1
|
Ulrich NJ, Shen G, Bryant DA, Miller SR. Ecological diversification of a cyanobacterium through divergence of its novel chlorophyll d-based light-harvesting system. Curr Biol 2024; 34:2972-2979.e4. [PMID: 38851184 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
The evolution of novel traits can have important consequences for biological diversification. Novelties such as new structures are associated with changes in both genotype and phenotype that often lead to changes in ecological function.1,2 New ecological opportunities provided by a novel trait can trigger subsequent trait modification or niche partitioning3; however, the underlying mechanisms of novel trait diversification are still poorly understood. Here, we report that the innovation of a new chlorophyll (Chl) pigment, Chl d, by the cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina was followed by the functional divergence of its light-harvesting complex. We identified three major photosynthetic spectral types based on Chl fluorescence properties for a collection of A. marina laboratory strains for which genome sequence data are available,4,5 with shorter- and longer-wavelength types more recently derived from an ancestral intermediate phenotype. Members of the different spectral types exhibited extensive variation in the Chl-binding proteins as well as the Chl energy levels of their photosynthetic complexes. This spectral-type divergence is associated with differences in the wavelength dependence of both growth rate and photosynthetic oxygen evolution. We conclude that the divergence of the light-harvesting apparatus has consequently impacted A. marina ecological diversification through specialization on different far-red photons for photosynthesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikea J Ulrich
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Gaozhong Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, 406 Althouse Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Donald A Bryant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, 406 Althouse Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Scott R Miller
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Dodson S, Oestreich WK, Savoca MS, Hazen EL, Bograd SJ, Ryan JP, Fiechter J, Abrahms B. Long-distance communication can enable collective migration in a dynamic seascape. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14857. [PMID: 38937635 PMCID: PMC11211507 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65827-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Social information is predicted to enhance the quality of animals' migratory decisions in dynamic ecosystems, but the relative benefits of social information in the long-range movements of marine megafauna are unknown. In particular, whether and how migrants use nonlocal information gained through social communication at the large spatial scale of oceanic ecosystems remains unclear. Here we test hypotheses about the cues underlying timing of blue whales' breeding migration in the Northeast Pacific via individual-based models parameterized by empirical behavioral data. Comparing emergent patterns from individual-based models to individual and population-level empirical metrics of migration timing, we find that individual whales likely rely on both personal and social sources of information about forage availability in deciding when to depart from their vast and dynamic foraging habitat and initiate breeding migration. Empirical patterns of migratory phenology can only be reproduced by models in which individuals use long-distance social information about conspecifics' behavioral state, which is known to be encoded in the patterning of their widely propagating songs. Further, social communication improves pre-migration seasonal foraging performance by over 60% relative to asocial movement mechanisms. Our results suggest that long-range communication enhances the perceptual ranges of migrating whales beyond that of any individual, resulting in increased foraging performance and more collective migration timing. These findings indicate the value of nonlocal social information in an oceanic migrant and suggest the importance of long-distance acoustic communication in the collective migration of wide-ranging marine megafauna.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Dodson
- Department of Mathematics, Colby College, Waterville, ME, 04901, USA.
| | | | - Matthew S Savoca
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, USA
| | - Elliott L Hazen
- Environmental Research Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Monterey, CA, 93940, USA
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Steven J Bograd
- Environmental Research Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Monterey, CA, 93940, USA
| | - John P Ryan
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, 95039, USA
| | - Jerome Fiechter
- Department of Ocean Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Briana Abrahms
- Department of Biology, Center for Ecosystem Sentinels, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Foffa D, Young MT, Brusatte SL. Comparative functional morphology indicates niche partitioning among sympatric marine reptiles. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231951. [PMID: 39076819 PMCID: PMC11285779 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231951] [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: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Mesozoic marine ecosystems were dominated by diverse lineages of aquatic tetrapods. For over 50 Ma in the Jurassic until the Early Cretaceous, plesiosaurians, ichthyosaurians and thalattosuchian crocodylomorphs coexisted at the top levels of trophic food webs. We created a functional dataset of continuous craniomandibular and dental characters known from neontological studies to be functionally significant in modern aquatic tetrapods. We analysed this dataset with multivariate ordination and inferential statistics to assess functional similarities and differences in the marine reptile faunas of two well-sampled Jurassic ecosystems deposited in the same seaway: the Oxford Clay Formation (OCF, Callovian-early Oxfordian, Middle-Late Jurassic) and the Kimmeridge Clay Formation (KCF, Kimmeridgian-Tithonian, Late Jurassic) of the UK. Lower jaw-based macroevolutionary trends are similar to those of tooth-based diversity studies. Closely related species cluster together, with minimal overlaps in the morphospace. Marine reptile lineages were characterized by the distinctive combinations of features, but we reveal multiple instances of morphofunctional convergence among different groups. We quantitatively corroborate previous observations that the ecosystems in the OCF and KCF were markedly distinct in faunal composition and structure. Morphofunctional differentiation may have enabled specialization and was an important factor facilitating the coexistence of diverse marine reptile assemblages in deep time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Davide Foffa
- Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mark T. Young
- School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, EdinburghEH9 3FE, UK
| | - Stephen L. Brusatte
- Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
- School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, EdinburghEH9 3FE, UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Fahlbusch JA, Cade DE, Hazen EL, Elliott ML, Saenz BT, Goldbogen JA, Jahncke J. Submesoscale coupling of krill and whales revealed by aggregative Lagrangian coherent structures. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232461. [PMID: 38378145 PMCID: PMC10878820 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
In the marine environment, dynamic physical processes shape biological productivity and predator-prey interactions across multiple scales. Identifying pathways of physical-biological coupling is fundamental to understand the functioning of marine ecosystems yet it is challenging because the interactions are difficult to measure. We examined submesoscale (less than 100 km) surface current features using remote sensing techniques alongside ship-based surveys of krill and baleen whale distributions in the California Current System. We found that aggregative surface current features, represented by Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS) integrated over temporal scales between 2 and 10 days, were associated with increased (a) krill density (up to 2.6 times more dense), (b) baleen whale presence (up to 8.3 times more likely) and (c) subsurface seawater density (at depths up to 10 m). The link between physical oceanography, krill density and krill-predator distributions suggests that LCS are important features that drive the flux of energy and nutrients across trophic levels. Our results may help inform dynamic management strategies aimed at reducing large whales ship strikes and help assess the potential impacts of environmental change on this critical ecosystem.
Collapse
Grants
- Funding for ACCESS was provided in part by the Angell Family Foundation, Bently Foundation, Bonnell Cove Foundation, Boring Family Foundation, California Sea Grant, Elinor Patterson Baker Trust, Faucett Catalyst Fund, Firedoll Foundation, Hellman Family Foundation, Moore Family Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Pacific Life Foundation, Resources Legacy Fund, Thelma Doelger Trust for Animals and Point Blue donors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James A. Fahlbusch
- Hopkins Marine Station, Oceans Department, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
- Cascadia Research Collective, Olympia, WA, USA
| | - David E. Cade
- Hopkins Marine Station, Oceans Department, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - Elliott L. Hazen
- Hopkins Marine Station, Oceans Department, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
- Ecosystem Science Division, NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Monterey, CA, USA
| | - Meredith L. Elliott
- California Current Group, Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, CA, USA
| | | | - Jeremy A. Goldbogen
- Hopkins Marine Station, Oceans Department, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - Jaime Jahncke
- California Current Group, Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Szesciorka AR, Demer DA, Santora JA, Forney KA, Moore JE. Multiscale relationships between humpback whales and forage species hotspots within a large marine ecosystem. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2794. [PMID: 36484787 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2794] [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: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Fluctuations in prey abundance, composition, and distribution can impact predators, and when predators and fisheries target the same species, predators become essential to ecosystem-based management. Because of the difficulty in collecting concomitant predator-prey data at appropriate scales in patchy environments, few studies have identified strong linkages between cetaceans and prey, especially across large geographic areas. During summer 2018, a line-transect survey for cetaceans and coastal pelagic species was conducted over the continental shelf and slope of British Columbia, Canada, and the US West Coast, allowing for a large-scale investigation of predator-prey spatial relationships. We report on a case study of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and their primary prey-Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii), northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax), and krill-using generalized additive models to explore the relationships between whale abundance on 10-km transect segments and prey metrics. Prey metrics included direct measures of biomass densities on segments and an original hotspot metric. For each prey species, segments in the upper fifth percentile for biomass density (across all segments) were designated hotspots, and whale counts on a segment were evaluated for their relationship to number of hotspot segments (species-specific and multispecies) within 25, 50, or 100 km. Whale abundance was not strongly related to direct measures of biomass densities, whereas models using hotspot metrics were more effective at describing variation in whale abundance, underscoring that evaluating prey at relevant and measurable scales is critical in patchy, dynamic marine environments. Our analysis highlighted differences in the distribution and prey availability for three humpback whale distinct population segments (DPSs) as defined under the US Endangered Species Act, including threatened and endangered DPSs that forage within the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem. These linkages provide insights into which prey species whales may be targeting in different regions and across multiple scales and, consequently, how climatic variability and anthropogenic risks may differentially impact these distinct predator-prey assemblages. By identifying scale-appropriate prey hotspots that co-occur with humpback whale aggregations, and with targeted, consistent prey sampling and estimations of potential consumption rates by whales, these findings can help inform the conservation and management of humpback whales within an ecosystem-based management framework.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angela R Szesciorka
- Environmental Assessment Services, LLC. Under Contract to NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Richland, Washington, USA
- Marine Mammal Institute, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, Oregon, USA
| | - David A Demer
- Fisheries Resources Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jarrod A Santora
- Fisheries Ecology Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Applied Math, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Karin A Forney
- Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, Moss Landing, California, USA
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, Moss Landing, California, USA
| | - Jeff E Moore
- Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, La Jolla, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Oestreich WK, Abrahms B, McKenna MF, Goldbogen JA, Crowder LB, Ryan JP. Acoustic signature reveals blue whales tune life history transitions to oceanographic conditions. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- William K. Oestreich
- Hopkins Marine Station Department of Biology Stanford University Pacific Grove CA USA
| | - Briana Abrahms
- Center for Ecosystem Sentinels Department of Biology University of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - Megan F. McKenna
- Hopkins Marine Station Department of Biology Stanford University Pacific Grove CA USA
| | - Jeremy A. Goldbogen
- Hopkins Marine Station Department of Biology Stanford University Pacific Grove CA USA
| | - Larry B. Crowder
- Hopkins Marine Station Department of Biology Stanford University Pacific Grove CA USA
| | - John P. Ryan
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute Moss Landing CA USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
|
8
|
Social exploitation of extensive, ephemeral, environmentally controlled prey patches by supergroups of rorqual whales. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
|
9
|
Barlow DR, Klinck H, Ponirakis D, Garvey C, Torres LG. Temporal and spatial lags between wind, coastal upwelling, and blue whale occurrence. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6915. [PMID: 33767285 PMCID: PMC7994810 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86403-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding relationships between physical drivers and biological response is central to advancing ecological knowledge. Wind is the physical forcing mechanism in coastal upwelling systems, however lags between wind input and biological responses are seldom quantified for marine predators. Lags were examined between wind at an upwelling source, decreased temperatures along the upwelling plume's trajectory, and blue whale occurrence in New Zealand's South Taranaki Bight region (STB). Wind speed and sea surface temperature (SST) were extracted for austral spring-summer months between 2009 and 2019. A hydrophone recorded blue whale vocalizations October 2016-March 2017. Timeseries cross-correlation analyses were conducted between wind speed, SST at different locations along the upwelling plume, and blue whale downswept vocalizations (D calls). Results document increasing lag times (0-2 weeks) between wind speed and SST consistent with the spatial progression of upwelling, culminating with increased D call density at the distal end of the plume three weeks after increased wind speeds at the upwelling source. Lag between wind events and blue whale aggregations (n = 34 aggregations 2013-2019) was 2.09 ± 0.43 weeks. Variation in lag was significantly related to the amount of wind over the preceding 30 days, which likely influences stratification. This study enhances knowledge of physical-biological coupling in upwelling ecosystems and enables improved forecasting of species distribution patterns for dynamic management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dawn R Barlow
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Marine Mammal Institute, and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Newport, OR, USA.
