Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Brandon D. Hoenig, Brian K. Trevelline, Andrea Kautz, Steven C. Latta, Brady A. Porter
Summary: This study explores the utility of combining molecular and chemical techniques for dietary characterizations. By using DNA metabarcoding and stable isotope analysis, the researchers investigated the dietary niche of breeding Louisiana waterthrush. The results suggest that the waterthrush prefers pollution-intolerant, aquatic prey and the dietary characterizations from each approach were often uncorrelated.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jing Wang, Ri-Jin Jiang, Yi Xiao, Rui Yin, Feng Chen, Yong-dong Zhou, Han-Xiang Xu
Summary: This study investigates the ecological niche differences and resource sharing among five Sciaenid fish species in the waters of the Zhoushan Archipelago. The results show significant differences in carbon and nitrogen isotopic values in the muscle tissues of these fish species. Zooplankton is a key food resource for all species, and some species also feed on benthos organisms. Differences in trophic niche width and overlap are observed among the species.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael Bird, Stefani A. Crabtree, Jordahna Haig, Sean Ulm, Christopher M. Wurster
Summary: Research shows that the breadth of isotopic dietary diversity across modern nonsubsistence populations has decreased by two-thirds due to the rise of industrialized agriculture and global food distribution networks. In contrast, prior to industrial agriculture, humans exhibited a broad diet which has persisted in modern subsistence populations.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Dokyun Kim, Eun-Ji Won, Ha-Eun Cho, Jonghyun Lee, Kyung-Hoon Shin
Summary: Although many attempts have been made to improve the accuracy of trophic magnification factor (TMF) and biomagnification factor (BMF) for assessing pollutant bioaccumulation, this study suggests an improved BMF (BMF') for mercury bioaccumulation in freshwater fish. The results show that the values of BMF' are generally higher than TMF, indicating that it is a more reliable index for risk assessment. This ecological approach provides novel insights into the behavior and trophic transfer of pollutants like mercury.
Article
Zoology
Wanxin Lei, Wei Wei, Dan Pu, Shibu Qubi, Hong Zhou, Mingsheng Hong, Junfeng Tang, Han Han
Summary: By measuring the isotopes in the hair of giant pandas, researchers found that the trophic niche widths of the Qinling population were significantly larger than those of the Sichuan population, and both populations occupied a unique trophic position in the ecosystem. The difference in isotopes between bamboo shoots and other food parts, as well as the pandas' feeding choices, accounted for the discrepancy. This study provides new insights into the resource use and trophic ecology of giant pandas.
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andrea Costa, Giacomo Rosa, Sebastiano Salvidio
Summary: The niche variation hypothesis suggests that competition release allows populations to expand their ecological niche through individual specialization and expanding the niche of all individuals. Previous studies have provided strong evidence supporting this hypothesis when considering behavioral or ecological traits. This study aims to provide robust evidence for a significant and positive relationship between total niche width and individual specialization in amphibian populations at a global scale.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Caroline Graham, Evgeny A. Pakhomov, Brian P. V. Hunt
Summary: The study examined spatial patterns in diet, trophic niche width, and niche overlap of chum, pink, and sockeye salmon across the North Pacific. Different species showed variations in diet preference in different regions, with higher niche width and overlap in areas of high prey availability. Chum salmon demonstrated greater diet specialization compared to other species, especially in areas with abundant prey.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Emily A. Miller, Gabriel P. Singer, Matthew L. Peterson, Molly Webb, A. Peter Klimley
Summary: This study investigated the dietary differentiation between green sturgeon and white sturgeon in San Francisco Bay using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses. The results showed that green sturgeon had more marine dietary sources compared to white sturgeon, and smaller individuals of both species had lower trophic levels. Additionally, larger individuals of both species had higher carbon values, indicating a higher consumption of marine food sources in adulthood.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Christopher T. Monk, Michael Power, Carla Freitas, Philip M. Harrison, Michelle Heupel, Anna Kuparinen, Even Moland, Colin Simpfendorfer, David Villegas-Rios, Esben M. Olsen
Summary: This study investigated the correlation between behavior type and diet in a protected population of Atlantic cod. By using acoustic telemetry and stable isotope compositions, the researchers determined the behavior and diet of the cod. The study further explored whether there were survival costs associated with behavior and diet.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Takashi Onodera, Yasuyuki Takemura, Kengo Kubota, Rina Kato, Tsutomu Okubo, Gen Kanaya, Kazuaki Syutsubo, Shigeki Uemura
Summary: This study evaluated the characteristics of sludge in biological wastewater treatment systems using various methods, revealing succession and trophic transfer within bacterial and eukaryotic communities. Isotopic analysis showed a significant increase in nitrogen stable isotope ratio over time in sponge units, indicating changes in the biological processes occurring during wastewater treatment.
BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zhenfang Zhao, Guanyu Hu, Zhou Fang, Jinhui Li, Bilin Liu, Xinjun Chen
Summary: In this study, the feeding strategies and coexistence patterns of large-, medium-, and small-sized groups of D. gigas were investigated using beak morphology and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes analysis. The results showed high niche overlap between medium- and small-sized groups, whereas the large-sized group differed significantly. Additionally, the niche width of females was larger than that of males in all groups. These findings demonstrated that the three different size groups of D. gigas adopted a feeding strategy with inter- and intra-group regulation to maximize resource utilization and enable coexistence.
MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Qingyuan Yang, Guoping Zhu
Summary: This study investigated the feeding habits of the spiny icefish in the Bransfield Strait and used biochemical tracers to demonstrate the variability in its diet, which is influenced by the availability of krill and the dynamic hydrography. The results highlight the potential of biochemical tracers in reflecting changes in prey's diet in a highly dynamic environment.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SYSTEMS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Sabrina Riveron, Vincent Raoult, Alastair M. M. Baylis, Kayleigh A. Jones, David J. Slip, Robert G. Harcourt
Summary: This study investigated the individual specialization of two marine predators, South American fur seals and southern sea lions, and found that foraging mode and prey availability play critical roles in determining the degree of individual specialization within populations.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Miquel Planas
Summary: This study investigates the application of time lag for the estimation of trophic position and dietary regime in the greater pipefish. The results indicate that the trophic position of the species was not affected by shifting when analyzed for the annual dataset, but it was higher when the analysis was performed using a seasonal dataset. The findings also show a higher preference for certain food sources in the shifted sampling approach compared to the unshifted approach.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Oceanography
Raquel Garcia-Vernet, Asuncion Borrell, Gisli Vikingsson, Sverrir D. Halldorsson, Alex Aguilar
Summary: The highly productive waters off Iceland are an important feeding ground for baleen whales, and during the summer feeding season, five balaenopterid species coexist by segregating their food sources to avoid competition, except for blue and fin whales, they all show clear ecological niche partitioning.
PROGRESS IN OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Anastasija Zaiko, Susanna Wood, Xavier Pochon, Laura Biessy, Olivier Laroche, Peter L. Croot, Eva Garcia-Vazquez
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2020)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tristan Cordier, Laura Alonso-Saez, Laure Apotheloz-Perret-Gentil, Eva Aylagas, David A. Bohan, Agnes Bouchez, Anthony Chariton, Simon Creer, Larissa Fruehe, Francois Keck, Nigel Keeley, Olivier Laroche, Florian Leese, Xavier Pochon, Thorsten Stoeck, Jan Pawlowski, Anders Lanzen
Summary: A decade after the integration of high-throughput sequencing technologies into environmental science, genomics-based monitoring of anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems still faces challenges in implementation by regulatory frameworks. Technical limitations, conceptual issues, and diverse implementation strategies may contribute to the perception that routine application of this methodology is premature. Reviewing recent implementations, the strengths and limitations of four general implementation strategies for environmental genomics monitoring are discussed, with emphasis on the potential of integrating meiofauna and microorganisms into biomonitoring.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Olivier Laroche, Oliver Kersten, Craig R. Smith, Erica Goetze
Article
Food Science & Technology
Barbara Weisbrod, Susanna A. Wood, Konstanze Steiner, Ruby Whyte-Wilding, Jonathan Puddick, Olivier Laroche, Daniel R. Dietrich
Article
Fisheries
Konstanze Steiner, Kevin Heasman, Olivier Laroche, Xavier Pochon, Mark Preece, John P. Bowman, Seumas P. Walker, Jane E. Symonds
Summary: The intestinal microbiome of Chinook salmon consists mainly of Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria, which are partially shared among feces, surrounding water, and feed. Some bacterial taxa are only present in feces, indicating possible acquisition or growth in the gut rather than the surrounding environment. Inter-individual variation suggests host-specific variability that needs further investigation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Olivier Laroche, Xavier Pochon, Susanna A. Wood, Nigel Keeley
Summary: Characterization of microbial assemblages through environmental DNA metabarcoding is becoming more common in monitoring programs, with HSP algorithms inferring functional profiles from 16S rRNA gene data. Despite similarities in functional diversity between HSP-based data and metagenomics, there are differences in taxonomic composition and little correlation in relative abundance of specific functions. HSP-based data shows strong association in functional beta-diversity with metagenomics and responds similarly to environmental impacts, indicating their effectiveness in characterizing and assessing the effects of fish farming on benthic ecosystems.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Larissa Fruehe, Verena Dully, Dominik Forster, Nigel B. Keeley, Olivier Laroche, Xavier Pochon, Shawn Robinson, Thomas A. Wilding, Thorsten Stoeck
