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Kytinou E, Issaris Y, Sini M, Salomidi M, Katsanevakis S. ECOfast - An integrative ecological evaluation index for an ecosystem-based assessment of shallow rocky reefs. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 344:118323. [PMID: 37354588 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118323] [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: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
The degradation of marine ecosystems is a growing concern worldwide, emphasizing the need for efficient tools to assess their ecological status. Herein, a novel ecosystem-based ecological evaluation index of shallow rocky reefs is introduced and tested in the Aegean and Ionian Seas (NE Mediterranean). The index focuses on a specific set of pre-selected species, including habitat-forming, key, commercially important, and non-indigenous species, across a wide range of trophic levels (1.00-4.53). Data acquisition is conducted through rapid non-destructive SCUBA diving surveys to assess all macroscopic food web components (macroalgae, invertebrates, and fish). Two versions of the index, ECOfast and ECOfast-NIS, were developed, each applying a different approach to account for the impact of non-indigenous species. In our case study, the correlations between the two versions of the index and sea surface temperature, protection status, occurrence of carnivorous fish, and non-indigenous herbivores were assessed through generalized additive models (GAMs). The assessment assigned 93% (ECOfast) or 96% (ECOfast-NIS) of the sites to a moderate to bad ecological status, indicating an alarming situation in the shallow rocky reefs of the NE Mediterranean. Sites evaluated as poor or bad were characterized by extensive coverage of ephemeral macroalgae, absence or minimal presence of large indigenous carnivorous fish, and complete absence of one to three out of five invertebrate functional trophic groups. The community composition of macroalgae, herbivorous species, and carnivorous fishes differed between the 5 m and 15 m depth zones. Surface temperature and carnivorous fish occurrence were the most important tested predictors of the ecological status of shallow rocky reefs. The best GAMs showed that the ECOfast score declined with sea surface temperature and increased with the occurrence of carnivorous fish; ECOfast-NIS declined with sea surface temperature and the occurrence of non-indigenous fish and increased with the occurrence of carnivorous fish. The non-destructive and integrative nature of this approach, its speed of data acquisition and analysis, and its capacity to account for highly mobile predatory fish and non-indigenous species render the ECOfast index a novel, robust, and valuable tool for assessing the ecological status of shallow rocky reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Kytinou
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, Lofos Panepistimiou, 81100, Mytilene, Greece; Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens Sounio Ave., 19013, Anavyssos, Greece.
| | - Yiannis Issaris
- Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens Sounio Ave., 19013, Anavyssos, Greece
| | - Maria Sini
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, Lofos Panepistimiou, 81100, Mytilene, Greece
| | - Maria Salomidi
- Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens Sounio Ave., 19013, Anavyssos, Greece
| | - Stelios Katsanevakis
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, Lofos Panepistimiou, 81100, Mytilene, Greece
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Lokovšek A, Pitacco V, Trkov D, Zamuda LL, Falace A, Orlando-Bonaca M. Keep It Simple: Improving the Ex Situ Culture of Cystoseira s.l. to Restore Macroalgal Forests. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:2615. [PMID: 37514229 PMCID: PMC10386143 DOI: 10.3390/plants12142615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Brown algae from genus Cystoseira s.l. form dense underwater forests that represent the most productive areas in the Mediterranean Sea. Due to the combined effects of global and local stressors such as climate change, urbanization, and herbivore outbreaks, there has been a severe decline in brown algal forests in the Mediterranean Sea. Natural recovery of depleted sites is unlikely due to the low dispersal capacity of these species, and efficient techniques to restore such habitats are needed. In this context, the aims of our study were (1) to improve and simplify the current ex situ laboratory protocol for the cultivation of Gongolaria barbata by testing the feasibility of some cost-effective and time-efficient techniques on two donor sites of G. barbata and (2) to evaluate the survival and growth of young thalli during the laboratory phase and during the most critical five months after out-planting. Specifically, the following ex situ cultivation methods were tested: (A) cultivation on clay tiles in mesocosms with culture water prepared by three different procedures (a) filtered seawater with a 0.22 μm filter membrane, (b) filtered seawater with a 0.7 μm filter membrane (GF), and (c) UV-sterilized water, and (B) cultivation on clay tiles in open laboratory systems. After two weeks, all thalli were fixed to plastic lantern net baskets suspended at a depth of 2 m in the coastal sea (hybrid method), and the algal success was monitored in relation to the different donor sites and cultivation protocol. The satisfactory results of this study indicate that UV-sterilized water is suitable for the cultivation of G. barbata in mesocosm, which significantly reduces the cost of the laboratory phase. This opens the possibility of numerous and frequent algal cultures during the reproductive period of the species. Additionally, if the young thalli remain in the lantern net baskets for an extended period of several months, they can grow significantly in the marine environment without being exposed to pressure from herbivorous fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Lokovšek
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, 6330 Piran, Slovenia
- Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova Cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Valentina Pitacco
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, 6330 Piran, Slovenia
| | - Domen Trkov
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, 6330 Piran, Slovenia
| | - Leon Lojze Zamuda
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, 6330 Piran, Slovenia
| | - Annalisa Falace
- Department of Life Science, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Martina Orlando-Bonaca
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, 6330 Piran, Slovenia
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Mancuso FP, Morrissey KL, De Clerck O, Airoldi L. Warming and nutrient enrichment can trigger seaweed loss by dysregulation of the microbiome structure and predicted function. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 879:162919. [PMID: 36958561 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162919] [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: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Warming and nutrient enrichment are key pervasive drivers of ecological shifts in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, impairing the physiology and survival of a wide range of foundation species. But the underlying mechanisms often remain unclear, and experiments have overlooked the potential effects mediated by changes in the microbial communities. We experimentally tested in the field orthogonal stress combinations from simulated air warming and nutrient enrichment on the intertidal foundation seaweed Cystoseira compressa, and its associated bacterial communities. A total of 523 Amplicon Sequence Variance (ASVs) formed the bacterial community on C. compressa, with 222 ASVs assigned to 69 taxa at the genus level. Most bacteria taxa experienced changes in abundance as a result of additive (65 %) and antagonistic (30 %) interactions between the two stressors, with synergies (5 %) occurring less frequently. The analysis of the predicted bacterial functional profile identified 160 metabolic pathways, and showed that these were mostly affected by additive interactions (74 %) between air warming and nutrient enrichment, while antagonisms (20 %) and synergisms (6 %) were less frequent. Overall, the two stressors combined increased functions associated with seaweed disease or degradation of major cell-wall polymers and other algicidal processes, and decreased functions associated with Quorum Quenching and photosynthetic response. We conclude that warming and nutrient enrichment can dysregulate the microbiome of seaweeds, providing a plausible mechanism for their ongoing loss, and encourage more research into the effects of human impacts on crucial but yet largely unstudied host-microbiome relationships in different aquatic and terrestrial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Paolo Mancuso
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences (DiSTeM), University of Palermo, viale delle Scienze Ed. 16, 90128 Palermo, Italy; Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy.
| | - Kathryn Lee Morrissey
- Phycology Research Group and Center for Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Olivier De Clerck
- Phycology Research Group and Center for Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Laura Airoldi
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy; Chioggia Hydrobiological Station "Umberto D'Ancona", Department of Biology, UO CoNISMa, University of Padova, Chioggia, Italy.
