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Román S, Olabarria C, Román M, Vázquez E. Recovery of fishery-stressed seagrass meadows is driven by improvements in wastewater management. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 201:116282. [PMID: 38522336 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Salvador Román
- CIM - Centro de Investigación Mariña and Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Facultade de Ciencias do Mar, Universidade de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
| | - Celia Olabarria
- CIM - Centro de Investigación Mariña and Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Facultade de Ciencias do Mar, Universidade de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Marta Román
- CIM - Centro de Investigación Mariña and Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Facultade de Ciencias do Mar, Universidade de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Elsa Vázquez
- CIM - Centro de Investigación Mariña and Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Facultade de Ciencias do Mar, Universidade de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
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2
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Acharyya T, Raulo S, Singh S, Sudatta BP, Srichandan S, Baliarsingh SK, Samal RN, Sahoo CK. Status and conservation challenges of the second-largest seagrass bed in India: Chilika lagoon. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:100265-100281. [PMID: 37624499 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29369-w] [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: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Studies related to seagrass ecology, conservation, and management are sparse and highly biased in India. Even though the geographical distribution of seagrass is diverse in India, about 74% of the scientific publications have been made from Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar from Tamilnadu. Chilika, the largest lagoon in Asia, harbors the second largest seagrass meadow in India 22% of the total. The lagoon acts as a potential blue carbon stock and helps in thriving a rich floral and faunal biodiversity. However, the critical role of seagrass in this unique lagoon ecosystem is still poorly understood. This review is aimed at synthesizing the published literature about seagrass in Chilika. We believe this information would encourage more in-depth and diverse seagrass studies in the region and identify future priority areas for research. A total of seven species have been recorded from 169.2 sq. km of seagrass patch in Chilika. For the last two decades, no significant signs of decline in seagrass beds from this lagoon have been reported. Still, various natural and anthropogenic stressors could put this unique ecosystem under severe stress. Moreover, lax enforcement of existing legislation and a general lack of knowledge among the stakeholders about their ecosystem services can be significant impediments to their conservation. More targeted research on Chilika seagrass in changing climate regimes and their sustainable intensification is the need of the hour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamoghna Acharyya
- Department of Marine Sciences, Berhampur University, Bhanjabihar, 760007, India.
| | - Susmita Raulo
- Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, Hyderabad, 500090, India
| | - Sambit Singh
- Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, Kochi, 682508, India
| | | | | | - Sanjiba Kumar Baliarsingh
- Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, Hyderabad, 500090, India
| | - Rabindro Nath Samal
- Wetland Research and Training Centre, Chilika Development Authority, Balugaon, Odisha, India
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3
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Li Y, Bai J, Chen S, Chen B, Zhang L. Mapping seagrasses on the basis of Sentinel-2 images under tidal change. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 185:105880. [PMID: 36682175 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.105880] [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: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Tidal variations make the water bodies in satellite remote sensing images on different shooting dates have different inundation ranges and depths. Although the underwater substrates do not change, the spectral properties differ due to attenuation effects. These differences have an impact on the results when multi-temporal remote sensing images are used to analyze seagrasses. This paper proposes a remote sensing mapping method for seagrasses taking the tidal influence, using the seagrasses growth area in Xincun Bay, Hainan Province, China as a case study. a) The seagrasses growth area was determined from remote sensing images. The seagrasses were divided into two types: the seagrasses exposed to water surface or tidal flats (non-submerged seagrasses) and the seagrasses submerged in water (submerged seagrasses). b) The spectral features of seagrasses in Sentienl-2 image were analyzed. We found that the spectral characteristics of non-submerged seagrasses were similar to terrestrial vegetation and these seagrasses could be extracted by using NDVI. The submerged seagrasses spectral was different, forming a reflection peak at the first vegetation red edge band (i.e.705 nm) in Sentinel-2 images. This reflection peak was used to design the Submerged Seagrasses Identification Index (SSII) for extracting underwater seagrass. c) The extraction results of non-submerged seagrasses and submerged seagrasses were merged to map the seagrasses in the study area. The experimental results show that the mapping method proposed in this study can fully consider the influence of tidal changes in remote sensing images on seagrasses identification. The SSII constructed based on Sentinel-2 images extracted submerged seagrasses effectively. This study will provide references to remote sensing mapping of seagrasses and integrated ecological management in coastal zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqiong Li
- School of Geography Science and Geomatics Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China.
