Article
Environmental Sciences
Lijun Cui, Zhijian Jiang, Xiaoping Huang, Songlin Liu, Yunchao Wu
Summary: This study used multiple isotopes and fatty acid markers to analyze the food sources and macrobenthos in a tropical seagrass bed in different seasons. The results showed that the combination of multiple isotopes and fatty acid markers can effectively distinguish complex food sources. Different markers are more suitable for different consumer species, and their combination is essential in identifying the diets of macrobenthos.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
R. S. K. Barnes
Summary: Do interspecific abundance-occupancy (A-O) relationships vary systematically along environmental gradients? A-O relationships of macrobenthic assemblages of seagrass and adjacent bare-sediment were compared along two types of estuarine gradient. The results showed that while there was variation in A-O relationships along the gradients, their constancy was more significant.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
R. S. K. Barnes
Summary: This study investigates the differences in invertebrate biodiversity between seagrass and adjacent bare sediment along an estuarine gradient. The results show that overall assemblage abundance and taxon richness increase upstream, while numbers of co-dominant species and taxonomic distinctness decrease. Functional diversity, evenness, patchiness, and similarity between the two habitat types remain unchanged. The findings highlight the importance of both seagrass presence and location along the estuarine gradient in influencing assemblage composition.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
R. S. K. Barnes
Summary: The study in Knysna estuarine bay revealed complex relationships between species diversity and species-density, with strong correlation with relative evenness and negative correlation with overall assemblage abundance. The presence of specific individual faunal components significantly influenced the results.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rocio Jimenez-Ramos, Fernando G. Brun, Jose L. Perez-Llorens, Juan J. Vergara, Fatima Delgado-Cabezas, Noelia Sena-Soria, Luis G. Egea
Summary: A key factor for benthic macrophyte communities to survive under light-reduction stress is their ability to balance carbon metabolism. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) released by these communities serves as a carbon source, playing a significant role in ocean carbon sequestration. This study evaluates the response of seagrass and macroalgae to light-reduction stress and recovery. Results show that light reduction significantly decreases production, with most of the released DOC coming from photosynthetic activity, and shading events greatly impacting net DOC fluxes. Both communities demonstrate high recovery but low resistance capacity, with macroalga showing the highest resilience to unfavorable light conditions.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Review
Ecology
R. S. K. Barnes
Summary: Knysna estuarine bay in South Africa's Garden Route National Park is the most significant estuarine system for biodiversity and conservation value in the country, supporting a significant population of vulnerable dwarf-eelgrass and associated benthic macrofauna. The bay comprises different compartments with varying species richness and distribution, but overall maintains a relatively constant species composition.
Article
Geography, Physical
Swea Klipsch, Daniel Herwartz, Claudia Voigt, Carsten Muenker, Guillermo Chong, Michael Ernst Boettcher, Michael Staubwasser
Summary: This study analyzed samples from the Atacama Desert to identify the main deposition mechanisms and quantify the contribution of different sulfate sources. The results showed that sulfate in the desert primarily originates from three aerosol sources, including secondary atmospheric sulfate and marine sulfate. Other potential sources include biologically recycled sulfate and hydrothermal non-evaporitic Na-sulfate. The study also found that sulfate cycling is limited in areas with low altitude and regular fog advection, while it is incomplete in areas with high altitude and insufficient rainfall. Overall, the degree of sulfate cycling is influenced by water availability and the proportion of different sulfate sources.
GLOBAL AND PLANETARY CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chiara M. Bertelli, William G. Bennett, Harshinie Karunarathna, Dominic E. Reeve, Richard K. F. Unsworth, James C. Bull
Summary: Habitat suitability modelling (HSM) is increasingly used for decision making in conservation management and restoration efforts in oceans. This study used high-resolution Delft-3D modelled wave height data to improve HSM outputs for predicting suitable areas for seagrass growth. The findings revealed significant differences in fine-scale predictions and highlighted the increased importance of wave energy as a predictor variable compared to low resolution data.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Taihun Kim, Dae-Won Lee, Han-Jun Kim, Yun-Hwan Jung, Young-Ung Choi, Jung-Hee Oh, Tae-Hoon Kim, Do-Hyung Kang, Heung-Sik Park
Summary: This study describes the zonation of benthic habitats in the coastal area of Weno Island, Chuuk, Micronesia through in situ observations and seabed photographs. Habitat groups and boundaries are defined based on visible substratum characteristics and statistical analysis. The research provides a simple and repeatable method for comparative analysis of benthic habitat-related monitoring research.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Kevin A. Hovel, J. Emmett Duffy, John J. Stachowicz, Pamela Reynolds, Christoffer Bostrom, Katharyn E. Boyer, Stephanie Cimon, Mathieu Cusson, Fredrick Joel Fodrie, Karine Gagnon, Clara M. Hereu, Masakazu Hori, Pablo Jorgensen, Claudia Kruschel, Kun-Seop Lee, Masahiro Nakaoka, Nessa E. O'Connor, Francesca Rossi, Jennifer Ruesink, Fiona Tomas, Shelby Ziegler
Summary: The study found that, contrary to the common belief, predation risk for tethered crustaceans were lower along patch edges than in patch interiors at most eelgrass sites, regardless of habitat degradation. The extent to which edges reduced predation risk was correlated with higher eelgrass structural complexity and prey biomass at edges, suggesting an indirect component to edge effects.
