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Ceccherelli G, Addis P, Atzori F, Cadoni N, Casu M, Coppa S, De Luca M, de Lucia GA, Farina S, Fois N, Frau F, Gazale V, Grech D, Guala I, Mariani M, Marras MSG, Navone A, Pansini A, Panzalis P, Pinna F, Ruiu A, Scarpa F, Piazzi L. Sea urchin harvest inside marine protected areas: an opportunity to investigate the effects of exploitation where trophic upgrading is achieved. PeerJ 2022; 10:e12971. [PMID: 35282273 PMCID: PMC8908888 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Marine protected areas (MPAs) usually have both positive effects of protection for the fisheries' target species and indirect negative effects for sea urchins. Moreover, often in MPAs sea urchin human harvest is restricted, but allowed. This study is aimed at estimating the effect of human harvest of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus within MPAs, where fish exploitation is restricted and its density is already controlled by a higher natural predation risk. The prediction we formulated was that the lowest densities of commercial sea urchins would be found where human harvest is allowed and where the harvest is restricted, compared to where the harvest is forbidden. Methods At this aim, a collaborative database gained across five MPAs in Sardinia (Western Mediterranean, Italy) and areas outside was gathered collecting sea urchin abundance and size data in a total of 106 sites at different degrees of sea urchin exploitation: no, restricted and unrestricted harvest sites (NH, RH and UH, respectively). Furthermore, as estimates made in past monitoring efforts (since 2005) were available for 75 of the sampled sites, for each of the different levels of exploitation, the rate of variation in the total sea urchin density was also estimated. Results Results have highlighted that the lowest sea urchin total and commercial density was found in RH sites, likely for the cumulative effects of human harvest and natural predation. The overall rate of change in sea urchin density over time indicates that only NH conditions promoted the increase of sea urchin abundance and that current local management of the MPAs has driven towards an important regression of populations, by allowing the harvest. Overall, results suggest that complex mechanisms, including synergistic effects between natural biotic interactions and human pressures, may occur on sea urchin populations and the assessment of MPA effects on P. lividus populations would be crucial to guide management decisions on regulating harvest permits. Overall, the need to ban sea urchin harvest in the MPAs to avoid extreme reductions is encouraged, as inside the MPAs sea urchin populations are likely under natural predation pressures for the trophic upgrading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Ceccherelli
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Universitá di Sassari, Via Piandanna, Sassari, Italy
| | - Piero Addis
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Universitá di Cagliari, Via Fiorelli, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Atzori
- Capo Carbonara –Villasimius Marine Protected Area, Via Roma, Villasimius (CA), Italy
| | - Nicoletta Cadoni
- Capo Carbonara –Villasimius Marine Protected Area, Via Roma, Villasimius (CA), Italy
| | - Marco Casu
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria –Sez. Fisiologia della Nutrizione e Zoologia, Universitá di Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Stefania Coppa
- Istituto per lo studio degli Impatti Antropici e Sostenibilità in ambiente marino (IAS) –Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Loc. Sa Mardini, Torre Grande (OR), Italy
| | - Mario De Luca
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Universitá di Sassari, Via Piandanna, Sassari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Andrea de Lucia
- Istituto per lo studio degli Impatti Antropici e Sostenibilità in ambiente marino (IAS) –Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Loc. Sa Mardini, Torre Grande (OR), Italy
| | - Simone Farina
- IMC –International Marine Centre, Loc. Sa Mardini, Torre Grande, OR, Italy,SZN –Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale Napoli, Italy
| | - Nicola Fois
- Agris –Agricultural Research Agency of Sardinia –Bonassai SS, Sassari, Italy
| | - Francesca Frau
- Capo Carbonara –Villasimius Marine Protected Area, Via Roma, Villasimius (CA), Italy
| | - Vittorio Gazale
- Isola dell’Asinara Marine Protected Area, via Ponte Romano, Porto Torres (SS), Italy
| | - Daniele Grech
- IMC –International Marine Centre, Loc. Sa Mardini, Torre Grande, OR, Italy
| | - Ivan Guala
- IMC –International Marine Centre, Loc. Sa Mardini, Torre Grande, OR, Italy
| | - Mariano Mariani
- Capo Caccia –Isola Piana Marine Protected Area, Loc. Tramariglio SP, Alghero, SS, Italy
| | - Massimo SG Marras
- Penisola del Sinis –Isola di Mal di Ventre Marine Protected Area, Corso Italia, Cabras, OR, Italy
| | - Augusto Navone
- Tavolara Punta Coda Cavallo Marine Protected Area, Via S. Giovanni, Olbia (SS), Italy
| | - Arianna Pansini
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Universitá di Sassari, Via Piandanna, Sassari, Italy
| | - Pieraugusto Panzalis
- Tavolara Punta Coda Cavallo Marine Protected Area, Via S. Giovanni, Olbia (SS), Italy
| | - Federico Pinna
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Universitá di Sassari, Via Piandanna, Sassari, Italy
