ORCID Profile
0000-0002-3560-3659
Current Organisations
University of New South Wales
,
Monash University
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
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)
Ecology | Marine And Estuarine Ecology (Incl. Marine Ichthyology) | Evolutionary Biology | Environmental Management And Rehabilitation | Evolutionary Impacts of Climate Change | Ecological Impacts of Climate Change | Life Histories (Incl. Population Ecology) | Biological Adaptation | Ecology | Environmental Science and Management | Oceanography | Biological Oceanography | Biological Oceanography | Physical Oceanography | Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) | Life Histories | Plant Physiology | Environmental Impact Assessment | Landscape Ecology | Environmental rehabilitation and restoration | Quantitative Genetics | Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) | Sociobiology And Behavioural Ecology | Conservation And Biodiversity | Animal Systematics and Taxonomy
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Coastal and Estuarine Environments | Climate Change Adaptation Measures | Integrated (ecosystem) assessment and management | Living resources (flora and fauna) | Physical and chemical conditions | Ecosystem Adaptation to Climate Change | Coastal and Marine Management Policy | Coastal and Estuarine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity | Integrated (ecosystem) assessment and management | Control of pests and exotic species | Marine Oceanic Processes (excl. climate related) | Biological sciences | Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity of environments not elsewhere classified | Integrated (ecosystem) assessment and management | Marine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity | Health not elsewhere classified |
Related Links
Publications
Rapid reshaping: the evolution of morphological changes in an introduced beach daisy
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 20-02-2019
Abstract: Thousands of species have been introduced to new ranges worldwide. These introductions provide opportunities for researchers to study evolutionary changes in form and function in response to new environmental conditions. However, almost all previous studies of morphological change in introduced species have compared introduced populations to populations from across the species' native range, so variation within native ranges probably confounds estimates of evolutionary change. In this study, we used microsatellites to locate the source population for the beach daisy Arctotheca populifolia that had been introduced to eastern Australia. We then compared four introduced populations from Australia with their original South African source population in a common-environment experiment. Despite being separated for less than 100 years, source and introduced populations of A. populifolia display substantial heritable morphological differences. Contrary to the evolution of increased competitive ability hypothesis, introduced plants were shorter than source plants, and introduced and source plants did not differ in total biomass. Contrary to predictions based on higher rainfall in the introduced range, introduced plants had smaller, thicker leaves than source plants. Finally, while source plants develop lobed adult leaves, introduced plants retain their spathulate juvenile leaf shape into adulthood. These changes indicate that rapid evolution in introduced species happens, but not always in the direction predicted by theory.
Light quantity and quality induce shade‐avoiding plasticity in a marine macroalga
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-10-2004
DOI: 10.1111/J.1420-9101.2004.00826.X
Abstract: Light-induced plasticity in plant morphology is considered adaptive in terrestrial habitats that vary in light, but remains unexplored for marine habitats. This is despite similar modes of growth, development and photosynthetic equipment in terrestrial and marine photoautotrophs and similarly dynamic light environments. We tested whether manipulations of light quantity and quality induce morphological plasticity in the marine macroalga, Asparagopsis armata. Using multivariate analyses (principal components analyses and multivariate analyses of covariance), we show that correlated morphological traits underlie a fundamental growth strategy characterized by the production of phalanx and guerrilla phenotypes in environments that mimic light and shade respectively. This foraging response is not under simple genetic or environmental control, but influenced by interactions between genotype and environment. Evidence of plasticity and genetic variation in plasticity in a marine modular organism generates additional, testable hypotheses on the ecological consequences of variation in growth form that may further explain the evolution of plasticity.
A continental measure of urbanness predicts avian response to local urbanization
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-12-2020
DOI: 10.1111/ECOG.04863
CHEMICAL DEFENSE IN A MARINE ALGA: HERITABILITY AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SELECTION BY HERBIVORES
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-2004
DOI: 10.1890/03-4041
Increased temperature, but not acidification, enhances fertilization and development in a tropical urchin: Potential for adaptation to a tropicalized eastern Australia
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-10-2014
DOI: 10.1111/EVA.12218
Impact by association: Direct and indirect effects of copper exposure on mobile invertebrate fauna
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 17-11-2006
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS326195
Strong effects of herbivorous amphipods on epiphyte biomass in a temperate seagrass meadow
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 05-12-2011
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS09446
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.
Fine-Scale Effects of Boat Moorings on Soft Sediment Communities Masked in Large-Scale Comparisons
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 12-03-2019
Grazing effects of the sea urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii in two contrasting rocky reef habitats: effects of urchin density and its implications for the fishery
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2003
DOI: 10.1071/MF03052
Abstract: The sea urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii plays an important role in determining the abundance and composition of benthic macroalgae in New South Wales. Centrostephanus rodgersii is commonly found in areas devoid of foliose algae (termed 'barrens habitat'), which abruptly change into areas rich in foliose algae (termed 'fringe habitat'). Complementary experiments were used to investigate the impact of C. rodgersii grazing on algal assemblages at a range of densities in the barrens and fringe habitats. Although 33% of the natural density of C.�rodgersii maintained barrens areas relatively free of foliose algae, only densities exceeding natural densities within barrens habitat cleared areas dominated by macroalgae. The impact of grazing was not linearly related to density in either habitat, which suggests that both the barrens and fringe habitats are stable and will persist unless there is a dramatic decrease in urchin densities in barrens areas or a large influx into fringe areas. These findings have significant implications for the commercial harvesting of C. rodgersii. They imply that reducing urchin densities in barrens habitats, or translocating urchins from barrens to fringe habitats in order to improve roe quality, will not significantly alter the algal assemblage of either habitat in the short term (less than 3 months).
Predation domes: In‐situ field assays to measure predatory behaviours by fish
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-06-2023
Abstract: Biotic interactions such as predation are difficult ecological processes to quantify in the wild. This is especially the case in the marine environment due to logistical difficulties in capturing animal behaviour. Common approaches use aquarium‐based experiments, live‐tethering, or assays with bait as proxies for quantifying predation pressure. However, these methods often fail to account for natural interactions between species in the wild and may raise ethical and animal welfare concerns. We designed a novel field‐based method to quantify predator–prey interactions for marine fishes. The “predation dome” is a clear acrylic aquarium that contains a live fish. The dome is filmed and, in contrast to other methods, it allows for natural olfactory and visual cues, and the prey fish is returned to the wild after the assay. Here, we provide a step‐by‐step guide on building and deploying the predation dome in the wild. To demonstrate its use, we quantified predation pressure using the domes in two tropical and two temperate locations. Piscivores were attracted to the domes and displayed predatory behaviours such as circling or striking. Although the overall number of predatory attacks did not differ among locations, predation domes revealed higher predation pressure by piscivores at the tropical locations in comparison to temperate reefs. Our results show that predation domes represent an ethical and complementary approach to measure predation that may better represent piscivory as compared to other behaviours. Predation domes can be also used to measure other biotic interactions such as territorial defence or courtship.
