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Seuront L, Henry S, Breton E, Spilmont N, Elias F. Marine foams impede metabolic and behavioural traits in the rough periwinkle Littorina saxatilis. Mar Environ Res 2024; 197:106486. [PMID: 38588615 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Foams are a ubiquitous feature of marine environments. They can have major economic, societal and ecological consequences through their accumulation on the shore. Despite their pervasive nature and evidence that stable foam deposits play a pivotal role in the ecology of soft shore and estuaries, very limited amounts of information are available on their contribution to the structure and function at play in rocky intertidal ecosystems. This study shows that the metabolic rate of the high-shore gastropod Littorina saxatilis is significantly higher in individuals exposed to foams. Behavioural assays conducted under laboratory-controlled conditions further show that this species detects foam-born infochemicals both indirectly or directly, hence rely on both airborne and contact chemosensory cues. L. saxatilis also actively avoid areas covered in foam, and increase their activity in the presence of foam. These observations are interpreted in terms of foam-induced increased metabolic stress and increases behavioural anxiety and vigilance. They are further discussed in relation to the occurrence of two phytoplankton species known to produce repellent and/or toxic compounds such as domoic acid and dimethylsulfoniopropionate, the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata and the haptophyte Phaeocystis globosa, with the latter occurring at unusually high density. Taken together, these results suggest that the accumulation of foams on intertidal rocky shores may have major implications on taxa relying on both airborne and contact chemosensory cues to navigate, find food and mating partners. Specifically, the observed increased behavioural activity coupled with increased metabolic demands may impact species fitness and highlight potentially large ecological consequences in rocky intertidal ecosystems characterized by strong hydrodynamism and elevated organic matter content leading to the presence of long-lived foam.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Seuront
- CNRS, Univ. Lille, Univ. Littoral Côte D'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187 LOG, Station Marine de Wimereux, F-59000, Lille, France; Department of Marine Resources and Energy, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa.
| | - Solène Henry
- CNRS, Univ. Lille, Univ. Littoral Côte D'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187 LOG, Station Marine de Wimereux, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Elsa Breton
- Univ. Littoral Côte D'Opale, CNRS, Univ. Lille, IRD, UMR 8187 LOG, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Nicolas Spilmont
- CNRS, Univ. Lille, Univ. Littoral Côte D'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187 LOG, Station Marine de Wimereux, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Florence Elias
- Laboratoire de Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Hétérogènes, ESPCI-PSL-Sorbonne Université-Université de Paris, 75005, Paris, France
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Uguen M, Gaudron SM, Nicastro KR, Zardi GI, Spilmont N, Henry S, Seuront L. The tolerance of a keystone ecosystem engineer to extreme heat stress is hampered by microplastic leachates. Biol Lett 2024; 20:20230457. [PMID: 38531416 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Plastic pollution and ongoing climatic changes exert considerable pressure on coastal ecosystems. Unravelling the combined effects of these two threats is essential to management and conservation actions to reduce the overall environmental risks. We assessed the capacity of a coastal ecosystem engineer, the blue mussel Mytilus edulis, to cope with various levels of aerial heat stress (20, 25, 30 and 35°C) after an exposure to substances leached from beached and virgin low-density polyethylene pellets. Our results revealed a significant interaction between temperature and plastic leachates on mussel survival rates. Specifically, microplastic leachates had no effect on mussel survival at 20, 25 and 30°C. In turn, mussel survival rates significantly decreased at 35°C, and this decrease was even more significant following an exposure to leachates from beached pellets; these pellets had a higher concentration of additives compared to the virgin ones, potentially causing a bioenergetic imbalance. Our results stress the importance of adopting integrated approaches combining the effects of multiple environmental threats on key marine species to understand and mitigate their potential synergistic effects on ecosystem dynamics and resilience in the face of the changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Uguen
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station marine de Wimereux, 59000 Lille, France
| | - Sylvie M Gaudron
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station marine de Wimereux, 59000 Lille, France
- Sorbonne Université, UFR 927, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Katy R Nicastro
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station marine de Wimereux, 59000 Lille, France
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
- CCMAR-Centro de Ciencias do Mar, CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro 8005-139, Portugal
| | - Gerardo I Zardi
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
- Laboratoire de Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), Université de Caen-Normandie, MNHN, SU, UA, CNRS, IRD, Esplanade de la paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France
| | - Nicolas Spilmont
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station marine de Wimereux, 59000 Lille, France
| | - Solène Henry
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station marine de Wimereux, 59000 Lille, France
| | - Laurent Seuront
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station marine de Wimereux, 59000 Lille, France
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
- Department of Marine Resources and Energy, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan
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Zardi GI, Nicastro KR, Truong SL, Decorse P, Nozak S, Chevillot-Biraud A, Froneman PW, Akoueson F, Duflos G, Seuront L. Microplastic leachates inhibit small-scale self-organization in mussel beds. Sci Total Environ 2024; 914:169816. [PMID: 38181965 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Self-organized spatial patterns are increasingly recognized for their contribution to ecosystem functioning. They can improve the ecosystem's ability to respond to perturbation and thus increase its resilience to environmental stress. Plastic pollution has now emerged as major threat to aquatic and terrestrial biota. Under laboratory conditions, we tested whether plastic leachates from pellets collected in the intertidal can impair small-scale, spatial self-organization and byssal threads production of intertidal mussels and whether the effect varied depending on where the pellets come from. Specifically, leachates originating from plastic pellets collected from relatively pristine and polluted areas respectively impaired and inhibited the ability of mussels to self-organize at small-scale and to produce byssal threads compared to control conditions (i.e., seawater without leaching solution). Limitations to natural self-organizing processes and threads formation may translate to a declined capacity of natural ecosystems to avoid tipping points and to a reduced restoration success of disturbed ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo I Zardi
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, Laboratoire Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques, UMR 8067 BOREA (CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, UCBN, IRD-207), 14000 Caen, France; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; CCMAR-CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus Gambelas, Faro 8005-139, Portugal
| | - Katy R Nicastro
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; CCMAR-CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus Gambelas, Faro 8005-139, Portugal; Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187 LOG, F-59000 Lille, France.
| | - Stéphanie Lau Truong
- Laboratoire ITODYS CNRS UMR7086, Université Paris Diderot, Bâtiment Lavoisier, 75205, France
| | - Philippe Decorse
- Laboratoire ITODYS CNRS UMR7086, Université Paris Diderot, Bâtiment Lavoisier, 75205, France
| | - Sophie Nozak
- Laboratoire ITODYS CNRS UMR7086, Université Paris Diderot, Bâtiment Lavoisier, 75205, France
| | | | | | - Fleurine Akoueson
- Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 1158 BioEcoAgro, EA 7394, Institut Charles Viollette, USC ANSES, INRAe, Univ. Lille, Univ. Artois, Univ. Picardie Jules Verne, Uni. Liège, F-62200 Boulogne-sur-Mer, France; ANSES - Laboratoire de Sécurité des Aliments, Boulevard du Bassin Napoléon, F-62200 Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
| | - Guillaume Duflos
- ANSES - Laboratoire de Sécurité des Aliments, Boulevard du Bassin Napoléon, F-62200 Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
| | - Laurent Seuront
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187 LOG, F-59000 Lille, France; Department of Marine Resources and Energy, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
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4
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Cozzolino L, Nicastro KR, Hubbard PC, Seuront L, McQuaid CD, Zardi GI. Intraspecific genetic lineages of a marine mussel show behavioural divergence when exposed to microplastic leachates. Environ Pollut 2024; 340:122779. [PMID: 37863252 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Worldwide, microplastic pollution has numerous negative implications for marine biota, exacerbating the effects of other forms of global anthropogenic disturbance. Mounting evidence shows that microplastics (MPs) not only cause physical damage through their ingestion, but also act as vectors for hazardous compounds by leaching absorbed and adsorbed chemicals. Research on the effects of plastic pollution has, however, largely assumed that species respond uniformly, while ignoring intraspecific diversity (i.e., variation within a single species). We investigated the effects of plastic leachates derived from factory-fresh (virgin) and beached microplastics on the behavioural responses of two genetic lineages of the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Through laboratory behavioural experiments, we found that during exposure to leachates from beached microplastics (beached MPLs), Atlantic specimens moved significantly less than Mediterranean individuals in terms of both (i) proportion of individuals responding through movement and (ii) net and gross distances crawled. In contrast, no significant intraspecific differences were observed in the behaviour of either adults or recruits when exposed to MPLs from virgin microplastics (virgin MPLs). Additionally, the reception of cues from three amino acids (L-cysteine, proline and L-leucine) at increasing concentrations (10-5 M to 10-3 M in charcoal-filtered seawater) was tested by electrophysiological analysis using mussels exposed to beached MPLs or control seawater. We found significant intraspecific differences in response to 10-3 M L-cysteine (regardless of treatment) and 10-4 M L-cysteine (in mussels exposed to beached MPLs) and to 10-3 M proline (in mussels exposed to beached MPLs) and 10-5 M L-leucine. Our study suggests that intraspecific variation in a marine mussel may prompt different responses to plastic pollution, potentially triggered by local adaptation and physiological variability between lineages. Our work highlights the importance of assessing the effects of intraspecific variation, especially in environmental sentinel species as this level of diversity could modulate responses to plastic pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Cozzolino
- CCMAR-Centro de Ciências do Mar, CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, 8005-139, Portugal.