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Pedicini L, Vannini C, Rindi F, Ravaglioli C, Bertocci I, Bulleri F. Variations in epilithic microbial biofilm composition and recruitment of a canopy-forming alga between pristine and urban rocky shores. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 188:106035. [PMID: 37267663 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106035] [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: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Brown algae of the genus Ericaria are habitat formers on Mediterranean rocky shores supporting marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Their population decline has prompted attempts for restoration of threatened populations. Although epilithic microbial biofilms (EMBs) are determinant for macroalgal settlement, their role in regulating the recovery of populations through the recruitment of new thalli is yet to be explored. In this study, we assessed variations in microbial biofilms composition on the settlement of Ericaria amentacea at sites exposed to different human pressures. Artificial fouling surfaces were deployed in two areas at each of three study sites in the Ligurian Sea (Capraia Island, Secche della Meloria and the mainland coast of Livorno), to allow bacterial biofilm colonization. In the laboratory, zygotes of E. amentacea were released on these surfaces to evaluate the survival of germlings. The EMB's composition was assessed through DNA metabarcoding analysis, which revealed a difference between the EMB of Capraia Island and that of Livorno. Fouling surfaces from Capraia Island had higher rates of zygote settlement than the other two sites. This suggests that different environmental conditions can influence the EMB composition on substrata, possibly influencing algal settlement rate. Assessing the suitability of rocky substrata for E. amentacea settlement is crucial for successful restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovica Pedicini
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Claudia Vannini
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy; Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca per lo Studio degli Effetti del Cambiamento Climatico (CIRSEC), Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Rindi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, I-60131, Ancona, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center, Italy
| | - Chiara Ravaglioli
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Iacopo Bertocci
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Fabio Bulleri
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy; Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca per lo Studio degli Effetti del Cambiamento Climatico (CIRSEC), Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Nikolaou A, Tsirintanis K, Rilov G, Katsanevakis S. Invasive Fish and Sea Urchins Drive the Status of Canopy Forming Macroalgae in the Eastern Mediterranean. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:763. [PMID: 37372048 DOI: 10.3390/biology12060763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Canopy-forming macroalgae, such as Cystoseira sensu lato, increase the three-dimensional complexity and spatial heterogeneity of rocky reefs, enhancing biodiversity and productivity in coastal areas. Extensive loss of canopy algae has been recorded in recent decades throughout the Mediterranean Sea due to various anthropogenic pressures. In this study, we assessed the biomass of fish assemblages, sea urchin density, and the vertical distribution of macroalgal communities in the Aegean and Levantine Seas. The herbivore fish biomass was significantly higher in the South Aegean and Levantine compared to the North Aegean. Very low sea urchin densities suggest local collapses in the South Aegean and the Levantine. In most sites in the South Aegean and the Levantine, the ecological status of macroalgal communities was low or very low at depths deeper than 2 m, with limited or no canopy algae. In many sites, canopy algae were restricted to a very narrow, shallow zone, where grazing pressure may be limited due to harsh hydrodynamic conditions. Using Generalized Linear Mixed Models, we demonstrated that the presence of canopy algae is negatively correlated with the biomass of the invasive Siganus spp. and sea urchins. The loss of Cystoseira s.l. forests is alarming, and urgent conservation actions are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanasios Nikolaou
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, 81100 Mytilene, Greece
| | | | - Gil Rilov
- National Institute of Oceanography, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research (IOLR), Haifa 31080, Israel
- The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, Marine Biology Department, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel
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Lozano-Bilbao E, Hernández JC, Paz S, Hardisson A, Rubio C, González-Weller D, Gutiérrez ÁJ. Structuring algae as buffers for heavy metals and trace elements in the Canary Islands intertidal habitat. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 190:114890. [PMID: 37002966 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Coastal marine pollution from sewage pipes, waste discharges, can seriously affect intertidal organisms. Therefore, the aim of this study is to know if the structuring algae in the Canary intertidal can act as buffers against pollution. Samples were taken in the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) from the intertidal water of Anemonia sulcata (anemone), Palaemon elegans (shrimp), Gongolaria abies-marina and Jania virgata (both structuring algae). Each sample was analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) obtaining values for metals and trace elements (Al, Cd, Pb, Ca, K, Mg, Na, B, Ba, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sr, V and Zn). Higher concentrations were obtained in the two structuring algal species, with J. vigata having higher concentrations than G. abies-marina. Specimens of A. sulcata showed higher concentrations of trace elements and heavy metals than P. elegans. P. elegans y A. sulcata showed higher heavy metal concentrations and trace elements when algae were not present in the pool. Algae have a great buffering role in the intertidal of the Canary Islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Lozano-Bilbao
- Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Grupo de Investigación en Ecología Marina Aplicada y Pesquerías (EMAP), Instituto de Investigación de Estudios Ambientales y Recursos Naturales (i-UNAT), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Campus de Tafira, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 Las Palmas, Spain.