Modelling nutritional interactions: from individuals to communities.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.TREE.2009.06.012
Abstract: Nutrient acquisition is a major context for ecological interactions among species but ecologists and nutritionists have developed theory in isolation from each other. Developments in agent-based modelling, state-space modelling of nutrition and multi-scale modelling of landscape ecology provide the components for a new synthesis in nutritional ecology linking the nutritional biology of in idual organisms to population- and community-level processes across multiple scales within an evolutionary context. We review the core elements for such a synthesis and set out the principles for a generic modelling framework that could be used to test specific ecological hypotheses.
Diversity and cover of a sessile animal assemblage does not predict its associated mobile fauna
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-11-2011
A waterborne pursuit-deterrent signal deployed by a sea Urchin
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 06-2017
DOI: 10.1086/691437
Abstract: Selection by consumers has led to the evolution of a vast array of defenses in animals and plants. These defenses include physical structures, behaviors, and chemical signals that mediate interactions with predators. Some of the strangest defensive structures in nature are the globiferous pedicellariae of the echinoderms. These are small venomous appendages with jaws and teeth that cover the test of many sea urchins and sea stars. In this study, we report a unique use of these defensive structures by the collector sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla. In both the laboratory and the field, globiferous pedicellariae were unpalatable to fish consumers. When subject to simulated predator attack, sea urchins released a cloud of pedicellaria heads into the water column. Flume experiments established the presence of a waterborne cue associated with this release of pedicellariae that is deterrent to predatory fish. These novel results add to our understanding of how the ecosystem-shaping sea urchin T. gratilla is able to reach high densities in many reef habitats, with subsequent impacts on algal cover.
Habitat provided by native species facilitates higher abundances of an invader in its introduced compared to native range
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-04-2020
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-020-63429-2
Abstract: The impacts invasive species have on bio ersity and ecosystem function globally have been linked to the higher abundances they often obtain in their introduced compared to native ranges. Higher abundances of invaders in the introduced range are often explained by a reduction in negative species interactions in that range, although results are equivocal. The role of positive interactions in explaining differences in the abundance of invaders between native and invasive ranges has not been tested. Using biogeographic surveys, we showed that the rocky shore porcelain crab, Petrolisthes elongatus , was ~4 times more abundant in its introduced (Tasmania, Australia) compared to its native (New Zealand) range. The habitat of these crabs in the invaded range (underside of intertidal boulders) was extensively covered with the habitat-forming tubeworm Galeolaria caespitosa . We tested whether the habitat provided by the tubeworm facilitates a higher abundance of the invasive crab by creating mimics of boulders with and without the tubeworm physical structure and measured crab colonisation into these habitats at three sites in both Tasmania and New Zealand. Adding the tubeworm structure increased crab abundance by an average of 85% across all sites in both ranges. Our intercontinental biogeographic survey and experiment demonstrate that native species can facilitate invader abundance and that positive interactions can be important drivers of invasion success.
How to build a biodiverse city: environmental determinants of bird diversity within and among 1,581 cities
Publisher: California Digital Library (CDL)
Date: 23-08-2019
Using near infra red reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to quantify tissue composition in the seagrass Posidonia australis
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2013
Spatial associations among algae affect host use in a herbivorous marine amphipod
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-2004
DOI: 10.1007/S00442-004-1557-8
Abstract: Host plant choice by herbivores may be constrained by the spatial arrangement of plants with selection of poor quality hosts being more likely if preferred hosts are locally rare. I tested whether the presence of a herbivorous marine hipod, Per hithoe parmerong, on a poor quality host could be explained by the relative abundance and spatial arrangement of alternative brown algal hosts. Amphipods strongly preferred the high quality Sargassum linearifolium over the poor quality Padina crassa in laboratory assays with a higher tendency to select Padina crassa when it was relatively more abundant. In the field, however, adults colonised both hosts to equal densities. Rates of colonisation were independent of host quality but strongly affected by the identity of neighbouring hosts with those algae in close proximity to S. linearifolium receiving far greater densities of hipods than those surrounded by Padina crassa. There was no evidence that the presence of adult Per hithoe parmerong on Padina crassa was due to local scarcity of S. linearifolium. In contrast, the distribution and behaviour of juveniles were predictable from differences in food quality, with most inhabiting the high quality S. linearifolium and few emigrating from this host. The success of a simple adaptive model based on food quality to predict juvenile, but not adult, behaviour indicates that the relative importance of food quality varies with age, and that other factors are important determinants of adult movements among hosts.
Plant feeding promotes diversification in the Crustacea
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 31-07-2017
Abstract: Understanding what morphological and behavioral traits promote the success of erse groups of organisms is a major goal of evolutionary biology. The ability to consume novel food sources has been linked to the spectacular radiation of herbivorous insects that eat terrestrial plants on Earth. Among the crustaceans, the arthropod group that dominates aquatic environments, relatively few major taxa have overcome the challenges of consuming primary producers (plants and macroalgae). However, lineages that include plant material in their diets support more species than their most closely related lineages. The results of our analyses support the hypothesis that a shift in diet promotes speciation in this erse and ecologically important animal group.
The emerging role of pharmacology in understanding consumer–prey interactions in marine and freshwater systems
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 23-06-2009
DOI: 10.1093/ICB/ICP049
Abstract: Within our lakes, streams, estuaries, and oceans, there is an astounding chemo ersity of secondary metabolites produced by microbes, algae, and invertebrates. Nearly 30 years of study have yielded hundreds of ex les in which secondary metabolites alter the foraging behavior or fitness of aquatic consumers, or both. However, our understanding of the mechanisms that mediate the fate and consequences of these metabolites in aquatic consumers remains in its infancy. Interactions between metabolites and consumers at the molecular and biochemical level are the purview of modern pharmacology, which is rooted in the long history of human-drug interactions and can be adopted for ecological studies. Here, we argue that a pharmacological approach to consumer-prey interactions will be as productive within aquatic systems as it has been for understanding terrestrial systems. We review the ersity of secondary metabolites in aquatic organisms, their known effects on the feeding behaviors and performance of aquatic consumers, and the few studies that have attempted to describe their biochemical manipulation within consumer tissues, i.e., their absorption, distribution, metabolism (including detoxification), and excretion. We then highlight vexing issues in the ecology and evolution of aquatic consumer-prey interactions that would benefit from a pharmacological approach, including specialist-versus-generalist feeding strategies, dietary mixing, nutrient-toxin interactions, and taste. Finally, we argue that a pharmacological approach could help to predict how consumer-prey interactions are altered by global changes in pH, water temperature and ultraviolet radiation, or by pollution. Arguably, the state of knowledge of aquatic consumer-prey interactions is equivalent to that faced by ecologists studying terrestrial herbivores in the 1970s the literature documents profound variation among consumers in their feeding tolerances for secondary metabolites without a thorough understanding of the mechanisms that underlie that variation. The subsequent advancement in our understanding of terrestrial herbivores in the intervening decades provides confidence that applying a pharmacological approach to aquatic consumers will prove equally productive.
