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Fraser KPP, Peck LS, Clark MS, Clarke A. A comparative study of tissue protein synthesis rates in an Antarctic, Harpagifer antarcticus and a temperate, Lipophrys pholis teleost. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2024; 295:111650. [PMID: 38718893 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.111650] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
The affect of temperature on tissue protein synthesis rates has been reported in temperate and tropical, but not Antarctic fishes. Previous studies have generally demonstrated low growth rates in Antarctic fish species in comparison to temperate relatives and elevated levels of protein turnover. This study investigates how low temperatures effect tissue protein synthesis and hence tissue growth in a polar fish species. Groups of Antarctic, Harpagifer antarcticus and temperate, Lipophrys pholis, were acclimated to a range of overlapping water temperatures and protein synthesis was measure in white muscle (WM), liver and gastrointestinal tract (GIT). WM protein synthesis rates increased linearly with temperature in both species (H. antarcticus 0.16-0.23%.d-1, L. pholis, 0.31-0.76%.d-1), while liver (H. antarcticus 0.24-0.27%.d-1, L. pholis, 0.44-1.03%.d-1) and GIT were unaffected by temperature in H. antarcticus but increased non-linearly in L.pholis (H. antarcticus 0.22-0.26%.d-1, L. pholis, 0.40-0.86%.d-1). RNA to protein ratios were unaffected by temperature in H. antarcticus but increased weakly, in L.pholis WM and liver. In L.pholis, RNA translational efficiency increased significantly with temperature in all tissues, but only in liver in H. antarcticus. At the overlapping temperature of 3 °C, protein synthesis (WM 26%, Liver, 39%, GIT, 35%) and RNA translational efficiency (WM 273%, Liver, 271%, GIT, 300%) were significantly lower in H. antarcticus than L.pholis, while RNA to protein ratios were significantly higher (WM 270%, Liver 170%, GIT 186%). Tissue specific effects of temperature are detectable in both species. This study provides the first evidence, that tissue protein synthesis rates are constrained in Antarctic fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiron P P Fraser
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK; University of Plymouth, Marine Station, Artillery Place, Coxside, Plymouth PL4 0LU, UK.
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
| | - Melody S Clark
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
| | - Andrew Clarke
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
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2
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Morley SA, Bates AE, Clark MS, Fitzcharles E, Smith R, Stainthorp RE, Peck LS. Testing the Resilience, Physiological Plasticity and Mechanisms Underlying Upper Temperature Limits of Antarctic Marine Ectotherms. Biology (Basel) 2024; 13:224. [PMID: 38666836 PMCID: PMC11047991 DOI: 10.3390/biology13040224] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Antarctic marine ectotherms live in the constant cold and are characterised by limited resilience to elevated temperature. Here we tested three of the central paradigms underlying this resilience. Firstly, we assessed the ability of eight species, from seven classes representing a range of functional groups, to survive, for 100 to 303 days, at temperatures 0 to 4 °C above previously calculated long-term temperature limits. Survivors were then tested for acclimation responses to acute warming and acclimatisation, in the field, was tested in the seastar Odontaster validus collected in different years, seasons and locations within Antarctica. Finally, we tested the importance of oxygen limitation in controlling upper thermal limits. We found that four of 11 species studied were able to survive for more than 245 days (245-303 days) at higher than previously recorded temperatures, between 6 and 10 °C. Only survivors of the anemone Urticinopsis antarctica did not acclimate CTmax and there was no evidence of acclimatisation in O. validus. We found species-specific effects of mild hyperoxia (30% oxygen) on survival duration, which was extended (two species), not changed (four species) or reduced (one species), re-enforcing that oxygen limitation is not universal in dictating thermal survival thresholds. Thermal sensitivity is clearly the product of multiple ecological and physiological capacities, and this diversity of response needs further investigation and interpretation to improve our ability to predict future patterns of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon A. Morley
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK; (M.S.C.); (E.F.); (R.S.); (R.E.S.); (L.S.P.)
| | - Amanda E. Bates
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada;
| | - Melody S. Clark
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK; (M.S.C.); (E.F.); (R.S.); (R.E.S.); (L.S.P.)
| | - Elaine Fitzcharles
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK; (M.S.C.); (E.F.); (R.S.); (R.E.S.); (L.S.P.)
| | - Rebecca Smith
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK; (M.S.C.); (E.F.); (R.S.); (R.E.S.); (L.S.P.)
| | - Rose E. Stainthorp
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK; (M.S.C.); (E.F.); (R.S.); (R.E.S.); (L.S.P.)
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Lloyd S. Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK; (M.S.C.); (E.F.); (R.S.); (R.E.S.); (L.S.P.)
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3
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Barrett NJ, Harper EM, Last KS, Reinardy HC, Peck LS. Behavioural and physiological impacts of low salinity on the sea urchin Echinus esculentus. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246707. [PMID: 38099430 PMCID: PMC10906488 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246707] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Reduced seawater salinity as a result of freshwater input can exert a major influence on the ecophysiology of benthic marine invertebrates, such as echinoderms. While numerous experimental studies have explored the physiological and behavioural effects of short-term, acute exposure to low salinity in echinoids, surprisingly few have investigated the consequences of chronic exposure, or compared the two. In this study, the European sea urchin, Echinus esculentus, was exposed to low salinity over the short term (11‰, 16‰, 21‰, 26‰ and 31‰ for 24 h) and longer term (21, 26 and 31‰ for 25 days). Over the short term, oxygen consumption, activity coefficient and coelomic fluid osmolality were directly correlated with reduced salinity, with 100% survival at ≥21‰ and 0% at ≤16‰. Over the longer term at 21‰ (25 days), oxygen consumption was significantly higher, feeding was significantly reduced and activity coefficient values were significantly lower than at control salinity (31‰). At 26‰, all metrics were comparable to the control by the end of the experiment, suggesting acclimation. Furthermore, beneficial functional resistance (righting ability and metabolic capacity) to acute low salinity was observed at 26‰. Osmolality values were slightly hyperosmotic to the external seawater at all acclimation salinities, while coelomocyte composition and concentration were unaffected by chronic low salinity. Overall, E. esculentus demonstrate phenotypic plasticity that enables acclimation to reduced salinity around 26‰; however, 21‰ represents a lower acclimation threshold, potentially limiting its distribution in coastal areas prone to high freshwater input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Barrett
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - Elizabeth M. Harper
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - Kim S. Last
- The Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban PA37 1QA, UK
| | - Helena C. Reinardy
- The Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban PA37 1QA, UK
- Department of Arctic Technology, The University Centre in Svalbard, N-9171 Longyearbyen, Norway
| | - Lloyd S. Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
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4
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Sutherland WJ, Bennett C, Brotherton PNM, Butchart SHM, Butterworth HM, Clarke SJ, Esmail N, Fleishman E, Gaston KJ, Herbert-Read JE, Hughes AC, James J, Kaartokallio H, Le Roux X, Lickorish FA, Newport S, Palardy JE, Pearce-Higgins JW, Peck LS, Pettorelli N, Primack RB, Primack WE, Schloss IR, Spalding MD, Ten Brink D, Tew E, Timoshyna A, Tubbs N, Watson JEM, Wentworth J, Wilson JD, Thornton A. A horizon scan of global biological conservation issues for 2024. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:89-100. [PMID: 38114339 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.11.001] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
We present the results of our 15th horizon scan of novel issues that could influence biological conservation in the future. From an initial list of 96 issues, our international panel of scientists and practitioners identified 15 that we consider important for societies worldwide to track and potentially respond to. Issues are novel within conservation or represent a substantial positive or negative step-change with global or regional extents. For example, new sources of hydrogen fuel and changes in deep-sea currents may have profound impacts on marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Technological advances that may be positive include benchtop DNA printers and the industrialisation of approaches that can create high-protein food from air, potentially reducing the pressure on land for food production.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Sutherland
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK.
| | - Craig Bennett
- Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, The Kiln, Waterside, Mather Road, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG24 1WT, UK
| | | | - Stuart H M Butchart
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK; Birdlife International, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK
| | - Holly M Butterworth
- Natural Resources Wales, Cambria House, 29 Newport Road, Cardiff CF24 0TP, UK
| | | | - Nafeesa Esmail
- Wilder Institute, 1300 Zoo Road NE, Calgary, AB T2E 7V6, Canada
| | - Erica Fleishman
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Kevin J Gaston
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | | | - Alice C Hughes
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, China
| | - Jennifer James
- The Environment Agency, Horizon House, Deanery Road, Bristol BS1 5TL, UK
| | | | - Xavier Le Roux
- Microbial Ecology Centre, Université Lyon 1, INRAE, CNRS, UMR 1418, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Fiona A Lickorish
- UK Research and Consultancy Services (RCS) Ltd, Valletts Cottage, Westhope, Hereford HR4 8BU, UK
| | - Sarah Newport
- UK Research and Innovation, Natural Environment Research Council, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1EU, UK
| | - James E Palardy
- The Pew Charitable Trusts, 901 East Street NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA
| | - James W Pearce-Higgins
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK; British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU, UK
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Nathalie Pettorelli
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | | | | | - Irene R Schloss
- Instituto Antártico Argentino, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC-CONICET), Ushuaia, Argentina; Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, Argentina
| | - Mark D Spalding
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK; The Nature Conservancy, Department of Physical, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Pian dei Mantellini, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Dirk Ten Brink
- Wetlands International, 6700 AL Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Eleanor Tew
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK; Forestry England, 620 Bristol Business Park, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1EJ, UK
| | - Anastasiya Timoshyna
- TRAFFIC, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK
| | - Nicolas Tubbs
- WWF-Belgium, Boulevard Emile Jacqmainlaan 90, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - James E M Watson
- School of The Environment, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Jonathan Wentworth
- Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, 14 Tothill Street, Westminster, London SW1H 9NB, UK
| | - Jeremy D Wilson
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, 2 Lochside View, Edinburgh EH12 9DH, UK
| | - Ann Thornton
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK
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5
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Clark MS, Hoffman JI, Peck LS, Bargelloni L, Gande D, Havermans C, Meyer B, Patarnello T, Phillips T, Stoof-Leichsenring KR, Vendrami DLJ, Beck A, Collins G, Friedrich MW, Halanych KM, Masello JF, Nagel R, Norén K, Printzen C, Ruiz MB, Wohlrab S, Becker B, Dumack K, Ghaderiardakani F, Glaser K, Heesch S, Held C, John U, Karsten U, Kempf S, Lucassen M, Paijmans A, Schimani K, Wallberg A, Wunder LC, Mock T. Multi-omics for studying and understanding polar life. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7451. [PMID: 37978186 PMCID: PMC10656552 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43209-y] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Polar ecosystems are experiencing amongst the most rapid rates of regional warming on Earth. Here, we discuss 'omics' approaches to investigate polar biodiversity, including the current state of the art, future perspectives and recommendations. We propose a community road map to generate and more fully exploit multi-omics data from polar organisms. These data are needed for the comprehensive evaluation of polar biodiversity and to reveal how life evolved and adapted to permanently cold environments with extreme seasonality. We argue that concerted action is required to mitigate the impact of warming on polar ecosystems via conservation efforts, to sustainably manage these unique habitats and their ecosystem services, and for the sustainable bioprospecting of novel genes and compounds for societal gain.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Clark
- British Antarctic Survey, UKRI-NERC, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK.
| | - J I Hoffman
- British Antarctic Survey, UKRI-NERC, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK.
