Article
Environmental Sciences
Charlotte R. Dromard, Damien A. Devault, Yolande Bouchon-Navaro, Jean-Pierre Allenou, Helene Budzinski, Sebastien Cordonnier, Nathalie Tapie, Lionel Reynal, Soazig Lemoine, Jean-Pierre Thome, Emmanuel Thouard, Dominique Monti, Claude Bouchon
Summary: The pollution caused by chlordecone, an insecticide used in banana plantations, is a major crisis in Guadeloupe and Martinique Islands. Allophanes in volcanic soil serve as vectors, trapping and releasing chlordecone into water bodies, leading to contamination of marine food webs.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Stephanie M. Bilodeau, Craig A. Layman, Miles R. Silman
Summary: Species interactions generating consistent landscape or seascape patterns are important to ecosystem health and function. Sand halos in tropical reefscapes have been attributed to herbivory, but grazing alone cannot explain patterns at all locations. Combining nutrients and grazing, along with factors such as fish and invertebrate bioturbators, provides a more comprehensive understanding of the complex underlying causes of these patterns.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Charlotte L. Mortimer, Sarah Bury, Matthew R. Dunn, Abdul Haris, Jamaluddin Jompa, James J. Bell
Summary: Coral reefs are highly productive ecosystems, but human activities have caused significant changes in benthic community structure, which can affect the transfer of organic matter between trophic levels. This study examined the differences in resource availability, niche width, and trophic diversity among seven coral reef fish species on sponge-dominated and coral-dominated reefs. The results showed that fish on the sponge-dominated reef had wider isotopic niches, lower trophic positions, and obtained more carbon from benthic production compared to those on the coral-dominated reef. The trophic diversity was also lower and functional redundancy was higher on the sponge-dominated reef. These findings suggest that the transition to a sponge-dominated system can reduce community stability by reducing niche partitioning and species co-existence.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michaela E. Miller, Cherie A. Motti, Mark Hamann, Frederieke J. Kroon
Summary: This study examined the ecological risk of microplastics (MPs) in coral reef ecosystems by comparing MP contamination in a simple food web with that in the surrounding environment. Samples were collected from different trophic levels and environmental matrices, and MPs were found to bioconcentrate but not biomagnify. The complexity of marine food webs and the heterogeneity of MPs in the environment highlight the importance of trophic transfer as a pathway of exposure.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Jakob Kuehn, Liliane Ruess
Summary: The study investigated the impact of food resources with varying C/N ratio, lipid, and omega 3-PUFA content on the fitness of three Collembola species. The results showed species-specific responses in biomass and survival rate to different diets, with wide dietary C/N ratios and roots having a negative impact on Collembola. Mixing diets mostly resulted in intermediate results, with only mixes of resources favored by Collembola in the wild showing synergistic positive effects.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Bingbing Wan, Xiaomin Mei, Zhengkun Hu, Hui Guo, Xiaoyun Chen, Bryan S. Griffiths, Manqiang Liu
Summary: The study showed that moderate grazing increased nematode abundance and complexity of soil micro-food webs, predominantly herbivores and fungivores, driven by root quantity and quality. Grazing decreased omnivores-predators in the surface soil, weakening predation pressure on soil nematodes, while this effect was less pronounced in the subsurface soil. Changes in root quantity and quality were highly associated with the complexity of soil micro-food webs under grazing scenarios.
APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Matthew J. Balzer, James N. Hitchcock, Wade L. Hadwen, Tsuyoshi Kobayashi, Douglas P. Westhorpe, Craig Boys, Simon M. Mitrovic
Summary: There is ongoing debate about the importance of allochthonous dissolved organic matter (DOM) during large flow events in riverine food webs. A mesocosm experiment was conducted to examine the effects of floodplain DOM on the lower food web in an Australian lowland river. The results showed that the addition of tDOM led to increases in zooplankton and mixotrophic algae, and mixotrophs played a significant role in driving changes in primary consumer growth and supporting secondary production.
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Lais F. O. Lima, Amanda T. Alker, Bhavya Papudeshi, Megan M. Morris, Robert A. Edwards, Samantha J. de Putron, Elizabeth A. Dinsdale
Summary: The microbial community structure in the coral surface mucus layer (SML) varies between different local reef environments, which affects coral health and ecosystem functioning. The fluctuating environment in the inner patch reefs of Bermuda promotes a more beneficial coral SML microbiome, potentially enhancing holobiont resilience to environmental changes and disease.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Jose Luiz Attayde, Rosemberg F. Menezes, Sarian Kosten, Gissell Lacerot, Erik Jeppesen, Vera Huszar, Christina W. Castelo Branco, David Da Mota-Marques, Carla Kruk, Franco Teixeira-de-Mello, Jose H. C. Gomes, Celia C. C. Machado, Mariana Meerhoff, Nestor Mazzeo
Summary: By comparing the trophic structure of shallow lakes in tropical and subtropical regions in South America, researchers found that despite lower fish biomass in tropical lakes, there was no significant impact on zooplankton or phytoplankton communities. The study suggests that warming will have relatively minor impacts on the pelagic trophic structure of shallow subtropical lakes, supporting the idea of weaker trophic cascades in warm (sub)tropical lakes compared to temperate ones.