Assessing the evidence for latitudinal gradients in plant defence and herbivory
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-12-2011
Temperature effects on a marine herbivore depend strongly on diet across multiple generations
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-02-2018
DOI: 10.1007/S00442-018-4084-8
Abstract: Increasing sea surface temperatures are predicted to alter marine plant-herbivore interactions and, thus, the structure and function of algal and seagrass communities. Given the fundamental role of host plant quality in determining herbivore fitness, predicting the effects of increased temperatures requires an understanding of how temperature may interact with diet quality. We used an herbivorous marine hipod, Sun hitoe parmerong, to test how temperature and diet interact to alter herbivore growth, feeding rates, survival, and fecundity in short- and long-term assays. In short-term thermal stress assays, S. parmerong was tolerant to the range of temperatures that it currently experiences in nature (20-26 °C), with mortality at temperatures > 27 °C. In longer term experiments, two generations of S. parmerong were reared in nine combinations of temperature (ambient, + 2, + 4 °C) and diet (two high- and one low-quality algal species) treatments. Temperature and diet interacted to determine total numbers of hipods in the F
A new resource for monitoring reef ecosystems: The background of recreational diver photographs contains valuable habitat data
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-10-2023
Ocean warming has greater and more consistent negative effects than ocean acidification on the growth and health of subtropical macroalgae
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 14-05-2018
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS12552
Many cameras make light work: opportunistic photographs of rare species in iNaturalist complement structured surveys of reef fish to better understand species richness
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S10531-022-02398-6
Abstract: Citizen science is on the rise, with growing numbers of initiatives, participants and increasing interest from the broader scientific community. iNaturalist is an ex le of a successful citizen science platform that enables users to opportunistically capture and share bio ersity observations. Understanding how data from such opportunistic citizen science platforms compare with and complement data from structured surveys will improve their use in future bio ersity research. We compared the opportunistic fish photographs from iNaturalist to those obtained from structured surveys at eight study reefs in Sydney, Australia over twelve years. iNaturalist recorded 1.2 to 5.5 times more fish species than structured surveys resulting in significantly greater annual species richness at half of the reefs, with the remainder showing no significant difference. iNaturalist likely recorded more species due to having simple methods, which allowed for broad participation with substantially more iNaturalist observation events (e.g., es) than structured surveys over the same period. These results demonstrate the value of opportunistic citizen science platforms for documenting fish species richness, particularly where access and use of the marine environment is common and communities have the time and resources for expensive recreational activities (i.e., underwater photography). The datasets also recorded different species composition with iNaturalist recording many rare, less abundant, or cryptic species while the structured surveys captured many common and abundant species. These results suggest that integrating data from both opportunistic and structured data sources is likely to have the best outcome for future bio ersity monitoring and conservation activities.
The unusual occurrence of green algal balls of Chaetomorpha linum on a beach in Sydney, Australia
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Date: 22-09-2015
Abstract: In spring 2014, thousands of green algal balls were washed up at Dee Why Beach, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Reports of algal balls are uncommon in marine systems, and mass strandings on beaches are even more rare, sparking both public and scientific interest. We identified the algal masses as Chaetomorpha linum by using light microscopy and DNA sequencing. We characterize the size and composition of the balls from Dee Why Beach and compare them to previous records of marine algal balls. We describe the environmental conditions that could explain their appearance, given the ecophysiology of C. linum .
Positive and negative interactions control a facilitation cascade
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-2017
DOI: 10.1002/ECS2.2065
Ecosystem structure, function and composition in rangelands are negatively affected by livestock grazing
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-12-2015
DOI: 10.1890/15-1234.1
Use of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy to quantify diet mixing in a generalist marine herbivore
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-03-2016
Variation in consumer pressure along 2500 km in a major upwelling system: crab predators are more important at higher latitudes
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-10-2019
Shifts in biomass and structure of habitat‐formers across a latitudinal gradient
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-05-2021
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.7714
Abstract: Global patterns of plant biomass drive the distribution of much of the marine and terrestrial life on Earth. This is because their biomass and physical structure have important consequences for the communities they support by providing food and habitat. In terrestrial ecosystems, temperature is one of the major determinants of plant biomass and can influence plant and leaf morphology. In temperate marine systems, macroalgae are major habitat‐formers and commonly display highly variable morphology in response to local environmental conditions. Variation in their morphology, and thus habitat structure on temperate reefs, however, is poorly understood across large scales. In this study, we used a trait‐based approach to quantify morphological variability in subtidal rocky reefs dominated by the algal genus Sargassum along a latitudinal gradient, in southeastern Australia (~900 km). We tested whether large‐scale variation in sea surface temperature (SST), site exposure, and nutrient availability can predict algal biomass and in idual morphology. We found Sargassum biomass declined with increasing maximum SST. We also found that in idual morphology varied with abiotic ocean variables. Frond size and intrain idual variability in frond size decreased with increasing with distance from the equator, as SST decreased and nitrate concentration increased. The shape of fronds displayed no clear relationship with any of the abiotic variables measured. These results suggest climate change will cause significant changes to the structure of Sargassum habitats along the southeastern coast of Australia, resulting in an overall reduction in biomass and increase in the prevalence of thalli with large, highly variable fronds. Using a space‐for‐time approach means shifts in morphological trait values can be used as early warning signs of impending species declines and regime shifts. Consequently, by studying traits and how they change across large scales we can potentially predict and anticipate the impacts of environmental change on these communities.
Multivariate selection shapes environment-dependent variation in the clonal morphology of a red seaweed
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-04-2007
Endangered Posidonia australis seagrass meadows in Australia
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2021
Scientific collaboration for early detection of invaders results in a significant update on estimated range: lessons from Stenothoe georgiana Bynum & Fox 1977
Publisher: National Documentation Centre (EKT)
Date: 09-06-2020
DOI: 10.12681/MMS.22583
Abstract: Detection of new non-indigenous species is often delayed when taxonomically challenging taxa are involved, such as small-sized marine organisms. The present study highlights the relevance of scientific cooperation in the early detection of the invader hipod Stenothoe georgiana. Originally described from North Carolina (USA), the species was recently found in Chile and the Western Mediterranean. Here, we provide the first record of the species in Macaronesia, Atlantic coasts of continental Europe, North Africa and Australia, and extend its known distribution along the Mediterranean coast. Just like other small crustaceans, shipping (including recreational boating) and aquaculture are probably the main vectors of introduction and secondary spread for this hipod species. This case of S. georgiana sheds light on the importance of promoting taxonomical knowledge, and building multidisciplinary expertise networks that ensure an effective spread of alien species information. We also encourage the implementation of standardized monitoring methodologies to facilitate early detection of small mobile invaders.
