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
Fabio Pereira, David Pilo, Andre N. Carvalho, Marta Rufino, Paula Moura, Paulo Vasconcelos, Miguel B. Gaspar
Summary: Limpet shells can harbor a diverse range of species, with Patella ulyssiponensis showing the highest epibiont species diversity. Basibiont species is the key factor determining the epibiotic community.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Eliseo Fica-Rojas, Alexis M. Catalan, Bernardo R. Broitman, Alejandro Perez-Matus, Nelson Valdivia
Summary: Ecological stability depends on interactions between different levels of biological organization. Insurance effects occur when increasing species diversity leads to more stable community-level properties. This study investigates how species richness and population-level parameters influence community invariability.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Romina Vanessa Barbosa, Marion Jaud, Cedric Bacher, Yann Kerjean, Fred Jean, Jerome Ammann, Yoann Thomas
Summary: In this study, drone surveys were used to characterize the distribution of mussel aggregations and evaluate the role of topographic features in determining their distribution. The results showed that topographic features and intertidal height were the main factors influencing mussel distribution. The study highlights the advantage of using high-resolution drone images to study ecological processes in intertidal ecosystems.
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
Oceanography
Milaine S. Fonseca, Francisco G. Araujo, Tatiana P. Teixeira-Neves, Carolina Correa, Guilherme Henrique Pereira-Filho, Leonardo M. Neves
Summary: Understanding the environmental drivers on fish distribution is crucial for effective conservation measures. This study found that distance from the coast and depth are key factors influencing the distribution and abundance of the parrotfish Sparisoma frondosum in tropical rocky reefs. The effectiveness of the Brazilian Marine Protected Area (MPA) ESEC-Tamoios and its current status were also discussed.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mikael K. Sejr, Kim N. Mouritsen, Dorte Krause-Jensen, Birgit Olesen, Martin Emil Blicher, Jakob Thyrring
Summary: In a study of rocky intertidal communities in a sub-arctic Greenland fjord, physical drivers such as ice scour, wave exposure, and air temperature along with small scale modifying factors like tidal levels, substrate rugosity, and canopy forming macroalgae were found to have significant impacts on community structure and function. Understanding the interactions between these factors is crucial for predicting and managing the biological implications of anthropogenic activities and climate changes.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lin-Tai Ho, Shen-Chih Wang, Kwang-Tsao Shao, I-Shiung Chen, Hungyen Chen
Summary: This study presents a long-term dataset of fish collected from rocky tidepools on the southern coast of Taiwan, providing valuable information on the temporal variations in fish assemblages and intertidal ecosystems. The data can help researchers understand the effects of climate change, environmental factors, and human activities on species abundance, diversity, and composition.
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
Ecology
Nelson Valdivia, Daniela N. Lopez, Eliseo Fica-Rojas, Alexis M. Catalan, Moises A. Aguilera, Marjorie Araya, Claudia Betancourtt, Katherine Burgos-Andrade, Thais Carvajal-Baldeon, Valentina Escares, Simon Gartenstein, Mariana Grossmann, Barbara Gutierrez, Jonne Kotta, Diego F. Morales-Torres, Barbara Riedemann-Saldivia, Sara M. Rodriguez, Catalina Velasco-Charpentier, Vicente Villalobos, Bernardo R. Broitman
Summary: This study in Chile demonstrates the nonlinear relationship between area and stability, showing that larger areas have better recovery abilities in terms of functioning and composition. Smaller disturbed areas tend to overcompensate in total cover, which is related to enhanced available space for recruitment and increasing beta diversity resulting from increasing area.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hanbyul Lee, Young Mok Heo, Sun Lul Kwon, Yeonjae Yoo, Dongjun Kim, Jongmin Lee, Bong-Oh Kwon, Jong Seong Khim, Jae-Jin Kim
Summary: This study investigated the diversity and variation in bacterial communities in the rhizosphere of intertidal flats plants, revealing significant effects of vegetation type and sediment depth on bacterial communities, as well as the correlation between indicator species and environmental variables.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Marcelo Checoli Mantelatto, Lelis Antonio Carlos-Junior, Carolina Correa, Carlos Ferreira de Lima Cardoso, Joel Christopher Creed
Summary: This study investigated how subtidal benthic communities vary over depth and identified the drivers behind these variations in tropical rocky reefs in the southeast Atlantic (Brazil). The results showed a clear vertical zonation of benthic communities driven mostly by temperature and grazing intensities.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Carolyn M. Kurle, Kelly M. Zilliacus, Jenna Sparks, Jen Curl, Mila Bock, Stacey Buckelew, Jeffrey C. Williams, Coral A. Wolf, Nick D. Holmes, Jonathan Plissner, Gregg R. Howald, Bernie R. Tershy, Donald A. Croll
Summary: The study found that after the eradication of Norway rats on Hawadax Island, the rocky intertidal ecosystem showed a three-level trophic cascade, gradually returning to the ecological characteristics of rat-free islands, highlighting the importance of community-level recovery following the removal of invasive animals.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Olga Yu. Evseeva, Tatyana G. Ishkulova, Alexander G. Dvoretsky
Summary: Bryozoans are colonial organisms commonly found attached to solid substrata. This study focused on intertidal communities of bryozoans in the Barents Sea, assessing the role of environmental factors in diversity and biomass fluctuations. The results showed that salinity and temperature were the main predictors of bryozoan species richness and biomass, with more diverse and abundant assemblages occupying habitats with higher salinity and lower temperature. The study provides important insights into the biodiversity of changing marine ecosystems in the Arctic region.
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. Amstutz, L. B. Firth, J. I. Spicer, M. E. Hanley
Summary: This study examines the impact of aspect on intertidal community composition, revealing varying rock surface temperatures and stress responses on different slopes. The research indicates that greater slope differences result in higher species richness and abundance on PF surfaces, while EF surfaces have more barnacles. Additionally, EF surfaces have a greater impact on the reproduction and thermal stress of certain species.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
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
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)