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Stefan Geisen
Summary: Microbes in the soil play a dominant role in the biodiversity of the planet, but there are still some shortcomings in the current research on their diversity. To address these issues, studies on soil microbiomes should be more comprehensive in terms of targeted taxa and resolution, integrate functional information with taxonomic information, and combine temporal analysis with spatial analysis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Susanne Wilken, Charmaine C. M. Yung, Camille Poirier, Ramon Massana, Valeria Jimenez, Alexandra Z. Worden
Summary: Through a series of experiments, researchers have identified choanoflagellates as the most important predators of Prochlorococcus, a key member of marine primary producer communities. This study also reveals the linkages and routes of carbon transfer between different protistan taxa and Prochlorococcus, shedding light on the marine food web.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Amy A. Briggs, Anya L. Brown, Craig W. Osenberg
Summary: Microbes play a crucial role in mediating the interactions between corals and algae in coral reefs. The presence of algae and macroalgal cover can influence the diversity of coral microbiomes, with effects observed at both local and site-level scales. The results highlight the complex and interconnected relationships between corals, algae, and microbial communities in reef ecosystems.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Amelia A. Desbiens, George Roff, William D. Robbins, Brett M. Taylor, Carolina Castro-Sanguino, Alexandra Dempsey, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: In the relatively unfished northern Great Barrier Reef, changes in reef shark density did not have a significant impact on the density or biomass of teleost mesopredators or prey, suggesting a lack of trophic cascading. Instead, many functional groups, including sharks, responded positively to environmental drivers.
Article
Biology
Nicholas J. MacKnight, Kathryn Cobleigh, Danielle Lasseigne, Andia Chaves-Fonnegra, Alexandra Gutting, Bradford Dimos, Jendahye Antoine, Lauren Fuess, Contessa Ricci, Caleb Butler, Erinn M. Muller, Laura D. Mydlarz, Marilyn Brandt
Summary: The study compared the phenotypic and microbial responses of seven Caribbean coral species after exposure to white plague disease, showing a spectrum of disease susceptibility corresponding to microbial dysbiosis. This suggests that coral disease and microbial dysbiosis may ultimately shape reef ecosystems.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lauren Negrazis, Karen A. Kidd, Maitane Erdozain, Erik J. S. Emilson, Carl P. J. Mitchell, Michelle A. Gray
Summary: Forest management affects the transport of mercury and its conversion to methylmercury in water systems, which in turn affects the bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of methylmercury in aquatic organisms. The type of disturbance from forestry has an impact on the accumulation of methylmercury and the trophic transfer along the river continuum.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Jennifer E. Smith, Rusty Brainard, Amanda Carter, Saray Grillo, Clinton Edwards, Jill Harris, Levi Lewis, David Obura, Forest Rohwer, Enric Sala, Peter S. Vroom, Stuart Sandin
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2016)
Article
Ecology
Benjamin Paul Neal, Adi Khen, Tali Treibitz, Oscar Beijbom, Grace O'Connor, Mary Alice Coffroth, Nancy Knowlton, David Kriegman, B. Greg Mitchell, David I. Kline
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2017)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ryota Nakajima, Elvis V. Rimachi, Edinaldo N. Santos-Silva, Laura S. F. Calixto, Rosseval G. Leite, Adi Khen, Tetsuo Yamane, Anthony I. Mazeroll, Jomber C. Inuma, Erika Y. K. Utumi, Akira Tanaka
Article
Fisheries
Malte Willmes, James A. Hobbs, Anna M. Sturrock, Zachary Bess, Levi S. Lewis, Justin J. G. Glessner, Rachel C. Johnson, Ryon Kurth, Jason Kindopp
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES
(2018)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Levi S. Lewis, Jennifer E. Smith, Yoan Eynaud
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Malte Willmes, Katherine M. Ransom, Levi S. Lewis, Christian T. Denney, Justin J. G. Glessner, James A. Hobbs
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Malte Willmes, Levi S. Lewis, Brittany E. Davis, Liane Loiselle, Hannah F. James, Christian Denny, Randall Baxter, J. Louise Conrad, Nann A. Fangue, Tien-Chieh Hung, Richard A. Armstrong, Ian S. Williams, Peter Holden, James A. Hobbs
RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY
(2019)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Amanda L. Carter, Clinton B. Edwards, Michael D. Fox, Corinne G. Amir, Yoan Eynaud, Maggie D. Johnson, Levi S. Lewis, Stuart A. Sandin, Jennifer E. Smith
Editorial Material
Ecology
Levi S. Lewis, Malte Willmes, Arthur Barros, Patrick K. Crain, James A. Hobbs
Article
Ecology
Levi Steele Lewis, Jennifer E. Smith
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
James A. Hobbs, Levi S. Lewis, Malte Willmes, Christian Denney, Eva Bush
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2019)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Adi Khen, Maggie D. Johnson, Michael D. Fox, Samantha M. Clements, Amanda L. Carter, Jennifer E. Smith
Summary: The prevalence of coral bleaching due to thermal stress has been increasing worldwide, but the benthic community structure on Palmyra Atoll has shown long-term stability over the past decade, indicating the resilience of these coral reefs to recover from and withstand disturbances.
Article
Ecology
Adi Khen, Lillian R. McCormick, Christine A. Steinke, Greg W. Rouse, Phil J. Zerofski
Summary: The North Pacific bigeye octopus, Octopus californicus, is a cold-water, deep-sea octopod with limited knowledge regarding its biology. This study presents the first-known observation and documentation of the brooding, development, and hatching process of fertilized eggs for this species in an aquarium setting. The findings contribute to our understanding of this species and support theories of prolonged embryonic development at lower temperatures.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)