| | - José Carlos Hernández
- Grupo de investigación de Ecología de Comunidades Marinas y Conservación, Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Soraya Paz
- Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Área de Toxicología, Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Arturo Hardisson
- Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Área de Toxicología, Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Carmen Rubio
- Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Área de Toxicología, Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Dailos González-Weller
- Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Servicio Público Canario de Salud, Laboratorio Central, 38006 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Ángel J Gutiérrez
- Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Área de Toxicología, Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
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Santamaría J, Golo R, Verdura J, Tomas F, Ballesteros E, Alcoverro T, Arthur R, Cebrian E. Learning takes time: Biotic resistance by native herbivores increases through the invasion process. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:2525-2539. [PMID: 36209457 PMCID: PMC9828756 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14115] [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: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
As invasive species spread, the ability of local communities to resist invasion depends on the strength of biotic interactions. Evolutionarily unused to the invader, native predators or herbivores may be initially wary of consuming newcomers, allowing them to proliferate. However, these relationships may be highly dynamic, and novel consumer-resource interactions could form as familiarity grows. Here, we explore the development of effective biotic resistance towards a highly invasive alga using multiple space-for-time approaches. We show that the principal native Mediterranean herbivore learns to consume the invader within less than a decade. At recently invaded sites, the herbivore actively avoided the alga, shifting to distinct preference and high consumptions at older sites. This rapid strengthening of the interaction contributed to the eventual collapse of the alga after an initial dominance. Therefore, our results stress the importance of conserving key native populations to allow communities to develop effective resistance mechanisms against invaders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Santamaría
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB‐CSIC)BlanesSpain,GRMAR, Institut d'Ecologia Aquàtica, Universitat de GironaGironaSpain
| | - Raül Golo
- GRMAR, Institut d'Ecologia Aquàtica, Universitat de GironaGironaSpain
| | - Jana Verdura
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB‐CSIC)BlanesSpain,Université Côte d'Azur, CNRSECOSEASNiceFrance
| | - Fiona Tomas
- Marine Ecosystems Dynamics Group—Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (IMEDEA), Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB) – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)EsporlesBalearic IslandsSpain
| | - Enric Ballesteros
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB‐CSIC)BlanesSpain
| | - Teresa Alcoverro
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB‐CSIC)BlanesSpain
| | - Rohan Arthur
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB‐CSIC)BlanesSpain,Nature Conservation FoundationMysoreIndia
| | - Emma Cebrian
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB‐CSIC)BlanesSpain,GRMAR, Institut d'Ecologia Aquàtica, Universitat de GironaGironaSpain
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Chimura K, Akita S, Iwasaki T, Nagano AJ, Shimada S. Phylogeography of a canopy-forming kelp, Eisenia bicyclis (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae), based on a genome-wide sequencing analysis. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2022; 58:318-329. [PMID: 35000198 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13233] [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: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Analyses of phylogeographic patterns and genetic diversity provide fundamental information for the management and conservation of species. However, little is published about these patterns in Japanese kelp species. In this study, we conducted phylogeographic analyses of a canopy-forming kelp, Eisenia bicyclis, based on genome-wide SNPs identified by ddRAD-seq. We obtained 1,299 SNPs for 76 samples from nine localities across the distribution. STRUCTURE, NeighborNet, and discriminant analysis of principal components consistently showed high genetic differentiation among the Eastern Pacific, Central Pacific, and Sea of Japan coastal regions. Relatively strong gene flow was detected only within populations in the Eastern Pacific and in the Sea of Japan. Genetic diversity and genetic uniqueness were high in the Central Pacific and low in the Sea of Japan. These results suggest that there were at least three independent refugia corresponding to the three regions during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Furthermore, relatively larger populations in the Central Pacific and smaller populations in the Sea of Japan have been maintained in the demographic history from before the LGM to the present. These phylogeographic histories were supported by an Approximate Bayesian Computation analysis. From a conservation genetics perspective, the loss of southern populations in the Central Pacific would greatly reduce the total genetic diversity of the species. Southern populations in the Sea of Japan, which have relatively low genetic diversity, may be highly vulnerable to environmental change, such as heat waves and increased feeding. Therefore, careful monitoring and conservation are needed in the two regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanako Chimura
- Humanities and Science, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyoku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan
| | - Shingo Akita
- Natural Science, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyoku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan
- Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, 3-1-1 Minato, Hakodate, Hokkaido, 041-8611, Japan
| | - Takaya Iwasaki
- Natural Science, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyoku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan
| | - Atsushi J Nagano
- Faculty of Agriculture, Ryukoku University, Yokotani 1-5, Seta Ohe-cho, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2194, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, 403-1 Nipponkoku, Daihouji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, 997-0017, Japan
| | - Satoshi Shimada
- Natural Science, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyoku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan
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Structural and Functional Analyses of Motile Fauna Associated with Cystoseira brachycarpa along a Gradient of Ocean Acidification in a CO2-Vent System off Panarea (Aeolian Islands, Italy). JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse10040451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Ocean acidification (OA), one of the main climate-change-related stressors linked to increasing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, is considered an important threat to marine biodiversity and habitats. Studies on CO2-vents systems, naturally acidified environments that mimic future ocean scenarios, help to explore the sensitivity of species and to understand how benthic communities rearrange their structure and functioning under the pressure of OA. We addressed this problem by studying the benthic invertebrates associated with a habitat-forming brown alga (Cystoseira brachycarpa) in the Bottaro crater vents system off Panarea island (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy), by sampling along an OA gradient from the proximity of the main venting area (station B3, pH 7.9) to a control zone (B1 station, pH 8.1). Samples were collected in September 2016 and 2018. A total of 184 taxa and 23 different functional traits have been identified, considering feeding habit, motility, size, reproductive and developmental biology, and occurrence of calcareous structures. Invertebrates are distributed according to the distance from the high venting zone and low pH levels and results very consistent between the two investigated years. In the low-pH area (B3), 43% of the species are selected. The functional traits of the fauna mirror this zonation pattern, mainly changing the relative proportion of the number of individuals of the various functional guilds along the OA gradient. Invertebrates inhabiting the low-pH zone are mainly composed of weakly or non-calcified species, with small size, burrower/tubicolous habit, omnivorous or suspension feeders, and with direct development and brooding habit. In the other stations, heavily calcified forms, herbivore and herbivore/detritivore, and with medium (1–5 cm) and large (>5 cm) sizes prevail, showing indirect benthic and planktic development. The taxonomic analysis, coupled with functional aspects, increases our prediction of which traits could be potentially more advantageous for species to adapt to the hypothesized scenarios of OA, and identify present and future winner and/or loser organisms in the future ocean of the Anthropocene.