Shaping up for stress: Physiological flexibility is key to survivorship in a habitat-forming macroalga
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.JPLPH.2018.10.005
Abstract: Organisms from all domains of life can have highly variable morphologies, with this plasticity suggested to increase fitness and survivability under stressful conditions. Predicting how organisms will adapt to environmental change requires an understanding of how variable morphologies perform under environmental stress. Morphological plasticity has been documented within marine macroalgae inhabiting environmental gradients, however the functional consequences of this variation has been rarely tested. In this study, form-function was assessed in the habitat-forming, intertidal macroalga Hormosira banksii. Morphological variation was quantified on two spatial scales (tidal gradient versus latitudinal gradient) and the performance tested (relative water content and photosynthetic efficiency) of morphological variants during heat and desiccation stress. At regional scales, in iduals at the warm distributional edge were overall smaller in size, and had smaller vesicles (higher surface area to volume ratio SA:VOL) than those from central populations. At local scales, in iduals high on the shore were generally shorter and had larger vesicles than those low on the shore. Vesicle morphology (SA:VOL) was found to predict relative water content and photosynthetic performance during desiccation and rehydration. Differences in SA:VOL of vesicles between heights on the shore may reflect water requirements needed to maintain tissue hydration for photosynthesis during low tide. Warm-edge populations showed increased thermal sensitivity as indicated by decreased photosynthetic yield of PSII and delays in recovery after desiccation. Sensitivities to higher temperatures amongst warm-edge populations are potentially due to smaller fluctuations in regional temperatures as well as their morphology. This study provides a mechanistic understanding of the morphological variation among H. banksii populations. It suggests that H. banksii has a high degree of morphological plasticity reflecting local climate, topography and environmental conditions, with this morphological variation having functional consequences. Morphological variation across local and regional scales will be important for resilience of this species to future climate warming.
Habitat‐complexity regulates the intensity of facilitation along an environmental stress gradient
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-01-2022
DOI: 10.1111/OIK.08818
Abstract: Positive interactions between foundation species and their associated species are expected to be influenced by the degree of environmental stress as well as trait variations of the species involved. However, there is scarce empirical evidence regarding how these two factors interact and shape the intensity of facilitation. To test how facilitation varies with stress, a colonization experiment using artificial algal units that varied in a functional trait (morphological complexity) was conducted at different intertidal height levels. The isolated effects of shore‐height and host‐complexity are as expected: the number of species and overall abundance of epifauna decreased with lower complexity host units and greater exposure to environmental stress. However, in contrast to the initially proposed model, based on the stress gradient hypothesis, the magnitude of positive interactions increased at lower tidal heights (those levels with, presumably, milder environmental conditions). An additional predation exclusion experiment ruled out the effects of predation pressure as a major factor driving the structure of mobile epifaunal assemblages in these intertidal habitats. Thus, further studies are needed to identify the factors that explain the patterns of facilitation intensity found in the present study.
The Evolution of Marine Herbivores in Response to Algal Secondary Metabolites
Publisher: CRC Press
Date: 30-08-2018
Manipulating artificial habitats to benefit seahorses in Sydney Harbour, Australia
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2011
DOI: 10.1002/AQC.1217
Amphipods
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 12-08-2015
Altered fish community and feeding behaviour in close proximity to boat moorings in an urban estuary
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2018.02.010
Abstract: Coastal urbanization has led to large-scale transformation of estuaries, with artificial structures now commonplace. Boat moorings are known to reduce seagrass cover, but little is known about their effect on fish communities. We used underwater video to quantify abundance, ersity, composition and feeding behaviour of fish assemblages on two scales: with increasing distance from moorings on fine scales, and among locations where moorings were present or absent. Fish were less abundant in close proximity to boat moorings, and the species composition varied on fine scales, leading to lower predation pressure near moorings. There was no relationship at the location with seagrass. On larger scales, we detected no differences in abundance or community composition among locations where moorings were present or absent. These findings show a clear impact of moorings on fish and highlight the importance of fine-scale assessments over location-scale comparisons in the detection of the effects of artificial structures.
Strong consequences of diet choice in a talitrid amphipod consuming seagrass and algal wrack
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-2013
Adaptive capacity of the habitat modifying sea urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii to ocean warming and ocean acidification: Performance of early embryos
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 03-08-2012
Potential for adaptation in response to thermal stress in an intertidal macroalga
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-05-2013
DOI: 10.1111/JPY.12067
Abstract: Understanding responses of marine algae to changing ocean temperatures requires knowledge of the impacts of elevated temperatures and the likelihood of adaptation to thermal stress. The potential for rapid evolution of thermal tolerance is dependent on the levels of heritable genetic variation in response to thermal stress within a population. Here, we use a quantitative genetic breeding design to establish whether there is a heritable variation in thermal sensitivity in two populations of a habitat-forming intertidal macroalga, Hormosira banksii (Turner) Descaisne. Gametes from multiple parents were mixed and growth and photosynthetic performance were measured in the resulting embryos, which were incubated under control and elevated temperature (20°C and 28°C). Embryo growth was reduced at 28°C, but significant interactions between male genotype and temperature in one population indicated the presence of genetic variation in thermal sensitivity. Selection for more tolerant genotypes thus has the ability to result in the evolution of increased thermal tolerance. Furthermore, genetic correlations between embryos grown in the two temperatures were positive, indicating that those genotypes that performed well in elevated temperature also performed well in control temperature. Chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements showed a marked decrease in maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) under elevated temperature. There was an increase in the proportion of energy directed to photoinhibition (nonregulated nonphotochemical quenching) and a concomitant decrease in energy used to drive photochemistry and xanthophyll cycling (regulated nonphotochemical quenching). However, PSII performance between genotypes was similar, suggesting that thermal sensitivity is related to processes other than photosynthesis.
A biomonitor as a measure of an ecologically-significant fraction of metals in an industrialized harbour
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1039/C2EM10880A
Abstract: Biomonitors are commonly used to assess levels of bioavailable contaminants in the environment, however the relationships between biomonitor tissue concentrations and ecological effects are rarely assessed. The present study investigated metal contamination within a highly industrialised harbour and ecological effects on sessile invertebrates. The native oyster Saccostrea glomerata was deployed as a biomonitor across twenty-six sites to test for correlations between metal levels in their tissues and the recruitment of hard-substrate invertebrates. Concentrations of lead and copper in oyster tissues were negatively correlated with densities of the dominant barnacle, Amphibalanus variegatus, and positively correlated with densities of the dominant polychaete, Hydroides elegans, and the two native encrusting bryozoans Celloporaria nodulosa and Arachnopusia unicornis. Results suggest that highly localised events drive contaminant availability and that these events pose a significant risk to fauna. Biomonitoring studies may be enhanced by running concurrent ecological surveys.
Spatial associations among palatable and unpalatable macroalgae: A test of associational resistance with a herbivorous amphipod
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2005
Optimizing future biodiversity sampling by citizen scientists
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 02-10-2019
Abstract: We are currently in the midst of Earth's sixth extinction event, and measuring bio ersity trends in space and time is essential for prioritizing limited resources for conservation. At the same time, the scope of the necessary bio ersity monitoring is overwhelming funding for professional scientific monitoring. In response, scientists are increasingly using citizen science data to monitor bio ersity. But citizen science data are ‘noisy’, with redundancies and gaps arising from unstructured human behaviours in space and time. We ask whether the information content of these data can be maximized for the express purpose of trend estimation. We develop and execute a novel framework which assigns every citizen science s ling event a marginal value, derived from the importance of an observation to our understanding of overall population trends. We then make this framework predictive, estimating the expected marginal value of future bio ersity observations. We find that past observations are useful in forecasting where high-value observations will occur in the future. Interestingly, we find high value in both ‘hotspots’, which are frequently s led locations, and ‘coldspots’, which are areas far from recent s ling, suggesting that an optimal s ling regime balances ‘hotspot’ s ling with a spread across the landscape.