Summary: The analysis of benthic bacterial community structure has proven to be a powerful method for monitoring aquaculture disturbances in coastal environments. By studying the DNA of samples from various salmon-producing countries, core bacterial taxa have been identified that indicate different levels of aquaculture impact, regardless of specific conditions. This research provides valuable insights into the relationship between bacterial groups and benthic processes, contributing to a better understanding of ecosystem functioning in aquaculture sites.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nigel Keeley, Olivier Laroche, Murray Birch, Xavier Pochon
Summary: Sea cage fish farms are increasingly located over hard and mixed substrate habitats for production and waste-dispersion purposes. However, due to the lack of practical sampling methods, these installations are not effectively managed in terms of benthic impacts. A newly developed Substrate Independent Benthic Sampler (SIBS) device has been introduced, which can capture unconsolidated organic and inorganic matter on various substrates and analyze microbial assemblages to assess benthic impact. The study shows that the SIBS approach is sensitive to detecting influences from fish farms at distances of 500-1500 m, and it provides a new powerful tool for mapping spatial boundaries of farm effects regardless of substrate type and topography.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Julien Vignier, Olivier Laroche, Anne Rolton, Pandora Wadsworth, Karthiga Kumanan, Branwen Trochel, Xavier Pochon, Nick King
Summary: The study revealed feeding compromised microalgae to developing oyster larvae caused significant negative effects, including increased deformities, reduced abilities, and slowed development. Analysis of bacterial communities showed certain genera like Halomonas and Marinomonas were strongly associated with impaired larval performance.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Andrew Barrick, Olivier Laroche, Michael Boundy, John K. Pearman, Tanja Wiles, Juliette Butler, Xavier Pochon, Kirsty F. Smith, Louis A. Tremblay
Summary: This study analyzed the molecular expression pathways of marine copepod Gladioferens pectinatus exposed to copper, benzophenone, and diclofenac across multiple generations. The results showed that these contaminants altered pathways linked to stress, growth, cellular and metabolic processes. Genes associated with oxidative stress and xenobiotic regulation were also impacted.
AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Olivier Laroche, Sonnich Meier, Svein A. Mjos, Nigel Keeley
Summary: The study assessed the response of sponges to salmon aquaculture, finding that sponges near fish farms showed higher proportions of fatty acids and resistance to organic enrichment. Specimens located underneath the farm exhibited reduced ribosomal activity and increased expression of genes controlling cell apoptosis, indicating potential indicators of non-lethal response.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maximiliano Cledon, Louis A. Tremblay, Charles Griffiths, Mariem Fadhlaoui, Olivier Champeau, Marina Albentosa, Victoria Besada, Victor H. Fernandez, Christopher W. McKindsey, Leah Bendell, Bin Zhang, Zaul Garcia-Esquivel, Sergio Curiel, Satinder K. Brar, Pratik Kumar, Olivier Laroche, Patrice Couture
Summary: This study investigated metal pollution levels in Mytilus mussel species from various regions with different levels of anthropogenic pressures. Results showed that high-impact areas had elevated concentrations of zinc, lead, nickel, and arsenic, while medium-impact areas had higher levels of copper and silver. Low-impact areas generally had lower metal concentrations.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Olivier Laroche, Sonnich Meier, Svein A. Mjos, Nigel Keeley
Summary: This study examined the impact of salmon farming on several epibenthic suspension-feeders and identified potential molecular indicators of this impact. The results showed species-specific effects and differences in fatty acid profiles and host microbiome communities.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Konstanze Steiner, Olivier Laroche, Seumas P. Walker, Jane E. Symonds
Summary: Climate change and global warming have significant impacts on the aquaculture industry, especially on the health and growth performance of fish due to water temperature. This study assessed the effects of different water temperatures in a freshwater recirculating aquaculture system on the gut microbiome, physiology, health, and growth of Chinook Salmon in New Zealand. The results showed that increased water temperature led to changes in feed intake, growth, gut microbiome composition, histology, fatty acids, and various internal biometrics of the fish. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how water temperature influences the holobiont of Chinook Salmon and its implications for fish growth and health.