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A simple, physiologically-based model of sea turtle remigration intervals and nesting population dynamics: Effects of temperature. J Theor Biol 2015; 380:516-23. [PMID: 26113190 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2015.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2015] [Revised: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Variation in the yearly number of sea turtles nesting at rookeries can interfere with population estimates and obscure real population dynamics. Previous theoretical models suggested that this variation in nesting numbers may be driven by changes in resources at the foraging grounds. We developed a physiologically-based model that uses temperatures at foraging sites to predict foraging conditions, resource accumulation, remigration probabilities, and, ultimately, nesting numbers for a stable population of sea turtles. We used this model to explore several scenarios of temperature variation at the foraging grounds, including one-year perturbations and cyclical temperature oscillations. We found that thermally driven resource variation can indeed synchronize nesting in groups of turtles, creating cohorts, but that these cohorts tend to break down over 5-10 years unless regenerated by environmental conditions. Cohorts were broken down faster at lower temperatures. One-year perturbations of low temperature had a synchronizing effect on nesting the following year, while high temperature perturbations tended to delay nesting in a less synchronized way. Cyclical temperatures lead to cyclical responses both in nesting numbers and remigration intervals, with the amplitude and lag of the response depending on the duration of the cycle. Overall, model behavior is consistent with observations at nesting beaches. Future work should focus on refining the model to fit particular nesting populations and testing further whether or not it may be used to predict observed nesting numbers and remigration intervals.
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102
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Predictive habitat suitability models to aid conservation of elasmobranch diversity in the central Mediterranean Sea. Sci Rep 2015; 5:13245. [PMID: 26272502 PMCID: PMC4536484 DOI: 10.1038/srep13245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Commercial fisheries have dramatically impacted elasmobranch populations worldwide. With high capture and bycatch rates, the abundance of many species is rapidly declining and around a quarter of the world's sharks and rays are threatened with extinction. At a regional scale this negative trend has also been evidenced in the central Mediterranean Sea, where bottom-trawl fisheries have affected the biomass of certain rays (e.g. Raja clavata) and sharks (e.g. Mustelus spp.). Detailed knowledge of elasmobranch habitat requirements is essential for biodiversity conservation and fisheries management, but this is often hampered by a poor understanding of their spatial ecology. Habitat suitability models were used to investigate the habitat preference of nine elasmobranch species and their overall diversity (number of species) in relation to five environmental predictors (i.e. depth, sea surface temperature, surface salinity, slope and rugosity) in the central Mediterranean Sea. Results showed that depth, seafloor morphology and sea surface temperature were the main drivers for elasmobranch habitat suitability. Predictive distribution maps revealed different species-specific patterns of suitable habitat while high assemblage diversity was predicted in deeper offshore waters (400-800 m depth). This study helps to identify priority conservation areas and diversity hot-spots for rare and endangered elasmobranchs in the Mediterranean Sea.
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103
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Latitudinal variation in virus-induced mortality of phytoplankton across the North Atlantic Ocean. ISME JOURNAL 2015; 10:500-13. [PMID: 26262815 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2015.130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Revised: 06/07/2015] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Viral lysis of phytoplankton constrains marine primary production, food web dynamics and biogeochemical cycles in the ocean. Yet, little is known about the biogeographical distribution of viral lysis rates across the global ocean. To address this, we investigated phytoplankton group-specific viral lysis rates along a latitudinal gradient within the North Atlantic Ocean. The data show large-scale distribution patterns of different virus groups across the North Atlantic that are associated with the biogeographical distributions of their potential microbial hosts. Average virus-mediated lysis rates of the picocyanobacteria Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus were lower than those of the picoeukaryotic and nanoeukaryotic phytoplankton (that is, 0.14 per day compared with 0.19 and 0.23 per day, respectively). Total phytoplankton mortality (virus plus grazer-mediated) was comparable to the gross growth rate, demonstrating high turnover rates of phytoplankton populations. Virus-induced mortality was an important loss process at low and mid latitudes, whereas phytoplankton mortality was dominated by microzooplankton grazing at higher latitudes (>56°N). This shift from a viral-lysis-dominated to a grazing-dominated phytoplankton community was associated with a decrease in temperature and salinity, and the decrease in viral lysis rates was also associated with increased vertical mixing at higher latitudes. Ocean-climate models predict that surface warming will lead to an expansion of the stratified and oligotrophic regions of the world's oceans. Our findings suggest that these future shifts in the regional climate of the ocean surface layer are likely to increase the contribution of viral lysis to phytoplankton mortality in the higher-latitude waters of the North Atlantic, which may potentially reduce transfer of matter and energy up the food chain and thus affect the capacity of the northern North Atlantic to act as a long-term sink for CO2.
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104
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Warming-induced changes in predation, extinction and invasion in an ectotherm food web. Oecologia 2015; 178:485-96. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3211-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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105
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Beaugrand G. Theoretical basis for predicting climate-induced abrupt shifts in the oceans. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 370:20130264. [PMCID: PMC4247401 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the responses of marine species and their ecosystems to climate change, abrupt community shifts (ACSs), also called regime shifts, have often been observed. However, despite their effects for ecosystem functioning and both provisioning and regulating services, our understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved remains elusive. This paper proposes a theory showing that some ACSs originate from the interaction between climate-induced environmental changes and the species ecological niche. The theory predicts that a substantial stepwise shift in the thermal regime of a marine ecosystem leads indubitably to an ACS and explains why some species do not change during the phenomenon. It also explicates why the timing of ACSs may differ or why some studies may detect or not detect a shift in the same ecosystem, independently of the statistical method of detection and simply because they focus on different species or taxonomic groups. The present theory offers a way to predict future climate-induced community shifts and their potential associated trophic cascades and amplifications.
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106
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Bruneaux M, Nikinmaa M, Laine VN, Lindström K, Primmer CR, Vasemägi A. Differences in the metabolic response to temperature acclimation in nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) populations from contrasting thermal environments. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 321:550-65. [PMID: 25389079 DOI: 10.1002/jez.1889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2013] [Revised: 07/27/2014] [Accepted: 08/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic responses to temperature changes are crucial for maintaining the energy balance of an individual under seasonal temperature fluctuations. To understand how such responses differ in recently isolated populations (<11,000 years), we studied four Baltic populations of the nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius L.) from coastal locations (seasonal temperature range, 0-29°C) and from colder, more thermally stable spring-fed ponds (1-19°C). Salinity and predation pressure also differed between these locations. We acclimatized wild-caught fish to 6, 11, and 19°C in common garden conditions for 4-6 months and determined their aerobic scope and hepatosomatic index (HSI). The freshwater fish from the colder (2-14°C), predator-free pond population exhibited complete temperature compensation for their aerobic scope, whereas the coastal populations underwent metabolic rate reduction during the cold treatment. Coastal populations had higher HSI than the colder pond population at all temperatures, with cold acclimation accentuating this effect. The metabolic rates and HSI for freshwater fish from the pond with higher predation pressure were more similar to those of the coastal ones. Our results suggest that ontogenic effects and/or genetic differentiation are responsible for differential energy storage and metabolic responses between these populations. This work demonstrates the metabolic versatility of the nine-spined stickleback and the pertinence of an energetic framework to better understand potential local adaptations. It also demonstrates that instead of using a single acclimation temperature thermal reaction norms should be compared when studying individuals originating from different thermal environments in a common garden setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Bruneaux
- Division of Genetics and Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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107
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Hu S, Guo Z, Li T, Carpenter EJ, Liu S, Lin S. Detecting in situ copepod diet diversity using molecular technique: development of a copepod/symbiotic ciliate-excluding eukaryote-inclusive PCR protocol. PLoS One 2014; 9:e103528. [PMID: 25058323 PMCID: PMC4110036 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of in situ copepod diet diversity is crucial for accurately describing pelagic food web structure but is challenging to achieve due to lack of an easily applicable methodology. To enable analysis with whole copepod-derived DNAs, we developed a copepod-excluding 18S rDNA-based PCR protocol. Although it is effective in depressing amplification of copepod 18S rDNA, its applicability to detect diverse eukaryotes in both mono- and mixed-species has not been demonstrated. Besides, the protocol suffers from the problem that sequences from symbiotic ciliates are overrepresented in the retrieved 18S rDNA libraries. In this study, we designed a blocking primer to make a combined primer set (copepod/symbiotic ciliate-excluding eukaryote-common: CEEC) to depress PCR amplification of symbiotic ciliate sequences while maximizing the range of eukaryotes amplified. We firstly examined the specificity and efficacy of CEEC by PCR-amplifying DNAs from 16 copepod species, 37 representative organisms that are potential prey of copepods and a natural microplankton sample, and then evaluated the efficiency in reconstructing diet composition by detecting the food of both lab-reared and field-collected copepods. Our results showed that the CEEC primer set can successfully amplify 18S rDNA from a wide range of isolated species and mixed-species samples while depressing amplification of that from copepod and targeted symbiotic ciliate, indicating the universality of CEEC in specifically detecting prey of copepods. All the predetermined food offered to copepods in the laboratory were successfully retrieved, suggesting that the CEEC-based protocol can accurately reconstruct the diets of copepods without interference of copepods and their associated ciliates present in the DNA samples. Our initial application to analyzing the food composition of field-collected copepods uncovered diverse prey species, including those currently known, and those that are unsuspected, as copepod prey. While testing is required, this protocol provides a useful strategy for depicting in situ dietary composition of copepods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simin Hu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiling Guo
