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Gragnolati M, Rolim FA, Pereira-Filho GH, Athayde ACS, Ciotti ÁM, Motta FS. Vertical structure of reef fish assemblages and light penetration reveal new boundaries of mesophotic ecosystems in the subtropical Southwestern Atlantic. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 198:106527. [PMID: 38688110 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106527] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
In the Southwest Atlantic, fisheries and in situ observations suggest that mesophotic reefs occur further south than has been reported in the literature, and a description of these subtropical regions is still lacking. We used Baited Remote Underwater stereo-Videos to explore unrevealed patterns in the vertical structure of fish assemblages on subtropical Atlantic reefs, contrasting shallow and mesophotic habitats. Our data on species turnover and light penetration reveal that in the subtropical Atlantic, the boundaries between shallow and mesophotic habitats occur at depths of 18 m, which is shallower than most previous studies have shown. Generalized additive mixed models identified different environmental and management factors as important predictor variables that explain distribution of fish assemblages' attributes. Besides adding new evidence about mesophotic limits, we described variations in the vertical structure of fish assemblages, providing important information for the description and conservation of mesophotic environments in subtropical regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maisha Gragnolati
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação Marinha (LABECMar), Instituto do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Dr. Carvalho de Mendonça, 144, 11070-100, Santos, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Fernanda A Rolim
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação Marinha (LABECMar), Instituto do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Dr. Carvalho de Mendonça, 144, 11070-100, Santos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Guilherme H Pereira-Filho
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação Marinha (LABECMar), Instituto do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Dr. Carvalho de Mendonça, 144, 11070-100, Santos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Clara S Athayde
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação Marinha (LABECMar), Instituto do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Dr. Carvalho de Mendonça, 144, 11070-100, Santos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Áurea M Ciotti
- Aquarela Lab, Rodovia Manoel Hypólito do Rego, Km 131, 50 S/N, Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, 11600-000, São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fabio S Motta
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação Marinha (LABECMar), Instituto do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Dr. Carvalho de Mendonça, 144, 11070-100, Santos, São Paulo, Brazil.
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2
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Raick X, Parmentier É, Gervaise C, Lecchini D, Pérez-Rosales G, Rouzé H, Bertucci F, Di Iorio L. Invertebrate sounds from photic to mesophotic coral reefs reveal vertical stratification and diel diversity. Oecologia 2024; 205:307-322. [PMID: 38829404 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05572-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Although mesophotic coral ecosystems account for approximately 80% of coral reefs, they remain largely unexplored due to their challenging accessibility. The acoustic richness within reefs has led scientists to consider passive acoustic monitoring as a reliable method for studying both altiphotic and mesophotic coral reefs. We investigated the relationship between benthic invertebrate sounds (1.5-22.5 kHz), depth, and benthic cover composition, key ecological factors that determine differences between altiphotic and mesophotic reefs. Diel patterns of snaps and peak frequencies were also explored at different depths to assess variations in biorhythms. Acoustic recorders were deployed at 20 m, 60 m, and 120 m depths across six islands in French Polynesia. The results indicated that depth is the primary driver of differences in broadband transient sound (BTS) soundscapes, with sound intensity decreasing as depth increases. At 20-60 m, sounds were louder at night. At 120 m depth, benthic activity rhythms exhibited low or highly variable levels of diel variation, likely a consequence of reduced solar irradiation. On three islands, a peculiar peak in the number of BTS was observed every day between 7 and 9 PM at 120 m, suggesting the presence of cyclic activities of a specific species. Our results support the existence of different invertebrate communities or distinct behaviors, particularly in deep mesophotic reefs. Overall, this study adds to the growing evidence supporting the use of passive acoustic monitoring to describe and understand ecological patterns in mesophotic reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Raick
- Laboratory of Functional and Evolutionary Morphology, Freshwater and Oceanic Science Unit of Research, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Éric Parmentier
- Laboratory of Functional and Evolutionary Morphology, Freshwater and Oceanic Science Unit of Research, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | | | - David Lecchini
- PSL University, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR, CRIOBE, 3278, Moorea, French Polynesia
- Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Perpignan, France
| | | | - Héloïse Rouzé
- PSL University, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR, CRIOBE, 3278, Moorea, French Polynesia
- Marine Laboratory, University of Guam, Mangilao, GU, USA
| | - Frédéric Bertucci
- Laboratory of Functional and Evolutionary Morphology, Freshwater and Oceanic Science Unit of Research, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- PSL University, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR, CRIOBE, 3278, Moorea, French Polynesia
| | - Lucia Di Iorio
- University of Perpignan Via Domitia, CNRS, CEFREM, UMR 5110, Perpignan, France
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3
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Jacquemont J, Loiseau C, Tornabene L, Claudet J. 3D ocean assessments reveal that fisheries reach deep but marine protection remains shallow. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4027. [PMID: 38773096 PMCID: PMC11109251 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47975-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The wave of new global conservation targets, the conclusion of the High Seas Treaty negotiations, and the expansion of extractive use into the deep sea call for a paradigm shift in ocean conservation. The current reductionist 2D representation of the ocean to set targets and measure impacts will fail at achieving effective biodiversity conservation. Here, we develop a framework that overlays depth realms onto marine ecoregions to conduct the first three-dimensional spatial analysis of global marine conservation achievements and fisheries footprint. Our novel approach reveals conservation gaps of mesophotic, rariphotic, and abyssal depths and an underrepresentation of high protection levels across all depths. In contrast, the 3D footprint of fisheries covers all depths, with benthic fishing occurring down to the lower bathyal and mesopelagic fishing peaking in areas overlying abyssal depths. Additionally, conservation efforts are biased towards areas where the lowest fishing pressures occur, compromising the effectiveness of the marine conservation network. These spatial mismatches emphasize the need to shift towards 3D thinking to achieve ocean sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Jacquemont
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, 1122 NE Boat St, Seattle, WA, USA.
- National Center for Scientific Research, PSL Université Paris, CRIOBE, CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Maison de l'Océan, 195 rue Saint-Jacques, Paris, France.
| | - Charles Loiseau
- National Center for Scientific Research, PSL Université Paris, CRIOBE, CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Maison de l'Océan, 195 rue Saint-Jacques, Paris, France
| | - Luke Tornabene
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, 1122 NE Boat St, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Joachim Claudet
- National Center for Scientific Research, PSL Université Paris, CRIOBE, CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Maison de l'Océan, 195 rue Saint-Jacques, Paris, France.
