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Veenhof RJ, Coleman MA, Champion C, Dworjanyn SA. Urchin grazing of kelp gametophytes in warming oceans. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2023; 59:838-855. [PMID: 37432133 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13364] [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: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Sea urchins can cause extensive damage to kelp forests, and their overgrazing can create extensive barren areas, leading to a loss of biodiversity. Barrens may persist when the recruitment of kelp, which occurs through the microscopic haploid gametophyte stage, is suppressed. However, the ecology of kelp gametophytes is poorly understood, and here we investigate if grazing by juvenile urchins on kelp gametophytes can suppress kelp recruitment and if this is exacerbated by climate change. We compared grazing of Ecklonia radiata gametophytes by two species of juvenile urchins, the tropical Tripneustes gratilla and the temperate Centrostephanus rodgersii, at winter (19°C), summer (23°C), and ocean warming (26°C) temperatures for the low-latitude range edge of E. radiata, which is vulnerable to ocean warming. We examined the rate of recovery of gametophytes following grazing and determined whether they survived and formed sporophytes after ingestion by sea urchins. Both T. gratilla and C. rodgersii grazed E. radiata gametophytes, reducing their abundance compared to no grazing controls. Surprisingly, temperature did not influence grazing rates, but gametophytes did not recover from grazing in the ocean warming (26°C) treatment. Gametophytes survived ingestion by both species of sea urchin and formed sporophytes after ingestion by T. gratilla, but not C. rodgersii. These results suggest complex grazer-gametophyte interactions, in which both negative (reduced abundance and poor recovery with warming) and positive (facilitated recruitment) effects are possible. Small grazers may play a more important role in kelp ecosystem function than previously thought and should be considered in our understanding of alternate stable states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reina J Veenhof
- National Marine Science Centre, Faculty of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Melinda A Coleman
- National Marine Science Centre, Faculty of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, National Marine Science Centre, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Curtis Champion
- National Marine Science Centre, Faculty of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, National Marine Science Centre, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Symon A Dworjanyn
- National Marine Science Centre, Faculty of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
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Edwards MS. Kelp gametophytes can survive and reproduce after being eaten in a warming ocean. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2023; 59:835-837. [PMID: 37823727 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Edwards
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
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3
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Effects of harvesting on subtidal kelp forests (
Lessonia trabeculata
) in central Chile. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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Friedlander AM, Ballesteros E, Bell TW, Caselle JE, Campagna C, Goodell W, Hüne M, Muñoz A, Salinas-de-León P, Sala E, Dayton PK. Kelp forests at the end of the earth: 45 years later. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229259. [PMID: 32160219 PMCID: PMC7065750 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The kelp forests of southern South America are some of the least disturbed on the planet. The remoteness of this region has, until recently, spared it from many of the direct anthropogenic stressors that have negatively affected these ecosystems elsewhere. Re-surveys of 11 locations at the easternmost extent of Tierra del Fuego originally conducted in 1973 showed no significant differences in the densities of adult and juvenile Macrocystis pyrifera kelp or kelp holdfast diameter between the two survey periods. Additionally, sea urchin assemblage structure at the same sites were not significantly different between the two time periods, with the dominant species Loxechinus albus accounting for 66.3% of total sea urchin abundance in 2018 and 61.1% in 1973. Time series of Landsat imagery of the region from 1998 to 2018 showed no long-term trends in kelp canopy over the past 20 years. However, ~ 4-year oscillations in canopy fraction were observed and were strongly and negatively correlated with the NOAA Multivariate ENSO index and sea surface temperature. More extensive surveying in 2018 showed significant differences in benthic community structure between exposed and sheltered locations. Fish species endemic to the Magellanic Province accounted for 73% of all nearshore species observed and from 98-100% of the numerical abundance enumerated at sites. Fish assemblage structure varied significantly among locations and wave exposures. The recent creation of the Yaganes Marine Park is an important step in protecting this unique and biologically rich region; however, the nearshore waters of the region are currently not included in this protection. There is a general lack of information on changes in kelp forests over long time periods, making a global assessment difficult. A complete picture of how these ecosystems are responding to human pressures must also include remote locations and locations with little to no impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan M. Friedlander
- Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāneʻohe, Hawai‘i, United States of America
| | | | - Tom W. Bell
- Earth Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Jennifer E. Caselle
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | | | - Whitney Goodell
- Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāneʻohe, Hawai‘i, United States of America
| | | | - Alex Muñoz
- Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Pelayo Salinas-de-León
- Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Charles Darwin Research Station, Puerto Ayora, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - Enric Sala
- Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Paul K. Dayton
- Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
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Tamburello L, Papa L, Guarnieri G, Basconi L, Zampardi S, Scipione MB, Terlizzi A, Zupo V, Fraschetti S. Are we ready for scaling up restoration actions? An insight from Mediterranean macroalgal canopies. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224477. [PMID: 31652294 PMCID: PMC6814225 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Extensive loss of macroalgal forests advocates for large-scale restoration interventions, to compensate habitat degradation and recover the associated ecological functions and services. Yet, restoration attempts have generally been limited to small spatial extensions, with the principal aim of developing efficient restoration techniques. Here, the success of outplanting Cystoseira amentacea v. stricta germlings cultured in aquaria was experimentally explored at a scale of tens of kms, by means of a multifactorial experimental design. In the intertidal rocky shores of SE Italy, locations with a continuous distribution for hundreds of meters or with few thalli forming patches of few centimeters of C. amentacea canopy were selected. In each location, the effects of adult conspecifics and the exclusion of macrograzers (salema fish and sea urchins) on the survival of germlings were tested. We evaluated the most critical determinants of mortality for germlings, including the overlooked pressure of mesograzers (e.g. amphipods, small mollusks, polychaetes). Despite the high mortality observed during outplanting and early settlement stages, survival of C. amentacea germlings was consistently favored by the exclusion of macrograzers, while the presence of adult conspecifics had no effects. In addition, the cost analysis of the interventions showed the feasibility of the ex-situ method, representing an essential tool for preserving Cystoseira forests. Large scale restoration is possible but requires baseline information with an in-depth knowledge of the species ecology and of the areas to be restored, together with the development of specific cultivation protocols to make consistently efficient restoration interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Tamburello
- CoNISMa, Roma, Italy
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
| | - Loredana Papa
- Department of Biology, and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Guarnieri
- CoNISMa, Roma, Italy
- Department of Biology, and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Laura Basconi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University, Venice, Italy
| | | | | | - Antonio Terlizzi
- CoNISMa, Roma, Italy
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Simonetta Fraschetti
- CoNISMa, Roma, Italy
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
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Riquelme-Pérez N, Musrri CA, Stotz WB, Cerda O, Pino-Olivares O, Thiel M. Coastal fish assemblages and predation pressure in northern-central Chilean Lessonia trabeculata kelp forests and barren grounds. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6964. [PMID: 31223523 PMCID: PMC6571002 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Kelp forests are declining in many parts of the globe, which can lead to the spreading of barren grounds. Increased abundances of grazers, mainly due to reduction of their predators, are among the causes of this development. Here, we compared the species richness (SR), frequency of occurrence (FO), and maximum abundance (MaxN) of predatory fish and their predation pressure between kelp forest and barren ground habitats of northern-central Chile. Sampling was done using baited underwater cameras with vertical and horizontal orientation. Two prey organisms were used as tethered baits, the black sea urchin Tetrapygus niger and the porcelanid crab Petrolisthes laevigatus. SR did not show major differences between habitats, while FO and MaxN were higher on barren grounds in vertical videos, with no major differences between habitats in horizontal videos. Predation pressure did not differ between habitats, but after 24 h consumption of porcelanid crabs was significantly higher than that of sea urchins. Scartichthys viridis/gigas was the main predator, accounting for 82% of the observed predation events on Petrolisthes laevigatus. Most of these attacks occurred on barren grounds. Scartichthys viridis/gigas was the only fish observed attacking (but not consuming) tethered sea urchins. High abundances of opportunistic predators (Scartichthys viridis/gigas) are probably related to low abundances of large predatory fishes. These results suggest that intense fishing activity on large predators, and their resulting low abundances, could result in low predation pressure on sea urchins, thereby contributing to the increase of T. niger abundances in subtidal rocky habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Catalina A Musrri
- Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Wolfgang B Stotz
- Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Osvaldo Cerda
- Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Oscar Pino-Olivares
- Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Martin Thiel
- Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile.,Millennium Nucleus Ecology and Sustainable Management of Oceanic Island (ESMOI), Coquimbo, Chile.,Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), Coquimbo, Chile
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Muth AF, Henríquez-Tejo EA, Buschmann AH. Influence of sedimentation in the absence of macrograzers on recruitment of an annual population of Macrocystis pyrifera
in Metri Bay, Chile. AUSTRAL ECOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Arley F. Muth
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories; Moss Landing California USA
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Vermeij GJ. Plant defences on land and in water: why are they so different? ANNALS OF BOTANY 2016; 117:1099-109. [PMID: 27091505 PMCID: PMC4904178 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcw061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plants (attached photosynthesizing organisms) are eaten by a wide variety of herbivorous animals. Despite a vast literature on plant defence, contrasting patterns of antiherbivore adaptation among marine, freshwater and land plants have been little noticed, documented or understood. SCOPE Here I show how the surrounding medium (water or air) affects not only the plants themselves, but also the sensory and locomotor capacities of herbivores and their predators, and I discuss patterns of defence and host specialization of plants and herbivores on land and in water. I analysed the literature on herbivory with special reference to mechanical defences and sensory cues emitted by plants. Spines, hairs, asymmetrically oriented features on plant surfaces, and visual and olfactory signals that confuse or repel herbivores are common in land plants but rare or absent in water-dwelling plants. Small terrestrial herbivores are more often host-specific than their aquatic counterparts. I propose that patterns of selection on terrestrial herbivores and plants differ from those on aquatic species. Land plants must often attract animal dispersers and pollinators that, like their herbivorous counterparts, require sophisticated locomotor and sensory abilities. Plants counter their attractiveness to animal helpers by evolving effective contact defences and long-distance cues that mislead or warn herbivores. The locomotor and sensory world of small aquatic herbivores is more limited. These characteristics result from the lower viscosity and density of air compared with water as well as from limitations on plant physiology and signal transmission in water. Evolutionary innovations have not eliminated the contrasts in the conditions of life between water and land. CONCLUSION Plant defence can be understood fully when herbivores and their victims are considered in the broader context of other interactions among coexisting species and of the medium in which these interactions occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geerat J Vermeij
- University of California, Davis, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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9
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Survival of early life history stages of Arctic kelps (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard) under multifactorial global change scenarios. Polar Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-016-1906-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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10
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Poore AGB, Gutow L, Pantoja JF, Tala F, Jofré Madariaga D, Thiel M. Major consequences of minor damage: impacts of small grazers on fast-growing kelps. Oecologia 2014; 174:789-801. [PMID: 24100758 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2795-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2013] [Accepted: 09/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Damage by small herbivores can have disproportionately large effects on the fitness of individual plants if damage is concentrated on valuable tissues or on select individuals within a population. In marine systems, the impact of tissue loss on the growth rates of habitat-forming algae is poorly understood. We quantified the grazing damage by an isopod Amphoroidea typa on two species of large kelps, Lessonia spicata and Macrocystis pyrifera, in temperate Chile to test whether non-lethal grazing damage could reduce kelp growth rates and photosynthetic efficiency. For L. spicata, grazing damage was widespread in the field, unevenly distributed on several spatial scales (among individuals and among tissue types) and negatively correlated with blade growth rates. In field experiments, feeding by A. typa reduced the concentration of photosynthetic pigments and led to large reductions (~80%) in blade growth rates despite limited loss of kelp biomass (0.5% per day). For M. pyrifera, rates of damage in the field were lower and high densities of grazers were unable to reduce growth rates in field experiments. These results demonstrate that even low per capita grazing rates can result in large reductions in the growth of a kelp, due the spatial clustering of herbivores in the field and the selective removal of photosynthetically active tissues. The impacts of small herbivores on plant performance are thus not easily predicted from consumption rates or abundance in the field, and vary with plant species due to variation in their ability to compensate for damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alistair G B Poore
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, 2052, Sydney, NSW, Australia,
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