| | - Holger Klinck
- Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Marine Mammal Institute, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Newport, OR, USA
| | - Dimitri Ponirakis
- Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | | | - Leigh G Torres
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Marine Mammal Institute, and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Newport, OR, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Solvang HK, Haug T, Knutsen T, Gjøsæter H, Bogstad B, Hartvedt S, Øien N, Lindstrøm U. Distribution of rorquals and Atlantic cod in relation to their prey in the Norwegian high Arctic. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02835-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
AbstractRecent warming in the Barents Sea has led to changes in the spatial distribution of both zooplankton and fish, with boreal communities expanding northwards. A similar northward expansion has been observed in several rorqual species that migrate into northern waters to take advantage of high summer productivity, hence feeding opportunities. Based on ecosystem surveys conducted during August–September in 2014–2017, we investigated the spatial associations among the three rorqual species of blue, fin, and common minke whales, the predatory fish Atlantic cod, and their main prey groups (zooplankton, 0-group fish, Atlantic cod, and capelin) in Arctic Ocean waters to the west and north of Svalbard. During the surveys, whale sightings were recorded by dedicated whale observers on the bridge of the vessel, whereas the distribution and abundance of cod and prey species were assessed using trawling and acoustic methods. Based on existing knowledge on the dive habits of these rorquals, we divided our analyses into two depth regions: the upper 200 m of the water column and waters below 200 m. Since humpback whales were absent in the area in 2016 and 2017, they were not included in the subsequent analyses of spatial association. No association or spatial overlap between fin and blue whales and any of the prey species investigated was found, while associations and overlaps were found between minke whales and zooplankton/0-group fish in the upper 200 m and between minke whales and Atlantic cod at depths below 200 m. A prey detection range of more than 10 km was suggested for minke whales in the upper water layers.
Collapse
|
11
|
Cade DE, Seakamela SM, Findlay KP, Fukunaga J, Kahane‐Rapport SR, Warren JD, Calambokidis J, Fahlbusch JA, Friedlaender AS, Hazen EL, Kotze D, McCue S, Meÿer M, Oestreich WK, Oudejans MG, Wilke C, Goldbogen JA. Predator‐scale spatial analysis of intra‐patch prey distribution reveals the energetic drivers of rorqual whale super‐group formation. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David E. Cade
- Hopkins Marine Station Stanford University Pacific Grove CA USA
- Institute of Marine Science University of California, Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - S. Mduduzi Seakamela
- Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Branch: Oceans and Coasts, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront Cape Town South Africa
| | - Ken P. Findlay
- Oceans Economy Cape Peninsula University of Technology Cape Town South Africa
- MRI Whale Unit Department of Zoology and Entomology University of Pretoria Hatfield South Africa
| | - Julie Fukunaga
- Hopkins Marine Station Stanford University Pacific Grove CA USA
| | | | - Joseph D. Warren
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Stony Brook University Southampton NY USA
| | | | - James A. Fahlbusch
- Hopkins Marine Station Stanford University Pacific Grove CA USA
- Cascadia Research Collective Olympia WA USA
| | - Ari S. Friedlaender
- Institute of Marine Science University of California, Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - Elliott L. Hazen
- Environmental Research Division/Southwest Fisheries Science Center/National Marine Fisheries Service/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Monterey CA USA
| | - Deon Kotze
- Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Branch: Oceans and Coasts, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront Cape Town South Africa
| | - Steven McCue
- Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Branch: Oceans and Coasts, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront Cape Town South Africa
| | - Michael Meÿer
- Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Branch: Oceans and Coasts, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront Cape Town South Africa
| | | | | | - Christopher Wilke
- Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Branch: Fisheries Management Cape Town South Africa
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Brandão RA, Fenker J, Lopes BEPDC, de Sena VMDA, Vasconcelos BD. Diet of terrestrial anurans in an ephemeral and simplified habitat during the dry season in the Brazilian Cerrado. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2020.1755373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Reuber A. Brandão