| | - Alberto Ruiu
- Capo Caccia –Isola Piana Marine Protected Area, Loc. Tramariglio SP, Alghero, SS, Italy
| | - Fabio Scarpa
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria –Sez. Fisiologia della Nutrizione e Zoologia, Universitá di Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Luigi Piazzi
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Universitá di Sassari, Via Piandanna, Sassari, Italy
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Farina S, Baroli M, Brundu R, Conforti A, Cucco A, De Falco G, Guala I, Guerzoni S, Massaro G, Quattrocchi G, Romagnoni G, Brambilla W. The challenge of managing the commercial harvesting of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus: advanced approaches are required. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10093. [PMID: 33083138 PMCID: PMC7548073 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Sea urchins act as a keystone herbivore in marine coastal ecosystems, regulating macrophyte density, which offers refuge for multiple species. In the Mediterranean Sea, both the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus and fish preying on it are highly valuable target species for artisanal fisheries. As a consequence of the interactions between fish, sea urchins and macrophyte, fishing leads to trophic disorders with detrimental consequences for biodiversity and fisheries. In Sardinia (Western Mediterranean Sea), regulations for sea urchin harvesting have been in place since the mid 90s. However, given the important ecological role of P. lividus, the single-species fishery management may fail to take into account important ecosystem interactions. Hence, a deeper understanding of population dynamics, their dependance on environmental constraints and multispecies interactions may help to achieve long-term sustainable use of this resource. This work aims to highlight how sea urchin population structure varies spatially in relation to local environmental constraints and species interactions, with implications for their management. The study area (Sinis Peninsula, West Sardinia, Italy) that includes a Marine Reserve was divided into five sectors. These display combinations of the environmental constraints influencing sea urchin population dynamics, namely type of habitat (calcareous rock, granite, basalt, patchy and continuous meadows of Posidonia oceanica), average bottom current speed and predatory fish abundance. Size-frequency distribution of sea urchins under commercial size (<5 cm diameter size) assessed during the period from 2004 to 2007, before the population collapse in 2010, were compared for sectors and types of habitat. Specific correlations between recruits (0–1 cm diameter size) and bottom current speeds and between middle-sized sea urchins (2–5 cm diameter size) and predatory fish abundance were assessed. Parameters representing habitat spatial configuration (patch density, perimeter-to-area ratio, mean patch size, largest patch index, interspersion/juxtaposition index) were calculated and their influence on sea urchin density assessed. The density of sea urchins under commercial size was significantly higher in calcareous rock and was positively and significantly influenced by the density and average size of the rocky habitat patches. Recruits were significantly abundant in rocky habitats, while they were almost absent in P. oceanica meadows. The density of middle-sized sea urchins was more abundant in calcareous rock than in basalt, granite or P. oceanica. High densities of recruits resulted significantly correlated to low values of average bottom current speed, while a negative trend between the abundance of middle-sized sea urchins and predatory fish was found. Our results point out the need to account for the environmental constraints influencing local sea urchin density in fisheries management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Farina
- IMC-International Marine Centre, Oristano, Italy.,Current Affiliation: Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Deptartment of Integrative Marine Ecology, Ischia Marine Centre, Ischia, Naples, Italy
| | - Maura Baroli
- IMC-International Marine Centre, Oristano, Italy
| | - Roberto Brundu
- Marine Protected Area "Penisola del Sinis-Isola di Mal di Ventre", Cabras, Oristano, Italy
| | - Alessandro Conforti
- CNR-IAS, National Research Council, Institute for the study of Anthropic impacts and Sustainability in the marine environment, Oristano, Italy
| | - Andrea Cucco
- CNR-IAS, National Research Council, Institute for the study of Anthropic impacts and Sustainability in the marine environment, Oristano, Italy
| | - Giovanni De Falco
- CNR-IAS, National Research Council, Institute for the study of Anthropic impacts and Sustainability in the marine environment, Oristano, Italy
| | - Ivan Guala
- IMC-International Marine Centre, Oristano, Italy
| | | | - Giorgio Massaro
- CNR-IAS, National Research Council, Institute for the study of Anthropic impacts and Sustainability in the marine environment, Oristano, Italy
| | - Giovanni Quattrocchi
- CNR-IAS, National Research Council, Institute for the study of Anthropic impacts and Sustainability in the marine environment, Oristano, Italy
| | - Giovanni Romagnoni
- COISPA Tecnologia & Ricerca, Bari, Italy.,Deptartment of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Oslo, Norway
| | - Walter Brambilla
- CNR-IAS, National Research Council, Institute for the study of Anthropic impacts and Sustainability in the marine environment, Oristano, Italy
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Pessarrodona A, Boada J, Pagès JF, Arthur R, Alcoverro T. Consumptive and non‐consumptive effects of predators vary with the ontogeny of their prey. Ecology 2019; 100:e02649. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 12/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Albert Pessarrodona
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB‐CSIC) Carrer d'Accés a la cala Sant Francesc 14 Blanes 17300 Spain
| | - Jordi Boada
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB‐CSIC) Carrer d'Accés a la cala Sant Francesc 14 Blanes 17300 Spain
- Centre for Marine Bio‐Innovation School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Jordi F. Pagès
- School of Ocean Sciences Bangor University Menai Bridge LL59 5AB United Kingdom
| | - Rohan Arthur
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB‐CSIC) Carrer d'Accés a la cala Sant Francesc 14 Blanes 17300 Spain
- Nature Conservation Foundation Amritha, 1311, 12th Cross, Vijayanagara 1st stage Mysore 570017 India
| | - Teresa Alcoverro
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB‐CSIC) Carrer d'Accés a la cala Sant Francesc 14 Blanes 17300 Spain
- Nature Conservation Foundation Amritha, 1311, 12th Cross, Vijayanagara 1st stage Mysore 570017 India
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Boada J, Farina S, Arthur R, Romero J, Prado P, Alcoverro T. Herbivore control in connected seascapes: habitat determines when population regulation occurs in the life history of a key herbivore. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Boada
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC); Carrer d'Accés a la cala Sant Francesc 14 ES-17300 Blanes Spain
| | - Simone Farina
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC); Carrer d'Accés a la cala Sant Francesc 14 ES-17300 Blanes Spain
- Fondazione IMC, Centro Marino Internatzionale Onlus; Torre Grande Oristano Italy
| | - Rohan Arthur
- Nature Conservation Foundation; Mysore Karnataka India
| | - Javier Romero
- Dept d'Ecologia, Facultad de Biologia; Univ. de Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
| | - Patricia Prado
- IRTA, Aquatic Ecosystems; Sant Carles de la Rapita Tarragona Spain
| | - Teresa Alcoverro
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC); Carrer d'Accés a la cala Sant Francesc 14 ES-17300 Blanes Spain
- Nature Conservation Foundation; Mysore Karnataka India
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Farina S, Oltra A, Boada J, Bartumeus F, Romero J, Alcoverro T. Generation and maintenance of predation hotspots of a functionally important herbivore in a patchy habitat mosaic. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Farina
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de BlanesCEAB‐CSIC Girona Spain
| | - Aitana Oltra
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de BlanesCEAB‐CSIC Girona Spain
| | - Jordi Boada
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de BlanesCEAB‐CSIC Girona Spain
| | - Frederic Bartumeus
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de BlanesCEAB‐CSIC Girona Spain
- CREAF Barcelona Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, ICREA Barcelona Spain
| | - Javier Romero
- Departament d'EcologiaUniversitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Teresa Alcoverro
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de BlanesCEAB‐CSIC Girona Spain
- Nature Conservation Foundation Mysore Karnataka India
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Boada J, Arthur R, Alonso D, Pagès JF, Pessarrodona A, Oliva S, Ceccherelli G, Piazzi L, Romero J, Alcoverro T. Immanent conditions determine imminent collapses: nutrient regimes define the resilience of macroalgal communities. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20162814. [PMID: 28330920 PMCID: PMC5378086 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Predicting where state-changing thresholds lie can be inherently complex in ecosystems characterized by nonlinear dynamics. Unpacking the mechanisms underlying these transitions can help considerably reduce this unpredictability. We used empirical observations, field and laboratory experiments, and mathematical models to examine how differences in nutrient regimes mediate the capacity of macrophyte communities to sustain sea urchin grazing. In relatively nutrient-rich conditions, macrophyte systems were more resilient to grazing, shifting to barrens beyond 1 800 g m-2 (urchin biomass), more than twice the threshold of nutrient-poor conditions. The mechanisms driving these differences are linked to how nutrients mediate urchin foraging and algal growth: controlled experiments showed that low-nutrient regimes trigger compensatory feeding and reduce plant growth, mechanisms supported by our consumer-resource model. These mechanisms act together to halve macrophyte community resilience. Our study demonstrates that by mediating the underlying drivers, inherent conditions can strongly influence the buffer capacity of nonlinear systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Boada
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Carrer d'Accés a la cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Spain
| | - Rohan Arthur
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Carrer d'Accés a la cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Spain
- Nature Conservation Foundation, 3076/5, 4th Cross, Gokulam Park, 570002 Mysore, Karnataka, India
| | - David Alonso
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Carrer d'Accés a la cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Spain
| | - Jordi F Pagès
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Wales LL59 5AB, UK
| | - Albert Pessarrodona
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Carrer d'Accés a la cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Spain
| | - Silvia Oliva
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio (DIPNET), Università di Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, Sassari, Italy
| | - Giulia Ceccherelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio (DIPNET), Università di Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, Sassari, Italy
| | - Luigi Piazzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio (DIPNET), Università di Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, Sassari, Italy
| | - Javier Romero
- Departament d'Ecologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avenue Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Teresa Alcoverro
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Carrer d'Accés a la cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Spain
- Nature Conservation Foundation, 3076/5, 4th Cross, Gokulam Park, 570002 Mysore, Karnataka, India
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Loi B, Guala I, Pires da Silva R, Brundu G, Baroli M, Farina S. Hard time to be parents? Sea urchin fishery shifts potential reproductive contribution of population onto the shoulders of the young adults. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3067. [PMID: 28289567 PMCID: PMC5345490 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 02/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In Sardinia, as in other regions of the Mediterranean Sea, sustainable fisheries of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus have become a necessity. At harvesting sites, the systematic removal of large individuals (diameter ≥ 50 mm) seriously compromises the biological and ecological functions of sea urchin populations. Specifically, in this study, we compared the reproductive potential of the populations from Mediterranean coastal areas which have different levels of sea urchin fishing pressure. The areas were located at Su Pallosu Bay, where pressure is high and Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo, a marine protected area where sea urchin harvesting is low. Methods Reproductive potential was estimated by calculating the gonadosomatic index (GSI) from June 2013 to May 2014 both for individuals of commercial size (diameter without spines, TD ≥ 50 mm) and the undersized ones with gonads (30 ≤ TD < 40 mm and 40 ≤ TD < 50 mm). Gamete output was calculated for the commercial-size class and the undersized individuals with fertile gonads (40 ≤ TD < 50 mm) in relation to their natural density (gamete output per m2). Results The reproductive potential of populations was slightly different at the beginning of the sampling period but it progressed at different rates with an early spring spawning event in the high-pressure zone and two gamete depositions in early and late spring in the low-pressure zone. For each fertile size class, GSI values changed significantly during the year of our study and between the two zones. Although the multiple spawning events determined a two-fold higher total gamete output of population (popTGO) in the low-pressure zone, the population mean gamete output (popMGO) was similar in the two zones. In the high-pressure zone, the commercial-sized individuals represented approximatively 5% of the population, with almost all the individuals smaller than 60 mm producing an amount of gametes nearly three times lower than the undersized ones. Conversely, the high density of the undersized individuals released a similar amount of gametes to the commercial-size class in the low-pressure zone. Discussion Overall, the lack of the commercial-size class in the high-pressure zone does not seem to be very alarming for the self-supporting capacity of the population, and the reproductive potential contribution seems to depend more on the total density of fertile sea urchins than on their size. However, since population survival in the high-pressure zone is supported by the high density of undersized sea urchins between 30 and 50 mm, management measures should be addressed to maintain these sizes and to shed light on the source of the larval supply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Loi
- IMC-International Marine Centre, Torregrande, Oristano, Italy; Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Ivan Guala
- IMC-International Marine Centre , Torregrande, Oristano , Italy
| | | | - Gianni Brundu
- IMC-International Marine Centre, Torregrande, Oristano, Italy; Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Maura Baroli
- IMC-International Marine Centre , Torregrande, Oristano , Italy
| | - Simone Farina
- IMC-International Marine Centre , Torregrande, Oristano , Italy
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Farina S, Guala I, Oliva S, Piazzi L, Pires da Silva R, Ceccherelli G. The Seagrass Effect Turned Upside Down Changes the Prospective of Sea Urchin Survival and Landscape Implications. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164294. [PMID: 27783684 PMCID: PMC5082627 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat structure plays an important mediating role in predator-prey interactions. However the effects are strongly dependent on regional predator pools, which can drive predation risk in habitats with very similar structure in opposite directions. In the Mediterranean Sea predation on juvenile sea urchins is commonly known to be regulated by seagrass structure. In this study we test whether the possibility for juvenile Paracentrotus lividus to be predated changes in relation to the fragmentation of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica (four habitat classes: continuous, low-fragmentation, high-fragmentation and rocks), and to the spatial arrangement of such habitat classes at a landscape scale. Sea urchin predation risk was measured in a 20-day field experiment on tethered individuals placed in three square areas 35×35 m2 in size. Variability of both landscape and habitat structural attributes was assessed at the sampling grain 5×5 m2. Predation risk changed among landscapes, as it was lower where more ‘rocks’, and thus less seagrass, were present. The higher risk was found in the ‘continuous’ P. oceanica rather than in the low-fragmentation, high-fragmentation and rock habitats (p-values = 0.0149, 0.00008, and 0.0001, respectively). Therefore, the expectation that juvenile P. lividus survival would have been higher in the ‘continuous’ seagrass habitat, which would have served as shelter from high fish predation pressure, was not met. Predation risk changed across habitats due to different success between attack types: benthic attacks (mostly from whelks) were overall much more effective than those due to fish activity, the former type being associated with the ‘continuous’ seagrass habitat. Fish predation on juvenile sea urchins on rocks and ‘high-fragmentation’ habitat was less likely than benthic predation in the ‘continuous’ seagrass, with the low seagrass patch complexity increasing benthic activity. Future research should be aimed at investigating, derived from the complex indirect interactions among species, how top-down control in marine reserves can modify seagrass habitat effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Farina
- IMC - International Marine Centre, Loc. Sa Mardini Torregrande, 09170, Oristano, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Ivan Guala
- IMC - International Marine Centre, Loc. Sa Mardini Torregrande, 09170, Oristano, Italy
| | - Silvia Oliva
- Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources – University of Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Luigi Piazzi
- Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources – University of Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | | | - Giulia Ceccherelli
- Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources – University of Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, 07100, Sassari, Italy
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Oliva S, Farina S, Pinna S, Guala I, Agnetta D, Ariotti PA, Mura F, Ceccherelli G. Determinants of Paracentrotus lividus sea urchin recruitment under oligotrophic conditions: Implications for conservation management. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2016; 117:13-20. [PMID: 27043483 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2016.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Revised: 02/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Sea urchins may deeply shape the structure of macrophyte-dominated communities and require the implementation of sustainable management strategies. In the Mediterranean, the identification of the major recruitment determinants of the keystone sea urchin species Paracentrotus lividus is required, so that source areas of the populations can be identified and exploitation or programmed harvesting can be spatially managed. In this study a collection of eight possible determinants, these encompassing both the biotic (larvae, adult sea urchins, fish, encrusting coralline algae, habitat type and spatial arrangement of habitats) and abiotic (substrate complexity and nutritional status) realms was considered at different spatial scales (site, area, transect and quadrat). Data from a survey including sites subject to different levels of human influence (i.e. from urbanized to protected areas), but all corresponding to an oligotrophic and low-populated region were fitted by means of a generalized linear mixed model. Despite the extensive sampling effort of benthic quadrats, an overall paucity of recruits was found, recruits being aggregated in a very small number of quadrats and in few areas. The analysis of data detected substrate complexity, and adult sea urchin and predatory fish abundances as the momentous determinants of Paracentrotus lividus recruitment. Possible mechanisms of influence are discussed beyond the implications of conservation management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Oliva
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio, Università degli Studi di Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
| | - Simone Farina
- IMC - International Marine Centre, Loc. Sa Mardini Torregrande, 09170 Oristano, Italy
| | - Stefania Pinna
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio, Università degli Studi di Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Ivan Guala
- IMC - International Marine Centre, Loc. Sa Mardini Torregrande, 09170 Oristano, Italy
| | - Davide Agnetta
- CNR - IAMC, Via G. da Verrazzano 17, 91014 Castellammare del Golfo, Trapani, Italy
| | - Pierre Antoine Ariotti
- Université de Nice Sophia - Antipolis, Faculté des Sciences, EA 4228 ECOMERS, Nice, France
| | - Francesco Mura
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio, Università degli Studi di Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Giulia Ceccherelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio, Università degli Studi di Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
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Gil Fernández C, Paulo D, Serrão EA, Engelen AH. Limited differences in fish and benthic communities and possible cascading effects inside and outside a protected marine area in Sagres (SW Portugal). MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2016; 114:12-23. [PMID: 26741737 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2015.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2014] [Revised: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 12/10/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a relatively recent fisheries management and conservation tool for conservation of marine ecosystems and serve as experimental grounds to assess trophic cascade effects in areas were fishing is restricted to some extent. A series of descriptive field studies were performed to assess fish and benthic communities between two areas within a newly established MPA in SW Portugal. We characterized benthic macroalgal composition and determined the size, density and biomass of the main benthic predatory and herbivorous fish species as well as the main benthic herbivorous invertebrates to assess indications of top-down control on the phytobenthic assemblages. Fish species were identical inside and outside the MPA, in both cases Sarpa salpa was the most abundant fish herbivore and Diplodus spp. accounted for the great majority of the benthic predators. However, size and biomass of D. spp. were higher inside than outside the MPA. The main herbivorous invertebrate was the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, which was smaller and predominantly showing a crevice-dwelling behaviour in the MPA. In addition, P. lividus size frequency distribution showed a unimodal pattern outside and a bimodal pattern inside the MPA. We found significant differences in the algal assemblages between inside and outside the MPA, with higher abundance of turf and foliose algae inside, and articulated calcareous and corticated macrophytes outside the MPA, but no differences in the invasive Asparagopsis spp. The obtained results show differences in predatory fish and benthic community structure, but not in species richness, inside and outside the MPA. We hypothesize these differences lead to variation in species interactions: directly through predation and indirectly via affecting sea urchins behavioural patterns, predators might drive changes in macroalgal assemblages via trophic cascade in the study area. However due to non-biological differences between the two areas it is difficult to suggest that the MPA causes increased biological parameters of targeted species and to assess predatory control and trophic cascade effects in areas where fishing pressure is reduced. It is therefor advisable to design MPAs so that their impacts can be scientifically evaluated in a proper fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Gil Fernández
- Centro de Ciências do Mar do Algarve (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - D Paulo
- Centro de Ciências do Mar do Algarve (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - E A Serrão
- Centro de Ciências do Mar do Algarve (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - A H Engelen
- Centro de Ciências do Mar do Algarve (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal.
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Pagès JF, Gera A, Romero J, Alcoverro T. Matrix composition and patch edges influence plant-herbivore interactions in marine landscapes. Funct Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jordi F. Pagès
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC); Accés a la cala Sant Francesc; 14. 17300 Blanes Catalonia Spain
| | - Alessandro Gera
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC); Accés a la cala Sant Francesc; 14. 17300 Blanes Catalonia Spain
| | - Javier Romero
- Departament d'Ecologia; Facultat de Biologia; Universitat de Barcelona. Av. Diagonal; 643. 08028 Barcelona Catalonia Spain
| | - Teresa Alcoverro
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC); Accés a la cala Sant Francesc; 14. 17300 Blanes Catalonia Spain
- Nature Conservation Foundation; 3076/5, 4th Cross, Gokulam Park 570 002 Mysore Karnataka India
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Boudouresque CF, Verlaque M. Paracentrotus lividus. DEVELOPMENTS IN AQUACULTURE AND FISHERIES SCIENCE 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-396491-5.00021-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
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