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Macher JN, Martínez A, Çakir S, Cholley PE, Christoforou E, Curini Galletti M, van Galen L, García-Cobo M, Jondelius U, de Jong D, Leasi F, Lemke M, Rubio Lopez I, Sánchez N, Sørensen MV, Todaro MA, Renema W, Fontaneto D. Enhancing metabarcoding efficiency and ecological insights through integrated taxonomy and DNA reference barcoding: A case study on beach meiofauna. Mol Ecol Resour 2024; 24:e13997. [PMID: 39086104 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13997] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Molecular techniques like metabarcoding, while promising for exploring diversity of communities, are often impeded by the lack of reference DNA sequences available for taxonomic annotation. Our study explores the benefits of combining targeted DNA barcoding and morphological taxonomy to improve metabarcoding efficiency, using beach meiofauna as a case study. Beaches are globally important ecosystems and are inhabited by meiofauna, microscopic animals living in the interstitial space between the sand grains, which play a key role in coastal biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics. However, research on meiofauna faces challenges due to limited taxonomic expertise and sparse sampling. We generated 775 new cytochrome c oxidase I DNA barcodes from meiofauna specimens collected along the Netherlands' west coast and combined them with the NCBI GenBank database. We analysed alpha and beta diversity in 561 metabarcoding samples from 24 North Sea beaches, a region extensively studied for meiofauna, using both the enriched reference database and the NCBI database without the additional reference barcodes. Our results show a 2.5-fold increase in sequence annotation and a doubling of species-level Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) identification when annotating the metabarcoding data with the enhanced database. Additionally, our analyses revealed a bell-shaped curve of OTU richness across the intertidal zone, aligning more closely with morphological analysis patterns, and more defined community dissimilarity patterns between supralittoral and intertidal sites. Our research highlights the importance of expanding molecular reference databases and combining morphological taxonomy with molecular techniques for biodiversity assessments, ultimately improving our understanding of coastal ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Niklas Macher
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Marine Biodiversity, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Environmental Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Alejandro Martínez
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Water Research Institute (IRSA), Verbania Pallanza, Italy
| | - Sude Çakir
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Marine Biodiversity, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Eleni Christoforou
- Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute, CMMI House, Larnaca, Cyprus
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Marco Curini Galletti
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Sassari, Sassari, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Palermo, Italy
| | - Lotte van Galen
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Marine Biodiversity, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marta García-Cobo
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ulf Jondelius
- Department of Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Daphne de Jong
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Marine Biodiversity, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Francesca Leasi
- Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
| | - Michael Lemke
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Marine Biodiversity, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Iñigo Rubio Lopez
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Water Research Institute (IRSA), Verbania Pallanza, Italy
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Nuria Sánchez
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - M Antonio Todaro
- National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Palermo, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Willem Renema
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Marine Biodiversity, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Water Research Institute (IRSA), Verbania Pallanza, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Palermo, Italy
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Song M, Wang J, Wang Y, Hu R, Wang L, Guo Z, Jiang Z, Liang Z. Response mechanism of meiofaunal communities to multi-type of artificial reef habitats from the perspective of high-throughput sequencing technology. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 863:160927. [PMID: 36543272 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Multiple types of artificial reefs have been widely deployed in the coast of northern Yellow Sea, which can enhance fishery resources, restore coastal habitats and improve the marine environment. Meiofauna plays important ecological roles in marine ecosystem, but the response mechanism of meiofaunal community to different types of artificial reef is still poorly understood. In this study, we characterized the meiofaunal communities of concrete artificial reef habitat (CAR), rocky artificial reef habitat (RAR), ship artificial reef habitat (SAR) and adjacent natural habitat (NH) using 18S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing technology, and explored the relationship of community-environment. The results showed that the diversity and community structure of meiofauna differed significantly on both spatial and temporal scales. Spatial differences were mainly contributed to the flow field effects and biological effects generated by artificial habitats, while temporal differences were driven by temperature (T) and dissolved oxygen (DO). The dominant taxa of meiofauna included arthropods, annelids, platyhelminths and nematodes. Platyhelminths were mainly positively influenced by artificial habitats but annelids were the opposite. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that NH was more sensitive to environmental change than artificial habitat, while the performance of CAR and SAR were more stable. These results indicated that meiofauna can respond accordingly to different types of artificial habitats, and could be superimposed over the normal seasonal effects. The current study could provide fundamental data for understanding the response mechanism of meiofaunal community to different types of artificial habitats and a reference for assessments of the impact of artificial reefs on the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minpeng Song
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Marine Ranching Technology of Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
| | - Jiahao Wang
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Marine Ranching Technology of Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
| | - Yuxin Wang
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Marine Ranching Technology of Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
| | - Renge Hu
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Marine Ranching Technology of Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Marine Ranching Technology of Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
| | - Zhansheng Guo
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Marine Ranching Technology of Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
| | - Zhaoyang Jiang
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Marine Ranching Technology of Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China.
