1
|
Dolezel M, Lang A, Greiter A, Miklau M, Eckerstorfer M, Heissenberger A, Willée E, Züghart W. Challenges for the Post-Market Environmental Monitoring in the European Union Imposed by Novel Applications of Genetically Modified and Genome-Edited Organisms. BIOTECH 2024; 13:14. [PMID: 38804296 PMCID: PMC11130885 DOI: 10.3390/biotech13020014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Information on the state of the environment is important to achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal, including the EU's Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. The existing regulatory provisions for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) foresee an obligatory post-market environmental monitoring (PMEM) of potential adverse effects upon release into the environment. So far, GMO monitoring activities have focused on genetically modified crops. With the advent of new genomic techniques (NGT), novel GMO applications are being developed and may be released into a range of different, non-agricultural environments with potential implications for ecosystems and biodiversity. This challenges the current monitoring concepts and requires adaptation of existing monitoring programs to meet monitoring requirements. While the incorporation of existing biodiversity monitoring programs into GMO monitoring at the national level is important, additional monitoring activities will also be required. Using case examples, we highlight that monitoring requirements for novel GMO applications differ from those of GM crop plants previously authorized for commercial use in the European Union.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marion Dolezel
- Land Use & Biosafety Unit, Umweltbundesamt–Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Spittelauer Laende 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.G.); (M.M.); (M.E.); (A.H.)
| | - Andreas Lang
- Büro Lang, Hoernlehof, Gresgen 108, 79669 Zell im Wiesental, Germany;
- Research Group Environmental Geosciences, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Bernoullistr. 30, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anita Greiter
- Land Use & Biosafety Unit, Umweltbundesamt–Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Spittelauer Laende 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.G.); (M.M.); (M.E.); (A.H.)
| | - Marianne Miklau
- Land Use & Biosafety Unit, Umweltbundesamt–Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Spittelauer Laende 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.G.); (M.M.); (M.E.); (A.H.)
| | - Michael Eckerstorfer
- Land Use & Biosafety Unit, Umweltbundesamt–Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Spittelauer Laende 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.G.); (M.M.); (M.E.); (A.H.)
| | - Andreas Heissenberger
- Land Use & Biosafety Unit, Umweltbundesamt–Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Spittelauer Laende 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.G.); (M.M.); (M.E.); (A.H.)
| | - Eva Willée
- Division of Terrestrial Monitoring, Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), Konstantinstr. 110, 53179 Bonn, Germany (W.Z.)
| | - Wiebke Züghart
- Division of Terrestrial Monitoring, Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), Konstantinstr. 110, 53179 Bonn, Germany (W.Z.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Heiple Z, Huie JM, Medeiros APM, Hart PB, Goatley CHR, Arcila D, Miller EC. Many ways to build an angler: diversity of feeding morphologies in a deep-sea evolutionary radiation. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230049. [PMID: 37376854 PMCID: PMC10300507 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0049] [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: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Almost nothing is known about the diets of bathypelagic fishes, but functional morphology can provide useful tools to infer ecology. Here we quantify variation in jaw and tooth morphologies across anglerfishes (Lophiiformes), a clade spanning shallow and deep-sea habitats. Deep-sea ceratioid anglerfishes are considered dietary generalists due to the necessity of opportunistic feeding in the food-limited bathypelagic zone. We found unexpected diversity in the trophic morphologies of ceratioid anglerfishes. Ceratioid jaws span a functional continuum ranging from species with numerous stout teeth, a relatively slow but forceful bite, and high jaw protrusibility at one end (characteristics shared with benthic anglerfishes) to species with long fang-like teeth, a fast but weak bite and low jaw protrusibility at the other end (including a unique 'wolftrap' phenotype). Our finding of high morphological diversity seems to be at odds with ecological generality, reminiscent of Liem's paradox (morphological specialization allowing organisms to have broader niches). Another possible explanation is that diverse ceratioid functional morphologies may yield similar trophic success (many-to-one mapping of morphology to diet), allowing diversity to arise through neutral evolutionary processes. Our results highlight that there are many ways to be a successful predator in the deep sea.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zach Heiple
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
- Department of Ichthyology, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Norman, OK 73072, USA
| | - Jonathan M. Huie
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Aline P. M. Medeiros
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Pamela B. Hart
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
- Department of Ichthyology, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Norman, OK 73072, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Christopher H. R. Goatley
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire SO14 3ZH, UK
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Dahiana Arcila
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
- Department of Ichthyology, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Norman, OK 73072, USA
| | - Elizabeth Christina Miller
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
- Department of Ichthyology, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Norman, OK 73072, USA
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mihalitsis M, Morais RA, Bellwood DR. Small predators dominate fish predation in coral reef communities. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001898. [PMID: 36445867 PMCID: PMC9707750 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecosystem processes are challenging to quantify at a community level, particularly within complex ecosystems (e.g., rainforests, coral reefs). Predation is one of the most important types of species interactions, determining several ecosystem processes. However, while it is widely recognised, it is rarely quantified, especially in aquatic systems. To address these issues, we model predation on fish by fish, in a hyperdiverse coral reef community. We show that body sizes previously examined in fish-fish predation studies (based on a metanalysis), only represent about 5% of likely predation events. The average fish predator on coral reefs is just 3.65 cm; the average fish prey just 1.5 cm. These results call for a shift in the way we view fish predation and its ability to shape the species or functional composition of coral reef fish communities. Considered from a functional group approach, we found general agreement in the distribution of simulated and observed predation events, among both predator and prey functional groups. Predation on coral reefs is a process driven by small fish, most of which are neither seen nor quantified.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michalis Mihalitsis
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Renato A. Morais
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - David R. Bellwood
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Muruga P, Bellwood DR, Mihalitsis M. Forensic odontology: Assessing bite wounds to determine the role of teeth in piscivorous fishes. Integr Org Biol 2022; 4:obac011. [PMID: 35505796 PMCID: PMC9053946 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obac011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Teeth facilitate the acquisition and processing of food in most vertebrates. However, relatively little is known about the functions of the diverse tooth morphologies observed in fishes. Piscivorous fishes (fish-eating fish) are crucial in shaping community structure and rely on their oral teeth to capture and/or process prey. However, how teeth are utilized in capturing and/or processing prey remains unclear. Most studies have determined the function of teeth by assessing morphological traits. The behavior during feeding, however, is seldom quantified. Here, we describe the function of teeth within piscivorous fishes by considering how morphological and behavioral traits interact during prey capture and processing. This was achieved through aquarium-based performance experiments, where prey fish were fed to 12 species of piscivorous fishes. Building on techniques in forensic odontology, we incorporate a novel approach to quantify and categorize bite damage on prey fish that were extracted from the piscivore’s stomachs immediately after being ingested. We then assess the significance of morphological and behavioral traits in determining the extent and severity of damage inflicted on prey fish. Results show that engulfing piscivores capture their prey whole and head-first. Grabbing piscivores capture prey tail-first using their teeth, process them using multiple headshakes and bites, before spitting them out, and then re-capturing prey head-first for ingestion. Prey from engulfers sustained minimal damage, whereas prey from grabbers sustained significant damage to the epaxial musculature. Within grabbers, headshakes were significantly associated with more severe damage categories. Headshaking behavior damages the locomotive muscles of prey, presumably to prevent escape. Compared to non-pharyngognaths, pharyngognath piscivores inflict significantly greater damage to prey. Overall, when present, oral jaw teeth appear to be crucial for both prey capture and processing (immobilization) in piscivorous fishes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pooventhran Muruga
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - David R Bellwood
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Michalis Mihalitsis
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| |
Collapse
|