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Guibourd de Luzinais V, du Pontavice H, Reygondeau G, Barrier N, Blanchard JL, Bornarel V, Büchner M, Cheung WWL, Eddy TD, Everett JD, Guiet J, Harrison CS, Maury O, Novaglio C, Petrik CM, Steenbeek J, Tittensor DP, Gascuel D. Trophic amplification: A model intercomparison of climate driven changes in marine food webs. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287570. [PMID: 37611010 PMCID: PMC10446190 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Marine animal biomass is expected to decrease in the 21st century due to climate driven changes in ocean environmental conditions. Previous studies suggest that the magnitude of the decline in primary production on apex predators could be amplified through the trophodynamics of marine food webs, leading to larger decreases in the biomass of predators relative to the decrease in primary production, a mechanism called trophic amplification. We compared relative changes in producer and consumer biomass or production in the global ocean to assess the extent of trophic amplification. We used simulations from nine marine ecosystem models (MEMs) from the Fisheries and Marine Ecosystem Models Intercomparison Project forced by two Earth System Models under the high greenhouse gas emissions Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP5-8.5) and a scenario of no fishing. Globally, total consumer biomass is projected to decrease by 16.7 ± 9.5% more than net primary production (NPP) by 2090-2099 relative to 1995-2014, with substantial variations among MEMs and regions. Total consumer biomass is projected to decrease almost everywhere in the ocean (80% of the world's oceans) in the model ensemble. In 40% of the world's oceans, consumer biomass was projected to decrease more than NPP. Additionally, in another 36% of the world's oceans consumer biomass is expected to decrease even as projected NPP increases. By analysing the biomass response within food webs in available MEMs, we found that model parameters and structures contributed to more complex responses than a consistent amplification of climate impacts of higher trophic levels. Our study provides additional insights into the ecological mechanisms that will impact marine ecosystems, thereby informing model and scenario development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vianney Guibourd de Luzinais
- UMR Dynamics and Sustainability of Ecosystems: From Source to Sea (DECOD), Institut Agro, Ifremer, INRAE, Rennes, France
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Hubert du Pontavice
- UMR Dynamics and Sustainability of Ecosystems: From Source to Sea (DECOD), Institut Agro, Ifremer, INRAE, Rennes, France
- Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States of America
| | - Gabriel Reygondeau
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Julia L. Blanchard
- Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
- Centre for Marine Socioecology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Virginie Bornarel
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Matthias Büchner
- Potsdam-Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Potsdam, Germany
| | - William W. L. Cheung
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tyler D. Eddy
- Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research, Fisheries & Marine Institute, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - Jason D. Everett
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Environment, Queensland Biosciences Precinct, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Jerome Guiet
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Cheryl S. Harrison
- Department of Coastal and Ocean Science and Center for Computation and Technology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America
| | - Olivier Maury
- MARBEC, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Sète, France
| | - Camilla Novaglio
- Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
- Centre for Marine Socioecology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Colleen M. Petrik
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | | | | | - Didier Gascuel
- UMR Dynamics and Sustainability of Ecosystems: From Source to Sea (DECOD), Institut Agro, Ifremer, INRAE, Rennes, France
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2
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Min J, Kim KY. Seasonal change and subniche dynamics of three Alexandrium species in the Korea Strait. HARMFUL ALGAE 2023; 125:102420. [PMID: 37220986 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2023.102420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Some members of the dinoflagellate genus Alexandrium produce toxins responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning, which causes environmental impacts and large economic losses worldwide. The Outlying Mean Index (OMI) and the Within Outlying Mean Index (WitOMI) were used to examine the ecological niches of three Alexandrium species identifying factors affecting their population dynamics in the Korea Strait (KS). Species niches were divided into seasonal subniches based on species' temporal and spatial patterns, with A. catenella being highest in the spring, A. pacificum in the summer, and A. affine in the autumn. These shifts in abundance are likely due to changes in their habitat preferences and resource availability, as well as the effects of biological constraints. A subniche-based approach, which considers the interactions between the environment and the biological characteristics of a species, was useful in understanding the factors shaping the population dynamics of the individual species. Additionally, a species distribution model was used to predict the phenology and biogeography of the three Alexandrium species in the KS and their thermal niches on a larger scale. The model predicted that, in the KS, A. catenella exists on the warm side of the thermal niche, while A. pacificum and A. affine exist on the cold side, indicating that these species may respond differently to increases in water temperature. However, the predicted phenology was incongruent with the abundance of the species as measured by droplet digital PCR. Overall, the WitOMI analysis and species distribution model can provide valuable insights into how population dynamics are influenced by the integrated interplay of biotic and abiotic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juhee Min
- Department of Oceanography, College of Natural Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Korea
| | - Kwang Young Kim
- Department of Oceanography, College of Natural Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Korea.
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3
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Dupont L, Le Mézo P, Aumont O, Bopp L, Clerc C, Ethé C, Maury O. High trophic level feedbacks on global ocean carbon uptake and marine ecosystem dynamics under climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:1545-1556. [PMID: 36516354 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Despite recurrent emphasis on their ecological and economic roles, the importance of high trophic levels (HTLs) on ocean carbon dynamics, through passive (fecal pellet production, carcasses) and active (vertical migration) processes, is still largely unexplored, notably under climate change scenarios. In addition, HTLs impact the ecosystem dynamics through top-down effects on lower trophic levels, which might change under anthropogenic influence. Here we compare two simulations of a global biogeochemical-ecosystem model with and without feedbacks from large marine animals. We show that these large marine animals affect the evolution of low trophic level biomasses, hence net primary production and most certainly ecosystem equilibrium, but seem to have little influence on the 21st-century anthropogenic carbon uptake under the RCP8.5 scenario. These results provide new insights regarding the expectations for trophic amplification of climate change through the marine trophic chain and regarding the necessity to explicitly represent marine animals in Earth System Models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léonard Dupont
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD), IPSL, École Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, France
| | - Priscilla Le Mézo
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD), IPSL, École Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Aumont
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie et du Climat: Expérimentation et Approches Numériques (LOCEAN), IPSL, CNRS/UPMC/IRD/MNHN, Paris, France
| | - Laurent Bopp
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD), IPSL, École Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, France
| | - Corentin Clerc
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD), IPSL, École Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, France
| | | | - Olivier Maury
- IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement), UMR 248 MARBEC (IRD-IFREMER-CNRS-Université Montpellier), Montpellier, France
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4
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Núñez-Riboni I, Chelton DB, Marconi V. The spectral color of natural and anthropogenic time series and its impact on the statistical significance of cross correlation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 860:160219. [PMID: 36402340 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160219] [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: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The cross-correlation between time series is a common tool to study and quantify the impact of climatic and anthropogenic changes on ecosystems. The traditional method for estimating the statistical significance of correlation relies on the assumption that the data are independent, but time series found in nature are often strongly auto-correlated because of low-frequency environmental variability and ecosystem inertia. Previous authors have used Monte Carlo simulations to study the impact of serial auto-correlation on the significance of cross-correlations. Most studies have used random time series that are often a poor representation of those found in nature, e.g., low-order auto-regressive models with normally distributed noise. Moreover, we are not aware of any tests of the applicability of those methods to anthropogenic time series. Here, we study the effect of serial auto-correlation on the performance of two methods for estimating the significance of cross-correlations determined from Monte Carlo simulations with time series that are generated synthetically based on power-law specification of spectral characteristics. Such time series have an auto-correlation structure defined by a single parameter, their spectral "color", and are generally more convenient representations of natural time series than the autoregressive models. Our results show that one of the two methods considered here accurately reproduces prescribed error rates for the wide range of spectral colors representative of climatic, ecological and anthropogenic time series. For this, we characterized roughly 1800 observational records in different categories of spectral colors, including climate variability, abundance of vertebrate species, and pollution. We specifically focus on time series with annual sampling over data records of at least 40 years, which are particularly relevant for climate studies. The methodology advocated in this study provides a simple and realistic assessment of the significance of sample estimates of cross correlation for time series with any sample interval and record length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Núñez-Riboni
- Thünen-Institut für Seefischerei, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany.