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Barrientos S, Zarco-Perello S, Piñeiro-Corbeira C, Barreiro R, Wernberg T. Feeding preferences of range-shifting and native herbivorous fishes in temperate ecosystems. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 172:105508. [PMID: 34710739 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105508] [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: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Temperate reefs are being tropicalized worldwide. In temperate Western Australia, a marine heatwave led to a regime shift from kelp (Ecklonia radiata) dominated to canopy-free reefs, together with an increase in tropical herbivorous fishes that contribute to keeping low kelp abundances and even prevent kelp reestablishment in northern regions. However, whether tropical herbivorous fishes prefer kelps over other seaweeds and/or whether this preference changes with latitude remains untested. Multiple-choice experiments (young kelp vs. other seaweeds) with tropical, subtropical and temperate herbivorous fishes show shifting species-specific preferences and fish-to-fish interference shifting with latitude (assays replicated in two regions four degrees of latitude apart). Against expectations, only the temperate Kyphosus sydneyanus preferred kelp over other seaweeds, but only in the lower latitude region. Siganus fuscescens, the most abundant tropical herbivore in both regions, preferred grazing on turf, suggesting that tropical fish might reduce kelp recruitment by consuming microscopic sporophytes in turf matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Barrientos
- BioCost Research Group, Facultad de Ciencias and Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Universidad de A Coruña, 15071, A Coruña, Spain.
| | - Salvador Zarco-Perello
- School of Biological Sciences and UWA Oceans Institute. The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, 6009, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Cristina Piñeiro-Corbeira
- BioCost Research Group, Facultad de Ciencias and Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Universidad de A Coruña, 15071, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Rodolfo Barreiro
- BioCost Research Group, Facultad de Ciencias and Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Universidad de A Coruña, 15071, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Thomas Wernberg
- School of Biological Sciences and UWA Oceans Institute. The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, 6009, Western Australia, Australia
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11
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Bevilacqua S, Airoldi L, Ballesteros E, Benedetti-Cecchi L, Boero F, Bulleri F, Cebrian E, Cerrano C, Claudet J, Colloca F, Coppari M, Di Franco A, Fraschetti S, Garrabou J, Guarnieri G, Guerranti C, Guidetti P, Halpern BS, Katsanevakis S, Mangano MC, Micheli F, Milazzo M, Pusceddu A, Renzi M, Rilov G, Sarà G, Terlizzi A. Mediterranean rocky reefs in the Anthropocene: Present status and future concerns. ADVANCES IN MARINE BIOLOGY 2021; 89:1-51. [PMID: 34583814 DOI: 10.1016/bs.amb.2021.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Global change is striking harder and faster in the Mediterranean Sea than elsewhere, where high levels of human pressure and proneness to climate change interact in modifying the structure and disrupting regulative mechanisms of marine ecosystems. Rocky reefs are particularly exposed to such environmental changes with ongoing trends of degradation being impressive. Due to the variety of habitat types and associated marine biodiversity, rocky reefs are critical for the functioning of marine ecosystems, and their decline could profoundly affect the provision of essential goods and services which human populations in coastal areas rely upon. Here, we provide an up-to-date overview of the status of rocky reefs, trends in human-driven changes undermining their integrity, and current and upcoming management and conservation strategies, attempting a projection on what could be the future of this essential component of Mediterranean marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislao Bevilacqua
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy; Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy.
| | - Laura Airoldi
- Stazione Idrobiologica di Chioggia "Umberto D'Ancona", Dipartimento di Biologia, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Dipartimento di Beni Culturali, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy
| | | | - Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Boero
- Dipartimento di Biologia, University of Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy; National Research Council, Institute for the Study of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in the Marine Environment (CNR-IAS), Genoa, Italy
| | - Fabio Bulleri
- Dipartimento di Biologia, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Emma Cebrian
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes-CSIC, Girona, Spain
| | - Carlo Cerrano
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Joachim Claudet
- National Center for Scientific Research, PSL Université Paris, CRIOBE, USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Maison des Océans, Paris, France
| | - Francesco Colloca
- Department of Integrative Ecology, Stazione Zoologica A. Dohrn-National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Coppari
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Antonio Di Franco
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Sicily, Palermo, Italy
| | - Simonetta Fraschetti
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia, University of Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Joaquim Garrabou
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain; Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO, Marseille, France
| | - Giuseppe Guarnieri
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Guidetti
- National Research Council, Institute for the Study of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in the Marine Environment (CNR-IAS), Genoa, Italy; Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica A. Dohrn-National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Naples, Italy
| | - Benjamin S Halpern
- National Center for Ecological Analysis & Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States; Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | | | - Maria Cristina Mangano
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Sicily, Palermo, Italy
| | - Fiorenza Micheli
- Hopkins Marine Station and Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, United States
| | - Marco Milazzo
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy; Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Pusceddu
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Monia Renzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy; Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy
| | - Gil Rilov
- National Institute of Oceanography, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, Haifa, Israel
| | - Gianluca Sarà
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonio Terlizzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy; Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
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12
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Santamaría J, Tomas F, Ballesteros E, Ruiz JM, Bernardeau-Esteller J, Terrados J, Cebrian E. The role of competition and herbivory in biotic resistance against invaders: a synergistic effect. Ecology 2021; 102:e03440. [PMID: 34143423 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Invasive species pose a major threat to global diversity, and once they are well established their eradication typically becomes unfeasible. However, certain natural mechanisms can increase the resistance of native communities to invaders and can be used to guide effective management policies. Both competition and herbivory have been identified as potential biotic resistance mechanisms that can limit plant invasiveness, but it is still under debate to what extent they might be effective against well-established invaders. Surprisingly, whereas biotic mechanisms are known to interact strongly, most studies to date have examined single biotic mechanisms separately, which likely influences our understanding of the strength and effectiveness of biotic resistance against invaders. Here we use long-term field data, benthic assemblage sampling, and exclusion experiments to assess the effect of native assemblage complexity and herbivory on the invasion dynamics of a successful invasive species, the alga Caulerpa cylindracea. A higher complexity of the native algal assemblage limited C. cylindracea invasion, probably through competition by canopy-forming and erect algae. Additionally, high herbivory pressure by the fish Sarpa salpa reduced C. cylindracea abundance by more than four times. However, long-term data of the invasion reflects that biotic resistance strength can vary across the invasion process and it is only where high assemblage complexity is concomitant with high herbivory pressure, that the most significant limitation is observed (synergistic effect). Overall, the findings reported in this study highlight that neglecting the interactions between biotic mechanisms during invasive processes and restricting the studied time scales may lead to underestimations of the true capacity of native assemblages to develop resistance to invaders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Santamaría
