ORCID Profile
0000-0003-1185-9745
Current Organisation
University of Western 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) | Ecology | Phycology (incl. Marine Grasses) | Ecological Impacts of Climate Change | Global Change Biology | Ecology | Environmental Science and Management | Ecological Applications | Environmental Impact Assessment | Conservation and Biodiversity | Phycology | Marine And Estuarine Ecology (Incl. Marine Ichthyology) | Carbon sequestration science | Environmental Rehabilitation (excl. Bioremediation) | Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) | Ecological Physiology
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Marine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity | Ecosystem Adaptation to Climate Change | Effects of Climate Change and Variability on Australia (excl. Social Impacts) | Climate Change Mitigation Strategies | Coastal and Estuarine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity | Climate change | Living resources (incl. impacts of fishing on non-target species) | Integrated (ecosystem) assessment and management | Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity at Regional or Larger Scales | Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Marine Environments |
Related Links
Publications
Size, not morphology, determines hydrodynamic performance of a kelp during peak flow
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 15-12-2012
An extreme climatic event alters marine ecosystem structure in a global biodiversity hotspot
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-07-2012
DOI: 10.1038/NCLIMATE1627
Complex plant–herbivore–predator interactions in a brackish water seaweed habitat
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2013
Scale of impact determines early post-disturbance assemblage structure in subtidal Fucus beds in the Baltic Sea (Bornholm, Denmark)
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-2006
Particle grazing efficiency and specific growth efficiency of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis (Muller)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-1997
Assemblage turnover and taxonomic sufficiency of subtidal macroalgae at multiple spatial scales
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2010
Biological responses to the press and pulse of climate trends and extreme events
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-07-2017
Marine biodiversity and climate change
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2014
Short-term in situ warming influences early development of sessile assemblages
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 07-05-2012
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS09680
Marine heatwaves threaten global biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-03-2019
Proximity to rocky reefs alters the balance between positive and negative effects on seagrass fauna
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 29-04-2010
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS08516
The effects of thallus size, life stage, aggregation, wave exposure and substratum conditions on the forces required to break or dislodge the small kelp Ecklonia radiata
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Date: 2004
DOI: 10.1515/BOT.2004.068
Misconceptions about analyses of Australian seaweed collections
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 04-2014
DOI: 10.2216/13-197.1
Accelerating Tropicalization and the Transformation of Temperate Seagrass Meadows
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 14-09-2016
The tropicalization of temperate marine ecosystems: climate-mediated changes in herbivory and community phase shifts
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 22-08-2014
Abstract: Climate-driven changes in biotic interactions can profoundly alter ecological communities, particularly when they impact foundation species. In marine systems, changes in herbivory and the consequent loss of dominant habitat forming species can result in dramatic community phase shifts, such as from coral to macroalgal dominance when tropical fish herbivory decreases, and from algal forests to ‘barrens’ when temperate urchin grazing increases. Here, we propose a novel phase-shift away from macroalgal dominance caused by tropical herbivores extending their range into temperate regions. We argue that this phase shift is facilitated by poleward-flowing boundary currents that are creating ocean warming hotspots around the globe, enabling the range expansion of tropical species and increasing their grazing rates in temperate areas. Overgrazing of temperate macroalgae by tropical herbivorous fishes has already occurred in Japan and the Mediterranean. Emerging evidence suggests similar phenomena are occurring in other temperate regions, with increasing occurrence of tropical fishes on temperate reefs.
Novel crab predator causes marine ecosystem regime shift
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-04-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-018-23282-W
Abstract: The escalating spread of invasive species increases the risk of disrupting the pathways of energy flow through native ecosystems, modify the relative importance of resource (‘bottom-up’) and consumer (‘top-down’) control in food webs and thereby govern biomass production at different trophic levels. The current lack of understanding of interaction cascades triggered by non-indigenous species underscores the need for more basic exploratory research to assess the degree to which novel species regulate bottom-up and/or top down control. Novel predators are expected to produce the strongest effects by decimating consumers, and leading to the blooms of primary producers. Here we show how the arrival of the invasive crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii into the Baltic Sea – a bottom-up controlled ecosystem where no equivalent predators ever existed – appeared to trigger not only strong top-down control resulting in a decline in richness and biomass of benthic invertebrates, but also an increase in pelagic nutrients and phytoplankton biomass. Thus, the addition of a novel interaction – crab predation – to an ecosystem has a potential to reduce the relative importance of bottom-up regulation, relax benthic-pelagic coupling and reallocate large amounts of nutrients from benthic to pelagic processes, resulting in a regime shift to a degraded ecosystem state.
Defining and observing stages of climate-mediated range shifts in marine systems
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2014
A Meta-Analysis of Seaweed Impacts on Seagrasses: Generalities and Knowledge Gaps
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 10-01-2012
Shield wall: Kelps are the last stand against corals in tropicalized reefs
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-07-2022
Abstract: Communities inhabiting biogeographic transition zones are shifting in composition as a result of progressive warming and heatwaves. In the marine environment, corals are expanding onto higher latitude reefs historically dominated by temperate kelp forests, initiating a shift towards warm affinity coral‐dominated states. Although these coral expansions are a global phenomenon, the mechanisms that are underpinning the expansion process remain poorly understood, which limits the projections of the rate and extent of ecosystem reconfiguration. Here, we investigated the interaction between the kelp Ecklonia radiata and the high latitude scleractinian coral Plesiastrea versipora in several of Western Australia's temperate reefs, where coral colony abundance has increased by 50% in recent years. Combining field surveys with field and laboratory experiments, we test the importance of physical (abrasion and light reduction) and chemical (allelopathic) effects of kelp canopies on coral tissue cover, photosynthetic parameters and calcification rates. In the field, kelp cover had a negative effect on coral density that was overwhelming in comparison to other dominant macroalgal taxa. Abrasion by kelp whiplash was the predominant mechanism by which kelp exerted a negative effect on P. versipora fitness, scraping up to 80% of live coenosarc from experimental colonies. In contrast, canopies had no effects on P. versipora photochemical efficiency and laboratory incubations showed that there were no allelochemical effects from kelp on P. versipora . We conclude that E. radiata inhibits P. versipora establishment and development through abrasion, and the survey data confirmed that recent climate‐driven kelp loss released corals from this effect, facilitating their expansion on high‐latitude reefs in Western Australia. This shows how competitive interactions actively shield against species expansion in biogeographic transition zones and suggests a continued decline of kelp canopies will increase the permeability of temperate reefs to warm affinity species such as scleractinian corals. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Predicting ecosystem shifts requires new approaches that integrate the effects of climate change across entire systems
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 07-09-2012
Abstract: Most studies that forecast the ecological consequences of climate change target a single species and a single life stage. Depending on climatic impacts on other life stages and on interacting species, however, the results from simple experiments may not translate into accurate predictions of future ecological change. Research needs to move beyond simple experimental studies and environmental envelope projections for single species towards identifying where ecosystem change is likely to occur and the drivers for this change. For this to happen, we advocate research directions that (i) identify the critical species within the target ecosystem, and the life stage(s) most susceptible to changing conditions and (ii) the key interactions between these species and components of their broader ecosystem. A combined approach using macroecology, experimentally derived data and modelling that incorporates energy budgets in life cycle models may identify critical abiotic conditions that disproportionately alter important ecological processes under forecasted climates.
Nearshore and offshore co-occurrence of marine heatwaves and cold-spells
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2017
Holdfast aggregation in relation to morphology, age, attachment and drag for the kelp Ecklonia radiata
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2005
Seaweed communities in retreat from ocean warming
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.CUB.2011.09.028
Abstract: In recent decades, global climate change [1] has caused profound biological changes across the planet [2-6]. However, there is a great disparity in the strength of evidence among different ecosystems and between hemispheres: changes on land have been well documented through long-term studies, but similar direct evidence for impacts of warming is virtually absent from the oceans [3, 7], where only a few studies on in idual species of intertidal invertebrates, plankton, and commercially important fish in the North Atlantic and North Pacific exist. This disparity of evidence is precarious for biological conservation because of the critical role of the marine realm in regulating the Earth's environmental and ecological functions, and the associated socioeconomic well-being of humans [8]. We interrogated a database of >20,000 herbarium records of macroalgae collected in Australia since the 1940s and documented changes in communities and geographical distribution limits in both the Indian and Pacific Oceans, consistent with rapid warming over the past five decades [9, 10]. We show that continued warming might drive potentially hundreds of species toward and beyond the edge of the Australian continent where sustained retreat is impossible. The potential for global extinctions is profound considering the many endemic seaweeds and seaweed-dependent marine organisms in temperate Australia.
Ecological performance and possible origin of a ubiquitous but under-studied gastropod
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2010
Invasions by non-indigenous species
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Date: 18-06-2015
Drift algae, an invasive snail and elevated temperature reduce ecological performance of a warm-temperate seagrass, through additive effects
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 29-03-2012
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS09552
Differences in kelp morphology between wave sheltered and exposed localities: Morphologically plastic or fixed traits?
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-10-2006
Comparative Phenology of Sargassum muticum and Halidrys siliquosa (Phaeophyceae: Fucales) in Limfjorden, Denmark
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Date: 19-01-2001
DOI: 10.1515/BOT.2001.005
The dynamic biogeography of the anthropocene: The speed of recent range shifts in seaweeds
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2016
Non-native Seaweeds Drive Changes in Marine Coastal Communities Around the World
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2016
EVIDENCE FOR IMPACTS OF NONINDIGENOUS MACROALGAE: A META‐ANALYSIS OF EXPERIMENTAL FIELD STUDIES1
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-2009
DOI: 10.1111/J.1529-8817.2009.00709.X
Abstract: Invasions by nonindigenous macroalgal species (NIMS) potentially cause severe impacts on native species. We conducted a meta-analysis of 18 field-based manipulative experiments to quantify the direction and magnitude of impacts (Hedges effect size d, hereafter ES). We found significant small-to-medium negative effects on "macrophyte abundance" (cover, biomass of native taxa EScumulative = -0.30) and medium-to-large negative effects on "macrophyte assemblages" (richness, ersity, total abundance EScumulative = -0.70). In contrast, EScumulative were not significant for "macrophyte processes" (growth, mortality EScumulative = -0.39), "animal abundance" (densities EScumulative = -0.13), or "animal assemblages" (richness, ersity EScumulative = 0.75). The nonsignificant effect sizes were characterized by low s le sizes and should be interpreted with caution. Three study-specific effect sizes were particularly large (<-2.0), showing that, in specific cases, impacts can be highly negative. From a conservation perspective, focus could be on such worst-case scenarios. Still, the reported EScumulative are likely biased toward larger effects because only the most conspicuous NIMS have been tested and because nonsignificant results are less likely to be published. To better understand the impacts of NIMS, more manipulative experiments are needed, testing more species and under contrasting environmental conditions. Future studies should include procedural control treatments and report the abundance of the NIMS to avoid ambiguous interpretations. In conclusion, current experimental evidence shows that NIMS have, on average, small-to-large negative impacts on native plant species and assemblages. It is possible that these effects can result in severe consequences when accumulated over long time periods and large spatial scales.
