trophic position, and a potentially lower degree of demersal prey use as indicated by temporal trend shifts in nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) stable isotope values. GH trophic shifts accounted for about one third of the observed temporal reduction in Hg. Our study demonstrates the importance of simultaneously considering Hg emissions, food web dynamics and trophic shifts as important drivers of Hg bioaccumulation in a marine, deep water fish species and highlights the effectiveness of Hg regulations on ocean apex predator Hg concentrations and overall seafood safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Bank
- Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway; University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.
| | | | | | - David Amouroux
- Universite de Pau et des Pays de L'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physicochimie pour L'Environnement et Les Matériaux (IPREM), Pau, France
| | - Emmanuel Tessier
- Universite de Pau et des Pays de L'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physicochimie pour L'Environnement et Les Matériaux (IPREM), Pau, France
| | | | - Amund Maage
- Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway; University of Bergen, Norway
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Arroyave Gómez DM, Bartoli M, Bresciani M, Luciani G, Toro-Botero M. Biogeochemical modelling of a tropical coastal area undergoing seasonal upwelling and impacted by untreated submarine outfall. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 172:112771. [PMID: 34388450 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A coupled 3D hydrodynamic-ecological model was applied to the Santa Marta Coastal Area (SMCA, Colombian Caribbean) to provide insights into the role of external stressors (e.g. wastewater outfall and upwelling) on the water quality and benthic - pelagic coupling. The model was calibrated and validated based on benthic metabolic measurements, satellite-derived chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and sea surface temperature (SST) maps, field and literature water quality data. The model was able to reproduce the complex dynamics and fast transitions of temperature, nutrients, and phytoplankton, including the stratification and mixing periods during the non-upwelling (NUPW) and upwelling (UPW) seasons. Wide and fast changes in the temperatures and the highly flushed environment prevented excess phytoplankton growth and nutrient accumulation in the benthic and pelagic compartments. The model proved to be a reliable research tool to analyze the interactive effects of upwelling and untreated wastewater on the functioning of a tropical bay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana M Arroyave Gómez
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Medellín, Facultad de Minas, OCEANICOS Research Group, Colombia.
| | - Marco Bartoli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Parma University, Italy; Marine Research Institute, Klaipeda University, Lithuania
| | - Mariano Bresciani
- Istituto per il Rilevamento Elettromagnetico dell'Ambiente Optical Remote Sensing-Water group IREA - CNR, Italy
| | - Giulia Luciani
- Politecnico di Milano - Lecco Campus, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Via Gaetano Previati, 1/c, 23900 Lecco, Italy
| | - Mauricio Toro-Botero
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Medellín, Facultad de Minas, OCEANICOS Research Group, Colombia
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Sobczyk R, Czortek P, Serigstad B, Pabis K. Modelling of polychaete functional diversity: Large marine ecosystem response to multiple natural factors and human impacts on the West African continental margin. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 792:148075. [PMID: 34465033 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Polychaetes are one of the most diverse groups of marine organisms, characterized by high species richness, diversity of feeding guilds, life styles, and mobility types. Marine annelids are useful indicators of ecosystem responses to changes in environmental conditions. The aim of our study was to assess the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors on functional diversity of polychaete communities in the Gulf of Guinea, a large marine ecosystem (LME) located in West Africa. This area can be considered as a model marine ecosystem affected by various human influences, such as pollution associated with the oil industry. Material was collected in 2012 across the coast of Ghana. Samples were gathered along four transects, each with six sampling stations (25-1000 m depth range). Analyses of functional richness and evenness, based on generalized linear mixed-effect models and hierarchical partitioning, allowed for complex assessments of the interactions between polychaete communities and environmental factors (e.g., sediments, total organic matter, salinity, fluorescence, oxygen, concentration of toxic metals, total hydrocarbons). Overall species richness of polychaetes was outstandingly high, with 253 species recorded. Functional richness decreased along a depth gradient, while functional evenness increased with depth, and was positively correlated with Ba content, which reached the highest values in the upper bathyal. Gravel content was an important factor in shaping functional composition of shallow water communities. High values of functional richness observed in the shallows may be an expression of high stability of this ecosystem, at the same time indicating its high resilience. Elevated concentrations of lead also influenced community structure at a local scale. Our study demonstrated how a complex set of factors operating along a depth gradient can influence the functional composition of communities. These results are crucial for future management of industrial and environmental protection activities in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Sobczyk
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Lodz, Poland.
| | - Patryk Czortek
- Institute of Botany - Bialowieza Geobotanical Station, University of Warsaw, Sportowa 19, 17-230 Bialowieza, Poland
| | | | - Krzysztof Pabis
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Lodz, Poland
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Camus L, Andrade H, Aniceto AS, Aune M, Bandara K, Basedow SL, Christensen KH, Cook J, Daase M, Dunlop K, Falk-Petersen S, Fietzek P, Fonnes G, Ghaffari P, Gramvik G, Graves I, Hayes D, Langeland T, Lura H, Marin TK, Nøst OA, Peddie D, Pederick J, Pedersen G, Sperrevik AK, Sørensen K, Tassara L, Tjøstheim S, Tverberg V, Dahle S. Autonomous Surface and Underwater Vehicles as Effective Ecosystem Monitoring and Research Platforms in the Arctic-The Glider Project. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21206752. [PMID: 34695965 PMCID: PMC8537502 DOI: 10.3390/s21206752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Effective ocean management requires integrated and sustainable ocean observing systems enabling us to map and understand ecosystem properties and the effects of human activities. Autonomous subsurface and surface vehicles, here collectively referred to as “gliders”, are part of such ocean observing systems providing high spatiotemporal resolution. In this paper, we present some of the results achieved through the project “Unmanned ocean vehicles, a flexible and cost-efficient offshore monitoring and data management approach—GLIDER”. In this project, three autonomous surface and underwater vehicles were deployed along the Lofoten–Vesterålen (LoVe) shelf-slope-oceanic system, in Arctic Norway. The aim of this effort was to test whether gliders equipped with novel sensors could effectively perform ecosystem surveys by recording physical, biogeochemical, and biological data simultaneously. From March to September 2018, a period of high biological activity in the area, the gliders were able to record a set of environmental parameters, including temperature, salinity, and oxygen, map the spatiotemporal distribution of zooplankton, and record cetacean vocalizations and anthropogenic noise. A subset of these parameters was effectively employed in near-real-time data assimilative ocean circulation models, improving their local predictive skills. The results presented here demonstrate that autonomous gliders can be effective long-term, remote, noninvasive ecosystem monitoring and research platforms capable of operating in high-latitude marine ecosystems. Accordingly, these platforms can record high-quality baseline environmental data in areas where extractive activities are planned and provide much-needed information for operational and management purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lionel Camus
- Akvaplan-niva AS, 9007 Tromsø, Norway; (M.A.); (S.F.-P.); (P.G.); (O.A.N.); (L.T.); (S.D.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Hector Andrade
- Institute of Marine Research, 9007 Tromsø, Norway; (H.A.); (K.D.)
| | - Ana Sofia Aniceto
- The Norwegian College of Fishery Science, Faculty of Fisheries and Bioeconomics, UiT—The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway;
| | - Magnus Aune
- Akvaplan-niva AS, 9007 Tromsø, Norway; (M.A.); (S.F.-P.); (P.G.); (O.A.N.); (L.T.); (S.D.)
| | - Kanchana Bandara
- Faculty for Bioscience and Aquaculture, Nord University, 8026 Bodø, Norway; (K.B.); (V.T.)
| | - Sünnje Linnéa Basedow
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway; (S.L.B.); (M.D.)
| | - Kai Håkon Christensen
- R&D Department, Norwegian Meteorological Institute, 0371 Oslo, Norway; (K.H.C.); (A.K.S.)
| | - Jeremy Cook
- NORCE Norwegian Research Center, 5008 Bergen, Norway; (J.C.); (G.F.); (T.L.); (G.P.)
| | - Malin Daase
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway; (S.L.B.); (M.D.)
| | - Katherine Dunlop
- Institute of Marine Research, 9007 Tromsø, Norway; (H.A.); (K.D.)
| | - Stig Falk-Petersen
- Akvaplan-niva AS, 9007 Tromsø, Norway; (M.A.); (S.F.-P.); (P.G.); (O.A.N.); (L.T.); (S.D.)
| | - Peer Fietzek
- Kongsberg Maritime Germany GmbH, 22529 Hamburg, Germany;
| | - Gro Fonnes
- NORCE Norwegian Research Center, 5008 Bergen, Norway; (J.C.); (G.F.); (T.L.); (G.P.)
| | - Peygham Ghaffari
- Akvaplan-niva AS, 9007 Tromsø, Norway; (M.A.); (S.F.-P.); (P.G.); (O.A.N.); (L.T.); (S.D.)
| | - Geir Gramvik
- Kongsberg Digital, 3616 Kongsberg, Norway; (G.G.); (S.T.)
| | | | - Daniel Hayes
- Cyprus Sub Sea Consulting & Services, 2326 Nicosia, Cyprus;
| | - Tor Langeland
- NORCE Norwegian Research Center, 5008 Bergen, Norway; (J.C.); (G.F.); (T.L.); (G.P.)
| | - Harald Lura
- ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS, 4056 Tananger, Norway;
| | | | - Ole Anders Nøst
- Akvaplan-niva AS, 9007 Tromsø, Norway; (M.A.); (S.F.-P.); (P.G.); (O.A.N.); (L.T.); (S.D.)
| | | | | | - Geir Pedersen
- NORCE Norwegian Research Center, 5008 Bergen, Norway; (J.C.); (G.F.); (T.L.); (G.P.)
| | - Ann Kristin Sperrevik
- R&D Department, Norwegian Meteorological Institute, 0371 Oslo, Norway; (K.H.C.); (A.K.S.)
| | - Kai Sørensen
- Marin Biogeochemistry and Oceanography, NIVA, 0579 Oslo, Norway; (T.K.M.); (K.S.)
| | - Luca Tassara
- Akvaplan-niva AS, 9007 Tromsø, Norway; (M.A.); (S.F.-P.); (P.G.); (O.A.N.); (L.T.); (S.D.)
| | | | - Vigdis Tverberg
- Faculty for Bioscience and Aquaculture, Nord University, 8026 Bodø, Norway; (K.B.); (V.T.)
| | - Salve Dahle
- Akvaplan-niva AS, 9007 Tromsø, Norway; (M.A.); (S.F.-P.); (P.G.); (O.A.N.); (L.T.); (S.D.)