| | | | - Valentina Marconi
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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5
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Kuo C, Ko C, Lai Y. Assessing warming impacts on marine fishes by integrating physiology‐guided distribution projections, life‐history changes, and food web dynamics. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chi‐Yun Kuo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Environmental Biology Kaohsiung Medical University Kaohsiung, 80708 Taiwan
| | - Chia‐Ying Ko
- Institute of Fisheries Science National Taiwan University Taipei 10617 Taiwan
| | - Yin‐Zheng Lai
- Institute of Fisheries Science National Taiwan University Taipei 10617 Taiwan
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6
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Orgeret F, Thiebault A, Kovacs KM, Lydersen C, Hindell MA, Thompson SA, Sydeman WJ, Pistorius PA. Climate change impacts on seabirds and marine mammals: The importance of study duration, thermal tolerance and generation time. Ecol Lett 2021; 25:218-239. [PMID: 34761516 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Understanding climate change impacts on top predators is fundamental to marine biodiversity conservation, due to their increasingly threatened populations and their importance in marine ecosystems. We conducted a systematic review of the effects of climate change (prolonged, directional change) and climate variability on seabirds and marine mammals. We extracted data from 484 studies (4808 published studies were reviewed), comprising 2215 observations on demography, phenology, distribution, diet, behaviour, body condition and physiology. The likelihood of concluding that climate change had an impact increased with study duration. However, the temporal thresholds for the effects of climate change to be discernibly varied from 10 to 29 years depending on the species, the biological response and the oceanic study region. Species with narrow thermal ranges and relatively long generation times were more often reported to be affected by climate change. This provides an important framework for future assessments, with guidance on response- and region-specific temporal dimensions that need to be considered when reporting effects of climate change. Finally, we found that tropical regions and non-breeding life stages were poorly covered in the literature, a concern that should be addressed to enable a better understanding of the vulnerability of marine predators to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Orgeret
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Department of Zoology, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Andréa Thiebault
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Department of Zoology, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Kit M Kovacs
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Mark A Hindell
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | | | | | - Pierre A Pistorius
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Department of Zoology, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.,DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
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7
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Bar-Zeev E, Belkin N, Speter A, Reich T, Geisler E, Rahav E. Impacts of sewage outbursts on seawater reverse osmosis desalination. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 204:117631. [PMID: 34536688 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117631] [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: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Sewage outbursts affect coastal environments as seawater is enriched with nutrients, organic matter and microbes, thus can potentially impair seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination. In this study, we evaluated how municipal sewage outbursts affect SWRO desalination in a pilot-scale system. To this end, feedwater characteristics (i.e., coastal water), the removal efficiency of organic foulants by a dual-media gravity filter, and cartridge micro-filtration were determined daily for 12 days. Permeate water flux was maintained constant during the study, while trans-membrane pressure (TMP) was automatically adjusted and continuously monitored. The results indicate that sewage outbursts caused an immediate (∼1 d) buildup of phyto/bacterioplankton biomass (up to 10-fold), and enhanced activity (maximal 30-fold) followed by an increase in transparent exopolymer particle (TEP) concentrations. After sewage addition, algal biomass was significantly removed by the pretreatment system (72-90%), while a considerable fraction of the bacterial biomass (42-65%) and TEP (53-65%) passed these procedures. The result was a negative impact on the desalination performance reflected by a significant increase (> 10%) in RO-TMP 7.5 d after the sewage addition. Our results indicate on a direct link between sewage outbursts, pretreatment efficiency, and SWRO desalination. Nevertheless, these findings can lead to new avenues for the development of science-based operational protocols to minimize the deleterious effects of abrupt sewage outbursts on SWRO desalination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edo Bar-Zeev
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, 84990, Israel.
| | - Natalia Belkin
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa 31080, Israel
| | - Adva Speter
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, 84990, Israel
| | - Tom Reich
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa 31080, Israel
| | - Eyal Geisler
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, 84990, Israel; Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa 31080, Israel
| | - Eyal Rahav
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa 31080, Israel.
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8
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Ewers-Saucedo C, Allspach A, Barilaro C, Bick A, Brandt A, Fiege D, Füting S, Hausdorf B, Hayer S, Husemann M, Joger U, Kamcke C, Küster M, Lohrmann V, Martin I, Michalik P, Reinicke GB, Schwentner M, Stiller M, Brandis D. Natural history collections recapitulate 200 years of faunal change. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:201983. [PMID: 33996123 PMCID: PMC8059531 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Changing species assemblages represent major challenges to ecosystems around the world. Retracing these changes is limited by our knowledge of past biodiversity. Natural history collections represent archives of biodiversity and are therefore an unparalleled source to study biodiversity changes. In the present study, we tested the value of natural history collections for reconstructing changes in the abundance and presence of species over time. In total, we scrutinized 17 080 quality-checked records for 242 epibenthic invertebrate species from the North and Baltic Seas collected throughout the last 200 years. Our approaches identified eight previously reported species introductions, 10 range expansions, six of which are new to science, as well as the long-term decline of 51 marine invertebrate species. The cross-validation of our results with published accounts of endangered species and neozoa of the area confirmed the results for two of the approaches for 49 to 55% of the identified species, and contradicted our results for 9 to 10%. The results based on relative record trends were less validated. We conclude that, with the proper approaches, natural history collections are an unmatched resource for recovering early species introductions and declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Ewers-Saucedo
- Zoologisches Museum, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Hegewischstraße 3, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Andreas Allspach
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christina Barilaro
- Landesmuseum Natur und Mensch Oldenburg, Damm 38-44, 26135 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Bick
- Zoological Collections of the University of Rostock, Institute for Biological Sciences, General and Systematic Zoology, Universitätsplatz 2, 18055 Rostock, Germany
| | - Angelika Brandt
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Goethe-University of Frankfurt, FB 15, Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60439 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Dieter Fiege
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Susanne Füting
- Museum für Natur und Umwelt Lübeck, Musterbahn 8, 23552 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hausdorf
- Centrum für Naturkunde (CeNak), Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Hayer
- Zoologisches Museum, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Hegewischstraße 3, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Martin Husemann
- Centrum für Naturkunde (CeNak), Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ulrich Joger
- Staatliches Naturhistorisches Museum, Pockelsstraße 10, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Claudia Kamcke
- Staatliches Naturhistorisches Museum, Pockelsstraße 10, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Mathias Küster
- Müritzeum, Zur Steinmole 1, 17192 Waren (Müritz), Germany
| | - Volker Lohrmann
- Übersee-Museum Bremen, Bahnhofsplatz 13, 28195 Bremen, Germany
| | - Ines Martin
- Deutsches Meeresmuseum, Katharinenberg 14-20, 18439 Stralsund, Germany
| | - Peter Michalik
- Zoologisches Museum der Universität Greifswald, Loitzer Straße 26, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | | | - Martin Schwentner
- Centrum für Naturkunde (CeNak), Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
- Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Burgring 7, 1140 Wien, Austria
| | - Michael Stiller
- Übersee-Museum Bremen, Bahnhofsplatz 13, 28195 Bremen, Germany
| | - Dirk Brandis
- Zoologisches Museum, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Hegewischstraße 3, 24105 Kiel, Germany
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Zacaï A, Monnet C, Pohl A, Beaugrand G, Mullins G, Kroeck DM, Servais T. Truncated bimodal latitudinal diversity gradient in early Paleozoic phytoplankton. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabd6709. [PMID: 33827811 PMCID: PMC8026127 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd6709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG)-the decline in species richness from the equator to the poles-is classically considered as the most pervasive macroecological pattern on Earth, but the timing of its establishment, its ubiquity in the geological past, and explanatory mechanisms remain uncertain. By combining empirical and modeling approaches, we show that the first representatives of marine phytoplankton exhibited an LDG from the beginning of the Cambrian, when most major phyla appeared. However, this LDG showed a single peak of diversity centered on the Southern Hemisphere, in contrast to the equatorial peak classically observed for most modern taxa. We find that this LDG most likely corresponds to a truncated bimodal gradient, which probably results from an uneven sediment preservation, smaller sampling effort, and/or lower initial diversity in the Northern Hemisphere. Variation of the documented LDG through time resulted primarily from fluctuations in annual sea-surface temperature and long-term climate changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axelle Zacaï
- Evo-Eco-Paleo, UMR 8198, CNRS, Univ. Lille, F-59000 Lille, France.