- Universität Bielefeld, VHF, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - L S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, UKRI-NERC, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK.
| | - L Bargelloni
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, Università degli Studi di Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, I-35020, Legnaro, Italy
| | - D Gande
- Microbial Ecophysiology Group, Faculty of Biology/Chemistry & MARUM, University of Bremen, Leobener Straße 3, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - C Havermans
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - B Meyer
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB), 23129, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - T Patarnello
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, Università degli Studi di Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, I-35020, Legnaro, Italy
| | - T Phillips
- British Antarctic Survey, UKRI-NERC, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
| | - K R Stoof-Leichsenring
- Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 14473, Potsdam, Germany
| | - D L J Vendrami
- Universität Bielefeld, VHF, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - A Beck
- Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns, Botanische Staatssammlung München (SNSB-BSM), Menzinger Str. 67, 80638, München, Germany
| | - G Collins
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre & Loewe-Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, 231 Morrin Road St Johns, Auckland, 1072, New Zealand
| | - M W Friedrich
- Microbial Ecophysiology Group, Faculty of Biology/Chemistry & MARUM, University of Bremen, Leobener Straße 3, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - K M Halanych
- Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina, 5600 Marvin K. Moss Lane, Wilmington, NC, 28409, USA
| | - J F Masello
- Universität Bielefeld, VHF, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
- Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Giessen, Germany
| | - R Nagel
- Universität Bielefeld, VHF, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9TH, UK
| | - K Norén
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - C Printzen
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre & Loewe-Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - M B Ruiz
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Universität Duisburg-Essen, Universitätstrasse 5, 45151, Essen, Germany
| | - S Wohlrab
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB), 23129, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - B Becker
- Universität zu Köln, Institut für Pflanzenwissenschaften, Zülpicher Str. 47b, 60674, Köln, Germany
| | - K Dumack
- Universität zu Köln, Terrestrische Ökologie, Zülpicher Str. 47b, 60674, Köln, Germany
| | - F Ghaderiardakani
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Lessingstraße 8, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - K Glaser
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Applied Ecology and Phycology, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, 18059, Rostock, Germany
| | - S Heesch
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Applied Ecology and Phycology, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, 18059, Rostock, Germany
| | - C Held
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - U John
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - U Karsten
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Applied Ecology and Phycology, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, 18059, Rostock, Germany
| | - S Kempf
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - M Lucassen
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - A Paijmans
- Universität Bielefeld, VHF, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - K Schimani
- Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 6-8, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - A Wallberg
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, 751 23, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - L C Wunder
- Microbial Ecophysiology Group, Faculty of Biology/Chemistry & MARUM, University of Bremen, Leobener Straße 3, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - T Mock
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
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6
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Sutherland WJ, Bennett C, Brotherton PNM, Butterworth HM, Clout MN, Côté IM, Dinsdale J, Esmail N, Fleishman E, Gaston KJ, Herbert-Read JE, Hughes A, Kaartokallio H, Le Roux X, Lickorish FA, Matcham W, Noor N, Palardy JE, Pearce-Higgins JW, Peck LS, Pettorelli N, Pretty J, Scobey R, Spalding MD, Tonneijck FH, Tubbs N, Watson JEM, Wentworth JE, Wilson JD, Thornton A. A global biological conservation horizon scan of issues for 2023. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:96-107. [PMID: 36460563 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
We present the results of our 14th horizon scan of issues we expect to influence biological conservation in the future. From an initial set of 102 topics, our global panel of 30 scientists and practitioners identified 15 issues we consider most urgent for societies worldwide to address. Issues are novel within biological conservation or represent a substantial positive or negative step change at global or regional scales. Issues such as submerged artificial light fisheries and accelerating upper ocean currents could have profound negative impacts on marine or coastal ecosystems. We also identified potentially positive technological advances, including energy production and storage, improved fertilisation methods, and expansion of biodegradable materials. If effectively managed, these technologies could realise future benefits for biological diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Sutherland
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK; Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine's (BioRISC), St Catharine's College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Craig Bennett
- Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, The Kiln, Waterside, Mather Road, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG24 1WT, UK
| | - Peter N M Brotherton
- Natural England, 4th Floor Foss House, Kings Pool, 1-2 Peasholme Green, York YO1 7PX, UK
| | - Holly M Butterworth
- Natural Resources Wales, Cambria House, 29 Newport Road, Cardiff CF24 0TP, UK
| | - Mick N Clout
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, PB 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Isabelle M Côté
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Jason Dinsdale
- Environment Agency, Horizon House, Deanery Road, Bristol BS1 5AH, UK
| | - Nafeesa Esmail
- Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, 1300 Zoo Road NE, Calgary, AB T2E 7V6, Canada
| | - Erica Fleishman
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Kevin J Gaston
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | | | - Alice Hughes
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | | | - Xavier Le Roux
- University of Lyon, Microbial Ecology Centre, INRAE (UMR1418), CNRS (UMR5557), University Lyon 1, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Fiona A Lickorish
- UK Research and Consultancy Services (RCS) Ltd, Valletts Cottage, Westhope, Hereford HR4 8BU, UK
| | - Wendy Matcham
- Natural Environment Research Council, UK Research and Innovation, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1FL, UK
| | - Noor Noor
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK
| | - James E Palardy
- The Pew Charitable Trusts, 901 E St. NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA
| | - James W Pearce-Higgins
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK; British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU, UK
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Nathalie Pettorelli
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Jules Pretty
- Centre for Public and Policy Engagement and School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Richard Scobey
- TRAFFIC, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK
| | - Mark D Spalding
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK; The Nature Conservancy, Strade delle Tolfe, 14, Siena 53100, Italy
| | | | - Nicolas Tubbs
- WWF-Belgium, BD Emile Jacqumainlaan 90, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - James E M Watson
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Jonathan E Wentworth
- Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, 14 Tothill Street, Westminster, London SW1H 9NB, UK
| | - Jeremy D Wilson
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, 2 Lochside View, Edinburgh EH12 9DH, UK
| | - Ann Thornton
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK
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7
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Mayk D, Harper EM, Fietzke J, Backeljau T, Peck LS. 130 years of heavy metal pollution archived in the shell of the intertidal dog whelk, Nucella lapillus (Gastropoda, Muricidae). Mar Pollut Bull 2022; 185:114286. [PMID: 36330941 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Heavy metals in coastal waters are a great environmental concern in the North Sea since the middle of the 20th century. Regulatory efforts have led to a significant reduction in atmospheric and water-transported heavy metals. Still, high concentrations of these in sediments remain a risk for ecosystems, requiring close monitoring. Here, we investigated the applicability of Nucella lapillus museum collections as a tool for targeted tracking of chronic anthropogenic heavy metal pollution. We analysed the concentration ratios of the common heavy metals Cu, Cd, Pb, and Zn in relation to Ca in N. lapillus shells collected from the Dutch and Belgian intertidal zone over the last 130 years. We found that shell Cu/Ca and Zn/Ca concentration ratios remained remarkably constant, whereas Pb/Ca concentration trends were closely aligned with emissions of leaded petrol in Europe. Our results suggest that N. lapillus provides a suitable Pb pollution archive of the intertidal zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Mayk
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, United Kingdom; British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, United Kingdom.
| | - Elizabeth M Harper
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, United Kingdom; British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Fietzke
- Geomar, Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - Thierry Backeljau
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium; Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, United Kingdom
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8
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Cavallo A, Clark MS, Peck LS, Harper EM, Sleight VA. Evolutionary conservation and divergence of the transcriptional regulation of bivalve shell secretion across life-history stages. R Soc Open Sci 2022; 9:221022. [PMID: 36569229 PMCID: PMC9768464 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Adult molluscs produce shells with diverse morphologies and ornamentations, different colour patterns and microstructures. The larval shell, however, is a phenotypically more conserved structure. How do developmental and evolutionary processes generate varying diversity at different life-history stages within a species? Using live imaging, histology, scanning electron microscopy and transcriptomic profiling, we have described shell development in a heteroconchian bivalve, the Antarctic clam, Laternula elliptica, and compared it to adult shell secretion processes in the same species. Adult downstream shell genes, such as those encoding extracellular matrix proteins and biomineralization enzymes, were largely not expressed during shell development. Instead, a development-specific downstream gene repertoire was expressed. Upstream regulatory genes such as transcription factors and signalling molecules were largely conserved between developmental and adult shell secretion. Comparing heteroconchian data with recently reported pteriomorphian larval shell development data suggests that, despite being phenotypically more conserved, the downstream effectors constituting the larval shell 'tool-kit' may be as diverse as that of adults. Overall, our new data suggest that a larval shell formed using development-specific downstream effector genes is a conserved and ancestral feature of the bivalve lineage, and possibly more broadly across the molluscs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Cavallo
- Biodiversity, Evolution and Adaptation Team, British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Melody S. Clark
- Biodiversity, Evolution and Adaptation Team, British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Lloyd S. Peck
- Biodiversity, Evolution and Adaptation Team, British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Elizabeth M. Harper
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK
| | - Victoria A. Sleight
- Biodiversity, Evolution and Adaptation Team, British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK
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9
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Herbert-Read JE, Thornton A, Amon DJ, Birchenough SNR, Côté IM, Dias MP, Godley BJ, Keith SA, McKinley E, Peck LS, Calado R, Defeo O, Degraer S, Johnston EL, Kaartokallio H, Macreadie PI, Metaxas A, Muthumbi AWN, Obura DO, Paterson DM, Piola AR, Richardson AJ, Schloss IR, Snelgrove PVR, Stewart BD, Thompson PM, Watson GJ, Worthington TA, Yasuhara M, Sutherland WJ. A global horizon scan of issues impacting marine and coastal biodiversity conservation. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1262-1270. [PMID: 35798839 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01812-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The biodiversity of marine and coastal habitats is experiencing unprecedented change. While there are well-known drivers of these changes, such as overexploitation, climate change and pollution, there are also relatively unknown emerging issues that are poorly understood or recognized that have potentially positive or negative impacts on marine and coastal ecosystems. In this inaugural Marine and Coastal Horizon Scan, we brought together 30 scientists, policymakers and practitioners with transdisciplinary expertise in marine and coastal systems to identify new issues that are likely to have a significant impact on the functioning and conservation of marine and coastal biodiversity over the next 5-10 years. Based on a modified Delphi voting process, the final 15 issues presented were distilled from a list of 75 submitted by participants at the start of the process. These issues are grouped into three categories: ecosystem impacts, for example the impact of wildfires and the effect of poleward migration on equatorial biodiversity; resource exploitation, including an increase in the trade of fish swim bladders and increased exploitation of marine collagens; and new technologies, such as soft robotics and new biodegradable products. Our early identification of these issues and their potential impacts on marine and coastal biodiversity will support scientists, conservationists, resource managers and policymakers to address the challenges facing marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ann Thornton
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Diva J Amon
- SpeSeas, D'Abadie, Trinidad and Tobago.,Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | | | - Isabelle M Côté
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Maria P Dias
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Department of Animal Biology, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,BirdLife International, The David Attenborough Building, Cambridge, UK
| | - Brendan J Godley
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Sally A Keith
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Emma McKinley
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ricardo Calado
- ECOMARE, CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Santiago University Campus, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Omar Defeo
- Laboratory of Marine Sciences (UNDECIMAR), Faculty of Sciences, University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Steven Degraer
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Operational Directorate Natural Environment, Marine Ecology and Management, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Emma L Johnston
- School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Peter I Macreadie
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood Campus, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anna Metaxas
- Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | | | - David O Obura
- Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean, Mombasa, Kenya.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - David M Paterson
- Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Alberto R Piola
- Servício de Hidrografía Naval, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto Franco-Argentino sobre Estudios de Clima y sus Impactos, CONICET/CNRS, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Anthony J Richardson
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Oceans and Atmosphere, Queensland Biosciences Precinct, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Irene R Schloss
- Instituto Antártico Argentino, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC-CONICET), Ushuaia, Argentina.,Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur, Ushuaia, Argentina
| | - Paul V R Snelgrove
- Department of Ocean Sciences and Biology Department, Memorial University, St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Bryce D Stewart
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Lighthouse Field Station, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Cromarty, UK
| | - Gordon J Watson
- Institute of Marine Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Thomas A Worthington
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Moriaki Yasuhara
- School of Biological Sciences, Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, Swire Institute of Marine Science, Institute for Climate and Carbon Neutrality, Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science, and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, The University of Hong Kong, Kadoorie Biological Sciences Building, Hong Kong, China
| | - William J Sutherland
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK.,Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine's (BioRISC), St Catharine's College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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10
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Fonseca VG, Kirse A, Giebner H, Vause BJ, Drago T, Power DM, Peck LS, Clark MS. Metabarcoding the Antarctic Peninsula biodiversity using a multi-gene approach. ISME Commun 2022; 2:37. [PMID: 37938273 PMCID: PMC9723778 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-022-00118-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Marine sediment communities are major contributors to biogeochemical cycling and benthic ecosystem functioning, but they are poorly described, particularly in remote regions such as Antarctica. We analysed patterns and drivers of diversity in metazoan and prokaryotic benthic communities of the Antarctic Peninsula with metabarcoding approaches. Our results show that the combined use of mitochondrial Cox1, and 16S and 18S rRNA gene regions recovered more phyla, from metazoan to non-metazoan groups, and allowed correlation of possible interactions between kingdoms. This higher level of detection revealed dominance by the arthropods and not nematodes in the Antarctic benthos and further eukaryotic diversity was dominated by benthic protists: the world's largest reservoir of marine diversity. The bacterial family Woeseiaceae was described for the first time in Antarctic sediments. Almost 50% of bacteria and 70% metazoan taxa were unique to each sampled site (high alpha diversity) and harboured unique features for local adaptation (niche-driven). The main abiotic drivers measured, shaping community structure were sediment organic matter, water content and mud. Biotic factors included the nematodes and the highly abundant bacterial fraction, placing protists as a possible bridge for between kingdom interactions. Meiofauna are proposed as sentinels for identifying anthropogenic-induced changes in Antarctic marine sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- V G Fonseca
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Weymouth, UK.
| | - A Kirse
- Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), Bonn, Germany
| | - H Giebner
- Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), Bonn, Germany
| | - B J Vause
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK
| | - T Drago
- Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), Tavira, Portugal
- Institute Dom Luiz (IDL), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - D M Power
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), Faro, Portugal
| | - L S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK
| | - M S Clark
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK
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11
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Fraser KPP, Peck LS, Clark MS, Clarke A, Hill SL. Life in the freezer: protein metabolism in Antarctic fish. R Soc Open Sci 2022; 9:211272. [PMID: 35291327 PMCID: PMC8905173 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211272] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Whole-animal, in vivo protein metabolism rates have been reported in temperate and tropical, but not Antarctic fish. Growth in Antarctic species is generally slower than lower latitude species. Protein metabolism data for Antarctic invertebrates show low rates of protein synthesis and unusually high rates of protein degradation. Additionally, in Antarctic fish, increasing evidence suggests a lower frequency of successful folding of nascent proteins and reduced protein stability. This study reports the first whole-animal protein metabolism data for an Antarctic fish. Groups of Antarctic, Harpagifer antarcticus, and temperate, Lipophrys pholis, fish were acclimatized to a range of overlapping water temperatures and food consumption, whole-animal growth and protein metabolism measured. The rates of protein synthesis and growth in Antarctic, but not temperate fish, were relatively insensitive to temperature and were significantly lower in H. antarcticus at 3°C than in L. pholis. Protein degradation was independent of temperature in H. antarcticus and not significantly different to L. pholis at 3°C, while protein synthesis retention efficiency was significantly higher in L. pholis than H. antarcticus at 3°C. These results suggest Antarctic fish degrade a significantly larger proportion of synthesized protein than temperate fish, with fundamental energetic implications for growth at low temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiron P. P. Fraser
- Marine Station, University of Plymouth, Artillery Place, Coxside, Plymouth PL4 OLU, UK
| | - Lloyd S. Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
| | - Melody S. Clark
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
| | - Andrew Clarke
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
| | - Simeon L. Hill
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
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12
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Sutherland WJ, Atkinson PW, Butchart SHM, Capaja M, Dicks LV, Fleishman E, Gaston KJ, Hails RS, Hughes AC, Le Anstey B, Le Roux X, Lickorish FA, Maggs L, Noor N, Oldfield TEE, Palardy JE, Peck LS, Pettorelli N, Pretty J, Spalding MD, Tonneijck FH, Truelove G, Watson JEM, Wentworth J, Wilson JD, Thornton A. A horizon scan of global biological conservation issues for 2022. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 37:95-104. [PMID: 34809998 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [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: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
We present the results of our 13th annual horizon scan of issues likely to impact on biodiversity conservation. Issues are either novel within the biological conservation sector or could cause a substantial step-change in impact, either globally or regionally. Our global panel of 26 scientists and practitioners identified 15 issues that we believe to represent the highest priorities for tracking and action. Many of the issues we identified, including the impact of satellite megaconstellations and the use of long-distance wireless energy transfer, have both elements of threats and emerging opportunities. A recent state-sponsored application to commence deep-sea mining represents a significant step-change in impact. We hope that this horizon scan will increase research and policy attention on the highlighted issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Sutherland
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK; Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine's (BioRISC), St Catharine's College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1RL, UK.
| | | | - Stuart H M Butchart
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK; BirdLife International, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK
| | - Marcela Capaja
- Natural England, Eastbrook, Shaftesbury Rd, Cambridge CB2 8DR, UK
| | - Lynn V Dicks
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK; School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Erica Fleishman
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Kevin J Gaston
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | | | - Alice C Hughes
- Centre for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan 666303, PR China
| | - Becky Le Anstey
- Environment Agency, Horizon House, Deanery Road, Bristol BS1 5AH, UK
| | - Xavier Le Roux
- Microbial Ecology Centre, UMR1418 INRAE, UMR5557 CNRS, University Lyon 1, University of Lyon, 69622 Villeurbanne, France; BiodivERsA, la Fondation pour la recherche sur la biodiversité, 195 rue Saint Jacques, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Fiona A Lickorish
- UK Research and Consultancy Services (RCS) Ltd, Valletts Cottage, Westhope, Hereford HR4 8BU, UK
| | - Luke Maggs
- Natural Resources Wales, Cambria House, 29 Newport Road, Cardiff CF24 0TP, UK
| | - Noor Noor
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK
| | | | - James E Palardy
- The Pew Charitable Trusts, 901 E St NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Nathalie Pettorelli
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Jules Pretty
- Centre for Public and Policy Engagement and School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Mark D Spalding
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK; The Nature Conservancy, Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Pian dei Mantellini, Siena 53100, Italy
| | | | - Gemma Truelove
- UK Research and Innovation, Natural Environment Research Council, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1EU, UK
| | - James E M Watson
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Jonathan Wentworth
- Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, 14 Tothill Street, Westminster, London SW1H 9NB, UK
| | - Jeremy D Wilson
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Centre for Conservation Science, 2 Lochside View, Edinburgh EH12 9DH, UK
| | - Ann Thornton
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK
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13
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Collins M, Peck LS, Clark MS. Large within, and between, species differences in marine cellular responses: Unpredictability in a changing environment. Sci Total Environ 2021; 794:148594. [PMID: 34225140 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Predicting the impacts of altered environments on future biodiversity requires a detailed understanding of organism responses to change. To date, studies evaluating mechanisms underlying marine organism stress responses have largely concentrated on oxygen limitation and the use of heat shock proteins as biomarkers. However, whether these biomarkers represent responses that are consistent across species and different environmental stressors remains open to question. Here we show that responses to four different thermal stresses (three rates of thermal ramping (1 °C h-1, 1 °C day-1 or 1 °C 3 day-1) and a three-month acclimation to warming of 2 °C) applied to three species of Antarctic marine invertebrate produced highly individual responses in gene expression profiles, both within and between species. Mapping the gene expression profiles from each treatment for each of the three species, identified considerable difference in numbers of differentially regulated transcripts ranging from 10 to 3011. When these data were correlated across the different temperature treatments, there was no evidence for a common response with only 0-2 transcripts shared between all four treatments within any one species. There were also no shared differentially expressed genes across species, even at the same thermal ramping rates. The classical cellular stress response (CSR) i.e. up-regulation of heat shock proteins, was only strongly present in two species at the fastest ramping rate of 1 °C h-1, albeit with different sets of stress genes expressed in each species. These data demonstrate the wide variability in response to warming at the molecular level in marine species. Therefore, identification of biodiversity stress responses engendered by changing conditions will require evaluation at the species level using targeted key members of the ecosystem, strongly correlated to the local biotic and abiotic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Collins
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK; Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
| | - Melody S Clark
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK.
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14
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Nieva LV, Peck LS, Clark MS. Variable heat shock response in Antarctic biofouling serpulid worms. Cell Stress Chaperones 2021; 26:945-954. [PMID: 34601709 PMCID: PMC8578209 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-021-01235-z] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The classical heat shock response (HSR) with up-regulation of hsp70 in response to warming is often absent in Antarctic marine species. Whilst in Antarctic fish, this is due to a mutation in the gene promoter region resulting in permanent constitutive expression of the inducible form of hsp70; there are further questions as to whether evolution to life below 0 °C has resulted in a generalised alteration to the HSR in Antarctic marine invertebrates. However, the number of species investigated to date is limited. In the first evaluation of the HSR in two spirorbid polychaetes Romanchella perrieri and Protolaeospira stalagmia, we show highly variable results of HSR induction depending on warming regimes. These animals were subjected to in situ warming (+ 1 °C and + 2 °C above ambient conditions) using heated settlement panels for 18 months, and then the HSR was tested in R. perrieri using acute and chronic temperature elevation trials. The classic HSR was not induced in response to acute thermal challenge in this species (2 h at 15 °C) and significant down-regulation of hsp90 occurred during chronic warming at 4 °C for 30 days. Analysis of heat shock protein (HSP) genes in a transcriptome study of P. stalagmia, which had been warmed in situ for 18 months, showed up-regulation of HSP70 and HSP90 family members, thus further emphasising the complexity of the response in Antarctic marine species. It is increasingly apparent that the Antarctic HSR has evolved in a species-specific manner to life in the cold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyre Villota Nieva
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, LL59 5AB, UK
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Melody S Clark
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK.
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15
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Vendrami DLJ, Peck LS, Clark MS, Eldon B, Meredith M, Hoffman JI. Sweepstake reproductive success and collective dispersal produce chaotic genetic patchiness in a broadcast spawner. Sci Adv 2021; 7:eabj4713. [PMID: 34516767 PMCID: PMC8442859 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj4713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A long-standing paradox of marine populations is chaotic genetic patchiness (CGP), temporally unstable patterns of genetic differentiation that occur below the geographic scale of effective dispersal. Several mechanisms are hypothesized to explain CGP including natural selection, spatiotemporal fluctuations in larval source populations, self-recruitment, and sweepstake reproduction. Discriminating among them is extremely difficult but is fundamental to understanding how marine organisms reproduce and disperse. Here, we report a notable example of CGP in the Antarctic limpet, an unusually tractable system where multiple confounding explanations can be discounted. Using population genomics, temporally replicated sampling, surface drifters, and forward genetic simulations, we show that CGP likely arises from an extreme sweepstake event together with collective larval dispersal, while selection appears to be unimportant. Our results illustrate the importance of neutral demographic forces in natural populations and have important implications for understanding the recruitment dynamics, population connectivity, local adaptation, and resilience of marine populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L. J. Vendrami
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Postfach 100131, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Lloyd S. Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
| | - Melody S. Clark
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
| | - Bjarki Eldon
- Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Research, Museum für Naturkunde, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Meredith
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
| | - Joseph I. Hoffman
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Postfach 100131, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
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16
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Zwerschke N, Morley SA, Peck LS, Barnes DKA. Can Antarctica's shallow zoobenthos 'bounce back' from iceberg scouring impacts driven by climate change? Glob Chang Biol 2021; 27:3157-3165. [PMID: 33861505 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
All coastal systems experience disturbances and many across the planet are under unprecedented threat from an intensification of a variety of stressors. The West Antarctic Peninsula is a hotspot of physical climate change and has experienced a dramatic loss of sea-ice and glaciers in recent years. Among other things, sea-ice immobilizes icebergs, reducing collisions between icebergs and the seabed, thus decreasing ice-scouring. Ice disturbance drives patchiness in successional stages across seabed assemblages in Antarctica's shallows, making this an ideal system to understand the ecosystem resilience to increasing disturbance with climate change. We monitored a shallow benthic ecosystem before, during and after a 3-year pulse of catastrophic ice-scouring events and show that such systems can return, or bounce back, to previous states within 10 years. Our long-term data series show that recovery can happen more rapidly than expected, when disturbances abate, even in highly sensitive cold, polar environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadescha Zwerschke
- British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK
- Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Aberdeen, UK
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17
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Gray A, Krolikowski M, Fretwell P, Convey P, Peck LS, Mendelova M, Smith AG, Davey MP. Remote Sensing Phenology of Antarctic Green and Red Snow Algae Using WorldView Satellites. Front Plant Sci 2021; 12:671981. [PMID: 34226827 PMCID: PMC8254402 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.671981] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Snow algae are an important group of terrestrial photosynthetic organisms in Antarctica, where they mostly grow in low lying coastal snow fields. Reliable observations of Antarctic snow algae are difficult owing to the transient nature of their blooms and the logistics involved to travel and work there. Previous studies have used Sentinel 2 satellite imagery to detect and monitor snow algal blooms remotely, but were limited by the coarse spatial resolution and difficulties detecting red blooms. Here, for the first time, we use high-resolution WorldView multispectral satellite imagery to study Antarctic snow algal blooms in detail, tracking the growth of red and green blooms throughout the summer. Our remote sensing approach was developed alongside two Antarctic field seasons, where field spectroscopy was used to build a detection model capable of estimating cell density. Global Positioning System (GPS) tagging of blooms and in situ life cycle analysis was used to validate and verify our model output. WorldView imagery was then used successfully to identify red and green snow algae on Anchorage Island (Ryder Bay, 67°S), estimating peak coverage to be 9.48 × 104 and 6.26 × 104 m2, respectively. Combined, this was greater than terrestrial vegetation area coverage for the island, measured using a normalized difference vegetation index. Green snow algae had greater cell density and average layer thickness than red blooms (6.0 × 104 vs. 4.3 × 104 cells ml-1) and so for Anchorage Island we estimated that green algae dry biomass was over three times that of red algae (567 vs. 180 kg, respectively). Because the high spatial resolution of the WorldView imagery and its ability to detect red blooms, calculated snow algal area was 17.5 times greater than estimated with Sentinel 2 imagery. This highlights a scaling problem of using coarse resolution imagery and suggests snow algal contribution to net primary productivity on Antarctica may be far greater than previously recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Gray
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Field Spectroscopy Facility (Natural Environment Research Council), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Monika Krolikowski
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Fretwell
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Convey
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Lloyd S. Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Monika Mendelova
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alison G. Smith
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew P. Davey
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- The Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, United Kingdom
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18
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Clark MS, Peck LS, Thyrring J. Resilience in Greenland intertidal Mytilus: The hidden stress defense. Sci Total Environ 2021; 767:144366. [PMID: 33434840 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144366] [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: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The Arctic is experiencing particularly rapid rates of warming, consequently invasive boreal species are now able to survive the less extreme Arctic winter temperatures. Whilst persistence of intertidal and terrestrial species in the Arctic is primarily determined by their ability to tolerate the freezing winters, air temperatures in the Arctic summer can reach 36 °C in the intertidal, which is beyond the upper thermal limits of many marine species. This is normally lethal for the conspicuous ecosystem engineer Mytilus edulis. Transcriptomic analyses were undertaken on both in situ collected and experimentally warmed animals to understand whether M. edulis is able to tolerate these very high summer temperatures. Surprisingly there was no significant enrichment for Gene Ontology terms (GO) when comparing the inner and outer fjord intertidal animals with outer fjord subtidal (control) animals, representing animals collected at 27 °C, 19 °C and 3 °C respectively. This lack of differentiation indicated a wide acclimation ability in this species. Conversely, significant enrichment for processes such as signal transduction, cytoskeleton and cellular protein modification was identified in the expression profiles of the 22 °C and 32 °C experimentally heated animals. This difference in gene expression between in situ collected and experimentally warmed animals was almost certainly due to the former being acclimated to a fluctuating, but predictable, temperature regime, which has increased their thermal tolerances. Interestingly, there was no evidence for enrichment of the classical cellular stress response in any of the animals sampled. Identification of a massive expansion of the HSPA12 heat shock protein 70 kDa gene family presented the possibility of these genes acting as intertidal regulators underpinning thermal resilience. This expansion has resulted in a modified cellular stress response, as an evolutionary adaptation to the rigour of the invasive intertidal life style. Thus, M. edulis appear to have considerable capacity to withstand the current rates of Arctic warming, and the very large attendant thermal variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melody S Clark
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK.
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Jakob Thyrring
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK; Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 4200 - 6270 University Blvd., V6T 1Z4 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Bioscience - Marine Ecology, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, Silkeborg 8600, Denmark
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19
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Abstract
Whether global latitudinal diversity gradients exist in rocky intertidal α-diversity and across functional groups remains unknown. Using literature data from 433 intertidal sites, we investigated α-diversity patterns across 155° of latitude, and whether local-scale or global-scale structuring processes control α-diversity. We, furthermore, investigated how the relative composition of functional groups changes with latitude. α-Diversity differed among hemispheres with a mid-latitudinal peak in the north, and a non-significant unimodal pattern in the south, but there was no support for a tropical-to-polar decrease in α-diversity. Although global-scale drivers had no discernible effect, the local-scale drivers significantly affected α-diversity, and our results reveal that latitudinal diversity gradients are outweighed by local processes. In contrast to α-diversity patterns, species richness of three functional groups (predators, grazers, and suspension feeders) declined with latitude, coinciding with an inverse gradient in algae. Polar and tropical intertidal data were sparse, and more sampling is required to improve knowledge of marine biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Thyrring
- British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Arctic Research Centre, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark.,Homerton College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Marine Ecology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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20
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Telesca L, Peck LS, Backeljau T, Heinig MF, Harper EM. A century of coping with environmental and ecological changes via compensatory biomineralization in mussels. Glob Chang Biol 2021; 27:624-639. [PMID: 33112464 PMCID: PMC7839727 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15417] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Accurate biological models are critical to predict biotic responses to climate change and human-caused disturbances. Current understanding of organismal responses to change stems from studies over relatively short timescales. However, most projections lack long-term observations incorporating the potential for transgenerational phenotypic plasticity and genetic adaption, the keys to resistance. Here, we describe unexpected temporal compensatory responses in biomineralization as a mechanism for resistance to altered environmental conditions and predation impacts in a calcifying foundation species. We evaluated exceptional archival specimens of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis collected regularly between 1904 and 2016 along 15 km of Belgian coastline, along with records of key environmental descriptors and predators. Contrary to global-scale predictions, shell production increased over the last century, highlighting a protective capacity of mussels for qualitative and quantitative trade-offs in biomineralization as compensatory responses to altered environments. We also demonstrated the role of changes in predator communities in stimulating unanticipated biological trends that run contrary to experimental predictive models under future climate scenarios. Analysis of archival records has a key role for anticipating emergent impacts of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Telesca
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- British Antarctic SurveyCambridgeUK
| | | | - Thierry Backeljau
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural SciencesBrusselsBelgium
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Mario F. Heinig
- Technical University of DenmarkDTU NanolabNational Centre for Nano Fabrication and CharacterizationKongens LyngbyDenmark
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21
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Sutherland WJ, Atkinson PW, Broad S, Brown S, Clout M, Dias MP, Dicks LV, Doran H, Fleishman E, Garratt EL, Gaston KJ, Hughes AC, Le Roux X, Lickorish FA, Maggs L, Palardy JE, Peck LS, Pettorelli N, Pretty J, Spalding MD, Tonneijck FH, Walpole M, Watson JEM, Wentworth J, Thornton A. A 2021 Horizon Scan of Emerging Global Biological Conservation Issues. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 36:87-97. [PMID: 33213887 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
We present the results from our 12th annual horizon scan of issues likely to impact biological conservation in the future. From a list of 97 topics, our global panel of 25 scientists and practitioners identified the top 15 issues that we believe society may urgently need to address. These issues are either novel in the biological conservation sector or represent a substantial positive or negative step-change in impact at global or regional level. Six issues, such as coral reef deoxygenation and changes in polar coastal productivity, affect marine or coastal ecosystems and seven relate to human and ecosystem-level responses to climate change. Identification of potential forthcoming issues for biological conservation may enable increased preparedness by researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Sutherland
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK.
| | | | - Steven Broad
- TRAFFIC, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK
| | - Sam Brown
- Environment Agency, Horizon House, Deanery Road, Bristol BS1 5AH, UK
| | - Mick Clout
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, PB 90129 Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Maria P Dias
- BirdLife International, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK; MARE Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ISPA, Instituto Universitário, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Lynn V Dicks
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK; School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Helen Doran
- Natural England, Eastbrook, Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge CB2 8DR, UK
| | - Erica Fleishman
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Elizabeth L Garratt
- UK Research and Innovation, Natural Environment Research Council, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1EU, UK
| | - Kevin J Gaston
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Alice C Hughes
- Centre for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan 666303, PR China
| | - Xavier Le Roux
- Microbial Ecology Centre, UMR1418 INRAE, CNRS, University Lyon 1, VetAgroSup, 69622 Villeurbanne, France; BiodivERsA, Fondation pour la Recherche sur la Biodiversité, 195 rue Saint Jacques, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Fiona A Lickorish
- UK Research and Consultancy Services (RCS) Ltd, Valletts Cottage, Westhope, Hereford HR4 8BU, UK
| | - Luke Maggs
- Natural Resources Wales, Cambria House, 29 Newport Road, Cardiff CF24 0TP, UK
| | - James E Palardy
- The Pew Charitable Trusts, 901 E St NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Nathalie Pettorelli
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Jules Pretty
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Mark D Spalding
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK; The Nature Conservancy, Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Pian dei Mantellini, Siena 53100, Italy
| | | | - Matt Walpole
- Fauna and Flora International, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK
| | - James E M Watson
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia; Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
| | - Jonathan Wentworth
- Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, 14 Tothill Street, Westminster, London SW1H 9NB, UK
| | - Ann Thornton
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK
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22
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Clark MS, Peck LS, Arivalagan J, Backeljau T, Berland S, Cardoso JCR, Caurcel C, Chapelle G, De Noia M, Dupont S, Gharbi K, Hoffman JI, Last KS, Marie A, Melzner F, Michalek K, Morris J, Power DM, Ramesh K, Sanders T, Sillanpää K, Sleight VA, Stewart-Sinclair PJ, Sundell K, Telesca L, Vendrami DLJ, Ventura A, Wilding TA, Yarra T, Harper EM. Deciphering mollusc shell production: the roles of genetic mechanisms through to ecology, aquaculture and biomimetics. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1812-1837. [PMID: 32737956 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [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: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Most molluscs possess shells, constructed from a vast array of microstructures and architectures. The fully formed shell is composed of calcite or aragonite. These CaCO3 crystals form complex biocomposites with proteins, which although typically less than 5% of total shell mass, play significant roles in determining shell microstructure. Despite much research effort, large knowledge gaps remain in how molluscs construct and maintain their shells, and how they produce such a great diversity of forms. Here we synthesize results on how shell shape, microstructure, composition and organic content vary among, and within, species in response to numerous biotic and abiotic factors. At the local level, temperature, food supply and predation cues significantly affect shell morphology, whilst salinity has a much stronger influence across latitudes. Moreover, we emphasize how advances in genomic technologies [e.g. restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-Seq) and epigenetics] allow detailed examinations of whether morphological changes result from phenotypic plasticity or genetic adaptation, or a combination of these. RAD-Seq has already identified single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with temperature and aquaculture practices, whilst epigenetic processes have been shown significantly to modify shell construction to local conditions in, for example, Antarctica and New Zealand. We also synthesize results on the costs of shell construction and explore how these affect energetic trade-offs in animal metabolism. The cellular costs are still debated, with CaCO3 precipitation estimates ranging from 1-2 J/mg to 17-55 J/mg depending on experimental and environmental conditions. However, organic components are more expensive (~29 J/mg) and recent data indicate transmembrane calcium ion transporters can involve considerable costs. This review emphasizes the role that molecular analyses have played in demonstrating multiple evolutionary origins of biomineralization genes. Although these are characterized by lineage-specific proteins and unique combinations of co-opted genes, a small set of protein domains have been identified as a conserved biomineralization tool box. We further highlight the use of sequence data sets in providing candidate genes for in situ localization and protein function studies. The former has elucidated gene expression modularity in mantle tissue, improving understanding of the diversity of shell morphology synthesis. RNA interference (RNAi) and clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats - CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9) experiments have provided proof of concept for use in the functional investigation of mollusc gene sequences, showing for example that Pif (aragonite-binding) protein plays a significant role in structured nacre crystal growth and that the Lsdia1 gene sets shell chirality in Lymnaea stagnalis. Much research has focused on the impacts of ocean acidification on molluscs. Initial studies were predominantly pessimistic for future molluscan biodiversity. However, more sophisticated experiments incorporating selective breeding and multiple generations are identifying subtle effects and that variability within mollusc genomes has potential for adaption to future conditions. Furthermore, we highlight recent historical studies based on museum collections that demonstrate a greater resilience of molluscs to climate change compared with experimental data. The future of mollusc research lies not solely with ecological investigations into biodiversity, and this review synthesizes knowledge across disciplines to understand biomineralization. It spans research ranging from evolution and development, through predictions of biodiversity prospects and future-proofing of aquaculture to identifying new biomimetic opportunities and societal benefits from recycling shell products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melody S Clark
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, U.K
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, U.K
| | - Jaison Arivalagan
- UMR 7245 CNRS/MNHN Molécules de Communications et Adaptations des Micro-organismes, Sorbonne Universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France.,Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, 710 N Fairbanks Ct, Chicago, IL, U.S.A
| | - Thierry Backeljau
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, Brussels, B-1000, Belgium.,Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Antwerp, B-2610, Belgium
| | - Sophie Berland
- UMR 7208 CNRS/MNHN/UPMC/IRD Biologie des Organismes Aquatiques et Ecosystèmes, Sorbonne Universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Joao C R Cardoso
- Centro de Ciencias do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, 8005-139, Portugal
| | - Carlos Caurcel
- Ashworth Laboratories, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, U.K
| | - Gauthier Chapelle
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, Brussels, B-1000, Belgium
| | - Michele De Noia
- Department of Animal Behavior, University of Bielefeld, Postfach 100131, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany.,Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, U.K
| | - Sam Dupont
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Göteburg, Box 463, Göteburg, SE405 30, Sweden
| | - Karim Gharbi
- Ashworth Laboratories, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, U.K
| | - Joseph I Hoffman
- Department of Animal Behavior, University of Bielefeld, Postfach 100131, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany
| | - Kim S Last
- Scottish Association for Marine Science, Scottish Marine Institute, Oban, Argyll, PA37 1QA, U.K
| | - Arul Marie
- UMR 7245 CNRS/MNHN Molécules de Communications et Adaptations des Micro-organismes, Sorbonne Universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Frank Melzner
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, 24105, Germany
| | - Kati Michalek
- Scottish Association for Marine Science, Scottish Marine Institute, Oban, Argyll, PA37 1QA, U.K
| | - James Morris
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, Brussels, B-1000, Belgium
| | - Deborah M Power
- Centro de Ciencias do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, 8005-139, Portugal
| | - Kirti Ramesh
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, 24105, Germany
| | - Trystan Sanders
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, 24105, Germany
| | - Kirsikka Sillanpää
- Swemarc, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, Gothenburg, SE405 30, Sweden
| | - Victoria A Sleight
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, U.K
| | | | - Kristina Sundell
- Swemarc, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, Gothenburg, SE405 30, Sweden
| | - Luca Telesca
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, U.K
| | - David L J Vendrami
- Department of Animal Behavior, University of Bielefeld, Postfach 100131, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany
| | - Alexander Ventura
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Göteburg, Box 463, Göteburg, SE405 30, Sweden
| | - Thomas A Wilding
- Scottish Association for Marine Science, Scottish Marine Institute, Oban, Argyll, PA37 1QA, U.K
| | - Tejaswi Yarra
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, U.K.,Ashworth Laboratories, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, U.K
| | - Elizabeth M Harper
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, U.K
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23
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Krasnobaev A, Dam GT, Boerrigter-Eenling R, Peng F, van Leeuwen SPJ, Morley SA, Peck LS, van den Brink NW. Correction to Legacy and Emerging Persistent Organic Pollutants in Antarctic Benthic Invertebrates near Rothera Point, Western Antarctic Peninsula. Environ Sci Technol 2020; 54:7023. [PMID: 32432854 PMCID: PMC7853611 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c01724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
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24
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Gray A, Krolikowski M, Fretwell P, Convey P, Peck LS, Mendelova M, Smith AG, Davey MP. Remote sensing reveals Antarctic green snow algae as important terrestrial carbon sink. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2527. [PMID: 32433543 PMCID: PMC7239900 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16018-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [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: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
We present the first estimate of green snow algae community biomass and distribution along the Antarctic Peninsula. Sentinel 2 imagery supported by two field campaigns revealed 1679 snow algae blooms, seasonally covering 1.95 × 106 m2 and equating to 1.3 × 103 tonnes total dry biomass. Ecosystem range is limited to areas with average positive summer temperatures, and distribution strongly influenced by marine nutrient inputs, with 60% of blooms less than 5 km from a penguin colony. A warming Antarctica may lose a majority of the 62% of blooms occupying small, low-lying islands with no high ground for range expansion. However, bloom area and elevation were observed to increase at lower latitudes, suggesting that parallel expansion of bloom area on larger landmasses, close to bird or seal colonies, is likely. This increase is predicted to outweigh biomass lost from small islands, resulting in a net increase in snow algae extent and biomass as the Peninsula warms. Snow algae bloom along the coast of Antarctica and are likely to be biogeochemically important. Here, the authors produced the first map of such blooms, show that they are driven by warmer temperatures and proximity to birds and mammals, and are likely to increase given projected climate changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Gray
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK. .,NERC Field Spectroscopy Facility, Edinburgh, EH3 9FE, UK.
| | - Monika Krolikowski
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Peter Fretwell
- British Antarctic Survey, NERC, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Peter Convey
- British Antarctic Survey, NERC, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, NERC, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Monika Mendelova
- University of Edinburgh, School of GeoSciences, Edinburgh, EH8 9XP, UK
| | - Alison G Smith
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Matthew P Davey
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK.
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25
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Krasnobaev A, ten Dam G, Boerrigter-Eenling R, Peng F, van Leeuwen SPJ, Morley SA, Peck LS, van den Brink NW. Legacy and Emerging Persistent Organic Pollutants in Antarctic Benthic Invertebrates near Rothera Point, Western Antarctic Peninsula. Environ Sci Technol 2020; 54:2763-2771. [PMID: 31950826 PMCID: PMC7057541 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b06622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Pollutant levels in polar regions are gaining progressively more attention from the scientific community. This is especially so for pollutants that persist in the environment and can reach polar latitudes via a wide range of routes, such as some persistent organic pollutants (POPs). In this study, samples of Antarctic marine benthic organisms were analyzed for legacy and emerging POPs (polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and organochlorine pesticides) to comprehensively assess their current POP concentrations and infer the potential sources of the pollutants. Specimens of five benthic invertebrate species were collected at two distinct locations near Rothera research station on the Antarctic Peninsula (67°35'8 ̋ S and 68°7'59 ̋ W). Any impact of the nearby Rothera station as a local source of pollution appeared to be negligible. The most abundant chemicals detected were hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and BDE-209. The highest concentrations detected were in limpets and sea urchins, followed by sea stars, ascidians, and sea cucumbers. The relative congener patterns of PCBs and PBDEs were similar in all of the species. Some chemicals (e.g., heptachlor, oxychlordane, and mirex) were detected in the Antarctic invertebrates for the first time. Statistical analyses revealed that the distribution of the POPs was not only driven by the feeding traits of the species but also by the physicochemical properties of the specific compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem Krasnobaev
- Sub-Department
of Toxicology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8000, NL 6700 EA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Guillaume ten Dam
- Wageningen
Research, Wageningen Food Safety Research
(WFSR), PO Box 230, NL 6700 AE Wageningen, the Netherlands
- DSP-systems, Food Valley
BTA12, Darwinstraat 7a, 6718 XR Ede, the Netherlands
| | - Rita Boerrigter-Eenling
- Wageningen
Research, Wageningen Food Safety Research
(WFSR), PO Box 230, NL 6700 AE Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Fang Peng
- Luxembourg
Institute of Health, Rue Thomas Edison 1A−B, 1445 Strassen, Luxembourg
| | - Stefan P. J. van Leeuwen
- Wageningen
Research, Wageningen Food Safety Research
(WFSR), PO Box 230, NL 6700 AE Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Simon A. Morley
- Natural
Environment Research Council (NERC), British
Antarctic Survey, Cambridge CB3 0ET, United Kingdom
| | - Lloyd S. Peck
- Natural
Environment Research Council (NERC), British
Antarctic Survey, Cambridge CB3 0ET, United Kingdom
| | - Nico W. van den Brink
- Sub-Department
of Toxicology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8000, NL 6700 EA Wageningen, the Netherlands
- E-mail:
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26
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Webb AL, Hughes KA, Grand MM, Lohan MC, Peck LS. Sources of elevated heavy metal concentrations in sediments and benthic marine invertebrates of the western Antarctic Peninsula. Sci Total Environ 2020; 698:134268. [PMID: 31783446 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Antarctica is one of the least anthropogenically-impacted areas of the world. Metal sources to the marine environment include localised activities of research stations and glacial meltwater containing metals of lithogenic origin. In this study, concentrations of nine metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) were examined in three species of benthic invertebrates collected from four locations near Rothera Research Station on the western Antarctic Peninsula: Laternula elliptica (mudclam, filter feeder), Nacella concinna (limpet, grazer) and Odontaster validus (seastar, predator and scavenger). In addition, metals were evaluated in sediments at the same locations. Metal concentrations in different body tissues of invertebrates were equivalent to values recorded in industrialized non-polar sites and were attributed to natural sources including sediment input resulting from glacial erosion of local granodioritic rocks. Anthropogenic activities at Rothera Research Station appeared to have some impact on metal concentrations in the sampled invertebrates, with concentrations of several metals higher in L. elliptica near the runway and aircraft activities, but this was not a trend that was detected in the other species. Sediment analysis from two sites near the station showed lower metal concentrations than the control site 5 km distant and was attributed to differences in bedrock metal content. Differences in metal concentrations between organisms were attributed to feeding mechanisms and habitat, as well as depuration routes. L. elliptica kidneys showed significantly higher concentrations of eight metals, with some an order of magnitude greater than other organs, and the internal structure of O. validus had significantly higher Ni. This study supports previous assessments of N. concinna and L. elliptica as good biomonitors of metal concentrations and suggests O. validus as an additional biomonitor for use in future Antarctic metal monitoring programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- A L Webb
- Faculty of Science, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, United Kingdom.
| | - K A Hughes
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 0ET, United Kingdom
| | - M M Grand
- Faculty of Science, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, United Kingdom
| | - M C Lohan
- Faculty of Science, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, United Kingdom
| | - L S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 0ET, United Kingdom
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Telesca L, Peck LS, Sanders T, Thyrring J, Sejr MK, Harper EM. Biomineralization plasticity and environmental heterogeneity predict geographical resilience patterns of foundation species to future change. Glob Chang Biol 2019; 25:4179-4193. [PMID: 31432587 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [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: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Although geographical patterns of species' sensitivity to environmental changes are defined by interacting multiple stressors, little is known about compensatory processes shaping regional differences in organismal vulnerability. Here, we examine large-scale spatial variations in biomineralization under heterogeneous environmental gradients of temperature, salinity and food availability across a 30° latitudinal range (3,334 km), to test whether plasticity in calcareous shell production and composition, from juveniles to large adults, mediates geographical patterns of resilience to climate change in critical foundation species, the mussels Mytilus edulis and M. trossulus. We find shell calcification decreased towards high latitude, with mussels producing thinner shells with a higher organic content in polar than temperate regions. Salinity was the best predictor of within-region differences in mussel shell deposition, mineral and organic composition. In polar, subpolar, and Baltic low-salinity environments, mussels produced thin shells with a thicker external organic layer (periostracum), and an increased proportion of calcite (prismatic layer, as opposed to aragonite) and organic matrix, providing potentially higher resistance against dissolution in more corrosive waters. Conversely, in temperate, higher salinity regimes, thicker, more calcified shells with a higher aragonite (nacreous layer) proportion were deposited, which suggests enhanced protection under increased predation pressure. Interacting effects of salinity and food availability on mussel shell composition predict the deposition of a thicker periostracum and organic-enriched prismatic layer under forecasted future environmental conditions, suggesting a capacity for increased protection of high-latitude populations from ocean acidification. These findings support biomineralization plasticity as a potentially advantageous compensatory mechanism conferring Mytilus species a protective capacity for quantitative and qualitative trade-offs in shell deposition as a response to regional alterations of abiotic and biotic conditions in future environments. Our work illustrates that compensatory mechanisms, driving plastic responses to the spatial structure of multiple stressors, can define geographical patterns of unanticipated species resilience to global environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Telesca
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Jakob Thyrring
- British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Mikael K Sejr
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Department of Bioscience, Marine Ecology, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark
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Abstract
Antarctica and the surrounding Southern Ocean are facing complex environmental change. Their native biota has adapted to the region's extreme conditions over many millions of years. This unique biota is now challenged by environmental change and the direct impacts of human activity. The terrestrial biota is characterized by considerable physiological and ecological flexibility and is expected to show increases in productivity, population sizes and ranges of individual species, and community complexity. However, the establishment of non-native organisms in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems may present an even greater threat than climate change itself. In the marine environment, much more limited response flexibility means that even small levels of warming are threatening. Changing sea ice has large impacts on ecosystem processes, while ocean acidification and coastal freshening are expected to have major impacts.
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29
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Clark MS, Villota Nieva L, Hoffman JI, Davies AJ, Trivedi UH, Turner F, Ashton GV, Peck LS. Lack of long-term acclimation in Antarctic encrusting species suggests vulnerability to warming. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3383. [PMID: 31358752 PMCID: PMC6662708 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11348-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [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: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine encrusting communities play vital roles in benthic ecosystems and have major economic implications with regards to biofouling. However, their ability to persist under projected warming scenarios remains poorly understood and is difficult to study under realistic conditions. Here, using heated settlement panel technologies, we show that after 18 months Antarctic encrusting communities do not acclimate to either +1 °C or +2 °C above ambient temperatures. There is significant up-regulation of the cellular stress response in warmed animals, their upper lethal temperatures decline with increasing ambient temperature and population genetic analyses show little evidence of differential survival of genotypes with treatment. By contrast, biofilm bacterial communities show no significant differences in community structure with temperature. Thus, metazoan and bacterial responses differ dramatically, suggesting that ecosystem responses to future climate change are likely to be far more complex than previously anticipated. Genetic adaptation and physiological acclimation can potentially buffer species against climate change. Here, the authors perform a long-term warming experiment of Antarctic encrusting communities and show that focal animal species failed to acclimate and lacked genetic variation in tolerance to warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melody S Clark
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK.
| | - Leyre Villota Nieva
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK.,School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, LL59 5AB, UK
| | - Joseph I Hoffman
- Department of Animal Behavior, University of Bielefeld, Postfach 100131, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Andrew J Davies
- University of Rhode Island, Department of Biological Sciences, Woodward Hall, 9 East Alumni Avenue, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA
| | - Urmi H Trivedi
- Edinburgh Genomics (Genome Science), Ashworth Laboratories, Charlotte Auerbach Road, The King's Buildings, The University of Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Frances Turner
- Edinburgh Genomics (Genome Science), Ashworth Laboratories, Charlotte Auerbach Road, The King's Buildings, The University of Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gail V Ashton
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD, 21037-0028, USA
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
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30
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Vause BJ, Morley SA, Fonseca VG, Jażdżewska A, Ashton GV, Barnes DKA, Giebner H, Clark MS, Peck LS. Spatial and temporal dynamics of Antarctic shallow soft-bottom benthic communities: ecological drivers under climate change. BMC Ecol 2019; 19:27. [PMID: 31262299 PMCID: PMC6604130 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-019-0244-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [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: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Marine soft sediments are some of the most widespread habitats in the ocean, playing a vital role in global carbon cycling, but are amongst the least studied with regard to species composition and ecosystem functioning. This is particularly true of the Polar Regions, which are currently undergoing rapid climate change, the impacts of which are poorly understood. Compared to other latitudes, Polar sediment habitats also experience additional environmental drivers of strong seasonality and intense disturbance from iceberg scouring, which are major structural forces for hard substratum communities. This study compared sediment assemblages from two coves, near Rothera Point, Antarctic Peninsula, 67°S in order to understand the principal drivers of community structure, for the first time, evaluating composition across all size classes from mega- to micro-fauna. Results Morpho-taxonomy identified 77 macrofaunal species with densities of 464–16,084 individuals m−2. eDNA metabarcoding of microfauna, in summer only, identified a higher diversity, 189 metazoan amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) using the 18S ribosomal RNA and 249 metazoan ASVs using the mitochondrial COI gene. Both techniques recorded a greater taxonomic diversity in South Cove than Hangar Cove, with differences in communities between the coves, although the main taxonomic drivers varied between techniques. Morphotaxonomy identified the main differences between coves as the mollusc, Altenaeum charcoti, the cnidarian Edwardsia sp. and the polychaetes from the family cirratulidae. Metabarcoding identified greater numbers of species of nematodes, crustaceans and Platyhelminthes in South Cove, but more bivalve species in Hangar Cove. There were no detectable differences in community composition, measured through morphotaxonomy, between seasons, years or due to iceberg disturbance. Conclusions This study found that unlike hard substratum communities the diversity of Antarctic soft sediment communities is correlated with the same factors as other latitudes. Diversity was significantly correlated with grain size and organic content, not iceberg scour. The increase in glacial sediment input as glaciers melt, may therefore be more important than increased iceberg disturbance. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12898-019-0244-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda J Vause
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB30ET, UK
| | - Simon A Morley
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB30ET, UK.
| | - Vera G Fonseca
- Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), Adenauerallee 160, 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Anna Jażdżewska
- Laboratory of Polar Biology and Oceanobiology, Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 12/16 Banacha st., 90-237, Lodz, Poland
| | - Gail V Ashton
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB30ET, UK.,Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Romberg Tiburon Center, Tiburon, CA, USA
| | - David K A Barnes
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB30ET, UK
| | - Hendrik Giebner
- Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), Adenauerallee 160, 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Melody S Clark
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB30ET, UK
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB30ET, UK
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31
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McCarthy AH, Peck LS, Hughes KA, Aldridge DC. Antarctica: The final frontier for marine biological invasions. Glob Chang Biol 2019; 25:2221-2241. [PMID: 31016829 PMCID: PMC6849521 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Antarctica is experiencing significant ecological and environmental change, which may facilitate the establishment of non-native marine species. Non-native marine species will interact with other anthropogenic stressors affecting Antarctic ecosystems, such as climate change (warming, ocean acidification) and pollution, with irreversible ramifications for biodiversity and ecosystem services. We review current knowledge of non-native marine species in the Antarctic region, the physical and physiological factors that resist establishment of non-native marine species, changes to resistance under climate change, the role of legislation in limiting marine introductions, and the effect of increasing human activity on vectors and pathways of introduction. Evidence of non-native marine species is limited: just four marine non-native and one cryptogenic species that were likely introduced anthropogenically have been reported freely living in Antarctic or sub-Antarctic waters, but no established populations have been reported; an additional six species have been observed in pathways to Antarctica that are potentially at risk of becoming invasive. We present estimates of the intensity of ship activity across fishing, tourism and research sectors: there may be approximately 180 vessels and 500+ voyages in Antarctic waters annually. However, these estimates are necessarily speculative because relevant data are scarce. To facilitate well-informed policy and management, we make recommendations for future research into the likelihood of marine biological invasions in the Antarctic region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arlie H. McCarthy
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- British Antarctic Survey, NERCCambridgeUK
| | | | | | - David C. Aldridge
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- BioRISC, St Catharine's CollegeCambridgeUK
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32
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Chadwick M, Harper EM, Lemasson A, Spicer JI, Peck LS. Quantifying susceptibility of marine invertebrate biocomposites to dissolution in reduced pH. R Soc Open Sci 2019; 6:190252. [PMID: 31312491 PMCID: PMC6599774 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Ocean acidification threatens many ecologically and economically important marine calcifiers. The increase in shell dissolution under the resulting reduced pH is an important and increasingly recognized threat. The biocomposites that make up calcified hardparts have a range of taxon-specific compositions and microstructures, and it is evident that these may influence susceptibilities to dissolution. Here, we show how dissolution (thickness loss), under both ambient and predicted end-century pH (approx. 7.6), varies between seven different bivalve molluscs and one crustacean biocomposite and investigate how this relates to details of their microstructure and composition. Over 100 days, the dissolution of all microstructures was greater under the lower pH in the end-century conditions. Dissolution of lobster cuticle was greater than that of any bivalve microstructure, despite its calcite mineralogy, showing the importance of other microstructural characteristics besides carbonate polymorph. Organic content had the strongest positive correlation with dissolution when all microstructures were considered, and together with Mg/Ca ratio, explained 80-90% of the variance in dissolution. Organic content, Mg/Ca ratio, crystal density and mineralogy were all required to explain the maximum variance in dissolution within only bivalve microstructures, but still only explained 50-60% of the variation in dissolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Chadwick
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - Elizabeth M. Harper
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - Anaëlle Lemasson
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
| | - John I. Spicer
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Lloyd S. Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
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33
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Cross EL, Harper EM, Peck LS. Thicker Shells Compensate Extensive Dissolution in Brachiopods under Future Ocean Acidification. Environ Sci Technol 2019; 53:5016-5026. [PMID: 30925214 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b00714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Organisms with long generation times require phenotypic plasticity to survive in changing environments until genetic adaptation can be achieved. Marine calcifiers are particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification due to dissolution and a reduction in shell-building carbonate ions. Long-term experiments assess organisms' abilities to acclimatize or even adapt to environmental change. Here we present an unexpected compensatory response to extensive shell dissolution in a highly calcium-carbonate-dependent organism after long-term culture in predicted end-century acidification and warming conditions. Substantial shell dissolution with decreasing pH posed a threat to both a polar ( Liothyrella uva) and a temperate ( Calloria inconspicua) brachiopod after 7 months and 3 months exposure, respectively, with more extensive dissolution in the polar species. This impact was reflected in decreased outer primary layer thickness in the polar brachiopod. A compensatory response of increasing inner secondary layer thickness, and thereby producing a thicker shell, was exhibited by the polar species. Less extensive dissolution in the temperate brachiopod did not affect shell thickness. Increased temperature did not impact shell dissolution or thickness. Brachiopod ability to produce a thicker shell when extensive shell dissolution occurs suggests this marine calcifier has great plasticity in calcification providing insights into how similar species might cope under future environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L Cross
- Department of Earth Sciences , University of Cambridge , Downing Street , Cambridge , CB2 3EQ , United Kingdom
- British Antarctic Survey , Natural Environment Research Council , High Cross, Madingley Road , Cambridge , CB3 0ET , United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth M Harper
- Department of Earth Sciences , University of Cambridge , Downing Street , Cambridge , CB2 3EQ , United Kingdom
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey , Natural Environment Research Council , High Cross, Madingley Road , Cambridge , CB3 0ET , United Kingdom
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34
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Davey MP, Norman L, Sterk P, Huete‐Ortega M, Bunbury F, Loh BKW, Stockton S, Peck LS, Convey P, Newsham KK, Smith AG. Snow algae communities in Antarctica: metabolic and taxonomic composition. New Phytol 2019; 222:1242-1255. [PMID: 30667072 PMCID: PMC6492300 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Snow algae are found in snowfields across cold regions of the planet, forming highly visible red and green patches below and on the snow surface. In Antarctica, they contribute significantly to terrestrial net primary productivity due to the paucity of land plants, but our knowledge of these communities is limited. Here we provide the first description of the metabolic and species diversity of green and red snow algae communities from four locations in Ryder Bay (Adelaide Island, 68°S), Antarctic Peninsula. During the 2015 austral summer season, we collected samples to measure the metabolic composition of snow algae communities and determined the species composition of these communities using metabarcoding. Green communities were protein-rich, had a high chlorophyll content and contained many metabolites associated with nitrogen and amino acid metabolism. Red communities had a higher carotenoid content and contained more metabolites associated with carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism. Chloromonas, Chlamydomonas and Chlorella were found in green blooms but only Chloromonas was detected in red blooms. Both communities also contained bacteria, protists and fungi. These data show the complexity and variation within snow algae communities in Antarctica and provide initial insights into the contribution they make to ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P. Davey
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 3EAUK
| | - Louisa Norman
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 3EAUK
| | - Peter Sterk
- Cambridge Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of CambridgeWellcome Trust MRC Building, Hills RoadCambridgeCB2 0QQUK
| | | | - Freddy Bunbury
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 3EAUK
| | | | - Sian Stockton
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 3EAUK
| | - Lloyd S. Peck
- British Antarctic SurveyNERCMadingley RoadCambridgeCB3 0ETUK
| | - Peter Convey
- British Antarctic SurveyNERCMadingley RoadCambridgeCB3 0ETUK
| | | | - Alison G. Smith
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 3EAUK
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35
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Sutherland WJ, Fleishman E, Clout M, Gibbons DW, Lickorish F, Peck LS, Pretty J, Spalding M, Ockendon N. Ten Years On: A Review of the First Global Conservation Horizon Scan. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:139-153. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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36
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Clark MS, Suckling CC, Cavallo A, Mackenzie CL, Thorne MAS, Davies AJ, Peck LS. Molecular mechanisms underpinning transgenerational plasticity in the green sea urchin Psammechinus miliaris. Sci Rep 2019; 9:952. [PMID: 30700813 PMCID: PMC6353892 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37255-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [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: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The pre-conditioning of adult marine invertebrates to altered conditions, such as low pH, can significantly impact offspring outcomes, a process which is often referred to as transgenerational plasticity (TGP). This study describes for the first time, the gene expression profiles associated with TGP in the green sea urchin Psammechinus miliaris and evaluates the transcriptional contribution to larval resilience. RNA-Seq was used to determine how the expression profiles of larvae spawned into low pH from pre-acclimated adults differed to those of larvae produced from adults cultured under ambient pH. The main findings demonstrated that adult conditioning to low pH critically pre-loads the embryonic transcriptional pool with antioxidants to prepare the larvae for the “new” conditions. In addition, the classic cellular stress response, measured via the production of heat shock proteins (the heat shock response (HSR)), was separately evaluated. None of the early stage larvae either spawned in low pH (produced from both ambient and pre-acclimated adults) or subjected to a separate heat shock experiment were able to activate the full HSR as measured in adults, but the capacity to mount an HSR increased as development proceeded. This compromised ability clearly contributes to the vulnerability of early stage larvae to acute environmental challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melody S Clark
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK.
| | - Coleen C Suckling
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Askew Street, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, LL59 5AB, UK.,Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Rhode Island, 4 East Alumni Avenue, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA
| | - Alessandro Cavallo
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Clara L Mackenzie
- Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Michael A S Thorne
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Andrew J Davies
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Askew Street, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, LL59 5AB, UK.,Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, 9 East Alumni Avenue, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
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Berthelot C, Clarke J, Desvignes T, William Detrich H, Flicek P, Peck LS, Peters M, Postlethwait JH, Clark MS. Adaptation of Proteins to the Cold in Antarctic Fish: A Role for Methionine? Genome Biol Evol 2019; 11:220-231. [PMID: 30496401 PMCID: PMC6336007 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of antifreeze glycoproteins has enabled notothenioid fish to flourish in the freezing waters of the Southern Ocean. Whereas successful at the biodiversity level to life in the cold, paradoxically at the cellular level these stenothermal animals have problems producing, folding, and degrading proteins at their ambient temperatures of -1.86 °C. In this first multi-species transcriptome comparison of the amino acid composition of notothenioid proteins with temperate teleost proteins, we show that, unlike psychrophilic bacteria, Antarctic fish provide little evidence for the mass alteration of protein amino acid composition to enhance protein folding and reduce protein denaturation in the cold. The exception was the significant overrepresentation of positions where leucine in temperate fish proteins was replaced by methionine in the notothenioid orthologues. We hypothesize that these extra methionines have been preferentially assimilated into the genome to act as redox sensors in the highly oxygenated waters of the Southern Ocean. This redox hypothesis is supported by analyses of notothenioids showing enrichment of genes associated with responses to environmental stress, particularly reactive oxygen species. So overall, although notothenioid fish show cold-associated problems with protein homeostasis, they may have modified only a selected number of biochemical pathways to work efficiently below 0 °C. Even a slight warming of the Southern Ocean might disrupt the critical functions of this handful of key pathways with considerable impacts for the functioning of this ecosystem in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Berthelot
- Laboratoire Dynamique et Organisation des Génomes (Dyogen), Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure – UMR 8197, INSERM U1024, Paris Cedex 05, France
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jane Clarke
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - H William Detrich
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Marine Science Center, Northeastern University
| | - Paul Flicek
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Peters
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Marine Science Center, Northeastern University
| | | | - Melody S Clark
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Sutherland WJ, Broad S, Butchart SH, Clarke SJ, Collins AM, Dicks LV, Doran H, Esmail N, Fleishman E, Frost N, Gaston KJ, Gibbons DW, Hughes AC, Jiang Z, Kelman R, LeAnstey B, le Roux X, Lickorish FA, Monk KA, Mortimer D, Pearce-Higgins JW, Peck LS, Pettorelli N, Pretty J, Seymour CL, Spalding MD, Wentworth J, Ockendon N. A Horizon Scan of Emerging Issues for Global Conservation in 2019. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:83-94. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Krasnobaev A, Ten Dam G, van Leeuwen SPJ, Peck LS, van den Brink NW. Persistent Organic Pollutants in two species of migratory birds from Rothera Point, Adelaide Island, Antarctica. Mar Pollut Bull 2018; 137:113-118. [PMID: 30503416 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.10.008] [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: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Carcasses of South Polar Skuas (Catharacta maccormicki) and Kelp gulls (Larus dominicanus) were opportunistically collected around of Rothera Research station (67°35'8″S and 68°7'59″W) during the 2016/2017 austral summer. Samples of their tissues (muscle, liver and subcutaneous fat) were analysed for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) showed the highest concentrations, notably for pp'-DDE and HCB. The Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)-profiles demonstrated a clear dominance of hexa- and hepta-CBs, while concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) remained low. The concentrations of some POPs (e.g. HCB) were lower than in past studies on similar species, however others were within the previous range (PCBs) or even higher than previous reported values (DDE). Although no major interspecific differences in the absolute concentrations of POPs were detected, their profiles varied, being likely related to feeding and migration patterns of each species. The current study provides important baseline data for future monitoring of POPs in Antarctica.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Krasnobaev
- Wageningen University, Div. Toxicology, PO Box 8000, NL 6700 EA Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - G Ten Dam
- RIKILT, Wageningen University, PO Box 230, NL 6700 AE Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - S P J van Leeuwen
- RIKILT, Wageningen University, PO Box 230, NL 6700 AE Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - L S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Cambridge, UK
| | - N W van den Brink
- Wageningen University, Div. Toxicology, PO Box 8000, NL 6700 EA Wageningen, the Netherlands
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Sleight VA, Peck LS, Dyrynda EA, Smith VJ, Clark MS. Cellular stress responses to chronic heat shock and shell damage in temperate Mya truncata. Cell Stress Chaperones 2018; 23:1003-1017. [PMID: 29754331 PMCID: PMC6111077 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-018-0910-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Acclimation, via phenotypic flexibility, is a potential means for a fast response to climate change. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underpinning phenotypic flexibility can provide a fine-scale cellular understanding of how organisms acclimate. In the last 30 years, Mya truncata populations around the UK have faced an average increase in sea surface temperature of 0.7 °C and further warming of between 1.5 and 4 °C, in all marine regions adjacent to the UK, is predicted by the end of the century. Hence, data are required on the ability of M. truncata to acclimate to physiological stresses, and most notably, chronic increases in temperature. Animals in the present study were exposed to chronic heat-stress for 2 months prior to shell damage and subsequently, only 3, out of 20 damaged individuals, were able to repair their shells within 2 weeks. Differentially expressed genes (between control and damaged animals) were functionally enriched with processes relating to cellular stress, the immune response and biomineralisation. Comparative transcriptomics highlighted genes, and more broadly molecular mechanisms, that are likely to be pivotal in this lack of acclimation. This study demonstrates that discovery-led transcriptomic profiling of animals during stress-response experiments can shed light on the complexity of biological processes and changes within organisms that can be more difficult to detect at higher levels of biological organisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria A Sleight
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK.
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK.
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Elisabeth A Dyrynda
- Centre for Marine Biodiversity & Biotechnology, Institute of Life & Earth Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK
| | - Valerie J Smith
- Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Melody S Clark
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
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Cross EL, Harper EM, Peck LS. A 120-year record of resilience to environmental change in brachiopods. Glob Chang Biol 2018; 24:2262-2271. [PMID: 29536586 PMCID: PMC6850138 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 12/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The inability of organisms to cope in changing environments poses a major threat to their survival. Rising carbon dioxide concentrations, recently exceeding 400 μatm, are rapidly warming and acidifying our oceans. Current understanding of organism responses to this environmental phenomenon is based mainly on relatively short- to medium-term laboratory and field experiments, which cannot evaluate the potential for long-term acclimation and adaptation, the processes identified as most important to confer resistance. Here, we present data from a novel approach that assesses responses over a centennial timescale showing remarkable resilience to change in a species predicted to be vulnerable. Utilising museum collections allows the assessment of how organisms have coped with past environmental change. It also provides a historical reference for future climate change responses. We evaluated a unique specimen collection of a single species of brachiopod (Calloria inconspicua) collected every decade from 1900 to 2014 from one sampling site. The majority of brachiopod shell characteristics remained unchanged over the past century. One response, however, appears to reinforce their shell by constructing narrower punctae (shell perforations) and laying down more shell. This study indicates one of the most calcium-carbonate-dependent species globally to be highly resilient to environmental change over the last 120 years and provides a new insight for how similar species might react and possibly adapt to future change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L. Cross
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- British Antarctic SurveyNatural Environment Research CouncilCambridgeUK
| | | | - Lloyd S. Peck
- British Antarctic SurveyNatural Environment Research CouncilCambridgeUK
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43
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Affiliation(s)
- Melody S. Clark
- British Antarctic SurveyNatural Environment Research Council Cambridge UK
| | | | - Michelle King
- British Antarctic SurveyNatural Environment Research Council Cambridge UK
| | - Helen Hipperson
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis FacilityDepartment of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of Sheffield Sheffield UK
| | - Joseph I. Hoffman
- Department of Animal BehaviourUniversity of Bielefeld Bielefeld Germany
| | - Lloyd S. Peck
- British Antarctic SurveyNatural Environment Research Council Cambridge UK
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Telesca L, Michalek K, Sanders T, Peck LS, Thyrring J, Harper EM. Blue mussel shell shape plasticity and natural environments: a quantitative approach. Sci Rep 2018. [PMID: 29434221 DOI: 10.17863/cam.12536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Shape variability represents an important direct response of organisms to selective environments. Here, we use a combination of geometric morphometrics and generalised additive mixed models (GAMMs) to identify spatial patterns of natural shell shape variation in the North Atlantic and Arctic blue mussels, Mytilus edulis and M. trossulus, with environmental gradients of temperature, salinity and food availability across 3980 km of coastlines. New statistical methods and multiple study systems at various geographical scales allowed the uncoupling of the developmental and genetic contributions to shell shape and made it possible to identify general relationships between blue mussel shape variation and environment that are independent of age and species influences. We find salinity had the strongest effect on the latitudinal patterns of Mytilus shape, producing shells that were more elongated, narrower and with more parallel dorsoventral margins at lower salinities. Temperature and food supply, however, were the main drivers of mussel shape heterogeneity. Our findings revealed similar shell shape responses in Mytilus to less favourable environmental conditions across the different geographical scales analysed. Our results show how shell shape plasticity represents a powerful indicator to understand the alterations of blue mussel communities in rapidly changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Telesca
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
- British Antarctic Survey, CB3 0ET, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Kati Michalek
- Scottish Association for Marine Science, PA37 1QA, Oban, United Kingdom
| | - Trystan Sanders
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, 24148, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, CB3 0ET, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jakob Thyrring
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Department of Bioscience, Marine Ecology, Aarhus University, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Elizabeth M Harper
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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45
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Telesca L, Michalek K, Sanders T, Peck LS, Thyrring J, Harper EM. Blue mussel shell shape plasticity and natural environments: a quantitative approach. Sci Rep 2018; 8:2865. [PMID: 29434221 PMCID: PMC5809382 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20122-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [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: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Shape variability represents an important direct response of organisms to selective environments. Here, we use a combination of geometric morphometrics and generalised additive mixed models (GAMMs) to identify spatial patterns of natural shell shape variation in the North Atlantic and Arctic blue mussels, Mytilus edulis and M. trossulus, with environmental gradients of temperature, salinity and food availability across 3980 km of coastlines. New statistical methods and multiple study systems at various geographical scales allowed the uncoupling of the developmental and genetic contributions to shell shape and made it possible to identify general relationships between blue mussel shape variation and environment that are independent of age and species influences. We find salinity had the strongest effect on the latitudinal patterns of Mytilus shape, producing shells that were more elongated, narrower and with more parallel dorsoventral margins at lower salinities. Temperature and food supply, however, were the main drivers of mussel shape heterogeneity. Our findings revealed similar shell shape responses in Mytilus to less favourable environmental conditions across the different geographical scales analysed. Our results show how shell shape plasticity represents a powerful indicator to understand the alterations of blue mussel communities in rapidly changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Telesca
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, Cambridge, United Kingdom. .,British Antarctic Survey, CB3 0ET, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Kati Michalek
- Scottish Association for Marine Science, PA37 1QA, Oban, United Kingdom
| | - Trystan Sanders
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, 24148, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, CB3 0ET, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jakob Thyrring
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Department of Bioscience, Marine Ecology, Aarhus University, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Elizabeth M Harper
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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46
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47
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Sutherland WJ, Butchart SH, Connor B, Culshaw C, Dicks LV, Dinsdale J, Doran H, Entwistle AC, Fleishman E, Gibbons DW, Jiang Z, Keim B, Roux XL, Lickorish FA, Markillie P, Monk KA, Mortimer D, Pearce-Higgins JW, Peck LS, Pretty J, Seymour CL, Spalding MD, Tonneijck FH, Gleave RA. A 2018 Horizon Scan of Emerging Issues for Global Conservation and Biological Diversity. Trends Ecol Evol 2018; 33:47-58. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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Abstract
In our recent Current Biology paper [1], we describe an ocean warming experiment in which we manipulated the temperature of panels set on the seafloor to provide a realistic and relevant indication of how benthic communities may change under future ocean warming. We describe increases in growth associated with warming by 1°C, with growth rates up to doubled in some species. The definition of Q10 is a measure of the temperature sensitivity of an enzymatic reaction rate or a physiological process due to an increase by 10°C; doubling of growth rates with a 1°C change gives Q10s around 1,000. In his correspondence, Jaap van der Meer [2] questions our methods and provides alternative analyses which lead him to conclude that our observed increases in growth rate were in fact much lower and in accordance with previous studies from temperate zones. We provide justification for our use of absolute growth rate, justification for not using instantaneous growth rate (or a measure of growth in proportion to previous growth) and encourage the on-going discussion of how to measure and compare growth rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gail V Ashton
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK; Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 3150 Paradise Drive, Tiburon, CA 94920, USA.
| | - David K A Barnes
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
| | - Simon A Morley
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK.
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
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49
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Watson SA, Morley SA, Peck LS. Latitudinal trends in shell production cost from the tropics to the poles. Sci Adv 2017; 3:e1701362. [PMID: 28948224 PMCID: PMC5606708 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1701362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The proportion of body mass devoted to skeleton in marine invertebrates decreases along latitudinal gradients from large proportions in the tropics to small proportions in polar regions. A historical hypothesis-that latitudinal differences in shell production costs explain these trends-remains untested. Using field-collected specimens spanning a 79°N to 68°S latitudinal gradient (16,300 km), we conducted a taxonomically controlled evaluation of energetic costs of shell production as a proportion of the total energy budget in mollusks. Shell production cost was fairly low across latitudes at <10% of the energy budget and predominately <5% in gastropods and <4% in bivalves. Throughout life, shell cost tended to be lower in tropical species and increased slightly toward the poles. However, shell cost also varied with life stage, with the greatest costs found in young tropical gastropods. Low shell production costs on the energy budget suggest that shell cost may play only a small role in influencing proportional skeleton size gradients across latitudes relative to other ecological factors, such as predation in present-day oceans. However, any increase in the cost of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) deposition, including from ocean acidification, may lead to a projected ~50 to 70% increase in the proportion of the total energy budget required for shell production for a doubling of the CaCO3 deposition cost. Changes in energy budget allocation to shell cost would likely alter ecological trade-offs between calcification and other drivers, such as predation, in marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sue-Ann Watson
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
- Corresponding author.
| | - Simon A. Morley
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Lloyd S. Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
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Ashton GV, Morley SA, Barnes DKA, Clark MS, Peck LS. Warming by 1°C Drives Species and Assemblage Level Responses in Antarctica's Marine Shallows. Curr Biol 2017; 27:2698-2705.e3. [PMID: 28867203 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.07.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [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: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Forecasting assemblage-level responses to climate change remains one of the greatest challenges in global ecology [1, 2]. Data from the marine realm are limited because they largely come from experiments using limited numbers of species [3], mesocosms whose interior conditions are unnatural [4], and long-term correlation studies based on historical collections [5]. We describe the first ever experiment to warm benthic assemblages to ecologically relevant levels in situ. Heated settlement panels were used to create three test conditions: ambient and 1°C and 2°C above ambient (predicted in the next 50 and 100 years, respectively [6]). We observed massive impacts on a marine assemblage, with near doubling of growth rates of Antarctic seabed life. Growth increases far exceed those expected from biological temperature relationships established more than 100 years ago by Arrhenius. These increases in growth resulted in a single "r-strategist" pioneer species (the bryozoan Fenestrulina rugula) dominating seabed spatial cover and drove a reduction in overall diversity and evenness. In contrast, a 2°C rise produced divergent responses across species growth, resulting in higher variability in the assemblage. These data extend our ability to expand, integrate, and apply our knowledge of the impact of temperature on biological processes to predict organism, species, and ecosystem level ecological responses to regional warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gail V Ashton
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK; Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 3150 Paradise Drive, Tiburon, CA 94920, USA.
| | - Simon A Morley
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK.
| | - David K A Barnes
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
| | - Melody S Clark
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
| | - Lloyd S Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
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