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Tee HS, Waite D, Lear G, Handley KM. Microbial river-to-sea continuum: gradients in benthic and planktonic diversity, osmoregulation and nutrient cycling. MICROBIOME 2021; 9:190. [PMID: 34544488 PMCID: PMC8454136 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01145-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coastal aquatic ecosystems include chemically distinct, but highly interconnected environments. Across a freshwater-to-marine transect, aquatic communities are exposed to large variations in salinity and nutrient availability as tidal cycles create periodic fluctuations in local conditions. These factors are predicted to strongly influence the resident microbial community structure and functioning, and alter the structure of aquatic food webs and biogeochemical cycles. Nevertheless, little is known about the spatial distribution of metabolic properties across salinity gradients, and no study has simultaneously surveyed the sediment and water environments. Here, we determined patterns and drivers of benthic and planktonic prokaryotic and microeukaryotic community assembly across a river and tidal lagoon system by collecting sediments and planktonic biomass at nine shallow subtidal sites in the summer. Genomic and transcriptomic analyses, alongside a suite of complementary geochemical data, were used to determine patterns in the distribution of taxa, mechanisms of salt tolerance, and nutrient cycling. RESULTS Taxonomic and metabolic profiles related to salt tolerance and nutrient cycling of the aquatic microbiome were found to decrease in similarity with increasing salinity, and distinct trends in diversity were observed between the water column and sediment. Non-saline and saline communities adopted divergent strategies for osmoregulation, with an increase in osmoregulation-related transcript expression as salinity increased in the water column due to lineage-specific adaptations to salt tolerance. Results indicated a transition from phosphate limitation in freshwater habitats to nutrient-rich conditions in the brackish zone, where distinct carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycling processes dominated. Phosphorus acquisition-related activity was highest in the freshwater zone, along with dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium in freshwater sediment. Activity associated with denitrification, sulfur metabolism and photosynthesis were instead highest in the brackish zone, where photosynthesis was dominated by distinct microeukaryotes in water (Cryptophyta) and sediment (diatoms). Despite microeukaryotes and archaea being rare relative to bacteria, results indicate that they contributed more to photosynthesis and ammonia oxidation, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates clear freshwater-saline and sediment-water ecosystem boundaries in an interconnected coastal aquatic system and provides a framework for understanding the relative importance of salinity, planktonic-versus-benthic habitats and nutrient availability in shaping aquatic microbial metabolic processes, particularly in tidal lagoon systems. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hwee Sze Tee
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010 New Zealand
| | - David Waite
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010 New Zealand
- Current address: Ministry for Primary Industries, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Gavin Lear
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010 New Zealand
| | - Kim Marie Handley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010 New Zealand
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Zhang W, Shen J, Wang J. Linking pollution to biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality across benthic-pelagic habitats of a large eutrophic lake: A whole-ecosystem perspective. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 285:117501. [PMID: 34380215 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity loss is often an important driver of the deterioration of ecosystem functioning in freshwater ecosystems. However, it is far from clear how multiple ecosystem functions (i.e., ecosystem multifunctionality, EMF) relate to biodiversity across the benthic-pelagic habitats of entire ecosystems or how environmental stress such as eutrophication and heavy metals enrichment might regulate the biodiversity-EMF relationships. Here, we explored the biodiversity and EMF across benthic-pelagic habitats of the large eutrophic Lake Taihu in China, and further examined abiotic factors underlying the spatial variations in EMF and its relationships with biodiversity. In our results, EMF consistently showed positive relationships to the biodiversity of multiple taxonomic groups, such as benthic bacteria, bacterioplankton and phytoplankton. Both sediment heavy metals and total phosphorus significantly explained the spatial variations in the EMF, whereas the former were more important than the latter. Further, sediment heavy metals mediated EMF through the diversity of benthic bacteria and bacterioplankton, while nutrients such as phosphorus in both the sediments and overlaying water altered EMF via phytoplankton diversity. This indicates the importance of pollution in regulating the relationships between biodiversity and EMF in freshwater environments. Our findings provide evidence that freshwater biodiversity loss among phytoplankton and bacteria will likely weaken ecosystem functioning. Our results further suggest that abiotic factors such as heavy metals, beyond nutrient enrichment, may provide relatively earlier signals of impaired ecosystem functioning during eutrophication process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizhen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Ji Shen
- School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jianjun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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Decreased lipid storage in juvenile Bering Sea crabs (Chionoecetes spp.) in a warm (2014) compared to a cold (2012) year on the southeastern Bering Sea. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02926-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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58
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Timmerman CA, Giraldo C, Cresson P, Ernande B, Travers-Trolet M, Rouquette M, Denamiel M, Lefebvre S. Plasticity of trophic interactions in fish assemblages results in temporal stability of benthic-pelagic couplings. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 170:105412. [PMID: 34273864 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study addresses the temporal variability of couplings between pelagic and benthic habitats for fish assemblages at five periods in a shallow epicontinental sea, the Eastern English Channel (EEC). Organic matter fluxes fueling fish assemblages and the relative contribution of their different sources were assessed using stable isotope analysis and associated isotopic functional metrics. Couplings between benthic and pelagic realms appeared to be a permanent feature in the EEC, potentially favored by shallow depth and driven by the combination of two trophic processes. First, trophic interactions exhibited plasticity and revealed resource partitioning. Second, changes in the composition of fish assemblages did not impact benthic-pelagic couplings, as most dominant species were generalists during at least one time period, allowing complete use of available resources. Examining both unweighted and biomass-weighted indices was complementary and permitted a better understanding of trophic interactions and energy fluxes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carolina Giraldo
- Ifremer, HMMN, Centre Manche - Mer du Nord, BP 669, F-62 321, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
| | - Pierre Cresson
- Ifremer, HMMN, Centre Manche - Mer du Nord, BP 669, F-62 321, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France.
| | - Bruno Ernande
- MARBEC, Univ. Montpellier, IFREMER, CNRS, IRD, F-34 090, Montpellier, France; IIASA, Evolution and Ecology Program, Schloßplatz 1, A-2361, Laxenburg, Austria
| | | | - Manuel Rouquette
- Ifremer, LERBN, Station Ifremer de Dinard, BP 70134, F-35 801, Dinard, France
| | - Margaux Denamiel
- Ifremer, HMMN, Centre Manche - Mer du Nord, BP 669, F-62 321, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
| | - Sébastien Lefebvre
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, station marine de Wimereux, F-59000, Lille, France
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Morys C, Brüchert V, Bradshaw C. Impacts of bottom trawling on benthic biogeochemistry in muddy sediments: Removal of surface sediment using an experimental field study. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 169:105384. [PMID: 34233256 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Experimental benthic dredging was conducted in an unfished, muddy area in the Baltic Proper to mimic the impact of trawling by removing surface sediment, with a focus on benthic biogeochemical processes. Sediment cores were taken on the track and compared to undisturbed controls. Benthic fluxes were immediately affected and an upward shift in pore water DIC profiles was detected. The time needed for the sediment to readjust to a new biogeochemical state seemed to be nutrient-specific. Sediment properties (profiles of chlorophyll, organic carbon and water content) were found to change significantly. Macrofauna was removed completely by the dredge pointing out the potential loss of highly valuable functions that are associated with them. In the Baltic Sea, in areas which were previously the most heavily fished, the frequency of trawling may have left little time for readjustment and potentially kept the seabed in a permanent state of transient biogeochemical cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Morys
- Stockholm University, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Svante Arrhenius väg 20 A, 114 18, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Volker Brüchert
- Stockholm University, Department of Geological Sciences, Svante Arrhenius väg 8 C, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Clare Bradshaw
- Stockholm University, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Svante Arrhenius väg 20 A, 114 18, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Bolam SG, McIlwaine P, Garcia C. Marine macrofaunal traits responses to dredged material disposal. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 168:112412. [PMID: 33930647 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Currently, our understanding of the mechanisms for, and potential functional implications of, changes in seabed assemblages resulting from dredged material disposal is relatively unknown. Based on empirical data from 17 disposal sites, we address this by quantifying the nature and magnitude of shifts in the relative composition of response and effects traits within disposal site assemblages relative to their reference assemblages. Differing shifts in both response and effects traits were observed across sites, regardless of the trait composition of the reference assemblages. Notable differences in the magnitude of traits changes were also observed for both trait types. Traits shifts are difficult to predict as they appear to reflect both environmental conditions and disposal regime. Temporal data revealed that some sites display relatively consistent responses while others presented large inter-annual variability. These findings are discussed in relation to dredged material monitoring and with respect to conservation objectives of marine protected areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- S G Bolam
- The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Pakefield Road, Suffolk NR33 0HT, UK.
| | - P McIlwaine
- The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Pakefield Road, Suffolk NR33 0HT, UK
| | - C Garcia
- The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Pakefield Road, Suffolk NR33 0HT, UK
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Pinheiro LM, Agostini VO, Lima ARA, Ward RD, Pinho GLL. The fate of plastic litter within estuarine compartments: An overview of current knowledge for the transboundary issue to guide future assessments. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 279:116908. [PMID: 33774365 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Plastics can enter biogeochemical cycles and thus be found in most ecosystems. Most studies emphasize plastic pollution in oceanic ecosystems even though rivers and estuaries are acknowledged as the main sources of plastics to the oceans. This review detected few studies approaching the transboundary issue, as well as patterns of estuarine gradients in predicting plastic distribution and accumulation in water, sediments, and organisms. Quantities of plastics in estuaries reach up to 45,500 items m-3 in water, 567,000 items m-3 in sediment, and 131 items per individual in the biota. The role of rivers and estuaries in the transport of plastics to the ocean is far from fully understood due to small sample sizes, short-term approaches, sampling techniques that underestimate small plastics, and the use of site-specific sampling rather than covering environmental gradients. Microfibres are the most commonly found plastic type in all environmental matrices but efforts to re-calculate pathways using novel sampling techniques and estimates are incipient. Microplastic availability to estuarine organisms and rising/sinking is determined by polymer characteristics and spatio-temporal fluctuations in physicochemical, biological, and mineralogical factors. Key processes governing plastic contamination along estuarine trophic webs remain unclear, as most studies used "species" as an ecological unit rather than trophic/functional guilds and ontogenetic shifts in feeding behaviour to understand communities and intraspecific relationships, respectively. Efforts to understand contamination at the tissue level and the contribution of biofouling organisms as vectors of contaminants onto plastic surfaces are increasing. In conclusion, rivers and estuaries still require attention with regards to accurate sampling and conclusions. Multivariate analysis and robust models are necessary to predict the fate of micro- and macroplastics in estuarine environments; and the inclusion of the socio-economic aspects in modelling techniques seems to be relevant regarding management approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- L M Pinheiro
- Laboratório de Microcontaminantes Orgânicos e Ecotoxicologia Aquática - Instituto de Oceanografia - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG). Av. Itália, Km 8, Carreiros, CEP: 96203-900, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Oceanologia (PPGO), Brazil.