Population structure of turbinid gastropods on wave-exposed subtidal reefs: Effects of density, body size and algae on grazing behaviour
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 30-06-2008
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS07416
Community development on subtidal temperate reefs: the influences of wave energy and the stochastic recruitment of a dominant kelp
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-04-2011
Species traits and climate velocity explain geographic range shifts in an ocean warming hotspot
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-07-2015
DOI: 10.1111/ELE.12474
Abstract: Species' ranges are shifting globally in response to climate warming, with substantial variability among taxa, even within regions. Relationships between range dynamics and intrinsic species traits may be particularly apparent in the ocean, where temperature more directly shapes species' distributions. Here, we test for a role of species traits and climate velocity in driving range extensions in the ocean-warming hotspot of southeast Australia. Climate velocity explained some variation in range shifts, however, including species traits more than doubled the variation explained. Swimming ability, omnivory and latitudinal range size all had positive relationships with range extension rate, supporting hypotheses that increased dispersal capacity and ecological generalism promote extensions. We find independent support for the hypothesis that species with narrow latitudinal ranges are limited by factors other than climate. Our findings suggest that small-ranging species are in double jeopardy, with limited ability to escape warming and greater intrinsic vulnerability to stochastic disturbances.
Longer and more frequent marine heatwaves over the past century
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-04-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41467-018-03732-9
Abstract: Heatwaves are important climatic extremes in atmospheric and oceanic systems that can have devastating and long-term impacts on ecosystems, with subsequent socioeconomic consequences. Recent prominent marine heatwaves have attracted considerable scientific and public interest. Despite this, a comprehensive assessment of how these ocean temperature extremes have been changing globally is missing. Using a range of ocean temperature data including global records of daily satellite observations, daily in situ measurements and gridded monthly in situ-based data sets, we identify significant increases in marine heatwaves over the past century. We find that from 1925 to 2016, global average marine heatwave frequency and duration increased by 34% and 17%, respectively, resulting in a 54% increase in annual marine heatwave days globally. Importantly, these trends can largely be explained by increases in mean ocean temperatures, suggesting that we can expect further increases in marine heatwave days under continued global warming.
Publisher Correction: Heterogeneity within and among co-occurring foundation species increases biodiversity
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-03-2022
Population structure of the purple sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma along a latitudinal gradient in south-west Australia
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 13-12-2014
DOI: 10.1017/S0025315413001604
Abstract: Sea urchins are key herbivores in many coastal ecosystems. The purple sea urchin, Heliocidaris erythrogramma , is widely distributed across temperate Australia where it exhibits considerable plasticity in feeding behaviour and ecophysiology. In this study we examined H. erythrogramma populations on subtidal reefs along ~4° of latitude in south-west Australia. We used a multi-factorial survey design to assess variability in H. erythrogramma abundances between locations ( km part), sites (≥1 km apart) and habitat types (reef flats and slopes). We also examined spatial variability in urchin size, condition (measured by gonad index), and the relative abundances of two co-occurring subspecies. Urchin densities were generally low and did not vary between locations, but did vary between habitat types and amongst sites. Site-level variability in urchin size and condition was also pronounced. The southernmost population comprised smaller in iduals and greater relative abundance of the H. e. erythrogramma subspecies, which is abundant on the east coast of Australia. We observed no indication of population-level responses to a recent extreme warming event that impacted the wider ecology of the region, but further investigation into the effects of both gradual warming and short-term climatic events on the ecology of H. erythrogramma and other key herbivores is required.
Form and function of tropical macroalgal reefs in the Anthropocene
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-01-2019
Contrasting mechanisms of dislodgement and erosion contribute to production of kelp detritus
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-08-2013
Keeping pace with marine heatwaves
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-07-2001
Movement of pulsed resource subsidies from kelp forests to deep fjords
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-03-2018
DOI: 10.1007/S00442-018-4121-7
Abstract: Resource subsidies in the form of allochthonous primary production drive secondary production in many ecosystems, often sustaining ersity and overall productivity. Despite their importance in structuring marine communities, there is little understanding of how subsidies move through juxtaposed habitats and into recipient communities. We investigated the transport of detritus from kelp forests to a deep Arctic fjord (northern Norway). We quantified the seasonal abundance and size structure of kelp detritus in shallow subtidal (0‒12 m), deep subtidal (12‒85 m), and deep fjord (400‒450 m) habitats using a combination of camera surveys, e observations, and detritus collections over 1 year. Detritus formed dense accumulations in habitats adjacent to kelp forests, and the timing of depositions coincided with the discrete loss of whole kelp blades during spring. We tracked these blades through the deep subtidal and into the deep fjord, and showed they act as a short-term resource pulse transported over several weeks. In deep subtidal regions, detritus consisted mostly of fragments and its depth distribution was similar across seasons (50% of total observations). Tagged pieces of detritus moved slowly out of kelp forests (displaced 4‒50 m (mean 11.8 m ± 8.5 SD) in 11‒17 days, based on minimum estimates from recovered pieces), and most (75%) variability in the rate of export was related to wave exposure and substrate. Tight resource coupling between kelp forests and deep fjords indicate that changes in kelp abundance would propagate through to deep fjord ecosystems, with likely consequences for the ecosystem functioning and services they provide.
Habitat structure affect abundances of labrid fishes across temperate reefs in south-western Australia
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-08-2009
Tropicalization unlocks novel trophic pathways and enhances secondary productivity in temperate reefs
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-01-2022
Abstract: The structure of ecological communities is rapidly changing across the globe due to climate‐mediated shifts in species distributions, with novel ecosystem states emerging as new species become dominant. While it is clear that such changes restructure habitat properties and their associated assemblages, how new nutritional resources and consumers may affect the ecosystem trophic structure and energetic dynamics remains poorly resolved. Here, we investigate how the reconfiguration of tropicalized reefs—that is, temperate ecosystems receiving an influx of tropical species—affects the availability of nutritional resources and energy flow through herbivore‐based trophic pathways. To do so, we quantified changes in algal and detrital resources along a tropicalization gradient in eastern Australia. We also estimated energy flow towards herbivorous fishes by quantifying their standing biomass (kg/ha), productivity (kg ha −1 day −1 ), and biomass turnover (% day −1 ), using an in idual‐level modelling approach that combines estimates of fish growth rates and mortality. Along the gradient, tropicalized reefs had relatively higher amounts of palatable algal turfs and detrital particulates compared to non‐tropicalized sites. Feeding intensity by herbivorous fishes was also c . 400 times higher on tropicalized reefs, with tropical turf‐cropping surgeon fishes being responsible for % of the feeding rates. Turf‐driven trophic pathways underpinned virtual all ( %) of the biomass produced by tropical fishes, which contributed up to 63% of the total herbivorous fish standing biomass and 86% of the productivity despite only representing 35% of the abundance. Turfs also fuelled most of the secondary productivity of tropical fishes on tropicalized reefs across Australia's western tropical–temperate transition zone, although their overall productivity was ~5 times lower. This is possibly due to turfs there containing elevated sediment loads, which dilute the nutritional quality of turf‐based resources, as well as other differences in the biogeographical context. We propose that algal turfs are central drivers of ecosystem energetic shifts on temperate reefs as they become tropicalized because they support novel algal and detrital trophic pathways that enhance secondary productivity and biomass turnover. Our results also suggest that turf characteristics such as organic content or sediment load may emerge as increasingly important drivers of energy flow in temperate locations where turfs dominate benthic cover. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Turban snails as habitat for foliose algae: contrasting geographical patterns in species richness
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/MF09184
Abstract: Understanding patterns of species richness is a major goal for ecologists, especially in space-limited habitats where many organisms live on top of others (epibiosis, e.g. by algae growing on gastropods in marine environments). We tested the hypotheses that species richness of epiflora on the gastropod Turbo torquatus would not differ between regions with similarly rich algal floras, and that epifloral richness would increase with increasing gastropod size. Macroalgal floras of Hamelin Bay (HB), Marmion (M), Jurien Bay (JB) and Kalbarri (K), Western Australia, ranged from ∼20 to 40 species reef–1 (JB = HB = M ≥ K). Epiflora on small T. torquatus (shell area cm2) did not differ among regions but epifloral richness increased with increasing basibiont size. Large T. torquatus ( cm2) were only found in Hamelin Bay and Marmion, where epifloral richness differed substantially. Epifloral richness was positively related to basibiont size in Marmion but not in Hamelin Bay. However, densities of patellid limpets on large T. torquatus were ∼4× higher in Hamelin Bay than in Marmion, implying that limpet grazing suppresses epifloral richness. Epifloral richness on turbinids is not simply associated with regional species pools or gastropod size rather, biological interactions at the scale of in idual basibionts apparently govern broad scale patterns of epibiosis.
Detached kelps from distant sources are a food subsidy for sea urchins
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-05-2008
DOI: 10.1007/S00442-008-1061-7
Abstract: Trophic subsidies link habitats and can determine community structure in the subsidised habitats. Knowledge of the spatial extents of trophic interactions is important for understanding food webs, and for making spatial management practices more efficient. We demonstrate trophic linkages between detached (drift) fragments of the kelp Ecklonia radiata and the purple sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma among discrete rocky reefs separated by kilometres. Sea urchins were abundant at one inshore reef, where the biomass of drift was usually high. There, sea urchins trapped detached kelp at high rates, although local kelp abundance was low. Most detached kelp present on the reef was retained by sea urchins. Detached seagrass, which was abundant on the reef, was not retained by sea urchins in large quantities. Experiments with tethered pieces of kelp showed that sea urchins only consumed detached fragments, and did not consume attached kelps. Comparisons of the morphology of detached fragments of kelp collected from the inshore reef to attached kelps from reefs further offshore showed that a large proportion (30-95%, varying among dates) of the fragments originated at distant reefs (>or=2 km away). At the inshore reef, the sea urchin H. erythrogramma is subsidised by detached kelps, and detached kelp fragments have been transported across landscapes. Cross-habitat resource subsidies therefore link discrete reef habitats separated by kilometres of non-reef habitat.