Natural densities of mesograzers fail to limit growth of macroalgae or their epiphytes in a temperate algal bed
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-12-2008
A molecular phylogeny of marine amphipods in the herbivorous family Ampithoidae
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-06-2016
DOI: 10.1111/ZSC.12190
Nest building by a small mesograzer limits blade size of the giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-11-2018
Facilitation cascades create a predation refuge for biodiversity in a novel connected habitat
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2020
DOI: 10.1002/ECS2.3053
Differential tolerance of species alters the seasonal response of marine epifauna to extreme warming
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2021
Genetic variability in tolerance to copper contamination in a herbivorous marine invertebrate
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.AQUATOX.2010.03.014
Abstract: Anthropogenic stresses such as metal contamination can have profound ecological impacts in a wide range of habitats. Reduced survival of organisms in contaminated habitats has the potential to result in the evolution of genotypes tolerant to deleterious contaminants. Local adaptation to contamination requires directional selection, genetic variation in traits relating to tolerance, spatial variability in exposure to the contaminant and limited gene flow between populations. This study assesses variation in tolerance in the herbivorous marine invertebrate Per hithoe parmerong whose algal diets in Sydney Harbour readily accumulate the metal copper. A quantitative genetics approach (a full-sib, split family design) was used to quantify variation among families in survival on the contaminated diet. A significant genotype-by-environment interaction in offspring survival between the copper contaminated and uncontaminated diet treatments revealed variation in tolerance to copper by P. parmerong. Amphipods that survived 30 days of exposure to copper contaminated diets were slightly smaller and ate less algae than those reared on uncontaminated food. This reflects an additional sub-lethal effect associated with the consumption of contaminated algae. However, there was no evidence of acclimation to contaminated diets, nor a cost of reduced feeding for those genotypes with increased tolerance. This study provides strong evidence for the potential of a marine invertebrate to evolve tolerance to contaminants found in their diet.
Beyond the border: Effects of an expanding algal habitat on the fauna of neighbouring habitats
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARENVRES.2015.02.006
Abstract: The impacts of novel habitat-forming organisms on associated fauna have been difficult to predict, and may affect the fauna of neighbouring habitats due to changes in the spatial configuration of habitat patches of differing quality. Here, we test whether the localised expansion of a native habitat-forming macroalga, Caulerpa filiformis, on subtidal reefs can affect the abundance of fauna associated with a neighbouring macroalgal habitat. C. filiformis was a functionally distinct habitat for fauna, and the total abundance of epifauna associated with the resident alga, Sargassum linearifolium, was reduced at some sites when in close proximity to or surrounded by C. filiformis. Experimental manipulation of habitat configuration demonstrated that the low abundance of gastropods on S. linearifolium when surrounded by C. filiformis was likely explained by C. filiformis acting as a physical dispersal barrier for mobile fauna. Changes to the spatial configuration of novel and resident habitats can thus affect the abundance of fauna in addition to the direct replacement of habitats by species undergoing range expansions or increasing in abundance.
Do mutualistic associations have broader host ranges than neutral or antagonistic associations? A test using myrmecophiles as model organisms
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-09-2018
Phylogenetic and geographic variation in host breadth and composition by herbivorous amphipods in the family ampithoidae
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-11-2008
DOI: 10.1111/J.1558-5646.2007.00261.X
Abstract: Predicting the host range for herbivores has been a major aim of research into plant-herbivore interactions and an important model system for understanding the evolution of feeding specialization. Among many terrestrial insects, host range is strongly affected by herbivore phylogeny and long historical associations between particular herbivore and plant taxa. For small herbivores in marine environments, it is known that the evolution of host use is sculpted by several ecological factors (e.g., food quality, value as a refuge from predators, and abiotic forces), but the potential for phylogenetic constraints on host use remains largely unexplored. Here, we analyze reports of host use of herbivorous hipods from the family Ampithoidae (102 hipod species from 12 genera) to test the hypotheses that host breadth and composition vary among herbivore lineages, and to quantify the extent to which nonpolar secondary metabolites mediate these patterns. The family as a whole, and most in idual species, are found on a wide variety of macroalgae and seagrasses. Despite this polyphagous host use, hipod genera consistently differed in host range and composition. As an ex le, the genus Per hithoe rarely use available macrophytes in the order Dictyotales (e.g., Dictyota) and as a consequence, display a more restricted host range than do other genera (e.g., Ampithoe, Cymadusa, or Ex ithoe). The strong phylogenetic effect on host use was independent of the uneven distribution of host taxa among geographic regions. Algae that produced nonpolar secondary metabolites were colonized by higher numbers of hipod species relative to chemically poor genera, consistent with the notion that secondary metabolites do not provide algae an escape from hipod herbivory. In contrast to patterns described for some groups of phytophagous insects, marine hipods that use chemically rich algae tended to have broader, not narrower, host ranges. This result suggests that an evolutionary advantage to metabolite tolerance in marine hipods may be that it increases the availability of appropriate algal hosts (i.e., enlarges the resource base).
Adaptive capacity of the sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma to ocean change stressors: responses from gamete performance to the juvenile
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 08-09-2016
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS11841
Responses of ghost crabs to habitat modification of urban sandy beaches
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARENVRES.2016.02.009
Abstract: Sandy beaches in highly urbanised areas are subject to a wide range of human impacts. Ghost crabs are a commonly used ecological indicator on sandy beaches, as they are key consumers in these systems and counting burrow openings allows for rapid assessment of population size. This study assessed the pressures of urbanisation on sandy beaches in the highly urbanised estuary of Sydney Harbour. Across 38 beaches, we examined which physical beach properties, management practices and human induced habitat modification best predicted ghost crab distributions. Of all variables measured, the frequency of mechanical beach cleaning was the most important predictor of crab abundance, with low burrow densities at the highest cleaning frequency and the highest densities at beaches cleaned at the intermediate frequency (≤3 times per week). These results indicate that ghost crab populations in Sydney Harbour are more robust to the impacts of urbanisation than previously thought.
Local Scale Thermal Environment and Limited Gene Flow Indicates Vulnerability of Warm Edge Populations in a Habitat Forming Macroalga
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 27-08-2020
Genotypic richness predicts phenotypic variation in an endangered clonal plant
Publisher: PeerJ
Date: 18-02-2016
DOI: 10.7717/PEERJ.1633
Abstract: Declines in genetic ersity within a species can affect the stability and functioning of populations. The conservation of genetic ersity is thus a priority, especially for threatened or endangered species. The importance of genetic variation, however, is dependent on the degree to which it translates into phenotypic variation for traits that affect in idual performance and ecological processes. This is especially important for predominantly clonal species, as no single clone is likely to maximise all aspects of performance. Here we show that intraspecific genotypic ersity as measured using microsatellites is a strong predictor of phenotypic variation in morphological traits and shoot productivity of the threatened, predominantly clonal seagrass Posidonia australis , on the east coast of Australia. Biomass and surface area variation was most strongly predicted by genotypic richness, while variation in leaf chemistry (phenolics and nitrogen) was unrelated to genotypic richness. Genotypic richness did not predict tissue loss to herbivores or epiphyte load, however we did find that increased herbivore damage was positively correlated with allelic richness. Although there was no clear relationship between higher primary productivity and genotypic richness, variation in shoot productivity within a meadow was significantly greater in more genotypically erse meadows. The proportion of phenotypic variation explained by environmental conditions varied among different genotypes, and there was generally no variation in phenotypic traits among genotypes present in the same meadows. Our results show that genotypic richness as measured through the use of presumably neutral DNA markers does covary with phenotypic variation in functionally relevant traits such as leaf morphology and shoot productivity. The remarkably long lifespan of in idual Posidonia plants suggests that plasticity within genotypes has played an important role in the longevity of the species. However, the strong link between genotypic and phenotypic variation suggests that a range of genotypes is still the best case scenario for adaptation to and recovery from predicted environmental change.
Seagrass tolerance to herbivory under increased ocean temperatures
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2013.08.010
Abstract: Climate change is acknowledged as a major threat to marine ecosystems, but the effect of temperature on species interactions remains poorly understood. We quantified the effects of long-term warming on plant-herbivore interactions of a dominant seagrass, Zostera muelleri. Growth, herbivory and tolerance to damage were compared between a meadow warmed by the thermal plume from a power station for 30 years (2-3 °C above background temperatures) and three control locations. Leaf growth rates and tissue loss were spatially variable but unrelated to temperature regimes. Natural herbivory was generally low. Simulated herbivory experiments showed that the tolerance of Z. muelleri to defoliation did not differ between warm and unimpacted meadows, with damaged and undamaged plants maintaining similar growth rates irrespective of temperature. These results suggest that the ability of temperate Z. muelleri to tolerate herbivory is not strongly influenced by warming, and this species may be relatively resilient to future environmental change.
Habitat variability in an underwater forest: Using a trait‐based approach to predict associated communities
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-01-2020
Biancolina japonica Ishimaru 1996: first record of this burrowing amphipod from Australia and a review of host use in the genus Biancolina (Amphipoda: Peracarida: Crustacea)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-07-2016
Intraclonal variation in macroalgae: Causes and evolutionary consequences
Publisher: Akademiai Kiado Zrt.
Date: 2001
THE USE OF NEAR INFRARED REFLECTANCE SPECTROMETRY FOR CHARACTERIZATION OF BROWN ALGAL TISSUE1
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-09-2010
Using the background of fish photographs to quantify habitat composition in marine ecosystems
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 28-04-2022
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS14027
Abstract: Citizen science initiatives that collect opportunistic photos, or recordings, of living organisms (e.g. iNaturalist) are increasingly recognized for their importance in monitoring bio ersity. These projects are focussed primarily on recording the occurrence of in idual species in space and time. Each photo potentially also contains additional valuable information. Here, we explored the amount and potential value of background information captured in fish photographs as a method to characterise reef habitats. The habitat in the background of fish photographs shared on iNaturalist was analysed for 6 sites across Australia. To measure accuracy of the habitat data captured in the iNaturalist photos, the habitat composition of each site was compared to standardised photo-quadrats from the citizen science project Reef Life Survey (RLS). Across all sites, 70-85% of the fish photographs from iNaturalist contained discernible biotic habitat in the background. Habitat composition as measured from the background of opportunistic fish photographs was similar to those of standardised surveys from RLS. In the face of rapid environmental change, opportunistic photographs collected by recreational ers represent a complementary way to rapidly and cost-effectively collect habitat data at more reefs and more frequently than is generally feasible with standardised scientific surveys.
Latitudinal variation in seagrass herbivory: Global patterns and explanatory mechanisms
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 31-08-2018
DOI: 10.1111/GEB.12767
The effects of nutrient availability on tolerance to herbivory in a brown seaweed
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-08-2011
Performance benefits of growth-form plasticity in a clonal red seaweed
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 21-04-2009
Urbanization negatively impacts frog diversity at continental, regional, and local scales
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2021
Genotypic diversity and short-term response to shading stress in a threatened seagrass: Does low diversity mean low resilience?
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 14-08-2017
Density-dependent sea urchin grazing: differential removal of species, changes in community composition and alternative community states
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 2005
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS298143
Thermal tolerance in the amphipod Sunamphitoe parmerong from a global warming hotspot, acclimatory carryover effects within generation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2020
Sources of variation in herbivore preference: among-individual and past diet effects on amphipod host choice
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-04-2006
Large-bodied birds are over-represented in unstructured citizen science data
Publisher: California Digital Library (CDL)
Date: 05-03-2021
Global Patterns in Seagrass Herbivory: Why, Despite Existing Evidence, There Are Solid Arguments in Favor of Latitudinal Gradients in Seagrass Herbivory
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-2020
Assessing the effect of genetic diversity on the early establishment of the threatened seagrass Posidonia australis using a reciprocal-transplant experiment
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-09-2017
DOI: 10.1111/REC.12595
Selection in Modular Organisms: Is Intraclonal Variation in Macroalgae Evolutionarily Important?
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 04-2004
DOI: 10.1086/382551
Abstract: Theoretical and practical difficulties occur when defining the units of selection in modular organisms that grow by iteration of repeated parts (modules). Modules may become physically autonomous through fragmentation and may vary because of genetic variation arising in somatic cell lineages. Since cells destined for gamete production are not sequestered in early development, heritable variation and selection among asexual progeny are possible. We used the branching red macroalgae Delisea pulchra and Asparagopsis armata to test whether modules fulfill three fundamental criteria for units of selection: that they replicate, that they display heritable variation, and that selective agents distinguish among the variants. We detected significant phenotypic variation among modules for fitness-related traits (growth, secondary metabolite concentrations, and rates of tissue loss to herbivory) in each species and significant heritability estimates for secondary metabolite production and tissue loss to herbivory in D. pulchra. Variation in growth rate among A. armata modules was largely phenotypic with small but important estimates of genetic variation. Our results indicate that selection may indeed act on phenotypic variation among modules within in iduals and that this process may effect evolutionary change within asexual lineages given sufficient genetic variation in the traits examined.