| | - V O Agostini
- Laboratório de Microcontaminantes Orgânicos e Ecotoxicologia Aquática - Instituto de Oceanografia - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG). Av. Itália, Km 8, Carreiros, CEP: 96203-900, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil; Programa Nacional de Pós-Doutorado da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (PNPD-CAPES/PPGO), Brazil
| | - A R A Lima
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ISPA - College Institute, Department of Biosciences, 1149-041, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - R D Ward
- Centre for Aquatic Environments, University of Brighton, Cockcroft Building, Moulsecoomb, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, United Kingdom; Institute of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, EE-51014, Tartu, Estonia
| | - G L L Pinho
- Laboratório de Microcontaminantes Orgânicos e Ecotoxicologia Aquática - Instituto de Oceanografia - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG). Av. Itália, Km 8, Carreiros, CEP: 96203-900, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
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Izabel-Shen D, Albert S, Winder M, Farnelid H, Nascimento FJA. Quality of phytoplankton deposition structures bacterial communities at the water-sediment interface. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:3515-3529. [PMID: 33993575 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Phytoplankton comprises a large fraction of the vertical carbon flux to deep water via the sinking of particulate organic matter (POM). However, despite the importance of phytoplankton in the coupling of benthic-pelagic productivity, the extent to which its deposition in the sediment affects bacterial dynamics at the water-sediment interface is poorly understood. Here, we conducted a microcosm experiment in which varying mixtures of diatom and cyanobacteria, representing phytoplankton-derived POM of differing quality, served as inputs to sediment cores. Characterization of 16S rRNA gene of the bacterial communities at the water-sediment interface showed that bacterial α-diversity was not affected by POM addition, while bacterial β-diversity changed significantly along the POM quality gradient, with the variation driven by changes in relative abundance rather than in taxon replacement. Analysing individual taxa abundances across the POM gradient revealed two distinct bacterial responses, in which taxa within either diatom- or cyanobacteria-favoured groups were more phylogenetically closely related to one another than other taxa found in the water. Moreover, there was little overlap in taxon identity between sediment and water communities, suggesting the minor role played by sediment bacteria in influencing the observed changes in bacterial communities in the overlying water. Together, these results showed that variability in phytoplankton-originated POM can impact bacterial dynamics at the water-sediment interface. Our findings highlight the importance of considering the potential interactions between phytoplankton and bacteria in benthic-pelagic coupling in efforts to understand the structure and function of bacterial communities under a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Izabel-Shen
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Séréna Albert
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Monika Winder
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hanna Farnelid
- Center for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
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Campelo RPDS, Lima CDMD, de Santana CS, Jonathan da Silva A, Neumann-Leitão S, Ferreira BP, Soares MDO, Melo Júnior MD, Melo PAMDC. Oil spills: The invisible impact on the base of tropical marine food webs. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 167:112281. [PMID: 33826988 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The Brazilian oil spill, from August 2019 to January 2020, was considered the most extensive accident in tropical oceans. We estimated the concentration of oil droplets that may be available for ingestion by microzooplankton. The collection was carried out in three areas: estuarine plume, bay and reef (Tamandaré, Pernambuco coast). We highlight the contribution of coral larvae in the reef region, surpassing the copepods, evidencing a spawning event. Oil droplets were recorded in all the sampled areas, with a high numerical abundance in the plume. Traces of oil ingestion by Brachyura zoea and Calanoida, Paracalanidae and Oithonidae copepods were observed, suggesting that these groups might have an important role in the degradation and final destination of oil dispersed after spills. The vulnerability of the larval phases of crabs and reef-building corals has been hypothesized, suggesting that the negative effects of oil on zooplankton can affect the recruitment of benthic invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Alef Jonathan da Silva
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil; Departamento de Hidrobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sigrid Neumann-Leitão
- Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | | | - Marcelo de Oliveira Soares
- Instituto de Ciências do Mar (LABOMAR), Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil; Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Carrer de les Columnes, Edifici Z, Cerdanyolla del Vallés, Barcelona, Spain; DISTEBA, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Mauro de Melo Júnior
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
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64
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Forsblom L, Lindén A, Engström‐Öst J, Lehtiniemi M, Bonsdorff E. Identifying biotic drivers of population dynamics in a benthic-pelagic community. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:4035-4045. [PMID: 33976792 PMCID: PMC8093679 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Benthic species and communities are linked to pelagic zooplankton through life-stages encompassing both benthic and pelagic habitats and through a mutual dependency on primary producers as a food source. Many zooplankton taxa contribute to the sedimentary system as benthic eggs. Our main aim was to investigate the nature of the population level biotic interactions between and within these two seemingly independent communities, both dependent on the pelagic primary production, while simultaneously accounting for environmental drivers (salinity, temperature, and oxygen conditions). To this end, we applied multivariate autoregressive state-space models to long (1966-2007) time series of annual abundance data, comparing models with and without interspecific interactions, and models with and without environmental variables included. We were not able to detect any direct coupling between sediment-dwelling benthic taxa and pelagic copepods and cladocerans on the annual scale, but the most parsimonious model indicated that interactions within the benthic community are important. There were also positive residual correlations between the copepods and cladocerans potentially reflecting the availability of a shared resource or similar seasonal dependence, whereas both groups tended to correlate negatively with the zoobenthic taxa. The most notable single interaction within the benthic community was a tendency for a negative effect of Limecola balthica on the amphipods Monoporeia affinis and Pontoporeia femorata which can help explain the observed decrease in amphipods due to increased competitive interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Forsblom
- Marine Research CentreFinnish Environment InstituteHelsinkiFinland
- Environmental and Marine BiologyÅbo Akademi UniversityTurkuFinland
| | - Andreas Lindén
- Natural Resources Institute FinlandHelsinkiFinland
- Novia University of Applied SciencesEkenäsFinland
| | | | - Maiju Lehtiniemi
- Marine Research CentreFinnish Environment InstituteHelsinkiFinland
| | - Erik Bonsdorff
- Environmental and Marine BiologyÅbo Akademi UniversityTurkuFinland
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65
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Pushing the switch: functional responses and prey switching by invasive lionfish may mediate their ecological impact. Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02487-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
AbstractBiodiversity is declining on a global scale and the spread of invasive alien species (IAS) is a major driver, particularly through predatory impacts. Thus, effective means of assessing and predicting the consequences of IAS predation on native prey population stability remains a vital goal for conservation. Here, we applied two classic ecological concepts, consumer functional response (FR) and prey switching, to predict and understand the ecological impacts of juveniles of the lionfish (Pterois volitans), a notorious and widespread marine invader. Functional responses and prey switching propensities were quantified towards three representative prey species: Artemia salina, Palaemonetes varians, and Gammarus oceanicus. Lionfish exhibited potentially destabilising Type II FRs towards individual prey species, owing to high consumption rates at low prey densities, whilst FR magnitudes differed among prey species. Functional response attack rates (a) were highest, and handling times (h) lowest, towards A. salina, followed by P. varians and then G. oceanicus. Maximum feeding rates (1/h) and functional response ratios (FRR; a/h) also followed this impact gradient for the three prey species. Lionfish, however, displayed a potentially population stabilising prey switching propensity (i.e. frequency-dependent predation) when multiple prey species were presented simultaneously, where disproportionately less of rare prey, and more of abundant prey, were consumed. Whilst FR and FRR magnitudes indicate marked per capita lionfish predatory impacts towards prey species, a strong prey switching propensity may reduce in-field impacts by offering low density prey refuge in biodiverse communities. Our results thus corroborate field patterns documenting variable impacts of lionfish, with prey extirpations less likely in diverse communities owing to frequency-dependent predation.
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66
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Lee IO, Noh J, Lee J, Kim B, Hwang K, Kwon BO, Lee MJ, Ryu J, Nam J, Khim JS. Stable isotope signatures reveal the significant contributions of microphytobenthos and saltmarsh-driven nutrition in the intertidal benthic food webs. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 756:144068. [PMID: 33288261 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A tidal saltmarsh supporting marine ecosystem services becomes more recognized, but an understanding of its trophic dynamics is far limited. We investigated the benthic food-web dynamics in Ganghwa tidal flat, a representative tidal saltmarsh of South Korea. The stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio values were analyzed for the sixteen species of macrobenthos and their potential food sources such as microphytobenthos (MPB) and various organic matters. A year-round survey was conducted in the three sites at Ganghwa showing the different types of sediment bottom (sandy mud or mud) and/or vegetation (Phragmites or Suaeda). In general, the isotopic signature fairly well demonstrated that trophic structure is primarily influenced by sediment mud content and/or dominated vegetation. Among the four feeding types of consumers (filter feeder; deposit feeder; omnivore; carnivore), the deposit feeders such as mollusk, arthropod, and annelid showed increased dietary dependency on MPB at bare sites. Whilst they actively utilized 13C-depleted organic matters at vegetated sites. Meantime, significantly enriched stable nitrogen isotopic ratio of macrobenthos was evidenced in fall, which reflected the seasonal variation of food sources and physiological processes in survival strategy. Overall, the stable isotopic approach was useful to address the key factors (in)directly influencing the benthic food web structure and its functioning in a typical tidal saltmarsh of the Yellow Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- In Ok Lee
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences & Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Junsung Noh
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences & Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongmin Lee
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences & Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Beomgi Kim
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences & Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyuwon Hwang
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences & Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Bong-Oh Kwon
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Kunsan National University, Kunsan 54150, Republic of Korea
| | - Moo Joon Lee
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Anyang University, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon 23038, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongseong Ryu
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Anyang University, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon 23038, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungho Nam
- Marine Policy Research Division, Korea Maritime Institute, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Seong Khim
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences & Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
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67
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Eddy TD, Bernhardt JR, Blanchard JL, Cheung WW, Colléter M, du Pontavice H, Fulton EA, Gascuel D, Kearney KA, Petrik CM, Roy T, Rykaczewski RR, Selden R, Stock CA, Wabnitz CC, Watson RA. Energy Flow Through Marine Ecosystems: Confronting Transfer Efficiency. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:76-86. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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68
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Mestdagh S, Fang X, Soetaert K, Ysebaert T, Moens T, Van Colen C. Seasonal variability in ecosystem functioning across estuarine gradients: The role of sediment communities and ecosystem processes. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 162:105096. [PMID: 32829095 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Functional trait approaches advance the understanding of biodiversity-ecosystem function (BDEF) relationships and its control by the environmental context. Application of these insights into management remains constrained due to lack of evidence from real-world ecosystems that capture the natural spatial and temporal gradients at which biodiversity and environmental conditions operate. In this study we measured macrofauna community traits, ecosystem processes and abiotic properties at 9 locations during 4 months, spanning a wide gradient in sedimentary habitats and salinity in the Scheldt estuary, and quantified the (a)biotic contribution to sediment community oxygen consumption, as a measure of ecosystem function. We found that functional attributes of the macrofauna community and its effect on bio-irrigation can predict ecosystem function, but especially during the colder period of the year. This result highlights that generalizations about BDEF relationships, and biodiversity loss on ecosystem functions, are limited whenever this temporal component is not acknowledged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiaan Mestdagh
- Marine Biology Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S8, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, PO Box 140, 4400 AC Yerseke, the Netherlands
| | - Xiaoyu Fang
- Marine Biology Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S8, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Karline Soetaert
- Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, PO Box 140, 4400 AC Yerseke, the Netherlands
| | - Tom Ysebaert
- Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, PO Box 140, 4400 AC Yerseke, the Netherlands; Wageningen Marine Research, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 77, 4400 AB Yerseke, the Netherlands
| | - Tom Moens
- Marine Biology Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S8, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Carl Van Colen
- Marine Biology Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S8, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
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69
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Nygård H, Lindegarth M, Darr A, Dinesen GE, Eigaard OR, Lips I. Developing benthic monitoring programmes to support precise and representative status assessments: a case study from the Baltic Sea. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2020; 192:795. [PMID: 33244647 PMCID: PMC7691314 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-020-08764-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Benthic habitats and communities are key components of the marine ecosystem. Securing their functioning is a central aim in marine environmental management, where monitoring data provide the base for assessing the state of marine ecosystems. In the Baltic Sea, a > 50-year-long tradition of zoobenthic monitoring exists. However, the monitoring programmes were designed prior to the current policies, primarily to detect long-term trends at basin-scale and are thus not optimal to fulfil recent requirements such as area-based periodic status assessments. Here, we review the current monitoring programmes and assess the precision and representativity of the monitoring data in status assessments to identify routes for improvement. At present, the monitoring is focused on soft-bottoms, not accounting for all habitat types occurring in the Baltic Sea. Evaluating the sources of variance in the assessment data revealed that the component accounting for variability among stations forms the largest proportion of the uncertainty. Furthermore, it is shown that the precision of the status estimates can be improved, with the current number of samples. Reducing sampling effort per station, but sampling more stations, is the best option to improve precision in status assessments. Furthermore, by allocating the sampling stations more evenly in the sub-basins, a better representativity of the area can be achieved. However, emphasis on securing the long-term data series is needed if changes to the monitoring programmes are planned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Nygård
- Marine Research Centre, Finnish Environment Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Mats Lindegarth
- Department of Marine Science-Tjärnö, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alexander Darr
- Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, Rostock, Germany
| | - Grete E Dinesen
- National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ole R Eigaard
- National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Inga Lips
- Department of Marine Systems, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
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70
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Solan M, Archambault P, Renaud PE, März C. The changing Arctic Ocean: consequences for biological communities, biogeochemical processes and ecosystem functioning. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2020; 378:20200266. [PMID: 32862816 PMCID: PMC7481657 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2020.0266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Solan
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
- e-mail:
| | - Philippe Archambault
- ArcticNet, Québec Océan, Takuvik, Département de biologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Paul E. Renaud
- Akvaplan-niva, Fram Center for Climate and the Environment, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
- University Centre in Svalbard, Arctic Biology, 9171 Longyearbyen, Norway
| | - Christian März
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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71
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Coral Bleaching Detection in the Hawaiian Islands Using Spatio-Temporal Standardized Bottom Reflectance and Planet Dove Satellites. REMOTE SENSING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/rs12193219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We present a new method for the detection of coral bleaching using satellite time-series data. While the detection of coral bleaching from satellite imagery is difficult due to the low signal-to-noise ratio of benthic reflectance, we overcame this difficulty using three approaches: 1) specialized pre-processing developed for Planet Dove satellites, 2) a time-series approach for determining baseline reflectance statistics, and 3) a regional filter based on a preexisting map of live coral. The time-series was divided into a baseline period (April-July 2019), when no coral bleaching was known to have taken place, and a bleaching period (August 2019-present), when the bleaching was known to have occurred based on field data. The identification of the bleaching period allowed the computation of a Standardized Bottom Reflectance (SBR) for each region. SBR transforms the weekly bottom reflectance into a value relative to the baseline reflectance distribution statistics, increasing the sensitivity to bleaching detection. We tested three scales of the temporal smoothing of the SBR (weekly, cumulative average, and three-week moving average). Our field verification of coral bleaching throughout the main Hawaiian Islands showed that the cumulative average and three-week moving average smoothing detected the highest proportion of coral bleaching locations, correctly identifying 11 and 10 out of 18 locations, respectively. However, the three-week moving average provided a better sensitivity in coral bleaching detection, with a performance increase of at least one standard deviation, which helps define the confidence level of a detected bleaching event.
