ORCID Profile
0000-0003-0045-6377
Current Organisation
University of South Australia
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) | Ore Deposit Petrology | Ecology | Geology | Conservation and Biodiversity | Evolutionary Biology | Fisheries Sciences not elsewhere classified | Population, Ecological and Evolutionary Genetics | Geochronology | Biogeography and Phylogeography
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Marine Environments | Fisheries - Wild Caught not elsewhere classified | Expanding Knowledge in the Environmental Sciences | Expanding Knowledge in the Earth Sciences | Fish Product Traceability and Quality Assurance | Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences | Mineral Exploration not elsewhere classified | Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity at Regional or Larger Scales |
Related Links
Publications
Microsatellite DNA markers and morphometrics reveal a complex population structure in a merobenthic octopus species (Octopus maorum) in south-east Australia and New Zealand
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-02-2009
Socio-economic and management implications of range-shifting species in marine systems
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2012
Reading the biomineralized book of life: expanding otolith biogeochemical research and applications for fisheries and ecosystem-based management
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-08-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S11160-022-09720-Z
Abstract: Chemical analysis of calcified structures continues to flourish, as analytical and technological advances enable researchers to tap into trace elements and isotopes taken up in otoliths and other archival tissues at ever greater resolution. Increasingly, these tracers are applied to refine age estimation and interpretation, and to chronicle responses to environmental stressors, linking these to ecological, physiological, and life-history processes. Here, we review emerging approaches and innovative research directions in otolith chemistry, as well as in the chemistry of other archival tissues, outlining their value for fisheries and ecosystem-based management, turning the spotlight on areas where such biomarkers can support decision making. We summarise recent milestones and the challenges that lie ahead to using otoliths and archival tissues as biomarkers, grouped into seven, rapidly expanding and application-oriented research areas that apply chemical analysis in a variety of contexts, namely: (1) supporting fish age estimation (2) evaluating environmental stress, ecophysiology and in idual performance (3) confirming seafood provenance (4) resolving connectivity and movement pathways (5) characterising food webs and trophic interactions (6) reconstructing reproductive life histories and (7) tracing stock enhancement efforts. Emerging research directions that apply hard part chemistry to combat seafood fraud, quantify past food webs, as well as to reconcile growth, movement, thermal, metabolic, stress and reproductive life-histories provide opportunities to examine how harvesting and global change impact fish health and fisheries productivity. Ultimately, improved appreciation of the many practical benefits of archival tissue chemistry to fisheries and ecosystem-based management will support their increased implementation into routine monitoring. Graphical abstract
Pet or pest? Stable isotope methods for the early detection of invasive alien species
Publisher: California Digital Library (CDL)
Date: 28-06-2019
How calorie-rich food could help marine calcifiers in a CO 2 -rich future
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 31-01-2019
Abstract: Increasing carbon emissions not only enrich oceans with CO 2 but also make them more acidic. This acidifying process has caused considerable concern because laboratory studies show that ocean acidification impairs calcification (or shell building) and survival of calcifiers by the end of this century. Whether this impairment in shell building also occurs in natural communities remains largely unexplored, but requires re-examination because of the recent counterintuitive finding that populations of calcifiers can be boosted by CO 2 enrichment. Using natural CO 2 vents, we found that ocean acidification resulted in the production of thicker, more crystalline and more mechanically resilient shells of a herbivorous gastropod, which was associated with the consumption of energy-enriched food (i.e. algae). This discovery suggests that boosted energy transfer may not only compensate for the energetic burden of ocean acidification but also enable calcifiers to build energetically costly shells that are robust to acidified conditions. We unlock a possible mechanism underlying the persistence of calcifiers in acidifying oceans.
Assessing the risk of climate change to aquaculture: A case study from south-east Australia
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 20-03-2013
DOI: 10.3354/AEI00058
A multilevel approach to examining cephalopod growth usingOctopus pallidusas a model
Publisher: The Company of Biologists
Date: 15-08-2011
DOI: 10.1242/JEB.051631
Abstract: Many aspects of octopus growth dynamics are poorly understood, particularly in relation to sub-adult or adult growth, muscle fibre dynamics and repro-somatic investment. The growth of 5 month old Octopus pallidus cultured in the laboratory was investigated under three temperature regimes over a 12 week period: seasonally increasing temperatures (14–18°C) seasonally decreasing temperatures (18–14°C) and a constant temperature mid-way between seasonal peaks (16°C). Differences in somatic growth at the whole-animal level, muscle tissue structure and rate of gonad development were investigated. Continuous exponential growth was observed, both at a group and at an in idual level, and there was no detectable effect of temperature on whole-animal growth rate. Juvenile growth rate (from 1 to 156 days) was also monitored prior to the controlled experiment exponential growth was observed, but at a significantly faster rate than in the older experimental animals, suggesting that O. pallidus exhibit a double-exponential two-phase growth pattern. There was considerable variability in size-at-age even between in iduals growing under identical thermal regimes. Animals exposed to seasonally decreasing temperatures exhibited a higher rate of gonad development compared with animals exposed to increasing temperatures however, this did not coincide with a detectable decline in somatic growth rate or mantle condition. The ongoing production of new mitochondria-poor and mitochondria-rich muscle fibres (hyperplasia) was observed, indicated by a decreased or stable mean muscle fibre diameter concurrent with an increase in whole-body size. Animals from both seasonal temperature regimes demonstrated higher rates of new mitochondria-rich fibre generation relative to those from the constant temperature regime, but this difference was not reflected in a difference in growth rate at the whole-body level. This is the first study to record ongoing hyperplasia in the muscle tissue of an octopus species, and provides further insight into the complex growth dynamics of octopus.
Fish as proxies of ecological and environmental change
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-03-2016
Shining a Brighter Light on Solution Science in Ecology
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2020
Age determination in merobenthic octopuses using stylet increment analysis: assessing future challenges using Macroctopus maorum as a model
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 16-08-2011
Abstract: Doubleday, Z. A., White, J., Pecl, G. T., and Semmens, J. M. 2011. Age determination in merobenthic octopuses using stylet increment analysis: assessing future challenges using Macroctopus maorum as a model. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 2059–2063. Stylet increment analysis (SIA) is a method recently developed to age octopuses it involves the enumeration of daily growth increments within stylets (an internal shell). To examine the potential of SIA in a merobenthic octopus species, SIA was applied to Macroctopus maorum collected from southeast Australia and New Zealand (n = 147). The stylets had clear concentric growth increments and a core-like region. However, low increment counts (≤224 d) produced non-feasibly high (≤21.7% body weight per day) instantaneous growth rates, based on the assumption that increment number relates to age (d). In the light of these results, the issues surrounding the application of SIA to merobenthic octopuses is discussed, particularly in relation to the lack of understanding in regard to stylet development in the early life history stages and the importance of validating age at first increment formation.
Techniques for Estimating the Age and Growth of Molluscs: Cephalopoda
Publisher: National Shellfisheries Association
Date: 10-2018
DOI: 10.2983/035.037.0409
The growth of acronyms in the scientific literature
Publisher: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Date: 23-07-2020
DOI: 10.7554/ELIFE.60080
Abstract: Some acronyms are useful and are widely understood, but many of the acronyms used in scientific papers hinder understanding and contribute to the increasing fragmentation of science. Here we report the results of an analysis of more than 24 million article titles and 18 million article abstracts published between 1950 and 2019. There was at least one acronym in 19% of the titles and 73% of the abstracts. Acronym use has also increased over time, but the re-use of acronyms has declined. We found that from more than one million unique acronyms in our data, just over 2,000 (0.2%) were used regularly, and most acronyms (79%) appeared fewer than 10 times. Acronyms are not the biggest current problem in science communication, but reducing their use is a simple change that would help readers and potentially increase the value of science.
Using stylet elemental signatures to determine the population structure of Octopus maorum
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 22-05-2008
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS07389
Strontium Randomly Substituting for Calcium in Fish Otolith Aragonite
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 10-12-2013
DOI: 10.1021/AC4034278
Abstract: The chemistry of fish ear bones (otoliths) is used to address fundamental questions in fish ecology and fisheries science. It is assumed that strontium (Sr), the most important element used in otolith chemistry research, is bound within the aragonitic calcium carbonate lattice of otoliths via random chemical replacement of calcium however, this has never been tested and three other alternatives exist with regard to how Sr may be incorporated. If any variation in the mode of incorporation occurs, otolith chemistry data may be misinterpreted, impacting how fish and fisheries are understood and managed. Using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (specifically, analysis of extended X-ray absorption fine structure or EXAFS), we investigated how Sr is incorporated within fish otoliths from seven species collected from a range of aquatic environments. For comparison, aragonitic structures from other aquatic taxa (cephalopods and coral) were also analyzed. The results consistently indicated for all s les that Sr randomly replaces Ca within the aragonite lattice. This research explicitly shows how Sr is bound within otoliths and validates a fundamental and long-held assumption in aquatic research.
Contribution of water chemistry and fish condition to otolith chemistry: Comparisons across salinity environments
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-2015
DOI: 10.1111/JFB.12672
Abstract: This study quantified the per cent contribution of water chemistry to otolith chemistry using enriched stable isotopes of strontium ((86) Sr) and barium ((137) Ba). Euryhaline barramundi Lates calcarifer, were reared in marine (salinity 40), estuarine (salinity 20) and freshwater (salinity 0) under different temperature treatments. To calculate the contribution of water to Sr and Ba in otoliths, enriched isotopes in the tank water and otoliths were quantified and fitted to isotope mixing models. Fulton's K and RNA:DNA were also measured to explore the influence of fish condition on sources of element uptake. Water was the predominant source of otolith Sr (between 65 and 99%) and Ba (between 64 and 89%) in all treatments, but contributions varied with temperature (for Ba), or interactively with temperature and salinity (for Sr). Fish condition indices were affected independently by the experimental rearing conditions, as RNA:DNA differed significantly among salinity treatments and Fulton's K was significantly different between temperature treatments. Regression analyses did not detect relations between fish condition and per cent contribution values. General linear models indicated that contributions from water chemistry to otolith chemistry were primarily influenced by temperature and secondly by fish condition, with a relatively minor influence of salinity. These results further the understanding of factors that affect otolith element uptake, highlighting the necessity to consider the influence of environment and fish condition when interpreting otolith element data to reconstruct the environmental histories of fish.
How can we boost the impact of publications? Try better writing
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 08-01-2019
Harnessing universal chemical markers to trace the provenance of marine animals
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2022
Let Scientific Writing Evolve, Not Stagnate
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2018
The universal imprint of oxygen isotopes can track the origins of seafood
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-09-2022
DOI: 10.1111/FAF.12703
Abstract: Identifying the source of seafood is critical for combatting seafood fraud, but current tools are predominantly developed and applied on a species‐specific basis. This study investigates how multiple marine taxa could be geolocated at global scales by exploiting stable oxygen isotope compositions in carbonate biominerals (δ 18 O biomin ), where we expect to see universally expressed and predictable spatial variation in δ 18 O biomin values across taxa. We constructed global ocean isoscapes of predicted δ 18 O biomin values specific to fish (otoliths), cephalopod (statoliths) and shellfish (shells), and a fourth combined “universal” isoscape, and evaluated their capacity to derive δ 18 O biomin values among known‐origin s les. High correspondence between isoscape‐predicted δ 18 O biomin values and a compiled database of measured, georeferenced values (3954 datapoints encompassing 68 species) indicated that this δ 18 O biomin approach works effectively, particularly in regions with highly resolved projections of seawater δ 18 O composition. When compared to taxon‐specific isoscapes, the universal isoscape demonstrated similar accuracy, indicating exciting potential for universal provenance applications. We tested the universal framework via a case study, using machine‐learning models to identify s le origins amongst regions of ergent (Tropical Asia vs Temperate Australasia) and similar (Temperate Asia vs Temperate Australasia) climates and latitudes. Classification accuracy averaged 75.3% between ergent regions, and 66% between similar regions. When endothermic tuna species were excluded from the analysis, the accuracy between ergent regions increased up to 90% between ergent regions. This study presents the first empirical step towards developing universal chemical markers, which have the potential to support a more inclusive and global approach of validating provenance of seafood.
Relative contribution of water and diet to otolith chemistry in freshwater fish
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 26-06-2013
DOI: 10.3354/AB00511
Seasonally resolved environmental reconstructions using fish otoliths
Publisher: Canadian Science Publishing
Date: 2017
Abstract: Exploiting the chemical and growth properties of otoliths, this study demonstrates how environmental archives with high temporal resolution can be developed. Elemental profiles (Ba:Ca and Sr:Ca) of fish otoliths (ear bones) from the estuarine species Acanthopagrus butcheri (black bream) were related to growth increments on a seasonal time scale. A series of mixed effects models were used to investigate biological, temporal, and environmental factors influencing seasonal otolith elemental profiles. Resultant seasonally resolved chemical chronologies were correlated with environmental data (i.e., salinity) to develop an element–salinity regression function, which when fit to an independently derived chemical chronology showed strong agreement between reconstructed and recorded salinities. Support for the element–salinity regression function through independent verification provided confidence in environmental reconstructions derived from an archaeological otolith. This suggests otoliths can be used to reconstruct past environmental conditions over decadal and centennial time scales. Moreover, the application of mixed effect models to develop chemical chronologies also provides information on drivers of elemental profiles and allows a range of ecological questions to be addressed. This approach may be further adapted and employed across a broader range of taxonomic groups and environments.
Correction: Reading the biomineralized book of life: expanding otolith biogeochemical research and applications for fisheries and ecosystem-based management
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-09-2022
Determining climate-growth relationships in a temperate fish: A sclerochronological approach
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2017
Statolith chemistry: a new tool to understand the ecology and provenance of octopus
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-07-2021
Untapping the potential of sulfur isotope analysis in biominerals
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 28-06-2018
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS12605
Using otolith chronologies to understand long-term trends and extrinsic drivers of growth in fisheries
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1002/ECS2.2553
Better Writing in Scientific Publications Builds Reader Confidence and Understanding
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 27-08-2021
DOI: 10.3389/FPSYG.2021.714321
Abstract: Scientific publications are the building blocks of discovery and collaboration, but their impact is limited by the style in which they are traditionally written. Recently, many authors have called for a switch to an engaging, accessible writing style. Here, we experimentally test how readers respond to such a style. We hypothesized that scientific abstracts written in a more accessible style would improve readers’ reported readability and confidence as well as their understanding, assessed using multiple-choice questions on the content. We created a series of scientific abstracts, corresponding to real publications on three scientific topics at four levels of difficulty—varying from the difficult, traditional style to an engaging, accessible style. We gave these abstracts to a team of readers consisting of 170 third-year undergraduate students. Then, we posed questions to measure the readers’ readability, confidence, and understanding with the content. The scientific abstracts written in a more accessible style resulted in higher readability, understanding, and confidence. These findings demonstrate that rethinking the way we communicate our science may empower a more collaborative and erse industry.
Demonstrating the ascendancy of COVID-19 research using acronyms
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-05-2021
Using genomics and morphometrics to monitor data-poor and commercially exploited octopod populations
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-08-2023
DOI: 10.1007/S00227-023-04270-9
Abstract: Over 150 species of benthic octopods have been described within the ‘catch-all’ Octopus genus (Family: Octopodidae) and yet, many Octopus species harvested by fisheries remain unidentified to species-level due to a lack of distinguishing traits. Within species, there is also limited information on how populations differ genetically and the level of connectivity between populations. Therefore, we s led octopods from commercial fisheries in southeast Australia, in order to identify the species, examine the phylogeographic relationships among species and the level of population genetic structuring within species, as well as to look for any adaptive genetic variation. The mitochondrial gene, cytochrome oxidase subunit III (COIII), was sequenced in 346 octopods along with single nucleotide polymorphisms using double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq). Morphometric traits were also measured in mature specimens. The southern keeled octopus ( ‘Octopus’ berrima ) and pale octopus ( ‘Octopus’ pallidus ) were identified using COIII data. For ‘Octopus’ berrima , we found that some populations whilst being morphologically similar were genetically distinct. In contrast, ‘Octopus’ pallidus populations were both morphologically and genetically distinct across the studied regions. Our results provide key information to better inform conservation and management decisions for developing octopod fisheries in southeast Australia and highlight the importance of genomics tools in the conservation management of commercially and recreationally important species.
The duality of ocean acidification as a resource and a stressor
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2018
DOI: 10.1002/ECY.2209
Abstract: Ecologically dominant species often define ecosystem states, but as human disturbances intensify, their subordinate counterparts increasingly displace them. We consider the duality of disturbance by examining how environmental drivers can simultaneously act as a stressor to dominant species and as a resource to subordinates. Using a model ecosystem, we demonstrate that CO
Understanding the abundance, diversity and biology of octopus in South Australian waters to support a new fishery opportunity
Publisher: University of South Australia
Date: 2020
Elevated carbon dioxide and temperature affects otolith development, but not chemistry, in a diadromous fish
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2017
World Octopus Fisheries
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-12-2019
Prolonged exposure to low oxygen improves hypoxia tolerance in a freshwater fish
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 2019
Abstract: Lay summary It is poorly understood whether fish can acclimate to prolonged low-oxygen conditions (or hypoxia). Our study shows that prior long-term exposure to low-oxygen conditions improves tolerance to low-oxygen in a freshwater fish. The results of our study aid our understanding of long-term responses of freshwater fish to low-oxygen to hypoxic events.
Reconstructing climategrowth relations from the teeth of a marine mammal
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-03-2016
Eight habitats, 38 threats and 55 experts: Assessing ecological risk in a multi-use marine region
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 10-05-2017
Pet or pest? Stable isotope methods for determining the provenance of an invasive alien species
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 28-07-2020
DOI: 10.3897/NEOBIOTA.59.53671
Abstract: The illegal pet trade facilitates the global dispersal of invasive alien species (IAS), providing opportunities for new pests to establish in novel recipient environments. Despite the increasing threat of IAS to the environment and economy, biosecurity efforts often lack suitable, scientifically-based methods to make effective management decisions, such as identifying an established IAS population from a single incursion event. We present a proof-of-concept for a new application of a stable isotope technique to identify wild and captive histories of an invasive pet species. Twelve red-eared slider turtles ( Trachemys scripta elegans ) from historic Australian incursions with putative wild, captive and unknown origins were analysed to: (1) present best-practice methods for stable isotope s ling of T. s. elegans incursions (2) effectively discriminate between wild and captive groups using stable isotope ratios and (3) present a framework to expand the methodology for use on other IAS species. A s ling method was developed to obtain carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) stable isotope ratios from the keratin layer of the carapace (shells), which are predominantly influenced by dietary material and trophic level respectively. Both δ 13 C and δ 15 N exhibited the potential to distinguish between the wild and captive origins of the s les. Power simulations demonstrated that isotope ratios were consistent across the carapace and a minimum of eight in iduals were required to effectively discriminate wild and captive groups, reducing overall s ling costs. Statistical classification effectively separated captive and wild groups by δ 15 N (captive: δ 15 N‰ ≥ 9.7‰, minimum of 96% accuracy). This study outlines a practical and accessible method for detecting IAS incursions, to potentially provide biosecurity staff and decision-makers with the tools to quickly identify and manage future IAS incursions.
Testing hypoxia: physiological effects of long-term exposure in two freshwater fishes
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-11-2017
DOI: 10.1007/S00442-017-3992-3
Abstract: Hypoxic or oxygen-free zones are linked to large-scale mortalities of fauna in aquatic environments. Studies investigating the hypoxia tolerance of fish are limited and focused on marine species and short-term exposure. However, there has been minimal effort to understand the implications of long-term exposure on fish and their ability to acclimate. To test the effects of long-term exposure (months) of fish to hypoxia we devised a novel method to control the level of available oxygen. Juvenile golden perch (Macquaria ambigua ambigua), and silver perch (Bidyanus bidyanus), two key native species found within the Murray Darling Basin, Australia, were exposed to different temperatures (20, 24 and 28 °C) combined with normoxic (6-8 mgO
Multi-species response to rapid environmental change in a large estuary system: A biochronological approach
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2016
Editorial: Cephalopods in the Anthropocene: multiple challenges in a changing ocean
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 11-07-2023
Ocean life breaking rules by building shells in acidic extremes
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.CUB.2017.08.057
Abstract: Rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO
Conceptualizing ecosystem tipping points within a physiological framework
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-06-2017
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.3164
The effects of temperature and salinity on otolith chemistry of King George whiting
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2017
Systematic evaluation of oxygen isotopes in cephalopod statoliths as thermal proxies
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 14-06-2022
Abstract: Temperature histories are critical for understanding and predicting ecological functioning in marine systems. Stable oxygen isotopes (δ18O) locked within calcified tissues can uncover experienced temperatures of marine animals, but have been little evaluated in the statoliths of cephalopods. As such, we investigated field applications of oxygen isotope ratios in statoliths (δ18Ostatoliths) for reconstructing the thermal histories of cuttlefish, octopus, and squid. In doing so, we collated measured (instrumental and modelled) temperature and salinity data, alongside δ18Ostatoliths data, of ocean-caught species from Taiwan and Australia. To navigate potential species-bias or “vital effects,” two aragonite-specific thermometry equations were compared, whilst simulation modelling evaluated variation and addressed uncertainties. Linear regressions identified environmental and biological influences on the differences between measured and reconstructed temperatures. Variable trends in temperature reconstructions were observed between taxa, which may be due to ecological traits. For squid, the relationship was highly aligned with no significant model predictors. For cuttlefish and octopus, differences between measured and reconstructed temperatures increased in warmer conditions, and may indicate thermoregulation behaviour. Here, we demonstrate that δ18Ostatoliths values can function as natural proxies of ocean temperature and are an invaluable tool for broadening the field of thermal ecology for the important, yet understudied, cephalopods.
Partial migration: Growth varies between resident and migratory fish
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 03-2015
Abstract: Partial migration occurs in many taxa and ecosystems and may confer survival benefits. Here, we use otolith chemistry data to determine whether fish from a large estuarine system were resident or migratory, and then examine whether contingents display differences in modelled growth based on changes in width of otolith growth increments. Sixty-three per cent of fish were resident based on Ba : Ca of otoliths, with the remainder categorized as migratory, with both contingents distributed across most age/size classes and both sexes, suggesting population-level bet hedging. Migrant fish were in slightly better condition than resident fish based on Fulton's K condition index. Migration type (resident versus migratory) was 56 times more likely to explain variation in growth than a model just incorporating year- and age-related growth trends. While average growth only varied slightly between resident and migratory fish, year-to-year variation was significant. Such dynamism in growth rates likely drives persistence of both life-history types. The complex relationships in growth between contingents suggest that management of species exhibiting partial migration is challenging, especially in a world subject to a changing climate.
A triple trophic boost: How carbon emissions indirectly change a marine food chain
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-01-2019
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.14536
Abstract: The pervasive enrichment of CO 2 in our oceans is a well‐documented stressor to marine life. Yet, there is little understanding about how CO 2 affects species indirectly in naturally complex communities. Using natural CO 2 vents, we investigated the indirect effects of CO 2 enrichment through a marine food chain. We show how CO 2 boosted the biomass of three trophic levels: from the primary producers (algae), through to their grazers (gastropods), and finally through to their predators (fish). We also found that consumption by both grazers and predators intensified under CO 2 enrichment, but, ultimately, this top‐down control failed to compensate for the boosted biomass of both primary producers and herbivores (bottom‐up control). Our study suggests that indirect effects can buffer the ubiquitous and direct, negative effects of CO 2 enrichment by allowing the upward propagation of resources through the food chain. Maintaining the natural complexity of food webs in our ocean communities could, therefore, help minimize the future impacts of CO 2 enrichment.
Stylet elemental signatures indicate population structure in a holobenthic octopus species, Octopus pallidus
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 19-11-2008
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS07722
Long-term patterns in estuarine fish growth across two climatically divergent regions
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-08-2015
DOI: 10.1007/S00442-015-3411-6
Abstract: Long-term ecological datasets are vital for investigating how species respond to changes in their environment, yet there is a critical lack of such datasets from aquatic systems. We developed otolith growth 'chronologies' to reconstruct the growth history of a temperate estuarine fish species, black bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri). Chronologies represented two regions in south-east Australia: South Australia, characterised by a relatively warm, dry climate, and Tasmania, characterised by a relatively cool, wet climate. Using a mixed modelling approach, we related inter-annual growth variation to air temperature, rainfall, freshwater inflow (South Australia only), and El Niño-Southern Oscillation events. Otolith chronologies provided a continuous record of growth over a 13- and 21-year period for fish from South Australia and Tasmania, respectively. Even though fish from Tasmania were sourced across multiple estuaries, they showed higher levels of growth synchronicity across years, and greater year-to-year growth variation, than fish from South Australia, which were sourced from a single, large estuary. Growth in Tasmanian fish declined markedly over the time period studied and was negatively correlated to temperature. In contrast, growth in South Australian fish was positively correlated to both temperature and rainfall. The stark contrast between the two regions suggests that Tasmanian black bream populations are more responsive to regional scale environmental variation and may be more vulnerable to global warming. This study highlights the importance of examining species response to climate change at the intra-specific level and further validates the emerging use of growth chronologies for generating long-term ecological data in aquatic systems.
Where do elements bind within the otoliths of fish?
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1071/MF15064
Abstract: Otolith element analyses are used extensively to reconstruct environmental histories of fish based on the assumption that elements substitute for calcium within the CaCO3 otolith structure. However, elements may also be incorporated within the protein component of the otolith in addition to the direct substitution for calcium in the mineral component, and this could introduce errors in environmental reconstructions. The aim of the present study was to determine whether elements were incorporated into the protein or mineral components of otoliths and the relative proportion of each element in each component. Element concentrations from whole ground otoliths and the isolated protein component were quantified using solution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Of the 12 elements investigated, most were found in both the proteinaceous and mineral components, but always in greater concentrations in the latter. Elements considered ‘non-essential’ to fish physiology with Ca-like properties (i.e. alkaline metals) were present in the mineral component in relatively high concentrations. Elements essential to fish physiology with smaller atomic radii than Ca (i.e. transition metals) were distributed throughout the protein and mineral components of the otolith. These findings enhance our understanding of element incorporation in the otolith and, ultimately, improve interpretations of otolith-based environmental reconstructions.
Transgenerational marking of cephalopods with an enriched barium isotope: a promising tool for empirically estimating post-hatching movement and population connectivity
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 12-04-2010
Abstract: Pecl, G. T., Doubleday, Z. A., Danyushevsky, L., Gilbert, S., and Moltschaniwskyj, N. A. 2010. Transgenerational marking of cephalopods with an enriched barium isotope: a promising tool for empirically estimating post-hatching movement and population connectivity. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1372–1380. Quantifying the movement of very small and young in iduals, determining sources of recruitment, and identifying the contribution of populations from different regions and periods to fished stocks is a major ecological challenge. Transgenerational isotope labelling (TRAIL), a technique which enables offspring to be marked on a mass scale, is applied for the first time to cephalopods, facilitating field studies quantifying population connectivity. Four species were used: Sepioteuthis australis, Euprymna tasmanica, Octopus pallidus, and Octopus maorum. Gravid females were injected with the enriched stable isotope 137Ba in different body tissues at several different doses. Isotopic ratios 138Ba:137Ba were then quantified using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry on the hard structures (statoliths and stylets) of offspring produced by the injected females. Day-old hatchlings from both squid species had statoliths with isotopic ratios significantly different from natural ratios and control animals, but variability in the ratios in hatchlings produced by different females was independent of dose or injection location. No differences were observed in the statoliths and stylets removed from hatchlings and juveniles, respectively, from the two octopus species, although isotopic shifts were evident in the hard structures of the adults injected. The use of TRAIL is a technique that offers considerable potential to advance the understanding of post-hatching dispersal and population connectivity in cephalopod populations.
Global proliferation of cephalopods
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.CUB.2016.04.002
Abstract: Human activities have substantially changed the world's oceans in recent decades, altering marine food webs, habitats and biogeochemical processes [1]. Cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish and octopuses) have a unique set of biological traits, including rapid growth, short lifespans and strong life-history plasticity, allowing them to adapt quickly to changing environmental conditions [2-4]. There has been growing speculation that cephalopod populations are proliferating in response to a changing environment, a perception fuelled by increasing trends in cephalopod fisheries catch [4,5]. To investigate long-term trends in cephalopod abundance, we assembled global time-series of cephalopod catch rates (catch per unit of fishing or s ling effort). We show that cephalopod populations have increased over the last six decades, a result that was remarkably consistent across a highly erse set of cephalopod taxa. Positive trends were also evident for both fisheries-dependent and fisheries-independent time-series, suggesting that trends are not solely due to factors associated with developing fisheries. Our results suggest that large-scale, directional processes, common to a range of coastal and oceanic environments, are responsible. This study presents the first evidence that cephalopod populations have increased globally, indicating that these ecologically and commercially important invertebrates may have benefited from a changing ocean environment.
Quantification of the age-pigment lipofuscin in known-age octopus (Octopus pallidus): A potential tool for age determination
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2011
Comparison of population structuring in sympatric octopus species with and without a pelagic larval stage
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 12-07-2013
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS10330
Innovation to limit seafood fraud post-COVID-19
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-12-2022
Metabolic effects on carbon isotope biomarkers in fish
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2019
Tracking the provenance of octopus using isotopic and multi-elemental analysis
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2022
Supporting the sustainable development of Australia's octopus industry: First assessment of an artisanal fishery
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2021
Innate response to first feeding in Octopus berrima hatchlings despite embryonic food imprinting
Publisher: Brill
Date: 27-06-2023
DOI: 10.1163/1568539X-BJA10227
Abstract: Food imprinting has both ecological and evolutionary significance but the generality of these patterns for octopods remains unknown. We aim to determine the prey preference of Octopus berrima hatchlings and whether it may be modified through imprinting. Firstly, hatchlings were given isopods, hipods and mussels to determine their prey preference ranking. In a separate experiment, embryos were exposed to the visual and chemical stimuli of either isopods, hipods or mussels separately at least a week before hatching. A prey preference test on hatchlings using all three prey types was conducted. We found that O. berrima had a preference ranking of isopods hipods mussels. However, they retained their isopod prey preference regardless of the prey type they were embryonically exposed to, indicating that it is likely pre-determined as a result of innate biological processes rather than from life experience, providing evidence that imprinting does not occur in O. berrima .
Experimental support towards a metabolic proxy in fish using otolith carbon isotopes
Publisher: The Company of Biologists
Date: 15-03-2020
DOI: 10.1242/JEB.217091
Abstract: Metabolic rate underpins our understanding of how species survive, reproduce and interact with their environment, but can be difficult to measure in wild fish. Stable carbon isotopes (δ13C) in ear stones (otoliths) of fish may reflect lifetime metabolic signatures but experimental validation is required to advance our understanding of the relationship. To this end, we reared juvenile Australasian snapper (Chrysophrys auratus), an iconic fishery species, at different temperatures and used intermittent-flow respirometry to calculate standard metabolic rate (SMR), maximum metabolic rate (MMR) and absolute aerobic scope (AAS). Subsequently, we analysed δ13C and oxygen isotopes (δ18O) in otoliths using isotope-ratio mass spectrometry. We found that under increasing temperatures, δ13C and δ18O significantly decreased, while SMR and MMR significantly increased. Negative logarithmic relationships were found between δ13C in otoliths and both SMR and MMR, while exponential decay curves were observed between proportions of metabolically sourced carbon in otoliths (Moto) and both measured and theoretical SMR. We show that basal energy for subsistence living and activity metabolism, both core components of field metabolic rates, contribute towards incorporation of δ13C into otoliths and support the use of δ13C as a metabolic proxy in field settings. The functional shapes of the logarithmic and exponential decay curves indicated that physiological thresholds regulate relationships between δ13C and metabolic rates due to upper thresholds of Moto. Here, we present quantitative experimental evidence to support the development of an otolith-based metabolic proxy, which could be a powerful tool in reconstructing lifetime biological trends in wild fish.
Octopus estate: what's under the surface?
Publisher: University of South Australia
Date: 2021
DOI: 10.25954/TTR6-0K53
How ocean acidification can benefit calcifiers
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.CUB.2016.12.004
Abstract: Reduction in seawater pH due to rising levels of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO
Testing for thresholds of ecosystem collapse in seagrass meadows
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-07-2017
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.12951
Abstract: Although the public desire for healthy environments is clear-cut, the science and management of ecosystem health has not been as simple. Ecological systems can be dynamic and can shift abruptly from one ecosystem state to another. Such unpredictable shifts result when ecological thresholds are crossed that is, small cumulative increases in an environmental stressor drive a much greater change than could be predicted from linear effects, suggesting an unforeseen tipping point is crossed. In coastal waters, broad-scale seagrass loss often occurs as a sudden event associated with human-driven nutrient enrichment (eutrophication). We tested whether the response of seagrass ecosystems to coastal nutrient enrichment is subject to a threshold effect. We exposed seagrass plots to different levels of nutrient enrichment (dissolved inorganic nitrogen) for 10 months and measured net production. Seagrass response exhibited a threshold pattern when nutrient enrichment exceeded moderate levels: there was an abrupt and large shift from positive to negative net leaf production (from approximately 0.04 leaf production to 0.02 leaf loss per day). Epiphyte load also increased as nutrient enrichment increased, which may have driven the shift in leaf production. Inadvertently crossing such thresholds, as can occur through ineffective management of land-derived inputs such as wastewater and stormwater runoff along urbanized coasts, may account for the widely observed sudden loss of seagrass meadows. Identification of tipping points may improve not only adaptive-management monitoring that seeks to avoid threshold effects, but also restoration approaches in systems that have crossed them.
Publishing with Objective Charisma: Breaking Science's Paradox
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.TREE.2017.06.011
Abstract: Good writing takes time, but in a research environment where speed is master, is it a superfluous pursuit? Scientists spend most of their working life writing, yet our writing style obstructs its key purpose: communication. We advocate more accessible prose that boosts the influence of our publications. For those who change, the proof of their success will be science that is read, understood, and remembered.
Calibrating the element composition of Donax deltoides shells as a palaeo-salinity proxy
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2017
Identifying physiological and environmental influences on otolith chemistry in a coastal fishery species
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2021
DOI: 10.1071/MF20196
Abstract: Otolith (ear stone) chemistry provides powerful insights into the lives of fish. Although frequently used to reconstruct past environments, the influence of physiology remains unsettled. As such, we investigated the relationships between otolith chemistry, physiological factors and environmental factors in an iconic fishery species, snapper (Chrysophrys auratus). Lifetime otolith profiles were analysed of carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopes, and elemental concentrations of lithium (Li:Ca), magnesium (Mg:Ca), manganese (Mn:Ca), strontium (Sr:Ca), and barium (Ba:Ca). Mixed-effects modelling alongside a detailed literature review was used to investigate physiological (age, otolith growth rate, fish size, sex) and environmental influences (sea-surface temperature and chlorophyll-a) on otolith chemistry. Carbon isotopes and magnesium related to physiological factors, suggesting their potential as physiological proxies. Physiology also weakly related to strontium and lithium. By contrast, oxygen isotopes, barium, and manganese (except for natal signatures) were suggested to provide insights into past environments. Our study stresses the importance of consistency in biological characteristics for study designs, and highlights the potential of physiological proxies for distinguishing between populations in uniform water bodies. This study has not only reinforced our confidence in field applications of otolith chemistry, but has furthered our understanding of the influence of physiology.
Q10 measures of metabolic performance and critical swimming speed in King George whiting Sillaginodes punctatus
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-02-2017
DOI: 10.1111/JFB.13273
Abstract: This study examined thermally driven changes in swimming performance and aerobic metabolism (Q
Rapid assessment of fisheries species sensitivity to climate change
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-11-2014
Quantitative elemental imaging of octopus stylets using PIXE and the nuclear microprobe
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2008
Creativity: The Stronger, Blacker Sheep behind Great Papers – A Reply to Falkenberg and Tubb
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2017
Assessing the validity of stylets as ageing tools in Octopus pallidus
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2006
Capturing expert uncertainty in spatial cumulative impact assessments /631/158 /631/158/2445 article
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-01-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-018-19354-6
Abstract: Understanding the spatial distribution of human impacts on marine environments is necessary for maintaining healthy ecosystems and supporting ‘blue economies’. Realistic assessments of impact must consider the cumulative impacts of multiple, coincident threats and the differing vulnerabilities of ecosystems to these threats. Expert knowledge is often used to assess impact in marine ecosystems because empirical data are lacking however, this introduces uncertainty into the results. As part of a spatial cumulative impact assessment for Spencer Gulf, South Australia, we asked experts to estimate score ranges (best-case, most-likely and worst-case), which accounted for their uncertainty about the effect of 32 threats on eight ecosystems. Expert scores were combined with data on the spatial pattern and intensity of threats to generate cumulative impact maps based on each of the three scoring scenarios, as well as simulations and maps of uncertainty. We compared our method, which explicitly accounts for the experts’ knowledge-based uncertainty, with other approaches and found that it provides smaller uncertainty bounds, leading to more constrained assessment results. Collecting these additional data on experts’ knowledge-based uncertainty provides transparency and simplifies interpretation of the outputs from spatial cumulative impact assessments, facilitating their application for sustainable resource management and conservation.
Weedy futures: can we benefit from the species that thrive in the marine Anthropocene?
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-11-2018
DOI: 10.1002/FEE.1973
Better late than never: Optimising the proteomic analysis of field-collected octopus
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 12-07-2023
DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0288084
Abstract: Proteomics, the temporal study of proteins expressed by an organism, is a powerful technique that can reveal how organisms respond to biological perturbations, such as disease and environmental stress. Yet, the use of proteomics for addressing ecological questions has been limited, partly due to inadequate protocols for the s ling and preparation of animal tissues from the field. Although RNA later is an ideal alternative to freezing for tissue preservation in transcriptomics studies, its suitability for the field could be more broadly examined. Moreover, existing protocols require s les to be preserved immediately to maintain protein integrity, yet the effects of delays in preservation on proteomic analyses have not been thoroughly tested. Hence, we optimised a proteomic workflow for wild-caught s les. First, we conducted a preliminary in-lab test using SDS-PAGE analysis on aquaria-reared Octopus berrima confirming that RNA later can effectively preserve proteins up to 6 h after incubation, supporting its use in the field. Subsequently, we collected arm tips from wild-caught Octopus berrima and preserved them in homemade RNA later immediately, 3 h, and 6 h after euthanasia. Processed tissue s les were analysed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry to ascertain protein differences between time delay in tissue preservation, as well as the influence of sex, tissue type, and tissue homogenisation methods. Over 3500 proteins were identified from all tissues, with bioinformatic analysis revealing protein abundances were largely consistent regardless of s le treatment. However, nearly 10% additional proteins were detected from tissues homogenised with metal beads compared to liquid nitrogen methods, indicating the beads were more efficient at extracting proteins. Our optimised workflow demonstrates that s ling non-model organisms from remote field sites is achievable and can facilitate extensive proteomic coverage without compromising protein integrity.
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