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Effects of Eutrophication on Plankton Abundance and Composition in the Gulf of Gabès (Mediterranean Sea, Tunisia). WATER 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/w14142230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Phytoplankton and Copepoda were investigated in the industrialized Gabès coast (Mediterranean Sea, Tunisia) to understand consequences of the Eutrophication Grade on the community composition. In the past 40 years, intensive agrochemical activities have developed in Gabès, discharging wastewater along the coast. In parallel, Gabès City has experienced a rapid demographic expansion (population: 131,000) that further increased sewage discharged into the sea. The present study was carried out in the Gulf of Gabès in March 2014. The abiotic analysis of seawater showed high concentrations of nutrients and eutrophication in all the studied fifteen stations. A growing eutrophic gradient was revealed from Zarrat to Gannouche. During this study, 42 phytoplankton taxa and 24 Copepoda taxa were identified. Bacillariophyta were the most abundant group, ranging from 67.7% to 89.2% of total phytoplankton specimens. Chaetoceros costatus, Euglena acusformis, and Thalassiosira sp. showed a positive correlation with Eutrophication Index (profited of nutrient availability). Therefore, the Shannon–Weaver diversity index of phytoplankton and Copepoda showed negative correlations with Eutrophication Index. The relatively high H′ values for phytoplankton suggest that the eutrophicated waters of Gulf of Gabès are not a hostile environment for them. Among Copepoda, Oithona similis, and Euterpina acutifrons seem to be insensible species to eutrophication.
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Di Pane J, Wiltshire KH, McLean M, Boersma M, Meunier CL. Environmentally induced functional shifts in phytoplankton and their potential consequences for ecosystem functioning. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:2804-2819. [PMID: 35068029 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Phytoplanktonic organisms are particularly sensitive to environmental change, and, as they represent a direct link between abiotic and biotic compartments within the marine food web, changes in the functional structure of phytoplankton communities can result in profound impacts on ecosystem functioning. Using a trait-based approach, we examined changes in the functional structure of the southern North Sea phytoplankton over the past five decades in relation to environmental conditions. We identified a shift in functional structure between 1998 and 2004 which coincides with a pronounced increase in diatom and decrease in dinoflagellate abundances, and we provide a mechanistic explanation for this taxonomic change. Early in the 2000s, the phytoplankton functional structure shifted from slow growing, autumn blooming, mixotrophic organisms, towards earlier blooming and faster-growing microalgae. Warming and decreasing dissolved phosphorus concentrations were linked to this rapid reorganization of the functional structure. We identified a potential link between this shift and dissolved nutrient concentrations, and we hypothesise that organisms blooming early and displaying high growth rates efficiently take up nutrients which then are no longer available to late bloomers. Moreover, we identified that the above-mentioned functional change may have bottom-up consequences, through a food quality-driven negative influence on copepod abundances. Overall, our study highlights that, by altering the phytoplankton functional composition, global and regional changes may have profound long-term impacts on coastal ecosystems, impacting both food-web structure and biogeochemical cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Di Pane
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany
| | - Karen Helen Wiltshire
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Wadden Sea Station, Sylt, Germany
| | - Matthew McLean
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Maarten Boersma
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany
- University of Bremen, FB 2, Bremen, Germany
| | - Cédric Léo Meunier
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany
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Edwards M, Hélaouët P, Goberville E, Lindley A, Tarling GA, Burrows MT, Atkinson A. North Atlantic warming over six decades drives decreases in krill abundance with no associated range shift. Commun Biol 2021; 4:644. [PMID: 34059795 PMCID: PMC8166933 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02159-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In the North Atlantic, euphausiids (krill) form a major link between primary production and predators including commercially exploited fish. This basin is warming very rapidly, with species expected to shift northwards following their thermal tolerances. Here we show, however, that there has been a 50% decline in surface krill abundance over the last 60 years that occurred in situ, with no associated range shift. While we relate these changes to the warming climate, our study is the first to document an in situ squeeze on living space within this system. The warmer isotherms are shifting measurably northwards but cooler isotherms have remained relatively static, stalled by the subpolar fronts in the NW Atlantic. Consequently the two temperatures defining the core of krill distribution (7–13 °C) were 8° of latitude apart 60 years ago but are presently only 4° apart. Over the 60 year period the core latitudinal distribution of euphausiids has remained relatively stable so a ‘habitat squeeze’, with loss of 4° of latitude in living space, could explain the decline in krill. This highlights that, as the temperature warms, not all species can track isotherms and shift northward at the same rate with both losers and winners emerging under the ‘Atlantification’ of the sub-Arctic. Martin Edwards et al. use data spanning from 1958–2017 from the Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey of the North Atlantic Ocean to examine krill distribution and abundance in conjunction with sea surface temperatures and show a 50% decline in surface krill abundance with no associated range shift. These data show that where the northern and southern distributions were previously separated by 8° of latitude, they are now separated by 4°, indicating a warming-induced range constriction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pierre Hélaouët