Niche and neutral assembly mechanisms contribute to latitudinal diversity gradients in reef fishes
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-08-2021
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.14237
Abstract: The influence of niche and neutral mechanisms on the assembly of ecological communities have long been debated. However, we still have a limited knowledge on their relative importance to explain patterns of ersity across latitudinal gradients (LDG). Here, we investigate the extent to which these ecological mechanisms contribute to the LDG of reef fishes. Eastern Atlantic Ocean. Reef‐associated ray‐finned fishes. We combined abundance data across ~60° of latitude with functional trait data and phylogenetic trees. A null model approach was used to decouple the influence of taxonomic ersity (TD) on functional (FD) and phylogenetic (PD) ersity. Standardized effect sizes (SES FD and SES PD) were used to explore patterns of overdispersion, clustering and randomness. Information theoretic approaches were used to investigate the role of large‐ (temperature, geographic isolation, nitrate and net primary productivity) and local‐scale (human population and depth) drivers. We further assessed the role of demographic stochasticity and its interaction with species trophic identity and dispersal capacity. Taxonomic ersity peaked at ~15°–20°N, with a second mode of lower magnitude at ~45°N a pattern that was predicted by temperature, geographic isolation and productivity. Tropical regions displayed a higher proportion of overdispersed assemblages, whilst clustering increased towards temperate regions. Phylogenetic and functional overdispersion were associated with warmer, productive and isolated regions. Demographic stochasticity also contributed largely to community assembly, independently of ecoregions, although variation was dependent on the trophic identity and body size of species. Niche‐based processes linking thermal and resource constraints to local coexistence mechanisms have contributed to the LDG in reef fishes. These processes do not act in isolation, stressing the importance of understanding interactions between deterministic and stochastic factors driving community structure in the face of rapid bio ersity change.
Integrating within-species variation in thermal physiology into climate change ecology.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 17-06-2019
Abstract: Accurately forecasting the response of global biota to warming is a fundamental challenge for ecology in the Anthropocene. Within-species variation in thermal sensitivity, caused by phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation of thermal limits, is often overlooked in assessments of species responses to warming. Despite this, implicit assumptions of thermal niche conservatism or adaptation and plasticity at the species level permeate the literature with potentially important implications for predictions of warming impacts at the population level. Here we review how these attributes interact with the spatial and temporal context of ocean warming to influence the vulnerability of marine organisms. We identify a broad spectrum of thermal sensitivities among marine organisms, particularly in central and cool-edge populations of species distributions. These are characterized by generally low sensitivity in organisms with conserved thermal niches, to high sensitivity for organisms with locally adapted thermal niches. Important differences in thermal sensitivity among marine taxa suggest that warming could adversely affect benthic primary producers sooner than less vulnerable higher trophic groups. Embracing the spatial, temporal and biological context of within-species variation in thermal physiology helps explain observed impacts of ocean warming and can improve forecasts of climate change vulnerability in marine systems. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Physiological ersity, bio ersity patterns and global climate change: testing key hypotheses involving temperature and oxygen’.
Patterns of landscape and assemblage structure along a latitudinal gradient in ocean climate
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 15-10-2012
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS09941
Rise of Turfs: A New Battlefront for Globally Declining Kelp Forests
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 17-01-2018
Habitat Cascades: The Conceptual Context and Global Relevance of Facilitation Cascades via Habitat Formation and Modification
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 11-05-2010
DOI: 10.1093/ICB/ICQ042
Abstract: The importance of positive interactions is increasingly acknowledged in contemporary ecology. Most research has focused on direct positive effects of one species on another. However, there is recent evidence that indirect positive effects in the form of facilitation cascades can also structure species abundances and bio ersity. Here we conceptualize a specific type of facilitation cascade-the habitat cascade. The habitat cascade is defined as indirect positive effects on focal organisms mediated by successive facilitation in the form of biogenic formation or modification of habitat. Based on a literature review, we demonstrate that habitat cascades are a general phenomenon that enhances species abundance and ersity in forests, salt marshes, seagrass meadows, and seaweed beds. Habitat cascades are characterized by a hierarchy of facilitative interactions in which a basal habitat former (typically a large primary producer, e.g., a tree) creates living space for an intermediate habitat former (e.g., an epiphyte) that in turn creates living space for the focal organisms (e.g., spiders, beetles, and mites). We then present new data on a habitat cascade common to soft-bottom estuaries in which a relatively small invertebrate provides basal habitat for larger intermediate seaweeds that, in turn, generate habitat for focal invertebrates and epiphytes. We propose that indirect positive effects on focal organisms will be strongest when the intermediate habitat former is larger and different in form and function from the basal habitat former. We also discuss how humans create, modify, and destroy habitat cascades via global habitat destruction, climatic change, over-harvesting, pollution, or transfer of invasive species. Finally, we outline future directions for research that will lead to a better understanding of habitat cascades.
Maximization of fitness by phenological and phenotypic plasticity in range expanding rabbitfishes (Siganidae)
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-05-2022
Abstract: Global warming is modifying the phenology, life‐history traits and biogeography of species around the world. Evidence of these effects have increased over recent decades however, we still have a poor understanding of the possible outcomes of their interplay across global climatic gradients, hindering our ability to accurately predict the consequences of climate change in populations and ecosystems. We examined the effect that changes in biogeography can have on the life‐history traits of two of the most successful range‐extending fish species in the world: the tropical rabbitfishes Siganus fuscescens and Siganus rivulatus . Both species have established abundant populations at higher latitudes in the northern and southern hemispheres and have been identified as important ecological engineers with the potential to alter the community structure of seaweed forests (Laminariales and Fucales) in temperate regions. Life‐history trait information from across their global distribution was compiled from the published literature and meta‐analyses were conducted to assess changes in (i) the onset and duration of reproductive periods, (ii) size at maturity, (iii) fecundity, (iv) growth rates, (v) maximum body sizes and (vi) longevity in populations at the leading edge of range expansion in relation to sea surface temperature and primary productivity (a common proxy for nutritional resource levels). Populations at highest latitudes had shortened their reproductive periods and reduced growth rates, taking longer to reach sexual maturity and maximum sizes, but compensated this with higher fecundity per length class and longer lifespans than populations in warmer environments. Low primary productivity and temperature in the Mediterranean Sea resulted in lower growth rates and body sizes for S. rivulatus , but also lower length at maturity, increasing life‐time reproductive output. The results suggest that plasticity in the phenology and life‐history traits of range‐expanding species would be important to enhance their fitness in high latitude environments, facilitating their persistence and possible further poleward expansions. Quantifying the magnitude and direction of these responses can improve our understanding and ability to forecast species redistributions and its repercussions in the functioning of temperate ecosystems.
The Footprint of Continental-Scale Ocean Currents on the Biogeography of Seaweeds
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 08-11-2013
Exploring the Influence of Temperature on Aspects of the Reproductive Phenology of Temperate Seaweeds
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 20-06-2018
Spatio-temporal distribution patterns of the invasive macroalga Sargassum muticum within a Danish Sargassum-bed
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-10-2005
The effects of light and thallus scour from Ecklonia radiata canopy on an associated foliose algal assemblage: the importance of photoacclimation
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-2004
Epibiota communities of the introduced and indigenous macroalgal relatives Sargassum muticum and Halidrys siliquosa in Limfjorden (Denmark)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-06-2004
Marine biodiversity exposed to prolonged and intense subsurface heatwaves
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-09-2023
Distribution and Localised Effects of the Invasive Ascidian Didemnum perlucidum (Monniot 1983) in an Urban Estuary
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 04-05-2016
PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF ECKLONIA RADIATA (LAMINARIALES) TO A LATITUDINAL GRADIENT IN OCEAN TEMPERATURE1
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-2009
DOI: 10.1111/J.1529-8817.2008.00635.X
Abstract: We tested the ability of sporophytes of a small kelp, Ecklonia radiata (C. Agardh) J. Agardh, to adjust their photosynthesis, respiration, and cellular processes to increasingly warm ocean climates along a latitudinal gradient in ocean temperature (∼4°C). Tissue concentrations of pigment and nutrients decreased with increasing ocean temperature. Concurrently, a number of gradual changes in the metabolic balance of E. radiata took place along the latitudinal gradient. Warm-acclimatized kelps had 50% lower photosynthetic rates and 90% lower respiration rates at the optimum temperature than did cool-acclimatized kelps. A reduction in temperature sensitivity was also observed as a reduction in Q10 -values from cool- to warm-acclimatized kelps for gross photosynthesis (Q10 : 3.35 to 1.45) and respiration (Q10 : 3.82 to 1.65). Respiration rates were more sensitive to increasing experimental temperatures (10% higher Q10 -values) than photosynthesis and had a higher optimum temperature, irrespective of s ling location. To maintain a positive carbon balance, E. radiata increased the critical light demand (Ec ) exponentially with increasing experimental temperature. The temperature dependency of Ec was, however, weakened with increasing ocean temperature, such that the critical light demand was relaxed in kelp acclimated to higher ocean temperatures. Nevertheless, calculations of critical depth limits suggested that direct effects of future temperature increases are unlikely to be as strong as effects of reduced water clarity, another globally increasing problem in coastal areas.
A global assessment of marine heatwaves and their drivers
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-06-2019
DOI: 10.1038/S41467-019-10206-Z
Abstract: Marine heatwaves (MHWs) can cause devastating impacts to marine life. Despite the serious consequences of MHWs, our understanding of their drivers is largely based on isolated case studies rather than any systematic unifying assessment. Here we provide the first global assessment under a consistent framework by combining a confidence assessment of the historical refereed literature from 1950 to February 2016, together with the analysis of MHWs determined from daily satellite sea surface temperatures from 1982–2016, to identify the important local processes, large-scale climate modes and teleconnections that are associated with MHWs regionally. Clear patterns emerge, including coherent relationships between enhanced or suppressed MHW occurrences with the dominant climate modes across most regions of the globe – an important exception being western boundary current regions where reports of MHW events are few and ocean-climate relationships are complex. These results provide a global baseline for future MHW process and prediction studies.
Biogeographic variation in temperature drives performance of kelp gametophytes during warming
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 22-10-2014
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS10916
Broad-scale patterns of abundance of non-indigenous soft-bottom invertebrates in Denmark
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-11-2008
Regional Differences in kelp-associated algal assemblages on temperate limestone reefs in south-western Australia
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-10-2003
On the generality of cascading habitat-formation
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 22-02-2014
Global seaweed productivity
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 16-09-2022
Abstract: The magnitude and distribution of net primary production (NPP) in the coastal ocean remains poorly constrained, particularly for shallow marine vegetation. Here, using a compilation of in situ annual NPP measurements across sites in 72 geographic ecoregions, we provide global predictions of the productivity of seaweed habitats, which form the largest vegetated coastal biome on the planet. We find that seaweed NPP is strongly coupled to climatic variables, peaks at temperate latitudes, and is dominated by forests of large brown seaweeds. Seaweed forests exhibit exceptionally high per-area production rates (a global average of 656 and 1711 gC m −2 year −1 in the subtidal and intertidal, respectively), being up to 10 times higher than coastal phytoplankton in temperate and polar seas. Our results show that seaweed NPP is a strong driver of production in the coastal ocean and call for its integration in the oceanic carbon cycle, where it has traditionally been overlooked.