| | - Junwu Bai
- School of Geography Science and Geomatics Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China
| | - Shiquan Chen
- Hainan Academy of Ocean and Fisheries Sciences, Haikou, 570100, China
| | - Bowei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100094, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100094, China
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Xie B, Du J, Zheng X, Chen B. Marine food webs, ecosystem models and stable isotopes. REFERENCE MODULE IN EARTH SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-90798-9.00027-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
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5
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Mapping and Spatial Variation of Seagrasses in Xincun, Hainan Province, China, Based on Satellite Images. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14102373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Seagrass is an important structural and functional component of the global marine ecosystem and is of high value for its ecological services. This paper took Xincun Bay (including Xincun Harbor and Li’an Harbor) of Hainan Province as the study area, combined ground truth data, and adopted two methods to map seagrass in 2020 using Chinese GF2 satellite images: maximum-likelihood and object-oriented classification. Sentinel-2 images from 2016 to 2020 were used to extract information on seagrass distribution changes. The following conclusions were obtained. (1) Based on GF2 imagery, both the classical maximum likelihood classification (MLC) method and the object-based image analysis (OBIA) method can effectively extract seagrass information, and OBIA can also portray the overall condition of seagrass patches. (2) The total seagrass area in the study area in 2020 was about 395 hectares, most of which was distributed in Xincun Harbor. The southern coast of Xincun Harbor is an important area where seagrass is concentrated over about 228 hectares in a strip-like continuous distribution along the coastline. (3) The distribution of seagrasses in the study area showed a significant decaying trend from 2016 to 2020. The total area of seagrass decreased by 79.224 ha during the five years from 2016 to 2020, with a decay rate of 16.458%. This study is the first on the comprehensive monitoring of seagrass in Xincun Bay using satellite remote sensing images, and comprises the first use of GF2 data in seagrass research, aiming to provide a reference for remote sensing monitoring of seagrass in the South China Sea.
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Seasonal distribution of fish larvae in mangrove-seagrass seascapes of Zanzibar (Tanzania). Sci Rep 2022; 12:4196. [PMID: 35264688 PMCID: PMC8907160 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07931-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Fish larvae supply in nearshore vegetated habitats, such as seagrass meadows and mangroves, contributes significantly to sustainable fish stocks. Yet, little information is available on distribution patterns of fish larvae in mangrove and seagrass habitats of the western Indian Ocean. The present study investigated the abundance, diversity and assemblage composition of fish larvae in mangrove creeks, inshore seagrass meadows (located adjacent to mangroves) and nearshore seagrass meadows (located in-between mangroves and coral reefs) in two coastal seascapes of Zanzibar (Tanzania) across seasons for 1 year. The highest mean abundances of fish larvae were recorded in mangrove creeks, while nearshore- and inshore seagrass meadows showed similar mean abundance levels. Generally, fish larvae representing 42 families were identified, with the fourteen most abundant families comprising 83% of all specimens. Fish larvae communities were dominated by specimens of the postflexion growth stage in all habitats, except in mangrove creeks in one of the two seascapes (i.e. Chwaka Bay) from April through June when abundances of the preflexion and very small-sized individuals were exceptionally high. Slightly higher fish larvae abundances were observed in mangroves during the southeast monsoon compared to the northeast monsoon, and there were also differences across months within monsoon periods for all three habitats studied. Assemblage composition of larvae did, however, not vary significantly in time or space. Our findings suggest that mangroves and seagrass meadows are highly linked shallow-water habitats with high retention of fish larvae contributing to similarity in assemblage compositions across shallow coastal seascapes. Conservation and management efforts should prioritize connected shallow-water seascapes for protection of fish larvae and to uphold sustainable coastal fisheries.
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Drone-Based Characterization of Seagrass Habitats in the Tropical Waters of Zanzibar. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14030680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Unmanned automatic systems (UAS) are increasingly being applied as an alternative to more costly time-consuming traditional methods for mapping and monitoring marine shallow-water ecosystems. Here, we demonstrate the utility of combining aerial drones with in situ imagery to characterize the habitat conditions of nine shallow-water seagrass-dominated areas on Unguja Island, Zanzibar. We applied object-based image analysis and a maximum likelihood algorithm on the drone images to derive habitat cover maps and important seagrass habitat parameters: the habitat composition; the seagrass species; the horizontal- and depth-percent covers, and the seascape fragmentation. We mapped nine sites covering 724 ha, categorized into seagrasses (55%), bare sediment (31%), corals (9%), and macroalgae (5%). An average of six seagrass species were found, and 20% of the nine sites were categorized as “dense cover” (40–70%). We achieved high map accuracy for the habitat types (87%), seagrass (80%), and seagrass species (76%). In all nine sites, we observed clear decreases in the seagrass covers with depths ranging from 30% at 1–2 m, to 1.6% at a 4–5 m depth. The depth dependency varied significantly among the seagrass species. Areas associated with low seagrass cover also had a more fragmented distribution pattern, with scattered seagrass populations. The seagrass cover was correlated negatively (r2 = 0.9, p < 0.01) with sea urchins. A multivariate analysis of the similarity (ANOSIM) of the biotic features, derived from the drone and in situ data, suggested that the nine sites could be organized into three significantly different coastal habitat types. This study demonstrates the high robustness of drones for characterizing complex seagrass habitat conditions in tropical waters. We recommend adopting drones, combined with in situ photos, for establishing a suite of important data relevant for marine ecosystem monitoring in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO).
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Jones BL, Unsworth RKF. The perverse fisheries consequences of mosquito net malaria prophylaxis in East Africa. AMBIO 2020; 49:1257-1267. [PMID: 31709492 PMCID: PMC7190679 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-019-01280-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Malaria is a serious global health issue, with around 200 million cases per year. As such, great effort has been put into the mass distribution of bed nets as a means of prophylaxis within Africa. Distributed mosquito nets are intended to be used for malaria protection, yet increasing evidence suggests that fishing is a primary use for these nets, providing fresh concerns for already stressed coastal ecosystems. While research documents the scale of mosquito net fisheries globally, no quantitative analysis of their landings exists. The effects of these fisheries on the wider ecosystem assemblages have not previously been examined. In this study, we present the first detailed analysis of the sustainability of these fisheries by examining the diversity, age class, trophic structure and magnitude of biomass removal. Dragnet landings, one of two gear types in which mosquito nets can be utilised, were recorded across ten sites in northern Mozambique where the use of Mosquito nets for fishing is common. Our results indicate a substantial removal of juveniles from coastal seagrass meadows, many of which are commercially important in the region or play important ecological roles. We conclude that the use of mosquito nets for fishing may contribute to food insecurity, greater poverty and the loss of ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L. Jones
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Project Seagrass, 33 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3BA UK
| | - Richard K. F. Unsworth
- Project Seagrass, 33 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3BA UK
- Seagrass Ecosystem Research Group, College of Science, Swansea University, Wallace Building, Swansea, SA2 8PP UK
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9
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Phair NL, Toonen RJ, Knapp ISS, von der Heyden S. Anthropogenic pressures negatively impact genomic diversity of the vulnerable seagrass Zostera capensis. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 255:109831. [PMID: 32063316 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Zostera capensis is a keystone species providing essential ecosystem services to southern African coastal systems. Like most seagrasses globally, Z. capensis is declining and under threat from anthropogenic pressures, and indicators of seagrass health and resilience may be of interest in preventing further declines. As intraspecific diversity is an important component of resilience, we used a pooled RADseq approach to generate genome-wide measures of variation across the entire South African distribution of Z. capensis. Using nucleotide diversity, heterozygosity and allelic richness we tested for associations with fine-scale anthropogenic pressure data compiled by the South African National Biodiversity Assessment using generalised linear models. Increased fishing effort, habitat loss, sand mining and a change in estuary flow dynamics were found to play an important role in decreasing nucleotide diversity and expected heterozygosity, most likely due to the loss of less resilient genotypes as a result of direct physical damage or indirect consequences. As the building block for adaptation, nucleotide diversity is particularly important for resilience. Because of this, as well as the fact that nucleotide diversity displayed the most distinct difference between the west and east coast, and responded most strongly to anthropogenic pressures, we suggest that this may be a useful measure for monitoring genetic or genomic variation. As genomic diversity influences resilience and resistance to disturbances, the remaining diversity in South African seagrass beds urgently needs to be conserved through restoration efforts and careful management of pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikki Leanne Phair
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, South Africa.
| | - Robert John Toonen
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, USA.
| | - Ingrid Sally Sigrid Knapp
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, USA.
| | - Sophie von der Heyden
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, South Africa.
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Viana IG, Moreira-Saporiti A, Teichberg M. Species-Specific Trait Responses of Three Tropical Seagrasses to Multiple Stressors: The Case of Increasing Temperature and Nutrient Enrichment. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:571363. [PMID: 33224162 PMCID: PMC7674176 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.571363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Seagrass meadows are declining globally. The decrease of seagrass area is influenced by the simultaneous occurrence of many factors at the local and global scale, including nutrient enrichment and climate change. This study aims to find out how increasing temperature and nutrient enrichment affect the morphological, biochemical and physiological responses of three coexisting tropical species, Thalassia hemprichii, Cymodocea serrulata and Halophila stipulacea. To achieve these aims, a 1-month experiment under laboratory conditions combining two temperature (maximum ambient temperature and current average temperature) and two nutrient (high and low N and P concentrations) treatments was conducted. The results showed that the seagrasses were differentially affected by all treatments depending on their life-history strategies. Under higher temperature treatments, C. serrulata showed photo-acclimation strategies, while T. hemprichii showed decreased photo-physiological performance. In contrast, T. hemprichii was resistant to nutrient over-enrichment, showing enhanced nutrient content and physiological changes, but C. serrulata suffered BG nutrient loss. The limited response of H. stipulacea to nutrient enrichment or high temperature suggests that this seagrass is a tolerant species that may have a dormancy state with lower photosynthetic performance and smaller-size individuals. Interaction between both factors was limited and generally showed antagonistic effects only on morphological and biochemical traits, but not on physiological traits. These results highlight the different effects and strategies co-inhabiting seagrasses have in response to environmental changes, showing winners and losers of a climate change scenario that may eventually cause biodiversity loss. Trait responses to these stressors could potentially make the seagrasses weaker to cope with following events, due to BG biomass or nutrient loss. This is of importance as biodiversity loss in tropical seagrass ecosystems could change the overall effectiveness of ecosystem functions and services provided by the seagrass meadows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inés G. Viana
- Department of Ecology and Animal Biology, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain
- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research GmbH, Bremen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Inés G. Viana, ;
| | - Agustín Moreira-Saporiti
- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research GmbH, Bremen, Germany
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Mirta Teichberg
- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research GmbH, Bremen, Germany
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Unsworth RKF, McKenzie LJ, Collier CJ, Cullen-Unsworth LC, Duarte CM, Eklöf JS, Jarvis JC, Jones BL, Nordlund LM. Global challenges for seagrass conservation. AMBIO 2019; 48:801-815. [PMID: 30456457 PMCID: PMC6541581 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-018-1115-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2018] [Revised: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Seagrasses, flowering marine plants that form underwater meadows, play a significant global role in supporting food security, mitigating climate change and supporting biodiversity. Although progress is being made to conserve seagrass meadows in select areas, most meadows remain under significant pressure resulting in a decline in meadow condition and loss of function. Effective management strategies need to be implemented to reverse seagrass loss and enhance their fundamental role in coastal ocean habitats. Here we propose that seagrass meadows globally face a series of significant common challenges that must be addressed from a multifaceted and interdisciplinary perspective in order to achieve global conservation of seagrass meadows. The six main global challenges to seagrass conservation are (1) a lack of awareness of what seagrasses are and a limited societal recognition of the importance of seagrasses in coastal systems; (2) the status of many seagrass meadows are unknown, and up-to-date information on status and condition is essential; (3) understanding threatening activities at local scales is required to target management actions accordingly; (4) expanding our understanding of interactions between the socio-economic and ecological elements of seagrass systems is essential to balance the needs of people and the planet; (5) seagrass research should be expanded to generate scientific inquiries that support conservation actions; (6) increased understanding of the linkages between seagrass and climate change is required to adapt conservation accordingly. We also explicitly outline a series of proposed policy actions that will enable the scientific and conservation community to rise to these challenges. We urge the seagrass conservation community to engage stakeholders from local resource users to international policy-makers to address the challenges outlined here, in order to secure the future of the world's seagrass ecosystems and maintain the vital services which they supply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard K. F. Unsworth
- Seagrass Ecosystem Research Group, College of Science, Swansea University, Wallace Building, Swansea, SA2 8PP UK
- Project Seagrass, 33 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3BA UK
| | - Len J. McKenzie
- Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
| | - Catherine J. Collier
- Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
| | - Leanne C. Cullen-Unsworth
- Project Seagrass, 33 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3BA UK
- Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University, 33 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3BA UK
| | - Carlos M. Duarte
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900 Saudi Arabia
| | - Johan S. Eklöf
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jessie C. Jarvis
- Department of Biology & Marine Biology, Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 South College Rd, Wilmington, NC 28403 USA
| | - Benjamin L. Jones
- Project Seagrass, 33 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3BA UK
- Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University, 33 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3BA UK
| | - Lina M. Nordlund
- Natural Resources and Sustainable Development, NRHU Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Campus Gotland, Sweden
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12
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Remote underwater video reveals higher fish diversity and abundance in seagrass meadows, and habitat differences in trophic interactions. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6596. [PMID: 31036932 PMCID: PMC6488625 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43037-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Seagrass meadows play a key ecological role as nursery and feeding grounds for multiple fish species. Underwater Visual Census (UVC) has been historically used as the non-extractive method to characterize seagrass fish communities, however, less intrusive methodologies such as Remote Underwater Video (RUV) are gaining interest and could be particularly useful for seagrass habitats, where juvenile fish camouflage among the vegetation and could easily hide or flee from divers. Here we compared the performance of UVC and RUV methodologies in assessing the fish communities of two seagrass meadows with low and high canopy density. We found that RUV detected more species and fish individuals than UVC, particularly on the habitat with higher seagrass density, which sheltered more juveniles, especially herbivorous, and adult piscivorous of commercial importance, evidencing significant differences in energy flow from macrophytes to predators between seagrass habitats, and also differences in the ecosystem services they can provide. Considering the ongoing worldwide degradation of seagrass ecosystems, our results strongly suggest that fish surveys using RUV in ecologic and fisheries programs would render more accurate information and would be more adequate to inform the conservation planning of seagrass meadows around the world.
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Gehrig S, Schlüter A, Hammerstein P. Sociocultural heterogeneity in a common pool resource dilemma. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210561. [PMID: 30653546 PMCID: PMC6336341 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Collective action of resource users is essential for sustainability. Yet, often user groups are socioculturally heterogeneous, which requires cooperation to be established across salient group boundaries. We explore the effect of this type of heterogeneity on resource extraction in lab-in-the-field Common Pool Resource (CPR) experiments in Zanzibar, Tanzania. We create heterogeneous groups by mixing fishers from two neighbouring fishing villages which have distinct social identities, a history of conflict and diverging resource use practices and institutions. Additionally, we analyse between-village differences in extraction behaviour in the heterogeneous setting to assess if out-group cooperation in a CPR dilemma is associated with a community’s institutional scope in the economic realm (e.g., degree of market integration). We find no aggregate effect of heterogeneity on extraction. However, this is because fishers from the two villages behave differently in the heterogeneity treatment. We find support for the hypothesis that cooperation under sociocultural heterogeneity is higher for fishers from the village with larger institutional scope. In line with this explanation, cooperation under heterogeneity also correlates with a survey measure of individual fishers’ radius of trust. We discuss implications for resource governance and collective action research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Gehrig
- Department of Social Sciences, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Achim Schlüter
- Department of Social Sciences, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen, Germany
- Department of Business & Economics, Jacobs University, Bremen, Germany
| | - Peter Hammerstein
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
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15
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Wallner-Hahn S, de la Torre-Castro M. Early steps for successful management in small-scale fisheries: An analysis of fishers', managers' and scientists' opinions preceding implementation. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 134:186-196. [PMID: 28923579 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.07.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 07/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This study analyzes fishers', managers' and scientists' opinions on management measures to facilitate the initiation of management processes towards more sustainable small-scale seagrass fisheries in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The results show that most fishers and managers agreed on the need to include seagrasses specifically in future management. There was further agreement on dragnets being the most destructive gears, and the use of dragnets being a major threat to local seagrass ecosystems. Gear restrictions excluding illegal dragnets were the favored management measure among fishers. Differences between fishers and managers were found concerning seaweed farming, eutrophication and erosion being potential threats to seagrass meadows. A majority of the interviewed fishers were willing to participate in monitoring and controls, and most fishers thought that they themselves and their communities would benefit the most from establishing seagrass management. Co-managed gear restrictions and the inclusion of different key actos in the management process including enforcement are promising starting points for management implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sieglind Wallner-Hahn
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Sweden.
| | - Maricela de la Torre-Castro
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, 106 91, Sweden; Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 106 91, Sweden
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16
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Alonso Aller E, Jiddawi NS, Eklöf JS. Marine protected areas increase temporal stability of community structure, but not density or diversity, of tropical seagrass fish communities. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183999. [PMID: 28854231 PMCID: PMC5576671 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been shown to increase long-term temporal stability of fish communities and enhance ecosystem resilience to anthropogenic disturbance. Yet, the potential ability of MPAs to buffer effects of environmental variability at shorter time scales remains widely unknown. In the tropics, the yearly monsoon cycle is a major natural force affecting marine organisms in tropical regions, and its timing and severity are predicted to change over the coming century, with potentially severe effects on marine organisms, ecosystems and ecosystem services. Here, we assessed the ability of MPAs to buffer effects of monsoon seasonality on seagrass-associated fish communities, using a field survey in two MPAs (no-take zones) and two unprotected (open-access) sites around Zanzibar (Tanzania). We assessed the temporal stability of fish density and community structure within and outside MPAs during three monsoon seasons in 2014–2015, and investigated several possible mechanisms that could regulate temporal stability. Our results show that MPAs did not affect fish density and diversity, but that juvenile fish densities were temporally more stable within MPAs. Second, fish community structure was more stable within MPAs for juvenile and adult fish, but not for subadult fish or the total fish community. Third, the observed effects may be due to a combination of direct and indirect (seagrass-mediated) effects of seasonality and, potentially, fluctuating fishing pressure outside MPAs. In summary, these MPAs may not have the ability to enhance fish density and diversity and to buffer effects of monsoon seasonality on the whole fish community. However, they may increase the temporal stability of certain groups, such as juvenile fish. Consequently, our results question whether MPAs play a general role in the maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning under changing environmental conditions in tropical seagrass fish communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Alonso Aller
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Narriman S Jiddawi
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Dar es Salaam University, Zanzibar, Tanzania
| | - Johan S Eklöf
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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17
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Hernawan UE, van Dijk KJ, Kendrick GA, Feng M, Biffin E, Lavery PS, McMahon K. Historical processes and contemporary ocean currents drive genetic structure in the seagrassThalassia hemprichiiin the Indo-Australian Archipelago. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:1008-1021. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Revised: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Udhi E. Hernawan
- School of Science and Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research; Edith Cowan University; Joondalup WA 6027 Australia
- UPT. LKBL-Tual; Research Centre for Oceanography (P2O); Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI); Ancol Timur Jakarta 14430 Indonesia
| | - Kor-jent van Dijk
- School of Biological Sciences; The University of Adelaide; Adelaide SA 5005 Australia
| | - Gary A. Kendrick
- School of Plant Biology and The Ocean Institute; The University of Western Australia; Crawley WA 6009 Australia
| | - Ming Feng
- CSIRO Ocean and Atmosphere; Centre for Environment and Life Sciences; Floreat WA 6014 Australia
| | - Edward Biffin
- School of Biological Sciences; The University of Adelaide; Adelaide SA 5005 Australia
| | - Paul S. Lavery
- School of Science and Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research; Edith Cowan University; Joondalup WA 6027 Australia
| | - Kathryn McMahon
- School of Science and Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research; Edith Cowan University; Joondalup WA 6027 Australia
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18
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Maxwell PS, Eklöf JS, van Katwijk MM, O'Brien KR, de la Torre-Castro M, Boström C, Bouma TJ, Krause-Jensen D, Unsworth RKF, van Tussenbroek BI, van der Heide T. The fundamental role of ecological feedback mechanisms for the adaptive management of seagrass ecosystems - a review. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1521-1538. [PMID: 27581168 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Revised: 07/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Seagrass meadows are vital ecosystems in coastal zones worldwide, but are also under global threat. One of the major hurdles restricting the success of seagrass conservation and restoration is our limited understanding of ecological feedback mechanisms. In these ecosystems, multiple, self-reinforcing feedbacks can undermine conservation efforts by masking environmental impacts until the decline is precipitous, or alternatively they can inhibit seagrass recovery in spite of restoration efforts. However, no clear framework yet exists for identifying or dealing with feedbacks to improve the management of seagrass ecosystems. Here we review the causes and consequences of multiple feedbacks between seagrass and biotic and/or abiotic processes. We demonstrate how feedbacks have the potential to impose or reinforce regimes of either seagrass dominance or unvegetated substrate, and how the strength and importance of these feedbacks vary across environmental gradients. Although a myriad of feedbacks have now been identified, the co-occurrence and likely interaction among feedbacks has largely been overlooked to date due to difficulties in analysis and detection. Here we take a fundamental step forward by modelling the interactions among two distinct above- and belowground feedbacks to demonstrate that interacting feedbacks are likely to be important for ecosystem resilience. On this basis, we propose a five-step adaptive management plan to address feedback dynamics for effective conservation and restoration strategies. The management plan provides guidance to aid in the identification and prioritisation of likely feedbacks in different seagrass ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul S Maxwell
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
| | - Johan S Eklöf
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marieke M van Katwijk
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Faculty of Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Katherine R O'Brien
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
| | | | - Christoffer Boström
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Artillerigatan 6, 20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Tjeerd J Bouma
- Department of Yerseke Spatial Ecology, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, 4401 NT, Yerseke, The Netherlands
| | - Dorte Krause-Jensen
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark.,Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, C.F. Møllers Allé 8, 8000, Århus C, Denmark
| | - Richard K F Unsworth
- Seagrass Ecosystem Research Group, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, U.K
| | - Brigitta I van Tussenbroek
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Faculty of Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Unidad Académica Sistemas Arrecifales/Puerto Morelos, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 1152, Cancún 77500, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - Tjisse van der Heide
- Department of Aquatic Ecology & Environmental Biology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Faculty of Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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19
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Bas Ventín L, de Souza Troncoso J, Villasante S. Towards adaptive management of the natural capital: Disentangling trade-offs among marine activities and seagrass meadows. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2015; 101:29-38. [PMID: 26589639 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Revised: 11/07/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
This paper investigates the ecological, social and institutional dimensions of the synergies and trade-offs between seagrasses and human activities operating in the Natura 2000 protected site of San Simón Bay (Galicia, NW Spain). By means of a multidisciplinary approach that brings together the development of a biological inventory combined with participatory mapping processes we get key spatial and contextual understanding regarding how, where and why marine users interact with seagrasses and how seagrasses are considered in policy making. The results highlight the fisheries' reliance on seagrass meadows and the controversial links with shellfisheries. The study also reveals unresolved conflicts among those management plans that promote the protection of natural values and those responsible for the exploitation of marine resources. We conclude that the adoption of pre-planning bottom-up participatory processes is crucial for the design of realistic strategies where both seagrasses and human activities were considered as a couple system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Bas Ventín
- Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Av. Dr. Ángel Echeverri, s/n. Campus Sur, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | | | - Sebastián Villasante
- Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Av. Dr. Ángel Echeverri, s/n. Campus Sur, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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20
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Unsworth RKF, van Keulen M, Coles RG. Seagrass meadows in a globally changing environment. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2014; 83:383-386. [PMID: 24874505 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2014] [Accepted: 02/19/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Seagrass meadows are valuable ecosystem service providers that are now being lost globally at an unprecedented rate, with water quality and other localised stressors putting their future viability in doubt. It is therefore critical that we learn more about the interactions between seagrass meadows and future environmental change in the anthropocene. This needs to be with particular reference to the consequences of poor water quality on ecosystem resilience and the effects of change on trophic interactions within the food web. Understanding and predicting the response of seagrass meadows to future environmental change requires an understanding of the natural long-term drivers of change and how these are currently influenced by anthropogenic stress. Conservation management of coastal and marine ecosystems now and in the future requires increased knowledge of how seagrass meadows respond to environmental change, and how they can be managed to be resilient to these changes. Finding solutions to such issues also requires recognising people as part of the social-ecological system. This special issue aims to further enhance this knowledge by bringing together global expertise across this field. The special issues considers issues such as ecosystem service delivery of seagrass meadows, the drivers of long-term seagrass change and the socio-economic consequences of environmental change to seagrass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard K F Unsworth
- Seagrass Ecosystem Research Group, College of Science, Swansea University, Wallace Building, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK.
| | - Mike van Keulen
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Rob G Coles
- Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER), James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
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