- The Marine Biological Association (MBA), The Laboratory, Plymouth, PL12PB, UK
| | - Eric Goberville
- Unité Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, CNRS, IRD, Paris, France
| | - Alistair Lindley
- The Marine Biological Association (MBA), The Laboratory, Plymouth, PL12PB, UK
| | | | - Michael T Burrows
- Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), Scottish Marine Institute, Oban, PA37 1QA, UK
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Mokievsky VO, Tzetlin AB. Long-Term Dynamics of Benthic Communities: Editor’s Note. BIOL BULL+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359020090101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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5
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Fernandes JA, Rutterford L, Simpson SD, Butenschön M, Frölicher TL, Yool A, Cheung WWL, Grant A. Can we project changes in fish abundance and distribution in response to climate? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:3891-3905. [PMID: 32378286 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale and long-term changes in fish abundance and distribution in response to climate change have been simulated using both statistical and process-based models. However, national and regional fisheries management requires also shorter term projections on smaller spatial scales, and these need to be validated against fisheries data. A 26-year time series of fish surveys with high spatial resolution in the North-East Atlantic provides a unique opportunity to assess the ability of models to correctly simulate the changes in fish distribution and abundance that occurred in response to climate variability and change. We use a dynamic bioclimate envelope model forced by physical-biogeochemical output from eight ocean models to simulate changes in fish abundance and distribution at scales down to a spatial resolution of 0.5°. When comparing with these simulations with annual fish survey data, we found the largest differences at the 0.5° scale. Differences between fishery model runs driven by different biogeochemical models decrease dramatically when results are aggregated to larger scales (e.g. the whole North Sea), to total catches rather than individual species or when the ensemble mean instead of individual simulations are used. Recent improvements in the fidelity of biogeochemical models translate into lower error rates in the fisheries simulations. However, predictions based on different biogeochemical models are often more similar to each other than they are to the survey data, except for some pelagic species. We conclude that model results can be used to guide fisheries management at larger spatial scales, but more caution is needed at smaller scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose A Fernandes
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Pasaia, Spain
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK
| | - Louise Rutterford
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Stephen D Simpson
- School of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Momme Butenschön
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK
- Ocean Modeling and Data Assimilation Division, Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici, Bologna, Italy
| | - Thomas L Frölicher
- Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrew Yool
- National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK
| | - William W L Cheung
- Nippon Foundation-Nereus Program, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Alastair Grant
- Ocean Modeling and Data Assimilation Division, Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici, Bologna, Italy
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Nohe A, Goffin A, Tyberghein L, Lagring R, De Cauwer K, Vyverman W, Sabbe K. Marked changes in diatom and dinoflagellate biomass, composition and seasonality in the Belgian Part of the North Sea between the 1970s and 2000s. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 716:136316. [PMID: 32036126 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In the last decades, the North Sea has undergone intense environmental changes which have led to regime shifts that affected all trophic levels. Since the 1970s, both increases and decreases in phytoplankton biomass and production have been reported from different parts of the North Sea. Such conflicting observations may be partly caused by methodological differences, but also reflect regional differences related to bathymetry, hydrodynamics, climate, riverine and Atlantic influence. The Belgian part of the North Sea (BPNS) is a hydrodynamically and bathymetrically complex area under strong human influence, which has been characterized by eutrophication (up to the 1980s) and de-eutrophication (1990s onwards), and pronounced long-term changes in turbidity and water temperature. We used a newly recovered and standardized historic dataset, the Belgian Phytoplankton Database (Nohe et al., 2018), to compare the biomass, composition and seasonality of diatom and dinoflagellate assemblages, two key components of the plankton in the BPNS, between the 1970s and 2000s. Diatoms, especially large-sized taxa, showed an increase from late winter to summer, resulting in a more intense and extended growing season in the 2000s. Dinoflagellates increased year-round but especially in summer. Both diatom and dinoflagellate blooms showed a clear shift towards an earlier bloom start. In addition, while in the 1970s distinct seasonal community types were present, a striking seasonal homogenization in community structure had occurred by the 2000s. Finally, we observed a pronounced increase in the abundance of harmful diatom and dinoflagellate genera. The observed changes are most likely due to an increase in sea surface temperature and water transparency, and changes in nutrient loads and ratios. Our study underscores the importance of recovering previously inaccessible historic data as they can offer unprecedented insights into long-term change in marine ecosystems, which are essential for properly evaluating the impact of human activities on these ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Nohe