| | - Katy R Nicastro
- CCMAR-Centro de Ciências do Mar, CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, 8005-139, Portugal; Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-59000, Lille, France; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - Peter C Hubbard
- CCMAR-Centro de Ciências do Mar, CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, 8005-139, Portugal
| | - Laurent Seuront
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-59000, Lille, France; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa; Department of Marine Resources and Energy, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108- 8477, Japan
| | - Christopher D McQuaid
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - Gerardo I Zardi
- CCMAR-Centro de Ciências do Mar, CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, 8005-139, Portugal; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa; Normandie Université, UNICAEN, Laboratoire Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques, UMR 8067 BOREA (CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, UCBN, IRD-207), CS 14032, 14000, Caen, France
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5
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Delaeter C, Spilmont N, Delleuze M, Seuront L. Lack of behavioral effect of surgical mask leachate on the Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus: Implications for invasion success in polluted coastal waters. Sci Total Environ 2023:164683. [PMID: 37295520 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic generated a new source of plastic mass pollution, i.e. surgical masks, that preferentially accumulate in intertidal environments. Made of polymers, surgical masks are likely to leach additives and impact local intertidal fauna. As typical endpoints of complex developmental and physiological functions, behavioral properties are non-invasive key variables that are particularly studied in ecotoxicological and pharmacological studies, but have, first and foremost, adaptive ecological significance. In an era of ever-growing plastic pollution, this study focused on anxiety behaviors, i.e. startle response, scototaxis (i.e. preference for dark or light areas), thigmotaxis (i.e. preference for moving toward or away from physical barriers), vigilance and level of activity, of the invasive shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus in response to leachate from surgical masks. We first showed that in the absence of mask leachates H. sanguineus is characterized by a short startle time, a positive scototaxis, a strong positive thigmotaxis, and an acute vigilance behavior. Specifically, a significantly higher level of activity was observed in white areas, in contrast to the lack of significant differences observed in black areas. Noticeably, the anxiety behaviors of H. sanguineus did not significantly differ after a 6-h exposure to leachate solutions of masks incubated in seawater for 6, 12, 24, 48 and 96 h. In addition, our results were consistently characterized by a high inter-individual variability. This specific feature is discussed as an adaptive behavioral trait, which - through the observed high behavioral flexibility - increases H. sanguineus resilience to contaminant exposures and ultimately contribute to its invasion success in anthropogenically-impacted environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Delaeter
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, IRD, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-59000 Lille, France.
| | - Nicolas Spilmont
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, IRD, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Mélanie Delleuze
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, IRD, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Laurent Seuront
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, IRD, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-59000 Lille, France; Department of Marine Resources and Energy, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
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6
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Uguen M, Gaudron SM, Nicastro KR, Zardi GI, Spilmont N, Seuront L. Size-dependent response of the mussel collective behaviour to plastic leachates and predator cues. Sci Total Environ 2023; 888:164037. [PMID: 37207783 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Both individual and collective anti-predator behaviours are essential for the survival of many species. This is particularly true for ecosystem engineers such as intertidal mussels, which through their collective behaviour create novel habitats for a range of organisms and biodiversity hotspots. However, contaminants may disrupt these behaviours and consequently indirectly affect exposure to predation risk at the population level. Among these, plastic litter is a major and ubiquitous contaminant of the marine environment. Here, we assessed the impact of microplastic (MP) leachates of the most produced plastic polymer, polypropylene (PlasticsEurope, 2022), at a high but locally relevant concentration (i.e. ca. 12 g L-1) on the collective behaviours and anti-predator responses of both small and large Mytilus edulis mussels. Indeed, in contrast to large mussels, small ones reacted to MP leachates, showing a taxis towards conspecifics and stronger aggregations. All mussels reacted to the chemical cues of the predatory crab, Hemigrapsus sanguineus, but with two different collective anti-predator behaviours. Small mussels only showed a taxis towards conspecifics when exposed to predator cues. This response was also found in large ones with a tendency to form more strongly bound aggregations and a considerable reduced activity, i.e. they significantly delayed their time to start to form aggregations and decreased their gross distance. These anti-predator behaviours were respectively inhibited and impaired in small and large mussels by MP leachates. The observed collective behavioural changes may reduce individual fitness by enhancing predation risk, particularly in small mussels that are the crab H. sanguineus's favourite preys. Given the key role of mussels as ecosystem engineers, our observations suggest that plastic pollution may have implication on M. edulis at the species level, but also enhancing a cascading effect towards a higher level of organisation such as population, community and ultimately structure and function of intertidal ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Uguen
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station marine de Wimereux, F-59000 Lille, France.
| | - Sylvie M Gaudron
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station marine de Wimereux, F-59000 Lille, France; Sorbonne Université, UFR 927, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Katy R Nicastro
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station marine de Wimereux, F-59000 Lille, France; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; CCMAR-Centro de Ciencias do Mar, CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro 8005-139, Portugal
| | - Gerardo I Zardi
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; Laboratoire de Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), Université de Caen-Normandie, MNHN, SU, UA, CNRS, IRD, Esplanade de la paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France
| | - Nicolas Spilmont
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station marine de Wimereux, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Laurent Seuront
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station marine de Wimereux, F-59000 Lille, France; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; Department of Marine Resources and Energy, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan
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7
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Bouchet VMP, Seuront L, Tsujimoto A, Richirt J, Frontalini F, Tsuchiya M, Matsuba M, Nomaki H. Foraminifera and plastic pollution: Knowledge gaps and research opportunities. Environ Pollut 2023; 324:121365. [PMID: 36858101 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Plastic has become one of the most ubiquitous and environmentally threatening sources of pollution in the Anthropocene. Beyond the conspicuous visual impact and physical damages, plastics both carry and release a cocktail of harmful chemicals, such as monomers, additives and persistent organic pollutants. Here we show through a review of the scientific literature dealing with both plastic pollution and benthic foraminifera (Rhizaria), that despite their critical roles in the structure and function of benthic ecosystems, only 0.4% of studies have investigated the effects of micro- and nano-plastics on this group. Consequently, we urge to consider benthic foraminifera in plastic pollution studies via a tentative roadmap that includes (i) the use of their biological, physiological and behavioral responses that may unveil the effects of microplastics and nanoplastics and (ii) the evaluation of the indicative value of foraminiferal species to serve as proxies for the degree of pollution. This appears particularly timely in the context of the development of management strategies to restore coastal ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent M P Bouchet
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station Marine de Wimereux, 59000, Lille, France.
| | - Laurent Seuront
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station Marine de Wimereux, 59000, Lille, France; Department of Marine Energy and Resource, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8477, Japan; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - Akira Tsujimoto
- Faculty of Education, Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu-cho, Matsue-shi, Shimane, 690-8504, Japan
| | - Julien Richirt
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station Marine de Wimereux, 59000, Lille, France; X-star, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Fabrizio Frontalini
- Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, Urbino University, 61029, Urbino, Italy
| | - Masashi Tsuchiya
- Research Institute for Global Change (RIGC), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Misako Matsuba
- Biodiversity Division, National Institute of Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan
| | - Hidetaka Nomaki
- X-star, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan
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Cozzolino L, Nicastro KR, Seuront L, McQuaid CD, Zardi GI. The relative effects of interspecific and intraspecific diversity on microplastic trapping in coastal biogenic habitats. Sci Total Environ 2022; 848:157771. [PMID: 35926622 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Our understanding of how anthropogenic stressors such as climate change and plastic pollution interact with biodiversity is being widened to include diversity below the species level, i.e., intraspecific variation. The emerging appreciation of the key ecological importance of intraspecific diversity and its potential loss in the Anthropocene, further highlights the need to assess the relative importance of intraspecific versus interspecific diversity. One such issue is whether a species responds as a homogenous whole to plastic pollution. Using manipulative field transplant experiments and laboratory-controlled hydrodynamic simulations, we assessed the relative effects of intraspecific and interspecific diversity on microplastic trapping in coastal biogenic habitats dominated by two key bioengineers, the brown intertidal macroalgae Fucus vesiculosus and F. guiryi. At the individual level, northern morphotypes of F. guiryi trapped more microplastics than southern individuals, and F. vesiculosus trapped more microplastics than F. guiryi. Canopy density varied among species, however, leading to reversed patterns of microplastic accumulation, with F. guiryi canopies accumulating more microplastics than those of F. vesiculosus, while no differences were observed between the canopies of F. guiryi morphotypes. We emphasize the importance of assessing the effects of intraspecific variation which, along with other crucial factors such as canopy density, flow velocity and polymer composition, modulates the extent of microplastic accumulation in coastal biogenic habitats. Our findings indicate that a realistic estimation of plastic accumulation in biogenic habitats requires an understanding of within- and between-species traits at both the individual and population levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Cozzolino
- CCMAR-Centro de Ciencias do Mar, CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro 8005-139, Portugal.
