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Pinochet J, Thiel M, Urbina M. How plastic litter sunk by biofouling recovers buoyancy - The role of benthic predation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 952:175910. [PMID: 39226971 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175910] [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: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
Estimates suggest that the amount of plastic litter discarded in the ocean is several times greater than what remains floating at the sea surface, raising questions about the fate of this marine debris. Fouling-induced sinking of plastic litter is one of the proposed mechanisms responsible for this mass difference. While some of this 'missing' plastic mass may be explained by the effects of fouling, it has also been hypothesized that sinking litter may return to the surface after benthic organisms consume the biofouling. However, this hypothesis has never been tested. The present study evaluated the structure and biomass of the fouling community in response to benthic predation in both summer and winter seasons. Floating PVC plates were installed during winter and summer in central Chile (36°S) until the growing biofouling community caused them to sink. Plates were then moved to the seabed, where they were exposed to benthic predation, while control plates were maintained in a mesh cage impeding predator access. In summer, all plates recovered their buoyancy, while in the winter only 60 % recovered buoyancy. All caged control samples remained on the bottom in both seasons. The community structure differed both in the treatments and across the seasons, with plates that recovered buoyancy initially being dominated by Ulva sp. and Ciona robusta. Conversely, plates that did not refloat were mainly covered by species resistant to predation such as Pyura chilensis, Austromegabalanus psittacus, and Balanus laevis. Thus, fouling community structure influences how predation facilitates buoyancy recovery, because not all epibionts can be consumed by predators. While previous studies had shown how fouling organisms cause sinking of floating litter, this is the first study to provide experimental evidence that predation can reverse this process and allow litter to resurface and become again available as dispersal vectors for native and invasive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Pinochet
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile
| | - Martin Thiel
- MarineGEO Program, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA; Dpto. de Biologia Marina, Facultad Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Larrondo 1281, Coquimbo, Chile; Center of Ecology and Sustainable Management of Oceanic Island (ESMOI), Coquimbo, Chile.
| | - Mauricio Urbina
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile; Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía (IMO), Universidad de Concepción, PO Box 1313, Concepción, Chile.
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2
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Xie J, Chen C, Luo M, Peng X, Lin T, Chen D. Hidden dangers: High levels of organic pollutants in hadal trenches. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 251:121126. [PMID: 38237461 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The "V"-shaped structure of hadal trenches acts as a natural collector of organic pollutants, drawing attention to the need for extensive research in these areas. Our review identifies significant concentrations of organic pollutants, including persistent organic pollutants, black carbon, antibiotic-resistant genes, and plastics, which often match those in industrialized regions. They may trace back to both human activities and natural sources, underscoring the trenches' critical role in ocean biogeochemical cycles. We highlight the complex lateral and vertical transport mechanisms within these zones. Advanced methodologies, including stable isotope analysis, biomarker identification, and chiral analysis within isotope-based mixing models, are crucial for discerning the origins and pathways of these pollutants. In forthcoming studies, we aim to explore advanced methods for precise pollutant tracing, develop predictive models to forecast the future distribution and impacts of pollutants in hadal zones and on the Earth's larger ecological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingqian Xie
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
| | - Chuchu Chen
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Min Luo
- College of Marine Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Xiaotong Peng
- Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Tian Lin
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Duofu Chen
- College of Marine Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
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3
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Lin HY, Costello MJ. Body size and trophic level increase with latitude, and decrease in the deep-sea and Antarctica, for marine fish species. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15880. [PMID: 37701825 PMCID: PMC10493087 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The functional traits of species depend both on species' evolutionary characteristics and their local environmental conditions and opportunities. The temperature-size rule (TSR), gill-oxygen limitation theory (GOLT), and temperature constraint hypothesis (TCH) have been proposed to explain the gradients of body size and trophic level of marine species. However, how functional traits vary both with latitude and depth have not been quantified at a global scale for any marine taxon. We compared the latitudinal gradients of trophic level and maximum body size of 5,619 marine fish from modelled species ranges, based on (1) three body size ranges, <30, 30-100, and >100 cm, and (2) four trophic levels, <2.20, 2.20-2.80, 2.81-3.70, >3.70. These were parsed into 5° latitudinal intervals in four depth zones: whole water column, 0-200, 201-1,000, and 1,001-6,000 m. We described the relationship between latitudinal gradients of functional traits and salinity, sea surface and near seabed temperatures, and dissolved oxygen. We found mean body sizes and mean trophic levels of marine fish were smaller and lower in the warmer latitudes, and larger and higher respectively in the high latitudes except for the Southern Ocean (Antarctica). Fish species with trophic levels ≤2.80 were dominant in warmer and absent in colder environments. We attribute these differences in body size and trophic level between polar regions to the greater environmental heterogeneity of the Arctic compared to Antarctica. We suggest that fish species' mean maximum body size declined with depth because of decreased dissolved oxygen. These results support the TSR, GOLT and TCH hypotheses respectively. Thus, at the global scale, temperature and oxygen are primary factors affecting marine fishes' biogeography and biological traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han-Yang Lin
- Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Mark John Costello
- Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, Bodo, Norway
- School of Environment, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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4
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Stuckless B, Hamel JF, Aguzzi J, Mercier A. Intra- and Interspecific Foraging and Feeding Interactions in Three Sea Stars and a Gastropod from the Deep Sea. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:774. [PMID: 37372059 DOI: 10.3390/biology12060774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Competitive interactions come in a variety of forms and may be modulated by the size and number of individuals involved, and/or the resources available. Here, intra- and interspecific competitive behaviours for food (i.e., foraging/food search and feeding/food ingestion) were experimentally characterized and quantified in four co-existing deep-sea benthic species. Three sea stars (Ceramaster granularis, Hippasteria phrygiana, and Henricia lisa) and one gastropod (Buccinum scalariforme) from the bathyal Northwest Atlantic were investigated using video trials in darkened laboratory conditions. A range of competitive or cooperative behaviours occurred, depending on species (conspecific or heterospecific), comparative body size, and the number of individuals involved. Contrary to expectations, small individuals (or smaller species) were not always outcompeted by larger individuals (or larger species) when foraging and feeding. Moreover, faster species did not always outcompete slower ones while scavenging. Overall, this study sheds new light on scavenging strategies of co-existing deep-sea benthic species in food-limited bathyal environments, based on complex behavioural inter- and intraspecific relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittney Stuckless
- Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Jean-François Hamel
- Society for the Exploration and Valuing of the Environment (SEVE), Portugal Cove-St. Philip's, NL A1M 2B7, Canada
| | - Jacopo Aguzzi
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Paseo Marítimo de la Barceloneta, 08012 Barcelona, Spain
- Zoological Station, Anton Dohrn (SZN), Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Annie Mercier
- Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1C 5S7, Canada
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5
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Evaluating the Existence of Vertebrate Deadfall Communities from the Early Jurassic Posidonienschiefer Formation. GEOSCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/geosciences12040158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Large vertebrate carcasses contain significant amounts of nutrients that upon death are transferred from the water column to the benthos, enriching the immediate environment. The organisms exploiting these ephemeral resources vary as the carcass decays, creating an ecological succession: mobile scavengers arrive first, followed by enrichment opportunists, sulfophilic taxa, and lastly reef species encrusting the exposed bones. Such communities have been postulated to subsist on the carcasses of Mesozoic marine vertebrates, but are rarely documented in the Jurassic. In particular, these communities are virtually unknown from the Early Jurassic, despite the occurrence of several productive fossil Lagerstätte that have produced thousands of vertebrate bones and skeletons. We review published occurrences and present new findings related to the development of deadfall communities in the Toarcian Posidonienschiefer Formation of southwestern Germany, focusing on the classic locality of Holzmaden. We report the presence of the mobile scavenger, enrichment opportunist, and reef stages, and found potential evidence for the poorly documented sulfophilic stage. Although rare in the Posidonienschiefer Formation, such communities do occur in association with exceptionally preserved vertebrate specimens, complementing a growing body of evidence that a temporarily oxygenated benthic environment does not preclude exceptional vertebrate fossil preservation.
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6
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Purser A, Hehemann L, Boehringer L, Tippenhauer S, Wege M, Bornemann H, Pineda-Metz SEA, Flintrop CM, Koch F, Hellmer HH, Burkhardt-Holm P, Janout M, Werner E, Glemser B, Balaguer J, Rogge A, Holtappels M, Wenzhoefer F. A vast icefish breeding colony discovered in the Antarctic. Curr Biol 2022; 32:842-850.e4. [PMID: 35030328 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
A breeding colony of notothenioid icefish (Neopagetopsis ionah, Nybelin 1947) of globally unprecedented extent has been discovered in the southern Weddell Sea, Antarctica. The colony was estimated to cover at least ∼240 km2 of the eastern flank of the Filchner Trough, comprised of fish nests at a density of 0.26 nests per square meter, representing an estimated total of ∼60 million active nests and associated fish biomass of >60,000 tonnes. The majority of nests were each occupied by 1 adult fish guarding 1,735 eggs (±433 SD). Bottom water temperatures measured across the nesting colony were up to 2°C warmer than the surrounding bottom waters, indicating a spatial correlation between the modified Warm Deep Water (mWDW) upflow onto the Weddell Shelf and the active nesting area. Historical and concurrently collected seal movement data indicate that this concentrated fish biomass may be utilized by predators such as Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii, Lesson 1826). Numerous degraded fish carcasses within and near the nesting colony suggest that, in death as well as life, these fish provide input for local food webs and influence local biogeochemical processing. To our knowledge, the area surveyed harbors the most spatially expansive continuous fish breeding colony discovered to date globally at any depth, as well as an exceptionally high Antarctic seafloor biomass. This discovery provides support for the establishment of a regional marine protected area in the Southern Ocean under the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) umbrella. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Autun Purser
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany.
| | - Laura Hehemann
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Lilian Boehringer
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany; Universität Bremen (Fachbereich 2, Biologie/Chemie), 28334 Bremen, Germany
| | - Sandra Tippenhauer
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Mia Wege
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany; Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Horst Bornemann
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Santiago E A Pineda-Metz
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Clara M Flintrop
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Florian Koch
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Hartmut H Hellmer
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Patricia Burkhardt-Holm
- Programme Man-Society-Environment, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Markus Janout
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Ellen Werner
- HafenCity University Hamburg, Henning-Voscherau-Platz 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Barbara Glemser
- Universität Bremen (Fachbereich 2, Biologie/Chemie), 28334 Bremen, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Jenna Balaguer
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Andreas Rogge
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany; Institute for Ecosystem Research, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Moritz Holtappels
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Frank Wenzhoefer
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 28359 Bremen, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, HADAL and Nordcee, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
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7
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Juniper F, Jameson BD, Juniper SK, Smith CR, Bell LS. Can whale-fall studies inform human forensics? Sci Justice 2021; 61:459-466. [PMID: 34482926 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Experimental knowledge of human body decomposition in the deep ocean is very limited, partly due to the logistical challenges of deep-sea research. The literature on ecological responses to the arrival of naturally sunk and implanted whale carcasses on the seafloor represents a potential source of information relevant to questions of human body survival and recovery in the deep ocean. Whale falls trigger the formation of complex, localized, and dense biological communities that have become a point of interest for marine biologists for the past 2-3 decades. Researchers have documented whale falls by whale type, size, geographic location, water depth and water chemistry, and there have been some comparative analyses of decomposition rates and faunal presence on carcasses. We undertook a review and meta-analysis of the whale-fall literature to identify and statistically model trends relevant to human forensics. Results from studies using deep-sea cameras baited with pig carcasses and simulated carrion provided further validation of noted trends. The stages of whale carcass decomposition most relevant to human forensics are those characterised by mobile scavengers that strip the soft tissues from carcasses, and to a lesser degree, other biota that degrade skeletal material. Our statistical models used the number of faunal taxa attracted to the whale carcasses as a measure of the ecological response and the potential rate of decomposition. Negative binomial models identified significant influences of carcass age and dissolved oxygen concentration on the ecological response (taxon numbers). The strongest environmental effects were identified in data from experimental studies that implanted whale carcasses across a broad range of dissolved-oxygen conditions. We propose directions for further experimental research to refine models of environmental controls on decomposition in the deep sea. Our results also highlight the potential use of publicly available global databases on environmental conditions in the deep ocean for informing body scavenging activity and thus body survival. Applying a forensic lens to whale-fall studies provides a window into an otherwise unseen world from the standpoint of human forensic taphonomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Juniper
- Centre for Forensic Research, School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr., Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada.
| | - Brett D Jameson
- School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700, Station CSC Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2, Canada.
| | - S Kim Juniper
- School of Earth and Ocean Sciences & Department of Biology Department, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700, Station CSC, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2, Canada; Ocean Networks Canada, University of Victoria - Queenswood Campus, #104-2474 Arbutus Road, Victoria, British Columbia V8N 1V8, Canada.
| | - Craig R Smith
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 1000 Pope Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
| | - Lynne S Bell
- Centre for Forensic Research, School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr., Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada.
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Klug C, Schweigert G, Hoffmann R, Weis R, De Baets K. Fossilized leftover falls as sources of palaeoecological data: a 'pabulite' comprising a crustacean, a belemnite and a vertebrate from the Early Jurassic Posidonia Shale. SWISS JOURNAL OF PALAEONTOLOGY 2021; 140:10. [PMID: 34721282 PMCID: PMC8549986 DOI: 10.1186/s13358-021-00225-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Especially in Lagerstätten with exceptionally preserved fossils, we can sometimes recognize fossilized remains of meals of animals. We suggest the term leftover fall for the event and the term pabulite for the fossilized meal when it never entered the digestive tract (difference to regurgitalites). Usually, pabulites are incomplete organismal remains and show traces of the predation. Pabulites have a great potential to inform about predation as well as anatomical detail, which is invisible otherwise. Here, we document a pabulite comprising the belemnite Passaloteuthis laevigata from the Toarcian of the Holzmaden region. Most of its soft parts are missing while the arm crown is one of the best preserved that is known. Its arms embrace an exuvia of a crustacean. We suggest that the belemnite represents the remnant of the food of a predatory fish such as the shark Hybodus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Klug
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zürich, Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Günter Schweigert
- Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde, Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - René Hoffmann
- Institute of Geology, Mineralogy and Geophysics, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Robert Weis
- Section Paléontologie 25, Musée national d’histoire naturelle, rue Münster, 2160 Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Kenneth De Baets
- GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Fachgruppe PaläoUmwelt, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Loewenichstr. 28, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
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9
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Juhel J, Marques V, Polanco Fernández A, Borrero‐Pérez GH, Mutis Martinezguerra M, Valentini A, Dejean T, Manel S, Loiseau N, Velez L, Hocdé R, Letessier TB, Richards E, Hadjadj F, Bessudo S, Ladino F, Albouy C, Mouillot D, Pellissier L. Detection of the elusive Dwarf sperm whale ( Kogia sima) using environmental DNA at Malpelo island (Eastern Pacific, Colombia). Ecol Evol 2021; 11:2956-2962. [PMID: 33841757 PMCID: PMC8019034 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Monitoring large marine mammals is challenging due to their low abundances in general, an ability to move over large distances and wide geographical range sizes.The distribution of the pygmy (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf (Kogia sima) sperm whales is informed by relatively rare sightings, which does not permit accurate estimates of their distribution ranges. Hence, their conservation status has long remained Data Deficient (DD) in the Red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which prevent appropriate conservation measures.Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding uses DNA traces left by organisms in their environments to detect the presence of targeted taxon, and is here proved to be useful to increase our knowledge on the distribution of rare but emblematic megafauna.Retrieving eDNA from filtered surface water provides the first detection of the Dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima) around the remote Malpelo island (Colombia).Environmental DNA collected during oceanic missions can generate better knowledge on rare but emblematic animals even in regions that are generally well sampled for other taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Virginie Marques
- MARBECUniversity of MontpellierCNRS, Ifremer, IRDMontpellierFrance
- CEFEUniversity of MontpellierCNRSEPHE‐PSL UniversityIRDUniv Paul Valéry Montpellier 3MontpellierFrance
| | - Andrea Polanco Fernández
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras‐INVEMARMuseo de Historia Natural Marina de Colombia (MHNMC)Santa MartaColombia
| | - Giomar H. Borrero‐Pérez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras‐INVEMARMuseo de Historia Natural Marina de Colombia (MHNMC)Santa MartaColombia
| | - Maria Mutis Martinezguerra
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras‐INVEMARMuseo de Historia Natural Marina de Colombia (MHNMC)Santa MartaColombia
| | | | | | - Stéphanie Manel
- CEFEUniversity of MontpellierCNRSEPHE‐PSL UniversityIRDUniv Paul Valéry Montpellier 3MontpellierFrance
| | - Nicolas Loiseau
- MARBECUniversity of MontpellierCNRS, Ifremer, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Laure Velez
- MARBECUniversity of MontpellierCNRS, Ifremer, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Régis Hocdé
- MARBECUniversity of MontpellierCNRS, Ifremer, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | | | - Eilísh Richards
- Department of Environmental Systems ScienceLandscape EcologyInstitute of Terrestrial EcosystemsETHUniversitӓt ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Florine Hadjadj
- MARBECUniversity of MontpellierCNRS, Ifremer, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | | | | | - Camille Albouy
- IFREMERUnité Ecologie et Modèles pour l'HalieutiqueEMHNantesFrance
| | - David Mouillot
- MARBECUniversity of MontpellierCNRS, Ifremer, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Loïc Pellissier
- Department of Environmental Systems ScienceLandscape EcologyInstitute of Terrestrial EcosystemsETHUniversitӓt ZürichZürichSwitzerland
- Unit of Land Change ScienceSwiss Federal Research Institute WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
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10
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Cui J, Yu Z, Mi M, He L, Sha Z, Yao P, Fang J, Sun W. Occurrence of Halogenated Organic Pollutants in Hadal Trenches of the Western Pacific Ocean. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:15821-15828. [PMID: 33211967 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c04995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The hadal trenches are the most remote and inaccessible habitats on earth and were once believed to be pristine. A recent study has reported the detection of high levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), in endemic amphipods from two hadal trenches (Mariana and Kermadec) in the Western Pacific, implicating that the trenches are indeed polluted. However, a fundamental question remains unanswered, if and to what extent such the physical environment of the trenches is polluted by POPs. In this study, we sampled Mariana, Mussau, and New Britain trenches and analyzed samples of amphipods, sediment, and suspended particulate matter (SPM). Our results show that the amphipods contained elevated levels of PCBs and PBDEs, comparable to those reported in the earlier study. We also detected significantly high concentrations (up to 1343 ng g-1 lw) of chlorinated pesticides, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes and chlordanes. Furthermore, four brominated natural products (BNPs), which structurally resembled methoxylated brominated diphenyl ethers or polybrominated biphenyls, were identified in the endemic amphipods. However, neither POPs nor BNPs were detected in sediments or SPM. Taken together, we propose that the POPs detected in endemic amphipods likely resulted from bioaccumulation by feeding on polluted large detritus (e.g., carrion) falling to the trench bottoms from the surface ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juntao Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhiqiang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Mei Mi
- Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Lisheng He
- Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Zhongli Sha
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment, Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Peng Yao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Jiasong Fang
- Laboratory for Marine Mineral Resources, Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
- Hadal Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
- College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Hawaii Pacific University, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813, United States
| | - Weidong Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment, Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Mineral Resources, Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
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11
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Abstract
Mercury is a globally distributed neurotoxic pollutant that can be biomagnified in marine fish to levels that are harmful for consumption by humans and other animals. The degree to which mercury has infiltrated the oceans yields important information on the biogeochemistry of mercury and its expected effects on fisheries during changing mercury emissions scenarios. Mercury isotope measurement of biota from deep-sea trenches was used to demonstrate that surface-ocean-derived mercury has infiltrated the deepest locations in the oceans. It was found that when fish living in the surface ocean die and their carcasses sink (along with marine particles), they transfer large amounts of mercury to the trench foodwebs leading to high concentrations of mercury in trench biota. Mercury isotopic compositions of amphipods and snailfish from deep-sea trenches reveal information on the sources and transformations of mercury in the deep oceans. Evidence for methyl-mercury subjected to photochemical degradation in the photic zone is provided by odd-mass independent isotope values (Δ199Hg) in amphipods from the Kermadec Trench, which average 1.57‰ (±0.14, n = 12, SD), and amphipods from the Mariana Trench, which average 1.49‰ (±0.28, n = 13). These values are close to the average value of 1.48‰ (±0.34, n = 10) for methyl-mercury in fish that feed at ∼500-m depth in the central Pacific Ocean. Evidence for variable contributions of mercury from rainfall is provided by even-mass independent isotope values (Δ200Hg) in amphipods that average 0.03‰ (±0.02, n = 12) for the Kermadec and 0.07‰ (±0.01, n = 13) for the Mariana Trench compared to the rainfall average of 0.13 (±0.05, n = 8) in the central Pacific. Mass-dependent isotope values (δ202Hg) are elevated in amphipods from the Kermadec Trench (0.91 ±0.22‰, n = 12) compared to the Mariana Trench (0.26 ±0.23‰, n = 13), suggesting a higher level of microbial demethylation of the methyl-mercury pool before incorporation into the base of the foodweb. Our study suggests that mercury in the marine foodweb at ∼500 m, which is predominantly anthropogenic, is transported to deep-sea trenches primarily in carrion, and then incorporated into hadal (6,000-11,000-m) food webs. Anthropogenic Hg added to the surface ocean is, therefore, expected to be rapidly transported to the deepest reaches of the oceans.
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12
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Mariani G, Cheung WWL, Lyet A, Sala E, Mayorga J, Velez L, Gaines SD, Dejean T, Troussellier M, Mouillot D. Let more big fish sink: Fisheries prevent blue carbon sequestration-half in unprofitable areas. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/44/eabb4848. [PMID: 33115738 PMCID: PMC7608781 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb4848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Contrary to most terrestrial organisms, which release their carbon into the atmosphere after death, carcasses of large marine fish sink and sequester carbon in the deep ocean. Yet, fisheries have extracted a massive amount of this "blue carbon," contributing to additional atmospheric CO2 emissions. Here, we used historical catches and fuel consumption to show that ocean fisheries have released a minimum of 0.73 billion metric tons of CO2 (GtCO2) in the atmosphere since 1950. Globally, 43.5% of the blue carbon extracted by fisheries in the high seas comes from areas that would be economically unprofitable without subsidies. Limiting blue carbon extraction by fisheries, particularly on unprofitable areas, would reduce CO2 emissions by burning less fuel and reactivating a natural carbon pump through the rebuilding of fish stocks and the increase of carcasses deadfall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaël Mariani
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, IRD, Montpellier, France.
| | - William W L Cheung
- Changing Ocean Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Arnaud Lyet
- World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Enric Sala
- National Geographic Society, Washington, DC 20036, USA
| | - Juan Mayorga
- National Geographic Society, Washington, DC 20036, USA
- University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Laure Velez
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Steven D Gaines
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Tony Dejean
- SPYGEN, 17 rue du Lac Saint-André, Savoie Technolac, Le Bourget du Lac, France
| | | | - David Mouillot
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
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13
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Milligan RJ, Scott EM, Jones DOB, Bett BJ, Jamieson AJ, O'Brien R, Pereira Costa S, Rowe GT, Ruhl HA, Smith KL, de Susanne P, Vardaro MF, Bailey DM. Evidence for seasonal cycles in deep-sea fish abundances: A great migration in the deep SE Atlantic? J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1593-1603. [PMID: 32198925 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Animal migrations are of global ecological significance, providing mechanisms for the transport of nutrients and energy between distant locations. In much of the deep sea (>200 m water depth), the export of nutrients from the surface ocean provides a crucial but seasonally variable energy source to seafloor ecosystems. Seasonal faunal migrations have been hypothesized to occur on the deep seafloor as a result, but have not been documented. Here, we analyse a 7.5-year record of photographic data from the Deep-ocean Environmental Long-term Observatory Systems seafloor observatories to determine whether there was evidence of seasonal (intra-annual) migratory behaviours in a deep-sea fish assemblage on the West African margin and, if so, identify potential cues for the behaviour. Our findings demonstrate a correlation between intra-annual changes in demersal fish abundance at 1,400 m depth and satellite-derived estimates of primary production off the coast of Angola. Highest fish abundances were observed in late November with a smaller peak in June, occurring approximately 4 months after corresponding peaks in primary production. Observed changes in fish abundance occurred too rapidly to be explained by recruitment or mortality, and must therefore have a behavioural driver. Given the recurrent patterns observed, and the established importance of bottom-up trophic structuring in deep-sea ecosystems, we hypothesize that a large fraction of the fish assemblage may conduct seasonal migrations in this region, and propose seasonal variability in surface ocean primary production as a plausible cause. Such trophic control could lead to changes in the abundance of fishes across the seafloor by affecting secondary production of prey species and/or carrion availability for example. In summary, we present the first evidence for seasonally recurring patterns in deep-sea demersal fish abundances over a 7-year period, and demonstrate a previously unobserved level of dynamism in the deep sea, potentially mirroring the great migrations so well characterized in terrestrial systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosanna J Milligan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.,Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, Nova Southeastern University, Dania Beach, FL, USA
| | - E Marian Scott
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | | | | | - Alan J Jamieson
- School of Natural and Environmental Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Robert O'Brien
- BP Exploration Operating Company Limited, Sunbury on Thames, UK
| | - Sofia Pereira Costa
- BP Angola (Block 18) BV, BP International Centre for Business & Technology, Sunbury on Thames, UK
| | | | - Henry A Ruhl
- National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK.,Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA
| | - Ken L Smith
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA
| | - Philippe de Susanne
- BP Angola (Block 18) BV, BP International Centre for Business & Technology, Sunbury on Thames, UK
| | | | - David M Bailey
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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14
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Benbow ME, Receveur JP, Lamberti GA. Death and Decomposition in Aquatic Ecosystems. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
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15
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McClain CR, Nunnally C, Dixon R, Rouse GW, Benfield M. Alligators in the abyss: The first experimental reptilian food fall in the deep ocean. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225345. [PMID: 31860642 PMCID: PMC6924670 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The high respiration rates of the deep-sea benthos cannot be sustained by known carbon supply pathways alone. Here, we investigate moderately-sized reptilian food falls as a potential alternative carbon pathway. Specifically, three individual carcasses of Alligator mississippiensis were deployed along the continental slope of the northern Gulf of Mexico at depths of ~2000m in early 2019. We posit the tough hide of alligators would impeded scavengers by limiting access to soft tissues of the alligator fall. However, the scavengers began consuming the food fall 43 hours post-deployment for one individual (198.2cm, 29.7kg), and the carcass of another individual (175.3 cm, 19.5kg) was completely devoid of soft tissue at 51 days post-deployment. A third individual (172.7cm, 18.5kg) was missing completely after 8 days, with only the deployment harness and weight remaining drug 8 meters away, suggesting a large elasmobranch scavenger. Additionally, bones recovered post-deployment reveal the first observations of the bone-eating Osedax in the Gulf of Mexico and are confirmed here as new to science. The findings of this study indicate the quick and successful utilization of terrestrial and aquatic-based carbon food sources in the deep marine environment, though outcome variability may be high.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Robert McClain
- Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Chauvin, LA, United States of America
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA, United States of America
| | - Clifton Nunnally
- Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Chauvin, LA, United States of America
| | - River Dixon
- Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Chauvin, LA, United States of America
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA, United States of America
| | - Greg W. Rouse
- Scripps Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Mark Benfield
- Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, College of the Coast and Environment, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America
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16
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Ecosystem Function and Services of Aquatic Predators in the Anthropocene. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:369-383. [PMID: 30857757 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Arguments for the need to conserve aquatic predator (AP) populations often focus on the ecological and socioeconomic roles they play. Here, we summarize the diverse ecosystem functions and services connected to APs, including regulating food webs, cycling nutrients, engineering habitats, transmitting diseases/parasites, mediating ecological invasions, affecting climate, supporting fisheries, generating tourism, and providing bioinspiration. In some cases, human-driven declines and increases in AP populations have altered these ecosystem functions and services. We present a social ecological framework for supporting adaptive management decisions involving APs in response to social and environmental change. We also identify outstanding questions to guide future research on the ecological functions and ecosystem services of APs in a changing world.
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17
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Lisney TJ, Wagner HJ, Collin SP. Ontogenetic Shifts in the Number of Axons in the Olfactory Tract and Optic Nerve in Two Species of Deep-Sea Grenadier Fish (Gadiformes: Macrouridae: Coryphaenoides). Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
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18
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Linley TD, Craig J, Jamieson AJ, Priede IG. Bathyal and abyssal demersal bait-attending fauna of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. MARINE BIOLOGY 2018; 165:159. [PMID: 30294008 PMCID: PMC6153865 DOI: 10.1007/s00227-018-3413-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Baited cameras were deployed over a depth range of 532-5111 m in the Ionian Sea to characterise the large mobile fauna. The planned installation of a neutrino telescope also offers the potential for biological observatories. The current study was intended to aid observatory placement. At increasing depths, sediment was observed to become more uniform and animal burrows and tracks reduced. A total of 10 species of deep-sea fishes were identified from images; four elasmobranchs, which were not recorded deeper than 1841 m, and six teleosts. At depths > 3000 m, including Calypso Deep, the deepest point in the Mediterranean, only one fish species was observed; the Mediterranean grenadier, Coryphaenoides mediterraneus (3400-5111 m), extending this species' maximum recorded depth to 5111 m. Four species of decapod crustacea could be identified from images. The dressed deep-sea shrimp, Acanthephyra eximia (1346-5111 m) was the only invertebrate recorded at abyssal depths, including the deepest point. A faunal change was detected at ~ 1000 m depth. Incorporating other studies from the Eastern Mediterranean identified additional faunal boundaries at ~ 1500 m and ~ 2500 m. The time from landing the observation equipment to the arrival of the first fish increased exponentially with depth at a slower rate to that observed in the Atlantic Ocean. The estimated density of bait-attending deep-sea fish was, therefore, significantly impoverished compared to the Atlantic Ocean at equivalent depth. Barriers to colonisation, low resource input, and high temperature at depth relative to the Atlantic Ocean are probable causes of the impoverished fauna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D. Linley
- Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen, Main Street, Newburgh, Aberdeen, AB41 6AA UK
- Present Address: School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
| | - Jessica Craig
- Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen, Main Street, Newburgh, Aberdeen, AB41 6AA UK
| | - Alan J. Jamieson
- Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen, Main Street, Newburgh, Aberdeen, AB41 6AA UK
- Present Address: School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
| | - Imants G. Priede
- Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen, Main Street, Newburgh, Aberdeen, AB41 6AA UK
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Box 2214, 71003 Heraklion, Crete Greece
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19
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Macreadie PI, McLean DL, Thomson PG, Partridge JC, Jones DOB, Gates AR, Benfield MC, Collin SP, Booth DJ, Smith LL, Techera E, Skropeta D, Horton T, Pattiaratchi C, Bond T, Fowler AM. Eyes in the sea: Unlocking the mysteries of the ocean using industrial, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 634:1077-1091. [PMID: 29660864 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
For thousands of years humankind has sought to explore our oceans. Evidence of this early intrigue dates back to 130,000BCE, but the advent of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) in the 1950s introduced technology that has had significant impact on ocean exploration. Today, ROVs play a critical role in both military (e.g. retrieving torpedoes and mines) and salvage operations (e.g. locating historic shipwrecks such as the RMS Titanic), and are crucial for oil and gas (O&G) exploration and operations. Industrial ROVs collect millions of observations of our oceans each year, fueling scientific discoveries. Herein, we assembled a group of international ROV experts from both academia and industry to reflect on these discoveries and, more importantly, to identify key questions relating to our oceans that can be supported using industry ROVs. From a long list, we narrowed down to the 10 most important questions in ocean science that we feel can be supported (whole or in part) by increasing access to industry ROVs, and collaborations with the companies that use them. The questions covered opportunity (e.g. what is the resource value of the oceans?) to the impacts of global change (e.g. which marine ecosystems are most sensitive to anthropogenic impact?). Looking ahead, we provide recommendations for how data collected by ROVs can be maximised by higher levels of collaboration between academia and industry, resulting in win-win outcomes. What is clear from this work is that the potential of industrial ROV technology in unravelling the mysteries of our oceans is only just beginning to be realised. This is particularly important as the oceans are subject to increasing impacts from global change and industrial exploitation. The coming decades will represent an important time for scientists to partner with industry that use ROVs in order to make the most of these 'eyes in the sea'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter I Macreadie
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Victoria 3216, Australia.
| | - Dianne L McLean
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Paul G Thomson
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Julian C Partridge
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Daniel O B Jones
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Andrew R Gates
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Mark C Benfield
- Louisiana State University, Collegee of the Coast and Environment, Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Shaun P Collin
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - David J Booth
- Fish Ecology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney, Broadway, 2007, Australia
| | - Luke L Smith
- Woodside Energy, 240 Georges Terace, Perth, Western Australia 6000, Australia
| | - Erika Techera
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Danielle Skropeta
- School of Chemistry, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, 2500, Australia
| | - Tammy Horton
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Charitha Pattiaratchi
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Todd Bond
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Ashley M Fowler
- Fish Ecology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney, Broadway, 2007, Australia; New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, NSW, 2088, Australia
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20
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Hoving HJT, Bush SL, Haddock SHD, Robison BH. Bathyal feasting: post-spawning squid as a source of carbon for deep-sea benthic communities. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.2096. [PMID: 29263287 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In many oceanic carbon budgets there is a discrepancy between the energetic requirements of deep-sea benthic communities and the supply of organic matter. This suggests that there are unidentified and unmeasured food sources reaching the seafloor. During 11 deep-sea remotely operated vehicle (ROV) surveys in the Gulf of California, the remains (squid carcasses and hatched-out egg sheets) of 64 post-brooding squid were encountered. As many as 36 remains were encountered during a single dive. To our knowledge this is one of the largest numbers of natural food falls of medium-size deep-sea nekton described to date. Various deep-sea scavengers (Ophiuroidea, Holothuroidea, Decapoda, Asteroidea, Enteropneusta) were associated with the remains. Although many of the 80 examined ROV dives did not encounter dead squids or egg sheets (n = 69), and the phenomenon may be geographically and temporally restricted, our results show that dead, sinking squid transport carbon from the water column to the seafloor in the Gulf of California. Based on food fall observations from individual dives, we estimate that annual squid carcass depositions may regionally contribute from 0.05 to 12.07 mg C m-2 d-1 to the seafloor in the areas where we observed the remains. The sinking of squid carcasses may constitute a significant but underestimated carbon vector between the water column and the seafloor worldwide, because squid populations are enormous and are regionally expanding as a result of climate change and pressure on fish stocks. In the future, standardized methods and surveys in geographical regions that have large squid populations will be important for investigating the overall contribution of squid falls to regional carbon budgets.
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Affiliation(s)
- H J T Hoving
- GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - S L Bush
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA.,Monterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940, USA
| | - S H D Haddock
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA
| | - B H Robison
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA
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21
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Gruber DF, Phillips BT, Marsh L, Sparks JS. In situ Observations of the Meso-Bathypelagic Scyphozoan,Deepstaria enigmatica(Semaeostomeae: Ulmaridae). AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES 2018. [DOI: 10.1206/3900.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David F. Gruber
- Baruch College and the Graduate Center, Department of Natural Sciences, City University of New York
- American Museum of Natural History, Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics
- Radciffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University
| | | | - Leigh Marsh
- Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre
| | - John S. Sparks
- American Museum of Natural History, Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics
- American Museum of Natural History, Department of Ichthyology, Division of Vertebrate Zoology
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22
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Jamieson AJ, Linley TD, Craig J. Baited camera survey of deep-sea demersal fishes of the West African oil provinces off Angola: 1200-2500m depth, East Atlantic Ocean. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 129:347-364. [PMID: 28683930 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2017.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Deep-sea demersal fish surveys using baited cameras were undertaken in the West African oil provinces between 1297 m and 2453 m depth in 2002, 2005 and 2008. A total of 29 deployments amounting to 16,175 images encountered 31 species of bait attending deep-sea fish from 17 families. The extrapolated species richness was 34, indicating that the survey encountered over 90% of bait attending fish species in this area. The dominant species in the area were the morid Antimora rostrata, the synaphobranchids Synaphobranchus cf. kaupii and Simenchelys parasitica, the somniosid Centroscymnus coelolepis and the zoarcid Pachycara crassiceps. An unusually high diversity of bait attending macrourids was observed in addition to patchy aggregations of zoarcids. This study serves as baseline survey data on which to base future long-term environmental monitoring of fish populations in the vicinity of the West African oil provinces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan J Jamieson
- Oceanlab, Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Main Street, Newburgh, Aberdeenshire, AB41 6AA, United Kingdom.
| | - Thomas D Linley
- Oceanlab, Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Main Street, Newburgh, Aberdeenshire, AB41 6AA, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica Craig
- Oceanlab, Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Main Street, Newburgh, Aberdeenshire, AB41 6AA, United Kingdom
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23
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Burgess KB, Couturier LIE, Marshall AD, Richardson AJ, Weeks SJ, Bennett MB. Manta birostris, predator of the deep? Insight into the diet of the giant manta ray through stable isotope analysis. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160717. [PMID: 28018660 PMCID: PMC5180158 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The characterization of diet for the giant manta ray Manta birostris has been problematic given their large-scale movement patterns and the difficulty in obtaining stomach contents from this species. The large majority of existing information is based on observational data limited to feeding events at the sea surface during daylight. Recently discovered aggregation sites for the giant manta ray off mainland Ecuador are some of the most accessible to date and provide a unique opportunity for researchers to gather much needed information on this elusive species. To assess how important surface zooplankton is to giant manta ray diet, we conducted stable isotope analysis (15N and 13C) on M. birostris muscle and surface zooplankton. Trophic position estimates placed M. birostris overall at a secondary consumer level of approximately 3.4 but there was large variation in δ15N and δ13C values among individuals. Manta birostris muscle tissue δ13C values were also not consistent with this species feeding predominantly on surface zooplankton and suggest that the majority of dietary intake is of mesopelagic origin. Given the conservative life history and fisheries pressure on large planktivores, knowledge of their trophic role and foraging strategies is essential to better understand their ecology and develop effective conservation measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine B. Burgess
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Planning and Environmental Management, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Marine Megafauna Foundation, Truckee, CA, USA
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, EcoSciences Precinct, GPO Box 2583, Dutton Park, Queensland 4001, Australia
- Author for correspondence: Katherine B. Burgess e-mail:
| | - Lydie I. E. Couturier
- Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin, IUEM, rue Dumont d'Urville, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, UMR 6539 LEMAR (IRD/UBO/CNRS/Ifremer), Plouzané 29280, France
| | | | - Anthony J. Richardson
- Centre for Applications in Natural Resource Mathematics, Planning and Environmental Management, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, EcoSciences Precinct, GPO Box 2583, Dutton Park, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Scarla J. Weeks
- Biophysical Oceanography Group, School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Michael B. Bennett
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Planning and Environmental Management, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
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24
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Havermans C. Have we so far only seen the tip of the iceberg? Exploring species diversity and distribution of the giant amphipod Eurythenes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/14888386.2016.1172257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Havermans
- OD Nature, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
- Marine Zoology, BreMarE – Bremen Marine Ecology, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Functional Ecology, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
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25
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Anderson GS, Bell LS. Impact of Marine Submergence and Season on Faunal Colonization and Decomposition of Pig Carcasses in the Salish Sea. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0149107. [PMID: 26930206 PMCID: PMC4773062 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2015] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pig carcasses, as human proxies, were placed on the seabed at a depth of 300 m, in the Strait of Georgia and observed continuously by a remotely operated camera and instruments. Two carcasses were deployed in spring and two in fall utilizing Ocean Network Canada's Victoria Experimental Network under the Sea (formerly VENUS) observatory. A trial experiment showed that bluntnose sixgill sharks could rapidly devour a carcass so a platform was designed which held two matched carcasses, one fully exposed, the other covered in a barred cage to protect it from sharks, while still allowing invertebrates and smaller vertebrates access. The carcasses were deployed under a frame which supported a video camera, and instruments which recorded oxygen, temperature, salinity, density, pressure, conductivity, sound speed and turbidity at per minute intervals. The spring exposed carcass was briefly fed upon by sharks, but they were inefficient feeders and lost interest after a few bites. Immediately after deployment, all carcasses, in both spring and fall, were very rapidly covered in vast numbers of lyssianassid amphipods. These skeletonized the carcasses by Day 3 in fall and Day 4 in spring. A dramatic, very localized drop in dissolved oxygen levels occurred in fall, exactly coinciding with the presence of the amphipods. Oxygen levels returned to normal once the amphipods dispersed. Either the physical presence of the amphipods or the sudden draw down of oxygen during their tenure, excluded other fauna. The amphipods fed from the inside out, removing the skin last. After the amphipods had receded, other fauna colonized such as spot shrimp and a few Dungeness crabs but by this time, all soft tissue had been removed. The amphipod activity caused major bioturbation in the local area and possible oxygen depletion. The spring deployment carcasses became covered in silt and a black film formed on them and on the silt above them whereas the fall bones remained uncovered and hence continued to be attractive to large numbers of spot shrimp. The carcass remains were recovered after 166 and 134 days respectively for further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gail S. Anderson
- Centre for Forensic Research, School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Lynne S. Bell
- Centre for Forensic Research, School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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26
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Fey SB, Mertens AN, Cottingham KL. Autumn leaf subsidies influence spring dynamics of freshwater plankton communities. Oecologia 2015; 178:875-85. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3279-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Smith CR, Glover AG, Treude T, Higgs ND, Amon DJ. Whale-fall ecosystems: recent insights into ecology, paleoecology, and evolution. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2014; 7:571-596. [PMID: 25251277 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-010213-135144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Whale falls produce remarkable organic- and sulfide-rich habitat islands at the seafloor. The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in studies of modern and fossil whale remains, yielding exciting new insights into whale-fall ecosystems. Giant body sizes and especially high bone-lipid content allow great-whale carcasses to support a sequence of heterotrophic and chemosynthetic microbial assemblages in the energy-poor deep sea. Deep-sea metazoan communities at whale falls pass through a series of overlapping successional stages that vary with carcass size, water depth, and environmental conditions. These metazoan communities contain many new species and evolutionary novelties, including bone-eating worms and snails and a diversity of grazers on sulfur bacteria. Molecular and paleoecological studies suggest that whale falls have served as hot spots of adaptive radiation for a specialized fauna; they have also provided evolutionary stepping stones for vent and seep mussels and could have facilitated speciation in other vent/seep taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig R Smith
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822; ,
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