ORCID Profile
0000-0002-6690-8033
Current Organisation
Southern Cross University - National Marine Science Centre
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.
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 | Evolutionary Impacts of Climate Change | Invertebrate Biology | Geochemistry | Ecological Applications | Oceanography | Evolutionary Biology | Inorganic Geochemistry | Biological Oceanography | Chemical Oceanography | Organic Geochemistry | Global Change Biology | Isotope Geochemistry | Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) | Other Biological Sciences | Fisheries Management | Biological Adaptation
Ecosystem Adaptation to Climate Change | Marine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity | Climate Change Adaptation Measures | Coastal and Estuarine Water Management | Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Coastal and Estuarine Environments | Effects of Climate Change and Variability on Australia (excl. Social Impacts) | Coastal and Estuarine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity | Climate Variability (excl. Social Impacts) | Rights to Environmental and Natural Resources (excl. Water Allocation) |
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARENVRES.2015.11.001
Abstract: Decreasing oceanic pH (ocean acidification) has emphasised the influence of carbonate chemistry on growth of calcifying marine organisms. However, calcifiers can also change carbonate chemistry of surrounding seawater through respiration and calcification, a potential limitation for aquaculture. This study examined how seawater exchange rate and stocking density of the sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla that were reproductively mature affected carbonate system parameters of their culture water, which in turn influenced growth, gonad production and gonad condition. Growth, relative spine length, gonad production and consumption rates were reduced by up to 67% by increased density (9-43 in iduals.m(-2)) and reduced exchange rates (3.0-0.3 exchanges.hr(-1)), but survival and food conversion efficiency were unaffected. Analysis of the influence of seawater parameters indicated that reduced pH and calcite saturation state (ΩCa) were the primary factors limiting gonad production and growth. Uptake of bicarbonate and release of respiratory CO2 by T. gratilla changed the carbonate chemistry of surrounding water. Importantly total alkalinity (AT) was reduced, likely due to calcification by the urchins. Low AT limits the capacity of culture water to buffer against acidification. Direct management to counter biogenic acidification will be required to maintain productivity and reproductive output of marine calcifiers, especially as the ocean carbonate system is altered by climate driven ocean acidification.
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 12-2021
DOI: 10.1086/716777
Abstract: AbstractCrown-of-thorns sea stars are one of the most ecologically important tropical marine invertebrates, with boom-bust population dynamics that influence the community structure of coral reefs. Although predation is likely to influence the development of population outbreaks, little is known about the defensive behavior of crown-of-thorns sea stars. Righting behavior after being overturned, a key defensive response in echinoderms, was investigated for the newly settled herbivorous juvenile, the corallivorous juvenile, and adult stages of crown-of-thorns sea stars. The average righting time of the newly settled juveniles (0.3-1.0-mm diameter) was 2.74 minutes. For the coral-eating juveniles (15-55-mm diameter), the righting time (mean = 6.24 min) was faster in larger juveniles, and the mean righting time of the adults was 6.28 minutes. During righting and in response to being lifted off of the substrate, the juveniles and adults exhibited an arm curling response, during which their arms closed over their oral side, often forming a spine ball, a feature not known for other asteroids. The righting and curling responses of the corallivorous juveniles were influenced by the presence of a natural enemy, a coral guard crab, which caused the juveniles to spend more time with their arms curled. These behaviors indicate that crown-of-thorns sea stars use their spines to protect the soft tissue of their oral side. The highly defended morphology and behavioral adaptations of crown-of-thorns sea stars are likely to have evolved as antipredator mechanisms. This points to the potential importance of predators in regulating their populations, which may have decreased in recent times due to fishing, a factor that may contribute to outbreaks.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2016.12.079
Abstract: Crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci (COTS), predation is a major cause of coral reef decline, but the factors behind their population outbreaks remain unclear. Increased phytoplankton food resulting from eutrophication is suggested to enhance larval survival. We addressed the hypothesis that larval success is associated with particular chl-a levels in tightly controlled larval:algal conditions. We used chl-a conditions found on coral reefs (0.1-5.0μgchl-aL
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 12-2021
DOI: 10.1086/717026
Abstract: AbstractCrown-of-thorns sea stars (
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-02-2014
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.12530
