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Pinochet J, Thiel M, Urbina M. How plastic litter sunk by biofouling recovers buoyancy - The role of benthic predation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 952:175910. [PMID: 39226971 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175910] [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: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
Estimates suggest that the amount of plastic litter discarded in the ocean is several times greater than what remains floating at the sea surface, raising questions about the fate of this marine debris. Fouling-induced sinking of plastic litter is one of the proposed mechanisms responsible for this mass difference. While some of this 'missing' plastic mass may be explained by the effects of fouling, it has also been hypothesized that sinking litter may return to the surface after benthic organisms consume the biofouling. However, this hypothesis has never been tested. The present study evaluated the structure and biomass of the fouling community in response to benthic predation in both summer and winter seasons. Floating PVC plates were installed during winter and summer in central Chile (36°S) until the growing biofouling community caused them to sink. Plates were then moved to the seabed, where they were exposed to benthic predation, while control plates were maintained in a mesh cage impeding predator access. In summer, all plates recovered their buoyancy, while in the winter only 60 % recovered buoyancy. All caged control samples remained on the bottom in both seasons. The community structure differed both in the treatments and across the seasons, with plates that recovered buoyancy initially being dominated by Ulva sp. and Ciona robusta. Conversely, plates that did not refloat were mainly covered by species resistant to predation such as Pyura chilensis, Austromegabalanus psittacus, and Balanus laevis. Thus, fouling community structure influences how predation facilitates buoyancy recovery, because not all epibionts can be consumed by predators. While previous studies had shown how fouling organisms cause sinking of floating litter, this is the first study to provide experimental evidence that predation can reverse this process and allow litter to resurface and become again available as dispersal vectors for native and invasive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Pinochet
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile
| | - Martin Thiel
- MarineGEO Program, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA; Dpto. de Biologia Marina, Facultad Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Larrondo 1281, Coquimbo, Chile; Center of Ecology and Sustainable Management of Oceanic Island (ESMOI), Coquimbo, Chile.
| | - Mauricio Urbina
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile; Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía (IMO), Universidad de Concepción, PO Box 1313, Concepción, Chile.
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2
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Repetto MF, Torchin ME, Ruiz GM, Schlöder C, Freestone AL. Biogeographic and seasonal differences in consumer pressure underlie strong predation in the tropics. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240868. [PMID: 38955327 PMCID: PMC11334995 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0868] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Biotic interactions play a critical role in shaping patterns of global biodiversity. While several macroecological studies provide evidence for stronger predation in tropical regions compared with higher latitudes, results are variable even within the tropics, and the drivers of this variability are not well understood. We conducted two complementary standardized experiments on communities of sessile marine invertebrate prey and their associated predators to test for spatial and seasonal differences in predation across the tropical Atlantic and Pacific coastlines of Panama. We further tested the prediction that higher predator diversity contributes to stronger impacts of predation, using both direct observations of predators and data from extensive reef surveys. Our results revealed substantially higher predation rates and stronger effects of predators on prey in the Pacific than in the Atlantic, demonstrating striking variation within tropical regions. While regional predator diversity was high in the Atlantic, functional diversity at local scales was markedly low. Peak predation strength in the Pacific occurred during the wet, non-upwelling season when ocean temperatures were warmer and predator communities were more functionally diverse. Our results highlight the importance of regional biotic and abiotic drivers that shape interaction strength and the maintenance of tropical communities, which are experiencing rapid environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele F. Repetto
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA19122, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panama
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD21037-0028, USA
| | - Mark E. Torchin
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panama
| | - Gregory M. Ruiz
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD21037-0028, USA
| | - Carmen Schlöder
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panama
| | - Amy L. Freestone
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA19122, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panama
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD21037-0028, USA
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3
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Barnes RSK, Hamylton SM, Borburgh L. Microscale dispersion of intertidal seagrass macrofauna. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 196:106385. [PMID: 38309245 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106385] [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: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies of dispersion of intertidal seagrass-associated macrobenthos in subtropical Moreton Bay, Queensland, showed that patchiness characterised its assemblage abundance with scale-invariant magnitude across areas ranging from >8000 to 0.1 m2. Those studies were here continued across the smaller scales (down to 0.014 m2) arguably more relevant to the dominant 2-10 mm long animals, using 16 replicate blocks of 5x5 contiguous 0.0024 m2 cores nested within the previously studied site. At microscales ≥0.09 m2, the earlier congruence of conclusions derived from patchiness indices and spatial autocorrelation broke down. At >0.014 m2, adjacent points (cores) no longer together formed larger spatial units of related abundance (i.e. showed no autocorrelation), but point abundances were still highly disparate (as reflected in patchiness indices). Congruent indications of patchiness only manifested at 0.014 m2 spatial scales. Assemblage dispersion pattern was partly consequent on one microgastropod (Pseudoliotia) occurring superabundantly in scattered 0.0024 m2 hotspots.
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Affiliation(s)
- R S K Barnes
- School of the Environment & Centre for Marine Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia; Department of Zoology & Conservation Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Sarah M Hamylton
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia
| | - Liz Borburgh
- School of the Environment & Centre for Marine Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
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4
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Ostrowski A, Connolly RM, Brown CJ, Sievers M. Stressor fluctuations alter mechanisms of seagrass community responses relative to static stressors. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 900:165865. [PMID: 37516181 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165865] [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: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystems are increasingly affected by multiple anthropogenic stressors that contribute to habitat degradation and loss. Natural ecosystems are highly dynamic, yet multiple stressor experiments often ignore variability in stressor intensity and do not consider how effects could be mediated across trophic levels, with implications for models that underpin stressor management. Here, we investigated the in situ effects of changes in stressor intensity (i.e., fluctuations) and synchronicity (i.e., timing of fluctuations) on a seagrass community, applying the stressors reduced light and physical disturbance to the sediment. We used structural equation models (SEMs) to identify causal effects of dynamic multiple stressors on seagrass shoot density and leaf surface area, and abundance of associated crustaceans. Responses depended on whether stressor intensities fluctuated or remained static. Relative to static stressor exposure at the end of the experiment, shoot density, leaf surface area, and crustacean abundance all declined under in-phase (synchronous; 17, 33, and 30 % less, respectively) and out-of-phase (asynchronous; 11, 28, and 39 % less, respectively) fluctuating treatments. Static treatment increased seagrass leaf surface area and crustacean abundance relative to the control group. We hypothesised that crustacean responses are mediated by changes in seagrass; however, causal analysis found only weak evidence for a mediation effect via leaf surface area. Changes in crustacean abundance, therefore, were primarily a direct response to stressors. Our results suggest that the mechanisms underpinning stress responses change when stressors fluctuate. For instance, increased leaf surface area under static stress could be caused by seagrass acclimating to low light, whereas no response under fluctuating stressors suggests an acclimation response was not triggered. The SEMs also revealed that community responses to the stressors can be independent of one another. Therefore, models based on static experiments may be representing ecological mechanisms not observed in natural ecosystems, and underestimating the impacts of stressors on ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andria Ostrowski
- Coastal and Marine Research Centre, Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia.
| | - Rod M Connolly
- Coastal and Marine Research Centre, Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Christopher J Brown
- Coastal and Marine Research Centre, Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Michael Sievers
- Coastal and Marine Research Centre, Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia
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5
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Ye F, Bitner MA, Shi GR. Variation of shell ornamentation with latitude and water depth-A case study using living brachiopods. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10006. [PMID: 37091558 PMCID: PMC10121232 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
As a potential anti-predatory defensive structure, the shell ornamentation of marine calcifiers is usually used to understand the macro coevolution of the interactions between predators and preys. Marine calcifiers' shell ornamentation complexity is generally believed to vary negatively with latitude and water depth. In this paper, we explored the association between shell ornamentation and latitude/bathymetry using the latest global database of living brachiopods. We found that (1) ~59% of living brachiopods species are characterized by smooth shells and that (2) there is no statistically significant linear trend, either positive or negative, between the ornamentation index and latitudes nor with water depths. Both findings are puzzling for living brachiopods as they are sharply contrasted to the patterns of fossil brachiopods whereby the latter, especially Paleozoic brachiopods, are known to exhibit (1) a much greater ornamentation diversity and (2) (at least for the geological periods that have been studied) a linear latitudinal gradient of ornamentation complexity existed. The reasons why living brachiopods have such a high proportion of smooth or weakly ornamented shells and fail to demonstrate an unequivocal linear latitudinal ornamentation gradient were explored and are linked to a multitude of potential factors rather than uniquely only to the predation pressure. Among these, the most plausible factor seems to be the cryptic (refuge-type) habitats (e.g., deep waters, cold polar regions, and submarine rock caves) that living brachiopods have been adapted to due to their low metabolism, where predation pressure is low, allowing brachiopods to enact the predator avoidance strategy rather than having to manufacture robust shell ornamentation to survive in an otherwise highly engaged predator-prey global marine ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Facheng Ye
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and HealthUniversity of WollongongWollongongNew South WalesAustralia
| | | | - Guang Rong Shi
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and HealthUniversity of WollongongWollongongNew South WalesAustralia
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6
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Yuan ML, Westeen EP, Wogan GOU, Wang IJ. Female dewlap ornaments are evolutionarily labile and associated with increased diversification rates in Anolis lizards. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221871. [PMID: 36382524 PMCID: PMC9667357 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1871] [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: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolution of costly signalling traits has largely focused on male ornaments. However, our understanding of ornament evolution is necessarily incomplete without investigating the causes and consequences of variation in female ornamentation. Here, we study the Anolis lizard dewlap, a trait extensively studied as a male secondary sexual characteristic but present in females of several species. We characterized female dewlaps for 339 species to test hypotheses about their evolution. Our results did not support the hypothesis that female dewlaps are selected against throughout the anole phylogeny. Rather, we found that female dewlaps were evolutionary labile. We also did not find support for the adaptive hypothesis that interspecific competition drove the evolution of female dewlaps. However, we did find support for the pleiotropy hypothesis as species with larger females and reduced sexual size dimorphism were more likely to possess female dewlaps. Lastly, we found that female dewlap presence influenced diversification rates in anoles, but only secondarily to a hidden state. Our results demonstrate that female ornamentation is widespread in anoles and the traditional hypothesis of divergent selection between the sexes does not fully explain their evolution. Instead, female ornamentation is likely to be subject to complex adaptive and non-adaptive evolutionary forces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L. Yuan
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Erin P. Westeen
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Guinevere O. U. Wogan
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Ian J. Wang
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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7
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Unsworth RKF, Cullen-Unsworth LC, Jones BLH, Lilley RJ. The planetary role of seagrass conservation. Science 2022; 377:609-613. [PMID: 35926055 DOI: 10.1126/science.abq6923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Seagrasses are remarkable plants that have adapted to live in a marine environment. They form extensive meadows found globally that bioengineer their local environments and preserve the coastal seascape. With the increasing realization of the planetary emergency that we face, there is growing interest in using seagrasses as a nature-based solution for greenhouse gas mitigation. However, seagrass sensitivity to stressors is acute, and in many places, the risk of loss and degradation persists. If the ecological state of seagrasses remains compromised, then their ability to contribute to nature-based solutions for the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis remains in doubt. We examine the major ecological role that seagrasses play and how rethinking their conservation is critical to understanding their part in fighting our planetary emergency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard K F Unsworth
- Seagrass Ecosystem Research Group, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, Wales, UK.,Project Seagrass, The Yard, Bridgend Industrial Estate, Bridgend CF31 3EB, Wales, UK
| | - Leanne C Cullen-Unsworth
- Seagrass Ecosystem Research Group, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, Wales, UK.,Project Seagrass, The Yard, Bridgend Industrial Estate, Bridgend CF31 3EB, Wales, UK
| | - Benjamin L H Jones
- Project Seagrass, The Yard, Bridgend Industrial Estate, Bridgend CF31 3EB, Wales, UK.,Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Richard J Lilley
- Project Seagrass, The Yard, Bridgend Industrial Estate, Bridgend CF31 3EB, Wales, UK
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8
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Gross CP, Duffy JE, Hovel KA, Kardish MR, Reynolds PL, Boström C, Boyer KE, Cusson M, Eklöf J, Engelen AH, Eriksson BK, Fodrie FJ, Griffin JN, Hereu CM, Hori M, Hughes AR, Ivanov MV, Jorgensen P, Kruschel C, Lee KS, Lefcheck J, McGlathery K, Moksnes PO, Nakaoka M, O'Connor MI, O'Connor NE, Olsen JL, Orth RJ, Peterson BJ, Reiss H, Rossi F, Ruesink J, Sotka EE, Thormar J, Tomas F, Unsworth R, Voigt EP, Whalen MA, Ziegler SL, Stachowicz JJ. The biogeography of community assembly: latitude and predation drive variation in community trait distribution in a guild of epifaunal crustaceans. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20211762. [PMID: 35193403 PMCID: PMC8864368 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
While considerable evidence exists of biogeographic patterns in the intensity of species interactions, the influence of these patterns on variation in community structure is less clear. Studying how the distributions of traits in communities vary along global gradients can inform how variation in interactions and other factors contribute to the process of community assembly. Using a model selection approach on measures of trait dispersion in crustaceans associated with eelgrass (Zostera marina) spanning 30° of latitude in two oceans, we found that dispersion strongly increased with increasing predation and decreasing latitude. Ocean and epiphyte load appeared as secondary predictors; Pacific communities were more overdispersed while Atlantic communities were more clustered, and increasing epiphytes were associated with increased clustering. By examining how species interactions and environmental filters influence community structure across biogeographic regions, we demonstrate how both latitudinal variation in species interactions and historical contingency shape these responses. Community trait distributions have implications for ecosystem stability and functioning, and integrating large-scale observations of environmental filters, species interactions and traits can help us predict how communities may respond to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collin P. Gross
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - J. Emmett Duffy
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network, MarineGEO, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA
| | - Kevin A. Hovel
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Melissa R. Kardish
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Pamela L. Reynolds
- DataLab: Data Science and Informatics, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Christoffer Boström
- Department of Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Åbo, Finland
| | - Katharyn E. Boyer
- Estuary & Ocean Science Center and Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mathieu Cusson
- Sciences fondamentales and Québec Océan, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada
| | - Johan Eklöf
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - F. Joel Fodrie
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, NC, USA
| | | | - Clara M. Hereu
- Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexicali, Baja CA, Mexico
| | - Masakazu Hori
- Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - A. Randall Hughes
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA, USA
| | - Mikhail V. Ivanov
- Department of Ichthyology and Hydrobiology, St Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Pablo Jorgensen
- Instituto de Ciencias Polares, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur, Argentina
| | | | - Kun-Seop Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Jonathan Lefcheck
- DataLab: Data Science and Informatics, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Karen McGlathery
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Per-Olav Moksnes
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Goteborg, Sweden
| | | | - Mary I. O'Connor
- Biodiversity Research Centre and Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nessa E. O'Connor
- School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
| | | | - Robert J. Orth
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA, USA
| | - Bradley J. Peterson
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | | | - Francesca Rossi
- Centre National de la Récherche Scientifique, ECOSEAS Laboratory, Université de Cote d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Jennifer Ruesink
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Erik E. Sotka
- Grice Marine Laboratory, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, USA
| | | | - Fiona Tomas
- IMEDEAS (CSIC), Esporles, Islas Baleares, Spain
| | | | - Erin P. Voigt
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Matthew A. Whalen
- Hakai Institute, Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - John J. Stachowicz
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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9
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Arfianti T, Costello MJ. The distribution of benthic amphipod crustaceans in Indonesian seas. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12054. [PMID: 34540368 PMCID: PMC8411938 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphipod crustaceans are an essential component of tropical marine biodiversity. However, their distribution and biogeography have not been analysed in one of the world’s largest tropical countries nested in the Coral Triangle, Indonesia. We collected and identified amphipod crustaceans from eight sites in Indonesian waters and combined the results with data from 32 additional sites in the literature. We analysed the geographic distribution of 147 benthic amphipod crustaceans using cluster analysis and the ‘Bioregions Infomaps’ neural network method of biogeographic discrimination. We found five groups of benthic amphipod crustaceans which show relationships with sampling methods, depth, and substrata. Neural network biogeographic analysis indicated there was only one biogeographic region that matched with the global amphipod regions and marine biogeographic realms defined for all marine taxa. There was no support for Wallaces or other lines being marine biogeographic boundaries in the region. Species richness was lower than expected considering the region is within the Coral Triangle. We hypothesise that this low richness might be due to the intense fish predation which may have limited amphipod diversification. The results indicated that habitat rather than biogeography determines amphipod distribution in Indonesia. Therefore, future research needs to sample more habitats, and consider habitat in conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tri Arfianti
- Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Cibinong, Jawa Barat, Indonesia
| | - Mark John Costello
- School of Environment, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Faculty of Bioscience and Aquaculture, Nord University, Bodø, Norway
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10
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Abstract
Seagrass meadows are known to be rich in fauna, with complex food webs that provide trophic subsidy to species and habitats way beyond the extent of their distribution. Birds are an often-overlooked part of marine ecosystems; not only are they crucial to the health of marine ecosystems, but their populations are also supported by the productivity and biodiversity of marine ecosystems. The links of birds to specific habitat types such as seagrass meadows are largely not considered except in the context of direct herbivorous consumption. Here, we examine the linkages between seagrass and birds and propose a conceptual framework for how seagrasses may support bird populations beyond their distribution in both direct and indirect pathways. We present evidence that seagrass meadows are globally foraged for fish and invertebrates by coastal birds. They are also targeted by herbivorous wildfowl and potentially benefit birds further afield indirectly as a result of their support for offshore marine fish species at critical times in their life cycle (e.g., Atlantic Cod and King George Whiting). Evidence from the literature indicates that seagrass does provide support for birds, but reveals a field of research requiring much gap filling as studies are globally sparse, mechanistically limited, and small in spatial and temporal scales.
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11
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Freestone AL, Torchin ME, Jurgens LJ, Bonfim M, López DP, Repetto MF, Schlöder C, Sewall BJ, Ruiz GM. Stronger predation intensity and impact on prey communities in the tropics. Ecology 2021; 102:e03428. [PMID: 34105781 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The hypothesis that biotic interactions strengthen toward lower latitudes provides a framework for linking community-scale processes with the macroecological scales that define our biosphere. Despite the importance of this hypothesis for understanding community assembly and ecosystem functioning, the extent to which interaction strength varies across latitude and the effects of this variation on natural communities remain unresolved. Predation in particular is central to ecological and evolutionary dynamics across the globe, yet very few studies explore both community-scale causes and outcomes of predation across latitude. Here we expand beyond prior studies to examine two important components of predation strength: intensity of predation (including multiple dimensions of the predator guild) and impact on prey community biomass and structure, providing one of the most comprehensive examinations of predator-prey interactions across latitude. Using standardized experiments, we tested the hypothesis that predation intensity and impact on prey communities were stronger at lower latitudes. We further assessed prey recruitment to evaluate the potential for this process to mediate predation effects. We used sessile marine invertebrate communities and their fish predators in nearshore environments as a model system, with experiments conducted at 12 sites in four regions spanning the tropics to the subarctic. Our results show clear support for an increase in both predation intensity and impact at lower relative to higher latitudes. The predator guild was more diverse at low latitudes, with higher predation rates, longer interaction durations, and larger predator body sizes, suggesting stronger predation intensity in the tropics. Predation also reduced prey biomass and altered prey composition at low latitudes, with no effects at high latitudes. Although recruitment rates were up to three orders of magnitude higher in the tropics than the subarctic, prey replacement through this process was insufficient to dampen completely the strong impacts of predators in the tropics. Our study provides a novel perspective on the biotic interaction hypothesis, suggesting that multiple components of the predator community likely contribute to predation intensity at low latitudes, with important consequences for the structure of prey communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Freestone
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19122, USA.,Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, Maryland, 21037-0028, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panama
| | - Mark E Torchin
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panama
| | - Laura J Jurgens
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19122, USA.,Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, Maryland, 21037-0028, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panama
| | - Mariana Bonfim
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19122, USA
| | - Diana P López
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19122, USA
| | - Michele F Repetto
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19122, USA
| | - Carmen Schlöder
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panama
| | - Brent J Sewall
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19122, USA
| | - Gregory M Ruiz
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, Maryland, 21037-0028, USA
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12
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Su H, Feng Y, Chen J, Chen J, Ma S, Fang J, Xie P. Determinants of trophic cascade strength in freshwater ecosystems: a global analysis. Ecology 2021; 102:e03370. [PMID: 33961286 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Top-down cascade effects are among the most important mechanisms underlying community structure and abundance dynamics in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. A current challenge is understanding the factors controlling trophic cascade strength under global environmental changes. Here, we synthesized 161 global sites to analyze how multiple factors influence consumer-resource interactions with fish in freshwater ecosystems. Fish have a profound negative effect on zooplankton and water clarity but positive effects on primary producers and water nutrients. Furthermore, fish trophic levels can modify the strength of trophic cascades, but an even number of food chain length does not have a negative effect on primary producers in real ecosystems. Eutrophication, warming, and predator abundance strengthen the trophic cascade effects on phytoplankton, suggesting that top-down control will be increasingly important under future global environmental changes. We found no influence or even an increasing trophic cascade strength (e.g., phytoplankton) with increasing latitude, which does not support the widespread view that the trophic cascade strength increases closer to the equator. With increasing temporal and spatial scales, the experimental duration has an accumulative effect, whereas the experimental size is not associated with the trophic cascade strength. Taken together, eutrophication, warming, temporal scale, and predator trophic level and abundance are pivotal to understanding the impacts of multiple environmental factors on the trophic cascade strength. Future studies should stress the possible synergistic effect of multiple factors on the food web structure and dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haojie Su
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.,Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yuhao Feng
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jianfeng Chen
- Poyang Lake Eco-economy Research Center, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, 332005, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Suhui Ma
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jingyun Fang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Ping Xie
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.,Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
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13
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Hovel KA, Duffy JE, Stachowicz JJ, Reynolds P, Boström C, Boyer KE, Cimon S, Cusson M, Fodrie FJ, Gagnon K, Hereu CM, Hori M, Jorgensen P, Kruschel C, Lee KS, Nakaoka M, O'Connor NE, Rossi F, Ruesink J, Tomas F, Ziegler S. Joint effects of patch edges and habitat degradation on faunal predation risk in a widespread marine foundation species. Ecology 2021; 102:e03316. [PMID: 33630346 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Human activities degrade and fragment coastal marine habitats, reducing their structural complexity and making habitat edges a prevalent seascape feature. Though habitat edges frequently are implicated in reduced faunal survival and biodiversity, results of experiments on edge effects have been inconsistent, calling for a mechanistic approach to the study of edges that explicitly includes indirect and interactive effects of habitat alteration at multiple scales across biogeographic gradients. We used an experimental network spanning 17 eelgrass (Zostera marina) sites across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and the Mediterranean Sea to determine (1) if eelgrass edges consistently increase faunal predation risk, (2) whether edge effects on predation risk are altered by habitat degradation (shoot thinning), and (3) whether variation in the strength of edge effects among sites can be explained by biogeographical variability in covarying eelgrass habitat features. Contrary to expectations, at most sites, predation risk for tethered crustaceans (crabs or shrimps) was lower along patch edges than in patch interiors, regardless of the extent of habitat degradation. However, the extent to which edges reduced predation risk, compared to the patch interior, was correlated with the extent to which edges supported higher eelgrass structural complexity and prey biomass compared to patch interiors. This suggests an indirect component to edge effects in which the impact of edge proximity on predation risk is mediated by the effect of edges on other key biotic factors. Our results suggest that studies on edge effects should consider structural characteristics of patch edges, which may vary geographically, and multiple ways that humans degrade habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin A Hovel
- Department of Biology, Coastal and Marine Institute, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, California, 92182, USA
| | - J Emmett Duffy
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network, Smithsonian Institution, Edgewater, Maryland, 20013-7012, USA
| | - John J Stachowicz
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Pamela Reynolds
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network, Smithsonian Institution, Edgewater, Maryland, 20013-7012, USA.,DataLab: Data Science and Informatics, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Christoffer Boström
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Artillerigatan 6, Åbo, 20520, Finland
| | - Katharyn E Boyer
- Estuary & Ocean Science Center, Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, 94132, USA
| | - Stéphanie Cimon
- Département des Sciences Fondamentales & Québec-Océan, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Québec, G7H 2B1, Canada
| | - Mathieu Cusson
- Département des Sciences Fondamentales & Québec-Océan, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Québec, G7H 2B1, Canada
| | - Fredrick Joel Fodrie
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, North Carolina, 28557, USA
| | - Karine Gagnon
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Artillerigatan 6, Åbo, 20520, Finland
| | - Clara M Hereu
- Facultad de Ciencias, UABC, Km. 103 Carretera Tijuana - Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California C.P. 22860, Mexico
| | - Masakazu Hori
- Fisheries Research Agency, Hiroshima, 739-0452, Japan
| | - Pablo Jorgensen
- Geomare AC, Paseo del Pedregal No. 82, Ensenada, 22860, Mexico
| | - Claudia Kruschel
- Department of Ecology, Agronomy and Aquaculture, University of Zadar, Zadar, 23000, Croatia
| | - Kun-Seop Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Korea
| | - Masahiro Nakaoka
- Akkeshi Marine Station, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Akkeshi, 088-1113, Japan
| | - Nessa E O'Connor
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, UK
| | - Francesca Rossi
- ECOSEAS Laboratory, Université de la Cote d'Azur, CNRS, Nice, France
| | - Jennifer Ruesink
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA
| | - Fiona Tomas
- IMEDEA (UIB-CSIC), C/Miquel Marques 21, Esporles, 07190, Spain.,Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA
| | - Shelby Ziegler
- School of Marine Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia, 23062-1346, USA
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14
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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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15
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López DP, Freestone AL. History of co‐occurrence shapes predation effects on functional diversity and structure at low latitudes. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diana P. López
- Department of Biology Temple University Philadelphia PA USA
| | - Amy L. Freestone
- Department of Biology Temple University Philadelphia PA USA
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater MD USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Panama City Panama
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16
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Climate drives the geography of marine consumption by changing predator communities. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:28160-28166. [PMID: 33106409 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2005255117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The global distribution of primary production and consumption by humans (fisheries) is well-documented, but we have no map linking the central ecological process of consumption within food webs to temperature and other ecological drivers. Using standardized assays that span 105° of latitude on four continents, we show that rates of bait consumption by generalist predators in shallow marine ecosystems are tightly linked to both temperature and the composition of consumer assemblages. Unexpectedly, rates of consumption peaked at midlatitudes (25 to 35°) in both Northern and Southern Hemispheres across both seagrass and unvegetated sediment habitats. This pattern contrasts with terrestrial systems, where biotic interactions reportedly weaken away from the equator, but it parallels an emerging pattern of a subtropical peak in marine biodiversity. The higher consumption at midlatitudes was closely related to the type of consumers present, which explained rates of consumption better than consumer density, biomass, species diversity, or habitat. Indeed, the apparent effect of temperature on consumption was mostly driven by temperature-associated turnover in consumer community composition. Our findings reinforce the key influence of climate warming on altered species composition and highlight its implications for the functioning of Earth's ecosystems.
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17
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Yarnall AH, Fodrie FJ. Predation patterns across states of landscape fragmentation can shift with seasonal transitions. Oecologia 2020; 193:403-413. [PMID: 32556593 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04675-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Nested scales of habitat heterogeneity may independently or synergistically influence faunal interactions. Fragmentation effects (i.e., the breaking apart of landscapes) and edge effects (i.e., ecological differences between edges and interiors of patches, nested within landscapes) are distinct yet related ecological concepts, linked mathematically by the habitat edge-to-area ratio. Our study quantified the separate and interactive effects of fragmentation and edge on predation using temperate seagrass. To assess how predation and generalized consumption were influenced by fragmentation state (i.e., continuous, fragmented), and proximity to edge (i.e., edges, interiors), we used tethering assays with two prey-items: juvenile crabs, Callinectes sapidus, and "squidpops" (dried squid mantle). We also investigated whether faunal densities (a proxy for consumption potential) and temperature (a proxy for a broad suite of seasonal changes) correlated with predation across landscapes. Results showed fragmentation state affected predation (i.e., crab) mortality, yet edge effects did not. Moreover, the directionality of fragmentation effects shifted across a temperature/seasonal gradient. Predation mortality more than doubled in continuous landscapes amidst temperature increases, surpassing initially higher mortality in fragmented landscapes, which did not systematically vary with temperature. This mortality magnitude "flip" matched spatiotemporal trends in faunal densities between continuous and fragmented meadows. Consumption rates of both prey-items increased alongside temperature and neither demonstrated edge effects. However, crabs showed fragmentation effects not seen with squidpops, suggesting differing foraging strategies used by consumers of these prey-items. We conclude that fragmentation and edge effects have dynamic influences on temperate predator-prey interactions, as faunal favorability of habitat heterogeneity can "flip" temporally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy H Yarnall
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 3431 Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC, 28557, USA.
| | - F Joel Fodrie
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 3431 Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC, 28557, USA
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18
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Lanham BS, Poore AGB, Gribben PE. Facilitation cascades create a predation refuge for biodiversity in a novel connected habitat. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brendan S. Lanham
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Alistair G. B. Poore
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Paul E. Gribben
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science 19 Chowder Bay Road Mosman New South Wales 2088 Australia
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19
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Henseler C, Nordström MC, Törnroos A, Snickars M, Bonsdorff E. Predation risk and competition affect habitat use of adult perch, Perca fluviatilis. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2020; 96:669-680. [PMID: 31950495 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14258] [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: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine how the presence of a predator and an interspecific competitor influence the habitat use of adult perch (Perca fluviatilis; size: 15.1 ± 0.5 cm) when given the choice between two adjacent habitats. By conducting aquarium experiments, the habitat occupancy of P. fluviatilis was documented in the presence and absence of a predator (pike Esox lucius; size: 25.4 ± 2.1 cm) and a potential competitor (ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus; size: 14.1 ± 0.3 cm) fish species. Two P. fluviatilis individuals generally shared the same habitat. In the presence of a conspecific, P. fluviatilis favoured the structurally more-complex, artificial macrophyte habitat over the less-structured rock and sand habitat, which in turn were used equally. In the predator- and competitor treatments, P. fluviatilis seemed to adapt their habitat use to the habitat occupancy of E. lucius and G. cernuus in the Macrophyte vs. Rock and, in the predator treatment, also in the Macrophyte vs. Sand habitat combination, by increasingly occupying a habitat that was used less by the predator or competitor species, respectively. This behaviour suggests that P. fluviatilis tried to avoid the other fish species by choosing a, in some cases less preferred, predator- or competitor-free habitat. This study emphasizes the importance of biological interactions illustrated by the potential of predation risk and competition to structure fish communities by influencing habitat use at small spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Henseler
- Department of Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Åbo, Finland
| | - Marie C Nordström
- Department of Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Åbo, Finland
| | - Anna Törnroos
- Department of Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Åbo, Finland
| | - Martin Snickars
- Department of Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Åbo, Finland
| | - Erik Bonsdorff
- Department of Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Åbo, Finland
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20
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Henderson CJ, Gilby BL, Schlacher TA, Connolly RM, Sheaves M, Maxwell PS, Flint N, Borland HP, Martin TSH, Olds AD. Low redundancy and complementarity shape ecosystem functioning in a low-diversity ecosystem. J Anim Ecol 2019; 89:784-794. [PMID: 31758695 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Ecosystem functioning is positively linked to biodiversity on land and in the sea. In high-diversity systems (e.g. coral reefs), species coexist by sharing resources and providing similar functions at different temporal or spatial scales. How species combine to deliver the ecological function they provide is pivotal for maintaining the structure, functioning and resilience of some ecosystems, but the significance of this is rarely examined in low-diversity systems such as estuaries. We tested whether an ecological function is shaped by biodiversity in a low-diversity ecosystem by measuring the consumption of carrion by estuarine scavengers. Carrion (e.g. decaying animal flesh) is opportunistically fed on by a large number of species across numerous ecosystems. Estuaries were chosen as the model system because carrion consumption is a pivotal ecological function in coastal seascapes, and estuaries are thought to support diverse scavenger assemblages, which are modified by changes in water quality and the urbanization of estuarine shorelines. We used baited underwater video arrays to record scavengers and measure the rate at which carrion was consumed by fish in 39 estuaries across 1,000 km of coastline in eastern Australia. Carrion consumption was positively correlated with the abundance of only one species, yellowfin bream Acanthopagrus australis, which consumed 58% of all deployed carrion. The consumption of carrion by yellowfin bream was greatest in urban estuaries with moderately hardened shorelines (20%-60%) and relatively large subtidal rock bars (>0.1 km2 ). Our findings demonstrate that an ecological function can be maintained across estuarine seascapes despite both limited redundancy (i.e. dominated by one species) and complementarity (i.e. there is no spatial context where the function is delivered significantly when yellowfin bream are not present) in the functional traits of animal assemblages. The continued functioning of estuaries, and other low-diversity ecosystems, might therefore not be tightly linked to biodiversity, and we suggest that the preservation of functionally dominant species that maintain functions in these systems could help to improve conservation outcomes for coastal seascapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Henderson
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Qld, Australia
| | - Ben L Gilby
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Qld, Australia
| | - Thomas A Schlacher
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Qld, Australia
| | - Rod M Connolly
- Australian Rivers Institute - Coasts & Estuaries and School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Qld, Australia
| | - Marcus Sheaves
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia
| | | | - Nicole Flint
- School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Qld, Australia
| | - Hayden P Borland
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Qld, Australia
| | - Tyson S H Martin
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Qld, Australia.,Australian Rivers Institute - Coasts & Estuaries and School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Qld, Australia
| | - Andrew D Olds
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Qld, Australia
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21
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Freestone AL, Carroll EW, Papacostas KJ, Ruiz GM, Torchin ME, Sewall BJ. Predation shapes invertebrate diversity in tropical but not temperate seagrass communities. J Anim Ecol 2019; 89:323-333. [PMID: 31671206 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The hypothesis that biotic interactions are stronger at lower relative to higher latitudes has a rich history, drawing from ecological and evolutionary theory. While this hypothesis suggests that stronger interactions at lower latitudes may contribute to the maintenance of contemporary patterns of diversity, there remain few standardized biogeographic comparisons of community effects of species interactions. Using marine seagrasses as a focal ecosystem of conservation importance and sessile marine invertebrates as model prey, we tested the hypothesis that predation is stronger at lower latitudes and can shape contemporary patterns of prey diversity. To further advance understanding beyond prior studies, we also explored mechanisms that likely underlie a change in interaction outcomes with latitude. Multiple observational and experimental approaches were employed to test for effects of predators, and the mechanisms that may underlie these effects, in seagrass ecosystems of the western Atlantic Ocean spanning 30° of latitude from the temperate zone to the tropics. In predator exclusion experiments conducted in a temperate and a tropical region, predation decreased sessile invertebrate abundance, richness and diversity on both natural and standardized artificial seagrass at tropical but not temperate sites. Further, predation reduced invertebrate richness at both local and regional scales in the tropics. Additional experiments demonstrated that predation reduced invertebrate recruitment in the tropics but not the temperate zone. Finally, direct observations of predators showed higher but variable consumption rates on invertebrates at tropical relative to temperate latitudes. Together, these results demonstrate that strong predation in the tropics can have consequential impacts on prey communities through discrete effects on early life stages as well as longer-term cumulative effects on community structure and diversity. Our detailed experiments also provide some of the first data linking large-scale biogeographic patterns, community-scale interaction outcomes and direct observation of predators in the temperate zone and tropics. Therefore, our results support the hypothesis that predation is stronger in the tropics, but also elucidate some of the causes and consequences of this variation in shaping contemporary patterns of diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Freestone
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama
| | | | | | - Gregory M Ruiz
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA
| | - Mark E Torchin
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama
| | - Brent J Sewall
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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22
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Aristov D, Varfolomeeva M. Moon snails Amauropsis islandica can shape the population of Baltic clams Limecola balthica by size-selective predation in the high-latitude White Sea. Polar Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-019-02597-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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23
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Riquelme-Pérez N, Musrri CA, Stotz WB, Cerda O, Pino-Olivares O, Thiel M. Coastal fish assemblages and predation pressure in northern-central Chilean Lessonia trabeculata kelp forests and barren grounds. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6964. [PMID: 31223523 PMCID: PMC6571002 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Kelp forests are declining in many parts of the globe, which can lead to the spreading of barren grounds. Increased abundances of grazers, mainly due to reduction of their predators, are among the causes of this development. Here, we compared the species richness (SR), frequency of occurrence (FO), and maximum abundance (MaxN) of predatory fish and their predation pressure between kelp forest and barren ground habitats of northern-central Chile. Sampling was done using baited underwater cameras with vertical and horizontal orientation. Two prey organisms were used as tethered baits, the black sea urchin Tetrapygus niger and the porcelanid crab Petrolisthes laevigatus. SR did not show major differences between habitats, while FO and MaxN were higher on barren grounds in vertical videos, with no major differences between habitats in horizontal videos. Predation pressure did not differ between habitats, but after 24 h consumption of porcelanid crabs was significantly higher than that of sea urchins. Scartichthys viridis/gigas was the main predator, accounting for 82% of the observed predation events on Petrolisthes laevigatus. Most of these attacks occurred on barren grounds. Scartichthys viridis/gigas was the only fish observed attacking (but not consuming) tethered sea urchins. High abundances of opportunistic predators (Scartichthys viridis/gigas) are probably related to low abundances of large predatory fishes. These results suggest that intense fishing activity on large predators, and their resulting low abundances, could result in low predation pressure on sea urchins, thereby contributing to the increase of T. niger abundances in subtidal rocky habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Catalina A Musrri
- Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Wolfgang B Stotz
- Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Osvaldo Cerda
- Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Oscar Pino-Olivares
- Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Martin Thiel
- Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile.,Millennium Nucleus Ecology and Sustainable Management of Oceanic Island (ESMOI), Coquimbo, Chile.,Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), Coquimbo, Chile
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24
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Cheng BS, Altieri AH, Torchin ME, Ruiz GM. Can marine reserves restore lost ecosystem functioning? A global synthesis. Ecology 2019; 100:e02617. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brian S. Cheng
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia 20013 USA
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater Maryland 21037 USA
- Department of Environmental Conservation University of Massachusetts Amherst Massachusetts 01003 USA
| | - Andrew H. Altieri
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado 0843‐03092 Balboa Republic of Panama
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences University of Florida Gainesville Florida 32611 USA
| | - Mark E. Torchin
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado 0843‐03092 Balboa Republic of Panama
| | - Gregory M. Ruiz
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater Maryland 21037 USA
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25
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Gibert JP. Temperature directly and indirectly influences food web structure. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5312. [PMID: 30926855 PMCID: PMC6441002 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41783-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding whether and how environmental conditions may impact food web structure at a global scale is central to our ability to predict how food webs will respond to climate change. However, such an understanding is nascent. Using the best resolved available food webs to date, I address whether latitude, temperature, or both, explain the number of species and feeding interactions, the proportion of basal and top species, as well as the degree of omnivory, connectance and the number of trophic levels across food webs. I found that temperature is a more parsimonious predictor of food web structure than latitude. Temperature directly reduces the number of species, the proportion of basal species and the number of interactions while it indirectly increases omnivory levels, connectance and trophic level through its direct effects on the fraction and number of basal species. While direct impacts of temperature are routinely taken into account to predict how ecosystems may respond to global climate change, indirect effects have been largely overlooked. These results thus suggest that food webs may be affected by a combination of biotic and abiotic conditions, both directly and indirectly, in a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean P Gibert
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
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26
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Lefcheck JS, Hughes BB, Johnson AJ, Pfirrmann BW, Rasher DB, Smyth AR, Williams BL, Beck MW, Orth RJ. Are coastal habitats important nurseries? A meta‐analysis. Conserv Lett 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan S. Lefcheck
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network, MarineGEOSmithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater Maryland
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William & Mary Gloucester Point Virginia
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences,Center for Ocean Health East Boothbay Maine
| | - Brent B. Hughes
- Department of BiologySonoma State University Rohnert Park California
| | - Andrew J. Johnson
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William & Mary Gloucester Point Virginia
| | - Bruce W. Pfirrmann
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William & Mary Gloucester Point Virginia
- Baruch Marine Field LaboratoryUniversity of South Carolina Georgetown South Carolina
| | - Douglas B. Rasher
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences,Center for Ocean Health East Boothbay Maine
| | - Ashley R. Smyth
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William & Mary Gloucester Point Virginia
- Soil and Water Sciences Department, Tropical Research and Education CenterUniversity of Florida Homestead Florida
| | - Bethany L. Williams
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William & Mary Gloucester Point Virginia
| | - Michael W. Beck
- The Nature Conservancy & Institute of Marine SciencesUniversity of California Santa Cruz California
| | - Robert J. Orth
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William & Mary Gloucester Point Virginia
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27
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Aires T, Muyzer G, Serrão EA, Engelen AH. Seaweed Loads Cause Stronger Bacterial Community Shifts in Coastal Lagoon Sediments Than Nutrient Loads. Front Microbiol 2019; 9:3283. [PMID: 30687271 PMCID: PMC6333863 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The input of nutrients from anthropogenic sources is the leading cause of coastal eutrophication and is usually coupled with algal/seaweed blooms. Effects may be magnified in semi-enclosed systems, such as highly productive coastal lagoon ecosystems. Eutrophication and seaweed blooms can lead to ecosystem disruption. Previous studies have considered only one of these factors, disregarding possible interactive effects and the effect of the blooming species' identity on sediment bacterial communities. We tested the effect of experimental nutrient loading and two common blooming seaweeds (Ulva rigida and Gracilaria vermiculophylla) in coastal lagoon sediments, on the structure of bacterial communities (using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing) and corresponding putative functional potential (using PiCRUSt). At the Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU) level, the addition of nutrients reduced bacterial community α-diversity and decreased the abundance of sulfate reducers (Desulfobacterales) compared to sulfur oxidizers/denitrifiers (Chromatiales and Campylobacterales), whereas this was not the case at the order level. Seaweed addition did not change bacterial α-diversity and the effect on community structure depended on the taxonomic level considered. The addition of Gracilaria increased the abundance of orders and OTUs involved in sulfate reduction and organic matter decomposition (Desulfobacterales, Bacteroidales, and Clostridiales, respectively), an effect which was also detected when only Ulva was added. Nutrients and the seaweeds combined only interacted for Ulva and nutrients, which increased known sulfide oxidizers and denitrifiers (order Campylobacterales). Seaweed enrichment affected putative functional profiles; a stronger increase of sulfur cycling KEGG pathways was assigned to nutrient-disturbed sediments, particularly with the seaweeds and especially Ulva. In contrast, nitrogen and sulfur cycle pathways showed a higher abundance of genes related to dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) in Ulva+nutrients treatments. However, the other seaweed treatments increased the nitrogen fixation genes. Thiosulfate reduction, performed by sulfate-reducing bacteria, increased in seaweed treatments except when Ulva was combined with nutrients. In conclusion, the in situ addition of nutrients and the seaweeds to intertidal sediments affected the bacterial communities differently and independently. The predicted functional profile suggests a shift in relative abundances of putative pathways for nitrogen and sulfur cycles, in line with the taxonomic changes of the bacterial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tânia Aires
- Centro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR), Centro de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Gerard Muyzer
- Microbial Systems Ecology, Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ester A. Serrão
- Centro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR), Centro de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Aschwin H. Engelen
- Centro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR), Centro de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
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28
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Cheng BS, Ruiz GM, Altieri AH, Torchin ME. The biogeography of invasion in tropical and temperate seagrass beds: Testing interactive effects of predation and propagule pressure. DIVERS DISTRIB 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brian S. Cheng
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories NetworkSmithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater Maryland
- Department of Environmental ConservationUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst Massachusetts
| | - Gregory M. Ruiz
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater Maryland
| | - Andrew H. Altieri
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories NetworkSmithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa, Ancon Republic of Panama
- Department of Environmental Engineering SciencesUniversity of Florida Gainesville Florida
| | - Mark E. Torchin
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa, Ancon Republic of Panama
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