201
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Broad A, Rees MJ, Davis AR. Anchor and chain scour as disturbance agents in benthic environments: trends in the literature and charting a course to more sustainable boating and shipping. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 161:111683. [PMID: 33038636 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Millions of recreational boats and ~ 65,000 ocean-going merchant ships anchor routinely. Anchor and chain scour associated with these vessels mechanically disturb the seabed having implications for marine environments globally. Our review summarises the scientific literature that examines the response of biota to anchor scour across five habitats; unvegetated sediments; seagrass; rhodolith beds; coral and rocky reefs. Forty-one studies met our criteria with >85% of articles targeting recreational-based disturbances, mostly focussed on seagrass. Investigations of anchor scour from ships comes almost exclusively from cruise ships anchoring on coral reef. All research examined reported biota responding negatively to anchor scour, either directly or indirectly. Effects to biota were dependent on the spatio-temporal scale of the perturbation or the life-histories of the organisms impacted. We highlight several key knowledge gaps requiring urgent investigation and suggest a range of management strategies to work towards sustainable anchoring practices and the preservation of valuable seabed environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison Broad
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
| | - Matthew J Rees
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Marine Ecosystem Unit, Fisheries Research, PO Box 89, Huskisson, NSW 2540, Australia
| | - Andrew R Davis
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
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202
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Garzon F, Graham RT, Witt MJ, Hawkes LA. Ecological niche modeling reveals manta ray distribution and conservation priority areas in the Western Central Atlantic. Anim Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- F. Garzon
- MarAlliance Sal Rei Cabo Verde
- Hatherley Laboratories University of Exeter College of Life and Environmental Sciences Exeter UK
| | | | - M. J. Witt
- Hatherley Laboratories University of Exeter College of Life and Environmental Sciences Exeter UK
| | - L. A. Hawkes
- Hatherley Laboratories University of Exeter College of Life and Environmental Sciences Exeter UK
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203
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Nygård H, Lindegarth M, Darr A, Dinesen GE, Eigaard OR, Lips I. Developing benthic monitoring programmes to support precise and representative status assessments: a case study from the Baltic Sea. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2020; 192:795. [PMID: 33244647 PMCID: PMC7691314 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-020-08764-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Benthic habitats and communities are key components of the marine ecosystem. Securing their functioning is a central aim in marine environmental management, where monitoring data provide the base for assessing the state of marine ecosystems. In the Baltic Sea, a > 50-year-long tradition of zoobenthic monitoring exists. However, the monitoring programmes were designed prior to the current policies, primarily to detect long-term trends at basin-scale and are thus not optimal to fulfil recent requirements such as area-based periodic status assessments. Here, we review the current monitoring programmes and assess the precision and representativity of the monitoring data in status assessments to identify routes for improvement. At present, the monitoring is focused on soft-bottoms, not accounting for all habitat types occurring in the Baltic Sea. Evaluating the sources of variance in the assessment data revealed that the component accounting for variability among stations forms the largest proportion of the uncertainty. Furthermore, it is shown that the precision of the status estimates can be improved, with the current number of samples. Reducing sampling effort per station, but sampling more stations, is the best option to improve precision in status assessments. Furthermore, by allocating the sampling stations more evenly in the sub-basins, a better representativity of the area can be achieved. However, emphasis on securing the long-term data series is needed if changes to the monitoring programmes are planned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Nygård
- Marine Research Centre, Finnish Environment Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Mats Lindegarth
- Department of Marine Science-Tjärnö, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alexander Darr
- Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, Rostock, Germany
| | - Grete E Dinesen
- National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ole R Eigaard
- National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Inga Lips
- Department of Marine Systems, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
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204
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Levin PS, Howe ER, Robertson JC. Impacts of stormwater on coastal ecosystems: the need to match the scales of management objectives and solutions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190460. [PMID: 33131444 PMCID: PMC7662197 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite their limited area relative to the global ocean, coastal zones—the regions where land meets the sea—play a disproportionately important role in generating ecosystem services. However, coastal ecosystems are under increasing pressure from human populations. In particular, urban stormwater is an increasingly important threat to the integrity of coastal systems. Urban catchments exhibit altered flow regimes that impact ecosystem processes and coastal foodwebs. In addition, urban stormwater contains complex and unpredictable mixtures of chemicals that result in a multitude of lethal and sublethal impacts on species in coastal systems. Along the western coast of the United States, we estimate that hundreds of billions of kilograms of suspended solids flow off land surfaces and enter the Northern California Current each year. However, 70% of this pollution could be addressed by treating only 1.35% of the land area. Determining how to prioritize treatment of stormwater in this region requires a clear articulation of objectives—spatial distribution of appropriate management actions is dependent on the life histories of species, and management schemes optimized for one species may not achieve desired objectives for other species. In particular, we highlight that the scale of stormwater interventions must match the ecological scale relevant to species targeted by management. In many cases, management and policy will require mechanisms in order to ensure that local actions scale-up to efficiently and effectively achieve management objectives. In the face of rapid urbanization of coastal zones, failure to consider the match of management and ecological scales will result in the continued decline of coastal ecosystems and the species they support. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Integrative research perspectives on marine conservation’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip S Levin
- The Nature Conservancy, Washington Field Office, 74 Wall Street, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, The University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Emily R Howe
- The Nature Conservancy, Washington Field Office, 74 Wall Street, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - James C Robertson
- The Nature Conservancy, Washington Field Office, 74 Wall Street, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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205
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Noisette F, Depetris A, Kühl M, Brodersen KE. Flow and epiphyte growth effects on the thermal, optical and chemical microenvironment in the leaf phyllosphere of seagrass ( Zostera marina). J R Soc Interface 2020; 17:20200485. [PMID: 33050780 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2020.0485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Intensified coastal eutrophication can result in an overgrowth of seagrass leaves by epiphytes, which is a major threat to seagrass habitats worldwide, but little is known about how epiphytic biofilms affect the seagrass phyllosphere. The physico-chemical microenvironment of Zostera marina L. leaves with and without epiphytes was mapped with electrochemical, thermocouple and scalar irradiance microsensors as a function of four irradiance conditions (dark, low, saturating and high light) and two water flow velocities (approx. 0.5 and 5 cm s-1), which resemble field conditions. The presence of epiphytes led to the build up of a diffusive boundary layer and a thermal boundary layer which impeded O2 and heat transfer between the leaf surface and the surrounding water, resulting in a maximum increase of 0.8°C relative to leaves with no epiphytes. Epiphytes also reduced the quantity and quality of light reaching the leaf, decreasing plant photosynthesis. In darkness, epiphyte respiration exacerbated hypoxic conditions, which can lead to anoxia and the production of potential phytotoxic nitric oxide in the seagrass phyllosphere. Epiphytic biofilm affects the local phyllosphere physico-chemistry both because of its metabolic activity (i.e. photosynthesis/respiration) and its physical properties (i.e. thickness, roughness, density and back-scattering properties). Leaf tissue warming can lead to thermal stress in seagrasses living close to their thermal stress threshold, and thus potentially aggravate negative effects of global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Noisette
- Department of Marine Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Hohenbergstraße 2, 24105 Kiel, Germany.,Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 20 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, 7004 TAS Hobart, Australia
| | - Anna Depetris
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Route Cantonale, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michael Kühl
- Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5, 3000 Helsingør, Denmark
| | - Kasper Elgetti Brodersen
- Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5, 3000 Helsingør, Denmark
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206
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Marques JA, Flores F, Patel F, Bianchini A, Uthicke S, Negri AP. Acclimation history modulates effect size of calcareous algae (Halimeda opuntia) to herbicide exposure under future climate scenarios. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 739:140308. [PMID: 32846507 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Tropical marine habitat-builders such as calcifying green algae can be susceptible to climate change (warming and acidification). This study evaluated the cumulative effects of ocean warming (OW), ocean acidification (OA) and the herbicide diuron on the calcifying green algae Halimeda opuntia. We also assessed the influence of acclimation history to experimental climate change conditions on physiological responses. H. opuntia were exposed for 15 days to orthogonal combinations of three climate scenarios [ambient (28 °C, pCO2 = 378 ppm), 2050 (29 °C, pCO2 = 567 ppm) and 2100 (30 °C, pCO2 = 721 ppm)] and to six diuron concentrations (up to 29 μg L-1). Half of the H. opuntia had been acclimated for eight months to the climate scenarios in a mesocosm approach, while the remaining half were not pre-acclimated, as is current practice in most experiments. Climate effects on quantum yield (ΔF/Fm'), photosynthesis and calcification in future climate scenarios were significantly stronger (by -24, -46 and +26%, respectively) in non-acclimated algae, suggesting experimental bias may exaggerate effects in organisms not appropriately acclimated to future-climate conditions. Thus, full analysis was done on acclimated plants only. Interactive effects of future climate scenarios and diuron were observed for ΔF/Fm', while the detrimental effects of climate and diuron on net photosynthesis and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were additive. Calcification-related enzymes were negatively affected only by diuron, with inhibition of Ca-ATPase and upregulation of carbonic anhydrase. The combined and consistent physiological and biochemical evidence of negative impacts (across six indicators) of both herbicide and future-climate conditions on the health of H. opuntia highlights the need to address both climate change and water quality. Guideline values for contaminants may also need to be lowered considering 'climate adjusted thresholds'. Importantly, this study highlights the value of applying substantial future climate acclimation periods in experimental studies to avoid exaggerated organism responses to OW and OA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseane A Marques
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia Biológica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, RS, Brazil.
| | - Florita Flores
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia.
| | - Frances Patel
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia.
| | - Adalto Bianchini
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, RS, Brazil.
| | - Sven Uthicke
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia.
| | - Andrew P Negri
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia.
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207
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Thompson A, Martin K, Logan M. Development of the coral index, a summary of coral reef resilience as a guide for management. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 271:111038. [PMID: 32778318 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Coral reef management is increasingly focused on supporting the resilience of coral communities to increasing and cumulative pressures. The coral index provides a concise summary of coral community resilience that can be efficiently communicated to a range of management and policy stakeholders. We detail the development of the index both as a technical reference for users but also as an example of an approach that could be more generally applied to the reporting of ecosystem resilience. The index is sensitive to acute impacts that are expected when coral communities are exposed to disturbances such as cyclones, bleaching events or crown-of-thorns outbreaks. Importantly, spatial and temporal trends in the index enable the identification of areas and periods of reduced resilience that suggest chronic environmental pressure imposed by runoff. The ability to summarise complex ecological processes into a single index provides an efficient and intuitive tool for the communication of where, when and which pressures are impacting ecosystem resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angus Thompson
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB # 3, Townsville, MC, 4810, Australia.
| | - Katherine Martin
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, John Gorton Building, King Edward, Terrace, Parks, 2600, Australian, Australia.
| | - Murray Logan
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB # 3, Townsville, MC, 4810, Australia.
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208
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McGowan J, Weary R, Carriere L, Game ET, Smith JL, Garvey M, Possingham HP. Prioritizing debt conversion opportunities for marine conservation. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2020; 34:1065-1075. [PMID: 32424907 PMCID: PMC8129986 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Incentivized debt conversion is a financing mechanism that can assist countries with a heavy debt burden to bolster their long-term domestic investment in nature conservation. The Nature Conservancy, an international conservation-based nongovernmental organization, is adapting debt conversions to support marine conservation efforts by small island developing states and coastal countries. Prioritizing debt conversion opportunities according to their potential return on investment can increase the impact and effectiveness of this finance mechanism. We developed guidance on how to do so with a decision-support approach that relies on a novel threat-based adaptation of cost-effectiveness analysis. We constructed scenarios by varying parameters of the approach, including enabling conditions, expected benefits, and threat classifications. Incorporating both abatable and unabatable threats affected priorities across planning scenarios. Similarly, differences in scenario construction resulted in unique solution sets for top priorities. We show how environmental organizations, private entities, and investment banks can adopt structured prioritization frameworks for making decisions about conservation finance investments, such as debt conversions. Our guidance can accommodate a suite of social, ecological, and economic considerations, making the approach broadly applicable to other conservation finance mechanisms or investment strategies that seek to establish a transparent process for return-on-investment decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer McGowan
- The Nature Conservancy4245 Fairfax Dr #100ArlingtonVA22203U.S.A.
| | - Rob Weary
- NatureVestThe Nature Conservancy4245 Fairfax Dr #100ArlingtonVA22203U.S.A.
| | - Leah Carriere
- NatureVestThe Nature Conservancy4245 Fairfax Dr #100ArlingtonVA22203U.S.A.
| | - Edward T. Game
- The Nature Conservancy48 Montague RoadSouth BrisbaneQld4101Australia
| | - Joanna L. Smith
- Nature UnitedThe Nature Conservancy366 Adelaide Street East, Suite 331TorontoONM5A 3X9Canada
| | - Melissa Garvey
- The Nature Conservancy4245 Fairfax Dr #100ArlingtonVA22203U.S.A.
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209
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Rare and common vertebrates span a wide spectrum of population trends. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4394. [PMID: 32879314 PMCID: PMC7468135 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17779-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The Earth’s biota is changing over time in complex ways. A critical challenge is to test whether specific biomes, taxa or types of species benefit or suffer in a time of accelerating global change. We analysed nearly 10,000 abundance time series from over 2000 vertebrate species part of the Living Planet Database. We integrated abundance data with information on geographic range, habitat preference, taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships, and IUCN Red List Categories and threats. We find that 15% of populations declined, 18% increased, and 67% showed no net changes over time. Against a backdrop of no biogeographic and phylogenetic patterning in population change, we uncover a distinct taxonomic signal. Amphibians were the only taxa that experienced net declines in the analysed data, while birds, mammals and reptiles experienced net increases. Population trends were poorly captured by species’ rarity and global-scale threats. Incorporation of the full spectrum of population change will improve conservation efforts to protect global biodiversity. Conservation biologists often assume that rare (or less abundant) species are more likely to be declining under anthropogenic change. Here, the authors synthesise population trend data for ~2000 animal species to show that population trends cover a wide spectrum of change from losses to gains, which are not related to species rarity.
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210
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Louzao M, Ruiz J, Oyarzabal I, Basterretxea M, Pedrajas A, Mugerza A, Krug I, Cotano U, Mugerza E, Zarauz L, Santurtún M. Including ecosystem descriptors in current fishery data collection programmes to advance towards a holistic monitoring: Seabird abundance attending demersal trawlers. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 160:105043. [PMID: 32745737 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
To develop an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management a holistic perspective is necessary that goes beyond target species management to preserve ecosystem functioning and, therefore, secure future food availability. To achieve these objectives, current fishery data collection programmes should widen their objectives to include the collection of ecosystem descriptors to effectively take advantage of funding and human resources in relation to fisheries monitoring already in place. From an ecological perspective, fishing discards are food subsidies unnaturally available that can profoundly impact the life history traits and population dynamics of seabirds, as well as community structure. In 2015, we took advantage of the Data Collection Framework (DCF) programme, monitoring the Basque trawling fleet, to monitor seabird abundance associated with trawlers as an additional task to be performed by the observers. The main objectives were (1) to develop a standard protocol from an interdisciplinary expert committee, (2) to obtain baseline information of seabird association with trawlers to be able to track changes and (3) to understand seabird abundance in relation to discard facilitation processes based on environmental and fishing parameters. Based on the developed standard protocol, more than 21 species of seabirds were recorded in 241 fishing hauls in the Bay of Biscay (ICES areas 8abd). This biogeographic area is an important migratory flyway and wintering area, where maximum number of seabirds attending trawlers were recorded between December and April (2015-2019). Based on Generalised Linear Models, seabird abundance was higher in multiple situations: harsher environmental conditions, less available discards, shallower areas, increased period of discard availability, higher number of trawlers simultaneously operating in the same fishing ground, in addition to the months of February and April. The core discarding ground was located in the outer French shelf between the latitudinal range of 44.5°N and 46°N, especially for otter trawl fishing. Our approach puts into value the seabird counts that the observers of the DCF can perform systematically, collecting relevant information on the effect of trawling on other biodiversity components such as seabirds. This information will be critical to respond to the application of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy regarding the effect of the Landing Obligation that seeks fishing sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maite Louzao
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
| | - Jon Ruiz
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Iñaki Oyarzabal
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Mikel Basterretxea
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Arkaitz Pedrajas
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Arnaitz Mugerza
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Iñigo Krug
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Unai Cotano
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Estanis Mugerza
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Lucía Zarauz
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Marina Santurtún
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
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211
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Ontoria Y, Webster C, Said N, Ruiz JM, Pérez M, Romero J, McMahon K. Positive effects of high salinity can buffer the negative effects of experimental warming on functional traits of the seagrass Halophila ovalis. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 158:111404. [PMID: 32753189 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Coastal ecosystems, and especially estuaries, are subject to environmental fluctuations that can be amplified by anthropogenic changes. Under a future scenario of global warming, temperature and salinity are likely to be altered and the persistence of macrophyte-dominated ecosystems can be compromised, particularly native or local seagrass communities. This study examined the response of the local seagrass Halophila ovalis to the joint effect of a short-term salinity increase and a transient temperature stress, through two mesocosm experiments. Warming caused a decline in Fv/Fm, TNC content in leaves and plant growth, and increased dark respiration, revealing clear detrimental symptoms of heat stress on plant metabolism and performance. Salinity increase in isolation favoured ramet survival. However, in combination with warming, salinity had a positive effect on Gross Pmax. This suggests that increased salinities might dampen the negative effects of high temperatures, buffering, to some extent, the impact of global warming in temperate estuaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Ontoria
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - C Webster
- Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, School of Science, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
| | - N Said
- Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, School of Science, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
| | - J M Ruiz
- Seagrass Ecology Group, Oceanographic Center of Murcia, Spanish Institute of Oceanography, C/Varadero 1, 30740 San Pedro del Pinatar, Murcia, Spain
| | - M Pérez
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - J Romero
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - K McMahon
- Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, School of Science, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
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212
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Giménez J, Cardador L, Mazor T, Kark S, Bellido JM, Coll M, Navarro J. Marine protected areas for demersal elasmobranchs in highly exploited Mediterranean ecosystems. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 160:105033. [PMID: 32907736 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Marine ecosystems are complex socio-ecological systems where sustainable solutions can be best gained by satisfying both conservation and socioeconomic demands. Concretely, the Mediterranean Sea is facing a huge demand of resources and marine activities while hosting abundant and unique biodiversity. It is considered an important elasmobranch hotspot where seventy-two elasmobranch species are present in the basin. Despite the recognised importance of elasmobranchs as umbrella species, to date only a small number of marine protected areas have been designated towards their protection. The paucity of spatially-explicit abundance data on elasmobranchs often precludes the designation of these areas to protect these marine predators. Here, we aimed to identify marine areas to protect elasmobranch species by means of a systematic spatial planning approach. We first estimated the spatial distribution of five elasmobranch species (three sharks and two rays) in the western Mediterranean Sea and then applied Marxan decision support tools to find priority marine conservation areas. We found that the five elasmobranchs are distributed in coastal and slope areas of the southern waters of the study area while in the northern region they are abundant in the continental slope and towards offshore waters. Conservation priority areas were identified in the southern part of the western Mediterranean. Adding more complex cost layers and zoning to the analysis did not alter conservation priority areas, confirming such areas are highly consistent and highly important for elasmobranch protection. The marine conservation priority areas identified here can contribute to designate a proactive area-based protection strategy towards elasmobranch conservation, related species and the habitats that they depend in the western Mediterranean Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Giménez
- Institut de Ciències del Mar - CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain; MaREI Centre, Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences (BEES), University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland.