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Edward J. Carpenter
- Romberg Tiburon Center, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Sheng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Senjie Lin
- Marine Biodiversity and Global Change Research Center, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, Connecticut, United States of America
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108
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Afonso P, McGinty N, Machete M. Dynamics of whale shark occurrence at their fringe oceanic habitat. PLoS One 2014; 9:e102060. [PMID: 25028929 PMCID: PMC4100814 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have shown that the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), a vulnerable large filter feeder, seasonally aggregates at highly productive coastal sites and that individuals can perform large, trans-boundary migrations to reach these locations. Yet, the whereabouts of the whale shark when absent from these sites and the potential oceanographic and biological drivers involved in shaping their present and future habitat use, including that located at the fringes of their suitable oceanic habitat, are largely unknown. We analysed a 16-year (1998-2013) observer dataset from the pole-and-line tuna fishery across the Azores (mid-North Atlantic) and used GAM models to investigate the spatial and temporal patterns of whale shark occurrence in relation to oceanographic features. Across this period, the whale shark became a regular summer visitor to the archipelago after a sharp increase in sighting frequency seen in 2008. We found that SST helps predicting their occurrence in the region associated to the position of the seasonal 22°C isotherm, showing that the Azores are at a thermal boundary for this species and providing an explanation for the post 2007 increase. Within the region, whale shark detections were also higher in areas of increased bathymetric slope and closer to the seamounts, coinciding with higher chl-a biomass, a behaviour most probably associated to increased feeding opportunities. They also showed a tendency to be clustered around the southernmost island of Santa Maria. This study shows that the region integrates the oceanic habitat of adult whale shark and suggests that an increase in its relative importance for the Atlantic population might be expected in face of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Afonso
- IMAR - Institute of Marine Research. Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal
| | - Niall McGinty
- IMAR - Institute of Marine Research. Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal
- MARICE - Marine Academic Research in Iceland. Department of Life and Health sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Miguel Machete
- LARSyS - Laboratory of Robotics and Systems in Engineering and Science, Lisbon, Portugal
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109
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Raitsos DE, Pradhan Y, Lavender SJ, Hoteit I, McQuatters-Gollop A, Reid PC, Richardson AJ. From silk to satellite: half a century of ocean colour anomalies in the Northeast Atlantic. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2014; 20:2117-2123. [PMID: 24804626 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2013] [Accepted: 10/22/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Changes in phytoplankton dynamics influence marine biogeochemical cycles, climate processes, and food webs, with substantial social and economic consequences. Large-scale estimation of phytoplankton biomass was possible via ocean colour measurements from two remote sensing satellites - the Coastal Zone Colour Scanner (CZCS, 1979-1986) and the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS, 1998-2010). Due to the large gap between the two satellite eras and differences in sensor characteristics, comparison of the absolute values retrieved from the two instruments remains challenging. Using a unique in situ ocean colour dataset that spans more than half a century, the two satellite-derived chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) eras are linked to assess concurrent changes in phytoplankton variability and bloom timing over the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and North Sea. Results from this unique re-analysis reflect a clear increasing pattern of Chl-a, a merging of the two seasonal phytoplankton blooms producing a longer growing season and higher seasonal biomass, since the mid-1980s. The broader climate plays a key role in Chl-a variability as the ocean colour anomalies parallel the oscillations of the Northern Hemisphere Temperature (NHT) since 1948.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dionysios E Raitsos
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
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110
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Seifert LI, de Castro F, Marquart A, Gaedke U, Weithoff G, Vos M. Heated relations: temperature-mediated shifts in consumption across trophic levels. PLoS One 2014; 9:e95046. [PMID: 24797506 PMCID: PMC4010407 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 03/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A rise in temperature will intensify the feeding links involving ectotherms in food webs. However, it is unclear how the effects will quantitatively differ between the plant-herbivore and herbivore-carnivore interface. To test how warming could differentially affect rates of herbivory and carnivory, we studied trophic interaction strength in a food chain comprised of green algae, herbivorous rotifers and carnivorous rotifers at 10, 15, 20 and 25°C. We found significant warming-induced changes in feeding by both herbivorous and carnivorous rotifers, but these responses occurred at different parts of the entire temperature gradient. The strongest response of the per capita herbivore's ingestion rate occurred due to an increase in temperature from 15 to 20°C (1.9 fold: from 834 to 1611 algal cells per h(-1)) and of the per capita carnivore's ingestion rate from 20 to 25°C (1.6 fold: from 1.5 to 2.5 prey h(-1)). Handling time, an important component of a consumer's functional response, significantly decreased from 15 to 20°C in herbivorous rotifers. In contrast, it decreased from 20 to 25°C in carnivorous rotifers. Attack rates significantly and strongly increased from 10 to 25°C in the herbivorous animals, but not at all in the carnivores. Our results exemplify how the relative forces of top-down control exerted by herbivores and carnivores may strongly shift under global warming. But warming, and its magnitude, are not the only issue: If our results would prove to be representative, shifts in ectotherm interactions will quantitatively differ when a 5°C increase starts out from a low, intermediate or high initial temperature. This would imply that warming could have different effects on the relative forces of carnivory and herbivory in habitats differing in average temperature, as would exist at different altitudes and latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda I. Seifert
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem modelling, Potsdam University, Potsdam, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Francisco de Castro
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem modelling, Potsdam University, Potsdam, Germany
- School of Biological Science, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Arnim Marquart
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem modelling, Potsdam University, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ursula Gaedke
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem modelling, Potsdam University, Potsdam, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Guntram Weithoff
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem modelling, Potsdam University, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Matthijs Vos
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem modelling, Potsdam University, Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
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111
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Xu ZL, Zhang D. Dramatic declines in Euphausia pacifica abundance in the East China Sea: response to recent regional climate change. Zoolog Sci 2014; 31:135-42. [PMID: 24601775 DOI: 10.2108/zsj.31.135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
As with other marine ecosystems around the world, water temperature has been anomalously warm in recent years in the East China Sea. We analyzed historical data to explore the effects of climatic change on the abundance and distribution variation of Euphausia pacifica in the East China Sea (the Changjiang River estuary and adjacent areas). In 1959, the highest abundance occurred in the spring and autumn, and this krill species was still abundant in May 1974; however, its abundance was significantly reduced in 2002, markedly in spring. Euphausia pacifica was the numerically dominant euphausiid in the East China Sea in 1959. Its mean abundance was up to 1.91 ind m(-3) and 1.64 ind/m(3) in 1959 and 1974, respectively; however, this figure decreased to 0.36 ind m(-3) in 2002. Since 2003, the abundances have been near zero in the most years. Both inter-annual (between November 1959 and 2002) and inter-monthly (between May and June 1959) comparisons suggest that E. pacifica has had a temperature-driven northward movement in response to rising sea surface temperature, especially the positive anomalies since 1997. However, E. pacifica did not come back to the previous habitat when temperature became relative cold. Hence additional factors affecting the E. pacifica distribution and abundance need to be investigated in the future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao-Li Xu
- East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Science, Jun Gong Road, Shanghai 200090, China
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112
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Lazarus D, Barron J, Renaudie J, Diver P, Türke A. Cenozoic planktonic marine diatom diversity and correlation to climate change. PLoS One 2014; 9:e84857. [PMID: 24465441 PMCID: PMC3898954 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine planktonic diatoms export carbon to the deep ocean, playing a key role in the global carbon cycle. Although commonly thought to have diversified over the Cenozoic as global oceans cooled, only two conflicting quantitative reconstructions exist, both from the Neptune deep-sea microfossil occurrences database. Total diversity shows Cenozoic increase but is sample size biased; conventional subsampling shows little net change. We calculate diversity from a separately compiled new diatom species range catalog, and recalculate Neptune subsampled-in-bin diversity using new methods to correct for increasing Cenozoic geographic endemism and decreasing Cenozoic evenness. We find coherent, substantial Cenozoic diversification in both datasets. Many living cold water species, including species important for export productivity, originate only in the latest Miocene or younger. We make a first quantitative comparison of diatom diversity to the global Cenozoic benthic ∂18O (climate) and carbon cycle records (∂13C, and 20-0 Ma pCO2). Warmer climates are strongly correlated with lower diatom diversity (raw: rho = .92, p<.001; detrended, r = .6, p = .01). Diatoms were 20% less diverse in the early late Miocene, when temperatures and pCO2 were only moderately higher than today. Diversity is strongly correlated to both ∂13C and pCO2 over the last 15 my (for both: r>.9, detrended r>.6, all p<.001), but only weakly over the earlier Cenozoic, suggesting increasingly strong linkage of diatom and climate evolution in the Neogene. Our results suggest that many living marine planktonic diatom species may be at risk of extinction in future warm oceans, with an unknown but potentially substantial negative impact on the ocean biologic pump and oceanic carbon sequestration. We cannot however extrapolate our my-scale correlations with generic climate proxies to anthropogenic time-scales of warming without additional species-specific information on proximate ecologic controls.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John Barron