- Marine Resources and Biodiversity Research Group (GRMAR), Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Girona, 17003, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Fiona Tomas
- Marine Ecosystems Dynamics Group-Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (IMEDEA), Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Esporles, 07190, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Enric Ballesteros
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, 17300, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Juan M Ruiz
- Seagrass Ecology Group-Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), San Pedro del Pinatar, 30740, Murcia, Spain
| | - Jaime Bernardeau-Esteller
- Seagrass Ecology Group-Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), San Pedro del Pinatar, 30740, Murcia, Spain
| | - Jorge Terrados
- Marine Ecosystems Dynamics Group-Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (IMEDEA), Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Esporles, 07190, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Emma Cebrian
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, 17300, Catalonia, Spain
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13
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Orlando-Bonaca M, Pitacco V, Slavinec P, Šiško M, Makovec T, Falace A. First Restoration Experiment for Gongolaria barbata in Slovenian Coastal Waters. What Can Go Wrong? PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:239. [PMID: 33530631 PMCID: PMC7911296 DOI: 10.3390/plants10020239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The global decline of brown algal forests along rocky coasts is causing an exceptional biodiversity loss. Regardless of conservation efforts, different techniques have been developed for large-scale restoration strategies in the Mediterranean Sea. In this study we tested ex situ pilot restoration of Gongolaria barbata (=Treptacantha barbata) for the first time in Slovenian coastal waters. Healthy apical fronds of the species were collected and the development of recruits on clay tiles was followed under laboratory conditions for 20 days. Despite the experimental difficulties experienced, especially due to the lack of antibiotics to prevent the growth of the biofilm, G. barbata recruits were outplanted in the sea on two concrete plates with 48 tiles each, protected by purpose-built cages to avoid grazing by herbivorous fish. The high survival rate of juveniles after four months in the field (89% of the tiles on the plate that was constantly protected) suggests that outplanting G. barbata is an operable approach for restoration efforts in the northern Adriatic Sea. Our first experiment in Slovenian coastal waters provides new information for the optimization of the best practices during the laboratory cultivation and addresses the early steps of restoration and introduction of young thalli in the natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Orlando-Bonaca
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, SI-6330 Piran, Slovenia; (V.P.); (P.S.); (M.Š.); (T.M.)
| | - Valentina Pitacco
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, SI-6330 Piran, Slovenia; (V.P.); (P.S.); (M.Š.); (T.M.)
| | - Petra Slavinec
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, SI-6330 Piran, Slovenia; (V.P.); (P.S.); (M.Š.); (T.M.)
| | - Milijan Šiško
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, SI-6330 Piran, Slovenia; (V.P.); (P.S.); (M.Š.); (T.M.)
| | - Tihomir Makovec
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, SI-6330 Piran, Slovenia; (V.P.); (P.S.); (M.Š.); (T.M.)
| | - Annalisa Falace
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy;
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14
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Matić-Skoko S, Vrdoljak D, Uvanović H, Pavičić M, Tutman P, Bojanić Varezić D. Early evidence of a shift in juvenile fish communities in response to conditions in nursery areas. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21078. [PMID: 33273675 PMCID: PMC7713244 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78181-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
A multivariate analysis of juvenile fish community data, sampled at two nursery sites at an interval of 17 years (2000-early, and 2017-late), was conducted to elucidate the trends of change in littoral juvenile fish communities along the eastern Adriatic coast. Fishing, trophic and taxonomic composition to the community data were analysed for possible causality. The ichthyofaunal composition differed significantly for Site, Period and all interactions. According to the mMDS ordination plot, four groups of communities were defined, with clear cyclicity. No patterns were found in species composition between sites in the early period, while the observed community changes were governed by the same pattern at both sites in the late period. The species that contributed most to the observed changes were non-commercial, small, benthic resident fishes, such as gobiids and blennids, or those associated with canopy alga for shelter and feeding. The analysis correctly allocated samples based on community information to Sites and Periods. The data obtained provided an invaluable opportunity to test for the generality of potential patterns of change in littoral fish communities, suggesting that significantly modified juvenile fish communities may be the result of constant human embankment and marine infrastructure construction along the coast in recent decades, rather than climate change or fishing pressure, as generally considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanja Matić-Skoko
- Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Meštrovićevo šetalište 63, P.O. Box. 500, 21000, Split, Croatia.
| | - Dario Vrdoljak
- Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Meštrovićevo šetalište 63, P.O. Box. 500, 21000, Split, Croatia
| | - Hana Uvanović
- Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Meštrovićevo šetalište 63, P.O. Box. 500, 21000, Split, Croatia
| | - Mišo Pavičić
- Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Meštrovićevo šetalište 63, P.O. Box. 500, 21000, Split, Croatia
| | - Pero Tutman
- Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Meštrovićevo šetalište 63, P.O. Box. 500, 21000, Split, Croatia
| | - Dubravka Bojanić Varezić
- Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Meštrovićevo šetalište 63, P.O. Box. 500, 21000, Split, Croatia
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15
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Álvarez-Losada Ó, Arrontes J, Martínez B, Fernández C, Viejo RM. A regime shift in intertidal assemblages triggered by loss of algal canopies: A multidecadal survey. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 160:104981. [PMID: 32907719 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.104981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Canopy-forming macroalgae recently experienced a worldwide decline. This is relevant, because canopies sustain complex food webs in temperate coasts. We assessed the die-back of the canopy-forming alga Fucus serratus in N Spain, at its warm distributional range boundary, and its effects on associated assemblages. We combined long-term descriptive surveys with canopy-removal experiments. Results showed that rapid shifts to turf-forming communities were mostly the direct consequence of the canopy loss, rather than a concurrent process directly triggered by climate change. The switch alters the whole food web, as the prominent role of F.serratus and other cold-temperate intertidal fucoids is not being replaced by functionally equivalent species. Canopy loss caused a rapid biotic homogenization at regional scale which is spreading towards the west, from the edge to the central part of the former distributional range of F.serratus in N Spain. The most obvious effect is the ecological and functional impoverishment of the coastal system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Óscar Álvarez-Losada
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julio Arrontes
- Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo, 33071, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Brezo Martínez
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Consolación Fernández
- Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo, 33071, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Rosa M Viejo
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain.