| | - Laura Cardador
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain
| | - Tessa Mazor
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Salit Kark
- The Biodiversity Research Group, The School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - José Maria Bellido
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, Calle Varadero 1, Apdo. 22, San Pedro del Pinatar, 30740, Murcia, Spain
| | - Marta Coll
- Institut de Ciències del Mar - CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Navarro
- Institut de Ciències del Mar - CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
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213
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Riera R, Vasconcelos J, Baden S, Gerhardt L, Sousa R, Infantes E. Severe shifts of Zostera marina epifauna: Comparative study between 1997 and 2018 on the Swedish Skagerrak coast. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 158:111434. [PMID: 32753217 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The interaction between bottom-up and top-down processes in coastal ecosystems has been scarcely studied so far. Temporal changes in trophic interactions of Zostera marina along the Swedish west coast are relatively well studied, with the exception of epifaunal communities. Epifauna was used as a model study to explore resource (bottom-up) or predator (top-down) regulated in a vegetated ecosystem. We conducted a 21-year comparative study (1997 and 2018) using epifauna of 19 Zostera marina meadows along the Swedish Skagerrak coast. Large changes were observed in the composition of small (0.2-1 mm) and large (>1 mm) epifauna. In the small-sized epifauna, the nematode Southernia zosterae and harpacticoids showed an increase of 90% and a decrease of 50% of their abundances, respectively. In the large-sized epifauna, the polychaete Platynereis dumerilii and chironomid larvae were absent in 1997 but thrived in 2018 (>2000 ind. m-2). Mesoherbivores (Idoteids and gammarids) were locally very abundant in 1997 but disappeared in 2018. An 83% decline of mytilids settling in Zostera marina leaves was observed. Our results showed that epifauna is predominantly top-down regulated. An integrative framework of the study area is outlined to shed light on the causes and consequences of the environmental shifts reported in Zostera meadows from the northern Skagerrak area throughout the last three decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Riera
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Casilla 297, Concepción, Chile.
| | - Joana Vasconcelos
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Casilla 297, Concepción, Chile; Secretaria Regional de Educação, Avenida Zarco, Edifício do Governo Regional, 9004-528 Funchal, Madeira, Portugal; Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), Quinta do Lorde Marina, Sítio da Piedade, 9200-044 Caniçal, Madeira, Portugal.
| | - Susanne Baden
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Fiskebäckskil, Sweden.
| | - Linda Gerhardt
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Fiskebäckskil, Sweden; Söbben 212, 47391 Henån, Sweden.
| | - Ricardo Sousa
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), Quinta do Lorde Marina, Sítio da Piedade, 9200-044 Caniçal, Madeira, Portugal; Oceanic Observatory of Madeira, Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation (OOM/ARDITI) - Edifício Madeira Tecnopolo, Piso 0, 9020-105 Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.
| | - Eduardo Infantes
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Kristineberg, 45178 Fiskebäckskil, Sweden.
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214
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Epibenthic megafauna communities in Northeast Greenland vary across coastal, continental shelf and slope habitats. Polar Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-020-02733-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe marine area of Northeast Greenland belongs to the largest national park in the world. Biodiversity assessments and tailored conservation measures often target specific physiographic or oceanographic features of an area for which detailed knowledge on their biological communities is incomplete. This study, therefore, characterizes epibenthic megafauna communities in a priori defined seabed habitats (fjord, shelf, shelf break and slope) and their relationship to environmental conditions in Northeast Greenland waters as a basis for conservation and management planning. Megabenthos was sampled from the Bessel Fjord across the shelf to the upper continental slope between latitudes 74.55°N–79.27°N and longitudes 5.22°W–21.72°W by Campelen and Agassiz trawls at 18 locations (total of 33 samples) at depths between 65 and 1011 m in August 2015 and September 2017. A total of 276 taxa were identified. Gross estimates of abundance ranged from 4 to 854 individuals 1000 m−2 and biomass ranged from 65 to 528 g wet weight 1000 m−2 (2017 only). The phyla Arthropoda and Porifera contributed the most to taxon richness, while Mollusca and Echinodermata were the most abundant, and Echinodermata had the highest biomass of all phyla. Fjord, shelf, shelf break and slope seabed habitats revealed different megafaunal communities that were partly explained by gradients in depth, bottom oxygen concentration, temperature, salinity, and turbidity. The present study provides a current baseline of megabenthos across seabed habitats in Northeast Greenlandic waters and reveals putative connections between Arctic and Atlantic biota.
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215
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Kluger LC, Gorris P, Kochalski S, Mueller MS, Romagnoni G. Studying human–nature relationships through a network lens: A systematic review. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lotta C. Kluger
- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) Bremen Germany
- University of Bremenartec Sustainability Research Center Bremen Germany
| | - Philipp Gorris
- Institute of Environmental Systems Research (IUSF) Osnabrueck University Osnabrueck Germany
| | - Sophia Kochalski
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Berlin Germany
| | - Miriam S. Mueller
- Posgrado en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoUnidad Académica Mazatlán Mazatlan Mexico
- German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation Isle of Vilm Putbus Germany
| | - Giovanni Romagnoni
- Department of Biosciences Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES) University of Oslo Oslo Norway
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216
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Pujade Busqueta L, Crocker DE, Champagne CD, McCormley MC, Deyarmin JS, Houser DS, Khudyakov JI. A blubber gene expression index for evaluating stress in marine mammals. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coaa082. [PMID: 32904591 PMCID: PMC7456562 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Evaluating the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on free-ranging marine mammal populations, many of which are in decline, requires robust diagnostic markers of physiological stress and health. However, circulating levels of canonical 'stress hormones' such as glucocorticoids, which are commonly used to evaluate animal health, do not capture the complexity of species-specific responses and cannot be easily measured in large, fully aquatic marine mammals. Alternatively, expression of stress-responsive genes in hormone target tissues such as blubber, the specialized subcutaneous adipose tissue that can be manually or remotely sampled from many marine mammals, may be a more informative and sensitive indicator of recent (within 24 h) exposure to stressors. We previously identified genes that were upregulated in the inner blubber of juvenile northern elephant seals during experimental stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. In this study, we measured baseline expression levels of a subset of these genes in inner blubber of unmanipulated juvenile elephant seals of varying physiological states and correlated them with other stress markers (body condition index, corticosteroid and thyroid hormone levels). Expression of 10 genes, including those associated with lipid metabolism (ACSL1, HMGCS2, CDO1), redox homeostasis (GPX3), adipokine signaling (ADIPOQ), lipid droplet formation (PLIN1, CIDEA) and adipogenesis (DKK1, AZGP1, TGFBI), was described by three principal components and was associated with cortisol and thyroid hormone levels. Significantly, baseline gene expression levels were predictive of circulating hormone levels, suggesting that these markers may be potential indicators of exposure to stressors in marine mammal species that are inaccessible for blood sampling. A similar approach may be used to identify species-specific stress markers in other tissues that can be sampled by remote biopsy dart from free-ranging marine mammals, such as outer blubber and skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Pujade Busqueta
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USA
| | - Daniel E Crocker
- Biology Department, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA 94928, USA
| | | | - Molly C McCormley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USA
| | - Jared S Deyarmin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USA
| | | | - Jane I Khudyakov
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USA
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
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217
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Abstract
The ocean is a lifeline for human existence, but current practices risk severely undermining ocean sustainability. Present and future social−ecological challenges necessitate the maintenance and development of knowledge and action by stimulating collaboration among scientists and between science, policy, and practice. Here we explore not only how such collaborations have developed in the Nordic countries and adjacent seas but also how knowledge from these regions contributes to an understanding of how to obtain a sustainable ocean. Our collective experience may be summarized in three points: 1) In the absence of long-term observations, decision-making is subject to high risk arising from natural variability; 2) in the absence of established scientific organizations, advice to stakeholders often relies on a few advisors, making them prone to biased perceptions; and 3) in the absence of trust between policy makers and the science community, attuning to a changing ocean will be subject to arbitrary decision-making with unforeseen and negative ramifications. Underpinning these observations, we show that collaboration across scientific disciplines and stakeholders and between nations is a necessary condition for appropriate actions.
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218
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Verutes GM, Johnson AF, Caillat M, Ponnampalam LS, Peter C, Vu L, Junchompoo C, Lewison RL, Hines EM. Using GIS and stakeholder involvement to innovate marine mammal bycatch risk assessment in data-limited fisheries. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237835. [PMID: 32817725 PMCID: PMC7446845 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Fisheries bycatch has been identified as the greatest threat to marine mammals worldwide. Characterizing the impacts of bycatch on marine mammals is challenging because it is difficult to both observe and quantify, particularly in small-scale fisheries where data on fishing effort and marine mammal abundance and distribution are often limited. The lack of risk frameworks that can integrate and visualize existing data have hindered the ability to describe and quantify bycatch risk. Here, we describe the design of a new geographic information systems tool built specifically for the analysis of bycatch in small-scale fisheries, called Bycatch Risk Assessment (ByRA). Using marine mammals in Malaysia and Vietnam as a test case, we applied ByRA to assess the risks posed to Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) and dugongs (Dugong dugon) by five small-scale fishing gear types (hook and line, nets, longlines, pots and traps, and trawls). ByRA leverages existing data on animal distributions, fisheries effort, and estimates of interaction rates by combining expert knowledge and spatial analyses of existing data to visualize and characterize bycatch risk. By identifying areas of bycatch concern while accounting for uncertainty using graphics, maps and summary tables, we demonstrate the importance of integrating available geospatial data in an accessible format that taps into local knowledge and can be corroborated by and communicated to stakeholders of data-limited fisheries. Our methodological approach aims to meet a critical need of fisheries managers: to identify emergent interaction patterns between fishing gears and marine mammals and support the development of management actions that can lead to sustainable fisheries and mitigate bycatch risk for species of conservation concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory M. Verutes
- Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Campus Do*Mar, International Campus of Excellence, Vigo, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Andrew F. Johnson
- MarFishEco Fisheries Consultants, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- The Lyell Centre, Institute of Life and Earth Sciences, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Cindy Peter
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, University Malaysia Sarawak, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Long Vu
- Vietnam Marine Megafauna Network, Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Endangered Species, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
| | | | - Rebecca L. Lewison
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Ellen M. Hines
- Estuary & Ocean Science Center, San Francisco State University, Tiburon, CA, United States of America
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219
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Hückstädt LA, Schwarz LK, Friedlaender AS, Mate BR, Zerbini AN, Kennedy A, Robbins J, Gales NJ, Costa DP. A dynamic approach to estimate the probability of exposure of marine predators to oil exploration seismic surveys over continental shelf waters. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2020. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The ever-increasing human demand for fossil fuels has resulted in the expansion of oil exploration efforts to waters over the continental shelf. These waters are largely utilized by a complex biological community. Large baleen whales, in particular, utilize continental shelf waters as breeding and calving grounds, foraging grounds, and also as migration corridors. We developed a dynamic approach to estimate the likelihood that individuals from different populations of blue whales Balaenoptera musculus and humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae could be exposed to idealized, simulated seismic surveys as they move over the continental shelf. Animal tracking data for the different populations were filtered, and behaviors (transit and foraging) were inferred from the tracks using hidden Markov models. We simulated a range of conditions of exposure by having the source of noise affecting a circular area of different radii (5, 25, 50 and 100 km), moving along a gridded transect of 270 and 2500 km2 at a constant speed of 9 km h-1, and starting the simulated surveys every week of the year. Our approach allowed us to identify the temporal variability in the susceptibility of the different populations under study, as we ran the simulations for an entire year, allowing us to identify periods when the surveys would have an intensified effect on whales. Our results highlight the importance of understanding the behavior and ecology of individuals in a site-specific context when considering the likelihood of exposure to anthropogenic disturbances, as the habitat utilization patterns of each population are highly variable.
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Affiliation(s)
- LA Hückstädt
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - LK Schwarz
- Department of Ocean Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - AS Friedlaender
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - BR Mate
- Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University, Newport, OR 97365, USA
| | - AN Zerbini
- Joint Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO), University of Washington & Marine Mammal Laboratory, NOAA, Seattle, WA 98112, USA
- Marine Ecology and Telemetry Research, Seabeck, WA, 98380, USA
- Instituto Aqualie, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil
| | - A Kennedy
- Joint Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO), University of Washington & Marine Mammal Laboratory, NOAA, Seattle, WA 98112, USA
| | - J Robbins
- Center for Coastal Studies, Provincetown, MA 02657, USA
| | - NJ Gales
- Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania 7050, Australia
| | - DP Costa
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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220
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Nelms SE, Eyles L, Godley BJ, Richardson PB, Selley H, Solandt JL, Witt MJ. Investigating the distribution and regional occurrence of anthropogenic litter in English marine protected areas using 25 years of citizen-science beach clean data. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 263:114365. [PMID: 32220688 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are designated to enable the management of damaging activities within a discrete spatial area, and can be effective at reducing the associated impacts, including habitat loss and over-exploitation. Such sites, however, may be exposed to the potential impacts from broader scale pressures, such as anthropogenic litter, due to its diffuse nature and lack of constraint by legislative and/or political boundaries. Plastic, a large component of litter, is of particular concern, due to increasing evidence of its potential to cause ecological and socio-economic damage. The presence of sensitive marine features may mean that some MPAs are at greater potential risk from the impacts of plastic pollution than some non-protected sites. Understanding the abundance, distribution and composition of litter along coastlines is important for designing and implementing effective management strategies. Gathering such data, however, can be expensive and time-consuming but litter survey programmes that enlist citizen scientists are often able to resolve many of the logistical or financial constraints. Here, we examine data collected over 25-years (1994-2018), by Marine Conservation Society volunteers, for spatial patterns in relation to the English MPA network, with the aim of highlighting key sources of litter and identifying management priority areas. We found that MPAs in southeast (Kent) and southwest (Cornwall and Devon) England have the highest densities of shore-based litter. Plastic is the main material constituent and public littering the most common identifiable source. Items attributed to fishing activities were most prevalent in southwest MPAs and sewage related debris was highest in MPAs near large rivers and estuaries, indicating localised accumulation. When comparing inside and outside of MPAs, we found no difference in litter density, demonstrating the need for wider policy intervention at local, national and international scales to reduce the amount of litter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Nelms
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, UK; Centre for Circular Economy, University of Exeter, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, UK.
| | - Lauren Eyles
- Marine Conservation Society, Ross on Wye, HR9 7US, UK
| | - Brendan J Godley
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, UK
| | | | - Hazel Selley
- Natural England, 4th Floor, Foss House, Kings Pool, 1-2 Peasholme Green, York, YO1 7PX, UK
| | | | - Matthew J Witt
- Hatherly Laboratories, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Devon, EX4 4PS, UK
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221
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Rao Y, Cai L, Chen B, Chen X, Zheng L, Lin S. How do spatial and environmental factors shape the structure of a coastal macrobenthic community and meroplanktonic larvae cohort? Evidence from Daya Bay. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 157:111242. [PMID: 32469742 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We examined the relative importance of spatial processes (dispersal-related) and environmental processes (environmental selection-related) in community structure for macrobenthos (including juveniles and adults) and meroplanktonic larvae in the subtidal areas of Daya Bay, China. We found that both macrobenthos and meroplanktonic larvae showed similar spatial patterns, both following the distance-decay relationship. The results of variation partitioning analysis (VPA) showed the roles of both spatial and environmental factors in governing the assembly of both communities, although both explained only a small (slightly larger for spatial factor) fraction of the community variation. We also found that macrobenthos were more affected by spatial processes than meroplanktonic larvae. In addition, we highlight that the mechanisms determining community structure change according to the spatial extent considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyong Rao
- College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Lizhe Cai
- College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China.
| | - Bingwen Chen
- College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Xinwei Chen
- College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Lianming Zheng
- College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Senjie Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
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222
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Ryan PG, Schofield A. Low densities of macroplastic debris in the Pitcairn Islands Marine Reserve. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 157:111373. [PMID: 32658715 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Beaches on Henderson Island, one of the Pitcairn Islands in the central South Pacific, have been reported to have some of the highest standing stocks of stranded plastic recorded. Surveys of floating debris at sea show that this is not related to high densities of plastic in the area. Only 19 macroplastic items were observed during 905 km of at-sea transects (0.5 items·km-2; 135 g·km-2). This low density confirms previous microplastic surveys which show that the Pitcairn group lies west of the South Pacific Gyre. Plastic loads on beaches at other islands in the Pitcairn group are not exceptional. The east coast of Henderson Island appears to be particularly effective at accumulating drifting debris, but many small plastic fragments on these beaches probably result from degradation in situ, so removing macroplastics will reduce the formation of microplastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter G Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.
| | - Andy Schofield
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, United Kingdom
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223
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Tsiola A, Michoud G, Fodelianakis S, Karakassis I, Kotoulas G, Pavlidou A, Pavloudi C, Pitta P, Simboura N, Daffonchio D, Tsapakis M. Viral Metagenomic Content Reflects Seawater Ecological Quality in the Coastal Zone. Viruses 2020; 12:v12080806. [PMID: 32722579 PMCID: PMC7472104 DOI: 10.3390/v12080806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses interfere with their host’s metabolism through the expression of auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) that, until now, are mostly studied under large physicochemical gradients. Here, we focus on coastal marine ecosystems and we sequence the viral metagenome (virome) of samples with discrete levels of human-driven disturbances. We aim to describe the relevance of viromics with respect to ecological quality status, defined by the classic seawater trophic index (TRIX). Neither viral (family level) nor bacterial (family level, based on 16S rRNA sequencing) community structure correlated with TRIX. AMGs involved in the Calvin and tricarboxylic acid cycles were found at stations with poor ecological quality, supporting viral lysis by modifying the host’s energy supply. AMGs involved in “non-traditional” energy-production pathways (3HP, sulfur oxidation) were found irrespective of ecological quality, highlighting the importance of recognizing the prevalent metabolic paths and their intermediate byproducts. Various AMGs explained the variability between stations with poor vs. good ecological quality. Our study confirms the pivotal role of the virome content in ecosystem functioning, acting as a “pool” of available functions that may be transferred to the hosts. Further, it suggests that AMGs could be used as an ultra-sensitive metric of energy-production pathways with relevance in the vulnerable coastal zone and its ecological quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Tsiola
- Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 71003 Heraklion Crete, Greece; (P.P.); (M.T.)
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion Crete, Greece;
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology & Aquaculture, 71003 Heraklion Crete, Greece; (G.K.); (C.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +30-2810-337713; Fax: +30-2810-337822
| | - Grégoire Michoud
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia; (G.M.); (S.F.); (D.D.)
| | - Stilianos Fodelianakis
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia; (G.M.); (S.F.); (D.D.)
| | - Ioannis Karakassis
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion Crete, Greece;
| | - Georgios Kotoulas
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology & Aquaculture, 71003 Heraklion Crete, Greece; (G.K.); (C.P.)
| | - Alexandra Pavlidou
- Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 19013 Anavyssos Attiki, Greece; (A.P.); (N.S.)
| | - Christina Pavloudi
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology & Aquaculture, 71003 Heraklion Crete, Greece; (G.K.); (C.P.)
| | - Paraskevi Pitta
- Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 71003 Heraklion Crete, Greece; (P.P.); (M.T.)
| | - Nomiki Simboura
- Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 19013 Anavyssos Attiki, Greece; (A.P.); (N.S.)
| | - Daniele Daffonchio
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia; (G.M.); (S.F.); (D.D.)
| | - Manolis Tsapakis
- Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 71003 Heraklion Crete, Greece; (P.P.); (M.T.)
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224
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Stockbridge J, Jones AR, Gillanders BM. A meta-analysis of multiple stressors on seagrasses in the context of marine spatial cumulative impacts assessment. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11934. [PMID: 32686719 PMCID: PMC7371696 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68801-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans are placing more strain on the world’s oceans than ever before. Furthermore, marine ecosystems are seldom subjected to single stressors, rather they are frequently exposed to multiple, concurrent stressors. When the combined effect of these stressors is calculated and mapped through cumulative impact assessments, it is often assumed that the effects are additive. However, there is increasing evidence that different combinations of stressors can have non-additive impacts, potentially leading to synergistic and unpredictable impacts on ecosystems. Accurately predicting how stressors interact is important in conservation, as removal of certain stressors could provide a greater benefit, or be more detrimental than would be predicted by an additive model. Here, we conduct a meta-analysis to assess the prevalence of additive, synergistic, and antagonistic stressor interaction effects using seagrasses as case study ecosystems. We found that additive interactions were the most commonly reported in seagrass studies. Synergistic and antagonistic interactions were also common, but there was no clear way of predicting where these non-additive interactions occurred. More studies which synthesise the results of stressor interactions are needed to be able to generalise interactions across ecosystem types, which can then be used to improve models for assessing cumulative impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson Stockbridge
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories and Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Darling Building DX 650 418, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia.
| | - Alice R Jones
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories and Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Darling Building DX 650 418, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Bronwyn M Gillanders
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories and Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Darling Building DX 650 418, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
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225
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Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) can contribute to protecting biodiversity and managing ocean activities, including fishing. There is, however, limited evidence of ecological responses to blue water MPAs. We conducted the first comprehensive evaluation of impacts on fisheries production and ecological responses to pelagic MPAs of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. A Bayesian time series-based counterfactual modelling approach using fishery-dependent data was used to compare the temporal response in the MPAs to three reference regions for standardized catch rates, lengths, trophic level of the catch and species diversity. Catch rates of bigeye tuna, the main target species (Kingman/Palmyra MPA, causal effect probability >99% of an 84% reduction; 95% credible interval: -143%, -25%), and blue shark (Johnston MPAs, causal effect probability >95%) were significantly lower and longnose lancetfish significantly higher (Johnston MPAs, causal effect probability >95%) than predicted had the MPAs not been established, possibly from closing areas near shallow features, which aggregate pelagic predators, and from ‘fishing-the-line’. There were no apparent causal impacts of the MPAs on species diversity, lengths and trophic level of the catch, perhaps because the MPAs were young, were too small, did not contain critical habitat for specific life-history stages, had been lightly exploited or experienced fishing-the-line. We also assessed model-standardized catch rates for species of conservation concern and mean trophic level of the catch within and outside of MPAs. Displaced effort produced multi-species conflicts: MPAs protect bycatch hotspots and hotspots of bycatch-to-target catch ratios for some at-risk species, but coldspots for others. Mean trophic level of the catch was significantly higher around MPAs, likely due to the aggregating effect of the shallow features and there having been light fishing pressure within MPAs. These findings demonstrate how exploring a wide range of ecological responses supports evidence-based evaluations of blue water MPAs.
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226
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Na G, Gao Y, Li R, Gao H, Hou C, Ye J, Jin S, Zhang Z. Occurrence and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in atmosphere and soil from 2013 to 2019 in the Fildes Peninsula, Antarctica. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 156:111173. [PMID: 32510355 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Long-term monitoring is essential for revealing pollution trends, but relevant studies in the Antarctic remain limited. In this study, a seven-year continuous monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the atmosphere and soil was carried out at the Fildes Peninsula, Antarctica. Average concentrations of Σ15PAHs were 7134.491 pg/m3 and 61.093 ng/g in air and soil, respectively. A declining trend was observed for Σ15PAHs in air during the 2013-2019 summer, but this was not found in soil. Potential sources of PAHs in the Fildes Peninsula were identified by PMF modeling, correlation analysis, air mass back-trajectories and component analysis. The results showed that PAHs in the gas phase were more easily influenced by long-range atmospheric transport (LRAT) than in the particle phase. Moreover, temperature played a key role in the PAHs concentration in particle phase. Occurrence of Σ15PAHs in soil was mainly attributed to local sources including fossil fuel combustion and spilling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangshui Na
- National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China; Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation for Tropical Marine Bioresources, Ministry of Education, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572022, China.
| | - Yunze Gao
- National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China; College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Ruijing Li
- National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Hui Gao
- National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Chao Hou
- National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China; College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Jiandong Ye
- National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China; College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Shuaichen Jin
- National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Zhifeng Zhang
- National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China
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227
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Silva MSS, Pires A, Almeida M, Oliveira M. The use of Hediste diversicolor in the study of emerging contaminants. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 159:105013. [PMID: 32662441 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The contamination of aquatic environments has been the focus of research to understand effects on ecosystems and its species. Benthic organisms are considered potential targets since sediments act as sources and sinks for environmental contaminants. This review presents information on the effects of three types of emerging contaminants: pharmaceuticals (tested concentrations between 0.1 ng/L - 250 mg/L and 0.01 ng/g - 2.5 μg/g), metal-based nanoparticles (<100 nm) (tested concentrations between 10 μg/L - 1 mg/L and 5 - 140 μg/g) and micro(nano)plastics (tested concentrations between 5 μg/L - 50 mg/L and 10 - 50 mg/kg), on the polychaete Hediste diversicolor, a key species in estuarine/coastal ecosystems. Data shows that these contaminants promote alterations in burrowing activity (lowest concentration inducing effects: 10 ng/L), neurotransmission and damage related parameters (lowest concentration inducing effects: 100 ng/L). The characteristics of this polychaete, such as regenerative capacity, make the use of this species in biomedical studies involving environmental contaminants valuable.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S S Silva
- Departament of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Adília Pires
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Departament of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Mónica Almeida
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Departament of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Miguel Oliveira
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Departament of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
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228
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Stelzenmüller V, Coll M, Cormier R, Mazaris AD, Pascual M, Loiseau C, Claudet J, Katsanevakis S, Gissi E, Evagelopoulos A, Rumes B, Degraer S, Ojaveer H, Moller T, Giménez J, Piroddi C, Markantonatou V, Dimitriadis C. Operationalizing risk-based cumulative effect assessments in the marine environment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 724:138118. [PMID: 32247136 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystem-based management requires an assessment of the cumulative effects of human pressures and environmental change. The operationalization and integration of cumulative effects assessments (CEA) into decision-making processes often lacks a comprehensive and transparent framework. A risk-based CEA framework that divides a CEA in risk identification, risk analysis and risk evaluation, could structure such complex analyses and facilitate the establishment of direct science-policy links. Here, we examine carefully the operationalization of such a risk-based CEA framework with the help of eleven contrasting case studies located in Europe, French Polynesia, and Canada. We show that the CEA framework used at local, sub-regional, and regional scales allowed for a consistent, coherent, and transparent comparison of complex assessments. From our analysis, we pinpoint four emerging issues that, if accurately addressed, can improve the take up of CEA outcomes by management: 1) framing of the CEA context and defining risk criteria; 2) describing the roles of scientists and decision-makers; 3) reducing and structuring complexity; and 4) communicating uncertainty. Moreover, with a set of customized tools we describe and analyze for each case study the nature and location of uncertainty as well as trade-offs regarding available knowledge and data used for the CEA. Ultimately, these tools aid decision-makers to recognize potential caveats and repercussions of management decisions. One key recommendation is to differentiate CEA processes and their context in relation to governance advice, marine spatial planning or regulatory advice. We conclude that future research needs to evaluate how effective management measures are in reducing the risk of cumulative effects. Changing governance structures takes time and is often difficult, but we postulate that well-framed and structured CEA can function as a strategic tool to integrate ecosystem considerations across multiple sectorial policies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marta Coll
- Institute of Marine Science (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, n° 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roland Cormier
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Institute for Coastal Research, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Antonios D Mazaris
- Department of Ecology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Marta Pascual
- Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3), Parque Científico UPV/EHU, Edificio Sede 1, Planta 1, Barrio Sarriena, s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Charles Loiseau
- National Center for Scientific Research, PSL Université Paris, CRIOBE, USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Maison des Océans, 195 rue Saint-Jacques, 75005 Paris, France; Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Moorea, French Polynesia
| | - Joachim Claudet
- National Center for Scientific Research, PSL Université Paris, CRIOBE, USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Maison des Océans, 195 rue Saint-Jacques, 75005 Paris, France; Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Moorea, French Polynesia
| | | | - Elena Gissi
- University Iuav of Venice, Tolentini, Santa Croce 191, 30135 Venezia, Italy
| | | | - Bob Rumes
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Operational Directorate Natural Environment (OD Nature), Marine Ecology and Management (MARECO), Vautierstraat 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Steven Degraer
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Operational Directorate Natural Environment (OD Nature), Marine Ecology and Management (MARECO), Vautierstraat 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Henn Ojaveer
- University of Tartu, Ringi 35, 80012 Pärnu, Estonia; National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 201, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tiia Moller
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Mäealuse 14, 12618 Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Joan Giménez
- Institute of Marine Science (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, n° 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Chiara Piroddi
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Via Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy
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229
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Stevenson SL, Woolley SNC, Barnett J, Dunstan P. Testing the presence of marine protected areas against their ability to reduce pressures on biodiversity. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2020; 34:622-631. [PMID: 31667866 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are the preferred tool for preventing marine biodiversity loss, as reflected in international protected area targets. Although the area covered by MPAs is expanding, there is a concern that opposition from resource users is driving them into already low-use locations, whereas high-pressure areas remain unprotected, which has serious implications for biodiversity conservation. We tested the spatial relationships between different human-induced pressures on marine biodiversity and global MPAs. We used global, modeled pressure data and the World Database on Protected Areas to calculate the levels of 15 different human-induced pressures inside and outside the world's MPAs. We fitted binomial generalized linear models to the data to determine whether each pressure had a positive or negative effect on the likelihood of an area being protected and whether this effect changed with different categories of protection. Pelagic and artisanal fishing, shipping, and introductions of invasive species by ships had a negative relationship with protection, and this relationship persisted under even the least restrictive categories of protection (e.g., protected areas classified as category VI under the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a category that permits sustainable use). In contrast, pressures from dispersed, diffusive sources (e.g., pollution and ocean acidification) had positive relationships with protection. Our results showed that MPAs are systematically established in areas where there is low political opposition, limiting the capacity of existing MPAs to manage key drivers of biodiversity loss. We suggest that conservation efforts focus on biodiversity outcomes and effective reduction of pressures rather than prescribing area-based targets, and that alternative approaches to conservation are needed in areas where protection is not feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone L Stevenson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia
- School of Geography, University of Melbourne, 221 Bouverie Street, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia
| | - Skipton N C Woolley
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, 3-4 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Hobart, TAS, 7004, Australia
| | - Jon Barnett
- School of Geography, University of Melbourne, 221 Bouverie Street, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia
| | - Piers Dunstan
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, 3-4 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Hobart, TAS, 7004, Australia
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230
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El Zrelli R, Rabaoui L, Roa-Ureta RH, Gallai N, Castet S, Grégoire M, Bejaoui N, Courjault-Radé P. Economic impact of human-induced shrinkage of Posidonia oceanica meadows on coastal fisheries in the Gabes Gulf (Tunisia, Southern Mediterranean Sea). MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 155:111124. [PMID: 32469763 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In early XXth century, the Gulf of Gabes (SE Tunisia) used to host the most extended Posidonia oceanica seagrass beds in the Mediterranean Sea, and a highly productive hotspot of benthic/demersal biodiversity. Sponge harvesting and seabed trawling provoked a first step of seagrass degradation. Subsequently, phosphogypsum releases from Gabes Industrial Complex, since mid-1970s, accelerated the decline of the remaining patches. A sharp reduction of coastal fisheries landings took place with the establishment of the last industrial plant units in 1985. The decrease in coastal commercial species landings was found to be directly correlated with P. oceanica decline. The trophic web system switched from a 'benthic-dominated' to a 'pelagic-dominated' system. The economic loss related to coastal fisheries was estimated at ~60 million € in 2014 and the 1990-2014 cumulated loss exceeded 750 million €. This first economic valuation of the only direct-use consumptive value of the coastal fishing service provided by P. oceanica in Gabes Gulf is a first step towards the assessment of the environmental cost of the negative externalities caused by the local phosphate industry. It may be used as a preliminary decision-making aid to consider alternative industrial solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radhouan El Zrelli
- Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Université de Toulouse, UMR 5563 CNRS/UPS/IRD/CNES, 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France; Institut National Agronomique de Tunis (INAT), Université de Carthage, 43 Avenue Charles Nicolle, 1082 Tunis Maharajène, Tunisia.
| | - Lotfi Rabaoui
- Center for Environment & Water, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rubén H Roa-Ureta
- Center for Environment & Water, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nicola Gallai
- LEREPS, ENFA, Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse Cedex F 31042, France
| | - Sylvie Castet
- Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Université de Toulouse, UMR 5563 CNRS/UPS/IRD/CNES, 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Michel Grégoire
- Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Université de Toulouse, UMR 5563 CNRS/UPS/IRD/CNES, 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Nejla Bejaoui
- Institut National Agronomique de Tunis (INAT), Université de Carthage, 43 Avenue Charles Nicolle, 1082 Tunis Maharajène, Tunisia
| | - Pierre Courjault-Radé
- Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Université de Toulouse, UMR 5563 CNRS/UPS/IRD/CNES, 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
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231
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Elliott M, Borja A, Cormier R. Activity-footprints, pressures-footprints and effects-footprints - Walking the pathway to determining and managing human impacts in the sea. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 155:111201. [PMID: 32469751 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Determining the overall effects of human activities on the estuaries, seas and coasts, as a precursor to marine management, requires quantifying three aspects. These are: (a) the area in which the human activities take place, (b) the area covered by the pressures generated by the activities on the prevailing habitats and species, in which pressures are defined as the mechanisms of change, and (c) the area over which any adverse effects occur. These features can be respectively termed the activities-footprints, the pressures-footprints and the effects-footprints. The latter in turn incorporates both the effects on the natural system and the effects on ecosystem services from which society extracts goods and benefits. This viewpoint article explains the rationale behind this typology and proposes definitions for each of these three types of footprints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Elliott
- Department of Biological & Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK; International Estuarine & Coastal Specialists (IECS) Ltd, Leven HU17 5LQ, UK.
| | - Angel Borja
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
| | - Roland Cormier
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Institute for Coastal Research, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany.
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232
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OSIRIS: A model for integrating the effects of multiple stressors on marine ecosystems. J Theor Biol 2020; 493:110211. [PMID: 32097609 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2020.110211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
While much has been learnt about the impacts of specific stressors on individual marine organisms, considerable debate exists over the nature and impact of multiple simultaneous stressors on both individual species and marine ecosystems. We describe a modelling tool (OSIRIS) for integrating the effects of multiple simultaneous stressors. The model is relatively computationally light, and demonstrated using a coarse-grained, non-spatial and simplified representation of a temperate marine ecosystem. This version is capable of reproducing a wide range of dynamic responses. Results indicate the degree to which interactions are synergistic is crucial in determining sensitivity to forcing, particularly for the higher trophic levels, which can respond non-linearly to stronger forcing. Stronger synergistic interactions sensitize the system to variability in forcing, and combinations of stronger forcing, noise and synergies between effects are particularly potent. This work also underlines the significant potential risk incurred in treating stressors on ecosystems as individual and additive.
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233
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Wu W, Biber P, Mishra DR, Ghosh S. Sea-level rise thresholds for stability of salt marshes in a riverine versus a marine dominated estuary. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 718:137181. [PMID: 32105940 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We studied the ecological resilience of salt marshes by deriving sea level rise (SLR) thresholds in two estuaries with contrasting upland hydrological inputs in the north-central Gulf of Mexico: Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) with limited upland input, and the Pascagoula River delta drained by the Pascagoula River, the largest undammed river in the continental United States. We applied a mechanistic model to account for vegetation responses and hydrodynamics to predict salt marsh distributions under future SLR scenarios. We further investigated the potential mechanisms that contribute to salt marsh resilience to SLR. The modeling results show that salt marshes in the riverine dominated estuary are more resilient to SLR than in the marine dominated estuary with SLR thresholds of 10.3 mm/yr and 7.2 mm/yr respectively. This difference of >3 mm/yr is mainly contributed by larger quantities of riverine-borne mineral sediments in the Pascagoula River. In both systems, sediment trapping by the above-ground vegetation appears to contribute more to marsh platform accretion than organic matter from below-ground biomass based on the medians of the accretion rates. However, below-ground biomass could contribute up to 90% of accretion in the marine dominated estuary compared to only 60% of accretion in the riverine dominated estuary. SLR thresholds of salt marshes are more sensitive to vegetation biomass in the marine dominated estuary while biomass and sediment similarly affect SLR thresholds of salt marshes in the riverine dominated estuary. This research will likely help facilitate more informed decisions on conservation/restoration policies for these two types of systems in the near-term needed to minimize future catastrophic loss of these coastal marsh habitats once SLR thresholds are exceeded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wu
- Division of Coastal Sciences, School of Ocean Science and Engineering, The University of Southern Mississippi, 703 East Beach Dr., Ocean Springs, MS 39564, USA.
| | - Patrick Biber
- Division of Coastal Sciences, School of Ocean Science and Engineering, The University of Southern Mississippi, 703 East Beach Dr., Ocean Springs, MS 39564, USA
| | - Deepak R Mishra
- Center for Geospatial Research, Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Shuvankar Ghosh
- Department of Geospatial Monitoring and Information Technology, French Institute of Pondicherry (IFP), 11, St Louis St, White Town, Puducherry 605001, India
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234
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Bryhn A, Kraufvelin P, Bergström U, Vretborn M, Bergström L. A Model for Disentangling Dependencies and Impacts among Human Activities and Marine Ecosystem Services. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 65:575-586. [PMID: 32107570 PMCID: PMC7145787 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-020-01260-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Understanding and communicating the links among human activities and marine ecosystem services are fundamental for ecosystem-based management, which aims at attaining ecological, economic and social sustainability in the use of our seas. Relationships are typically complex and may differ between geographic areas. Here, an assessment model that combines available quantitative, semi-quantitative and qualitative information, rooted in the DAPSIR (Driver-Activity-Pressure-State-Impact-Response) framework and assessment requirements of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, is developed and applied. Focusing on Swedish marine waters, major human activities at sea are evaluated in relation to their dependencies and impacts on the status of marine ecosystem services. This case study is a consensus assessment based on evaluation of available literature and data. By relating degrees of dependencies and impacts to values of different economic sectors, discrepancies among sectors with respect to their impact versus their monetary value can be identified. In our case, commercial fishing depends on and influences a wide range of ecosystem services, while other sectors, such as shipping, depend little on marine ecosystem services. At the extreme end of the range, pressures from human activities in the past, such as historical nutrient emissions, still have prominent influence on ecosystem services today, entailing considerable losses. Marine tourism and commercial fishing show similar dependencies on ecosystem services, but tourism has a clearly lower impact on ecosystem services and a higher monetary value. The model may serve as a useful tool for communicating and guiding priorities in integrated environmental management and maritime spatial planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Bryhn
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Coastal Research, Skolgatan 6, 74242, Öregrund, Sweden.
| | - Patrik Kraufvelin
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Coastal Research, Skolgatan 6, 74242, Öregrund, Sweden
| | - Ulf Bergström
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Coastal Research, Skolgatan 6, 74242, Öregrund, Sweden
| | - Max Vretborn
- Swedish Agency of Water and Marine Management, Gullbergs Strandgata 15, 41104, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Lena Bergström
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Coastal Research, Skolgatan 6, 74242, Öregrund, Sweden
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236
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Sundblad G, Bergström L, Söderqvist T, Bergström U. Predicting the effects of eutrophication mitigation on predatory fish biomass and the value of recreational fisheries. AMBIO 2020; 49:1090-1099. [PMID: 31598833 PMCID: PMC7067735 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-019-01263-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Improving water clarity is a core objective for eutrophication management in the Baltic Sea, but may influence fisheries via effects on fish habitat suitability. We apply an ensemble of species distribution models coupled with habitat productivity functions and willingness-to-pay estimates to assess these effects for two coastal predatory fish species, European perch (Perca fluviatilis) and pikeperch (Sander lucioperca). The models predicted a 37% increase in perch and 59% decrease in pikeperch biomass if reaching the reference level for water clarity in the Baltic Sea Action Plan. Reaching the target level was predicted to increase perch biomass by 13%. However, the associated economic gain for the recreational fisheries sector was countervailed by an 18% pikeperch reduction. Still, a net benefit was predicted since there are six times more fishing days for perch than pikeperch. We exemplify how ecological modelling can be combined with economic analyses to map and evaluate management alternatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Göran Sundblad
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Freshwater Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Stångholmsvägen 2, 178 93 Drottningholm, Sweden
| | - Lena Bergström
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Coastal Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Skolgatan 6, 742 42 Öregrund, Sweden
| | | | - Ulf Bergström
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Coastal Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Skolgatan 6, 742 42 Öregrund, Sweden
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237
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Brooks CM, Chown SL, Douglass LL, Raymond BP, Shaw JD, Sylvester ZT, Torrens CL. Progress towards a representative network of Southern Ocean protected areas. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231361. [PMID: 32320423 PMCID: PMC7176077 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Global threats to ocean biodiversity have generated a worldwide movement to take actions to improve conservation and management. Several international initiatives have recommended the adoption of marine protected areas (MPAs) in national and international waters. National governments and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources have successfully adopted multiple MPAs in the Southern Ocean despite the challenging nature of establishing MPAs in international waters. But are these MPAs representative of Southern Ocean biodiversity? Here we answer this question for both existing and proposed Antarctic MPAs, using benthic and pelagic regionalizations as a proxy for biodiversity. Currently about 11.98% of the Southern Ocean is protected in MPAs, with 4.61% being encompassed by no-take areas. While this is a relatively large proportion of protection when compared to other international waters, current Antarctic MPAs are not representative of the full range of benthic and pelagic ecoregions. Implementing additional protected areas, including those currently under negotiation, would encompass almost 22% of the Southern Ocean. It would also substantially improve representation with 17 benthic and pelagic ecoregions (out of 23 and 19, respectively) achieving at least 10% representation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra M. Brooks
- Environmental Studies Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Steven L. Chown
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Lucinda L. Douglass
- Centre for Conservation Geography, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ben P. Raymond
- Australian Antarctic Division, Department of the Environment, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Justine D. Shaw
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Zephyr T. Sylvester
- Environmental Studies Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - Christa L. Torrens
- Environmental Studies Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
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238
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Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Oil Spill Impact and Recovery Pattern of Coastal Vegetation and Wetland Using Multispectral Satellite Landsat 8-OLI Imagery and Machine Learning Models. REMOTE SENSING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/rs12071225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Oil spills are a global phenomenon with impacts that cut across socio-economic, health, and environmental dimensions of the coastal ecosystem. However, comprehensive assessment of oil spill impacts and selection of appropriate remediation approaches have been restricted due to reliance on laboratory experiments which offer limited area coverage and classification accuracy. Thus, this study utilizes multispectral Landsat 8-OLI remote sensing imagery and machine learning models to assess the impacts of oil spills on coastal vegetation and wetland and monitor the recovery pattern of polluted vegetation and wetland in a coastal city. The spatial extent of polluted areas was also precisely quantified for effective management of the coastal ecosystem. Using Johor, a coastal city in Malaysia as a case study, a total of 49 oil spill (ground truth) locations, 54 non-oil-spill locations and Landsat 8-OLI data were utilized for the study. The ground truth points were divided into 70% training and 30% validation parts for the classification of polluted vegetation and wetland. Sixteen different indices that have been used to monitor vegetation and wetland stress in literature were adopted for impact and recovery analysis. To eliminate similarities in spectral appearance of oil-spill-affected vegetation, wetland and other elements like burnt and dead vegetation, Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF) machine learning models were used for the classification of polluted and nonpolluted vegetation and wetlands. Model optimization was performed using a random search method to improve the models’ performance, and accuracy assessments confirmed the effectiveness of the two machine learning models to identify, classify and quantify the area extent of oil pollution on coastal vegetation and wetland. Considering the harmonic mean (F1), overall accuracy (OA), User’s accuracy (UA), and producers’ accuracy (PA), both models have high accuracies. However, the RF outperformed the SVM with F1, OA, PA and UA values of 95.32%, 96.80%, 98.82% and 95.11%, respectively, while the SVM recorded accuracy values of F1 (80.83%), OA (92.87%), PA (95.18%) and UA (93.81%), respectively, highlighting 1205.98 hectares of polluted vegetation and 1205.98 hectares of polluted wetland. Analysis of the vegetation indices revealed that spilled oil had a significant impact on the vegetation and wetland, although steady recovery was observed between 2015-2018. This study concludes that Chlorophyll Vegetation Index, Modified Difference Water Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and Green Chlorophyll Index vegetation indices are more sensitive for impact and recovery assessment of both vegetation and wetland, in addition to Modified Normalized Difference Vegetation Index for wetlands. Thus, remote sensing and Machine Learning models are essential tools capable of providing accurate information for coastal oil spill impact assessment and recovery analysis for appropriate remediation initiatives.
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239
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Lara-Martín PA, Chiaia-Hernández AC, Biel-Maeso M, Baena-Nogueras RM, Hollender J. Tracing Urban Wastewater Contaminants into the Atlantic Ocean by Nontarget Screening. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:3996-4005. [PMID: 32122118 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b06114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Oceans are the ultimate sink for many of the over 100 million man-made substances. Until now, monitoring was limited to a reduced number of targeted persistent organic pollutants, reaching open waters mainly via atmospheric deposition. However, the composition and fate of the thousands of pollutants reaching the marine environment though wastewater discharges from coastal sources remain largely unexplored. By combining a newly developed nontarget screening (NTS) workflow and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), we have identified over 500 sewage-derived contaminants occurring in the ocean. Samples from the NE Atlantic contained this anthropogenic imprint at distances over 50 km from the coastline and >500 m depth, beyond the continental margin. The range of identified compounds spans from pharmaceuticals and personal care products to food additives and industrial chemicals, including several that have never been reported in the environment, as they escaped conventional targeted analytical methods. Predicting the effects of the continuous input of this chemical "cocktail" on marine ecosystems is a formidable challenge, since 40% of the detected compounds lack information regarding their use and ecotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo A Lara-Martín
- Physical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cadiz, Campus of International Excellence of the Sea (CEI·MAR), 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Aurea C Chiaia-Hernández
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute of Geography and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Miriam Biel-Maeso
- Physical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cadiz, Campus of International Excellence of the Sea (CEI·MAR), 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Rosa M Baena-Nogueras
- Physical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cadiz, Campus of International Excellence of the Sea (CEI·MAR), 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Juliane Hollender
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, IBP, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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240
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Blowes SA, Supp SR, Antão LH, Bates A, Bruelheide H, Chase JM, Moyes F, Magurran A, McGill B, Myers-Smith IH, Winter M, Bjorkman AD, Bowler DE, Byrnes JEK, Gonzalez A, Hines J, Isbell F, Jones HP, Navarro LM, Thompson PL, Vellend M, Waldock C, Dornelas M. The geography of biodiversity change in marine and terrestrial assemblages. Science 2020; 366:339-345. [PMID: 31624208 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw1620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 215] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Human activities are fundamentally altering biodiversity. Projections of declines at the global scale are contrasted by highly variable trends at local scales, suggesting that biodiversity change may be spatially structured. Here, we examined spatial variation in species richness and composition change using more than 50,000 biodiversity time series from 239 studies and found clear geographic variation in biodiversity change. Rapid compositional change is prevalent, with marine biomes exceeding and terrestrial biomes trailing the overall trend. Assemblage richness is not changing on average, although locations exhibiting increasing and decreasing trends of up to about 20% per year were found in some marine studies. At local scales, widespread compositional reorganization is most often decoupled from richness change, and biodiversity change is strongest and most variable in the oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane A Blowes
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany. .,Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Computer Science, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Sarah R Supp
- Data Analytics Program, Denison University, Granville, OH, USA.
| | - Laura H Antão
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, UK.,Department of Biology and CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.,Research Centre for Ecological Change, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Amanda Bates
- Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Helge Bruelheide
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany.,Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jonathan M Chase
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany.,Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Computer Science, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Faye Moyes
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, UK
| | - Anne Magurran
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, UK
| | - Brian McGill
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
| | | | - Marten Winter
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anne D Bjorkman
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Diana E Bowler
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jarrett E K Byrnes
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew Gonzalez
- Department of Biology, Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jes Hines
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany.,Leipzig University, Institute of Biology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Forest Isbell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Holly P Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability, and Energy, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Laetitia M Navarro
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany.,Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Patrick L Thompson
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Mark Vellend
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Conor Waldock
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK & Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, UK
| | - Maria Dornelas
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, UK.
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241
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Dellisanti W, Tsang RHL, Ang P, Wu J, Wells ML, Chan LL. Metabolic performance and thermal and salinity tolerance of the coral Platygyra carnosa in Hong Kong waters. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 153:111005. [PMID: 32275553 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Stress-tolerant coral species, such as Platygyra spp., are considered to be well adapted to survive in marginal reefs, but their physiological response to short term exposure to abnormally high temperature and lowered salinity remains poorly understood. Using non-invasive techniques to quantitatively assess the health of Platygyra carnosa (e.g. respiration, photosynthesis, biocalcification and whiteness), we identified the plasticity of its energetics and physiological limits. Although these indicators suggest that it can survive to increasing temperature (25-32 °C), its overall energetics were seriously diminished at temperatures >30 °C. In contrast, it was well adapted to hyposaline waters (31-21 psu) but with reduced biocalcification, indicating short term adaptation for expected future changes in salinity driven by increased amounts and intensities of precipitation. Our findings provide useful insights to the effect of these climate drivers on P. carnosa metabolism and thus better forecast changes in their health status under future climate change scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Dellisanti
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory for the Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity, Research Centre for the Oceans and Human Health, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Ryan H L Tsang
- Marine Science Laboratory, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Put Ang
- Marine Science Laboratory, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jiajun Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory for the Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity, Research Centre for the Oceans and Human Health, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mark L Wells
- School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, USA; State Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, 36 Baochubei Road, Hangzhou 310012, China
| | - Leo L Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory for the Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity, Research Centre for the Oceans and Human Health, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China.
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242
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Pérez‐Jorge S, Tobeña M, Prieto R, Vandeperre F, Calmettes B, Lehodey P, Silva MA. Environmental drivers of large‐scale movements of baleen whales in the mid‐North Atlantic Ocean. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sergi Pérez‐Jorge
- Okeanos R&D Centre Institute of Marine Research University of the Azores Horta Portugal
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon Lisbon Portugal
| | - Marta Tobeña
- Okeanos R&D Centre Institute of Marine Research University of the Azores Horta Portugal
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon Lisbon Portugal
| | - Rui Prieto
- Okeanos R&D Centre Institute of Marine Research University of the Azores Horta Portugal
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon Lisbon Portugal
| | - Frederic Vandeperre
- Okeanos R&D Centre Institute of Marine Research University of the Azores Horta Portugal
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon Lisbon Portugal
| | - Beatriz Calmettes
- Marine Ecosystems Modeling and Monitoring by Satellites CLS Ramonville France
| | - Patrick Lehodey
- Marine Ecosystems Modeling and Monitoring by Satellites CLS Ramonville France
| | - Mónica A. Silva
- Okeanos R&D Centre Institute of Marine Research University of the Azores Horta Portugal
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon Lisbon Portugal
- Biology Department Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole MA USA
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243
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Jacob C, Bochove J, Livingstone S, White T, Pilgrim J, Bennun L. Marine biodiversity offsets: Pragmatic approaches toward better conservation outcomes. Conserv Lett 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Céline Jacob
- Laboratoire d'Economie Ecologique, Institut des sciences de la forêt tempéréeUniversité du Québec en Outaouais Gatineau Quebec Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Leon Bennun
- The Biodiversity Consultancy Cambridge UK
- Conservation Science Group, Department of ZoologyUniversity of Cambridge Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3EJ UK
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244
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Mendoza JC, Clemente S, Hernández JC. Modeling the role of marine protected areas on the recovery of shallow rocky reef ecosystem after a catastrophic submarine volcanic eruption. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 155:104877. [PMID: 32072981 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.104877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Modeling is a useful approach to learn about the capacity of the systems to recover after disturbances. In October 2011, a submarine volcanic eruption in The Punta Restinga-Mar de Las Calmas Marine Protected Area (RMC-MPA) caused catastrophic mass mortality. We modeled the recovery dynamics of the fully protected (no-take zone), partially protected (buffer zone), and unprotected (fished zone) areas to evaluate their resilience and their potential to restore fishing resources. Recovery varied with species and levels of protection. Benthic macroalgae and parrotfish populations recovered the fastest. Piscivore fishes, macroinvertebrate feeders, and macroinvertebrate detritivores required more extended recovery periods. The levels of protection played a significant role in recovery, with the no-take zone showing more resilience than the buffer and fished zones. Our results suggest that no-take zones are crucial in the recovery process after catastrophic events. Regular monitoring of benthic communities provided the necessary data to model these communities and to point to the regulation of the artisanal fleet activity in restricted fishing areas as a mechanism to further enhance the recovery of fishing stocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Carlos Mendoza
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Tenerife, islas Canarias, España. c/ Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/ n, 38206, La Laguna, s/c Tenerife, Spain.
| | - Sabrina Clemente
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Tenerife, islas Canarias, España. c/ Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/ n, 38206, La Laguna, s/c Tenerife, Spain
| | - José Carlos Hernández
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Tenerife, islas Canarias, España. c/ Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/ n, 38206, La Laguna, s/c Tenerife, Spain
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245
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Cummings VJ, Beaumont J, Mobilia V, Bell JJ, Tracey D, Clark MR, Barr N. Responses of a common New Zealand coastal sponge to elevated suspended sediments: Indications of resilience. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 155:104886. [PMID: 32072988 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.104886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Suspended sediments can affect the health of marine benthic suspension feeders, with concomitant effects on community diversity, abundance and ecosystem function. Suspended sediment loads can become elevated through trawling and dredging, and via resuspension of bottom sediments and/or direct input from land during storms. We assessed the functioning (survival, respiration, morphology) of a common New Zealand cushion sponge, Crella incrustans (Carter, 1885), during four weeks of exposure to a gradient of suspended sediment concentrations (SSC). Survival was high, and oxygen consumption was not affected. Sponges did, however, develop apical fistules, a phenomenon never-before observed in this species. Although sediments accumulated internally within the sponges, around a third had cleared these sediments two weeks after the elevated SSCs were removed. The environments these sponges inhabit may predispose them to coping with high SSCs. Such experiments are useful for defining SSC tolerances, which may influence how such impacts can be managed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vonda J Cummings
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New Zealand.
| | - Jennifer Beaumont
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Valeria Mobilia
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
| | - James J Bell
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Dianne Tracey
- 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
| | - Neill Barr
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New Zealand
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246
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Moudrý V, Devillers R. Quality and usability challenges of global marine biodiversity databases: An example for marine mammal data. ECOL INFORM 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2020.101051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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247
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Eguchi T, Bredvik J, Graham S, LeRoux R, Saunders B, Seminoff JA. Effects of a power plant closure on home ranges of green turtles in an urban foraging area. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2020. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A natural experiment was conducted to determine effects of a fossil-fueled power plant on home ranges of east Pacific green turtles Chelonia mydas in an urban foraging ground. The power plant, located in south San Diego Bay, California, USA, co-existed with a resident foraging aggregation of ~60 green turtles for ~50 yr. It was decommissioned during a long-term green turtle monitoring study, thus providing a rare opportunity to evaluate how the cessation of warm-water effluent affected turtle movements and habitat use in the area. During pre- and post-decommissioning of the power plant, 7 and 23 green turtles, respectively, were equipped with GPS-enabled satellite transmitters. Useful data were obtained from 17 turtles (4 for pre- and 13 for post-decommissioning). Core use areas (50% utilization distribution [UD]) increased from 0.71 to 1.37 km2 after the power plant decommissioning. Increase in post-power plant 50% UD was greater during nighttime (0.52 to 1.44 km2) than daytime (1.32 to 1.43 km2). Furthermore, UDs moved from the effluent channel to an area closer to seagrass pastures, a presumed foraging habitat of the turtles. The observed expansion of green turtle home ranges may increase turtle-human interactions, such as boat strikes, within the foraging ground; this underscores how seemingly innocuous human actions contribute to inadvertent consequences to wildlife. Possible management and conservation actions include increasing awareness of the public regarding turtle presence in the area through signage and education as well as legislating for a reduction in boat speeds in select areas of the bay.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Eguchi
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, La Jolla, CA 92037-1508, USA
| | - J Bredvik
- United States Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, CA 93132-5190, USA
| | - S Graham
- United States Navy, Naval information Warfare Center, San Diego, CA 92152-5001, USA
| | - R LeRoux
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, La Jolla, CA 92037-1508, USA
| | - B Saunders
- United States Navy, Naval information Warfare Center, San Diego, CA 92152-5001, USA
| | - JA Seminoff
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, La Jolla, CA 92037-1508, USA
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248
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Bowler DE, Bjorkman AD, Dornelas M, Myers‐Smith IH, Navarro LM, Niamir A, Supp SR, Waldock C, Winter M, Vellend M, Blowes SA, Böhning‐Gaese K, Bruelheide H, Elahi R, Antão LH, Hines J, Isbell F, Jones HP, Magurran AE, Cabral JS, Bates AE. Mapping human pressures on biodiversity across the planet uncovers anthropogenic threat complexes. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Diana E. Bowler
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt am Main Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity Friedrich Schiller University Jena Jena Germany
- Department of Ecosystem Services UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig Germany
| | - Anne D. Bjorkman
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre Gothenburg Sweden
| | - Maria Dornelas
- Centre for Biological Diversity University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
| | | | - Laetitia M. Navarro
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden Martin Luther University Halle–Wittenberg Halle Germany
| | - Aidin Niamir
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Sarah R. Supp
- Data Analytics Program Denison University Granville OH USA
| | - Conor Waldock
- Ocean and Earth Science National Oceanography Centre SouthamptonUniversity of Southampton Southampton UK
| | - Marten Winter
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Leipzig University Leipzig Germany
| | | | - Shane A. Blowes
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Department of Computer Science Martin Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg Halle (Salle) Germany
| | | | - Helge Bruelheide
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden Martin Luther University Halle–Wittenberg Halle Germany
| | - Robin Elahi
- Hopkins Marine Station Stanford University Pacific Grove CA USA
| | - Laura H. Antão
- Centre for Biological Diversity University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
- Department of Biology and CESAM Universidade de Aveiro Aveiro Portugal
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Jes Hines
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Biology Leipzig University Leipzig Germany
| | - Forest Isbell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota Twin Cities Saint Paul MN USA
| | - Holly P. Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability, and Energy Northern Illinois University DeKalb IL USA
| | - Anne E. Magurran
- Centre for Biological Diversity University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
| | - Juliano Sarmento Cabral
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Ecosystem Modeling Centre for Computational and Theoretical Biology University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
| | - Amanda E. Bates
- Ocean and Earth Science National Oceanography Centre SouthamptonUniversity of Southampton Southampton UK
- Department of Ocean Sciences Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's NL Canada
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Chou E, Kershaw F, Maxwell SM, Collins T, Strindberg S, Rosenbaum HC. Distribution of breeding humpback whale habitats and overlap with cumulative anthropogenic impacts in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Chou
- Wildlife Conservation Society Ocean Giants Program Bronx NY USA
- Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology Department Columbia University New York NY USA
| | | | - Sara M. Maxwell
- School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences University of Washington Bothell Bothell WA USA
| | - Tim Collins
- Wildlife Conservation Society Ocean Giants Program Bronx NY USA
| | | | - Howard C. Rosenbaum
- Wildlife Conservation Society Ocean Giants Program Bronx NY USA
- Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology Department Columbia University New York NY USA
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Dreujou E, Carrier-Belleau C, Goldsmit J, Fiorentino D, Ben-Hamadou R, Muelbert JH, Godbold JA, Daigle RM, Beauchesne D. Holistic Environmental Approaches and Aichi Biodiversity Targets: accomplishments and perspectives for marine ecosystems. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8171. [PMID: 32140297 PMCID: PMC7047861 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to help safeguard biodiversity from global changes, the Conference of the Parties developed a Strategic Plan for Biodiversity for the period 2011-2020 that included a list of twenty specific objectives known as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. With the end of that timeframe in sight, and despite major advancements in biodiversity conservation, evidence suggests that the majority of the Targets are unlikely to be met. This article is part of a series of perspective pieces from the 4th World Conference on Marine Biodiversity (May 2018, Montréal, Canada) to identify next steps towards successful biodiversity conservation in marine environments. We specifically reviewed holistic environmental assessment studies (HEA) and their contribution to reaching the Targets. Our analysis was based on multiple environmental approaches which can be considered as holistic, and we discuss how HEA can contribute to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets in the near future. We found that only a few HEA articles considered a specific Biodiversity Target in their research, and that Target 11, which focuses on marine protected areas, was the most commonly cited. We propose five research priorities to enhance HEA for marine biodiversity conservation beyond 2020: (i) expand the use of holistic approaches in environmental assessments, (ii) standardize HEA vocabulary, (iii) enhance data collection, sharing and management, (iv) consider ecosystem spatio-temporal variability and (v) integrate ecosystem services in HEA. The consideration of these priorities will promote the value of HEA and will benefit the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Dreujou
- Institut des Sciences de la Mer, University of Québec at Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec, Canada
- Department of Biology, Laval University, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Jesica Goldsmit
- Department of Biology, Laval University, Québec, Québec, Canada
- Maurice Lamontagne Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Mont-Joli, Québec, Canada
| | - Dario Fiorentino
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Alfred Wagner Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Radhouane Ben-Hamadou
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Jose H. Muelbert
- Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Brazil
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Jasmin A. Godbold
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Center, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Rémi M. Daigle
- Department of Biology, Laval University, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - David Beauchesne
- Institut des Sciences de la Mer, University of Québec at Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec, Canada
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