- United States Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California, United States of America
| | | | - Patrick Diver
- Divdat Consulting, Wesley, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Andreas Türke
- Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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113
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114
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Hinder SL, Gravenor MB, Edwards M, Ostle C, Bodger OG, Lee PLM, Walne AW, Hays GC. Multi-decadal range changes vs. thermal adaptation for north east Atlantic oceanic copepods in the face of climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2014; 20:140-146. [PMID: 24323534 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2013] [Revised: 08/20/2013] [Accepted: 08/22/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Populations may potentially respond to climate change in various ways including moving to new areas or alternatively staying where they are and adapting as conditions shift. Traditional laboratory and mesocosm experiments last days to weeks and thus only give a limited picture of thermal adaptation, whereas ocean warming occurring over decades allows the potential for selection of new strains better adapted to warmer conditions. Evidence for adaptation in natural systems is equivocal. We used a 50-year time series comprising of 117 056 samples in the NE Atlantic, to quantify the abundance and distribution of two particularly important and abundant members of the ocean plankton (copepods of the genus Calanus) that play a key trophic role for fisheries. Abundance of C. finmarchicus, a cold-water species, and C. helgolandicus, a warm-water species, were negatively and positively related to sea surface temperature (SST) respectively. However, the abundance vs. SST relationships for neither species changed over time in a manner consistent with thermal adaptation. Accompanying the lack of evidence for thermal adaptation there has been an unabated range contraction for C. finmarchicus and range expansion for C. helgolandicus. Our evidence suggests that thermal adaptation has not mitigated the impacts of ocean warming for dramatic range changes of these key species and points to continued dramatic climate induced changes in the biology of the oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L Hinder
- Institute of Life Sciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK; Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK; The Laboratory, SAHFOS, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
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115
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McClure MM, Alexander M, Borggaard D, Boughton D, Crozier L, Griffis R, Jorgensen JC, Lindley ST, Nye J, Rowland MJ, Seney EE, Snover A, Toole C, VAN Houtan K. Incorporating climate science in applications of the US endangered species act for aquatic species. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2013; 27:1222-1233. [PMID: 24299088 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2012] [Accepted: 05/27/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic species are threatened by climate change but have received comparatively less attention than terrestrial species. We gleaned key strategies for scientists and managers seeking to address climate change in aquatic conservation planning from the literature and existing knowledge. We address 3 categories of conservation effort that rely on scientific analysis and have particular application under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA): assessment of overall risk to a species; long-term recovery planning; and evaluation of effects of specific actions or perturbations. Fewer data are available for aquatic species to support these analyses, and climate effects on aquatic systems are poorly characterized. Thus, we recommend scientists conducting analyses supporting ESA decisions develop a conceptual model that links climate, habitat, ecosystem, and species response to changing conditions and use this model to organize analyses and future research. We recommend that current climate conditions are not appropriate for projections used in ESA analyses and that long-term projections of climate-change effects provide temporal context as a species-wide assessment provides spatial context. In these projections, climate change should not be discounted solely because the magnitude of projected change at a particular time is uncertain when directionality of climate change is clear. Identifying likely future habitat at the species scale will indicate key refuges and potential range shifts. However, the risks and benefits associated with errors in modeling future habitat are not equivalent. The ESA offers mechanisms for increasing the overall resilience and resistance of species to climate changes, including establishing recovery goals requiring increased genetic and phenotypic diversity, specifying critical habitat in areas not currently occupied but likely to become important, and using adaptive management. Incorporación de las Ciencias Climáticas en las Aplicaciones del Acta Estadunidense de Especies en Peligro para Especies Acuáticas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle M McClure
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, 2725 Montlake Boulevard, East, Seattle, WA, 98112, U.S.A..
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Niiranen S, Yletyinen J, Tomczak MT, Blenckner T, Hjerne O, Mackenzie BR, Müller-Karulis B, Neumann T, Meier HEM. Combined effects of global climate change and regional ecosystem drivers on an exploited marine food web. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2013; 19:3327-42. [PMID: 23818413 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2013] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Changes in climate, in combination with intensive exploitation of marine resources, have caused large-scale reorganizations in many of the world's marine ecosystems during the past decades. The Baltic Sea in Northern Europe is one of the systems most affected. In addition to being exposed to persistent eutrophication, intensive fishing, and one of the world's fastest rates of warming in the last two decades of the 20th century, accelerated climate change including atmospheric warming and changes in precipitation is projected for this region during the 21st century. Here, we used a new multimodel approach to project how the interaction of climate, nutrient loads, and cod fishing may affect the future of the open Central Baltic Sea food web. Regionally downscaled global climate scenarios were, in combination with three nutrient load scenarios, used to drive an ensemble of three regional biogeochemical models (BGMs). An Ecopath with Ecosim food web model was then forced with the BGM results from different nutrient-climate scenarios in combination with two different cod fishing scenarios. The results showed that regional management is likely to play a major role in determining the future of the Baltic Sea ecosystem. By the end of the 21st century, for example, the combination of intensive cod fishing and high nutrient loads projected a strongly eutrophicated and sprat-dominated ecosystem, whereas low cod fishing in combination with low nutrient loads resulted in a cod-dominated ecosystem with eutrophication levels close to present. Also, nonlinearities were observed in the sensitivity of different trophic groups to nutrient loads or fishing depending on the combination of the two. Finally, many climate variables and species biomasses were projected to levels unseen in the past. Hence, the risk for ecological surprises needs to be addressed, particularly when the results are discussed in the ecosystem-based management context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susa Niiranen
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden; Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden
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117
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Individual-based model of the phenology of egg-bearing copepods: Application to Eurytemora affinis from the Seine estuary, France. Ecol Modell 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2013.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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118
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Smale DA, Burrows MT, Moore P, O'Connor N, Hawkins SJ. Threats and knowledge gaps for ecosystem services provided by kelp forests: a northeast Atlantic perspective. Ecol Evol 2013; 3:4016-38. [PMID: 24198956 PMCID: PMC3810891 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Revised: 08/13/2013] [Accepted: 08/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Kelp forests along temperate and polar coastlines represent some of most diverse and productive habitats on the Earth. Here, we synthesize information from >60 years of research on the structure and functioning of kelp forest habitats in European waters, with particular emphasis on the coasts of UK and Ireland, which represents an important biogeographic transition zone that is subjected to multiple threats and stressors. We collated existing data on kelp distribution and abundance and reanalyzed these data to describe the structure of kelp forests along a spatial gradient spanning more than 10° of latitude. We then examined ecological goods and services provided by kelp forests, including elevated secondary production, nutrient cycling, energy capture and flow, coastal defense, direct applications, and biodiversity repositories, before discussing current and future threats posed to kelp forests and identifying key knowledge gaps. Recent evidence unequivocally demonstrates that the structure of kelp forests in the NE Atlantic is changing in response to climate- and non-climate-related stressors, which will have major implications for the structure and functioning of coastal ecosystems. However, kelp-dominated habitats along much of the NE Atlantic coastline have been chronically understudied over recent decades in comparison with other regions such as Australasia and North America. The paucity of field-based research currently impedes our ability to conserve and manage these important ecosystems. Targeted observational and experimental research conducted over large spatial and temporal scales is urgently needed to address these knowledge gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan A Smale
- The Laboratory, Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK ; Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
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119
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Barros A, Alvarez D, Velando A. Climate influences fledgling sex ratio and sex-specific dispersal in a seabird. PLoS One 2013; 8:e71358. [PMID: 23951144 PMCID: PMC3738640 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0071358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2013] [Accepted: 06/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate influences the dynamics of natural populations by direct effects over habitat quality but also modulating the phenotypic responses of organisms' life-history traits. These responses may be different in males and females, particularly in dimorphic species, due to sex-specific requirements or constraints. Here, in a coastal seabird, the European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), we studied the influence of climate (North Atlantic Oscillation, NAO; Sea Surface Temperature, SST) on two sex-related population parameters: fledgling sex ratio and sex-specific dispersal. We found that fledgling sex ratio was female skewed in NAO-positive years and male skewed in NAO-negative years. Accordingly, females dispersed a longer distance in NAO-positive years when females were overproduced, and on the contrary, males dispersed more in NAO-negative years. Overall, our findings provide rare evidence on vertebrates with genetic sex determination that climate conditions may govern population dynamics by affecting sex-specific density and dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Barros
- Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Universidade de Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain.