Article
Engineering, Marine
Qibin Lao, Guoqiang Liu, Jingsong Gao, Youli Shen, Qizhong Su, Chunqing Chen, Fajin Chen
Summary: Isotope measurements in the northeastern Beibu Gulf of China revealed that nitrate sources primarily originated from local pollution sources, with seasonal variations and significant impacts from human activities on the marine ecosystem, resulting in excessive nutrient levels.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anguo Zhang, Yanbin Gu, Xiutang Yuan, Marco C. Brustolin, Xiaolong Yang, Rongliang Zhang, Zhiwen Wang, Honghua Shi
Summary: A long-term assessment of benthic habitat quality in the intertidal flats of Liaohe Estuary was conducted using three integrating ecological indices. The results showed noticeable differences among the assessments obtained by these indices, with approximately 100%, 24%, and 78% of the sampling sites having moderate, poor, and bad statuses, respectively. It was suggested that the benthic habitat quality in the middle parts of the intertidal flats in Liaohe Estuary still had an unacceptable status.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lan Ma, Wen-Xiong Wang, R. Douglas Evans
Summary: This study investigated the sources of metal contamination in the Pearl River Estuary by measuring zinc isotope ratios in local oysters. The results showed significant differences in delta Zn-66 values between oysters collected from different locations along the estuary, with dominant contributions from dissolved zinc on the east shore and particulate zinc on the west shore. This research provides new insights into using Zn isotope ratios in oysters as a powerful tracer of contamination sources in complex estuarine systems.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Katherine E. Harper, Lauren A. Scheinberg, Katharyn E. Boyer, Erik E. Sotka
Summary: Biological invasions pose a severe threat to coastal ecosystems, however, the presence of cryptic diversity and inaccurate species identification makes tracking difficult. This study used genetic sequencing and genotyping to clarify the cryptic diversity and introduction history of the marine amphipod Ampithoe valida. The results revealed that the species complex consists of three cryptic lineages and likely originated in the North Pacific before dispersing to the North Atlantic through a trans-arctic exchange.
CONSERVATION GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Yuri Niella, Vincent Raoult, Troy Gaston, Kyle Goodman, Robert Harcourt, Victor Peddemors, Amy F. Smoothey
Summary: Climate change and urbanization are impacting estuarine habitats globally. This study examined the importance of estuarine habitats as feeding grounds for juvenile bull sharks in the Clarence River, Australia. The findings reveal the changing dietary habits of juvenile sharks with age, highlighting the link between threatened habitats and species redistribution in response to climate change.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Soraia Vieira, Pedro Barrulas, Paula Chainho, Cristina Barrocas Dias, Katarzyna Sroczynska, Helena Adao
Summary: This study analyzed the spatial and temporal distributions of multi-element signatures in non-native R. philippinarum populations in the Tagus and Sado estuaries in Portugal. The main contributors and chemical characteristics of different estuary populations were found to be distinctive, and the multi-element signatures of R. philippinarum could serve as a potential rapid tool for ecological monitoring and habitat assessment.
BIOLOGICAL TRACE ELEMENT RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kasia Sroczynska, Paula Chainho, Soraia Vieira, Helena Adao
Summary: This study investigated the taxonomical and functional attributes of benthic nematodes along the Sado Estuary, SW Portugal, and found that taxonomy-based assemblages were mainly structured by the salinity gradient, while trait-based distribution patterns were largely driven by variations in sediment dissolved oxygen concentration. The results demonstrate the importance of considering both taxonomical and functional traits for a comprehensive understanding of ecological gradients within an estuary ecosystem.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
O. R. Farias, J. M. F. L. Cruz, J. S. Veloso, H. A. O. Silva, M. D. M. Oliveira, M. R. F. Felix, C. M. R. Varanda, P. Materatski, G. S. Podesta, L. C. Nascimento
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kasia Sroczynska, Anxo Conde, Paula Chainho, Helena Adao
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the role of nematode morphometric attributes in detecting estuarine spatial patterns and compare it with a taxonomic approach. Abundance data weighted by morphometric attributes showed higher explanatory power, while a reduced dataset based on the most common genera was sufficient to describe spatial gradients. Combined datasets performed better at discriminating estuary areas.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biology
Maria Doroteia Campos, Mariana Patanita, Carla Varanda, Patrick Materatski, Maria do Rosario Felix
Review
Plant Sciences
Maria Doroteia Campos, Maria do Rosario Felix, Mariana Patanita, Patrick Materatski, Carla Varanda
Summary: Tomato is an economically important vegetable globally, often used as a model for plant research. Research on tomato as a plant-pathogen system helps to understand disease resistance mechanisms and improve plant breeding efforts. High-throughput RNA-seq technology has facilitated studies on tomato's response to various pathogens, offering insights for genetic engineering and sustainable disease management strategies.