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72
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Hentati-Sundberg J, Raymond C, Sköld M, Svensson O, Gustafsson B, Bonaglia S. Fueling of a marine-terrestrial ecosystem by a major seabird colony. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15455. [PMID: 32963305 PMCID: PMC7508978 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72238-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Seabirds redistribute nutrients between different ecosystem compartments and over vast geographical areas. This nutrient transfer may impact both local ecosystems on seabird breeding islands and regional biogeochemical cycling, but these processes are seldom considered in local conservation plans or biogeochemical models. The island of Stora Karlsö in the Baltic Sea hosts the largest concentration of piscivorous seabirds in the region, and also hosts a large colony of insectivorous House martins Delichon urbicum adjacent to the breeding seabirds. We show that a previously reported unusually high insectivore abundance was explained by large amounts of chironomids—highly enriched in δ15N—that feed on seabird residues as larvae along rocky shores to eventually emerge as flying adults. Benthic ammonium and phosphate fluxes were up to 163% and 153% higher close to the colony (1,300 m distance) than further away (2,700 m) and the estimated nutrient release from the seabirds at were in the same order of magnitude as the loads from the largest waste-water treatment plants in the region. The trophic cascade impacting insectivorous passerines and the substantial redistribution of nutrients suggest that seabird nutrient transfer should be increasingly considered in local conservation plans and regional nutrient cycling models.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Hentati-Sundberg
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Marine Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Turistgatan 5, 45330, Lysekil, Sweden.
| | - C Raymond
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - M Sköld
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Marine Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Turistgatan 5, 45330, Lysekil, Sweden
| | - O Svensson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - B Gustafsson
- Baltic Nest Institute, Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hankko, Finland
| | - S Bonaglia
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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73
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Understanding the Biogeochemical Impacts of Fish Farms Using a Benthic-Pelagic Model. WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12092384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Sustainable development of the salmon farming industry requires knowledge of the biogeochemical impacts of fish farm emissions. To investigate the spatial and temporal scales of farm impacts on the water column and benthic biogeochemistry, we coupled the C-N-P-Si-O-S-Mn-Fe transformation model BROM with a 2-dimensional benthic-pelagic transport model (2DBP), considering vertical and horizontal transport in the water and upper 5 cm of sediments along a 10 km transect centered on a fish farm. The 2DBP model was forced by hydrophysical model data for the Hardangerfjord in western Norway. Model simulations showed reasonable agreement with field data from the Hardangerfjord in August 2016 (correlations between the model and observations were significant for most variables, and model biases were mostly <35%). The model predicted significant impacts on seafloor biogeochemistry up to 1 km from the fish farm (e.g., increased organic matter in sediments, oxygen depletion in bottom water and sediments, denitrification, metal and sulfur reduction), as well as detectable decreases in oxygen and increases in ammonium, phosphate and organic matter in the surface water near to the fish farm.
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74
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Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) can contribute to protecting biodiversity and managing ocean activities, including fishing. There is, however, limited evidence of ecological responses to blue water MPAs. We conducted the first comprehensive evaluation of impacts on fisheries production and ecological responses to pelagic MPAs of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. A Bayesian time series-based counterfactual modelling approach using fishery-dependent data was used to compare the temporal response in the MPAs to three reference regions for standardized catch rates, lengths, trophic level of the catch and species diversity. Catch rates of bigeye tuna, the main target species (Kingman/Palmyra MPA, causal effect probability >99% of an 84% reduction; 95% credible interval: -143%, -25%), and blue shark (Johnston MPAs, causal effect probability >95%) were significantly lower and longnose lancetfish significantly higher (Johnston MPAs, causal effect probability >95%) than predicted had the MPAs not been established, possibly from closing areas near shallow features, which aggregate pelagic predators, and from ‘fishing-the-line’. There were no apparent causal impacts of the MPAs on species diversity, lengths and trophic level of the catch, perhaps because the MPAs were young, were too small, did not contain critical habitat for specific life-history stages, had been lightly exploited or experienced fishing-the-line. We also assessed model-standardized catch rates for species of conservation concern and mean trophic level of the catch within and outside of MPAs. Displaced effort produced multi-species conflicts: MPAs protect bycatch hotspots and hotspots of bycatch-to-target catch ratios for some at-risk species, but coldspots for others. Mean trophic level of the catch was significantly higher around MPAs, likely due to the aggregating effect of the shallow features and there having been light fishing pressure within MPAs. These findings demonstrate how exploring a wide range of ecological responses supports evidence-based evaluations of blue water MPAs.
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75
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Larsen T, Hansen T, Dierking J. Characterizing niche differentiation among marine consumers with amino acid δ 13C fingerprinting. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:7768-7782. [PMID: 32760563 PMCID: PMC7391304 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine food webs are highly compartmentalized, and characterizing the trophic niches among consumers is important for predicting how impact from human activities affects the structuring and functioning of marine food webs. Biomarkers such as bulk stable isotopes have proven to be powerful tools to elucidate trophic niches, but they may lack in resolution, particularly when spatiotemporal variability in a system is high. To close this gap, we investigated whether carbon isotope (δ13C) patterns of essential amino acids (EAAs), also termed δ13CAA fingerprints, can characterize niche differentiation in a highly dynamic marine system. Specifically, we tested the ability of δ13CAA fingerprints to differentiate trophic niches among six functional groups and ten individual species in the Baltic Sea. We also tested whether fingerprints of the common zooplanktivorous fishes, herring and sprat, differ among four Baltic Sea regions with different biochemical conditions and phytoplankton assemblages. Additionally, we investigated how these results compared to bulk C and N isotope data for the same sample set. We found significantly different δ13CAA fingerprints among all six functional groups. Species differentiation was in comparison less distinct, due to partial convergence of the species' fingerprints within functional groups. Herring and sprat displayed region-specific δ13CAA fingerprints indicating that this approach could be used as a migratory marker. Niche metrics analyses showed that bulk isotope data had a lower power to differentiate between trophic niches than δ13CAA fingerprinting. We conclude that δ13CAA fingerprinting has a strong potential to advance our understanding of ecological niches, and trophic linkages from producers to higher trophic levels in dynamic marine systems. Given how management practices of marine resources and habitats are reshaping the structure and function of marine food webs, implementing new and powerful tracer methods are urgently needed to improve the knowledge base for policy makers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Larsen
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human HistoryJenaGermany
| | - Thomas Hansen
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research KielKielGermany
| | - Jan Dierking
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research KielKielGermany
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76
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Carstensen J, Conley DJ, Almroth-Rosell E, Asmala E, Bonsdorff E, Fleming-Lehtinen V, Gustafsson BG, Gustafsson C, Heiskanen AS, Janas U, Norkko A, Slomp C, Villnäs A, Voss M, Zilius M. Factors regulating the coastal nutrient filter in the Baltic Sea. AMBIO 2020; 49:1194-1210. [PMID: 31707582 PMCID: PMC7128010 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-019-01282-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The coastal zone of the Baltic Sea is diverse with strong regional differences in the physico-chemical setting. This diversity is also reflected in the importance of different biogeochemical processes altering nutrient and organic matter fluxes on the passage from land to sea. This review investigates the most important processes for removal of nutrients and organic matter, and the factors that regulate the efficiency of the coastal filter. Nitrogen removal through denitrification is high in lagoons receiving large inputs of nitrate and organic matter. Phosphorus burial is high in archipelagos with substantial sedimentation, but the stability of different burial forms varies across the Baltic Sea. Organic matter processes are tightly linked to the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles. Moreover, these processes are strongly modulated depending on composition of vegetation and fauna. Managing coastal ecosystems to improve the effectiveness of the coastal filter can reduce eutrophication in the open Baltic Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Carstensen
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Daniel J. Conley
- Department of Geology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Eero Asmala
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palmenin tie 260, 10900 Hanko, Finland
| | - Erik Bonsdorff
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, BioCity, 20500 Turku, Finland
| | | | - Bo G. Gustafsson
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palmenin tie 260, 10900 Hanko, Finland
- Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Camilla Gustafsson
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palmenin tie 260, 10900 Hanko, Finland
| | | | - Urzsula Janas
- Department of Experimental Ecology of Marine Organisms, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, al. Marsz. J. Pilsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Alf Norkko
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palmenin tie 260, 10900 Hanko, Finland
| | - Caroline Slomp
- Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8A, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Anna Villnäs
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palmenin tie 260, 10900 Hanko, Finland
| | - Maren Voss
- Department of Biological Oceanography, Leibniz Institute of Baltic Sea Research, Seestr. 15, 18119 Rostock, Germany
| | - Mindaugas Zilius
- Marine Research Institute, Universiteto al. 17, 92294 Klaipeda, Lithuania
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77
