Article
Microbiology
Citlalli A. Aquino, Ryan M. Besemer, Christopher M. DeRito, Jan Kocian, Ian R. Porter, Peter T. Raimondi, Jordan E. Rede, Lauren M. Schiebelhut, Jed P. Sparks, John P. Wares, Ian Hewson
Summary: The sea star wasting (SSW) disease is thought to be caused by microbial organic matter remineralization near respiratory surfaces, potentially leading to limited O2 availability. Species with higher surface rugosity are more susceptible to SSW, and even modest decreases in oxygen levels can worsen the condition. The disease may be more severe under higher temperatures and in larger specimens due to lower oxygen solubility and restricted respiratory potential.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Elena Moya-Urbano, Javier Urra, Serge Gofas, Marina Gallardo-Nunez, Angel Mateo-Ramirez, Carlos Farias, Xisco Ordinas, J. Antonio Caballero-Herrera, Patricia Barcenas, Cristina Garcia-Ruiz, Jose Luis Rueda
Summary: The composition and structure of molluscan assemblages in the northern Alboran Sea were studied. The results showed the presence of seven different assemblages related to depth and sediment type. The diverse sediment types, oceanographic conditions, and wide depth range in the region contribute to the high molluscan biodiversity observed.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Samuel Smith, Ian Hewson, Patrick Collins
Summary: Sea star wasting disease (SSWD) refers to a set of pathological signs observed in Asteroidea species, and the exact cause is still unknown. The presence of SSWD in a keystone predator could have significant ecological and management implications.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pamela E. Michael, Kathy M. Hixson, Jeffery S. Gleason, J. Christopher Haney, Yvan G. Satge, Patrick G. R. Jodice
Summary: The Gulf of Mexico is home to various seabird species, but there are data gaps regarding species composition and habitat use. Through vessel-based observations, researchers identified four distinct seabird assemblages in the northern Gulf of Mexico. These assemblages were characterized based on seabird relative density and showed associations with migratory patterns, residency, and breeding locations. Understanding these patterns can inform future monitoring, research, and development in this industrialized sea.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Benjamin Weitzman, Brenda Konar, Katrin Iken, Heather Coletti, Daniel Monson, Robert Suryan, Thomas Dean, Dominic Hondolero, Mandy Lindeberg
Summary: Research showed that the Pacific Marine Heatwave had impacts on rocky intertidal community structures across four regions in Alaska. Before the heatwave, there were significant differences in community structures among regions; however, during and after the heatwave, similarities in community structures increased, leading to greater homogenization of these communities.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrew R. McCracken, Blair M. Christensen, Daniel Munteanu, B. K. M. Case, Melanie Lloyd, Kyle P. Herbert, Melissa H. Pespeni
Summary: Sea star wasting disease (SSW) is an ongoing epidemic that has caused the rapid death and decline of sea star populations. The cause of this disease is unknown. Changes in microbial community structure have been observed in association with SSW, but it is unclear if these changes are a mechanism or a result of disease progression. In this study, the microbiomes of sunflower sea stars before and during the outbreak in Southeast Alaska were compared to identify changes and interactions in the microbial communities associated with sea star health and disease exposure. The results showed an increase in microbial diversity before signs of disease and an increase in abundance of specific microbes in both apparently healthy and wasting sea stars. The study also found evidence of dysbiosis and shared colonizing microbes among exposed and wasting individuals. These findings suggest an early dysbiotic event preceding visible signs of SSW.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Javad Loghmannia, Ali Nasrolahi, Mohsen Rezaie-Atagholipour, Bahram H. Kiabi
Summary: Through studying the epibiont communities on 46 hawksbill turtles in the Persian Gulf, it was found that there are various epibiont species on the turtles, and significant differences exist in the epibiont communities found on turtles from different locations. These differences are likely influenced by local environmental conditions.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andrea R. Burton, Sarah A. Gravem, Felipe S. Barreto
Summary: The study found that the keystone species Pisaster ochraceus suffered from SSWS, but the likelihood of developing symptoms does not have a strong genetic basis. Although there are some genetic differences at the gene level, susceptibility to SSWS appears to be unrelated to genetic factors.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Tabitha Renee Siegfried, Jackson Reimer, Emma Roberto, Christopher Noren, Alex Vidal, Kristi Dixon, Morgan DuBois, Susan E. Piacenza
Summary: This study utilized remote stereo-video cameras to observe sea turtle behavior in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The results showed that larger sea turtles had a greater wariness response and were startled at greater distances compared to smaller individuals. This study supports the use of stereo-video camera systems for non-invasive surveys to understand the relationship between sea turtle behavior and body size.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Cheng Xu, Solomon Felix Dan, Bin Yang, Dongliang Lu, Zhenjun Kang, Haifang Huang, Jiaodi Zhou, Zhiming Ning
Summary: The study reveals that the concentrations and transformation of phosphorus (P) species between dissolved and particulate phases in the Maowei Sea can effectively indicate the sources of P and understand the internal relationship between the biogeochemical cycling of P, stoichiometric status, and eutrophication.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
William Stewart Grant, Erica Chenoweth
Summary: The study suggests the existence of ancient lineages of kelp in the Northeast Pacific and Bering Sea, with moderate levels of genetic diversity, consistent with the presence of northern refugia during multiple Croll-Milankovitch climate cycles in the Pleistocene Epoch.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Noa Weil, Mordechai Stein, Yonathan Shaked, Boaz Lazar, Amotz Agnon
Summary: A new relative sea level curve for the Holocene Gulf of Aqaba is presented based on U-Th ages of corals. The study suggests a coeval rise of sea levels in the Indo-Pacific oceans during the early to mid-Holocene, likely due to ice melting.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jordan A. Hollarsmith, Juliana C. Cornett, Emily Evenson, Alex Tugaw
Summary: This study examines the changes in spatial coverage and species composition of kelp in coastal Alaska over the past century. The results show an increase in the spatial extent of kelp in the Gulf of Alaska, with extensive recovery in Southcentral Alaska after the eruption of the Novarupta volcano. The persistence and spatial increase of kelp in Southeast Alaska closely match the range expansion of sea otters. Observations also indicate an increase in thermally tolerant kelp species compared to cold-adapted species.
Article
Virology
Elliot W. Jackson, Roland C. Wilhelm, Mitchell R. Johnson, Holly L. Lutz, Isabelle Danforth, Joseph K. Gaydos, Michael W. Hart, Ian Hewson
Summary: Initial assumptions linking sea star wasting syndrome (SSWS) to a single densovirus were confounded by the discovery of a high diversity of densoviruses present in sea stars globally. It is now suggested that SSWS may not be solely caused by one virus, but rather by a combination of various densoviruses.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Joze Kotnik, Dusan Zagar, Gorazd Novak, Matjaz Licer, Milena Horvat
Summary: Continuous dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) measurements were conducted in the Gulf of Trieste, and compared with discrete methods. Environmental parameters such as oxygen saturation and temperature gradient were found to be correlated with DGM concentrations. The most probable source of two high DGM events was determined to be from the polluted northern part of the Gulf. The calculated average annual Hg(0) flux across the water-air interface was lower than reported in other studies. Spatial and temporal coverage are necessary to assess Hg evasion flux and DGM variability in this heterogeneously polluted coastal area.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mayumi L. Arimitsu, John F. Piatt, Scott Hatch, Robert M. Suryan, Sonia Batten, Mary Anne Bishop, Rob W. Campbell, Heather Coletti, Dan Cushing, Kristen Gorman, Russell R. Hopcroft, Kathy J. Kuletz, Caitlin Marsteller, Caitlin McKinstry, David McGowan, John Moran, Scott Pegau, Anne Schaefer, Sarah Schoen, Jan Straley, Vanessa R. von Biela