- Laboratório de Fauna e Unidades de Conservação, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, CEP: 70.910-900, Brazil
| | - Jéssica Fenker
- Ecology and Evolution Division, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra-ACT, 2612, Australia
| | - Bruno E. Pires de Carmago Lopes
- Laboratório de Fauna e Unidades de Conservação, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, CEP: 70.910-900, Brazil
| | - Vitor M. de Alcantara de Sena
- Laboratório de Fauna e Unidades de Conservação, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, CEP: 70.910-900, Brazil
| | - Beatriz D. Vasconcelos
- Laboratório de Fauna e Unidades de Conservação, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, CEP: 70.910-900, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Rockwood RC, Adams J, Silber G, Jahncke J. Estimating effectiveness of speed reduction measures for decreasing whale-strike mortality in a high-risk region. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2020. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent estimates of blue (Balaenoptera musculus) and humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) whale ship-strike deaths on the US west coast are above the Potential Biological Removal limit determined by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Beginning in 2015, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration requested voluntary Vessel Speed Reductions (VSR) in the designated shipping routes off San Francisco, California, USA, in order to decrease whale mortality from ship strikes. We applied a ship strike model based on whale density and Automatic Identification System (AIS) vessel data. We bootstrapped speeds from vessels that transited when no VSR was in place to assess the effect of the VSR on strike mortality rates. Finally, we calculated the expected mortality for hypothetical compliance scenarios by programmatically imposing speed caps. Average predicted mortality for the region was 2.7 blue whales and 7.0 humpback whales in a 4 month period. Compared to years prior to the VSR (2012-2014), vessel speeds during the VSR were slower. This lowered blue whale deaths within the shipping lanes by 11-13% and humpback whale deaths by 9-10% in 2016-2017. If 95% of mariners adhered to recommended 10 knot (kn) limits in the shipping lanes alone, we predicted twice as many blue whale and 3 times as many humpback whale deaths would be avoided relative to current adherence. Adding a 10 kn speed limit (with 95% cooperation) at the ends of each of the lanes would result in about 5- and 4-fold reductions in blue whale and humpback whale mortality, respectively, relative to current practices. Our approach can evaluate ship strikes and mitigation measures for whale populations around the globe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- RC Rockwood
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, California 94954, USA
| | - J Adams
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, Silver Springs, Maryland 20910, USA
| | - G Silber
- Smultea Environmental Sciences, Washington Grove, Maryland 20880, USA
| | - J Jahncke
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, California 94954, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Disentangling the biotic and abiotic drivers of emergent migratory behavior using individual-based models. Ecol Modell 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
|
15
|
Rockwood RC, Elliott ML, Saenz B, Nur N, Jahncke J. Modeling predator and prey hotspots: Management implications of baleen whale co-occurrence with krill in Central California. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0235603. [PMID: 32634142 PMCID: PMC7340285 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
As global ocean-bound commerce increases, managing human activities has become important in reducing conflict with threatened wildlife. This study investigates environmental factors determining abundance and distribution of blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and their prey (Euphausia pacifica and Thysanoessa spinifera) in central California. We provide insights into environmental drivers of the ecology and distribution of these species, model whale distributions and determine coincident hotspots of whales and their prey that will help decrease human threats to whales and protect critical feeding habitat. We developed separate predictive models of whale abundances (using negative binomial regression on count data) and krill abundance (using a two-part hurdlemodel combining logistic and negative binomial regressions) over a 14 year period (2004-2017). Variables included in situ surface and midwater oceanographic measures (temperature, salinity, and fluorescence), basin-scale climate indices, and bathymetric- and distance-related data. Predictions were applied to 1 km2 cells spanning the study area for May, June, July, and September during each of the 14 years of surveys to identify persistent distribution patterns. Both whales and krill were found to consistently use the northeast region of Cordell Bank, the Farallon Escarpment, and the shelf-break waters. The main identified blue whale hotspots were also krill hotspots, while co-occurrence was more limited and varied seasonally for humpback whales and krill. These results are valuable in identifying patterns in important areas of ecological interaction to assist management of whales. Areas north of Cordell Bank are of particular management concern since they overlap with the end of the San Francisco Bay northern shipping lane. Our findings can help decrease threats to whales, particularly in important foraging areas, by supporting implementation of vessel management and informing potential conflicts with other human uses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Nadav Nur