Major consequences of minor damage: Impacts of small grazers on fast-growing kelps
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-10-2014
DOI: 10.1007/S00442-013-2795-4
Abstract: Damage by small herbivores can have disproportionately large effects on the fitness of in idual plants if damage is concentrated on valuable tissues or on select in iduals within a population. In marine systems, the impact of tissue loss on the growth rates of habitat-forming algae is poorly understood. We quantified the grazing damage by an isopod Amphoroidea typa on two species of large kelps, Lessonia spicata and Macrocystis pyrifera, in temperate Chile to test whether non-lethal grazing damage could reduce kelp growth rates and photosynthetic efficiency. For L. spicata, grazing damage was widespread in the field, unevenly distributed on several spatial scales (among in iduals and among tissue types) and negatively correlated with blade growth rates. In field experiments, feeding by A. typa reduced the concentration of photosynthetic pigments and led to large reductions (~80%) in blade growth rates despite limited loss of kelp biomass (0.5% per day). For M. pyrifera, rates of damage in the field were lower and high densities of grazers were unable to reduce growth rates in field experiments. These results demonstrate that even low per capita grazing rates can result in large reductions in the growth of a kelp, due the spatial clustering of herbivores in the field and the selective removal of photosynthetically active tissues. The impacts of small herbivores on plant performance are thus not easily predicted from consumption rates or abundance in the field, and vary with plant species due to variation in their ability to compensate for damage.
Global patterns in the impact of marine herbivores on benthic primary producers
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-05-2012
Climate drives the geography of marine consumption by changing predator communities
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 26-10-2020
Abstract: Consumption transfers energy and materials through food chains and fundamentally influences ecosystem productivity. Therefore, mapping the distribution of consumer feeding intensity is key to understanding how environmental changes influence bio ersity, with consequent effects on trophic transfer and top–down impacts through food webs. Our global comparison of standardized bait consumption in shallow coastal habitats finds a peak in feeding intensity away from the equator that is better explained by the presence of particular consumer families than by latitude or temperature. This study complements recent demonstrations that changes in bio ersity can have similar or larger impacts on ecological processes than those of climate.
Genetic diversity in threatened Posidonia australis seagrass meadows
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-01-2014
Floating bags have the potential to minimise oyster farming impacts on Posidonia australis seagrass meadows
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2022
Scales of dispersal among hosts in a herbivorous marine amphipod
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2005
Fine-scale responses of mobile invertebrates and mesopredatory fish to habitat configuration
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2021
Seagrass on the brink: Decline of threatened seagrass Posidonia australis continues following protection
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 06-04-2018
Spatial interactions within modular organisms: Genetic heterogeneity and organism fitness
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2004
Three Frontiers for the Future of Biodiversity Research Using Citizen Science Data
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 11-11-2020
Abstract: Citizen science is fundamentally shifting the future of bio ersity research. But although citizen science observations are contributing an increasingly large proportion of bio ersity data, they only feature in a relatively small percentage of research papers on bio ersity. We provide our perspective on three frontiers of citizen science research, areas that we feel to date have had minimal scientific exploration but that we believe deserve greater attention as they present substantial opportunities for the future of bio ersity research: s ling the unders led, capitalizing on citizen science's unique ability to s le poorly s led taxa and regions of the world, reducing taxonomic and spatial biases in global bio ersity data sets estimating abundance and density in space and time, develop techniques to derive taxon-specific densities from presence or absence and presence-only data and capitalizing on secondary data collection, moving beyond data on the occurrence of single species and gain further understanding of ecological interactions among species or habitats. The contribution of citizen science to understanding the important bio ersity questions of our time should be more fully realized.
Small burrowing amphipods cause major damage in a large kelp
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 29-04-2020
Abstract: Large herbivores such as sea urchins and fish consume a high proportion of benthic primary production and frequently control the biomass of marine macrophytes. By contrast, small mesograzers, including gastropods and peracarid crustaceans, are abundant on seaweeds but have low per capita feeding rates and their impacts on marine macrophytes are difficult to predict. To quantify how mesograzers can affect macrophytes, we examined feeding damage by the herbivorous hipods Sun hitoe lessoniophila and Bircenna sp., which construct burrows in the stipes of subtidal in iduals of the kelp Lessonia berteroana in northern-central Chile, southeast Pacific. Infested stipes showed a characteristic sequence of progressive tissue degeneration. The composition of the hipod assemblages inside the burrows varied between the different stages of infestation of the burrows. Aggregations of grazers within burrows and microhabitat preference of the hipods result in localized feeding, leading to stipe breakage and loss of substantial algal biomass. The estimated loss of biomass of single stipes varied between 1 and 77%. For the local kelp population, the hipods caused an estimated loss of biomass of 24–44%. Consequently, small herbivores can cause considerable damage to large kelp species if their feeding activity is concentrated on structurally valuable algal tissue.
Citizen science data accurately predicts expert-derived species richness at a continental scale when sampling thresholds are met
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-01-2020
Thirty two years of continuous assessment reveal first year university biology students in Australia are rapidly abandoning beliefs in theistic involvement in human origins
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-08-2018
Ecosystem structure, function, and composition in rangelands are negatively affected by livestock grazing
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-2016
DOI: 10.1890/15-1234
Abstract: Reports of positive or neutral effects of grazing on plant species richness have prompted calls for livestock grazing to be used as a tool for managing land for conservation. Grazing effects, however, are likely to vary among different response variables, types, and intensity of grazing, and across abiotic conditions. We aimed to examine how grazing affects ecosystem structure, function, and composition. We compiled a database of 7615 records reporting an effect of grazing by sheep and cattle on 278 biotic and abiotic response variables for published studies across Australia. Using these data, we derived three ecosystem measures based on structure, function, and composition, which were compared against six contrasts of grazing pressure, ranging from low to heavy, two different herbivores (sheep, cattle), and across three different climatic zones. Grazing reduced structure (by 35%), function (24%), and composition (10%). Structure and function (but not composition) declined more when grazed by sheep and cattle together than sheep alone. Grazing reduced plant biomass (40%), animal richness (15%), and plant and animal abundance, and plant and litter cover (25%), but had no effect on plant richness nor soil function. The negative effects of grazing on plant biomass, plant cover, and soil function were more pronounced in drier environments. Grazing effects on plant and animal richness and composition were constant, or even declined, with increasing aridity. Our study represents a comprehensive continental assessment of the implications of grazing for managing Australian rangelands. Grazing effects were largely negative, even at very low levels of grazing. Overall, our results suggest that livestock grazing in Australia is unlikely to produce positive outcomes for ecosystem structure, function, and composition or even as a blanket conservation tool unless reduction in specific response variables is an explicit management objective.
The Potential for Evolutionary Responses to Cell‐Lineage Selection on Growth Form and Its Plasticity in a Red Seaweed
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 02-2009
DOI: 10.1086/595758
Abstract: Despite much theoretical discussion on the evolutionary significance of intraclonal genetic variation, particularly for modular organisms whose lack of germ-soma segregation allows for variants arising in clonal growth to contribute to evolutionary change, the potential of this variation to fuel adaptation remains surprisingly untested. Given intraclonal variation, mitotic cell lineages, rather than sexual offspring, may frequently act as units of selection. Here, we applied artificial selection to such lineages in the branching red seaweed Asparagopsis armata, targeting aspects of clonal growth form and growth-form plasticity that enhance light acquisition on patchy subtidal reefs and predicting that a genetic basis to intraclonal variation may promote significant responses that cannot accompany phenotypic variation alone. Cell-lineage selection increased variation in branch proliferation among A. armata genets and successfully altered its plasticity to light. Correlated responses in the plasticity of branch elongation, moreover, showed that cell-lineage selection may be transmitted among the plasticities of growth-form traits in A. armata via pleiotropy. By demonstrating significant responses to cell-lineage selection on growth-form plasticity in this seaweed, our study lends support to the notion that intraclonal genetic variation may potentially help clonal organisms to evolve adaptively in the absence of sex and thereby prove surprisingly resilient to environmental change.
Light pollution: A landscape-scale issue requiring cross-realm consideration
Publisher: UCL Press
Date: 08-05-2022
DOI: 10.14324/111.444/000103.V2
Abstract: Terrestrial, marine, and freshwater realms are inherently linked through ecological, biogeochemical and/or physical processes. An understanding of these connections is critical to optimise management strategies and ensure the ongoing resilience of ecosystems. Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a global stressor that can profoundly affect a wide range of organisms and habitats and impact multiple realms. Despite this, current management practices for light pollution rarely consider connectivity between realms. Here we discuss the ways in which ALAN can have cross-realm impacts and provide case studies for each ex le discussed. We identified three main ways in which ALAN can affect two or more realms: 1) impacts on species that have life cycles and/or stages on two or more realms, such as diadromous fish that cross realms during ontogenetic migrations and many terrestrial insects that have juvenile phases of the lifecycle in aquatic realms 2) impacts on species interactions that occur across realm boundaries, and 3) impacts on transition zones or ecosystems such as mangroves and estuaries. We then propose a framework for cross-realm management of light pollution and discuss current challenges and potential solutions to increase the uptake of a cross-realm approach for ALAN management. We argue that the strengthening and formalisation of professional networks that involve academics, lighting practitioners, environmental managers and regulators that work in multiple realms is essential to provide an integrated approach to light pollution. Networks that have a strong multi-realm and multi-disciplinary focus are important as they enable a holistic understanding of issues related to ALAN.
Citizen science reveals meteorological determinants of frog calling at a continental scale
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-10-2022
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.13634
Abstract: Here we investigate the strength of the relationships between meteorological factors and calling behaviour of 100 Australian frog species using continent‐wide citizen science data. First, we use this dataset to quantify the meteorological factors that best predict frog calling. Second, we investigate the strength of interactions among predictor variables. Third, we assess whether frog species cluster into distinct groups based on shared drivers of calling. Australia. To assess the relationship between calling and meteorological traits, we used spatio‐temporal subs ling (daily data fitted to 10 km 2 grid cells) of call and meteorological data as inputs to a boosted regression tree. We scaled the model outputs, which created a descriptive ranking of predictor importance. For strongly day‐driven species, we conducted further analyses to examine the influences of meteorological factors within the breeding season. We found a strong seasonal signal, with day of year the strongest relationship to calling in 67 out of our 100 species, moderate relationships between temperature and calling, and weak relationships between rainfall and calling. Despite the common narratives, we found that frogs did not group into distinct categories based upon the influence of meteorological factors. For strongly day‐driven species, we found similar patterns within the breeding season. We demonstrate the importance of day of year and temperature thresholds in predicting frog calling behaviour in Australia. Understanding how meteorological conditions influence phenological events, such as breeding, will be increasingly important considering the rapid changes in environmental conditions and stability throughout most of the world, and how important breeding is to species survival.
Resilience of the amphipod Hyale niger and its algal host Sargassum linearifolium to heatwave conditions
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-05-2020
Variation in the density and body size of a threatened foundation species across multi‐spatial scales
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-05-2022
DOI: 10.1111/REC.13670
Abstract: Population characteristics (e.g. density and body sizes) of foundation species can affect their own persistence and provisioning of ecosystem functions. Understanding the drivers of population characteristics of foundation species at multiple spatial scales is therefore critical for maximizing ecosystem functions of restored habitats. We analyzed variation in population characteristics (densities, 95th percentile, and median lengths of live oysters) of the Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata , on remnant oyster reefs at regional scales (among three estuaries) along an approximately 250 km of coastline in New South Wales, Australia. We then analyzed how population characteristics were further related to spatial attributes at smaller spatial scales including within‐patches (rugosity, distance to patch‐edge, and elevation), whole‐patches (size and shape), and among‐patch (connectivity) within each estuary. The densities and body sizes of S. glomerata were related to spatial attributes occurring within‐patch (e.g. elevation), whole‐patch (e.g. shape), and landscape (i.e. connectivity) scales, but these relationships varied among estuaries. The greatest variation in oyster density and size occurred at regional scales, suggesting that processes acting at larger spatial scales (e.g. water quality and/or climate) set the context for smaller scale influences on oyster characteristics. Our results highlight the potential importance of incorporating site‐specific, spatial attributes in the design of restored oyster reefs to maximize ecosystem services and functions provided by restoration efforts.
Improving big citizen science data: Moving beyond haphazard sampling
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 27-06-2019
THE EVOLVABILITY OF GROWTH FORM IN A CLONAL SEAWEED
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-2009
DOI: 10.1111/J.1558-5646.2009.00802.X
Abstract: Although modular construction is considered the key to adaptive growth or growth-form plasticity in sessile taxa (e.g., plants, seaweeds and colonial invertebrates), the serial expression of genes in morphogenesis may compromise its evolutionary potential if growth forms emerge as integrated wholes from module iteration. To explore the evolvability of growth form in the red seaweed, Asparagopsis armata, we estimated genetic variances, covariances, and cross-environment correlations for principal components of growth-form variation in contrasting light environments. We compared variance-covariance matrices across environments to test environmental effects on heritable variation and examined the potential for evolutionary change in the direction of plastic responses to light. Our results suggest that growth form in Asparagopsis may constitute only a single genetic entity whose plasticity affords only limited evolutionary potential. We argue that morphological integration arising from modular construction may constrain the evolvability of growth form in Asparagopsis, emphasizing the critical distinction between genetic and morphological modularity in this and other modular taxa.
Naturally-detached fragments of the endangered seagrass Posidonia australis collected by citizen scientists can be used to successfully restore fragmented meadows
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2021
Effects of ocean warming and lowered pH on algal growth and palatability to a grazing gastropod
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-04-2016
Related Organisations
Related Funding Activities
Discovery Projects - Grant ID: DP0208401
Start Date: 02-2002
End Date: 12-2005
Amount: $186,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP0556372
Start Date: 2005
End Date: 07-2008
Amount: $214,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP140100855
Start Date: 10-2014
End Date: 06-2019
Amount: $311,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP220200950
Start Date: 07-2024
End Date: 07-2027
Amount: $288,257.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP150102771
Start Date: 05-2015
End Date: 06-2022
Amount: $725,100.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100134
Start Date: 2011
End Date: 12-2011
Amount: $160,240.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0883055
Start Date: 02-2008
End Date: 10-2008
Amount: $170,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668039
Start Date: 2006
End Date: 12-2006
Amount: $160,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP210200689
Start Date: 10-2022
End Date: 10-2025
Amount: $441,371.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity