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Uttieri M, Svetlichny L. Escape performance in the cyclopoid copepod Oithona davisae. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1078. [PMID: 38212397 PMCID: PMC10784515 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51288-0] [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: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Escaping a predator is one of the keys to success for any living creature. The performance of adults (males, females, and ovigerous females) of the cyclopoid copepod Oithona davisae exposed to an electrical stimulus is analysed as a function of temperature by measuring characteristic parameters associated with the escape movement (distance covered, duration of the appendage movement, mean and maximum escape speeds, Reynolds number). In addition, as a proxy for the efficiency of the motion, the Strouhal number was calculated. The escape performance showed temperature-dependent relationships within each adult state, as well as differences between sexes; additionally, changes owing to the presence of the egg sac were recorded in females. In a broader perspective, the results collected reveal the occurrence of different behavioural adaptations in males and females, adding to the comprehension of the mechanisms by which O. davisae interacts with its environment and shedding new light on the in situ population dynamics of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Uttieri
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy.
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Piazza Marina 61, 90133, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Leonid Svetlichny
- Department of Invertebrate Fauna and Systematics, I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
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Loschi M, D'Alelio D, Camatti E, Bernardi Aubry F, Beran A, Libralato S. Planktonic ecological networks support quantification of changes in ecosystem health and functioning. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16683. [PMID: 37794097 PMCID: PMC10550973 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43738-y] [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: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Plankton communities are the foundation of marine food webs and have a large effect on the dynamics of entire ecosystems. Changes in physicochemical factors strongly influence planktonic organisms and their turnover rates, making their communities useful for monitoring ecosystem health. We studied and compared the planktonic food webs of Palude della Rosa (Venice Lagoon, Italy) in 2005 and 2007. The food webs were developed using a novel approach based on the Monte Carlo random sampling of parameters within specific and realistic ranges to derive 1000 food webs for July of each year. The consumption flows involving Strombididae, Evadne spp. and Podon spp. were identified as the most important in splitting food webs of the July of the two years. Although functional nodes (FNs) differed both in presence and abundance in July of the two years, the whole system indicators showed very similar results. Sediment resuspension acted as a source of stress for the Venice Lagoon, being the most used resource by consumers while inhibiting primary producers by increasing water turbidity. Primary production in the water column was mainly generated by benthic FNs. Although the system was near an equilibrium point, it tended to increase its resilience at the expense of efficiency due to stress. This study highlights the role of plankton communities, which can serve to assess ecosystem health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Loschi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, via Weiss 2, 34128, Trieste, Italy
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics - OGS, Trieste, Italy
| | - Domenico D'Alelio
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Elisa Camatti
- Institute of Marine Science (CNR ISMAR), National Research Council, Arsenale Tesa 104, Castello 2737/F, 30122, Venice, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Bernardi Aubry
- Institute of Marine Science (CNR ISMAR), National Research Council, Arsenale Tesa 104, Castello 2737/F, 30122, Venice, Italy
| | - Alfred Beran
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics - OGS, Trieste, Italy
| | - Simone Libralato
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics - OGS, Trieste, Italy.
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Feeding pressure on meroplankton by the invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi. Biol Invasions 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-023-03023-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
AbstractAfter its bloom in the Black and Caspian Sea in the late 1980s and early 90s, there has been an increased interest in understanding the ecology of the invasive zooplanktivorous comb jellyfish Mnemiopsis leidyi and its potentially severe impacts on the functioning of marine systems. In the last decade, M. leidyi has colonized most of the Mediterranean Sea, including the Adriatic Sea, and in 2016 it was recorded in the Venice Lagoon (Malej et al. J Sea Res 124:10–16, 2017). The impact M. leidyi could have on a semi-enclosed ecosystem like the Venice Lagoon is of concern as it is an important nursery and foraging area for several fish species as well as an area of mussel, clam, and crab fishery and aquaculture. Historically, the feeding preference of M. leidyi was determined by morphological identification of gut contents. This is the first study investigating the in-situ gut contents of this species using DNA metabarcoding, which overcomes the limit in identifying partially digested prey. In this study, M. leidyi’s gut contents collected in the Venice Lagoon were evaluated by metabarcoding and compared to the in-situ mesozooplankton community. The results indicate that its blooming period is in the late summer and that it feeds on a variety of prey, mostly coinciding with the zooplankton assemblage. Notably, some groups, like decapod larvae and the slow-swimming larvae of gastropods and bivalves, appear to be favored. Conversely, the relative abundance of copepods was higher in-situ than in the gut contents.
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Lin Y, Vidjak O, Ezgeta-Balić D, Bojanić Varezić D, Šegvić-Bubić T, Stagličić N, Zhan A, Briski E. Plankton diversity in Anthropocene: Shipping vs. aquaculture along the eastern Adriatic coast assessed through DNA metabarcoding. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 807:151043. [PMID: 34673064 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151043] [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: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Coastal ecosystems globally are exposed to the most pervasive anthropogenic activities, caused by a suite of human infrastructure and enterprises such as shipping ports, aquaculture facilities, fishing, and tourism. These anthropogenic activities may lead to changes in ecosystem biodiversity, followed by loss of ecosystem functioning and services. Shipping industry and aquaculture have also been recognized as the main vectors for introduction of marine non-indigenous species (NIS) worldwide. In this study, we used DNA metabarcoding-based methods to investigate plankton biodiversity under varying anthropogenic pressures (shipping and bivalve aquaculture) along the eastern Adriatic coast (the northernmost part of the Mediterranean Sea). Our comparative assessment revealed similar community structures among investigated coastal locations (Northern, Central and Southern Adriatic). When the whole plankton communities were considered, they did not differ significantly between port and aquaculture sites. However, the proportion of the unique zOTUs in the port samples was remarkably higher than that in aquaculture sites (40.5% vs 8.2%), indicating that port areas may receive higher abundance and species richness of NIS than aquaculture sites. Further important difference between the two types of anthropogenically impacted habitats was a high abundance of three notorious invaders - M. leidyi, M. gigas, and H. elegans in late summer at the aquaculture site in Northern Adriatic. Therefore, the plankton community of the area is under pressure not only from aquaculture activities, but also establishment of NIS. Port areas are probably under greater introduction pressure from NIS, but aquaculture sites may experience greater community changes due to their establishment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Lin
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas (Minzu University of China), National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China; GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany; Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China.
| | - Olja Vidjak
- Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića 63, 21000 Split, Croatia
| | - Daria Ezgeta-Balić
- Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića 63, 21000 Split, Croatia
| | | | - Tanja Šegvić-Bubić
- Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića 63, 21000 Split, Croatia
| | - Nika Stagličić
- Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića 63, 21000 Split, Croatia
| | - Aibin Zhan
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Elizabeta Briski
- GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
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