1
|
Ullah H, Fordham DA, Nagelkerken I. Climate change negates positive CO 2 effects on marine species biomass and productivity by altering the strength and direction of trophic interactions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 801:149624. [PMID: 34419906 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
One of the biggest challenges in more accurately forecasting the effects of climate change on future food web dynamics relates to how climate change affects multi-trophic species interactions, particularly when multiple interacting stressors are considered. Using a dynamic food web model, we investigate the individual and combined effect of ocean warming and acidification on changes in trophic interaction strengths (both direct and indirect) and the consequent effects on biomass structure of food web functional groups. To do this, we mimicked a species-rich multi-trophic-level temperate shallow-water rocky reef food web and integrated empirical data from mesocosm experiments on altered species interactions under warming and acidification, into food-web models. We show that a low number of strong temperature-driven changes in direct trophic interactions (feeding and competition) will largely determine the magnitude of biomass change (either increase or decrease) of high-order consumers, with increasing consumer biomass suppressing that of prey species. Ocean acidification, in contrast, alters a large number of weak indirect interactions (e.g. cascading effects of increased or decreased abundances of other groups), enabling a large increase in consumer and prey biomass. The positive effects of ocean acidification are driven by boosted primary productivity, with energy flowing up to higher trophic levels. We show that warming is a much stronger driver of positive as well as negative modifications of species biomass compared to ocean acidification. Warming affects a much smaller number of existing trophic interactions, though, with direct consumer-resource effects being more important than indirect effects. We conclude that the functional role of consumers in future food webs will be largely regulated by alterations in the strength of direct trophic interactions under ocean warming, with ensuing effects on the biomass structure of marine food webs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hadayet Ullah
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and the Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Damien A Fordham
- School of Biological Sciences and the Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Ivan Nagelkerken
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and the Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia; School of Biological Sciences and the Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Blanar CA, Hornbeck JR, Kerstetter DW, Hirons AC. Stable isotopes and community surveys reveal differential use of artificial and natural reefs by South Florida fishes. Heliyon 2021; 7:e07413. [PMID: 34286118 PMCID: PMC8273218 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Artificial reefs may enhance the biological production of reef-associated flora and fauna, but their trophic structure relative to that of natural reefs remains understudied. We assessed trophic relationships by 1) comparing reef fish communities and 2) comparing δ13C and δ15N in 43 fish species from both artificial reef sites and adjacent natural reef tracts in Broward County, Florida. We tested the effect of sampling location (artificial, first, and second reef), general feeding strategy (herbivore, omnivore, invertivore, and carnivore), phylogeny, and standard length on δ13C and δ15N. The reef fish communities of the artificial and natural reef tracts were significantly different; the artificial sites also exhibited more variability. For all samples, δ13C and δ15N ranged from -19.5 to -13.1‰ and 6.7–13.3‰, respectively. Significant effects were detected for both general feeding strategy and phylogeny. Significant differences were also seen in δ13C and δ15N profiles between artificial and natural reefs; however, these changes were primarily driven by differences in fish community structure, rather than by changes in the feeding strategy or trophic relationships of individual fish taxa. The trophic guild invertivore was the only group of fish to demonstrate significant isotopic differences between both reef tracts (inner and outer) and reef types (artificial and natural). The artificial reef may act more as a foraging corridor between the natural first and second reef tracts for omnivores and carnivores. If the function of artificial reefs is to provide additional foraging habitat for fishes, then perhaps more time is needed for the trophically important, infaunal invertebrate community to develop similarly to the natural reef environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Blanar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, 3301 College Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314 USA
| | - Joseph R Hornbeck
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL 33004 USA
| | - David W Kerstetter
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL 33004 USA
| | - Amy C Hirons
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL 33004 USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
McCormick MI, Chivers DP, Ferrari MCO, Blandford MI, Nanninga GB, Richardson C, Fakan EP, Vamvounis G, Gulizia AM, Allan BJM. Microplastic exposure interacts with habitat degradation to affect behaviour and survival of juvenile fish in the field. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201947. [PMID: 33109008 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are degrading globally due to increased environmental stressors including warming and elevated levels of pollutants. These stressors affect not only habitat-forming organisms, such as corals, but they may also directly affect the organisms that inhabit these ecosystems. Here, we explore how the dual threat of habitat degradation and microplastic exposure may affect the behaviour and survival of coral reef fish in the field. Fish were caught prior to settlement and pulse-fed polystyrene microplastics six times over 4 days, then placed in the field on live or dead-degraded coral patches. Exposure to microplastics or dead coral led fish to be bolder, more active and stray further from shelter compared to control fish. Effect sizes indicated that plastic exposure had a greater effect on behaviour than degraded habitat, and we found no evidence of synergistic effects. This pattern was also displayed in their survival in the field. Our results highlight that attaining low concentrations of microplastic in the environment will be a useful management strategy, since minimizing microplastic intake by fishes may work concurrently with reef restoration strategies to enhance the resilience of coral reef populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark I McCormick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, 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 S7 W 5B4, Canada
| | - Makeely I Blandford
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Gerrit B Nanninga
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Celia Richardson
- Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Eric P Fakan
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - George Vamvounis
- College of Sciences and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Alexandra M Gulizia
- College of Sciences and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Bridie J M Allan
- Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ferrari MCO, McCormick MI, Fakan E, Barry R, Chivers DP. The fading of fear effects due to coral degradation is modulated by community composition. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maud C. O. Ferrari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences WCVMUniversity of Saskatchewan Saskatoon SK Canada
| | - Mark I. McCormick
- Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture James Cook University Townsville QLD Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville QLD Australia
| | - Eric Fakan
- Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture James Cook University Townsville QLD Australia
| | - Randall Barry
- Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture James Cook University Townsville QLD Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Habitat degradation and predators have independent trait-mediated effects on prey. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15705. [PMID: 31673067 PMCID: PMC6823502 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51798-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are degrading globally leading to a catastrophic loss of biodiversity. While shifts in the species composition of communities have been well documented associated with habitat change, the mechanisms that underlie change are often poorly understood. Our study experimentally examines the effects of coral degradation on the trait-mediated effects of predators on the morphology, behaviour and performance of a juvenile coral reef fish. Juvenile damselfish were exposed to predators or controls (omnivore or nothing) in seawater that had flowed over either live or dead-degraded coral over a 45d period. No interaction between water source and predator exposure was found. However, fish exposed to degraded water had larger false eyespots relative to the size of their true eyes, and were more active, both of which may lead to a survival advantage. Non-consumptive effects of predators on prey occurred regardless of water source and included longer and deeper bodies, large false eyespots that may distract predator strikes away from the vulnerable head region, and shorter latencies in their response to a simulated predator strike. Research underscores that phenotypic plasticity may assist fishes in coping with habitat degradation and promote greater resilience to habitat change than may otherwise be predicted.
Collapse
|
6
|
Ferrari MCO, McCormick MI, Meekan MG, Simpson SD, Nedelec SL, Chivers DP. School is out on noisy reefs: the effect of boat noise on predator learning and survival of juvenile coral reef fishes. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 285:rspb.2018.0033. [PMID: 29386370 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Noise produced by anthropogenic activities is increasing in many marine ecosystems. We investigated the effect of playback of boat noise on fish cognition. We focused on noise from small motorboats, since its occurrence can dominate soundscapes in coastal communities, the number of noise-producing vessels is increasing rapidly and their proximity to marine life has the potential to cause deleterious effects. Cognition-or the ability of individuals to learn and remember information-is crucial, given that most species rely on learning to achieve fitness-promoting tasks, such as finding food, choosing mates and recognizing predators. The caveat with cognition is its latent effect: the individual that fails to learn an important piece of information will live normally until the moment where it needs the information to make a fitness-related decision. Such latent effects can easily be overlooked by traditional risk assessment methods. Here, we conducted three experiments to assess the effect of boat noise playbacks on the ability of fish to learn to recognize predation threats, using a common, conserved learning paradigm. We found that fish that were trained to recognize a novel predator while being exposed to 'reef + boat noise' playbacks failed to subsequently respond to the predator, while their 'reef noise' counterparts responded appropriately. We repeated the training, giving the fish three opportunities to learn three common reef predators, and released the fish in the wild. Those trained in the presence of 'reef + boat noise' playbacks survived 40% less than the 'reef noise' controls over our 72 h monitoring period, a performance equal to that of predator-naive fish. Our last experiment indicated that these results were likely due to failed learning, as opposed to stress effects from the sound exposure. Neither playbacks nor real boat noise affected survival in the absence of predator training. Our results indicate that boat noise has the potential to cause latent effects on learning long after the stressor has gone.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maud C O Ferrari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Mark I McCormick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Mark G Meekan
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, c/o UWA OI (MO96), 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Stephen D Simpson
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Sophie L Nedelec
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Douglas P Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Loss of live coral compromises predator-avoidance behaviour in coral reef damselfish. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7795. [PMID: 29773843 PMCID: PMC5958076 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26090-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical reefs have experienced an unprecedented loss of live coral in the past few decades and the biodiversity of coral-dependent species is under threat. Many reef fish species decline in abundance as coral cover is lost, yet the mechanisms responsible for these losses are largely unknown. A commonly hypothesised cause of fish decline is the loss of shelter space between branches as dead corals become overgrown by algae. Here we tested this hypothesis by quantifying changes in predator-avoidance behaviour of a common damselfish, Pomacentrus moluccensis, before and after the death of their coral colony. Groups of P. moluccensis were placed on either healthy or degraded coral colonies, startled using a visual stimulus and their sheltering responses compared over a 7-week period. P. moluccensis stopped sheltering amongst the coral branches immediately following the death of the coral, despite the presence of ample shelter space. Instead, most individuals swam away from the dead coral, potentially increasing their exposure to predators. It appears that the presence of live coral rather than shelter per se is the necessary cue that elicits the appropriate behavioural response to potential predators. The disruption of this link poses an immediate threat to coral-associated fishes on degrading reefs.
Collapse
|
8
|
Pratchett MS, Thompson CA, Hoey AS, Cowman PF, Wilson SK. Effects of Coral Bleaching and Coral Loss on the Structure and Function of Reef Fish Assemblages. ECOLOGICAL STUDIES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-75393-5_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
|
9
|
McCormick MI, Barry RP, Allan BJM. Algae associated with coral degradation affects risk assessment in coral reef fishes. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16937. [PMID: 29208978 PMCID: PMC5717098 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17197-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Habitat degradation alters the chemical landscape through which information about community dynamics is transmitted. Olfactory information is crucial for risk assessment in aquatic organisms as predators release odours when they capture prey that lead to an alarm response in conspecific prey. Recent studies show some coral reef fishes are unable to use alarm odours when surrounded by dead-degraded coral. Our study examines the spatial and temporal dynamics of this alarm odour-nullifying effect, and which substratum types may be responsible. Field experiments showed that settlement-stage damselfish were not able to detect alarm odours within 2 m downcurrent of degraded coral, and that the antipredator response was re-established 20-40 min after transferral to live coral. Laboratory experiments indicate that the chemicals from common components of the degraded habitats, the cyanobacteria, Okeania sp., and diatom, Pseudo-nitzschia sp.prevented an alarm odour response. The same nullifying effect was found for the common red algae, Galaxauria robusta, suggesting that the problem is of a broader nature than previously realised. Those fish species best able to compensate for a lack of olfactory risk information at key times will be those potentially most resilient to the effects of coral degradation that operate through this mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark I McCormick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.
| | - Randall P Barry
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
| | - Bridie J M Allan
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
- Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Ferrari MCO, McCormick MI, Allan BJM, Chivers DP. Not equal in the face of habitat change: closely related fishes differ in their ability to use predation-related information in degraded coral. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:rspb.2016.2758. [PMID: 28404773 PMCID: PMC5394659 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are biodiversity hotpots that are under significant threat due to the degradation and death of hard corals. When obligate coral-dwelling species die, the remaining species must either move or adjust to the altered conditions. Our goal was to investigate the effect of coral degradation on the ability of coral reef fishes to assess their risk of predation using alarm cues from injured conspecifics. Here, we tested the ability of six closely related species of juvenile damselfish (Pomacentridae) to respond to risk cues in both live coral or dead-degraded coral environments. Of those six species, two are exclusively associated with live coral habitats, two are found mostly on dead-degraded coral rubble, while the last two are found in both habitat types. We found that the two live coral associates failed to respond appropriately to the cues in water from degraded habitats. In contrast, the cue response of the two rubble associates was unaffected in the same degraded habitat. Interestingly, we observed a mixed response from the species found in both habitat types, with one species displaying an appropriate cue response while the other did not. Our second experiment suggested that the lack of responses stemmed from deactivation of the alarm cues, rather than the inability of the species to smell. Habitat preference (live coral versus dead coral associates) and phylogeny are good candidates for future work aimed at predicting which species are affected by coral degradation. Our results point towards a surprising level of variation in the ability of congeneric species to fare in altered habitats and hence underscores the difficulty of predicting community change in degraded habitats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maud C O Ferrari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Mark I McCormick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and Discipline of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bridie J M Allan
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and Discipline of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Douglas P Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
McCormick MI, Lönnstedt OM. Disrupted learning: habitat degradation impairs crucial antipredator responses in naive prey. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.0441. [PMID: 27170715 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat degradation is a global problem and one of the main causes of biodiversity loss. Though widespread, the mechanisms that underlie faunal changes are poorly understood. In tropical marine systems, corals play a crucial role in forming habitat, but coral cover on many reefs is declining sharply. Coral degradation affects the olfactory cues that provide reliable information on the presence and intensity of threat. Here, we show for the first time that the ability of a habitat generalist to learn predators using an efficient and widespread method of predator learning is compromised in degraded coral habitats. Results indicate that chemical alarm cues are no longer indicative of a local threat for the habitat generalist (the damselfish, Pomacentrus amboinensis), and these cues can no longer be used to learn the identity of novel predators in degraded habitats. By contrast, a rubble specialist and congeneric (Pomacentrus coelestis) responded to olfactory threat cues regardless of background environment and could learn the identity of a novel predator using chemical alarm cues. Understanding how some species can cope with or acclimate to the detrimental impacts of habitat degradation on risk assessment abilities will be crucial to defining the scope of resilience in threatened communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark I McCormick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Oona M Lönnstedt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Natt M, Lönnstedt OM, McCormick MI. Coral reef fish predator maintains olfactory acuity in degraded coral habitats. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0179300. [PMID: 28658295 PMCID: PMC5489151 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs around the world are rapidly degrading due to a range of environmental stressors. Habitat degradation modifies the sensory landscape within which predator-prey interactions occur, with implications for olfactory-mediated behaviours. Predator naïve settlement-stage damselfish rely on conspecific damage-released odours (i.e., alarm odours) to inform risk assessments. Yet, species such as the Ambon damselfish, Pomacentrus amboinensis, become unable to respond appropriately to these cues when living in dead-degraded coral habitats, leading to increased mortality through loss of vigilance. Reef fish predators also rely on odours from damaged prey to locate, assess prey quality and engage in prey-stealing, but it is unknown whether their responses are also modified by the change to dead-degraded coral habitats. Implications for prey clearly depend on how their predatory counterparts are affected, therefore the present study tested whether olfactory-mediated foraging responses in the dusky dottyback, Pseudochromis fuscus, a common predator of P. amboinensis, were similarly affected by coral degradation. A y-maze was used to measure the ability of Ps. fuscus to detect and move towards odours, against different background water sources. Ps. fuscus were exposed to damage-released odours from juvenile P. amboinensis, or a control cue of seawater, against a background of seawater treated with either healthy or dead-degraded hard coral. Predators exhibited an increased time allocation to the chambers of y-mazes injected with damage-released odours, with comparable levels of response in both healthy and dead-degraded coral treated waters. In control treatments, where damage-released odours were replaced with a control seawater cue, fish showed no increased preference for either chamber of the y-maze. Our results suggest that olfactory-mediated foraging behaviours may persist in Ps. fuscus within dead-degraded coral habitats. Ps. fuscus may consequently gain a sensory advantage over P. amboinensis, potentially altering the outcome of predator-prey interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Natt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Oona M. Lönnstedt
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mark I. McCormick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
McCormick MI, Allan BJM. Interspecific differences in how habitat degradation affects escape response. Sci Rep 2017; 7:426. [PMID: 28348362 PMCID: PMC5428724 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00521-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Degradation of habitats is widespread and a leading cause of extinctions. Our study determined whether the change in the chemical landscape associated with coral degradation affected the way three fish species use olfactory information to optimize their fast-start escape response. Water from degraded coral habitats affected the fast-start response of the three closely-related damselfishes, but its effect differed markedly among species. The Ward's damselfish (Pomacentrus wardi) was most affected by water from degraded coral, and displayed shorter distances covered in the fast-start and slower escape speeds compared to fish in water from healthy coral. In the presence of alarm odours, which indicate an imminent threat, the Ambon damsel (P. amboinensis) displayed enhanced fast-start performance in water from healthy coral, but not when in water from degraded coral. In contrast, while the white-tailed damsel (P. chrysurus) was similarly primed by its alarm odour, the elevation of fast start performance was not altered by water from degraded coral. These species-specific responses to the chemistry of degraded water and alarm odours suggest differences in the way alarm odours interact with the chemical landscape, and differences in the way species balance information about threats, with likely impacts on the survival of affected species in degraded habitats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark I McCormick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.
| | - Bridie J M Allan
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
McCormick MI, Chivers DP, Allan BJM, Ferrari MCO. Habitat degradation disrupts neophobia in juvenile coral reef fish. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:719-727. [PMID: 27393344 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Habitat degradation not only disrupts habitat-forming species, but alters the sensory landscape within which most species must balance behavioural activities against predation risk. Rapidly developing a cautious behavioural phenotype, a condition known as neophobia, is advantageous when entering a novel risky habitat. Many aquatic organisms rely on damage-released conspecific cues (i.e. alarm cues) as an indicator of impending danger and use them to assess general risk and develop neophobia. This study tested whether settlement-stage damselfish associated with degraded coral reef habitats were able to use alarm cues as an indicator of risk and, in turn, develop a neophobic response at the end of their larval phase. Our results indicate that fish in live coral habitats that were exposed to alarm cues developed neophobia, and, in situ, were found to be more cautious, more closely associated with their coral shelters and survived four-times better than non-neophobic control fish. In contrast, fish that settled onto degraded coral habitats did not exhibit neophobia and consequently suffered much greater mortality on the reef, regardless of their history of exposure to alarm cues. Our results show that habitat degradation alters the efficacy of alarm cues with phenotypic and survival consequences for newly settled recruits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark I McCormick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
| | - Douglas P Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Bridie J M Allan
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
| | - Maud C O Ferrari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7W 5B4, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Brooker RM, Hay ME, Dixson DL. Chemically cued suppression of coral reef resilience: Where is the tipping point? CORAL REEFS (ONLINE) 2016; 35:1263-1270. [PMID: 28781576 PMCID: PMC5539962 DOI: 10.1007/s00338-016-1474-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Coral reefs worldwide are shifting from high-diversity, coral-dominated communities to low-diversity systems dominated by seaweeds. This shift can impact essential recovery processes such as larval recruitment and ecosystem resilience. Recent evidence suggests that chemical cues from certain corals attract, and from certain seaweeds suppress, recruitment of juvenile fishes, with loss of coral cover and increases in seaweed cover creating negative feedbacks that prevent reef recovery and sustain seaweed dominance. Unfortunately, the level of seaweed increase and coral decline that creates this chemically cued tipping point remains unknown, depriving managers of data-based targets to prevent damaging feedbacks. We conducted flume and field assays that suggest juvenile fishes sense and respond to cues produced by low levels of seaweed cover. However, the herbivore species we tested was more tolerant of degraded reef cues than non-herbivores, possibly providing some degree of resilience if these fishes recruit, consume macroalgae, and diminish negative cues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rohan M Brooker
- School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE 19958, USA
- School of Biology and Aquatic Chemical Ecology Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0230, USA
| | - Mark E Hay
- School of Biology and Aquatic Chemical Ecology Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0230, USA
| | - Danielle L Dixson
- School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE 19958, USA
- School of Biology and Aquatic Chemical Ecology Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0230, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Risk assessment and predator learning in a changing world: understanding the impacts of coral reef degradation. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32542. [PMID: 27611870 PMCID: PMC5017198 DOI: 10.1038/srep32542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Habitat degradation is among the top drivers of the loss of global biodiversity. This problem is particularly acute in coral reef system. Here we investigated whether coral degradation influences predator risk assessment and learning for damselfish. When in a live coral environment, Ambon damselfish were able to learn the identity of an unknown predator upon exposure to damselfish alarm cues combined with predator odour and were able to socially transmit this learned recognition to naïve conspecifics. However, in the presence of dead coral water, damselfish failed to learn to recognize the predator through alarm cue conditioning and hence could not transmit the information socially. Unlike alarm cues of Ambon damselfish that appear to be rendered unusable in degraded coral habitats, alarm cues of Nagasaki damselfish remain viable in this same environment. Nagasaki damselfish were able to learn predators through conditioning with alarm cues in degraded habitats and subsequently transmit the information socially to Ambon damselfish. Predator-prey dynamics may be profoundly affected as habitat degradation proceeds; the success of one species that appears to have compromised predation assessment and learning, may find itself reliant on other species that are seemingly unaffected by the same degree of habitat degradation.
Collapse
|
17
|
Vigil EM, Christianson KR, Lepak JM, Williams PJ. Temperature effects on hatching and viability of Juvenile Gill Lice, Salmincola californiensis. JOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES 2016; 39:899-905. [PMID: 26538200 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.12422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Revised: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/05/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Salmonids of the genus Oncorhynchus, distributed throughout the Pacific Rim, can be infected by the gill lice species Salmincola californiensis (Dana, 1852), which makes them one of the most broadly distributed gill lice species. Despite their broad distribution and valuable obligate salmonid hosts, relatively little is known about S. californiensis. We evaluated effects of temperature on timing of S. californiensis hatching and survival of copepodids, and provide information on brood size and variability. Our results suggest that temperature was a primary driver of timing of S. californiensis hatching and post-hatching survival. Prior to this study, the free-swimming stage of S. californiensis was reported to survive approximately 2 days without a suitable host. We observed active copepodids 13 days after hatch with some individuals from most (>90%) viable egg sacs at all temperature treatments surviving ≥5 days. Our findings indicate that warmer temperatures could increase development rates of gill lice at certain life stages, potentially increasing fecundity. This information coupled with predictions that warmer water temperatures could intensify crowding of coldwater fishes, stress, and parasite transmission suggests that climate change could exacerbate negative effects of S. californiensis on ecologically and economically important salmonids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E M Vigil
- Colorado Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - K R Christianson
- Aquatic Research, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - J M Lepak
- Aquatic Research, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - P J Williams
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Department of Statistics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Lönnstedt OM, Eklöv P. RETRACTED: Environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastic particles influence larval fish ecology. Science 2016; 352:1213-6. [PMID: 27257256 DOI: 10.1126/science.aad8828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The widespread occurrence and accumulation of plastic waste in the environment have become a growing global concern over the past decade. Although some marine organisms have been shown to ingest plastic, few studies have investigated the ecological effects of plastic waste on animals. Here we show that exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastic polystyrene particles (90 micrometers) inhibits hatching, decreases growth rates, and alters feeding preferences and innate behaviors of European perch (Perca fluviatilis) larvae. Furthermore, individuals exposed to microplastics do not respond to olfactory threat cues, which greatly increases predator-induced mortality rates. Our results demonstrate that microplastic particles operate both chemically and physically on larval fish performance and development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oona M Lönnstedt
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Peter Eklöv
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Nagelkerken I, Munday PL. Animal behaviour shapes the ecological effects of ocean acidification and warming: moving from individual to community-level responses. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2016; 22:974-89. [PMID: 26700211 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Biological communities are shaped by complex interactions between organisms and their environment as well as interactions with other species. Humans are rapidly changing the marine environment through increasing greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in ocean warming and acidification. The first response by animals to environmental change is predominantly through modification of their behaviour, which in turn affects species interactions and ecological processes. Yet, many climate change studies ignore animal behaviour. Furthermore, our current knowledge of how global change alters animal behaviour is mostly restricted to single species, life phases and stressors, leading to an incomplete view of how coinciding climate stressors can affect the ecological interactions that structure biological communities. Here, we first review studies on the effects of warming and acidification on the behaviour of marine animals. We demonstrate how pervasive the effects of global change are on a wide range of critical behaviours that determine the persistence of species and their success in ecological communities. We then evaluate several approaches to studying the ecological effects of warming and acidification, and identify knowledge gaps that need to be filled, to better understand how global change will affect marine populations and communities through altered animal behaviours. Our review provides a synthesis of the far-reaching consequences that behavioural changes could have for marine ecosystems in a rapidly changing environment. Without considering the pervasive effects of climate change on animal behaviour we will limit our ability to forecast the impacts of ocean change and provide insights that can aid management strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Nagelkerken
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, DX 650 418, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Philip L Munday
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
| |
Collapse
|