Article
Ecology
Christopher J. Knight, Robert P. Dunn, Jeremy D. Long
Summary: Prey state and density can influence prey’s response to predators, and the habitat also plays a role in this response. In this study, purple sea urchins were used to examine the habitat-specific responses to predator cues. The results showed that well-nourished urchins from kelp forests responded strongly to predator cues, while barren urchins only responded when conspecific densities were reduced.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bruce A. Menge, Sarah A. Gravem, Angela Johnson, Jonathan W. Robinson, Brittany N. Poirson
Summary: Climate change poses a threat to the stability of ecosystems. In the rocky intertidal meta-ecosystem along the Oregon coast, signs of increasing destabilization have been observed over the past decade, possibly due to thermal disruptions and shifts in ocean currents.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Salvador Zarco-Perello, Nestor E. Bosch, Scott Bennett, Mat A. Vanderklift, Thomas Wernberg
Summary: Global warming has led to the expansion of tropical herbivores and a tropicalization of temperate marine ecosystems, resulting in difficulties for kelp recovery. Tropical herbivores exert strong top-down control on turf seaweed and kelp.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jonathan P. Williams, Jeremy T. Claisse, Daniel J. Pondella, Chelsea M. Williams, Matthew J. Robart, Zoe Scholz, Erin M. Jaco, Tom Ford, Heather Burdick, David Witting
Summary: The overgrazing of kelp holdfasts by sea urchins leads to the formation of urchin barrens, while sea urchin culling can effectively restore rocky reefs to a kelp-dominated state, improving the structure and biodiversity of kelp forest communities.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(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
Marine & Freshwater Biology
M. Paula Sgarlatta, Arturo Ramirez-Valdez, Lydia B. Ladah, Luis E. Calderon-Aguilera
Summary: This study explores the relationship between functional diversity of fish communities and habitat complexity in temperate reefs and finds that small-scale spatial factors in kelp forests have an impact on functional richness, while habitat complexity does not significantly affect fish taxonomic or functional diversity in both rocky reefs and kelp forests.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jasmin M. Schuster, A. Kurt Gamperl, Patrick Gagnon, Amanda E. Bates, Mark Mallory
Summary: Overgrazing of habitat-forming kelps by sea urchins can affect the physiology of consumers and their response to climate warming.
Article
Fisheries
Renee E. Angwin, Brian T. Hentschel, Todd W. Anderson
Summary: Over the last decade, there has been a rapid expansion of barren grounds caused by an overabundance of purple urchins that have destructive grazing pressure on kelp forest habitats. Harvesting purple urchins from barrens and enhancing their roe through aquaculture could potentially transform them into high-quality seafood, benefiting both the seafood industry and the restoration of kelp forests.
AQUACULTURE INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Celia A. Balemi, Nick T. Shears
Summary: Marine protected areas are proposed as a key tool to restore food web interactions and increase ecosystem resilience to climate change impacts. However, the response of native species to protection and climate change can be unpredictable. This study examines the long-term trends of two sea urchin species in a marine reserve and a fished area, and finds that warming and low numbers of key predators have led to an increase in one invasive species and a decline in a native species.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Robert J. J. Fournier, Guillermo de Mendoza, Romain Sarremejane, Albert Ruhi
Summary: Biota in disturbance-prone landscapes have developed various strategies to persist long term, either locally or by regional recolonization. Habitat fragmentation and isolation can limit recolonization pathways and impact community reestablishment. This study investigates the effects of isolation on invertebrate community recolonization in a pristine intermittent stream.
Article
Ecology
Roberto A. Uribe, Marco Ortiz, Ferenc Jordan
Summary: The study in the coastal ecosystem at the Antofagasta Peninsula found that kelp forests and urchin barrens exhibit different successional pathways and number of stages, indicating a potential influence of self-organizing processes. This difference may have implications for conservation and monitoring practices.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Haiyan Liu, Kangning Xiong, Yanghua Yu, Tingling Li, Yao Qing, Zhifu Wang, Shihao Zhang
Summary: With the increasing severity of ecological problems due to climate change and socio-economic development, research on ecosystem vulnerability and resilience has become a hot topic. Studies mainly focus on assessment methods and models, management strategies, and are mainly concentrated in China, the United States, and some European countries. A universally applicable framework for future research is suggested to propose sustainable management strategies.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Eugenio Di Franco, Antonio Di Franco, Antonio Calo, Manfredi Di Lorenzo, Luisa Mangialajo, Simona Bussotti, Carlo Nike Bianchi, Paolo Guidetti
Summary: The study assessed the impacts of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) on benthic assemblages, habitat complexity, and fish populations, showing that protection did not significantly affect overall benthic assemblages but helped protect important erect algae species. Additionally, the research found that protection positively influenced fish biomass independently of habitat complexity.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Annalisa Azzola, Virginia Picchio, Valentina Asnaghi, Carlo Nike Bianchi, Carla Morri, Alice Oprandi, Monica Montefalcone
Summary: Climate change is causing various impacts on rocky reef ecosystems globally. The Portofino Marine Protected Area in the NW Mediterranean experienced thermal anomalies, a mucilaginous event, and the expansion of Caulerpa cylindracea during the summer of 2018. A severe storm also occurred later in October. This study analyzed the effects of these pressures on rocky reef communities at different depths and timescales, highlighting the significant changes and the need to understand the impacts of multiple pressures on coastal ecosystems.
Article
Urban Studies
Wuyang Hong, Renzhong Guo, Xiaoming Li, Chuangchang Liao
Summary: This study aimed to analyze indicators of urban-scale ecological network resilience, using Shenzhen as an empirical research case. The results showed that Shenzhen's ecological network structure was relatively stable, with the first 30% of nodes having a significant impact on network resilience. These findings are practically important for formulating spatial planning and management policies for cities.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kerry J. Nickols, J. Wilson White, Dan Malone, Mark H. Carr, Richard M. Starr, Marissa L. Baskett, Alan Hastings, Louis W. Botsford
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Ecology
Max C. N. Castorani, Marissa L. Baskett
Article
Agricultural Economics & Policy
Michael R. Springborn, Amanda Faig, Allison Dedrick, Marissa L. Baskett
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
(2020)
Article
Biology
Joshua S. Madin, Andrew H. Baird, Marissa L. Baskett, Sean R. Connolly, Maria A. Dornelas
Article
Ecology
Albert Fernandez-Chacon, David Villegas-Rios, Even Moland, Marissa L. Baskett, Esben M. Olsen, Stephanie M. Carlson
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Nicholas R. Perkins, Michael Prall, Avishek Chakraborty, J. Wilson White, Marissa L. Baskett, Steven G. Morgan
Summary: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are being established globally as management tools for conservation and fisheries objectives. This study presents a novel approach combining spatial point process models, integral projection models (IPMs), and sampling simulations to assess the power of different sampling designs across MPAs. Results show that increasing sampling effort is more effective in detecting MPA effects on fish populations, and detectability is higher in sites with higher initial densities.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael A. Gil, Marissa L. Baskett, Stephan B. Munch, Andrew M. Hein
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
K. B. Oke, C. J. Cunningham, P. A. H. Westley, M. L. Baskett, S. M. Carlson, J. Clark, A. P. Hendry, V. A. Karatayev, N. W. Kendall, J. Kibele, H. K. Kindsvater, K. M. Kobayashi, B. Lewis, S. Munch, J. D. Reynolds, G. K. Vick, E. P. Palkovacs
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Easton R. White, Marissa L. Baskett, Alan Hastings
Summary: Marine reserves play a crucial role in buffering populations against catastrophic events, with optimal spacing dependent on dispersal ability and disturbance regime. In the presence of catastrophes, larger spacing between reserves is needed to prevent extinction, especially when Allee effects interact with disturbances. Tradeoffs between conservation and fishing objectives are influenced by the occurrence of catastrophes, with intermediate disturbance levels requiring reserves to be spread out for increased population persistence and spillover benefits.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gregory A. Backus, Marissa L. Baskett
Summary: The study suggests that when deciding to conduct assisted migration, choosing species with certain traits for relocation and leaving behind a portion of the population for potential repeat translocation can increase the long-term persistence of the species. Additionally, assisted migration benefits species with low dispersal ability, but may increase extinction risk for species with narrow thermal tolerances.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Robert P. Dunn, Jameal F. Samhouri, Marissa L. Baskett
Summary: Research has shown that promoting synchronized recovery of predators and prey in recovering harvested species populations can lead to faster and less variable outcomes compared to sequential recovery. Initiating a closure starting with predators generally results in the least volatility and quickest recovery, especially when the system is recovering from a degraded community state.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cheryl A. Logan, John P. Dunne, James S. Ryan, Marissa L. Baskett, Simon D. Donner
Summary: The study examines the role of algal symbiont shuffling and evolution in coral resilience to global warming and ocean acidification, highlighting that shuffling is more effective than evolution. It also reveals global vulnerability patterns due to the interaction of warming rate and adaptive capacity, emphasizing the importance of considering species' ability to adaptively respond to climate change in conservation decisions.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Vadim A. Karatayev, Marissa L. Baskett, David J. Kushner, Nick T. Shears, Jennifer E. Caselle, Carl Boettiger
Summary: This study found that behavioral feedback mechanisms in marine ecosystems can explain the formation of different states dominated by kelp or sea urchins in certain areas. In California, starvation intensifies grazing behavior, leading to reef-scale alternately stable states of kelp and sea urchin barrens; while in New Zealand, sea urchins avoid dense kelp stands, driving the transition from shallow urchin-dominated zones to deeper kelp-dominated zones in areas influenced by moderate wave stress at 3-8 meters depths.
Article
Biology
Gregory A. Backus, Yansong Huang, Marissa L. Baskett
Summary: Climate change-induced range shifts pose risks to entire communities. Restoring connectivity and assisted migration are effective strategies to reduce extinction risks, but factors such as dispersal ability and environmental stochasticity should be considered.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)