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Santana EFC, Mies M, Longo GO, Menezes R, Aued AW, Luza AL, Bender MG, Segal B, Floeter SR, Francini-Filho RB. Turbidity shapes shallow Southwestern Atlantic benthic reef communities. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 183:105807. [PMID: 36379169 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Southwestern Atlantic reefs (Brazilian Province) occur along a broad latitudinal range (∼5°N-27°S) and under varied environmental conditions. We combined large-scale benthic cover and environmental data into uni- and multivariate regression tree analyses to identify unique shallow (<30 m) benthic reef communities and their environmental drivers along the Brazilian Province. Turbidity was the leading environmental driver of benthic reef communities, with the occurrence of two main groups: clear-water (dominated by fleshy macroalgae) and turbid (dominated by turf algae). Seven out of 14 scleractinian coral species were more abundant in the turbid group, thus corroborating the photophobic nature of some Brazilian corals. The most abundant scleractinian in Brazil (Montastraea cavernosa), largely dominated (71-93% of total coral cover) both, the shallow turbid and deeper clear-water reefs. Because these habitat types are widely recognized as potential climate refuges, local threats (e.g. pollution, overfishing) should be averted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika F C Santana
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia), Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Cidade Universitária, 58059-900, JP, PB, Brazil
| | - Miguel Mies
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Instituto Coral Vivo, Santa Cruz Cabrália, BA, Brazil
| | - Guilherme O Longo
- Laboratório de Ecologia Marinha, Departamento de Oceanografia e Limnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, 59014-002, Brazil
| | - Rafael Menezes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia), Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Cidade Universitária, 58059-900, JP, PB, Brazil
| | - Anaide W Aued
- Laboratório de Biogeografia e Macroecologia Marinha, Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, 88040-970, SC, Brazil
| | - André Luís Luza
- Laboratório de Macroecologia e Conservação Marinha, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Mariana G Bender
- Laboratório de Macroecologia e Conservação Marinha, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Barbara Segal
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Ambientes Recifais, Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, 88040-970, SC, Brazil
| | - Sergio R Floeter
- Laboratório de Biogeografia e Macroecologia Marinha, Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, 88040-970, SC, Brazil
| | - Ronaldo B Francini-Filho
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação Marinha, Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, 11612-109, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil.
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de Carvalho-Junior L, Neves LM, Teixeira-Neves TP, Cardoso SJ. Long-term changes in benthic communities following the invasion by an alien octocoral in the Southwest Atlantic, Brazil. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 186:114386. [PMID: 36462420 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Invasive alien species are considered one of the main threats to marine biodiversity. We used a BACI design to investigate the changes in rocky reef benthic communities related to the invasion of the octocoral Latissimia ningalooensis in the Southwest Atlantic. Drastic changes in benthic community structure were restricted to the invaded site and associated with the growth of L. ningalooensis on turf algae. Conversely, the zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum remained stable coverage along the 9-year study period, indicating a greater biotic resistance against the octocoral. Latissimia ningalooensis spread from large and well-established patches to new areas of the reef, increasing turf-octocoral interactions. This study warns of the great invasive potential of the octocoral, due to its high abundance, competitive and expansion ability. The decline in abundance of turf-forming algae following the emergence of L. ningalooensis threatens the structure and functioning of macroalgal-dominated rocky reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lécio de Carvalho-Junior
- Graduate Program in Biodiversity, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil; Laboratory of Plankton Ecology, Department of Zoology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil; Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Education, Department of Environmental Sciences, Campus Três Rios, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Três Rios, RJ 25802-100, Brazil
| | - Leonardo M Neves
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Education, Department of Environmental Sciences, Campus Três Rios, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Três Rios, RJ 25802-100, Brazil.
| | - Tatiana P Teixeira-Neves
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Education, Department of Environmental Sciences, Campus Três Rios, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Três Rios, RJ 25802-100, Brazil
| | - Simone J Cardoso
- Graduate Program in Biodiversity, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil; Laboratory of Plankton Ecology, Department of Zoology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil
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3
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Moreno-Borges S, López C, Clemente S. Reef fish assemblages associated to new mat-forming zoantharian communities in the Canary Islands. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 177:105623. [PMID: 35447483 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105623] [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: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Proliferations of zoantharians along tropical and subtropical regions are increasingly common and usually associated with anthropogenic impacts and ecosystem degradation. In the Canary Islands, we studied how the dominance in the substrate of Palythoa caribaeorum and Zoanthus pulchellus affected fish communities. For that purpose, we recorded the composition and biodiversity of fish assemblages associated to both zoantharian and macroalgae dominated habitats. In general terms, we found significant reductions of total fish abundance and richness at P. caribaeorum dominated habitats compared with macroalgae stands. However, in terms of trophic structure, there were significant changes within both zoantharian habitats depending on their coverages of the substrate. Herbivores and small invertebrate feeders, which are more adapted to forage in the macroalgae canopy, were less abundant in zoantharian habitats. This study demonstrates that the increasing dominance of zoantharians throughout the archipelago restructure the ecosystems and impact the native fish communities, that may offer a positive feedback for invasive tropical species to thrive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Moreno-Borges
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain.
| | - Cataixa López
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Sabrina Clemente
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
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4
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Soares MO, Kitahara MV, Santos MEA, Bejarano S, Rabelo EF, Cruz ICS. The flourishing and vulnerabilities of zoantharians on Southwestern Atlantic reefs. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 173:105535. [PMID: 34879290 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In the Southwestern Atlantic reefs (SWA), some species of massive scleractinians and zoantharians are adapted to turbid waters, periodic desiccation, and sediment resuspension events. Moreover, phase shifts in this region have mostly been characterized by the emergence of algae and, less typically, zoantharians. However, nutrient excess and organic pollution are key drivers of the hard coral habitat degradation and may, thus, favor the emergence of novel zoantharian-dominated habitats. Many zoantharian species, particularly those from the genera Palythoa and Zoanthus, have traits that could help them thrive under conditions detrimental to reef-building corals, including rapid growth, several asexual reproduction strategies, high morphological plasticity, and generalist nutrient acquisition strategies. Thus, in a near future, stress-tolerant zoantharians may thrive in nutrient-enriched subtidal SWA locations under low heat stress, such as, upwelling. Overall, coral-zoantharian phase shifts in the SWA may decrease the species richness of reef communities, ultimately influencing ecosystem functioning and services, such as the provision of nursery habitats, fish biomass production, and coastline protection. However, zoantharians will also be threatened at intertidal zones, which are expected to experience higher heat stress, solar radiation, and sea-level rise. Although zoantharians appear to cope well with some local stressors (e.g., decreasing water quality), they are vulnerable to climate change (e.g., heatwaves), invasive species (Tubastraea spp.), microplastics, diseases, and mostly restricted to a narrow depth range (0-15 m depth) in SWA reefs. This shallow zone is particularly affected by climate change, compressing the three-dimensional habitat and limiting depth refugia in deeper SWA reefs. As mesophotic ecosystems have been hypothesized as short-term refuges to disturbances for some species, the narrow depth limit of zoantharians seems to be a potential factor that might increase their vulnerability to growing climate change pressures in SWA shallow-water reefs. Together, these could lead to both range expansions in some locations and loss of suitable reef habitats in other sites. Additional research is needed to better understand the systemic responses of these novel SWA reefs to the concert of increasing and interactive local and global stressors, and their implications for ecosystem functioning and service provisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Oliveira Soares
- Instituto de Ciências do Mar (LABOMAR), Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC), Fortaleza, Brazil.
| | | | | | - Sonia Bejarano
- Reef Systems Research Group, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen, Germany
| | | | - Igor Cristino Silva Cruz
- Departamento de Oceanografia, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Brazil
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5
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Hill CEL, Lymperaki MM, Hoeksema BW. A centuries-old manmade reef in the Caribbean does not substitute natural reefs in terms of species assemblages and interspecific competition. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 169:112576. [PMID: 34119961 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
With increasing maritime activities in the proximity of coral reefs, a growing number of manmade structures are becoming available for coral colonisation. Yet, little is known about the sessile community composition of such artificial reefs in comparison with that of natural coral reefs. Here, we compared the diversity of corals and their competitors for substrate space between a centuries-old manmade structure and the nearest natural reef at St. Eustatius, eastern Caribbean. The artificial reef had a significantly lower species richness and fewer competitive interactions than the natural reef. The artificial reef was dominated by a cover of crustose coralline algae and zoantharians, instead of turf algae and fire corals on the natural reef. Significant differences in species composition were also found between exposed and sheltered sites on both reefs. Our study indicates that even a centuries-old manmade reef cannot serve as a surrogate for natural reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia E L Hill
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands; Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Myrsini M Lymperaki
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94248, 1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Bert W Hoeksema
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands; Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, the Netherlands.
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6
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Cruz ICS, Waters LG, Kikuchi RKP, Leão ZMAN, Turra A. Marginal coral reefs show high susceptibility to phase shift. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 135:551-561. [PMID: 30301073 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.07.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Phase shift, resulting from coral reef degradation, has been frequently recorded on reefs in optimal conditions, while marginal reefs were considered more resistant due to few records. Noting the lack of marginal reef phase shift studies, we quantitatively assessed their geographic extent in the Southwest Atlantic. Using metadata and a calculated phase shift index, we identified phase shifts from corals to both zoanthid and macroalgal dominance. Positive correlations existed between phase shift and local human impacts for zoanthids: proximity to human populations >100,000 inhabitants, urbanized surfaces and dredged ports and a negative relationship to the endurance of SST >1 °C above normal. Macroalgal shifts positively correlated to ports and urbanized surfaces, higher latitudes and shore proximity, indicating a possible link to nutrient runoff. The high frequency of these phase shifts suggests greater degradation than reported for Caribbean reefs, suggesting that marginal reefs do not have higher natural resistance to human impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor C S Cruz
- Laboratório de Manejo, Ecologia e Conservação Marinha, Departamento de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, Butantã, Instituo Oceanográfico, Sala 112, 055080-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Departamento de Oceanografia, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal da Bahia. Rua Barão de Geremoabo, s/n Ondina, 40170-115 Salvador, BA, Brazil.
| | - Linda G Waters
- Laboratório de Manejo, Ecologia e Conservação Marinha, Departamento de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, Butantã, Instituo Oceanográfico, Sala 112, 055080-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ruy K P Kikuchi
- Departamento de Oceanografia, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal da Bahia. Rua Barão de Geremoabo, s/n Ondina, 40170-115 Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Zelinda M A N Leão
- Departamento de Oceanografia, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal da Bahia. Rua Barão de Geremoabo, s/n Ondina, 40170-115 Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Alexander Turra
- Laboratório de Manejo, Ecologia e Conservação Marinha, Departamento de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, Butantã, Instituo Oceanográfico, Sala 112, 055080-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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7
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Durante LM, Cruz ICS, Lotufo TMC. The effect of climate change on the distribution of a tropical zoanthid ( Palythoa caribaeorum) and its ecological implications. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4777. [PMID: 29785350 PMCID: PMC5960586 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Palythoa caribaeorum is a zoanthid often dominant in shallow rocky environments along the west coast of the Atlantic Ocean, from the tropics to the subtropics. This species has high environmental tolerance and is a good space competitor in reef environments. Considering current and future scenarios in the global climate regime, this study aimed to model and analyze the distribution of P. caribaeorum, generating maps of potential distribution for the present and the year 2100. The distribution was modeled using maximum entropy (Maxent) based on 327 occurrence sites retrieved from the literature. Calcite concentration, maximum chlorophyll-a concentration, salinity, pH, and temperature range yielded a model with the smallest Akaike information criterion (2649.8), and were used in the present and future distribution model. Data from the HadGEM2-ES climate model were used to generate the projections for the year 2100. The present distribution of P. caribaeorum shows that parts of the Brazilian coast, Caribbean Sea, and Florida are suitable regions for the species, as they are characterized by high salinity and pH and small temperature variation. An expansion of the species’ distribution was forecast northward under mild climate scenarios, while a decrease of suitable areas was forecast in the south. In the climate scenario with the most intense changes, P. caribaeorum would lose one-half of its suitable habitats, including the northernmost and southernmost areas of its distribution. The Caribbean Sea and northeastern Brazil, as well as other places under the influence of coastal upwellings, may serve as potential havens for this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo M Durante
- Oceanographic Institute, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Igor C S Cruz
- Oceanographic Institute, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Tito M C Lotufo
- Oceanographic Institute, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Mantelatto MC, Silva AGD, Louzada TDS, McFadden CS, Creed JC. Invasion of aquarium origin soft corals on a tropical rocky reef in the southwest Atlantic, Brazil. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 130:84-94. [PMID: 29866574 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Non-indigenous species (NIS) can cause substantial change in ecosystems and as marine invasives they can become a major threat to coastal and subtidal habitats. In September 2017 previously unknown and apparently NIS soft corals were detected on a shallow subtidal tropical rocky reef at Ilha Grande Bay, southeast Brazil. The present study aims to identify the species, quantify their distribution, abundance, and their interactions with native species. The most abundant NIS belonged to the recently described genus Sansibia (family Xeniidae) and the less common species was identified as Clavularia cf. viridis (family Clavulariidae). They were found along 170 m of shoreline at all depths where hard substrate was available. Sansibia sp. dominated deeper communities, associated positively with some macroalgal and negatively with the zoantharian Palythoa caribaeorum, which probably provided greater biotic resistance to invasion. Both species are of Indo-Pacific origin and typical of those ornamentals found in the aquarium trade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Checoli Mantelatto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Francisco Xavier, 524, PHLC, sala 220, CEP 20559-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Coral-Sol Research, Technological Development and Innovation Network, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Amanda Guilherme da Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Francisco Xavier, 524, PHLC, sala 220, CEP 20559-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Coral-Sol Research, Technological Development and Innovation Network, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Tayana Dos Santos Louzada
- Departamento de Biologia Marinha, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Brigadeiro Trompowski, CCS, Bloco A, Sala 089, CEP 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Catherine S McFadden
- Department of Biology, Harvey Mudd College, 1250 N. Dartmouth Ave., Claremont, CA 91711, USA.
| | - Joel Christopher Creed
- Coral-Sol Research, Technological Development and Innovation Network, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Francisco Xavier 524, PHLC, sala 220, CEP 20559-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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Zarco-Perello S, Simões N. Ordinary kriging vs inverse distance weighting: spatial interpolation of the sessile community of Madagascar reef, Gulf of Mexico. PeerJ 2017; 5:e4078. [PMID: 29204321 PMCID: PMC5712470 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Information about the distribution and abundance of the habitat-forming sessile organisms in marine ecosystems is of great importance for conservation and natural resource managers. Spatial interpolation methodologies can be useful to generate this information from in situ sampling points, especially in circumstances where remote sensing methodologies cannot be applied due to small-scale spatial variability of the natural communities and low light penetration in the water column. Interpolation methods are widely used in environmental sciences; however, published studies using these methodologies in coral reef science are scarce. We compared the accuracy of the two most commonly used interpolation methods in all disciplines, inverse distance weighting (IDW) and ordinary kriging (OK), to predict the distribution and abundance of hard corals, octocorals, macroalgae, sponges and zoantharians and identify hotspots of these habitat-forming organisms using data sampled at three different spatial scales (5, 10 and 20 m) in Madagascar reef, Gulf of Mexico. The deeper sandy environments of the leeward and windward regions of Madagascar reef were dominated by macroalgae and seconded by octocorals. However, the shallow rocky environments of the reef crest had the highest richness of habitat-forming groups of organisms; here, we registered high abundances of octocorals and macroalgae, with sponges, Millepora alcicornis and zoantharians dominating in some patches, creating high levels of habitat heterogeneity. IDW and OK generated similar maps of distribution for all the taxa; however, cross-validation tests showed that IDW outperformed OK in the prediction of their abundances. When the sampling distance was at 20 m, both interpolation techniques performed poorly, but as the sampling was done at shorter distances prediction accuracies increased, especially for IDW. OK had higher mean prediction errors and failed to correctly interpolate the highest abundance values measured in situ, except for macroalgae, whereas IDW had lower mean prediction errors and high correlations between predicted and measured values in all cases when sampling was every 5 m. The accurate spatial interpolations created using IDW allowed us to see the spatial variability of each taxa at a biological and spatial resolution that remote sensing would not have been able to produce. Our study sets the basis for further research projects and conservation management in Madagascar reef and encourages similar studies in the region and other parts of the world where remote sensing technologies are not suitable for use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvador Zarco-Perello
- Unidad Académica Sisal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Sisal, Yucatán, México
- School of Biological Sciences and UWA Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Nuno Simões
- Unidad Académica Sisal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Sisal, Yucatán, México
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10
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Identification of long non-coding RNAs in two anthozoan species and their possible implications for coral bleaching. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5333. [PMID: 28706206 PMCID: PMC5509713 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02561-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play regulatory roles in a diverse range of biological processes and are associated with the outcomes of various diseases. The majority of studies about lncRNAs focus on model organisms, with lessened investigation in non-model organisms to date. Herein, we have undertaken an investigation on lncRNA in two zoanthids (cnidarian): Protolpalythoa varibilis and Palythoa caribaeorum. A total of 11,206 and 13,240 lncRNAs were detected in P. variabilis and P. caribaeorum transcriptome, respectively. Comparison using NONCODE database indicated that the majority of these lncRNAs is taxonomically species-restricted with no identifiable orthologs. Even so, we found cases in which short regions of P. caribaeorum’s lncRNAs were similar to vertebrate species’ lncRNAs, and could be associated with lncRNA conserved regulatory functions. Consequently, some high-confidence lncRNA-mRNA interactions were predicted based on such conserved regions, therefore revealing possible involvement of lncRNAs in posttranscriptional processing and regulation in anthozoans. Moreover, investigation of differentially expressed lncRNAs, in healthy colonies and colonial individuals undergoing natural bleaching, indicated that some up-regulated lncRNAs in P. caribaeorum could posttranscriptionally regulate the mRNAs encoding proteins of Ras-mediated signal transduction pathway and components of innate immune-system, which could contribute to the molecular response of coral bleaching.
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11
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Paulino GVB, Broetto L, Pylro VS, Landell MF. Compositional shifts in bacterial communities associated with the coral Palythoa caribaeorum due to anthropogenic effects. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2017; 114:1024-1030. [PMID: 27889074 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.11.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Revised: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Corals harbor abundant and diverse prokaryotic communities that may be strongly influenced by human activities, which in turn compromise the normal functioning of coral species and predispose them to opportunistic infections. In this study, we investigated the effect of sewage dumping on the bacterial communities associated with the soft coral Palythoa caribaeorum at two sites in the Brazilian coast. We observed a dominance of bacterial species classified as human pathogens at sites exposed to untreated sewage discharge. The microbial diversity of undisturbed sites was more homogeneous and diverse and showed greater abundance. In addition, bacterial communities differed substantially between the exposed and undisturbed areas. The microbial community associated with the samples collected from the exposed sites revealed the anthropogenic effect caused by organic matter from untreated sewage dumping, with an abundance of pathogenic bacterial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Vasconcelos Bastos Paulino
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Diversidade Biológica e Conservação nos Trópicos, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Campus A. C. Simões, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, CEP 57072-900 Maceió, AL, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Broetto
- Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Campus Arapiraca, Av. Manoel Severino Barbosa, s/n, CEP 57309-005 Arapiraca, AL, Brazil
| | - Victor Satler Pylro
- René Rachou Research Center (CPqRR-FIOCRUZ), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Melissa Fontes Landell
- Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Campus A. C. Simões, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, CEP 57072-900 Maceió, AL, Brazil.
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