Scaling-up an efficacious school-based physical activity intervention: Study protocol for the 'Internet-based Professional Learning to help teachers support Activity in Youth' (iPLAY) cluster randomized controlled trial and scale-up implementation evaluation
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-08-2016
Sensitivity and Acclimation of Three Canopy-Forming Seaweeds to UVB Radiation and Warming
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 02-12-2015
The spatial arrangement of reefs alters the ecological patterns of fauna between interspersed algal habitats
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2008
Intergrading reef communities across discrete seaweed habitats in a temperate–tropical transition zone
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2022
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.8538
Abstract: Temperate reefs are increasingly affected by the direct and indirect effects of climate change. At many of their warm range edges, cool‐water kelps are decreasing, while seaweeds with warm‐water affinities are increasing. These habitat‐forming species provide different ecological functions, and shifts to warm‐affinity seaweeds are expected to modify the structure of associated communities. Predicting the nature of such shifts at the ecosystem level is, however, challenging, as they often occur gradually over large geographical areas. Here, we take advantage of a climatic transition zone, where cool‐affinity (kelp) and warm‐affinity ( Sargassum ) seaweed forests occur adjacently under similar environmental conditions, to test whether these seaweed habitats support different associated seaweed, invertebrate, coral, and fish assemblages. We found clear differences in associated seaweed assemblages between habitats characterized by kelp and Sargassum abundance, with kelp having higher biomass and seaweed ersity and more cool‐affinity species than Sargassum habitats. The multivariate invertebrate and fish assemblages were not different between habitats, despite a higher ersity of fish species in the Sargassum habitat. No pattern in temperature affinity of the invertebrate or fish assemblages in each habitat was found, and few fish species were exclusive to one habitat or the other. These findings suggest that, as ocean warming continues to replace kelps with Sargassum , the abundance and ersity of associated seaweeds could decrease, whereas fish could increase. Nevertheless, the more tropicalized seaweed habitats may provide a degree of functional redundancy to associated fauna in temperate seaweed habitats.
A review of protocols for the experimental release of kelp (Laminariales) zoospores
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-06-2019
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.5389
CONTRIBUTION OF TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL COMPONENTS TO MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION IN THE KELP ECKLONIA (LAMINARIALES)
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-01-2010
Overwintering tropical herbivores accelerate detritus production on temperate reefs
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 20-11-2019
Abstract: The tropicalization of temperate marine ecosystems can lead to increased herbivory rates, reducing the standing stock of seaweeds and potentially causing increases in detritus production. However, long-term studies analysing these processes associated with the persistence of tropical herbivores in temperate reefs are lacking. We assessed the seasonal variation in abundances, macrophyte consumption, feeding modes and defecation rates of the range-extending tropical rabbitfish Siganus fuscescens and the temperate silver drummer Kyphosus sydneyanus and herring cale Olisthops cyanomelas on tropicalized reefs of Western Australia. Rabbitfish overwintered in temperate reefs, consumed more kelp and other macrophytes in all feeding modes, and defecated more during both summer and winter than the temperate herbivores. Herbivory and defecation increased with rabbitfish abundance, but this was dependent on temperature, with higher rates attained by big schools during summer and lower rates in winter. Still, rabbitfish surpassed temperate herbivores, leading to a fivefold acceleration in the transformation of macrophyte standing stock to detritus, a function usually attributed to sea urchins in kelp forests. Our results suggest that further warming and tropicalization will not only increase primary consumption and affect the habitat structure of temperate reefs but also increase detritus production, with the potential to modify energy pathways.
Alien macroalgae in Denmark – a broad-scale national perspective
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 20-04-2007
Carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation using macroalgae: a state of knowledge review
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-07-2023
DOI: 10.1111/BRV.12990
Abstract: The conservation, restoration, and improved management of terrestrial forests significantly contributes to mitigate climate change and its impacts, as well as providing numerous co‐benefits. The pressing need to reduce emissions and increase carbon removal from the atmosphere is now also leading to the development of natural climate solutions in the ocean. Interest in the carbon sequestration potential of underwater macroalgal forests is growing rapidly among policy, conservation, and corporate sectors. Yet, our understanding of whether carbon sequestration from macroalgal forests can lead to tangible climate change mitigation remains severely limited, h ering their inclusion in international policy or carbon finance frameworks. Here, we examine the results of over 180 publications to synthesise evidence regarding macroalgal forest carbon sequestration potential. We show that research efforts on macroalgae carbon sequestration are heavily skewed towards particulate organic carbon (POC) pathways (77% of data publications), and that carbon fixation is the most studied flux (55%). Fluxes leading directly to carbon sequestration (e.g. carbon export or burial in marine sediments) remain poorly resolved, likely hindering regional or country‐level assessments of carbon sequestration potential, which are only available from 17 of the 150 countries where macroalgal forests occur. To solve this issue, we present a framework to categorize coastlines according to their carbon sequestration potential. Finally, we review the multiple avenues through which this sequestration can translate into climate change mitigation capacity, which largely depends on whether management interventions can increase carbon removal above a natural baseline or avoid further carbon emissions. We find that conservation, restoration and afforestation interventions on macroalgal forests can potentially lead to carbon removal in the order of 10's of Tg C globally. Although this is lower than current estimates of natural sequestration value of all macroalgal habitats (61–268 Tg C year −1 ), it suggests that macroalgal forests could add to the total mitigation potential of coastal blue carbon ecosystems, and offer valuable mitigation opportunities in polar and temperate areas where blue carbon mitigation is currently low. Operationalizing that potential will necessitate the development of models that reliably estimate the proportion of production sequestered, improvements in macroalgae carbon fingerprinting techniques, and a rethinking of carbon accounting methodologies. The ocean provides major opportunities to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and the largest coastal vegetated habitat on Earth should not be ignored simply because it does not fit into existing frameworks.
Large scale variability in the structure of sessile invertebrate assemblages in artificial habitats reveals the importance of local-scale processes
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2017
Large-scale facilitation of a sessile community by an invasive habitat-forming snail
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-07-2013
A novel phylogeny of the Gelidiales (Rhodophyta) based on five genes including the nuclear CesA, with descriptions of Orthogonacladia gen. nov. and Orthogonacladiaceae fam. nov.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2016.05.018
Abstract: Although the Gelidiales are economically important marine red algae producing agar and agarose, the phylogeny of this order remains poorly resolved. The present study provides a molecular phylogeny based on a novel marker, nuclear-encoded CesA, plus plastid-encoded psaA, psbA, rbcL, and mitochondria-encoded cox1 from subsets of 107 species from all ten genera within the Gelidiales. Analyses of in idual and combined datasets support the monophyly of three currently recognized families, and reveal a new clade. On the basis of these results, the new family Orthogonacladiaceae is described to accommodate Aphanta and a new genus Orthogonacladia that includes species previously classified as Gelidium madagascariense and Pterocladia rectangularis. Acanthopeltis is merged with Gelidium, which has nomenclatural priority. Nuclear-encoded CesA was found to be useful for improving the resolution of phylogenetic relationships within the Gelidiales and is likely to be valuable for the inference of phylogenetic relationship among other red algal taxa.
Physical disturbance and subtidal habitat structure on open rocky coasts: Effects of wave exposure, extent and intensity
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2008
Tropical herbivores provide resilience to a climate‐mediated phase shift on temperate reefs
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-05-2015
DOI: 10.1111/ELE.12450
Abstract: Climate-mediated changes to biotic interactions have the potential to fundamentally alter global ecosystems. However, the capacity for novel interactions to drive or maintain transitions in ecosystem states remains unresolved. We examined temperate reefs that recently underwent complete seaweed canopy loss and tested whether a concurrent increase in tropical herbivores could be maintaining the current canopy-free state. Turf-grazing herbivorous fishes increased in biomass and ersity, and displayed feeding rates comparable to global coral reefs. Canopy-browsing herbivores displayed high (~ 10,000 g 100 m(-2) ) and stable biomass between 2006 and 2013. Tropical browsers had the highest abundance in 2013 and displayed feeding rates approximately three times higher than previously observed on coral reefs. These observations suggest that tropical herbivores are maintaining previously kelp-dominated temperate reefs in an alternate canopy-free state by grazing turfs and preventing kelp reestablishment. This remarkable ecosystem highlights the sensitivity of biotic interactions and ecosystem stability to warming and extreme disturbance events.
Diversity and abundance of epibiota on invasive and native estuarine gastropods depend on substratum and salinity
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1071/MF14311
Abstract: Our understanding of variation in epibiota communities remains incomplete. This study relates such variability to multiple concurrent environmental factors. Specifically we determined the relative importance of salinity, depth, wave exposure, habitat and ‘shell type’ (shell type combined species, size, morphology and mobility traits) for community structure of sessile epibiota on gastropods in the Swan River Estuary, Australia. We quantified distribution, biofouling patterns, and detailed epibiota community structures on gastropod species in the estuary – the native Nassarius pauperatus and Bedeva paiva and the invasive Batillaria australis. The invasive Batillaria was much more abundant, and more biofouled, than any of the native species, thereby supporting orders of magnitude more epibiota in the estuary. Generalised linear models were used to partition variation in richness and abundance of epibiota among the above listed factors. Of the five factors were only shell type and salinity significant in 9 of 14 models. These results highlight (1) that a single invasive species can alter epibiota communities on a large system-wide scale, (2) an overwhelming importance of shell type and salinity in explaining estuarine epibiota communities, and (3) that additional environmental factors need to be included in future studies to improve predictive models of distribution for epibiota communities.
The devil in the detail: harmful seaweeds are not harmful to everyone
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-12-2015
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.12772
Turning on the heat: Ecological response to simulated warming in the sea
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 14-01-2011
Tropicalization strengthens consumer pressure on habitat-forming seaweeds
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-04-2017
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-017-00991-2
Abstract: Ocean warming is driving species poleward, causing a ‘tropicalization’ of temperate ecosystems around the world. Increasing abundances of tropical herbivores on temperate reefs could accelerate declines in habitat-forming seaweeds with devastating consequences for these important marine ecosystems. Here we document an expansion of rabbitfish ( Siganus fuscescens ), a tropical herbivore, on temperate reefs in Western Australia following a marine heatwave and demonstrate their impact on local kelp forests ( Ecklonia radiata ). Before the heatwave there were no rabbitfish and low rates of kelp herbivory but after the heatwave rabbitfish were common at most reefs and consumption of kelp was high. Herbivory increased 30-fold and kelp abundance decreased by 70% at reefs where rabbitfish had established. In contrast, where rabbitfish were absent, kelp abundance and herbivory did not change. Video-analysis confirmed that rabbitfish were the main consumers of kelp, followed by silver drummers ( Kyphosus sydneyanus ), a temperate herbivore. These results represent a likely indirect effect of the heatwave beyond its acute impacts, and they provide evidence that range-shifting tropical herbivores can contribute to declines in habitat-forming seaweeds within a few years of their establishment.