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Laboratory of Protistology & Aquatic Ecology, Krijgslaan 281 (S8), 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Annelies Goffin
- Flanders Marine Institute, Wandelaarkaai 7, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | | | - Ruth Lagring
- Operational Directorate Natural Environment, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Karien De Cauwer
- Operational Directorate Natural Environment, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Wim Vyverman
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Laboratory of Protistology & Aquatic Ecology, Krijgslaan 281 (S8), 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Koen Sabbe
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Laboratory of Protistology & Aquatic Ecology, Krijgslaan 281 (S8), 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
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Biodiversity of Calanoida Copepoda in Different Habitats of the North-Western Red Sea (Hurghada Shelf). WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12030656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about the diversity of Calanoida, Copepoda, in different habitats of the north-western Red Sea. In this study, biodiversity of Calanoida, Copepoda, during the cold and warm seasons of 2017, were observed at 12 stations belonging to four different habitats (coral reef (CR), sheltered shallow lagoons (SSL), seagrass (SG), and open deep-water (ODW) habitats) in the Hurghada shelf, north-western Red Sea. SSL habitats were the most affected by environmental conditions, especially temperature, salinity, and depth. Some calanoid species were restricted to certain habitats, others were adapted to live in more than one habitat, while some species showed a wide distribution in all habitats. ODW habitats showed maximum diversity and density of the calanoid species. The effects of temperature and salinity were distinct in the SG and SSL. The results clearly showed that different Red Sea habitats affected the biodiversity of calanoid copepods.
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8
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Meyer J, Kröncke I. Shifts in trait-based and taxonomic macrofauna community structure along a 27-year time-series in the south-eastern North Sea. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226410. [PMID: 31851700 PMCID: PMC6919609 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Current research revealed distinct changes in ecosystem functions, and thus in ecosystem stability and resilience, caused by changes in community structure and diversity loss. Benthic species play an important role in benthic-pelagic coupling, such as through the remineralization of deposited organic material, and changes to benthic community structure and diversity have associated with changes in ecosystem functioning, ecosystem stability and resilience. However, the long-term variability of traits and functions in benthic communities is largely unknown. By using abundance and bioturbation potential of macrofauna samples, taken along a transect from the German Bight towards the Dogger Bank in May 1990 and annually from 1995 to 2017, we analysed the taxonomic and trait-based macrofauna long-term community variability and diversity. Taxonomic and trait-based diversity remained stable over time, while three different regimes were found, characterised by changes in taxonomic and trait-based community structure. Min/max autocorrelation factor analysis revealed the climatic variables sea surface temperature (SST) and North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOI), nitrite, and epibenthic abundance as most important environmental drivers for taxonomic and trait-based community changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Meyer
- Marine Research, Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Benthic Ecology, Oldenburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Ingrid Kröncke
- Marine Research, Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Benthic Ecology, Oldenburg, Germany
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Clare DS, Spencer M, Robinson LA, Frid CLJ. Explaining ecological shifts: the roles of temperature and primary production in the long-term dynamics of benthic faunal composition. OIKOS 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David S. Clare
- School of Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Liverpool, Brownlow Street, Liverpool; L69 3GP UK
| | - Matthew Spencer
- School of Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Liverpool, Brownlow Street, Liverpool; L69 3GP UK
| | - Leonie A. Robinson
- School of Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Liverpool, Brownlow Street, Liverpool; L69 3GP UK
| | - Christopher L. J. Frid
- School of Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Liverpool, Brownlow Street, Liverpool; L69 3GP UK
- Griffith School of Environment, Griffith Univ.; Southport QLD Australia
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11
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Narayanaswamy BE, Renaud PE, Duineveld GCA, Berge J, Lavaleye MSS, Reiss H, Brattegard T. Biodiversity trends along the western European margin. PLoS One 2010; 5:e14295. [PMID: 21179189 PMCID: PMC3001438 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0014295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2010] [Accepted: 11/15/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bhavani E Narayanaswamy
- Scottish Association for Marine Science, Scottish Marine Institute, Oban, Argyll, United Kingdom.
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12
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Dauvin JC. Benthic time-series observations in North-eastern European Marine Station: is a European label needed? MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2010; 60:483-488. [PMID: 20385329 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2010.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
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13
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Beaugrand G, Edwards M, Brander K, Luczak C, Ibanez F. Causes and projections of abrupt climate-driven ecosystem shifts in the North Atlantic. Ecol Lett 2008; 11:1157-1168. [PMID: 18647332 DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2008.01218.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Grégory Beaugrand
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences', UMR LOG CNRS 8187, Station Marine, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille - Lille 1 BP 80, 62930 Wimereux, FranceSir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, Citadel Hill The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UKDTU Aqua, Charlottenlund Slot, 2920 Charlottenlund, DenmarkUniversité d'Artois, IUFM Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Centre de Gravelines, 40, rue Victor Hugo, BP 129, 59820 Gravelines, FranceLaboratoire d'Oceanographie de Villefranche (LOV), BP 28, 06234 Villefranche-sur-Mer Cedex, France
| | - Martin Edwards
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences', UMR LOG CNRS 8187, Station Marine, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille - Lille 1 BP 80, 62930 Wimereux, FranceSir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, Citadel Hill The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UKDTU Aqua, Charlottenlund Slot, 2920 Charlottenlund, DenmarkUniversité d'Artois, IUFM Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Centre de Gravelines, 40, rue Victor Hugo, BP 129, 59820 Gravelines, FranceLaboratoire d'Oceanographie de Villefranche (LOV), BP 28, 06234 Villefranche-sur-Mer Cedex, France
| | - Keith Brander
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences', UMR LOG CNRS 8187, Station Marine, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille - Lille 1 BP 80, 62930 Wimereux, FranceSir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, Citadel Hill The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UKDTU Aqua, Charlottenlund Slot, 2920 Charlottenlund, DenmarkUniversité d'Artois, IUFM Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Centre de Gravelines, 40, rue Victor Hugo, BP 129, 59820 Gravelines, FranceLaboratoire d'Oceanographie de Villefranche (LOV), BP 28, 06234 Villefranche-sur-Mer Cedex, France
| | - Christophe Luczak
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences', UMR LOG CNRS 8187, Station Marine, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille - Lille 1 BP 80, 62930 Wimereux, FranceSir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, Citadel Hill The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UKDTU Aqua, Charlottenlund Slot, 2920 Charlottenlund, DenmarkUniversité d'Artois, IUFM Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Centre de Gravelines, 40, rue Victor Hugo, BP 129, 59820 Gravelines, FranceLaboratoire d'Oceanographie de Villefranche (LOV), BP 28, 06234 Villefranche-sur-Mer Cedex, France
| | - Frederic Ibanez
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences', UMR LOG CNRS 8187, Station Marine, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille - Lille 1 BP 80, 62930 Wimereux, FranceSir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, Citadel Hill The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UKDTU Aqua, Charlottenlund Slot, 2920 Charlottenlund, DenmarkUniversité d'Artois, IUFM Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Centre de Gravelines, 40, rue Victor Hugo, BP 129, 59820 Gravelines, FranceLaboratoire d'Oceanographie de Villefranche (LOV), BP 28, 06234 Villefranche-sur-Mer Cedex, France
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Leonard DRP, Robert Clarke K, Somerfield PJ, Warwick RM. The application of an indicator based on taxonomic distinctness for UK marine biodiversity assessments. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2006; 78:52-62. [PMID: 16095807 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2005.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2004] [Revised: 02/21/2005] [Accepted: 04/12/2005] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Mankind needs to use the resources and opportunities offered by the marine environment while protecting ecological processes and systems. This is the foundation for sustainable development, which can only be achieved by adopting an appropriate management approach. Whether internationally or at a regional scale, successful management of marine ecosystems needs to be based on a scientifically robust approach to monitoring environmental change. Within such a framework, the conservation of marine biological diversity is problematic, as many conventional measures of diversity are not appropriate for measuring the types of change that require management. New indicators are required and in this paper we summarise some of the current methodology being used to derive such indices, which may be used to evaluate the effectiveness of marine stewardship initiatives. Through a series of examples we demonstrate the application of the taxonomic distinctness indicator of biodiversity to marine environmental assessment and its development towards becoming an operational tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- D R P Leonard
- Defra, Environmental Protection Directorate, Rm. 305, Eastbury House, Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TL, UK
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15
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Hardman-Mountford NJ, Allen JI, Frost MT, Hawkins SJ, Kendall MA, Mieszkowska N, Richardson KA, Somerfield PJ. Diagnostic monitoring of a changing environment: an alternative UK perspective. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2005; 50:1463-71. [PMID: 16051279 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive management of the marine environment requires an understanding of the complex interactions within it. Establishing levels of natural variability within and between marine ecosystems is a necessary prerequisite to this process and requires a monitoring programme which takes account of the issues of time, space and scale. In this paper, we argue that an ecosystem approach to managing the marine environment should take direct account of climate change indicators at a regional level if it is to cope with the unprecedented change expected as a result of human impacts on the earth climate system. We discuss the purpose of environmental monitoring and the importance of maintaining long-term time series. Recommendations are made on the use of these data in conjunction with modern extrapolation and integration tools (e.g. ecosystem models, remote sensing) to provide a diagnostic approach to the management of marine ecosystems, based on adaptive indicators and dynamic baselines.
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17
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Fock HO. Changes in the seasonal cycles of inorganic nutrients in the coastal zone of the southeastern North Sea from 1960 to 1997: effects of eutrophication and sensitivity to meteoclimatic factors. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2003; 46:1434-1449. [PMID: 14607541 DOI: 10.1016/s0025-326x(03)00287-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
A long-term analysis of seasonal cycles of inorganic nutrients by means of a seasonal index is presented for the German Bight and the southern Wadden Sea (SE North Sea). Multivariate analysis for the German Bight data series revealed dependence of ammonium and phosphate index time series on dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations and riverine nutrient loads. Both indices are assumed to reflect seasonal dynamics of remineralisation processes associated with increased supply of organic matter. Temporal analysis revealed breaks in nutrient dynamics in 1970/1972 and 1979/1980. After 1970/1972, an unprecedented increase in the summer concentrations of mineralisation endproducts with correspondingly low index values were observed, which further declined after 1979/1980. Further breaks for Wadden Sea data series were identified in 1985 and 1988/1989. The indicative value of the temporal breaks with respect to eutrophication is discussed against the background of changes in meteoclimatic factors and local environmental conditions. Collated information on eutrophication effects was consistent with the observed breaks. It is suggested that the break in 1970/1972 in the German Bight was the first sign of ecosystem response to eutrophication in the SE North Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heino O Fock
- Ecoanalysis de, Königsberger Strasse 9, D-23795 Bad Segeberg, Germany.
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Schöne BR, Kröncke I, Houk SD, Castro ADF, Oschmann W. The cornucopia of chilly winters: Ocean quahog (Arctica islandica L., Mollusca) master chronology reveals bottom water nutrient enrichment during colder winters (North Sea). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1007/bf03043092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Long-term variability in macrofauna species composition off the island of Norderney (East Frisia, Germany) in relation to changes in climatic and environmental conditions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1007/bf03042837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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