ORCID Profile
0000-0003-1258-0885
Current Organisation
University of the Sunshine Coast
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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.
Ecological Impacts of Climate Change | Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) | Climate change impacts and adaptation | Ecology | Ecological Applications | Fisheries Sciences not elsewhere classified | Ecological impacts of climate change and ecological adaptation | Ecosystem function | Fisheries sciences not elsewhere classified |
Ecosystem Adaptation to Climate Change | Effects of Climate Change and Variability on Australia (excl. Social Impacts) | Wild Caught Fin Fish (excl. Tuna) | Climate Change Models | Global Effects of Climate Change and Variability (excl. Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and the South Pacific) (excl. Social Impacts) | Marine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity |
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 04-05-2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2011
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-09-2015
DOI: 10.1111/CONL.12128
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2013
DOI: 10.1111/ELE.12098
Abstract: There is increasing pressure from policymakers for ecologists to generate more detailed 'attribution' analyses aimed at quantitatively estimating relative contributions of different driving forces, including anthropogenic climate change (ACC), to observed biological changes. Here, we argue that this approach is not productive for ecological studies. Global meta-analyses of erse species, regions and ecosystems have already given us 'very high confidence' [sensu Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)] that ACC has impacted wild species in a general sense. Further, for well-studied species or systems, synthesis of experiments and models with long-term observations has given us similarly high confidence that they have been impacted by regional climate change (regardless of its cause). However, the role of greenhouse gases in driving these impacts has not been estimated quantitatively. Should this be an ecological research priority? We argue that development of quantitative ecological models for this purpose faces several impediments, particularly the existence of strong, non-additive interactions among different external factors. However, even with current understanding of impacts of global warming, there are myriad climate change adaptation options already developed in the literature that could be, and in fact are being, implemented now.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 11-07-2012
Abstract: A Marine Climate Impacts Workshop was held from 29 April to 3 May 2012 at the US National Center of Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in Santa Barbara. This workshop was the culmination of a series of six meetings over the past three years, which had brought together 25 experts in climate change ecology, analysis of large datasets, palaeontology, marine ecology and physical oceanography. Aims of these workshops were to produce a global synthesis of climate impacts on marine biota, to identify sensitive habitats and taxa, to inform the current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) process, and to strengthen research into ecological impacts of climate change.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-09-2015
DOI: 10.1111/GEB.12218
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2011
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-01-2009
Publisher: Research Square Platform LLC
Date: 25-04-2022
DOI: 10.21203/RS.3.RS-1186379/V1
Abstract: For over 50 years, the conceptualisation of low-nutrient oligotrophic systems having longer food chains and thus lower energy transfer to fish than their high-nutrient eutrophic counterparts 1 has achieved the status of an ecological paradigm. However, recent global assessments indicate global fish biomass could be much higher than previously thought 2–4 , suggesting that our traditional understanding of food webs may need to be revisited. Here, we challenge the classical paradigm by exploring the role of zooplankton in food webs across the world’s oceans. Using observed zooplankton size spectra, and output from a size-spectrum model that resolves nine zooplankton groups, we conclude that food chains in oligotrophic (low-nutrient) and eutrophic (high-nutrient) systems have similar lengths. We offer a compelling hypothesis to explain this emergent pattern: self-organisation of zooplankton groups across the global productivity gradient regulates food chain length. We find that in oligotrophic systems the increased carnivory and longer food chains are offset by relatively large gelatinous filter feeders eating the dominant small phytoplankton, resulting in shorter-than-expected food chains, but decreasing food quality for fish. Our findings highlight the pivotal role zooplankton play in regulating energy transfer. Better resolution of zooplankton groups, their feeding relationships and carbon content in models will increase our ability to estimate current global fish biomass 5 , project future fish biomass under climate change 6–8 , and provide more-robust forecasts of nutrient 9 and carbon cycling 10 .
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 25-03-2011
DOI: 10.1017/S0025315411000233
Abstract: Underwater image-based s ling procedures, using SCUBA, are compared using imagery collected from a temperate hard-substratum community. The effectiveness of a low-budget, high-resolution image mosaicing technique is assessed by comparing the relative efficiency of data collection, extraction and analysis among s ling procedures. In addition, a manipulative experiment tested whether the s ling procedures could detect the physical removal of 10% of the reef community. Overall, four factors were explored within the data: data collection media (stills and video), cover and community composition estimation techniques (visual cover estimation, frequency of occurrence and point extraction), change detection (pre- and post-impact) and depth (8, 14, 18 and 22 m). Stills imagery s led the reef community at a higher image resolution than the video imagery, which enabled identification of more species and less-conspicuous benthic categories. Using the visual cover estimation technique, the stills imagery also had the greatest benefit in terms of efficiency and species identification. However, the experimental impact was detected using only the point extraction technique. The recommendations are that: (1) the image mosaicing technique is applied to fixed-station monitoring (2) the point extraction technique be used for efficient and cost-effective monitoring at coarse taxonomic resolutions and (3) survey depths remain constant over the duration of hard-substratum community monitoring.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2003
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-11-2019
DOI: 10.1002/RSE2.133
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-02-2014
DOI: 10.1038/NATURE12976
Abstract: The reorganization of patterns of species ersity driven by anthropogenic climate change, and the consequences for humans, are not yet fully understood or appreciated. Nevertheless, changes in climate conditions are useful for predicting shifts in species distributions at global and local scales. Here we use the velocity of climate change to derive spatial trajectories for climatic niches from 1960 to 2009 (ref. 7) and from 2006 to 2100, and use the properties of these trajectories to infer changes in species distributions. Coastlines act as barriers and locally cooler areas act as attractors for trajectories, creating source and sink areas for local climatic conditions. Climate source areas indicate where locally novel conditions are not connected to areas where similar climates previously occurred, and are thereby inaccessible to climate migrants tracking isotherms: 16% of global surface area for 1960 to 2009, and 34% of ocean for the 'business as usual' climate scenario (representative concentration pathway (RCP) 8.5) representing continued use of fossil fuels without mitigation. Climate sink areas are where climate conditions locally disappear, potentially blocking the movement of climate migrants. Sink areas comprise 1.0% of ocean area and 3.6% of land and are prevalent on coasts and high ground. Using this approach to infer shifts in species distributions gives global and regional maps of the expected direction and rate of shifts of climate migrants, and suggests areas of potential loss of species richness.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2011
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2016
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-07-2019
DOI: 10.1111/ACV.12528
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-11-2015
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.12282
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-06-2008
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-10-2014
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-10-2000
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2019
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-06-2021
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-021-92896-4
Abstract: Collecting quantitative information on animal behaviours is difficult, especially from cryptic species or species that alter natural behaviours under observation. Using harness-mounted tri-axial accelerometers free-roaming domestic cats ( Felis Catus ) we developed a methodology that can precisely classify finer-scale behaviours. We further tested the effect of a prey–protector device designed to reduce prey capture. We aligned accelerometer traces collected at 50 Hz with video files (60 fps) and labelled 12 in idual behaviours, then trained a supervised machine-learning algorithm using Kohonen super self-organising maps (SOM). The SOM was able to predict in idual behaviours with a ~ 99.6% overall accuracy, which was slightly better than for random forest estimates using the same dataset (98.9%). There was a significant effect of s le size, with precision and sensitivity decreasing rapidly below 2000 1-s observations. We were also able to detect a behaviour specific reduction in the predictability when cats were fitted with the prey–protector device indicating it altered biomechanical gait. Our results can be applied in movement ecology, zoology and conservation, where habitat specific movement performance between predators or prey may be critical to managing species of conservation significance, or in veterinary and agricultural fields, where early detection of movement pathologies can improve animal welfare.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 12-03-2021
DOI: 10.3389/FMARS.2021.618910
Abstract: Environmental conditions can strongly influence the growth performance of pearl oysters and affect pearl farm production schedules. Growth and condition index (CI) of two age cohorts of Pteria penguin were measured for 13 months to investigate differences in growth performance between four culture sites within the northern (Vava’u) and southern (Tongatapu) island groups of the Kingdom of Tonga. Environmental conditions were also measured at culture sites and used to explore potential effects on oyster growth and condition. Between island groups, growth performance of P. penguin was superior at northern sites and was most strongly related to higher water temperatures at these sites. Within the southern island group, growth performance varied significantly between sites and may be driven by differences in wave energy. Monthly growth rates (G M ) of P. penguin also showed significant temporal variation related to age and environmental conditions. This study demonstrated significant variation in the growth performance of P. penguin at latitudinal and local scales and suggests that in oligotrophic marine environments with minimal terrestrial inputs, such as Tonga, water temperature and wave exposure may be the primary environmental conditions influencing the growth performance of P. penguin. This study therefore recommends that optimal culture sites for P. penguin in Tonga are characterized primarily by warmer water temperatures (25–30°C) and low wave exposure (& joules m 2 day –1 ). Culture of P. penguin at sites with more suitable environmental conditions enables pearl production to begin up to 34.2 % (6.5 months) earlier than at less-suitable sites and this may greatly influence mabé pearl farm profitability and feasibility.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-04-2019