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16
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Gianni F, Mačić V, Bartolini F, Pey A, Laurent M, Mangialajo L. Optimizing canopy‐forming algae conservation and restoration with a new herbivorous fish deterrent device. Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Gianni
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, UMR7035 ECOSEAS Nice France
- Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS) Trieste Italy
| | - Vesna Mačić
- Institute of Marine Biology University of Montenegro Dobrota b.b., 85330 Kotor Montenegro
| | | | - Alexis Pey
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, UMR7035 ECOSEAS Nice France
| | | | - Luisa Mangialajo
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, UMR7035 ECOSEAS Nice France
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, LOV F‐06230 Villefranche‐sur‐Mer France
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17
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Medrano A, Hereu B, Cleminson M, Pagès‐Escolà M, Rovira G, Solà J, Linares C. From marine deserts to algal beds:
Treptacantha elegans
revegetation to reverse stable degraded ecosystems inside and outside a No‐Take marine reserve. Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alba Medrano
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO)University of Barcelona Avinguda Diagonal 643 08028 Barcelona Spain
| | - Bernat Hereu
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO)University of Barcelona Avinguda Diagonal 643 08028 Barcelona Spain
| | - Maria Cleminson
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO)University of Barcelona Avinguda Diagonal 643 08028 Barcelona Spain
| | - Marta Pagès‐Escolà
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO)University of Barcelona Avinguda Diagonal 643 08028 Barcelona Spain
| | - Graciel·la Rovira
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO)University of Barcelona Avinguda Diagonal 643 08028 Barcelona Spain
| | - Jordi Solà
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO)University of Barcelona Avinguda Diagonal 643 08028 Barcelona Spain
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC) and Computational Biosciences Research Center (CBRC)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Cristina Linares
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO)University of Barcelona Avinguda Diagonal 643 08028 Barcelona Spain
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18
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Medrano A, Linares C, Aspillaga E, Capdevila P, Montero-Serra I, Pagès-Escolà M, Zabala M, Hereu B. Long-term monitoring of temperate macroalgal assemblages inside and outside a No take marine reserve. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 153:104826. [PMID: 31703945 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2019.104826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Macroalgal communities have an essential role in the shallow benthic habitats of temperate seas, where changes in their composition can resonate through entire coastal ecosystems. As all major ecosystems on Earth, algal beds have already been affected by multiple disturbances. Passive conservation tools, such as marine protected areas or No-take zones, have the potential to reduce some of the anthropogenic impacts by limiting human activity. However, without a good knowledge of the natural community dynamics, it is not easy to discern between changes fruit of the intrinsic variability of biological communities and the ones caused by human-related stressors. In this study, we evaluated the natural variability of macroalgal communities' composition inside and outside a Mediterranean No-Take marine reserve during 15 years. We described their temporal dynamics considering their main drivers and we tested the effect of protection in seaweed beds. We did not find differences either in the composition of the macroalgal assemblages or the total algal cover between protected and non-protected locations over the fifteen years of study. Nevertheless, we observed a positive effect of the protection increasing the cover of some specific species, such as the canopy-forming Treptacantha elegans. Our results highlight the importance of obtaining long-term data in ecological studies to better understand the natural variability of marine communities. Accordingly, a robust understanding of the community dynamics would help us to avoid misinterpretations between 'impacted' or 'in-recovery' communities when recovery times are longer than the study periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Medrano
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO), University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Cristina Linares
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO), University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eneko Aspillaga
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO), University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Marine Ecology, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), C/Miquel Marquès 21, 07190, Esporles, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Pol Capdevila
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO), University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Zoology, Oxford University, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Ignasi Montero-Serra
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO), University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Pagès-Escolà
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO), University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mikel Zabala
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO), University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bernat Hereu
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO), University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
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19
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Cacabelos E, Martins GM, Faria J, Prestes ACL, Costa T, Moreu I, Neto AI. Limited effects of marine protected areas on the distribution of invasive species, despite positive effects on diversity in shallow-water marine communities. Biol Invasions 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-02171-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Tamburello L, Papa L, Guarnieri G, Basconi L, Zampardi S, Scipione MB, Terlizzi A, Zupo V, Fraschetti S. Are we ready for scaling up restoration actions? An insight from Mediterranean macroalgal canopies. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224477. [PMID: 31652294 PMCID: PMC6814225 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Extensive loss of macroalgal forests advocates for large-scale restoration interventions, to compensate habitat degradation and recover the associated ecological functions and services. Yet, restoration attempts have generally been limited to small spatial extensions, with the principal aim of developing efficient restoration techniques. Here, the success of outplanting Cystoseira amentacea v. stricta germlings cultured in aquaria was experimentally explored at a scale of tens of kms, by means of a multifactorial experimental design. In the intertidal rocky shores of SE Italy, locations with a continuous distribution for hundreds of meters or with few thalli forming patches of few centimeters of C. amentacea canopy were selected. In each location, the effects of adult conspecifics and the exclusion of macrograzers (salema fish and sea urchins) on the survival of germlings were tested. We evaluated the most critical determinants of mortality for germlings, including the overlooked pressure of mesograzers (e.g. amphipods, small mollusks, polychaetes). Despite the high mortality observed during outplanting and early settlement stages, survival of C. amentacea germlings was consistently favored by the exclusion of macrograzers, while the presence of adult conspecifics had no effects. In addition, the cost analysis of the interventions showed the feasibility of the ex-situ method, representing an essential tool for preserving Cystoseira forests. Large scale restoration is possible but requires baseline information with an in-depth knowledge of the species ecology and of the areas to be restored, together with the development of specific cultivation protocols to make consistently efficient restoration interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Tamburello
- CoNISMa, Roma, Italy
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
| | - Loredana Papa
- Department of Biology, and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Guarnieri
- CoNISMa, Roma, Italy
- Department of Biology, and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Laura Basconi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University, Venice, Italy
| | | | | | - Antonio Terlizzi
- CoNISMa, Roma, Italy
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Simonetta Fraschetti
- CoNISMa, Roma, Italy
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
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21
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De La Fuente G, Chiantore M, Asnaghi V, Kaleb S, Falace A. First ex situ outplanting of the habitat-forming seaweed Cystoseira amentacea var. stricta from a restoration perspective. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7290. [PMID: 31367482 PMCID: PMC6657741 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In the Mediterranean Sea, brown algae belonging to the Cystoseira genus play a valuable role as foundation species. Due to evidences of regression/loss of the habitats of these species caused by the interplay of human and climatic disturbances, active restoration measures have been encouraged by EU regulations. In particular, nondestructive restoration techniques, which avoid the depletion of threatened species in donor populations, are strongly recommended. In the framework of the EU project ROCPOP-Life, the first ex situ outplanting experience of Cystoseira amentacea var. stricta has been implemented in the Cinque Terre Marine Protected Area (northwestern Mediterranean). A total of 400 clay tiles, hosting approximately three mm-long germlings of C. amentacea, were fixed to the rocky shore with screws: the tiles were monitored for the next 2 months by photographic sampling, and survival (presence/absence of juveniles on the tiles), cover and growth were assessed. Additional sampling was performed 6 months after tile deployment, after which an unprecedented storm surge severely affected the restoration performance. After 2 months, over 40% of the tiles were covered with Cystoseira juveniles, which reached approximately eight mm in total length. The tiles that survived the storm hosted three to six cm-long juveniles. The high cover (≥25%), assuring moisture and shading, and the appropriate size of the juveniles, to avert micro-grazing, at time of deployment were key to the survival and growth of the outplanted juveniles, increasing the potential for restoration success. Our findings show that outplanting of midlittoral canopy-forming species is a feasible approach for restoration efforts, with particular attention given to the early phases: (i) laboratory culture, (ii) transport, and (iii) juvenile densities. These results are strongly encouraging for the implementation of restoration actions for C. amentacea on a large scale, in light of EU guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina De La Fuente
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Mariachiara Chiantore
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Valentina Asnaghi
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Sara Kaleb
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Annalisa Falace
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
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22
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Lozano-Bilbao E, Clemente S, Espinosa JM, Jurado-Ruzafa A, Lozano G, Raimundo J, Hardisson A, Rubio C, González-Weller D, Jiménez S, Gutiérrez ÁJ. Inferring trophic groups of fish in the central-east Atlantic from eco-toxicological characterization. CHEMOSPHERE 2019; 229:247-255. [PMID: 31078881 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.04.218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The marine organisms are exposed to great human-induced alterations due to the indiscriminate discharges into the sea, which is why the study of marine pollution is of great value for each ecosystem. Each organism bioaccumulates distantly the heavy metals and trace elements in its organism. Because of this it is possible to classify different groups of fish according to their feeding with the content of these metals. Ten fish species were grouped considering their trophic level and habitat ecology (benthic predators, herbivores, omnivores, pelagic predators and superpredator) and analyzed for its metal content. Statistically significant differences were found among all the fish groups, with the Superpredator group containing the highest concentrations in all metals, mainly Fe (103.751 ± 92.151 mg/kg) and Al (28.908 ± 21.221 mg/kg). Therefore, this study highlights that the selection of the species taking into account feeding and habitat partitioning must be carefully considered being crucial to identify fish groups as biological indicators of marine pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Lozano-Bilbao
- Departamento de Biología Animal y Edafología y Geología, Unidad Departamental de Ciencias Marinas, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
| | - Sabrina Clemente
- Departamento de Biología Animal y Edafología y Geología, Unidad Departamental de Ciencias Marinas, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - José María Espinosa
- Fundación del Sector Público Estatal Observatorio Ambiental Granadilla (Unidad Técnica), 38001, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Alba Jurado-Ruzafa
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía. Centro Oceanográfico de Canarias, Vía Espaldón, Dársena Pesquera, 38180, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Lozano
- Departamento de Biología Animal y Edafología y Geología, Unidad Departamental de Ciencias Marinas, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Joana Raimundo
- IPMA - Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere, Rua Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho, 6, 1495-006, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Arturo Hardisson
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Carmen Rubio
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | | | - Sebastián Jiménez
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía. Centro Oceanográfico de Canarias, Vía Espaldón, Dársena Pesquera, 38180, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Ángel J Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
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23
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Blanfuné A, Boudouresque CF, Verlaque M, Thibaut T. The ups and downs of a canopy-forming seaweed over a span of more than one century. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5250. [PMID: 30918275 PMCID: PMC6437179 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41676-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Canopy-forming seaweeds constitute marine forests that deliver ecosystem services. The worldwide range shift, sharp decline or loss of many of these forests, caused by the cumulative impact of increasing human pressure and climate change, have been widely documented. Contrasting examples, reflecting higher than expected resilience, have been more rarely reported. Here, we took the opportunity of having at our disposal a two-century suite of documents (herbarium vouchers, articles) and a ~120-year observation period, dealing with a long-lived brown seaweed, Cystoseira mediterranea, along a well-explored Mediterranean coastline in the Gulf of Lions, to depict the fate of its populations. In addition, we provided baselines for future surveys, with a high degree of accuracy. The northernmost population, scattered on rare suitable substrates, gradually declined and has been extinct since the 1980s. The length of shore occupied by the southern population showed a long-term decline trend, with two sharp minima followed by partial recovery. The causes of the decline differ between sites and periods: coastal development, pollution, competition with mussels, heatwaves and exceptional storms. Overall, the Gulf of Lions populations reflects long-lasting resilience, higher than expected, and a health status that is better than that reported for many other canopy-forming seaweeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Blanfuné
- Aix-Marseille University, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), CNRS/INSU, IRD, UM 110, Campus of Luminy, 13288, Marseille, cedex 9, France.