Abstract: Outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS), Acanthaster planci, contribute to major declines of coral reef ecosystems throughout the Indo-Pacific. As the oceans warm and decrease in pH due to increased anthropogenic CO2 production, coral reefs are also susceptible to bleaching, disease and reduced calcification. The impacts of ocean acidification and warming may be exacerbated by COTS predation, but it is not known how this major predator will fare in a changing ocean. Because larval success is a key driver of population outbreaks, we investigated the sensitivities of larval A. planci to increased temperature (2-4 °C above ambient) and acidification (0.3-0.5 pH units below ambient) in flow-through cross-factorial experiments (3 temperature × 3 pH CO2 levels). There was no effect of increased temperature or acidification on fertilization or very early development. Larvae reared in the optimal temperature (28 °C) were the largest across all pH treatments. Development to advanced larva was negatively affected by the high temperature treatment (30 °C) and by both experimental pH levels (pH 7.6, 7.8). Thus, planktonic life stages of A. planci may be negatively impacted by near-future global change. Increased temperature and reduced pH had an additive negative effect on reducing larval size. The 30 °C treatment exceeded larval tolerance regardless of pH. As 30 °C sea surface temperatures may become the norm in low latitude tropical regions, poleward migration of A. planci may be expected as they follow optimal isotherms. In the absence of acclimation or adaptation, declines in low latitude populations may occur. Poleward migration will be facilitated by strong western boundary currents, with possible negative flow-on effects on high latitude coral reefs. The contrasting responses of the larvae of A. planci and those of its coral prey to ocean acidification and warming are considered in context with potential future change in tropical reef ecosystems.
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 09-11-2016
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS11914
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-01-2012
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-10-2014
DOI: 10.1111/EVA.12218
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 08-09-2016
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS11841
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-09-2008
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 05-12-2019
DOI: 10.3354/AEI00338
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVPOL.2017.05.033
Abstract: There is growing concern about the combined effects of multiple human-induced stressors on bio ersity. In particular, there are substantial knowledge gaps about the combined effects of existing stressors (e.g. pollution) and predicted environmental stress from climate change (e.g. ocean warming). We investigated the impacts of ocean warming and engineered nanoparticles (nano-zinc oxide, nZnO) on larvae of a cosmopolitan tropical sea urchin, Tripneustes gratilla. Larval T. gratilla were exposed to all combinations of three temperatures, 25, 27 and 29 °C (current SST and near-future predicted warming of +2 and + 4 °C) and six concentrations of nZnO (0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1 and 10 mg nZnO·L
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 11-04-2018
Abstract: Understanding how growth trajectories of calcifying invertebrates are affected by changing climate requires acclimation experiments that follow development across life-history transitions. In a long-term acclimation study, the effects of increased acidification and temperature on survival and growth of the tropical sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla from the early juvenile (5 mm test diameter—TD) through the developmental transition to the mature adult (60 mm TD) were investigated. Juveniles were reared in a combination of three temperature and three pH/ p CO 2 treatments, including treatments commensurate with global change projections. Elevated temperature and p CO 2 H both affected growth, but there was no interaction between these factors. The urchins grew more slowly at pH 7.6, but not at pH 7.8. Slow growth may be influenced by the inability to compensate coelomic fluid acid–base balance at pH 7.6. Growth was faster at +3 and +6°C compared to that in ambient temperature. Acidification and warming had strong and interactive effects on reproductive potential. Warming increased the gonad index, but acidification decreased it. At pH 7.6 there were virtually no gonads in any urchins regardless of temperature. The T. gratilla were larger at maturity under combined near-future warming and acidification scenarios (+3°C H 7.8). Although the juveniles grew and survived in near-future warming and acidification conditions, chronic exposure to these stressors from an early stage altered allocation to somatic and gonad growth. In the absence of phenotypic adjustment, the interactive effects of warming and acidification on the benthic life phases of sea urchins may compromise reproductive fitness and population maintenance as global climatic change unfolds.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2017.02.109
