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Fagiano V, Compa M, Alomar C, Rios-Fuster B, Morató M, Capó X, Deudero S. Breaking the paradigm: Marine sediments hold two-fold microplastics than sea surface waters and are dominated by fibers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 858:159722. [PMID: 36309280 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We conducted one of the first studies to integrate the quantification and characterization of microplastics (MPs), including fibers, in different habitats (sea surface, seafloor and beach sediments) of a coastal Mediterranean marine protected area, analyzing their ingestion in several marine species. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the distribution of MPs according to shape and polymer, to assess the contribution of fibers to local plastic pollution and to evaluate their ingestion in fish and invertebrates species that inhabit the study area (Pagrus pagrus, Serranus scriba, Spondyliosoma cantharus, Diplodus vulgaris, Oblada melanura, Holothuria forskalii, Holothuria tubularis, Holothuria polis, Arbacia lixula, Paracentrotus lividus, Modiolus barbatus, Mytilus galloprovincialis and Arca noae). A total of 111 environmental samples were analyzed. The mean abundance of MPs (excluding fibers) quantified in beach sediments (13,418.86 ± 28,787.99 MPs/m2) was two orders of magnitude higher than that found in seafloor sediments (76.92 ± 108.84 MPs/m2), which in turn was two orders of magnitude higher than sea surface samples (0.17 ± 0.39 MPs/m2). The fibers were the most abundant shape of MPs identified in all habitats. Variability in MPs ingestion was detected between species, with ingestion rates ranging from 43 % to 100 % for general MPs and ranging from 7 % to 100 % for fibers. The highest ingestion was observed in Holoturians, representing suitable bioindicators for plastic pollution. The composition of the polymer varies weakly depending on habitats and biota, but the result is strongly correlated with the morphology of the plastic. Fibers were mainly composed of cellulose acetate (29 %), styrofoam of polystyrene (18 %), and filaments, films and fragments of polyethylene and polypropylene. The results highlighted the need to expand integrated approaches to effectively study marine plastic pollution and to undertake efficient actions to limit the input of plastics, particularly fibers, into the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Fagiano
- Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares (IEO, CSIC), Muelle de Poniente s/n, 07015 Mallorca, Spain; University of Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
| | - M Compa
- Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares (IEO, CSIC), Muelle de Poniente s/n, 07015 Mallorca, Spain
| | - C Alomar
- Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares (IEO, CSIC), Muelle de Poniente s/n, 07015 Mallorca, Spain
| | - B Rios-Fuster
- Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares (IEO, CSIC), Muelle de Poniente s/n, 07015 Mallorca, Spain
| | - M Morató
- Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares (IEO, CSIC), Muelle de Poniente s/n, 07015 Mallorca, Spain
| | - X Capó
- Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares (IEO, CSIC), Muelle de Poniente s/n, 07015 Mallorca, Spain
| | - S Deudero
- Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares (IEO, CSIC), Muelle de Poniente s/n, 07015 Mallorca, Spain
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2
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Korpinen S, Uusitalo L, Nordström MC, Dierking J, Tomczak MT, Haldin J, Opitz S, Bonsdorff E, Neuenfeldt S. Food web assessments in the Baltic Sea: Models bridging the gap between indicators and policy needs. AMBIO 2022; 51:1687-1697. [PMID: 35092571 PMCID: PMC9110573 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01692-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystem-based management requires understanding of food webs. Consequently, assessment of food web status is mandatory according to the European Union's Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) for EU Member States. However, how to best monitor and assess food webs in practise has proven a challenging question. Here, we review and assess the current status of food web indicators and food web models, and discuss whether the models can help addressing current shortcomings of indicator-based food web assessments, using the Baltic Sea as an example region. We show that although the MSFD food web assessment was designed to use food web indicators alone, they are currently poorly fit for the purpose, because they lack interconnectivity of trophic guilds. We then argue that the multiple food web models published for this region have a high potential to provide additional coherence to the definition of good environmental status, the evaluation of uncertainties, and estimates for unsampled indicator values, but we also identify current limitations that stand in the way of more formal implementation of this approach. We close with a discussion of which current models have the best capacity for this purpose in the Baltic Sea, and of the way forward towards the combination of measurable indicators and modelling approaches in food web assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuli Korpinen