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4
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Fuentes KM, Baldwin CC, Robertson DR, Lardizábal CC, Tornabene L. Two new species of Varicus from Caribbean deep reefs, with comments on the related genus Pinnichthys (Teleostei, Gobiidae, Gobiosomatini, Nes subgroup). Zookeys 2023; 1180:159-180. [PMID: 37780890 PMCID: PMC10534247 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1180.107551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Tropical deep reefs (~40-300 m) are diverse ecosystems that serve as habitats for diverse communities of reef-associated fishes. Deep-reef fish communities are taxonomically and ecologically distinct from those on shallow reefs, but like those on shallow reefs, they are home to a species-rich assemblage of small, cryptobenthic reef fishes, including many species from the family Gobiidae (gobies). Here we describe two new species of deep-reef gobies, Varicusprometheussp. nov. and V.roatanensissp. nov., that were collected using the submersible Idabel from rariphotic reefs off the island of Roatan (Honduras) in the Caribbean. The new species are the 11th and 12th species of the genus Varicus, and their placement in the genus is supported by morphological data and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Additionally, we also collected new specimens of the closely-related genus and species Pinnichthysaimoriensis during submersible collections off the islands of Bonaire and St. Eustatius (Netherland Antilles) and included them in this study to expand the current description of that species and document its range extension from Brazil into the Caribbean. Collectively, the two new species of Varicus and new records of P.aimoriensis add to our growing knowledge of cryptobenthic fish diversity on deep reefs of the Caribbean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katlyn M. Fuentes
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, 1122 NE Boat Street, Seattle, WA 98105, USAUniversity of WashingtonSeattleUnited States of America
| | - Carole C. Baldwin
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USANational Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian InstitutionWashington, DCUnited States of America
| | - D. Ross Robertson
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, PanamaSmithsonian Tropical Research InstituteBalboaPanama
| | - Claudia C. Lardizábal
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales del Norte de Honduras (IBIOANH), Departamento de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras en el Valle de Sula, Zona el Playon, final del Blvd Micheletti, San Pedro Sula 21102, Cortes, HondurasUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras en el Valle de SulaSan Pedro SulaHonduras
| | - Luke Tornabene
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, 1122 NE Boat Street, Seattle, WA 98105, USAUniversity of WashingtonSeattleUnited States of America
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5
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Stefanoudis PV, Fassbender N, Samimi-Namin K, Adam PA, Ebrahim A, Harlay J, Koester A, Samoilys M, Sims H, Swanborn D, Talma S, Winter S, Woodall LC. Trait-based approaches reveal that deep reef ecosystems in the Western Indian Ocean are functionally distinct. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 872:162111. [PMID: 36773924 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Tropical deep reefs (>30 m) are biologically and ecologically unique ecosystems with a higher geographic reach to shallow (<30 m) reefs. Yet they are poorly understood and rarely considered in conservation practices. Here, we characterise benthic and fish communities across a depth gradient (10-350 m) in remote coral atolls in Seychelles, Western Indian Ocean. Using taxonomic and trait-based approaches we present the taxonomic and functional composition of shallow and deep reef communities, with distinct communities and traits dominating different depths. Depth-related changes in community metrics (taxa richness, abundance and biomass) and functional diversity metrics (richness, dispersion, and evenness) indicate complex relationships across different biological components (fish, benthos) that differ between shallow and deep reefs. These in turn translate into different patterns of reef resilience against disturbance or species invasions with depth. Notably, deep reefs host on average fewer and less abundant taxa but with higher functional contribution and originality scores, some of which are of conservation concern. Overall, the results highlight the unique nature of deep reefs that requires their explicit consideration in conservation and management activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paris V Stefanoudis
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Nekton Foundation, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | | | - Kaveh Samimi-Namin
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Nekton Foundation, Oxford, United Kingdom; Taxonomy and Systematics Group, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands; Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Jerome Harlay
- Blue Economy Research Institute, University of Seychelles, Mahé, Seychelles
| | - Anna Koester
- Seychelles Islands Foundation, Victoria, Seychelles
| | - Melita Samoilys
- CORDIO East Africa, Mombasa, Kenya; Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Helena Sims
- The Nature Conservancy, Victoria, Seychelles
| | - Denise Swanborn
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Nekton Foundation, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Lucy C Woodall
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Nekton Foundation, Oxford, United Kingdom
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6
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Lemaitre R, Felder DL. A new genus and species of micro-pagurid hermit crab (Crustacea, Decapoda, Paguridae) from the rariphotic reef zone in Curaçao, Lesser Antilles, Caribbean Sea. Zootaxa 2023; 5277:374-380. [PMID: 37518314 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5277.2.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
During field investigations of deep-reefs off the coast of Curaçao in the Lesser Antilles, Caribbean Sea, a female specimen was collected of an undescribed micro-pagurid crab with striking dorso-ventral flattening of the right cheliped. It was further characterized by a reduced branchial formula, fourth pereopods with grasping-like spines instead of typically pagurid rasp-like scales, nearly symmetrical uropods and telson, and a minute pair of first pleopods (gonopods). The single specimen was discovered in samples from the rariphotic zone (~130-309 m) obtained using a suction sampler operated from the manned submersible R/V Curasub over cryptic habitats and surfaces populated by communities of sessile macro-organisms. As the specimen does not fit any known pagurid taxon, we regard it to represent a new monotypic genus. We fully describe this new micro-pagurid as Raripagurus roseangelae n. gen., n. sp. and also provide photographs of its live coloration. The CO1 barcode for the holotype in the Barcode of Life Database and GenBank accession number are included as part of the description for any future phylogenetic investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Lemaitre
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology; National Museum of Natural History; Smithsonian Institution; 4210 Silver Hill Road; Suitland; MD 20746; USA.
| | - Darryl L Felder
- Department of Biology and Laboratory for Crustacean Research; University of Louisiana at Lafayette; P.O. Box 42451; Lafayette; Louisiana 70504-2451; USA.
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7
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Brandl SJ, Weigt LA, Pitassy DE, Coker DJ, Patrick CJ, Luchese MH, Berumen ML, Buskey EJ, Casey JM, Di Domenico M, Soeth M, Topor ZM, Duffy JE, Baldwin CC, Hagedorn M, Parenti LR. Using standardized fish‐specific autonomous reef monitoring structures (
FARMS
) to quantify cryptobenthic fish communities. Methods Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.14085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Simon J. Brandl
- Department of Marine Science The University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute Port Aransas Texas USA
- Laboratories of Analytical Biology, National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia USA
| | - Lee A. Weigt
- Laboratories of Analytical Biology, National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia USA
| | - Diane E. Pitassy
- Laboratories of Analytical Biology, National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia USA
| | - Darren J. Coker
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Christopher J. Patrick
- Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary Gloucester Point Virginia USA
| | - Matheus H. Luchese
- Center for Marine Studies Federal University of Paraná Paraná Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Coastal and Oceanic Systems Federal University of Paraná Paraná Brazil
| | - Michael L. Berumen
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Edward J. Buskey
- Department of Marine Science The University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute Port Aransas Texas USA
| | - Jordan M. Casey
- Department of Marine Science The University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute Port Aransas Texas USA
| | | | - Marcelo Soeth
- Postgraduate Program in Coastal and Oceanic Systems Federal University of Paraná Paraná Brazil
- Marine Fish Ecology Laboratory North University Center of Espírito Santo, Federal University of Espírito Santo São Mateus Brazil
| | | | - J. Emmett Duffy
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network and MarineGEO Program Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater Maryland USA
| | - Carole C. Baldwin
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia USA
| | - Mary Hagedorn
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute Smithsonian Institution Front Royal Virginia USA
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Kāne'ohe Hawai'i USA
| | - Lynne R. Parenti
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia USA
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8
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Nunes Peinemann V, Pombo-Ayora L, Cochran JEM, Marchese F, Chimienti G, Rodrigue M, Eweida AA, Marshall PA, Benzoni F, Berumen ML. First record of Boulenger's anthias Sacura boulengeri (Heemstra 1973) in the Red Sea. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2023; 102:294-298. [PMID: 36263673 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15254] [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: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In November 2020, we observed several individuals and collected one juvenile of an unidentified anthiadine fish (Serranidae) between depths of 250 and 307 m near vertical walls of rocky reefs in the northern Red Sea. Further morphological and molecular analyses revealed that the collected specimen matches Sacura boulengeri, a species previously reported only from the Gulf of Oman to India.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor Nunes Peinemann
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Lucía Pombo-Ayora
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jesse E M Cochran
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fabio Marchese
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Giovanni Chimienti
- Department of Biology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
- CoNISMa, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Ameer A Eweida
- Department of Nature Conservation, NEOM, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
| | - Paul A Marshall
- Department of Nature Conservation, NEOM, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
| | - Francesca Benzoni
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Michael L Berumen
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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9
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Stefanoudis PV, Talma S, Fassbender N, Swanborn D, Ochieng CN, Mearns K, Komakoma JD, Otwoma LM, Mbije NE, Osuka KE, Samoilys M, Shah N, Samaai T, Trotzuk E, Tuda A, Zivane F, Wagner D, Woodall LC. Stakeholder‐derived recommendations and actions to support deep‐reef conservation in the Western Indian Ocean. Conserv Lett 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Denise Swanborn
- Department of Biology University of Oxford Oxford UK
- Nekton Foundation Oxford UK
| | | | - Kevin Mearns
- Department of Environmental Sciences University of South Africa Pretoria South Africa
| | | | - Levy M. Otwoma
- Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute Mombasa Kenya
| | | | - Kennedy E. Osuka
- CORDIO East Africa Mombasa Kenya
- Department of Mathematics University of York York UK
| | - Melita Samoilys
- Department of Biology University of Oxford Oxford UK
- CORDIO East Africa Mombasa Kenya
| | | | - Toufiek Samaai
- Department of Forestry Fisheries and Environment Cape Town South Africa
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation University of Western Cape Cape Town South Africa
- Iziko Museum Cape Town South Africa
| | | | - Arthur Tuda
- The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association Zanzibar Tanzania
| | | | - Daniel Wagner
- Conservation International Center for Oceans Arlington Virginia USA
| | - Lucy C. Woodall
- Department of Biology University of Oxford Oxford UK
- Nekton Foundation Oxford UK
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10
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de Souza MR, Caruso C, Ruiz-Jones L, Drury C, Gates R, Toonen RJ. Community composition of coral-associated Symbiodiniaceae differs across fine-scale environmental gradients in Kāne'ohe Bay. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:212042. [PMID: 36117869 PMCID: PMC9459668 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.212042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The survival of most reef-building corals is dependent upon a symbiosis between the coral and the community of Symbiodiniaceae. Montipora capitata, one of the main reef-building coral species in Hawai'i, is known to host a diversity of symbionts, but it remains unclear how they change spatially and whether environmental factors drive those changes. Here, we surveyed the Symbiodiniaceae community in 600 M. capitata colonies from 30 sites across Kāne'ohe Bay and tested for host specificity and environmental gradients driving spatial patterns of algal symbiont distribution. We found that the Symbiodiniaceae community differed markedly across sites, with M. capitata in the most open-ocean (northern) site hosting few or none of the genus Durusdinium, whereas individuals at other sites had a mix of Durusdinium and Cladocopium. Our study shows that the algal symbiont community composition responds to fine-scale differences in environmental gradients; depth and temperature variability were the most significant predictor of Symbiodiniaceae community, although environmental factors measured in the study explained only about 20% of observed variation. Identifying and mapping Symbiodiniaceae community distribution at multiple scales is an important step in advancing our understanding of algal symbiont diversity, distribution and evolution and the potential responses of corals to future environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Rocha de Souza
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI 96744, USA
| | - Carlo Caruso
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI 96744, USA
| | - Lupita Ruiz-Jones
- Chaminade University of Honolulu, 3140 Waialae Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816, USA
| | - Crawford Drury
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI 96744, USA
| | - Ruth Gates
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI 96744, USA
| | - Robert J. Toonen
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI 96744, USA
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11
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Robertson DR, Estapé CJ, Estapé AM, Richter L, Peña E, Victor B. An updated, illustrated inventory of the marine fishes of the US Virgin Islands. Zookeys 2022; 1103:79-122. [PMID: 36761789 PMCID: PMC9848822 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1103.83795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The US Virgin Islands (USVI) include St. John and St. Thomas on the Puerto Rican Platform (PRP) and St. Croix, isolated by 2000 m deep water 45 km south of that platform. Previous inventories of the marine fishes of these islands include a comprehensive 2014 checklist of the fishes of St. Croix and a list of the fishes of the PRP produced in 2000. The latter list noted the locations of many records of the plateau's fishes, allowing the construction of a combined inventory for St. John and St. Thomas. Those two islands are treated here as a single faunal unit because they are only 3.5 km apart on a shared shallow shelf with various islets and reefs in between. Here we provide updated information on those two USVI (St. Croix and St. John-Thomas) marine fish faunas. The additions to the St. Croix and St. John-Thomas inventories presented here are based on a combination of information from the two sources indicated above, more recent publications dealing with those faunas, a review of location records on various online sources of biogeographic data, and voucher photographs taken of fishes in the field by authors of this paper and other citizen scientists. This assessment increased the known fauna of St. Croix by 7.5% to 585 species. The inventory for St. John-Thomas increased by 39.9% from 401 species on the 2000 PRP list to 561 with the inclusion of records from other sources. On-site mtDNA (COI) barcodes are available for approximately one-third of the species of the St. John-Thomas fauna, but for only one species collected at St. Croix. A set of underwater photographs of 372 species (34 of them representing the sole record of a species) from St. John-Thomas and of 11 shallow-water species added to the St. Croix fauna is included. These represent occurrence vouchers and also are intended to facilitate future work that builds on the present compendium.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Ross Robertson
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, PanamaSmithsonian Tropical Research InstituteBalboaPanama
| | - Carlos J. Estapé
- 197 Gulfview Drive, Islamorada, Florida, 33036, USAUnaffiliatedIslamoradaUnited States of America
| | - Allison M. Estapé
- 197 Gulfview Drive, Islamorada, Florida, 33036, USAUnaffiliatedIslamoradaUnited States of America
| | - Lee Richter
- National Park Service, 1300 Cruz Bay Creek, St. John, VI 00830, Virgin Islands, USANational Park ServiceSt. JohnVirgin Islands (USA)
| | - Ernesto Peña
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, PanamaSmithsonian Tropical Research InstituteBalboaPanama
| | - Benjamin Victor
- Ocean Science Foundation, 4051 Glenwood, Irvine, CA 92604, USAOcean Science FoundationIrvineUnited States of America,Guy Harvey Research Institute, Nova Southeastern University, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL 33004, USANova Southeastern UniversityDania BeachUnited States of America
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12
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OUP accepted manuscript. Zool J Linn Soc 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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13
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Mesophotic Gorgonian Corals Evolved Multiple Times and Faster Than Deep and Shallow Lineages. DIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/d13120650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems (MCEs) develop on a unique environment, where abrupt environmental changes take place. Using a time-calibrated molecular phylogeny (mtDNA: mtMutS), we examined the lineage membership of mesophotic gorgonian corals (Octocorallia: Cnidaria) in comparison to shallow and deep-sea lineages of the wider Caribbean-Gulf of Mexico and the Tropical Eastern Pacific. Our results show mesophotic gorgonians originating multiple times from old deep-sea octocoral lineages, whereas shallow-water species comprise younger lineages. The mesophotic gorgonian fauna in the studied areas is related to their zooxanthellate shallow-water counterparts in only two clades (Gorgoniidae and Plexauridae), where the bathymetrical gradient could serve as a driver of diversification. Interestingly, mesophotic clades have diversified faster than either shallow or deep clades. One of this groups with fast diversification is the family Ellisellidae, a major component of the mesophotic gorgonian coral assemblage worldwide.
