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Corbin M, Alleyne K, Oxenford HA, Vallès H. Clinging fauna associated with nearshore pelagic sargassum rafts in the Eastern Caribbean: Implications for coastal in-water harvesting. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 352:120077. [PMID: 38242025 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120077] [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: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Tropical Atlantic blooms of pelagic Sargassum species are associated with severe inundation events along the coasts of Caribbean and West African nations that cause extensive ecological and socioeconomic harm. The use of in-water harvesting as a management strategy avoids the plethora of challenges associated with shoreline inundations. Moreover, with a growing interest in the valorisation of this raw material, in-water harvesting provides the best opportunity to collect substantial amounts of 'fresh' sargassum that can be used in a variety of applications. However, in-water harvesting of sargassum will remove organisms associated with the floating habitat, resulting in loss of biodiversity, thus creating a potential management dilemma. To address this management concern, we assessed the clinging fauna associated with sargassum rafts at various distances from shore. From a total of 119 dipnet samples of sargassum, we recorded 18 taxa, across 6 phyla (Arthropoda, Mollusca, Chordata, Platyhelminthes, Nemathelminthes, Annelida) with the phylum Arthropoda being the most speciose (n = 10). Our multivariate and model selection analyses support that distance from shore and season are the most important drivers of variability in community composition and that season is the most important driver of individual abundance and number of taxa across samples. Overall, rafts within 0-3000 m of the shoreline of Barbados harbored low biodiversity and were dominated by small invertebrates (mean size: 5.5 mm) of no commercial value. Results suggest that biodiversity trade-offs associated with in-water sargassum harvesting in coastal areas are likely to be negligible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makeda Corbin
- Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados
| | - Kristie Alleyne
- World Maritime University, Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute, P.O. Box 500, SE 201 24 Malmӧ, Sweden.
| | - Hazel A Oxenford
- Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados
| | - Henri Vallès
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados
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Corso AJ, Pina-Amargós F, Rodriguez-Viera L. Cleaning symbiosis in coral reefs of Jardines de la Reina National Park. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16524. [PMID: 38077429 PMCID: PMC10710127 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cleaning symbiotic interactions are an important component of coral reef biodiversity and the study of the characteristics of these interacting species networks allows to assess the health of communities. The coral reefs of Jardines de la Reina National Park (JRNP) are subject to a protection gradient and there is a lack of knowledge about the effect of different levels of protection on the cleaning mutualistic networks in the area. The present study aims to characterize the mutualistic cleaning networks in the reefs of JRNP and to assess the potential effect of the protection gradient on their characteristics. Methods We visited 26 reef sites distributed along the National Park and performed 96 band transects (50 m × 4 m). Low, medium and highly protected regions were compared according to the number of cleaning stations and the abundance and number of species of clients and cleaners associated with them. Additionally, we built interaction networks for the three regions and the entire archipelago based on a total of 150 minutes' video records of active cleaning stations. We assessed ecological networks characteristics (specialization, nestedness) using network topological metrics. Results We found a high diversity and complex cleaning interaction network with 6 cleaner species and 39 client species, among them, the threatened grouper Epinephelus striatus was one of the most common clients. No clear effect of the protection level on the density, abundance or diversity of cleaners and clients was detected during this study. However, we found that the network structure varied among regions, with the highly protected region being more specialized and less nested than the other regions. Our research reveals some patterns that suggest the effect of fishing pressure on cleaning symbiosis, as fishing may reduce the abundance and composition of client species, especially those that are targeted by fishers. However, fishing pressure may not be the main factor influencing cleaning symbiosis inside of the National Park, as other factors, such as habitat quality or environmental conditions may have stronger effects on the demand for cleaning services and the interactions between cleaners and clients. Our research provides insights into the factors that influence cleaning symbiosis and its implications for coral reef conservation and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy Joel Corso
- Center for Marine Research, University of Havana, Havana, Cuba
| | | | - Leandro Rodriguez-Viera
- Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar (CEIMAR), University of Cadiz, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
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Lucas CC, Lima IC, Garcia TM, Tavares TCL, Carneiro PBM, Teixeira CEP, Bejarano S, Rossi S, Soares MO. Turbidity buffers coral bleaching under extreme wind and rainfall conditions. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 192:106215. [PMID: 37890231 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106215] [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: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Coral reefs in turbid waters have been hypothesized to be a refuge from climate change. These naturally occurring communities were brought into the spotlight because some of their species exhibited record levels of resistance to marine heatwaves (MHWs) by disturbance-tolerant corals. However, long-term monitoring data on the drivers of coral bleaching in these extreme reef habitats are scarce. Here, we describe the population structure and bleaching rates of a widespread and resilient coral (Siderastrea stellata). We examine the links between environmental factors, namely, rainfall, wind speed, turbidity, solar irradiance, sea surface temperature, MHWs, and coral bleaching status under the worst recorded drought cycle in the Tropical South Atlantic (2013-2015). We examined 2880 colonies, most of which (∼93%) fit in the size group of 2-10 cm, with a small number (∼1%) of larger and older colonies (>20 cm). The results indicated the absence of MHWs and normal sea surface temperature variations (between 26.6 °C and 29.3 °C), however, we detected an extreme rainfall deficit (30-40% less annual volume precipitation). In general, a high proportion (44-84%) of bleached colonies was found throughout the months when turbidity decreased. Siderastrea is the only reef-building coral that comprises this seascape with encrusting and low-relief colonies. During drought periods, cloudiness is reduced, turbidity and wind speed are reduced, and solar irradiance increase, driving coral bleaching in turbid reefs. However, episodic rainfall and higher wind speeds increase turbidity and decrease coral bleaching. Our hypothesis is that turbidity decreases during drought periods which increases bleaching risk to corals even without thermal stress. Our results suggest that turbidity may have related to wind and rainfall to provoke the coral bleaching phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Costa Lucas
- Institute of Marine Sciences (LABOMAR), Federal University of Ceará (UFC), Fortaleza, Brazil.
| | - Italo Cesar Lima
- Institute of Marine Sciences (LABOMAR), Federal University of Ceará (UFC), Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Tatiane Martins Garcia
- Institute of Marine Sciences (LABOMAR), Federal University of Ceará (UFC), Fortaleza, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Sonia Bejarano
- Reef Systems Group, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Fahrenheitstraße 6, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Sergio Rossi
- Institute of Marine Sciences (LABOMAR), Federal University of Ceará (UFC), Fortaleza, Brazil; Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Cerdanyolla del Vallés, Barcelona, Spain; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche e Ambientali (DISTEBA), Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Marcelo O Soares
- Institute of Marine Sciences (LABOMAR), Federal University of Ceará (UFC), Fortaleza, Brazil; Reef Systems Group, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Fahrenheitstraße 6, 28359 Bremen, Germany
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Jackson JBC, O’Dea A. Evolution and environment of Caribbean coastal ecosystems. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2307520120. [PMID: 37816056 PMCID: PMC10589623 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307520120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Isolation of the Caribbean Sea from the tropical Eastern Pacific by uplift of the Isthmus of Panama in the late Pliocene was associated with major, taxonomically variable, shifts in Caribbean biotic composition, and extinction, but inferred causes of these biological changes have remained elusive. We addressed this through falsifiable hypotheses about how independently determined historical changes in oceanographic conditions may have been responsible. The most striking environmental change was a sharp decline in upwelling intensity as measured from decreases in intra-annual fluctuations in temperature and consequently in planktonic productivity. We then hypothesized three general categories of biological response based upon observed differences in natural history between the oceans today. These include changes in feeding ecology, life histories, and habitats. As expected, suspension feeders and predators became rarer as upwelling declined. However, predicted increases in benthic productivity by reef corals, and benthic algae were drawn out over more than 1 Myr as seagrass and coral reef habitats proliferated; a shift that was itself driven by declining upwelling. Similar time lags occurred for predicted shifts in reproductive life history characteristics of bivalves, gastropods, and bryozoans. Examination of the spatial variability of biotic change helps to understand the time lags. Many older species characteristic of times before environmental conditions had changed tended to hang on in progressively smaller proportions of locations until they became extinct as expected from metapopulation theory and the concept of extinction debt. Faunal turnover may not occur until a million or more years after the environmental changes ultimately responsible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy B. C. Jackson
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY10024-5192
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa2072, Republic of Panamá
| | - Aaron O’Dea
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa2072, Republic of Panamá
- Sistema Nacional de Investigación, Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Clayton, Republic of Panamá
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Thacker D, Patel K, Myers A, Guerra-Garca JM, Zeidler W, Trivedi J. Annotated Checklist of Marine Amphipods (Crustacea: Amphipoda) of India. Zootaxa 2023; 5340:1-90. [PMID: 38221393 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5340.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
An annotated checklist of the marine amphipods recorded from Indian waters is compiled from the available peer-reviewed literature. A total of 266 species belonging to 133 genera and 56 families are listed. The maximum numbers of species were recorded from the South Indian Ecoregion (177 species, 98 genera, 47 families), followed by the Western India Ecoregion (101 species, 72 genera, 36 families), the Eastern Indian Ecoregion (99 species, 65 genera, 35 families), the Northern Bay of Bengal Ecoregion (92 species, 53 genera, 29 families), the Maldives Ecoregion (32 species, 24 genera, 16 families), and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Ecoregion (31 species, 22 genera, 18 families). Notes on the questionable identifications and records of some amphipods are also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimple Thacker
- Animal Taxonomy and Ecology Research Laboratory; Department of Life Sciences; Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University; Patan- 384265; Gujarat; India.
| | - Krupal Patel
- Marine Biodiversity and Ecology Lab; Department of Zoology; The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda; Vadodara; Gujarat; India.
| | - Alan Myers
- School of Biological; Earth and Environmental Sciences; University College Cork; Cork Enterprise Centre; Distillery Fields; North Mall; Cork; Ireland.
| | - Jos M Guerra-Garca
- Laboratorio de Biologa Marina; Departamento de Zoologa; Facultad de Biologa; Universidad de Sevilla; Avda Reina Mercedes 6; 41012; Sevilla; Spain.
| | - Wolfgang Zeidler
- Department of Marine Invertebrates; South Australian Museum; Adelaide; South Australia SA 5000.
| | - Jigneshkumar Trivedi
- Animal Taxonomy and Ecology Research Laboratory; Department of Life Sciences; Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University; Patan- 384265; Gujarat; India.
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Förderer EM, Rödder D, Langer MR. Global diversity patterns of larger benthic foraminifera under future climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:969-981. [PMID: 36413112 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Global warming threatens the viability of tropical coral reefs and associated marine calcifiers, including symbiont-bearing larger benthic foraminifera (LBF). The impacts of current climate change on LBF are debated because they were particularly diverse and abundant during past warm periods. Studies on the responses of selected LBF species to changing environmental conditions reveal varying results. Based on a comprehensive review of the scientific literature on LBF species occurrences, we applied species distribution modeling using Maxent to estimate present-day and future species richness patterns on a global scale for the time periods 2040-2050 and 2090-2100. For our future projections, we focus on Representative Concentration Pathway 6.0 from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which projects mean surface temperature changes of +2.2°C by the year 2100. Our results suggest that species richness in the Central Indo-Pacific is two to three times higher than in the Bahamian ecoregion, which we have identified as the present-day center of LBF diversity in the Atlantic. Our future predictions project a dramatic temperature-driven decline in low-latitude species richness and an increasing widening bimodal latitudinal pattern of species diversity. While the central Indo-Pacific, now the stronghold of LBF diversity, is expected to be most pushed outside of the currently realized niches of most species, refugia may be largely preserved in the Atlantic. LBF species will face large-scale non-analogous climatic conditions compared to currently realized climate space in the near future, as reflected in the extensive areas of extrapolation, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. Our study supports hypotheses that species richness and biogeographic patterns of LBF will fundamentally change under future climate conditions, possibly initiating a faunal turnover by the late 21st century.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dennis Rödder
- Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany
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Mosquera E, Blanco-Libreros JF, Riascos JM. Are urban mangroves emerging hotspots of non-indigenous species? A study on the dynamics of macrobenthic fouling communities in fringing red mangrove prop roots. Biol Invasions 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02944-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
AbstractUrbanization represents a radical transformation of natural habitats that alters all the biotic and abiotic properties governing ecosystems. Urban expansion often results in oversimplified communities, where most specialists decline or disappear and a few generalist or exotic species become dominant. The consequences of urban expansion in mangrove forests are understudied, although these systems have been altered by humans for centuries and the growth of human population in tropical coasts is expected to be faster than in higher latitudes. To assess the importance of indigenous and non-indigenous species in driving temporal and spatial changes in community structure of red-mangrove prop-root macrobenthic communities, we studied heavily altered mangrove forests from two bays from the Caribbean coast of Colombia in 2005 and 2021. In all places/periods, the community richness was low, a few taxa were dominant (11 taxa, out of 40, comprised ~ 90% of the total abundance) and 35% of those taxa were non-indigenous species whose presence is related with known stressors in urbanized systems. Hence, call for efforts to assess whether urban mangrove forests are emerging as hotspots for non-indigenous biota. Community structure did not change within or between bays, there was a clear, significant turnover of core species between 2005 and 2021, with non-indigenous species playing a prominent role in this variability. This was puzzling—ecological theory asserts that the abundance of a species is related to their permanence: core species are relatively stable through time, while rare species appear or disappear—but this may not apply for stressed communities influenced by non-indigenous biota.
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Resource Partitioning by Corallivorous Snails on Bonaire (Southern Caribbean). DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d15010034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
A biodiversity survey on three corallivorous snails (Mollusca: Gastropoda) was performed at 28 sites around the island of Bonaire to assess their distribution patterns and associated host corals. The snails and their hosts were identified and counted in three depth zones: 5–10, 10–20, and 20–30 m. The snails were Coralliophila galea and C. salebrosa (Muricidae: Coralliophilinae), and Cyphoma gibbosum (Ovulidae: Simniinae). All three species were widespread around the island without apparent interspecific geographical variation. Coralliophila galea was found exclusively on scleractinian corals, Coralliophila salebrosa almost exclusively on octocorals, and Cyphoma gibbosum only on octocorals. Coralliophila salebrosa showed more dietary overlap with Cyphoma gibbosum than with Coralliophila galea. Coralliophila galea was the most commonly encountered species with the largest number of host species. Owing to its hosts distribution, this species also showed a greater maximum depth and a wider bathymetrical range than the other two snails. The other two snails were shallower and their depth ranges did not differ significantly. Host-coral size did not seem to have influence on the number of snails per host. Coral damage caused by the snails was visible but appeared to be low, causing no mortality in Bonaire, which suggests that the relation with their hosts is more parasitic than predatory. Because these three corallivores have occasionally been reported to occur as outbreaks in other Caribbean localities and may act as vectors in the dispersal of coral diseases, it is recommended that future studies should focus on their population dynamics.
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Nguyen KAT, Jolly CM, Nguelifack BM, Nguyen TAT. The Use of a Production Function to Evaluate Caribbean Ocean Health Conflicts and Economic Development: Policy Implications. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 70:808-826. [PMID: 36028629 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-022-01696-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Central American and Caribbean (CAC) countries enjoy diverse marine environments. The oceans that enclose these coastlines contribute significantly to their economic growth. Industrial expansion and tourism place pressure on the marine ecosystems causing a decline in ocean health. To evaluate the cause of ocean health changes we investigated the factors influencing CAC ocean health using a health production function. Using Rank-Based Regression and the set of extractive, cultural and human well-being and services goals measuring Ocean Health Index (OHI), data from the World Bank, and the Human Development Index we developed a production function for CAC countries ocean health. Results show that all regional OHI scores, but Tourism and Recreation, the main income earning industry for most of the CAC countries, are less than the global score with four of the goals less than 40. The production function shows that all the goals, but the biodiversity sub-goal species, positively influencing OHI. Two climatic related variables, Nitrous Oxide and Carbon Dioxide negatively influenced OHI. The results are important to policy makers as they decide on the need to make greater effort towards improving sustainable contribution of CAC ocean resources to the blue economy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Curtis M Jolly
- Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture, Auburn University, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn, 36849, AL, USA.
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Navarro-Martínez ZM, Armenteros M, Espinosa L, González-Díaz P, Apprill A. Coral reef fish assemblages exhibit signs of depletion in two protected areas from the eastern of Los Canarreos archipelago (Cuba, Caribbean Sea). PeerJ 2022; 10:e14229. [PMID: 36262415 PMCID: PMC9575676 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the impact of marine protected areas on the distribution and composition of fishes is key to the protection and management of coral reef ecosystems, and especially for fish-based activities such as SCUBA diving and recreational fishing. The aim of this research is to compare the ichthyofauna structure in three areas in the eastern part of Los Canarreos archipelago in Cuba with different management schemes: Cayo Campos-Cayo Rosario Fauna Refuge (CCCR), Cayo Largo Ecological Reserve (CL) and non-protected area (nMPA), and considering habitat differences and depth variation. A total of 131 video transects were conducted using diver operated stereo-video (stereo-DOV) in November, 2015 in backreef and forereef along the CCCR, CL and the adjacent nMPA. We recorded 84 species and 27 functional groups suggesting high complementarity of functions. Several multispecies schools were observed along surveys, which explain the biomass peaks in some sites, mainly for Lutjanidae, Haemulidae and Carangidae. A concerning issue was the bare representation of critical functional groups and threatened species. The effect of sites nested within habitats was significant and the most important driver structuring fish assemblages, while MPA condition was not evident. Favorable habitat features (habitat heterogeneity and surrounding coastal ecosystems) are likely enhancing fish assemblages and counteracting the effects of pouching derived from insufficient management. We recommend immediate actions within a strategy of precautionary management including, but not limited to, the appointment of staff for the administration of CL, frequent monitoring and effective enforcement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maickel Armenteros
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Leonardo Espinosa
- Empresa Nacional para la Protección de la Flora y la Fauna, La Habana, Cuba
| | | | - Amy Apprill
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
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Stewart HA, Wright JL, Carrigan M, Altieri AH, Kline DI, Araújo RJ. Novel coexisting mangrove-coral habitats: Extensive coral communities located deep within mangrove canopies of Panama, a global classification system and predicted distributions. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269181. [PMID: 35704568 PMCID: PMC9200167 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine ecosystems are structured by coexisting species occurring in adjacent or nested assemblages. Mangroves and corals are typically observed in adjacent assemblages (i.e., mangrove forests and coral reefs) but are increasingly reported in nested mangrove-coral assemblages with corals living within mangrove habitats. Here we define these nested assemblages as “coexisting mangrove-coral” (CMC) habitats and review the scientific literature to date to formalize a baseline understanding of these ecosystems and create a foundation for future studies. We identify 130 species of corals living within mangrove habitats across 12 locations spanning the Caribbean Sea, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and South Pacific. We then provide the first description, to our knowledge, of a canopy CMC habitat type located in Bocas del Toro, Panama. This canopy CMC habitat is one of the most coral rich CMC habitats reported in the world, with 34 species of corals growing on and/or among submerged red mangrove aerial roots. Based on our literature review and field data, we identify biotic and abiotic characteristics common to CMC systems to create a classification framework of CMC habitat categories: (1) Lagoon, (2) Inlet, (3) Edge, and (4) Canopy. We then use the compiled data to create a GIS model to suggest where additional CMC habitats may occur globally. In a time where many ecosystems are at risk of disappearing, discovery and description of alternative habitats for species of critical concern are of utmost importance for their conservation and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather A. Stewart
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Jennifer L. Wright
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Matthew Carrigan
- Department of Natural Sciences, Sante Fe College, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Andrew H. Altieri
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - David I. Kline
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama
| | - Rafael J. Araújo
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
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Vachon F, Hersh TA, Rendell L, Gero S, Whitehead H. Ocean nomads or island specialists? Culturally driven habitat partitioning contrasts in scale between geographically isolated sperm whale populations. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211737. [PMID: 35619996 PMCID: PMC9114939 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is a deep-diving cetacean with a global distribution and a multi-leveled, culturally segregated, social structure. While sperm whales have previously been described as 'ocean nomads', this might not be universal. We conducted surveys of sperm whales along the Lesser Antilles to document the acoustic repertoires, movements and distributions of Eastern Caribbean (EC) sperm whale cultural groups (called vocal clans). In addition to documenting a potential third vocal clan in the EC, we found strong evidence of fine-scale habitat partitioning between vocal clans with scales of horizontal movements an order of magnitude smaller than from comparable studies on Eastern Tropical Pacific sperm whales. These results suggest that sperm whales can display cultural ecological specialization and habitat partitioning on flexible spatial scales according to local conditions and broadens our perception of the ecological flexibility of the species. This study highlights the importance of incorporating multiple temporal and spatial scales to understand the impact of culture on ecological adaptability, as well as the dangers of extrapolating results across geographical areas and cultural groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicia Vachon
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Taylor A. Hersh
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Luke Rendell
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews, School of Biology, St Andrews, UK
| | - Shane Gero
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews, School of Biology, St Andrews, UK
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
- Department of Zoophysiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Hal Whitehead
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
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Kanhai LDK, Asmath H, Gobin JF. The status of marine debris/litter and plastic pollution in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem (CLME): 1980-2020. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 300:118919. [PMID: 35114304 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.118919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plastic pollution is one of several anthropogenic stressors putting pressure on ecosystems of the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem (CLME). A 'Clean Ocean' is one of the ambitious goals of the United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. If this is to be realized, it is imperative to build upon the work of the previous decades (1980-2020). The objectives of the present study were to assess the state of knowledge about: (i) the distribution, quantification, sources, transport and fate of marine debris/litter and microplastics in the coastal/marine environment of the CLME and, (ii) the effects of plastics on biodiversity. Snapshots, i.e., peer-reviewed studies and multi-year (1991-2020) marine debris data from International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) events, indicated that plastic debris was a persistent issue in multiple ecosystems and environmental compartments of the CLME. Collectively, a suite of approaches (debris categorization, remote sensing, particle tracking) indicated that plastic debris originated from a combination of land and marine-based sources, with the former more significant than the latter. Rivers were identified as an important means of transporting mismanaged land-based waste to the marine environment. Oceanic currents were important to the transport of plastic debris into, within and out of the region. Plastic debris posed a threat to the biodiversity of the CLME, with specific biological, physical, ecological and chemical effects being identified. Existing data can be used to inform interventions to mitigate the leakage of plastic waste to the marine environment. Given the persistent and transboundary nature of the issue, further elucidation of the problem, its causes and effects must be prioritized, while simultaneously harmonizing regional and international approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- La Daana K Kanhai
- Department of Life Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
| | - Hamish Asmath
- The Institute of Marine Affairs, Hilltop Lane, Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Judith F Gobin
- Department of Life Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
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14
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The Colombian Caribbean Sea: a tropical habitat for the Vulnerable sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus? ORYX 2022. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605321001113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
We studied the sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus in the Colombian Caribbean by combining data from our offshore surveys of behaviour, encounter rate, group structure and density with data from the literature. We describe for the first time the potential distribution of sperm whales in the Colombian Caribbean, using sighting and acoustic data obtained during our surveys, published information, and opportunistic encounters during 1988–2020. We conducted surveys on seismic vessels over 703 days during 2011–2016, covering an area of 68,904 km2. We recorded 98 individuals in a total of 50 groups, a density of 1.42 individuals per 1,000 km2. To determine the potential distribution of the species, we built Maxent models with uncorrelated environmental variables at five depths (from the surface to c. 2,000 m). The model for 1,000 m depth had the best performance, with areas of high probability of occurrence of sperm whales in the south and north-east Colombian Caribbean over the shelf break to waters up to c. 3,000 m deep, at a median distance of 107 km from the coast, and near the Archipelago of San Andrés, Old Providence and Saint Catherine in the north-west. This area may be an important tropical habitat for sperm whales, in which they socialize, rest, breed and feed. Our study underlines the importance of monitoring marine mammals offshore and describes the potential distribution of sperm whales in the Colombian Caribbean, supporting conservation actions for this Vulnerable species, which is currently facing several threats in this region.
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15
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Kanhai A. Spatial and seasonal variation in polychaete communities according to their trophic categories in Southwest Tobago, West Indies. NEOTROPICAL BIODIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/23766808.2021.2021051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Attish Kanhai
- Biodiversity and Ecology Research Programme, Institute of Marine Affairs, Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago
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16
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Blandón LM, Marín MA, Quintero M, Jutinico-Shubach LM, Montoya-Giraldo M, Santos-Acevedo M, Gómez-León J. Diversity of cultivable bacteria from deep-sea sediments of the Colombian Caribbean and their potential in bioremediation. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2022; 115:421-431. [PMID: 35066712 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-021-01706-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The diversity of deep-sea cultivable bacteria was studied in seven sediment samples of the Colombian Caribbean. Three hundred and fifty two marine bacteria were isolated according to its distinct morphological character on the solid media, then DNA sequences of the 16S rRNA were amplified to identify the isolated strains. The identified bacterial were arranged in three phylogenetic groups, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria, with 34 different OTUs defined at ≥ 97% of similarity and 70 OTUs at ≥ 98.65%, being the 51% Firmicutes, 34% Proteobacteria and 15% Actinobacteria. Bacillus and Fictibacillus were the dominant genera in Firmicutes, Halomonas and Pseudomonas in Proteobacteria and Streptomyces and Micromonospora in Actinobacteria. In addition, the strains were tested for biosurfactants and lipolytic enzymes production, with 120 biosurfactant producing strains (mainly Firmicutes) and, 56 lipolytic enzymes producing strains (Proteobacteria). This report contributes to the understanding of the diversity of the marine deep-sea cultivable bacteria from the Colombian Caribbean, and their potential application as bioremediation agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Marcela Blandón
- Marine Bioprospecting Line, Marine and Coastal Research Institute "José Benito Vives de Andréis"- INVEMAR, Calle 25 No. 2-55, Playa Salguero, Santa Marta D.T.C.H., Colombia
| | - Mario Alejandro Marín
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Marynes Quintero
- Marine Bioprospecting Line, Marine and Coastal Research Institute "José Benito Vives de Andréis"- INVEMAR, Calle 25 No. 2-55, Playa Salguero, Santa Marta D.T.C.H., Colombia
| | - Laura Marcela Jutinico-Shubach
- Marine Bioprospecting Line, Marine and Coastal Research Institute "José Benito Vives de Andréis"- INVEMAR, Calle 25 No. 2-55, Playa Salguero, Santa Marta D.T.C.H., Colombia
| | - Manuela Montoya-Giraldo
- Marine Bioprospecting Line, Marine and Coastal Research Institute "José Benito Vives de Andréis"- INVEMAR, Calle 25 No. 2-55, Playa Salguero, Santa Marta D.T.C.H., Colombia
| | - Marisol Santos-Acevedo
- Marine Bioprospecting Line, Marine and Coastal Research Institute "José Benito Vives de Andréis"- INVEMAR, Calle 25 No. 2-55, Playa Salguero, Santa Marta D.T.C.H., Colombia
| | - Javier Gómez-León
- Marine Bioprospecting Line, Marine and Coastal Research Institute "José Benito Vives de Andréis"- INVEMAR, Calle 25 No. 2-55, Playa Salguero, Santa Marta D.T.C.H., Colombia.
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17
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Giachini Tosetto E, Bertrand A, Neumann-Leitão S, Nogueira Júnior M. The Amazon River plume, a barrier to animal dispersal in the Western Tropical Atlantic. Sci Rep 2022; 12:537. [PMID: 35017566 PMCID: PMC8752809 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04165-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The dispersal of marine organisms can be restricted by a set of isolation mechanisms including hard barriers or hydrological features. In the Western Atlantic Ocean, the Amazon River discharge has been shown to act as a biogeographical barrier responsible for the differences in reef fish communities between Caribbean Sea and Northeast Brazil continental shelves. Here, we compare the diversity of all Animalia phyla from biogeographic ecoregions along the Tropical Western Atlantic continental shelf to test the hypothesis that the Amazon River plume spatially structures species diversity. For that, we used beta diversity estimators and multivariate ecological analysis on a database of species occurrence of the whole animal kingdom including 175,477 occurrences of 8,375 species from six ecoregions along the Western Tropical Atlantic. Results of the whole animal kingdom and the richest phyla showed that the Caribbean Sea and Tropical Brazil ecoregions are isolated by the Amazon River Plume, broadening and confirming the hypothesis that it acts as a soft barrier to animal dispersal in the Western Tropical Atlantic. Species sharing is larger northwestwards, in direction of the Caribbean than the opposite direction. Beyond species isolation due to local characteristics such as low salinity and high turbidity, our results suggest the dominant northwestward currents probably play a major role in animal dispersion: it enhances the flux of larvae and other planktonic organisms with reduced mobility from Brazil to Caribbean and hinders their contrary movement. Thus, the Amazon area is a strong barrier for taxa with reduced dispersal capacity, while species of pelagic taxa with active swimming may transpose it more easily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Everton Giachini Tosetto
- Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, 50670-901, Brazil. .,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, MARBEC, Université Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, IRD, 34200, Sète, France.
| | - Arnaud Bertrand
- Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, 50670-901, Brazil.,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, MARBEC, Université Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, IRD, 34200, Sète, France.,Departamento de Pesca e Aquicultura, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, 52171-900, Brazil
| | - Sigrid Neumann-Leitão
- Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Miodeli Nogueira Júnior
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, 58051-900, Brazil
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18
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Waechter LS, Luiz OJ, Leprieur F, Bender MG. Functional biogeography of marine vertebrates in Atlantic Ocean reefs. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Luiza S. Waechter
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução CCNE Universidade Federal de Santa Maria Santa Maria Brazil
- Marine Macroecology and Conservation Lab Departamento de Ecologia Evolução CCNE Universidade Federal de Santa Maria Santa Maria Brazil
| | - Osmar J. Luiz
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Darwin NT Australia
| | - Fabien Leprieur
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD Montpellier France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF) Paris France
| | - Mariana G. Bender
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução CCNE Universidade Federal de Santa Maria Santa Maria Brazil
- Marine Macroecology and Conservation Lab Departamento de Ecologia Evolução CCNE Universidade Federal de Santa Maria Santa Maria Brazil
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19
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Allgeier JE, Weeks BC, Munsterman KS, Wale N, Wenger SJ, Parravicini V, Schiettekatte NMD, Villéger S, Burkepile DE. Phylogenetic conservatism drives nutrient dynamics of coral reef fishes. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5432. [PMID: 34521825 PMCID: PMC8440548 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25528-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The relative importance of evolutionary history and ecology for traits that drive ecosystem processes is poorly understood. Consumers are essential drivers of nutrient cycling on coral reefs, and thus ecosystem productivity. We use nine consumer "chemical traits" associated with nutrient cycling, collected from 1,572 individual coral reef fishes (178 species spanning 41 families) in two biogeographic regions, the Caribbean and Polynesia, to quantify the relative importance of phylogenetic history and ecological context as drivers of chemical trait variation on coral reefs. We find: (1) phylogenetic relatedness is the best predictor of all chemical traits, substantially outweighing the importance of ecological factors thought to be key drivers of these traits, (2) phylogenetic conservatism in chemical traits is greater in the Caribbean than Polynesia, where our data suggests that ecological forces have a greater influence on chemical trait variation, and (3) differences in chemical traits between regions can be explained by differences in nutrient limitation associated with the geologic context of our study locations. Our study provides multiple lines of evidence that phylogeny is a critical determinant of contemporary nutrient dynamics on coral reefs. More broadly our findings highlight the utility of evolutionary history to improve prediction in ecosystem ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob E Allgeier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Brian C Weeks
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Katrina S Munsterman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Nina Wale
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and Department of Integrative Biology & Ecology Evolution and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Seth J Wenger
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Valeriano Parravicini
- PSL Université Paris: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, Perpignan, France.,Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Perpignan, France
| | - Nina M D Schiettekatte
- PSL Université Paris: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, Perpignan, France.,Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Perpignan, France
| | - Sébastien Villéger
- MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Deron E Burkepile
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.,Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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20
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Kerninon F, Payri CE, Le Loc'h F, Alcoverro T, Maréchal JP, Chalifour J, Gréaux S, Mège S, Athanase J, Cordonnier S, Rouget ML, Lorre E, Uboldi T, Monnier O, Hellio C. Selection of parameters for seagrass management: Towards the development of integrated indicators for French Antilles. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 170:112646. [PMID: 34225197 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112646] [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: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Seagrass beds are increasingly impacted by human activities in coastal areas, particularly in tropical regions. The objective of this research program was to study seagrass beds characteristics under various environmental conditions in the French Antilles (FA, Caribbean Sea). A total of 61 parameters, from plant physiology to seagrass ecosystem, were tested along a gradient of anthropogenic conditions, distributed across 11 sites and 3 islands of the FA. A selection of 7 parameters was identified as relevant for the monitoring of seagrass meadows in the framework of public policies. They combined "early warning indicators" (e.g. nutrients and some trace metals) and long-term responding parameters (e.g. shoot density) adapted to management time scales. The ecological status of seagrass meadows was evaluated using a PCA. This work is a first step towards monitoring and management of seagrass meadows in the FA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Kerninon
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France.
| | - Claude E Payri
- UMR Entropie (IRD, Université de la Réunion, Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, CNRS, Ifremer), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 101 Promenade Roger Laroque, Nouméa 98848, Nouvelle-Calédonie, France
| | | | - Teresa Alcoverro
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Carretera d'accés a la cala sant Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Spain; Nature Conservation Foundation, 3076/5, 4th Cross, Gokulam Park, Mysore, India
| | | | - Julien Chalifour
- Réserve Naturelle Nationale de Saint-Martin, Anse Marcel, 97150 Saint-Martin, France
| | - Sébastien Gréaux
- Agence Territoriale de l'Environnement de Saint-Barthélemy, Rue de la République, Gustavia 97133, Saint-Barthélemy, France
| | - Simone Mège
- Parc National de la Guadeloupe, rue Jean-Jaurès, 97122 Baie-Mahault, Guadeloupe, France
| | - Julien Athanase
- Réserve Naturelle Nationale de Petite-Terre, Association Tité, Capitaineries, 97127 La Désirade, France
| | - Sébastien Cordonnier
- Université des Antilles, UMR BOREA, B.P. 592, Pointe-à-Pitre 97159, Guadeloupe, France
| | - Marie-Laure Rouget
- UMS 3113, Univ Brest, IUEM, rue Dumont d'Urville, 29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Elise Lorre
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Thomas Uboldi
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Olivier Monnier
- Office français de la biodiversité, 5 Square Félix Nadar, 94300 Vincennes, France
| | - Claire Hellio
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
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21
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Hart KM, Guzy JC, Smith BJ. Drivers of realized satellite tracking duration in marine turtles. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:1. [PMID: 33402218 PMCID: PMC7786511 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-020-00237-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Satellite tags have revolutionized our understanding of marine animal movements. However, tags may stop transmitting for many reasons and little research has rigorously examined tag failure. Using a long-term, large-scale, multi-species dataset, we evaluated factors influencing tracking duration of satellite tags to inform study design for future tracking studies. METHODS We leveraged data on battery status transmitted with location data, recapture events, and number of transmission days to probabilistically quantify multiple potential causes of failure (i.e., battery failure, premature detachment, and tag damage/fouling). We used a combination of logistic regressions and an ordinary linear model including several predictor variables (i.e., tag type, battery life, species, sex, size, and foraging region). RESULTS We examined subsets of data from 360 satellite tags encompassing 86,889 tracking days deployed on four species of marine turtles throughout the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and Bahamas from 2008 to 2019. Only 4.1% of batteries died before failure due to other causes. We observed species-specific variation in how long tags remain attached: hawksbills retained 50% of their tags for 1649 days (95% CI 995-1800), loggerheads for 584 days (95% CI 400-690), and green turtles for 294 days (95% CI 198-450). Estimated tracking duration varied by foraging region (Caribbean: 385 days; Bahamas: 356; southern Gulf of Mexico [SGOM]: 276, northern Gulf of Mexico [NGOM]: 177). Additionally, we documented species-specific variation in estimated tracking duration among foraging regions. Based on sensor data, within the Gulf of Mexico, across species, we estimated that 50% of tags began to foul after 83 95% CI (70-120) days. CONCLUSIONS The main factor that limited tracking duration was tag damage (i.e., fouling and/or antenna breakage). Turtles that spent most of their time in the Gulf of Mexico had shorter tracking durations than those in the Bahamas and Caribbean, with shortest durations observed in the NGOM. Additionally, tracking duration varied by species, likely as a result of behaviors that damage tags. This information will help researchers, tag companies, permitting agencies, and funders better predict expected tracking durations, improving study designs for imperiled marine turtles. Our results highlight the heterogeneity in telemetry device longevity, and we provide a framework for researchers to evaluate telemetry devices with respect to their study objectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M Hart
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, 3321 College Avenue, Davie, FL, 33314, USA.
| | - Jacquelyn C Guzy
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, 3321 College Avenue, Davie, FL, 33314, USA
| | - Brian J Smith
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
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22
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Demeritte A, Wuest WM. A look around the West Indies: The spices of life are secondary metabolites. Bioorg Med Chem 2020; 28:115792. [PMID: 33038665 PMCID: PMC7528826 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2020.115792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Natural products possess a wide range of bioactivities with potential for therapeutic usage. While the distribution of these molecules can vary greatly there is some correlation that exists between the biodiversity of an environment and the uniqueness and concentration of natural products found in that region or area. The Caribbean and pan-Caribbean area is home to thousands of species of endemic fauna and flora providing huge potential for natural product discovery and by way, potential leads for drug development. This can especially be said for marine natural products as many of are rapidly diluted through diffusion once released and therefore are highly potent to achieve long reaching effects. This review seeks to highlight a small selection of marine natural products from the Caribbean region which possess antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory and antipathogenic properties while highlighting any synthetic efforts towards bioactive analogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Demeritte
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, 1515 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - William M Wuest
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, 1515 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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23
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Jaubet ML, Martinez LE, Saracho Bottero MA, Bazterrica MC. Boccardiella ligerica
, an exotic polychaete in a Southwestern Atlantic coastal lagoon: Morphology and abundance variations. Ecol Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- María Lourdes Jaubet
- Marine and Coastal Research Institute (IIMyC) ‐ National Mar del Plata University and Scientific and Techniques National Research Council (UNMDP‐CONICET) Mar del Plata CC1260 Argentina
- Benthic Bioindicators Research Group, Department of Marine Sciences Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences (FCEyN) ‐ UNMdP, Argentine Mar del Plata Argentina
| | - Lorena Evangelina Martinez
- Marine and Coastal Research Institute (IIMyC) ‐ National Mar del Plata University and Scientific and Techniques National Research Council (UNMDP‐CONICET) Mar del Plata CC1260 Argentina
- Wetlands and Coastal Environments Research Group Department of Biology, FCEyN Mar del Plata Argentina
| | - María Andrea Saracho Bottero
- Marine and Coastal Research Institute (IIMyC) ‐ National Mar del Plata University and Scientific and Techniques National Research Council (UNMDP‐CONICET) Mar del Plata CC1260 Argentina
- Benthic Bioindicators Research Group, Department of Marine Sciences Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences (FCEyN) ‐ UNMdP, Argentine Mar del Plata Argentina
| | - María Cielo Bazterrica
- Marine and Coastal Research Institute (IIMyC) ‐ National Mar del Plata University and Scientific and Techniques National Research Council (UNMDP‐CONICET) Mar del Plata CC1260 Argentina
- Wetlands and Coastal Environments Research Group Department of Biology, FCEyN Mar del Plata Argentina
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24
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Auscavitch SR, Lunden JJ, Barkman A, Quattrini AM, Demopoulos AWJ, Cordes EE. Distribution of deep-water scleractinian and stylasterid corals across abiotic environmental gradients on three seamounts in the Anegada Passage. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9523. [PMID: 32821533 PMCID: PMC7397984 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In the Caribbean Basin the distribution and diversity patterns of deep-sea scleractinian corals and stylasterid hydrocorals are poorly known compared to their shallow-water relatives. In this study, we examined species distribution and community assembly patterns of scleractinian and stylasterid corals on three high-profile seamounts within the Anegada Passage, a deep-water throughway linking the Caribbean Sea and western North Atlantic. Using remotely operated vehicle surveys conducted on the E/V Nautilus by the ROV Hercules in 2014, we characterized coral assemblages and seawater environmental variables between 162 and 2,157 m on Dog Seamount, Conrad Seamount, and Noroît Seamount. In all, 13 morphospecies of scleractinian and stylasterid corals were identified from video with stylasterids being numerically more abundant than both colonial and solitary scleractinians. Cosmopolitan framework-forming species including Madrepora oculata and Solenosmilia variabilis were present but occurred in patchy distributions among the three seamounts. Framework-forming species occurred at or above the depth of the aragonite saturation horizon with stylasterid hydrocorals being the only coral taxon observed below Ωarag values of 1. Coral assemblage variation was found to be strongly associated with depth and aragonite saturation state, while other environmental variables exerted less influence. This study enhances our understanding of the factors that regulate scleractinian and stylasterid coral distribution in an underreported marginal sea and establishes a baseline for monitoring future environmental changes due to ocean acidification and deoxygenation in the tropical western Atlantic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jay J Lunden
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Andrea M Quattrini
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Erik E Cordes
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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25
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Pimiento C, Bacon CD, Silvestro D, Hendy A, Jaramillo C, Zizka A, Meyer X, Antonelli A. Selective extinction against redundant species buffers functional diversity. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201162. [PMID: 32693723 PMCID: PMC7423665 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The extinction of species can destabilize ecological processes. A way to assess the ecological consequences of species loss is by examining changes in functional diversity. The preservation of functional diversity depends on the range of ecological roles performed by species, or functional richness, and the number of species per role, or functional redundancy. However, current knowledge is based on short timescales and an understanding of how functional diversity responds to long-term biodiversity dynamics has been limited by the availability of deep-time, trait-based data. Here, we compile an exceptional trait dataset of fossil molluscs from a 23-million-year interval in the Caribbean Sea (34 011 records, 4422 species) and develop a novel Bayesian model of multi-trait-dependent diversification to reconstruct mollusc (i) diversity dynamics, (ii) changes in functional diversity, and (iii) extinction selectivity over the last 23 Myr. Our results identify high diversification between 23–5 Mya, leading to increases in both functional richness and redundancy. Conversely, over the last three million years, a period of high extinction rates resulted in the loss of 49% of species but only 3% of functional richness. Extinction rates were significantly higher in small, functionally redundant species suggesting that competition mediated the response of species to environmental change. Taken together, our results identify long-term diversification and selective extinction against redundant species that allowed functional diversity to grow over time, ultimately buffering the ecological functions of biological communities against extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catalina Pimiento
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama
| | - Christine D Bacon
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 461, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.,Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Box 461, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Daniele Silvestro
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 461, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.,Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Box 461, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Austin Hendy
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA
| | - Carlos Jaramillo
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama.,Equipe de Paléontologie, Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05, France.,Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| | - Alexander Zizka
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Box 461, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.,German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle Jena Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Xavier Meyer
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Alexandre Antonelli
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 461, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.,Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Box 461, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.,Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, Richmond TW9 3AE, UK
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26
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Silva MSS, Pires A, Almeida M, Oliveira M. The use of Hediste diversicolor in the study of emerging contaminants. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 159:105013. [PMID: 32662441 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The contamination of aquatic environments has been the focus of research to understand effects on ecosystems and its species. Benthic organisms are considered potential targets since sediments act as sources and sinks for environmental contaminants. This review presents information on the effects of three types of emerging contaminants: pharmaceuticals (tested concentrations between 0.1 ng/L - 250 mg/L and 0.01 ng/g - 2.5 μg/g), metal-based nanoparticles (<100 nm) (tested concentrations between 10 μg/L - 1 mg/L and 5 - 140 μg/g) and micro(nano)plastics (tested concentrations between 5 μg/L - 50 mg/L and 10 - 50 mg/kg), on the polychaete Hediste diversicolor, a key species in estuarine/coastal ecosystems. Data shows that these contaminants promote alterations in burrowing activity (lowest concentration inducing effects: 10 ng/L), neurotransmission and damage related parameters (lowest concentration inducing effects: 100 ng/L). The characteristics of this polychaete, such as regenerative capacity, make the use of this species in biomedical studies involving environmental contaminants valuable.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S S Silva
- Departament of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Adília Pires
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Departament of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Mónica Almeida
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Departament of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Miguel Oliveira
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Departament of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
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27
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Freeman CJ, Easson CG, Matterson KO, Thacker RW, Baker DM, Paul VJ. Microbial symbionts and ecological divergence of Caribbean sponges: A new perspective on an ancient association. THE ISME JOURNAL 2020; 14:1571-1583. [PMID: 32203120 PMCID: PMC7242429 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-0625-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Marine sponges host diverse communities of microbial symbionts that expand the metabolic capabilities of their host, but the abundance and structure of these communities is highly variable across sponge species. Specificity in these interactions may fuel host niche partitioning on crowded coral reefs by allowing individual sponge species to exploit unique sources of carbon and nitrogen, but this hypothesis is yet to be tested. Given the presence of high sponge biomass and the coexistence of diverse sponge species, the Caribbean Sea provides a unique system in which to investigate this hypothesis. To test for ecological divergence among sympatric Caribbean sponges and investigate whether these trends are mediated by microbial symbionts, we measured stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) ratios and characterized the microbial community structure of sponge species at sites within four regions spanning a 1700 km latitudinal gradient. There was a low (median of 8.2 %) overlap in the isotopic niches of sympatric species; in addition, host identity accounted for over 75% of the dissimilarity in both δ13C and δ15N values and microbiome community structure among individual samples within a site. There was also a strong phylogenetic signal in both δ15N values and microbial community diversity across host phylogeny, as well as a correlation between microbial community structure and variation in δ13C and δ15N values across samples. Together, this evidence supports a hypothesis of strong evolutionary selection for ecological divergence across sponge lineages and suggests that this divergence is at least partially mediated by associations with microbial symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Freeman
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, USA.
- Department of Biology, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Cole G Easson
- Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, Nova Southeastern University, Dania Beach, FL, USA
- Biology Department, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
| | - Kenan O Matterson
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Robert W Thacker
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Republic of Panama
| | - David M Baker
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China
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28
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Zoantharia (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia) of the Dutch Caribbean and One New Species of Parazoanthus. DIVERSITY-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12050190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Species of the anthozoan order Zoantharia (=Zoanthidea) are common components of subtropical and tropical shallow water coral reefs. Despite a long history of research on their species diversity in the Caribbean, many regions within this sea remain underexamined. One such region is the Dutch Caribbean, including the islands of St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, Saba, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, as well as the Saba Bank, for which no definitive species list exists. Here, combining examinations of specimens housed in the Naturalis Biodiversity Center collection with new specimens and records from field expeditions, we provide a list of zoantharian species found within the Dutch Caribbean. Our results demonstrate the presence at least 16 described species, including the newly described Parazoanthus atlanticus, and the additional potential presence of up to four undescribed species. These records of new and undescribed species demonstrate that although the zoantharian research history of the Caribbean is long, further discoveries remain to be found. In light of biodiversity loss and increasing anthropogenic pressure on declining coral reefs, documenting the diversity of zoantharians and other coral reef species to provide baseline data takes on a new urgency.
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29
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Miyazawa E, Montilla LM, Agudo-Adriani EA, Ascanio A, Mariño-Briceño G, Croquer A. On the importance of spatial scales on beta diversity of coral assemblages: a study from Venezuelan coral reefs. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9082. [PMID: 32411533 PMCID: PMC7204821 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Estimating variability across spatial scales has been a major issue in ecology because the description of patterns in space is extremely valuable to propose specific hypotheses to unveil key processes behind these patterns. This paper aims to estimate the variability of the coral assemblage structure at different spatial scales in order to determine which scales explain the largest variability on β-diversity. For this, a fully-nested design including a series of hierarchical-random factors encompassing three spatial scales: (1) regions, (2) localities and (3) reefs sites across the Venezuelan territory. The variability among spatial scales was tested with a permutation-based analysis of variance (Permanova) based on Bray-Curtis index. Dispersion in species presence/absence across scales (i.e., β-diversity) was tested with a PermDisp analysis based on Jaccard's index. We found the highest variability in the coral assemblage structure between sites within localities (Pseudo-F = 5.34; p-value = 0.001, CV = 35.10%). We also found that longitude (Canonical corr = 0.867, p = 0.001) is a better predictor of the coral assemblage structure in Venezuela, than latitude (Canonical corr = 0.552, p = 0.021). Largest changes in β-diversity of corals occurred within sites (F = 2.764, df1= 35, df2 = 107, p = 0.045) and within localities (F = 4.438, df1= 6, df2 = 29, p = 0.026). Our results suggest that processes operating at spatial scales of hundreds of meters and hundreds of kilometers might both be critical to shape coral assemblage structure in Venezuela, whereas smaller scales (i.e., hundreds of meters) showed to be highly- important for the species turnover component of β-diversity. This result highlights the importance of creating scale-adapted management actions in Venezuela and likely across the Caribbean region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emy Miyazawa
- Laboratorio de Ecología Experimental, Universidad Simón Bolivar, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Luis M. Montilla
- Laboratorio de Ecología Experimental, Universidad Simón Bolivar, Caracas, Venezuela
- Integrative Marine Ecology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Esteban Alejandro Agudo-Adriani
- Laboratorio de Ecología Experimental, Universidad Simón Bolivar, Caracas, Venezuela
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Alfredo Ascanio
- Laboratorio de Ecología Experimental, Universidad Simón Bolivar, Caracas, Venezuela
- Department of Biology, Miami University of Ohio, Oxford, OH, United States of America
| | | | - Aldo Croquer
- Laboratorio de Ecología Experimental, Universidad Simón Bolivar, Caracas, Venezuela
- Centro de Innovación Marina, The Nature Conservancy, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
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30
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Nguyen BN, Shen EW, Seemann J, Correa AMS, O'Donnell JL, Altieri AH, Knowlton N, Crandall KA, Egan SP, McMillan WO, Leray M. Environmental DNA survey captures patterns of fish and invertebrate diversity across a tropical seascape. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6729. [PMID: 32317664 PMCID: PMC7174284 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63565-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurate, rapid, and comprehensive biodiversity assessments are critical for investigating ecological processes and supporting conservation efforts. Environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys show promise as a way to effectively characterize fine-scale patterns of community composition. We tested whether a single PCR survey of eDNA in seawater using a broad metazoan primer could identify differences in community composition between five adjacent habitats at 19 sites across a tropical Caribbean bay in Panama. We paired this effort with visual fish surveys to compare methods for a conspicuous taxonomic group. eDNA revealed a tremendous diversity of animals (8,586 operational taxonomic units), including many small taxa that would be undetected in traditional in situ surveys. Fish comprised only 0.07% of the taxa detected by a broad COI primer, yet included 43 species not observed in the visual survey. eDNA revealed significant differences in fish and invertebrate community composition across adjacent habitats and areas of the bay driven in part by taxa known to be habitat-specialists or tolerant to wave action. Our results demonstrate the ability of broad eDNA surveys to identify biodiversity patterns in the ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan N Nguyen
- Computational Biology Institute, The Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Elaine W Shen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA.
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA.
| | - Janina Seemann
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Balboa, Ancon, Panama
| | | | - James L O'Donnell
- School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Andrew H Altieri
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Balboa, Ancon, Panama
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Nancy Knowlton
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Keith A Crandall
- Computational Biology Institute, The Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, The Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Scott P Egan
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - W Owen McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Balboa, Ancon, Panama
| | - Matthieu Leray
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Balboa, Ancon, Panama
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31
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Sánchez-Quinto A, Costa JCD, Zamboni NS, Sanches FHC, Principe SC, Viotto EV, Casagranda E, Veiga-Lima FAD, Possamai B, Faroni-Perez L. Development of a conceptual framework for the management of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Mexican Caribbean. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2020. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2019-0901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Abstract: Coral reefs and mangroves support rich biodiversity and provide ecosystem services that range from food, recreational benefits and coastal protection services, among others. They are one of the most threatened ecosystems by urbanization processes. In this context, we developed a conceptual framework for the management of biodiversity and ecosystem services for these coastal environments. We based our workflow on two sections: “Information base” and “Governance” and use the Puerto Morelos Coastal region as a case study for coastal protection. Puerto Morelos is between two of the most touristic destinations of Mexico (Playa del Carmen and Cancun) that has experienced an increase of population in the past four decades resulting in an intensification of multiple threats to its ecosystems. We characterized the two ecosystems with a “Management Units” strategy. An expert-based ecosystem services matrix was also described in order to connect mangroves and coral reef ecosystems with the multiple beneficiaries. Then an ecosystem model (conceptual model and Global Biodiversity model) was developed. The conceptual model was useful in understanding the interplay processes between systems regarding the ecosystem service of “Coastal Protection”. The Global Biodiversity model evidenced the human-induced shifts in the biodiversity for mangrove and coral reefs ecosystems. Also, a projection for 2035 of “best” and “worst” scenarios was applied using GLOBIO3. A DPSIR conceptual framework was used to analyze environmental problems regarding ecosystem services maintenance. Finally, we evaluated a set of policies associated with these ecosystems that favor coastal protection integrity. This framework facilitates the identification of the most relevant processes and controls about the provision of coastal protection service. It can also be useful to better target management actions and as a tool to identify future management needs to tackle the challenges preventing more effective conservation of coastal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Evangelina V. Viotto
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Transferencia Tecnológica a la Producción, Argentina
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32
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Garcia-Soto G, Lopez-Bautista J. Laurencia natalensis (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta): a new record for the Atlantic Ocean. CARIBB J SCI 2019. [DOI: 10.18475/cjos.v49i2.a9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Garcia-Soto
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Juan Lopez-Bautista
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
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33
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Cepeda D, Pardos F, Sánchez N. Kinorhyncha from the Caribbean, with the description of two new species from Puerto Rico and Barbados. ZOOL ANZ 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2019.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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34
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Ritschard EA, Guerrero-Kommritz J, Sanchez JA. First molecular approach to the octopus fauna from the southern Caribbean. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7300. [PMID: 31392090 PMCID: PMC6673601 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The octopus fauna from the southern Caribbean is an understudied field. However, recent taxonomic work in the Colombian Caribbean has led to the discovery of several new species in the family Octopodidae. To provide molecular evidence for recent descriptions in the area (i.e., Octopus taganga, O. tayrona and Macrotritopus beatrixi) and contribute to the systematics of the family, we reconstructed the first molecular phylogenies of the family including Colombian Caribbean octopus species. Using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and rhodopsin sequences from specimens collected in three sites (Santa Marta, Old Providence and San Andrés Islands) we inferred maximum-likelihood trees and delimited species with PTP. Our mitochondrial analysis supported the monophyly of species found in the area (i.e., O. taganga, O. hummelincki and O. briareus). The genetic distinction of the species O. tayrona and O. insularis was not resolved, as these were found in one clade together with Caribbean O. vulgaris and O. aff. tayrona species (O. spB) and delimited as a single species. Additionally, our results suggest a distant relationship of the Type I O. vulgaris group (Caribbean region) from the other forms of the species complex (Old World and Brazil). Lastly, the third newly described species M. beatrixi emerged as an independent lineage and was delimited as a single species. However, its relationship to other species of its genus remains unknown due to the lack of sequences in databases. Altogether, our molecular approach to the octopus fauna from the southern Caribbean adds on information to the relationship of Octopodidae species world-wide by providing sequences from recently described species from an understudied region. Further studies employing higher taxon sampling and more molecular information are needed to fill taxonomic gaps in the area and account for single-locus resolution on the systematics of this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena A Ritschard
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular Marina (BIOMMAR), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.,Department of Molecular Evolution and Development, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Juan A Sanchez
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular Marina (BIOMMAR), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
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35
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Hernández R, Álvarez F. Molluscs from the Puerto Morelos Reef National Park, Quintana Roo, Mexico; new records for the Mexican Caribbean. REV MEX BIODIVERS 2019. [DOI: 10.22201/ib.20078706e.2019.90.2712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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36
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Guppy R, Ackbarali C, Ibrahim D. Toxicity of crude organic extracts from the zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum: A biogeography approach. Toxicon 2019; 167:117-122. [PMID: 31211958 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Marine isolates such as palytoxin (PTX) are of concern within the Caribbean region due to their toxicity. PTX for example has been described as a one of the most known potent marine toxins, known to prevent predation from larger species (e.g. vertebrates) as well as the prevention of being overgrown from other coral species. PTX is a polyhydroxylated polyether toxin with a very large and complex chemical structure that possesses both hydrophilic and lipophilic properties. Previous acute toxicity tests using brine shrimp (Artemia salina) and PTX extract had shown it to be moderately toxic. In humans, PTX has been credited to be responsible for extreme symptoms such anaphylactic shock, rapid cardiac failure and eventual death occurring within minutes. Extrapolation for human dose ranges has therefore been suggested to be between 2.3 and 31.5 μg. This study isolates a potentially PTX-enriched extract from Palythoa caribaeorum and examines its organic extract toxicity from a biogeography perspective from a within-colony to a variety of reef sites around Trinidad and Tobago that are popular for marine visitors. This research represents an acute study with a high level of crude organic extract toxicity on A. salina whilst postulating potential factors which may contribute to its extreme toxicity and the risk posed to users of these environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reia Guppy
- Centre for Maritime and Ocean Studies, Marine Sciences, The University of Trinidad and Tobago, Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago.
| | - Christopher Ackbarali
- Centre for Maritime and Ocean Studies, Marine Sciences, The University of Trinidad and Tobago, Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Damien Ibrahim
- Centre for Maritime and Ocean Studies, Marine Sciences, The University of Trinidad and Tobago, Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago
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37
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Fernandes MR, Segadilha JL. Shells of Triphoroidea (Gastropoda) occupied by crustaceans in the western Atlantic. J NAT HIST 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2019.1582816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maurício Romulo Fernandes
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Departamento de Invertebrados, Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Juliana Lopes Segadilha
- Departamento de Invertebrados, Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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38
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Siegel KJ, Cabral RB, McHenry J, Ojea E, Owashi B, Lester SE. Sovereign states in the Caribbean have lower social-ecological vulnerability to coral bleaching than overseas territories. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20182365. [PMID: 30963826 PMCID: PMC6408901 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reef social-ecological systems worldwide face major impacts from climate change, and spatial variation in vulnerability is driven by differential exposure to climatic threats, ecological and socio-economic sensitivity to those threats, ecological recovery potential, and socio-economic adaptive capacity. We assess variation in social-ecological vulnerability to climate change-induced coral bleaching, specifically for reef-based fisheries and tourism, of islands throughout the insular Caribbean, thus providing the first region-wide quantitative analysis of island-scale social-ecological vulnerability to coral bleaching. We show that different components of vulnerability have distinct spatial patterns and that variability in overall vulnerability is driven more by socio-economic than ecological components. Importantly, we find that sovereign islands are less vulnerable on average than overseas territories and that the presence of fisheries management regulations is a significant predictor of adaptive capacity and socio-economic sensitivity, with important implications for island-level governance and policies to reduce climate vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine J. Siegel
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, 326 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA
| | - Reniel B. Cabral
- Sustainable Fisheries Group, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5131, USA
| | - Jennifer McHenry
- Department of Geography, Florida State University, 323 Bellamy Building, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2190, USA
| | - Elena Ojea
- Future Oceans Lab, University of Vigo, Spain
| | - Brandon Owashi
- Sustainable Fisheries Group, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5131, USA
| | - Sarah E. Lester
- Department of Geography, Florida State University, 323 Bellamy Building, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2190, USA
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39
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Nirchio M, Gaviria JI, Siccha-Ramirez ZR, Oliveira C, Foresti F, Milana V, Rossi AR. Chromosomal polymorphism and molecular variability in the pearly razorfish Xyrichtys novacula (Labriformes, Labridae): taxonomic and biogeographic implications. Genetica 2019; 147:47-56. [PMID: 30673915 DOI: 10.1007/s10709-019-00051-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The pearly razorfish Xyrichtys novacula (Linnaeus, 1758) is a sedentary benthic species distributed in both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and in the Mediterranean Sea. Previous cytogenetic analysis reported different diploid numbers in samples from Italy, Venezuela and Brazil. This research aims to test the hypothesis that samples from American Atlantic coast and Mediterranean Sea belong to the same single evolutionary lineage, characterized by intra-specific chromosome polymorphism. To this purpose a cytogenetic and molecular (mitochondrial COI sequences) survey was undertaken. Results revealed the existence of three different pearly razorfish molecular lineages: one present in Mediterranean Sea and two in the central and south American area, which are characterized by different karyotypes. One of these lineages shows substantial intra-population chromosomal polymorphism (2n = 45-48) determined by Robertsonian fusions that produce large metacentric chromosomes. On the whole data suggest that specimens morphologically identified as X. novacula correspond to three cryptic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Nirchio
- Escuela de Ciencias Aplicadas del Mar, Núcleo de Nueva Esparta, Universidad de Oriente, Apartado 174, Porlamar, Isla de Margarita, Venezuela.,Universidad Técnica de Machala, Av. Panamericana km 5½, Via Pasaje, Machala, El Oro, Ecuador
| | - Juan Ignacio Gaviria
- Escuela de Ciencias Aplicadas del Mar, Núcleo de Nueva Esparta, Universidad de Oriente, Apartado 174, Porlamar, Isla de Margarita, Venezuela
| | | | - Claudio Oliveira
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista-UNESP, Botucatu, São Paulo, 18618-970, Brazil
| | - Fausto Foresti
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista-UNESP, Botucatu, São Paulo, 18618-970, Brazil
| | - Valentina Milana
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "C. Darwin", Sapienza-Università di Roma, Via Alfonso Borelli 50, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Rita Rossi
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "C. Darwin", Sapienza-Università di Roma, Via Alfonso Borelli 50, 00161, Rome, Italy.
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Castelblanco-Martínez DN, Blanco-Parra MP, Charruau P, Prezas B, Zamora-Vilchis I, Niño-Torres CA. Detecting, counting and following the giants of the sea: a review of monitoring methods for aquatic megavertebrates in the Caribbean. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2019. [DOI: 10.1071/wr19008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
The Caribbean is a mega-diverse and bio-geographically important region that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands, and surrounding coastlines. Among the billions of aquatic species inhabiting this region, the mega-vertebrates stand out for their social, economic and ecologic relevance. However, the Caribbean has been threatened by climate change, poverty, pollution, environmental degradation and intense growth of the tourism industry, affecting megafauna species directly and indirectly. Population monitoring plays a critical role in an informed conservation process and helps guide management decisions at several scales. The aim of the present review was to critically examine the methods employed for monitoring marine megafauna in the Caribbean, so as to create a framework for future monitoring efforts. In total, 235 documents describing protocols for the monitoring of sirenians, cetaceans, elasmobranchs, sea turtles and crocodilians in the Caribbean region, were reviewed. The methods included community-based monitoring (interviews, citizen science and fisheries monitoring), aerial surveys (by manned and unmanned aerial vehicles), boat-based surveys (including manta tow, and side-scan sonars), land-based surveys, acoustic monitoring, underwater surveys, baited remote underwater video, mark–recapture, photo-identification and telemetry. Monitoring efforts invested on aquatic megafauna in the Caribbean have been highly different, with some species and/or groups being prioritised over others. The present critical review provides a country-based overview of the current and emerging methods for monitoring marine megafauna and a critical evaluation of their known advantages, disadvantages and biases.
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Calderón-Gutiérrez F, Sánchez-Ortiz CA, Huato-Soberanis L. Ecological patterns in anchialine caves. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0202909. [PMID: 30403661 PMCID: PMC6221257 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Anchialine caves are characterized by high levels of endemism and extreme conditions. However, few ecological studies have been conducted in these ecosystems. This study integrates biotic and abiotic parameters of two sets of cave systems with contrasting high and low species richness. Seven ecological patterns are used to explain the expected species richness and density in an anchialine cave. In addition, the population size for conspicuous macrofauna was estimated. The high impact that single-events have on anchialine fauna are also reported. These findings reinforce the conclusions of previous studies of the high extinction risk of anchialine cave fauna, and substantiate the necessity of ad hoc conservation strategies for anchialine caves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Calderón-Gutiérrez
- Departamento Académico de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur, México
| | - Carlos A Sánchez-Ortiz
- Departamento Académico de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur, México
| | - Leonardo Huato-Soberanis
- Programa de Ecología Pesquera, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR), La Paz, Baja California Sur, México
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Variation in species diversity of deep-water megafauna assemblages in the Caribbean across depth and ecoregions. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0201269. [PMID: 30067813 PMCID: PMC6070233 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Diversity patterns of the deep-sea megafauna in the Caribbean Basin and the Guiana ecoregion were analyzed in order to test the hypothesis of species richness variation as a function of depth and the hypothesis of non-differences between ecoregions by analyzing spatial patterns of five taxa and a merged assemblage. Collections of five taxa (corals, sea stars, sea urchins, sea lilies and gastropods) were obtained from seven oceanographic expeditions aboard the R/V Pillsbury at 310 stations between 60 and 7500 m depth. Data were sorted according to depth zones and ecoregions and were analyzed in order to estimate species richness, changes in species composition and distinction of β-diversity by species turnover or by nestedness. The observed patterns of diversity were consistent between taxa and their assemblage: Species richness increased from the continental shelf (60-200 m deep) to the slope (200-2000 m deep), followed by a decrease at the continental rise-abyssal zone. We detected marked changes in species composition according to depth ranges. Changes in species composition in relation to ecoregions were also detected. In general, the Caribbean Basin lacks important physical barriers, causing high deep-sea ecosystem connectivity; however, variation in composition could be related to changes in environmental conditions associated with productivity and/or continental influences.
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Pawlik JR, Loh TL, McMurray SE. A review of bottom-up vs. top-down control of sponges on Caribbean fore-reefs: what's old, what's new, and future directions. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4343. [PMID: 29404224 PMCID: PMC5797447 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Interest in the ecology of sponges on coral reefs has grown in recent years with mounting evidence that sponges are becoming dominant members of reef communities, particularly in the Caribbean. New estimates of water column processing by sponge pumping activities combined with discoveries related to carbon and nutrient cycling have led to novel hypotheses about the role of sponges in reef ecosystem function. Among these developments, a debate has emerged about the relative effects of bottom-up (food availability) and top-down (predation) control on the community of sponges on Caribbean fore-reefs. In this review, we evaluate the impact of the latest findings on the debate, as well as provide new insights based on older citations. Recent studies that employed different research methods have demonstrated that dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and detritus are the principal sources of food for a growing list of sponge species, challenging the idea that the relative availability of living picoplankton is the sole proxy for sponge growth or abundance. New reports have confirmed earlier findings that reef macroalgae release labile DOC available for sponge nutrition. Evidence for top-down control of sponge community structure by fish predation is further supported by gut content studies and historical population estimates of hawksbill turtles, which likely had a much greater impact on relative sponge abundances on Caribbean reefs of the past. Implicit to investigations designed to address the bottom-up vs. top-down debate are appropriate studies of Caribbean fore-reef environments, where benthic communities are relatively homogeneous and terrestrial influences and abiotic effects are minimized. One recent study designed to test both aspects of the debate did so using experiments conducted entirely in shallow lagoonal habitats dominated by mangroves and seagrass beds. The top-down results from this study are reinterpreted as supporting past research demonstrating predator preferences for sponge species that are abundant in these lagoonal habitats, but grazed away in fore-reef habitats. We conclude that sponge communities on Caribbean fore-reefs of the past and present are largely structured by predation, and offer new directions for research, such as determining the environmental conditions under which sponges may be food-limited (e.g., deep sea, lagoonal habitats) and monitoring changes in sponge community structure as populations of hawksbill turtles rebound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R Pawlik
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology and Center for Marine Science, UNCW, Wilmington, NC, USA
| | | | - Steven E McMurray
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology and Center for Marine Science, UNCW, Wilmington, NC, USA
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Cóndor-Luján B, Louzada T, Hajdu E, Klautau M. Morphological and molecular taxonomy of calcareous sponges (Porifera: Calcarea) from Curaçao, Caribbean Sea. Zool J Linn Soc 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Báslavi Cóndor-Luján
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Zoologia, CEP, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Taynara Louzada
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Zoologia, CEP, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
- Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biociências, Urca, CEP, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Eduardo Hajdu
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Museu Nacional, Departamento de Invertebrados, Quinta da Boa Vista, São Cristóvão, CEP, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Michelle Klautau
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Zoologia, CEP, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
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Diez YL, Reygel P, Artois T. Parapharyngiella caribbaean. sp., a new species of Trigonostomidae (Rhabdocoela; Platyhelminthes) from Cuba, with a taxonomical reassessment of the genus. TROPICAL ZOOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/03946975.2017.1395258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yander L. Diez
- Biology Department, Universidad de Oriente, Ave. Patricio Lumumba s/n, CP 90500, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology, Hasselt University, Universitaire Campus Gebouw D, Diepenbeek B-3590, Belgium
| | - Patrick Reygel
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology, Hasselt University, Universitaire Campus Gebouw D, Diepenbeek B-3590, Belgium
| | - Tom Artois
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology, Hasselt University, Universitaire Campus Gebouw D, Diepenbeek B-3590, Belgium
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García CB. Spatial richness patterns of soft-bottom fish in the Colombian Caribbean continental shelf and slope. ACTA BIOLÓGICA COLOMBIANA 2018. [DOI: 10.15446/abc.v23n1.66530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Este estudio presenta un análisis espacial de la riqueza de especies de peces óseos y cartilaginosos de fondos blandos del Caribe Colombiano. El conjunto de datos consiste de 625 especies distribuidas en 15651 registros georeferenciados. El análisis de completitud global de riqueza sugiere que la lista está próxima a estar completa pero que probablemente mas especies están pendientes de ser registradas a mayores profundidades. En términos espaciales el conocimiento de la riqueza de especies se mantiene incompleto ya que ninguna de las unidades espaciales en que el área general fue dividida, alcanzo el 100 % de completitud y pocas alcanzaron el 70 % o mas, probablemente debido a la influencia de muchas especies raras. Las zonas Guajira, Palomino, Tayrona y el Golfo de Salamanca mostraron la mayor riqueza observada y esperada. Para las zonas Galerazamba, Arco (archipiélago coralino) y Arboletes se predice alta riqueza de especies. En vista de los resultados, las áreas marinas protegidas deben expandirse para incluir hábitats de fondos blandos. Esfuerzos futuros de investigación deben enfocarse en las áreas de alta riqueza de especies tanto observada como esperada e incluir más extensamente localidades profundas.
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Krug PJ, Berriman JS, Valdés Á. Phylogenetic systematics of the shelled sea slug genus Oxynoe Rafinesque, 1814 (Heterobranchia : Sacoglossa), with integrative descriptions of seven new species. INVERTEBR SYST 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/is17080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
An integrative approach to investigate the species-level diversity in Oxynoe (Mollusca, Heterobranchia, Sacoglossa) revealed the existence of 11 distinct taxa. Oxynoe viridis (Pease, 1861) and Oxynoe antillarum Mörch, 1863 are redescribed; Oxynoe natalensis E. A. Smith, 1903 and Oxynoe azuropunctata Jensen, 1980 are regarded as valid. Species originally described from empty shells are regarded as nomina dubia. Seven new species are described, four from the tropical Indo-West Pacific: Oxynoe kylei, sp. nov., Oxynoe neridae, sp. nov., Oxynoe jordani, sp. nov. and Oxynoe jacksoni, sp. nov.; and two from the tropical Atlantic: Oxynoe struthioe, sp. nov. and Oxynoe ilani, sp. nov. The name Oxynoe panamensis Pilsbry & Olsson, 1943 has been applied to eastern Pacific specimens, but was introduced based on material collected from the Caribbean; therefore, the new name Oxynoe aliciae, sp. nov. is introduced for eastern Pacific specimens. Species are delineated using molecular and morphological traits, as well as algal host and reproductive biology. Results from morphological comparisons are concordant with molecular and integrative species delimitation analyses, providing robust evidence for species hypotheses. As Oxynoe is one of the few groups specialised to feed on the green algal genus Caulerpa, which includes highly invasive species, clarifying the taxonomy of Oxynoe may inform efforts to predict community response to disruptive algal invasions.
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González AM, Prada CA, Ávila V, Medina M. Ecological Speciation in Corals. POPULATION GENOMICS 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/13836_2018_35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Abstract
Marine biogeographic realms have been inferred from small groups of species in particular environments (e.g., coastal, pelagic), without a global map of realms based on statistical analysis of species across all higher taxa. Here we analyze the distribution of 65,000 species of marine animals and plants, and distinguish 30 distinct marine realms, a similar proportion per area as found for land. On average, 42% of species are unique to the realms. We reveal 18 continental-shelf and 12 offshore deep-sea realms, reflecting the wider ranges of species in the pelagic and deep-sea compared to coastal areas. The most widespread species are pelagic microscopic plankton and megafauna. Analysis of pelagic species recognizes five realms within which other realms are nested. These maps integrate the biogeography of coastal and deep-sea, pelagic and benthic environments, and show how land-barriers, salinity, depth, and environmental heterogeneity relate to the evolution of biota. The realms have applications for marine reserves, biodiversity assessments, and as an evolution relevant context for climate change studies.
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Graham RE, Fanning LM. A comparison of eight country plans for the Invasive Indo-Pacific Lionfish in the Wider Caribbean. Glob Ecol Conserv 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2017.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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