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, CA, United States of America
| | - Jaime Jahncke
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, CA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Irvine LM, Palacios DM, Lagerquist BA, Mate BR. Scales of Blue and Fin Whale Feeding Behavior off California, USA, With Implications for Prey Patchiness. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
|
17
|
Abrahms B, Welch H, Brodie S, Jacox MG, Becker EA, Bograd SJ, Irvine LM, Palacios DM, Mate BR, Hazen EL. Dynamic ensemble models to predict distributions and anthropogenic risk exposure for highly mobile species. DIVERS DISTRIB 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Briana Abrahms
- Environmental Research Division NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center Monterey California
| | - Heather Welch
- Environmental Research Division NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center Monterey California
- Institute of Marine Science University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California
| | - Stephanie Brodie
- Environmental Research Division NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center Monterey California
- Institute of Marine Science University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California
| | - Michael G. Jacox
- Environmental Research Division NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center Monterey California
- Physical Sciences Division NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory Boulder Colorado
| | - Elizabeth A. Becker
- Institute of Marine Science University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California
- Marine Mammal and Turtle Division NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center La Jolla California
| | - Steven J. Bograd
- Environmental Research Division NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center Monterey California
- Institute of Marine Science University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California
| | - Ladd M. Irvine
- Marine Mammal Institute and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Newport Oregon
| | - Daniel M. Palacios
- Marine Mammal Institute and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Newport Oregon
| | - Bruce R. Mate
- Marine Mammal Institute and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Newport Oregon
| | - Elliott L. Hazen
- Environmental Research Division NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center Monterey California
- Institute of Marine Science University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Abstract
In terrestrial systems, the green wave hypothesis posits that migrating animals can enhance foraging opportunities by tracking phenological variation in high-quality forage across space (i.e., "resource waves"). To track resource waves, animals may rely on proximate cues and/or memory of long-term average phenologies. Although there is growing evidence of resource tracking in terrestrial migrants, such drivers remain unevaluated in migratory marine megafauna. Here we present a test of the green wave hypothesis in a marine system. We compare 10 years of blue whale movement data with the timing of the spring phytoplankton bloom resulting in increased prey availability in the California Current Ecosystem, allowing us to investigate resource tracking both contemporaneously (response to proximate cues) and based on climatological conditions (memory) during migrations. Blue whales closely tracked the long-term average phenology of the spring bloom, but did not track contemporaneous green-up. In addition, blue whale foraging locations were characterized by low long-term habitat variability and high long-term productivity compared with contemporaneous measurements. Results indicate that memory of long-term average conditions may have a previously underappreciated role in driving migratory movements of long-lived species in marine systems, and suggest that these animals may struggle to respond to rapid deviations from historical mean environmental conditions. Results further highlight that an ecological theory of migration is conserved across marine and terrestrial systems. Understanding the drivers of animal migration is critical for assessing how environmental changes will affect highly mobile fauna at a global scale.