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14
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Sparks JS, Chaloux N, Schelly RC, Gruber DF, Sparks TS, Phillips BT. Description of a New Species of Rariphotic Parapercis (Perciformes: Pinguipedidae) from the Solomon Islands. AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES 2021. [DOI: 10.1206/3978.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John S. Sparks
- American Museum of Natural History, Department of Ichthyology, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, New York
| | - Nicholas Chaloux
- University of Rhode Island, Department of Ocean Engineering, Narragansett, RI
| | - Robert C. Schelly
- Division of Science and Resource Management, Grand Canyon National Park, National Park Service, Flagstaff, AZ
| | - David F. Gruber
- Department of Natural Sciences, Baruch College, City University of New York, New York
| | | | - Brennan T. Phillips
- University of Rhode Island, Department of Ocean Engineering, Narragansett, RI
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15
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Fassbender N, Stefanoudis PV, Filander ZN, Gendron G, Mah CL, Mattio L, Mortimer JA, Moura CJ, Samaai T, Samimi-Namin K, Wagner D, Walton R, Woodall LC. Reef benthos of Seychelles - A field guide. Biodivers Data J 2021; 9:e65970. [PMID: 34552373 PMCID: PMC8417027 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.9.e65970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background During the 2019 First Descent: Seychelles Expedition, shallow and deep reef ecosystems of the Seychelles Outer Islands were studied by deploying a variety of underwater technologies to survey their benthic flora and fauna. Submersibles, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and SCUBA diving teams used stereo-video camera systems to record benthic communities during transect surveys conducted at 10 m, 30 m, 60 m, 120 m, 250 m and 350 m depths. In total, ~ 45 h of video footage was collected during benthic transect surveys, which was subsequently processed using annotation software in order to assess reef biodiversity and community composition. Here, we present a photographic guide for the visual identification of the marine macrophytes, corals, sponges and other common invertebrates that inhabit Seychelles’ reefs. It is hoped that the resulting guide will aid marine biologists, conservationists, managers, divers and naturalists with the coarse identification of organisms as seen in underwater footage or live in the field. New information A total of 184 morphotypes (= morphologically similar individuals) were identified belonging to Octocorallia (47), Porifera (35), Scleractinia (32), Asteroidea (19), Echinoidea (10), Actiniaria (9), Chlorophyta (8), Antipatharia (6), Hydrozoa (6), Holothuroidea (5), Mollusca (2), Rhodophyta (2), Tracheophyta (2), Annelida (1), Crinoidea (1), Ctenophora (1), Ochrophyta (1) and Zoantharia (1). Out of these, we identified one to phylum level, eight to class, 14 to order, 27 to family, 110 to genus and 24 to species. This represents the first attempt to catalogue the benthic diversity from shallow reefs and up to 350 m depth in Seychelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico Fassbender
- Nekton Foundation, Oxford, United Kingdom Nekton Foundation Oxford United Kingdom
| | - Paris V Stefanoudis
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom Department of Zoology, University of Oxford Oxford United Kingdom.,Nekton Foundation, Oxford, United Kingdom Nekton Foundation Oxford United Kingdom
| | - Zoleka Nontlantla Filander
- Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Branch Oceans and Coasts, Cape Town, South Africa Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Branch Oceans and Coasts Cape Town South Africa
| | - Gilberte Gendron
- Sustainable Ocean Seychelles, Victoria, Seychelles Sustainable Ocean Seychelles Victoria Seychelles
| | - Christopher L Mah
- Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, Washington, United States of America Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History Washington United States of America
| | - Lydiane Mattio
- University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa University of Cape Town Rondebosch, Cape Town South Africa.,blue[c]weed, Brest, France blue[c]weed Brest France
| | - Jeanne A Mortimer
- Seychelles' Conservation & Climate Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT), Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles Seychelles' Conservation & Climate Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT) Victoria, Mahé Seychelles.,Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America Department of Biology, University of Florida Gainesville, Florida United States of America.,Island Conservation Society (ICS), Point Larue, Mahé, Seychelles Island Conservation Society (ICS) Point Larue, Mahé Seychelles
| | - Carlos J Moura
- OKEANOS / DOP, University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal OKEANOS / DOP, University of the Azores Horta Portugal
| | - Toufiek Samaai
- Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Branch Oceans and Coasts, Cape Town, South Africa Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Branch Oceans and Coasts Cape Town South Africa.,University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa University of Cape Town Rondebosch, Cape Town South Africa.,iZiko Museums of South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa iZiko Museums of South Africa Cape Town South Africa.,University of the Western Cape, Bellville, Cape Town, South Africa University of the Western Cape Bellville, Cape Town South Africa
| | - Kaveh Samimi-Namin
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands Naturalis Biodiversity Center Leiden Netherlands
| | - Daniel Wagner
- Conservation International, Arlington, United States of America Conservation International Arlington United States of America
| | - Rowana Walton
- James Michel Blue Economy Research Institute, University of Seychelles, Anse Royale, Mahé, Seychelles James Michel Blue Economy Research Institute, University of Seychelles Anse Royale, Mahé Seychelles
| | - Lucy C Woodall
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom Department of Zoology, University of Oxford Oxford United Kingdom.,Nekton Foundation, Oxford, United Kingdom Nekton Foundation Oxford United Kingdom
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16
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ROV assessment of mesophotic fish and associated habitats across the continental shelf of the Amathole region. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18171. [PMID: 34518584 PMCID: PMC8437978 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97369-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding how fish associate with habitats across marine landscapes is crucial to developing effective marine spatial planning (MSP) in an expanding and diversifying ocean economy. Globally, anthropogenic pressures impact the barely understood temperate mesophotic ecosystems and South Africa's remote Amathole shelf is no exception. The Kei and East London region encompass three coastal marine protected areas (MPAs), two of which were recently extended to the shelf-edge. The strong Agulhas current (exceeding 3 m/s), which runs along the narrow shelf exacerbates sampling challenges. For the first time, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) surveyed fish and their associated habitats across the shelf. Results indicated fish assemblages differed between the two principle sampling areas, and across the shelf. The number of distinct fish assemblages was higher inshore and on the shelf-edge, relative to the mid-shelf. However, the mid-shelf had the highest species richness. Unique visuals of rare Rhinobatos ocellatus (Speckled guitarfish) and shoaling Polyprion americanus (wreckfish) were collected. Visual evidence of rhodolith beds, deep-water lace corals and critically endangered endemic seabreams were ecologically important observations. The ROV enabled in situ sampling without damaging sensitive habitats or extracting fish. This study provided information that supported the Amathole MPA expansions, which extended protection from the coast to beyond the shelf-edge and will guide their management. The data gathered provides baseline information for future benthopelagic fish and habitat monitoring in these new MPAs.
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17
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Linardich C, Brookson CB, Green SJ. Trait-based vulnerability reveals hotspots of potential impact for a global marine invader. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:4322-4338. [PMID: 34091996 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15732] [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] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Predation from the invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish is likely to amplify declines in marine fishes observed in multiple ocean basins. As the invasion intensifies and expands, there is an urgent need to identify species that are most at risk for extirpation-and possible extinction-from this added threat. To address this gap and inform conservation plans, we develop and apply a quantitative framework for classifying the relative vulnerability of fishes based on morphological and behavioural traits known to influence susceptibility to lionfish predation (e.g. body shape, water column position and aggregation behaviour), habitat overlap with lionfish, and degree of geographic range restriction. Applying the framework to fishes across the invaded Caribbean Sea and ahead of the invasion front in the southwestern Atlantic revealed the identity of at least 77 fishes with relatively small ranges that are likely to be most affected by lionfish predation. Trait-based vulnerability scores significantly predict the probability of fishes appearing within the diets of lionfish across the invaded region. Spatial richness analyses reveal hotspots of vulnerable species in the Bahamas, Belize and Curaçao. Crucially, our framework identifies 29 vulnerable fishes endemic to Brazil, which has not yet been colonized by lionfish. Of these, we suggest reefs around offshore island groups occupied by a dozen highly vulnerable and range-restricted species as priorities for intervention should lionfish spread to the region. Observations of the rate of lionfish spread across the invaded range suggest that an average of 5 years (with a median of nearly 2 years) elapses from first sighting to maximum observed densities. This lag may allow managers to mobilize plans to suppress lionfish ahead of an invasion front in priority locations. Our framework also provides a method for assessing the relative vulnerability of cryptobenthic and/or deep-reef fishes, for which population-monitoring data are limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christi Linardich
- International Union for Conservation of Nature Marine Biodiversity Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Cole B Brookson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Stephanie J Green
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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18