| | - Zhenlin Liang
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Marine Ranching Technology of Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China.
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Coppo G, Pais FS, Ferreira TO, Halanych KM, Donnelly K, Mazzuco AC, Bernardino AF. Transition of an estuarine benthic meiofauna assemblage 1.7 and 2.8 years after a mining disaster. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14992. [PMID: 36935931 PMCID: PMC10022502 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Estuaries are transitional coastal ecosystems that are threatened by multiple sources of human pollution. In 2015, mining tailings from an upstream dam failure caused massive metal contamination that impacted benthic assemblages on the Brazilian Rio Doce estuary. Methods In this study, we investigate and compare meiofaunal assemblages with eDNA metabarcoding 1.7 years (2017) and 2.8 years (2018) after the initial contamination by mine tailings in order to evaluate the continued impact of sediment mine tailing contaminants on the structure of benthic assemblages after the disaster. Results The community was dominated by Arthropoda and Nematoda 1.7 yr after the impacts (42 and 29% of meiofaunal sequence reads, respectively) but after 2.8 years Arthropoda (64.8% of meiofaunal sequence reads) and Rotifera (11.8%) were the most common taxa. This continued impact on meiofaunal assemblage revealed a lower phylogenetic diversity (7.8-fold) in 2018, despite overall decrease in metal concentration (Al, Ba, Cr, As, Fe, Zn, Mn, Pb, Cd, Co) in sediments. Our data suggests that differences in benthic assemblages and loss of diversity may be influenced by contaminants in sediments of this estuary, and indicate that broad eDNA assessments are greatly useful to understand the full range of biodiversity changes in dynamic estuarine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Coppo
- Grupo de Ecologia Bentônica, Department of Oceanography, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Fabiano S. Pais
- Plataforma de Bioinformática, Instituto René Rachou, FIOCRUZ/Minas, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Tiago O. Ferreira
- Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ken M. Halanych
- Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States of America
| | - Kyle Donnelly
- Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States of America
| | - Ana Carolina Mazzuco
- Grupo de Ecologia Bentônica, Department of Oceanography, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Angelo F. Bernardino
- Grupo de Ecologia Bentônica, Department of Oceanography, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
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Todaro MA, Luporini P. Not too big for its mouth: direct evidence of a macrodasyidan gastrotrich preyed in nature by a dileptid ciliate. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2022.2095048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- M. A. Todaro
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio, Modena, Italy
| | - P. Luporini
- Department of Biosciences, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
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Macher JN, Bloska DM, Holzmann M, Girard EB, Pawlowski J, Renema W. Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) metabarcoding of Foraminifera communities using taxon-specific primers. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13952. [PMID: 36093332 PMCID: PMC9454970 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Foraminifera are a species-rich phylum of rhizarian protists that are highly abundant in most marine environments. Molecular methods such as metabarcoding have revealed a high, yet undescribed diversity of Foraminifera. However, so far only one molecular marker, the 18S ribosomal RNA, was available for metabarcoding studies on Foraminifera. Primers that allow amplification of foraminiferal mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and identification of Foraminifera species were recently published. Here we test the performance of these primers for the amplification of whole foraminiferal communities, and compare their performance to that of the highly degenerate LerayXT primers, which amplify the same COI region in a wide range of eukaryotes. We applied metabarcoding to 48 samples taken along three transects spanning a North Sea beach in the Netherlands from dunes to the low tide level, and analysed both sediment samples and meiofauna samples, which contained taxa between 42 µm and 1 mm in body size obtained by decantation from sand samples. We used single-cell metabarcoding (Girard et al., 2022) to generate a COI reference library containing 32 species of Foraminifera, and used this to taxonomically annotate our community metabarcoding data. Our analyses show that the highly degenerate LerayXT primers do not amplify Foraminifera, while the Foraminifera primers are highly Foraminifera- specific, with about 90% of reads assigned to Foraminifera and amplifying taxa from all major groups, i.e., monothalamids, Globothalamea, and Tubothalamea. We identified 176 Foraminifera ASVs and found a change in Foraminifera community composition along the beach transects from high tide to low tide level, and a dominance of single-chambered monothalamid Foraminifera. Our results highlight that COI metabarcoding can be a powerful tool for assessing Foraminiferal communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Niklas Macher