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120
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Comparative Analysis of Sea Surface Temperature Pattern in the Eastern and Western Gulfs of Arabian Sea and the Red Sea in Recent Past Using Satellite Data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1155/2013/501602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
With unprecedented rate of development in the countries surrounding the gulfs of the Arabian Sea, there has been a rapid warming of these gulfs. In this regard, using Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data from 1985 to 2009, a climatological study of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and its inter annual variability in the Persian Gulf (PG), Gulf of Oman (GO), Gulf of Aden (GA), Gulf of Kutch (KTCH), Gulf of Khambhat (KMBT), and Red Sea (RS) was carried out using the normalized SST anomaly index. KTCH, KMBT, and GA pursued the typical Arabian Sea basin bimodal SST pattern, whereas PG, GO, and RS followed unimodal SST curve. In the western gulfs and RS, from 1985 to 1991-1992, cooling was observed followed by rapid warming phase from 1993 onwards, whereas in the eastern gulfs, the phase of sharp rise of SST was observed from 1995 onwards. Strong influence of the El Niño and La Niña and the Indian Ocean Dipole on interannual variability of SST of gulfs was observed. Annual and seasonal increase of SST was lower in the eastern gulfs than the western gulfs. RS showed the highest annual increase of normalized SST anomaly (+0.64/decade) followed by PG (+0.4/decade).
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121
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Lauria V, Attrill MJ, Pinnegar JK, Brown A, Edwards M, Votier SC. Influence of climate change and trophic coupling across four trophic levels in the Celtic Sea. PLoS One 2012; 7:e47408. [PMID: 23091621 PMCID: PMC3472987 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2012] [Accepted: 09/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change has had profound effects upon marine ecosystems, impacting across all trophic levels from plankton to apex predators. Determining the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems requires understanding the direct effects on all trophic levels as well as indirect effects mediated by trophic coupling. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of climate change on the pelagic food web in the Celtic Sea, a productive shelf region in the Northeast Atlantic. Using long-term data, we examined possible direct and indirect 'bottom-up' climate effects across four trophic levels: phytoplankton, zooplankton, mid-trophic level fish and seabirds. During the period 1986-2007, although there was no temporal trend in the North Atlantic Oscillation index (NAO), the decadal mean Sea Surface Temperature (SST) in the Celtic Sea increased by 0.66 ± 0.02 °C. Despite this, there was only a weak signal of climate change in the Celtic Sea food web. Changes in plankton community structure were found, however this was not related to SST or NAO. A negative relationship occurred between herring abundance (0- and 1-group) and spring SST (0-group: p = 0.02, slope = -0.305 ± 0.125; 1-group: p = 0.04, slope = -0.410 ± 0.193). Seabird demographics showed complex species-specific responses. There was evidence of direct effects of spring NAO (on black-legged kittiwake population growth rate: p = 0.03, slope = 0.0314 ± 0.014) as well as indirect bottom-up effects of lagged spring SST (on razorbill breeding success: p = 0.01, slope = -0.144 ± 0.05). Negative relationships between breeding success and population growth rate of razorbills and common guillemots may be explained by interactions between mid-trophic level fish. Our findings show that the impacts of climate change on the Celtic Sea ecosystem is not as marked as in nearby regions (e.g. the North Sea), emphasizing the need for more research at regional scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Lauria
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, Plymouth University, Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom.
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122
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Jaine FRA, Couturier LIE, Weeks SJ, Townsend KA, Bennett MB, Fiora K, Richardson AJ. When giants turn up: sighting trends, environmental influences and habitat use of the manta ray Manta alfredi at a coral reef. PLoS One 2012; 7:e46170. [PMID: 23056255 PMCID: PMC3463571 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2012] [Accepted: 08/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Manta rays Manta alfredi are present all year round at Lady Elliot Island (LEI) in the southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia, with peaks in abundance during autumn and winter. Drivers influencing these fluctuations in abundance of M. alfredi at the site remain uncertain. Based on daily count, behavioural, weather and oceanographic data collected over a three-year period, this study examined the link between the relative number of sightings of manta rays at LEI, the biophysical environment, and the habitat use of individuals around the LEI reef using generalised additive models. The response variable in each of the three generalised additive models was number of sightings (per trip at sea) of cruising, cleaning or foraging M. alfredi. We used a set of eleven temporal, meteorological, biological, oceanographic and lunar predictor variables. Results for cruising, cleaning and foraging M. alfredi explained 27.5%, 32.8% and 36.3% of the deviance observed in the respective models and highlighted five predictors (year, day of year, wind speed, chlorophyll-a concentration and fraction of moon illuminated) as common influences to the three models. There were more manta rays at LEI in autumn and winter, slower wind speeds, higher productivity, and around the new and full moon. The winter peak in sightings of foraging M. alfredi was found to precede peaks in cleaning and cruising activity around the LEI reef, which suggests that enhanced food availability may be a principal driver for this seasonal aggregation. A spatial analysis of behavioural observations highlighted several sites around the LEI reef as 'multi-purpose' areas where cleaning and foraging activities commonly occur, while the southern end of the reef is primarily a foraging area. The use of extensive citizen science datasets, such as those collected by dive operators in this study, is encouraged as they can provide valuable insights into a species' ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice R A Jaine
- Biophysical Oceanography Group, School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia.
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123
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Ramos R, Granadeiro JP, Nevoux M, Mougin JL, Dias MP, Catry P. Combined spatio-temporal impacts of climate and longline fisheries on the survival of a trans-equatorial marine migrant. PLoS One 2012; 7:e40822. [PMID: 22815833 PMCID: PMC3397926 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2012] [Accepted: 06/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Predicting the impact of human activities and their derivable consequences, such as global warming or direct wildlife mortality, is increasingly relevant in our changing world. Due to their particular life history traits, long-lived migrants are amongst the most endangered and sensitive group of animals to these harming effects. Our ability to identify and quantify such anthropogenic threats in both breeding and wintering grounds is, therefore, of key importance in the field of conservation biology. Using long-term capture-recapture data (34 years, 4557 individuals) and year-round tracking data (4 years, 100 individuals) of a trans-equatorial migrant, the Cory's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea), we investigated the impact of longline fisheries and climatic variables in both breeding and wintering areas on the most important demographic trait of this seabird, i.e. adult survival. Annual adult survival probability was estimated at 0.914±0.022 on average, declining throughout 1978-1999 but recovering during the last decade (2005-2011). Our results suggest that both the incidental bycatch associated with longline fisheries and high sea surface temperatures (indirectly linked to food availability; SST) increased mortality rates during the long breeding season (March-October). Shearwater survival was also negatively affected during the short non-breeding season (December-February) by positive episodes of the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). Indirect negative effects of climate at both breeding (SST) and wintering grounds (SOI) had a greater impact on survival than longliner activity, and indeed these climatic factors are those which are expected to present more unfavourable trends in the future. Our work underlines the importance of considering both breeding and wintering habitats as well as precise schedules/phenology when assessing the global role of the local impacts on the dynamics of migratory species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raül Ramos
- Eco-Ethology Research Unit, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, Lisboa, Portugal.
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124
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Russell LM, Rasch PJ, Mace GM, Jackson RB, Shepherd J, Liss P, Leinen M, Schimel D, Vaughan NE, Janetos AC, Boyd PW, Norby RJ, Caldeira K, Merikanto J, Artaxo P, Melillo J, Morgan MG. Ecosystem impacts of geoengineering: a review for developing a science plan. AMBIO 2012; 41:350-69. [PMID: 22430307 PMCID: PMC3393062 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-012-0258-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2011] [Revised: 09/27/2011] [Accepted: 01/31/2012] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Geoengineering methods are intended to reduce climate change, which is already having demonstrable effects on ecosystem structure and functioning in some regions. Two types of geoengineering activities that have been proposed are: carbon dioxide (CO(2)) removal (CDR), which removes CO(2) from the atmosphere, and solar radiation management (SRM, or sunlight reflection methods), which reflects a small percentage of sunlight back into space to offset warming from greenhouse gases (GHGs). Current research suggests that SRM or CDR might diminish the impacts of climate change on ecosystems by reducing changes in temperature and precipitation. However, sudden cessation of SRM would exacerbate the climate effects on ecosystems, and some CDR might interfere with oceanic and terrestrial ecosystem processes. The many risks and uncertainties associated with these new kinds of purposeful perturbations to the Earth system are not well understood and require cautious and comprehensive research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn M. Russell
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr. Mail Code 0221, La Jolla, CA 92093-0221 USA
| | - Philip J. Rasch
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Boulevard, P. O. Box 999, MSIN K9-34, Richland, WA 99352 USA
| | - Georgina M. Mace
- Centre for Population Biology, Imperial College London, Ascot, Berks SL5 7PY UK
| | - Robert B. Jackson
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - John Shepherd
- Earth System Science, School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH UK
| | - Peter Liss
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ UK
| | - Margaret Leinen
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, 5600 US Rt 1 North, Fort Pierce, FL 34946 USA
| | | | - Naomi E. Vaughan
- Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ UK
| | - Anthony C. Janetos
- Joint Global Change Research Institute Pacific Northwest National Laboratory/University of Maryland, 5825 University Research Court, Suite 3500, College Park, MD 20740 USA
| | - Philip W. Boyd
- NIWA Centre of Chemical & Physical Oceanography, Department of Chemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Richard J. Norby
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Bethel Valley Road, Bldg. 2040, MS-6301, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6301 USA
| | - Ken Caldeira
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Joonas Merikanto
- Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, P.O Box 64, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Paulo Artaxo
- Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão, Travessa R, 187, São Paulo, SP CEP 05508-090 Brazil
| | - Jerry Melillo
- The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA
| | - M. Granger Morgan
- Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA
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125
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Lewison R, Oro D, Godley B, Underhill L, Bearhop S, Wilson RP, Ainley D, Arcos JM, Boersma PD, Borboroglu PG, Boulinier T, Frederiksen M, Genovart M, González-Solís J, Green JA, Grémillet D, Hamer KC, Hilton GM, Hyrenbach KD, Martínez-Abraín A, Montevecchi WA, Phillips RA, Ryan PG, Sagar P, Sydeman WJ, Wanless S, Watanuki Y, Weimerskirch H, Yorio P. Research priorities for seabirds: improving conservation and management in the 21st century. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2012. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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126
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Gledhill M, Devez A, Highfield A, Singleton C, Achterberg EP, Schroeder D. Effect of Metals on the Lytic Cycle of the Coccolithovirus, EhV86. Front Microbiol 2012; 3:155. [PMID: 22536202 PMCID: PMC3333479 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2011] [Accepted: 04/04/2012] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study we show that metals, and in particular copper (Cu), can disrupt the lytic cycle in the Emiliania huxleyi - EhV86 host-virus system. E. huxleyi lysis rates were reduced at high total Cu concentrations (> approximately 500 nM) in the presence and absence of EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) in acute short term exposure experiments. Zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and cobalt (Co) were not observed to affect the lysis rate of EhV86 in these experiments. The cellular glutathione (GSH) content increased in virus infected cells, but not as a result of metal exposure. In contrast, the cellular content of phytochelatins (PCs) increased only in response to metal exposure. The increase in glutathione content is consistent with increases in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on viral lysis, while increases in PC content are likely linked to metal homeostasis and indicate that metal toxicity to the host was not affected by viral infection. We propose that Cu prevents lytic production of EhV86 by interfering with virus DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) synthesis through a transcriptional block, which ultimately suppresses the formation of ROS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha Gledhill
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography CentreSouthampton, UK
| | - Aurélie Devez
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography CentreSouthampton, UK
| | - Andrea Highfield
- Marine Biological Association of the UKCitadel Hill, Plymouth, UK
| | - Chloe Singleton
- Marine Biological Association of the UKCitadel Hill, Plymouth, UK
| | - Eric P. Achterberg
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography CentreSouthampton, UK
| | - Declan Schroeder
- Marine Biological Association of the UKCitadel Hill, Plymouth, UK
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127
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Dossena M, Yvon-Durocher G, Grey J, Montoya JM, Perkins DM, Trimmer M, Woodward G. Warming alters community size structure and ecosystem functioning. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:3011-9. [PMID: 22496185 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.0394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Global warming can affect all levels of biological complexity, though we currently understand least about its potential impact on communities and ecosystems. At the ecosystem level, warming has the capacity to alter the structure of communities and the rates of key ecosystem processes they mediate. Here we assessed the effects of a 4°C rise in temperature on the size structure and taxonomic composition of benthic communities in aquatic mesocosms, and the rates of detrital decomposition they mediated. Warming had no effect on biodiversity, but altered community size structure in two ways. In spring, warmer systems exhibited steeper size spectra driven by declines in total community biomass and the proportion of large organisms. By contrast, in autumn, warmer systems had shallower size spectra driven by elevated total community biomass and a greater proportion of large organisms. Community-level shifts were mirrored by changes in decomposition rates. Temperature-corrected microbial and macrofaunal decomposition rates reflected the shifts in community structure and were strongly correlated with biomass across mesocosms. Our study demonstrates that the 4°C rise in temperature expected by the end of the century has the potential to alter the structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems profoundly, as well as the intimate linkages between these levels of ecological organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Dossena
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
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128
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Abstract
Contemporary impacts of anthropogenic climate change on ecosystems are increasingly being recognized. Documenting the extent of these impacts requires quantitative tools for analyses of ecological observations to distinguish climate impacts in noisy data and to understand interactions between climate variability and other drivers of change. To assist the development of reliable statistical approaches, we review the marine climate change literature and provide suggestions for quantitative approaches in climate change ecology. We compiled 267 peer-reviewed articles that examined relationships between climate change and marine ecological variables. Of the articles with time series data (n = 186), 75% used statistics to test for a dependency of ecological variables on climate variables. We identified several common weaknesses in statistical approaches, including marginalizing other important non-climate drivers of change, ignoring temporal and spatial autocorrelation, averaging across spatial patterns and not reporting key metrics. We provide a list of issues that need to be addressed to make inferences more defensible, including the consideration of (i) data limitations and the comparability of data sets; (ii) alternative mechanisms for change; (iii) appropriate response variables; (iv) a suitable model for the process under study; (v) temporal autocorrelation; (vi) spatial autocorrelation and patterns; and (vii) the reporting of rates of change. While the focus of our review was marine studies, these suggestions are equally applicable to terrestrial studies. Consideration of these suggestions will help advance global knowledge of climate impacts and understanding of the processes driving ecological change.