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Tempera F, Milla-Figueras D, Sinde-Mano AL, Atchoi E, Afonso P. Range Extension of Mesophotic Kelps (Ochrophyta: Laminariales and Tilopteridales) in the Central North Atlantic: Opportunities for Marine Forest Research and Conservation. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2021; 57:1140-1150. [PMID: 33682107 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13162] [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: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Kelp was first recorded for the remote warm-temperate Azores archipelago (central North Atlantic) in 1971, when a few Laminaria specimens were collected on the Formigas Bank at depths beyond conventional SCUBA diving reach. A shortage of technical means and projects targeting mesophotic environments has since kept this offshore marine protected area as the single known kelp occurrence site. Here, we present new kelp records collected on previously unexplored mesophotic reefs using remote imaging systems, open- and closed-circuit SCUBA diving, and fisheries bycatch information. The new data extend the known distribution range of kelp in the Azores 350 km to the west and 25 km to the southwest, henceforth including several island shelves in the eastern and central Azores. In addition to the previously recorded Laminaria ochroleuca, kelp specimens with a morphology akin to Phyllariopsis brevipes subsp. brevipes are also reported. For the first time, seabed imagery is used to document the depth-wise diversity of the Azores kelp beds and their associated biota. Our findings emphasize the poor knowledge that persists in regard to Macaronesia's mesophotic environments located beyond conventional SCUBA diving limits. The new on-shelf kelp occurrences add conservation value to coastal areas and should facilitate island-based research. However, their greater proximity to land-based impacts and exposure to climate change also raise management needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Tempera
- IMAR-Institute of Marine Research, University of the Azores, Rua Prof. Dr. Frederico Machado, 4, PT, 9901-862, Horta, Azores, Portugal
- IFREMER, RBE/STH/LBH, Centre de Bretagne, Z. I. de la Pointe du Diable, CS 10070, Plouzané, 29280, France
| | - David Milla-Figueras
- IMAR-Institute of Marine Research, University of the Azores, Rua Prof. Dr. Frederico Machado, 4, PT, 9901-862, Horta, Azores, Portugal
- Okeanos-UAç R&D Center, University of the Azores, PT-9901-862 Horta, Azores, Portugal
| | - Ana Luísa Sinde-Mano
- IMAR-Institute of Marine Research, University of the Azores, Rua Prof. Dr. Frederico Machado, 4, PT, 9901-862, Horta, Azores, Portugal
| | - Elizabeth Atchoi
- Okeanos-UAç R&D Center, University of the Azores, PT-9901-862 Horta, Azores, Portugal
| | - Pedro Afonso
- IMAR-Institute of Marine Research, University of the Azores, Rua Prof. Dr. Frederico Machado, 4, PT, 9901-862, Horta, Azores, Portugal
- Okeanos-UAç R&D Center, University of the Azores, PT-9901-862 Horta, Azores, Portugal
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19
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Grande TC, Wilson MVH. A New Cryptic Species of Polymixia (Teleostei, Acanthomorpha, Polymixiiformes, Polymixiidae) Revealed by Molecules and Morphology. ICHTHYOLOGY & HERPETOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1643/i2020112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Terry C. Grande
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 West Sheridan Road, Chicago, Illinois 60660; (TCG)
| | - Mark V. H. Wilson
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 West Sheridan Road, Chicago, Illinois 60660; (TCG)
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20
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Currey-Randall LM, Galaiduk R, Stowar M, Vaughan BI, Miller KJ. Mesophotic fish communities of the ancient coastline in Western Australia. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250427. [PMID: 33882113 PMCID: PMC8059809 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine diversity across the Australian continental shelf is shaped by characteristic benthic habitats which are determined by geomorphic features such as paleoshorelines. In north-western Australia there has been little attention on the fish communities that inhabit an ancient coastline at ~125 m depth (the designated AC125), which is specified as a key ecological feature (KEF) of the region and is thought to comprise hard substrate and support enhanced diversity. We investigated drivers of fish species richness and assemblage composition spanning six degrees of latitude along sections of the ancient coastline, categorised as ‘on’ and ‘off’ the AC125 based on depth, across a range of habitats and seafloor complexity (~60–180 m depth). While some surveyed sections of the AC125 had hard bottom substrate and supported enhanced fish diversity, including over half of the total species observed, species richness and abundance overall were not greater on the AC125 than immediately adjacent to the AC125. Instead, depth, seafloor complexity and habitat type explained patterns in richness and abundance, and structured fish assemblages at both local and broad spatial scales. Fewer fishes were associated with deep sites characterized by negligible complexity and soft-bottom habitats, in contrast to shallower depths that featured benthic biota and pockets of complex substrate. Drivers of abundance of common species were species-specific and primarily related to sampling Areas, depth and substrate. Fishes of the ancient coastline and adjacent habitats are representative of mesophotic fish communities of the region, included species important to fisheries and conservation, and several species were observed deeper than their currently known distribution. This study provides the first assessment of fish biodiversity associated with an ancient coastline feature, improving our understanding of the function it plays in regional spatial patterns in abundance of mesophotic fishes. Management decisions that incorporate the broader variety of depths and habitats surrounding the designated AC125 could enhance the ecological role of this KEF, contributing to effective conservation of fish biodiversity on Australia’s north west shelf.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ronen Galaiduk
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Australian Institute of Marine Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Marcus Stowar
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Brigit I. Vaughan
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Australian Institute of Marine Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Karen J. Miller
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Australian Institute of Marine Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
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21
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Robertson DR, Estapé CJ, Estapé AM, Peña E, Tornabene L, Baldwin CC. The marine fishes of St Eustatius Island, northeastern Caribbean: an annotated, photographic catalog. Zookeys 2021; 1007:145-180. [PMID: 33505184 PMCID: PMC7788074 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1007.58515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sint Eustatius (Statia) is a 21 km2 island situated in the northeastern Caribbean Sea. The most recent published sources of information on that island's marine fish fauna is in two non-governmental organization reports from 2015-17 related to the formation of a marine reserve. The species-list in the 2017 report was based on field research in 2013-15 using SCUBA diving surveys, shallow "baited underwater video surveys" (BRUVs), and data from fishery surveys and scientific collections over the preceding century. That checklist comprised 304 species of shallow (mostly) and deep-water fishes. In 2017 the Smithsonian Deep Reef Observation Project surveyed deep-reef fishes at Statia using the crewed submersible Curasub. That effort recorded 120 species, including 59 new occurrences records. In March-May 2020, two experienced citizen scientists completed 62 SCUBA dives there and recorded 244 shallow species, 40 of them new records for Statia. The 2017-2020 research effort increased the number of species known from the island by 33.6% to 406. Here we present an updated catalog of that marine fish fauna, including voucher photographs of 280 species recorded there in 2017 and 2020. The Statia reef-fish fauna likely is incompletely documented as it has few small, shallow, cryptobenthic species, which are a major component of the regional fauna. A lack of targeted sampling is probably the major factor explaining that deficit, although a limited range of benthic marine habitats may also be contributing.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Ross Robertson
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa Panama
| | - Carlos J Estapé
- 150 Nautilus Drive, Islamorada, Florida, 33036, USA Unaffiliated Islamorada United States of America
| | - Allison M Estapé
- 150 Nautilus Drive, Islamorada, Florida, 33036, USA Unaffiliated Islamorada United States of America
| | - Ernesto Peña
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa Panama
| | - Luke Tornabene
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98107, USA University of Washington Seattle United States of America
| | - Carole C Baldwin
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution Washington United States of America
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22
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Novel approach to enhance coastal habitat and biotope mapping with drone aerial imagery analysis. Sci Rep 2021; 11:574. [PMID: 33436894 PMCID: PMC7804263 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80612-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the complex factors and mechanisms driving the functioning of coastal ecosystems is vital towards assessing how organisms, ecosystems, and ultimately human populations will cope with the ecological consequences of natural and anthropogenic impacts. Towards this goal, coastal monitoring programs and studies must deliver information on a range of variables and factors, from taxonomic/functional diversity and spatial distribution of habitats, to anthropogenic stress indicators such as land use, fisheries use, and pollution. Effective monitoring programs must therefore integrate observations from different sources and spatial scales to provide a comprehensive view to managers. Here we explore integrating aerial surveys from a low-cost Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) with concurrent underwater surveys to deliver a novel approach to coastal monitoring. We: (i) map depth and substrate of shallow rocky habitats, and; (ii) classify the major biotopes associated with these environmental axes; and (iii) combine data from i and ii to assess the likely distribution of common sessile organismal assemblages over the survey area. Finally, we propose a general workflow that can be adapted to different needs and aerial platforms, which can be used as blueprints for further integration of remote-sensing with in situ surveys to produce spatially-explicit biotope maps.
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23
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McFarland EP, Baldwin CC, Robertson DR, Rocha LA, Tornabene L. A new species of Chromis damselfish from the tropical western Atlantic (Teleostei, Pomacentridae). Zookeys 2020; 1008:107-138. [PMID: 33505190 PMCID: PMC7790814 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1008.58805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Initially described in 1882, Chromisenchrysurus, the Yellowtail Reeffish, was redescribed in 1982 to account for an observed color morph that possesses a white tail instead of a yellow one, but morphological and geographic boundaries between the two color morphs were not well understood. Taking advantage of newly collected material from submersible studies of deep reefs and photographs from rebreather dives, this study sought to determine whether the white-tailed Chromis is actually a color morph of Chromisenchrysurus or a distinct species. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial genes cytochrome b and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I separated Chromisenchrysurus and the white-tailed Chromis into two reciprocally monophyletic clades. A principal component analysis based on 27 morphological characters separated the two groups into clusters that correspond with caudal-fin coloration, which was either known or presumed based on the specimen’s collection site according to biogeographic data on species boundaries in the Greater Caribbean. Genetic, morphological, and biogeographic data all indicate that the white-tailed Chromis is a distinct species, herein described as Chromisvanbebberaesp. nov. The discovery of a new species within a conspicuous group such as damselfishes in a well-studied region of the world highlights the importance of deep-reef exploration in documenting undiscovered biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily P McFarland
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-5020, USA University of Washington Seattle United States of America.,Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, WA 98105, USA Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture Seattle United States of America
| | - Carole C Baldwin
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560, USA Smithsonian Institution Washington United States of America
| | - David Ross Robertson
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa Panama
| | - Luiz A Rocha
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California 94118, USA Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences San Francisco United States of America
| | - Luke Tornabene
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-5020, USA University of Washington Seattle United States of America.,Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, WA 98105, USA Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture Seattle United States of America
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24
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Pinheiro HT, Macena BCL, Francini-Filho RB, Ferreira CEL, Albuquerque FV, Bezerra NPA, Carvalho-Filho A, Ferreira RCP, Luiz OJ, Mello TJ, Mendonça SA, Nunes DM, Pimentel CR, Pires AMA, Soares-Gomes A, Viana DL, Hazin FHV, Rocha LA. Fish biodiversity of Saint Peter and Saint Paul's Archipelago, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Brazil: new records and a species database. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2020; 97:1143-1153. [PMID: 32743800 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Saint Peter and Saint Paul's Archipelago (SPSPA), one of the smallest and most isolated island groups in the world, is situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, between Brazil and the African continent. SPSPA has low species richness and high endemism; nonetheless, the diversity of fishes from deep habitats (>30 m depth) had not been previously studied in detail. Several expeditions conducted between 2009 and 2018 explored the shallow and deep reefs of SPSPA using scuba, closed-circuit rebreathers, manned submersibles, baited remote underwater stereo-videos (stereo-BRUV) and fishing between 0 and 1050 m depth. These expeditions yielded 41 new records of fishes for SPSPA: 9 in open waters, 9 in shallow waters (0-30 m), 8 in mesophotic ecosystems (30-150 m) and 15 in deeper reefs (>150 m). Combined with literature records of adult pelagic, shallow and deep-reef species, as well as larvae, the database of the fish biodiversity for SPSPA currently comprises 225 species (169 recorded as adult fishes and 79 as larvae, with 23 species found in both stages). Most of them (112) are pelagic, 86 are reef-associated species and 27 are deep-water specialists. Species accumulation curves show that the number of fish species has not yet reached an asymptote. Whereas the number of species recorded in SPSPA is similar to that in other oceanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean, the proportion of shorefishes is relatively lower, and the endemism level is the third highest in the Atlantic. Twenty-nine species are listed as threatened with extinction. Observations confirm the paucity of top predators on shallow rocky reefs of the island, despite the presence of several pelagic shark species around SPSPA. Because all of the endemic species are reef associated, it is argued that the new marine-protected areas created by the Brazilian government do not ensure the protection and recovery of SPSPA's biodiversity because they allow exploitation of the most vulnerable species around the archipelago itself. This study suggests a ban on reef fish exploitation inside an area delimited by the 1000 m isobath around the islands (where all known endemics are concentrated) as the main conservation strategy to be included in the SPSPA management plan being prepared by the Brazilian government.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hudson T Pinheiro
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Bruno C L Macena
- Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas, Instituto do Mar, Universidade dos Açores, Horta, Portugal
- Departamento de Pesca e Aquicultura, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | | | - Carlos E L Ferreira
- Departamento de Biologia Marinha, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
| | - Fernanda V Albuquerque
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da ParaíbaI, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Natalia P A Bezerra
- Departamento de Pesca e Aquicultura, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | | | - Romulo C P Ferreira
- Departamento de Pesca e Aquicultura, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Osmar J Luiz
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
| | - Thayna J Mello
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Sibele A Mendonça
- Departamento de Pesca e Aquicultura, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Diogo M Nunes
- Unidade Acadêmica de Serra Talhada, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Serra Talhada, Brazil
| | - Caio R Pimentel
- Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil
| | - Alessandra M A Pires
- Departamento de Pesca e Aquicultura, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Abilio Soares-Gomes
- Departamento de Biologia Marinha, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
| | - Danielle L Viana
- Departamento de Pesca e Aquicultura, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Fabio H V Hazin
- Departamento de Pesca e Aquicultura, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Luiz A Rocha
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA
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25
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The scleractinian Agaricia undata as a new host for the coral-gall crab Opecarcinus hypostegus at Bonaire, southern Caribbean. Symbiosis 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s13199-020-00706-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe Caribbean scleractinian reef coral Agaricia undata (Agariciidae) is recorded for the first time as a host of the coral-gall crab Opecarcinus hypostegus (Cryptochiridae). The identity of the crab was confirmed with the help of DNA barcoding. The association has been documented with photographs taken in situ at 25 m depth and in the laboratory. The predominantly mesophotic depth range of the host species suggests this association to be present also at greater depths. With this record, all seven Agaricia species are now listed as gall-crab hosts, together with the agariciid Helioseris cucullata. Within the phylogeny of Agariciidae, Helioseris is not closely related to Agaricia. Therefore, the association between Caribbean agariciids and their gall-crab symbionts may either have originated early in their shared evolutionary history or later as a result of host range expansion. New information on coral-associated fauna, such as what is presented here, leads to a better insight on the diversity, evolution, and ecology of coral reef biota, particularly in the Caribbean, where cryptochirids have rarely been studied.
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26
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Shepherd B, Phelps TAY, Pinheiro HT, Rocha CR, Rocha LA. Two new species of Plectranthias (Teleostei, Serranidae, Anthiadinae) from mesophotic coral ecosystems in the tropical Central Pacific. Zookeys 2020; 941:145-161. [PMID: 32595413 PMCID: PMC7311480 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.941.50243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Two new species of Plectranthias perchlets are described, collected from mesophotic coral ecosystems in French Polynesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, in the tropical Central Pacific. Plectranthiaspolygoniussp. nov. was collected at a depth of 105 m in Tahiti, French Polynesia, and 120 m in Maloelap Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. It was also observed in Moorea and Rangiroa (French Polynesia), and at Majuro and Erikub Atolls, Republic of the Marshall Islands. Plectranthiashinanosp. nov. was collected at a depth of 90–98 m in Tahiti, French Polynesia, and observed in Moorea. The barcode fragment of the cytochrome oxidase I gene of Plectranthiaspolygoniussp. nov. does not closely match any published sequence of Plectranthias, with approximately 15% uncorrected divergence from several species. Plectranthiaspolygoniussp. nov. can be distinguished from all of its congeners by coloration and morphology. The barcode fragment of the COI gene of Plectranthiashinanosp. nov. is closest to Plectranthiasbennetti, with 5.4% uncorrected divergence. Plectranthiashinanosp. nov. is also distinguished from all of its congeners by morphology, and a coloration that includes two indistinct black spots along the base of the dorsal-fin, and transparent yellow dorsal and anal fin membranes. With this publication, the genus Plectranthias now comprises 58 valid species, with representatives from tropical to temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. These two new discoveries add to the growing body of research highlighting the rich biodiversity of mesophotic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Shepherd
- Steinhart Aquarium, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
| | - Tyler A Y Phelps
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA.,Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
| | - Hudson T Pinheiro
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
| | - Claudia R Rocha
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
| | - Luiz A Rocha
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
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27
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Shepherd B, Pinheiro HT, Phelps TAY, Easton EE, Pérez-Matus A, Rocha LA. A New Species of Chromis (Teleostei: Pomacentridae) from Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and Salas y Gómez, Chile. COPEIA 2020. [DOI: 10.1643/ci-19-294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bart Shepherd
- Steinhart Aquarium, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California 94118; . Send reprint requests to this address
| | - Hudson T. Pinheiro
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California 94118
| | - Tyler A. Y. Phelps
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California 94118
| | - Erin E. Easton
- Ecology and Sustainable Management of Oceanic Islands, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Alejandro Pérez-Matus
- Subtidal Ecology Laboratory, Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luiz A. Rocha
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California 94118
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28
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Jones ST, Asher JM, Boland RC, Kanenaka BK, Weng KC. Fish biodiversity patterns of a mesophotic-to-subphotic artificial reef complex and comparisons with natural substrates. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231668. [PMID: 32330931 PMCID: PMC7182438 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Artificial reefs act as high-rugosity habitats and are often deployed to enhance fishing; however, the effects of man-made features on fish communities can be unpredictable and are poorly understood in deeper waters. In this study, we used a submersible to describe a deep-water artificial reef complex (93–245 m) off of Ewa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii, USA, and evaluated possible conservation and/or fisheries-related contributions. Sixty-eight species were recorded, with larger features supporting greater diversity of species. Species composition changed strongly with depth and a faunal break was detected from 113–137 m. While the features supported diverse fish communities, they were not similar to those on natural substrates, and were numerically dominated by only two species, Lutjanis kasmira and Chromis verater. Depth-generalist and endemic species were present at levels comparable to natural substrates, but were less abundant and species-rich than at biogenic Leptoseris reefs at similar depths. While the non-native L. kasmira was highly abundant, its presence and abundance were not associated with discernable changes in the fish community, and was not present deeper than 120 m. Finally, five species of commercially- and recreationally-important ‘Deep 7’ fisheries species were also observed, but the artificial reef complex was mostly too shallow to provide meaningful benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart T. Jones
- College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jacob M. Asher
- Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, United States of America
- Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Honolulu, HI, United States of America
| | - Raymond C. Boland
- Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Honolulu, HI, United States of America
| | - Brian K. Kanenaka
- Department of Land and Natural Resources, State of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, United States of America
| | - Kevin C. Weng
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary, Gloucester Point, VA, United States of America
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29
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Tea YK, Pyle RL, Rocha LA. A New Species of Fairy Wrasse (Teleostei: Labridae: Cirrhilabrus) from Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems of the Verde Island Passage, Philippines. COPEIA 2020. [DOI: 10.1643/ci-19-297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Kai Tea
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; (YKT) . Send reprint requests to YKT
| | - Richard L. Pyle
- Department of Natural Sciences, Bernice P. Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817
| | - Luiz A. Rocha
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California 94118
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30
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Stefanoudis PV, Rivers M, Smith SR, Schneider CW, Wagner D, Ford H, Rogers AD, Woodall LC. Low connectivity between shallow, mesophotic and rariphotic zone benthos. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:190958. [PMID: 31598316 PMCID: PMC6774966 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Worldwide coral reefs face catastrophic damage due to a series of anthropogenic stressors. Investigating how coral reefs ecosystems are connected, in particular across depth, will help us understand if deeper reefs harbour distinct communities. Here, we explore changes in benthic community structure across 15-300 m depths using technical divers and submersibles around Bermuda. We report high levels of floral and faunal differentiation across depth, with distinct assemblages occupying each depth surveyed, except 200-300 m, corresponding to the lower rariphotic zone. Community turnover was highest at the boundary depths of mesophotic coral ecosystems (30-150 m) driven largely by taxonomic turnover and to a lesser degree by ordered species loss (nestedness). Our work highlights the biologically unique nature of benthic communities in the mesophotic and rariphotic zones, and their limited connectivity to shallow reefs, thus emphasizing the need to manage and protect deeper reefs as distinct entities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paris V. Stefanoudis
- Nekton Foundation, Begbroke Science Park, Begbroke Hill, Woodstock Road, Begbroke, Oxfordshire OX5 1PF, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Zoology Research and Administration Building, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
- Author for correspondence: Paris V. Stefanoudis e-mail:
| | - Molly Rivers
- Nekton Foundation, Begbroke Science Park, Begbroke Hill, Woodstock Road, Begbroke, Oxfordshire OX5 1PF, UK
| | - Struan R. Smith
- Natural History Museum, Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo, 40 North Shore Road, Hamilton Parish FL04, Bermuda
| | | | - Daniel Wagner
- NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 331 Fort, Johnston Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Helen Ford
- Nekton Foundation, Begbroke Science Park, Begbroke Hill, Woodstock Road, Begbroke, Oxfordshire OX5 1PF, UK
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey LL59 5AB, UK
| | - Alex D. Rogers
- Nekton Foundation, Begbroke Science Park, Begbroke Hill, Woodstock Road, Begbroke, Oxfordshire OX5 1PF, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Zoology Research and Administration Building, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Lucy C. Woodall
- Nekton Foundation, Begbroke Science Park, Begbroke Hill, Woodstock Road, Begbroke, Oxfordshire OX5 1PF, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Zoology Research and Administration Building, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
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31
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Friedlander AM, Giddens J, Ballesteros E, Blum S, Brown EK, Caselle JE, Henning B, Jost C, Salinas-de-León P, Sala E. Marine biodiversity from zero to a thousand meters at Clipperton Atoll (Île de La Passion), Tropical Eastern Pacific. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7279. [PMID: 31341739 PMCID: PMC6640628 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Clipperton Atoll (Île de La Passion) is the only atoll in the Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) ecoregion and, owing to its isolation, possesses several endemic species and is likely an important stepping stone between Oceania, the remainder of the TEP, including other oceanic islands and the west coast of Central America. We describe the biodiversity at this remote atoll from shallow water to depths greater than one thousand meters using a mixture of technologies (SCUBA, stereo baited remote underwater video stations, manned submersible, and deep-sea drop cameras). Seventy-four unique taxa of invertebrates were identified during our expedition. The majority (70%) of these taxa were confined to the top 400 m and consisted mostly of sessile organisms. Decapod crustaceans and black corals (Antipatharia) had the broadest depth ranges, 100–1,497 m and 58–967 m, respectively. Decapods were correlated with the deepest depths, while hard corals were correlated with the shallow depths. There were 96 different fish taxa from 41 families and 15 orders, of which 70% were restricted to depths <200 m. While there was a decreasing trend in richness for both fish and invertebrate taxa with depth, these declines were not linear across the depth gradient. Instead, peaks in richness at ∼200 m and ∼750 m coincided with high turnover due to the appearance of new taxa and disappearance of other taxa within the community and is likely associated with the strong oxygen minimum zone that occurs within the region. The overall depth effect was stronger for fishes compared with invertebrates, which may reflect ecological preferences or differences in taxonomic resolution among groups. The creation of a no-take marine reserve 12 nautical miles around the atoll in 2016 will help conserve this unique and relatively intact ecosystem, which possesses high predator abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan M Friedlander
- Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, United States of America.,Fisheries Ecology Research Lab, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, Hawai'i, United States of America
| | - Jonatha Giddens
- Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, United States of America.,Fisheries Ecology Research Lab, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, Hawai'i, United States of America
| | | | - Shmulik Blum
- DeepSee, UnderSea Hunter Group, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Eric K Brown
- Kalaupapa National Historic Park, US National Park Service, Kalaupapa, HI, USA.,National Park of American Samoa, US National Park Service, Pago Pago, American Samoa
| | - Jennifer E Caselle
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
| | - Bradley Henning
- Exploration Technology, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Christian Jost
- Université de la Polynésie Française, Papeete, Tahiti, Polynésie Française
| | - Pelayo Salinas-de-León
- Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, United States of America.,Charles Darwin Research Station, Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Enric Sala
- Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, United States of America
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32
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Uiblein F, Nielsen JG, Baldwin CC, Quattrini AM, Robertson R. Discovery of a Distinctive Spotted Color Pattern in the Cuskeel Neobythites unicolor (Teleostei, Ophidiidae) Based on Underwater-Vehicle Dives, with New Records from the Southern and Eastern Caribbean. COPEIA 2019. [DOI: 10.1643/ci-18-148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Franz Uiblein
- Institute of Marine Research, Postboks 1870, Nordnes, N-5817 Bergen, Norway; . Send reprint requests to this address
| | - Jørgen G. Nielsen
- Zoological Museum, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark;
| | - Carole C. Baldwin
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 156, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012;
| | - Andrea M. Quattrini
- Harvey Mudd College, F.W. Olin Science Center, 1250 N Dartmouth Ave, Claremont, California 91711;
| | - Ross Robertson
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Postal 0843-03092, Balboa, Republic of Panama;
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33
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Gabriela Arango B, T Pinheiro H, Rocha C, D Greene B, L Pyle R, M Copus J, Shepherd B, A Rocha L. Three new species of Chromis (Teleostei, Pomacentridae) from mesophotic coral ecosystems of the Philippines. Zookeys 2019; 835:1-15. [PMID: 31043847 PMCID: PMC6477865 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.835.27528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Three new species of Chromis (Perciformes, Pomacentridae) from the Philippines, collected between 75–150 m depth, are described by a combination of morphological features and their coloration. Chromisguntingsp. n. was found in Batangas and Oriental Mindoro, and differs from its congeners in body depth (2.1–2.2 in SL), and color of adults, light brown, with a silver area on the anterior end and a bilateral black margin along the exterior side of the tail. It is most similar to C.scotochiloptera, with a 5.3% genetic divergence in COI. Chromishangganansp. n. was found around Lubang Island. Body depth (1.9–2.0 in SL) and adult coloration (yellowish with dark black outer margins on dorsal and anal fins) also separate this species from its congeners. It is most similar to C.pembae, with a 2.5% genetic divergence. Chromisbowesisp. n. was found in Batangas, and also differs from its congeners by the combination of body depth (1.5–1.6 in SL), and color of adults (brownish grey in the dorsal side to whitish on the ventral side, with alternating dark and light stripes in the sides of body). It is most similar to C.earina, with a 3.6% genetic divergence in COI.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Gabriela Arango
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr., San Francisco, CA 94118, USA Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences San Francisco United States of America
| | - Hudson T Pinheiro
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr., San Francisco, CA 94118, USA Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences San Francisco United States of America
| | - Claudia Rocha
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr., San Francisco, CA 94118, USA Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences San Francisco United States of America
| | - Brian D Greene
- Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA Bernice P. Bishop Museum Honolulu United States of America
| | - Richard L Pyle
- Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA Bernice P. Bishop Museum Honolulu United States of America
| | - Joshua M Copus
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, Kãne'ohe, HI 96744, USA University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Kãne'ohe United States of America
| | - Bart Shepherd
- Steinhart Aquarium, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr., San Francisco, CA 94118, USA Steinhart Aquarium, California Academy of Sciences San Francisco United States of America
| | - Luiz A Rocha
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr., San Francisco, CA 94118, USA Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences San Francisco United States of America
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34
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Pinheiro HT, Eyal G, Shepherd B, Rocha LA. Ecological insights from environmental disturbances in mesophotic coral ecosystems. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hudson T. Pinheiro
- Department of Ichthyology California Academy of Sciences San Francisco California 94118 USA
| | - Gal Eyal
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies The University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland 4072 Australia
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences Bar Ilan University Ramat Gan 52900 Israel
| | - Bart Shepherd
- Department of Ichthyology California Academy of Sciences San Francisco California 94118 USA
- Steinhart Aquarium, California Academy of Sciences San Francisco California 94118 USA
| | - Luiz A. Rocha
- Department of Ichthyology California Academy of Sciences San Francisco California 94118 USA
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35
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Adapting to extreme environments: can coral reefs adapt to climate change? Emerg Top Life Sci 2019; 3:183-195. [DOI: 10.1042/etls20180088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Revised: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Reef-building corals throughout the world have an annual value of tens of billions of dollars, yet they are being degraded at an increasing rate by many anthropogenic and environmental factors. Despite this, some reefs show resilience to such extreme environmental changes. This review shows how techniques in computational modelling, genetics, and transcriptomics are being used to unravel the complexity of coral reef ecosystems, to try and understand if they can adapt to new and extreme environments. Considering the ambitious climate targets of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 2°C, with aspirations of even 1.5°C, questions arise on how to achieve this. Geoengineering may be necessary if other avenues fail, although global governance issues need to play a key role. Development of large and effective coral refugia and marine protected areas is necessary if we are not to lose this vital resource for us all.
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36
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Deep-Reef Fish Communities of the Great Barrier Reef Shelf-Break: Trophic Structure and Habitat Associations. DIVERSITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/d11020026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The ecology of habitats along the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) shelf-break has rarely been investigated. Thus, there is little understanding of how associated fishes interact with deeper environments. We examined relationships between deep-reef fish communities and benthic habitat structure. We sampled 48 sites over a large depth gradient (54–260 m) in the central GBR using Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations and multibeam sonar. Fish community composition differed both among multiple shelf-break reefs and habitats within reefs. Epibenthic cover decreased with depth. Deep epibenthic cover included sponges, corals, and macro-algae, with macro-algae present to 194 m. Structural complexity decreased with depth, with more calcified reef, boulders, and bedrock in shallower depths. Deeper sites were flatter and more homogeneous with softer substratum. Habitats were variable within depth strata and were reflected in different fish assemblages among sites and among locations. Overall, fish trophic groups changed with depth and included generalist and benthic carnivores, piscivores, and planktivores while herbivores were rare below 50 m. While depth influenced where trophic groups occurred, site orientation and habitat morphology determined the composition of trophic groups within depths. Future conservation strategies will need to consider the vulnerability of taxa with narrow distributions and habitat requirements in unique shelf-break environments.
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Tornabene L, Robertson DR, Baldwin CC. A new species of Lipogramma from deep reefs of Roatan, Honduras (Teleostei, Grammatidae). Zookeys 2018; 809:79-95. [PMID: 30627034 PMCID: PMC6321867 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.809.29280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A new species of Lipogramma is described from submersible collections at 122-165 m depth off the coast of Roatan, Honduras, in the western Caribbean. The new species is distinguished from all other species in the genus by its bright blue coloration on the head, nape, and dorsal portion of the trunk beneath the spinous dorsal fin, a prominent round black blotch below the origin of the spinous dorsal fin, and a high number of gill rakers. A molecular phylogeny based on mitochondrial and nuclear genes shows that the new species belongs to a clade containing L.levinsoni, L.regia, and L.anabantoides. At Roatan, submersible observations of this and other Lipogramma species indicate clear, interspecific habitat partitioning by depth and substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Tornabene
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USAUniversity of WashingtonSeattleUnited States of America
| | - D. Ross Robertson
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of PanamaSmithsonian Tropical Research InstituteBalboaPanama
| | - Carole C. Baldwin
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560, USANational Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian InstitutionWashingtonUnited States of America
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38
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Lesser MP, Slattery M. Sponge density increases with depth throughout the Caribbean. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael P. Lesser
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences and School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering University of New Hampshire Durham New Hampshire 03824 USA
| | - Marc Slattery
- Department of BioMolecular Science University of Mississippi Oxford Mississippi 38677 USA
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The future of hyperdiverse tropical ecosystems. Nature 2018; 559:517-526. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0301-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 294] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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