Collapse
|
19
|
Mandlate LC, Arsenault R, Rodrigues FHG. Grass greenness and grass height promote the resource partitioning among reintroduced Burchell's zebra and blue wildebeest in southern Mozambique. AUSTRAL ECOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luís Comissário Mandlate
- Department of General Biology; Postgraduate Programme in Ecology; Conservation and Wildlife Management; Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG; Belo Horizonte Minas Gerais Brazil
- Agricultural Division; Forestry Engineering Course; Instituto Superior Politécnico de Gaza; Chókwè Mozambique
| | - Randal Arsenault
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - Flávio H. G. Rodrigues
- Department of General Biology; Postgraduate Programme in Ecology; Conservation and Wildlife Management; Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG; Belo Horizonte Minas Gerais Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
The long-term ecology and evolution of marine reptiles in a Jurassic seaway. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:1548-1555. [PMID: 30177805 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0656-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Marine reptiles flourished in the Mesozoic oceans, filling ecological roles today dominated by crocodylians, large fish, sharks and cetaceans. Many groups of these reptiles coexisted for over 50 million years (Myr), through major environmental changes. However, little is known about how the structure of their ecosystems or their ecologies changed over millions of years. We use the most common marine reptile fossils-teeth-to establish a quantitative system that assigns species to dietary guilds and then track the evolution of these guilds over the roughly 18-million-year history of a single seaway, the Jurassic Sub-Boreal Seaway of the United Kingdom. Groups did not significantly overlap in guild space, indicating that dietary niche partitioning enabled many species to live together. Although a highly diverse fauna was present throughout the history of the seaway, fish and squid eaters with piercing teeth declined over time while hard-object and large-prey specialists diversified, in concert with rising sea levels. High niche partitioning and spatial variation in dietary ecology related to sea depth also characterize modern marine tetrapod faunas, indicating a conserved ecological structure of the world's oceans that has persisted for over 150 Myr.
Collapse
|
21
|
Fossette S, Abrahms B, Hazen EL, Bograd SJ, Zilliacus KM, Calambokidis J, Burrows JA, Goldbogen JA, Harvey JT, Marinovic B, Tershy B, Croll DA. Resource partitioning facilitates coexistence in sympatric cetaceans in the California Current. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:9085-9097. [PMID: 29152200 PMCID: PMC5677487 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Resource partitioning is an important process driving habitat use and foraging strategies in sympatric species that potentially compete. Differences in foraging behavior are hypothesized to contribute to species coexistence by facilitating resource partitioning, but little is known on the multiple mechanisms for partitioning that may occur simultaneously. Studies are further limited in the marine environment, where the spatial and temporal distribution of resources is highly dynamic and subsequently difficult to quantify. We investigated potential pathways by which foraging behavior may facilitate resource partitioning in two of the largest co-occurring and closely related species on Earth, blue (Balaenoptera musculus) and humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) whales. We integrated multiple long-term datasets (line-transect surveys, whale-watching records, net sampling, stable isotope analysis, and remote-sensing of oceanographic parameters) to compare the diet, phenology, and distribution of the two species during their foraging periods in the highly productive waters of Monterey Bay, California, USA within the California Current Ecosystem. Our long-term study reveals that blue and humpback whales likely facilitate sympatry by partitioning their foraging along three axes: trophic, temporal, and spatial. Blue whales were specialists foraging on krill, predictably targeting a seasonal peak in krill abundance, were present in the bay for an average of 4.7 months, and were spatially restricted at the continental shelf break. In contrast, humpback whales were generalists apparently feeding on a mixed diet of krill and fishes depending on relative abundances, were present in the bay for a more extended period (average of 6.6 months), and had a broader spatial distribution at the shelf break and inshore. Ultimately, competition for common resources can lead to behavioral, morphological, and physiological character displacement between sympatric species. Understanding the mechanisms for species coexistence is both fundamental to maintaining biodiverse ecosystems, and provides insight into the evolutionary drivers of morphological differences in closely related species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Fossette
- Environmental Research Division NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center Monterey CA USA.,Present address: Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions 17 Dick Perry Av Kensington WA 6151 Australia
| | - Briana Abrahms
- Environmental Research Division NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center Monterey CA USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - Elliott L Hazen
- Environmental Research Division NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center Monterey CA USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - Steven J Bograd
- Environmental Research Division NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center Monterey CA USA
| | - Kelly M Zilliacus
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
| | | | - Julia A Burrows
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation Duke University Marine Laboratory Beaufort NC USA.,Moss Landing Marine Laboratories Moss Landing CA USA
| | - Jeremy A Goldbogen
- Department of Biology Hopkins Marine Station Stanford University Pacific Grove CA USA
| | | | - Baldo Marinovic
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - Bernie Tershy
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - Donald A Croll
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
| |
Collapse
|