- Marine Biodiversity, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Maria Holzmann
- Department of Genetics & Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Elsa B. Girard
- Marine Biodiversity, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Ecosystem & Landscape Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jan Pawlowski
- Laboratory of Paleoceanography, Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland
| | - Willem Renema
- Marine Biodiversity, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Ecosystem & Landscape Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Equbal J, Lakra RK, Savurirajan M, Satyam K, Thiruchitrambalam G. Assessing the benthic quality status of three fine sand tropical beaches from the Andaman Islands through the application of marine biotic indices. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2022; 194:479. [PMID: 35666327 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10132-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The rapid coastal development in the Andaman Islands has resulted in littoral habitat degradation. Understanding the performances of marine biotic indices and the interpretation and translation of those results into coastal health assessment could become an integral tool in future monitoring and management policies. In this line of efforts, the ecological quality status of three sandy beaches, two urban and one nonurban, was evaluated by using three marine biotic indices. The faunal community belonged to moderately well-sorted fine sand biocenosis. The relatively high species richness (15.9 ± 0.80 taxa sample-1) and moderate abundance (563 ± 38.8 ind.m-2) were features of the benthic fauna. The urban beaches (Aberdeen Bay and Carbyn's Cove) corresponded to tolerant benthic communities. Malacoceros indicus, Grandidierella megnae and Scolelepis squamata (tolerant species), and Ampelisca diadema (indifferent species) were the major constituents of urban beaches, while Scoloplos capensis, Urothoe grimaldii, and Urothoe platydactyla (sensitive species) were important at the nonurban beach (Wandoor). The high-good quality status prevailed across the spatial and temporal scales except for Carbyn's cove beach, where good-poor status was noticed. The M-AMBI appeared to be the most robust measure in distinguishing the impact between the urban and nonurban beaches. The constrained ordinations revealed a gradient of disturbance across the beaches. The distinct patterns of sample segregation were the result of the ecological response. This attempt should be considered a comprehensive measure of quality assessment of beaches under human pressure and draw a parallel line of evidence to global studies on sandy beaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jawed Equbal
- Department of Ocean Studies and Marine Biology, Pondicherry University, Brookshabad Campus, Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, 744112, India
| | - Raj Kiran Lakra
- Department of Ocean Studies and Marine Biology, Pondicherry University, Brookshabad Campus, Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, 744112, India
| | - M Savurirajan
- Department of Ocean Studies and Marine Biology, Pondicherry University, Brookshabad Campus, Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, 744112, India
- National Centre for Coastal Research, NIOT Campus, Velacherry-Tambaram Main Road, Pallikaranai, Chennai - 600100, India
| | - Kunal Satyam
- Department of Ocean Studies and Marine Biology, Pondicherry University, Brookshabad Campus, Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, 744112, India
| | - Ganesh Thiruchitrambalam
- Department of Ocean Studies and Marine Biology, Pondicherry University, Brookshabad Campus, Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, 744112, India.
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Remote Sensing-Based Automatic Detection of Shoreline Position: A Case Study in Apulia Region. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse9060575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Remote sensing and satellite imagery have become commonplace in efforts to monitor and model various biological and physical characteristics of the Earth. The land/water interface is a continually evolving landscape of high scientific and societal interest, making the mapping and monitoring thereof particularly important. This paper aims at describing a new automated method of shoreline position detection through the utilization of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images derived from European Space Agency satellites, specifically the operational SENTINEL Series. The resultant delineated shorelines are validated against those derived from video monitoring systems and in situ monitoring; a mean distance of 1 and a maximum of 3.5 pixels is found.
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Santos TMT, Petracco M, Venekey V. Recreational activities trigger changes in meiofauna and free-living nematodes on Amazonian macrotidal sandy beaches. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 167:105289. [PMID: 33667745 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105289] [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: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sandy beaches are key economic assets worldwide, however, recreational activities are an important source of disturbance in these ecosystems. Intensive human use of beaches has a negative effect on benthic communities as it alters species abundance, diversity, and/or distribution. Here, we report the impacts of recreational activities (trampling and vehicles) on meiobenthic communities and nematode assemblages on Amazonian sandy beaches for the first time. For this purpose, samples were carried out in four consecutive months encompassing a period of high visitation peak (one month Before Vacation, During Vacation, and two months After Vacation) on three contrasting beaches regarding disturbances (Urban: Atalaia; Intermediary: Farol-Velho; and Protected: Corvinas) at seven equidistant sampling stations (50 m apart) from the high tide water mark to the swash zone. At each sampling station, three biological samples and sediments samples were collected haphazardly. Also, in each station, the sediment compaction was determined using a manual penetrometer. Overall, physical sediment variables (grain size, sorting) were constant over time in all beaches, whereas differences in intensity of recreational activities and sediment compaction were found between beaches and months. Sediment compaction was considered the most important factor for the differences observed in meiofauna community structure in the study areas, and it was related to intensity of recreational activities. Variations in density and changes in richness between periods were observed in Atalaia and Farol-Velho beaches. On the other hand, Corvinas beach remained the same throughout the study. In the first month after vacation, density and richness were similar to those in the period before vacation, thus indicating that the beaches had recovered in one month. Furthermore, vulnerabilities of Tardigrada and Copepoda, as well as of the Nematoda genera Daptonema, and Chromadorita, indicate that they might be potential indicators of recreational activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- T M T Santos
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Monitoramento Ambiental Marinho (LAPMAR), Grupo de Estudos de Nematoda Aquáticos (GENAQ), Av. Augusto Corrêa s/n, Guamá, Belém, PA, CEP: 66075-110, Brazil.
| | - M Petracco
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Monitoramento Ambiental Marinho (LAPMAR), Laboratório de Oceanografia Biológica (LOB), Faculdade de Oceanografia, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal Do Pará, Av. Augusto Corrêa s/n, Guamá, Belém, PA, CEP: 66075-110, Brazil
| | - V Venekey
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Monitoramento Ambiental Marinho (LAPMAR), Grupo de Estudos de Nematoda Aquáticos (GENAQ), Av. Augusto Corrêa s/n, Guamá, Belém, PA, CEP: 66075-110, Brazil
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Martinez‐Harms MJ, Wilson KA, Costa MDP, Possingham HP, Gelcich S, Chauvenet A, Pliscoff P, Marquet PA, Bryan BA. Conservation planning for people and nature in a Chilean biodiversity hotspot. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Jose Martinez‐Harms
- Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES) Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile Santiago Chile
- Instituto Milenio en Socio Ecología Costera (SECOS)Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago Chile
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB) Santiago Chile
| | - Kerrie A. Wilson
- Institute for Future Environments Queensland University of Technology Brisbane Qld Australia
| | - Micheli D. P. Costa
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld Australia
- Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood Vic. Australia
| | - Hugh P. Possingham
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld Australia
- The Nature Conservancy South Brisbane Qld Australia
| | - Stefan Gelcich
- Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES) Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile Santiago Chile
- Instituto Milenio en Socio Ecología Costera (SECOS)Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago Chile
- Center for the Study of Multiple‐Drivers on Marine Socio‐Ecological Systems (Musels) Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile Santiago Chile
- Millennium Nucleus Center for the Socioeconomic Impact of Environmental Policies (CESIEP) Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile Santiago Chile
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Alienor Chauvenet
- Environmental Futures Research Institute School of Environment and Science Griffith University Southport Qld Australia
| | - Patricio Pliscoff
- Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES) Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile Santiago Chile
- Department of Ecology Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago Chile
- Institute of Geography Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Pablo A. Marquet
- Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood Vic. Australia
| | - Brett A. Bryan
- Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood Vic. Australia
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10
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Soto EH, Botero CM, Milanés CB, Rodríguez-Santiago A, Palacios-Moreno M, Díaz-Ferguson E, Velázquez YR, Abbehusen A, Guerra-Castro E, Simoes N, Muciño-Reyes M, Filho JRS. How does the beach ecosystem change without tourists during COVID-19 lockdown? BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 2021; 255:108972. [PMID: 36533087 PMCID: PMC9746931 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2021.108972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Urban tourist beach ecosystems provide the essential service of recreation. These ecosystems also support critical ecological functions where biodiversity conservation is not usually a priority. The sudden lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic created a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of human absence in these urban-coastal ecosystems. This study examined bioindicators from 29 urban tourist beaches in seven Latin-American countries and assesses their response to lockdown about some relevant anthropogenic stressors such as pollution, noise, human activities, and user density. The presence of animals and plants, as well as the intensity of stressors, were assessed through a standardized protocol during lockdown conditions. Additionally, the environmental conditions of the beaches before and during lockdown were qualitatively compared using multivariate non-parametric statistics. We found notable positive changes in biological components and a clear decrease in human stressors on almost all the beaches. Dune vegetation increased on most sites. Similarly, high burrow densities of ghost crabs were observed on beaches, except those where cleaning activity persisted. Because of the lockdown, there was an exceptionally low frequency of beach users, which in turn reduced litter, noise and unnatural odors. The observed patterns suggest that tourist beaches can be restored to natural settings relatively quickly. We propose several indicators to measure changes in beaches once lockdown is relaxed. Adequate conservation strategies will render the recreational service of tourist beaches more environmental-friendly.
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Affiliation(s)
- E H Soto
- Centro de Observación Marino para Estudios de Riesgos del Ambiente Costero (COSTAR), Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Chile
- Proplayas Network
| | - C M Botero
- Escuela de Derecho, Universidad Sergio Arboleda, Santa Marta, Colombia
- Proplayas Network
| | - C B Milanés
- Universidad de La Costa, Departamento Civil y Ambiental, Barranquilla, Colombia
- Proplayas Network
| | | | | | - E Díaz-Ferguson
- Estación Científica Coiba (Coiba AIP), Ciudad del Saber, Clayton, Panamá
- Proplayas Network
| | - Y R Velázquez
- Centro de Estudios Multidisciplinarios de Zonas Costeras (CEMZOC), Universidad de Oriente, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
- Proplayas Network
| | - A Abbehusen
- Universidade Católica do Salvador, Centro de Ecologia e Conservação animal, ECOA, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
- Proplayas Network
| | - E Guerra-Castro
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Mérida, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mérida, Yucatán, México
- Laboratorio Nacional de Resiliencia Costera, Laboratorios Nacionales, CONACYT, Mexico
- Proplayas Network
| | - N Simoes
- Laboratorio Nacional de Resiliencia Costera, Laboratorios Nacionales, CONACYT, Mexico
- Unidad Multidisciplinaria de Docencia e Investigación Sisal (UMDI-SISAL), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Sisal, Yucatán, México
- Proplayas Network
| | - M Muciño-Reyes
- Laboratorio Nacional de Resiliencia Costera, Laboratorios Nacionales, CONACYT, Mexico
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
- Proplayas Network
| | - J R Souza Filho
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Baiano - IFBAIANO, Bahia, Brazil
- Proplayas Network
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11
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Abstract
Members of the following marine annelid families are found almost exclusively in the interstitial environment and are highly adapted to move between sand grains, relying mostly on ciliary locomotion: Apharyngtidae n. fam., Dinophilidae, Diurodrilidae, Nerillidae, Lobatocerebridae, Parergodrilidae, Polygordiidae, Protodrilidae, Protodriloididae, Psammodrilidae and Saccocirridae. This article provides a review of the evolution, systematics, and diversity of these families, with the exception of Parergodrilidae, which was detailed in the review of Orbiniida by Meca, Zhadan, and Struck within this Special Issue. While several of the discussed families have previously only been known by a few described species, recent surveys inclusive of molecular approaches have increased the number of species, showing that all of the aforementioned families exhibit a high degree of cryptic diversity shadowed by a limited number of recognizable morphological traits. This is a challenge for studies of the evolution, taxonomy, and diversity of interstitial families as well as for their identification and incorporation into ecological surveys. By compiling a comprehensive and updated review on these interstitial families, we hope to promote new studies on their intriguing evolutionary histories, adapted life forms and high and hidden diversity.