Abstract: Trophic subsidies can drive widespread ecological change, thus knowledge of how keystone species respond to subsidies is important. Aquaculture of large carnivorous fish generates substantial waste as faeces and lost feed, providing a food source to mobile benthic invertebrates. We used a controlled feeding study combined with a field survey to better understand the interaction between salmon aquaculture and the sea urchin, Echinus acutus, a dominant mobile invertebrate in Norwegian fjords. We tested if diets affected urchin fatty acid composition by feeding them one of three diet treatments ("aquafeed", "composite" and "natural") for 10weeks. To test if proximity to fish farms altered E. acutus fatty acid composition, populations were s led at 10 locations in Hardangerfjord and Masfjord (Western Norway) from directly adjacent and up to 12km from farms. Fatty acids were measured in gonads and eggs in the diet experiment and in gonads and gut contents from wild animals. Urchins directly assimilated aquaculture waste at farm sites, as evidenced by elevated linoleic acid (LA), oleic acid (OA) and ∑LA, OA in their tissues. The diet experiment highlighted the biosynthetic and selective dietary sparing capacity of E. acutus in both gonads and eggs, with evidence for the elongation and desaturation of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) from C
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-10-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2013
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 03-08-2006
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS318153
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-07-2016
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-06-2023
DOI: 10.1038/S42003-023-05028-1
Abstract: Phytoplankton abundance is decreasing and becoming more variable as the ocean climate changes. We examine how low, high, and variable phytoplankton food supply affected the survival, development, and growth of larval crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster sp. exposed to combined warming (26, 30 °C) and acidification (pH 8.0, 7.6). Larvae fed a low food ration are smaller, and develop slower and with more abnormalities than larvae fed a high ration. Larvae fed a variable food supply (low, followed by high ration) overcome the negative effects of low food on development rate and occurrence of abnormalities, but are 16–17% smaller than larvae fed the high ration continuously. Acidification (pH 7.6) slows growth and development and increases abnormalities regardless of the food regime. Warming slows growth and development, but these effects are mitigated by high food availability. As tropical oceans warm, the success of crown-of-thorns starfish larvae may depend on the abundance of their phytoplankton prey.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 20-07-2020
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-01-2020
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 13-01-2014
DOI: 10.1021/ES404295E
Abstract: There is increasing concern about the impacts of microplastics (<1 mm) on marine biota. Microplastics may be mistaken for food items and ingested by a wide variety of organisms. While the effects of ingesting microplastic have been explored for some adult organisms, there is poor understanding of the effects of microplastic ingestion on marine larvae. Here, we investigated the ingestion of polyethylene microspheres by larvae of the sea urchin, Tripneustes gratilla. Ingestion rates scaled with the concentration of microspheres. Ingestion rates were, however, reduced by biological fouling of microplastic and in the presence of phytoplankton food. T. gratilla larvae were able to egest microspheres from their stomach within hours of ingestion. A microsphere concentration far exceeding those recorded in the marine environment had a small nondose dependent effect on larval growth, but there was no significant effect on survival. In contrast, environmentally realistic concentrations appeared to have little effect. Overall, these results suggest that current levels of microplastic pollution in the oceans only pose a limited threat to T. gratilla and other marine invertebrate larvae, but further research is required on a broad range of species, trophic levels, and polymer types.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-02-2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-07-2013
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.12249
Abstract: Co-occurring ocean warming, acidification and reduced carbonate mineral saturation have significant impacts on marine biota, especially calcifying organisms. The effects of these stressors on development and calcification in newly metamorphosed juveniles (ca. 0.5 mm test diameter) of the intertidal sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma, an ecologically important species in temperate Australia, were investigated in context with present and projected future conditions. Habitat temperature and pH CO2 were documented to place experiments in a biologically and ecologically relevant context. These parameters fluctuated diurnally up to 10 °C and 0.45 pH units. The juveniles were exposed to three temperature (21, 23 and 25 °C) and four pH (8.1, 7.8, 7.6 and 7.4) treatments in all combinations, representing ambient sea surface conditions (21 °C, pH 8.1 pCO2 397 ΩCa 4.7 ΩAr 3.1), near-future projected change (+2-4 °C, -0.3-0.5 pH units pCO2 400-1820 ΩCa 5.0-1.6 ΩAr 3.3-1.1), and extreme conditions experienced at low tide (+4 °C, -0.3-0.7 pH units pCO2 2850-2967 ΩCa 1.1-1.0 ΩAr 0.7-0.6). The lowest pH treatment (pH 7.4) was used to assess tolerance levels. Juvenile survival and test growth were resilient to current and near-future warming and acidification. Spine development, however, was negatively affected by near-future increased temperature (+2-4 °C) and extreme acidification (pH 7.4), with a complex interaction between stressors. Near-future warming was the more significant stressor. Spine tips were dissolved in the pH 7.4 treatments. Adaptation to fluctuating temperature-pH conditions in the intertidal may convey resilience to juvenile H. erythrogramma to changing ocean conditions, however, ocean warming and acidification may shift baseline intertidal temperature and pH CO2 to levels that exceed tolerance limits.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 25-02-2009
Abstract: Global warming is causing ocean warming and acidification. The distribution of Heliocidaris erythrogramma coincides with the eastern Australia climate change hot spot, where disproportionate warming makes marine biota particularly vulnerable to climate change. In keeping with near-future climate change scenarios, we determined the interactive effects of warming and acidification on fertilization and development of this echinoid. Experimental treatments (20–26°C, pH 7.6–8.2) were tested in all combinations for the ‘business-as-usual’ scenario, with 20°C H 8.2 being ambient. Percentage of fertilization was high ( %) across all treatments. There was no difference in percentage of normal development in any pH treatment. In elevated temperature conditions, +4°C reduced cleavage by 40 per cent and +6°C by a further 20 per cent. Normal gastrulation fell below 4 per cent at +6°C. At 26°C, development was impaired. As the first study of interactive effects of temperature and pH on sea urchin development, we confirm the thermotolerance and pH resilience of fertilization and embryogenesis within predicted climate change scenarios, with negative effects at upper limits of ocean warming. Our findings place single stressor studies in context and emphasize the need for experiments that address ocean warming and acidification concurrently. Although ocean acidification research has focused on impaired calcification, embryos may not reach the skeletogenic stage in a warm ocean.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-08-2017
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.13414
Abstract: The combination of ocean warming and acidification brings an uncertain future to kelp forests that occupy the warmest parts of their range. These forests are not only subject to the direct negative effects of ocean climate change, but also to a combination of unknown indirect effects associated with changing ecological landscapes. Here, we used mesocosm experiments to test the direct effects of ocean warming and acidification on kelp biomass and photosynthetic health, as well as climate-driven disparities in indirect effects involving key consumers (urchins and rock lobsters) and competitors (algal turf). Elevated water temperature directly reduced kelp biomass, while their turf-forming competitors expanded in response to ocean acidification and declining kelp canopy. Elevated temperatures also increased growth of urchins and, concurrently, the rate at which they thinned kelp canopy. Rock lobsters, which are renowned for keeping urchin populations in check, indirectly intensified negative pressures on kelp by reducing their consumption of urchins in response to elevated temperature. Overall, these results suggest that kelp forests situated towards the low-latitude margins of their distribution will need to adapt to ocean warming in order to persist in the future. What is less certain is how such adaptation in kelps can occur in the face of intensifying consumptive (via ocean warming) and competitive (via ocean acidification) pressures that affect key ecological interactions associated with their persistence. If such indirect effects counter adaptation to changing climate, they may erode the stability of kelp forests and increase the probability of regime shifts from complex habitat-forming species to more simple habitats dominated by algal turfs.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 10-01-2017
DOI: 10.3390/D9010002
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-04-2015
DOI: 10.1038/SREP09665
Abstract: Seaweed cultivation is a high growth industry that is primarily targeted at human food and hydrocolloid markets. However, seaweed biomass also offers a feedstock for the production of nutrient-rich biochar for soil amelioration. We provide the first data of biochar yield and characteristics from intensively cultivated seaweeds ( Saccharina , Undaria and Sargassum – brown seaweeds and Gracilaria, Kappaphycus and Eucheuma – red seaweeds). While there is some variability in biochar properties as a function of the origin of seaweed, there are several defining and consistent characteristics of seaweed biochar, in particular a relatively low C content and surface area but high yield, essential trace elements (N, P and K) and exchangeable cations (particularly K). The pH of seaweed biochar ranges from neutral (7) to alkaline (11), allowing for broad-spectrum applications in erse soil types. We find that seaweed biochar is a unique material for soil amelioration that is consistently different to biochar derived from ligno-cellulosic feedstock. Blending of seaweed and ligno-cellulosic biochar could provide a soil ameliorant that combines a high fixed C content with a mineral-rich substrate to enhance crop productivity.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 07-06-2017
