Article
Geology
Margarita McInnis, Nicholas Pinter
Summary: The study reveals the existence of marine terraces on Santa Catalina Island, resolving previous debates. The terrace deposits on the island closely resemble older terrace deposits on other California Channel Islands, documenting the uplift history of the islands.
Article
Zoology
Wen-Chien Huang, Kar-Hoe Loh, Hong-Ming Chen
Summary: A new species, Gymnothorax poikilospilus sp. nov., is described based on two specimens collected from Penghu Islands, western Taiwan. It can be distinguished from other similar Indo-Pacific brown morays by its dentition, vertebral formula, and morphometric measurements. Molecular analysis based on mitochondrial COI gene also supports it as a distinct species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Peter J. Edmunds, Jessica Clayton
Summary: Marine fouling communities are model systems for studying community development, and settlement plates are commonly used for this purpose. Annual deployments of settlement plates from 2010 to 2021 in southern California revealed differences in community composition among years, with varying trends in abundance of different functional groups and taxa. Increases in seawater temperature may cause changes in fouling communities, particularly in the abundance of encrusting taxa.
Article
Zoology
Wen-Chien Huan, David G. Smith, Kar-Hoe Loh, Te-Yu Liao
Summary: Two new species of moray eels, Diaphenchelys laimospila and Gymnothorax pseudokidako, from Taiwan and the Philippines were described based on morphological characteristics and molecular analyses. These new species can be distinguished by their unique features and genetic markers.
ZOOLOGICAL STUDIES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Luana Portz, Rogerio Portantiolo Manzolli, Diego Andres Villate-Daza, Angela Fontan-Bouzas
Summary: The study aims to investigate the distribution and potential sources of solid waste in different marine/coastal ecosystems of SEAFLOWER Biosphere Reserve (SBR) and assess the interconnections between these ecosystems. The findings reveal that mangroves and back-beach vegetation serve as crucial accumulation zones for marine litter, while tourist beaches have low litter density due to regular clean-ups. Additionally, the low density of litter found on corals suggests no significant litter stream to the coral reefs at present.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Oceanography
Caroline Bousquet, Marion Bouet, Michela Patrissi, Francois Cesari, Jean-Baptiste Lanfranchi, Sebastien Susini, Jean-Laurent Massey, Antoine Aiello, Jean-Michel Culioli, Michel Marengo, Pierre Lejeune, Jessica Dijoux, Coralie Duchaud, Marie-Catherine Santoni, Eric D. H. Durieux
Summary: Small-scale fishery plays a significant role in the Mediterranean fleet, but its evaluation is challenging due to the scattered fishing effort. This study focuses on analyzing the characteristics of small-scale fishery in Corsica, an area with low fishing pressure. The study identifies different fishing techniques, species composition, and factors affecting catch per unit effort. The findings provide valuable knowledge for managing artisanal fishing in the Mediterranean.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Sarah A. Hendricks, Julie L. King, Calvin L. Duncan, Winston Vickers, Paul A. Hohenlohe, Brian W. Davis
Summary: Small effective population sizes increase the probability of extinction by increasing potentially deleterious alleles and reducing fitness. It is unknown to what extent cancers contribute to the fitness reduction of genetically depauperate wildlife populations. The study on Santa Catalina island foxes revealed that they have a high prevalence of ceruminous gland tumors, which are associated with chronic ear mite infections and bacterial infections. Several candidate loci associated with cancer susceptibility were identified through whole genome sequencing. The increase in population size and weak fitness effects of late-onset disease may allow selection to effectively remove these slightly deleterious alleles. Long-term monitoring of disease alleles and genetic diversity is crucial for the long-term survival of this threatened population.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jasmine Lu, Emily E. Hamblen, Lara J. Brenner, Julie L. King, Bridgett M. VonHoldt, Alexandra L. DeCandia
Summary: Research suggests that mite infection disrupts the ear canal microbiome and contributes to the development of ceruminous gland tumors in Santa Catalina Island foxes. Mite-infected ear canals demonstrate reduced microbial diversity and increased abundance of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. Network analysis shows that mite infection weakens microbial interactions and may lead to multistrain biofilm formation. These findings provide insights into the destabilization of the microbiome and its role in tumor development.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Benjamin Hagedorn, Mitsuyo Tsuda
Summary: This study quantified the freshwater component of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) using radon and salinity mass balance models, and compared the results to groundwater recharge rates obtained from soil water balance modeling. The study found that freshwater SGD rates were similar to recharge estimates, highlighting the utility of radon and salinity mass balance models in calibrating groundwater yields.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Thalita Ferreira-Arruda, Nathaly R. Guerrero-Ramirez, Pierre Denelle, Patrick Weigelt, Michael Kleyer, Holger Kreft
Summary: The influence of island dynamics and characteristics on different facets of plant diversity, including functional and phylogenetic diversity, is explored using barrier islands. Island area is found to be the best predictor for all diversity facets. Larger islands have higher functional and phylogenetic diversity, while smaller islands have lower diversity. Habitat heterogeneity also affects diversity, with increased competition on smaller islands leading to potential trade-offs between area and heterogeneity.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
David W. Ginsburg, Andrew H. Huang
Summary: This study provides a species inventory of nearshore marine organisms in the Blue Cavern Onshore State Marine Conservation Area on Santa Catalina Island. The data reveal high biodiversity in the area, with some species being impacted by human activities. These research findings offer valuable information for resource managers and policy makers.
Article
Geography, Physical
Hugh D. Radde
Summary: This study analyzes vertebrate fauna from a site in Santa Catalina Island, California, showing that indigenous people exploited eared seals, particularly subadults, and discusses their hunting and transportation strategies. Canoes were used for transporting animal parts, but not for offshore hunting.
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Qingpeng Han, Xiujuan Shan, Xianshi Jin, Harry Gorfine
Summary: The study used the Bayesian state-space surplus production model in JABBA to assess the small yellow croaker stock in YSLME. The results showed contrasting trends in biomass between the survey CPUE and the fishery CPUE. The assessment based on survey CPUE is recommended for establishing management reference points, while the estimates from fishery CPUE-based JABBA should be treated with caution.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Aiying Zhang, Shilu Zheng, Raphael K. Didham, Robert D. Holt, Mingjian Yu
Summary: Threshold nonlinearities were found in species richness and functional diversity relationships on islands below 1 ha, resulting in a decrease in functional trait space and increased niche differentiation among species. The study revealed non-random re-assembly of trait group composition on small islands, favoring species with 'slow' resource-conservation traits over those with 'fast' resource-acquisition traits. These results suggest that disturbance-driven dynamics may lead to a critical threshold shift in ecosystem functional diversity.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
William J. Resetarits, Kevin M. Potts, Reed C. Scott
Summary: Diversity in habitat patches is influenced by both patch size and isolation, with a trade-off between the two factors. The relationship between patch size and isolation is critical for community assembly and diversity maintenance in wetland ecosystems.