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Curini-Galletti M, Artois T, Di Domenico M, Fontaneto D, Jondelius U, Jörger KM, Leasi F, Martínez A, Norenburg JL, Sterrer W, Todaro MA. Contribution of soft-bodied meiofaunal taxa to Italian marine biodiversity. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2020.1786607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- M. Curini-Galletti
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - T. Artois
- Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity & Toxicology, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - M. Di Domenico
- Center for Marine Studies, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - D. Fontaneto
- Molecular Ecology Group, Water Research Institute - CNR, Verbania, Italy
| | - U. Jondelius
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - K. M. Jörger
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Munich, Germany
| | - F. Leasi
- Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, TN, USA
| | - A. Martínez
- Molecular Ecology Group, Water Research Institute - CNR, Verbania, Italy
| | - J. L. Norenburg
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (USA), Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - M. A. Todaro
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
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Balsamo M, Artois T, Smith JPS, Todaro MA, Guidi L, Leander BS, Van Steenkiste NWL. The curious and neglected soft-bodied meiofauna: Rouphozoa (Gastrotricha and Platyhelminthes). HYDROBIOLOGIA 2020; 847:2613-2644. [PMID: 33551466 PMCID: PMC7864459 DOI: 10.1007/s10750-020-04287-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Gastrotricha and Platyhelminthes form a clade called Rouphozoa. Representatives of both taxa are main components of meiofaunal communities, but their role in the trophic ecology of marine and freshwater communities is not sufficiently studied. Traditional collection methods for meiofauna are optimized for Ecdysozoa, and include the use of fixatives or flotation techniques that are unsuitable for the preservation and identification of soft-bodied meiofauna. As a result, rouphozoans are usually underestimated in conventional biodiversity surveys and ecological studies. Here, we give an updated outline of their diversity and taxonomy, with some phylogenetic considerations. We describe successfully tested techniques for their recovery and study, and emphasize current knowledge on the ecology, distribution and dispersal of freshwater gastrotrichs and microturbellarians. We also discuss the opportunities and pitfalls of (meta)barcoding studies as a means of overcoming the taxonomic impediment. Finally, we discuss the importance of rouphozoans in aquatic ecosystems and provide future research directions to fill in crucial gaps in the biology of these organisms needed for understanding their basic role in the ecology of benthos and their place in the trophic networks linking micro-, meio- and macrofauna of freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Balsamo
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino, Urbino, Italy
| | - Tom Artois
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | | | - M Antonio Todaro
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena-Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Loretta Guidi
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino, Urbino, Italy
| | - Brian S Leander
- Departments of Botany and Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Fegley SR, Smith JPS, Johnson D, Schirmer A, Jones-Boggs J, Edmonds A, Bursey J. Nourished, Exposed Beaches Exhibit Altered Sediment Structure and Meiofaunal Communities. DIVERSITY-BASEL 2020; 12. [PMID: 34168518 PMCID: PMC8221582 DOI: 10.3390/d12060245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
To retain recreational uses and shoreline protection, a large proportion of ocean beaches have been, and continue to be, nourished. Adding sand from subtidal and terrestrial sources to nourish beaches rarely re-creates the original sediment structure of the beach. Numerous studies have demonstrated that meiofaunal communities are altered by changes in sediment composition in low-energy substrates, therefore, we have explored whether beach nourishment has affected exposed, ocean beach meiofaunal communities. Since the early 2000s, we have conducted a series of sampling and experimental studies on meiofauna and sediments on nourished beaches in coastal North Carolina USA that had been sampled previously in the early 1970s, prior to any beach nourishment. Most of our studies consider meiofauna at the level of major taxa only. However, a few studies examine free-living flatworm (turbellarian) species in detail because of the existence of historical studies examining this group. Comparison of contemporary results to historical data and of heavily nourished versus lightly nourished beaches reveals extensive changes to beach sediment structure and meiofaunal community composition, indicating that the beaches are a more heterogeneous habitat than in the past. The effects of these substantial physical and biological changes to the production of beach ecosystem services are unlikely to be inconsequential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen R. Fegley
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA
| | - Julian P. S. Smith
- Department of Biology, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC 29733, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Douglas Johnson
- Department of Biology, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC 29733, USA
| | - Amelia Schirmer
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA
| | | | - Austin Edmonds
- Department of Biology, Barton College, Wilson, NC 27893, USA
| | - Joseph Bursey
- Department of Biology, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC 29733, USA
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