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Griffiths JR, Lehtinen S, Suikkanen S, Winder M. Limited evidence for common interannual trends in Baltic Sea summer phytoplankton biomass. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231690. [PMID: 32353002 PMCID: PMC7192432 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Baltic Sea summer phytoplankton community plays an important role in biogeochemical cycling and in the transfer of energy through the food web via zooplankton. We aimed to improve the understanding of the degree to which large-scale versus local environmental dynamics regulate phytoplankton dynamics by analyzing time series at the Baltic Sea scale. We used dynamic factor analysis to study if there are common patterns of interannual variation that are shared (“common trends”) among summer phytoplankton total and class-level biomass time series observed across Baltic Sea latitudinal gradients in salinity and temperature. We evaluated alternative hypotheses regarding common trends among summer phytoplankton biomass: Baltic Sea-wide common trends; common trends by geography (latitude and basin); common trends differing among functional groups (phytoplankton classes); or common trends driven by both geography and functional group. Our results indicated little support for a common trend in total summer phytoplankton biomass. At a finer resolution, classes had common trends that were most closely associated with the cryptophyte and cyanobacteria time series with patterns that differed between northern and southern sampling stations. These common trends were also very sensitive to two anomalous years (1990, 2008) of cryptophyte biomass. The Baltic Sea Index, a regional climate index, was correlated with two common class trends that shifted in mean state around the mid-1990s. The limited coherence in phytoplankton biomass variation over time despite known, large-scale, ecosystem shifts suggests that stochastic dynamics at local scales limits the ability to observe common trends at the scale of monitoring data collection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R Griffiths
- Department of Ecology, Environment, Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sirpa Lehtinen
- Finnish Environment Institute, Marine Research Centre, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sanna Suikkanen
- Finnish Environment Institute, Marine Research Centre, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Monika Winder
- Department of Ecology, Environment, Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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78
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Ehrnsten E, Norkko A, Müller-Karulis B, Gustafsson E, Gustafsson BG. The meagre future of benthic fauna in a coastal sea-Benthic responses to recovery from eutrophication in a changing climate. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:2235-2250. [PMID: 31986234 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Nutrient loading and climate change affect coastal ecosystems worldwide. Unravelling the combined effects of these pressures on benthic macrofauna is essential for understanding the future functioning of coastal ecosystems, as it is an important component linking the benthic and pelagic realms. In this study, we extended an existing model of benthic macrofauna coupled with a physical-biogeochemical model of the Baltic Sea to study the combined effects of changing nutrient loads and climate on biomass and metabolism of benthic macrofauna historically and in scenarios for the future. Based on a statistical comparison with a large validation dataset of measured biomasses, the model showed good or reasonable performance across the different basins and depth strata in the model area. In scenarios with decreasing nutrient loads according to the Baltic Sea Action Plan but also with continued recent loads (mean loads 2012-2014), overall macrofaunal biomass and carbon processing were projected to decrease significantly by the end of the century despite improved oxygen conditions at the seafloor. Climate change led to intensified pelagic recycling of primary production and reduced export of particulate organic carbon to the seafloor with negative effects on macrofaunal biomass. In the high nutrient load scenario, representing the highest recorded historical loads, climate change counteracted the effects of increased productivity leading to a hyperbolic response: biomass and carbon processing increased up to mid-21st century but then decreased, giving almost no net change by the end of the 21st century compared to present. The study shows that benthic responses to environmental change are nonlinear and partly decoupled from pelagic responses and indicates that benthic-pelagic coupling might be weaker in a warmer and less eutrophic sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Ehrnsten
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alf Norkko
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - Bo G Gustafsson
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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79
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Mazzuco ACDA, Stelzer PS, Bernardino AF. Substrate rugosity and temperature matters: patterns of benthic diversity at tropical intertidal reefs in the SW Atlantic. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8289. [PMID: 32219015 PMCID: PMC7087490 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Modeling and forecasting ocean ecosystems in a changing world will require advances in observational efforts to monitor marine biodiversity. One of the observational challenges in coastal reef ecosystems is to quantify benthic and climate interactions which are key to community dynamics across habitats. Habitat complexity (i.e., substrate rugosity) on intertidal reefs can be an important variable explaining benthic diversity and taxa composition, but the association between substrate and seasonal variability is poorly understood on lateritic reefs in the South Atlantic. We asked if benthic assemblages on intertidal reefs with distinct substrate rugosity would follow similar seasonal patterns of succession following meteo-oceanographic variability in a tropical coastal area of Brazil. We combined an innovative 3D imaging for measuring substrate rugosity with satellite monitoring to monitor spatio-temporal patterns of benthic assemblages. The dataset included monthly in situ surveys of substrate cover and taxon diversity and richness, temporal variability in meteo-oceanographic conditions, and reef structural complexity from four sites on the Eastern Marine Ecoregion of Brazil. Additionally, correlation coefficients between temperature and both benthic diversity and community composition from one year of monitoring were used to project biodiversity trends under future warming scenarios. Our results revealed that benthic diversity and composition on intertidal reefs are strongly regulated by surface rugosity and sea surface temperatures, which control the dominance of macroalgae or corals. Intertidal reef biodiversity was positively correlated with reef rugosity which supports previous assertions of higher regional intertidal diversity on lateritic reefs that offer increased substrate complexity. Predicted warming temperatures in the Eastern Marine Ecoregion of Brazil will likely lead to a dominance of macroalgae taxa over the lateritic reefs and lower overall benthic diversity. Our findings indicate that rugosity is not only a useful tool for biodiversity mapping in reef intertidal ecosystems but also that spatial differences in rugosity would lead to very distinct biogeographic and temporal patterns. This study offers a unique baseline of benthic biodiversity on coastal marine habitats that is complementary to worldwide efforts to improve monitoring and management of coastal reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Angelo F Bernardino
- Department of Oceanography, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
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80
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Mohapatra M, Behera P, Kim JY, Rastogi G. Seasonal and spatial dynamics of bacterioplankton communities in a brackish water coastal lagoon. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 705:134729. [PMID: 31838414 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Coastal ecosystems, one of the most productive ecosystems, are subjected to natural and anthropogenic stresses. Coastal bacterioplankton communities are highly dynamic due to spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the environmental parameters. We investigated the seasonal and spatial variation in bacterioplankton communities, their abundances and environmental drivers during one year period in Chilika, a brackish water coastal lagoon of India. High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes of bacterioplankton communities showed that they were dominated by heterotrophs namely α-Proteobacteria SAR11 and their sub-clades (SAR11_Ib, Chesapeake-Delaware_Bay, Candidatus_Pelagibacter, and SAR11_Surface_1), actinobacterial lineages (hgcI, CL500-29, and Candidatus_Aquiluna), β-Proteobacteria MWH-UniP1, β-Proteobacteria OM43, and verrucomicrobial clade Spartobacteria 'LD29'. Synechococcus was the dominant member within autotrophic cyanobacterial community. Response ratio derived from comparisons of taxon-specific absolute abundances and indicator analyses showed that SAR11_Surface_1 sub-clade occupied high-salinity environment especially during summer and winter and emerged as a strong indicator for mesohaline-polyhaline salinity regime. In contrast, Spartobacteria 'LD29', Actinobacteria hgcI, and CL500-29 preferred low-salinity freshwater environment and were strong indicators for oligohaline-mesohaline regimes. Spatiotemporal patterns were governed by 'distance-decay' and 'similarity-time' relationships. Bacterioplankton communities were mostly determined by salinity, dissolved oxygen, phosphate, and pH which resulted 'species sorting' leading to biogeographical patterns in the bacterioplankton communities. Modeling analysis revealed the characteristic shift in the indicator bacterioplankton taxa along with estuarine salinity gradient. This study has provided baseline information on the bacterioplankton communities and their environmental drivers within an anthropogenically impacted cyclone prone coastal lagoon which would be useful in assessing the impact of multiple stressors on this vulnerable ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhusmita Mohapatra
- Wetland Research and Training Centre, Chilika Development Authority, Balugaon, Odisha 752030, India; School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024, India
| | - Pratiksha Behera
- Wetland Research and Training Centre, Chilika Development Authority, Balugaon, Odisha 752030, India
| | - Ji Yoon Kim
- Center for Climate Change Adaptation, National Institute of Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
| | - Gurdeep Rastogi
- Wetland Research and Training Centre, Chilika Development Authority, Balugaon, Odisha 752030, India.
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81
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Venter O, Pillay D, Prayag K. Water filtration by burrowing sandprawns provides novel insights on endobenthic engineering and solutions for eutrophication. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1913. [PMID: 32024954 PMCID: PMC7002505 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58677-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Managing coastal ecosystems and preserving socio-ecological functioning require a comprehensive understanding of ecological services provided by resident organisms. Here, we provide novel information on water-filtration activities of endobenthic sandprawns (Callichirus kraussi), which are key ecosystem engineers in South African coasts. We demonstrate experimentally that benthic engineering by sandprawns reduces phytoplankton biomass by roughly 50%. Using long-term estuarine data, we demonstrate similar reductions in phytoplankton biomass (by roughly 70%) in sandprawn-dominated areas. Increased burrow wall chlorophyll-a relative to surface sediments that was evident in experiments suggests that pelagic filtration occurs through bi-directional water pumping and phytoplankton adsorption onto burrow walls. Our findings expand understanding of the ecological relevance of sandprawns and functionally similar organisms, the mechanisms by which they engineer ecosystems and their role in mediating coastal bentho-pelagic coupling. Our findings also highlight the potential for deposit-feeders to be used as nature-based solutions to counter coastal eutrophication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Venter
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
| | - Deena Pillay
- Marine Research Institute, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa.
