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Earp HS, Smale DA, Almond PM, Catherall HJN, Gouraguine A, Wilding C, Moore PJ. Temporal variation in the structure, abundance, and composition of Laminaria hyperborea forests and their associated understorey assemblages over an intense storm season. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 200:106652. [PMID: 39088885 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/03/2024]
Abstract
Kelp species function as important foundation organisms in coastal marine ecosystems where they provide biogenic habitat and ameliorate environmental conditions, often facilitating the development of diverse understorey assemblages. The structure of kelp forests is influenced by a variety of environmental factors, changes in which can result in profound shifts in ecological structure and functioning. Intense storm-induced wave action in particular, can severely impact kelp forest ecosystems. Given that storms are anticipated to increase in frequency and intensity in response to anthropogenic climate change, it is critical to understand their potential impacts on kelp forest ecosystems. During the 2021/22 northeast Atlantic storm season, the United Kingdom (UK) was subject to several intense storms, of which the first and most severe was Storm Arwen. Due to the unusual northerly wind direction, the greatest impacts of Storm Arwen were felt along the northeast coast of the UK where wind gusts exceeded 90 km/h, and inshore significant wave heights of 7.2 m and wave periods of 9.3 s were recorded. Here, we investigated temporal and spatial variation in the structure of L. hyperborea forests and associated understorey assemblages along the northeast coast of the UK over the 2021/22 storm season. We found significant changes in the cover, density, length, biomass, and age structure of L. hyperborea populations and the composition of understorey assemblages following the storm season, particularly at our most north facing site. We suggest continuous monitoring of these systems to further our understanding of temporal variation and potential recovery trajectories, alongside enhanced management to promote resilience to future perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah S Earp
- Department of Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DA, UK; The Dove Marine Laboratory, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK; Institute of Marine Research, 4817 His, Norway.
| | - Dan A Smale
- The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
| | - Peter M Almond
- The Dove Marine Laboratory, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Harry J N Catherall
- The Dove Marine Laboratory, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Adam Gouraguine
- The Dove Marine Laboratory, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Catherine Wilding
- The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
| | - Pippa J Moore
- The Dove Marine Laboratory, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
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Jasim SA, Jabr HS, Karim YS, Supaeva A, Kadhim AJ, Jabbar AH, Yasin G, Jalil AT, Mustafa YF. Fouling resistance investigations of seaweed products. BRAZ J BIOL 2024; 84:e263386. [DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.263386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract Any solid, unprotected, and undefended surface in the aquatic environment will be fouled. Fouling, on the other hand, can affect a wide range of species that can tolerate some epibiosis. Several others, on the other hand, aggressively keep the epibionts off their body surface (antifouling). Antifouling defenses are built into marine plants like seaweed and seagrass. They do have a distinctive surface structure with tightly packed needle-like peaks and antifouling coverings, which may hinder settling bacteria's ability to cling. Chemical antifouling resistance is most probably a biological reaction to epibiosis' ecological drawbacks, especially for organisms capable of performing photosynthesis. The goal of this study was to see how effective natural compounds derived from littoral seaweeds were in preventing fouling. The brown mussel, an important fouling organism, was evaluated in laboratory bioassays against fifty-one populations' crude organic extracts including fort-two macroalgae species. Antifouling activity, exhibited a distinct phylogenetic pattern, with red macroalgae having the largest share of active species, subsequently brown macroalgae. Antifouling action in green seaweeds has never been significant. Seven species showed some level of induced antifouling defense. Our findings appear to back up previous findings about secondary metabolite synthesis in seaweeds, indicating that in the hunt for novel antifoulants, researchers should concentrate their efforts on tropical red macroalgae.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Y. S. Karim
- Al-Manara College for Medical Sciences, Iraq
| | - A. Supaeva
- Tashkent State Pedagogical University named after Nizami, Uzbekistan
| | | | | | - G. Yasin
- Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Pakistan
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King NG, Uribe R, Moore PJ, Earp HS, Gouraguine A, Hinostroza D, Perez-Matus A, Smith K, Smale DA. Multiscale Spatial Variability and Stability in the Structure and Diversity of Bacterial Communities Associated with the Kelp Eisenia cokeri in Peru. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 86:2574-2582. [PMID: 37415044 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02262-2] [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: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Ecological communities are structured by a range of processes that operate over a range of spatial scales. While our understanding of such biodiversity patterns in macro-communities is well studied, our understanding at the microbial level is still lacking. Bacteria can be free living or associated with host eukaryotes, forming part of a wider "microbiome," which is fundamental for host performance and health. For habitat forming foundation-species, host-bacteria relationships likely play disproportionate roles in mediating processes for the wider ecosystem. Here, we describe host-bacteria communities across multiple spatial scales (i.e., from 10s of m to 100s of km) in the understudied kelp, Eisenia cokeri, in Peru. We found that E. cokeri supports a distinct bacterial community compared to the surrounding seawater, but the structure of these communities varied markedly at the regional (~480 km), site (1-10 km), and individual (10s of m) scale. The marked regional-scale differences we observed may be driven by a range of processes, including temperature, upwelling intensity, or regional connectivity patterns. However, despite this variability, we observed consistency in the form of a persistent core community at the genus level. Here, the genera Arenicella, Blastopirellula, Granulosicoccus, and Litorimonas were found in >80% of samples and comprised ~53% of total sample abundance. These genera have been documented within bacterial communities associated with kelps and other seaweed species from around the world and may be important for host function and wider ecosystem health in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan G King
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK.
| | - Roberto Uribe
- Área de Macroalgas y Biodiversidad, Instituto del Mar del Perú - IMARPE, av. La Ribera # 805, Huanchaco, La Libertad, Perú
| | - Pippa J Moore
- Dove Marine Laboratory, Newcastle University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Hannah S Earp
- Dove Marine Laboratory, Newcastle University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
- Department of Life Science, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DA, UK
| | - Adam Gouraguine
- Dove Marine Laboratory, Newcastle University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Diego Hinostroza
- Programa de Maestría en Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Alejandro Perez-Matus
- Subtidal Ecology Laboratory (Subelab), Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas (ECIM), Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114, -D, Santiago, Chile
| | - Kathryn Smith
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
| | - Dan A Smale
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
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Corrigan S, Brown AR, Tyler CR, Wilding C, Daniels C, Ashton IGC, Smale DA. Development and Diversity of Epibiont Assemblages on Cultivated Sugar Kelp ( Saccharina latissima) in Relation to Farming Schedules and Harvesting Techniques. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13010209. [PMID: 36676158 PMCID: PMC9865293 DOI: 10.3390/life13010209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Seaweed farming in Europe is growing and may provide environmental benefits, including habitat provisioning, coastal protection, and bioremediation. Habitat provisioning by seaweed farms remains largely unquantified, with previous research focused primarily on the detrimental effects of epibionts, rather than their roles in ecological functioning and ecosystem service provision. We monitored the development and diversity of epibiont assemblages on cultivated sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) at a farm in Cornwall, southwest UK, and compared the effects of different harvesting techniques on epibiont assemblage structure. Increases in epibiont abundance (PERMANOVA, F4,25 = 100.56, p < 0.001) and diversity (PERMANOVA, F4,25 = 27.25, p < 0.001) were found on cultivated kelps over and beyond the growing season, reaching an average abundance of >6000 individuals per kelp plant with a taxonomic richness of ~9 phyla per kelp by late summer (August). Assemblages were dominated by crustaceans (mainly amphipods), molluscs (principally bivalves) and bryozoans, which provide important ecological roles, despite reducing crop quality. Partial harvesting techniques maintained, or increased, epibiont abundance and diversity beyond the farming season; however, these kelp plants were significantly fouled and would not be commercially viable in most markets. This paper improves understanding of epibiont assemblage development at European kelp farms, which can inform sustainable, ecosystem-based approaches to aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Corrigan
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
- Sustainable Aquaculture Futures, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
- Correspondence: (S.C.); (D.A.S.)
| | - A. Ross Brown
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
- Sustainable Aquaculture Futures, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Charles R. Tyler
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
- Sustainable Aquaculture Futures, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Catherine Wilding
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
| | - Carly Daniels
- College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Ian G. C. Ashton
- College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Dan A. Smale
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
- Correspondence: (S.C.); (D.A.S.)
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Hurd CL, Law CS, Bach LT, Britton D, Hovenden M, Paine ER, Raven JA, Tamsitt V, Boyd PW. Forensic carbon accounting: Assessing the role of seaweeds for carbon sequestration. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2022; 58:347-363. [PMID: 35286717 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Carbon sequestration is defined as the secure storage of carbon-containing molecules for >100 years, and in the context of carbon dioxide removal for climate mitigation, the origin of this CO2 is from the atmosphere. On land, trees globally sequester substantial amounts of carbon in woody biomass, and an analogous role for seaweeds in ocean carbon sequestration has been suggested. The purposeful expansion of natural seaweed beds and aquaculture systems, including into the open ocean (ocean afforestation), has been proposed as a method of increasing carbon sequestration and use in carbon trading and offset schemes. However, to verify whether CO2 fixed by seaweeds through photosynthesis leads to carbon sequestration is extremely complex in the marine environment compared to terrestrial systems, because of the need to jointly consider: the comparatively rapid turnover of seaweed biomass, tracing the fate of carbon via particulate and dissolved organic carbon pathways in dynamic coastal waters, and the key role of atmosphere-ocean CO2 exchange. We propose a Forensic Carbon Accounting approach, in which a thorough analysis of carbon flows between the atmosphere and ocean, and into and out of seaweeds would be undertaken, for assessing the magnitude of CO2 removal and robust attribution of carbon sequestration to seaweeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catriona L Hurd
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
| | - Cliff S Law
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, 6021, New Zealand
- Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
| | - Lennart T Bach
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
| | - Damon Britton
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
| | - Mark Hovenden
- Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
| | - Ellie R Paine
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
| | - John A Raven
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee at the James Hutton Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology, Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
- School of Biological Science, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Veronica Tamsitt
- University of South Florida College of Marine Science, 830 1st St S, St Petersburg, Florida, 33701, USA
- Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Philip W Boyd
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
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The Incredible and Sad Story of Boca de Cachón: How a Rural Community in the Hispaniola Is in a Prolonged, Heartless, and Predictable Climate Crisis. CLIMATE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/cli9120182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This article aims to briefly review the socio-economic impact caused by the flooding of Lake Enriquillo on the inhabitants of Boca Cachón due to the complex local phenomenon related to climate variability. Between 2003 and 2014, Boca de Cachón and the communities surrounding Lake Enriquillo were deeply affected by flooding of the Lake’s rising waters. Lake Enriquillo is the largest wetland in the Caribbean and the first designated RAMSAR site. In turn, Boca de Cachón could be considered the first human settlement formally displaced because of climate variability in the Dominican Republic and probably one of the first in the Americas in the twenty-first century. Boca de Cachón is a rural Municipal District located to the northwest of the municipality of Jimaní, with a population of around 3000 inhabitants on the southwest border with the Republic of Haiti and located in the Biosphere Reserve Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo. Given the future climatic scenarios for the Dominican Republic and the possible climate change that could exacerbate by excess or, by default, the socio-environmental problems in the Lake’s belt, it is necessary to support the communities in their capacity-building processes. The lessons learned from Boca de Cachón can serve as a learning space for adaptation processes in rural environments in the Caribbean region.
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Vale CG, Arenas F, Barreiro R, Piñeiro‐Corbeira C. Understanding the local drivers of beta‐diversity patterns under climate change: The case of seaweed communities in Galicia, North West of the Iberian Peninsula. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cândida Gomes Vale
- CIIMARCentro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental Matosinhos Portugal
| | - Francisco Arenas
- CIIMARCentro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental Matosinhos Portugal
| | - Rodolfo Barreiro
- BioCost Research Group Facultad de Ciencias and Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Avanzadas (CICA)Universidad de A Coruña A Coruña Spain
| | - Cristina Piñeiro‐Corbeira
- BioCost Research Group Facultad de Ciencias and Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Avanzadas (CICA)Universidad de A Coruña A Coruña Spain
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