HORTICULTURE RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Leonardo A. Saravia, Tomas Marina, Nadiah P. Kristensen, Marleen De Troch, Fernando R. Momo
Summary: The goal of this study was to test evidence for selective processes in local food webs by comparing their structural properties to the expected distribution given the metaweb. Surprisingly, the study found that local food web structure is not strongly influenced by dynamical or habitat restrictions, suggesting that it is inherited from the metaweb.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Maria Doroteia Campos, Maria do Rosario Felix, Mariana Patanita, Patrick Materatski, Andre Albuquerque, Joana A. Ribeiro, Carla Varanda
Summary: Tomato, one of the most important vegetable crops worldwide, is affected by various pathogens that reduce yield and affect product quality. Studying the tomato-pathogen system can help us better understand the molecular mechanisms of disease resistance and improve crop yield and product quality. In this review, we provide an overview of recent studies on tomato transcription factors (TFs) involved in defense responses to pathogens, focusing on TF families that are abundant, important, and well-characterized.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Timothy J. Cronin, Isabelle Conrad, Thomas R. H. Kerkhove, Bart Hellemans, Marleen De Troch, Filip A. M. Volckaert, J. Antonio Baeza
Summary: This study reports the complete mitochondrial genome of the Atlantic seabob shrimp and analyzes its correlation and selective pressure. The results provide new genomic resources for this commercially important species and contribute to the understanding of its genetic diversity and evolutionary patterns.
JOURNAL OF CRUSTACEAN BIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
O. R. Farias, J. M. F. L. Cruz, J. S. Veloso, I. G. Duarte, P. R. R. Barbosa, M. R. F. Felix, C. M. R. Varanda, P. Materatski, M. D. M. Oliveira, L. C. Nascimento
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anna-Maria Vafeiadou, Sofie Derycke, Annelien Rigaux, Nele De Meester, Rodgee Mae Guden, Tom Moens
Summary: Resource partitioning is an important mechanism for species coexistence. This study examined the resource utilization of 10 bacterivorous nematode species in various estuarine microhabitats. The results showed that species sharing the same microhabitat had overlapping microbiomes, indicating limited resource differentiation among species. Furthermore, the microbiomes of the same nematode species in different microhabitats were not strongly differentiated.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jens Boyen, Alberto Ribes-Navarro, Naoki Kabeya, Oscar Monroig, Annelien Rigaux, Patrick Fink, Pascal I. Habluetzel, Juan Carlos Navarro, Marleen De Troch
Summary: Long-chain (>= C-20) polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) are physiologically important for most animals, including humans. Recent research indicates the ability of certain invertebrates, mainly marine organisms, to synthesize and convert LC-PUFAs. The genetic pathways and mechanisms of LC-PUFA biosynthesis remain unknown in many invertebrates, but existing genomic resources can contribute to our understanding. This study identified key enzymes responsible for LC-PUFA biosynthesis in the copepod Platychelipus littoralis and demonstrated their functionality using heterologous expression in yeast.
Article
Horticulture
Joana A. Ribeiro, Andre Albuquerque, Patrick Materatski, Mariana Patanita, Carla M. R. Varanda, Maria do Rosario Felix, Maria Doroteia Campos
Summary: This study assessed the level of Fusarium spp. infection in field tomato samples and evaluated the differential expression of target genes involved in plant-pathogen interactions. The results showed that the level of infection positively influenced the expression of defense-related genes in tomato, providing new insights for sustainable plant disease management.
Article
Horticulture
Mariana Patanita, Andre Albuquerque, Maria Doroteia Campos, Patrick Materatski, Carla M. R. Varanda, Joana A. Ribeiro, Maria do Rosario Felix
Summary: Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) are complex and challenging to identify and eradicate. This study investigated the fungal community structure associated with GTDs symptomatic and asymptomatic grapevines. The results showed that symptomatic plants had a lower abundance but higher diversity of GTDs-associated fungi. The composition of fungal endophytic communities was significantly different according to the symptomatology and not affected by the cultivar.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Gabriel Ginane Barreto, Ana Carla da Silva Santos, Mirelly Miguel Porcino, Patrick Materatski, Carla Varanda, Maria do Rosario Felix, Luciana Cordeiro do Nascimento
Summary: This study investigated Fusarium species affecting fava beans in Paraiba, Brazil, and evaluated the potential of Trichoderma isolates to control these fungi. The results showed that Trichoderma isolates can be used as a sustainable alternative to manage Fusarium spp. infection of fava beans.