Article
Ecology
Maria del Mar Palacios, Mark I. McCormick
Summary: Top-predator cues indirectly influenced the behavior and survival of juvenile fish prey by reducing visits and foraging attacks from mesopredators. The predation risk from top-predators promoted risk-averse behavior in mesopredators, favoring the survival and behavior of juvenile fishes. This study highlights the cascading effects of risk through the food web and the impact of harvesting top-predators on bottom prey populations.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Christine Ferrier-Pages, Miguel C. Leal, Ricardo Calado, Dominik W. Schmid, Frederic Bertucci, David Lecchini, Denis Allemand
Summary: This review discusses the impact of underwater noise on coral reef organisms, with a focus on how different factors influence the sensitivity of organisms to noise. It highlights the need for measures from governments, the shipping industry and individual users to address global noise emission on coral reefs and emphasizes the importance of policies and research in managing this issue.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Biology
James P. W. Robinson, Emily S. Darling, Eva Maire, Mark Hamilton, Christina C. Hicks, Stacy D. Jupiter, M. Aaron MacNeil, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Tim Mcclanahan, Yashika Nand, Nicholas A. J. Graham
Summary: Coral reef fisheries provide nutritious catch to tropical communities, but current management strategies focus on total reef fish biomass rather than individual growth and nutrient content, limiting the sustainability of nutritious catches.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Dallas B. Ruble, Stijn Verschueren, Bogdan Cristescu, Laurie L. Marker
Summary: In this study, we investigated the behavioral responses of five African ungulates to the reintroduction of cheetahs. The results showed that medium-sized species visited waterholes less frequently in the presence of cheetahs, while large-sized species visited more often. In addition, ungulates spent more time at waterholes when cheetahs were present, possibly indicating increased vigilance. No significant differences were found in the circadian or seasonal activity of waterhole visits. This research highlights the importance of studying the long-term behavioral consequences of trophic rewilding to ensure the success of recovery programs.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Suman Nama, Ashna Shanmughan, Binaya Bhusan Nayak, Shashi Bhushan, Karankumar Ramteke
Summary: Coral reefs, as the most spectacular underwater creation, play crucial roles in ecosystem functioning and coastal community livelihood. However, marine debris poses a severe threat to these sensitive habitats and their associated organisms. Despite scientific attention, data regarding the sources, abundance, distribution, and potential consequences of marine debris on reef ecosystems are lacking. This review aims to provide an overview of the current status and impacts of marine debris, with emphasis on sources, distribution, affected species, and management strategies, as well as highlighting the adhesion mechanisms and diseases caused by microplastics to coral polyps.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Amaia Astarloa, Richard Glennie, Guillem Chust, Isabel Garcia-Baron, Guillermo Boyra, Udane Martinez, Anna Rubio, Maite Louzao
Summary: This study explores the segregation mechanisms behind the co-occurrence of five phylogenetically related pelagic birds in the Bay of Biscay. By analyzing vertical ranges and prey availability features, the research reveals that niche differentiation is primarily driven by environmental and trophic niche partitioning, as well as potential vertical segregation.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Review
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Julianna J. Renzi, Elizabeth C. Shaver, Deron E. Burkepile, Brian R. Silliman
Summary: Research has shown positive correlations between corallivores abundance and disease prevalence in certain contexts, with putative pathogens found in corallivore guts and their ability to vector pathogens demonstrated. The impact of corallivores on disease varies by taxon, with most invertebrates increasing disease while xanthid crabs decrease disease progression. The ecological ramifications of corallivores infesting disease margins or targeting diseased tissues remain unknown.
Article
Limnology
Ines D. Lange, Chris T. Perry, Marleen Stuhr
Summary: This study investigates the changes in coral community and reef carbonate budget after a bleaching event in the Chagos Archipelago. The results show that bleaching leads to coral mortality and a shift from positive to negative net carbonate budgets. However, over time, the reefs begin to recover, but the recovery speed and net carbonate budgets differ between atolls.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Joseph J. Bizzarro, John C. Field, Jarrod A. Santora, K. Alexandra Curtis, Brian K. Wells
Summary: This study defines trophic guilds within biogeographic regions of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) and compares the results among these regions. The researchers found that each region had distinctive trophic guild structures, driven by species composition and ecological characteristics. They also emphasize the importance of considering spatial and temporal scales of coherence in predator and prey dynamics for ecosystem modeling and management strategies.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wentao Zhu, Yuxiao Ren, Xiangbo Liu, Duanjie Huang, Jingquan Xia, Ming Zhu, Hongyang Yin, Rouwen Chen, Xiubao Li
Summary: This study examines the impact of the Qiongdong upwelling on the coastal coral reefs of Hainan Island. The results show significant differences in environmental variables between upwelling and non-upwelling areas, with colder and saltier water and lower coral coverage in the upwelling areas. The upwelling areas also face severe threats from coastal development and local anthropogenic activities.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Bruce A. Hungate, Jane C. Marks, Mary E. Power, Egbert Schwartz, Kees Jan van Groenigen, Steven J. Blazewicz, Peter Chuckran, Paul Dijkstra, Brianna K. Finley, Mary K. Firestone, Megan Foley, Alex Greenlon, Michaela Hayer, Kirsten S. Hofmockel, Benjamin J. Koch, Michelle C. Mack, Rebecca L. Mau, Samantha N. Miller, Ember M. Morrissey, Jeffrey R. Propster, Alicia M. Purcell, Ella Sieradzki, Evan P. Starr, Bram W. G. Stone, Cesar Terrer, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Katherine P. Lemon
Summary: This study found that predatory bacteria have higher growth and carbon assimilation rates compared to nonpredatory bacteria, with obligate predators showing the highest rates. This suggests that predator control of lower trophic levels increases with higher productivity, highlighting the importance of predatory bacteria in influencing element flow through microbial food webs.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Peter Schausberger, Demet Cekin, Alena Litin
Summary: Learning is a common phenomenon in animals, with early experiences leading to long-lasting behavioral changes. While the proximate and ultimate factors of individual learning are well understood, the consequences of learning on higher organizational levels, populations, communities, and trophic cascades remain largely unexplored.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Hafiz Sohaib Ahmed Saqib, Linyang Sun, Gabor Pozsgai, Pingping Liang, Minsheng You, Geoff M. Gurr, Shijun You
Summary: This study highlights how environmental gradients interact to shape predation by Lycosidae in vegetable growing systems, with factors such as crop identity, pesticide use, and seasons influencing prey abundance in spider guts. It also shows that the taxonomic richness of prey is influenced by local- and landscape-scale factors, and that crop-abundant spiders adjust their diet to reflect environmental constraints and seasonal prey availability. Plasticity in diet composition is suggested to contribute to the persistence of spiders in ephemeral brassica crops, providing insights for habitat management in predator-based biological control practices.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Karina Massei, Maria Cecilia Silva Souza, Richarde Marques da Silva, Dimitri de Araujo Costa, Pedro Costa Guedes Vianna, Maria Cristina Crispim, George Emmanuel Cavalcanti de Miranda, Linda Eggertsen, Christinne Costa Eloy, Celso Augusto Guimaraes Santos
Summary: This study conducted a comprehensive analysis of the Seixas coral reef in northeastern Brazil and found that the impacts of tourism have exacerbated negative effects on the reef's marine ecosystem. The findings emphasize the importance of strategic planning and resource management to protect the biodiversity and ecological integrity of coral reefs.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Andres Ordiz, Malin Aronsson, Jens Persson, Ole-Gunnar Stoen, Jon E. Swenson, Jonas Kindberg
Summary: Human disturbance affects terrestrial apex predators in various ways, including reducing population numbers and triggering behavioral responses that can impact lower trophic levels. However, in some cases, apex predator populations are partially recovering, posing both conservation benefits and management challenges.