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Cai S, Mu T, Peng HB, Ma Z, Wilcove DS. Importance of habitat heterogeneity in tidal flats to the conservation of migratory shorebirds. Conserv Biol 2024; 38:e14153. [PMID: 37551781 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14153] [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: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Understanding species distribution patterns and what determines them is critical for effective conservation planning and management. In the case of shorebirds migrating along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF), the loss of stopover habitat in the Yellow Sea region is thought to be the primary reason for the precipitous population declines. However, the rates of decline vary considerably among species, and it remains unclear how such differences could arise within a group of closely related species using apparently similar habitats at the same locales. We mapped the spatial distributions of foraging shorebirds, as well as biotic (benthic invertebrates consumed by migrating shorebirds) and abiotic (sediment characteristics) environmental factors, at a key stopover site in eastern China. Five of the six sediment characteristics showed significant spatial variation with respect to distance along the shoreline or distance from the seawall in the same tidal flat. The biomasses of four of the six most abundant benthic invertebrates were concentrated in the upper or middle zones of the tidal flat. The distribution patterns of all three focal shorebird species on the tidal flat were best explained jointly by this heterogeneity of sediment characteristics and invertebrate prey. These results suggest that the loss of tidal flats along the Yellow Sea, which is typically concentrated at the upper and middle zones, may not only reduce the overall amount of staging habitat, but also disproportionately affect the most resource-rich portions for the birds. Effective conservation of shorebird staging areas along the EAAF and likely elsewhere must consider the subtle habitat heterogeneity that characterizes these tidal flats, prioritizing the protection of those portions richest in food resources, most frequently used by focal bird species, and most vulnerable to anthropogenic threats. Article impact statement: Heterogeneity of tidal flats with respect to biotic and abiotic factors must be considered in shorebird conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangxiao Cai
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Tong Mu
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - He-Bo Peng
- Center for East Asian-Australasian Flyway Studies, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Zhijun Ma
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observation and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - David S Wilcove
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
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Moro-Martínez I, Vázquez-Luis M, García-March JR, Prado P, Mičić M, Catanese G. Haplosporidium pinnae Parasite Detection in Seawater Samples. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1146. [PMID: 37317120 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11051146] [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: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the presence of the parasite Haplosporidium pinnae, which is a pathogen for the bivalve Pinna nobilis, in water samples from different environments. Fifteen mantle samples of P. nobilis infected by H. pinnae were used to characterize the ribosomal unit of this parasite. The obtained sequences were employed to develop a method for eDNA detection of H. pinnae. We collected 56 water samples (from aquaria, open sea and sanctuaries) for testing the methodology. In this work, we developed three different PCRs generating amplicons of different lengths to determine the level of degradation of the DNA, since the status of H. pinnae in water and, therefore, its infectious capacity are unknown. The results showed the ability of the method to detect H. pinnae in sea waters from different areas persistent in the environment but with different degrees of DNA fragmentation. This developed method offers a new tool for preventive analysis for monitoring areas and to better understand the life cycle and the spread of this parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Moro-Martínez
- LIMIA-IRFAP Laboratorio de Investigaciones Marinas y Acuicultura-Govern de les Illes Balears, 07157 Port d'Andratx, Spain
| | - Maite Vázquez-Luis
- IEO-CSIC, Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares Instituto Español de Oceanografía, 07010 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - José Rafael García-March
- IMEDMAR-UCV Instituto de Investigación en Medio Ambiente y Ciencia Marina, Universidad Católica de Valencia, 03710 Calpe, Spain
| | | | - Milena Mičić
- Aquarium Pula d.o.o., Ulica Verudella 33, 52100 Pula, Croatia
| | - Gaetano Catanese
- LIMIA-IRFAP Laboratorio de Investigaciones Marinas y Acuicultura-Govern de les Illes Balears, 07157 Port d'Andratx, Spain
- INAGEA (UIB)-Instituto de Investigaciones Agroambientales y de Economía del Agua, Universidad de las Islas Baleares, Carretera de Valldemossa, km 7.5, 07122 Palma, Spain
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Cowart DA, Schiaparelli S, Alvaro MC, Cecchetto M, Le Port AS, Jollivet D, Hourdez S. Origin, diversity, and biogeography of Antarctic scale worms (Polychaeta: Polynoidae): a wide-scale barcoding approach. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9093. [PMID: 35866013 PMCID: PMC9288932 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9093] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Antarctic marine environment hosts diversified and highly endemic benthos owing to its unique geologic and climatic history. Current warming trends have increased the urgency of understanding Antarctic species history to predict how environmental changes will impact ecosystem functioning. Antarctic benthic lineages have traditionally been examined under three hypotheses: (1) high endemism and local radiation, (2) emergence of deep‐sea taxa through thermohaline circulation, and (3) species migrations across the Polar Front. In this study, we investigated which hypotheses best describe benthic invertebrate origins by examining Antarctic scale worms (Polynoidae). We amassed 691 polynoid sequences from the Southern Ocean and neighboring areas: the Kerguelen and Tierra del Fuego (South America) archipelagos, the Indian Ocean, and waters around New Zealand. We performed phylogenetic reconstructions to identify lineages across geographic regions, aided by mitochondrial markers cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (Cox1) and 16S ribosomal RNA (16S). Additionally, we produced haplotype networks at the species scale to examine genetic diversity, biogeographic separations, and past demography. The Cox1 dataset provided the most illuminating insights into the evolution of polynoids, with a total of 36 lineages identified. Eunoe sp. was present at Tierra del Fuego and Kerguelen, in favor of the latter acting as a migration crossroads. Harmothoe fuligineum, widespread around the Antarctic continent, was also present but isolated at Kerguelen, possibly resulting from historical freeze–thaw cycles. The genus Polyeunoa appears to have diversified prior to colonizing the continent, leading to the co‐occurrence of at least three cryptic species around the Southern and Indian Oceans. Analyses identified that nearly all populations are presently expanding following a bottleneck event, possibly caused by habitat reduction from the last glacial episodes. Findings support multiple origins for contemporary Antarctic polynoids, and some species investigated here provide information on ancestral scenarios of (re)colonization. First, it is apparent that species collected from the Antarctic continent are endemic, as the absence of closely related species in the Kerguelen and Tierra del Fuego datasets for most lineages argues in favor of Hypothesis 1 of local origin. Next, Eunoe sp. and H. fuligineum, however, support the possibility of Kerguelen and other sub‐Antarctic islands acting as a crossroads for larvae of some species, in support of Hypothesis 3. Finally, the genus Polyeunoa, conversely, is found at depths greater than 150 m and may have a deep origin, in line with Hypothesis 2. These “non endemic” groups, nevertheless, have a distribution that is either north or south of the Antarctic Polar Front, indicating that there is still a barrier to dispersal, even in the deep sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique A Cowart
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign Urbana Illinois USA.,Company for Open Ocean Observations and Logging (COOOL) La Réunion France
| | - Stefano Schiaparelli
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Science (DiSTAV) University of Genoa Genoa Italy.,Italian National Antarctic Museum (MNA, Section of Genoa) University of Genoa Genoa Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Alvaro
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Science (DiSTAV) University of Genoa Genoa Italy
| | - Matteo Cecchetto
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Science (DiSTAV) University of Genoa Genoa Italy.,Italian National Antarctic Museum (MNA, Section of Genoa) University of Genoa Genoa Italy
| | - Anne-Sophie Le Port
- CNRS UMR 7144 'Adaptation et Diversité en Milieux Marins' (AD2M) Team 'Dynamique de la Diversité Marine' (DyDiv), Station Biologique de Roscoff Sorbonne Université Roscoff France
| | - Didier Jollivet
- CNRS UMR 7144 'Adaptation et Diversité en Milieux Marins' (AD2M) Team 'Dynamique de la Diversité Marine' (DyDiv), Station Biologique de Roscoff Sorbonne Université Roscoff France
| | - Stephane Hourdez
- CNRS UMR 7144 'Adaptation et Diversité en Milieux Marins' (AD2M) Team 'Dynamique de la Diversité Marine' (DyDiv), Station Biologique de Roscoff Sorbonne Université Roscoff France.,Laboratoire d'Ecogéochimie des Environnements Benthiques (LECOB), Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls UMR 8222 CNRS-Sorbonne Université Banyuls-sur-mer France
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Späth J, Brodin T, Cerveny D, Lindberg R, Fick J, Nording ML. Oxylipins at intermediate larval stages of damselfly Coenagrion hastulatum as biochemical biomarkers for anthropogenic pollution. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2021; 28:27629-27638. [PMID: 33515146 PMCID: PMC8164578 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-12503-x] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic pollution resulting from anthropogenic activities requires adequate environmental monitoring strategies in sentinel organisms. Thus, biochemical biomarkers have been used as early-warning tools of biological effects in aquatic organisms. However, before using these markers for environmental monitoring, knowledge about their developmental variation is vital. In this study, we assessed baseline levels and developmental variations of a group of potential biomarkers, oxylipins, during the lifespan of the Northern damselfly (Coenagrion hastulatum) using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Effects of wastewater exposure on baseline levels were studied in a subset of damselflies to investigate the responsiveness due to anthropogenic pollution. Thirty-eight oxylipins deriving from four polyunsaturated fatty acids via two enzymatic pathways were detected in damselflies at three larval stages and in the adult form. Overall, oxylipin baseline levels showed developmental variation, which was lowest in the intermediate larval stages. Effects of exposure to wastewater effluent on oxylipin baseline levels were dependent on the life stage and were greatest in the early and intermediate larval stages. The study provides first insights into oxylipin profiles of damselflies at different stages of development and their developmental variation. Based on our results, we propose further strategies for incorporating oxylipins in damselfly larvae as biochemical markers for anthropogenic pollution. ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Späth
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, SE Sweden
| | - Tomas Brodin
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, 90187 Umea, SE Sweden
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183 Umea, SE Sweden
| | - Daniel Cerveny
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183 Umea, SE Sweden
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, Vodnany, Czech Republic
| | | | - Jerker Fick
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, SE Sweden
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Brown NAW, Wilson DR, Gagnon P. Plasticity in the antipredator behavior of the orange-footed sea cucumber under shifting hydrodynamic forces. Curr Zool 2019; 65:685-695. [PMID: 31857815 PMCID: PMC6911852 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 12/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine invertebrates that move too slowly to evade unfavorable environmental change may instead exhibit phenotypic plasticity, allowing them to adjust to varying conditions. The orange-footed sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa is a slow-moving suspension feeder that is preyed on by the purple sunstar Solaster endeca. The sea cucumber’s antipredator behavior involves changing shape and detaching from the substratum, which might increase its probability of being displaced by water motion into an unsuitable environment. We hypothesized that sea cucumbers’ antipredator responses would be diminished under stronger hydrodynamic forces, and that behavioral strategies would be flexible so that individuals could adjust to frequent changes in water flows. In a natural orange-footed sea cucumber habitat, individuals lived along a pronounced hydrodynamic gradient, allowing us to measure antipredator behavior under different water flow strengths. We placed purple sunstars in physical contact with sea cucumbers living at various points along the gradient to elicit antipredator responses. We then repeated this procedure in a laboratory mesocosm that generated weak and strong hydrodynamic forces similar to those observed at the field site. Subjects in the mesocosm experiment were tested in both wave conditions to determine if their antipredator behavior would change in response to sudden environmental change, as would be experienced under deteriorating sea conditions. Antipredator responses did not covary with hydrodynamic forces in the field. However, antipredator responses in the mesocosm experiment increased when individuals were transplanted from strong to weak forces and decreased when transplanted from weak to strong forces. Overall, our results indicate environmentally induced plasticity in the antipredator behavior of the orange-footed sea cucumber.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A W Brown
- Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - David R Wilson
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Patrick Gagnon
- Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
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Ushiama S, Smith JA, Suthers IM, Lowry M, Johnston EL. The effects of substratum material and surface orientation on the developing epibenthic community on a designed artificial reef. Biofouling 2016; 32:1049-1060. [PMID: 27626597 DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2016.1224860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Artificial reefs provide shelter and can be an important source of food for fish depending on the epibenthic community on the structure. The growth and diversity of this community is influenced by the substratum material and the surface orientation of the reef. Settlement plates of four materials (Perspex, sandstone, wood and steel) were deployed in three orientations (upwards, downwards and vertical) at a depth of 33 m on a designed artificial reef (DAR) off the coast of Sydney, Australia. After three months, the steel surfaces had lower invertebrate species richness, total abundance and diversity compared to other surfaces. Steel was not an ideal material for the initial recruitment and growth of epibenthic invertebrates. A longer duration would be required to develop a mature epibenthic community. Surface orientation had species-specific impacts. Surface material and orientation are important factors for developing epibenthic assemblages, and are thus likely to affect the broader artificial reef assemblage, including fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinjiro Ushiama
- a Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences , University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia
| | - James A Smith
- a Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences , University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia
| | - Iain M Suthers
- a Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences , University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia
| | - Michael Lowry
- b Wild Fisheries Research Division , NSW Department of Primary Industries (Port Stephens Fisheries Institute) , Port Stephens , Australia
| | - Emma L Johnston
- a Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences , University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia
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Hiddink JG, Burrows MT, García Molinos J. Temperature tracking by North Sea benthic invertebrates in response to climate change. Glob Chang Biol 2015; 21:117-29. [PMID: 25179407 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [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: 02/25/2014] [Revised: 08/12/2014] [Accepted: 08/12/2014] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is a major threat to biodiversity and distributions shifts are one of the most significant threats to global warming, but the extent to which these shifts keep pace with a changing climate is yet uncertain. Understanding the factors governing range shifts is crucial for conservation management to anticipate patterns of biodiversity distribution under future anthropogenic climate change. Soft-sediment invertebrates are a key faunal group because of their role in marine biogeochemistry and as a food source for commercial fish species. However, little information exists on their response to climate change. Here, we evaluate changes in the distribution of 65 North Sea benthic invertebrate species between 1986 and 2000 by examining their geographic, bathymetric and thermal niche shifts and test whether species are tracking their thermal niche as defined by minimum, mean or maximum sea bottom (SBT) and surface (SST) temperatures. Temperatures increased in the whole North Sea with many benthic invertebrates showing north-westerly range shifts (leading/trailing edges as well as distribution centroids) and deepening. Nevertheless, distribution shifts for most species (3.8-7.3 km yr(-1) interquantile range) lagged behind shifts in both SBT and SST (mean 8.1 km yr(-1)), resulting in many species experiencing increasing temperatures. The velocity of climate change (VoCC) of mean SST accurately predicted both the direction and magnitude of distribution centroid shifts, while maximum SST did the same for contraction of the trailing edge. The VoCC of SBT was not a good predictor of range shifts. No good predictor of expansions of the leading edge was found. Our results show that invertebrates need to shift at different rates and directions to track the climate velocities of different temperature measures, and are therefore lagging behind most temperature measures. If these species cannot withstand a change in thermal habitat, this could ultimately lead to a drop in benthic biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan G Hiddink
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, LL59 5AB, UK
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