1
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Cure K, Barneche DR, Depczynski M, Fisher R, Warne DJ, McGree J, Underwood J, Weisenberger F, Evans-Illidge E, Ford B, Oades D, Howard A, McCarthy P, Pyke D, Edgar Z, Maher R, Sampi T, Dougal K, Bardi Jawi Traditional Owners. Incorporating uncertainty in Indigenous sea Country monitoring with Bayesian statistics: Towards more informed decision-making. Ambio 2024; 53:746-763. [PMID: 38355875 PMCID: PMC10992390 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-024-01980-2] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Partnerships in marine monitoring combining Traditional Ecological Knowledge and western science are developing globally to improve our understanding of temporal changes in ecological communities that better inform coastal management practices. A fuller communication between scientists and Indigenous partners about the limitations of monitoring results to identify change is essential to the impact of monitoring datasets on decision-making. Here we present a 5-year co-developed case study from a fish monitoring partnership in northwest Australia showing how uncertainty estimated by Bayesian models can be incorporated into monitoring management indicators. Our simulation approach revealed there was high uncertainty in detecting immediate change over the following monitoring year when translated to health performance indicators. Incorporating credibility estimates into health assessments added substantial information to monitoring trends, provided a deeper understanding of monitoring limitations and highlighted the importance of carefully selecting the way we evaluate management performance indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Cure
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia (MO96), Entrance 4, Fairway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - Diego R Barneche
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia (MO96), Entrance 4, Fairway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
- UWA Oceans Institute and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Martial Depczynski
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia (MO96), Entrance 4, Fairway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
- UWA Oceans Institute and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Rebecca Fisher
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia (MO96), Entrance 4, Fairway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
- UWA Oceans Institute and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - David J Warne
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- Centre for Data Science, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - James McGree
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- Centre for Data Science, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Jim Underwood
- Gondwana Link Ltd, 70-74 Frederick St, PO Box 5276, Albany, WA, 6332, Australia
| | - Frank Weisenberger
- Frank Weisenberger Consulting, 13A Jessie Street, Coburg, VIC, 3058, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Evans-Illidge
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, 1526 Cape Cleveland Road, Cape Cleveland, QLD, 4810, Australia
| | - Brendan Ford
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, 1526 Cape Cleveland Road, Cape Cleveland, QLD, 4810, Australia
| | - Daniel Oades
- Kimberley Land Council, 11 Gregory St, Broome, WA, 6725, Australia
| | - Azton Howard
- Bardi Jawi Rangers, Kimberley Land Council, Bardi Jawi Rangers Office, Lot 19-20 First Street, One Arm Point, Ardyaloon, WA, 6725, Australia
| | - Phillip McCarthy
- Bardi Jawi Rangers, Kimberley Land Council, Bardi Jawi Rangers Office, Lot 19-20 First Street, One Arm Point, Ardyaloon, WA, 6725, Australia
| | - Damon Pyke
- Bardi Jawi Rangers, Kimberley Land Council, Bardi Jawi Rangers Office, Lot 19-20 First Street, One Arm Point, Ardyaloon, WA, 6725, Australia
| | - Zac Edgar
- Bardi Jawi Rangers, Kimberley Land Council, Bardi Jawi Rangers Office, Lot 19-20 First Street, One Arm Point, Ardyaloon, WA, 6725, Australia
| | - Rodney Maher
- Bardi Jawi Rangers, Kimberley Land Council, Bardi Jawi Rangers Office, Lot 19-20 First Street, One Arm Point, Ardyaloon, WA, 6725, Australia
| | - Trevor Sampi
- Bardi Jawi Rangers, Kimberley Land Council, Bardi Jawi Rangers Office, Lot 19-20 First Street, One Arm Point, Ardyaloon, WA, 6725, Australia
| | - Kevin Dougal
- Bardi Jawi Rangers, Kimberley Land Council, Bardi Jawi Rangers Office, Lot 19-20 First Street, One Arm Point, Ardyaloon, WA, 6725, Australia
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Cannon SE, Donner SD, Liu A, González Espinosa PC, Baird AH, Baum JK, Bauman AG, Beger M, Benkwitt CE, Birt MJ, Chancerelle Y, Cinner JE, Crane NL, Denis V, Depczynski M, Fadli N, Fenner D, Fulton CJ, Golbuu Y, Graham NAJ, Guest J, Harrison HB, Hobbs JPA, Hoey AS, Holmes TH, Houk P, Januchowski-Hartley FA, Jompa J, Kuo CY, Limmon GV, Lin YV, McClanahan TR, Muenzel D, Paddack MJ, Planes S, Pratchett MS, Radford B, Reimer JD, Richards ZT, Ross CL, Rulmal J, Sommer B, Williams GJ, Wilson SK. Macroalgae exhibit diverse responses to human disturbances on coral reefs. Glob Chang Biol 2023; 29:3318-3330. [PMID: 37020174 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16694] [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: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Scientists and managers rely on indicator taxa such as coral and macroalgal cover to evaluate the effects of human disturbance on coral reefs, often assuming a universally positive relationship between local human disturbance and macroalgae. Despite evidence that macroalgae respond to local stressors in diverse ways, there have been few efforts to evaluate relationships between specific macroalgae taxa and local human-driven disturbance. Using genus-level monitoring data from 1205 sites in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, we assess whether macroalgae percent cover correlates with local human disturbance while accounting for factors that could obscure or confound relationships. Assessing macroalgae at genus level revealed that no genera were positively correlated with all human disturbance metrics. Instead, we found relationships between the division or genera of algae and specific human disturbances that were not detectable when pooling taxa into a single functional category, which is common to many analyses. The convention to use percent cover of macroalgae as an indication of local human disturbance therefore likely obscures signatures of local anthropogenic threats to reefs. Our limited understanding of relationships between human disturbance, macroalgae taxa, and their responses to human disturbances impedes the ability to diagnose and respond appropriately to these threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E Cannon
- Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Simon D Donner
- Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Angela Liu
- Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Pedro C González Espinosa
- Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Andrew H Baird
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Queensland, Townsville, Australia
| | - Julia K Baum
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Victoria, Canada
| | - Andrew G Bauman
- Department of Marine and Environmental Science, Nova Southeastern University, Florida, Dania Beach, USA
| | - Maria Beger
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
- Department of Aquatic Resources Management, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Pattimura University, Ambon, Indonesia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | | | - Matthew J Birt
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Yannick Chancerelle
- CRIOBE, UAR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Moorea French Polynesia and the French Center for Excellence for Coral Reefs (LabEx Corail), PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Joshua E Cinner
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Queensland, Townsville, Australia
| | - Nicole L Crane
- One People One Reef, California, Santa Cruz, USA
- Department of Biology, Cabrillo College, California, Aptos, USA
| | - Vianney Denis
- Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Martial Depczynski
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Nur Fadli
- Faculty of Marine and Fisheries, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
| | | | | | | | | | - James Guest
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Hugo B Harrison
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Queensland, Townsville, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Jean-Paul A Hobbs
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Andrew S Hoey
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Queensland, Townsville, Australia
| | - Thomas H Holmes
- Marine Science Program, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions, Western Australia, Kensington, Australia
| | - Peter Houk
- University of Guam Marine Laboratory, UOG Station, Mangilao, Guam
| | | | - Jamaluddin Jompa
- Department of Marine Science and Fisheries, Hasanuddin University, South Sulawesi, Makassar, Indonesia
| | - Chao-Yang Kuo
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Queensland, Townsville, Australia
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Gino Valentino Limmon
- Department of Marine Biology, Pattimura University, Ambon, Indonesia
- Maritime and Marine Science Centre of Excellence, Pattimura University, Ambon, Indonesia
| | - Yuting V Lin
- Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Dominic Muenzel
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Michelle J Paddack
- One People One Reef, California, Santa Cruz, USA
- Santa Barbara City College, California, Santa Barbara, USA
| | - Serge Planes
- CRIOBE, UAR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Moorea French Polynesia and the French Center for Excellence for Coral Reefs (LabEx Corail), PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Morgan S Pratchett
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Queensland, Townsville, Australia
| | - Ben Radford
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Western Australia, Perth, Australia
- Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - James Davis Reimer
- Department of Marine Science, Chemistry and Biology, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
- Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Zoe T Richards
- Coral Conservation and Research Group, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Western Australia, Bently, Australia
- Collections and Research, Western Australian Museum, Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Claire L Ross
- Marine Science Program, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions, Western Australia, Kensington, Australia
- Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - John Rulmal
- One People One Reef, California, Santa Cruz, USA
- Ulithi Falalop Community Action Program, Yap, Micronesia
| | - Brigitte Sommer
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, 2007, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Shaun K Wilson
- Marine Science Program, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions, Western Australia, Kensington, Australia
- Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Western Australia, Perth, Australia
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3
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Gagliano M, Vyazovskiy VV, Borbély AA, Depczynski M, Radford B. Comment on 'Lack of evidence for associative learning in pea plants'. eLife 2020; 9:e61141. [PMID: 32909941 PMCID: PMC7556858 DOI: 10.7554/elife.61141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2016 we reported evidence for associative learning in plants (Gagliano et al., 2016). In view of the far-reaching implications of this finding we welcome the attempt made by Markel to replicate our study (Markel, 2020). However, as we discuss here, the protocol employed by Markel was unsuitable for testing for associative learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Gagliano
- The Biological Intelligence (BI) Lab, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of SydneyCamperdownAustralia
- School of Science and Engineering and School of Creative Industries, University of the Sunshine CoastMaroochydoreAustralia
| | - Vladyslav V Vyazovskiy
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Alexander A Borbély
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Martial Depczynski
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, The Oceans Institute, University of Western AustraliaCrawleyAustralia
| | - Ben Radford
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, The Oceans Institute, University of Western AustraliaCrawleyAustralia
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4
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Puotinen M, Drost E, Lowe R, Depczynski M, Radford B, Heyward A, Gilmour J. Towards modelling the future risk of cyclone wave damage to the world's coral reefs. Glob Chang Biol 2020; 26:4302-4315. [PMID: 32459881 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Tropical cyclones generate extreme waves that can damage coral reef communities. Recovery typically requires up to a decade, driving the trajectory of coral community structure. Coral reefs have evolved over millennia with cyclones. Increasingly, however, processes of recovery are interrupted and compromised by additional pressures (thermal stress, pollution, diseases, predators). Understanding how cyclones interact with other pressures to threaten coral reefs underpins spatial prioritization of conservation and management interventions. Models that simulate coral responses to cumulative pressures often assume that the worst cyclone wave damage occurs within ~100 km of the track. However, we show major coral loss at exposed sites up to 800 km from a cyclone that was both strong (high sustained wind speeds >=33 m/s) and big (widespread circulation >~300 km), using numerical wave models and field data from northwest Australia. We then calculate the return time of big and strong cyclones, big cyclones of any strength and strong cyclones of any size, for each of 150 coral reef ecoregions using a global data set of past cyclones from 1985 to 2015. For the coral ecoregions that regularly were exposed to cyclones during that time, we find that 75% of them were exposed to at least one cyclone that was both big and strong. Return intervals of big and strong cyclones are already less than 5 years for 13 ecoregions, primarily in the cyclone-prone NW Pacific, and less than 10 years for an additional 14 ecoregions. We identify ecoregions likely at higher risk in future given projected changes in cyclone activity. Robust quantification of the spatial distribution of likely cyclone wave damage is vital not only for understanding past coral response to pressures, but also for predicting how this may change as the climate continues to warm and the relative frequency of the strongest cyclones rises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marji Puotinen
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Edwin Drost
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Ryan Lowe
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Martial Depczynski
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Ben Radford
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Andrew Heyward
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - James Gilmour
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, Australia
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5
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Morais RA, Depczynski M, Fulton C, Marnane M, Narvaez P, Huertas V, Brandl SJ, Bellwood DR. Severe coral loss shifts energetic dynamics on a coral reef. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Renato A. Morais
- College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
| | - Martial Depczynski
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre University of Western Australia, Crawley WA Australia
- Oceans Institute University of Western Australia, Crawley WA Australia
| | - Christopher Fulton
- Research School of Biology The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | | | - Pauline Narvaez
- College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
| | - Victor Huertas
- College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
| | - Simon J. Brandl
- Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby BC Canada
- PSL Université Paris: CNRS‐EPHE‐UPVD USR3278 CRIOBE Université de Perpignan Perpignan France
| | - David R. Bellwood
- College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
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Fulton CJ, Abesamis RA, Berkström C, Depczynski M, Graham NAJ, Holmes TH, Kulbicki M, Noble MM, Radford BT, Tano S, Tinkler P, Wernberg T, Wilson SK. Form and function of tropical macroalgal reefs in the Anthropocene. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Fulton
- Research School of Biology; Australian National University; Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Rene A. Abesamis
- SU-Angelo King Center for Research and Environmental Management; Silliman University; Dumaguete Philippines
| | - Charlotte Berkström
- Department of Ecology, Environment & Plant Sciences; Stockholm University; Stockholm Sweden
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Coastal Research; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Öregrund Sweden
| | - Martial Depczynski
- Australian Institute of Marine Science; Crawley Western Australia Australia
- Oceans Institute; University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia Australia
| | | | - Thomas H. Holmes
- Oceans Institute; University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia Australia
- Marine Science Program, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation & Attractions; Government of Western Australia; Kensington Western Australia Australia
| | - Michel Kulbicki
- UMR “Entropie”, Labex Corail, IRD; University of Perpignan; Perpignan France
| | - Mae M. Noble
- Fenner School of Environment & Society; Australian National University; Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Ben T. Radford
- Australian Institute of Marine Science; Crawley Western Australia Australia
- Oceans Institute; University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia Australia
| | - Stina Tano
- Department of Ecology, Environment & Plant Sciences; Stockholm University; Stockholm Sweden
| | - Paul Tinkler
- School of Life & Environmental Sciences; Deakin University; Warrnambool Victoria Australia
| | - Thomas Wernberg
- Oceans Institute; University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia Australia
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia Australia
| | - Shaun K. Wilson
- Oceans Institute; University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia Australia
- Marine Science Program, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation & Attractions; Government of Western Australia; Kensington Western Australia Australia
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7
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Wenger AS, Rawson CA, Wilson S, Newman SJ, Travers MJ, Atkinson S, Browne N, Clarke D, Depczynski M, Erftemeijer PL, Evans RD, Hobbs JPA, McIlwain JL, McLean DL, Saunders BJ, Harvey E. Management strategies to minimize the dredging impacts of coastal development on fish and fisheries. Conserv Lett 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Amelia S. Wenger
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of Queensland; St. Lucia Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Christopher A. Rawson
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences; Curtin University; Bentley Western Australia 6102 Australia
| | - Shaun Wilson
- The Western Australian Marine Science Institution; The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
- Marine Science Program, Science and Conservation Division, Department of Biodiversity; Conservation and Attractions; Kensington Western Australia 6151 Australia
- School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute; The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
| | - Stephen J. Newman
- The Western Australian Marine Science Institution; The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences; Curtin University; Bentley Western Australia 6102 Australia
- Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development; Government of Western Australia; North Beach Western Australia 6920 Australia
| | - Michael J. Travers
- The Western Australian Marine Science Institution; The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences; Curtin University; Bentley Western Australia 6102 Australia
- Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development; Government of Western Australia; North Beach Western Australia 6920 Australia
| | - Scott Atkinson
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science; University of Queensland; St. Lucia Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Nicola Browne
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences; Curtin University; Bentley Western Australia 6102 Australia
| | | | - Martial Depczynski
- The Western Australian Marine Science Institution; The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
- The Oceans Graduate School; The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australian 6009 Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science; University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
| | - Paul L.A. Erftemeijer
- The Western Australian Marine Science Institution; The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
- The Oceans Graduate School; The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australian 6009 Australia
| | - Richard D. Evans
- Marine Science Program, Science and Conservation Division, Department of Biodiversity; Conservation and Attractions; Kensington Western Australia 6151 Australia
- The Oceans Graduate School; The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australian 6009 Australia
| | - Jean-Paul A. Hobbs
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences; Curtin University; Bentley Western Australia 6102 Australia
| | - Jennifer L. McIlwain
- The Western Australian Marine Science Institution; The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences; Curtin University; Bentley Western Australia 6102 Australia
| | - Dianne L. McLean
- The Oceans Graduate School; The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australian 6009 Australia
| | - Benjamin J. Saunders
- The Western Australian Marine Science Institution; The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences; Curtin University; Bentley Western Australia 6102 Australia
| | - Euan Harvey
- The Western Australian Marine Science Institution; The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences; Curtin University; Bentley Western Australia 6102 Australia
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Abstract
Because water is essential to life, organisms have evolved a wide range of strategies to cope with water limitations, including actively searching for their preferred moisture levels to avoid dehydration. Plants use moisture gradients to direct their roots through the soil once a water source is detected, but how they first detect the source is unknown. We used the model plant Pisum sativum to investigate the mechanism by which roots sense and locate water. We found that roots were able to locate a water source by sensing the vibrations generated by water moving inside pipes, even in the absence of substrate moisture. When both moisture and acoustic cues were available, roots preferentially used moisture in the soil over acoustic vibrations, suggesting that acoustic gradients enable roots to broadly detect a water source at a distance, while moisture gradients help them to reach their target more accurately. Our results also showed that the presence of noise affected the abilities of roots to perceive and respond correctly to the surrounding soundscape. These findings highlight the urgent need to better understand the ecological role of sound and the consequences of acoustic pollution for plant as well as animal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Gagliano
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - Mavra Grimonprez
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Martial Depczynski
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
- Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Michael Renton
- School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
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9
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Abstract
In complex and ever-changing environments, resources such as food are often scarce and unevenly distributed in space and time. Therefore, utilizing external cues to locate and remember high-quality sources allows more efficient foraging, thus increasing chances for survival. Associations between environmental cues and food are readily formed because of the tangible benefits they confer. While examples of the key role they play in shaping foraging behaviours are widespread in the animal world, the possibility that plants are also able to acquire learned associations to guide their foraging behaviour has never been demonstrated. Here we show that this type of learning occurs in the garden pea, Pisum sativum. By using a Y-maze task, we show that the position of a neutral cue, predicting the location of a light source, affected the direction of plant growth. This learned behaviour prevailed over innate phototropism. Notably, learning was successful only when it occurred during the subjective day, suggesting that behavioural performance is regulated by metabolic demands. Our results show that associative learning is an essential component of plant behaviour. We conclude that associative learning represents a universal adaptive mechanism shared by both animals and plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Gagliano
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Vladyslav V. Vyazovskiy
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander A. Borbély
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Mavra Grimonprez
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Martial Depczynski
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
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10
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Wilson SK, Depczynski M, Fulton CJ, Holmes TH, Radford BT, Tinkler P. Influence of nursery microhabitats on the future abundance of a coral reef fish. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:20160903. [PMID: 27534954 PMCID: PMC5013763 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Species habitat associations are often complex, making it difficult to assess their influence on populations. Among coral reef fishes, habitat requirements vary among species and with ontogeny, but the relative importance of nursery and adult-preferred habitats on future abundances remain unclear. Moreover, adult populations may be influenced by recruitment of juveniles and assessments of habitat importance should consider relative effects of juvenile abundance. We conducted surveys across 16 sites and 200 km of reef to identify the microhabitat preferences of juveniles, sub-adults and adults of the damselfish Pomacentrus moluccensis Microhabitat preferences at different life-history stages were then combined with 6 years of juvenile abundance and microhabitat availability data to show that the availability of preferred juvenile microhabitat (corymbose corals) at the time of settlement was a strong predictor of future sub-adult and adult abundance. However, the influence of nursery microhabitats on future population size differed spatially and at some locations abundance of juveniles and adult microhabitat (branching corals) were better predictors of local populations. Our results demonstrate that while juvenile microhabitats are important nurseries, the abundance of coral-dependent fishes is not solely dependent on these microhabitats, especially when microhabitats are readily available or following large influxes of juveniles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaun K Wilson
- Department of Parks and Wildlife, Marine Science Program, Kensington, Western Australia, Australia Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Martial Depczynski
- Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Christopher J Fulton
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Thomas H Holmes
- Department of Parks and Wildlife, Marine Science Program, Kensington, Western Australia, Australia Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Ben T Radford
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Paul Tinkler
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia
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11
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Wernberg T, Bennett S, Babcock RC, de Bettignies T, Cure K, Depczynski M, Dufois F, Fromont J, Fulton CJ, Hovey RK, Harvey ES, Holmes TH, Kendrick GA, Radford B, Santana-Garcon J, Saunders BJ, Smale DA, Thomsen MS, Tuckett CA, Tuya F, Vanderklift MA, Wilson S. Climate-driven regime shift of a temperate marine ecosystem. Science 2016; 353:169-72. [PMID: 27387951 DOI: 10.1126/science.aad8745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 435] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Ecosystem reconfigurations arising from climate-driven changes in species distributions are expected to have profound ecological, social, and economic implications. Here we reveal a rapid climate-driven regime shift of Australian temperate reef communities, which lost their defining kelp forests and became dominated by persistent seaweed turfs. After decades of ocean warming, extreme marine heat waves forced a 100-kilometer range contraction of extensive kelp forests and saw temperate species replaced by seaweeds, invertebrates, corals, and fishes characteristic of subtropical and tropical waters. This community-wide tropicalization fundamentally altered key ecological processes, suppressing the recovery of kelp forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Wernberg
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
| | - Scott Bennett
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Department of Environment and Agriculture, School of Science, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia. Department of Global Change Research, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (Universitat de les Illes Balears - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Esporles, Spain
| | - Russell C Babcock
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Oceans and Atmosphere, General Post Office Box 2583, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Thibaut de Bettignies
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Service du Patrimoine Naturel, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 36 Rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire CP41, Paris 75005, France
| | - Katherine Cure
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Australian Institute of Marine Science, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Martial Depczynski
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Francois Dufois
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, Private Bag 5, Wembley, Western Australia 6913, Australia
| | - Jane Fromont
- Western Australian Museum, Locked Bag 49, Welshpool DC, Western Australia 6986, Australia
| | - Christopher J Fulton
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Renae K Hovey
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Euan S Harvey
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, School of Science, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia
| | - Thomas H Holmes
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Marine Science Program, Science Division, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Kensington, Western Australia 6151, Australia
| | - Gary A Kendrick
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Ben Radford
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. School of Geography and Environmental Science, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Julia Santana-Garcon
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Department of Environment and Agriculture, School of Science, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia. Department of Global Change Research, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (Universitat de les Illes Balears - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Esporles, Spain
| | - Benjamin J Saunders
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, School of Science, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia
| | - Dan A Smale
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. School of Geography and Environmental Science, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Mads S Thomsen
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
| | - Chenae A Tuckett
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Fernando Tuya
- Marine Ecology Group, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Mathew A Vanderklift
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, Private Bag 5, Wembley, Western Australia 6913, Australia
| | - Shaun Wilson
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Marine Science Program, Science Division, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Kensington, Western Australia 6151, Australia
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12
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Coker DJ, Hoey AS, Wilson SK, Depczynski M, Graham NAJ, Hobbs JPA, Holmes TH, Pratchett MS. Habitat Selectivity and Reliance on Live Corals for Indo-Pacific Hawkfishes (Family: Cirrhitidae). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0138136. [PMID: 26529406 PMCID: PMC4631501 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hawkfishes (family: Cirrhitidae) are small conspicuous reef predators that commonly perch on, or shelter within, the branches of coral colonies. This study examined habitat associations of hawkfishes, and explicitly tested whether hawkfishes associate with specific types of live coral. Live coral use and habitat selectivity of hawkfishes was explored at six locations from Chagos in the central Indian Ocean extending east to Fiji in the Pacific Ocean. A total of 529 hawkfishes from seven species were recorded across all locations with 63% of individuals observed perching on, or sheltering within, live coral colonies. Five species (all except Cirrhitus pinnulatus and Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus) associated with live coral habitats. Cirrhitichthys falco selected for species of Pocillopora while Paracirrhites arcatus and P. forsteri selected for both Pocillopora and Acropora, revealing that these habitats are used disproportionately more than expected based on the local cover of these coral genera. Habitat selection was consistent across geographic locations, and species of Pocillopora were the most frequently used and most consistently selected even though this coral genus never comprised more than 6% of the total coral cover at any of the locations. Across locations, Paracirrhites arcatus and P. forsteri were the most abundant species and variation in their abundance corresponded with local patterns of live coral cover and abundance of Pocilloporid corals, respectively. These findings demonstrate the link between small predatory fishes and live coral habitats adding to the growing body of literature highlighting that live corals (especially erect branching corals) are critically important for sustaining high abundance and diversity of fishes on coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren J. Coker
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Andrew S. Hoey
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Shaun K. Wilson
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
- Marine Science Program, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Perth, Australia
| | - Martial Depczynski
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Nicholas A. J. Graham
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Paul A. Hobbs
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Thomas H. Holmes
- Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
- Marine Science Program, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Perth, Australia
| | - Morgan S. Pratchett
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
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13
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Ashworth EC, Depczynski M, Holmes TH, Wilson SK. Quantitative diet analysis of four mesopredators from a coral reef. J Fish Biol 2014; 84:1031-1045. [PMID: 24641257 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.12343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2013] [Accepted: 01/14/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The diets of four common mesopredator fishes were examined in the back-reef habitat of a subtropical fringing reef system during the summer months. Quantitative gut content analyses revealed that crustaceans, represented >60% of ingested prey (% mass) by the latticed sand-perch Parapercis clathrata, brown dottyback Pseudochromis fuscus and half-moon grouper Epinephelus rivulatus. Dietary analyses also provided insights into ontogenetic shifts. Juvenile P. fuscus ingested large numbers of crustaceans (amphipods and isopods); these small prey were rarely found in larger individuals (<1% of ingested mass). Fishes also made an important contribution to the diets of all three species representing 10-30% of ingested mass. Conversely, the sand lizardfish Synodus dermatogenys fed exclusively on fishes including clupeids, gobies and labrids. Differences in the gut contents of the four species recorded were not apparent using stable isotope analysis of muscle tissues. The similarity of δ(13) C values in muscle tissues suggested that carbon within prey was derived from primary producers, with comparable carbon isotope signatures to corals and macroalgae, whilst similarities in δ(15) N values indicated that all four species belonged to the same trophic level. Thus, interspecific differences between mesopredator diets were undetectable when using stable isotope analysis which suggests that detailed elucidation of trophic pathways requires gut content analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- E C Ashworth
- Centre for Fish, Fisheries and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology Murdoch University, 90 South St., Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia; Marine Science Program, Department of Parks and Wildlife, 17 Dick Perry Ave, Kensington, WA 6151, Australia
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14
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Gagliano M, Renton M, Depczynski M, Mancuso S. Experience teaches plants to learn faster and forget slower in environments where it matters. Oecologia 2014; 175:63-72. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2873-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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15
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Speed CW, Babcock RC, Bancroft KP, Beckley LE, Bellchambers LM, Depczynski M, Field SN, Friedman KJ, Gilmour JP, Hobbs JPA, Kobryn HT, Moore JAY, Nutt CD, Shedrawi G, Thomson DP, Wilson SK. Dynamic stability of coral reefs on the west Australian coast. PLoS One 2013; 8:e69863. [PMID: 23922829 PMCID: PMC3726730 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0069863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2013] [Accepted: 06/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Monitoring changes in coral cover and composition through space and time can provide insights to reef health and assist the focus of management and conservation efforts. We used a meta-analytical approach to assess coral cover data across latitudes 10-35°S along the west Australian coast, including 25 years of data from the Ningaloo region. Current estimates of coral cover ranged between 3 and 44% in coral habitats. Coral communities in the northern regions were dominated by corals from the families Acroporidae and Poritidae, which became less common at higher latitudes. At Ningaloo Reef coral cover has remained relatively stable through time (∼28%), although north-eastern and southern areas have experienced significant declines in overall cover. These declines are likely related to periodic disturbances such as cyclones and thermal anomalies, which were particularly noticeable around 1998/1999 and 2010/2011. Linear mixed effects models (LME) suggest latitude explains 10% of the deviance in coral cover through time at Ningaloo. Acroporidae has decreased in abundance relative to other common families at Ningaloo in the south, which might be related to persistence of more thermally and mechanically tolerant families. We identify regions where quantitative time-series data on coral cover and composition are lacking, particularly in north-western Australia. Standardising routine monitoring methods used by management and research agencies at these, and other locations, would allow a more robust assessment of coral condition and a better basis for conservation of coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conrad W Speed
- Science Division, Department of Environment and Conservation, Marine Science Program, Kensington, Western Australia, Australia.
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16
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Depczynski M, Gagliano M. Natural-born con artists and counterfeiters: Who is being deceived here? Commun Integr Biol 2013; 6:e24586. [PMID: 23986808 PMCID: PMC3742058 DOI: 10.4161/cib.24586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2013] [Accepted: 04/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Deception is ubiquitous in plant and animal kingdoms and is widely thought to provide selective advantages to the individual and evolutionary success to the species. Mimicry, a form of deception whereby an individual imitates their model to advantage by closely resembling their behavior or appearance, is particularly well documented and represented by the peripheral eyespots seen on the wings of many butterfly species. The significance of butterfly eyespots has been convincingly demonstrated to serve as an anti-predatory function either by imitation of a predator’s own dangerous enemies (intimidation hypothesis) or by deflecting predator strikes toward less-vital parts of the body (deflection hypothesis). A convincing and compelling explanation in butterflies, the functional role of eyespots as anti-predatory devices has become a widely held and firmly entrenched belief that has been freely adopted into other systems. Here we comment on a recent paper that demonstrates a vastly different role for eyespots, that of intra-specific male-male competition, and make the point that even long-held beliefs need to be tested and challenged under different contexts if we are not to be deceived ourselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martial Depczynski
- Australian Institute of Marine Science; The Oceans Institute; University of Western Australia; Crawley, WA Australia
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17
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Abstract
Eyespots on the body of many animals have long been assumed to confer protection against predators, but empirical evidence has recently demonstrated that this may not always be the case and suggested that such markings may also serve other purposes. Clearly, this raises the unresolved question of what functions do these markings have and do they contribute to an individual's evolutionary fitness in the wild. Here, we examined the occurrence of eyespots on the dorsal fin of a coral reef damselfish (Pomacentrus amboinensis), where these markings are typical of the juvenile stage and fade away as the fish approaches sexual maturation to then disappear completely in the vast majority of, but not all, adult individuals. By exploring differences in body shape among age and gender groups, we found that individuals retaining the eyespot into adulthood are all sexually mature males, suggesting that these eyespots may be an adult deceptive signal. Interestingly, the body shape of these individuals resembled more closely that of immature females than mature dominant males. These results suggest that eyespots have multiple roles and their functional significance changes within the lifetime of an animal from being a juvenile advertisement to a deceptive adult signal. Male removal experiments or colour manipulations may be necessary to establish specific functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Gagliano
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
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18
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Herwig JN, Depczynski M, Roberts JD, Semmens JM, Gagliano M, Heyward AJ. Using age-based life history data to investigate the life cycle and vulnerability of Octopus cyanea. PLoS One 2012; 7:e43679. [PMID: 22912898 PMCID: PMC3422261 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2012] [Accepted: 07/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Octopus cyanea is taken as an unregulated, recreationally fished species from the intertidal reefs of Ningaloo, Western Australia. Yet despite its exploitation and importance in many artisanal fisheries throughout the world, little is known about its life history, ecology and vulnerability. We used stylet increment analysis to age a wild O. cyanea population for the first time and gonad histology to examine their reproductive characteristics. O. cyanea conforms to many cephalopod life history generalisations having rapid, non-asymptotic growth, a short life-span and high levels of mortality. Males were found to mature at much younger ages and sizes than females with reproductive activity concentrated in the spring and summer months. The female dominated sex-ratios in association with female brooding behaviours also suggest that larger conspicuous females may be more prone to capture and suggests that this intertidal octopus population has the potential to be negatively impacted in an unregulated fishery. Size at age and maturity comparisons between our temperate bordering population and lower latitude Tanzanian and Hawaiian populations indicated stark differences in growth rates that correlate with water temperatures. The variability in life history traits between global populations suggests that management of O. cyanea populations should be tailored to each unique set of life history characteristics and that stylet increment analysis may provide the integrity needed to accurately assess this.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade N. Herwig
- The Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Martial Depczynski
- The Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, The Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - John D. Roberts
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Jayson M. Semmens
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Research, Fisheries, Aquaculture and Coasts Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Monica Gagliano
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Andrew J. Heyward
- The Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, The Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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19
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Gagliano M, Lema AK, Depczynski M, Whalan S. Use it and lose it: lipofuscin accumulation in the midbrain of a coral reef fish. J Fish Biol 2011; 78:659-666. [PMID: 21284643 DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2010.02873.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Lipofuscin, an autofluorescent biomarker of physiological wear-and-tear, was concentrated in those areas of a fish's midbrain responsible for visual performance, suggesting a potentially strong link between physiological specialization, ecological adaptation and senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Gagliano
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology & Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
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20
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Wilson SK, Depczynski M, Fisher R, Holmes TH, O'Leary RA, Tinkler P. Habitat associations of juvenile fish at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia: the importance of coral and algae. PLoS One 2010; 5:e15185. [PMID: 21151875 PMCID: PMC2998428 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2010] [Accepted: 10/28/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat specificity plays a pivotal role in forming community patterns in coral reef fishes, yet considerable uncertainty remains as to the extent of this selectivity, particularly among newly settled recruits. Here we quantified habitat specificity of juvenile coral reef fish at three ecological levels; algal meadows vs. coral reefs, live vs. dead coral and among different coral morphologies. In total, 6979 individuals from 11 families and 56 species were censused along Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. Juvenile fishes exhibited divergence in habitat use and specialization among species and at all study scales. Despite the close proximity of coral reef and algal meadows (10's of metres) 25 species were unique to coral reef habitats, and seven to algal meadows. Of the seven unique to algal meadows, several species are known to occupy coral reef habitat as adults, suggesting possible ontogenetic shifts in habitat use. Selectivity between live and dead coral was found to be species-specific. In particular, juvenile scarids were found predominantly on the skeletons of dead coral whereas many damsel and butterfly fishes were closely associated with live coral habitat. Among the coral dependent species, coral morphology played a key role in juvenile distribution. Corymbose corals supported a disproportionate number of coral species and individuals relative to their availability, whereas less complex shapes (i.e. massive & encrusting) were rarely used by juvenile fish. Habitat specialisation by juvenile species of ecological and fisheries importance, for a variety of habitat types, argues strongly for the careful conservation and management of multiple habitat types within marine parks, and indicates that the current emphasis on planning conservation using representative habitat areas is warranted. Furthermore, the close association of many juvenile fish with corals susceptible to climate change related disturbances suggests that identifying and protecting reefs resilient to this should be a conservation priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaun K Wilson
- Science Division, Department of Environment and Conservation, Marine Science Program, Kensington, Western Australia, Australia.
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21
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Wilson SK, Adjeroud M, Bellwood DR, Berumen ML, Booth D, Bozec YM, Chabanet P, Cheal A, Cinner J, Depczynski M, Feary DA, Gagliano M, Graham NAJ, Halford AR, Halpern BS, Harborne AR, Hoey AS, Holbrook SJ, Jones GP, Kulbiki M, Letourneur Y, De Loma TL, McClanahan T, McCormick MI, Meekan MG, Mumby PJ, Munday PL, Öhman MC, Pratchett MS, Riegl B, Sano M, Schmitt RJ, Syms C. Crucial knowledge gaps in current understanding of climate change impacts on coral reef fishes. J Exp Biol 2010; 213:894-900. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.037895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Expert opinion was canvassed to identify crucial knowledge gaps in current understanding of climate change impacts on coral reef fishes. Scientists that had published three or more papers on the effects of climate and environmental factors on reef fishes were invited to submit five questions that, if addressed, would improve our understanding of climate change effects on coral reef fishes. Thirty-three scientists provided 155 questions, and 32 scientists scored these questions in terms of: (i) identifying a knowledge gap, (ii) achievability, (iii) applicability to a broad spectrum of species and reef habitats, and (iv) priority. Forty-two per cent of the questions related to habitat associations and community dynamics of fish, reflecting the established effects and immediate concern relating to climate-induced coral loss and habitat degradation. However, there were also questions on fish demographics, physiology, behaviour and management, all of which could be potentially affected by climate change. Irrespective of their individual expertise and background, scientists scored questions from different topics similarly, suggesting limited bias and recognition of a need for greater interdisciplinary and collaborative research. Presented here are the 53 highest-scoring unique questions. These questions should act as a guide for future research, providing a basis for better assessment and management of climate change impacts on coral reefs and associated fish communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. K. Wilson
- Marine Science Program, Department of Environment and Conservation, Kensington, WA, Australia
| | - M. Adjeroud
- UMR 5244 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Centre de Biologie et d'Ecologie Tropicale et Mediterranéenne, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - D. R. Bellwood
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - M. L. Berumen
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - D. Booth
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Y.-Marie Bozec
- Agrocampus Ouest, Laboratory of Computer Science, Rennes, France
| | - P. Chabanet
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Marseille, France
| | - A. Cheal
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - J. Cinner
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - M. Depczynski
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, c/— The Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley WA, Australia
| | - D. A. Feary
- United Nations University, International Network on Water, Environment and Health, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - M. Gagliano
- Centre of Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley WA, Australia
| | - N. A. J. Graham
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - A. R. Halford
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Marine Lab, University of Guam, Mangilao, Guam
| | - B. S. Halpern
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - A. R. Harborne
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, UK
| | - A. S. Hoey
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - S. J. Holbrook
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - G. P. Jones
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - M. Kulbiki
- UMR 5244 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Centre de Biologie et d'Ecologie Tropicale et Mediterranéenne, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Y. Letourneur
- Centre d'Océanologie de Marseille, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France
| | - T. L. De Loma
- Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l'Environnement, Moorea, French Polynesia
| | - T. McClanahan
- Marine Programs, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - M. I. McCormick
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - M. G. Meekan
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, c/— The Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley WA, Australia
| | - P. J. Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, UK
| | - P. L. Munday
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - M. C. Öhman
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Sweden
| | - M. S. Pratchett
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - B. Riegl
- National Coral Reef Institute, Nova Southeastern University, Florida, USA
| | - M. Sano
- Department of Ecosystem Studies, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - R. J. Schmitt
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - C. Syms
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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22
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Gagliano M, Dunlap WC, de Nys R, Depczynski M. Ockham's razor gone blunt: coenzyme Q adaptation and redox balance in tropical reef fishes. Biol Lett 2009; 5:360-3. [PMID: 19324638 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2009.0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitous coenzyme Q (CoQ) is a powerful antioxidant defence against cellular oxidative damage. In fishes, differences in the isoprenoid length of CoQ and its associated antioxidant efficacy have been proposed as an adaptation to different thermal environments. Here, we examine this broad contention by a comparison of the CoQ composition and its redox status in a range of coral reef fishes. Contrary to expectations, most species possessed CoQ(8) and their hepatic redox balance was mostly found in the reduced form. These elevated concentrations of the ubiquinol antioxidant are indicative of a high level of protection required against oxidative stress. We propose that, in contrast to the current paradigm, CoQ variation in coral reef fishes is not a generalized adaptation to thermal conditions, but reflects species-specific ecological habits and physiological constraints associated with oxygen demand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Gagliano
- School of Marine Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.
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23
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Gagliano M, Depczynski M, Simpson SD, Moore JAY. Dispersal without errors: symmetrical ears tune into the right frequency for survival. Proc Biol Sci 2008; 275:527-34. [PMID: 18077258 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2007.1388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate animals localize sounds by comparing differences in the acoustic signal between the two ears and, accordingly, ear structures such as the otoliths of fishes are expected to develop symmetrically. Sound recently emerged as a leading candidate cue for reef fish larvae navigating from open waters back to the reef. Clearly, the integrity of the auditory organ has a direct bearing on what and how fish larvae hear. Yet, the link between otolith symmetry and effective navigation has never been investigated in fishes. We tested whether otolith asymmetry influenced the ability of returning larvae to detect and successfully recruit to favourable reef habitats. Our results suggest that larvae with asymmetrical otoliths not only encountered greater difficulties in detecting suitable settlement habitats, but may also suffer significantly higher rates of mortality. Further, we found that otolith asymmetries arising early in the embryonic stage were not corrected by any compensational growth mechanism during the larval stage. Because these errors persist and phenotypic selection penalizes asymmetrical individuals, asymmetry is likely to play an important role in shaping wild fish populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Gagliano
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Marine Biology and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
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24
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Depczynski M, Fulton CJ, Marnane MJ, Bellwood DR. Life history patterns shape energy allocation among fishes on coral reefs. Oecologia 2007; 153:111-20. [PMID: 17436023 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-007-0714-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2006] [Accepted: 02/28/2007] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Although critically important, the link between animal life histories and ecosystem energetics is seldom explored. In the pursuit of ecological simplification, ecosystem properties are typically described by models based on static counts, where organisms are aggregated into trophic- or size-based groups. Consequently, output is often based on an assumption that larger group biomass equals greater energetic contribution. Here, we modelled the individual growth of over 58,000 fishes from 74 genera within a coral reef ecosystem to investigate the role and importance of taxon-specific life histories to the division, spatial distribution and relative contribution of biomass production within 14 coral reef fish families. Rank changes among families in standing biomass to biomass production indicated that small cryptic families (e.g. Gobiidae and Blenniidae) exhibit collective growth potentials equal to or exceeding those of many other common families composed of individuals with body-sizes 1-3 orders of magnitude larger. Remaining at high risk of predation throughout their lives as a consequence of their small size, these cryptic fishes also provide a constant food resource and supply of reproductive energy to coral reefs throughout the year. Enhanced further by the strength and diversity of their trophic relationships within food webs, the highly productive nature of these small cryptic fishes suggests they make a substantial contribution to the flow of energy in coral reef ecosystems via predatory pathways. It appears that life histories leave a strong imprint on ecosystem energy fluxes and illustrate the importance of incorporating taxon-specific features when assigning values to key ecosystem processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martial Depczynski
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Marine Biology, James Cook University, Townsville 4811, Australia.
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25
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Abstract
Life history theory predicts a range of directional generic responses in life history traits with increasing organism size. Among these are the relationships between size and longevity, mortality, growth rate, timing of maturity, and lifetime reproductive output. Spanning three orders of magnitude in size, coral reef fishes provide an ecologically diverse and species-rich vertebrate assemblage in which to test these generic responses. Here we examined these relationships by quantifying the life cycles of three miniature species of coral reef fish from the genus Eviota (Gobiidae) and compared their life history characteristics with other reef fish species. We found that all three species of Eviota have life spans of < 100 days, suffer high daily mortality rates of 7-8%, exhibit rapid linear growth, and matured at an earlier than expected size. Although lifetime reproductive output was low, consistent with their small body sizes, short generation times of 47-74 days help overcome low individual fecundity and appear to be a critical feature in maintaining Eviota populations. Comparisons with other coral reef fish species showed that Eviota species live on the evolutionary margins of life history possibilities for vertebrate animals. This addition of demographic information on these smallest size classes of coral reef fishes greatly extends our knowledge to encompass the full size spectrum and highlights the potential for coral reef fishes to contribute to vertebrate life history studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martial Depczynski
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Marine Biology, James Cook University, Townsville 4811, Australia
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26
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Affiliation(s)
- Martial Depczynski
- Centre for Coral Reef Biodiversity, Department of Marine Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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