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Thyrring J, Harley CDG. Marine latitudinal diversity gradients are generally absent in intertidal ecosystems. Ecology 2024; 105:e4205. [PMID: 37947006 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Current latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) meta-analyses have failed to distinguish one of the most widespread marine habitats, the intertidal zone, as a separate system despite it having unique abiotic challenges and spatially compressed stress gradients that affect the distribution and abundance of resident species. We address this issue by revisiting published literature and datasets on LDGs since 1911 to explore LDG patterns and their strengths in intertidal benthic, subtidal benthic, and pelagic realms and discuss the importance of recognizing intertidal ecosystems as distinct. Rocky shorelines were the most studied intertidal ecosystem encompassing 64.2% of intertidal LDG studies, and 62.9% of studies focused on assemblage composition, while the remaining 37.1% of studies were taxa specific. While our analyses confirmed LDGs in subtidal benthic and pelagic realms, with a decrease in richness toward the poles, we found no consistent intertidal LDGs in any ocean or coastline across hemispheres or biodiversity unit. Analyzing intertidal and subtidal zones as separate systems increased the strength of subtidal benthic LDGs relative to analyses combining these systems. We demonstrate that in intertidal ecosystems across oceans in both hemispheres, a latitudinal decrease in species richness is not readily apparent, which stands in contrast with significant LDG patterns found in the subtidal realm. Intertidal habitat heterogeneity, regional environmental variability and biological interactions can create species-rich hot spots independent of latitude, which may functionally outweigh a typical latitudinal decline in species richness. Although previous work has shown weaker LDGs in benthic than pelagic systems, we demonstrate that this is caused by combining subtidal and intertidal benthic ecosystems into a single benthic category. Thus, we propose that subtidal and intertidal ecosystems cannot be combined into one entity as the physical and biological parameters controlling ecosystem processes are vastly different, even among intertidal ecosystems. Thus, the intertidal zone offers a unique model system in which hypotheses can be further tested to better understand the complex processes underlying LDGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Thyrring
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Ecoscience-Marine Ecology and Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Christopher D G Harley
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Serranito B, Diméglio T, Ysnel F, Lizé A, Feunteun E. Small- and large-scale processes including anthropogenic pressures as drivers of gastropod communities in the NE Atlantic coast: A citizen science based approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 816:151600. [PMID: 34774947 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151600] [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: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Rocky-shores are among the most threatened coastal habitats, particularly under human pressures. While rocky-shore communities have been increasingly used to evaluate local anthropogenic perturbations such as water eutrophication for instance, large-scale variability in relation to both natural and anthropogenic pressures is still overlooked. Here, using citizen science-based data, we applied a Random Forest modelling approach to assess the relative impact of both small-and large-scale processes (including natural and some anthropogenic pressures) on intertidal gastropod communities as well as taxa-specific gastropod abundances over more than 1000 km of the North-East Atlantic coast. Our model results demonstrate that small-scale conditions (i.e. within shore) are determinant in shaping gastropod communities. However, community responses are mainly driven by taxon-specific effects. Among large-scale predictors, high concentrations of inorganic nutrients and total suspended matter, as found in large river plumes, are the main drivers impacting the gastropod communities by depleting both taxon abundances and richness. According to models, the decline in abundance of the yet most prevalent taxa (Steromphala umbilicalis, Patella spp., S. pennanti and Phorcus lineatus) is expected to be between 65% and 85%, while Littorina littorea was the only taxon which may be favoured by high concentrations of inorganic nutrients and total suspended matter. Such results provide relevant insights in the context of ever-increasing needs for bioindicators of coastal ecosystems. Finally, this work sheds light on the value of a citizen science program resulting from a consultation between professional and citizen volunteers as a useful and efficient tool to investigate large-scale processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Serranito
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), Centre de Recherche et d'Enseignement sur les Systèmes Côtiers (CRESCO), Station Marine de Dinard, 38 rue du port blanc, 35800 Dinard, France.
| | - Tristan Diméglio
- Association Planète Mer, 137 avenue Clôt Bey, 13008 Marseille, France
| | - Frédéric Ysnel
- Université de Rennes 1, Unité Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA UMR 7208), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Université de Caen Normandie, Université desAntilles, CNRS, IRD, Campus de Beaulieu, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France
| | - Anne Lizé
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), Centre de Recherche et d'Enseignement sur les Systèmes Côtiers (CRESCO), Station Marine de Dinard, 38 rue du port blanc, 35800 Dinard, France; Unité Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA UMR 7208), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Université de Caen Normandie, Université desAntilles, CNRS, IRD, Station Marine de Dinard, 38 rue du port blanc, 35800 Dinard, France; Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Eric Feunteun
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), Centre de Recherche et d'Enseignement sur les Systèmes Côtiers (CRESCO), Station Marine de Dinard, 38 rue du port blanc, 35800 Dinard, France; Unité Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA UMR 7208), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Université de Caen Normandie, Université desAntilles, CNRS, IRD, Station Marine de Dinard, 38 rue du port blanc, 35800 Dinard, France
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Thyrring J, Peck LS. Global gradients in intertidal species richness and functional groups. eLife 2021; 10:64541. [PMID: 33739285 PMCID: PMC8032391 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether global latitudinal diversity gradients exist in rocky intertidal α-diversity and across functional groups remains unknown. Using literature data from 433 intertidal sites, we investigated α-diversity patterns across 155° of latitude, and whether local-scale or global-scale structuring processes control α-diversity. We, furthermore, investigated how the relative composition of functional groups changes with latitude. α-Diversity differed among hemispheres with a mid-latitudinal peak in the north, and a non-significant unimodal pattern in the south, but there was no support for a tropical-to-polar decrease in α-diversity. Although global-scale drivers had no discernible effect, the local-scale drivers significantly affected α-diversity, and our results reveal that latitudinal diversity gradients are outweighed by local processes. In contrast to α-diversity patterns, species richness of three functional groups (predators, grazers, and suspension feeders) declined with latitude, coinciding with an inverse gradient in algae. Polar and tropical intertidal data were sparse, and more sampling is required to improve knowledge of marine biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Thyrring
- British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Arctic Research Centre, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark.,Homerton College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Marine Ecology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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4
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Cárdenas-Calle M, Mora E, Torres G, Pérez-Correa J, Bigatti G, Signorelli J, Coronel J. Marine invertebrate and seaweed biodiversity of continental coastal Ecuador. Biodivers Data J 2020; 8:e53818. [PMID: 32831548 PMCID: PMC7410851 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.8.e53818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
This study summarises the diversity of living macroinvertebrates and seaweeds from the intertidal and subtidal rocky shores along Ecuadorian continental coast. Benthic macroinvertebrate communities and seaweeds were quantified over quadrants (50 × 50 cm) randomly placed on transects of 50 m length. A checklist of 612 species was generated: 479 species of macroinvertebrates and 133 species of seaweeds. Groups recorded were Mollusca (184 species), Cnidaria (70), Arthropoda (68), Annelida (60), Echinodermata (42), Chordata (18), Bryozoa (13), Porifera (22), Sipuncula (2), Brachiopoda and Platyhelminthes (only identified as morphotypes). The seaweeds were represented by Rhodophyta (78), Chlorophyta (37), Ochrophyta (13), Cyanobacteria (5) and 19 biotic complexes. Furthermore, 22 new taxa and six alien species were recorded from the intertidal zone. This study provides the first large scale report of benthic communities in different marine coastal ecosystems in mainland Ecuador, covering 1,478 km2 of protected areas and 382 km2 of non-protected areas. The highest benthic diversity was registered in the protected areas and rocky shores from the intertidal zone. The biological data, herein reported, are useful for a long-term monitoring programme to evaluate the status of conservation and to detect rapid changes in the benthic biodiversity from coastal areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maritza Cárdenas-Calle
- División Ambiental. Bioelite, Ecuador. Cdla. Bosques el Salado Mz 301 solar 2B frente a Ciudad Colón, Guayaquil, Ecuador División Ambiental. Bioelite, Ecuador. Cdla. Bosques el Salado Mz 301 solar 2B frente a Ciudad Colón Guayaquil Ecuador.,Universidad de Guayaquil, Ecuador. Ciudadela Universitaria, Guayaquil, Ecuador Universidad de Guayaquil, Ecuador. Ciudadela Universitaria Guayaquil Ecuador
| | - Elba Mora
- División Ambiental. Bioelite, Ecuador. Cdla. Bosques el Salado Mz 301 solar 2B frente a Ciudad Colón, Guayaquil, Ecuador División Ambiental. Bioelite, Ecuador. Cdla. Bosques el Salado Mz 301 solar 2B frente a Ciudad Colón Guayaquil Ecuador
| | - Genoveva Torres
- División Ambiental. Bioelite, Ecuador. Cdla. Bosques el Salado Mz 301 solar 2B frente a Ciudad Colón, Guayaquil, Ecuador División Ambiental. Bioelite, Ecuador. Cdla. Bosques el Salado Mz 301 solar 2B frente a Ciudad Colón Guayaquil Ecuador.,Universidad de Guayaquil, Ecuador. Ciudadela Universitaria "Salvador Allende", Av. Delta y Av. Kennedy, Guayaquil, Ecuador Universidad de Guayaquil, Ecuador. Ciudadela Universitaria "Salvador Allende", Av. Delta y Av. Kennedy Guayaquil Ecuador
| | - Julián Pérez-Correa
- Universidad Espíritu Santo, Ecuador. Km. 2.5 vía La Puntilla,, Samborondón, Ecuador Universidad Espíritu Santo, Ecuador. Km. 2.5 vía La Puntilla, Samborondón Ecuador.,División Ambiental. Bioelite, Ecuador. Cdla. Bosques el Salado Mz 301 solar 2B frente a Ciudad Colón, Guayaquil, Ecuador División Ambiental. Bioelite, Ecuador. Cdla. Bosques el Salado Mz 301 solar 2B frente a Ciudad Colón Guayaquil Ecuador
| | - Gregorio Bigatti
- LARBIM-IBIOMAR, Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Argentina LARBIM-IBIOMAR, Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT-CONICET) Puerto Madryn Argentina
| | - Javier Signorelli
- LARBIM-IBIOMAR, Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Argentina LARBIM-IBIOMAR, Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT-CONICET) Puerto Madryn Argentina
| | - Jorge Coronel
- Universidad Agraria del Ecuador. Av. 25 de Julio y Pio Jaramillo, Guayaquil, Ecuador Universidad Agraria del Ecuador. Av. 25 de Julio y Pio Jaramillo Guayaquil Ecuador
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5
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Lloyd HB, Cruz‐Motta JJ, Glasby TM, Hutchings PA, Gribben PE. Unusual but consistent latitudinal patterns in macroalgal habitats and their invertebrate communities across two countries. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah B. Lloyd
- School of Life Sciences University of Technology Sydney NSW Australia
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science Mosman NSW Australia
| | - Juan J. Cruz‐Motta
- Department of Marine Sciences University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Puerto Rico
| | - Tim M. Glasby
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Port Stephens Fisheries Institute Nelson Bay NSW Australia
| | - Pat A. Hutchings
- Australian Museum Research Institute Australian Museum Sydney NSW Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University North Ryde NSW Australia
| | - Paul E. Gribben
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science Mosman NSW Australia
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia
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Mazzuco ACDA, Stelzer PS, Bernardino AF. Substrate rugosity and temperature matters: patterns of benthic diversity at tropical intertidal reefs in the SW Atlantic. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8289. [PMID: 32219015 PMCID: PMC7087490 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Modeling and forecasting ocean ecosystems in a changing world will require advances in observational efforts to monitor marine biodiversity. One of the observational challenges in coastal reef ecosystems is to quantify benthic and climate interactions which are key to community dynamics across habitats. Habitat complexity (i.e., substrate rugosity) on intertidal reefs can be an important variable explaining benthic diversity and taxa composition, but the association between substrate and seasonal variability is poorly understood on lateritic reefs in the South Atlantic. We asked if benthic assemblages on intertidal reefs with distinct substrate rugosity would follow similar seasonal patterns of succession following meteo-oceanographic variability in a tropical coastal area of Brazil. We combined an innovative 3D imaging for measuring substrate rugosity with satellite monitoring to monitor spatio-temporal patterns of benthic assemblages. The dataset included monthly in situ surveys of substrate cover and taxon diversity and richness, temporal variability in meteo-oceanographic conditions, and reef structural complexity from four sites on the Eastern Marine Ecoregion of Brazil. Additionally, correlation coefficients between temperature and both benthic diversity and community composition from one year of monitoring were used to project biodiversity trends under future warming scenarios. Our results revealed that benthic diversity and composition on intertidal reefs are strongly regulated by surface rugosity and sea surface temperatures, which control the dominance of macroalgae or corals. Intertidal reef biodiversity was positively correlated with reef rugosity which supports previous assertions of higher regional intertidal diversity on lateritic reefs that offer increased substrate complexity. Predicted warming temperatures in the Eastern Marine Ecoregion of Brazil will likely lead to a dominance of macroalgae taxa over the lateritic reefs and lower overall benthic diversity. Our findings indicate that rugosity is not only a useful tool for biodiversity mapping in reef intertidal ecosystems but also that spatial differences in rugosity would lead to very distinct biogeographic and temporal patterns. This study offers a unique baseline of benthic biodiversity on coastal marine habitats that is complementary to worldwide efforts to improve monitoring and management of coastal reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Angelo F Bernardino
- Department of Oceanography, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
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7
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Cefalì ME, Ballesteros E, Riera JL, Chappuis E, Terradas M, Mariani S, Cebrian E. The optimal sampling design for littoral habitats modelling: A case study from the north-western Mediterranean. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197234. [PMID: 29795588 PMCID: PMC5967749 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Species distribution models (SDMs) have been used to predict potential distributions of habitats and to model the effects of environmental changes. Despite their usefulness, currently there is no standardized sampling strategy that provides suitable and sufficiently representative predictive models for littoral marine benthic habitats. Here we aim to establish the best performing and most cost-effective sample design to predict the distribution of littoral habitats in unexplored areas. We also study how environmental variability, sample size, and habitat prevalence may influence the accuracy and performance of spatial predictions. For first time, a large database of littoral habitats (16,098 points over 562,895 km of coastline) is used to build up, evaluate, and validate logistic predictive models according to a variety of sampling strategies. A regularly interspaced strategy with a sample of 20% of the coastline provided the best compromise between usefulness (in terms of sampling cost and effort) and accuracy. However, model performance was strongly depen upon habitat characteristics. The proposed sampling strategy may help to predict the presence or absence of target species or habitats thus improving extensive cartographies, detect high biodiversity areas, and, lastly, develop (the best) environmental management plans, especially in littoral environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Elena Cefalì
- Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes-CSIC, Acc. Cala Sant Francesc, Girona, Spain
- Estación de Investigación Jaume Ferrer, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Mahón, Spain
| | - Enric Ballesteros
- Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes-CSIC, Acc. Cala Sant Francesc, Girona, Spain
| | - Joan Lluís Riera
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i CiènciesAmbientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, Spain
| | - Eglantine Chappuis
- Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes-CSIC, Acc. Cala Sant Francesc, Girona, Spain
| | - Marc Terradas
- Departament de Ciències del Mar i Biologia Aplicada, Universitat d’Alacant, Apartat de Correus, Spain
| | - Simone Mariani
- Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes-CSIC, Acc. Cala Sant Francesc, Girona, Spain
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i CiènciesAmbientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, Spain
| | - Emma Cebrian
- Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes-CSIC, Acc. Cala Sant Francesc, Girona, Spain
- Institut d’Ecologia Aquàtica, Universitat de Girona, Plaça Sant Domènec, Spain
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8
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Glasby TM, Gibson PT, Cruz-Motta JJ. Differences in rocky reef habitats related to human disturbances across a latitudinal gradient. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 129:291-303. [PMID: 28673425 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2017.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This study tested for differences in the composition of intertidal and shallow subtidal rocky reef habitats subjected to a range of human pressures across ∼1000 km of coastline in New South Wales, Australia over 5 years. Percentage covers of habitats were sampled using aerial photography and a large grain size (20 m2 intertidal; 800 m2 subtidal) in a nested hierarchical design. Results were consistent with anthropogenic impacts on habitat structure only around estuaries with the most heavily urbanised or agriculturally-intense catchments. The most convincing relationships documented here related to environmental variables such as SST, latitude, reef width and proximity to large estuaries irrespective of human disturbance levels. Moreover, there were suggestions that any influences of estuarine waters (be they anthropogenic or natural) on reef assemblages could potentially extend 10s of kilometres from major estuaries. In general, our results supported those of studies that utilised smaller grain sizes (greatest variability often at smallest spatial scales), but we found that variability over scales of 100s of km can be similar to or greater than variability over scales of 10s of metres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim M Glasby
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Locked Bag 1, Nelson Bay, NSW, 2315 Australia.
| | - Peter T Gibson
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Locked Bag 1, Nelson Bay, NSW, 2315 Australia
| | - Juan J Cruz-Motta
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, PO Box 9000, Mayagüez, PR 00681-9000, Puerto Rico
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Eddy EN, Roman CT. Relationship Between Epibenthic Invertebrate Species Assemblages and Environmental Variables in Boston Harbor's Intertidal Habitat. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2016. [DOI: 10.1656/045.023.0104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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10
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Miloslavich P, Cruz-Motta JJ, Klein E, Iken K, Weinberger V, Konar B, Trott T, Pohle G, Bigatti G, Benedetti-Cecchi L, Shirayama Y, Mead A, Palomo G, Ortiz M, Gobin J, Sardi A, Díaz JM, Knowlton A, Wong M, Peralta AC. Large-scale spatial distribution patterns of gastropod assemblages in rocky shores. PLoS One 2013; 8:e71396. [PMID: 23967204 PMCID: PMC3742765 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0071396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2012] [Accepted: 06/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastropod assemblages from nearshore rocky habitats were studied over large spatial scales to (1) describe broad-scale patterns in assemblage composition, including patterns by feeding modes, (2) identify latitudinal pattern of biodiversity, i.e., richness and abundance of gastropods and/or regional hotspots, and (3) identify potential environmental and anthropogenic drivers of these assemblages. Gastropods were sampled from 45 sites distributed within 12 Large Marine Ecosystem regions (LME) following the NaGISA (Natural Geography in Shore Areas) standard protocol (www.nagisa.coml.org). A total of 393 gastropod taxa from 87 families were collected. Eight of these families (9.2%) appeared in four or more different LMEs. Among these, the Littorinidae was the most widely distributed (8 LMEs) followed by the Trochidae and the Columbellidae (6 LMEs). In all regions, assemblages were dominated by few species, the most diverse and abundant of which were herbivores. No latitudinal gradients were evident in relation to species richness or densities among sampling sites. Highest diversity was found in the Mediterranean and in the Gulf of Alaska, while highest densities were found at different latitudes and represented by few species within one genus (e.g. Afrolittorina in the Agulhas Current, Littorina in the Scotian Shelf, and Lacuna in the Gulf of Alaska). No significant correlation was found between species composition and environmental variables (r≤0.355, p>0.05). Contributing variables to this low correlation included invasive species, inorganic pollution, SST anomalies, and chlorophyll-a anomalies. Despite data limitations in this study which restrict conclusions in a global context, this work represents the first effort to sample gastropod biodiversity on rocky shores using a standardized protocol across a wide scale. Our results will generate more work to build global databases allowing for large-scale diversity comparisons of rocky intertidal assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Miloslavich
- Departamento de Estudios Ambientales and Centro de Biodiversidad Marina, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Caracas, Miranda, Venezuela.
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11
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Pohle G, Iken K, Clarke KR, Trott T, Konar B, Cruz-Motta JJ, Wong M, Benedetti-Cecchi L, Mead A, Miloslavich P, Mieszkowska N, Milne R, Tamburello L, Knowlton A, Kimani E, Shirayama Y. Aspects of benthic decapod diversity and distribution from rocky nearshore habitat at geographically widely dispersed sites. PLoS One 2011; 6:e18606. [PMID: 21533220 PMCID: PMC3077369 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2010] [Accepted: 03/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Relationships of diversity, distribution and abundance of benthic decapods in intertidal and shallow subtidal waters to 10 m depth are explored based on data obtained using a standardized protocol of globally-distributed samples. Results indicate that decapod species richness overall is low within the nearshore, typically ranging from one to six taxa per site (mean = 4.5). Regionally the Gulf of Alaska decapod crustacean community structure was distinguishable by depth, multivariate analysis indicating increasing change with depth, where assemblages of the high and mid tide, low tide and 1 m, and 5 and 10 m strata formed three distinct groups. Univariate analysis showed species richness increasing from the high intertidal zone to 1 m subtidally, with distinct depth preferences among the 23 species. A similar depth trend but with peak richness at 5 m was observed when all global data were combined. Analysis of latitudinal trends, confined by data limitations, was equivocal on a global scale. While significant latitudinal differences existed in community structure among ecoregions, a semi-linear trend in changing community structure from the Arctic to lower latitudes did not hold when including tropical results. Among boreal regions the Canadian Atlantic was relatively species poor compared to the Gulf of Alaska, whereas the Caribbean and Sea of Japan appeared to be species hot spots. While species poor, samples from the Canadian Atlantic were the most diverse at the higher infraordinal level. Linking 11 environmental variables available for all sites to the best fit family-based biotic pattern showed a significant relationship, with the single best explanatory variable being the level of organic pollution and the best combination overall being organic pollution and primary productivity. While data limitations restrict conclusions in a global context, results are seen as a first-cut contribution useful in generating discussion and more in-depth work in the still poorly understood field of biodiversity distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Pohle
- Huntsman Marine Science Centre, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada.
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12
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Iken K, Konar B, Benedetti-Cecchi L, Cruz-Motta JJ, Knowlton A, Pohle G, Mead A, Miloslavich P, Wong M, Trott T, Mieszkowska N, Riosmena-Rodriguez R, Airoldi L, Kimani E, Shirayama Y, Fraschetti S, Ortiz-Touzet M, Silva A. Large-scale spatial distribution patterns of echinoderms in nearshore rocky habitats. PLoS One 2010; 5:e13845. [PMID: 21079760 PMCID: PMC2974624 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2010] [Accepted: 10/04/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examined echinoderm assemblages from nearshore rocky habitats for large-scale distribution patterns with specific emphasis on identifying latitudinal trends and large regional hotspots. Echinoderms were sampled from 76 globally-distributed sites within 12 ecoregions, following the standardized sampling protocol of the Census of Marine Life NaGISA project (www.nagisa.coml.org). Sample-based species richness was overall low (<1-5 species per site), with a total of 32 asteroid, 18 echinoid, 21 ophiuroid, and 15 holothuroid species. Abundance and species richness in intertidal assemblages sampled with visual methods (organisms >2 cm in 1 m(2) quadrats) was highest in the Caribbean ecoregions and echinoids dominated these assemblages with an average of 5 ind m(-2). In contrast, intertidal echinoderm assemblages collected from clearings of 0.0625 m(2) quadrats had the highest abundance and richness in the Northeast Pacific ecoregions where asteroids and holothurians dominated with an average of 14 ind 0.0625 m(-2). Distinct latitudinal trends existed for abundance and richness in intertidal assemblages with declines from peaks at high northern latitudes. No latitudinal trends were found for subtidal echinoderm assemblages with either sampling technique. Latitudinal gradients appear to be superseded by regional diversity hotspots. In these hotspots echinoderm assemblages may be driven by local and regional processes, such as overall productivity and evolutionary history. We also tested a set of 14 environmental variables (six natural and eight anthropogenic) as potential drivers of echinoderm assemblages by ecoregions. The natural variables of salinity, sea-surface temperature, chlorophyll a, and primary productivity were strongly correlated with echinoderm assemblages; the anthropogenic variables of inorganic pollution and nutrient contamination also contributed to correlations. Our results indicate that nearshore echinoderm assemblages appear to be shaped by a network of environmental and ecological processes, and by the differing responses of various echinoderm taxa, making generalizations about the patterns of nearshore rocky habitat echinoderm assemblages difficult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Iken
- School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America.
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