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Ma KCK, Monsinjon JR, Froneman PW, McQuaid CD. Thermal stress gradient causes increasingly negative effects towards the range limit of an invasive mussel. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 865:161184. [PMID: 36581263 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161184] [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: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Environmental filtering (EF), the abiotic exclusion of species, can have first order, direct effects with cascading consequences for population dynamics, especially at range edges where abiotic conditions are suboptimal. Abiotic stress gradients associated with EF may also drive indirect second order effects, including exacerbating the effects of competitors, disease, and parasites on marginal populations because of suboptimal physiological performance. We predicted a cascade of first and second order EF-associated effects on marginal populations of the invasive mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, plus a third order effect of EF of increased epibiont load due to second order shell degradation by endoliths. Mussel populations on rocky shores were surveyed across 850 km of the south-southeast coast of South Africa, from the species' warm-edge range limit to sites in the centre of their distribution, to quantify second order (endolithic shell degradation) and third order (number of barnacle epibionts) EF-associated effects as a function of along-shore distance from the range edge. Inshore temperature data were interpolated from the literature. Using in situ temperature logger data, we calculated the effective shore level for several sites by determining the duration of immersion and emersion. Summer and winter inshore water temperatures were linked to distance from the mussel's warm range edge (our proxy for an EF-associated stress gradient), suggesting that seasonality in temperature contributes to first order effects. The gradient in thermal stress clearly affected densities, but its influence on mussel size, shell degradation, and epibiosis was weaker. Relationships among mussel size, shell degradation, and epibiosis were more robust. Larger, older mussels had more degraded shells and more epibionts, with endolithic damage facilitating epibiosis. EF associated with a gradient in thermal stress directly limits the distribution, abundance, and size structure of mussel populations, with important indirect second and third order effects of parasitic disease and epibiont load, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin C K Ma
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa; Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
| | - Jonathan R Monsinjon
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa; Ifremer, Indian Ocean Delegation, Le Port, La Réunion, France
| | - P William Froneman
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa
| | - Christopher D McQuaid
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa
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Symbiont-induced phenotypic variation in an ecosystem engineer mediates thermal stress for the associated community. J Therm Biol 2023; 112:103428. [PMID: 36796885 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2022.103428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Microbial symbionts have strong potential to mediate responses to climate change. Such modulation may be particularly important in the case of hosts that modify the physical habitat structure. By transforming the habitats, ecosystem engineers alter resource availability and modulate environmental conditions which, in turn, indirectly shape the community associated with that habitat. Endolithic cyanobacteria are known to reduce the body temperatures of infested mussels and here, we assessed whether the thermal benefits of endoliths on the intertidal reef-building mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis extends to the invertebrate community utilising mussel beds as habitat. Artificial reefs of biomimetic mussels either colonised or not colonised by microbial endoliths were used to test whether infauna species (the limpet Patella vulgata, the snail Littorina littorea and mussel recruits) in a mussel bed with symbionts experience lower body temperatures than those within a bed composed of mussels without symbionts. We found that infaunal individuals benefitted from being surrounded by mussels with symbionts, an effect that may be particularly critical during intense heat stress. Indirect effects of biotic interactions, complicate our understanding of community and ecosystem responses to climate change, especially in cases involving ecosystem engineers, and accounting for them will improve our predictions.
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Wu G, Huang A, Wen Y, Wang H, Wang J, Luo F, Wu M. Euendolithic Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria Together Contribute to Trigger Bioerosion in Aquatic Environments. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:938359. [PMID: 35875561 PMCID: PMC9298513 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.938359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Shellfish, mussels, snails, and other aquatic animals, which assimilate limestone (calcium carbonate, CaCO3) to build shells and skeletons, are effective carbon sinks that help mitigate the greenhouse effect. However, bioerosion, the dissolution of calcium carbonate and the release of carbon dioxide, hinders carbon sequestration process. The bioerosion of aquatic environments remains to be elucidated. In this study, the bioerosion of Bellamya spp. shells from the aquatic environment was taken as the research object. In situ microbial community structure analysis of the bioerosion shell from different geographical locations, laboratory-level infected culture, and validated experiments were conducted by coupling traditional observation and 16S rRNA sequencing analysis method. Results showed that bioeroders can implant into the CaCO3 layer of the snail shell, resulting in the formation of many small holes in the shell, which reduced the shell’s density and made the shell fragile. Results also showed that bioeroders were distributed in two major phyla, namely, Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria. Cluster analysis showed that Cyanobacteria sp. and two unidentified genera (Burkholderiaceae and Raistonia) were the key bioeroders. Moreover, results suggested that the interaction of Cyanobacteria and other bacteria promoted the biological function of “shell bioerosion.” This study identified the causes of “shell bioerosion” in aquatic environments and provided some theoretical basis for preventing and controlling it in the aquatic industry. Results also provided new insights of cyanobacterial bioerosion of shells and microalgae carbon sequestration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guimei Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, College of Oceanology, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Aiyou Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, College of Oceanology, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Yanhong Wen
- Liuzhou Aquaculture Technology Extending Station, Liuzhou, China
| | - Hongxia Wang
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiangxin Wang
- College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fuguang Luo
- Liuzhou Aquaculture Technology Extending Station, Liuzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Fuguang Luo,
| | - Mingcan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, College of Oceanology, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- Mingcan Wu,
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Nicastro KR, Seuront L, McQuaid CD, Zardi GI. Symbiont-induced intraspecific phenotypic variation enhances plastic trapping and ingestion in biogenic habitats. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 826:153922. [PMID: 35183637 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153922] [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: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plastic contamination has major effects on biodiversity, enhancing the consequences of other forms of global anthropogenic disturbance such as climate change and habitat fragmentation. Despite this and the recognised importance of intraspecific diversity, we still know relatively little about how plastic pollution affects diversity below the species level. Here, we assessed the effects of intraspecific variation in a habitat forming species (the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis) on the trapping and ingestion of microplastics. We focused on symbiont-induced phenotypic variation in mussel beds. Using fractal analysis, we measured an increase in the complexity of mussel bed surfaces by ca. 15% caused by phototropic shell-degrading endoliths. By simulating high tide flow conditions and incoming waves, we found that symbionts significantly increased microplastic accumulation in mussel beds. This likely reflects deceleration of near-bed flow velocities, creation of turbulence in the bottom boundary layer and consequently increased particle retention. This effect was not constant at high tide, with no effect of infestation on retention at the base of the mussel bed under mid and high flow conditions and reduced microplastic trapping on the surface of mussel shells. Nevertheless, under natural conditions, the ingestion and trapping of microplastic were higher by the mussels comprising beds with symbionts than those in beds without symbionts. Given the dependency of many species on mussel biogenic habitats, there is an increased risk of plastics moving up the food chain in mussel beds infested by symbiotic endoliths. Our results highlight how the effects of within-species phenotypic diversity may influence the consequences of rising levels of plastic pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katy R Nicastro
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-59000 Lille, France; CCMAR-Centro de Ciencias do Mar, CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro 8005-139, Portugal; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
| | - Laurent Seuront
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-59000 Lille, France; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; Department of Marine Resources and Energy, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan
| | - Christopher D McQuaid
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
| | - Gerardo I Zardi
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa.
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Monsinjon JR, McQuaid CD, Nicastro KR, Seuront L, Oróstica MH, Zardi GI. Weather and topography regulate the benefit of a conditionally helpful parasite. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Katy R. Nicastro
- Department of Zoology and Entomology Rhodes University Grahamstown South Africa
- CCMAR, CIMAR Associated Laboratory University of Algarve Faro Portugal
- Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences Univ. LilleCNRSUniv. Littoral Côte d'OpaleUMR 8187 LOG Lille France
| | - Laurent Seuront
- Department of Zoology and Entomology Rhodes University Grahamstown South Africa
- CCMAR, CIMAR Associated Laboratory University of Algarve Faro Portugal
- Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences Univ. LilleCNRSUniv. Littoral Côte d'OpaleUMR 8187 LOG Lille France
- Department of Marine Resources and Energy Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Tokyo Japan
| | | | - Gerardo I. Zardi
- Department of Zoology and Entomology Rhodes University Grahamstown South Africa
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Zardi GI, Monsinjon JR, McQuaid CD, Seuront L, Orostica M, Want A, Firth LB, Nicastro KR. Foul-weather friends: Modelling thermal stress mitigation by symbiotic endolithic microbes in a changing environment. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:2549-2560. [PMID: 33772983 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Temperature extremes are predicted to intensify with climate change. These extremes are rapidly emerging as a powerful driver of species distributional changes with the capacity to disrupt the functioning and provision of services of entire ecosystems, particularly when they challenge ecosystem engineers. The subsequent search for a robust framework to forecast the consequences of these changes mostly ignores within-species variation in thermal sensitivity. Such variation can be intrinsic, but can also reflect species interactions. Intertidal mussels are important ecosystem engineers that host symbiotic endoliths in their shells. These endoliths unexpectedly act as conditionally beneficial parasites that enhance the host's resistance to intense heat stress. To understand how this relationship may be altered under environmental change, we examined the conditions under which it becomes advantageous by reducing body temperature. We deployed biomimetic sensors (robomussels), built using shells of mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) that were or were not infested by endoliths, at nine European locations spanning a temperature gradient across 22°of latitude (Orkney, Scotland to the Algarve, Portugal). Daily wind speed and solar radiation explained the maximum variation in the difference in temperature between infested and non-infested robomussels; the largest difference occurred under low wind speed and high solar radiation. From the robomussel data, we inferred body temperature differences between infested and non-infested mussels during known heatwaves that induced mass mortality of the mussel Mytilus edulis along the coast of the English Channel in summer 2018 to quantify the thermal advantage of endolith infestation during temperature extremes. Under these conditions, endoliths provided thermal buffering of between 1.7°C and 4.8°C. Our results strongly suggest that sustainability of intertidal mussel beds will increasingly depend on the thermal buffering provided by endoliths. More generally, this work shows that biomimetic models indicate that within-species thermal sensitivity to global warming can be modulated by species interactions, using an intertidal host-symbiont relationship as an example.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo I Zardi
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Jonathan R Monsinjon
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | | | - Laurent Seuront
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
- UMR 8187 - LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, Lille, France
- Department of Marine Energy and Resources, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Minato-ku, Japan
| | - Mauricio Orostica
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Andrew Want
- International Centre for Island Technology, Heriot Watt University Orkney Campus, Stromness, UK
| | - Louise B Firth
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Katy R Nicastro
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
- CCMAR, CIMAR Associated Laboratory, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
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