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Meineke EK, Daru BH. Bias assessments to expand research harnessing biological collections. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:1071-1082. [PMID: 34489117 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Biological collections are arguably the most important resources for investigations into the impacts of human activities on biodiversity. However, the apparent opportunities presented by museum-derived datasets have not resulted in consistent or widespread use of specimens in ecology outside phenological research and species distribution modeling. We attribute this gap between opportunity and application to biases introduced by collectors, curators, and preservation practices and an imperfect understanding of these biases and how to mitigate them. To facilitate broader use of specimen-based data, we characterize collection biases across key axes and explore interactions among them. We then present a framework for determining the bias assessments needed when extracting data from biological collections. We show that bias assessments required by particular ecological studies will depend on the response variables being measured and the predictor axes of interest. We argue that quantification of biases in specimen-derived datasets is needed to facilitate the widespread application of these data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily K Meineke
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis 95616, CA, USA.
| | - Barnabas H Daru
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA.
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Willmes M, Lewis LS, Davis BE, Loiselle L, James HF, Denny C, Baxter R, Conrad JL, Fangue NA, Hung TC, Armstrong RA, Williams IS, Holden P, Hobbs JA. Calibrating temperature reconstructions from fish otolith oxygen isotope analysis for California's critically endangered Delta Smelt. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2019; 33:1207-1220. [PMID: 30993783 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Oxygen isotope ratios (δ18 O values) of fish otoliths (ear bones) are valuable geochemical tracers of water conditions and thermal life history. Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) are osmerid forage fish endemic to the San Francisco Estuary, California, USA, that are on the verge of extinction. These fish exhibit a complex life history that allows them to survive in a dynamic estuarine environment; however, a rapidly warming climate threatens this thermally sensitive species. Here we quantify the accuracy and precision of using δ18 O values in otoliths to reconstruct the thermal life histories of Delta Smelt. METHODS Delta Smelt were reared for 360 days using three different water sources with different ambient δ18 Owater values (-8.75‰, -5.28‰, and -4.06‰) and different water temperatures (16.4°C, 16.7°C, 18.7°C, and 20.5°C). Samples were collected after 170 days (n = 28) and 360 days (n = 14) post-hatch. In situ δ18 O values were measured from the core of the otolith to the dorsal edge using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) to reconstruct temporally resolved thermal life histories. RESULTS The δ18 Ootolith values for Delta Smelt varied as a linear inverse function of water temperature: 1000 ln α = 18.39 (±0.43, 1SE)(103 TK-1 ) - 34.56 (±1.49, 1SE) and δ18 Ootolith(VPDB) - δ18 Owater (VPDB) = 31.34(±0.09, 1SE) - 0.19(±0.01, 1SE) × T ° C. When the ambient δ18 Owater value is known, this species-specific temperature-dependent oxygen isotope fractionation model facilitated the accurate (0.25°C) and precise (±0.37°C, 2σ) reconstruction of the water temperature experienced by the fish. In contrast, the use of existing general fractionation equations resulted in inaccurate temperature reconstructions. CONCLUSIONS The species-specific δ18 Ootolith fractionation equation allowed for accurate and precise reconstructions of water temperatures experienced by Delta Smelt. Characterization of ambient δ18 Owater values remains a critical next step for reconstructing thermal life histories of wild Delta Smelt. This tool will provide new insights into habitat utilization, potential thermal refugia, and resilience to future warming for this critically endangered fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malte Willmes
- Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, UC Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Levi S Lewis
- Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, UC Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Brittany E Davis
- Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, UC Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- California Department of Water Resources, 1416 9th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95814, USA
| | - Liane Loiselle
- Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Building 142 Mills Road, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Hannah F James
- Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Building 142 Mills Road, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Christian Denny
- Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, UC Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Randall Baxter
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 1416 9th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95814, USA
| | - J Louise Conrad
- California Department of Water Resources, 1416 9th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95814, USA
| | - Nann A Fangue
- Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, UC Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Tien-Chieh Hung
- Biological and Agricultural Engineering, UC Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Richard A Armstrong
- Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Building 142 Mills Road, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Ian S Williams
- Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Building 142 Mills Road, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Peter Holden
- Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Building 142 Mills Road, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - James A Hobbs
- Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, UC Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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Mahardja B, Hobbs JA, Ikemiyagi N, Benjamin A, Finger AJ. Role of freshwater floodplain-tidal slough complex in the persistence of the endangered delta smelt. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0208084. [PMID: 30601817 PMCID: PMC6314582 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal floodplain wetland is one of the most variable and diverse habitats found in coastal ecosystems, yet it is also one of the most highly altered by humans. The Yolo Bypass, the primary floodplain of the Sacramento River in California's Central Valley, USA, has been shown to provide various benefits to native fishes when inundated. However, the Yolo Bypass exists as a tidal dead-end slough during dry periods and its value to native fishes has been less studied in this state. During the recent drought (2012-2016), we found higher abundance of the endangered Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), than the previous 14 years of fish monitoring within the Yolo Bypass. Meanwhile, Delta Smelt abundance elsewhere in the estuary was at record lows during this time. To determine the value of the Yolo Bypass as a nursery habitat for Delta Smelt, we compared growth, hatch dates, and diets of juvenile Delta Smelt collected within the Yolo Bypass with fish collected among other putative nursery habitats in the San Francisco Estuary between 2010 and 2016. Our results indicated that when compared to other areas of the estuary, fish in the Yolo Bypass spawned earlier, and offspring experienced both higher quality feeding conditions and growth rates. The occurrence of healthy juvenile Delta Smelt in the Yolo Bypass suggested that the region may have acted as a refuge for the species during the drought years of 2012-2016. However, our results also demonstrated that no single region provided the best rearing habitat for juvenile Delta Smelt. It will likely require a mosaic of habitats that incorporates floodplain-tidal sloughs in order to promote the resilience of this declining estuarine fish species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Mahardja
- California Department of Water Resources, Division of Environmental Services, West Sacramento, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - James A. Hobbs
- University of California–Davis, Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Naoaki Ikemiyagi
- California Department of Water Resources, Division of Environmental Services, West Sacramento, California, United States of America
| | - Alyssa Benjamin
- University of California–Davis, Department of Animal Science, Genomic Variation Laboratory, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Amanda J. Finger
- University of California–Davis, Department of Animal Science, Genomic Variation Laboratory, Davis, California, United States of America
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Storm-Suke A, Dempson JB, Reist JD, Power M. A field-derived oxygen isotope fractionation equation for Salvelinus species. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2007; 21:4109-4116. [PMID: 18022960 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.3320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Field-collected otolith samples of young-of the-year Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) and brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis) and monitored water temperatures were used to estimate a delta(18)O fractionation equation for the genus Salvelinus. When compared to literature reported equations, the developed fractionation equation had a statistically similar slope but dissimilar intercept. Statistical similarities among fractionation equation slope estimates suggest a common otolith delta(18)O incorporation response among fish species that may be interpreted as widespread equilibrium otolith delta(18)O deposition. Statistical dissimilarities among intercept estimates question broad applicability of any single fractionation equation to all fish species and were interpreted here to have biological meaning as a result of known differences in standard metabolic rates among species. Attempts to statistically cross-validate fractionation equations by prediction of water temperatures used in other fractionation studies indicated significant biases in the range of -7.9 to 6.7 degrees C that preclude the broad use of any single fractionation equation for accurate thermal reconstructions. Differences in equation intercepts and the prevalence of predictive biases do not support the conclusion of previous studies concerning the wide applicability and/or general accuracy of fractionation equations and suggest fractionation equations are best developed at the species- or taxon-specific (e.g., genus) level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Storm-Suke
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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