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Leone MT, Warren JD. Acoustic monitoring of artificial reefs reveals Atlantic cod and weakfish spawning and presence of individual bottlenose dolphins. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 156:137-150. [PMID: 38958489 DOI: 10.1121/10.0026461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
The artificial reefs in New York's waters provide structure in areas that are typically flat and sandy, creating habitat for a multitude of species as an area to spawn, forage, and reside. Passive acoustic data collected on the Fire Island and Shinnecock artificial reefs between 2018 and 2022 detected spawning-associated calls of weakfish (Cynoscion regalis) and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), as well as the presence of individual bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) through their signature whistles. Weakfish and Atlantic cod were more vocally active on the Fire Island reef, where Atlantic cod grunts peaked during a new moon phase in December, and weakfish spawning experienced variable peaks between mid-July and mid-August on both reefs. Fifty-seven individual bottlenose dolphins were identified, with whistle repeats ranging from seconds to years apart. Passive acoustic monitoring allows for simultaneous collection of information on multiple species at different trophic levels as well as behavioral information that helps managers understand how these animals utilize these habitats, which can lead to improved conservation measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa T Leone
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Southampton, New York 11968, USA
| | - Joseph D Warren
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Southampton, New York 11968, USA
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Yeo HHJ, Yeo JY, Todd PA. Relative predation intensity of an intertidal gastropod on artificial coastal defense structures. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11385. [PMID: 38742187 PMCID: PMC11089086 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite seawalls becoming ubiquitous coastal features, and having some physical similarities to natural rocky shores, it remains unclear how these urban habitats influence predator-prey interactions. Predators can affect intertidal mobile prey densities through two pathways: (1) successful predation directly influences prey mortality rates, and (2) direct and indirect effects of predation can scare and induce motile prey to seek safer areas. In this study, we investigated whether intertidal predators affect the density of the marine gastropod, Nerita undata, at four seawall sites in Singapore. Using a tethering method that we developed, we monitored the mortality and other evidence of predation (shell state) of tethered N. undata. Field experiments revealed high (22.5%-82.5%) predation potential of N. undata across the four sites, with significantly higher predation risk at lower shore heights and for snails with mixed shell coloration. Observations and analysis of the shell state after 3 days showed that predation on seawalls was primarily by crushing predators such as fish. Other predators of N. undata include predatory snails, with various feeding methods that left behind different predator signatures. Our results add substantially to the limited knowledge on predator-prey interactions on seawalls, particularly for Nerita undata, and suggest that seawall systems are more dynamic than previously thought. This further highlights the role of these artificial structures as important habitats and feeding grounds in urban coastal ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah H. J. Yeo
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Jing Ying Yeo
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Peter A. Todd
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
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3
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Paxton AB, McGonigle C, Damour M, Holly G, Caporaso A, Campbell PB, Meyer-Kaiser KS, Hamdan LJ, Mires CH, Taylor JC. Shipwreck ecology: Understanding the function and processes from microbes to megafauna. Bioscience 2024; 74:12-24. [PMID: 38313562 PMCID: PMC10831220 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biad084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
An estimated three million shipwrecks exist worldwide and are recognized as cultural resources and foci of archaeological investigations. Shipwrecks also support ecological resources by providing underwater habitats that can be colonized by diverse organisms ranging from microbes to megafauna. In the present article, we review the emerging ecological subdiscipline of shipwreck ecology, which aims to understand ecological functions and processes that occur on shipwrecks. We synthesize how shipwrecks create habitat for biota across multiple trophic levels and then describe how fundamental ecological functions and processes, including succession, zonation, connectivity, energy flow, disturbance, and habitat degradation, manifest on shipwrecks. We highlight future directions in shipwreck ecology that are ripe for exploration, placing a particular emphasis on how shipwrecks may serve as experimental networks to address long-standing ecological questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avery B Paxton
- National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Beaufort, North Carolina, United States
| | - Christopher McGonigle
- School of Geography and Environmental Science, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland
| | - Melanie Damour
- Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
| | - Georgia Holly
- Edinburgh Marine Archaeology, School of History, Classics, and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Alicia Caporaso
- Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
| | - Peter B Campbell
- Cranfield Forensic Institute, Cranfield University, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Shrivenham, England, United Kingdom
| | | | - Leila J Hamdan
- School of Ocean Science and Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, Ocean Springs, Mississippi, United States
| | - Calvin H Mires
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, United States
| | - J Christopher Taylor
- National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Beaufort, North Carolina, United States
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Lawrence JM, Fernandes PG. A typology of North Sea oil and gas platforms. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8079. [PMID: 35577866 PMCID: PMC9109754 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11975-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the commercial exploitation of marine oil and gas reserves began in the middle of the twentieth century, extensive networks of offshore infrastructure have been installed globally. Many of the structures are now nearing the end of their operational lives and will soon require decommissioning, generating renewed interest in their environmental impacts and in the ecological consequences of their removal. However, such work requires selection of a subsample of assets for surveying; censuses of the entire 'population' in any given jurisdiction are practically impossible due to their sheer number. It is important, therefore, that the selected sample is sufficiently representative of the population to draw generalized conclusions. Here, a formal clustering methodology, partitioning around medoids, was used to produce a typology of surface-piercing oil and gas platforms in the North Sea. The variables used for clustering were hydrocarbon product, operational state, platform design and material, and substructure weight. Assessing intra-cluster variability identified 13 clusters as the optimum number. The most important distinguishing variable was platform type, isolating floating platforms first, then concrete gravity-based and then fixed steel. Following clustering, a geographic trend was evident, with oil production more prevalent in the north and gas in the south. The typology allows a representative subset of North Sea oil and gas platforms to be selected when designing a survey, or an assessment of the representativeness of a previously selected subset of platforms. This will facilitate the efficient use of the limited funding available for such studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Lawrence
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK.
| | - P G Fernandes
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
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Osuka KE, Stewart BD, Samoilys M, McClean CJ, Musembi P, Yahya S, Hamad AR, Mbugua J. Depth and habitat are important drivers of abundance for predatory reef fish off Pemba Island, Tanzania. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 175:105587. [PMID: 35196583 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105587] [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: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Coral reefs across the world face significant threats from fishing and climate change, which tends to be most acute in shallower waters. This is the case off Pemba Island, Tanzania, yet the effects of these anthropogenic stressors on the distribution and abundance of economically and ecologically important predatory reef fish, including how they vary with depth and habitat type, is poorly understood. Thus, we deployed 79 baited remote underwater videos (BRUVs) in variable water depths and habitats off Pemba Island, and modeled the effects of depth and habitat on abundance of predatory reef fish. Predatory reef fish types/taxa were significantly predicted by depth and habitat types. Habitats in relatively deeper waters and dominated by hard and soft corals hosted high species richness and abundance of predatory reef fish types/taxa compared to mixed sandy and rubble habitats. The findings add to the growing evidence that deep waters around coral reefs are important habitats for predatory reef fish. Thus, careful management, through effective area and species protection measures, is needed to prevent further depletion of predatory reef-associated fish populations and to conserve this biologically important area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kennedy E Osuka
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5NG, United Kingdom; Coastal Oceans Research and Development - Indian Ocean (CORDIO East Africa), 9 Kibaki Flats P.O. Box 10135-80101, Mombasa, Kenya.
| | - Bryce D Stewart
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5NG, United Kingdom
| | - Melita Samoilys
- Coastal Oceans Research and Development - Indian Ocean (CORDIO East Africa), 9 Kibaki Flats P.O. Box 10135-80101, Mombasa, Kenya
| | - Colin J McClean
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5NG, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Musembi
- Coastal Oceans Research and Development - Indian Ocean (CORDIO East Africa), 9 Kibaki Flats P.O. Box 10135-80101, Mombasa, Kenya
| | - Saleh Yahya
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Tanzania
| | - Ali R Hamad
- Department of Fisheries Development, Zanzibar, Tanzania
| | - James Mbugua
- Coastal Oceans Research and Development - Indian Ocean (CORDIO East Africa), 9 Kibaki Flats P.O. Box 10135-80101, Mombasa, Kenya
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Paxton AB, Steward DN, Harrison ZH, Taylor JC. Fitting ecological principles of artificial reefs into the ocean planning puzzle. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Avery B. Paxton
- CSS‐Inc Fairfax Virginia USA
- National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Beaufort North Carolina USA
| | | | - Zachary H. Harrison
- North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Morehead City North Carolina USA
| | - J. Christopher Taylor
- National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Beaufort North Carolina USA
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Garcia-Vazquez E, Georges O, Fernandez S, Ardura A. eDNA metabarcoding of small plankton samples to detect fish larvae and their preys from Atlantic and Pacific waters. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7224. [PMID: 33790382 PMCID: PMC8012656 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86731-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Zooplankton community inventories are the basis of fisheries management for containing fish larvae and their preys; however, the visual identification of early-stage larvae (the "missing biomass") is difficult and laborious. Here, eDNA metabarcoding was employed to detect zooplankton species of interest for fisheries from open and coastal waters. High-Throughput sequencing (HTS) from environmental samples using small water volumes has been proposed to detect species of interest whose DNA is the most abundant. We analyzed 6-L water samples taken from subtropical and tropical waters using Cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene as metabarcode. In the open ocean, several commercial fish larvae and invertebrate species important in fish diet were found from metabarcodes and confirmed from individual barcoding. Comparing Atlantic, Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Pacific samples we found a lower taxonomic depth of OTU assignments in samples from tropical waters than in those from temperate ones, suggesting large gaps in reference databases for those areas; thus a higher effort of zooplankton barcoding in tropical oceans is highly recommended. This and similar simplified sampling protocols could be applied in early detection of species important for fisheries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Garcia-Vazquez
- Department of Functional Biology, University of Oviedo, C/Julian Claveria S/N, 33006, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Oriane Georges
- Department of Functional Biology, University of Oviedo, C/Julian Claveria S/N, 33006, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Sara Fernandez
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Science and Computing, Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, Galway, H91 T8NW, Ireland
| | - Alba Ardura
- Department of Functional Biology, University of Oviedo, C/Julian Claveria S/N, 33006, Oviedo, Spain.
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