| | - Charles François Boudouresque
- Aix-Marseille University, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), CNRS/INSU, IRD, UM 110, Campus of Luminy, 13288, Marseille, cedex 9, France
| | - Marc Verlaque
- Aix-Marseille University, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), CNRS/INSU, IRD, UM 110, Campus of Luminy, 13288, Marseille, cedex 9, France
| | - Thierry Thibaut
- Aix-Marseille University, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), CNRS/INSU, IRD, UM 110, Campus of Luminy, 13288, Marseille, cedex 9, France
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24
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Giakoumi S, Pey A, Di Franco A, Francour P, Kizilkaya Z, Arda Y, Raybaud V, Guidetti P. Exploring the relationships between marine protected areas and invasive fish in the world's most invaded sea. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 29:e01809. [PMID: 30325075 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 07/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are an essential tool for marine biodiversity conservation. Yet, their effectiveness in protecting marine ecosystems from global stressors is debated. Biological invasions are a major driver of global change, causing biodiversity loss and altering ecosystem functioning. Here, we explored the relationships between MPAs and alien/native range-expanding fishes in the Mediterranean Sea, the world's most invaded sea. We surveyed fish and benthic communities in nine MPAs and adjacent unprotected areas across six countries. In the South and Eastern Mediterranean MPAs, the biomass of alien and native range-expanding fishes often exceeded 50% of the total fish biomass. Conversely, in the North and Western Mediterranean, alien fishes were absent. A negative relationship was found between native and alien species richness. Average and minimum sea surface temperature (SST) over six consecutive years were positively correlated with the total biomass of alien species; no alien fishes were recorded below 20.5°C average SST and 13.8°C minimum SST. We also found a negative relationship between alien fishes' biomass and the distance from the Suez Canal, which is the main pathway for the introduction of alien fish in the Mediterranean Sea. The biomass of alien and native range-expanding fishes was found to be higher in the South and Eastern Mediterranean MPAs than in adjacent unprotected areas. The association of barrens (rocky reefs deprived of vegetation) and invasive herbivores was observed at all eastern sites, regardless of protection status. Currently, the level of fishing pressure exerted on alien and native range-expanding fishes seems to be the most influential factor determining the lower biomass of invasive fishes at unprotected sites compared to MPAs. Our findings suggest that complementary management actions, such as species-targeted removals, should be taken in MPAs to effectively control invasive fish populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvaine Giakoumi
- CNRS, FRE 3729 ECOMERS, Université Côte d'Azur, Parc Valrose 28, Avenue Valrose, 06108, Nice, France
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Alexis Pey
- CNRS, FRE 3729 ECOMERS, Université Côte d'Azur, Parc Valrose 28, Avenue Valrose, 06108, Nice, France
| | - Antonio Di Franco
- CNRS, FRE 3729 ECOMERS, Université Côte d'Azur, Parc Valrose 28, Avenue Valrose, 06108, Nice, France
- Consorzio Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, CoNISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrice Francour
- CNRS, FRE 3729 ECOMERS, Université Côte d'Azur, Parc Valrose 28, Avenue Valrose, 06108, Nice, France
| | - Zafer Kizilkaya
- Mediterranean Conservation Society, Doga Park Villas No:16 Kalabak Urla, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | - Virginie Raybaud
- CNRS, FRE 3729 ECOMERS, Université Côte d'Azur, Parc Valrose 28, Avenue Valrose, 06108, Nice, France
| | - Paolo Guidetti
- CNRS, FRE 3729 ECOMERS, Université Côte d'Azur, Parc Valrose 28, Avenue Valrose, 06108, Nice, France
- Consorzio Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, CoNISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
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25
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Rindi L, Dal Bello M, Benedetti-Cecchi L. Experimental evidence of spatial signatures of approaching regime shifts in macroalgal canopies. Ecology 2018; 99:1709-1715. [PMID: 29797316 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Developing early warning signals to predict regime shifts in ecosystems is a central issue in current ecological research. While there are many studies addressing temporal early warning indicators, research into spatial indicators is far behind, with field experiments even more rare. Here, we tested the performance of spatial early warning signals in an intertidal macroalgal system, where removal of algal canopies pushed the system toward a tipping point (corresponding to approximately 75% of canopy loss), marking the transition between a canopy- to a turf-dominated state. We performed a two-year experiment where spatial early warning indicators were assessed in transects where the canopy was differentially removed (from 0 to 100%). Unlike Moran correlation coefficient at lag-1, spatial variance, skewness, and spatial spectra at low frequency increased along the gradient of canopy degradation and dropped, or did not show any further increase beyond the transition point from a canopy- to a turf-dominated state (100% canopy removal). Our study provides direct evidence of the suitability of spatial early warning signals to anticipate regime shifts in natural ecosystems, emphasizing the importance of field experiments as a powerful tool to establish causal relationships between environmental stressors and early warning indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Rindi
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna 1, Pisa, Italy
| | - M Dal Bello
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna 1, Pisa, Italy
| | - L Benedetti-Cecchi
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna 1, Pisa, Italy
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26
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Buonomo R, Chefaoui RM, Lacida RB, Engelen AH, Serrão EA, Airoldi L. Predicted extinction of unique genetic diversity in marine forests of Cystoseira spp. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 138:119-128. [PMID: 29716751 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 04/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is inducing shifts in species ranges across the globe. These can affect the genetic pools of species, including loss of genetic variability and evolutionary potential. In particular, geographically enclosed ecosystems, like the Mediterranean Sea, have a higher risk of suffering species loss and genetic erosion due to barriers to further range shifts and to dispersal. In this study, we address these questions for three habitat-forming seaweed species, Cystoseira tamariscifolia, C. amentacea and C. compressa, throughout their entire ranges in the Atlantic and Mediterranean regions. We aim to 1) describe their population genetic structure and diversity, 2) model the present and predict the future distribution and 3) assess the consequences of predicted future range shifts for their population genetic structure, according to two contrasting future climate change scenarios. A net loss of suitable areas was predicted in both climatic scenarios across the range of distribution of the three species. This loss was particularly severe for C. amentacea in the Mediterranean Sea (less 90% in the most extreme climatic scenario), suggesting that the species could become potentially at extinction risk. For all species, genetic data showed very differentiated populations, indicating low inter-population connectivity, and high and distinct genetic diversity in areas that were predicted to become lost, causing erosion of unique evolutionary lineages. Our results indicated that the Mediterranean Sea is the most threatened region, where future suitable Cystoseira habitats will become more limited. This is likely to have wider ecosystem impacts as there is a lack of species with the same ecological niche and functional role in the Mediterranean. The projected accelerated loss of already fragmented and disturbed populations and the long-term genetic effects highlight the urge for local scale management strategies that sustain the capacity of these habitat-forming species to persist despite climatic impacts while waiting for global emission reductions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Buonomo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche ed Ambientali, University of Bologna, UO Conisma, Via S. Alberto 163, 48123, Ravenna, Italy; CCMAR-CIMAR Centre of Marine Sciences, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal.
| | - Rosa M Chefaoui
- CCMAR-CIMAR Centre of Marine Sciences, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Bermejo Lacida
- Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Universidad de Cádiz, Spain; Irish Seaweed Research Group & Earth and Ocean Sciences Department, Ryan Institute and School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Aschwin H Engelen
- CCMAR-CIMAR Centre of Marine Sciences, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Ester A Serrão
- CCMAR-CIMAR Centre of Marine Sciences, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal.
| | - Laura Airoldi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche ed Ambientali, University of Bologna, UO Conisma, Via S. Alberto 163, 48123, Ravenna, Italy.
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