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Freeman HA, Hepburn LJ, Taylor MI, Hunter E, Dumbrell AJ, Gregson BH, Smith AJ, Lamphierre A, Cameron TC. What makes a habitat a home? Habitat associations of juvenile European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, in estuarine nurseries. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38831672 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Selection of nursery habitats by marine fish, such as European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), is poorly understood. Identifying and protecting the full range of juvenile nursery habitats is vital to supporting resilient fish populations and economically important fisheries. We examined how the condition, stomach fullness, and diet of juvenile European sea bass, along with their abundance, differ at high or low tide between the following estuarine habitats: saltmarsh, oyster reefs, shingle, sand, and mud edge habitats. Using a combination of fyke and seine netting we found no difference in sea bass abundance or condition across high-tide habitats, suggesting that rather than differentially selecting between them, juvenile sea bass use all available shallow habitats at high tide. Stomach fullness was significantly higher on saltmarsh and sand compared to mud, and thus these habitats may support better foraging. Dietary DNA metabarcoding revealed that sand and saltmarsh diets mostly comprised Hediste polychaetes, whereas zooplanktonic taxa dominated diets over mud. At low tide, sea bass abundance was highest in shingle and oyster reefs, where stomach fullness and condition were lowest. This may indicate a potential trade-off between using habitats for foraging and refuge. Although sea bass abundance alone does not capture productivity, the high abundance across all estuarine habitats at high tide suggests that it is important to consider the protection of a mosaic of interconnected habitats to support nursery functions rather than focus on individual habitat types.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Martin I Taylor
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Ewan Hunter
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
- Lowestoft Laboratory, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, UK
| | - Alex J Dumbrell
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | - Benjamin H Gregson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Albert J Smith
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | | | - Tom C Cameron
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
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2
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Olson AM, Prentice C, Monteith ZL, VanMaanen D, Juanes F, Hessing-Lewis M. Grazing preference and isotopic contributions of kelp to Zostera marina mesograzers. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:991744. [PMID: 36311148 PMCID: PMC9608150 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.991744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In seagrass food webs, small invertebrate mesograzers often exert top-down control on algal epiphytes growing on seagrass blades, which in turn releases the seagrass from competition for light and nutrients. Yet, nearshore habitat boundaries are permeable, and allochthonous subsidies can provide alternative food sources to in-situ production in seagrass meadows, which may in turn alter mesograzer-epiphyte interactions. We examined the contribution of allochthonous kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana), autochthonous epiphytic macroalgal (Smithora naiadum), Ulva lactuca, and seagrass production to mesograzer diets in a subtidal Zostera marina (eelgrass) meadow. In both choice feeding experiments and isotopic analysis, mesograzer diets revealed a preference for allochthonous N. luetkeana over Z. marina, S. naiadum, and U. lactuca. Notably, Idotea resecata showed an ~20x greater consumption rate for N. luetkeana in feeding experiments over other macrophytes. In the meadow, we found a positive relationship between epiphytic S. naiadum and gammarid amphipod biomass suggesting weak top-down control on the S. naiadum biomass. Epiphyte biomass may be driven by bottom-up factors such as environmental conditions, or the availability and preference of allochthonous kelp, though further work is needed to disentangle these interactions. Additionally, we found that gammarid and caprellid amphipod biomass were positively influenced by adjacency to kelp at seagrass meadow edges. Our findings suggest that N. luetkeana kelp subsidies are important to the diets of mesograzers in Z. marina meadows. Spatial planning and management of marine areas should consider trophic linkages between kelp and eelgrass habitats as a critical seascape feature if the goal is to conserve nearshore food web structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angeleen M. Olson
- Nearshore Ecology, Hakai Institute, Heriot Bay, BC, Canada
- Fisheries Ecology and Conservation Lab, Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Francis Juanes
- Fisheries Ecology and Conservation Lab, Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Margot Hessing-Lewis
- Nearshore Ecology, Hakai Institute, Heriot Bay, BC, Canada
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Comparing the Use of Red-Edge and Near-Infrared Wavelength Ranges for Detecting Submerged Kelp Canopy. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14092241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Kelp forests are commonly classified within remote sensing imagery by contrasting the high reflectance in the near-infrared spectral region of kelp canopy floating at the surface with the low reflectance in the same spectral region of water. However, kelp canopy is often submerged below the surface of the water, making it important to understand the effects of kelp submersion on the above-water reflectance of kelp, and the depth to which kelp can be detected, in order to reduce uncertainties around the kelp canopy area when mapping kelp. Here, we characterized changes to the above-water spectra of Nereocystis luetkeana (Bull kelp) as different canopy structures (bulb and blades) were submerged in water from the surface to 100 cm in 10 cm increments, while collecting above-water hyperspectral measurements with a spectroradiometer (325–1075 nm). The hyperspectral data were simulated into the multispectral bandwidths of the WorldView-3 satellite and the Micasense RedEdge-MX unoccupied aerial vehicle sensors and vegetation indices were calculated to compare detection limits of kelp with a focus on differences between red edge and near infrared indices. For kelp on the surface, near-infrared reflectance was higher than red-edge reflectance. Once submerged, the kelp spectra showed two narrow reflectance peaks in the red-edge and near-infrared wavelength ranges, and the red-edge peak was consistently higher than the near-infrared peak. As a result, kelp was detected deeper with vegetation indices calculated with a red-edge band versus those calculated with a near infrared band. Our results show that using red-edge bands increased detection of submerged kelp canopy, which may be beneficial for estimating kelp surface-canopy area and biomass.
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Beheshti KM, Williams SL, Boyer KE, Endris C, Clemons A, Grimes T, Wasson K, Hughes BB. Rapid enhancement of multiple ecosystem services following the restoration of a coastal foundation species. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e02466. [PMID: 34614246 PMCID: PMC9285811 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The global decline of marine foundation species (kelp forests, mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrasses) has contributed to the degradation of the coastal zone and threatens the loss of critical ecosystem services and functions. Restoration of marine foundation species has had variable success, especially for seagrasses, where a majority of restoration efforts have failed. While most seagrass restorations track structural attributes over time, rarely do restorations assess the suite of ecological functions that may be affected by restoration. Here we report on the results of two small-scale experimental seagrass restoration efforts in a central California estuary where we transplanted 117 0.25-m2 plots (2,340 shoots) of the seagrass species Zostera marina. We quantified restoration success relative to persistent reference beds, and in comparison to unrestored, unvegetated areas. Within three years, our restored plots expanded ~8,500%, from a total initial area of 29 to 2,513 m2 . The restored beds rapidly began to resemble the reference beds in (1) seagrass structural attributes (canopy height, shoot density, biomass), (2) ecological functions (macrofaunal species richness and abundance, epifaunal species richness, nursery function), and (3) biogeochemical functions (modulation of water quality). We also developed a multifunctionality index to assess cumulative functional performance, which revealed restored plots are intermediate between reference and unvegetated habitats, illustrating how rapidly multiple functions recovered over a short time period. Our comprehensive study is one of few published studies to quantify how seagrass restoration can enhance both biological and biogeochemical functions. Our study serves as a model for quantifying ecosystem services associated with the restoration of a foundation species and demonstrates the potential for rapid functional recovery that can be achieved through targeted restoration of fast-growing foundation species under suitable conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M. Beheshti
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California, Santa CruzSanta CruzCalifornia95060USA
| | - Susan L. Williams
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California, DavisDavisCalifornia95616USA
| | - Katharyn E. Boyer
- Estuary & Ocean Science CenterSan Francisco State UniversityTiburonCalifornia94920USA
| | - Charlie Endris
- Moss Landing Marine LaboratoriesMoss LandingCalifornia95039USA
| | - Annakate Clemons
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California, Santa CruzSanta CruzCalifornia95060USA
| | - Tracy Grimes
- Department of EcologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCalifornia92182USA
| | - Kerstin Wasson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California, Santa CruzSanta CruzCalifornia95060USA
- Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research ReserveRoyal OaksCalifornia95076USA
| | - Brent B. Hughes
- Department of BiologySonoma State UniversityRohnert ParkCalifornia94928USA
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Hendy IW, Woolford K, Vincent-Piper A, Burt O, Schaefer M, Cragg SM, Sanchez-Navarro P, Ragazzola F. Climate-driven golden tides are reshaping coastal communities in Quintana Roo, Mexico. CLIMATE CHANGE ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecochg.2021.100033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Eger AM, Best RJ, Baum JK. Dominance determines fish community biomass in a temperate seagrass ecosystem. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:10489-10501. [PMID: 34367591 PMCID: PMC8328455 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Biodiversity and ecosystem function are often correlated, but there are multiple hypotheses about the mechanisms underlying this relationship. Ecosystem functions such as primary or secondary production may be maximized by species richness, evenness in species abundances, or the presence or dominance of species with certain traits. Here, we combine surveys of natural fish communities (conducted in July and August 2016) with morphological trait data to examine relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem function (quantified as fish community biomass) across 14 subtidal eelgrass meadows in the Northeast Pacific (54°N, 130°W). We employ both taxonomic and functional trait measures of diversity to investigate whether ecosystem function is best predicted by species diversity (complementarity hypothesis) or by the presence or dominance of species with particular trait values (selection or dominance hypotheses). After controlling for environmental variation, we find that fish community biomass is maximized when taxonomic richness and functional evenness are low, and in communities dominated by species with particular trait values, specifically those associated with benthic habitats and prey capture. While previous work on fish communities has found that species richness is often positively correlated with ecosystem function, our results instead highlight the capacity for regionally prevalent and locally dominant species to drive ecosystem function in moderately diverse communities. We discuss these alternate links between community composition and ecosystem function and consider their divergent implications for ecosystem valuation and conservation prioritization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron M. Eger
- Department of BiologyUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBCCanada
- Present address:
School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Rebecca J. Best
- School of Earth and SustainabilityNorthern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffAZUSA
| | - Julia K. Baum
- Department of BiologyUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBCCanada
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Menning DM, Gravley HA, Cady MN, Pepin D, Wyllie-Echeverria S, Ward DH, Talbot SL. Metabarcoding of environmental samples suggest wide distribution of eelgrass (Zostera marina) pathogens in the north Pacific. METABARCODING AND METAGENOMICS 2021. [DOI: 10.3897/mbmg.5.62823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Seagrass meadows provide important ecological services to the marine environment but are declining worldwide. Although eelgrass meadows in the north Pacific are thought to be relatively healthy, few studies have assessed the presence of known disease pathogens in these meadows. In a pilot study to test the efficacy of the methods and to provide foundational disease biodiversity data in the north Pacific, we leveraged metabarcoding of environmental DNA extracted from water, sediment, and eelgrass tissue samples collected from five widely distributed eelgrass meadows in Alaska and one in Japan and uncovered wide prevalence of two classes of pathogenic organisms – Labyrinthula zosterae and other associated strains of Labyrinthula, and the Phytophthora/Halophytophthora blight species complex – known to have caused decline in eelgrass (Zostera marina) elsewhere in the species’ global distribution. Although the distribution of these disease organisms is not well understood in the north Pacific, we uncovered the presence of at least one eelgrass pathogen at every locality sampled.
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Murphy GE, Dunic JC, Adamczyk EM, Bittick SJ, Côté IM, Cristiani J, Geissinger EA, Gregory RS, Lotze HK, O’Connor MI, Araújo CA, Rubidge EM, Templeman ND, Wong MC. From coast to coast to coast: ecology and management of seagrass ecosystems across Canada. Facets (Ott) 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2020-0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Seagrass meadows are among the most productive and diverse marine ecosystems, providing essential structure, functions, and services. They are also among the most impacted by human activities and in urgent need of better management and protection. In Canada, eelgrass ( Zostera marina) meadows are found along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic coasts, and thus occur across a wide range of biogeographic conditions. Here, we synthesize knowledge of eelgrass ecosystems across Canada’s coasts, highlighting commonalities and differences in environmental conditions, plant, habitat, and community structure, as well as current trends and human impacts. Across regions, eelgrass life history, phenology, and general species assemblages are similar. However, distinct regional differences occur in environmental conditions, particularly with water temperature and nutrient availability. There is considerable variation in the types and strengths of human activities among regions. The impacts of coastal development are prevalent in all regions, while other impacts are of concern for specific regions, e.g., nutrient loading in the Atlantic and impacts from the logging industry in the Pacific. In addition, climate change represents a growing threat to eelgrass meadows. We review current management and conservation efforts and discuss the implications of observed differences from coast to coast to coast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace E.P. Murphy
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
- Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 1 Challenger Drive, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2, Canada
| | - Jillian C. Dunic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Emily M. Adamczyk
- Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Sarah J. Bittick
- Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Isabelle M. Côté
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - John Cristiani
- Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | | | - Robert S. Gregory
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL A1C 5S7, Canada
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. John’s, NL A1A 5J7, Canada
| | - Heike K. Lotze
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Mary I. O’Connor
- Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Carlos A.S. Araújo
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, QC G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - Emily M. Rubidge
- Institute of Ocean Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Sidney, BC V8L 4B2, Canada
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | | | - Melisa C. Wong
- Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 1 Challenger Drive, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2, Canada
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From Marine Metacommunities to Meta-ecosystems: Examining the Nature, Scale and Significance of Resource Flows in Benthic Marine Environments. Ecosystems 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-020-00580-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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10
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Barnes RSK. Do different sympatric seagrasses support macrobenthic faunas of differing composition, abundance, biodiversity or patchiness? MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 160:104983. [PMID: 32907721 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.104983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Intertidal macrobenthic assemblages associated with monospecific areas of different sympatric though not syntopic seagrasses [Cymodocea, Halodule, Zostera and Halophila] were investigated in Moreton Bay across a continuous <0.12 ha seagrass area with minimal potentially-confounding environmental variables. Results indicated patterns of unchanging faunal metrics across seagrass types (abundance, richness, diversity, evenness, taxonomic distinctness, and patchiness) but variation in relative proportions of dominant taxa, particularly microgastropods (abundant in Zostera, insignificant in Cymodocea and Halodule). Although assemblage composition varied, faunal dissimilarities (except with Zostera) were very low and of similar magnitudes within and between different 'host' seagrasses. This suggests that such macroecological faunal characteristics are not consequent on the precise local ecosystem engineer but largely reflect those of a common pool of locally available species, so that the differences in animal abundance and biodiversity described in some studies relate not directly to features inherent in the different seagrasses, but to associated habitat variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- R S K Barnes
- School of Biological Sciences and Centre for Marine Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Queensland, Australia.
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Boyé A, Thiébaut É, Grall J, Legendre P, Broudin C, Houbin C, Le Garrec V, Maguer M, Droual G, Gauthier O. Trait‐based approach to monitoring marine benthic data along 500 km of coastline. DIVERS DISTRIB 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Boyé
- CNRS IRD Ifremer LEMAR Univ Brest Plouzane France
- Département de Sciences Biologiques Université de Montréal Montréal QC Canada
| | - Éric Thiébaut
- Laboratoire Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin UMR 7144 CNRS Station Biologique de Roscoff Sorbonne Université Roscoff Cedex France
| | - Jacques Grall
- CNRS IRD Ifremer LEMAR Univ Brest Plouzane France
- CNRS UMS 3113 Observatoire Marin Suivis Habitats Benthiques OSU‐IUEM Université de Brest Plouzané France
| | - Pierre Legendre
- Département de Sciences Biologiques Université de Montréal Montréal QC Canada
| | - Caroline Broudin
- CNRS Station Biologique de Roscoff FR 2424 Sorbonne Université Roscoff France
| | - Céline Houbin
- CNRS Station Biologique de Roscoff FR 2424 Sorbonne Université Roscoff France
| | - Vincent Le Garrec
- CNRS UMS 3113 Observatoire Marin Suivis Habitats Benthiques OSU‐IUEM Université de Brest Plouzané France
| | - Marion Maguer
- CNRS UMS 3113 Observatoire Marin Suivis Habitats Benthiques OSU‐IUEM Université de Brest Plouzané France
| | - Gabin Droual
- CNRS UMS 3113 Observatoire Marin Suivis Habitats Benthiques OSU‐IUEM Université de Brest Plouzané France
| | - Olivier Gauthier
- CNRS IRD Ifremer LEMAR Univ Brest Plouzane France
- CNRS UMS 3113 Observatoire Marin Suivis Habitats Benthiques OSU‐IUEM Université de Brest Plouzané France
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