| | - Kervin Prayag
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
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82
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Kwon BO, Kim H, Noh J, Lee SY, Nam J, Khim JS. Spatiotemporal variability in microphytobenthic primary production across bare intertidal flat, saltmarsh, and mangrove forest of Asia and Australia. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 151:110707. [PMID: 32056580 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The ecological role of intertidal microphytobenthos (MPB) is increasingly recognized in coastal production systems. MPB primary production (PP) measured in coastal wetlands of Korea, Cambodia, and Australia confirmed large variability at the global scale. Surprisingly, MPB biomass in mangrove forests almost doubled those measured in nearby bare tidal flats. However, MPB productivity (Pb) in vegetated habitats was significantly reduced (by ~50%) compared to that on bare tidal flats. Extensive measurements of MPB biomass, PP, and Pb across 12 Korean tidal flats revealed large spatiotemporal variations, suggesting complex sediment-MPB coupled dynamics. The key factors included sediment type, tide, bed elevation, irradiation, temperature, and vegetation. Winter MPB blooms and the elevated Pb seem to be unique characteristics of the Korean intertidal flats. The present study provides the baseline data of MPB PPs in mudflat, saltmarsh, and mangrove habitats in the highly productive zones of the Western Indo-Pacific Rim.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bong-Oh Kwon
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences & Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hosang Kim
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences & Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Junsung Noh
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences & Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Shing Yip Lee
- Simon F S Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jungho Nam
- Marine Policy Research Division, Korea Maritime Institute, Busan, 49111, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Seong Khim
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences & Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
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83
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84
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Murillo FJ, Weigel B, Bouchard Marmen M, Kenchington E. Marine epibenthic functional diversity on Flemish Cap (north‐west Atlantic)—Identifying trait responses to the environment and mapping ecosystem functions. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin Weigel
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | | | - Ellen Kenchington
- Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Fisheries and Oceans Canada Dartmouth NS Canada
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85
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Meyer J, Kröncke I. Shifts in trait-based and taxonomic macrofauna community structure along a 27-year time-series in the south-eastern North Sea. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226410. [PMID: 31851700 PMCID: PMC6919609 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Current research revealed distinct changes in ecosystem functions, and thus in ecosystem stability and resilience, caused by changes in community structure and diversity loss. Benthic species play an important role in benthic-pelagic coupling, such as through the remineralization of deposited organic material, and changes to benthic community structure and diversity have associated with changes in ecosystem functioning, ecosystem stability and resilience. However, the long-term variability of traits and functions in benthic communities is largely unknown. By using abundance and bioturbation potential of macrofauna samples, taken along a transect from the German Bight towards the Dogger Bank in May 1990 and annually from 1995 to 2017, we analysed the taxonomic and trait-based macrofauna long-term community variability and diversity. Taxonomic and trait-based diversity remained stable over time, while three different regimes were found, characterised by changes in taxonomic and trait-based community structure. Min/max autocorrelation factor analysis revealed the climatic variables sea surface temperature (SST) and North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOI), nitrite, and epibenthic abundance as most important environmental drivers for taxonomic and trait-based community changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Meyer
- Marine Research, Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Benthic Ecology, Oldenburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Ingrid Kröncke
- Marine Research, Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Benthic Ecology, Oldenburg, Germany
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86
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Broman E, Motwani NH, Bonaglia S, Landberg T, Nascimento FJA, Sjöling S. Denitrification responses to increasing cadmium exposure in Baltic Sea sediments. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2019; 217:105328. [PMID: 31629202 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2019.105328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Benthic ecosystems have come under intense pressure, due to eutrophication-driven oxygen decline and industrial metal contamination. One of the most toxic metals is Cadmium (Cd), which is lethal to many aquatic organisms already at low concentrations. Denitrification by facultative anaerobic microorganisms is an essential process to transform, but also to remove, excess nitrate in eutrophied systems. Cd has been shown to decrease denitrification and sequester free sulfide, which is available when oxygen is scarce and generally inhibits complete denitrification (i.e. N2O to N2). In polluted sediments, an interaction between oxygen and Cd may influence denitrification and this relationship has not been studied. For example, in the Baltic Sea some sediments are double exposed to both Cd and hypoxia. In this study, we examined how the double exposure of Cd and fluctuations in oxygen affects denitrification in Baltic Sea sediment. Results show that oxygen largely regulated N2O and N2 production after 21 days of exposure to Cd (ranging from 0 to 500 μg/L, 5 different treatments, measured by the isotope pairing technique (IPT)). In the high Cd treatment (500 μg/L) the variation in N2 production increased compared to the other treatments. Increases in N2 production are suggested to be an effect of 1) enhanced nitrification that increases NO3- availability thus stimulating denitrification, and 2) Cd successfully sequestrating sulfide (yielding CdS), which allows for full denitrification to N2. The in situ field sediment contained initially high Cd concentrations in the pore water (∼10 μg/L) and microbial communities might already have been adapted to metal stress, making the effect of low Cd levels negligible. Here we show that high levels of cadmium pollution might increase N2 production and influence nitrogen cycling in marine sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Broman
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden; Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden.
| | - Nisha H Motwani
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Huddinge, 141 89, Sweden
| | - Stefano Bonaglia
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden; Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, 5230, Denmark
| | - Tommy Landberg
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
| | - Francisco J A Nascimento
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden; Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
| | - Sara Sjöling
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Huddinge, 141 89, Sweden
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87
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Gül MR, Griffen BD. Burrowing behavior and burrowing energetics of a bioindicator under human disturbance. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:14205-14216. [PMID: 31938512 PMCID: PMC6953561 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioindicator species are extensively used for rapid assessment of ecological changes. Their use commonly focuses on changes in population abundance and individual sizes in response to environmental change. These numerical and demographic shifts likely have behavioral and physiological mechanistic drivers that, if understood, could provide additional insights into the use of these species as bioindicators of habitat health.The Atlantic ghost crab, Ocypode quadrata, is a global bioindicator species of human disturbance on sandy shores. Individual size and population abundance of O. quadrata decline dramatically at sites with human disturbance, and the causes of this phenomenon remain unclear.Here, we test the hypothesis that individual and population-level changes at disturbed sites reflect changes in burrowing behavior and energetics. Specifically, we examine whether or not the burrowing behavior (e.g., burrow fidelity and longevity) of O. quadrata changes because of human disturbance. We also examine energy required for burrowing by O. quadrata across different levels of human disturbance.We show that O. quadrata have the highest burrow fidelity and longevity at sites with low level of human impact, and weakest burrow fidelity and longevity at pristine sites. O. quadrata reduce the burrowing energy allocation by manipulating the burrow dimension and increasing the burrow longevity even under low levels of human disturbance.Overall, this study shows that human disturbances not only change the behavior of organisms, but also shift energetic balance. Our results support the use of a bioenergetic approach to better understand how human disturbances influence natural populations, and the specific use of this approach with this bioindicator species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa R Gül
- School of the Earth, Ocean, and Environment University of South Carolina Columbia SC USA
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88
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McLean M, Auber A, Graham NAJ, Houk P, Villéger S, Violle C, Thuiller W, Wilson SK, Mouillot D. Trait structure and redundancy determine sensitivity to disturbance in marine fish communities. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:3424-3437. [PMID: 31006156 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Trait diversity is believed to influence ecosystem dynamics through links between organismal traits and ecosystem processes. Theory predicts that key traits and high trait redundancy-large species richness and abundance supporting the same traits-can buffer communities against environmental disturbances. While experiments and data from simple ecological systems lend support, large-scale evidence from diverse, natural systems under major disturbance is lacking. Here, using long-term data from both temperate (English Channel) and tropical (Seychelles Islands) fishes, we show that sensitivity to disturbance depends on communities' initial trait structure and initial trait redundancy. In both ecosystems, we found that increasing dominance by climatically vulnerable traits (e.g., small, fast-growing pelagics/corallivores) rendered fish communities more sensitive to environmental change, while communities with higher trait redundancy were more resistant. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating the influence of trait structure and redundancy on community sensitivity over large temporal and spatial scales in natural systems. Our results exemplify a consistent link between biological structure and community sensitivity that may be transferable across ecosystems and taxa and could help anticipate future disturbance impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew McLean
- IFREMER, Unité Halieutique de Manche et mer du Nord, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
- MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, IRD, Montpellier Cedex, France
| | - Arnaud Auber
- IFREMER, Unité Halieutique de Manche et mer du Nord, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
| | | | - Peter Houk
- UOG Station, University of Guam Marine Laboratory, Mangilao, Guam, USA
| | - Sébastien Villéger
- MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, IRD, Montpellier Cedex, France
| | - Cyrille Violle
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5175, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE), Montpellier, France
| | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA), Grenoble, France
| | - Shaun K Wilson
- Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, WA, Australia
- Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - David Mouillot
- MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, IRD, Montpellier Cedex, France
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia
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89
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Ricci P, Libralato S, Capezzuto F, D’Onghia G, Maiorano P, Sion L, Tursi A, Solidoro C, Carlucci R. Ecosystem functioning of two marine food webs in the North-Western Ionian Sea (Central Mediterranean Sea). Ecol Evol 2019; 9:10198-10212. [PMID: 31624545 PMCID: PMC6787816 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The ecosystem functioning of two marine food webs covering the north-eastern (Salento) and south-western (Calabria) sectors of the North-Western Ionian Sea (NWIS) (Central Mediterranean Sea) was investigated through a food-web model. Data inputs covered a wide set of ecological information applied to 58 functional groups (FGs). The sum of consumption and the mean predation mortality rate were calculated for benthic, demersal, and pelagic subsystems indicating the predator and prey roles of the FGs. A complex system of energy and biomass exchanges characterized the investigated food webs indicating an important benthic-pelagic coupling. In the food webs of both areas, the regulation of flows between the benthic-pelagic coupling seems to occur through the benthopelagic shrimps and the small pelagics due to their wasp-waist control role. Differences were observed concerning the top predators. Odontocetes play this keystone role in the Salento food web. Anglers, bathyal squids, and sharks assume this functional role in Calabria. The geomorphology and hydrography in the NWIS could affect the biomass and energy exchanges in this coupling. The higher flows of consumption of the benthic system observed in the Calabria food web could be influenced by a widespread presence of canyons along the continental edge which increase the benthic productivity. In contrast, the flows of consumption in the Salento food web seem to be driven by the planktonic productivity supporting the pelagic, benthopelagic, and demersal compartments. This condition could be favored by the large extension of the shelf break zone. The food-web models realized for the NWIS represent ideal platforms for the development of analysis with dynamic simulations. The comparative analysis of the two food webs by means of the FGs and their functional traits allowed the general pattern of ecosystem structure and functioning in the NWIS to be identified, making it an interesting approach to investigate the marine ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale Ricci
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Bari Aldo MoroBariItaly
- CoNISMaRomaItaly
| | - Simone Libralato
- Oceanography DivisionOGS (Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale)TriesteItaly
| | | | | | - Porzia Maiorano
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Bari Aldo MoroBariItaly
- CoNISMaRomaItaly
| | - Letizia Sion
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Bari Aldo MoroBariItaly
- CoNISMaRomaItaly
| | - Angelo Tursi
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Bari Aldo MoroBariItaly
- CoNISMaRomaItaly
| | - Cosimo Solidoro
- Oceanography DivisionOGS (Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale)TriesteItaly
| | - Roberto Carlucci
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Bari Aldo MoroBariItaly