Abstract: The indirect effects of changing climate in modulating trophic interactions can be as important as the direct effects of climate stressors on consumers. The success of the herbivorous juvenile stage of the crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS), Acanthaster planci, may be affected by the impacts of ocean conditions on its crustose coralline algal (CCA) food. To partition the direct effects of near future ocean acidification on juvenile COTS and indirect effects through changes in their CCA food, COTS were grown in three pH T levels (7.9, 7.8, 7.6) and fed CCA grown at similar pH levels. Consumption of CCA by COTS was bolstered when the COTS were grown in low pH and when they were fed CCA grown in low pH regardless of the pH in which the COTS were reared. COTS fed CCA grown at pH 7.6 grew fastest, but the pH/ p CO 2 that the COTS were reared in had no direct effect on growth. Ocean acidification conditions decreased the C : N ratio and carbonate levels in the CCA. Bolstered growth in COTS may be driven by enhanced palatability, increased nutritive state and reduced defences of their CCA food. These results indicate that near future acidification will increase the success of early juvenile COTS and boost recruitment into the coral-eating life stage.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-07-2012
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2008
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.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-05-2010
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 19-03-2015
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-1995
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-05-2020
DOI: 10.1111/JFB.14345
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2007
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 06-02-2013
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 16-12-2013
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 26-06-2018
DOI: 10.3354/AEI00270
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2020
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 14-05-2018
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS12552
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 08-2018
DOI: 10.3354/AEI00274
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-05-2021
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-021-89110-W
Abstract: We compared the effects of preservation and storage methods on total alkalinity (A T ) of seawater, estuarine water, freshwater, and groundwater s les stored for 0 – 6 months. Water s les, untreated or treated with HgCl 2 , 0.45 µm filtration, or filtration plus HgCl 2 , were stored in polypropylene or borosilicate glass vials for 0, 1, or 6 months. Mean A T of s les treated with HgCl 2 was reduced by as much as 49.1 µmol kg −1 (1.3%). Borosilicate glass elevated A T , possibly due to dissolving silicates. There was little change in A T of control and filtered s les stored in polypropylene, except for untreated groundwater (~ 4.1% reduction at 6 months). HgCl 2 concentrations of 0.02–0.05% reduced the A T of fresh, estuarine, and ground water s les by as much as 35.5 µmol kg −1 after 1 month, but had little effect on the A T of seawater. Adding glucose as a carbon source for microbial growth resulted in no A T changes in 0.45 µm-filtered s les. We suggest water s les intended for A T analyses can be filtered to 0.45 µm, and stored in polypropylene vials at 4 °C for at least 6 months. Borosilicate glassware and HgCl 2 can be avoided to prevent analytical uncertainties and reduce risks related to use of Hg 2+ .
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-08-2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARENVRES.2016.09.008
Abstract: Aquaculture of higher trophic level species is increasingly dependent on the use of terrestrial oil products. The input of terrestrially derived n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) into marine environments has subsequently increased, with unknown consequences for recipient species. We exposed a sea urchin, Heliocidaris erythrogramma to three experimental diets for 78 days: a high n-3 PUFA marine imitation treatment, a high n-6 PUFA "future aquafeed" treatment and an intermediate "current aquafeed" treatment. Female urchins fed the high n-6 PUFA diet produced larvae with lower survival rates than all other treatments. Males fed the high n-6 PUFA diet produced no viable sperm. Fatty acid composition in reproductive material revealed comprehensive biosynthetic and dietary sparing capabilities in H. erythrogramma. Despite this, the ratio of n-6 PUFA to n-3 PUFA in reproductive tissue increased significantly with diet. We suggest alterations to this ratio is the likely mechanism of negative impact on larval development.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-05-1999
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-05-2015
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 12-2006
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-07-2015
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 05-12-2011
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 05-10-2013