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-2022
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-07-2020
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.15221
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-05-2007
DOI: 10.1111/J.1472-4642.2007.00363.X
Abstract: Sandy beaches line most of the world's oceans and are highly valued by society: more people use sandy beaches than any other type of shore. While the economic and social values of beaches are generally regarded as paramount, sandy shores also have special ecological features and contain a distinctive bio ersity that is generally not recognized. These unique ecosystems are facing escalating anthropogenic pressures, chiefly from rapacious coastal development, direct human uses — mainly associated with recreation — and rising sea levels. Beaches are increasingly becoming trapped in a ‘coastal squeeze’ between burgeoning human populations from the land and the effects of global climate change from the sea. Society's interventions (e.g. shoreline armouring, beach nourishment) to combat changes in beach environments, such as erosion and shoreline retreat, can result in severe ecological impacts and loss of bio ersity at local scales, but are predicted also to have cumulative large‐scale consequences worldwide. Because of the scale of this problem, the continued existence of beaches as functional ecosystems is likely to depend on direct conservation efforts. Conservation, in turn, will have to increasingly draw on a consolidated body of ecological theory for these ecosystems. Although this body of theory has yet to be fully developed, we identify here a number of critical research directions that are required to progress coastal management and conservation of sandy beach ecosystems.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 16-12-2015
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-11-2015
Publisher: National Inquiry Services Center (NISC)
Date: 02-01-2018
Publisher: Research Square Platform LLC
Date: 20-05-2021
DOI: 10.21203/RS.3.RS-421078/V1
Abstract: Marine species are moving rapidly in response to warming, often in different directions and with variations by location and depth. This poses challenges to conventional reserve design. We develop a three-dimensional planning approach for the high seas that conserves bio ersity, minimises exposure to climate change, retains species within reserve boundaries, and reduces fishing conflict. Resultant climate-smart networks cover 11% of the high seas (5% of the ocean) and represent low-regret conservation options that are the first places to designate as new high-seas marine reserves. With the current push to increase the area of ocean under protection to 30%, we must confront the challenges of climate-smart three-dimensional conservation in the 41% of the ocean that is beyond countries’ jurisdictions.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 08-06-2020
DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.08.139519
Abstract: Climate change is redistributing terrestrial and marine bio ersity and altering fundamental ecological interactions. To adequately conserve bio ersity and promote its long-term persistence, protected areas should account for the ecological implications of species redistribution. Data paucity across many systems means that achieving this goal requires generic metrics that represent likely responses of multiple taxa to climate change. Climate velocity is one such metric, reflecting potential species range shifts at a generic level. Here, we explore four approaches to incorporating climate velocity metrics into the design of protected areas using the Mediterranean Sea as an illustrative ex le. Our methods are designed to meet two climate-smart planning objectives: 1) protect climate refugia by selecting slow-moving climate velocity areas, and 2) maintain the capacity of ecological systems to adapt by representing a suite of climate-velocity trajectory classes. We found that incorporating climate velocity as a cost measure in Marxan is the best approach for selecting slower-moving areas, which are good indicators of climate refugia. However, this approach fails to accommodate socio-economic cost data, and is probably impractical. Incorporating climate velocity as a boundary or as a feature provides both selection of slower-moving areas and solutions with lower socio-economic cost. Finally, we were able to design cost-effective networks of protected areas representing a suite of climate-velocity trajectories classes, which have the potential to help species adapt to a changing climate. This work presents simple and practical ways of including climate velocity in conservation plans on land and in the ocean to achieve the key climate-smart objectives of protecting climate refugia and enhancing ecological resilience.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2016
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-08-2013
DOI: 10.1038/NCLIMATE1958
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 28-05-2021
Abstract: The vastness of the worlds' oceans makes them difficult to monitor. Seabirds that forage and breed across oceans globally have been recognized as sentinels of ocean health. Sydeman et al. looked across seabird species of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and found varying patterns. Northern Hemisphere species exhibited greater signs of stress and reduced breeding success, indicative of low fish resources. Southern Hemisphere species showed less impact on reproductive output, suggesting that the fish populations there have thus far been less disturbed. The differences across hemispheres indicate different strategies for conservation, with active recovery needed in the north and enhanced protection in the south. Science , abf1772, this issue p. 980
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-05-2020
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-08-2015
DOI: 10.1038/NCLIMATE2769
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.TREE.2018.03.009
Abstract: Climate change is shifting the ranges of species. Simple predictive metrics of range shifts such as climate velocity, that do not require extensive knowledge or data on in idual species, could help to guide conservation. We review research on climate velocity, describing the theory underpinning the concept and its assumptions. We highlight how climate velocity has already been applied in conservation-related research, including climate residence time, climate refugia, endemism, historic and projected range shifts, exposure to climate change, and climate connectivity. Finally, we discuss ways to enhance the use of climate velocity in conservation through tailoring it to be more biologically meaningful, informing design of protected areas, conserving ocean bio ersity in 3D, and informing conservation actions.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2023