- Finnish Environment Institute, Latokartanonkaari 11, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Laura Uusitalo
- Finnish Environment Institute, Latokartanonkaari 11, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Jan Dierking
- GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Duesternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Jannica Haldin
- HELCOM Secretariat, Katajanokanlaituri 6B, 00160 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Silvia Opitz
- GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Duesternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Stefan Neuenfeldt
- National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark (DTU Aqua), Kemitorvet, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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3
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Niche partitioning between planktivorous fish in the pelagic Baltic Sea assessed by DNA metabarcoding, qPCR and microscopy. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10952. [PMID: 35768563 PMCID: PMC9242992 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15116-7] [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: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine communities undergo rapid changes related to human-induced ecosystem pressures. The Baltic Sea pelagic food web has experienced several regime shifts during the past century, resulting in a system where competition between the dominant planktivorous mesopredatory clupeid fish species herring (Clupea harengus) and sprat (Sprattus sprattus) and the rapidly increasing stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) population is assumed to be high. Here, we investigate diet overlap between these three planktivorous fishes in the Baltic Sea, utilizing DNA metabarcoding on the 18S rRNA gene and the COI gene, targeted qPCR, and microscopy. Our results show niche differentiation between clupeids and stickleback, and highlight that rotifers play an important role in this pattern, as a resource that is not being used by the clupeids nor by other zooplankton in spring. We further show that all the diet assessment methods used in this study are consistent, but also that DNA metabarcoding describes the plankton-fish link at the highest taxonomic resolution. This study suggests that rotifers and other understudied soft-bodied prey may have an important function in the pelagic food web and that the growing population of pelagic stickleback may be supported by the open feeding niche offered by the rotifers.
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4
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McCormack SA, Melbourne-Thomas J, Trebilco R, Griffith G, Hill SL, Hoover C, Johnston NM, Marina TI, Murphy EJ, Pakhomov EA, Pinkerton M, Plagányi É, Saravia LA, Subramaniam RC, Van de Putte AP, Constable AJ. Southern Ocean Food Web Modelling: Progress, Prognoses, and Future Priorities for Research and Policy Makers. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.624763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Graphical AbstractGraphical summary of multiple aspects of Southern Ocean food web structure and function including alternative energy pathways through pelagic food webs, climate change and fisheries impacts and the importance of microbial networks and benthic systems.
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5
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Kaikkonen L, Helle I, Kostamo K, Kuikka S, Törnroos A, Nygård H, Venesjärvi R, Uusitalo L. Causal Approach to Determining the Environmental Risks of Seabed Mining. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:8502-8513. [PMID: 34152746 PMCID: PMC8277135 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c01241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Mineral deposits containing commercially exploitable metals are of interest for seabed mineral extraction in both the deep sea and shallow sea areas. However, the development of seafloor mining is underpinned by high uncertainties on the implementation of the activities and their consequences for the environment. To avoid unbridled expansion of maritime activities, the environmental risks of new types of activities should be carefully evaluated prior to permitting them, yet observational data on the impacts is mostly missing. Here, we examine the environmental risks of seabed mining using a causal, probabilistic network approach. Drawing on a series of expert interviews, we outline the cause-effect pathways related to seabed mining activities to inform quantitative risk assessments. The approach consists of (1) iterative model building with experts to identify the causal connections between seabed mining activities and the affected ecosystem components and (2) quantitative probabilistic modeling. We demonstrate the approach in the Baltic Sea, where seabed mining been has tested and the ecosystem is well studied. The model is used to provide estimates of mortality of benthic fauna under alternative mining scenarios, offering a quantitative means to highlight the uncertainties around the impacts of mining. We further outline requirements for operationalizing quantitative risk assessments in data-poor cases, highlighting the importance of a predictive approach to risk identification. The model can be used to support permitting processes by providing a more comprehensive description of the potential environmental impacts of seabed resource use, allowing iterative updating of the model as new information becomes available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Kaikkonen
- Ecosystems
and Environment Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental
Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki
Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Inari Helle
- Helsinki
Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Natural
Resources Institute Finland (Luke), 00790 Helsinki, Finland
- Organismal
and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological
and Environmental Sciences, University of
Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kirsi Kostamo
- Finnish
Environment Institute, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sakari Kuikka
- Ecosystems
and Environment Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental
Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna Törnroos
- The
Sea, Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo
Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Henrik Nygård
- Finnish
Environment Institute, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
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6
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Fortin MJ, Dale MRT, Brimacombe C. Network ecology in dynamic landscapes. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20201889. [PMID: 33906397 PMCID: PMC8080002 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Network ecology is an emerging field that allows researchers to conceptualize and analyse ecological networks and their dynamics. Here, we focus on the dynamics of ecological networks in response to environmental changes. Specifically, we formalize how network topologies constrain the dynamics of ecological systems into a unifying framework in network ecology that we refer to as the 'ecological network dynamics framework'. This framework stresses that the interplay between species interaction networks and the spatial layout of habitat patches is key to identifying which network properties (number and weights of nodes and links) and trade-offs among them are needed to maintain species interactions in dynamic landscapes. We conclude that to be functional, ecological networks should be scaled according to species dispersal abilities in response to landscape heterogeneity. Determining how such effective ecological networks change through space and time can help reveal their complex dynamics in a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Josée Fortin
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark R. T. Dale
- Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Chris Brimacombe
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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7
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Bonsdorff E. Eutrophication: Early warning signals, ecosystem-level and societal responses, and ways forward : This article belongs to Ambio's 50th Anniversary Collection. Theme: Eutrophication. AMBIO 2021; 50:753-758. [PMID: 33537960 PMCID: PMC7982367 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-020-01432-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Eutrophication, i.e. nutrient over-enrichment, has been a topic for academic and societal debate for the past five decades both on land and in aquatic systems fed by nutrients as diffuse loading from agricultural lands and as wastewater from industrial and municipal point-sources. The use of nutrients (primarily nitrogen and phosphorus) in excess became a problem with the onset of large-scale production and use of artificial fertilizers after World War II, and the effects on the aquatic environment became obvious some two to three decades later. In this Perspective, four seminal papers on eutrophication are discussed in light of the current knowledge of the problem, including future perspectives and outlooks in the light of global climate change and the demand for science-based holistic ecosystem-level policies and management options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Bonsdorff
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, BioCity, 20500, Turku, Finland.
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8
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Kortsch S, Frelat R, Pecuchet L, Olivier P, Putnis I, Bonsdorff E, Ojaveer H, Jurgensone I, Strāķe S, Rubene G, Krūze Ē, Nordström MC. Disentangling temporal food web dynamics facilitates understanding of ecosystem functioning. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1205-1216. [PMID: 33608888 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Studying how food web structure and function vary through time represents an opportunity to better comprehend and anticipate ecosystem changes. Yet, temporal studies of highly resolved food web structure are scarce. With few exceptions, most temporal food web studies are either too simplified, preventing a detailed assessment of structural properties or binary, missing the temporal dynamics of energy fluxes among species. Using long-term, multi-trophic biomass data coupled with highly resolved information on species feeding relationships, we analysed food web dynamics in the Gulf of Riga (Baltic Sea) over more than three decades (1981-2014). We combined unweighted (topology-based) and weighted (biomass- and flux-based) food web approaches, first, to unravel how distinct descriptors can highlight differences (or similarities) in food web dynamics through time, and second, to compare temporal dynamics of food web structure and function. We find that food web descriptors vary substantially and distinctively through time, likely reflecting different underlying ecosystem processes. While node- and link-weighted metrics reflect changes related to alterations in species dominance and fluxes, unweighted metrics are more sensitive to changes in species and link richness. Comparing unweighted, topology-based metrics and flux-based functions further indicates that temporal changes in functions cannot be predicted using unweighted food web structure. Rather, information on species population dynamics and weighted, flux-based networks should be included to better comprehend temporal food web dynamics. By integrating unweighted, node- and link-weighted metrics, we here demonstrate how different approaches can be used to compare food web structure and function, and identify complementary patterns of change in temporal food web dynamics, which enables a more complete understanding of the ecological processes at play in ecosystems undergoing change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Kortsch
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Romain Frelat
- Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Laurene Pecuchet
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland.,UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, The Norwegian College of Fishery Science, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Pierre Olivier
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Ivars Putnis
- Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, Riga, Latvia
| | - Erik Bonsdorff
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Henn Ojaveer
- Pärnu College, University of Tartu, Pärnu, Estonia.,National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | | | - Gunta Rubene
- Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, Riga, Latvia
| | - Ēriks Krūze
- Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, Riga, Latvia
| | - Marie C Nordström
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
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9
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Yletyinen J, Brown P, Pech R, Hodges D, Hulme PE, Malcolm TF, Maseyk FJF, Peltzer DA, Perry GLW, Richardson SJ, Smaill SJ, Stanley MC, Todd JH, Walsh PJ, Wright W, Tylianakis JM. Understanding and Managing Social–Ecological Tipping Points in Primary Industries. Bioscience 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biz031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Yletyinen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Ltd. branches in Lincoln, Wellington and Auckland, in New Zealand
| | - Philip Brown
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Ltd. branches in Lincoln, Wellington and Auckland, in New Zealand
| | - Roger Pech
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Ltd. branches in Lincoln, Wellington and Auckland, in New Zealand
| | | | - Philip E Hulme
- Bio-Protection Research Centre at Lincoln University, New Zealand
| | | | - Fleur J F Maseyk
- The Catalyst Group, in Wellington, New Zealand, and with the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia
| | - Duane A Peltzer
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Ltd. branches in Lincoln, Wellington and Auckland, in New Zealand
| | - George L W Perry
- School of Environment at the University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Sarah J Richardson
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Ltd. branches in Lincoln, Wellington and Auckland, in New Zealand
| | | | - Margaret C Stanley
- School of Biological Sciences, at the University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jacqui H Todd
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research, Ltd., in Auckland, and Willie Wright is affiliated with the Integrated Kaipara Harbour Management Group, in Whangarei, New Zealand
| | - Patrick J Walsh
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Ltd. branches in Lincoln, Wellington and Auckland, in New Zealand
| | - Willie Wright
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand
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10
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Törnroos A, Pecuchet L, Olsson J, Gårdmark A, Blomqvist M, Lindegren M, Bonsdorff E. Four decades of functional community change reveals gradual trends and low interlinkage across trophic groups in a large marine ecosystem. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:1235-1246. [PMID: 30570820 PMCID: PMC6850384 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The rate at which biological diversity is altered on both land and in the sea, makes temporal community development a critical and fundamental part of understanding global change. With advancements in trait-based approaches, the focus on the impact of temporal change has shifted towards its potential effects on the functioning of the ecosystems. Our mechanistic understanding of and ability to predict community change is still impeded by the lack of knowledge in long-term functional dynamics that span several trophic levels. To address this, we assessed species richness and multiple dimensions of functional diversity and dynamics of two interacting key organism groups in the marine food web: fish and zoobenthos. We utilized unique time series-data spanning four decades, from three environmentally distinct coastal areas in the Baltic Sea, and assembled trait information on six traits per organism group covering aspects of feeding, living habit, reproduction and life history. We identified gradual long-term trends, rather than abrupt changes in functional diversity (trait richness, evenness, dispersion) trait turnover, and overall multi-trait community composition. The linkage between fish and zoobenthic functional community change, in terms of correlation in long-term trends, was weak, with timing of changes being area and trophic group specific. Developments of fish and zoobenthos traits, particularly size (increase in small size for both groups) and feeding habits (e.g. increase in generalist feeding for fish and scavenging or predation for zoobenthos), suggest changes in trophic pathways. We summarize our findings by highlighting three key aspects for understanding functional change across trophic groups: (a) decoupling of species from trait richness, (b) decoupling of richness from density and (c) determining of turnover and multi-trait dynamics. We therefore argue for quantifying change in multiple functional measures to help assessments of biodiversity change move beyond taxonomy and single trophic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Törnroos
- Environmental and Marine BiologyÅbo Akademi UniversityTurkuFinland
- Centre for Ocean Life, DTU‐AquaKngs. LyngbyDenmark
| | - Laurene Pecuchet
- Environmental and Marine BiologyÅbo Akademi UniversityTurkuFinland
- Centre for Ocean Life, DTU‐AquaKngs. LyngbyDenmark
| | - Jens Olsson
- Department of Aquatic ResourcesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesÖregrundSweden
| | - Anna Gårdmark
- Department of Aquatic ResourcesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesÖregrundSweden
| | | | | | - Erik Bonsdorff
- Environmental and Marine BiologyÅbo Akademi UniversityTurkuFinland
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11
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Regime shift in fish assemblage structure in the Yangtze River following construction of the Three Gorges Dam. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4212. [PMID: 30862788 PMCID: PMC6414653 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-38993-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Dams have well-documented ecological impacts on downstream river segments; however, long-term impacts of river impoundment have rarely been investigated in upstream reaches. Using data from long-term standardized surveys, we analyzed temporal changes in fish assemblages in the Yangtze River upstream of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) before, during and after its construction. Our analysis indicated fish assemblage regime shifts in the two closer reaches in 2008, in accordance with the filling to 172.5 m in 2008; and in the other reach, farthest from the TGD, in 2011, indicating timing of the effects being related to distance. These shifts were evident in relative abundance of native fish species rather than non-native species and have altered community structures and functional groups. Relative abundance of the lotic guilds declined in the two closer reaches, but increased in the farthest. Invertivores declined, but piscivores and opportunistic life-history strategists increased in all reaches. We conclude that construction of TGD had led to significant changes in species distributions influenced by species functional traits. Our findings emphasize the need for long-term monitoring of fish assemblages before and after dam construction in order to understand ecological responses to hydrological changes for effective resource management in regulated rivers.
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12
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Kotta J, Herkül K, Jaagus J, Kaasik A, Raudsepp U, Alari V, Arula T, Haberman J, Järvet A, Kangur K, Kont A, Kull A, Laanemets J, Maljutenko I, Männik A, Nõges P, Nõges T, Ojaveer H, Peterson A, Reihan A, Rõõm R, Sepp M, Suursaar Ü, Tamm O, Tamm T, Tõnisson H. Linking atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic environments: Regime shifts in the Estonian climate over the past 50 years. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0209568. [PMID: 30589880 PMCID: PMC6307728 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change in recent decades has been identified as a significant threat to natural environments and human wellbeing. This is because some of the contemporary changes to climate are abrupt and result in persistent changes in the state of natural systems; so called regime shifts (RS). This study aimed to detect and analyse the timing and strength of RS in Estonian climate at the half-century scale (1966−2013). We demonstrate that the extensive winter warming of the Northern Hemisphere in the late 1980s was represented in atmospheric, terrestrial, freshwater and marine systems to an extent not observed before or after the event within the studied time series. In 1989, abiotic variables displayed statistically significant regime shifts in atmospheric, river and marine systems, but not in lake and bog systems. This was followed by regime shifts in the biotic time series of bogs and marine ecosystems in 1990. However, many biotic time series lacked regime shifts, or the shifts were uncoupled from large-scale atmospheric circulation. We suggest that the latter is possibly due to complex and temporally variable interactions between abiotic and biotic elements with ecosystem properties buffering biotic responses to climate change signals, as well as being affected by concurrent anthropogenic impacts on natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonne Kotta
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
- * E-mail:
| | - Kristjan Herkül
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Jaak Jaagus
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ants Kaasik
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Urmas Raudsepp
- Marine Systems Institute, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Victor Alari
- Marine Systems Institute, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Timo Arula
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Juta Haberman
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Arvo Järvet
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Külli Kangur
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Are Kont
- Institute of Ecology, Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Ain Kull
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Jaan Laanemets
- Marine Systems Institute, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Ilja Maljutenko
- Marine Systems Institute, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Aarne Männik
- Department of Marine Systems, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Peeter Nõges
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Tiina Nõges
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Henn Ojaveer
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
| | | | - Alvina Reihan
- Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Rein Rõõm
- Department of Marine Systems, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Mait Sepp
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ülo Suursaar
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Ottar Tamm
- Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Toomas Tamm
- Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
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13
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Weigel B, Bonsdorff E. Trait-based predation suitability offers insight into effects of changing prey communities. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5899. [PMID: 30416889 PMCID: PMC6225838 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing environmental pressures and human impacts are reshaping community structures and species interactions throughout all trophic levels. The morphological and behavioural characteristics of species communities contain key ecological information on why prey species appear attractive to predators but are rarely applied when exploring predator-prey (PP) relationships. Expanding our knowledge on how changing prey communities can alter the food resource suitability (RS) for predators is vital for understanding PP dynamics in changing ecosystems. Detailed predator diet data are commonly restricted to commercially important species and often not available over long temporal scales. To find out whether structural changes of prey communities impact the food RS for predator communities over space and time, we apply a novel framework to describe and interpret changes in predator diet-suitability based on predation-relevant traits of prey. We use information on described feeding links from the literature to compile the prey spectrum for each predator and subsequently translate the prey-species into a prey-trait spectrum. For each predator, we then calculate a frequency-based prey-trait affinity score and relate it to the available food resource pool, the community weighted means of prey traits, resulting in a prey-suitability measure. We aim to reveal whether a described multi-decadal change in the community structure of zoobenthos had an impact on the food suitability for the benthic-feeding fish in a coastal system of the Baltic Sea. We assess the direction of change in resource quality from the perspective of benthic-feeding fish and describe predator-specific responses to examine which species are likely to profit or be disadvantaged by changes in their prey spectrum. Furthermore, we test the relationship between functional diversity of prey communities and food suitability for predators, and whether predation linkage-structures are affected through prey community-changes. Our results show that changes in zoobenthic communities had a positive effect on the food suitability for most benthic-feeding fish, implying more suitable food resources. Species-specific responses of predators suggest varying plasticity to cope with prey assemblages of different trait compositions. Additionally, the functional diversity of zoobenthos had a positive effect on the food suitability for predator fish. The changing trait compositions of prey influenced the PP linkage-structure, indicating varying specialisation of benthic feeding fish towards available food resources. Our findings suggest that changing morphological characteristics of prey can impact food RS features for its predators. This approach enables long-term evaluation of prey quality characteristics where no detailed diet data is available and allows for cross-system comparison as it is not relying on taxonomic identities per se.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Weigel
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland.,Research Centre for Ecological Change, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Erik Bonsdorff
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
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14
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Marina TI, Saravia LA, Cordone G, Salinas V, Doyle SR, Momo FR. Architecture of marine food webs: To be or not be a 'small-world'. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0198217. [PMID: 29813120 PMCID: PMC5973612 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The search for general properties in network structure has been a central issue for food web studies in recent years. One such property is the small-world topology that combines a high clustering and a small distance between nodes of the network. This property may increase food web resilience but make them more sensitive to the extinction of connected species. Food web theory has been developed principally from freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, largely omitting marine habitats. If theory needs to be modified to accommodate observations from marine ecosystems, based on major differences in several topological characteristics is still on debate. Here we investigated if the small-world topology is a common structural pattern in marine food webs. We developed a novel, simple and statistically rigorous method to examine the largest set of complex marine food webs to date. More than half of the analyzed marine networks exhibited a similar or lower characteristic path length than the random expectation, whereas 39% of the webs presented a significantly higher clustering than its random counterpart. Our method proved that 5 out of 28 networks fulfilled both features of the small-world topology: short path length and high clustering. This work represents the first rigorous analysis of the small-world topology and its associated features in high-quality marine networks. We conclude that such topology is a structural pattern that is not maximized in marine food webs; thus it is probably not an effective model to study robustness, stability and feasibility of marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomás Ignacio Marina
- Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC-CONICET), Ushuaia, Argentina
- Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Los Polvorines, Argentina
- INEDES, Universidad Nacional de Luján, Luján, Argentina
- * E-mail:
| | - Leonardo A. Saravia
- Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Los Polvorines, Argentina
- INEDES, Universidad Nacional de Luján, Luján, Argentina
| | - Georgina Cordone
- Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Los Polvorines, Argentina
- Centro Para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR), Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT), Puerto Madryn, Argentina
| | - Vanesa Salinas
- Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Los Polvorines, Argentina
| | - Santiago R. Doyle
- Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Los Polvorines, Argentina
| | - Fernando R. Momo
- Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Los Polvorines, Argentina
- INEDES, Universidad Nacional de Luján, Luján, Argentina
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15
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Jassey VEJ, Reczuga MK, Zielińska M, Słowińska S, Robroek BJM, Mariotte P, Seppey CVW, Lara E, Barabach J, Słowiński M, Bragazza L, Chojnicki BH, Lamentowicz M, Mitchell EAD, Buttler A. Tipping point in plant-fungal interactions under severe drought causes abrupt rise in peatland ecosystem respiration. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:972-986. [PMID: 28991408 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Revised: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystems are increasingly prone to climate extremes, such as drought, with long-lasting effects on both plant and soil communities and, subsequently, on carbon (C) cycling. However, recent studies underlined the strong variability in ecosystem's response to droughts, raising the issue of nonlinear responses in plant and soil communities. The conundrum is what causes ecosystems to shift in response to drought. Here, we investigated the response of plant and soil fungi to drought of different intensities using a water table gradient in peatlands-a major C sink ecosystem. Using moving window structural equation models, we show that substantial changes in ecosystem respiration, plant and soil fungal communities occurred when the water level fell below a tipping point of -24 cm. As a corollary, ecosystem respiration was the greatest when graminoids and saprotrophic fungi became prevalent as a response to the extreme drought. Graminoids indirectly influenced fungal functional composition and soil enzyme activities through their direct effect on dissolved organic matter quality, while saprotrophic fungi directly influenced soil enzyme activities. In turn, increasing enzyme activities promoted ecosystem respiration. We show that functional transitions in ecosystem respiration critically depend on the degree of response of graminoids and saprotrophic fungi to drought. Our results represent a major advance in understanding the nonlinear nature of ecosystem properties to drought and pave the way towards a truly mechanistic understanding of the effects of drought on ecosystem processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent E J Jassey
- Functional Ecology and Environment laboratory, University of Toulouse, CNRS, INP, UPS, Toulouse Cedex, France
- Ecological Systems Laboratory (ECOS), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- WSL-Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Site Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Monika K Reczuga
- Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Monitoring & Department of Biogeography and Palaeoecology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Zielińska
- Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Monitoring & Department of Biogeography and Palaeoecology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Sandra Słowińska
- Department of Geoecology and Climatology, Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Pierre Mariotte
- Ecological Systems Laboratory (ECOS), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- WSL-Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Site Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christophe V W Seppey
- Laboratory of Soil Biodiversity, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Arctic and Marine Biology Department, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Jan Barabach
- Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Monitoring & Department of Biogeography and Palaeoecology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Michał Słowiński
- Department of Environmental Resources and Geohazards, Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warszawa, Poland
| | - Luca Bragazza
- Ecological Systems Laboratory (ECOS), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- WSL-Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Site Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Life Science and Biotechnologies, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Bogdan H Chojnicki
- Meteorology Department, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Mariusz Lamentowicz
- Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Monitoring & Department of Biogeography and Palaeoecology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Edward A D Mitchell
- Laboratory of Soil Biodiversity, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Botanical Garden of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Buttler
- Ecological Systems Laboratory (ECOS), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- WSL-Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Site Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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16
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Tylianakis JM, Morris RJ. Ecological Networks Across Environmental Gradients. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2017. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110316-022821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 258] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jason M. Tylianakis
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca J. Morris
- Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, United Kingdom
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17
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Griffiths JR, Kadin M, Nascimento FJA, Tamelander T, Törnroos A, Bonaglia S, Bonsdorff E, Brüchert V, Gårdmark A, Järnström M, Kotta J, Lindegren M, Nordström MC, Norkko A, Olsson J, Weigel B, Žydelis R, Blenckner T, Niiranen S, Winder M. The importance of benthic-pelagic coupling for marine ecosystem functioning in a changing world. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:2179-2196. [PMID: 28132408 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Revised: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Benthic-pelagic coupling is manifested as the exchange of energy, mass, or nutrients between benthic and pelagic habitats. It plays a prominent role in aquatic ecosystems, and it is crucial to functions from nutrient cycling to energy transfer in food webs. Coastal and estuarine ecosystem structure and function are strongly affected by anthropogenic pressures; however, there are large gaps in our understanding of the responses of inorganic nutrient and organic matter fluxes between benthic habitats and the water column. We illustrate the varied nature of physical and biological benthic-pelagic coupling processes and their potential sensitivity to three anthropogenic pressures - climate change, nutrient loading, and fishing - using the Baltic Sea as a case study and summarize current knowledge on the exchange of inorganic nutrients and organic material between habitats. Traditionally measured benthic-pelagic coupling processes (e.g., nutrient exchange and sedimentation of organic material) are to some extent quantifiable, but the magnitude and variability of biological processes are rarely assessed, preventing quantitative comparisons. Changing oxygen conditions will continue to have widespread effects on the processes that govern inorganic and organic matter exchange among habitats while climate change and nutrient load reductions may have large effects on organic matter sedimentation. Many biological processes (predation, bioturbation) are expected to be sensitive to anthropogenic drivers, but the outcomes for ecosystem function are largely unknown. We emphasize how improved empirical and experimental understanding of benthic-pelagic coupling processes and their variability are necessary to inform models that can quantify the feedbacks among processes and ecosystem responses to a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R Griffiths
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martina Kadin
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Francisco J A Nascimento
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tobias Tamelander
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palméns väg 260, 10900, Hangö, Finland
| | - Anna Törnroos
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20500, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Ocean Life, National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Kavalergården 6, 2920, Charlottenlund, Denmark
| | - Stefano Bonaglia
- Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Geology, Lund University, 22362, Lund, Sweden
| | - Erik Bonsdorff
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20500, Turku, Finland
| | - Volker Brüchert
- Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Gårdmark
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skolgatan 6, 74242, Öregrund, Sweden
| | - Marie Järnström
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20500, Turku, Finland
| | - Jonne Kotta
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Mäealuse 14, 12618, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Martin Lindegren
- Centre for Ocean Life, National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Kavalergården 6, 2920, Charlottenlund, Denmark
| | - Marie C Nordström
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20500, Turku, Finland
| | - Alf Norkko
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palméns väg 260, 10900, Hangö, Finland
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
| | - Jens Olsson
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skolgatan 6, 74242, Öregrund, Sweden
| | - Benjamin Weigel
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20500, Turku, Finland
| | | | - Thorsten Blenckner
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Susa Niiranen
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Monika Winder
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
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