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129
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Martinez E, Antoine D, D'Ortenzio F, de Boyer Montégut C. Phytoplankton spring and fall blooms in the North Atlantic in the 1980s and 2000s. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2010jc006836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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130
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O'Connor MI, Gilbert B, Brown CJ. Theoretical predictions for how temperature affects the dynamics of interacting herbivores and plants. Am Nat 2011; 178:626-38. [PMID: 22030732 DOI: 10.1086/662171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Concern about climate change has spurred experimental tests of how warming affects species' abundance and performance. As this body of research grows, interpretation and extrapolation to other species and systems have been limited by a lack of theory. To address the need for theory for how warming affects species interactions, we used consumer-prey models and the metabolic theory of ecology to develop quantitative predictions for how systematic differences between the temperature dependence of heterotrophic and autotrophic population growth lead to temperature-dependent herbivory. We found that herbivore and plant abundances change with temperature in proportion to the ratio of autotrophic to heterotrophic metabolic temperature dependences. This result is consistent across five different formulations of consumer-prey models and over varying resource supply rates. Two models predict that temperature-dependent herbivory causes primary producer abundance to be independent of temperature. This finding contradicts simpler extensions of metabolic theory to abundance that ignore trophic interactions, and is consistent with patterns in terrestrial ecosystems. When applied to experimental data, the model explained 77% and 66% of the variation in phytoplankton and zooplankton abundances, respectively. We suggest that metabolic theory provides a foundation for understanding the effects of temperature change on multitrophic ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary I O'Connor
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, California 93101, USA.
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131
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Ortega Cisneros K, Smit AJ, Laudien J, Schoeman DS. Complex, dynamic combination of physical, chemical and nutritional variables controls spatio-temporal variation of sandy beach community structure. PLoS One 2011; 6:e23724. [PMID: 21858213 PMCID: PMC3157432 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2011] [Accepted: 07/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sandy beach ecological theory states that physical features of the beach control macrobenthic community structure on all but the most dissipative beaches. However, few studies have simultaneously evaluated the relative importance of physical, chemical and biological factors as potential explanatory variables for meso-scale spatio-temporal patterns of intertidal community structure in these systems. Here, we investigate macroinfaunal community structure of a micro-tidal sandy beach that is located on an oligotrophic subtropical coast and is influenced by seasonal estuarine input. We repeatedly sampled biological and environmental variables at a series of beach transects arranged at increasing distances from the estuary mouth. Sampling took place over a period of five months, corresponding with the transition between the dry and wet season. This allowed assessment of biological-physical relationships across chemical and nutritional gradients associated with a range of estuarine inputs. Physical, chemical, and biological response variables, as well as measures of community structure, showed significant spatio-temporal patterns. In general, bivariate relationships between biological and environmental variables were rare and weak. However, multivariate correlation approaches identified a variety of environmental variables (i.e., sampling session, the C∶N ratio of particulate organic matter, dissolved inorganic nutrient concentrations, various size fractions of photopigment concentrations, salinity and, to a lesser extent, beach width and sediment kurtosis) that either alone or combined provided significant explanatory power for spatio-temporal patterns of macroinfaunal community structure. Overall, these results showed that the macrobenthic community on Mtunzini Beach was not structured primarily by physical factors, but instead by a complex and dynamic blend of nutritional, chemical and physical drivers. This emphasises the need to recognise ocean-exposed sandy beaches as functional ecosystems in their own right.
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132
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Locations of marine animals revealed by carbon isotopes. Sci Rep 2011; 1:21. [PMID: 22355540 PMCID: PMC3216509 DOI: 10.1038/srep00021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2011] [Accepted: 05/31/2011] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowing the distribution of marine animals is central to understanding climatic and other environmental influences on population ecology. This information has proven difficult to gain through capture-based methods biased by capture location. Here we show that marine location can be inferred from animal tissues. As the carbon isotope composition of animal tissues varies with sea surface temperature, marine location can be identified by matching time series of carbon isotopes measured in tissues to sea surface temperature records. Applying this technique to populations of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) produces isotopically-derived maps of oceanic feeding grounds, consistent with the current understanding of salmon migrations, that additionally reveal geographic segregation in feeding grounds between individual philopatric populations and age-classes. Carbon isotope ratios can be used to identify the location of open ocean feeding grounds for any pelagic animals for which tissue archives and matching records of sea surface temperature are available.
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Hawkes LA, Witt MJ, Broderick AC, Coker JW, Coyne MS, Dodd M, Frick MG, Godfrey MH, Griffin DB, Murphy SR, Murphy TM, Williams KL, Godley BJ. Home on the range: spatial ecology of loggerhead turtles in Atlantic waters of the USA. DIVERS DISTRIB 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2011.00768.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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134
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Bouvy M, Bettarel Y, Bouvier C, Domaizon I, Jacquet S, Le Floc'h E, Montanié H, Mostajir B, Sime-Ngando T, Torréton JP, Vidussi F, Bouvier T. Trophic interactions between viruses, bacteria and nanoflagellates under various nutrient conditions and simulated climate change. Environ Microbiol 2011; 13:1842-57. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2011.02498.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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135
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Kang JX. Omega-3: a link between global climate change and human health. Biotechnol Adv 2011; 29:388-90. [PMID: 21406222 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2011.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2010] [Revised: 02/24/2011] [Accepted: 02/24/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, global climate change has been shown to detrimentally affect many biological and environmental factors, including those of marine ecosystems. In particular, global climate change has been linked to an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide, UV irradiation, and ocean temperatures, resulting in decreased marine phytoplankton growth and reduced synthesis of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Marine phytoplankton are the primary producers of omega-3 PUFAs, which are essential nutrients for normal human growth and development and have many beneficial effects on human health. Thus, these detrimental effects of climate change on the oceans may reduce the availability of omega-3 PUFAs in our diets, exacerbating the modern deficiency of omega-3 PUFAs and imbalance of the tissue omega-6/omega-3 PUFA ratio, which have been associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disease. This article provides new insight into the relationship between global climate change and human health by identifying omega-3 PUFA availability as a potentially important link, and proposes a biotechnological strategy for addressing the potential shortage of omega-3 PUFAs in human diets resulting from global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing X Kang
- Laboratory for Lipid Medicine and Technology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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136
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Kristiansen T, Drinkwater KF, Lough RG, Sundby S. Recruitment variability in North Atlantic cod and match-mismatch dynamics. PLoS One 2011; 6:e17456. [PMID: 21408215 PMCID: PMC3049760 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2010] [Accepted: 02/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Fisheries exploitation, habitat destruction, and climate are important drivers of variability in recruitment success. Understanding variability in recruitment can reveal mechanisms behind widespread decline in the abundance of key species in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. For fish populations, the match-mismatch theory hypothesizes that successful recruitment is a function of the timing and duration of larval fish abundance and prey availability. However, the underlying mechanisms of match-mismatch dynamics and the factors driving spatial differences between high and low recruitment remain poorly understood. Methodology/Principal Findings We used empirical observations of larval fish abundance, a mechanistic individual-based model, and a reanalysis of ocean temperature data from 1960 to 2002 to estimate the survival of larval cod (Gadus morhua). From the model, we quantified how survival rates changed during the warmest and coldest years at four important cod spawning sites in the North Atlantic. The modeled difference in survival probability was not large for any given month between cold or warm years. However, the cumulative effect of higher growth rates and survival through the entire spawning season in warm years was substantial with 308%, 385%, 154%, and 175% increases in survival for Georges Bank, Iceland, North Sea, and Lofoten cod stocks, respectively. We also found that the importance of match-mismatch dynamics generally increased with latitude. Conclusions/Significance Our analyses indicate that a key factor for enhancing survival is the duration of the overlap between larval and prey abundance and not the actual timing of the peak abundance. During warm years, the duration of the overlap between larval fish and their prey is prolonged due to an early onset of the spring bloom. This prolonged season enhances cumulative growth and survival, leading to a greater number of large individuals with enhanced potential for survival to recruitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trond Kristiansen
- Institute of Marine Research and Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Bergen, Norway.
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137
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Thermal performance curves of Paramecium caudatum: a model selection approach. Eur J Protistol 2011; 47:124-37. [PMID: 21277756 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2010.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2010] [Revised: 12/14/2010] [Accepted: 12/15/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The ongoing climate change has motivated numerous studies investigating the temperature response of various organisms, especially that of ectotherms. To correctly describe the thermal performance of these organisms, functions are needed which sufficiently fit to the complete optimum curve. Surprisingly, model-comparisons for the temperature-dependence of population growth rates of an important ectothermic group, the protozoa, are still missing. In this study, temperature reaction norms of natural isolates of the freshwater protist Paramecium caudatum were investigated, considering nearly the entire temperature range. These reaction norms were used to estimate thermal performance curves by applying a set of commonly used model functions. An information theory approach was used to compare models and to identify the best ones for describing these data. Our results indicate that the models which can describe negative growth at the high- and low-temperature branch of an optimum curve are preferable. This is a prerequisite for accurately calculating the critical upper and lower thermal limits. While we detected a temperature optimum of around 29 °C for all investigated clonal strains, the critical thermal limits were considerably different between individual clones. Here, the tropical clone showed the narrowest thermal tolerance, with a shift of its critical thermal limits to higher temperatures.
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138
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139
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Feary DA, Burt JA, Bauman AG, Usseglio P, Sale PF, Cavalcante GH. Fish communities on the world's warmest reefs: what can they tell us about the effects of climate change in the future? JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2010; 77:1931-1947. [PMID: 21078099 DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2010.02777.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
To examine the role of climatic extremes in structuring reef fish communities in the Arabian region, reef fish communities were visually surveyed at four sites within the southern Persian Gulf (also known as the Arabian Gulf and The Gulf), where sea-surface temperatures are extreme (range: 12-35° C annually), and these were compared with communities at four latitudinally similar sites in the biogeographically connected Gulf of Oman, where conditions are more moderate (range: 22-31° C annually). Although sites were relatively similar in the cover and composition of coral communities, substantial differences in the structure and composition of associated fish assemblages were apparent. Fish assemblages in the southern Persian Gulf held significantly lower estimates of abundance, richness and biomass, with significantly higher abundances of smaller sized individuals than Gulf of Oman assemblages. Functionally, southern Persian Gulf sites held significantly lower abundances of nearly all the common fish trophic guilds found on Gulf of Oman sites, although higher abundances of herbivorous grazers were apparent. These results suggest the potential for substantial changes in the structure of reef-associated fish communities, independent of changes in habitat within an environment of increasing fluctuations in oceanic climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Feary
- United Nations University, Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Hamilton, ON, L8P 0A1 Canada.
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140
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Boyce DG, Lewis MR, Worm B. Global phytoplankton decline over the past century. Nature 2010; 466:591-6. [PMID: 20671703 DOI: 10.1038/nature09268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 329] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2010] [Accepted: 06/09/2010] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In the oceans, ubiquitous microscopic phototrophs (phytoplankton) account for approximately half the production of organic matter on Earth. Analyses of satellite-derived phytoplankton concentration (available since 1979) have suggested decadal-scale fluctuations linked to climate forcing, but the length of this record is insufficient to resolve longer-term trends. Here we combine available ocean transparency measurements and in situ chlorophyll observations to estimate the time dependence of phytoplankton biomass at local, regional and global scales since 1899. We observe declines in eight out of ten ocean regions, and estimate a global rate of decline of approximately 1% of the global median per year. Our analyses further reveal interannual to decadal phytoplankton fluctuations superimposed on long-term trends. These fluctuations are strongly correlated with basin-scale climate indices, whereas long-term declining trends are related to increasing sea surface temperatures. We conclude that global phytoplankton concentration has declined over the past century; this decline will need to be considered in future studies of marine ecosystems, geochemical cycling, ocean circulation and fisheries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel G Boyce
- Biology Department, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, B3H 4J1.
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141
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Hogan F, Friedland KD. Retrospective growth analysis of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and implications for abundance trends. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2010; 76:2502-2520. [PMID: 20557605 DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2010.02650.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Scale archives of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar from Maine, U.S.A., were examined to determine whether ocean conditions affected the long-term trends in S. salar populations in the southern tier of the species' range in North America. To date, scale analyses of southern tier populations have been limited to hatchery fish; previous studies suggest that post-smolt growth does not influence recruitment, with the exception that winter growth may play a role in stock maturation rate. A time series of scales from the Machias and Narraguagus Rivers spanning the years 1946 to 1999 was analysed. Image analysis was used to measure intercirculi spacing, which provided proxy variables of growth rate. Post-smolt growth increment has increased since the early 1990s, as returns have decreased, suggesting that survival factors act on post-smolts independent of growth. The data support the hypothesis of a decoupling between freshwater size and early marine growth. Growth during the second sea winter was independent of post-smolt growth, suggesting that individuals are capable of significant compensatory growth. Southern tier North American stocks exhibit a similar pattern of independence between growth and survival as observed for northern tier North American stocks. These data support the inference that the recruitment of the North American and European subspecies is governed by fundamentally different mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Hogan
- University of Massachusetts School of Marine Science, 200 Mill Rd Suite 325, Fairhaven, MA 02719, USA.
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142
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Fontaine MC, Tolley KA, Michaux JR, Birkun A, Ferreira M, Jauniaux T, Llavona A, Oztürk B, Oztürk AA, Ridoux V, Rogan E, Sequeira M, Bouquegneau JM, Baird SJE. Genetic and historic evidence for climate-driven population fragmentation in a top cetacean predator: the harbour porpoises in European water. Proc Biol Sci 2010; 277:2829-37. [PMID: 20444724 PMCID: PMC2981983 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.0412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent climate change has triggered profound reorganization in northeast Atlantic ecosystems, with substantial impact on the distribution of marine assemblages from plankton to fishes. However, assessing the repercussions on apex marine predators remains a challenging issue, especially for pelagic species. In this study, we use Bayesian coalescent modelling of microsatellite variation to track the population demographic history of one of the smallest temperate cetaceans, the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) in European waters. Combining genetic inferences with palaeo-oceanographic and historical records provides strong evidence that populations of harbour porpoises have responded markedly to the recent climate-driven reorganization in the eastern North Atlantic food web. This response includes the isolation of porpoises in Iberian waters from those further north only approximately 300 years ago with a predominant northward migration, contemporaneous with the warming trend underway since the ‘Little Ice Age’ period and with the ongoing retreat of cold-water fishes from the Bay of Biscay. The extinction or exodus of harbour porpoises from the Mediterranean Sea (leaving an isolated relict population in the Black Sea) has lacked a coherent explanation. The present results suggest that the fragmentation of harbour distribution range in the Mediterranean Sea was triggered during the warm ‘Mid-Holocene Optimum’ period (approx. 5000 years ago), by the end of the post-glacial nutrient-rich ‘Sapropel’ conditions that prevailed before that time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaël C Fontaine
- MARE Centre-Laboratory for Oceanology, University of Liège, B6c, , 4000 Liège, Belgium.
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143
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Johnson JE, Welch DJ. Marine Fisheries Management in a Changing Climate: A Review of Vulnerability and Future Options. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1080/10641260903434557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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144
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Glover AG, Gooday AJ, Bailey DM, Billett DSM, Chevaldonné P, Colaço A, Copley J, Cuvelier D, Desbruyères D, Kalogeropoulou V, Klages M, Lampadariou N, Lejeusne C, Mestre NC, Paterson GLJ, Perez T, Ruhl H, Sarrazin J, Soltwedel T, Soto EH, Thatje S, Tselepides A, Van Gaever S, Vanreusel A. Temporal change in deep-sea benthic ecosystems: a review of the evidence from recent time-series studies. ADVANCES IN MARINE BIOLOGY 2010; 58:1-95. [PMID: 20959156 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-381015-1.00001-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Societal concerns over the potential impacts of recent global change have prompted renewed interest in the long-term ecological monitoring of large ecosystems. The deep sea is the largest ecosystem on the planet, the least accessible, and perhaps the least understood. Nevertheless, deep-sea data collected over the last few decades are now being synthesised with a view to both measuring global change and predicting the future impacts of further rises in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. For many years, it was assumed by many that the deep sea is a stable habitat, buffered from short-term changes in the atmosphere or upper ocean. However, recent studies suggest that deep-seafloor ecosystems may respond relatively quickly to seasonal, inter-annual and decadal-scale shifts in upper-ocean variables. In this review, we assess the evidence for these long-term (i.e. inter-annual to decadal-scale) changes both in biologically driven, sedimented, deep-sea ecosystems (e.g. abyssal plains) and in chemosynthetic ecosystems that are partially geologically driven, such as hydrothermal vents and cold seeps. We have identified 11 deep-sea sedimented ecosystems for which published analyses of long-term biological data exist. At three of these, we have found evidence for a progressive trend that could be potentially linked to recent climate change, although the evidence is not conclusive. At the other sites, we have concluded that the changes were either not significant, or were stochastically variable without being clearly linked to climate change or climate variability indices. For chemosynthetic ecosystems, we have identified 14 sites for which there are some published long-term data. Data for temporal changes at chemosynthetic ecosystems are scarce, with few sites being subjected to repeated visits. However, the limited evidence from hydrothermal vents suggests that at fast-spreading centres such as the East Pacific Rise, vent communities are impacted on decadal scales by stochastic events such as volcanic eruptions, with associated fauna showing complex patterns of community succession. For the slow-spreading centres such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, vent sites appear to be stable over the time periods measured, with no discernable long-term trend. At cold seeps, inferences based on spatial studies in the Gulf of Mexico, and data on organism longevity, suggest that these sites are stable over many hundreds of years. However, at the Haakon Mosby mud volcano, a large, well-studied seep in the Barents Sea, periodic mud slides associated with gas and fluid venting may disrupt benthic communities, leading to successional sequences over time. For chemosynthetic ecosystems of biogenic origin (e.g. whale-falls), it is likely that the longevity of the habitat depends mainly on the size of the carcass and the ecological setting, with large remains persisting as a distinct seafloor habitat for up to 100 years. Studies of shallow-water analogs of deep-sea ecosystems such as marine caves may also yield insights into temporal processes. Although it is obvious from the geological record that past climate change has impacted deep-sea faunas, the evidence that recent climate change or climate variability has altered deep-sea benthic communities is extremely limited. This mainly reflects the lack of remote sensing of this vast seafloor habitat. Current and future advances in deep-ocean benthic science involve new remote observing technologies that combine a high temporal resolution (e.g. cabled observatories) with spatial capabilities (e.g. autonomous vehicles undertaking image surveys of the seabed).
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Affiliation(s)
- A G Glover
- Zoology Department, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
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145
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146
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Grosbois V, Harris MP, Anker-Nilssen T, McCleery RH, Shaw DN, Morgan BJT, Gimenez O. Modeling survival at multi-population scales using mark-recapture data. Ecology 2009; 90:2922-32. [PMID: 19886500 DOI: 10.1890/08-1657.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The demography of vertebrate populations is governed in part by processes operating at large spatial scales that have synchronizing effects on demographic parameters over large geographic areas, and in part, by local processes that generate fluctuations that are independent across populations. We describe a statistical model for the analysis of individual monitoring data at the multi-population scale that allows us to (1) split up temporal variation in survival into two components that account for these two types of processes and (2) evaluate the role of environmental factors in generating these two components. We derive from this model an index of synchrony among populations in the pattern of temporal variation in survival, and we evaluate the extent to which environmental factors contribute to synchronize or desynchronize survival variation among populations. When applied to individual monitoring data from four colonies of the Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica), 67% of between-year variance in adult survival was accounted for by a global spatial-scale component, indicating substantial synchrony among colonies. Local sea surface temperature (SST) accounted for 40% of the global spatial-scale component but also for an equally large fraction of the local-scale component. SST thus acted at the same time as both a synchronizing and a desynchronizing agent. Between-year variation in adult survival not explained by the effect of local SST was as synchronized as total between-year variation, suggesting that other unknown environmental factors acted as synchronizing agents. Our approach, which focuses on demographic mechanisms at the multi-population scale, ideally should be combined with investigations of population size time series in order to characterize thoroughly the processes that underlie patterns of multi-population dynamics and, ultimately, range dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Grosbois
- Laboratoire "Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive" UMR 5558, Bâtiment Gregor Mendel Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 43 Boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France.
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147
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148
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Warming and resource availability shift food web structure and metabolism. PLoS Biol 2009; 7:e1000178. [PMID: 19707271 PMCID: PMC2723928 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1000178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 316] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2009] [Accepted: 07/15/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental warming of a marine food web suggests that ocean warming can lead to greater consumer abundance but reduced overall biomass, providing a potentially species-independent response to environmental warming. Climate change disrupts ecological systems in many ways. Many documented responses depend on species' life histories, contributing to the view that climate change effects are important but difficult to characterize generally. However, systematic variation in metabolic effects of temperature across trophic levels suggests that warming may lead to predictable shifts in food web structure and productivity. We experimentally tested the effects of warming on food web structure and productivity under two resource supply scenarios. Consistent with predictions based on universal metabolic responses to temperature, we found that warming strengthened consumer control of primary production when resources were augmented. Warming shifted food web structure and reduced total biomass despite increases in primary productivity in a marine food web. In contrast, at lower resource levels, food web production was constrained at all temperatures. These results demonstrate that small temperature changes could dramatically shift food web dynamics and provide a general, species-independent mechanism for ecological response to environmental temperature change. Humans rely on marine ecosystems for economic and nutritional sustenance—including about 16% of animal protein consumed by humans—making it especially important for natural scientists, economists, conservationists and long-term policy planners to understand how climate change is likely to affect oceanic food webs. Yet the general effects of warming on food web productivity are completely unknown. The productivity of consumers (such as zooplankton), in food webs is determined in large part by their metabolic rates and the availability and productivity of their limiting metabolic resources. A general theory relating food web dynamics to temperature suggests that fundamental differences between consumers and primary producers (such as phytoplankton) may lead to predictable shifts in their relative abundance and productivity with warming. We experimentally tested the effects of warming on food web structure and productivity under two resource supply scenarios. Our results show that warming alone can strengthen the role of consumers in the food web, increasing consumer biomass relative to producer biomass, and reducing the total biomass of the food web despite increases in primary productivity. In contrast, when resources were less available, food web production was constrained at all temperatures. These results demonstrate that small changes in water temperature could drive dramatic shifts in marine food web structure and productivity, and potentially provide a general, species-independent mechanism of ecological response to climate change.
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149
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Robison BH. Conservation of deep pelagic biodiversity. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2009; 23:847-858. [PMID: 19627317 DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01219.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The deep ocean is home to the largest ecosystems on our planet. This vast realm contains what may be the greatest number of animal species, the greatest biomass, and the greatest number of individual organisms in the living world. Humans have explored the deep ocean for about 150 years, and most of what is known is based on studies of the deep seafloor. In contrast, the water column above the deep seabed comprises more than 90% of the living space, yet less than 1% of this biome has been explored. The deep pelagic biota is the largest and least-known major faunal group on Earth despite its obvious importance at the global scale. Pelagic species represent an incomparable reservoir of biodiversity. Although we have yet to discover and describe the majority of these species, the threats to their continued existence are numerous and growing. Conserving deep pelagic biodiversity is a problem of global proportions that has never been addressed comprehensively. The potential effects of these threats include the extensive restructuring of entire ecosystems, changes in the geographical ranges of many species, large-scale elimination of taxa, and a decline in biodiversity at all scales. This review provides an initial framework of threat assessment for confronting the challenge of conserving deep pelagic biodiversity; and it outlines the need for baseline surveys and protected areas as preliminary policy goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce H Robison
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA 95039-9644, USA.
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150
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Ramos R, González-Solís J, Croxall JP, Oro D, Ruiz X. Understanding oceanic migrations with intrinsic biogeochemical markers. PLoS One 2009; 4:e6236. [PMID: 19623244 PMCID: PMC2705790 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2009] [Accepted: 06/12/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Migratory marine vertebrates move annually across remote oceanic water masses crossing international borders. Many anthropogenic threats such as overfishing, bycatch, pollution or global warming put millions of marine migrants at risk especially during their long-distance movements. Therefore, precise knowledge about these migratory movements to understand where and when these animals are more exposed to human impacts is vital for addressing marine conservation issues. Because electronic tracking devices suffer from several constraints, mainly logistical and financial, there is emerging interest in finding appropriate intrinsic markers, such as the chemical composition of inert tissues, to study long-distance migrations and identify wintering sites. Here, using tracked pelagic seabirds and some of their own feathers which were known to be grown at different places and times within the annual cycle, we proved the value of biogeochemical analyses of inert tissue as tracers of marine movements and habitat use. Analyses of feathers grown in summer showed that both stable isotope signatures and element concentrations can signal the origin of breeding birds feeding in distinct water masses. However, only stable isotopes signalled water masses used during winter because elements mainly accumulated during the long breeding period are incorporated into feathers grown in both summer and winter. Our findings shed new light on the simple and effective assignment of marine organisms to distinct oceanic areas, providing new opportunities to study unknown migration patterns of secretive species, including in relation to human-induced mortality on specific populations in the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raül Ramos
- Departament Biologia Animal (Vertebrats), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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