- PALEVOPRIM, UMR 7262, CNRS, Université de Poitiers, 86073 Poitiers Cedex 9, France
| | - Claude Monnet
- Evo-Eco-Paleo, UMR 8198, CNRS, Univ. Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Alexandre Pohl
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
- Biogéosciences, UMR 6282, CNRS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6 boulevard Gabriel, F-21000 Dijon, France
| | - Grégory Beaugrand
- Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, UMR 8187, CNRS, Univ. Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | | | - David M Kroeck
- Evo-Eco-Paleo, UMR 8198, CNRS, Univ. Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Thomas Servais
- Evo-Eco-Paleo, UMR 8198, CNRS, Univ. Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
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10
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Lenz PH, Roncalli V, Cieslak MC, Tarrant AM, Castelfranco AM, Hartline DK. Diapause vs. reproductive programs: transcriptional phenotypes in a keystone copepod. Commun Biol 2021; 4:426. [PMID: 33782539 PMCID: PMC8007741 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01946-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Many arthropods undergo a seasonal dormancy termed "diapause" to optimize timing of reproduction in highly seasonal environments. In the North Atlantic, the copepod Calanus finmarchicus completes one to three generations annually with some individuals maturing into adults, while others interrupt their development to enter diapause. It is unknown which, why and when individuals enter the diapause program. Transcriptomic data from copepods on known programs were analyzed using dimensionality reduction of gene expression and functional analyses to identify program-specific genes and biological processes. These analyses elucidated physiological differences and established protocols that distinguish between programs. Differences in gene expression were associated with maturation of individuals on the reproductive program, while those on the diapause program showed little change over time. Only two of six filters effectively separated copepods by developmental program. The first one included all genes annotated to RNA metabolism and this was confirmed using differential gene expression analysis. The second filter identified 54 differentially expressed genes that were consistently up-regulated in individuals on the diapause program in comparison with those on the reproductive program. Annotated to oogenesis, RNA metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis, these genes are both indicators for diapause preparation and good candidates for functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra H. Lenz
- grid.410445.00000 0001 2188 0957Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI USA
| | - Vittoria Roncalli
- grid.410445.00000 0001 2188 0957Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI USA ,grid.6401.30000 0004 1758 0806Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
| | - Matthew C. Cieslak
- grid.410445.00000 0001 2188 0957Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI USA
| | - Ann M. Tarrant
- grid.56466.370000 0004 0504 7510Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA USA
| | - Ann M. Castelfranco
- grid.410445.00000 0001 2188 0957Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI USA
| | - Daniel K. Hartline
- grid.410445.00000 0001 2188 0957Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI USA
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11
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Nowicki RJ, Thomson JA, Fourqurean JW, Wirsing AJ, Heithaus MR. Loss of predation risk from apex predators can exacerbate marine tropicalization caused by extreme climatic events. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2041-2052. [PMID: 33624313 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Extreme climatic events (ECEs) and predator removal represent some of the most widespread stressors to ecosystems. Though species interactions can alter ecological effects of climate change (and vice versa), it is less understood whether, when and how predator removal can interact with ECEs to exacerbate their effects. Understanding the circumstances under which such interactions might occur is critical because predator loss is widespread and ECEs can generate rapid phase shifts in ecosystems which can ultimately lead to tropicalization. Our goal was to determine whether loss of predation risk may be an important mechanism governing ecosystem responses to extreme events, and whether the effects of such events, such as tropicalization, can occur even when species range shifts do not. Specifically, our goal was to experimentally simulate the loss of an apex predator, the tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier effects on a recently damaged seagrass ecosystem of Shark Bay, Australia by applying documented changes to risk-sensitive grazing of dugong Dugong dugon herbivores. Using a 16-month-field experiment established in recently disturbed seagrass meadows, we used previous estimates of risk-sensitive dugong foraging behaviour to simulate altered risk-sensitive foraging densities and strategies of dugongs consistent with apex predator loss, and tracked seagrass responses to the simulated grazing. Grazing treatments targeted and removed tropical seagrasses, which declined. However, like in other mixed-bed habitats where dugongs forage, treatments also incidentally accelerated temperate seagrass losses, revealing that herbivore behavioural changes in response to predator loss can exacerbate ECE and promote tropicalization, even without range expansions or introductions of novel species. Our results suggest that changes to herbivore behaviours triggered by loss of predation risk can undermine ecological resilience to ECEs, particularly where long-lived herbivores are abundant. By implication, ongoing losses of apex predators may combine with increasingly frequent ECEs to amplify climate change impacts across diverse ecosystems and large spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Nowicki
- International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration, Mote Marine Laboratory, Summerland Key, FL, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Coastal Oceans Research, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jordan A Thomson
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Warrnambool, VIC, Australia
| | - James W Fourqurean
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Coastal Oceans Research, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Aaron J Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Michael R Heithaus
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Coastal Oceans Research, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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12
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Wittische J, Heckbert S, James PMA, Burton AC, Fisher JT. Community-level modelling of boreal forest mammal distribution in an oil sands landscape. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 755:142500. [PMID: 33049527 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic landscape disturbances are known to alter, destroy, and fragment habitat, which typically leads to biodiversity loss. The effects of landscape disturbance generally vary among species and depend on the nature of the disturbances, which may interact and result in synergistic effects. Western Canada's oil sands region experiences disturbances from forestry and energy sector activities as well as municipal and transportation infrastructure. The effects of those disturbances on single species have been studied and have been implicated in declines of the boreal woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). Yet, the specific responses of the mammal community, and of functional groups such as prey and predators, to those interacting disturbances are still poorly known. We investigated the responses of black bear, grey wolf, coyote, fisher, lynx, red fox, American red squirrel, white-tailed deer, moose, caribou, and snowshoe hare to both natural habitat and disturbance associated with anthropogenic features within Alberta's northeast boreal forest. We used a novel community-level modelling framework on three years of camera-trap data collected in an oil sands landscape. This framework allowed us to identify the natural and anthropogenic features which explained the most variation in occurrence frequency among functional groups, as well as compare responses to linear and non-linear anthropogenic disturbance. Occurrence frequency by predators was better explained by anthropogenic features than by natural habitat. Both linear and non-linear anthropogenic features helped explain occurrence frequency by prey and predators, although the effects differed in magnitude and spatial scale. To better conserve boreal biodiversity, management actions should extend beyond a focus on caribou and wolves and aim to restore habitat across a diversity of anthropogenic disturbances and monitor the dynamics of the entire mammal community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Wittische
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.
| | - Scott Heckbert
- Department of Geography, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; Alberta Energy Regulator, Calgary, AB T2P 0R4, Canada
| | - Patrick M A James
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Graduate Department of Forestry, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, University of Toronto, 33 Willcocks St., Toronto M5S 2J5, ON, Canada
| | - A Cole Burton
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Jason T Fisher
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
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13
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Telesca L, Peck LS, Backeljau T, Heinig MF, Harper EM. A century of coping with environmental and ecological changes via compensatory biomineralization in mussels. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:624-639. [PMID: 33112464 PMCID: PMC7839727 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Accurate biological models are critical to predict biotic responses to climate change and human-caused disturbances. Current understanding of organismal responses to change stems from studies over relatively short timescales. However, most projections lack long-term observations incorporating the potential for transgenerational phenotypic plasticity and genetic adaption, the keys to resistance. Here, we describe unexpected temporal compensatory responses in biomineralization as a mechanism for resistance to altered environmental conditions and predation impacts in a calcifying foundation species. We evaluated exceptional archival specimens of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis collected regularly between 1904 and 2016 along 15 km of Belgian coastline, along with records of key environmental descriptors and predators. Contrary to global-scale predictions, shell production increased over the last century, highlighting a protective capacity of mussels for qualitative and quantitative trade-offs in biomineralization as compensatory responses to altered environments. We also demonstrated the role of changes in predator communities in stimulating unanticipated biological trends that run contrary to experimental predictive models under future climate scenarios. Analysis of archival records has a key role for anticipating emergent impacts of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Telesca
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- British Antarctic SurveyCambridgeUK
| | | | - Thierry Backeljau
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural SciencesBrusselsBelgium
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Mario F. Heinig
- Technical University of DenmarkDTU NanolabNational Centre for Nano Fabrication and CharacterizationKongens LyngbyDenmark
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14
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Jarillo J, Sæther BE, Engen S, Cao-García FJ. Spatial Scales of Population Synchrony in Predator-Prey Systems. Am Nat 2020; 195:216-230. [DOI: 10.1086/706913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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15
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Schickele A, Leroy B, Beaugrand G, Goberville E, Hattab T, Francour P, Raybaud V. Modelling European small pelagic fish distribution: Methodological insights. Ecol Modell 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2019.108902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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16
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Rossberg AG, Gaedke U, Kratina P. Dome patterns in pelagic size spectra reveal strong trophic cascades. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4396. [PMID: 31562299 PMCID: PMC6764997 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12289-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In ecological communities, especially the pelagic zones of aquatic ecosystems, certain body-size ranges are often over-represented compared to others. Community size spectra, the distributions of community biomass over the logarithmic body-mass axis, tend to exhibit regularly spaced local maxima, called “domes”, separated by steep troughs. Contrasting established theory, we explain these dome patterns as manifestations of top-down trophic cascades along aquatic food chains. Compiling high quality size-spectrum data and comparing these with a size-spectrum model introduced in this study, we test this theory and develop a detailed picture of the mechanisms by which bottom-up and top-down effects interact to generate dome patterns. Results imply that strong top-down trophic cascades are common in freshwater communities, much more than hitherto demonstrated, and may arise in nutrient rich marine systems as well. Transferring insights from the general theory of non-linear pattern formation to domes patterns, we provide new interpretations of past lake-manipulation experiments. An important question in ecology is how much species at higher trophic levels affect lower levels through top-down cascades. Here the authors show through analyses of pelagic size spectra that such cascades are strong in freshwater systems and can also arise in nutrient rich marine systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel G Rossberg
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Rd, London, E1 4NS, UK. .,Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Rd, Lowestoft, NR33 0HT, UK. .,International Initiative for Theoretical Ecology, Unit 10, 317 Essex Road, London, N1 2EE, UK.
| | - Ursula Gaedke
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Modeling, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Pavel Kratina
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Rd, London, E1 4NS, UK.
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17
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Bellino A, Mangano MC, Baldantoni D, Russell BD, Mannino AM, Mazzola A, Vizzini S, Sarà G. Seasonal patterns of biodiversity in Mediterranean coastal lagoons. DIVERS DISTRIB 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Bellino
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Biologia “Adolfo Zambelli” (DCB) Università degli Studi di Salerno Fisciano (Salerno) Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Mangano
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare (DISTEM) Università di Palermo Palermo Italy
| | - Daniela Baldantoni
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Biologia “Adolfo Zambelli” (DCB) Università degli Studi di Salerno Fisciano (Salerno) Italy
| | - Bayden Dwight Russell
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Anna Maria Mannino
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF) Università degli Studi di Palermo Palermo Italy
| | - Antonio Mazzola
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare (DISTEM) Università di Palermo Palermo Italy
| | - Salvatrice Vizzini
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare (DISTEM) Università di Palermo Palermo Italy
| | - Gianluca Sarà
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare (DISTEM) Università di Palermo Palermo Italy
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18
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Druon JN, Hélaouët P, Beaugrand G, Fromentin JM, Palialexis A, Hoepffner N. Satellite-based indicator of zooplankton distribution for global monitoring. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4732. [PMID: 30894610 PMCID: PMC6427021 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41212-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the association between an index of mesozooplankton biomass, derived from the Continuous Plankton Recorder survey and satellite-derived productivity fronts in the North Atlantic. While chlorophyll-a content (CHL) is commonly described as a proxy for phytoplankton biomass, the size of productivity fronts estimated from the horizontal gradient of CHL appears to be directly linked to mesozooplankton biomass. Our results suggest that the lifespan of productivity fronts, which ranges from weeks to months, meets the time requirement of mesozooplankton to develop. The proposed indicator describes the daily distribution of mesozooplankton's suitable feeding habitat. It also provides a coherent interpretation of the productivity front development with respect to phytoplankton activity (CHL values) and potential predation by higher trophic levels. Since mesozooplankton are essential for feeding at higher trophic levels, this satellite-derived indicator delivers essential information for research and policy. An unanticipated positive trend of the indicator from 2003 to 2017 is observed at a basin scale under the current effects of climate change, with regional peaks in relatively poorly productive areas. Such monitoring indicator is potentially important to advances in marine food web modelling, fisheries science and the dynamic management of oceans towards sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Noël Druon
- European Commission - Joint Research Centre, Directorate D - Sustainable Resources, Unit D.02 Water and Marine Resources, Ispra, VA, Italy.
| | - Pierre Hélaouët
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Grégory Beaugrand
- CNRS, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences UMR LOG CNRS 8187, Université des Sciences et Technologies Lille 1 - BP 80, 62930, Wimereux, France
| | | | - Andreas Palialexis
- European Commission - Joint Research Centre, Directorate D - Sustainable Resources, Unit D.02 Water and Marine Resources, Ispra, VA, Italy
| | - Nicolas Hoepffner
- European Commission - Joint Research Centre, Directorate D - Sustainable Resources, Unit D.02 Water and Marine Resources, Ispra, VA, Italy
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19
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Beaugrand G, Kirby RR. How Do Marine Pelagic Species Respond to Climate Change? Theories and Observations. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2018; 10:169-197. [PMID: 29298137 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-121916-063304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In this review, we show how climate affects species, communities, and ecosystems, and why many responses from the species to the biome level originate from the interaction between the species' ecological niche and changes in the environmental regime in both space and time. We describe a theory that allows us to understand and predict how marine species react to climate-induced changes in ecological conditions, how communities form and are reconfigured, and so how biodiversity is arranged and may respond to climate change. Our study shows that the responses of species to climate change are therefore intelligible-that is, they have a strong deterministic component and can be predicted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégory Beaugrand
- Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, CNRS UMR 8187 LOG, Université de Lille and Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, F-62930 Wimereux, France;
- Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, Plymouth PL1 2PB, United Kingdom
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20
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Alava JJ, Cheung WWL, Ross PS, Sumaila UR. Climate change-contaminant interactions in marine food webs: Toward a conceptual framework. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:3984-4001. [PMID: 28212462 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is reshaping the way in which contaminants move through the global environment, in large part by changing the chemistry of the oceans and affecting the physiology, health, and feeding ecology of marine biota. Climate change-associated impacts on structure and function of marine food webs, with consequent changes in contaminant transport, fate, and effects, are likely to have significant repercussions to those human populations that rely on fisheries resources for food, recreation, or culture. Published studies on climate change-contaminant interactions with a focus on food web bioaccumulation were systematically reviewed to explore how climate change and ocean acidification may impact contaminant levels in marine food webs. We propose here a conceptual framework to illustrate the impacts of climate change on contaminant accumulation in marine food webs, as well as the downstream consequences for ecosystem goods and services. The potential impacts on social and economic security for coastal communities that depend on fisheries for food are discussed. Climate change-contaminant interactions may alter the bioaccumulation of two priority contaminant classes: the fat-soluble persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), as well as the protein-binding methylmercury (MeHg). These interactions include phenomena deemed to be either climate change dominant (i.e., climate change leads to an increase in contaminant exposure) or contaminant dominant (i.e., contamination leads to an increase in climate change susceptibility). We illustrate the pathways of climate change-contaminant interactions using case studies in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean. The important role of ecological and food web modeling to inform decision-making in managing ecological and human health risks of chemical pollutants contamination under climate change is also highlighted. Finally, we identify the need to develop integrated policies that manage the ecological and socioeconomic risk of greenhouse gases and marine pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan José Alava
- Global Fisheries Cluster, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Ocean Pollution Research Program, Coastal Ocean Research Institute, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - William W L Cheung
- Global Fisheries Cluster, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Peter S Ross
- Ocean Pollution Research Program, Coastal Ocean Research Institute, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - U Rashid Sumaila
- Global Fisheries Cluster, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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21
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Sewage outburst triggers Trichodesmium bloom and enhance N 2 fixation rates. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4367. [PMID: 28663560 PMCID: PMC5491490 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04622-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The southeastern Mediterranean Sea (SEMS) is a warm and sunlit marine environment with low ambient N concentration, thus considered ideal for diazotrophy by autotrophic diazotrophs such as Trichodesmium. Despite the favorable conditions, N2 fixation rates are often low and Trichodesmium has hardly been spotted in the SEMS. This study reports on the occurrence of a Trichodesmium bloom in the SEMS which was ascribed to T. erythraeum according to DNA fingerprinting of the nifH gene. We found that this bloom (1407 ± 983 cells L−1) was triggered by an intense outburst of raw sewage that supplied high concentrations of N, P and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which resulted in low N:P (~12:1) and exceptionally high C:P (~1340:1) ratios. We surmise that these conditions provided favorable conditions for Trichodesmium bloom to form via mixotrophic metabolism. As a result, a fourfold increase in N2 fixation was recorded, which contributed ~70% to new primary production and spur a sharp increase in phytoplankton activity and biomass. The conclusions of this study point on a new paradigm for bloom-forming T. erythraeum which is tightly linked to anthropogenic sources and prompt microbial productivity in oligotrophic marine environments such as the SEMS.
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22
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Abundance, development stage, and size of decapod larvae through the Bering and Chukchi Seas during summer. Polar Biol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-017-2103-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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23
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Abstract
Climate change and resource exploitation have been shown to modify the importance of bottom-up and top-down forces in ecosystems. However, the resulting pattern of trophic control in complex food webs is an emergent property of the system and thus unintuitive. We develop a statistical nondeterministic model, capable of modeling complex patterns of trophic control for the heavily impacted North Sea ecosystem. The model is driven solely by fishing mortality and climatic variables and based on time-series data covering >40 y for six plankton and eight fish groups along with one bird group (>20 y). Simulations show the outstanding importance of top-down exploitation pressure for the dynamics of fish populations. Whereas fishing effects on predators indirectly altered plankton abundance, bottom-up climatic processes dominate plankton dynamics. Importantly, we show planktivorous fish to have a central role in the North Sea food web initiating complex cascading effects across and between trophic levels. Our linked model integrates bottom-up and top-down effects and is able to simulate complex long-term changes in ecosystem components under a combination of stressor scenarios. Our results suggest that in marine ecosystems, pathways for bottom-up and top-down forces are not necessarily mutually exclusive and together can lead to the emergence of complex patterns of control.
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24
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Kaffenberger BH, Shetlar D, Norton SA, Rosenbach M. The effect of climate change on skin disease in North America. J Am Acad Dermatol 2017; 76:140-147. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2016.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2016] [Revised: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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25
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Van Looy K, Floury M, Ferréol M, Prieto-Montes M, Souchon Y. Long-term changes in temperate stream invertebrate communities reveal a synchronous trophic amplification at the turn of the millennium. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 565:481-488. [PMID: 27183462 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Revised: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The positive effects of water quality improvement on stream biodiversity in the temperate regions are expected to be at risk with the projected climatic changes. However, the processes and mechanisms behind the predicted threats remain uncertain. From long-term series of benthic invertebrate samples from temperate rivers and streams in France, we analyzed diversity and composition shifts over time in relation to geographic elements and human stressors. Mechanisms for community changes were investigated with a trait-based analysis for the entire dataset and for a selected caddisfly community module. We observed a 42% increase in the taxonomic richness of stream invertebrate communities over the last 25years. A gradual trend induced by water quality improvement was distinguished from a more abrupt climate change-induced shift in communities around the year 2000. Trophic amplification - the intensification of trophic interactions and pathways through the food web - was identified as the mechanism behind the strong community shift. Four lines of evidence for this trophic amplification are highlighted: (i) higher dissolved oxygen concentrations indicated a shift in primary production, (ii) the trait-based analysis of entire communities showed a bottom-up food web amplification, (iii) the trait-based analysis of the community module evidenced feeding strategy shifts and increased food web interactions, and (iv) the abundance analysis of the community module showed a productivity increase. These results lend credit to persistent investments in water quality for improving stream biodiversity, and contrary to expectation, climate change impacts seem so far to have reinforced these positive effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kris Van Looy
- Irstea, National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture, UR MALY, River Hydro-ecology Lab, 5 rue de la Doua, Lyon-Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Mathieu Floury
- Irstea, National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture, UR MALY, River Hydro-ecology Lab, 5 rue de la Doua, Lyon-Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Martial Ferréol
- Irstea, National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture, UR MALY, River Hydro-ecology Lab, 5 rue de la Doua, Lyon-Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Marta Prieto-Montes
- Irstea, National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture, UR MALY, River Hydro-ecology Lab, 5 rue de la Doua, Lyon-Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Yves Souchon
- Irstea, National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture, UR MALY, River Hydro-ecology Lab, 5 rue de la Doua, Lyon-Villeurbanne, France.
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26
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Brun P, Kiørboe T, Licandro P, Payne MR. The predictive skill of species distribution models for plankton in a changing climate. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2016; 22:3170-3181. [PMID: 27040720 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Revised: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Statistical species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly used to project spatial relocations of marine taxa under future climate change scenarios. However, tests of their predictive skill in the real-world are rare. Here, we use data from the Continuous Plankton Recorder program, one of the longest running and most extensive marine biological monitoring programs, to investigate the reliability of predicted plankton distributions. We apply three commonly used SDMs to 20 representative plankton species, including copepods, diatoms, and dinoflagellates, all found in the North Atlantic and adjacent seas. We fit the models to decadal subsets of the full (1958-2012) dataset, and then use them to predict both forward and backward in time, comparing the model predictions against the corresponding observations. The probability of correctly predicting presence was low, peaking at 0.5 for copepods, and model skill typically did not outperform a null model assuming distributions to be constant in time. The predicted prevalence increasingly differed from the observed prevalence for predictions with more distance in time from their training dataset. More detailed investigations based on four focal species revealed that strong spatial variations in skill exist, with the least skill at the edges of the distributions, where prevalence is lowest. Furthermore, the scores of traditional single-value model performance metrics were contrasting and some implied overoptimistic conclusions about model skill. Plankton may be particularly challenging to model, due to its short life span and the dispersive effects of constant water movements on all spatial scales, however there are few other studies against which to compare these results. We conclude that rigorous model validation, including comparison against null models, is essential to assess the robustness of projections of marine planktonic species under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Brun
- Centre for Ocean Life, National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2920, Charlottenlund, Denmark
| | - Thomas Kiørboe
- Centre for Ocean Life, National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2920, Charlottenlund, Denmark
| | - Priscilla Licandro
- Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
| | - Mark R Payne
- Centre for Ocean Life, National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2920, Charlottenlund, Denmark
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Papworth DJ, Marini S, Conversi A. A Novel, Unbiased Analysis Approach for Investigating Population Dynamics: A Case Study on Calanus finmarchicus and Its Decline in the North Sea. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0158230. [PMID: 27366910 PMCID: PMC4930201 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine populations are controlled by a series of drivers, pertaining to both the physical environment and the biological environment (trophic predator-prey interactions). There is heated debate over drivers, especially when trying to understand the causes of major ecosystem events termed regime shifts. In this work, we have researched and developed a novel methodology based on Genetic Programming (GP) for distinguishing which drivers can influence species abundance. This methodology benefits of having no a priori assumptions either on the ecological parameters used or on the underlying mathematical relationships among them. We have validated this methodology applying it to the North Sea pelagic ecosystem. We use the target species Calanus finmarchicus, a key copepod in temperate and subarctic ecosystems, along with 86 biological, hydrographical and climatic time series, ranging from local water nutrients and fish predation, to large scale climate pressure patterns. The chosen study area is the central North Sea, from 1972 to 2011, during which period there was an ecological regime shift. The GP based analysis identified 3 likely drivers of C. finmarchicus abundance, which highlights the importance of considering both physical and trophic drivers: temperature, North Sea circulation (net flow into the North Atlantic), and predation (herring). No large scale climate patterns were selected, suggesting that when there is availability of both data types, local drivers are more important. The results produced by the GP based procedure are consistent with the literature published to date, and validate the use of GP for interpreting species dynamics. We propose that this methodology holds promises for the highly non-linear field of ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danny J. Papworth
- Faculty of Science and Technology, School of Marine Science and Engineering, Plymouth University, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA, United Kingdom
| | - Simone Marini
- ISMAR–Marine Sciences Institute in La Spezia, CNR–National Research Council of Italy, Forte Santa Teresa, Loc. Pozzuolo, 19032, Lerici, SP, Italy
| | - Alessandra Conversi
- ISMAR–Marine Sciences Institute in La Spezia, CNR–National Research Council of Italy, Forte Santa Teresa, Loc. Pozzuolo, 19032, Lerici, SP, Italy
- Marine Institute, Plymouth University, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Sullivan MJP, Thomsen MA, Suttle KB. Grassland responses to increased rainfall depend on the timescale of forcing. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2016; 22:1655-1665. [PMID: 26833671 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Revised: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Forecasting impacts of future climate change is an important challenge to biologists, both for understanding the consequences of different emissions trajectories and for developing adaptation measures that will minimize biodiversity loss. Existing variation provides a window into the effects of climate on species and ecosystems, but in many places does not encompass the levels or timeframes of forcing expected under directional climatic change. Experiments help us to fill in these uncertainties, simulating directional shifts to examine outcomes of new levels and sustained changes in conditions. Here, we explore the translation between short-term responses to climate variability and longer-term trajectories that emerge under directional climatic change. In a decade-long experiment, we compare effects of short-term and long-term forcings across three trophic levels in grassland plots subjected to natural and experimental variation in precipitation. For some biological responses (plant productivity), responses to long-term extension of the rainy season were consistent with short-term responses, while for others (plant species richness, abundance of invertebrate herbivores and predators), there was pronounced divergence of long-term trajectories from short-term responses. These differences between biological responses mean that sustained directional changes in climate can restructure ecological relationships characterizing a system. Importantly, a positive relationship between plant diversity and productivity turned negative under one scenario of climate change, with a similar change in the relationship between plant productivity and consumer biomass. Inferences from experiments such as this form an important part of wider efforts to understand the complexities of climate change responses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Meredith A Thomsen
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, WI, 54601, USA
| | - K B Suttle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
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Cheung WW, Jones MC, Reygondeau G, Stock CA, Lam VW, Frölicher TL. Structural uncertainty in projecting global fisheries catches under climate change. Ecol Modell 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2015.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Zhang K. Regime shifts and resilience in China's coastal ecosystems. AMBIO 2016; 45:89-98. [PMID: 26286204 PMCID: PMC4709358 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-015-0692-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Revised: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Regime shift often results in large, abrupt, and persistent changes in the provision of ecosystem services and can therefore have significant impacts on human wellbeing. Understanding regime shifts has profound implications for ecosystem recovery and management. China's coastal ecosystems have experienced substantial deterioration within the past decades, at a scale and speed the world has never seen before. Yet, information about this coastal ecosystem change from a dynamics perspective is quite limited. In this review, I synthesize existing information on coastal ecosystem regime shifts in China and discuss their interactions and cascading effects. The accumulation of regime shifts in China's coastal ecosystems suggests that the desired system resilience has been profoundly eroded, increasing the potential of abrupt shifts to undesirable states at a larger scale, especially given multiple escalating pressures. Policy and management strategies need to incorporate resilience approaches in order to cope with future challenges and avoid major losses in China's coastal ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Zhang
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.
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31
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Shifting Effects of Ocean Conditions on Survival and Breeding Probability of a Long-Lived Seabird. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0132372. [PMID: 26168050 PMCID: PMC4500586 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
With a rapidly changing climate, there is an increasing need to predict how species will respond to changes in the physical environment. One approach is to use historic data to estimate the past influence of environmental variation on important demographic parameters and then use these relationships to project the abundance of a population or species under future climate scenarios. However, as novel climate conditions emerge, novel species responses may also appear. In some systems, environmental conditions beyond the range of those observed during the course of most long-term ecological studies are already evident. Yet little attention has been given to how these novel conditions may be influencing previously established environment–species relationships. Here, we model the relationships between ocean conditions and the demography of a long-lived seabird, Brandt’s cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatusI), in central California and show that these relationships have changed in recent years. Beginning in 2007/2008, the response of Brandt’s cormorant, an upper trophic level predator, to ocean conditions shifted, resulting in lower than predicted survival and breeding probability. Survival was generally less variable than breeding probability and was initially best predicted by the basin-scale forcing of the El Niño Southern Oscillation rather than local ocean conditions. The shifting response of Brandt’s cormorant to ocean conditions may be just a proximate indication of altered dynamics in the food web and that important forage fish are not responding to the physical ocean environment as expected. These changing relationships have important implications for our ability to project the effects of future climate change for species and communities.
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Elliott M, Borja Á, McQuatters-Gollop A, Mazik K, Birchenough S, Andersen JH, Painting S, Peck M. Force majeure: Will climate change affect our ability to attain Good Environmental Status for marine biodiversity? MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2015; 95:7-27. [PMID: 25837772 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires that Good Environmental Status (GEnS), is achieved for European seas by 2020. These may deviate from GEnS, its 11 Descriptors, targets and baselines, due to endogenic managed pressures (from activities within an area) and externally due to exogenic unmanaged pressures (e.g. climate change). Conceptual models detail the likely or perceived changes expected on marine biodiversity and GEnS Descriptors in the light of climate change. We emphasise that marine management has to accommodate 'shifting baselines' caused by climate change particularly during GEnS monitoring, assessment and management and 'unbounded boundaries' given the migration and dispersal of highly-mobile species. We suggest climate change may prevent GEnS being met, but Member States may rebut legal challenges by claiming that this is outside its control, force majeure or due to 'natural causes' (Article 14 of the MSFD). The analysis is relevant to management of other global seas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Elliott
- Institute of Estuarine & Coastal Studies, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK.
| | - Ángel Borja
- AZTI-Tecnalia, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia, Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | | | - Krysia Mazik
- Institute of Estuarine & Coastal Studies, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
| | - Silvana Birchenough
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 OHT, UK
| | - Jesper H Andersen
- NIVA Denmark Water Research, Winghouse, Ørestads Boulevard 73, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark
| | - Suzanne Painting
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 OHT, UK
| | - Myron Peck
- Institut für Hydrobiologie und Fischereiwissenschaft, Olbersweg 24, 22767 Hamburg, Germany
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Conversi A, Dakos V, Gårdmark A, Ling S, Folke C, Mumby PJ, Greene C, Edwards M, Blenckner T, Casini M, Pershing A, Möllmann C. A holistic view of marine regime shifts. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 370:20130279. [PMCID: PMC4247413 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding marine regime shifts is important not only for ecology but also for developing marine management that assures the provision of ecosystem services to humanity. While regime shift theory is well developed, there is still no common understanding on drivers, mechanisms and characteristic of abrupt changes in real marine ecosystems. Based on contributions to the present theme issue, we highlight some general issues that need to be overcome for developing a more comprehensive understanding of marine ecosystem regime shifts. We find a great divide between benthic reef and pelagic ocean systems in how regime shift theory is linked to observed abrupt changes. Furthermore, we suggest that the long-lasting discussion on the prevalence of top-down trophic or bottom-up physical drivers in inducing regime shifts may be overcome by taking into consideration the synergistic interactions of multiple stressors, and the special characteristics of different ecosystem types. We present a framework for the holistic investigation of marine regime shifts that considers multiple exogenous drivers that interact with endogenous mechanisms to cause abrupt, catastrophic change. This framework takes into account the time-delayed synergies of these stressors, which erode the resilience of the ecosystem and eventually enable the crossing of ecological thresholds. Finally, considering that increased pressures in the marine environment are predicted by the current climate change assessments, in order to avoid major losses of ecosystem services, we suggest that marine management approaches should incorporate knowledge on environmental thresholds and develop tools that consider regime shift dynamics and characteristics. This grand challenge can only be achieved through a holistic view of marine ecosystem dynamics as evidenced by this theme issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Conversi
- Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council of Italy, Forte Santa Teresa, Loc Pozzuolo, Lerici, La Spezia 19032, Italy
- Centre for Marine and Coastal Policy, Marine Institute, Plymouth University, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
- SAHFOS, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
| | - Vasilis Dakos
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Américo Vespucio s/n, Sevilla 41092, Spain
| | - Anna Gårdmark
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Coastal Research, Skolgatan 6, Öregrund 742 42, Sweden
| | - Scott Ling
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, HOBART TAS 7001, Tasmania
| | - Carl Folke
- Beijer Institute, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, PO Box 50005, Stockholm 104 05, Sweden
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Kräftriket 2B, Stockholm 106 91, Sweden
| | - Peter J. Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Charles Greene
- Ocean Resources and Ecosystems Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, NY, USA
| | - Martin Edwards
- SAHFOS, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
| | - Thorsten Blenckner
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Kräftriket 2B, Stockholm 106 91, Sweden
| | - Michele Casini
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Marine Research, Turistgatan 5, Lysekil 45330, Sweden
| | - Andrew Pershing
- Gulf of Maine Research Institute, 350 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101, USA
| | - Christian Möllmann
- Institute for Hydrobiology and Fisheries Science, University of Hamburg, Grosse Elbstrasse 133, Hamburg 22767, Germany
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Beaugrand G. Theoretical basis for predicting climate-induced abrupt shifts in the oceans. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 370:20130264. [PMCID: PMC4247401 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the responses of marine species and their ecosystems to climate change, abrupt community shifts (ACSs), also called regime shifts, have often been observed. However, despite their effects for ecosystem functioning and both provisioning and regulating services, our understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved remains elusive. This paper proposes a theory showing that some ACSs originate from the interaction between climate-induced environmental changes and the species ecological niche. The theory predicts that a substantial stepwise shift in the thermal regime of a marine ecosystem leads indubitably to an ACS and explains why some species do not change during the phenomenon. It also explicates why the timing of ACSs may differ or why some studies may detect or not detect a shift in the same ecosystem, independently of the statistical method of detection and simply because they focus on different species or taxonomic groups. The present theory offers a way to predict future climate-induced community shifts and their potential associated trophic cascades and amplifications.
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35
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Mieszkowska N, Sugden H, Firth LB, Hawkins SJ. The role of sustained observations in tracking impacts of environmental change on marine biodiversity and ecosystems. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2014; 372:rsta.2013.0339. [PMID: 25157190 PMCID: PMC4150294 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2013.0339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Marine biodiversity currently faces unprecedented threats from multiple pressures arising from human activities. Global drivers such as climate change and ocean acidification interact with regional eutrophication, exploitation of commercial fish stocks and localized pressures including pollution, coastal development and the extraction of aggregates and fuel, causing alteration and degradation of habitats and communities. Segregating natural from anthropogenically induced change in marine ecosystems requires long-term, sustained observations of marine biota. In this review, we outline the history of biological recording in the coastal and shelf seas of the UK and Ireland and highlight where sustained observations have contributed new understanding of how anthropogenic activities have impacted on marine biodiversity. The contributions of sustained observations, from those collected at observatories, single station platforms and multiple-site programmes to the emergent field of multiple stressor impacts research, are discussed, along with implications for management and sustainable governance of marine resources in an era of unprecedented use of the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Mieszkowska
- Marine Biological Association of the UK, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
| | - H Sugden
- The Dove Marine Laboratory, School of Marine Science and Technology, Newcastle University, Cullercoats NE30 4PZ, UK
| | - L B Firth
- Zoology, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - S J Hawkins
- Marine Biological Association of the UK, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, Waterfront Campus, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
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36
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Azzellino A, Fossi MC, Gaspari S, Lanfredi C, Lauriano G, Marsili L, Panigada S, Podestà M. An index based on the biodiversity of cetacean species to assess the environmental status of marine ecosystems. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2014; 100:94-111. [PMID: 25016937 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2014.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2013] [Revised: 06/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/08/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires the assessment of the environmental status in relation to human pressures. In this study the biodiversity of the cetacean community is proposed as MSFD descriptor of the environmental status and its link with anthropogenic pressures is investigated. Functional groups are generally favoured over indicator species since they are thought to better reflect to anthropogenic stressors. Cetaceans are in many situations the most well known component of pelagic ecosystems. Their habitat requirements are known and can be used to evaluate the theoretical biodiversity that should be expected in a certain area. The deviations between the theoretical biodiversity and the actual biodiversity may be used to detect the impacts of human activities. Based on this analysis fishery resulted to be by far the most significant of the existing pressures. Among all the species, bottlenose dolphin was found the most correlated with the fishery sector dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Azzellino
- Politecnico di Milano, DICA, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, 20133 Milano, Italy; Tethys Research Institute, viale Gadio, 2, 20121 Milano, Italy.
| | - Maria Cristina Fossi
- Dpt. of Physical, Earth and Environ. Sciences, University of Siena, Via PA Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Stefania Gaspari
- Università degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Biologia, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 0019 Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy
| | - Caterina Lanfredi
- Politecnico di Milano, DICA, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, 20133 Milano, Italy; Tethys Research Institute, viale Gadio, 2, 20121 Milano, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Lauriano
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Via Brancati, 60, 00144 Roma, Italy
| | - Letizia Marsili
- Dpt. of Physical, Earth and Environ. Sciences, University of Siena, Via PA Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Simone Panigada
- Tethys Research Institute, viale Gadio, 2, 20121 Milano, Italy
| | - Michela Podestà
- Museum of Natural History of Milan, C.so Venezia 55, 20121 Milano, Italy
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Chust G, Allen JI, Bopp L, Schrum C, Holt J, Tsiaras K, Zavatarelli M, Chifflet M, Cannaby H, Dadou I, Daewel U, Wakelin SL, Machu E, Pushpadas D, Butenschon M, Artioli Y, Petihakis G, Smith C, Garçon V, Goubanova K, Le Vu B, Fach BA, Salihoglu B, Clementi E, Irigoien X. Biomass changes and trophic amplification of plankton in a warmer ocean. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2014; 20:2124-39. [PMID: 24604761 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2013] [Revised: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Ocean warming can modify the ecophysiology and distribution of marine organisms, and relationships between species, with nonlinear interactions between ecosystem components potentially resulting in trophic amplification. Trophic amplification (or attenuation) describe the propagation of a hydroclimatic signal up the food web, causing magnification (or depression) of biomass values along one or more trophic pathways. We have employed 3-D coupled physical-biogeochemical models to explore ecosystem responses to climate change with a focus on trophic amplification. The response of phytoplankton and zooplankton to global climate-change projections, carried out with the IPSL Earth System Model by the end of the century, is analysed at global and regional basis, including European seas (NE Atlantic, Barents Sea, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Bay of Biscay, Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea) and the Eastern Boundary Upwelling System (Benguela). Results indicate that globally and in Atlantic Margin and North Sea, increased ocean stratification causes primary production and zooplankton biomass to decrease in response to a warming climate, whilst in the Barents, Baltic and Black Seas, primary production and zooplankton biomass increase. Projected warming characterized by an increase in sea surface temperature of 2.29 ± 0.05 °C leads to a reduction in zooplankton and phytoplankton biomasses of 11% and 6%, respectively. This suggests negative amplification of climate driven modifications of trophic level biomass through bottom-up control, leading to a reduced capacity of oceans to regulate climate through the biological carbon pump. Simulations suggest negative amplification is the dominant response across 47% of the ocean surface and prevails in the tropical oceans; whilst positive trophic amplification prevails in the Arctic and Antarctic oceans. Trophic attenuation is projected in temperate seas. Uncertainties in ocean plankton projections, associated to the use of single global and regional models, imply the need for caution when extending these considerations into higher trophic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillem Chust
- AZTI-Tecnalia, Marine Research Division, Herrera kaia portualdea z/g, 20110, Pasaia, Spain
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Beaugrand G, Goberville E, Luczak C, Kirby RR. Marine biological shifts and climate. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20133350. [PMID: 24718760 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.3350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenological, biogeographic and community shifts are among the reported responses of marine ecosystems and their species to climate change. However, despite both the profound consequences for ecosystem functioning and services, our understanding of the root causes underlying these biological changes remains rudimentary. Here, we show that a significant proportion of the responses of species and communities to climate change are deterministic at some emergent spatio-temporal scales, enabling testable predictions and more accurate projections of future changes. We propose a theory based on the concept of the ecological niche to connect phenological, biogeographic and long-term community shifts. The theory explains approximately 70% of the phenological and biogeographic shifts of a key zooplankton Calanus finmarchicus in the North Atlantic and approximately 56% of the long-term shifts in copepods observed in the North Sea during the period 1958-2009.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégory Beaugrand
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences' UMR LOG CNRS 8187, Station Marine, Université Lille 1 - Sciences et Technologies BP 80, , Wimereux 62930, France, Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, , Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK, Université d'Artois, , ESPE, Centre de Gravelines, 40, Rue Victor Hugo, BP 129, Gravelines 59820, France, Université Lille Nord de France, , Lille, France, Marine Institute, Plymouth University, , Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
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Lönnstedt OM, McCormick MI, Chivers DP, Ferrari MCO. Habitat degradation is threatening reef replenishment by making fish fearless. J Anim Ecol 2014; 83:1178-85. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2013] [Accepted: 01/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Oona M. Lönnstedt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and School of Marine and Tropical Biology; James Cook University; Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
| | - Mark I. McCormick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and School of Marine and Tropical Biology; James Cook University; Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
| | - Douglas P. Chivers
- Department of Biology; University of Saskatchewan; Saskatoon SK S7N 5E2 Canada
| | - Maud C. O. Ferrari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; WCVM; University of Saskatchewan; Saskatoon SK S7N 5B4 Canada
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40
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Helaouët P, Beaugrand G, Edwards M. Understanding long-term changes in species abundance using a niche-based approach. PLoS One 2013; 8:e79186. [PMID: 24265757 PMCID: PMC3827165 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2013] [Accepted: 09/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the major challenges to understanding population changes in ecology for assessment purposes is the difficulty in evaluating the suitability of an area for a given species. Here we used a new simple approach able to faithfully predict through time the abundance of two key zooplanktonic species by focusing on the relationship between the species’ environmental preferences and their observed abundances. The approach is applied to the marine copepods Calanus finmarchicus and C. helgolandicus as a case study characterising the multidecadal dynamics of the North Sea ecosystem. We removed all North Sea data from the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) dataset and described for both species a simplified ecological niche using Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and CPR Phytoplankton Colour Index (PCI). We then modelled the dynamics of each species by associating the North Sea’s environmental parameters to the species’ ecological niches, thus creating a method to assess the suitability of this area. By using both C. finmarchicus and C. helgolandicus as indicators, the procedure reproduces the documented switches from cold to warm temperate states observed in the North Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Helaouët
- Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, Plymouth, England
- * E-mail:
| | - Grégory Beaugrand
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences’ UMR LOG CNRS 8187, Station Marine, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille – Lille Wimereux, France
| | - Martin Edwards
- Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, Plymouth, England
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Wolfe K, Dworjanyn SA, Byrne M. Effects of ocean warming and acidification on survival, growth and skeletal development in the early benthic juvenile sea urchin (Heliocidaris erythrogramma). GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2013; 19:2698-707. [PMID: 23649847 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2013] [Revised: 04/18/2013] [Accepted: 05/01/2013] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Co-occurring ocean warming, acidification and reduced carbonate mineral saturation have significant impacts on marine biota, especially calcifying organisms. The effects of these stressors on development and calcification in newly metamorphosed juveniles (ca. 0.5 mm test diameter) of the intertidal sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma, an ecologically important species in temperate Australia, were investigated in context with present and projected future conditions. Habitat temperature and pH/pCO2 were documented to place experiments in a biologically and ecologically relevant context. These parameters fluctuated diurnally up to 10 °C and 0.45 pH units. The juveniles were exposed to three temperature (21, 23 and 25 °C) and four pH (8.1, 7.8, 7.6 and 7.4) treatments in all combinations, representing ambient sea surface conditions (21 °C, pH 8.1; pCO2 397; ΩCa 4.7; ΩAr 3.1), near-future projected change (+2-4 °C, -0.3-0.5 pH units; pCO2 400-1820; ΩCa 5.0-1.6; ΩAr 3.3-1.1), and extreme conditions experienced at low tide (+4 °C, -0.3-0.7 pH units; pCO2 2850-2967; ΩCa 1.1-1.0; ΩAr 0.7-0.6). The lowest pH treatment (pH 7.4) was used to assess tolerance levels. Juvenile survival and test growth were resilient to current and near-future warming and acidification. Spine development, however, was negatively affected by near-future increased temperature (+2-4 °C) and extreme acidification (pH 7.4), with a complex interaction between stressors. Near-future warming was the more significant stressor. Spine tips were dissolved in the pH 7.4 treatments. Adaptation to fluctuating temperature-pH conditions in the intertidal may convey resilience to juvenile H. erythrogramma to changing ocean conditions, however, ocean warming and acidification may shift baseline intertidal temperature and pH/pCO2 to levels that exceed tolerance limits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kennedy Wolfe
- School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
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Beare D, McQuatters-Gollop A, van der Hammen T, Machiels M, Teoh SJ, Hall-Spencer JM. Long-term trends in calcifying plankton and pH in the North Sea. PLoS One 2013; 8:e61175. [PMID: 23658686 PMCID: PMC3641030 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2012] [Accepted: 03/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Relationships between six calcifying plankton groups and pH are explored in a highly biologically productive and data-rich area of the central North Sea using time-series datasets. The long-term trends show that abundances of foraminiferans, coccolithophores, and echinoderm larvae have risen over the last few decades while the abundances of bivalves and pteropods have declined. Despite good coverage of pH data for the study area there is uncertainty over the quality of this historical dataset; pH appears to have been declining since the mid 1990s but there was no statistical connection between the abundance of the calcifying plankton and the pH trends. If there are any effects of pH on calcifying plankton in the North Sea they appear to be masked by the combined effects of other climatic (e.g. temperature), chemical (nutrient concentrations) and biotic (predation) drivers. Certain calcified plankton have proliferated in the central North Sea, and are tolerant of changes in pH that have occurred since the 1950s but bivalve larvae and pteropods have declined. An improved monitoring programme is required as ocean acidification may be occurring at a rate that will exceed the environmental niches of numerous planktonic taxa, testing their capacities for acclimation and genetic adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doug Beare
- Natural Resources Management, WorldFish, Batu Maung, Penang, Malaysia.
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Luczak C, Beaugrand G, Lindley JA, Dewarumez JM, Dubois PJ, Kirby RR. Population dynamics in lesser black-backed gulls in the Netherlands support a North Sea regime shift. Biol Lett 2013; 9:20130127. [PMID: 23485878 PMCID: PMC3645047 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- C. Luczak
- Université d'Artois, IUFM, centre de Gravelines, 40, rue Victor Hugo, BP129, Gravelines 59820, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LOG UMR 8187, Université Lille 1, Wimereux, France
| | - G. Beaugrand
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LOG UMR 8187, Université Lille 1, Wimereux, France
| | - J. A. Lindley
- Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, Plymouth, UK
| | - J.-M. Dewarumez
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LOG UMR 8187, Université Lille 1, Wimereux, France
| | - P. J. Dubois
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LOG UMR 8187, Université Lille 1, Wimereux, France
| | - R. R. Kirby
- Marine Institute, Plymouth University, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
- e-mail:
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Frederiksen M, Anker-Nilssen T, Beaugrand G, Wanless S. Climate, copepods and seabirds in the boreal Northeast Atlantic - current state and future outlook. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2013; 19:364-372. [PMID: 23504776 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2012] [Revised: 09/11/2012] [Accepted: 10/16/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The boreal Northeast Atlantic is strongly affected by current climate change, and large shifts in abundance and distribution of many organisms have been observed, including the dominant copepod Calanus finmarchicus, which supports the grazing food web and thus many fish populations. At the same time, large-scale declines have been observed in many piscivorous seabirds, which depend on abundant small pelagic fish. Here, we combine predictions from a niche model of C. finmarchicus with long-term data on seabird breeding success to link trophic levels. The niche model shows that environmental suitability for C. finmarchicus has declined in southern areas with large breeding seabird populations (e.g. the North Sea), and predicts that this decline is likely to spread northwards during the 21st century to affect populations in Iceland and the Faroes. In a North Sea colony, breeding success of three common piscivorous seabird species [black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), common guillemot (Uria aalge) and Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica)] was strongly positively correlated with local environmental suitability for C. finmarchicus, whereas this was not the case at a more northerly colony in west Norway. Large seabird populations seem only to occur where C. finmarchicus is abundant, and northward distributional shifts of common boreal seabirds are therefore expected over the coming decades. Whether or not population size can be maintained depends on the dispersal ability and inclination of these colonial breeders, and on the carrying capacity of more northerly areas in a warmer climate.
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McQuatters-Gollop A. Challenges for implementing the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in a climate of macroecological change. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2012; 370:5636-55. [PMID: 23129715 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2012.0401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Unprecedented basin-scale ecological changes are occurring in our seas. As temperature and carbon dioxide concentrations increase, the extent of sea ice is decreasing, stratification and nutrient regimes are changing and pH is decreasing. These unparalleled changes present new challenges for managing our seas, as we are only just beginning to understand the ecological manifestations of these climate alterations. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive requires all European Member States to achieve good environmental status (GES) in their seas by 2020; this means management towards GES will take place against a background of climate-driven macroecological change. Each Member State must set environmental targets to achieve GES; however, in order to do so, an understanding of large-scale ecological change in the marine ecosystem is necessary. Much of our knowledge of macroecological change in the North Atlantic is a result of research using data gathered by the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) survey, a near-surface plankton monitoring programme that has been sampling in the North Atlantic since 1931. CPR data indicate that North Atlantic and North Sea plankton dynamics are responding to both climate and human-induced changes, presenting challenges to the development of pelagic targets for achievement of GES in European Seas. Thus, the continuation of long-term ecological time series such as the CPR survey is crucial for informing and supporting the sustainable management of European seas through policy mechanisms.
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Fort J, Beaugrand G, Grémillet D, Phillips RA. Biologging, remotely-sensed oceanography and the continuous plankton recorder reveal the environmental determinants of a seabird wintering hotspot. PLoS One 2012; 7:e41194. [PMID: 22815967 PMCID: PMC3399871 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2012] [Accepted: 06/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine environments are greatly affected by climate change, and understanding how this perturbation affects marine vertebrates is a major issue. In this context, it is essential to identify the environmental drivers of animal distribution. Here, we focused on the little auk (Alle alle), one of the world’s most numerous seabirds and a major component in Arctic food webs. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we show how little auks adopt specific migratory strategies and balance environmental constraints to optimize their energy budgets. Miniature electronic loggers indicate that after breeding, birds from East Greenland migrate >2000 km to overwinter in a restricted area off Newfoundland. Synoptic data available from the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) indicate that this region harbours some of the highest densities of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus found in the North Atlantic during winter. Examination of large-scale climatic and oceanographic data suggests that little auks favour patches of high copepod abundance in areas where air temperature ranges from 0°C to 5°C. These results greatly advance our understanding of animal responses to extreme environmental constraints, and highlight that information on habitat preference is key to identifying critical areas for marine conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Fort
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark.
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Luczak C, Beaugrand G, Lindley JA, Dewarumez JM, Dubois PJ, Kirby RR. North Sea ecosystem change from swimming crabs to seagulls. Biol Lett 2012; 8:821-4. [PMID: 22764111 PMCID: PMC3441004 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A recent increase in sea temperature has established a new ecosystem dynamic regime in the North Sea. Climate-induced changes in decapods have played an important role. Here, we reveal a coincident increase in the abundance of swimming crabs and lesser black-backed gull colonies in the North Sea, both in time and in space. Swimming crabs are an important food source for lesser black-backed gulls during the breeding season. Inhabiting the land, but feeding mainly at sea, lesser black-backed gulls provide a link between marine and terrestrial ecosystems, since the bottom-up influence of allochthonous nutrient input from seabirds to coastal soils can structure the terrestrial food web. We, therefore, suggest that climate-driven changes in trophic interactions in the marine food web may also have ensuing ramifications for the coastal ecology of the North Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Luczak
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LOG UMR 8187, Université Lille 1, France
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Lehmer EM, Korb J, Bombaci S, McLean N, Ghachu J, Hart L, Kelly A, Jara-Molinar E, O'Brien C, Wright K. The interplay of plant and animal disease in a changing landscape: the role of sudden aspen decline in moderating Sin Nombre virus prevalence in natural deer mouse populations. ECOHEALTH 2012; 9:205-216. [PMID: 22526751 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-012-0765-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2011] [Revised: 03/07/2012] [Accepted: 03/31/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
We examined how climate-mediated forest dieback regulates zoonotic disease prevalence using the relationship between sudden aspen decline (SAD) and Sin Nombre virus (SNV) as a model system. We compared understory plant community structure, small mammal community composition, and SNV prevalence on 12 study sites within aspen forests experiencing levels of SAD ranging from <10.0% crown fade to >95.0% crown fade. Our results show that sites with the highest levels of SAD had reduced canopy cover, stand density, and basal area, and these differences were reflected by reductions in understory vegetation cover. Conversely, sites with the highest levels of SAD had greater understory standing biomass, suggesting that vegetation on these sites was highly clustered. Changes in forest and understory vegetation structure likely resulted in shifts in small mammal community composition across the SAD gradient, as we found reduced species diversity and higher densities of deer mice, the primary host for SNV, on sites with the highest levels of SAD. Sites with the highest levels of SAD also had significantly greater SNV prevalence compared to sites with lower levels of SAD, which is likely a result of their abundance of deer mice. Collectively, results of our research provide strong evidence to show SAD has considerable impacts on vegetation community structure, small mammal density and biodiversity and the prevalence of SNV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin M Lehmer
- Department of Biology, Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO 81301, USA.
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Three decades of high-resolution coastal sea surface temperatures reveal more than warming. Nat Commun 2012; 3:704. [PMID: 22426225 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2011] [Accepted: 01/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding and forecasting current and future consequences of coastal warming require a fine-scale assessment of the near-shore temperature changes. Here we show that despite the fact that 71% of the world's coastlines are significantly warming, rates of change have been highly heterogeneous both spatially and seasonally. We demonstrate that 46% of the coastlines have experienced a significant decrease in the frequency of extremely cold events, while extremely hot days are becoming more common in 38% of the area. Also, we show that the onset of the warm season is significantly advancing earlier in the year in 36% of the temperate coastal regions. More importantly, it is now possible to analyse local patterns within the global context, which is useful for a broad array of scientific fields, policy makers and general public.
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50
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Climate Change and Human Health: A One Health Approach. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-662-45791-7_274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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