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Shi Y, He Y, Shin PKS, Guo Y, Zhang G, Wen Y, Zhang G, Xu W, Sun J. Responses of biological traits of macrobenthic fauna to a eutrophication gradient in a semi-enclosed bay, China. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 189:106072. [PMID: 37385085 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
The impacts of eutrophication on benthic ecological functions are of increasing concern in recent years. In order to assess the response of macrobenthic fauna to increasing eutrophication, two field sampling surveys were conducted during the summer (July-August 2020) and autumn (October-November 2020) from offshore, nearshore to estuarine sediments in Bohai Bay, northern China. Biological trait analysis was employed for the assessment of macrofaunal samples. The results indicated that there was an increase in the proportion of benthic burrowering or tube-dwelling sediment feeders and taxa with higher larval dispersal ability, but a decrease in the proportion of taxa showing high motility in areas with higher nutrient levels. Seasonal differences were also noted in the shift in biological traits, with a significantly lower similarity among the sampling areas in summer and a higher proportion of carnivorous taxa in autumn. The findings suggested that long-term disturbance can lead to the dominance of smaller body-sized benthic species and reduced sediment quality, impeding ecological recovery of benthic organisms under such harsh environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifeng Shi
- Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Chemistry, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Yixuan He
- Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Chemistry, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Paul K S Shin
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Yu Guo
- Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Chemistry, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Guodong Zhang
- Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Chemistry, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Yujian Wen
- Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Chemistry, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Guicheng Zhang
- Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Chemistry, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Wenzhe Xu
- Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Chemistry, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China.
| | - Jun Sun
- Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Chemistry, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China; State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan, 430074, China; College of Marine Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan, 430074, China; Institute for Advanced Marine Research, China University of Geosciences, Guangzhou, 511462, China.
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Chen ZL, Lee SY. Sediment carbon sequestration and sources in peri-urban tidal flats and adjacent wetlands in a megacity. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 185:114368. [PMID: 36410200 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the sediment carbon (C) stocks, sequestration and sources in tidal flats and their adjacent mangroves in two coastal wetlands in Hong Kong (the Mai Po Nature Reserve (MPNR) and Ting Kok (TK)), part of a megacity of ∼20 million. At both locations, the C stock of tidal flats was lower than that of mangroves. In MPNR, tidal flats indicated a higher C burial rate (75.2 g C m-2 yr-1) compared to mangroves (64.3 g C m-2 yr-1). The C of tidal flats mainly originated from mangroves and riverine sources, while those in deeper sediments (below 60 cm) in the mangroves originated from the tidal flats. In TK, the C of tidal flats was dominated by oceanic sources. Our study indicates that tidal flats are also important in coastal C sequestration. On highly urbanized coasts, tidal flats and their connected mangroves can play a critical role for C mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Liang Chen
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
| | - Shing Yip Lee
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
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Vijapure T, Sukumaran S, Neetu S, Chandel K. Macrobenthos at marine hotspots along the northwest Indian inner shelf: Patterns and drivers. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 144:111-124. [PMID: 30654981 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Marine hotspots are areas prioritized for conservation and monitoring, based on their sensitivity or vulnerability. Understanding the natural variability of resident organisms in such critical areas is integral for deciphering human-induced perturbations to formulate appropriate management strategies. Five marine hotspots along northwest India, comprising three active harbours and two marine protected areas, were surveyed seasonally to understand the macrofaunal distribution patterns and functional traits. Among the 33 macrobenthic taxa, Polychaeta constituted the dominant taxon. Spatial variability was prominent due to differences in terms of polychaete species types, relative abundances and functional trait matrices. Monsoonal hypoxia altered the macrobenthic species and functional composition. CCA revealed a combination of natural (texture, DO, salinity) and anthropogenic (PHc, SS, ammonia) hydro-sedimentological variables as key drivers for the polychaete distribution patterns. The results are expected to improve the understanding of the variability and functioning of polychaete taxocommunity within the ecologically and economically significant "marine hotspots".
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Affiliation(s)
- Tejal Vijapure
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Regional Centre, Andheri (W), Mumbai, 400 053, India
| | - Soniya Sukumaran
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Regional Centre, Andheri (W), Mumbai, 400 053, India.
| | - S Neetu
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403 004, India
| | - Kalpna Chandel
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Regional Centre, Andheri (W), Mumbai, 400 053, India
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Fajardo M, Andrade D, Bonicelli J, Bon M, Gómez G, Riascos JM, Pacheco AS. Macrobenthic communities in a shallow normoxia to hypoxia gradient in the Humboldt upwelling ecosystem. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200349. [PMID: 30016340 PMCID: PMC6049901 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia is one of the most important stressors affecting the health conditions of coastal ecosystems. In highly productive ecosystems such as the Humboldt Current ecosystem, the oxygen minimum zone is an important abiotic factor modulating the structure of benthic communities over the continental shelf. Herein, we study soft-bottom macrobenthic communities along a depth gradient-at 10, 20, 30 and 50 m-for two years to understand how hypoxia affects the structure of shallow communities at two sites in Mejillones Bay (23°S) in northern Chile. We test the hypothesis that, during months with shallow hypoxic zones, community structure will be much more dissimilar, thereby depicting a clear structural gradient with depth and correlated abiotic variables (e.g. organic matter, temperature and salinity). Likewise, during conditions of deeper hypoxic zones, communities will be similar among habitats as they could develop structure via succession in conditions with less stress. Throughout the sampling period (October 2015 to October 2017), the water column was hypoxic (from 2 to 0.5ml/l O2) most of the time, reaching shallow depths of 20 to 10 m. Only one episode of oxygenation was detected in June 2016, where normoxia (>2ml/l O2) reached down to 50 m. The structure of the communities depicted a clear pattern of increasing dissimilarity from shallow normoxic and deep hypoxic habitat. This pattern was persistent throughout time despite the occurrence of an oxygenation episode. Contrasting species abundance and biomass distribution explained the gradient in structure, arguably reflecting variable levels of hypoxia adaptation, i.e. few polychaetes such as Magelona physilia and Paraprionospio pinnata were only located in low oxygen habitats. The multivariable dispersion of community composition as a proxy of beta diversity decreased significantly with depth, suggesting loss of community structure and variability when transitioning from normoxic to hypoxic conditions. Our results show the presence of semi-permanent shallow hypoxia at Mejillones Bay, constraining diverse and more variable communities at a very shallow depth (10-20 m). These results must be considered in the context of the current decline of dissolved oxygen in most oceans and coastal regions and their impact on seabed biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maritza Fajardo
- Magister en Ecología de Sistemas Acuáticos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Diego Andrade
- CENSOR Laboratory, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Jessica Bonicelli
- Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile
- Departamento de Oceanografía y Medio Ambiente, Instituto de Fomento Pesquero, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Melanie Bon
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Aplicadas mención Sistemas Marinos Costeros, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Gonzalo Gómez
- Magister en Ecología de Sistemas Acuáticos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - José M. Riascos
- Estuaries & Mangroves Research group, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | - Aldo S. Pacheco
- CENSOR Laboratory, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
- * E-mail:
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Rakocinski CF, Menke DP. Seasonal hypoxia regulates macrobenthic function and structure in the Mississippi Bight. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2016; 105:299-309. [PMID: 26920427 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2015] [Revised: 01/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Hypoxic conditions are escalating to the east of the Mississippi River within the Mississippi Bight. The objective of this study was to examine changes in macrobenthic function and structure relative to seasonal hypoxia over a 3.5year period at the 10m (Site 6) and 20m (Site 8) isobaths within the Mississippi Bight. Seasonal hypoxia acted as a regular periodic disturbance during the study period, although the magnitude and duration of hypoxia varied inter-annually. Macrobenthic metrics revealed seasonal hypoxia effects on secondary production potential and community maturity, which agrees with previous studies. In addition, metrics were notably higher at the 20m isobath during the latter half of the study period, following the Deepwater Horizon (DwH) oil spill. This study confirms hypoxia as a major driver affecting the function and structure of soft-bottom macrobenthos in the Mississippi Bight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chet F Rakocinski
- Department of Coastal Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi - Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, 703 East Beach Drive, Ocean Springs, MS 39564, USA.
| | - Daneen P Menke
- Department of Coastal Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi - Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, 703 East Beach Drive, Ocean Springs, MS 39564, USA
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Chan AKY, Xu WZ, Liu XS, Cheung SG, Shin PKS. Sediment characteristics and benthic ecological status in contrasting marine environments of subtropical Hong Kong. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2016; 103:360-370. [PMID: 26749224 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Revised: 12/12/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Sediment characteristics and benthic communities on a finer sampling scale in four contrasting environments in subtropical Hong Kong were analyzed in summer and winter 2012. In two harbour habitats which suffered from historic sewage pollution or hypoxic events, organic carbon, nutrient and trace metal content in the sediment were significantly higher than that in an offshore area and a marine reserve. The relatively low organic and nutrient content in the offshore habitat could be resulted from enhanced resuspension of such materials from the seabed owing to intense water mixing and disturbance caused by bottom trawling. The biotic indices AMBI and M-AMBI were shown to be useful in assessing the benthic ecological status of these habitats. Such indices can also be more sensitive than sediment physico-chemical parameters in differentiating the response of macrofauna to seasonal changes in the benthic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice K Y Chan
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Wen-Zhe Xu
- College of Marine Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Xiao-Shou Liu
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, China
| | - Siu Gin Cheung
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Paul K S Shin
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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Habitat heterogeneity affects ecological functions of macrobenthic communities in a mangrove: Implication for the impact of restoration and afforestation. Glob Ecol Conserv 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2015.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Hernández-Miranda E, Veas R, Labra FA, Salamanca M, Quiñones RA. Response of the epibenthic macrofaunal community to a strong upwelling-driven hypoxic event in a shallow bay of the southern Humboldt Current System. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2012; 79:16-28. [PMID: 22626877 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2012.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2012] [Revised: 04/19/2012] [Accepted: 04/20/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
In January 2008, most of the southern coastal zone of the Humboldt Current System was affected by an intense upwelling event. This caused an intrusion of equatorial sub-surface water into the coastal zone, generating severe hypoxic conditions (≤0.5 ml O(2) l(-1)) three days after the beginning of the event. A rapid, massive die-off of marine organisms occurred in Coliumo Bay on January 3rd, affecting zooplankton, mollusks, crustaceans and fishes. Normal oxygen concentrations were observed on January 10th, seven days after the hypoxic event. Here we analyze the response of the epibenthic macrofauna community using data spanning three years of sampling which encompass the short-term hypoxic disturbance in the bay. We found that (i) strong changes in total density, total biomass, and diversity occurred immediately after the hypoxic event, negatively affecting crustaceans and fishes, while gastropods were favored, (ii) initial changes were reverted over a period of three months, (iii) on an inter-annual time scale, species richness and diversity decreased following the hypoxic event. Total density increased strongly, but total biomass showed no clear inter-annual trend. These results show that, while initial recovery from hypoxia was fast, over longer time scales the community exhibited a shift to an alternative structure dominated principally by Nassariid scavenger species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Hernández-Miranda
- Programa de Investigación Marina de Excelencia (PIMEX), Facultad de Cs. Naturales & Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile.
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