- CoNISMaRomaItaly
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90
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Broman E, Raymond C, Sommer C, Gunnarsson JS, Creer S, Nascimento FJA. Salinity drives meiofaunal community structure dynamics across the Baltic ecosystem. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:3813-3829. [PMID: 31332853 PMCID: PMC6852176 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Coastal benthic biodiversity is under increased pressure from climate change, eutrophication, hypoxia, and changes in salinity due to increase in river runoff. The Baltic Sea is a large brackish system characterized by steep environmental gradients that experiences all of the mentioned stressors. As such it provides an ideal model system for studying the impact of on-going and future climate change on biodiversity and function of benthic ecosystems. Meiofauna (animals < 1 mm) are abundant in sediment and are still largely unexplored even though they are known to regulate organic matter degradation and nutrient cycling. In this study, benthic meiofaunal community structure was analysed along a salinity gradient in the Baltic Sea proper using high-throughput sequencing. Our results demonstrate that areas with higher salinity have a higher biodiversity, and salinity is probably the main driver influencing meiofauna diversity and community composition. Furthermore, in the more diverse and saline environments a larger amount of nematode genera classified as predators prevailed, and meiofauna-macrofauna associations were more prominent. These findings show that in the Baltic Sea, a decrease in salinity resulting from accelerated climate change will probably lead to decreased benthic biodiversity, and cause profound changes in benthic communities, with potential consequences for ecosystem stability, functions and services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Broman
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant SciencesStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
- Baltic Sea CentreStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Caroline Raymond
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant SciencesStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Christian Sommer
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental StudiesSödertörn UniversityHuddingeSweden
| | - Jonas S. Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant SciencesStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Simon Creer
- Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics LaboratorySchool of Natural SciencesBangor UniversityBangorUK
| | - Francisco J. A. Nascimento
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant SciencesStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
- Baltic Sea CentreStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
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91
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Aguzzi J, Chatzievangelou D, Marini S, Fanelli E, Danovaro R, Flögel S, Lebris N, Juanes F, De Leo FC, Del Rio J, Thomsen L, Costa C, Riccobene G, Tamburini C, Lefevre D, Gojak C, Poulain PM, Favali P, Griffa A, Purser A, Cline D, Edgington D, Navarro J, Stefanni S, D'Hondt S, Priede IG, Rountree R, Company JB. New High-Tech Flexible Networks for the Monitoring of Deep-Sea Ecosystems. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:6616-6631. [PMID: 31074981 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b00409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Increasing interest in the acquisition of biotic and abiotic resources from within the deep sea (e.g., fisheries, oil-gas extraction, and mining) urgently imposes the development of novel monitoring technologies, beyond the traditional vessel-assisted, time-consuming, high-cost sampling surveys. The implementation of permanent networks of seabed and water-column-cabled (fixed) and docked mobile platforms is presently enforced, to cooperatively measure biological features and environmental (physicochemical) parameters. Video and acoustic (i.e., optoacoustic) imaging are becoming central approaches for studying benthic fauna (e.g., quantifying species presence, behavior, and trophic interactions) in a remote, continuous, and prolonged fashion. Imaging is also being complemented by in situ environmental-DNA sequencing technologies, allowing the traceability of a wide range of organisms (including prokaryotes) beyond the reach of optoacoustic tools. Here, we describe the different fixed and mobile platforms of those benthic and pelagic monitoring networks, proposing at the same time an innovative roadmap for the automated computing of hierarchical ecological information on deep-sea ecosystems (i.e., from single species' abundance and life traits to community composition, and overall biodiversity).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Aguzzi
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM-CSIC) , Paseo Marítimo de la Barceloneta, 37-49 , 08012 Barcelona , Spain
| | | | - Simone Marini
- Institute of Marine Sciences , National Research Council of Italy (CNR) , 19036 La Spezia , Italy
| | - Emanuela Fanelli
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences , Polytechnic University of Marche , 60121 Ancona , Italy
| | - Roberto Danovaro
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences , Polytechnic University of Marche , 60121 Ancona , Italy
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN) , 80121 Naples , Italy
| | | | - Nadine Lebris
- Oceanological Observatory , CNRS LECOB, Sorbonne University , 66650 Banyuls-sur-mer , France
| | - Francis Juanes
- Department of Biology , University of Victoria , Victoria , British Columbia V8W 2Y2 , Canada
| | - Fabio C De Leo
- Department of Biology , University of Victoria , Victoria , British Columbia V8W 2Y2 , Canada
- Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) , University of Victoria , Victoria , British Columbia V8N 1V8 , Canada
| | - Joaquin Del Rio
- OBSEA, SARTI , Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) , 08800 Barcelona , Spain
| | | | - Corrado Costa
- Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria (CREA-IT) , 00198 Monterotondo , Italy
| | - Giorgio Riccobene
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Laboratori Nazionali del Sud , 95125 Catania , Italy
| | - Cristian Tamburini
- Institut Méditerranéen d'Océanoloie (MIO) , 13288 Cedex 09 Marseille , France
| | - Dominique Lefevre
- Institut Méditerranéen d'Océanoloie (MIO) , 13288 Cedex 09 Marseille , France
| | - Carl Gojak
- DT INSU , 83507 La Seyne-sur-Mer , France
| | - Pierre-Marie Poulain
- Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS) , 34010 Trieste , Italy
| | - Paolo Favali
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) , 00143 Rome , Italy
- European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and Water-Column Observatory European Research Infrastructure Consortium (EMSO ERIC) , 00143 Rome , Italy
| | - Annalisa Griffa
- Institute of Marine Sciences , National Research Council of Italy (CNR) , 19036 La Spezia , Italy
| | - Autun Purser
- Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) . 27515 Bremerhaven , Germany
| | - Danelle Cline
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) , Moss Landing , California 95039 , United States
| | - Duane Edgington
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) , Moss Landing , California 95039 , United States
| | - Joan Navarro
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM-CSIC) , Paseo Marítimo de la Barceloneta, 37-49 , 08012 Barcelona , Spain
| | | | - Steve D'Hondt
- Graduate School of Oceanography , University of Rhode Island , Narragansett , Rhode Island 02882 , United States
| | - Imants G Priede
- University of Aberdeen , Aberdeen AB24 3FX , United Kingdom
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research , 71003 Heraklion Crete , Greece
| | - Rodney Rountree
- Department of Biology , University of Victoria , Victoria , British Columbia V8W 2Y2 , Canada
- The Fish Listener , 23 Joshua Lane , Waquoit , Massachusetts 02536 , United States
| | - Joan B Company
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM-CSIC) , Paseo Marítimo de la Barceloneta, 37-49 , 08012 Barcelona , Spain
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92
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Van Hoey G, Wischnewski J, Craeymeersch J, Dannheim J, Enserink L, Guerin L, Marco-Rius F, O'Connor J, Reiss H, Sell AF, Vanden Berghe M, Zettler ML, Degraer S, Birchenough SNR. Methodological elements for optimising the spatial monitoring design to support regional benthic ecosystem assessments. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2019; 191:423. [PMID: 31179522 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-019-7550-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Benthic habitat condition assessments are a requirement under various environmental directives. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), for example, challenges member states in a European sea region to perform comparable assessments of good environmental status and improve coherence of their monitoring programmes by 2020. Currently, North Sea countries operate independent monitoring programmes using nationally defined assessment areas. Lack of an agreed OSPAR or EU scale monitoring method and programme has been identified as a priority science need. This paper proposes a method for the development of a coherent and efficient spatial sampling design for benthic habitats on regional level and gives advice on optimal monitoring effort to get more accurate assessments. We use ecologically relevant assessment areas (strata) across national borders and test spatial sample allocation methods. Furthermore, we investigate the number of samples needed in each stratum to reduce the variance for estimating mean number of taxa and abundance. The stratification needs to take into account the spatial heterogeneity of the entire ecosystem. The total sample effort is optimal when sample allocation takes into account the size and benthic variability within those strata. Change point analysis helps to find a balance between sampling effort and precision of the benthic parameter estimate. A joint sampling design for the North Sea could be generated by combining current efforts, and where needed adapting existing national programmes. This serves a coordinated, region-wide, benthic condition status assessment and strengthens regional cooperation to fulfil multiple monitoring tasks, with a scientifically underpinned common approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert Van Hoey
- Animal Sciences Unit-Aquatic Environment and Quality, Flanders research institute for agriculture, fisheries and food, Ankerstraat 1, 8400, Oostende, Belgium.
| | - Julia Wischnewski
- Thünen Institute of Sea Fisheries, Herwigstraße 31, 27572, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Johan Craeymeersch
- Wageningen Marine Research, Korringaweg 7, 4401, NT, Yerseke, The Netherlands
| | - Jennifer Dannheim
- Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Alfred Wegener Institute, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity, Ammerländer Heerstraße 231, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Lisette Enserink
- Rijkswaterstaat/Water, Traffic and Environment, Zuiderwagenplein 2, 8224, AD, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Laurent Guerin
- Service des Stations Marines, Station Marine de Dinard, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 38 rue du Port Blanc, 35800, Dinard, Brittany, France
| | | | - Joey O'Connor
- Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Inverdee House, Baxter Street, Aberdeen, AB11 9QA, UK
| | - Henning Reiss
- Faculty of Aquaculture and Biosciences, Nord University, Postbox 1490, 8049, Bodø, Norway
| | - Anne F Sell
- Thünen Institute of Sea Fisheries, Herwigstraße 31, 27572, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Marie Vanden Berghe
- Operational Directorate Natural Environment, Marine Ecology and Management, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Michael L Zettler
- Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, Seestraße 15, 18119, Rostock-Warnemünde, Germany
| | - Steven Degraer
- Operational Directorate Natural Environment, Marine Ecology and Management, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Silvana N R Birchenough
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR330HT, UK
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93
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Scrosati RA, Ellrich JA. A 5-year study (2014-2018) of the relationship between coastal phytoplankton abundance and intertidal barnacle size along the Atlantic Canadian coast. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6892. [PMID: 31106077 PMCID: PMC6500718 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Benthic-pelagic coupling refers to the ecological relationships between benthic and pelagic environments. Studying such links is particularly useful to understand biological variation in intertidal organisms along marine coasts. Filter-feeding invertebrates are ecologically important on marine rocky shores, so they have often been used to investigate benthic-pelagic coupling. Most studies, however, have been conducted on eastern ocean boundaries. To evaluate benthic-pelagic coupling on a western ocean boundary, we conducted a 5-year study spanning 415 km of the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia (Canada). We hypothesized that the summer size of intertidal barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides) recruited in the preceding spring would be positively related to the nearshore abundance (biomass) of phytoplankton, as phytoplankton constitutes food for the nauplius larvae and benthic stages of barnacles. Every year between 2014 and 2018, we measured summer barnacle size in clearings created before spring recruitment on the rocky substrate at eight wave-exposed locations along this coast. We then examined the annual relationships between barnacle size and chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a), a proxy for phytoplankton biomass. For every year and location, we used satellite data to calculate Chl-a averages for a period ranging from the early spring (when most barnacle larvae were in the water) to the summer (when barnacle size was measured after weeks of growth following spring benthic recruitment). The relationships were always positive, Chl-a explaining nearly half, or more, of the variation in barnacle size in four of the five studied years. These are remarkable results because they were based on a relatively limited number of locations (which often curtails statistical power) and point to the relevance of pelagic food supply to explain variation in intertidal barnacle size along this western ocean boundary coast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo A Scrosati
- Department of Biology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Julius A Ellrich
- Department of Biology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
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94