Spatial and temporal variation of kelp forests and associated macroalgal assemblages along the Portuguese coast
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1071/MF14318
Abstract: Kelp communities are in decline in many regions. Detecting and addressing population declines require knowledge of patterns of spatial and temporal variation in the distribution and abundance of kelps and their associated organisms. We quantified kelp and associated macroalgal assemblages three times over a period of 2 years, at three regions along a natural gradient in temperature and nutrient availability across the Portuguese coast. Kelps were mostly found at the northern cool region (Viana do Castelo), which was also clearly separated from the two more southerly regions (Peniche, Sines) in terms of algal assemblage structure. This pattern was consistent, although varying in intensity, through time, providing support for this general spatial configuration. The overall richness of taxa increased towards lower latitudes. These findings indicated that kelp beds in southern Europe are currently restricted to northern Portugal, though supporting less erse macroalgal assemblages compared with those located in central and southern Portugal.
Short-term temporal dynamics of algal species in a subtidal kelp bed in relation to changes in environmental conditions and canopy biomass
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2008
Managing consequences of climate-driven species redistribution requires integration of ecology, conservation and social science
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-2018
DOI: 10.1111/BRV.12344
Abstract: Climate change is driving a pervasive global redistribution of the planet's species. Species redistribution poses new questions for the study of ecosystems, conservation science and human societies that require a coordinated and integrated approach. Here we review recent progress, key gaps and strategic directions in this nascent research area, emphasising emerging themes in species redistribution biology, the importance of understanding underlying drivers and the need to anticipate novel outcomes of changes in species ranges. We highlight that species redistribution has manifest implications across multiple temporal and spatial scales and from genes to ecosystems. Understanding range shifts from ecological, physiological, genetic and biogeographical perspectives is essential for informing changing paradigms in conservation science and for designing conservation strategies that incorporate changing population connectivity and advance adaptation to climate change. Species redistributions present challenges for human well-being, environmental management and sustainable development. By synthesising recent approaches, theories and tools, our review establishes an interdisciplinary foundation for the development of future research on species redistribution. Specifically, we demonstrate how ecological, conservation and social research on species redistribution can best be achieved by working across disciplinary boundaries to develop and implement solutions to climate change challenges. Future studies should therefore integrate existing and complementary scientific frameworks while incorporating social science and human-centred approaches. Finally, we emphasise that the best science will not be useful unless more scientists engage with managers, policy makers and the public to develop responsible and socially acceptable options for the global challenges arising from species redistributions.
A broad framework to organize and compare ecological invasion impacts
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVRES.2011.05.024
Abstract: Invasive species have transformed local, regional and global biotas however, few generalities about the mechanisms driving impacts of invaders have emerged. To explain variation in impacts among studies, we propose a broad framework that separates drivers of impacts into universal and unique attributes of the invasive species and the invaded habitat. Universal attributes are relevant to all invasions whereas unique attributes are distinct to a specific invasion. For ex le, impacts associated with the abundance of any invader or the properties of a specific invader (e.g., a rare toxin) represent a universal and unique impact attribute. Through meta-analyses of aquatic field experiments, we demonstrate the utility of our framework, documenting that both the abundance and the taxonomic identity of the invader significantly influence invasion outcomes for marine and freshwater plant and animal invaders. Our review also highlights that many more experiments are needed to test for universal attributes, such as priority effects, age and size, and how the attributes of the invaded habitat further modify invasion impacts. We hope that our framework will stimulate experimental invasion ecology and begin to reconcile the idiosyncrasies that currently impede the development of a unified framework for invasion impacts.
A framework to study the context-dependent impacts of marine invasions
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2011
Canopy interactions and physical stress gradients in subtidal communities
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-05-2015
DOI: 10.1111/ELE.12446
Abstract: Species interactions are integral drivers of community structure and can change from competitive to facilitative with increasing environmental stress. In subtidal marine ecosystems, however, interactions along physical stress gradients have seldom been tested. We observed seaweed canopy interactions across depth and latitudinal gradients to test whether light and temperature stress structured interaction patterns. We also quantified interspecific and intraspecific interactions among nine subtidal canopy seaweed species across three continents to examine the general nature of interactions in subtidal systems under low consumer pressure. We reveal that positive and neutral interactions are widespread throughout global seaweed communities and the nature of interactions can change from competitive to facilitative with increasing light stress in shallow marine systems. These findings provide support for the stress gradient hypothesis within subtidal seaweed communities and highlight the importance of canopy interactions for the maintenance of subtidal marine habitats experiencing environmental stress.
Grazers extend blue carbon transfer by slowing sinking speeds of kelp detritus
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-05-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-018-34721-Z
Abstract: Marine plant communities such as kelp forests produce significant amounts of detritus, most of which is exported to areas where it can constitute an important trophic subsidy or potentially be sequestered in marine sediments. Knowing the vertical transport speed of detrital particles is critical to understanding the potential magnitude and spatial extent of these linkages. We measured sinking speeds for Laminaria hyperborea detritus ranging from whole plants to small fragments and sea urchin faecal pellets, capturing the entire range of particulate organic matter produced by kelp forests. Under typical current conditions, we determined that this organic material can be transported 10 s of m to 10 s of km. We show how the conversion of kelp fragments to sea urchin faeces, one of the most pervasive processes in kelp forests globally, increases the dispersal potential of detritus by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude. Kelp detritus sinking speeds were also faster than equivalent phytoplankton, highlighting its potential for rapid delivery of carbon to deep areas. Our findings support arguments for a significant contribution from kelp forests to subsidizing deep sea communities and the global carbon sink.
Herbivory drives kelp recruits into ‘hiding’ in a warm ocean climate
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 29-09-2015
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS11445
Effects of human footprint and biophysical factors on the body-size structure of fished marine species
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-07-2022
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.13807
Abstract: Marine fisheries in coastal ecosystems in many areas of the world have historically removed large‐bodied in iduals, potentially impairing ecosystem functioning and the long‐term sustainability of fish populations. Reporting on size‐based indicators that link to food‐web structure can contribute to ecosystem‐based management, but the application of these indicators over large (cross‐ecosystem) geographical scales has been limited to either fisheries‐dependent catch data or er‐based methods restricted to shallow waters ( m) that can misrepresent the abundance of large‐bodied fished species. We obtained data on the body‐size structure of 82 recreationally or commercially targeted marine demersal teleosts from 2904 deployments of baited remote underwater stereo‐video (stereo‐BRUV). S ling was at up to 50 m depth and covered approximately 10,000 km of the continental shelf of Australia. Seascape relief, water depth, and human gravity (i.e., a proxy of human impacts) were the strongest predictors of the probability of occurrence of large fishes and the abundance of fishes above the minimum legal size of capture. No‐take marine reserves had a positive effect on the abundance of fishes above legal size, although the effect varied across species groups. In contrast, sublegal fishes were best predicted by gradients in sea surface temperature (mean and variance). In areas of low human impact, large fishes were about three times more likely to be encountered and fishes of legal size were approximately five times more abundant. For conspicuous species groups with contrasting habitat, environmental, and biogeographic affinities, abundance of legal‐size fishes typically declined as human impact increased. Our large‐scale quantitative analyses highlight the combined importance of seascape complexity, regions with low human footprint, and no‐take marine reserves in protecting large‐bodied fishes across a broad range of species and ecosystem configurations.
A global dataset of seaweed net primary productivity
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-08-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41597-022-01554-5
Abstract: Net primary productivity (NPP) plays a pivotal role in the global carbon balance but estimating the NPP of underwater habitats remains a challenging task. Seaweeds (marine macroalgae) form the largest and most productive underwater vegetated habitat on Earth. Yet, little is known about the distribution of their NPP at large spatial scales, despite more than 70 years of local-scale studies being scattered throughout the literature. We present a global dataset containing NPP records for 246 seaweed taxa at 429 in idual sites distributed on all continents from the intertidal to 55 m depth. All records are standardized to annual aerial carbon production (g C m −2 yr −1 ) and are accompanied by detailed taxonomic and methodological information. The dataset presented here provides a basis for local, regional and global comparative studies of the NPP of underwater vegetation and is pivotal for achieving a better understanding of the role seaweeds play in the global coastal carbon cycle.
Subcontinental heat wave triggers terrestrial and marine, multi-taxa responses
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-08-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-018-31236-5
Abstract: Heat waves have profoundly impacted biota globally over the past decade, especially where their ecological impacts are rapid, erse, and broad-scale. Although usually considered in isolation for either terrestrial or marine ecosystems, heat waves can straddle ecosystems of both types at subcontinental scales, potentially impacting larger areas and taxonomic breadth than previously envisioned. Using climatic and multi-species demographic data collected in Western Australia, we show that a massive heat wave event straddling terrestrial and maritime ecosystems triggered abrupt, synchronous, and multi-trophic ecological disruptions, including mortality, demographic shifts and altered species distributions. Tree die-off and coral bleaching occurred concurrently in response to the heat wave, and were accompanied by terrestrial plant mortality, seagrass and kelp loss, population crash of an endangered terrestrial bird species, plummeting breeding success in marine penguins, and outbreaks of terrestrial wood-boring insects. These multiple taxa and trophic-level impacts spanned ,000 km 2 —comparable to the size of California—encompassing one terrestrial Global Bio ersity Hotspot and two marine World Heritage Areas. The subcontinental multi-taxa context documented here reveals that terrestrial and marine biotic responses to heat waves do not occur in isolation, implying that the extent of ecological vulnerability to projected increases in heat waves is underestimated.
The relative influence of local to regional drivers of variation in reef fishes
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-2011
DOI: 10.1111/J.1095-8649.2011.03015.X
Abstract: In this study, fishes and habitat attributes were quantified, four times over 1 year, on three reefs within four regions encompassing a c. 6° latitudinal gradient across south-western Australia. The variability observed was partitioned at these spatio-temporal scales in relation to reef fish variables and the influence of environmental drivers quantified at local scales, i.e. at the scale of reefs (the number of small and large topographic elements, the cover of kelp, fucalean and red algae, depth and wave exposure) and at the scale of regions (mean and maximum nutrient concentrations and mean seawater temperature) with regard to the total abundance, species density, species ersity and the multivariate structure of reef fishes. Variation in reef fish species density and ersity was significant at the regional scale, whereas variation in the total abundance and assemblage structure of fishes was also significant at local scales. Spatial variation was greater than temporal variation in all cases. A systematic and gradual species turnover in assemblage structure was observed between adjacent regions across the latitudinal gradient. The cover of red algae within larger patches of brown macroalgae (a biological attribute of the reef) and the number of large topographic elements (a structural attribute of the reef) were correlated with variation observed at local scales, while seawater temperature correlated with variation at the scale of regions. In conclusion, conservation efforts on reef fishes need to incorporate processes operating at regional scales with processes that shape local reef fish communities at local scales.
A hierarchical approach to defining marine heatwaves
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2016
Biogenic habitat structure of seaweeds change along a latitudinal gradient in ocean temperature
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2011
Miniview: What affects the forces required to break or dislodge macroalgae?
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-2005
Decreasing resilience of kelp beds along a latitudinal temperature gradient: potential implications for a warmer future
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-05-2010
DOI: 10.1111/J.1461-0248.2010.01466.X
Abstract: Successful mitigation of negative effects of global warming will depend on understanding the link between physiological and ecological responses of key species. We show that while metabolic adjustment may assist Australasian kelp beds to persist and maintain abundance in warmer waters, it also reduces the physiological responsiveness of kelps to perturbation, and suppresses canopy recovery from disturbances by reducing the ecological performance of kelp recruits. This provides a warning not to rely solely on inventories of distribution and abundance to evaluate ecosystem function. The erosion of resilience is mediated by a shift in adult-juvenile interactions from competitive under cool to facilitative under warm conditions, supporting the prediction that positive interactions may become increasingly important in a warmer future. Kelp beds may remain intact but with a lower threshold for where additional impacts (e.g., extreme storms or reduced water quality) will lead to persistent loss of habitat and ecological function.
Homogenization and miniaturization of habitat structure in temperate marine forests
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-07-2021
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.15759
Abstract: Humans are rapidly transforming the structural configuration of the planet's ecosystems, but these changes and their ecological consequences remain poorly quantified in underwater habitats. Here, we show that the loss of forest‐forming seaweeds and the rise of ground‐covering ‘turfs’ across four continents consistently resulted in the miniaturization of underwater habitat structure, with seascapes converging towards flattened habitats with smaller habitable spaces. Globally, turf seascapes occupied a smaller architectural trait space and were structurally more similar across regions than marine forests, evidencing habitat homogenization. Surprisingly, such habitat convergence occurred despite turf seascapes consisting of vastly different species richness and with different taxa providing habitat architecture, as well as across disparate drivers of marine forest decline. Turf seascapes contained high sediment loads, with the miniaturization of habitat across 100s of km in mid‐Western Australia resulting in reefs retaining an additional ~242 million tons of sediment (four orders of magnitude more than the sediments delivered fluvially annually). Together, this work demonstrates that the replacement of marine forests by turfs is a generalizable phenomenon that has profound consequences for the ecology of temperate reefs.
Impacts of climate change in a global hotspot for temperate marine biodiversity and ocean warming
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2011
Distribution models predict large contractions of habitat‐forming seaweeds in response to ocean warming
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-09-2018
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.12767
Modulation of different kelp life stages by herbivory: compensatory growth versus population decimation
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-07-2017
The 'Great Southern Reef': Social, ecological and economic value of Australia's neglected kelp forests
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1071/MF15232
Abstract: Kelp forests define km of temperate coastline across southern Australia, where ~70% of Australians live, work and recreate. Despite this, public and political awareness of the scale and significance of this marine ecosystem is low, and research investment miniscule ( %), relative to comparable ecosystems. The absence of an identity for Australia’s temperate reefs as an entity has probably contributed to the current lack of appreciation of this system, which is at odds with its profound ecological, social and economic importance. We define the ‘Great Southern Reef’ (GSR) as Australia’s spatially connected temperate reef system. The GSR covers ~71000km2 and represents a global bio ersity hotspot across at least nine phyla. GSR-related fishing and tourism generates at least AU$10 billion year–1, and in this context the GSR is a significant natural asset for Australia and globally. Maintaining the health and ecological functioning of the GSR is critical to the continued sustainability of human livelihoods and wellbeing derived from it. By recognising the GSR as an entity we seek to boost awareness, and take steps towards negotiating the difficult challenges the GSR faces in a future of unprecedented coastal population growth and global change.
Wounded kelps: Patterns and susceptibility to breakage
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 13-12-2012
DOI: 10.3354/AB00471
Canopy facilitates seaweed recruitment on subtidal temperate reefs
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-08-2014
Arctic kelp forests: Diversity, resilience and future
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2019
Morphology of Ecklonia radiata (Phaeophyta: Laminarales) along its geographic distribution in south-western Australia and Australasia
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-2003
Screening of seaweeds in the East China Sea as potential bio-monitors of heavy metals
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-03-2018
DOI: 10.1007/S11356-018-1612-3
Abstract: Seaweeds are good bio-monitors of heavy metal pollution and have been included in European coastal monitoring programs. However, data for seaweed species in China are scarce or missing. In this study, we explored the potential of seaweeds as bio-monitor by screening the natural occurring seaweeds in the "Kingdom of seaweed and shellfish" at Dongtou Islands, the East China Sea. Totally, 12 seaweed species were collected from six sites, with richness following the sequence of Rhodophyta > Phaeophyta > Chlorophyta. The concentration of heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn, Pb, Cd, As) in the seaweeds was determined, and the bioaccumulation coefficient was calculated. A combination of four seaweeds, Pachydictyon coriaceum, Gelidium aricatum, Sargassum thunbergii, and Pterocladiella capillacea, were proposed as bio-monitors due to their high bioaccumulation capabilities of specific heavy metals in the East China Sea and hence hinted the importance of using seaweed community for monitoring of pollution rather than single species. Our results provide first-hand data for the selection of bio-monitor species for heavy metals in the East China Sea and contribute to selection of cosmopolitan bio-monitor communities over geographical large area, which will benefit the establishment of monitoring programs for coastal heavy metal contamination.
Extreme climatic event drives range contraction of a habitat-forming species
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 07-03-2013
Abstract: Species distributions have shifted in response to global warming in all major ecosystems on the Earth. Despite cogent evidence for these changes, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood and currently imply gradual shifts. Yet there is an increasing appreciation of the role of discrete events in driving ecological change. We show how a marine heat wave (HW) eliminated a prominent habitat-forming seaweed, Scytothalia dorycarpa , at its warm distribution limit, causing a range contraction of approximately 100 km (approx. 5% of its global distribution). Seawater temperatures during the HW exceeded the seaweed's physiological threshold and caused extirpation of marginal populations, which are unlikely to recover owing to life-history traits and oceanographic processes. Scytothalia dorycarpa is an important canopy-forming seaweed in temperate Australia, and loss of the species at its range edge has caused structural changes at the community level and is likely to have ecosystem-level implications. We show that extreme warming events, which are increasing in magnitude and frequency, can force step-wise changes in species distributions in marine ecosystems. As such, return times of these events have major implications for projections of species distributions and ecosystem structure, which have typically been based on gradual warming trends.
Ocean temperature controls kelp decomposition and carbon sink potential
Publisher: Research Square Platform LLC
Date: 15-07-2020
DOI: 10.21203/RS.3.RS-38503/V1
Abstract: Compelling new evidence shows that kelp production contributes an important and underappreciated flux of carbon in the ocean. Major questions remain, however, about the controls on the cycling of this organic carbon in the coastal zone, and their implications for future carbon sequestration. Here we used field experiments distributed across 28° latitude, and the entire range of two dominant kelps in the northern hemisphere, to measure decomposition rates of kelp detritus on the seafloor in relation to environmental factors. Ocean temperature was the strongest control on detritus decomposition in both species, and it was positively related to decomposition. This suggests that decomposition could accelerate with ocean warming under climate change, increasing remineralization and reducing overall kelp carbon sequestration. However, we also demonstrate the potential for high kelp-carbon storage in cooler (northern) regions, which could be targeted by climate mitigation strategies to expand blue carbon sinks.
Shared patterns of species turnover between seaweeds and seed plants break down at increasing distances from the sea
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-12-2013
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.893
Tropicalisation of temperate reefs: Implications for ecosystem functions and management actions
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-03-2019
Future trajectories of change for an Arctic deep‐sea ecosystem connected to coastal kelp forests
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-01-2021
DOI: 10.1111/REC.13327
Abstract: Environmental stressors related to climate change and other anthropogenic activities are impacting Arctic marine ecosystems at exceptional rates. Within this context, predicting future scenarios of deep‐sea ecosystems and their consequences linked with the fate of coastal areas is a growing need and challenge. We used an existing food‐web model developed to represent the outer basin of the Malangen fjord, a northern Norwegian deep‐sea ecosystem, to assess the potential effects of plausible future trajectories of change for major drivers in the area, including links to coastal kelp forests. We considered four major drivers (kelp particulate organic matter [POM] production entering the deep sea, fishing effort, king crab invasion, and ocean warming) to project 12 future scenarios using the temporal dynamic module of Ecopath with Ecosim approach. Overall, we found that the impact of warming on the deep‐sea ecosystem structure and functioning, as well as on ecosystem services, are predicted to be greater than changes in kelp forest dynamics and their POM production entering the deep sea and the king crab invasion. Yet, the cumulative impacts are predicted to be more important than noncumulative since some stressors acted synergistically. These results illustrate the vulnerability of sub‐Arctic and Arctic marine ecosystems to climate change and consequently call for conservation, restoration, and adaptation measures in deep‐sea and adjacent ecosystems. Results also highlight the importance of considering additional stressors affecting deep‐sea communities to predict cumulative impacts in an ecosystem‐based management and global change context and the interlinkages between coastal and deep‐sea environments.
Biodiversity redistribution under climate change: Impacts on ecosystems and human well-being.
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 31-03-2017
Abstract: Distributions of Earth's species are changing at accelerating rates, increasingly driven by human-mediated climate change. Such changes are already altering the composition of ecological communities, but beyond conservation of natural systems, how and why does this matter? We review evidence that climate-driven species redistribution at regional to global scales affects ecosystem functioning, human well-being, and the dynamics of climate change itself. Production of natural resources required for food security, patterns of disease transmission, and processes of carbon sequestration are all altered by changes in species distribution. Consideration of these effects of bio ersity redistribution is critical yet lacking in most mitigation and adaptation strategies, including the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.
To include or not to include (the invader in community analyses)? That is the question
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-03-2016
The rise of Laminaria ochroleuca in the Western English Channel (UK) and comparisons with its competitor and assemblage dominant Laminaria hyperborea
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-09-2015
DOI: 10.1111/MAEC.12199
Satellite-derived SST data as a proxy for water temperature in nearshore benthic ecology
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 28-07-2009
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS08132
Research priorities for the sustainability of coral-rich western Pacific seascapes
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-04-2023
DOI: 10.1007/S10113-023-02051-0
Abstract: Nearly a billion people depend on tropical seascapes. The need to ensure sustainable use of these vital areas is recognised, as one of 17 policy commitments made by world leaders, in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 (‘Life below Water’) of the United Nations. SDG 14 seeks to secure marine sustainability by 2030. In a time of increasing social-ecological unpredictability and risk, scientists and policymakers working towards SDG 14 in the Asia–Pacific region need to know: (1) How are seascapes changing? (2) What can global society do about these changes? and (3) How can science and society together achieve sustainable seascape futures? Through a horizon scan, we identified nine emerging research priorities that clarify potential research contributions to marine sustainability in locations with high coral reef abundance. They include research on seascape geological and biological evolution and adaptation elucidating drivers and mechanisms of change understanding how seascape functions and services are produced, and how people depend on them costs, benefits, and trade-offs to people in changing seascapes improving seascape technologies and practices learning to govern and manage seascapes for all sustainable use, justice, and human well-being bridging communities and epistemologies for innovative, equitable, and scale-crossing solutions and informing resilient seascape futures through modelling and synthesis. Researchers can contribute to the sustainability of tropical seascapes by co-developing transdisciplinary understandings of people and ecosystems, emphasising the importance of equity and justice, and improving knowledge of key cross-scale and cross-level processes, feedbacks, and thresholds.
Subtidal macroalgal richness, diversity and turnover, at multiple spatial scales, along the southwestern Australian coastline
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2011
Climate-driven regime shift of a temperate marine ecosystem
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 08-07-2016
Abstract: Ecosystems over time have endured much disturbance, yet they tend to remain intact, a characteristic we call resilience. Though many systems have been lost and destroyed, for systems that remain physically intact, there is debate as to whether changing temperatures will result in shifts or collapses. Wernburg et al. show that extreme warming of a temperate kelp forest off Australia resulted not only in its collapse, but also in a shift in community composition that brought about an increase in herbivorous tropical fishes that prevent the reestablishment of kelp. Thus, many systems may not be resilient to the rapid climate change that we face. Science , this issue p. 169
Continental‐scale variation in seaweed host‐associated bacterial communities is a function of host condition, not geography
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-08-2015
Abstract: Interactions between hosts and associated microbial communities can fundamentally shape the development and ecology of 'holobionts', from humans to marine habitat-forming organisms such as seaweeds. In marine systems, planktonic microbial community structure is mainly driven by geography and related environmental factors, but the large-scale drivers of host-associated microbial communities are largely unknown. Using 16S-rRNA gene sequencing, we characterized 260 seaweed-associated bacterial and archaeal communities on the kelp Ecklonia radiata from three biogeographical provinces spanning 10° of latitude and 35° of longitude across the Australian continent. These phylogenetically and taxonomically erse communities were more strongly and consistently associated with host condition than geographical location or environmental variables, and a 'core' microbial community characteristic of healthy kelps appears to be lost when hosts become stressed. Microbial communities on stressed in iduals were more similar to each other among locations than those on healthy hosts. In contrast to biogeographical patterns of planktonic marine microbial communities, host traits emerge as critical determinants of associated microbial community structure of these holobionts, even at a continental scale.
Categorizing and Naming Marine Heatwaves
Publisher: The Oceanography Society
Date: 06-2018
Biomass dynamics of exotic Sargassum muticum and native Halidrys siliquosa in Limfjorden, Denmark—Implications of species replacements on turnover rates
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2005
Persistence of tropical herbivores in temperate reefs constrains kelp resilience to cryptic habitats
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-03-2021
Spatial variation in juvenile and adult Ecklonia radiata (Laminariales) sporophytes
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2009
Harmful algae are not harmful to everyone
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2012
The effect of wave exposure on the morphology of Ecklonia radiata
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2005
Export of detached macroalgae from reefs to adjacent seagrass beds
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-12-2005
DOI: 10.1007/S00442-005-0318-7
Abstract: Trophic linkages across habitats are thought to be strong when areas of different productivity are juxtaposed. Reefs dominated by macroalgae are commonly juxtaposed to less productive seagrass beds. We tested if macroalgae detached from 12 rocky reefs in south-western Australia were exported to adjacent seagrass beds and consumed by seagrass-associated fauna. We also assessed the extent of linkages by testing for patterns in biomass and consumption of reef algae, and density of herbivorous fish with increasing distance away from reefs. Detached reef algae were found in seagrass beds adjacent to all reefs. The biomass varied among reefs and with distance from reef, but detached reef algae within the seagrass beds comprised up to 23% (mean 3.6% +/- 0.7 SE) of attached algae growing on an equivalent area of reef. Maximum accumulations were found immediately adjacent to reefs (0 m) and at the furthest distance away (>300 m). Kelp (Ecklonia radiata) dominated the attached and detached algae, and up to 77% of the biomass of E. radiata tethered in seagrass beds were consumed over 5 days (mean 11.7% +/- 0.5 SE). There were more herbivorous fish at 0 m than at >300 m away from reefs, and consumption of tethered kelp was typically highest at 0 m, but was in some cases highest at >300 m.Our study documents that, over hundreds of kilometres of coastline, macroalgae are exported from reefs to adjacent seagrass beds where they are consumed by seagrass-associated fauna. While reef algae in seagrass beds may be a patchy resource at a single time, at landscape scales and over longer time periods, the supply will be relatively predictable. We therefore suggest that detached reef algae form a significant trophic link between reefs and seagrass beds, and that this trophic link extends to distances of at least hundreds of metres away from in idual reefs.
Persistence of seaweed forests in the anthropocene will depend on warming and marine heatwave profiles
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-12-2021
DOI: 10.1111/JPY.13222
Abstract: Marine heatwaves (MHWs), discrete periods of extreme warm water temperatures superimposed onto persistent ocean warming, have increased in frequency and significantly disrupted marine ecosystems. While field observations on the ecological consequences of MHWs are growing, a mechanistic understanding of their direct effects is rare. We conducted an outdoor tank experiment testing how different thermal stressor profiles impacted the ecophysiological performance of three dominant forest‐forming seaweeds. Four thermal scenarios were tested: contemporary summer temperature (22°C), low persistent warming (24°C), a discrete MHW (22–27°C), and temperature variability followed by a MHW (22–24°C, 22–27°C). The physiological performance of seaweeds was strongly related to thermal profile and varied among species, with the highest temperature not always having the strongest effect. MHWs were highly detrimental for the fucoid Phyllospora comosa , whereas the laminarian kelp Ecklonia radiata showed sensitivity to extended thermal stress and demonstrated a cumulative temperature threshold. The fucoid Sargassum linearifolium showed resilience, albeit with signs of decline with bleached and degraded fronds, under all conditions, with stronger decline under stable control and warming conditions. The varying responses of these three co‐occurring forest‐forming seaweeds under different temperature scenarios suggests that the impact of ocean warming on near shore ecosystems may be complex and will depend on the specific thermal profile of rising water temperatures relative to the vulnerability of different species.
Central and rear-edge populations can be equally vulnerable to warming
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-12-2015
DOI: 10.1038/NCOMMS10280
Abstract: Rear (warm) edge populations are often considered more susceptible to warming than central (cool) populations because of the warmer ambient temperatures they experience, but this overlooks the potential for local variation in thermal tolerances. Here we provide conceptual models illustrating how sensitivity to warming is affected throughout a species’ geographical range for locally adapted and non-adapted populations. We test these models for a range-contracting seaweed using observations from a marine heatwave and a 12-month experiment, translocating seaweeds among central, present and historic range edge locations. Growth, reproductive development and survivorship display different temperature thresholds among central and rear-edge populations, but share a 2.5 °C anomaly threshold. Range contraction, therefore, reflects variation in local anomalies rather than differences in absolute temperatures. This demonstrates that warming sensitivity can be similar throughout a species geographical range and highlights the importance of incorporating local adaptation and acclimatization into climate change vulnerability assessments.
Colonization of gastropods on subtidal reefs depends on density in adjacent habitats, not on disturbance regime
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 14-10-2009
Forgotten underwater forests: The key role of fucoids on Australian temperate reefs
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-09-2017
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.3279
A decade of climate change experiments on marine organisms: procedures, patterns and problems
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-03-2012
Modification of the physical environment by an Ecklonia radiata (Laminariales) canopy and implications for associated foliose algae
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-10-2005
High Latitude Corals Tolerate Severe Cold Spell
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 31-01-2018
Socioeconomic impacts of marine heatwaves: Global issues and opportunities
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 22-10-2021
Abstract: Extreme warming events in the world’s oceans are becoming more widespread and frequent 8 of the 10 most severe recorded events have taken place in the past decade. Smith et al . review how these marine heatwaves are severely altering ecosystem service provision, with widespread socioeconomic impacts. Heatwave effects, including range shifts and mass mortality of marine species and harmful algal blooms, have knock-on economic consequences that already run into billions of US dollars. As well as reviewing the impacts of these events, the authors discuss the mitigation and adaptation measures that are needed to alleviate the risks and damaging impacts. —AMS
Bubble curtains: Herbivore exclusion devices for ecology and restoration of marine ecosystems?
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 19-09-2017
Author Correction: Biological responses to the press and pulse of climate trends and extreme events
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-07-2018
Stable isotopes reveal a consistent consumer-diet relationship across hundreds of kilometres
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 22-03-2010
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS08484
Distinguishing geographical range shifts from artefacts of detectability and sampling effort
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2015
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.12263
Genotype–Environment mismatch of kelp forests under climate change
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-06-2021
DOI: 10.1111/MEC.15993
Abstract: Climate change is increasingly impacting ecosystems globally. Understanding adaptive genetic ersity and whether it will keep pace with projected climatic change is necessary to assess species’ vulnerability and design efficient mitigation strategies such as assisted adaptation. Kelp forests are the foundations of temperate reefs globally but are declining in many regions due to climate stress. A lack of knowledge of kelp's adaptive genetic ersity hinders assessment of vulnerability under extant and future climates. Using 4245 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we characterized patterns of neutral and putative adaptive genetic ersity for the dominant kelp in the southern hemisphere ( Ecklonia radiata ) from ~1000 km of coastline off Western Australia. Strong population structure and isolation‐by‐distance was underpinned by significant signatures of selection related to temperature and light. Gradient forest analysis of temperature‐linked SNPs under selection revealed a strong association with mean annual temperature range, suggesting adaptation to local thermal environments. Critically, modelling revealed that predicted climate‐mediated temperature changes will probably result in high genomic vulnerability via a mismatch between current and future predicted genotype–environment relationships such that kelp forests off Western Australia will need to significantly adapt to keep pace with projected climate change. Proactive management techniques such as assisted adaptation to boost resilience may be required to secure the future of these kelp forests and the immense ecological and economic values they support.
Green gravel: a novel restoration tool to combat kelp forest decline
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-03-2020
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-020-60553-X
Abstract: Kelp forests are in decline globally and large-scale intervention could be required to halt the loss of these valuable ecosystems. To date kelp forest restoration has had limited success and been expensive and unable to address the increasing scale of ecosystem deterioration. Here we developed and tested a new approach: “green gravel”. Small rocks were seeded with kelp and reared in the laboratory until 2–3 cm, before out-planting to the field. The out-planted kelp had high survival and growth over 9 months, even when dropped from the surface. This technique is cheap, simple, and does not require scuba ing or highly trained field workers. It can be up-scaled to treat large areas or even used to introduce genes from more resilient kelp populations onto vulnerable reefs. Green gravel thus overcomes some of the current major limitations of kelp restoration and provides a promising new defense against kelp forest decline.
Missing the marine forest for the trees
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 07-03-2019
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS12867
Australia's marine biogeography revisited: Back to the future?
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-11-2010
Genetic diversity and kelp forest vulnerability to climatic stress
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-01-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-018-20009-9
Abstract: Genetic ersity confers adaptive capacity to populations under changing conditions but its role in mediating impacts of climate change remains unresolved for most ecosystems. This lack of knowledge is particularly acute for foundation species, where impacts may cascade throughout entire ecosystems. We combined population genetics with eco-physiological and ecological field experiments to explore relationships among latitudinal patterns in genetic ersity, physiology and resilience of a kelp ecosystem to climate stress. A subsequent ‘natural experiment’ illustrated the possible influence of latitudinal patterns of genetic ersity on ecosystem vulnerability to an extreme climatic perturbation (marine heatwave). There were strong relationships between physiological versatility, ecological resilience and genetic ersity of kelp forests across latitudes, and genetic ersity consistently outperformed other explanatory variables in contributing to the response of kelp forests to the marine heatwave. Population performance and vulnerability to a severe climatic event were thus strongly related to latitudinal patterns in genetic ersity, with the heatwave extirpating forests with low genetic ersity. Where foundation species control ecological structure and function, impacts of climatic stress can cascade through the ecosystem and, consequently, genetic ersity could contribute to ecosystem vulnerability to climate change.
Annual changes in abundance of non-indigenous marine benthos on a very large spatial scale
Publisher: Regional Euro-Asian Biological Invasions Centre Oy (REABIC)
Date: 06-2008
Heterogeneity within and among co-occurring foundation species increases biodiversity
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-01-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41467-022-28194-Y
Abstract: Habitat heterogeneity is considered a primary causal driver underpinning patterns of ersity, yet the universal role of heterogeneity in structuring bio ersity is unclear due to a lack of coordinated experiments testing its effects across geographic scales and habitat types. Furthermore, key species interactions that can enhance heterogeneity, such as facilitation cascades of foundation species, have been largely overlooked in general bio ersity models. Here, we performed 22 geographically distributed experiments in different ecosystems and biogeographical regions to assess the extent to which variation in bio ersity is explained by three axes of habitat heterogeneity: the amount of habitat, its morphological complexity, and capacity to provide ecological resources (e.g. food) within and between co-occurring foundation species. We show that positive and additive effects across the three axes of heterogeneity are common, providing a compelling mechanistic insight into the universal importance of habitat heterogeneity in promoting bio ersity via cascades of facilitative interactions. Because many aspects of habitat heterogeneity can be controlled through restoration and management interventions, our findings are directly relevant to bio ersity conservation.
Secondary foundation species enhance biodiversity
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-03-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41559-018-0487-5
Abstract: It has long been recognized that primary foundation species (FS), such as trees and seagrasses, enhance bio ersity. Among the species facilitated are secondary FS, including mistletoes and epiphytes. Case studies have demonstrated that secondary FS can further modify habitat-associated organisms ('inhabitants'), but their net effects remain unknown. Here we assess how inhabitants, globally, are affected by secondary FS. We extracted and calculated 2,187 abundance and 397 richness Hedges' g effect sizes from 91 and 50 publications, respectively. A weighted meta-analysis revealed that secondary FS significantly enhanced the abundance and richness of inhabitants compared to the primary FS alone. This indirect facilitation arising through sequential habitat formation was consistent across environmental and experimental conditions. Complementary unweighted analyses on log response ratios revealed that the magnitude of these effects was similar to the global average strength of direct facilitation from primary foundation species and greater than the average strength of trophic cascades, a widely recognized type of indirect facilitation arising through sequential consumption. The finding that secondary FS enhance the abundance and richness of inhabitants has important implications for understanding the mechanisms that regulate bio ersity. Integrating secondary FS into conservation practice will improve our ability to protect bio ersity and ecosystem function.
Reproductive seasonality and early life temperature sensitivity reflect vulnerability of a seaweed undergoing range reduction
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 09-01-2014
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS10567
Impacts of marine invaders on biodiversity depend on trophic position and functional similarity
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 09-01-2014
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS10566
Leveraging the blue economy to transform marine forest restoration
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-03-2022
DOI: 10.1111/JPY.13239
Abstract: The UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration is a response to the urgent need to substantially accelerate and upscale ecological restoration to secure Earth’s sustainable future. Globally, restoration commitments have focused overwhelmingly on terrestrial forests. In contrast, despite a strong value proposition, efforts to restore seaweed forests lag far behind other major ecosystems and continue to be dominated by small‐scale, short‐term academic experiments. However, seaweed forest restoration can match the scale of damage and threat if moved from academia into the hands of community groups, industry, and restoration practitioners. Connecting two rapidly growing sectors in the Blue Economy—seaweed cultivation and the restoration industry—can transform marine forest restoration into a commercial‐scale enterprise that can make a significant contribution to global restoration efforts.
Expansion of corals on temperate reefs: direct and indirect effects of marine heatwaves
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-05-2017
Persistent thermally driven shift in the functional trait structure of herbivorous fishes: Evidence of top‐down control on the rebound potential of temperate seaweed forests?
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-01-2022
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.16070
Abstract: Extreme climatic events can reshape the functional structure of ecological communities, potentially altering ecological interactions and ecosystem functioning. While these shifts have been widely documented, evidence of their persistence and potential flow‐on effects on ecosystem structure following relaxation of extreme events remains limited. Here, we investigate changes in the functional trait structure – encompassing dimensions of resource use, thermal affinity, and body size – of herbivorous fishes in a temperate reef system that experienced an extreme marine heatwave (MHW) and subsequent return to cool conditions. We quantify how changes in the trait structure modified the nature and intensity of herbivory‐related functions (macroalgae, turf, and sediment removal), and explored the potential flow‐on effects on the recovery dynamics of macroalgal foundation species. The trait structure of the herbivorous fish assemblage shifted as a result of the MHW, from dominance of cool‐water browsing species to increased evenness in the distribution of abundance among temperate and tropical guilds supporting novel herbivory roles (i.e. scraping, cropping, and sediment sucking). Despite the abundance of tropical herbivorous fishes and intensity of herbivory‐related functions declined following a period of cooling after the MHW, the underlying trait structure displayed limited recovery. Concomitantly, algal assemblages displayed a lack of recovery of the formerly dominant foundational species, the kelp Ecklonia radiata , transitioning to an alternative state dominated by turf and Sargassum spp. Our study demonstrates a legacy effect of an extreme MHW and exemplified the value of monitoring phenotypic (trait mediated) changes in the nature of core ecosystem processes to predict and adapt to the future configurations of changing reef ecosystems.
A molecular investigation of the genus Ecklonia (Phaeophyceae, Laminariales) with special focus on the Southern Hemisphere
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-01-2015
DOI: 10.1111/JPY.12264
Abstract: Brown algae of the order Laminariales, commonly referred to as kelps, are the largest and most productive primary producers in the coastal inshore environment. The genus Ecklonia (Lessoniaceae, Phaeophyceae) consists of seven species with four species in the Northern Hemisphere and three in the Southern Hemisphere. It was recently transferred to the family Lessoniaceae based on phylogenetic analyses of nuclear and chloroplastic markers, though the type of the genus was not included and its relationship with allied genera Eckloniopsis and Eisenia remained unresolved. The present study is the first to produce a phylogeny focussed on the genus Ecklonia. It included sequences from nuclear, mitochondrial, and chloroplastic DNA, for most of the distribution range of the three current Southern Hemisphere species (Ecklonia radiata, Ecklonia maxima, and a s le of a putative Ecklonia brevipes specimen), sequences for East Asiatic species (Ecklonia cava, Ecklonia kurome, and Ecklonia stolonifera), as well as the closely related genera Eckloniopsis and Eisenia. Results confirmed E. radiata and E. maxima as two distinct species in South Africa, E. radiata as a single species throughout the Southern Hemisphere (in South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand) and East Asiatic species as a distinct lineage from the Southern Hemisphere clade. Results further pointed out a close sister relationship between Eckloniopsis radicosa and two Eisenia species (including the type species: Eisenia arborea) to the genus Ecklonia suggesting that the genera Eckloniopsis and Eisenia are superfluous.
Proximity to reef influences density of small predatory fishes, while type of seagrass influences intensity of their predation on crabs
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 2007
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS340235
Ecological observations associated with an anomalous warming event at the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 15-01-2012
Environmental influences on kelp performance across the reproductive period: an ecological trade-off between gametophyte survival and growth?
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 03-06-2013
Reproductive synchrony in a habitat-forming kelp and its relationship with environmental conditions
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-09-2013
Phenological decoupling of mortality from wave forcing in kelp beds
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1890/13-2365.1.SM
Testing the 'abundant centre' hypothesis on endemic reef fishes in south-western Australia
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 09-12-2008
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS07718
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View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP120100023
Start Date: 04-2012
End Date: 12-2015
Amount: $240,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP190100346
Start Date: 09-2020
End Date: 09-2024
Amount: $305,548.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP190100058
Start Date: 07-2019
End Date: 06-2022
Amount: $460,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP160100114
Start Date: 07-2016
End Date: 06-2019
Amount: $363,800.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP200100201
Start Date: 12-2020
End Date: 06-2024
Amount: $526,573.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP220200004
Start Date: 07-2023
End Date: 06-2027
Amount: $807,403.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity