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Hyndes GA, Berdan EL, Duarte C, Dugan JE, Emery KA, Hambäck PA, Henderson CJ, Hubbard DM, Lastra M, Mateo MA, Olds A, Schlacher TA. The role of inputs of marine wrack and carrion in sandy-beach ecosystems: a global review. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:2127-2161. [PMID: 35950352 PMCID: PMC9804821 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Sandy beaches are iconic interfaces that functionally link the ocean with the land via the flow of organic matter from the sea. These cross-ecosystem fluxes often comprise uprooted seagrass and dislodged macroalgae that can form substantial accumulations of detritus, termed 'wrack', on sandy beaches. In addition, the tissue of the carcasses of marine animals that regularly wash up on beaches form a rich food source ('carrion') for a diversity of scavenging animals. Here, we provide a global review of how wrack and carrion provide spatial subsidies that shape the structure and functioning of sandy-beach ecosystems (sandy beaches and adjacent surf zones), which typically have little in situ primary production. We also examine the spatial scaling of the influence of these processes across the broader land- and seascape, and identify key gaps in our knowledge to guide future research directions and priorities. Large quantities of detrital kelp and seagrass can flow into sandy-beach ecosystems, where microbial decomposers and animals process it. The rates of wrack supply and its retention are influenced by the oceanographic processes that transport it, the geomorphology and landscape context of the recipient beaches, and the condition, life history and morphological characteristics of the macrophyte taxa that are the ultimate source of wrack. When retained in beach ecosystems, wrack often creates hotspots of microbial metabolism, secondary productivity, biodiversity, and nutrient remineralization. Nutrients are produced during wrack breakdown, and these can return to coastal waters in surface flows (swash) and aquifers discharging into the subtidal surf. Beach-cast kelp often plays a key trophic role, being an abundant and preferred food source for mobile, semi-aquatic invertebrates that channel imported algal matter to predatory invertebrates, fish, and birds. The role of beach-cast marine carrion is likely to be underestimated, as it can be consumed rapidly by highly mobile scavengers (e.g. foxes, coyotes, raptors, vultures). These consumers become important vectors in transferring marine productivity inland, thereby linking marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Whilst deposits of organic matter on sandy-beach ecosystems underpin a range of ecosystem functions and services, they can be at variance with aesthetic perceptions resulting in widespread activities, such as 'beach cleaning and grooming'. This practice diminishes the energetic base of food webs, intertidal fauna, and biodiversity. Global declines in seagrass beds and kelp forests (linked to global warming) are predicted to cause substantial reductions in the amounts of marine organic matter reaching many beach ecosystems, likely causing flow-on effects for food webs and biodiversity. Similarly, future sea-level rise and increased storm frequency are likely to alter profoundly the physical attributes of beaches, which in turn can change the rates at which beaches retain and process the influxes of wrack and animal carcasses. Conservation of the multi-faceted ecosystem services that sandy beaches provide will increasingly need to encompass a greater societal appreciation and the safeguarding of ecological functions reliant on beach-cast organic matter on innumerable ocean shores worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn A. Hyndes
- Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, School of ScienceEdith Cowan UniversityJoondalupWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Emma L. Berdan
- Department of Marine SciencesUniversity of GothenburgGöteborgSweden
| | - Cristian Duarte
- Departamento de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la VidaUniversidad Andres BelloSantiagoChile
| | - Jenifer E. Dugan
- Marine Science InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCA93106USA
| | - Kyle A. Emery
- Marine Science InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCA93106USA
| | - Peter A. Hambäck
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant SciencesStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Christopher J. Henderson
- School of Science, Technology, and EngineeringUniversity of the Sunshine CoastMaroochydoreQueenslandAustralia
| | - David M. Hubbard
- Marine Science InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCA93106USA
| | - Mariano Lastra
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Edificio CC ExperimentaisUniversidade de Vigo, Campus de Vigo36310VigoSpain
| | - Miguel A. Mateo
- Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, School of ScienceEdith Cowan UniversityJoondalupWestern AustraliaAustralia,Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasBlanesSpain
| | - Andrew Olds
- School of Science, Technology, and EngineeringUniversity of the Sunshine CoastMaroochydoreQueenslandAustralia
| | - Thomas A. Schlacher
- School of Science, Technology, and EngineeringUniversity of the Sunshine CoastMaroochydoreQueenslandAustralia
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Davis HR, Des Roches S, Anderson RA, Leaché AD. Population expansion, divergence, and persistence in Western Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) at the northern extreme of their distributional range. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6310. [PMID: 35428834 PMCID: PMC9012774 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10233-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Population dynamics within species at the edge of their distributional range, including the formation of genetic structure during range expansion, are difficult to study when they have had limited time to evolve. Western Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) have a patchy distribution at the northern edge of their range around the Puget Sound, Washington, where they almost exclusively occur on imperiled coastal habitats. The entire region was covered by Pleistocene glaciation as recently as 16,000 years ago, suggesting that populations must have colonized these habitats relatively recently. We tested for population differentiation across this landscape using genome-wide SNPs and morphological data. A time-calibrated species tree supports the hypothesis of a post-glacial establishment and subsequent population expansion into the region. Despite a strong signal for fine-scale population genetic structure across the Puget Sound with as many as 8-10 distinct subpopulations supported by the SNP data, there is minimal evidence for morphological differentiation at this same spatiotemporal scale. Historical demographic analyses suggest that populations expanded and diverged across the region as the Cordilleran Ice Sheet receded. Population isolation, lack of dispersal corridors, and strict habitat requirements are the key drivers of population divergence in this system. These same factors may prove detrimental to the future persistence of populations as they cope with increasing shoreline development associated with urbanization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayden R Davis
- Department of Biology and Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
| | - Simone Des Roches
- School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Roger A Anderson
- Department of Biology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, 98225, USA
| | - Adam D Leaché
- Department of Biology and Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
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Jaramillo E, Dugan J, Hubbard D, Manzano M, Duarte C. Ranking the ecological effects of coastal armoring on mobile macroinvertebrates across intertidal zones on sandy beaches. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 755:142573. [PMID: 33039935 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Coastal armoring is widely applied to coastal ecosystems, such as sandy beaches, in response to shoreline erosion and threats to infrastructure. Use of armoring is expected to increase due to coastal population growth and effects of climate change. An increased understanding of armoring effects on those ecosystems and the services they provide is needed for impact assessments and the design of these structures. We investigated the following hypotheses: 1) impacts of coastal armoring on beach macroinvertebrates increase from lower to upper intertidal zones and 2) location of an armoring structure on beach profiles affects the number of intertidal zones, using comparative surveys of armored and unarmored beach sections in Chile and California. The effects of armoring were greater for upper intertidal (talitrid amphipods) and mid-intertidal species (cirolanid isopods) than for lower shore fauna (hippid crabs). Our surveys of sections of armoring structures located higher and lower on the beach profile (with and without interactions with waves and tides), showed loss of upper zone talitrid amphipods and mid-zone isopods and a reduction of lower zone hippid crabs in sections where the structures were lower on the beach profile and interacted with waves, compared to non-interacting sections. Our results support the hypothesis that impacts of armoring on intertidal macroinvertebrates increase from the lower to the upper intertidal zones of sandy beaches and also suggest that the relative position of an armoring structure on the beach profile, determines the number of intertidal zones it affects. Our findings also imply that by altering the position of existing armoring structures on the shore profile and increasing the amount of interaction with waves and tides, sea level rise and regional factors, such as coseismic coastal subsidence, can be expected to exacerbate the impacts of these widely used coastal defense structures on sandy beach ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Jaramillo
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.
| | - Jenifer Dugan
- Marine Science Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - David Hubbard
- Marine Science Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Mario Manzano
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Cristian Duarte
- Departamento de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile; Centro de Investigación Marina de Quintay (CIMARQ), Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Chile
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Airoldi L, Beck MW, Firth LB, Bugnot AB, Steinberg PD, Dafforn KA. Emerging Solutions to Return Nature to the Urban Ocean. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2021; 13:445-477. [PMID: 32867567 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-032020-020015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Urban and periurban ocean developments impact 1.5% of the global exclusive economic zones, and the demand for ocean space and resources is increasing. As we strive for a more sustainable future, it is imperative that we better design, manage, and conserve urban ocean spaces for both humans and nature. We identify three key objectives for more sustainable urban oceans: reduction of urban pressures, protection and restoration of ocean ecosystems, and support of critical ecosystem services. We describe an array of emerging evidence-based approaches, including greening grayinfrastructure, restoring habitats, and developing biotechnologies. We then explore new economic instruments and incentives for supporting these new approaches and evaluate their feasibility in delivering these objectives. Several of these tools have the potential to help bring nature back to the urban ocean while also addressing some of the critical needs of urban societies, such as climate adaptation, seafood production, clean water, and recreation, providing both human and environmental benefits in some of our most impacted ocean spaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Airoldi
- Department of Biology, Chioggia Hydrobiological Station Umberto D'Ancona, University of Padova, 30015 Chioggia, Italy;
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences and Interdepartmental Research Center for Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, UO CoNISMa, 48123 Ravenna, Italy
| | - Michael W Beck
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95060, USA;
| | - Louise B Firth
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, United Kingdom;
| | - Ana B Bugnot
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia;
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, New South Wales 2088, Australia
| | - Peter D Steinberg
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, New South Wales 2088, Australia
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation and School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia;
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551
| | - Katherine A Dafforn
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales 2109, Australia;
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Levin PS, Howe ER, Robertson JC. Impacts of stormwater on coastal ecosystems: the need to match the scales of management objectives and solutions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190460. [PMID: 33131444 PMCID: PMC7662197 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite their limited area relative to the global ocean, coastal zones—the regions where land meets the sea—play a disproportionately important role in generating ecosystem services. However, coastal ecosystems are under increasing pressure from human populations. In particular, urban stormwater is an increasingly important threat to the integrity of coastal systems. Urban catchments exhibit altered flow regimes that impact ecosystem processes and coastal foodwebs. In addition, urban stormwater contains complex and unpredictable mixtures of chemicals that result in a multitude of lethal and sublethal impacts on species in coastal systems. Along the western coast of the United States, we estimate that hundreds of billions of kilograms of suspended solids flow off land surfaces and enter the Northern California Current each year. However, 70% of this pollution could be addressed by treating only 1.35% of the land area. Determining how to prioritize treatment of stormwater in this region requires a clear articulation of objectives—spatial distribution of appropriate management actions is dependent on the life histories of species, and management schemes optimized for one species may not achieve desired objectives for other species. In particular, we highlight that the scale of stormwater interventions must match the ecological scale relevant to species targeted by management. In many cases, management and policy will require mechanisms in order to ensure that local actions scale-up to efficiently and effectively achieve management objectives. In the face of rapid urbanization of coastal zones, failure to consider the match of management and ecological scales will result in the continued decline of coastal ecosystems and the species they support. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Integrative research perspectives on marine conservation’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip S Levin
- The Nature Conservancy, Washington Field Office, 74 Wall Street, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, The University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Emily R Howe
- The Nature Conservancy, Washington Field Office, 74 Wall Street, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - James C Robertson
- The Nature Conservancy, Washington Field Office, 74 Wall Street, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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