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Törnroos A, Pecuchet L, Olsson J, Gårdmark A, Blomqvist M, Lindegren M, Bonsdorff E. Four decades of functional community change reveals gradual trends and low interlinkage across trophic groups in a large marine ecosystem. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:1235-1246. [PMID: 30570820 PMCID: PMC6850384 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The rate at which biological diversity is altered on both land and in the sea, makes temporal community development a critical and fundamental part of understanding global change. With advancements in trait-based approaches, the focus on the impact of temporal change has shifted towards its potential effects on the functioning of the ecosystems. Our mechanistic understanding of and ability to predict community change is still impeded by the lack of knowledge in long-term functional dynamics that span several trophic levels. To address this, we assessed species richness and multiple dimensions of functional diversity and dynamics of two interacting key organism groups in the marine food web: fish and zoobenthos. We utilized unique time series-data spanning four decades, from three environmentally distinct coastal areas in the Baltic Sea, and assembled trait information on six traits per organism group covering aspects of feeding, living habit, reproduction and life history. We identified gradual long-term trends, rather than abrupt changes in functional diversity (trait richness, evenness, dispersion) trait turnover, and overall multi-trait community composition. The linkage between fish and zoobenthic functional community change, in terms of correlation in long-term trends, was weak, with timing of changes being area and trophic group specific. Developments of fish and zoobenthos traits, particularly size (increase in small size for both groups) and feeding habits (e.g. increase in generalist feeding for fish and scavenging or predation for zoobenthos), suggest changes in trophic pathways. We summarize our findings by highlighting three key aspects for understanding functional change across trophic groups: (a) decoupling of species from trait richness, (b) decoupling of richness from density and (c) determining of turnover and multi-trait dynamics. We therefore argue for quantifying change in multiple functional measures to help assessments of biodiversity change move beyond taxonomy and single trophic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Törnroos
- Environmental and Marine BiologyÅbo Akademi UniversityTurkuFinland
- Centre for Ocean Life, DTU‐AquaKngs. LyngbyDenmark
| | - Laurene Pecuchet
- Environmental and Marine BiologyÅbo Akademi UniversityTurkuFinland
- Centre for Ocean Life, DTU‐AquaKngs. LyngbyDenmark
| | - Jens Olsson
- Department of Aquatic ResourcesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesÖregrundSweden
| | - Anna Gårdmark
- Department of Aquatic ResourcesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesÖregrundSweden
| | | | | | - Erik Bonsdorff
- Environmental and Marine BiologyÅbo Akademi UniversityTurkuFinland
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95
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Zuercher R, Galloway AWE. Coastal marine ecosystem connectivity: pelagic ocean to kelp forest subsidies. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Zuercher
- University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California 95060 USA
| | - Aaron W. E. Galloway
- Oregon Institute of Marine Biology University of Oregon Charleston Oregon 97420 USA
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96
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Roth F, Wild C, Carvalho S, Rädecker N, Voolstra CR, Kürten B, Anlauf H, El‐Khaled YC, Carolan R, Jones BH. An in situ approach for measuring biogeochemical fluxes in structurally complex benthic communities. Methods Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Roth
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Red Sea Research Center Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian Wild
- Faculty of Biology and ChemistryMarine Ecology DepartmentUniversity of Bremen Bremen Germany
| | - Susana Carvalho
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Red Sea Research Center Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Nils Rädecker
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Red Sea Research Center Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian R. Voolstra
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Red Sea Research Center Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Benjamin Kürten
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Red Sea Research Center Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Holger Anlauf
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Red Sea Research Center Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Yusuf C. El‐Khaled
- Faculty of Biology and ChemistryMarine Ecology DepartmentUniversity of Bremen Bremen Germany
| | - Ronan Carolan
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Core Labs Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Burton H. Jones
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Red Sea Research Center Thuwal Saudi Arabia
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97
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McLean MJ, Mouillot D, Goascoz N, Schlaich I, Auber A. Functional reorganization of marine fish nurseries under climate warming. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:660-674. [PMID: 30367735 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
While climate change is rapidly impacting marine species and ecosystems worldwide, the effects of climate warming on coastal fish nurseries have received little attention despite nurseries' fundamental roles in recruitment and population replenishment. Here, we used a 26-year time series (1987-2012) of fish monitoring in the Bay of Somme, a nursery in the Eastern English Channel (EEC), to examine the impacts of environmental and human drivers on the spatial and temporal dynamics of fish functional structure during a warming phase of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). We found that the nursery was initially dominated by fishes with r-selected life-history traits such as low trophic level, low age and size at maturity, and small offspring, which are highly sensitive to warming. The AMO, likely superimposed on climate change, induced rapid warming in the late 1990s (over 1°C from 1998 to 2003), leading to functional reorganization of fish communities, with a roughly 80% decline in overall fish abundance and increased dominance by K-selected fishes. Additionally, historical overfishing likely rendered the bay more vulnerable to climatic changes due to increased dominance by fishing-tolerant, yet climatically sensitive species. The drop in fish abundance not only altered fish functional structure within the Bay of Somme, but the EEC was likely impacted, as the EEC has been unable to recover from a regime shift in the late 1990s potentially, in part, due to failed replenishment from the bay. Given the collapse of r-selected fishes, we discuss how the combination of climate cycles and global warming could threaten marine fish nurseries worldwide, as nurseries are often dominated by r-selected species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J McLean
- IFREMER, Unité Halieutique de Manche et mer du Nord, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
- MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, IRD, Montpellier Cedex, France
| | - David Mouillot
- MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, IRD, Montpellier Cedex, France
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland
| | - Nicolas Goascoz
- IFREMER, Laboratoire Ressources Halieutiques, Port-en-Bessin, France
| | - Ivan Schlaich
- IFREMER, Laboratoire Ressources Halieutiques, Port-en-Bessin, France
| | - Arnaud Auber
- IFREMER, Unité Halieutique de Manche et mer du Nord, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
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98
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Woods JS, Verones F. Ecosystem damage from anthropogenic seabed disturbance: A life cycle impact assessment characterisation model. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 649:1481-1490. [PMID: 30308916 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Despite the high amount of pressure placed on benthic habitats by anthropogenic activities, particularly in coastal shelf areas, as yet, the impact of seabed damaging activities on ecosystem quality has not been included in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). We present a globally applicable impact characterisation approach, parameterized within 17 marine ecoregions in Europe. Our modelling approach includes two perspectives: the single-impact perspective and the repeated-impact perspective. The approach for the single-impact perspective is a function of the spatio-temporal scale and intensity of the anthropogenic disturbance, the initial benthic response, and an estimated ecological recovery period. The approach for the repeated-impact perspective additionally accounts for the industry-specific interval between disturbance events, allowing for consideration of potentially incomplete ecological recovery between disturbance events and therefore the potential for both recoverable and non-recoverable potential impacts. We exemplify the repeated-impact perspective for the benthic trawl fishing industry in Europe. Analogous to current approaches for characterizing land use impacts in LCA, we quantify characterisation factors (CFs) for both occupation and transformation impacts. CFs for occupation impacts are ecoregion-specific. CFs for transformation impacts are spatially differentiated at the resolution of seabed substrate type, categories of hydrodynamic energy, i.e. water movement due to the influence of waves and currents, fisheries management zone (repeated-impact perspective only) and marine ecoregion. We estimate ecological recovery times with consideration of the influence of seabed substrate type, hydrodynamic energy at the seabed and the stock of potential recolonizers. The characterisation factors allow for quantifying indicators of ecosystem damage from seabed disturbance in terms of a time-integrated relative species loss. With a single-impact perspective, the largest impact intensities are found in areas with the longest estimated ecological recovery time. In the repeated-impact perspective, the largest intensity of time-integrated non-recoverable impact occurs when the disturbance interval is equal to half the ecological recovery time.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S Woods
- Industrial Ecology Programme, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Sem Sælands vei 7, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Francesca Verones
- Industrial Ecology Programme, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Sem Sælands vei 7, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway.
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99
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Agnetta D, Badalamenti F, Colloca F, D’Anna G, Di Lorenzo M, Fiorentino F, Garofalo G, Gristina M, Labanchi L, Patti B, Pipitone C, Solidoro C, Libralato S. Benthic-pelagic coupling mediates interactions in Mediterranean mixed fisheries: An ecosystem modeling approach. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210659. [PMID: 30645620 PMCID: PMC6333361 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Benthic—pelagic coupling plays a pivotal role in aquatic ecosystems but the effects of fishery driven interactions on its functioning has been largely overlooked. Disentangling the benthic—pelagic links including effects of mixed fisheries, however, needs sketching a whole description of ecosystem interactions using quantitative tools. A holistic food web model has been here developed in order to understand the interplay between the benthic-pelagic coupling and mixed fisheries in a Mediterranean system such as the Strait of Sicily. The reconstruction of the food web required review and integration of a vast set of local and regional biological information from bacteria to large pelagic species that were aggregated into 72 functional groups. Fisheries were described by 18 fleet segments resulting from combination of fishing gears and fishing vessel size. The input-output analysis on the food web of energy pathways allowed identifying effects of biological and fishery components. Results showed that the structure of the Strait of Sicily food web is complex. Similarly to other Mediterranean areas, the food web of the Strait of Sicily encompasses 4.5 trophic levels (TLs) with the highest TLs reached by bluefin tuna, swordfish and large hake and largely impacted by bottom trawling and large longline. Importantly, benthic-pelagic coupling is affected by direct and indirect impacts among groups of species, fleets and fleets-species through the whole trophic spectrum of the food web. Moreover, functional groups able to move on large spatial scales or life history of which is spent between shelf and slope domains play a key role in linking subsystems together and mediate interactions in the Mediterranean mixed fisheries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fabio Badalamenti
- CNR-IAS, Castellammare del Golfo (TP), Italy
- University of Edinburgh – School of Geosciences, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- SZN, Napoli, Italy
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100
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Kotta J, Herkül K, Jaagus J, Kaasik A, Raudsepp U, Alari V, Arula T, Haberman J, Järvet A, Kangur K, Kont A, Kull A, Laanemets J, Maljutenko I, Männik A, Nõges P, Nõges T, Ojaveer H, Peterson A, Reihan A, Rõõm R, Sepp M, Suursaar Ü, Tamm O, Tamm T, Tõnisson H. Linking atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic environments: Regime shifts in the Estonian climate over the past 50 years. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0209568. [PMID: 30589880 PMCID: PMC6307728 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change in recent decades has been identified as a significant threat to natural environments and human wellbeing. This is because some of the contemporary changes to climate are abrupt and result in persistent changes in the state of natural systems; so called regime shifts (RS). This study aimed to detect and analyse the timing and strength of RS in Estonian climate at the half-century scale (1966−2013). We demonstrate that the extensive winter warming of the Northern Hemisphere in the late 1980s was represented in atmospheric, terrestrial, freshwater and marine systems to an extent not observed before or after the event within the studied time series. In 1989, abiotic variables displayed statistically significant regime shifts in atmospheric, river and marine systems, but not in lake and bog systems. This was followed by regime shifts in the biotic time series of bogs and marine ecosystems in 1990. However, many biotic time series lacked regime shifts, or the shifts were uncoupled from large-scale atmospheric circulation. We suggest that the latter is possibly due to complex and temporally variable interactions between abiotic and biotic elements with ecosystem properties buffering biotic responses to climate change signals, as well as being affected by concurrent anthropogenic impacts on natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonne Kotta
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
- * E-mail:
| | - Kristjan Herkül
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Jaak Jaagus
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ants Kaasik
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Urmas Raudsepp
- Marine Systems Institute, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Victor Alari
- Marine Systems Institute, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Timo Arula
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Juta Haberman
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Arvo Järvet
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Külli Kangur
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Are Kont
- Institute of Ecology, Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Ain Kull
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Jaan Laanemets
- Marine Systems Institute, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Ilja Maljutenko
- Marine Systems Institute, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Aarne Männik
- Department of Marine Systems, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Peeter Nõges
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Tiina Nõges
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Henn Ojaveer
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
| | | | - Alvina Reihan
- Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Rein Rõõm
- Department of Marine Systems, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Mait Sepp
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ülo Suursaar
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Ottar Tamm
- Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Toomas Tamm
- Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
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