Summary: During the Pacific marine heatwave of 2014-2016, key forage fish species in the Gulf of Alaska experienced reduced abundance and quality, leading to trophic instability within the system. Despite compensatory changes in age structure, size, growth or energy content of forage fish, none were able to fully mitigate the adverse impacts of the heatwave. Changes in zooplankton communities and the impact on the forage fish community led to disruptions in the normal pelagic food web, causing shifts in distribution, mass mortalities, and reproductive failures among seabirds, marine mammals, and groundfish.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Benjamin Weitzman, Brenda Konar, Katrin Iken, Heather Coletti, Daniel Monson, Robert Suryan, Thomas Dean, Dominic Hondolero, Mandy Lindeberg
Summary: Research showed that the Pacific Marine Heatwave had impacts on rocky intertidal community structures across four regions in Alaska. Before the heatwave, there were significant differences in community structures among regions; however, during and after the heatwave, similarities in community structures increased, leading to greater homogenization of these communities.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
B. Weitzman, B. Konar
Summary: Shifts between sea urchin barren grounds and kelp forests are related to sea urchin density, influenced by sea urchin recruitment. Despite differences in biological community structure between habitats, specific taxa were consistently correlated with sea urchin recruits. These species-specific interactions may be preserved regardless of the presence or absence of keystone predation.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robert M. Suryan, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, Heather A. Coletti, Russell R. Hopcroft, Mandy R. Lindeberg, Steven J. Barbeaux, Sonia D. Batten, William J. Burt, Mary A. Bishop, James L. Bodkin, Richard Brenner, Robert W. Campbell, Daniel A. Cushing, Seth L. Danielson, Martin W. Dorn, Brie Drummond, Daniel Esler, Thomas Gelatt, Dana H. Hanselman, Scott A. Hatch, Stormy Haught, Kris Holderied, Katrin Iken, David B. Irons, Arthur B. Kettle, David G. Kimmel, Brenda Konar, Kathy J. Kuletz, Benjamin J. Laurel, John M. Maniscalco, Craig Matkin, Caitlin A. E. McKinstry, Daniel H. Monson, John R. Moran, Dan Olsen, Wayne A. Palsson, W. Scott Pegau, John F. Piatt, Lauren A. Rogers, Nora A. Rojek, Anne Schaefer, Ingrid B. Spies, Janice M. Straley, Suzanne L. Strom, Kathryn L. Sweeney, Marysia Szymkowiak, Benjamin P. Weitzman, Ellen M. Yasumiishi, Stephani G. Zador
Summary: Established monitoring programs in the Gulf of Alaska following the Exxon Valdez oil spill over 30 years ago have been successful in assessing recovery from oil spill impacts and now provide valuable insights into ecosystem responses to marine heatwaves. The 2014-2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave in the Gulf of Alaska led to abrupt changes across trophic levels, with responses persisting for at least 5 years. Anticipated increases in marine heatwaves under current climate projections suggest uncertainty about the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem returning to a pre-PMH state.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Martin Tim Tinker, James L. Bodkin, Lizabeth Bowen, Brenda Ballachey, Gena Bentall, Alexander Burdin, Heather Coletti, George Esslinger, Brian B. Hatfield, Michael C. Kenner, Kimberly Kloecker, Brenda Konar, A. Keith Miles, Daniel H. Monson, Michael J. Murray, Benjamin P. Weitzman, James A. Estes
Summary: Sea otter populations in southwest Alaska significantly declined over the past 25 years, with densities dropping to around 5% of the environmental carrying capacity. The decline was primarily attributed to predation or other density-independent factors rather than nutritional limitation, disease, or environmental contaminants.
ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Sarah B. Traiger, James L. Bodkin, Heather A. Coletti, Brenda Ballachey, Thomas Dean, Daniel Esler, Katrin Iken, Brenda Konar, Mandy R. Lindeberg, Daniel Monson, Brian Robinson, Robert M. Suryan, Benjamin P. Weitzman
Summary: This study examined the impact of two major events, including a marine heatwave and sea star wasting, on the abundance of mussels in the northern Gulf of Alaska. The results showed that mussel abundance increased with the decline in sea star populations and was indirectly influenced by temperature. Furthermore, the changing mussel abundance could have implications for intertidal ecosystem productivity and other consumers of mussels.
MARINE ECOLOGY-AN EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVE
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Daniel H. Monson, Rebecca L. Taylor, Grant Hilderbrand, Joy A. Erlenbach, Heather A. Coletti, Kimberly A. Kloecker, George G. Esslinger, James L. Bodkin
Summary: Sea otters were once extirpated due to the fur trade, but have since returned to the Katmai region of Alaska. Recent investigations found a higher proportion of prime-age sea otters in the population, prompting scientists to investigate the cause. The study discovered that brown bears, known predators of marine mammals, have a high success rate in preying on sea otters in Katmai.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Clinton B. Leach, Benjamin P. Weitzman, James L. Bodkin, Daniel Esler, George G. Esslinger, Kimberly A. Kloecker, Daniel H. Monson, Jamie N. Womble, Mevin B. Hooten
Summary: Sea otters, as apex predators, have a significant impact on the nearshore communities they inhabit. The recovery and expansion of sea otters in Southeast Alaska, particularly in Glacier Bay, provide a unique opportunity to study their top-down effect on the ecosystem. By integrating monitoring data and using a spatially-referenced model, researchers quantified the predator-prey interaction between sea otters and butter clams in Glacier Bay.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Lizabeth Bowen, Julie Yee, James Bodkin, Shannon Waters, Michael Murray, Heather Coletti, Brenda Ballachey, Daniel Monson, A. Keith Miles
Summary: We evaluated wildlife population health by comparing means and variances. We focused on 19 sea otter populations and used gene expression data as the main metric. The interpretations based on different statistical approaches revealed that low gene expression variation was associated with limited food resources, while moderate or high variation indicated increasing population abundance or recent growth. The comparison of gene expression patterns also allowed us to infer exposure to specific stressors.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Lizabeth Bowen, Susan Knowles, Kathi Lefebvre, Michelle St Martin, Michael Murray, Kim Kloecker, Daniel Monson, Benjamin Weitzman, Brenda Ballachey, Heather Coletti, Shannon Waters, Caroline Cummings
Summary: An investigation into sea otters in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, found altered gene expression and exposure to the toxin domoic acid. The results suggest chronic, low-level exposure to algal toxins, which may increase with the warming climate. Novel molecular technologies can help detect sublethal or chronic exposure and provide an early warning of threats to populations and ecosystems.
OCEANS-SWITZERLAND
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Katja J. Geiger, Julio Arrontes, Antonella Rivera, Consolacion Fernandez, Jorge Alvarez, Jose Luis Acuna
Summary: A two-year experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of Pollicipes pollicipes harvest on intertidal community structure and ecological diversity. The study found that intensive exploitation resulted in a decrease in P. pollicipes and Mytilus spp. coverage, while Chthamalus spp. and Corallina spp. increased. The recovery of P. pollicipes aggregations was slow and variable, but their coverage increased under non-extracted conditions.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Daniel Castro Martignago, Leandro Godoy, Amanda Pereira Amaral, Guendalina Turcato Oliveira
Summary: This study evaluates the effects of bleaching on the oocytes of the Mussismilia harttii coral and investigates the strategies employed by these cells to maintain antioxidant balance and cellular homeostasis. The research finds that bleached coral oocytes experience lipid damage, but are still able to maintain their quality and potentially elongate their lifespan and fertilization capability. This response may be linked to an intensification of heterotrophy in bleached corals.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
(2024)