| | - Katy R Nicastro
- CCMAR-Centro de Ciencias do Mar, CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro 8005-139, Portugal; Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-59000 Lille, France; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
| | - Laurent Seuront
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-59000 Lille, France; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; Department of Marine Resources and Energy, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan
| | - Christopher D McQuaid
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
| | - Gerardo I Zardi
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; Normandie Université, UNICAEN, Laboratoire Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques, UMR 8067 BOREA (CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, UCBN, IRD-207), CS 14032, 14000 Caen, France
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9
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Seuront L, Zardi GI, Uguen M, Bouchet VMP, Delaeter C, Henry S, Spilmont N, Nicastro KR. A whale of a plastic tale: A plea for interdisciplinary studies to tackle micro- and nanoplastic pollution in the marine realm. Sci Total Environ 2022; 846:157187. [PMID: 35868387 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plastic is one of the most ubiquitous sources of both contamination and pollution of the Anthropocene, and accumulates virtually everywhere on the planet. As such, plastic threatens the environment, the economy and human well-being globally. The related potential threats have been identified as a major global conservation issue and a key research priority. As a consequence, plastic pollution has become one of the most prolific fields of research in research areas including chemistry, physics, oceanography, biology, ecology, ecotoxicology, molecular biology, sociology, economy, conservation, management, and even politics. In this context, one may legitimately expect plastic pollution research to be highly interdisciplinary. However, using the emerging topic of microplastic and nanoplastic leachate (i.e., the desorption of molecules that are adsorbed onto the surface of a polymer and/or absorbed into the polymer matrix in the absence of plastic ingestion) in the ocean as a case study, we argue that this is still far from being the case. Instead, we highlight that plastic pollution research rather seems to remain structured in mostly isolated monodisciplinary studies. A plethora of analytical methods are now available to qualify and quantify plastic monomers, polymers and the related additives. We nevertheless show though a survey of the literature that most studies addressing the effects of leachates on marine organisms essentially still lack of a quantitative assessment of the chemical nature and content of both plastic items and their leachates. In the context of the ever-increasing research effort devoted to assess the biological and ecological effects of plastic waste, we subsequently argue that the lack of a true interdisciplinary approach is likely to hamper the development of this research field. We finally introduce a roadmap for future research which has to evolve through the development of a sound and systematic ability to chemically define what we biologically compare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Seuront
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, 62930 Wimereux, France; Department of Marine Energy and Resource, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa.
| | - Gerardo I Zardi
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
| | - Marine Uguen
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, 62930 Wimereux, France
| | - Vincent M P Bouchet
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, 62930 Wimereux, France
| | - Camille Delaeter
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, 62930 Wimereux, France
| | - Solène Henry
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, 62930 Wimereux, France
| | - Nicolas Spilmont
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, 62930 Wimereux, France
| | - Katy R Nicastro
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, 62930 Wimereux, France; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; CCMAR-Centro de Ciencias do Mar, CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro 8005-139, Portugal
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10
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Uguen M, Nicastro KR, Zardi GI, Gaudron SM, Spilmont N, Akoueson F, Duflos G, Seuront L. Microplastic leachates disrupt the chemotactic and chemokinetic behaviours of an ecosystem engineer (Mytilus edulis). Chemosphere 2022; 306:135425. [PMID: 35809744 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The massive contamination of the environment by plastics is an increasing global scientific and societal concern. Knowing whether and how these pollutants affect the behaviour of keystone species is essential to identify environmental risks effectively. Here, we focus on the effect of plastic leachates on the behavioural response of the common blue mussel Mytilus edulis, an ecosystem engineer responsible for the creation of biogenic structures that modify the environment and provide numerous ecosystem functions and services. Specifically, we assess the effect of virgin polypropylene beads on mussels' chemotactic (i.e. a directional movement in response to a chemical stimulus) and chemokinetic (i.e. a non-directional change in movement properties such as speed, distance travelled or turning frequency in response to a chemical stimulus) responses to different chemical cues (i.e. conspecifics, injured conspecifics and a predator, the crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus). In the presence of predator cues, individual mussels reduced both their gross distance and speed, changes interpreted here as an avoidance behaviour. When exposed to polypropylene leachates, mussels moved less compared to control conditions, regardless of the cues tested. Additionally, in presence of crab cues with plastic leachates, mussels significantly changed the direction of movement suggesting a leachate-induced loss of their negative chemotaxis response. Taken together, our results indicate that the behavioural response of M. edulis is cue-specific and that its anti-predator behaviour as well as its mobility are impaired when exposed to microplastic leachates, potentially affecting the functioning of the ecosystem that the species supports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Uguen
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station Marine de Wimereux, F-59000, Lille, France.
| | - Katy R Nicastro
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station Marine de Wimereux, F-59000, Lille, France; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa; CCMAR-Centro de Ciencias do Mar, CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, 8005-139, Portugal
| | - Gerardo I Zardi
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - Sylvie M Gaudron
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station Marine de Wimereux, F-59000, Lille, France; Sorbonne Université, UFR 927, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Spilmont
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station Marine de Wimereux, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Fleurine Akoueson
- ANSES - Laboratoire de Sécurité des Aliments, Boulevard du Bassin Napoléon, F-62200, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France; Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 1158 BioEcoAgro, EA 7394, Institut Charles Viollette, USC ANSES, INRAe, Univ. Lille, Univ. Artois, Univ. Picardie Jules Verne, Uni. Liège, F-62200, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
| | - Guillaume Duflos
- ANSES - Laboratoire de Sécurité des Aliments, Boulevard du Bassin Napoléon, F-62200, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
| | - Laurent Seuront
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station Marine de Wimereux, F-59000, Lille, France; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa; ANSES - Laboratoire de Sécurité des Aliments, Boulevard du Bassin Napoléon, F-62200, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France; Department of Marine Resources and Energy, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8477, Japan
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11
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Nicastro KR, Seuront L, McQuaid CD, Zardi GI. Symbiont-induced intraspecific phenotypic variation enhances plastic trapping and ingestion in biogenic habitats. Sci Total Environ 2022; 826:153922. [PMID: 35183637 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plastic contamination has major effects on biodiversity, enhancing the consequences of other forms of global anthropogenic disturbance such as climate change and habitat fragmentation. Despite this and the recognised importance of intraspecific diversity, we still know relatively little about how plastic pollution affects diversity below the species level. Here, we assessed the effects of intraspecific variation in a habitat forming species (the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis) on the trapping and ingestion of microplastics. We focused on symbiont-induced phenotypic variation in mussel beds. Using fractal analysis, we measured an increase in the complexity of mussel bed surfaces by ca. 15% caused by phototropic shell-degrading endoliths. By simulating high tide flow conditions and incoming waves, we found that symbionts significantly increased microplastic accumulation in mussel beds. This likely reflects deceleration of near-bed flow velocities, creation of turbulence in the bottom boundary layer and consequently increased particle retention. This effect was not constant at high tide, with no effect of infestation on retention at the base of the mussel bed under mid and high flow conditions and reduced microplastic trapping on the surface of mussel shells. Nevertheless, under natural conditions, the ingestion and trapping of microplastic were higher by the mussels comprising beds with symbionts than those in beds without symbionts. Given the dependency of many species on mussel biogenic habitats, there is an increased risk of plastics moving up the food chain in mussel beds infested by symbiotic endoliths. Our results highlight how the effects of within-species phenotypic diversity may influence the consequences of rising levels of plastic pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katy R Nicastro
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-59000 Lille, France; CCMAR-Centro de Ciencias do Mar, CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro 8005-139, Portugal; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
| | - Laurent Seuront
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-59000 Lille, France; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; Department of Marine Resources and Energy, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan
| | - Christopher D McQuaid
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
| | - Gerardo I Zardi
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa.
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12
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Delaeter C, Spilmont N, Bouchet VMP, Seuront L. Plastic leachates: Bridging the gap between a conspicuous pollution and its pernicious effects on marine life. Sci Total Environ 2022; 826:154091. [PMID: 35219681 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
With 4 to 12 million tons of plastic entering the marine environment each year, plastic pollution has become one of the most ubiquitous sources of pollution of the Anthropocene threatening the marine environment. Beyond the conspicuous physical damages, plastics may release a cocktail of harmful chemicals, i.e. monomers, additives and persistent organic pollutants. Although known to be highly toxic, plastic leachates seemingly appear, however, as the "somewhat sickly child" of the plastic pollution literature. We reviewed the only 26 studies investigating the impact of plastic leachates on marine microbes and invertebrates, and concluded that the observed effects essentially depend on the species, polymer type, plastic composition, accumulated contaminants and weathering processes. We identified several gaps that we believe may hamper progress in this emerging area of research and discussed how they could be bridged to further our understanding of the effects of the compounds released by plastic items on marine organisms. We first stress the lack of a consensus on the use of the term 'leachate', and subsequently introduce the concepts of primary and secondary leachates, based on the intrinisic or extrinsic origin of the products released in bulk seawater. We discuss how methodological inconsistencies and the discrepancy between the polymers used in experiments and their abundance in the environment respectively limit comparison between studies and a comprehensive assessment of the effects leachate may actually have in the ocean. We also discuss how the imbalanced in the variety of both organisms and polymers considered, the mostly unrealistic concentrations used in laboratory experiments, and the lack of investigation on key ecosystem engineers may considerably narrow the spectrum of our understanding of the plastic leachates' effects. We finally discuss how increasing multi-disciplinarity through collaborations between different research fields may benefit to an area of research which is still in its early infancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Delaeter
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, IRD, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-59000 Lille, France.
| | - Nicolas Spilmont
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, IRD, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Vincent M P Bouchet
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, IRD, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Laurent Seuront
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, IRD, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-59000 Lille, France; Department of Marine Resources and Energy, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
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13
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Monsinjon JR, McQuaid CD, Nicastro KR, Seuront L, Oróstica MH, Zardi GI. Weather and topography regulate the benefit of a conditionally helpful parasite. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Katy R. Nicastro
- Department of Zoology and Entomology Rhodes University Grahamstown South Africa
- CCMAR, CIMAR Associated Laboratory University of Algarve Faro Portugal
- Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences Univ. LilleCNRSUniv. Littoral Côte d'OpaleUMR 8187 LOG Lille France
| | - Laurent Seuront
- Department of Zoology and Entomology Rhodes University Grahamstown South Africa
- CCMAR, CIMAR Associated Laboratory University of Algarve Faro Portugal
- Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences Univ. LilleCNRSUniv. Littoral Côte d'OpaleUMR 8187 LOG Lille France
- Department of Marine Resources and Energy Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Tokyo Japan
| | | | - Gerardo I. Zardi
- Department of Zoology and Entomology Rhodes University Grahamstown South Africa
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14
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Seuront L, Nicastro KR, Zardi GI. Heads in the clouds: On the carbon footprint of conference-seeded publications in the advancement of knowledge. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:15205-15211. [PMID: 34765171 PMCID: PMC8571599 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The carbon footprint of flying overseas to conferences, meetings, and workshops to share and build knowledge has been increasingly questioned over the last two decades, especially in environmental and climate sciences, due to the related colossal carbon emissions. Here, we infer the value of scientific meetings through the number of publications produced either directly or indirectly after attending a scientific conference, symposium, or workshop (i.e., the conference-related production) and the number of publications produced per meeting (i.e., the conference-related productivity) as proxies for the academic value of these meetings, and relate them to both the number of meetings attended and the related carbon emissions. We show that conference-related production and productivity, respectively, increase and decay with the number of meetings attended, and noticeably that the less productive people exhibit the largest carbon footprint. Taken together, our results imply that a twofold decrease in the carbon footprint F CO 2 of a given scientist would result in a twofold increase in productivity through a fivefold decrease in the number of meeting attended. In light of these figures, we call for both the implementation of objective and quantitative criteria related to the optimum number of conferences to attend in an effort to maximize scientific productivity while minimizing the related carbon footprint, and the development of a rationale to minimize the carbon emission related to scientific activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Seuront
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d’Opale, UMR 8187 – LOG – Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de GéosciencesLilleFrance
- Department of Marine Resources and EnergyTokyo University of Marine Science and TechnologyMinato‐kuJapan
- Department of Zoology and EntomologyRhodes UniversityGrahamstownSouth Africa
| | - Katy R. Nicastro
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d’Opale, UMR 8187 – LOG – Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de GéosciencesLilleFrance
- Department of Zoology and EntomologyRhodes UniversityGrahamstownSouth Africa
- CCMAR–Centro de Ciencias do MarCIMAR Laboratório AssociadoUniversidade do AlgarveFaroPortugal
| | - Gerardo I. Zardi
- Department of Zoology and EntomologyRhodes UniversityGrahamstownSouth Africa
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15
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Ndhlovu A, Lathlean JA, McQuaid CD, Seuront L. Indirect effects shape macroalgal epifaunal communities. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:15141-15152. [PMID: 34765166 PMCID: PMC8571615 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We tested the response of algal epifauna to the direct effects of predation and the indirect consequences of habitat change due to grazing and nutrient supply through upwelling using an abundant intertidal rhodophyte, Gelidium pristoides. We ran a mid-shore field experiment at four sites (two upwelling sites interspersed with two non-upwelling sites) along 450 km of the south coast of South Africa. The experiment was started in June 2014 and ran until June 2015. Four treatments (predator exclusion, grazer exclusion, control, and procedural control) set out in a block design (n = 5) were monitored monthly for algal cover for the first 6 months and every 2 months for the last 6 months. Epifaunal abundance, species composition, algal cover, and algal architectural complexity (measured using fractal geometry) were assessed after 12 months. Predation had no significant effect on epifaunal abundances, while upwelling interacted with treatment. Grazing reduced the architectural complexity of algae, with increased fractal dimensions in the absence of grazers, and also reduced algal cover at all sites, though the latter effect was only significant for upwelling sites. Epifaunal community composition was not significantly affected by the presence of herbivores or predators but differed among sites independently of upwelling; sites were more similar to nearby sites than those farther away. In contrast, total epifaunal abundance was significantly affected by grazing, when normalized to algal cover. Grazing reduced the cover of algae; thus, epifaunal abundances were not affected by the direct top-down effects of predation but did respond to the indirect effects of grazing on habitat availability and quality. Our results indicate that epifaunal communities can be strongly influenced by the indirect consequences of biotic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldwin Ndhlovu
- Department of Zoology and EntomologyRhodes UniversityGrahamstownSouth Africa
- Department of ZoologyNelson Mandela UniversityGqeberhaSouth Africa
| | - Justin A. Lathlean
- Department of Zoology and EntomologyRhodes UniversityGrahamstownSouth Africa
| | | | - Laurent Seuront
- Department of Zoology and EntomologyRhodes UniversityGrahamstownSouth Africa
- LOGLaboratoire d'Océanologie et de GéosciencesCNRS, UMR 8187Univ. LilleUniv. Littoral Côte d'OpaleWimereuxFrance
- Department of Marine Resources and EnergyTokyo University of Marine Science and TechnologyTokyoJapan
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16
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Ng TPT, Lau SLY, Davies MS, Stafford R, Seuront L, Hutchinson N, Hui TTY, Williams GA. Behavioral repertoire of high-shore littorinid snails reveals novel adaptations to an extreme environment. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:7114-7124. [PMID: 34188798 PMCID: PMC8216976 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Species that inhabit high-shore environments on rocky shores survive prolonged periods of emersion and thermal stress. Using two Hong Kong high-shore littorinids (Echinolittorina malaccana and E. radiata) as models, we examined their behavioral repertoire to survive these variable and extreme conditions. Environmental temperatures ranged from 4°C in the cool season to 55.5°C in the hot season, with strong seasonal and daily fluctuations. In the hot season, both species allocated >35% of their activity budgets to stress-mitigating thermoregulatory behaviors (e.g. standing, towering) and relatively small proportions to foraging (<20%) and reproduction (<10%). In the assumedly benign cool season, greater proportions (>70%) of activity budgets were allocated to stress mitigation behaviors (crevice occupation, aggregation formation). Both species exhibited multifunctional behaviors that optimized time use during their tidally-constrained activity window in the hot season. Females mated while foraging when awash by the rising tide, and some males crawled on top of females prior to ceasing movement to form 'towers', which have both thermoregulatory benefits and reduce searching time for mates during subsequent activity. The function of such behaviors varies in a state-dependent manner, for example, the function of trail following changes over an activity cycle from mate searching on rising tides, to stress mitigation on falling tides (aiding aggregation formation), and to both functions through tower formation just before movement stops. Many of these behavioral responses are, therefore, multifunctional and can vary according to local conditions, allowing snails in this family to successfully colonize the extreme high-shore environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terence P. T. Ng
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological SciencesThe University of Hong KongHong Kong SARChina
| | - Sarah L. Y. Lau
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological SciencesThe University of Hong KongHong Kong SARChina
| | | | - Richard Stafford
- Department of Life and Environmental SciencesBournemouth UniversityPooleUK
| | - Laurent Seuront
- Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences (LOG)UMR 8187CNRSUniv. LilleUniv. Littoral Côte d’OpaleWimereuxFrance
- Department of Marine Resource and EnergyTokyo University of Marine Science and TechnologyMinatoJapan
- Department of Zoology and EntomologyRhodes UniversityGrahamstownSouth Africa
| | - Neil Hutchinson
- Tropical Futures Institute/TropWATER—Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem ResearchJames Cook UniversitySingapore
| | - Tommy T. Y. Hui
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological SciencesThe University of Hong KongHong Kong SARChina
| | - Gray A. Williams
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological SciencesThe University of Hong KongHong Kong SARChina
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17
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Zardi GI, Monsinjon JR, McQuaid CD, Seuront L, Orostica M, Want A, Firth LB, Nicastro KR. Foul-weather friends: Modelling thermal stress mitigation by symbiotic endolithic microbes in a changing environment. Glob Chang Biol 2021; 27:2549-2560. [PMID: 33772983 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Temperature extremes are predicted to intensify with climate change. These extremes are rapidly emerging as a powerful driver of species distributional changes with the capacity to disrupt the functioning and provision of services of entire ecosystems, particularly when they challenge ecosystem engineers. The subsequent search for a robust framework to forecast the consequences of these changes mostly ignores within-species variation in thermal sensitivity. Such variation can be intrinsic, but can also reflect species interactions. Intertidal mussels are important ecosystem engineers that host symbiotic endoliths in their shells. These endoliths unexpectedly act as conditionally beneficial parasites that enhance the host's resistance to intense heat stress. To understand how this relationship may be altered under environmental change, we examined the conditions under which it becomes advantageous by reducing body temperature. We deployed biomimetic sensors (robomussels), built using shells of mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) that were or were not infested by endoliths, at nine European locations spanning a temperature gradient across 22°of latitude (Orkney, Scotland to the Algarve, Portugal). Daily wind speed and solar radiation explained the maximum variation in the difference in temperature between infested and non-infested robomussels; the largest difference occurred under low wind speed and high solar radiation. From the robomussel data, we inferred body temperature differences between infested and non-infested mussels during known heatwaves that induced mass mortality of the mussel Mytilus edulis along the coast of the English Channel in summer 2018 to quantify the thermal advantage of endolith infestation during temperature extremes. Under these conditions, endoliths provided thermal buffering of between 1.7°C and 4.8°C. Our results strongly suggest that sustainability of intertidal mussel beds will increasingly depend on the thermal buffering provided by endoliths. More generally, this work shows that biomimetic models indicate that within-species thermal sensitivity to global warming can be modulated by species interactions, using an intertidal host-symbiont relationship as an example.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo I Zardi
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Jonathan R Monsinjon
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | | | - Laurent Seuront
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
- UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, Lille, France
- Department of Marine Energy and Resources, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Minato-ku, Japan
| | - Mauricio Orostica
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Andrew Want
- International Centre for Island Technology, Heriot Watt University Orkney Campus, Stromness, UK
| | - Louise B Firth
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Katy R Nicastro
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
- CCMAR, CIMAR Associated Laboratory, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
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Zardi GI, Nicastro KR, McQuaid CD, de Jager M, van de Koppel J, Seuront L. Density-Dependent and Species-Specific Effects on Self-Organization Modulate the Resistance of Mussel Bed Ecosystems to Hydrodynamic Stress. Am Nat 2021; 197:615-623. [PMID: 33908830 DOI: 10.1086/713738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractSelf-organized, regular spatial patterns emerging from local interactions among individuals enhance the ability of ecosystems to respond to environmental disturbances. Mussels self-organize to form large, regularly patterned biogenic structures that modify the biotic and abiotic environment and provide numerous ecosystem functions and services. We used two mussel species that form monospecific and mixed beds to investigate how species-specific behavior affects self-organization and resistance to wave stress. Perna perna has strong attachment but low motility, while Mytilus galloprovincialis shows the reverse. At low density, the less motile P. perna has limited spatial self-organization compared with M. galloprovincialis, while when coexisting, the two species formed random spatial patterns. At high density, the two species self-organized in similar ways, while when coexisting, patterns were less strong. Spatial pattern formations significantly shaped resistance to hydrodynamic stress. At low density, P. perna beds with strong attachment and M. galloprovincialis beds with strong spatial organization showed higher retention rates than mixed beds. At high density, the presence of strongly attached P. perna significantly increased retention in mixed and P. perna beds compared with M. galloprovincialis beds. Our study emphasizes the importance of the interplay of species-specific behaviors to spatial self-organization and stress tolerance in natural communities.
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Seuront L, Nicastro KR, McQuaid CD, Zardi GI. Microplastic leachates induce species-specific trait strengthening in intertidal mussels. Ecol Appl 2021; 31:e02222. [PMID: 32867006 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Plastic pollution is ubiquitous with increasing recognition of its direct effects on species' fitness. Little is known, however, about its more subtle effects, including the influence of plastic pollution on the morphological, functional and behavioral traits of organisms that are central to their ability to withstand disturbances. Among the least obvious but most pernicious forms of plastic-associated pollution are the chemicals that leach from microplastics. Here, we investigate how such leachates influence species' traits by assessing functional trait compensation across four species of intertidal mussels, through investigations of byssal thread production, movement and aggregation behavior for mussels held in natural seawater or seawater contaminated by microplastic leachates. We found no evidence for compensation of functional traits, but for each species, microplastic leachates reinforced one trait while others remained unaffected. Two species (Perna perna and Mytilus galloprovincialis), were characterized by a resistance strategy to disturbance; they produced more byssal threads in microplastic leachate seawater than in control seawater, while motility and aggregation remained essentially unaffected. In contrast, the other two species (M. edulis and Choromytilus meridionalis), showed a resilience strategy to disturbance through increased motility and aggregation in leachate seawater, while byssal thread production remained unaffected. These results suggest that the competitive abilities of intertidal mussels may be related to their sensitivity to microplastic leachates or other chemical disturbance. Importantly, the trait strengthening observed will affect the ability of these mussels to form spatially patterned beds, with implications for their quality as autogenic ecological engineers or foundation species. Thus, our findings have implications for the ability of mussel beds to tolerate disturbance, and hence for central ecosystem services, such as their ability to support biodiversity and enhance secondary and tertiary production. The results suggest that an inconspicuous aspect of plastic pollution has the potential to influence other communities and ecosystems in powerful ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Seuront
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-59000, Lille, France
- Department of Marine Resources and Energy, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8477, Japan
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - Katy R Nicastro
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
- CCMAR-Centro de Ciencias do Mar, CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, 8005-139, Portugal
| | - Christopher D McQuaid
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - Gerardo I Zardi
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
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Moisez E, Spilmont N, Seuront L. Microhabitats choice in intertidal gastropods is species-, temperature- and habitat-specific. J Therm Biol 2020; 94:102785. [PMID: 33292976 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how behavioural adaptations can limit thermal stress for intertidal gastropods will be crucial for climate models. Some behavioural adaptations are already known to limit desiccation and thermal stresses as shell-lifting, shell-standing, towering, aggregation of conspecifics or habitat selection. Here we used the IRT (i.e. infrared thermography) to investigate the thermal heterogeneity of a rocky platform, with four different macrohabitats (i.e. bare rock, rock with barnacles, mussels and mussels incrusted by barnacles) over four thermally contrasted months. We investigated the body temperature of Littorina littorea and Patella vulgata found on this platform and the temperature of their microhabitat (i.e. the substratum within one body length around of each individual). We also considered the aggregation behaviour of each species and assessed the percentage of thermal microhabitat choice (i.e choice for a microhabitat with a temperature different than the surrounding substrate). We did not find any aggregation of L. littorea on the rocky platform during the four studied months. In contrast, P. vulgata were found in aggregates in all the studied periods and within each habitat, but there was no difference in body temperature between aggregated and solitary individuals. These two gastropods species were preferentially found on rock covered by barnacles in the four studied months. The presence of a thermal microhabitat choice in L. littorea and P. vulgata is habitat-dependent and also season-dependent. In June, July and November the choice was for a microhabitat with temperatures lower than the temperatures of the surrounding substrate whereas in December, individuals choose microhabitats with higher temperatures than the temperatures of their substratum. Taken together, these results suggest that gastropods species are able to explore their environment to find sustainable thermal macrohabitats and microhabitats and adapt this behaviour in function of the conditions of temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Moisez
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F 62930, Wimereux, France
| | - Nicolas Spilmont
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F 62930, Wimereux, France
| | - Laurent Seuront
- CNRS, Univ. Lille, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F 62930, Wimereux, France; Department of Marine Resources and Energy, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8477, Japan; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa.
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Nakano T, Okumura Y, Nakayama R, Seuront L. Movement patterns of the epizoic limpet Lottia tenuisculpta on two host snails Omphalius nigerrimus and Reishia clavigera. Molluscan Research 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/13235818.2020.1808280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tomoyuki Nakano
- Seto Marine Biological Laboratory, Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, Wakayama, Japan
| | | | - Ryo Nakayama
- Seto Marine Biological Laboratory, Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, Wakayama, Japan
- Department of Zoology, Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Laurent Seuront
- CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d’Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences, Université de Lille, Lille, France
- Department of Marine Resource and Energy, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
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Abstract
Massive foam formation in aquatic environments is a seasonal event that has a significant impact on the stability of marine ecosystems. Liquid foams are known to filter passive solid particles, with large particles remaining trapped by confinement in the network of liquid channels and small particles being freely advected by the gravity-driven flow. By contrast, the potential role of a similar retention effect on biologically active particles such as phytoplankton cells is still relatively unknown. To assess if phytoplankton cells are passively advected through a foam, the model unicellular motile alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (CR) was incorporated in a bio-compatible foam, and the number of cells escaping the foam at the bottom was measured in time. Comparing the escape dynamics of living and dead CR cells, we found that dead cells are totally advected by the liquid flow towards the bottom of the foam, as expected since the diameter of CR remains smaller than the typical foam channel diameter. By contrast, living motile CR cells escape the foam at a significantly lower rate: after 2 hours, up to 60% of the injected cells may remain blocked in the foam, while 95% of the initial liquid volume in the foam has been drained out of the foam. Microscopic observation of the swimming CR cells in a chamber mimicking the cross-section of foam internal channels revealed that swimming CR cells accumulate near channels corners. A theoretical analysis based on the probability density measurements in the micro chambers has shown that this trapping at the microscopic scale contributes to explain the macroscopic retention of the microswimmers in the foam. At the crossroads of distinct fields including marine ecology of planktonic organisms, fluid dynamics of active particles in a confined environment and the physics of foam, this work represents a significant step in the fundamental understanding of the ecological consequences of aquatic foams in water bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Roveillo
- Université de Paris, CNRS UMR 7057, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes MSC, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Julien Dervaux
- Université de Paris, CNRS UMR 7057, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes MSC, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Yuxuan Wang
- Université de Paris, CNRS UMR 7057, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes MSC, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Florence Rouyer
- Lab. Navier, Univ. Gustave Eiffel, ENPC, CNRS, F-77447 Marne-la-Vallée, France
| | - Drazen Zanchi
- Université de Paris, CNRS UMR 7057, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes MSC, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Laurent Seuront
- CNRS, Univ. Lille, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, 62930 Wimereux, France.,Department of Marine Resource and Energy, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan.,Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
| | - Florence Elias
- Université de Paris, CNRS UMR 7057, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes MSC, F-75006 Paris, France
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Seuront L, Nicastro KR, Zardi GI, Goberville E. Decreased thermal tolerance under recurrent heat stress conditions explains summer mass mortality of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17498. [PMID: 31767954 PMCID: PMC6877631 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53580-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Extreme events such as heat waves have increased in frequency and duration over the last decades. Under future climate scenarios, these discrete climatic events are expected to become even more recurrent and severe. Heat waves are particularly important on rocky intertidal shores, one of the most thermally variable and stressful habitats on the planet. Intertidal mussels, such as the blue mussel Mytilus edulis, are ecosystem engineers of global ecological and economic importance, that occasionally suffer mass mortalities. This study investigates the potential causes and consequences of a mass mortality event of M. edulis that occurred along the French coast of the eastern English Channel in summer 2018. We used an integrative, climatological and ecophysiological methodology based on three complementary approaches. We first showed that the observed mass mortality (representing 49 to 59% of the annual commercial value of local recreational and professional fisheries combined) occurred under relatively moderate heat wave conditions. This result indicates that M. edulis body temperature is controlled by non-climatic heat sources instead of climatic heat sources, as previously reported for intertidal gastropods. Using biomimetic loggers (i.e. ‘robomussels’), we identified four periods of 5 to 6 consecutive days when M. edulis body temperatures consistently reached more than 30 °C, and occasionally more than 35 °C and even more than 40 °C. We subsequently reproduced these body temperature patterns in the laboratory to infer M. edulis thermal tolerance under conditions of repeated heat stress. We found that thermal tolerance consistently decreased with the number of successive daily exposures. These results are discussed in the context of an era of global change where heat events are expected to increase in intensity and frequency, especially in the eastern English Channel where the low frequency of commercially exploitable mussels already questions both their ecological and commercial sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Seuront
- CNRS, Univ. Lille, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F 62930, Wimereux, France. .,Department of Marine Energy and Resource, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8477, Japan. .,Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa.
| | - Katy R Nicastro
- CCMAR-Centro de Ciencias do Mar, CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, 8005-139, Portugal
| | - Gerardo I Zardi
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - Eric Goberville
- BOREA, Biologie des Organismes et des Ecosystèmes Aquatiques, UMR Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, CNRS 7208, IRD 207, 43 Rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
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Seuront L, Seuront-Scheffbuch D. Rationalisation du taux d’EIR déclarés et de son évolution temporelle. Transfus Clin Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tracli.2019.06.129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Seuront L. Microplastic leachates impair behavioural vigilance and predator avoidance in a temperate intertidal gastropod. Biol Lett 2018; 14:rsbl.2018.0453. [PMID: 30487257 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Microplastics are a ubiquitous source of contaminations in marine ecosystems, and have major implications for marine life. Much effort has been devoted to assessing the various effects of microplastics on marine life. No evidence exists, however, on the effects of microplastic leachates on chemically mediated predator-prey interactions and the ability of prey to detect and avoid its predator. This study shows that microplastic leachates have direct biological effects by disturbing the behavioural response of the intertidal gastropod Littorina littorea to the presence of Carcinus maenas chemical cues, hence increasing their vulnerability to predation. Leachates from virgin and beached pellets respectively impaired and inhibited L. littorea vigilance and antipredator behaviours. These results suggest that the biological effects from microplastic leachates may have major implications for marine ecosystems on taxa that rely on chemosensory cues to escape predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Seuront
- CNRS, Univ. Lille, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F 62930 Wimereux, France
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Seuront-Scheffbuch D, Seuront L. Une approche nationale de la mathématisation de la relation entre PSL transfusés et EIR : que nous disent les spécificités régionales. Transfus Clin Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tracli.2018.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Seuront-Scheffbuch D, Seuront L. Vers une mathématisation de la relation entre PSL transfusés et EIR. Transfus Clin Biol 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tracli.2017.06.325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Zardi GI, Nicastro KR, McQuaid CD, Ng TPT, Lathlean J, Seuront L. Enemies with benefits: parasitic endoliths protect mussels against heat stress. Sci Rep 2016; 6:31413. [PMID: 27506855 PMCID: PMC4979024 DOI: 10.1038/srep31413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Positive and negative aspects of species interactions can be context dependant and strongly affected by environmental conditions. We tested the hypothesis that, during periods of intense heat stress, parasitic phototrophic endoliths that fatally degrade mollusc shells can benefit their mussel hosts. Endolithic infestation significantly reduced body temperatures of sun-exposed mussels and, during unusually extreme heat stress, parasitised individuals suffered lower mortality rates than non-parasitised hosts. This beneficial effect was related to the white discolouration caused by the excavation activity of endoliths. Under climate warming, species relationships may be drastically realigned and conditional benefits of phototrophic endolithic parasites may become more important than the costs of infestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- G I Zardi
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - K R Nicastro
- CCMAR-Centro de Ciencias do Mar, CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, 8005-139, Portugal
| | - C D McQuaid
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - T P T Ng
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - J Lathlean
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - L Seuront
- CNRS, UMR LOG 8187, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station Marine, BP 80, Wimereux, 62930, France
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Lathlean JA, Seuront L, McQuaid CD, Ng TPT, Zardi GI, Nicastro KR. Cheating the Locals: Invasive Mussels Steal and Benefit from the Cooling Effect of Indigenous Mussels. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0152556. [PMID: 27030975 PMCID: PMC4816446 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The indigenous South African mussel Perna perna gapes during periods of aerial exposure to maintain aerobic respiration. This behaviour has no effect on the body temperatures of isolated individuals, but when surrounded by conspecifics, beneficial cooling effects of gaping emerge. It is uncertain, however, whether the presence of the invasive mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis limits the ability of P. perna for collective thermoregulation. We investigated whether varying densities of P. perna and M. galloprovincialis influences the thermal properties of both natural and artificial mussel beds during periods of emersion. Using infrared thermography, body temperatures of P. perna within mixed artificial beds were shown to increase faster and reach higher temperatures than individuals in conspecific beds, indicating that the presence of M. galloprovincialis limits the group cooling effects of gaping. In contrast, body temperatures of M. galloprovincialis within mixed artificial mussel beds increased slower and exhibited lower temperatures than for individuals in beds comprised entirely of M. galloprovincialis. Interestingly, differences in bed temperatures and heating rates were largely dependent on the size of mussels, with beds comprised of larger individuals experiencing less thermal stress irrespective of species composition. The small-scale patterns of thermal stress detected within manipulated beds were not observed within naturally occurring mixed mussel beds. We propose that small-scale differences in topography, size-structure, mussel bed size and the presence of organisms encrusting the mussel shells mask the effects of gaping behaviour within natural mussel beds. Nevertheless, the results from our manipulative experiment indicate that the invasive species M. galloprovincialis steals thermal properties as well as resources from the indigenous mussel P. perna. This may have significant implications for predicting how the co-existence of these two species may change as global temperatures continue to rise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin A. Lathlean
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | - Laurent Seuront
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS UMR 8187 LOG, 28 avenue Foch, BP 80, 62930 Wimereux, France
| | | | - Terence P. T. Ng
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Gerardo I. Zardi
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
| | - Katy R. Nicastro
- CCMAR—Centro de Ciencias do Mar, CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005–139 Faro, Portugal
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Beckmann CL, Mitchell JG, Seuront L, Stone DAJ, Huveneers C. From egg to hatchling: preferential retention of fatty acid biomarkers in young-of-the-year Port Jackson sharks Heterodontus portusjacksoni. J Fish Biol 2014; 85:944-952. [PMID: 25040833 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.12451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2013] [Accepted: 05/17/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The muscle and liver fatty acid composition of young-of-the-year (YOY) Port Jackson sharks Heterodontus portusjacksoni were investigated to determine the effects of a known dietary lipid source v. maternal input as demonstrated by egg yolk fatty acid profiles. Ten Heterodontus portusjacksoni egg yolks were collected in situ and compared with four hatched H. portusjacksoni fed a known diet in a controlled feeding experiment of 185 days. This study demonstrated that fatty acids are probably conservatively transferred from egg yolks to YOY H. portusjacksoni, while diet did not have a large effect on the fatty acid composition of the liver or muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- C L Beckmann
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, 5001, Australia
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Mitchell JG, Seuront L, Doubell MJ, Losic D, Voelcker NH, Seymour J, Lal R. The role of diatom nanostructures in biasing diffusion to improve uptake in a patchy nutrient environment. PLoS One 2013; 8:e59548. [PMID: 23667421 PMCID: PMC3646848 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2012] [Accepted: 02/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diatoms are important single-celled autotrophs that dominate most lit aquatic environments and are distinguished by surficial frustules with intricate designs of unknown function. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We show that some frustule designs constrain diffusion to positively alter nutrient uptake. In nutrient gradients of 4 to 160 times over <5 cm, the screened-chambered morphology of Coscincodiscus sp. biases the nutrient diffusion towards the cell by at least 3.8 times the diffusion to the seawater. In contrast, the open-chambers of Thalassiosira eccentrica produce at least a 1.3 times diffusion advantage to the membrane over Coscincodiscus sp. when nutrients are homogeneous. SIGNIFICANCE Diffusion constraint explains the success of particular diatom species at given times and the overall success of diatoms. The results help answer the unresolved question of how adjacent microplankton compete. Furthermore, diffusion constraint by supramembrane nanostructures to alter molecular diffusion suggests that microbes compete via supramembrane topology, a competitive mechanism not considered by the standard smooth-surface equations used for nutrient uptake nor in microbial ecology and cell physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- James G Mitchell
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
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Beckmann CL, Mitchell JG, Seuront L, Stone DAJ, Huveneers C. Experimental Evaluation of Fatty Acid Profiles as a Technique to Determine Dietary Composition in Benthic Elasmobranchs. Physiol Biochem Zool 2013. [DOI: 10.1086/670758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Beckmann CL, Mitchell JG, Seuront L, Stone DAJ, Huveneers C. Experimental Evaluation of Fatty Acid Profiles as a Technique to Determine Dietary Composition in Benthic Elasmobranchs. Physiol Biochem Zool 2013; 86:266-78. [DOI: 10.1086/669539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Chapperon C, Le Bris C, Seuront L. Thermally mediated body temperature, water content and aggregation behaviour in the intertidal gastropod Nerita atramentosa. Ecol Res 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-013-1030-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Cribb N, Miller C, Seuront L. Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) habitat preference in a heterogeneous, urban, coastal environment. Aquat Biosyst 2013; 9:3. [PMID: 23369354 PMCID: PMC3574012 DOI: 10.1186/2046-9063-9-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Limited information is available regarding the habitat preference of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) in South Australian estuarine environments. The need to overcome this paucity of information is crucial for management and conservation initiatives. This preliminary study investigates the space-time patterns of habitat preference by the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin in the Port Adelaide River-Barker Inlet estuary, a South Australian, urbanised, coastal environment. More specifically, the study aim was to identify a potential preference between bare sand substrate and seagrass beds, the two habitat types present in this environment, through the resighting frequency of recognisable individual dolphins. RESULTS Photo-identification surveys covering the 118 km2 sanctuary area were conducted over 2 survey periods May to August 2006 and from March 2009 to February 2010. Sighting frequency of recognisable individual Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins established a significant preference for the bare sand habitat. More specifically, 72 and 18% of the individuals sighted at least on two occasions were observed in the bare sand and seagrass habitats respectively. This trend was consistently observed at both seasonal and annual scales, suggesting a consistency in the distinct use of these two habitats. CONCLUSIONS It is anticipated that these results will benefit the further development of management and conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nardi Cribb
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Box 2100, Adelaide, SA, 2001, Australia
| | - Cara Miller
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Box 2100, Adelaide, SA, 2001, Australia
- Faculty of Science, Technology and the Environment, University of the South Pacific, Laucala campus, Suva, Fiji
- The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society International, Chippenham, UK
| | - Laurent Seuront
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Box 2100, Adelaide, SA, 2001, Australia
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, Aquatic Science, West Beach, SA, 5022, Australia
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences, UMR LOG 8187, Université des Sciences and Technologies de Lille, Station Marine, Wimereux, 62930, France
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Abstract
The mating behavior and the mating success of copepods rely on chemoreception to locate and track a sexual partner. However, the potential impact of the water-soluble fraction of hydrocarbons on these aspects of copepod reproduction has never been tested despite the widely acknowledged acute chemosensory abilities of copepods. I examined whether three concentrations of the water-soluble fraction of diesel oil (0.01%, 0.1% and 1%) impacts (i) the swimming behavior of both adult males and females of the widespread calanoid copepod Temora longcornis, and (ii) the ability of males to locate, track and mate with females. The three concentrations of the water-soluble fraction of diesel oil (WSF) significantly and non-significantly affect female and male swimming velocities, respectively. In contrast, both the complexity of male and female swimming paths significantly decreased with increasing WSF concentrations, hence suggesting a sex-specific sensitivity to WSF contaminated seawater. In addition, the three WSF concentrations impacted both T. longicornis mating behavior and mating success. Specifically, the ability of males to detect female pheromone trails, to accurately follow trails and to successfully track a female significantly decreased with increasing WSF concentrations. This led to a significant decrease in contact and capture rates from control to WSF contaminated seawater. These results indicate that hydrocarbon contamination of seawater decreases the ability of male copepods to detect and track a female, hence suggest an overall impact on population fitness and dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Seuront
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
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Jeffries TC, Seymour JR, Gilbert JA, Dinsdale EA, Newton K, Leterme SSC, Roudnew B, Smith RJ, Seuront L, Mitchell JG. Substrate type determines metagenomic profiles from diverse chemical habitats. PLoS One 2011; 6:e25173. [PMID: 21966446 PMCID: PMC3179486 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2011] [Accepted: 08/29/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental parameters drive phenotypic and genotypic frequency variations in microbial communities and thus control the extent and structure of microbial diversity. We tested the extent to which microbial community composition changes are controlled by shifting physiochemical properties within a hypersaline lagoon. We sequenced four sediment metagenomes from the Coorong, South Australia from samples which varied in salinity by 99 Practical Salinity Units (PSU), an order of magnitude in ammonia concentration and two orders of magnitude in microbial abundance. Despite the marked divergence in environmental parameters observed between samples, hierarchical clustering of taxonomic and metabolic profiles of these metagenomes showed striking similarity between the samples (>89%). Comparison of these profiles to those derived from a wide variety of publically available datasets demonstrated that the Coorong sediment metagenomes were similar to other sediment, soil, biofilm and microbial mat samples regardless of salinity (>85% similarity). Overall, clustering of solid substrate and water metagenomes into discrete similarity groups based on functional potential indicated that the dichotomy between water and solid matrices is a fundamental determinant of community microbial metabolism that is not masked by salinity, nutrient concentration or microbial abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Jeffries
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
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Lavery TJ, Roudnew B, Gill P, Seymour J, Seuront L, Johnson G, Mitchell JG, Smetacek V. Iron defecation by sperm whales stimulates carbon export in the Southern Ocean. Proc Biol Sci 2010; 277:3527-31. [PMID: 20554546 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.0863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The iron-limited Southern Ocean plays an important role in regulating atmospheric CO(2) levels. Marine mammal respiration has been proposed to decrease the efficiency of the Southern Ocean biological pump by returning photosynthetically fixed carbon to the atmosphere. Here, we show that by consuming prey at depth and defecating iron-rich liquid faeces into the photic zone, sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) instead stimulate new primary production and carbon export to the deep ocean. We estimate that Southern Ocean sperm whales defecate 50 tonnes of iron into the photic zone each year. Molar ratios of C(export):Fe(added) determined during natural ocean fertilization events are used to estimate the amount of carbon exported to the deep ocean in response to the iron defecated by sperm whales. We find that Southern Ocean sperm whales stimulate the export of 4 × 10(5) tonnes of carbon per year to the deep ocean and respire only 2 × 10(5) tonnes of carbon per year. By enhancing new primary production, the populations of 12 000 sperm whales in the Southern Ocean act as a carbon sink, removing 2 × 10(5) tonnes more carbon from the atmosphere than they add during respiration. The ability of the Southern Ocean to act as a carbon sink may have been diminished by large-scale removal of sperm whales during industrial whaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trish J Lavery
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, PO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia.
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Pollet T, Schapira M, Buscot MJ, Leterme SC, Mitchell JG, Seuront L. Prokaryotic aminopeptidase activity along a continuous salinity gradient in a hypersaline coastal lagoon (the Coorong, South Australia). Saline Syst 2010; 6:5. [PMID: 20433731 PMCID: PMC2882902 DOI: 10.1186/1746-1448-6-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2009] [Accepted: 04/30/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The distribution and aminopeptidase activity of prokaryotes were investigated along a natural continuous salinity gradient in a hypersaline coastal lagoon, the Coorong, South Australia. The abundance of prokaryotes significantly increased from brackish to hypersaline waters and different sub-populations, defined by flow cytometry, were observed along the salinity gradient. While four sub-populations were found at each station, three additional ones were observed for 8.3% and 13.4%, suggesting a potential modification in the composition of the prokaryotic communities and/or a variation of their activity level along the salinity gradient. The aminopeptidase activity highly increased along the gradient and salinity appeared as the main factor favouring this enzymatic activity. However, while the aminopeptidase activity was dominated by free enzymes for salinities ranging from 2.6% to 13.4%, cell-attached aminopeptidase activity was predominant in more saline waters (i.e. 15.4%). Changes in substrate structure and availability, strongly related to salinity, might (i) modify patterns of both aminopeptidase activities (free and cell-associated enzymes) and (ii) obligate the prokaryotic communities to modulate rapidly their aminopeptidase activity according to the nutritive conditions available along the gradient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Pollet
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide SA 5001, Australia.
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Schapira M, Buscot MJ, Pollet T, Leterme SC, Seuront L. Distribution of picophytoplankton communities from brackish to hypersaline waters in a South Australian coastal lagoon. Saline Syst 2010; 6:2. [PMID: 20178652 PMCID: PMC2847571 DOI: 10.1186/1746-1448-6-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2009] [Accepted: 02/24/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Background Picophytoplankton (i.e. cyanobacteria and pico-eukaryotes) are abundant and ecologically critical components of the autotrophic communities in the pelagic realm. These micro-organisms colonized a variety of extreme environments including high salinity waters. However, the distribution of these organisms along strong salinity gradient has barely been investigated. The abundance and community structure of cyanobacteria and pico-eukaryotes were investigated along a natural continuous salinity gradient (1.8% to 15.5%) using flow cytometry. Results Highest picophytoplankton abundances were recorded under salinity conditions ranging between 8.0% and 11.0% (1.3 × 106 to 1.4 × 106 cells ml-1). Two populations of picocyanobacteria (likely Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus) and 5 distinct populations of pico-eukaryotes were identified along the salinity gradient. The picophytoplankton cytometric-richness decreased with salinity and the most cytometrically diversified community (4 to 7 populations) was observed in the brackish-marine part of the lagoon (i.e. salinity below 3.5%). One population of pico-eukaryote dominated the community throughout the salinity gradient and was responsible for the bloom observed between 8.0% and 11.0%. Finally only this halotolerant population and Prochlorococcus-like picocyanobacteria were identified in hypersaline waters (i.e. above 14.0%). Salinity was identified as the main factor structuring the distribution of picophytoplankton along the lagoon. However, nutritive conditions, viral lysis and microzooplankton grazing are also suggested as potentially important players in controlling the abundance and diversity of picophytoplankton along the lagoon. Conclusions The complex patterns described here represent the first observation of picophytoplankton dynamics along a continuous gradient where salinity increases from 1.8% to 15.5%. This result provides new insight into the distribution of pico-autotrophic organisms along strong salinity gradients and allows for a better understanding of the overall pelagic functioning in saline systems which is critical for the management of these precious and climatically-stress ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Schapira
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide SA 5001, Australia.
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Lavery TJ, Kemper CM, Sanderson K, Schultz CG, Coyle P, Mitchell JG, Seuront L. Heavy metal toxicity of kidney and bone tissues in South Australian adult bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus). Mar Environ Res 2009; 67:1-7. [PMID: 19012959 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2008.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2008] [Revised: 08/28/2008] [Accepted: 09/25/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Metallothioneins (MT) concentration, renal damage, and bone malformations were investigated in 38 adult Tursiops aduncus carcasses to determine any associations with cadmium, copper, zinc, mercury, lead and selenium. Significantly higher concentrations of cadmium, copper, and zinc in the liver were observed in dolphins showing evidence of more advanced renal damage. No significant differences in metal or selenium concentrations in the liver were observed between groups differing in level of bone malformations. Some dolphins displayed evidence of toxicity and knowledge of metal toxicity pathways were used to elucidate the cause of these abnormalities. Two dolphins had high metal burdens, high MT concentrations, renal damage, and evidence of bone malformations, indicating possible severe and prolonged metal toxicity. One dolphin showed evidence of renal damage, but the lack of any other symptoms suggests that this was unlikely to be caused by metal toxicity. We recommend examining a range of metal toxicity symptoms simultaneously to aid in distinguishing metal toxicity from unrelated aetiologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trish J Lavery
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.
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Doubell MJ, Seuront L, Seymour JR, Patten NL, Mitchell JG. High-resolution fluorometer for mapping microscale phytoplankton distributions. Appl Environ Microbiol 2006; 72:4475-8. [PMID: 16751572 PMCID: PMC1489672 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02959-05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A new high-resolution, in situ profiling fluorometer maps fluorescence distributions with a spatial resolution of 0.5 to 1.5 mm to a depth of 70 m in the open ocean. We report centimeter-scale patterns for phytoplankton distributions associated with gradients exhibiting 10- to 30-fold changes in fluorescence in contrasting marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Doubell
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, G.P.O. Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia.
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