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 20-05-2020
Abstract: In polyandrous species, sexual selection extends beyond mating competition to selection for egg fertilization. As a result, the degree to which factors influencing mating success impact overall reproductive success becomes variable. Here, we used a longitudinal behavioural and genetic dataset for a population of eastern water dragons ( Intellagama lesueurii ) to investigate the degree to which male dominance, a pre-mating selection trait, influences overall reproductive success, measured as the number of surviving offspring. Moreover, we examine the interactive effects with a genetic trait, in idual inbreeding, known to influence the reproductive success of males in this species. We found fitness benefits of male dominance, measured as body size and frequency of dominance behaviours displayed. However, in iduals' propensity to display dominance behaviours had mixed effects, depending on the degree of inbreeding. While inbred males benefited from frequent displays, highly outbred males exhibited better reproductive outputs when displaying to a lesser extent. Given that outbred males have enhanced reproductive success in this species, the costs of displaying dominance behaviours may outweigh the benefits. Overall, our results demonstrate the fitness benefits of dominance in a polyandrous lizard, and suggest that these are modulated by an independent genetic trait. Our results may contribute to explaining the presence of alternative mating tactics in this species, owing to the variability in net fitness benefits of dominance. Our findings also reveal the challenges associated with investigating fitness traits in isolation, which may undermine the validity of results when important interactions are ignored.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-11-2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-06-2014
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.12226
Abstract: Spatially‐explicit trends in species richness and endemism on sandy shores are quantified to assess representation of beach ecosystems in existing reserve networks. Also, the relative importance of different drivers of species distributions are compared through species distribution modelling. The South African beaches are among the best‐studied in the world, providing sufficient biological data for the analyses. There is also a well‐established coastal protected‐area network that putatively provides moderate protection to nearly all beach habitats. Species distribution maps of beach‐dependent vertebrates, macrofauna, microflora, and foredune vegetation were compiled from existing sources or modelled using standard techniques. While some data were available for the latter analyses, additional s ling was required to improve bioregional coverage. Each species' distribution was coded to a detailed map of the S outh A frican shoreline. Representation of habitats and species in various configurations of existing reserves was determined. Overall, 535 species have been recorded on the South African sandy shores, including 139 common species. Endemism is variable among taxonomic groups. Notably, two‐thirds of the macrofauna are regional endemics, half of which are endemic to South Africa. For almost all of the common species, 20 % of their distributions are protected in land‐sea reserves. Protection of beach habitats is similarly poor conservation targets were not met in all cases, and most habitat types are considered Poorly Protected. Sandy beach communities are considerably more erse than they are generally acknowledged to be, and comprise a unique suite of biota. Given the species' narrow distributions and high degree of exposure to threats, many probably qualify as threatened/endangered. In spite of this, beaches are poorly represented in coastal reserve networks. To redress this issue, conservation planners need to account for beaches specifically, and to ensure they are represented in contiguous land‐sea protected areas.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2014
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-08-2021
DOI: 10.1111/ECOG.05545
Abstract: Macroecological relationships provide insights into rules that govern ecological systems. Bergmann's rule posits that members of the same clade are larger at colder temperatures. Whether temperature drives this relationship is debated because several other potential drivers covary with temperature. We conducted a near‐global comparative analysis on marine copepods (97 830 s les, 388 taxa) to test Bergmann's rule, considering other potential drivers. Supporting Bergmann's rule, we found temperature better predicted size than did latitude or oxygen, with body size decreasing by 43.9% across the temperature range (‐1.7 to 30ºC). Body size also decreased by 26.9% across the range in food availability. Our results provide strong support for Bergman's rule in copepods, but emphasises the importance of other drivers in modifying this pattern. As the world warms, smaller copepod species are likely to emerge as ‘winners', potentially reducing rates of fisheries production and carbon sequestration.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-09-2011
DOI: 10.1002/AQC.1224
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-04-2014
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.12505
Abstract: Sandy ocean beaches are iconic assets that provide irreplaceable ecosystem services to society. Despite their great socioeconomic importance, beaches as ecosystems are severely under-represented in the literature on climate-change ecology. Here, we redress this imbalance by examining whether beach biota have been observed to respond to recent climate change in ways that are consistent with expectations under climate change. We base our assessments on evidence coming from case studies on beach invertebrates in South America and on sea turtles globally. Surprisingly, we find that observational evidence for climate-change responses in beach biota is more convincing for invertebrates than for highly charismatic turtles. This asymmetry is paradoxical given the better theoretical understanding of the mechanisms by which turtles are likely to respond to changes in climate. Regardless of this disparity, knowledge of the unique attributes of beach systems can complement our detection of climate-change impacts on sandy-shore invertebrates to add rigor to studies of climate-change ecology for sandy beaches. To this end, we combine theory from beach ecology and climate-change ecology to put forward a suite of predictive hypotheses regarding climate impacts on beaches and to suggest ways that these can be tested. Addressing these hypotheses could significantly advance both beach and climate-change ecology, thereby progressing understanding of how future climate change will impact coastal ecosystems more generally.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2009
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2019
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1071/PC17034
Abstract: Human population growth and the resultant expansion of urban landscapes are drivers of bio ersity loss globally. Impacts of urbanisation on wildlife are not well understood, although the importance of preserving bio ersity in urban areas is widely recognised. The eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), a common species of large macropod, can be found in high densities in many urban landscapes across Australia. South East Queensland is a subtropical region of Australia that has experienced high rates of urban expansion. Human population growth in the region has resulted in widespread changes to the landscape and much of the eastern grey kangaroo’s natural habitat has been modified. Declines in kangaroo populations have been anecdotally reported however, the impact of urbanisation on kangaroo populations has not been quantified. This study used a modelling approach, collecting data from the community, and private and government organisations to: (1) map the current distribution of eastern grey kangaroos (2) quantify trends in kangaroo abundance and (3) identify anthropogenic drivers of changes in kangaroo abundance in the region. Of the kangaroo populations identified, 42% were reported to have undergone an overall decline in abundance since 2000. Higher human population growth rate and smaller area remaining under natural land use were predictors of kangaroo population declines. Further kangaroo declines can be anticipated in the region, particularly in areas with projected human population growth rates over 80% for the next decade. This study emphasises the importance of integrated urban development over large spatial extents to mitigate impacts of urbanisation on terrestrial mammals.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 27-06-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-02-2016
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.13184
Abstract: Climate change is shifting species' distribution and phenology. Ecological traits, such as mobility or reproductive mode, explain variation in observed rates of shift for some taxa. However, estimates of relationships between traits and climate responses could be influenced by how responses are measured. We compiled a global data set of 651 published marine species' responses to climate change, from 47 papers on distribution shifts and 32 papers on phenology change. We assessed the relative importance of two classes of predictors of the rate of change, ecological traits of the responding taxa and methodological approaches for quantifying biological responses. Methodological differences explained 22% of the variation in range shifts, more than the 7.8% of the variation explained by ecological traits. For phenology change, methodological approaches accounted for 4% of the variation in measurements, whereas 8% of the variation was explained by ecological traits. Our ability to predict responses from traits was hindered by poor representation of species from the tropics, where temperature isotherms are moving most rapidly. Thus, the mean rate of distribution change may be underestimated by this and other global syntheses. Our analyses indicate that methodological approaches should be explicitly considered when designing, analysing and comparing results among studies. To improve climate impact studies, we recommend that (1) reanalyses of existing time series state how the existing data sets may limit the inferences about possible climate responses (2) qualitative comparisons of species' responses across different studies be limited to studies with similar methodological approaches (3) meta-analyses of climate responses include methodological attributes as covariates and (4) that new time series be designed to include the detection of early warnings of change or ecologically relevant change. Greater consideration of methodological attributes will improve the accuracy of analyses that seek to quantify the role of climate change in species' distribution and phenology changes.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 20-10-2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2000
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2002
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-12-2021
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-02-2021
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.14058
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2019
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 07-02-2020
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-04-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2014
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-10-2011
DOI: 10.1002/AQC.1230
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-11-2016
Abstract: Connectivity is a pivotal feature of landscapes that affects the structure of populations and the functioning of ecosystems. It is also a key consideration in conservation planning. But the potential functional effects of landscape connectivity are rarely evaluated in a conservation context. The removal of algae by herbivorous fish is a key ecological function on coral reefs that promotes coral growth and recruitment. Many reef herbivores are harvested and some use other habitats (like mangroves) as nurseries or feeding areas. Thus, the effects of habitat connectivity and marine reserves can jointly promote herbivore populations on coral reefs, thereby influencing reef health. We used a coral reef seascape in eastern Australia to test whether seascape connectivity and reserves influence herbivory. We measured herbivore abundance and rates of herbivory (on turf algae and macroalgae) on reefs that differed in both their level of connectivity to adjacent mangrove habitats and their level of protection from fishing. Reserves enhanced the biomass of herbivorous fish on coral reefs in all seascape settings and promoted consumption of turf algae. Consumption of turf algae was correlated with the biomass of surgeonfish that are exploited outside reserves. By contrast, both reserve status and connectivity influenced herbivory on macroalgae. Consumption of macroalgae was greatest on fished reefs that were far from mangroves and was not strongly correlated with any fish species. Our findings demonstrate that landscape connectivity and reserve status can jointly affect the functioning of ecosystems. Moreover, we show that reserve and connectivity effects can differ markedly depending on resource type (in this case turf algae vs. macroalgae). The effectiveness of conservation initiatives will therefore depend on our ability to understand how these multiple interactive effects structure the distribution of ecological functions. These findings have wider implications for the spatial conservation of heterogeneous environments and strengthen the case that the impact of conservation on ecosystem functioning is contingent on how reserves are positioned in landscapes.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 17-09-2012
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 22-07-2014
Abstract: Marine protected areas (MPAs) are increasingly used to address multiple marine management needs, and the incorporation of stakeholders into the MPA planning and designation processes is considered vital for success. Commercial fishers are often the stakeholder group most directly affected by spatial restrictions associated with MPAs, and the success of MPAs often depends, at least in part, on the behaviours and attitudes of fishers. MPA planning processes that incorporate fishers, and minimize the negative impact of MPA designation on the fishing community, should therefore have a greater chance of success. Here, the incorporation of both quantitative and qualitative fisher-derived data in MPA planning is investigated using strategic conservation planning software and multi-scenario analysis. We demonstrate the use of spatial access priority data as a cost layer, and suggest a process for incorporating fishers' MPA suggestions into planning scenarios in a transparent, but flexible, way. Results show that incorporating fisher-derived data, both quantitative and qualitative, can significantly reduce the cost of MPA planning solutions: enabling the development of MPA network designs that meet conservation targets with less detrimental impact to fishing community. Incorporating fishers and fisher-derived data in MPA planning processes can improve both the efficiency and defensibility of planning outcomes, as well as contribute to reducing potential conflicts between bio ersity conservation and the fishing industry.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2014.05.036
Abstract: Complexity is increasingly the hallmark in environmental management practices of sandy shorelines. This arises primarily from meeting growing public demands (e.g., real estate, recreation) whilst reconciling economic demands with expectations of coastal users who have modern conservation ethics. Ideally, shoreline management is underpinned by empirical data, but selecting ecologically-meaningful metrics to accurately measure the condition of systems, and the ecological effects of human activities, is a complex task. Here we construct a framework for metric selection, considering six categories of issues that authorities commonly address: erosion habitat loss recreation fishing pollution (litter and chemical contaminants) and wildlife conservation. Possible metrics were scored in terms of their ability to reflect environmental change, and against criteria that are widely used for judging the performance of ecological indicators (i.e., sensitivity, practicability, costs, and public appeal). From this analysis, four types of broadly applicable metrics that also performed very well against the indicator criteria emerged: 1.) traits of bird populations and assemblages (e.g., abundance, ersity, distributions, habitat use) 2.) breeding/reproductive performance sensu lato (especially relevant for birds and turtles nesting on beaches and in dunes, but equally applicable to invertebrates and plants) 3.) population parameters and distributions of vertebrates associated primarily with dunes and the supralittoral beach zone (traditionally focused on birds and turtles, but expandable to mammals) 4.) compound measurements of the abundance/cover/biomass of biota (plants, invertebrates, vertebrates) at both the population and assemblage level. Local constraints (i.e., the absence of birds in highly degraded urban settings or lack of dunes on bluff-backed beaches) and particular issues may require alternatives. Metrics - if selected and applied correctly - provide empirical evidence of environmental condition and change, but often do not reflect deeper environmental values per se. Yet, values remain poorly articulated for many beach systems this calls for a comprehensive identification of environmental values and the development of targeted programs to conserve these values on sandy shorelines globally.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-09-2016
Publisher: PeerJ
Date: 18-08-2016
DOI: 10.7287/PEERJ.PREPRINTS.2370V1
Abstract: Coastal birds are critical ecosystem constituents on sandy shores, yet are threatened by depressed reproductive success resulting from direct and indirect anthropogenic and natural pressures. Few studies examine clutch fate across the wide range of environments experienced by birds instead, most focus at the small site scale. We examine survival of model shorebird clutches as an index of true clutch survival at a regional scale (~ 200 km), encompassing a variety of geomorphologies, predator communities, and human use regimes in southeast Queensland, Australia. Of the 132 model nests deployed and monitored with cameras, 45 (34%) survived the experimental exposure period. Thirty-five (27%) were lost to flooding, 32 (24%) were depredated, 9 (7%) buried by sand, 7 (5%) destroyed by people, 3 (2%) failed by unknown causes, and 1 (0.1%) was destroyed by a dog. Clutch fate differed substantially among regions, particularly with respect to losses from flooding and predation. ‘Topographic’ exposure was the main driver of mortality of nests placed close to the drift line near the base of dunes, which were lost to waves (particularly during storms) and to a lesser extent depredation. Predators determined the fate of clutches not lost to waves, with the depredation probability largely influenced by region. Depredation probability declined as nests were backed by higher dunes and were placed closer to vegetation. This study emphasizes the scale at which clutch fate and survival varies within a regional context, the prominence of corvids as egg predators, the significant role of flooding as a source of nest loss, and the multiple trade-offs faced by beach-nesting birds and those that manage them.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-08-2021
Abstract: Climate change is redistributing terrestrial and marine bio ersity and altering fundamental ecological interactions. To conserve bio ersity and promote its long‐term persistence, protected areas should account for the ecological implications of species’ redistribution. Data paucity across many systems means that achieving this goal requires generic metrics that act as proxies for likely responses of multiple taxa to climate change. Climate velocity is one such metric, representing the potential speed and direction of species’ range shifts. Here, we explore three approaches for incorporating climate velocity into the design of marine protected areas and demonstrate their application in the Mediterranean Sea. Our methods are designed to meet the climate‐smart adaptation strategy of protecting climate refugia by selecting slow‐moving climate velocity areas. For our case study, we found that incorporating climate velocity as a cost measure in Marxan best selects slower moving areas, which are robust indicators of climate refugia. However, this approach is unable to accommodate socio‐economic cost data and is thus impractical. Incorporating climate velocity as a boundary or as a feature selects slower moving areas with a lower socio‐economic cost. We recommend incorporating velocity as a boundary, where possible because it is a more flexible approach. The boundary approach considers the climate velocity of all planning units, rather than being limited to a subjective classification of ‘slow‐moving’ planning units when treated as a feature. However, further assessment is required. For different planning scales and for grid structures other than squares, the relative performance of incorporating climate velocity as a boundary or as a feature might vary among case studies. This work presents simple and practical ways of including climate velocity in conservation plans to achieve the key climate‐smart objective of protecting climate refugia, thereby enhancing ecological resilience. Our methods are widely applicable, encouraging researchers and practitioners to advance the field and deliver networks of climate‐smart protected areas by 2030.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.TREE.2018.08.001
Abstract: Predictive models are central to many scientific disciplines and vital for informing management in a rapidly changing world. However, limited understanding of the accuracy and precision of models transferred to novel conditions (their 'transferability') undermines confidence in their predictions. Here, 50 experts identified priority knowledge gaps which, if filled, will most improve model transfers. These are summarized into six technical and six fundamental challenges, which underlie the combined need to intensify research on the determinants of ecological predictability, including species traits and data quality, and develop best practices for transferring models. Of high importance is the identification of a widely applicable set of transferability metrics, with appropriate tools to quantify the sources and impacts of prediction uncertainty under novel conditions.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.12885
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-09-2011
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-06-2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 2012
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-2011
DOI: 10.1038/NCLIMATE1092
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2012
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2015.01.045
Abstract: Oceans, particularly coastal areas, are getting busier and within this increasingly human-dominated seascape, marine bio ersity continues to decline. Attempts to maintain and restore marine bio ersity are becoming more spatial, principally through the designation of marine protected areas (MPAs). MPAs compete for space with other uses, and the emergence of new industries, such as marine renewable energy generation, will increase competition for space. Decision makers require guidance on how to zone the ocean to conserve bio ersity, mitigate conflict and accommodate multiple uses. Here we used empirical data and freely available planning software to identified priority areas for multiple ocean zones, which incorporate goals for bio ersity conservation, two types of renewable energy, and three types of fishing. We developed an approached to evaluate trade-offs between industries and we investigated the impacts of co-locating some fishing activities within renewable energy sites. We observed non-linear trade-offs between industries. We also found that different subsectors within those industries experienced very different trade-off curves. Incorporating co-location resulted in significant reductions in cost to the fishing industry, including fisheries that were not co-located. Co-location also altered the optimal location of renewable energy zones with planning solutions. Our findings have broad implications for ocean zoning and marine spatial planning. In particular, they highlight the need to include industry subsectors when assessing trade-offs and they stress the importance of considering co-location opportunities from the outset. Our research reinforces the need for multi-industry ocean-zoning and demonstrates how it can be undertaken within the framework of strategic conservation planning.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 23-08-2019
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 17-07-2013
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-10-2019
DOI: 10.1111/ACV.12455
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2018
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 17-08-2011
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-10-2016
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.12495
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-11-2012
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-2008
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 08-05-2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-11-2016
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-05-2021
DOI: 10.1111/FAF.12569
Abstract: Marine ecosystem forecasting is an important innovation in fisheries science with considerable value for industry and management, providing new data‐driven means of predicting the distribution and availability of commercially exploited fish stocks over a range of timescales, including near‐real‐time and seasonal. Marine ecosystem forecasting is rapidly advancing as a field, yet tools produced for fisheries to date focus primarily on predicting species distributions. The next generation of marine ecosystem forecasting products could be enhanced by also incorporating predictions of biological characteristics of fish caught, such as body condition and epidemiological status, thereby expanding the utility of these methods beyond predicting distribution alone. Improving the biological dimensions of marine ecosystem forecasting could allow for optimization of efficiencies in wild‐capture fisheries by minimizing discarding and waste and maximizing the value of landed fish. These advancements are of direct benefit to industry and management, address several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals pertaining to fisheries sustainability and have the potential to support the maintenance of global food and micronutrient security under rapidly changing environmental conditions. Here, we describe the current state of the art in marine ecosystem forecasting review the physical‐biological linkages that underlie variability in the body condition of commercially valuable fish and shellfish with particular reference to marine climate change and outline key considerations for the next generation of marine ecosystem forecasting tools for wild‐capture fisheries.
Publisher: PeerJ
Date: 13-09-2016
DOI: 10.7717/PEERJ.2460
Abstract: Coastal birds are critical ecosystem constituents on sandy shores, yet are threatened by depressed reproductive success resulting from direct and indirect anthropogenic and natural pressures. Few studies examine clutch fate across the wide range of environments experienced by birds instead, most focus at the small site scale. We examine survival of model shorebird clutches as an index of true clutch survival at a regional scale (∼200 km), encompassing a variety of geomorphologies, predator communities, and human use regimes in southeast Queensland, Australia. Of the 132 model nests deployed and monitored with cameras, 45 (34%) survived the experimental exposure period. Thirty-five (27%) were lost to flooding, 32 (24%) were depredated, nine (7%) buried by sand, seven (5%) destroyed by people, three (2%) failed by unknown causes, and one (1%) was destroyed by a dog. Clutch fate differed substantially among regions, particularly with respect to losses from flooding and predation. ‘Topographic’ exposure was the main driver of mortality of nests placed close to the drift line near the base of dunes, which were lost to waves (particularly during storms) and to a lesser extent depredation. Predators determined the fate of clutches not lost to waves, with the depredation probability largely influenced by region. Depredation probability declined as nests were backed by higher dunes and were placed closer to vegetation. This study emphasizes the scale at which clutch fate and survival varies within a regional context, the prominence of corvids as egg predators, the significant role of flooding as a source of nest loss, and the multiple trade-offs faced by beach-nesting birds and those that manage them.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-10-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2013
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-08-2007
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-06-2008
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2019
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 05-01-2022
DOI: 10.1101/2022.01.04.475006
Abstract: Climate-smart conservation addresses the vulnerability of bio ersity to climate change impacts but may require transboundary considerations. Here, we adapt and refine 16 biophysical guidelines for climate-smart marine reserves for the transboundary California Bight ecoregion. We link several climate-adaptation strategies (e.g., maintaining connectivity, representing climate refugia, and forecasting effectiveness of protection) by focusing on kelp forests and associated species. We quantify transboundary larval connectivity along ∼800 km of coast and find that the number of connections and the average density of larvae dispersing through the network under future climate scenarios could decrease by ∼50%, highlighting the need to protect critical steppingstone nodes. We also find that although focal species will generally recover with 30% protection, marine heatwaves could hinder subsequent recovery in the following 50 years, suggesting that protecting climate refugia and expanding the coverage of marine reserves is a priority. Together, these findings provide a first comprehensive framework for integrating climate resilience for networks of marine reserves and highlight the need for a coordinated approach in the California Bight ecoregion.
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 03-02-2012
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 10-09-2004
Abstract: It is now widely accepted that global warming is occurring, yet its effects on the world's largest ecosystem, the marine pelagic realm, are largely unknown. We show that sea surface warming in the Northeast Atlantic is accompanied by increasing phytoplankton abundance in cooler regions and decreasing phytoplankton abundance in warmer regions. This impact propagates up the food web (bottom-up control) through copepod herbivores to zooplankton carnivores because of tight trophic coupling. Future warming is therefore likely to alter the spatial distribution of primary and secondary pelagic production, affecting ecosystem services and placing additional stress on already-depleted fish and mammal populations.
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 04-07-2014
Abstract: Climate warming has produced stronger winds along some coasts, a result of growing differences in temperature and pressure between land and sea. These winds cause cold nutrient-rich seawater to rise to the surface, affecting climate and fueling marine productivity. Sydeman et al. examined data from the five major world regions where upwelling is occurring. Particularly in the California, Humboldt, and Benguela upwelling systems, winds have become stronger over the past 60 years. These regions represent up to a fifth of wild marine fish catches and are hot spots of bio ersity. Science , this issue p. 77
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 05-04-2021
Abstract: We use distribution data on 48,661 species to show that marine bio ersity has been responding to climate warming at a global scale. We show that marine species richness levels off or declines in latitudinal bands with average annual sea surface temperatures exceeding 20 °C. This results in a dip in species richness around the equator that has become more pronounced as the climate has warmed, especially for pelagic species. Previous studies have either only predicted such effects or have provided data at regional scales or for limited numbers of taxa.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 16-07-2013
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 02-11-2015
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: South Africa
Start Date: 12-2023
End Date: 12-2026
Amount: $404,041.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 05-2019
End Date: 05-2022
Amount: $493,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 04-2017
End Date: 12-2021
Amount: $374,500.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity