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Bradshaw C, Iburg S, Morys C, Sköld M, Pusceddu A, Ennas C, Jonsson P, Nascimento FJA. Effects of bottom trawling and environmental factors on benthic bacteria, meiofauna and macrofauna communities and benthic ecosystem processes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 921:171076. [PMID: 38382611 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171076] [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: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Soft sediment marine benthic ecosystems comprise a diverse community of bacteria, meiofauna and macrofauna, which together support a range of ecosystem processes such as biogeochemical cycling. These ecosystems are also fishing grounds for demersal species that are often caught using bottom trawling. This fishing method can have deleterious effects on benthic communities by causing injury or mortality, and through alteration of sediment properties that in turn influence community structure. Although the impacts of bottom trawling on macrofauna are relatively well studied, less is known about the responses of meiofauna and bacteria to such disturbances, or how bottom trawling impacts benthic ecosystem processes. Quantifying trawling impacts against a background of natural environmental variability is also a challenge. To address these questions, we examined effects of bottom trawling and a range of environmental variables (e.g. water chemistry and physical and biochemical surface sediment properties) on a) bacterial, meiofaunal and macrofaunal community structure and b) benthic ecosystem processes (nutrient fluxes, extracellular enzyme activities and carbon turnover and degradation rates). We also investigated the link between the benthic macrofauna community and the same ecosystem processes. While there was a significant effect of bottom trawling intensity on macrofaunal community structure, the same was not seen for bacterial or meiofaunal community composition, which were more affected by environmental factors, such as surface sediment properties. The labile component of the surface sediment carbon pool was higher at highly trawled sites. Carbon degradation rates, extracellular enzyme activities, oxygen fluxes and some nutrient fluxes were significantly affected by trawling, but ecosystem processes were also strongly linked to the abundance of key bioturbators (Macoma balthica, Halicryptus spinulosus, Scoloplos armiger and Pontoporeia femorata). Although benthic ecosystems were affected by a combination of trawling and natural variability, disentangling these showed that the anthropogenic effects were clearest on the larger component of the community, i.e. macrofauna composition, and on ecosystem processes related to sedimentary carbon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Bradshaw
- Stockholm University, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Sven Iburg
- Stockholm University, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Claudia Morys
- Stockholm University, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mattias Sköld
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Marine Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lysekil, Sweden
| | - Antonio Pusceddu
- University of Cagliari, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
| | - Claudia Ennas
- University of Cagliari, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
| | - Patrik Jonsson
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Marine Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lysekil, Sweden
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Hu B, Wang Q, Liu J, Xing L, Zhang X, Wang Y, Liu X. Environmental heterogeneity of cold seep by biological trait analysis of marine nematodes at Site F cold seep in South China Sea. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 198:115932. [PMID: 38104383 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115932] [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: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Cold seeps provide high environmental heterogeneity for marine benthos. Site F is one of the active cold seeps in the South China Sea. In this study, free-living marine nematode communities were investigated at Site F and the adjacent deep-sea area. A total of 67 genera and 32 families were identified. The mean density at cold seep sites ranged from 13.6 to 181.8 ind./10 cm2, and that at the adjacent deep-sea sites ranged from 36.9 to 301.4 ind./10 cm2. At cold seep sites, the most dominant nematode genera were Desmoscolex, Pierrickia, Sabatieria, Halalaimus, and Dorylaimopsis while at deep-sea sites, the most dominant genera were Retrotheristus, Thalassomonhystera, Desmoscolex, Cobbia, and Halalaimus. Deposit feeders of nematodes were dominant at all sites. Results of biological trait analysis showed that there was high environmental heterogeneity for nematodes at Site F. Water depth, sediment organic matter content, and sand proportion had important influences on nematode communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingzhou Hu
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Qi Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Jiwen Liu
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Lei Xing
- Key Lab of Submarine Geoscience and Prospecting, College of Marine Geosciences, Ocean University of China, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment and Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Yuqing Wang
- Trier College of Sustainable Technology, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
| | - Xiaoshou Liu
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.
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Leduc D. Six new species of free-living nematodes (Nematoda: Enoplida) from deep-sea cold seeps on Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14867. [PMID: 36908816 PMCID: PMC9997197 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is known about the taxonomy of deep-sea nematode species inhabiting cold seep habitats. An opportunity to characterize the nematode species communities of New Zealand cold seeps was provided by a 2019 research voyage to New Zealand's Hikurangi Margin, during which macrofauna cores were obtained at two seeps at approximately 1,250 and 2,000 m water depth. Here, six new species of the orderEnoplida are described. Metacylicolaimus catherinae sp. nov. represents the first record of the genus for the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone and for the deep sea globally. Halalaimus talaurinus sp. nov., Thalassoalaimus duoporus sp. nov. and Crenopharynx crassipapilla sp. nov. are only the second species of their respective genera to be described/recorded from New Zealand waters, and Oncholaimus adustus sp. nov. is the eighth species of the genus to be recorded from the region. Rhabdodemania zealandiaensis sp. nov. was among the most abundant and widespread species found at the Hikurangi Margin seep sites. A few specimens had been found in a previous ecological study of meiofaunal nematode communities on Chatham Rise, a submarine ridge south of Hikurangi Margin. It is possible that this species has a preference for seep environments due to elevated food availability, however it does not seem to be exclusively found in seeps. We find no evidence for an affinity between nematode seep communities in New Zealand and elsewhere, which is consistent with the high variability in nematode community observed to date among regions. Ongoing work on the ecology and distribution of nematode communities at the Hikurangi Margin seep sites will help determine spatial patterns in abundance and species distributions in more detail, including the identification of any species/taxa with affinities with seeps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Leduc
- Oceans Centre, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand
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Sørensen MV, Grzelak K, Kristensen RM, Herranz M. First account on Loricifera from New Zealand: A new species of Pliciloricus, and a Shira larva with postlarva representing the new genus and species Patuloricus tangaroa gen. et sp. nov. ZOOL ANZ 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2022.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Epstein G, Middelburg JJ, Hawkins JP, Norris CR, Roberts CM. The impact of mobile demersal fishing on carbon storage in seabed sediments. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:2875-2894. [PMID: 35174577 PMCID: PMC9307015 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Subtidal marine sediments are one of the planet's primary carbon stores and strongly influence the oceanic sink for atmospheric CO2 . By far the most widespread human activity occurring on the seabed is bottom trawling/dredging for fish and shellfish. A global first-order estimate suggested mobile demersal fishing activities may cause 0.16-0.4 Gt of organic carbon (OC) to be remineralized annually from seabed sediment carbon stores (Sala et al., 2021). There are, however, many uncertainties in this calculation. Here, we discuss the potential drivers of change in seabed sediment OC stores due to mobile demersal fishing activities and conduct a literature review, synthesizing studies where this interaction has been directly investigated. Under certain environmental settings, we hypothesize that mobile demersal fishing would reduce OC in seabed stores due to lower production of flora and fauna, the loss of fine flocculent material, increased sediment resuspension, mixing and transport and increased oxygen exposure. Reductions would be offset to varying extents by reduced faunal bioturbation and community respiration, increased off-shelf transport and increases in primary production from the resuspension of nutrients. Studies which directly investigated the impact of demersal fishing on OC stocks had mixed results. A finding of no significant effect was reported in 61% of 49 investigations; 29% reported lower OC due to fishing activities, with 10% reporting higher OC. In relation to remineralization rates within the seabed, four investigations reported that demersal fishing activities decreased remineralization, with three reporting higher remineralization rates. Patterns in the environmental and experimental characteristics between different outcomes were largely indistinct. More evidence is urgently needed to accurately quantify the impact of anthropogenic physical disturbance on seabed carbon in different environmental settings and to incorporate full evidence-based carbon considerations into global seabed management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham Epstein
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterCornwallUK
| | | | - Julie P. Hawkins
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterCornwallUK
| | - Catrin R. Norris
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterCornwallUK
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6
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Schratzberger M, Somerfield PJ. Effects of widespread human disturbances in the marine environment suggest a new agenda for meiofauna research is needed. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 728:138435. [PMID: 32570325 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The response of an ecological community to a disturbance event, and its capacity to recover, are of major interest to ecologists, especially at a time of increasing frequencies and intensities of environmental change brought about by humans. Meiofauna, a group of small-sized organisms, are an abundant and ubiquitous component of seafloor communities that respond rapidly to environmental change. We summarise the available research on the response of metazoan meiofauna to the most widespread anthropogenic disturbances in the marine environment, including bottom fishing, the introduction of invasive species and anthropogenic climate change. We show that disturbance effects on habitats interact critically with effects on resident meiofauna species. Their responses are consistent with competitive replacement, where disparate disturbance effects on competing species drive shifts in dominance and intra- and interspecific interactions. The widespread replacement of habitat-specific ecological specialists by broadly-adapted ecological generalists and opportunists results in biotic and functional homogenisation of once disparate biotas. Anthropogenic disturbances may facilitate novel interactions among meiofauna species, and between meiofauna and other benthic organisms, but the number and breadth of these interactions is likely to be limited. Knowledge about the dependence of meiofauna species on their environment and on other benthic species has been growing. Future studies will be most meaningful if this knowledge is expanded alongside understanding the potential of locally adapted species to respond to shifts in environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Schratzberger
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft NR33 0HT, United Kingdom; Collaborative Centre for Sustainable Use of the Seas, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom.
| | - Paul J Somerfield
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth PL1 3DH, United Kingdom
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Baldrighi E, Zeppilli D, Appolloni L, Donnarumma L, Chianese E, Russo GF, Sandulli R. Meiofaunal communities and nematode diversity characterizing the Secca delle Fumose shallow vent area (Gulf of Naples, Italy). PeerJ 2020; 8:e9058. [PMID: 32523806 PMCID: PMC7263297 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrothermal venting is rather prevalent in many marine areas around the world, and marine shallow vents are relatively abundant in the Mediterranean Sea, especially around Italy. However, investigations focusing on the characterization of meiofaunal organisms inhabiting shallow vent sediments are still scant compared to that on macrofauna. In the present study, we investigated the meiobenthic assemblages and nematode diversity inhabiting the Secca delle Fumose (SdF), a shallow water vent area located in the Gulf of Naples (Italy). In this area, characterized by a rapid change in the environmental conditions on a relative small spatial scale (i.e., 100 m), we selected four sampling sites: one diffusive emission site (H); one geyser site (G) and two inactive sites (CN, CS). Total meiofauna abundance did not vary significantly between active and inactive sites and between surface and deeper sediment layers due to a high inter-replicate variability, suggesting a pronounced spatial-scale patchiness in distribution of meiofauna. Nematofauna at site H presented the typical features of deep-sea vents with low structural and functional diversity, high biomass and dominance of few genera (i.e., Oncholaimus; Daptonema) while from site G we reported diversity values comparable to that of the inactive sites. We hypothesized that site G presented a condition of “intermediate disturbance” that could maintain a high nematode diversity. Environmental features such as sediment temperature, pH, total organic carbon and interstitial waters ions were found to be key factors influencing patterns of meiofauna and nematofauna assemblages at SdF. Even though the general theory is that nematodes inhabiting shallow vent areas include a subset of species that live in background sediments, this was not the case for SdF vent area. Due to a marked change in nematode composition between all sites and to the presence of many exclusive species, every single investigated site was characterized by a distinct nematofauna reflecting the high spatial heterogeneity of SdF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Baldrighi
- Istituto per le Risorse Biologiche e le Biotecnologie Marine (IRBIM), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Lesina, Italy.,Laboratoire Environnement Profond, Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la MER (IFREMER), Plouzané, France
| | - Daniela Zeppilli
- Laboratoire Environnement Profond, Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la MER (IFREMER), Plouzané, France
| | - Luca Appolloni
- Department of Science and Technology (DiST), Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy.,Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy
| | - Luigia Donnarumma
- Department of Science and Technology (DiST), Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy.,Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Chianese
- Department of Science and Technology (DiST), Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Fulvio Russo
- Department of Science and Technology (DiST), Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy.,Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Sandulli
- Department of Science and Technology (DiST), Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy.,Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy
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Oleszczuk B, Michaud E, Morata N, Renaud PE, Kędra M. Benthic macrofaunal bioturbation activities from shelf to deep basin in spring to summer transition in the Arctic Ocean. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 150:104746. [PMID: 31306869 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2019.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess bioturbation rates in relation to macrozoobenthos and environmental variables in the Svalbard fjords, Barents Sea and Nansen Basin during spring to summer transition. The results showed differences in benthic community structure across sampled area in relation to sediment type and phytopigment content. Fjords, Barents Sea and the shallow parts of Nansen Basin (<400 m) were characterized by high functional groups diversity, and by biodiffusive and non-local rates ranging from 0.05 to 1.75 cm-2 y-1 and from 0.2 to 3.2 y-1, respectively. The deeper parts of Nansen Basin (>400m), dominated by conveyors species, showed only non-local transport rates (0.1-1 y-1). Both coefficients intensity varied with benthic biomass. Non-local transport increased with species richness and density and at stations with mud enriched by fresh phytopigments, whereas biodiffusion varied with sediment type and organic matter quantity. This study quantified for the first time the two modes of sediment mixing in the Arctic, each of which being driven by different environmental and biological situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Oleszczuk
- Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences (IOPAN), Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712, Sopot, Poland.
| | - Emma Michaud
- Laboratoire des Sciences de L'environnement Marin (LEMAR), UMR 6539 (CNRS/UBO/ IRD/Ifremer), Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, rue Dumont d'Urville, 29280, Plouzané, France
| | - Nathalie Morata
- Laboratoire des Sciences de L'environnement Marin (LEMAR), UMR 6539 (CNRS/UBO/ IRD/Ifremer), Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, rue Dumont d'Urville, 29280, Plouzané, France; Akvaplan-niva, Fram Centre for Climate and the Environment, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Paul E Renaud
- Akvaplan-niva, Fram Centre for Climate and the Environment, Tromsø, Norway; The University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Norway
| | - Monika Kędra
- Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences (IOPAN), Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712, Sopot, Poland
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Rzeznik-Orignac J, Puisay A, Derelle E, Peru E, Le Bris N, Galand PE. Co-occurring nematodes and bacteria in submarine canyon sediments. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5396. [PMID: 30083476 PMCID: PMC6074754 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In submarine canyon sediments, bacteria and nematodes dominate the benthic biomass and play a key role in nutrient cycling and energy transfer. The diversity of these communities remains, however, poorly studied. This work aims at describing the composition of bacteria and nematode communities in the Lacaze-Duthiers submarine canyon in the north-western Mediterranean Sea. We targeted three sediment depths for two consecutive years and investigated the communities using nuclear markers (18S rRNA and 16S rRNA genes). High throughput sequencing combined to maximal information coefficient (MIC) statistical analysis allowed us to identify, for the first time, at the same small scale, the community structures and the co-occurrence of nematodes and bacteria Operational Taxonomic Units across the sediment cores. The associations detected by MIC revealed marked patterns of co-occurrences between the bacteria and nematodes in the sediment of the canyon and could be linked to the ecological requirements of individual bacteria and nematodes. For the bacterial community, Delta- and Gammaproteobacteria sequences were the most abundant, as seen in some canyons earlier, although Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria and Planctomycetes have been prevalent in other canyon sediments. The 20 identified nematode genera included bacteria feeders as Terschellingia, Eubostrichus, Geomonhystera, Desmoscolex and Leptolaimus. The present study provides new data on the diversity of bacterial and nematodes communities in the Lacaze-Duthiers canyon and further highlights the importance of small-scale sampling for an accurate vision of deep-sea communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jadwiga Rzeznik-Orignac
- Laboratoire d'Ecogéochimie des Environnements Benthiques, LECOB, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Antoine Puisay
- Laboratoire d'Ecogéochimie des Environnements Benthiques, LECOB, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France.,Criobe, Laboratoire d'Excellence "Corail", PSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, Papetoai, French Polynesia
| | - Evelyne Derelle
- Laboratoire de Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France.,LEMAR UMR 6539 CNRS/UBO/IRD/Ifremer, IUEM, Plouzané, France
| | - Erwan Peru
- Laboratoire d'Ecogéochimie des Environnements Benthiques, LECOB, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Nadine Le Bris
- Laboratoire d'Ecogéochimie des Environnements Benthiques, LECOB, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Pierre E Galand
- Laboratoire d'Ecogéochimie des Environnements Benthiques, LECOB, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
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