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Culhane FE, Frid CLJ, Royo Gelabert E, White L, Robinson LA. Linking marine ecosystems with the services they supply: what are the relevant service providing units? ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 28:1740-1751. [PMID: 30133075 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Marine ecosystems support supply of ecosystem services (ESs) through processes and functions carried out by diverse biological elements. Managing sustainability of ES use requires linking services to the parts of ecosystems supplying them. We specified marine service providing units (SPUs) as plausible combinations of a biotic group (e.g., bacteria, seabirds) with an associated major habitat (e.g., sublittoral sediment). We developed a network model for large marine ecosystems, documenting 2,916 links between 153 SPUs with 31 services. Coastal habitats and their taxa accounted for 48% of links, but all habitats with their taxa contribute to at least 20 ESs. Through network analysis, we showed some services link to certain key habitats, while others are less clearly defined in space, being supported by a variety of habitats and their taxa. Analysis highlighted large-scale flows across marine habitats that are essential in underpinning continued supply of certain ESs, for example, seed dispersal. If we only protect habitats where services are used, we will not fully protect the supply of services reliant on mobile taxa moving between habitats. This emerged because we considered habitats and their taxa together. We recommend using combinations of habitats and taxa as SPUs when informing marine ecosystem management and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona E Culhane
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Nicholson Building, Liverpool, L69 3GP, United Kingdom
| | - Christoper L J Frid
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Nicholson Building, Liverpool, L69 3GP, United Kingdom
- Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, 4222, Australia
| | - Eva Royo Gelabert
- European Environment Agency, Kongens Nytorv 6, 1050, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lydia White
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Nicholson Building, Liverpool, L69 3GP, United Kingdom
- School of Biological Sciences, Medical Biology Centre, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 7BL, United Kingdom
| | - Leonie A Robinson
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Nicholson Building, Liverpool, L69 3GP, United Kingdom
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Kaikkonen L, Venesjärvi R, Nygård H, Kuikka S. Assessing the impacts of seabed mineral extraction in the deep sea and coastal marine environments: Current methods and recommendations for environmental risk assessment. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 135:1183-1197. [PMID: 30301017 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.08.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Mineral extraction from the seabed has experienced a recent surge of interest from both the mining industry and marine scientists. While improved methods of geological investigation have enabled the mapping of new seafloor mineral reserves, the ecological impacts of mining in both the deep sea and the shallow seabed are poorly known. This paper presents a synthesis of the empirical evidence from experimental seabed mining and parallel industries to infer the effects of seabed mineral extraction on marine ecosystems, focusing on polymetallic nodules and ferromanganese concretions. We use a problem-structuring framework to evaluate causal relationships between pressures caused by nodule extraction and the associated changes in marine ecosystems. To ensure that the rationale behind impact assessments is clear, we propose that future impact assessments use pressure-specific expert elicitation. We further discuss integrating ecosystem services in the impact assessments and the implications of current methods for environmental risk assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Kaikkonen
- Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Riikka Venesjärvi
- Biosociety and Environment Unit, Natural Resource Institute Finland, Latokartanonkaari 9, FI-00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Henrik Nygård
- Marine Research Centre, Finnish Environment Institute, P.O. Box 140, FI-00251 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sakari Kuikka
- Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
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103
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Cau A, Bellodi A, Moccia D, Mulas A, Pesci P, Cannas R, Pusceddu A, Follesa MC. Dumping to the abyss: single-use marine litter invading bathyal plains of the Sardinian margin (Tyrrhenian Sea). MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 135:845-851. [PMID: 30301106 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
This study reports data on benthic litter abundance, composition and distribution obtained during deep-sea trawl surveys conducted along the Sardinian continental margin down to the bathyal plain, at depths comprised from 740 to 1740 m. None of the investigated sites was litter free. Density ranged from a minimum of 4 to a maximum of >1300 litter items per km2, with a mean value of 258 ± 59 items. Plastic accounted for 56% of the total collected items, followed by glass (24%), metal (10%). Most items, irrespectively of the category, were single-use items. Fish abundance in all of the investigated catches was significantly higher than the number of litter items, the weight of which was similar to the reared fish biomass. Our results confirm that anthropogenic waste has reached the deep Mediterranean Sea, and that the most recent EU legislation banning single-use plastic tools represents a timely and necessary measure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Cau
- Dipartimento di Scienze della vita e dell'ambiente, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Andrea Bellodi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della vita e dell'ambiente, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Davide Moccia
- Dipartimento di Scienze della vita e dell'ambiente, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Antonello Mulas
- Dipartimento di Scienze della vita e dell'ambiente, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Paola Pesci
- Dipartimento di Scienze della vita e dell'ambiente, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Rita Cannas
- Dipartimento di Scienze della vita e dell'ambiente, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Antonio Pusceddu
- Dipartimento di Scienze della vita e dell'ambiente, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Follesa
- Dipartimento di Scienze della vita e dell'ambiente, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
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104
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Macreadie PI, McLean DL, Thomson PG, Partridge JC, Jones DOB, Gates AR, Benfield MC, Collin SP, Booth DJ, Smith LL, Techera E, Skropeta D, Horton T, Pattiaratchi C, Bond T, Fowler AM. Eyes in the sea: Unlocking the mysteries of the ocean using industrial, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 634:1077-1091. [PMID: 29660864 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
For thousands of years humankind has sought to explore our oceans. Evidence of this early intrigue dates back to 130,000BCE, but the advent of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) in the 1950s introduced technology that has had significant impact on ocean exploration. Today, ROVs play a critical role in both military (e.g. retrieving torpedoes and mines) and salvage operations (e.g. locating historic shipwrecks such as the RMS Titanic), and are crucial for oil and gas (O&G) exploration and operations. Industrial ROVs collect millions of observations of our oceans each year, fueling scientific discoveries. Herein, we assembled a group of international ROV experts from both academia and industry to reflect on these discoveries and, more importantly, to identify key questions relating to our oceans that can be supported using industry ROVs. From a long list, we narrowed down to the 10 most important questions in ocean science that we feel can be supported (whole or in part) by increasing access to industry ROVs, and collaborations with the companies that use them. The questions covered opportunity (e.g. what is the resource value of the oceans?) to the impacts of global change (e.g. which marine ecosystems are most sensitive to anthropogenic impact?). Looking ahead, we provide recommendations for how data collected by ROVs can be maximised by higher levels of collaboration between academia and industry, resulting in win-win outcomes. What is clear from this work is that the potential of industrial ROV technology in unravelling the mysteries of our oceans is only just beginning to be realised. This is particularly important as the oceans are subject to increasing impacts from global change and industrial exploitation. The coming decades will represent an important time for scientists to partner with industry that use ROVs in order to make the most of these 'eyes in the sea'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter I Macreadie
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Victoria 3216, Australia.
| | - Dianne L McLean
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Paul G Thomson
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Julian C Partridge
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Daniel O B Jones
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Andrew R Gates
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Mark C Benfield
- Louisiana State University, Collegee of the Coast and Environment, Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Shaun P Collin
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - David J Booth
- Fish Ecology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney, Broadway, 2007, Australia
| | - Luke L Smith
- Woodside Energy, 240 Georges Terace, Perth, Western Australia 6000, Australia
| | - Erika Techera
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Danielle Skropeta
- School of Chemistry, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, 2500, Australia
| | - Tammy Horton
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Charitha Pattiaratchi
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Todd Bond
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Ashley M Fowler
- Fish Ecology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney, Broadway, 2007, Australia; New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, NSW, 2088, Australia
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105
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Ashford OS, Kenny AJ, Barrio Froján CRS, Bonsall MB, Horton T, Brandt A, Bird GJ, Gerken S, Rogers AD. Phylogenetic and functional evidence suggests that deep-ocean ecosystems are highly sensitive to environmental change and direct human disturbance. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20180923. [PMID: 30068675 PMCID: PMC6111167 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
An understanding of the balance of interspecific competition and the physical environment in structuring organismal communities is crucial because those communities structured primarily by their physical environment typically exhibit greater sensitivity to environmental change than those structured predominantly by competitive interactions. Here, using detailed phylogenetic and functional information, we investigate this question in macrofaunal assemblages from Northwest Atlantic Ocean continental slopes, a high seas region projected to experience substantial environmental change through the current century. We demonstrate assemblages to be both phylogenetically and functionally under-dispersed, and thus conclude that the physical environment, not competition, may dominate in structuring deep-ocean communities. Further, we find temperature and bottom trawling intensity to be among the environmental factors significantly related to assemblage diversity. These results hint that deep-ocean communities are highly sensitive to their physical environment and vulnerable to environmental perturbation, including by direct disturbance through fishing, and indirectly through the changes brought about by climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver S Ashford
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
- Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft NR33 0HT, UK
| | - Andrew J Kenny
- Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft NR33 0HT, UK
| | | | | | - Tammy Horton
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Angelika Brandt
- Department of Marine Zoology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- FB 15 Biological Sciences, Institute for Ecology, Diversity and Evolution, Goethe University Frankfurt, Campus Riedberg, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Graham J Bird
- 8 Shotover Grove, Waikanae, Kāpiti 5036, New Zealand
| | - Sarah Gerken
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - Alex D Rogers
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
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106
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Climate change impacts on the biota and on vulnerable habitats of the deep Mediterranean Sea. RENDICONTI LINCEI-SCIENZE FISICHE E NATURALI 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s12210-018-0725-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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107
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Santos MM, Jorge PAS, Coimbra J, Vale C, Caetano M, Bastos L, Iglesias I, Guimarães L, Reis-Henriques MA, Teles LO, Vieira MN, Raimundo J, Pinheiro M, Nogueira V, Pereira R, Neuparth T, Ribeiro MC, Silva E, Castro LFC. The last frontier: Coupling technological developments with scientific challenges to improve hazard assessment of deep-sea mining. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 627:1505-1514. [PMID: 30857112 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2017] [Revised: 01/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The growing economic interest in the exploitation of mineral resources on deep-ocean beds, including those in the vicinity of sensitive-rich habitats such as hydrothermal vents, raise a mounting concern about the damage that such actions might originate to these poorly-know ecosystems, which represent millions of years of evolution and adaptations to extreme environmental conditions. It has been suggested that mining may cause a major impact on vent ecosystems and other deep-sea areas. Yet, the scale and the nature of such impacts are unknown at present. Hence, building upon currently available scientific information it is crucial to develop new cost-effective technologies embedded into rigorous operating frameworks. The forward-thinking provided here will assist in the development of new technologies and tools to address the major challenges associated with deep sea-mining; technologies for in situ and ex situ observation and data acquisition, biogeochemical processes, hazard assessment of deep-sea mining to marine organisms and development of modeling tools in support of risk assessment scenarios. These technological developments are vital to validate a responsible and sustainable exploitation of the deep-sea mineral resources, based on the precautionary principle.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Santos
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto (U.Porto), Matosinhos, Portugal; Faculty of Sciences (FCUP), Department of Biology, University of Porto (U.Porto), Porto, Portugal.
| | - P A S Jorge
- Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science, INESC-TEC, Porto, Portugal
| | - J Coimbra
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto (U.Porto), Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - C Vale
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto (U.Porto), Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - M Caetano
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto (U.Porto), Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - L Bastos
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto (U.Porto), Matosinhos, Portugal; Faculty of Sciences (FCUP), Department of Biology, University of Porto (U.Porto), Porto, Portugal
| | - I Iglesias
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto (U.Porto), Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - L Guimarães
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto (U.Porto), Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - M A Reis-Henriques
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto (U.Porto), Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - L O Teles
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto (U.Porto), Matosinhos, Portugal; Faculty of Sciences (FCUP), Department of Biology, University of Porto (U.Porto), Porto, Portugal
| | - M N Vieira
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto (U.Porto), Matosinhos, Portugal; Faculty of Sciences (FCUP), Department of Biology, University of Porto (U.Porto), Porto, Portugal
| | - J Raimundo
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto (U.Porto), Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - M Pinheiro
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto (U.Porto), Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - V Nogueira
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto (U.Porto), Matosinhos, Portugal; Faculty of Sciences (FCUP), Department of Biology, University of Porto (U.Porto), Porto, Portugal
| | - R Pereira
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto (U.Porto), Matosinhos, Portugal; Faculty of Sciences (FCUP), Department of Biology, University of Porto (U.Porto), Porto, Portugal
| | - T Neuparth
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto (U.Porto), Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - M C Ribeiro
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto (U.Porto), Matosinhos, Portugal; Faculty of Law, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - E Silva
- Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science, INESC-TEC, Porto, Portugal; ISEP- School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - L Filipe C Castro
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto (U.Porto), Matosinhos, Portugal; Faculty of Sciences (FCUP), Department of Biology, University of Porto (U.Porto), Porto, Portugal.
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108
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Borja A, Elliott M. There is no Planet B: A healthy Earth requires greater parity between space and marine research. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 130:28-30. [PMID: 29866559 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Angel Borja
- AZTI, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia, Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
| | - Michael Elliott
- Institute of Estuarine & Coastal Studies, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK.
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109
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Fasca H, de Castilho LVA, de Castilho JFM, Pasqualino IP, Alvarez VM, de Azevedo Jurelevicius D, Seldin L. Response of marine bacteria to oil contamination and to high pressure and low temperature deep sea conditions. Microbiologyopen 2018; 7:e00550. [PMID: 29057585 PMCID: PMC5912000 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The effect of pressure and temperature on microbial communities of marine environments contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons is understudied. This study aims to reveal the responses of marine bacterial communities to low temperature, high pressure, and contamination with petroleum hydrocarbons using seawater samples collected near an offshore Brazilian platform. Microcosms containing only seawater and those containing seawater contaminated with 1% crude oil were subjected to three different treatments of temperature and pressure as follows: (1) 22°C/0.1 MPa; (2) 4°C/0.1 MPa; and (3) 4°C/22 MPa. The effect of depressurization followed by repressurization on bacterial communities was also evaluated (4°C/22 MPaD). The structure and composition of the bacterial communities in the different microcosms were analyzed by PCR-DGGE and DNA sequencing, respectively. Contamination with oil influenced the structure of the bacterial communities in microcosms incubated either at 4°C or 22°C and at low pressure. Incubation at low temperature and high pressure greatly influenced the structure of bacterial communities even in the absence of oil contamination. The 4°C/22 MPa and 4°C/22 MPaD treatments resulted in similar DGGE profiles. DNA sequencing (after 40 days of incubation) revealed that the diversity and relative abundance of bacterial genera were related to the presence or absence of oil contamination in the nonpressurized treatments. In contrast, the variation in the relative abundances of bacterial genera in the 4°C/22 MPa-microcosms either contaminated or not with crude oil was less evident. The highest relative abundance of the phylum Bacteroidetes was observed in the 4°C/22 MPa treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Fasca
- Laboratório de Genética MicrobianaInstituto de Microbiologia Paulo de GóesUniversidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Livia V. A. de Castilho
- Laboratório de Tecnologia Submarina/PENO/COPPEUniversidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroBrazil
| | | | - Ilson P. Pasqualino
- Laboratório de Tecnologia Submarina/PENO/COPPEUniversidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Vanessa M. Alvarez
- Laboratório de Genética MicrobianaInstituto de Microbiologia Paulo de GóesUniversidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Diogo de Azevedo Jurelevicius
- Laboratório de Genética MicrobianaInstituto de Microbiologia Paulo de GóesUniversidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Lucy Seldin
- Laboratório de Genética MicrobianaInstituto de Microbiologia Paulo de GóesUniversidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroBrazil
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110
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Vad J, Kazanidis G, Henry LA, Jones DOB, Tendal OS, Christiansen S, Henry TB, Roberts JM. Potential Impacts of Offshore Oil and Gas Activities on Deep-Sea Sponges and the Habitats They Form. ADVANCES IN MARINE BIOLOGY 2018; 79:33-60. [PMID: 30012276 DOI: 10.1016/bs.amb.2018.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Sponges form an important component of benthic ecosystems from shallow littoral to hadal depths. In the deep ocean, beyond the continental shelf, sponges can form high-density fields, constituting important habitats supporting rich benthic communities. Yet these habitats remain relatively unexplored. The oil and gas industry has played an important role in advancing our knowledge of deep-sea environments. Since its inception in the 1960s, offshore oil and gas industry has moved into deeper waters. However, the impacts of these activities on deep-sea sponges and other ecosystems are only starting to become the subject of active research. Throughout the development, operation and closure of an oil or gas field many activities take place, ranging from the seismic exploration of subseafloor geological features to the installation of infrastructure at the seabed to the drilling process itself. These routine activities and accidental releases of hydrocarbons during spills can significantly impact the local marine environment. Each phase of a field development or an accidental oil spill will therefore have different impacts on sponges at community, individual and cellular levels. Legacy issues regarding the future decommissioning of infrastructure and the abandonment of wells are also important environmental management considerations. This chapter reviews our understanding of impacts from hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation activities on deep-sea sponges and the habitats they form. These impacts include those (1) at community level, decreasing the diversity and density of benthic communities associated with deep-sea sponges owing to physical disturbance of the seabed; (2) at individual level, interrupting filtration owing to exposure to increased sedimentation; and (3) at cellular level, decreasing cellular membrane stability owing to exposure to drill muds. However, many potential effects not yet tested in deep-sea sponges but observed in shallow-water sponges or other model organisms should also be taken into account. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have shown impact of oil or dispersed oil on deep-sea sponges. To highlight these significant knowledge gaps, a summary table of potential and known impacts of hydrocarbon extraction and production activities combined with a simple "traffic light" scheme is also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanne Vad
- School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | - Georgios Kazanidis
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Lea-Anne Henry
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ole S Tendal
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Theodore B Henry
- School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Plymouth University, Plymouth, United Kingdom; Center for Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - J Murray Roberts
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States.
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111
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Ma W, van Rhee C, Schott D. A numerical calculation method of environmental impacts for the deep sea mining industry - a review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2018; 20:454-468. [PMID: 29493682 DOI: 10.1039/c7em00592j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Since the gradual decrease of mineral resources on-land, deep sea mining (DSM) is becoming an urgent and important emerging activity in the world. However, until now there has been no commercial scale DSM project in progress. Together with the reasons of technological feasibility and economic profitability, the environmental impact is one of the major parameters hindering its industrialization. Most of the DSM environmental impact research focuses on only one particular aspect ignoring that all the DSM environmental impacts are related to each other. The objective of this work is to propose a framework for the numerical calculation methods of the integrated DSM environmental impacts through a literature review. This paper covers three parts: (i) definition and importance description of different DSM environmental impacts; (ii) description of the existing numerical calculation methods for different environmental impacts; (iii) selection of a numerical calculation method based on the selected criteria. The research conducted in this paper provides a clear numerical calculation framework for DSM environmental impact and could be helpful to speed up the industrialization process of the DSM industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbin Ma
- Department of Maritime & Transport Technology, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Cees van Rhee
- Department of Maritime & Transport Technology, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Dingena Schott
- Department of Maritime & Transport Technology, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands.
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112
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Salinas-de-León P, Phillips B, Ebert D, Shivji M, Cerutti-Pereyra F, Ruck C, Fisher CR, Marsh L. Deep-sea hydrothermal vents as natural egg-case incubators at the Galapagos Rift. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1788. [PMID: 29422624 PMCID: PMC5805729 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20046-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents in 1977 challenged our views of ecosystem functioning and yet, the research conducted at these extreme and logistically challenging environments still continues to reveal unique biological processes. Here, we report for the first time, a unique behavior where the deep-sea skate, Bathyraja spinosissima, appears to be actively using the elevated temperature of a hydrothermal vent environment to naturally "incubate" developing egg-cases. We hypothesize that this behavior is directly targeted to accelerate embryo development time given that deep-sea skates have some of the longest egg incubation times reported for the animal kingdom. Similar egg incubating behavior, where eggs are incubated in volcanically heated nesting grounds, have been recorded in Cretaceous sauropod dinosaurs and the rare avian megapode. To our knowledge, this is the first time incubating behavior using a volcanic source is recorded for the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pelayo Salinas-de-León
- Charles Darwin Research Station, Av Charles Darwin s/n, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
- Galapagos Marine Research and Exploration (GMaRE), joint CDF-ESPOL research program, Charles Darwin Research Station, Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
- Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society, Washington, D. C., USA.
| | - Brennan Phillips
- Harvard Microrobotics Laboratory, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Ocean Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI, 02882, USA
| | - David Ebert
- Pacific Shark Research Center, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Rd, Moss, CA, 95039, USA
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Private Bag 1015, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - Mahmood Shivji
- Save Our Seas Shark Research Center and Guy Harvey Research Institute, Nova Southeastern University, 8000 N Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL, 33004, USA
| | - Florencia Cerutti-Pereyra
- Charles Darwin Research Station, Av Charles Darwin s/n, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
- Galapagos Marine Research and Exploration (GMaRE), joint CDF-ESPOL research program, Charles Darwin Research Station, Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - Cassandra Ruck
- Save Our Seas Shark Research Center and Guy Harvey Research Institute, Nova Southeastern University, 8000 N Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL, 33004, USA
| | - Charles R Fisher
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Leigh Marsh
- Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
- Marine Geoscience, National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH UK, UK
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113
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Chapman ASA, Tunnicliffe V, Bates AE. Both rare and common species make unique contributions to functional diversity in an ecosystem unaffected by human activities. DIVERS DISTRIB 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Abbie S. A. Chapman
- Ocean and Earth Science; University of Southampton Waterfront Campus; National Oceanography Centre, European Way; Southampton UK
| | - Verena Tunnicliffe
- Department of Biology and School of Earth and Ocean Sciences; University of Victoria; Victoria BC Canada
| | - Amanda E. Bates
- Ocean and Earth Science; University of Southampton Waterfront Campus; National Oceanography Centre, European Way; Southampton UK
- Department of Ocean Sciences; Memorial University of Newfoundland; St. John's; NL Canada
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114
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Cau A, Alvito A, Moccia D, Canese S, Pusceddu A, Rita C, Angiolillo M, Follesa MC. Submarine canyons along the upper Sardinian slope (Central Western Mediterranean) as repositories for derelict fishing gears. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2017; 123:357-364. [PMID: 28903858 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Revised: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
By means of ROV surveys, we assessed the quantity, composition and bathymetric distribution of marine litter in 17 sites along the Sardinian continental margin (Central Western Mediterranean) at depths ranging from 100 to 480m. None of the investigated sites was litter free, but the mean density of litter (0.0175±0.0022itemsm-2) was lower than that reported from other Tyrrhenian regions. The difference in the total litter density among sites was negligible, but the density of derelict fishing gear (DFG) items (most of which ascribable to small scale fishery) in submarine canyons was higher in submarine canyons than in other habitats. Our result suggest that submarine canyons (known to be highly vulnerable ecosystems) act as major repositories of DFGs, and, therefore, we anticipate the need of specific measures aimed at minimizing the loss and abandonment of DFGs in submarine canyons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Cau
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università di Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Andrea Alvito
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università di Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Davide Moccia
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università di Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Simonepietro Canese
- Department III 'Tutela degli Habitat e della Biodiversità Marina', CRA 15 - ISPRA, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144 Roma, Italy
| | - Antonio Pusceddu
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università di Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Cannas Rita
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università di Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Michela Angiolillo
- Department III 'Tutela degli Habitat e della Biodiversità Marina', CRA 15 - ISPRA, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144 Roma, Italy
| | - Maria C Follesa
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università di Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
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115
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Danovaro R, Aguzzi J, Fanelli E, Billett D, Gjerde K, Jamieson A, Ramirez-Llodra E, Smith CR, Snelgrove PVR, Thomsen L, Dover CLV. An ecosystem-based deep-ocean strategy. Science 2017; 355:452-454. [PMID: 28154032 DOI: 10.1126/science.aah7178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R Danovaro
- Polytechnic University of Marche, 60121 Ancona, Italy. .,Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - J Aguzzi
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (CSIC), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - E Fanelli
- Marine Environment Research Centre, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy, and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), 19100 Pozzuolo di Lerici, Italy
| | - D Billett
- National Oceanography Centre, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - K Gjerde
- Wycliffe Management, 02-123 Warsaw, Poland.,IUCN, 1196 Gland, Switzerland
| | - A Jamieson
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - E Ramirez-Llodra
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), 0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - C R Smith
- University of Hawaii at Mano'a, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - P V R Snelgrove
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - L Thomsen
- Jacobs University, 28759 Bremen, Germany
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116
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Brown A, Wright R, Mevenkamp L, Hauton C. A comparative experimental approach to ecotoxicology in shallow-water and deep-sea holothurians suggests similar behavioural responses. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2017; 191:10-16. [PMID: 28763776 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2017.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Revised: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/25/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Exploration of deep-sea mineral resources is burgeoning, raising concerns regarding ecotoxicological impacts on deep-sea fauna. Assessing toxicity in deep-sea species is technologically challenging, which promotes interest in establishing shallow-water ecotoxicological proxy species. However, the effects of temperature and hydrostatic pressure on toxicity, and how adaptation to deep-sea environmental conditions might moderate these effects, are unknown. To address these uncertainties we assessed behavioural and physiological (antioxidant enzyme activity) responses to exposure to copper-spiked artificial sediments in a laboratory experiment using a shallow-water holothurian (Holothuria forskali), and in an in situ experiment using a deep-sea holothurian (Amperima sp.). Both species demonstrated sustained avoidance behaviour, evading contact with contaminated artificial sediment. However, A. sp. demonstrated sustained avoidance of 5mgl-1 copper-contaminated artificial sediment whereas H. forskali demonstrated only temporary avoidance of 5mgl-1 copper-contaminated artificial sediment, suggesting that H. forskali may be more tolerant of metal exposure over 96h. Nonetheless, the acute behavioural response appears consistent between the shallow-water species and the deep-sea species, suggesting that H. forskali may be a suitable ecotoxicological proxy for A. sp. in acute (≤24h) exposures, which may be representative of deep-sea mining impacts. No antioxidant response was observed in either species, which was interpreted to be the consequence of avoiding copper exposure. Although these data suggest that shallow-water taxa may be suitable ecotoxicological proxies for deep-sea taxa, differences in methodological and analytical approaches, and in sex and reproductive stage of experimental subjects, require caution in assessing the suitability of H. forskali as an ecotoxicological proxy for A. sp. Nonetheless, avoidance behaviour may have bioenergetic consequences that affect growth and/or reproductive output, potentially impacting fecundity and/or offspring fitness, and thus influencing source-sink dynamics and persistence of wider deep-sea populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair Brown
- University of Southampton, Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK.
| | - Roseanna Wright
- University of Southampton, Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Lisa Mevenkamp
- Ghent University, Marine Biology Research Group, Krijgslaan 281 S8, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Chris Hauton
- University of Southampton, Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
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117
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Brown A, Thatje S, Hauton C. The Effects of Temperature and Hydrostatic Pressure on Metal Toxicity: Insights into Toxicity in the Deep Sea. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:10222-10231. [PMID: 28708382 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b02988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Mineral prospecting in the deep sea is increasing, promoting concern regarding potential ecotoxicological impacts on deep-sea fauna. Technological difficulties in assessing toxicity in deep-sea species has promoted interest in developing shallow-water ecotoxicological proxy species. However, it is unclear how the low temperature and high hydrostatic pressure prevalent in the deep sea affect toxicity, and whether adaptation to deep-sea environmental conditions moderates any effects of these factors. To address these uncertainties we assessed the effects of temperature and hydrostatic pressure on lethal and sublethal (respiration rate, antioxidant enzyme activity) toxicity in acute (96 h) copper and cadmium exposures, using the shallow-water ecophysiological model organism Palaemon varians. Low temperature reduced toxicity in both metals, but reduced cadmium toxicity significantly more. In contrast, elevated hydrostatic pressure increased copper toxicity, but did not affect cadmium toxicity. The synergistic interaction between copper and cadmium was not affected by low temperature, but high hydrostatic pressure significantly enhanced the synergism. Differential environmental effects on toxicity suggest different mechanisms of action for copper and cadmium, and highlight that mechanistic understanding of toxicity is fundamental to predicting environmental effects on toxicity. Although results infer that sensitivity to toxicants differs across biogeographic ranges, shallow-water species may be suitable ecotoxicological proxies for deep-sea species, dependent on adaptation to habitats with similar environmental variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair Brown
- University of Southampton, Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, U.K
| | - Sven Thatje
- University of Southampton, Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, U.K
| | - Chris Hauton
- University of Southampton, Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, U.K
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118
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Yool A, Martin AP, Anderson TR, Bett BJ, Jones DOB, Ruhl HA. Big in the benthos: Future change of seafloor community biomass in a global, body size-resolved model. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:3554-3566. [PMID: 28317324 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Revised: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Deep-water benthic communities in the ocean are almost wholly dependent on near-surface pelagic ecosystems for their supply of energy and material resources. Primary production in sunlit surface waters is channelled through complex food webs that extensively recycle organic material, but lose a fraction as particulate organic carbon (POC) that sinks into the ocean interior. This exported production is further rarefied by microbial breakdown in the abyssal ocean, but a residual ultimately drives diverse assemblages of seafloor heterotrophs. Advances have led to an understanding of the importance of size (body mass) in structuring these communities. Here we force a size-resolved benthic biomass model, BORIS, using seafloor POC flux from a coupled ocean-biogeochemistry model, NEMO-MEDUSA, to investigate global patterns in benthic biomass. BORIS resolves 16 size classes of metazoans, successively doubling in mass from approximately 1 μg to 28 mg. Simulations find a wide range of seasonal responses to differing patterns of POC forcing, with both a decline in seasonal variability, and an increase in peak lag times with increasing body size. However, the dominant factor for modelled benthic communities is the integrated magnitude of POC reaching the seafloor rather than its seasonal pattern. Scenarios of POC forcing under climate change and ocean acidification are then applied to investigate how benthic communities may change under different future conditions. Against a backdrop of falling surface primary production (-6.1%), and driven by changes in pelagic remineralization with depth, results show that while benthic communities in shallow seas generally show higher biomass in a warmed world (+3.2%), deep-sea communities experience a substantial decline (-32%) under a high greenhouse gas emissions scenario. Our results underscore the importance for benthic ecology of reducing uncertainty in the magnitude and seasonality of seafloor POC fluxes, as well as the importance of studying a broader range of seafloor environments for future model development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Yool
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton, UK
| | - Adrian P Martin
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton, UK
| | - Thomas R Anderson
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton, UK
| | - Brian J Bett
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton, UK
| | - Daniel O B Jones
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton, UK
| | - Henry A Ruhl
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton, UK
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119
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Januchowski-Hartley SR, Selkoe KA, Gallo ND, Bird CE, Hogan JD. Knowledge sharing about deep-sea ecosystems to inform conservation and research decisions. Facets (Ott) 2017. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2017-0037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Marianas Trench Marine National Monument (MNM) currently extends policy-based protection to deep-sea ecosystems contained within it, but managers require better understanding of the current knowledge and knowledge gaps about these ecosystems to guide decision-making. To address this need, we present a case study of the Marianas Trench MNM using in-depth interviews to determine scientists’ (1) current understanding of anthropogenic drivers of change and system vulnerability in deep-sea ecosystems; and (2) perceptions of the least understood deep-sea ecosystems and processes in the Marianas Trench MNM, and which of these, if any, should be research priorities to fill knowledge gaps about these systems and the impacts from anthropogenic drivers of change. Interview respondents shared similar views on the current knowledge of deep-sea ecosystems and potential anthropogenic drivers of change in the Marianas Trench MNM. Respondents also identified trench and deep pelagic (bathyal, abyssal, and hadal zones) ecosystems as the least understood, and highlighted climate change, litter and waste, mining and fishing, and interactions between these drivers of change as critical knowledge gaps. To fill key knowledge gaps and inform conservation decision-making, respondents identified the need for monitoring networks and time-series data. Our approach demonstrates how in-depth interviews can be used to elicit knowledge to inform decision-making in data-limited situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie R. Januchowski-Hartley
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, UMR 5174, UPS-CNRS-IRD-ENFA, Université Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
| | - Kimberly A. Selkoe
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i, Kāne‘ohe, HI 96744, USA
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93117, USA
| | - Natalya D. Gallo
- Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92083-0202, USA
| | - Christopher E. Bird
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i, Kāne‘ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA
| | - J. Derek Hogan
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA
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120
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García-Rivera S, Lizaso JLS, Millán JMB. Composition, spatial distribution and sources of macro-marine litter on the Gulf of Alicante seafloor (Spanish Mediterranean). MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2017; 121:249-259. [PMID: 28619627 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The composition, spatial distribution and source of marine litter in the Spanish Southeast Mediterranean were assessed. The data proceed from a marine litter retention programme implemented by commercial trawlers and were analysed by GIS. By weight, 75.9% was plastic, metal and glass. Glass and plastics were mainly found close to the coast. A high concentration of metal was observed in some isolated zones of both open and coastal waters. Fishing activity was the source of 29.16% of the macro-marine litter, almost 68.1% of the plastics, and 25.1% of the metal. The source of the other 60.84% could not be directly identified, revealing the high degree of uncertainty regarding its specific origin. Indirectly however, a qualitative analysis of marine traffic shows that the likely sources were merchant ships mainly in open waters and recreational and fishing vessels in coastal waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago García-Rivera
- Unidad de Biología Marina, Departamento de Ciencias del Mar y Biología Aplicada, Universidad de Alicante, PO Box 99, Edificio Ciencias V, Campus de San Vicente del Raspeig, E-03080 Alicante, Spain; Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia (IEO), C/Varadero 1, Apdo. 22, San Pedro del Pinatar, 30740 Murcia, Spain.
| | - Jose Luis Sánchez Lizaso
- Unidad de Biología Marina, Departamento de Ciencias del Mar y Biología Aplicada, Universidad de Alicante, PO Box 99, Edificio Ciencias V, Campus de San Vicente del Raspeig, E-03080 Alicante, Spain.
| | - Jose María Bellido Millán
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia (IEO), C/Varadero 1, Apdo. 22, San Pedro del Pinatar, 30740 Murcia, Spain.
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121
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Amon DJ, Ziegler AF, Drazen JC, Grischenko AV, Leitner AB, Lindsay DJ, Voight JR, Wicksten MK, Young CM, Smith CR. Megafauna of the UKSRL exploration contract area and eastern Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean: Annelida, Arthropoda, Bryozoa, Chordata, Ctenophora, Mollusca. Biodivers Data J 2017:e14598. [PMID: 28874906 PMCID: PMC5565845 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.5.e14598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is growing interest in mining polymetallic nodules from the abyssal Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Despite having been the focus of environmental studies for decades, the benthic megafauna of the CCZ remain poorly known. To predict and manage the environmental impacts of mining in the CCZ, baseline knowledge of the megafauna is essential. The ABYSSLINE Project has conducted benthic biological baseline surveys in the UK Seabed Resources Ltd polymetallic-nodule exploration contract area (UK-1). Prior to ABYSSLINE research cruises in 2013 and 2015, no biological studies had been done in this area of the eastern CCZ. NEW INFORMATION Using a Remotely Operated Vehicle and Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (as well as several other pieces of equipment), the megafauna within the UK Seabed Resources Ltd exploration contract area (UK-1) and at a site ~250 km east of the UK-1 area were surveyed, allowing us to make the first estimates of megafaunal morphospecies richness from the imagery collected. Here, we present an atlas of the abyssal annelid, arthropod, bryozoan, chordate, ctenophore and molluscan megafauna observed and collected during the ABYSSLINE cruises to the UK-1 polymetallic-nodule exploration contract area in the CCZ. There appear to be at least 55 distinct morphospecies (8 Annelida, 12 Arthropoda, 4 Bryozoa, 22 Chordata, 5 Ctenophora, and 4 Mollusca) identified mostly by morphology but also using molecular barcoding for a limited number of animals that were collected. This atlas will aid the synthesis of megafaunal presence/absence data collected by contractors, scientists and other stakeholders undertaking work in the CCZ, ultimately helping to decipher the biogeography of the megafauna in this threatened habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diva J Amon
- University of Hawaii, Honolulu, United States of America
| | | | | | | | | | - Dhugal J Lindsay
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokosuka, Japan
| | | | - Mary K Wicksten
- Texas A&M University, College Station, United States of America
| | - Craig M Young
- Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon, Charleston, United States of America
| | - Craig R Smith
- University of Hawaii, Honolulu, United States of America
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122
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Gollner S, Kaiser S, Menzel L, Jones DOB, Brown A, Mestre NC, van Oevelen D, Menot L, Colaço A, Canals M, Cuvelier D, Durden JM, Gebruk A, Egho GA, Haeckel M, Marcon Y, Mevenkamp L, Morato T, Pham CK, Purser A, Sanchez-Vidal A, Vanreusel A, Vink A, Martinez Arbizu P. Resilience of benthic deep-sea fauna to mining activities. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 129:76-101. [PMID: 28487161 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2017.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Revised: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
With increasing demand for mineral resources, extraction of polymetallic sulphides at hydrothermal vents, cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts at seamounts, and polymetallic nodules on abyssal plains may be imminent. Here, we shortly introduce ecosystem characteristics of mining areas, report on recent mining developments, and identify potential stress and disturbances created by mining. We analyze species' potential resistance to future mining and perform meta-analyses on population density and diversity recovery after disturbances most similar to mining: volcanic eruptions at vents, fisheries on seamounts, and experiments that mimic nodule mining on abyssal plains. We report wide variation in recovery rates among taxa, size, and mobility of fauna. While densities and diversities of some taxa can recover to or even exceed pre-disturbance levels, community composition remains affected after decades. The loss of hard substrata or alteration of substrata composition may cause substantial community shifts that persist over geological timescales at mined sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Gollner
- German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Germany; Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Ocean Systems (OCS), 't Horntje (Texel), The Netherlands.
| | - Stefanie Kaiser
- German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
| | - Lena Menzel
- German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
| | - Daniel O B Jones
- National Oceanography Centre (NOC), University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton, United Kingdom.
| | - Alastair Brown
- University of Southampton, Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
| | - Nelia C Mestre
- CIMA, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Algarve, Portugal.
| | - Dick van Oevelen
- Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Estuarine and Delta Systems (EDS), Yerseke, The Netherlands.
| | - Lenaick Menot
- IFREMER, Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer, Plouzane, France.
| | - Ana Colaço
- IMAR Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, Horta, Açores, Portugal; MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre Universidade dos Açores, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas, Horta, Açores, Portugal.
| | - Miquel Canals
- GRC Marine Geosciences, Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Daphne Cuvelier
- IMAR Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, Horta, Açores, Portugal; MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre Universidade dos Açores, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas, Horta, Açores, Portugal.
| | - Jennifer M Durden
- National Oceanography Centre (NOC), University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrey Gebruk
- P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Great A Egho
- Marine Biology Research Group, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | | | - Yann Marcon
- Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Bremerhaven, Germany; MARUM Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Lisa Mevenkamp
- Marine Biology Research Group, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Telmo Morato
- IMAR Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, Horta, Açores, Portugal; MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre Universidade dos Açores, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas, Horta, Açores, Portugal.
| | - Christopher K Pham
- IMAR Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, Horta, Açores, Portugal; MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre Universidade dos Açores, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas, Horta, Açores, Portugal.
| | - Autun Purser
- Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Bremerhaven, Germany.
| | - Anna Sanchez-Vidal
- GRC Marine Geosciences, Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Ann Vanreusel
- Marine Biology Research Group, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Annemiek Vink
- Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Pedro Martinez Arbizu
- German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
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123
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Zeng C, Rowden AA, Clark MR, Gardner JPA. Population genetic structure and connectivity of deep-sea stony corals (Order Scleractinia) in the New Zealand region: Implications for the conservation and management of vulnerable marine ecosystems. Evol Appl 2017; 10:1040-1054. [PMID: 29151859 PMCID: PMC5680633 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Deep-sea stony corals, which can be fragile, long-lived, late to mature and habitat-forming, are defined as vulnerable marine ecosystem indicator taxa. Under United Nations resolutions, these corals require protection from human disturbance such as fishing. To better understand the vulnerability of stony corals (Goniocorella dumosa, Madrepora oculata, Solenosmilia variabilis) to disturbance within the New Zealand region and to guide marine protected area design, genetic structure and connectivity were determined using microsatellite loci and DNA sequencing. Analyses compared population genetic differentiation between two biogeographic provinces, amongst three subregions (north-central-south) and amongst geomorphic features. Extensive population genetic differentiation was revealed by microsatellite variation, whilst DNA sequencing revealed very little differentiation. For G. dumosa, genetic differentiation existed amongst regions and geomorphic features, but not between provinces. For M. oculata, only a north-central-south regional structure was observed. For S. variabilis, genetic differentiation was observed between provinces, amongst regions and amongst geomorphic features. Populations on the Kermadec Ridge were genetically different from Chatham Rise populations for all three species. A significant isolation-by-depth pattern was observed for both marker types in G. dumosa and also in ITS of M. oculata. An isolation-by-distance pattern was revealed for microsatellite variation in S. variabilis. Medium to high levels of self-recruitment were detected in all geomorphic populations, and rates and routes of genetic connectivity were species-specific. These patterns of population genetic structure and connectivity at a range of spatial scales indicate that flexible spatial management approaches are required for the conservation of deep-sea corals around New Zealand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Zeng
- College of Animal Science and Technology Hunan Agricultural University Changsha China.,School of Biological Sciences Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New Zealand.,National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research Kilbirnie Wellington New Zealand
| | - Ashley A Rowden
- National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research Kilbirnie Wellington New Zealand
| | - Malcolm R Clark
- National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research Kilbirnie Wellington New Zealand
| | - Jonathan P A Gardner
- School of Biological Sciences Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New Zealand
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124
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Lanzén A, Lekang K, Jonassen I, Thompson EM, Troedsson C. DNA extraction replicates improve diversity and compositional dissimilarity in metabarcoding of eukaryotes in marine sediments. PLoS One 2017. [PMID: 28622351 PMCID: PMC5473592 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Human impact on marine benthic communities has traditionally been assessed using visible morphological traits and has focused on the macrobenthos, whereas the ecologically important organisms of the meio- and microbenthos have received less attention. DNA metabarcoding offers an alternative to this approach and enables a larger fraction of the biodiversity in marine sediments to be monitored in a cost-efficient manner. Although this methodology remains poorly standardised and challenged by biases inherent to rRNA copy number variation, DNA extraction, PCR, and limitations related to taxonomic identification, it has been shown to be semi-quantitative and useful for comparing taxon abundances between samples. Here, we evaluate the effect of replicating genomic DNA extraction in order to counteract small scale spatial heterogeneity and improve diversity and community structure estimates in metabarcoding-based monitoring. For this purpose, we used ten technical replicates from three different marine sediment samples. The effect of sequence depth was also assessed, and in silico pooling of DNA extraction replicates carried out in order to maintain the number of reads constant. Our analyses demonstrated that both sequencing depth and DNA extraction replicates could improve diversity estimates as well as the ability to separate samples with different characteristics. We could not identify a “sufficient” replicate number or sequence depth, where further improvements had a less significant effect. Based on these results, we consider replication an attractive alternative to directly increasing the amount of sample used for DNA extraction and strongly recommend it for future metabarcoding studies and routine assessments of sediment biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Lanzén
- NEIKER-Tecnalia, Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, Bizkaia Technology Park, Derio, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Katrine Lekang
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Inge Jonassen
- Computational Biology Unit, Department of Informatics, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Eric M. Thompson
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Uni Research Environment, Uni Research AS, Bergen, Norway
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125
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Abstract
Strong decreases in greenhouse gas emissions are required to meet the reduction trajectory resolved within the 2015 Paris Agreement. However, even these decreases will not avert serious stress and damage to life on Earth, and additional steps are needed to boost the resilience of ecosystems, safeguard their wildlife, and protect their capacity to supply vital goods and services. We discuss how well-managed marine reserves may help marine ecosystems and people adapt to five prominent impacts of climate change: acidification, sea-level rise, intensification of storms, shifts in species distribution, and decreased productivity and oxygen availability, as well as their cumulative effects. We explore the role of managed ecosystems in mitigating climate change by promoting carbon sequestration and storage and by buffering against uncertainty in management, environmental fluctuations, directional change, and extreme events. We highlight both strengths and limitations and conclude that marine reserves are a viable low-tech, cost-effective adaptation strategy that would yield multiple cobenefits from local to global scales, improving the outlook for the environment and people into the future.
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126
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Mannocci L, Roberts JJ, Miller DL, Halpin PN. Extrapolating cetacean densities to quantitatively assess human impacts on populations in the high seas. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2017; 31:601-614. [PMID: 27775847 PMCID: PMC5435923 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 10/16/2016] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
As human activities expand beyond national jurisdictions to the high seas, there is an increasing need to consider anthropogenic impacts to species inhabiting these waters. The current scarcity of scientific observations of cetaceans in the high seas impedes the assessment of population-level impacts of these activities. We developed plausible density estimates to facilitate a quantitative assessment of anthropogenic impacts on cetacean populations in these waters. Our study region extended from a well-surveyed region within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone into a large region of the western North Atlantic sparsely surveyed for cetaceans. We modeled densities of 15 cetacean taxa with available line transect survey data and habitat covariates and extrapolated predictions to sparsely surveyed regions. We formulated models to reduce the extent of extrapolation beyond covariate ranges, and constrained them to model simple and generalizable relationships. To evaluate confidence in the predictions, we mapped where predictions were made outside sampled covariate ranges, examined alternate models, and compared predicted densities with maps of sightings from sources that could not be integrated into our models. Confidence levels in model results depended on the taxon and geographic area and highlighted the need for additional surveying in environmentally distinct areas. With application of necessary caution, our density estimates can inform management needs in the high seas, such as the quantification of potential cetacean interactions with military training exercises, shipping, fisheries, and deep-sea mining and be used to delineate areas of special biological significance in international waters. Our approach is generally applicable to other marine taxa and geographic regions for which management will be implemented but data are sparse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Mannocci
- Marine Geospatial Ecology Laboratory, Nicholas School of the EnvironmentDuke UniversityDurhamNC27708U.S.A.
| | - Jason J. Roberts
- Marine Geospatial Ecology Laboratory, Nicholas School of the EnvironmentDuke UniversityDurhamNC27708U.S.A.
| | - David L. Miller
- Integrated Statistics16 Sumner StreetWoods HoleMA02543U.S.A.
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling and School of Mathematics and StatisticsUniversity of St AndrewsThe Observatory, Buchanan Gardens, St AndrewsFifeKY16 9LZScotland
- Woods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionWoods HoleMA02543U.S.A.
| | - Patrick N. Halpin
- Marine Geospatial Ecology Laboratory, Nicholas School of the EnvironmentDuke UniversityDurhamNC27708U.S.A.
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127
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Long-term change in epibenthic assemblages at the Prince Edward Islands: a comparison between 1988 and 2013. Polar Biol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-017-2132-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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128
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Amon DJ, Ziegler AF, Kremenetskaia A, Mah CL, Mooi R, O'Hara T, Pawson DL, Roux M, Smith CR. Megafauna of the UKSRL exploration contract area and eastern Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean: Echinodermata. Biodivers Data J 2017:e11794. [PMID: 28765722 PMCID: PMC5515089 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.5.e11794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is growing interest in mining polymetallic nodules from the abyssal Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Despite being the focus of environmental studies for decades, the benthic megafauna of the CCZ remain poorly known. In order to predict and manage the environmental impacts of mining in the CCZ, baseline knowledge of the megafauna is essential. The ABYSSLINE Project has conducted benthic biological baseline surveys in the UK Seabed Resources Ltd polymetallic-nodule exploration contract area (UK-1). Prior to these research cruises in 2013 and 2015, no biological studies had been done in this area of the eastern CCZ. New information Using a Remotely Operated Vehicle and Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, the megafauna within the UKSRL exploration contract area (UK-1) and at a site ~250 km east of the UK-1 area were surveyed, allowing us to make the first estimates of megafaunal morphospecies richness from the imagery collected. Here, we present an atlas of the abyssal echinoderm megafauna observed and collected during the ABYSSLINE cruises to the UK-1 polymetallic-nodule exploration contract area in the CCZ. There appear to be at least 62 distinct morphospecies (13 Asteroidea, 5 Crinoidea, 9 Echinoidea, 29 Holothuroidea and 6 Ophiuroidea) identified mostly by imagery but also using molecular barcoding for a limited number of animals that were collected. This atlas will aid the synthesis of megafaunal presence/absence data collected by contractors, scientists and other stakeholders undertaking work in the CCZ, ultimately helping to decipher the biogeography of the megafauna in this threatened habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diva J Amon
- University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, United States of America
| | - Amanda F Ziegler
- University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, United States of America
| | | | - Christopher L Mah
- Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, Washington, United States of America
| | - Rich Mooi
- California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, United States of America
| | | | - David L Pawson
- Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, Washington, United States of America
| | - Michel Roux
- Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Craig R Smith
- University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, United States of America
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129
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van den Hoff J, Kilpatrick R, Welsford D. Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina Linn.) depredate toothfish longlines in the midnight zone. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172396. [PMID: 28234988 PMCID: PMC5325274 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have devised fishing technologies that compete with marine predators for fish resources world-wide. One such fishery for the Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) has developed interactions with a range of predators, some of which are marine mammals capable of diving to extreme depths for extended periods. A deep-sea camera system deployed within a toothfish fishery operating in the Southern Ocean acquired the first-ever video footage of an extreme-diver, the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina), depredating catch from longlines set at depths in excess of 1000m. The interactions recorded were non-lethal, however independent fisheries observer reports confirm elephant seal-longline interactions can be lethal. The seals behaviour of depredating catch at depth during the line soak-period differs to other surface-breathing species and thus presents a unique challenge to mitigate their by-catch. Deployments of deep-sea cameras on exploratory fishing gear prior to licencing and permit approvals would gather valuable information regarding the nature of interactions between deep diving/dwelling marine species and longline fisheries operating at bathypelagic depths. Furthermore, the positive identification by sex and age class of species interacting with commercial fisheries would assist in formulating management plans and mitigation strategies founded on species-specific life-history strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- John van den Hoff
- Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Dirk Welsford
- Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
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130
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Bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants in the deepest ocean fauna. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 1:51. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-016-0051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 186] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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131
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Villalobos-Rojas F, Azofeifa-Solano JC, Camacho-García YE, Wehrtmann IS. Gastropods and bivalves taken as by-catch in the deep-water shrimp trawl-fishery along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Central America. MOLLUSCAN RESEARCH 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/13235818.2017.1279473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fresia Villalobos-Rojas
- Unidad de Investigación Pesquera y Acuicultura (UNIP), Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología (CIMAR), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | | | - Yolanda E. Camacho-García
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Museo de Zoología, Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Ingo S. Wehrtmann
- Unidad de Investigación Pesquera y Acuicultura (UNIP), Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología (CIMAR), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Museo de Zoología, Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
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132
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Rosel PE, Wilcox LA, Sinclair C, Speakman TR, Tumlin MC, Litz JA, Zolman ES. Genetic assignment to stock of stranded common bottlenose dolphins in southeastern Louisiana after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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133
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Drazen JC, Sutton TT. Dining in the Deep: The Feeding Ecology of Deep-Sea Fishes. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2017; 9:337-366. [PMID: 27814034 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-010816-060543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Deep-sea fishes inhabit ∼75% of the biosphere and are a critical part of deep-sea food webs. Diet analysis and more recent trophic biomarker approaches, such as stable isotopes and fatty-acid profiles, have enabled the description of feeding guilds and an increased recognition of the vertical connectivity in food webs in a whole-water-column sense, including benthic-pelagic coupling. Ecosystem modeling requires data on feeding rates; the available estimates indicate that deep-sea fishes have lower per-individual feeding rates than coastal and epipelagic fishes, but the overall predation impact may be high. A limited number of studies have measured the vertical flux of carbon by mesopelagic fishes, which appears to be substantial. Anthropogenic activities are altering deep-sea ecosystems and their services, which are mediated by trophic interactions. We also summarize outstanding data gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey C Drazen
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822;
| | - Tracey T Sutton
- Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, Nova Southeastern University, Dania Beach, Florida 33004;
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134
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Guardiola M, Wangensteen OS, Taberlet P, Coissac E, Uriz MJ, Turon X. Spatio-temporal monitoring of deep-sea communities using metabarcoding of sediment DNA and RNA. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2807. [PMID: 28028473 PMCID: PMC5180584 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We assessed spatio-temporal patterns of diversity in deep-sea sediment communities using metabarcoding. We chose a recently developed eukaryotic marker based on the v7 region of the 18S rRNA gene. Our study was performed in a submarine canyon and its adjacent slope in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea, sampled along a depth gradient at two different seasons. We found a total of 5,569 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs), dominated by Metazoa, Alveolata and Rhizaria. Among metazoans, Nematoda, Arthropoda and Annelida were the most diverse. We found a marked heterogeneity at all scales, with important differences between layers of sediment and significant changes in community composition with zone (canyon vs slope), depth, and season. We compared the information obtained from metabarcoding DNA and RNA and found more total MOTUs and more MOTUs per sample with DNA (ca. 20% and 40% increase, respectively). Both datasets showed overall similar spatial trends, but most groups had higher MOTU richness with the DNA template, while others, such as nematodes, were more diverse in the RNA dataset. We provide metabarcoding protocols and guidelines for biomonitoring of these key communities in order to generate information applicable to management efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Guardiola
- Department of Marine Ecology, Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC) , Blanes , Spain
| | - Owen S Wangensteen
- Department of Animal Biology and Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBIO), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Ecosystems & Environment Research Centre, School of Environment & Life Sciences, University of Salford, Salford, United Kingdom
| | - Pierre Taberlet
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Université Grenoble-Alpes , Grenoble , France
| | - Eric Coissac
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Université Grenoble-Alpes , Grenoble , France
| | - María Jesús Uriz
- Department of Marine Ecology, Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC) , Blanes , Spain
| | - Xavier Turon
- Department of Marine Ecology, Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC) , Blanes , Spain
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135
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Lin MF, Chou WH, Kitahara MV, Chen CLA, Miller DJ, Forêt S. Corallimorpharians are not "naked corals": insights into relationships between Scleractinia and Corallimorpharia from phylogenomic analyses. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2463. [PMID: 27761308 PMCID: PMC5068439 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcification is one of the most distinctive traits of scleractinian corals. Their hard skeletons form the substratum of reef ecosystems and confer on corals their remarkable diversity of shapes. Corallimorpharians are non-calcifying, close relatives of scleractinian corals, and the evolutionary relationship between these two groups is key to understanding the evolution of calcification in the coral lineage. One pivotal question is whether scleractinians are a monophyletic group, paraphyly being an alternative possibility if corallimorpharians are corals that have lost their ability to calcify, as is implied by the “naked-coral” hypothesis. Despite major efforts, relationships between scleractinians and corallimorpharians remain equivocal and controversial. Although the complete mitochondrial genomes of a range of scleractinians and corallimorpharians have been obtained, heterogeneity in composition and evolutionary rates means that mitochondrial sequences are insufficient to understand the relationship between these two groups. To overcome these limitations, transcriptome data were generated for three representative corallimorpharians. These were used in combination with sequences available for a representative range of scleractinians to identify 291 orthologous single copy protein-coding nuclear markers. Unlike the mitochondrial sequences, these nuclear markers do not display any distinct compositional bias in their nucleotide or amino-acid sequences. A range of phylogenomic approaches congruently reveal a topology consistent with scleractinian monophyly and corallimorpharians as the sister clade of scleractinians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Fang Lin
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia; Comparative Genomics Centre and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Wen Hwa Chou
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica , Taipei , Taiwan
| | - Marcelo V Kitahara
- Departamento de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Santos, São Paulo, Brazil; Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - David John Miller
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia; Comparative Genomics Centre and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia; Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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136
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Amon DJ, Ziegler AF, Dahlgren TG, Glover AG, Goineau A, Gooday AJ, Wiklund H, Smith CR. Insights into the abundance and diversity of abyssal megafauna in a polymetallic-nodule region in the eastern Clarion-Clipperton Zone. Sci Rep 2016; 6:30492. [PMID: 27470484 PMCID: PMC4965819 DOI: 10.1038/srep30492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing interest in mining polymetallic nodules in the abyssal Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the Pacific. Nonetheless, benthic communities in this region remain poorly known. The ABYSSLINE Project is conducting benthic biological baseline surveys for the UK Seabed Resources Ltd. exploration contract area (UK-1) in the CCZ. Using a Remotely Operated Vehicle, we surveyed megafauna at four sites within a 900 km(2) stratum in the UK-1 contract area, and at a site ~250 km east of the UK-1 area, allowing us to make the first estimates of abundance and diversity. We distinguished 170 morphotypes within the UK-1 contract area but species-richness estimators suggest this could be as high as 229. Megafaunal abundance averaged 1.48 ind. m(-2). Seven of 12 collected metazoan species were new to science, and four belonged to new genera. Approximately half of the morphotypes occurred only on polymetallic nodules. There were weak, but statistically significant, positive correlations between megafaunal and nodule abundance. Eastern-CCZ megafaunal diversity is high relative to two abyssal datasets from other regions, however comparisons with CCZ and DISCOL datasets are problematic given the lack of standardised methods and taxonomy. We postulate that CCZ megafaunal diversity is driven in part by habitat heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diva J. Amon
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, 1000 Pope Road, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA
| | - Amanda F. Ziegler
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, 1000 Pope Road, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA
| | - Thomas G. Dahlgren
- Uni Research, Thormøhlensgate 55, 5008 Bergen, Norway
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Adrian G. Glover
- Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Aurélie Goineau
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Andrew J. Gooday
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Helena Wiklund
- Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Craig R. Smith
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, 1000 Pope Road, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA
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Rosli N, Leduc D, Rowden AA, Clark MR, Probert PK, Berkenbusch K, Neira C. Differences in meiofauna communities with sediment depth are greater than habitat effects on the New Zealand continental margin: implications for vulnerability to anthropogenic disturbance. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2154. [PMID: 27441114 PMCID: PMC4941793 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of deep-sea benthic communities have largely focused on particular (macro) habitats in isolation, with few studies considering multiple habitats simultaneously in a comparable manner. Compared to mega-epifauna and macrofauna, much less is known about habitat-related variation in meiofaunal community attributes (abundance, diversity and community structure). Here, we investigated meiofaunal community attributes in slope, canyon, seamount, and seep habitats in two regions on the continental slope of New Zealand (Hikurangi Margin and Bay of Plenty) at four water depths (700, 1,000, 1,200 and 1,500 m). We found that patterns were not the same for each community attribute. Significant differences in abundance were consistent across regions, habitats, water and sediment depths, while diversity and community structure only differed between sediment depths. Abundance was higher in canyon and seep habitats compared with other habitats, while between sediment layer, abundance and diversity were higher at the sediment surface. Our findings suggest that meiofaunal community attributes are affected by environmental factors that operate on micro- (cm) to meso- (0.1–10 km), and regional scales (> 100 km). We also found a weak, but significant, correlation between trawling intensity and surface sediment diversity. Overall, our results indicate that variability in meiofaunal communities was greater at small scale than at habitat or regional scale. These findings provide new insights into the factors controlling meiofauna in these deep-sea habitats and their potential vulnerability to anthropogenic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norliana Rosli
- Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New Zealand; Department of Biology, Faculty Science & Mathematics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Tg. Malim, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Daniel Leduc
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) , Wellington , New Zealand
| | - Ashley A Rowden
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) , Wellington , New Zealand
| | - Malcolm R Clark
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) , Wellington , New Zealand
| | - P Keith Probert
- Department of Marine Science, University of Otago , Dunedin , New Zealand
| | - Katrin Berkenbusch
- Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Dragonfly Data Science, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Carlos Neira
- Integrative Oceanography Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography , La Jolla, California , United States
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138
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Baco AR, Etter RJ, Ribeiro PA, von der Heyden S, Beerli P, Kinlan BP. A synthesis of genetic connectivity in deep-sea fauna and implications for marine reserve design. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:3276-98. [PMID: 27146215 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Revised: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
With anthropogenic impacts rapidly advancing into deeper waters, there is growing interest in establishing deep-sea marine protected areas (MPAs) or reserves. Reserve design depends on estimates of connectivity and scales of dispersal for the taxa of interest. Deep-sea taxa are hypothesized to disperse greater distances than shallow-water taxa, which implies that reserves would need to be larger in size and networks could be more widely spaced; however, this paradigm has not been tested. We compiled population genetic studies of deep-sea fauna and estimated dispersal distances for 51 studies using a method based on isolation-by-distance slopes. Estimates of dispersal distance ranged from 0.24 km to 2028 km with a geometric mean of 33.2 km and differed in relation to taxonomic and life-history factors as well as several study parameters. Dispersal distances were generally greater for fishes than invertebrates with the Mollusca being the least dispersive sampled phylum. Species that are pelagic as adults were more dispersive than those with sessile or sedentary lifestyles. Benthic species from soft-substrate habitats were generally less dispersive than species from hard substrate, demersal or pelagic habitats. As expected, species with pelagic and/or feeding (planktotrophic) larvae were more dispersive than other larval types. Many of these comparisons were confounded by taxonomic or other life-history differences (e.g. fishes being more dispersive than invertebrates) making any simple interpretation difficult. Our results provide the first rough estimate of the range of dispersal distances in the deep sea and allow comparisons to shallow-water assemblages. Overall, dispersal distances were greater for deeper taxa, although the differences were not large (0.3-0.6 orders of magnitude between means), and imbalanced sampling of shallow and deep taxa complicates any simple interpretation. Our analyses suggest the scales of dispersal and connectivity for reserve design in the deep sea might be comparable to or slightly larger than those in shallow water. Deep-sea reserve design will need to consider the enormous variety of taxa, life histories, hydrodynamics, spatial configuration of habitats and patterns of species distributions. The many caveats of our analyses provide a strong impetus for substantial future efforts to assess connectivity of deep-sea species from a variety of habitats, taxonomic groups and depth zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy R Baco
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Florida State University, 117 N. Woodward Ave, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Ron J Etter
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA, 02125, USA
| | - Pedro A Ribeiro
- Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, MARE- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & IMAR- Institute of Marine Research, University of the Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Portugal.,Okeanos- R&D Center, University of the Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Portugal
| | - Sophie von der Heyden
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
| | - Peter Beerli
- Department of Scientific Computing, Florida State University, 150-T Dirac Science Library, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Brian P Kinlan
- NOAA National Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment, Biogeography Branch, 1305 East-West Hwy, N/SCI-1, Silver Spring, MD, 20910-3281, USA.,CSS-Dynamac Inc., 10301 Democracy Lane, Suite 300, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA
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139
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Threatened by mining, polymetallic nodules are required to preserve abyssal epifauna. Sci Rep 2016; 6:26808. [PMID: 27245847 PMCID: PMC4887785 DOI: 10.1038/srep26808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2015] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Polymetallic nodule mining at abyssal depths in the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone (Eastern Central Pacific) will impact one of the most remote and least known environments on Earth. Since vast areas are being targeted by concession holders for future mining, large-scale effects of these activities are expected. Hence, insight into the fauna associated with nodules is crucial to support effective environmental management. In this study video surveys were used to compare the epifauna from sites with contrasting nodule coverage in four license areas. Results showed that epifaunal densities are more than two times higher at dense nodule coverage (>25 versus ≤10 individuals per 100 m2), and that taxa such as alcyonacean and antipatharian corals are virtually absent from nodule-free areas. Furthermore, surveys conducted along tracks from trawling or experimental mining simulations up to 37 years old, suggest that the removal of epifauna is almost complete and that its full recovery is slow. By highlighting the importance of nodules for the epifaunal biodiversity of this abyssal area, we urge for cautious consideration of the criteria for determining future preservation zones.
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140
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Woolley SNC, Tittensor DP, Dunstan PK, Guillera-Arroita G, Lahoz-Monfort JJ, Wintle BA, Worm B, O’Hara TD. Deep-sea diversity patterns are shaped by energy availability. Nature 2016; 533:393-6. [DOI: 10.1038/nature17937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2015] [Accepted: 03/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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141
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Boschen RE, Rowden AA, Clark MR, Pallentin A, Gardner JPA. Seafloor massive sulfide deposits support unique megafaunal assemblages: Implications for seabed mining and conservation. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2016; 115:78-88. [PMID: 26897590 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2016.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2015] [Revised: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Mining of seafloor massive sulfides (SMS) is imminent, but the ecology of assemblages at SMS deposits is poorly known. Proposed conservation strategies include protected areas to preserve biodiversity at risk from mining impacts. Determining site suitability requires biological characterisation of the mine site and protected area(s). Video survey of a proposed mine site and protected area off New Zealand revealed unique megafaunal assemblages at the mine site. Significant relationships were identified between assemblage structure and environmental conditions, including hydrothermal features. Unique assemblages occurred at both active and inactive chimneys and are particularly at risk from mining-related impacts. The occurrence of unique assemblages at the mine site suggests that the proposed protected area is insufficient alone and should instead form part of a network. These results provide support for including hydrothermally active and inactive features within networks of protected areas and emphasise the need for quantitative survey data of proposed sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E Boschen
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Private Bag 14901, Kilbirnie, Wellington 6241, New Zealand; School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
| | - Ashley A Rowden
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Private Bag 14901, Kilbirnie, Wellington 6241, New Zealand
| | - Malcolm R Clark
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Private Bag 14901, Kilbirnie, Wellington 6241, New Zealand
| | - Arne Pallentin
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Private Bag 14901, Kilbirnie, Wellington 6241, New Zealand
| | - Jonathan P A Gardner
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
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142
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Kaonga CC, Takeda K, Sakugawa H. Concentration and degradation of alternative biocides and an insecticide in surface waters and their major sinks in a semi-enclosed sea, Japan. CHEMOSPHERE 2016; 145:256-264. [PMID: 26688262 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.11.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Revised: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
A mass distribution model was used to predict the fate of Diuron, Irgarol 1051 and Fenitrothion in Seto Inland Sea which is located in western Japan. This was done by using concentration, degradation, and literature data. Diuron and Irgarol 1051 in Seto Inland Sea are mainly derived from antifouling paints used for ships and boats. On the other hand Fenitrothion exclusively comes from land via rivers and atmospheric deposition. The total inputs/yr to Seto Inland Sea were found to be 104 tons, 7.65 tons and 5.14 tons for Diuron, Irgarol 1051 and Fenitrothion, respectively. The pesticide residence times were 0.26 yr, 0.36 yr and 0.17 yr for Diuron, Irgarol 1051 and Fenitrothion, respectively. Photodegradation was faster than biodegradation. In seawater, the half-life ranges were 37.9-57.3 d for photodegradation. In the same seawater the half-life ranges were 1650-2394 d for biodegradation. Photodegradation is effective in surface water (0-5 m depth) while biodegradation occurs throughout the entire water column. Plankton and fishes accumulate these pesticides significantly. The pesticides are deposited (sorbed and buried with) sediments (between 74 and 87% of total input amounts). The open ocean is an important sink accounting for between 8 and 17% of the total pesticide input amounts while photo- and biodegradation accounts for a small percentage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chikumbusko Chiziwa Kaonga
- Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, 1-7-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8521, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Takeda
- Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, 1-7-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8521, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Sakugawa
- Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, 1-7-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8521, Japan.
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143
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Romero-Romero S, Molina-Ramírez A, Höfer J, Acuña JL. Body size-based trophic structure of a deep marine ecosystem. Ecology 2016; 97:171-81. [DOI: 10.1890/15-0234.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Romero-Romero
- Área de Ecología; Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas; Universidad de Oviedo; and#8232;Catedrático Rodrigo Uría s/n 33071 Oviedo Asturias Spain
| | - Axayacatl Molina-Ramírez
- Área de Ecología; Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas; Universidad de Oviedo; and#8232;Catedrático Rodrigo Uría s/n 33071 Oviedo Asturias Spain
| | - Juan Höfer
- Área de Ecología; Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas; Universidad de Oviedo; and#8232;Catedrático Rodrigo Uría s/n 33071 Oviedo Asturias Spain
| | - José Luis Acuña
- Área de Ecología; Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas; Universidad de Oviedo; and#8232;Catedrático Rodrigo Uría s/n 33071 Oviedo Asturias Spain
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144
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Dell’Anno A, Carugati L, Corinaldesi C, Riccioni G, Danovaro R. Unveiling the Biodiversity of Deep-Sea Nematodes through Metabarcoding: Are We Ready to Bypass the Classical Taxonomy? PLoS One 2015; 10:e0144928. [PMID: 26701112 PMCID: PMC4699195 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Nematodes inhabiting benthic deep-sea ecosystems account for >90% of the total metazoan abundances and they have been hypothesised to be hyper-diverse, but their biodiversity is still largely unknown. Metabarcoding could facilitate the census of biodiversity, especially for those tiny metazoans for which morphological identification is difficult. We compared, for the first time, different DNA extraction procedures based on the use of two commercial kits and a previously published laboratory protocol and tested their suitability for sequencing analyses of 18S rDNA of marine nematodes. We also investigated the reliability of Roche 454 sequencing analyses for assessing the biodiversity of deep-sea nematode assemblages previously morphologically identified. Finally, intra-genomic variation in 18S rRNA gene repeats was investigated by Illumina MiSeq in different deep-sea nematode morphospecies to assess the influence of polymorphisms on nematode biodiversity estimates. Our results indicate that the two commercial kits should be preferred for the molecular analysis of biodiversity of deep-sea nematodes since they consistently provide amplifiable DNA suitable for sequencing. We report that the morphological identification of deep-sea nematodes matches the results obtained by metabarcoding analysis only at the order-family level and that a large portion of Operational Clustered Taxonomic Units (OCTUs) was not assigned. We also show that independently from the cut-off criteria and bioinformatic pipelines used, the number of OCTUs largely exceeds the number of individuals and that 18S rRNA gene of different morpho-species of nematodes displayed intra-genomic polymorphisms. Our results indicate that metabarcoding is an important tool to explore the diversity of deep-sea nematodes, but still fails in identifying most of the species due to limited number of sequences deposited in the public databases, and in providing quantitative data on the species encountered. These aspects should be carefully taken into account before using metabarcoding in quantitative ecological research and monitoring programmes of marine biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Dell’Anno
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Laura Carugati
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Cinzia Corinaldesi
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Giulia Riccioni
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Roberto Danovaro
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
- * E-mail:
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145
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Abstract
The deep ocean absorbs vast amounts of heat and carbon dioxide, providing a critical buffer to climate change but exposing vulnerable ecosystems to combined stresses of warming, ocean acidification, deoxygenation, and altered food inputs. Resulting changes may threaten biodiversity and compromise key ocean services that maintain a healthy planet and human livelihoods. There exist large gaps in understanding of the physical and ecological feedbacks that will occur. Explicit recognition of deep-ocean climate mitigation and inclusion in adaptation planning by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) could help to expand deep-ocean research and observation and to protect the integrity and functions of deep-ocean ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa A Levin
- Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0218, USA.
| | - Nadine Le Bris
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 6, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Ecogéochimie des Environnements Benthiques, Observatoire Océanologique, 66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
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146
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Laming SR, Duperron S, Gaudron SM, Hilário A, Cunha MR. Adapted to change: The rapid development of symbiosis in newly settled, fast-maturing chemosymbiotic mussels in the deep sea. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2015; 112:100-112. [PMID: 26275834 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2015.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Revised: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/25/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Symbioses between microbiota and marine metazoa occur globally at chemosynthetic habitats facing imminent threat from anthropogenic disturbance, yet little is known concerning the role of symbiosis during early development in chemosymbiotic metazoans: a critical period in any benthic species' lifecycle. The emerging symbiosis of Idas (sensu lato) simpsoni mussels undergoing development is assessed over a post-larval-to-adult size spectrum using histology and fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH). Post-larval development shows similarities to that of both heterotrophic and chemosymbiotic mussels. Data from newly settled specimens confirm aposymbiotic, planktotrophic larval development. Sulphur-oxidising (SOX) symbionts subsequently colonise multiple exposed, non-ciliated epithelia shortly after metamorphosis, but only become abundant on gills as these expand with greater host size. This wide-spread bathymodiolin recorded from sulphidic wood, bone and cold-seep habitats, displays a suite of adaptive traits that could buffer against anthropogenic disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven R Laming
- Sorbonne Universités, Université Paris 06, UMR7208 Laboratoire biologie des organismes et écosystèmes aquatiques (UPMC CNRS MNHM IRD CAEN), 7 quai St Bernard, 75005 Paris, France; Departamento de Biologia and CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitario de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Sébastien Duperron
- Sorbonne Universités, Université Paris 06, UMR7208 Laboratoire biologie des organismes et écosystèmes aquatiques (UPMC CNRS MNHM IRD CAEN), 7 quai St Bernard, 75005 Paris, France; Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie M Gaudron
- Sorbonne Universités, Université Paris 06, UMR7208 Laboratoire biologie des organismes et écosystèmes aquatiques (UPMC CNRS MNHM IRD CAEN), 7 quai St Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Ana Hilário
- Departamento de Biologia and CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitario de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Marina R Cunha
- Departamento de Biologia and CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitario de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
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147
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Solé M, Sanchez-Hernandez JC. An in vitro screening with emerging contaminants reveals inhibition of carboxylesterase activity in aquatic organisms. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2015; 169:215-222. [PMID: 26562051 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Revised: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/01/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) form part of the new generation of pollutants present in many freshwater and marine ecosystems. Although environmental concentrations of these bioactive substances are low, they cause sublethal effects (e.g., enzyme inhibition) in non-target organisms. However, little is known on metabolism of PPCPs by non-mammal species. Herein, an in vitro enzyme trial was performed to explore sensitivity of carboxylesterase (CE) activity of aquatic organisms to fourteen PPCPs. The esterase activity was determined in the liver of Mediterranean freshwater fish (Barbus meridionalis and Squalius laietanus), coastal marine fish (Dicentrarchus labrax and Solea solea), middle-slope fish (Trachyrhynchus scabrus), deep-sea fish (Alepocephalus rostratus and Cataetix laticeps), and in the digestive gland of a decapod crustacean (Aristeus antennatus). Results showed that 100μM of the lipid regulators simvastatin and fenofibrate significantly inhibited (30-80% of controls) the CE activity of all target species. Among the personal care products, nonylphenol and triclosan were strong esterase inhibitors in most species (36-68% of controls). Comparison with literature data suggests that fish CE activity is as sensitive to inhibition by some PPCPs as that of mammals, although their basal activity levels are lower than in mammals. Pending further studies on the interaction between PPCPs and CE activity, we postulate that this enzyme may act as a molecular sink for certain PPCPs in a comparable way than that described for the organophosphorus pesticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montserrat Solé
- Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Juan C Sanchez-Hernandez
- Ecotoxicology Lab., Fac. Environmental Science and Biochemistry, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain
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148
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Ribalta C, Sanchez-Hernandez JC, Sole M. Hepatic biotransformation and antioxidant enzyme activities in Mediterranean fish from different habitat depths. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 532:176-183. [PMID: 26070027 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Revised: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Marine fish are threatened by anthropogenic chemical discharges. However, knowledge on adverse effects on deep-sea fish or their detoxification capabilities is limited. Herein, we compared the basal activities of selected hepatic detoxification enzymes in several species (Solea solea, Dicentrarchus labrax, Trachyrhynchus scabrus, Mora moro, Cataetix laticeps and Alepocehalus rostratus) collected from the coast, middle and lower slopes of the Blanes Canyon region (Catalan continental margin, NW Mediterranean Sea). The xenobiotic-detoxifying enzymes analysed were the phase-I carboxylesterases (CbEs), and the phase-II conjugation activities uridine diphosphate glucuronyltransferase (UDPGT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST). Moreover, some antioxidant enzyme activities, i.e., catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione reductase (GR), were also included in this comparative study. Because CbE activity is represented by multiple isoforms, the substrates α-naphthyl acetate (αNA) and ρ-nitrophenyl acetate (ρNPA) were used in the enzyme assays, and in vitro inhibition kinetics with dichlorvos were performed to compare interspecific CbE sensitivity. Activity of xenobiotic detoxification enzymes varied among the species, following a trend with habitat depth and body size. Thus, UDPGT and some antioxidant enzyme activities decreased in fish inhabiting lower slopes of deep-sea, whereas UDPGT and αNA-CbE activities were negatively related to fish size. A trend between CbE activities and the IC50 values for dichlorvos suggested S. solea and M. moro as potentially more sensitive to anticholinesterasic pesticides, and T. scabrus as the most resistant one. A principal component analysis considering all enzyme activities clearly identified the species but this grouping was not related to habitat depth or phylogeny. Although these results can be taken as baseline levels of the main xenobiotic detoxification enzymes in Mediterranean fish, further research is needed to evaluate their response to environmental contaminant exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ribalta
- Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - J C Sanchez-Hernandez
- Ecotoxicology Lab., Fac. Environmental Science and Biochemistry, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain
| | - M Sole
- Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
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149
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Exploration of the Canyon-Incised Continental Margin of the Northeastern United States Reveals Dynamic Habitats and Diverse Communities. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139904. [PMID: 26509818 PMCID: PMC4624883 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The continental margin off the northeastern United States (NEUS) contains numerous, topographically complex features that increase habitat heterogeneity across the region. However, the majority of these rugged features have never been surveyed, particularly using direct observations. During summer 2013, 31 Remotely-Operated Vehicle (ROV) dives were conducted from 494 to 3271 m depth across a variety of seafloor features to document communities and to infer geological processes that produced such features. The ROV surveyed six broad-scale habitat features, consisting of shelf-breaching canyons, slope-sourced canyons, inter-canyon areas, open-slope/landslide-scar areas, hydrocarbon seeps, and Mytilus Seamount. Four previously unknown chemosynthetic communities dominated by Bathymodiolus mussels were documented. Seafloor methane hydrate was observed at two seep sites. Multivariate analyses indicated that depth and broad-scale habitat significantly influenced megafaunal coral (58 taxa), demersal fish (69 taxa), and decapod crustacean (34 taxa) assemblages. Species richness of fishes and crustaceans significantly declined with depth, while there was no relationship between coral richness and depth. Turnover in assemblage structure occurred on the middle to lower slope at the approximate boundaries of water masses found previously in the region. Coral species richness was also an important variable explaining variation in fish and crustacean assemblages. Coral diversity may serve as an indicator of habitat suitability and variation in available niche diversity for these taxonomic groups. Our surveys added 24 putative coral species and three fishes to the known regional fauna, including the black coral Telopathes magna, the octocoral Metallogorgia melanotrichos and the fishes Gaidropsarus argentatus, Guttigadus latifrons, and Lepidion guentheri. Marine litter was observed on 81% of the dives, with at least 12 coral colonies entangled in debris. While initial exploration revealed the NEUS region to be both geologically dynamic and biologically diverse, further research into the abiotic conditions and the biotic interactions that influence species abundance and distribution is needed.
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Louvado A, Gomes NCM, Simões MMQ, Almeida A, Cleary DFR, Cunha A. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in deep sea sediments: Microbe-pollutant interactions in a remote environment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 526:312-328. [PMID: 25965373 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.04.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2015] [Revised: 04/13/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Recalcitrant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) released into seawater end up in the deep sea sediments (DSSs). However, their fate here is often oversimplified by theoretical models. Biodegradation of PAHs in DSSs, is assumed to be similar to biodegradation in surface habitats, despite high hydrostatic pressures and low temperatures that should significantly limit PAH biodegradation. Bacteria residing in the DSSs (related mainly to α- and γ-Proteobacteria) have been shown to or predicted to possess distinct genes, enzymes and metabolic pathways, indicating an adaptation of these bacterial communities to the psychro-peizophilic conditions of the DSSs. This work summarizes some of the most recent research on DSS hydrocarbonoclastic populations and mechanisms of PAH degradation and discusses the challenges posed by future high CO2 and UV climate scenarios on biodegradation of PAHs in DSSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Louvado
- CESAM, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - N C M Gomes
- CESAM, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - M M Q Simões
- QOPNA, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - A Almeida
- CESAM, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - D F R Cleary
- CESAM, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - A Cunha
- CESAM, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
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