Abstract: The stunting effect of ocean acidification on development of calcifying invertebrate larvae has emerged as a significant effect of global change. We assessed the arm growth response of sea urchin echinoplutei, here used as a proxy of larval calcification, to increased seawater acidity/ p CO 2 and decreased carbonate mineral saturation in a global synthesis of data from 15 species. Phylogenetic relatedness did not influence the observed patterns. Regardless of habitat or latitude, ocean acidification impedes larval growth with a negative relationship between arm length and increased acidity/ p CO 2 and decreased carbonate mineral saturation. In multiple linear regression models incorporating these highly correlated parameters, p CO 2 exerted the greatest influence on decreased arm growth in the global dataset and also in the data subsets for polar and subtidal species. Thus, reduced growth appears largely driven by organism hypercapnia. For tropical species, decreased carbonate mineral saturation was most important. No single parameter played a dominant role in arm size reduction in the temperate species. For intertidal species, the models were equivocal. Levels of acidification causing a significant (approx. 10–20+%) reduction in arm growth varied between species. In 13 species, reduction in length of arms and supporting skeletal rods was evident in larvae reared in near-future ( p CO 2 800+ µatm) conditions, whereas greater acidification ( p CO 2 1000+ µatm) reduced growth in all species. Although multi-stressor studies are few, when temperature is added to the stressor mix, near-future warming can reduce the negative effect of acidification on larval growth. Broadly speaking, responses of larvae from across world regions showed similar trends despite disparate phylogeny, environments and ecology. Larval success may be the bottleneck for species success with flow-on effects for sea urchin populations and marine ecosystems.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2021
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-09-2019
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 04-2020
Abstract: Crown-of-thorns seastar (COTS) outbreaks are a major threat to coral reefs. Although the herbivorous juveniles and their switch to corallivory are key to seeding outbreaks, they remain a black box in our understanding of COTS. We investigated the impact of a delay in diet transition due to coral scarcity in cohorts reared on crustose coralline algae for 10 months and 6.5 years before being offered coral. Both cohorts achieved an asymptotic size (16–18 mm diameter) on algae and had similar exponential growth on coral. After 6.5 years of herbivory, COTS were competent coral predators. This trophic and growth plasticity results in a marked age–size disconnect adding unappreciated complexity to COTS boom–bust dynamics. The potential that herbivorous juveniles accumulate in the reef infrastructure to seed outbreaks when favourable conditions arise has implications for management of COTS populations.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-02-2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-09-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2018.07.379
Abstract: Global climate change is driving sea level rise and increasingly frequent storm events, which are negatively impacting rapidly-growing coastal communities. To mitigate these impacts, coastal infrastructure must be further protected by upgrading hard defences. We propose that incorporating pH-buffering materials into these upgrades could safeguard marine organisms from the adverse effects of ocean acidification and ocean warming during the vulnerable transition from planktonic larvae to benthic juveniles. To test this, we examined the effects of ocean warming (24 or 27 °C), ocean acidification (pH 8.1, 7.9, 7.7), and substratum (concrete, greywacke, granite) in all combinations on the settlement success of an ecologically and commercially important sea urchin, Tripneustes gratilla. Low pH (7.9, 7.7) generally reduced the quantity and size of juveniles four weeks post-settlement, although this was partially ameliorated by increased temperature (24 vs. 27 °C). In the warmed and acidified treatments, settlement rates were lower on concrete than granite or greywacke, but two weeks post-settlement, juveniles on concrete were larger, and had longer spines and higher survival rates than on greywacke or granite, respectively. The benefits provided by concrete to newly-settled juveniles may be related to alkali chemicals leaching from concrete buffering low pH conditions in surrounding seawater and/or increased availability of bicarbonate in the boundary layers around its surface. Our results highlight the potential for pH-buffering materials to assist marine organisms in coping with the effects of changing ocean conditions, but further research is required to understand the generality and mechanism(s) driving the beneficial effects of concrete and to test pH-buffering materials in the field.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-02-2011
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.JEP.2012.05.046
Abstract: For nearly 2000 years Sargassum spp., a brown seaweed, has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to treat a variety of diseases including thyroid disease (e.g. goitre). To assess the scientific evidence for therapeutic claims made for Sargassum spp. in TCM and to identify future research needs. A systematic search for the use of Sargassum in classical TCM books was conducted and linked to a search for modern phytochemical and pharmacological data on Sargassum spp. retrieved from PubMed, Web of Knowledge, SciFinder Scholar and CNKI (in Chinese). The therapeutic effects of Sargassum spp. are scientifically plausible and may be explained partially by key in vivo and in vitro pharmacological activities of Sargassum, such as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral activities. Although the mechanism of actions is still not clear, the pharmacological activities could be mainly attributed to the major biologically active metabolites, meroterpenoids, phlorotanins and fucoidans. The contribution of iodine in Sargassum for treating thyroid related diseases seem to have been over estimated. The bioactive compounds in Sargassum spp. appear to play a role as immunomodulators and could be useful in the treatment of thyroid related diseases such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Further research is required to determine both the preventative and therapeutic role of Sargassum spp. in thyroid health.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 07-01-2014
DOI: 10.1371/ANNOTATION/B03DC5D7-0CFD-4182-B39D-FB9299275D5C
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-06-2020
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.13073
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-02-2006
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARENVRES.2009.10.014
Abstract: Marine invertebrate gametes are being spawned into an ocean simultaneously warming, acidifying and increasing in pCO(2). Decreased pH/increased pCO(2) narcotizes sperm indicating that acidification may impair fertilization, exacerbating problems of sperm limitation, with dire implications for marine life. In contrast, increased temperature may have a stimulatory effect, enhancing fertilization. We investigated effects of ocean change on sea urchin fertilization across a range of sperm densities. We address two predictions: (1) low pH/increased pCO(2) reduces fertilization at low sperm density and (2) increased temperature enhances fertilization, buffering negative effects of acidification and increased pCO(2). Neither prediction was supported. Fertilization was only affected by sperm density. Increased acidification and pCO(2) did not reduce fertilization even at low sperm density and increased temperature did not enhance fertilization. It is important to identify where vulnerabilities lie across life histories and our results indicate that sea urchin fertilization is robust to climate change stressors. However, developmental stages may be vulnerable to ocean change.
Publisher: Oxford University PressOxford
Date: 10-09-2008
DOI: 10.1093/OSO/9780198786962.003.0017
Abstract: Ocean warming and acidification are major climate change stressors for marine invertebrate larvae, and their impacts differ between habitats and regions. In many regions species with pelagic propagules are on the move, exhibiting poleward trends as temperatures rise and ocean currents change. Larval sensitivity to warming varies among species, influencing their invasive potential. Broadly distributed species with wide developmental thermotolerances appear best able to avail of the new opportunities provided by warming. Ocean acidification is a multi-stressor in itself and the impacts of its covarying stressors differ among taxa. Increased pCO2 is the key stressor impairing calcification in echinoid larvae while decreased mineral saturation is more important for calcification in bivalve larvae. Non-feeding, non-calcifying larvae appear more resilient to warming and acidification. Some species may be able to persist through acclimatization/adaptation to produce resilient offspring. Understanding the capacity for adaptation/acclimatization across generations is important to predicting the future species composition of marine communities.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2013
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 09-12-2016
DOI: 10.3390/D8040027
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 13-09-2012
Abstract: Doo, S. S., Dworjanyn, S. A., Foo, S. A., Soars, N. A., and Byrne, M. 2012. Impacts of ocean acidification on development of the meroplanktonic larval stage of the sea urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 69: 460–464. The effects of near-future ocean acidification/hypercapnia on larval development were investigated in the sea urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii, a habitat-modifying species from eastern Australia. Decreased pH (−0.3 to −0.5 pH units) or increased pCO2 significantly reduced the percentage of normal larvae. Larval growth was negatively impacted with smaller larvae in the pH 7.6/1800 ppm treatments. The impact of acidification on development was similar on days 3 and 5, indicating deleterious effects early in development. On day 3, increased abnormalities in the pH 7.6/1600 ppm treatment were seen in aberrant prism stage larvae and arrested/dead embryos. By day 5, echinoplutei in this treatment had smaller arm rods. Observations of smaller larvae in C. rodgersii have significant implications for this species because larval success may be a potential bottleneck for persistence in a changing ocean.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-05-2018
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 03-08-2012
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 12-11-2015
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS11495
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-04-2016
Location: Australia
Start Date: 2017
End Date: 12-2017
Amount: $552,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 02-2011
End Date: 08-2014
Amount: $378,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 01-2012
End Date: 06-2014
Amount: $250,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 04-2020
End Date: 10-2023
Amount: $577,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 05-2015
End Date: 06-2022
Amount: $725,100.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity