Journal articles on the topic 'Marine ecological regions – Australia'
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1
Entwisle, Timothy J., and John Huisman. "Algal systematics in Australia." Australian Systematic Botany 11, no. 2 (1998): 203. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sb97006.
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Documentation of the algal flora of Australia had its beginnings in the seventeenth century and has progressed sporadically but with increasing vigour ever since. Earlier studies dealing with Australian algae were undertaken by overseas phycologists working with specimens collected during scientific voyages or short visits. Recent floristic studies have concentrated on specific regions, isolated localities, or particular taxonomic or ecological groupings. The algal flora of Australia is unevenly documented: northern Australia remains largely uncollected for seaweeds and marine phytoplankton, freshwater algal sampling sites are eclectically scattered across Australia, and collecting of terrestrial algae has been almost completely neglected. At present, numbers and names of species reported from Australia can only be provisional, and an immense amount of floristic and revisionary work is needed before we can match our current knowledge of the vascular plant flora. Until recently, documentation of records was poor and voucher material seldom adequate. We recommend extensive collecting, thorough taxonomic revisions, and regular contribution to Floras and guidebooks. A critical corollary is the training and employment of systematic phycologists in Australian herbaria and universities. Only then can we follow the path that leads ‘beyond the Floras’.
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Butler, CL, VL Lucieer, SJ Wotherspoon, and CR Johnson. "Multi-decadal decline in cover of giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera at the southern limit of its Australian range." Marine Ecology Progress Series 653 (October 29, 2020): 1–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps13510.
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Knowledge of long-term and multi-scale trends in ecological systems is a vital component in understanding their dynamics. We used Landsat satellite imagery to develop the first long-term (1986-2015) data set describing the cover of dense surface canopies of giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera around the entire coastline of Tasmania, Australia, and assessed the extent to which potential environmental drivers explain the dynamics of surface canopies at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Broad-scale temporal patterns in canopy cover are correlated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation events, while regional patterns are related to sea surface temperature and nutrient regimes are associated with the East Australian Current. Regression models developed to predict the presence or absence of giant kelp canopy emphasise the importance of sea surface temperature in these systems. Long-term decline in canopy cover is clearly evident in most regions, and in light of increasing thermal stress associated with a changing ocean climate, this raises concern for the future of this species as a major habitat-forming kelp in Australia and some other regions worldwide. Given that Tasmania represents the stronghold of the range of this species in Australia, but is a geographic trap in that there is no suitable habitat for M. pyrifera to the south, our findings support the Federal listing of giant kelp communities in Australia as an endangered marine community type.
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P. McPhee, D., D. Leadbitter, and G. A. Skilleter. "Swallowing the bait: is recreational fishing in Australia ecologically sustainable?" Pacific Conservation Biology 8, no. 1 (2002): 40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc020040.
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Recreational fishing is a growing component of the total fishery harvest in many countries, but the impacts of this sector on aquatic resources are often ignored in the management of aquatic systems. Recreational fishing is open-access, and in many inshore regions, the recreational harvest exceeds the commercial harvest. The environmental impacts from recreational angling can be both ecologically significant and broad in scope and include: the removal of a considerable biomass of a wide variety of species; discarded by-catch; possible trophic cascades through the removal of higher order carnivores; impacts on habitat through bait harvesting; impacts of introduced and translocated species to support angling fisheries; direct impacts on sea-birds, marine mammals and reptiles; and angler generated pollution. Management, for several reasons, has largely ignored these environmental impacts from recreational fishing. Recreational fishing impacts are cumulative, whereas there is a tendency for consideration of impacts in isolation. Recreational fishing lobbyists have generally been successful in focusing public and political attention on other impacts such as commercial fishing, and recreational fishing has tended not to come under close scrutiny from conservation and environmental groups. Without changes to the monitoring and management of recreational fisheries that incorporate the broad ecological impacts from the activity, it may not be ecologically sustainable in the long term and Australia will not meet its international obligations of protecting aquatic biodiversity. The definition of property rights and appropriate measures to prevent or manage large scale marine restocking are two emerging issues that also need to be addressed.
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Testoff, Alexander N., Nicholas A. Nelson, and Joseph P. Nicolette. "A quantitative method for evaluating ecological risks associated with long-term degradation of deep-sea plastic-containing infrastructure." APPEA Journal 62, no. 1 (May 13, 2022): 141–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj21113.
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Presented herein is a newly developed quantitative approach for assessing potential ecological risk resulting from long-term degradation of deep-sea plastic-containing infrastructure. The risk characterisation involves four iterations of modelled ‘risk’ through forward or backward calculation of a deterministic hazard quotient, mathematically defined as the ratio of estimated exposure to a reference dose (or concentration) for a similar exposure period. The assessment focuses on direct effects of microplastics exposure, wherein exposure concentrations are based on modelled estimates of microplastic mass formation resulting from structure deterioration over time. Predicted no effect concentrations (PNECs) protective of slightly-to-moderately disturbed ecosystems and ecosystems of high conservation value were determined based on a species sensitivity distribution (SSD), in accordance with the current Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality. Each iteration of risk characterisation is performed irrespective of burial, with varying exposure unit dimensions (i.e. geographically localised and broader regions of microplastic dispersal) and degrees of plastic degradation, designed to conservatively bound the risk characterisation. Additionally, two SSDs derived from different ecotoxicological data sets prioritising either particle shape or marine species are also provided for a sensitivity analysis of the PNEC. Thus, the bounding exercise encompasses all possible outcomes. The risk characterisation approach is reviewed for a case study of two larger plastic-containing flowline assets in an oil production field offshore of Australia. The outcome of the risk assessment is the same for all model iterations: degradation of the subsea plastic-containing flowlines does not pose a risk to the local marine community.
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Friesen, Christopher R., and Richard Shine. "At the invasion front, male cane toads ( Rhinella marina ) have smaller testes." Biology Letters 15, no. 7 (July 2019): 20190339. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2019.0339.
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As a colonizing species expands its range, individuals at the invasion front experience different evolutionary pressures than do those at the range-core. For example, low densities at the edge of the range mean that males should rarely experience intense sperm competition from rivals; and investment into reproduction may trade-off with adaptations for more rapid dispersal. Both of these processes are predicted to favour a reduction in testis size at the invasion front. To explore effects of invasion stage in Australian cane toads ( Rhinella marina ), we collected and dissected 214 adult males from three regions: one in the species' range-core (northeastern Australia), and two from invasion fronts (one in northwestern Australia and one in southeastern Australia). Despite the brief duration of separation between toads in these areas (approx. 85 years), testis masses averaged greater than 30% higher (as a proportion of body mass) in range-core males than in conspecifics sampled from either vanguard of the invasion. Previous work has documented low reproductive frequencies in female cane toads at the invasion front also, consistent with the hypothesis that evolutionary and ecological pressures unleashed by an invasion can favour relatively low resource allocation to reproduction in both sexes.
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Hamilton, Stephen K., and Peter C. Gehrke. "Australia's tropical river systems: current scientific understanding and critical knowledge gaps for sustainable management." Marine and Freshwater Research 56, no. 3 (2005): 243. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf05063.
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Australia’s tropical river systems are poorly understood in comparison with Australia’s temperate freshwater and tropical marine systems. Tropical rivers convey ~70% of the continent’s freshwater runoff, and are increasingly being targeted for development. However, existing knowledge is inadequate to support policy for tropical regions that avoids repeating the environmental problems of water use in southern Australia. This paper summarises existing knowledge on the hydrogeomorphic drivers of tropical catchments, fluxes of sediments and nutrients, flow requirements and wetlands. Key research issues include improved quantification of available water resources, hydrological, biogeochemical and ecological linkages at systems scales, understanding and valuing ecosystem processes and services, and projecting the effects of long-term climate change. Two special considerations for tropical Australia are the location of major centres of government and research capacity outside the tropical region, and the legal title of much of tropical Australia vesting in Aboriginal communities with different cultural values for rivers. Both issues will need to be addressed if tropical research is to be effective in supporting resource management needs into the future. Systems-scale thinking is needed to identify links between system components and coastal enterprises, and to protect the environmental, social, and economic values of Australia’s tropical river systems.
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Pocklington, Jacqueline B., Michael J. Keough, Tim D. O’Hara, and Alecia Bellgrove. "The Influence of Canopy Cover on the Ecological Function of A Key Autogenic Ecosystem Engineer." Diversity 11, no. 5 (May 17, 2019): 79. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d11050079.
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Intertidal fucoid algae can function as ecosystem engineers across temperate marine regions. In this investigation, we assessed the function of the alga dominating rocky reefs in temperate Australia and New Zealand, Hormosira banksii. Invertebrate and algal species assemblages were examined within areas of full H. banksii canopy, areas where it was naturally patchy or absent (within its potential range on the shore) and areas where the intact canopy was experimentally disturbed. Differences in species assemblages were detected between areas with natural variation in H. banksii cover (full, patchy, negligible), with defined species associated with areas of full cover. Differences were also detected between experimentally manipulated and naturally patchy areas of canopy cover. Species assemblages altered in response to canopy manipulations and did not recover even twelve months after initial sampling. Both light intensity and temperature were buffered by full canopies compared to patchy canopies and exposed rock. This study allows us to predict the consequences to the intertidal community due to the loss of canopy cover, which may result from a range of disturbances such as trampling, storm damage, sand burial and prolonged exposure to extreme temperature, and further allow for improved management of this key autogenic ecosystem engineer.
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McLean, D., T. Bond, E. S. Harvey, D. Ierodiaconou, K. Cure, M. Taylor, S. Whitmarsh, T. Sih, and P. I. Macreadie. "Importance of Australia's offshore oil and gas infrastructure for fish." APPEA Journal 61, no. 2 (2021): 429. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj20106.
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An assessment to remove, partially remove, leave in situ or repurpose oil and gas infrastructure at end of field life can be more robust if it uses rigorous, relevant and accurate data. We used industry remotely operated vehicle (ROV) video, specialised high-definition stereo-video systems and partnered with industry to enhance future ROV campaigns for the collection of scientific data from infrastructure. Data from 17 pipelines and 51 wells were analysed to report on patterns in fish species richness and abundance in Australia’s north, north-west and south-east regions. This represents the largest synthesised data set on marine communities for pipelines and wells, globally. We observed 401 fish species, 350 along pipelines and 113 on well infrastructure. Potential new fish species, critically endangered species, unique behaviours and diverse communities were discovered around pipeline and well infrastructure. Predicting the environmental consequences of different decommissioning options relies on a region-specific understanding of the ecological communities that are associated with these structures. We showcase marine research from around Australia that will inform local decommissioning and contribute to a more comprehensive global understanding of the impact of subsea infrastructure in our oceans.
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GRUN, TOBIAS B., MORANA MIHALJEVIĆ, and GREGORY E. WEBB. "COMPARATIVE TAPHONOMY OF DEEP-SEA AND SHALLOW-MARINE ECHINOIDS OF THE GENUS ECHINOCYAMUS." PALAIOS 35, no. 10 (October 30, 2020): 403–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.2110/palo.2019.024.
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ABSTRACT The infaunal living clypeasteroid echinoid genus Echinocyamus is considered a model organism for various ecological and paleontological studies since its distribution ranges from the polar regions to the tropics, and from shallow-marine settings to the deep-sea. Deep-sea analyses of this genus are rare, but imperative for the understanding and function of these important ecosystems. During the 2012 Southern Surveyor expedition, 35 seamounts off the east coast of Australia were dredged in depths greater than 800 m. Of these, six dredges contained a total of 18 deep-sea Echinocyamus tests. The tests have been analyzed for taphonomic alterations including abrasion patterns, macro-borings, micro-borings, depressions on the test, test staining, test filling, encrustation, and fragmentation. Findings are interpreted in the context of the deep-sea setting and are compared to Echinocyamus samples from shallow-water environments. Results show that abrasion in deep-sea environments is generally high, especially in ambulacral and genital pores indicating that tests can persist for a long time on the seafloor. This contrasts with shallow-water Echinocyamus that show lower abrasion due to early test destruction. Macro-borings are present as single or paired holes with straight vertical profiles resembling Lithophaga borings. Micro-borings are abundant and most likely the result of sponge or fungal activity. Depressions on the tests, such as scars or pits, are likely the result of trauma or malformation during ontogeny. Test staining is common, but variable, and is associated with FE/Mn oxidation and authigenic clays based on elemental analyses. Test filling occurs as loose or lithified sediment. Encrustation is present in the form of rudimentary crusts and biofilms. No macro-organisms were found on the tests. Biofilm composition differs from shallow-water environments in that organisms captured in the biofilm reflect aphotic conditions or sedimentation of particles from higher in the water column (e.g., coccoliths). Fragmentation is restricted to the apical system and pore regions. Results of this first comparative study on deep-sea Echinocyamus from Australian seamounts show that the minute tests can survive for a long time in these settings and undergo environmental specific taphonomic processes reflected in various taphonomic alterations.
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Marshall, Jennifer E., Daniel J. Bucher, and Stephen D. A. Smith. "Patterns of infaunal macromollusc assemblages in a subtropical marine park: implications for management." Marine and Freshwater Research 69, no. 4 (2018): 502. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf17122.
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Characterisation of habitats and communities is necessary to allow managers knowledge of the ecological resources they are charged with conserving. However, the high cost of gathering such data often precludes their incorporation into conservation planning, and habitat surrogates are often relied upon to represent underlying biotic patterns. In New South Wales (NSW), Australia, extensive surveys informed the development of a state-wide habitat classification scheme (HCS) for biodiversity management based on the distribution of habitat types by water depth. To test the suitability of the current HCS for soft sediments, we compared infaunal mollusc assemblages at two different depths, and at scales of kilometres to tens of kilometres, within five coastal regions of the Cape Byron Marine Park (CBMP). Mollusc assemblages differed significantly between depths and among the range of spatial scales examined, and patterns were significantly correlated with mean grain size and sorting. Species richness also differed between depths and among sampling locations, whereas abundance differed between depths and among sites nested within locations. Although the present study provides preliminary support for the relevance of the NSW HCS depth categories in the CBMP, it also suggests that future refinement should consider the inclusion of categories based on sediment characteristics.
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Coates, Kathryn A. "Widespread polyploid forms off Lumbricillus lineatus (Müller) (Enchytraeidae: Oligochaeta): comments on polyploidism in the enchytraeids." Canadian Journal of Zoology 73, no. 9 (September 1, 1995): 1727–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z95-204.
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Studies of a small fresh collection of the marine intertidal enchytraeid oligochaete Lumbricillus lineatus (Müller) and taxonomic collections from 27 additional locations in Europe, Canada, and Australia reveal the presence of morphotypes corresponding to parthenogenetic autopolyploid forms, triploid, tetraploid, and pentaploid, of the species in all the regions represented by the collections. The extension of the range of these cytotypes from Europe to a virtually global distribution raises questions about the significance of parthenogenesis and polyploidism to their invasion of new habitats. Differences in reproduction rates and the ecological breadth of the different ploidy levels are not known. The geographical distribution and abundance of polyploids of L. lineatus, in themselves, do not provide conclusive evidence for the repeated origins of polyploids within the species, but strongly suggest that possibility. General theories link evolutionary polyploidy among animals with parthenogenesis, as seen in the polyploid forms of L. lineatus. However, polyploidism combined with out-crossing underlies the present taxonomic diversity of the family Enchytraeidae.
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Crook, David A., Jed I. Macdonald, and Tarmo A. Raadik. "Evidence of diadromous movements in a coastal population of southern smelts (Retropinninae: Retropinna) from Victoria, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 59, no. 7 (2008): 638. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf07238.
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Understanding the migratory behaviour of fishes is critical to the conservation and management of fish assemblages in coastal rivers. We analysed the otolith chemical signatures of smelt, Retropinna sp., from inland and coastal populations in mainland south-eastern Australia to determine whether individuals within coastal populations of the species were diadromous. Assessments of otolith chemical composition combined with water chemistry data were used to make inferences about the migration histories of individual fish. A proportion of the smelt collected from the freshwater reaches of a coastal river exhibited diadromous movements, with the majority of fish analysed showing evidence of estuarine or marine occupation as larvae/juveniles and a minority inhabiting freshwater throughout their life histories. A broad range in the daily ages of upstream migration into freshwater (15–106 days) and the timing of these migrations suggest that spawning and migration occur over several months during the summer/autumn period. The results of this study suggest that southern smelts are an ecologically variable taxonomic group and that conservation and management actions should take into account the range of migratory behaviours exhibited both within populations and across regions.
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Smith, Andrew J., Stephen J. Gallagher, Malcolm Wallace, Guy Holdgate, Jim Daniels, and Jock Keene. "The Recent temperate foraminiferal biofacies of the Gippsland Shelf: an analogue for Neogene environmental analyses in southeastern Australia." Journal of Micropalaeontology 20, no. 2 (December 1, 2001): 127–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/jm.20.2.127.
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Abstract. This study describes the foraminiferal biofacies of a temperate stenohaline shelf and associated euryhaline marine lakes of Gippsland in southeast Australia. The study incorporates facies analyses and interpretations of three types of foraminiferal distributional data: forms alive at the time of collection, recently dead forms and relict forms. Four principal biofacies types occur: (1) the euryhaline marine Gippsland Lakes silts and sands; (2) inner shelf medium to coarse quartz-rich sands and bioclastic silty sands; (3) medium shelf bryozoan-rich bioclastic silt and silty sand; (4) outer shelf bryozoan- and plankton-rich silts and fine sands.The euryhaline marine Gippsland Lakes silts and sands contain abundant Ammonia beccarii and Eggerella, with minor Quinqueloculina, Elphidium and Discorbinella. The Gippsland inner shelf biofacies (0–50 m depths) consists of medium to coarse quartz-rich sands and bioclastic silty sand. Abundant living, relict and recently dead miliolids occur in the inner shelf with rare planktonic forms. Common planktonic foraminifera, with Cibicides, Parrellina, Elphidium and Lenticulina and relict forms occur in the bryozoan-rich bioclastic silt and silty sand of the Gippsland middle shelf (50–100 m depth). Bryozoan and plankton-rich silts and fine sand occur in the outer shelf to upper slope facies (100–300 m) below swell wave base on the Gippsland Shelf. A diverse fauna with common textulariids, Uvigerina, Bulimina, Anomalinoides and Astrononion and rare relict forms, occurs in this biofacies. Planktonic foraminifera and Uvigerina are most abundant at the shelf break due to local upwelling at the head of the Bass Canyon.Estimates of faunal production rates from live/dead ratios and full assemblage data suggest that the fauna of the Gippsland Shelf has not been significantly reworked by wave and/or bioturbation processes. Most relict foraminifera occur in the inner shelf, with minor relict forms in the middle to outer shelf. This pattern is similar to other shelf regions in Australia, where shelf areas were exposed during Pleistocene lowstand times, principally reworking pre-existing inner to middle shelf faunas. Correspondence analyses of the foraminiferal data yield a clear depth-related distribution of the faunal assemblage data. Most of the modern Gippsland Shelf fauna are cosmopolitan species and nearly a third are (semi-)endemic taxa suitable for regional palaeo-environmental studies. From biostratigraphic studies it is clear that the modern Gippsland foraminiferal assemblage evolved since Early Miocene times, with most elements present by the Late Miocene. Hence, the Recent Gippsland Shelf foraminiferal biofacies distribution is a good analogue for Neogene palaeo-environmental studies in the region. The longer ranging pre-Miocene mixture of epifaunal and infaunal taxa are deeper shelf cosmopolitan forms and are inferred to be more conservative since they evolved in relatively lower stress environments, typifying mesotrophic to eutrophic conditions compared to inner shelf epifaunal forms with ecological niches markedly affected by sea-level and temperature fluctuations in zones of constant wave action, in oligotrophic environments.The foraminiferal and facies analogues of this study on the Gippsland Shelf can be used for palaeo-environmental analyses of the Gippsland and Otway Neogene sedimentary successions. Such improvements will lead ultimately to a better understanding of the evolution of the neritic realm in southeastern Australia, an area facing the evolving Southern Ocean during the Cenozoic.
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Gruber, Jodie, Gregory Brown, Martin J. Whiting, and Richard Shine. "Behavioural divergence during biological invasions: a study of cane toads ( Rhinella marina ) from contrasting environments in Hawai'i." Royal Society Open Science 5, no. 4 (April 2018): 180197. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180197.
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Invasive species must deal with novel challenges, both from the alien environment and from pressures arising from range expansion per se (e.g. spatial sorting). Those conditions can create geographical variation in behaviour across the invaded range, as has been documented across regions of Australia invaded by cane toads; range-edge toads are more exploratory and willing to take risks than are conspecifics from the range-core. That behavioural divergence might be a response to range expansion and invasion per se , or to the different environments encountered. Climate differs across the cane toads' invasion range from the wet tropics of Queensland to the seasonally dry climates of northwestern Western Australia. The different thermal and hydric regimes may affect behavioural traits via phenotypic plasticity or through natural selection. We cannot tease apart the effects of range expansion versus climate in an expanding population but can do so in a site where the colonizing species was simultaneously released in all suitable areas, thus removing any subsequent phase of range expansion. Cane toads were introduced to Hawai'i in 1932; and thence to Australia in 1935. Toads were released in all major sugarcane-growing areas in Hawai'i within a 12-month period. Hence, Hawai'ian cane toads provide an opportunity to examine geographical divergence in behavioural traits in a climatically diverse region (each island has both wet and dry sides) in the absence of range expansion subsequent to release. We conducted laboratory-based behavioural trials testing exploration, risk-taking and response to novelty using field-caught toads from the wet and dry sides of two Hawai'ian islands (Oahu and Hawai'i). Toads from the dry side of Oahu had a higher propensity to take risks than did toads from the dry side of Hawai'i. Toads from Oahu were also more exploratory than were conspecifics from the island of Hawai'i. However, toads from wet versus dry climates were similar in all behaviours that we scored, suggesting that founder effects, genetic drift, or developmentally plastic responses to ecological factors other than climate may have driven behavioural divergence between islands.
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Bradshaw, Corey J. A., Iain C. Field, David M. J. S. Bowman, Chris Haynes, and Barry W. Brook. "Current and future threats from non-indigenous animal species in northern Australia: a spotlight on World Heritage Area Kakadu National Park." Wildlife Research 34, no. 6 (2007): 419. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr06056.
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Non-indigenous animal species threaten biodiversity and ecosystem stability by damaging or transforming habitats, killing or out-competing native species and spreading disease. We use World Heritage Area Kakadu National Park, northern Australia, as a focal region to illustrate the current and potential threats posed by non-indigenous animal species to internationally and nationally recognised natural and cultural values. Available evidence suggests that large feral herbivores such as Asian swamp buffalo, pigs and horses are the most ecologically threatening species in this region. This may reflect the inherent research bias, because these species are highly visible and impact primary production; consequently, their control has attracted the strongest research and management efforts. Burgeoning threats, such as the already established cane toad and crazy ant, and potentially non-indigenous freshwater fish, marine invertebrates and pathogens, may cause severe problems for native biodiversity. To counter these threats, management agencies must apply an ongoing, planned and practical approach using scientifically based and well funded control measures; however, many stakeholders require direct evidence of the damage caused by non-indigenous species before agreeing to implement control. To demonstrate the increasing priority of non-indigenous species research in Australia and to quantify taxonomic and habitat biases in research focus, we compiled an extensive biography of peer-reviewed articles published between 1950 and 2005. Approximately 1000 scientific papers have been published on the impact and control of exotic animals in Australia, with a strong bias towards terrestrial systems and mammals. Despite the sheer quantity of research on non-indigenous species and their effects, management responses remain largely ad hoc and poorly evaluated, especially in northern Australia and in high-value areas such as Kakadu National Park. We argue that improved management in relatively isolated and susceptible tropical regions requires (1) robust quantification of density–damage relationships, and (2) the delivery of research findings that stimulate land managers to develop cost-effective control and monitoring programs.
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Robinson, Nick, Alexandra Skinner, Lakshmi Sethuraman, Helen McPartlan, Neil Murray, Ian Knuckey, David C. Smith, Jeremy Hindell, and Sonia Talman. "Genetic stock structure of blue-eye trevalla (Hyperoglyphe antarctica) and warehous (Seriolella brama and Seriolella punctata) in south-eastern Australian waters." Marine and Freshwater Research 59, no. 6 (2008): 502. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf07175.
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Blue-eye trevalla (Hyperoglyphe antarctica), blue warehou (Seriolella brama) and silver warehou (Seriolella punctata) from the family Centrolophidae are three commercially important species in the Australian fishery. These species are currently managed as single stocks. We tested the hypothesis that patterns of phenotypic structuring in these species reflect underlying genetic stock structure using an analysis of mitochondrial DNA control region sequences. The analysis revealed high levels of haplotype diversity within populations. The most common haplotypes for the species occurred in all geographical locations sampled. For S. brama, although structuring was not significant after Bonferroni correction, differences between two sites were sufficient to warrant caution in the management of fishery zones for this species. There were also some indications of structuring when sites were grouped into common regions. Demographic analysis suggested that S. brama might have had a history of population bottlenecks followed by sudden population expansion, potentially contributing to genetic structuring in the fishery. No structuring was detected for H. antarctica and S. punctata. The present study highlights the need for, and the utility of, multiple sources of information, that is, genetic, phenotypic, behavioural and ecological, when managing marine fisheries and the need to take a cautionary approach to the interpretation of genetic data for fisheries management.
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Pecl, Gretta T., Zoë A. Doubleday, Leonid Danyushevsky, Sarah Gilbert, and Natalie A. Moltschaniwskyj. "Transgenerational marking of cephalopods with an enriched barium isotope: a promising tool for empirically estimating post-hatching movement and population connectivity." ICES Journal of Marine Science 67, no. 7 (April 12, 2010): 1372–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsq025.
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Abstract Pecl, G. T., Doubleday, Z. A., Danyushevsky, L., Gilbert, S., and Moltschaniwskyj, N. A. 2010. Transgenerational marking of cephalopods with an enriched barium isotope: a promising tool for empirically estimating post-hatching movement and population connectivity. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1372–1380. Quantifying the movement of very small and young individuals, determining sources of recruitment, and identifying the contribution of populations from different regions and periods to fished stocks is a major ecological challenge. Transgenerational isotope labelling (TRAIL), a technique which enables offspring to be marked on a mass scale, is applied for the first time to cephalopods, facilitating field studies quantifying population connectivity. Four species were used: Sepioteuthis australis, Euprymna tasmanica, Octopus pallidus, and Octopus maorum. Gravid females were injected with the enriched stable isotope 137Ba in different body tissues at several different doses. Isotopic ratios 138Ba:137Ba were then quantified using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry on the hard structures (statoliths and stylets) of offspring produced by the injected females. Day-old hatchlings from both squid species had statoliths with isotopic ratios significantly different from natural ratios and control animals, but variability in the ratios in hatchlings produced by different females was independent of dose or injection location. No differences were observed in the statoliths and stylets removed from hatchlings and juveniles, respectively, from the two octopus species, although isotopic shifts were evident in the hard structures of the adults injected. The use of TRAIL is a technique that offers considerable potential to advance the understanding of post-hatching dispersal and population connectivity in cephalopod populations.
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Deng, T. C., C. H. Tsai, H. L. Tsai, J. Y. Liao, and W. C. Huang. "First Report of Cucumber mosaic virus on Vigna marina in Taiwan." Plant Disease 94, no. 10 (October 2010): 1267. http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/pdis-06-10-0459.
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Vigna marina (Burm.) Merr., the dune bean or notched cowpea, is a tropical creeping vine that grows on sand dunes along the coastal regions of Taiwan. Although V. marina is a weed, some varieties are also grown for fodder and food. This legume is a natural host of Bean common mosaic virus in the Solomon Islands (1) and Alfalfa mosaic virus or Beet western yellows virus in Australia (2). In April 2009, plants of V. marina showing severe mosaic and chlorotic ringspots on the foliage were found in the coastal region of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan. Indirect ELISA on a single diseased plant showed positive results with antibodies against the cucumber isolate of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) but negative to Broad bean wilt virus-1, Broad bean wilt virus-2, and some potyviruses (Agdia Inc., Elkhart, IN). A pure isolate of CMV was obtained from V. marina through three successive passages of single lesion isolation in sap-inoculated Chenopodium quinoa. Results of mechanical inoculations showed that the CMV-V. marina isolate was successfully transmitted to C. amaranticolor, C. murale, C. quinoa, Chrysanthemum coronarium, Gomphrena globosa, Nicotiana benthamiana, N. tabacum cv. Vam-Hicks, Phaseolus limensis, P. lunatus, P. vulgaris, Tetragonia tetragonioides, V. marina, V. radiata, and V. unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis. These results of artificial inoculations were confirmed by ELISA. Homologous reactions of the CMV-V. marina isolate with a stock polyclonal antiserum against the CMV-cucumber isolate (4) were observed in sodium dodecyl sulfate-immunodiffusion. To determine the specific CMV subgroup, total RNA was extracted from inoculated leaves of C. quinoa using the Total Plant RNA Extraction Miniprep System (Viogene, Sunnyvale, CA). A DNA fragment of 940 bp covering the 3′ end of the coat protein gene and C-terminal noncoding region of RNA-3 was amplified using the Cucumovirus-specific primers (3) after reverse transcription (RT)-PCR with AccuPower RT/PCR PreMix Kit (Bioneer, Daejeon, Korea). The product was gel purified by Micro-Elute DNA/Clean Extraction Kit (GeneMark Technology Co., Tainan, Taiwan) and cloned in yT&A Cloning Vector System (Yeastern Biotech Co., Taipei, Taiwan) for sequencing (Mission Biotech Co., Taipei, Taiwan) and the sequence was submitted to GenBank (No. HM015286). Pairwise comparisons of the sequence of CMV-V. marina isolate with corresponding sequences of other CMV isolates revealed the maximum (95 to 96%) nucleotide identities with CMV subgroup IB isolates (strains Nt9 and Tfn) compared with 94 to 95% identities with subgroup IA isolates (strains Y and Fny) or 77 to 78% identities with subgroup II (strains LS and Q). These results suggest that CMV is the causal agent for the mosaic disease of V. marina in Taiwan and the isolate belongs to subgroup I. To our knowledge, this is the first report of V. marina as a natural host of CMV. This strain of CMV with specific pathogenicity could threaten crop production in the coastal zones. In addition, V. marina associated with native coastal vegetation was injured by CMV infection, which might lead to ecological impacts on shoreline fading. References: (1) A. A. Brunt. Surveys for Plant Viruses and Virus Diseases in Solomon Islands. FAO, Rome, 1987. (2) C. Büchen-Osmond, ed. Viruses of Plants in Australia. Retrieved from http://www.ictvdb.rothamsted.ac.uk/Aussi/aussi.htm . September, 2002. (3) S. K. Choi et al. J. Virol. Methods 83:67, 1999. (4) S. H. Hseu et al. Plant Prot. Bull. (Taiwan) 29:233, 1987.
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Li, Jing. "Designating Marine Reserves Is not Just an Ecological Process." Environment and Pollution 5, no. 2 (September 29, 2016): 72. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ep.v5n2p72.
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Marine natural resource and ocean species are endangered because of human activities. In order to avoid marine natural resource depletion and recover marine ecosystem, marine reserves are created. The report will introduce the marine reserve definition and its functions. In addition, the report will describe three main marine reserves in Australia. Moreover, it will explain why designating marine reserves is not an ecological process.
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Rose, T. H., D. A. Smale, and G. Botting. "The 2011 marine heat wave off southwest Australia." Ocean Science Discussions 9, no. 2 (April 16, 2012): 1691–703. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/osd-9-1691-2012.
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Abstract. Over 2000 km of Western Australian coastline experienced a significant marine heat wave in February and March 2011. Seawater temperature anomalies of +2–4 °C were recorded at a number of locations and satellite-derived SSTs were the highest on record. Here, we present seawater temperatures from southwestern Australia and describe, in detail, the marine climatology of Cockburn Sound; a large, multiple-use coastal embayment. We compared temperature and dissolved oxygen levels in 2011 with data from routine monitoring conducted from 2002–2010. A significant warming event, 2–4 °C in magnitude, persisted for >8 weeks, and seawater temperatures at 10 to 20 m depth were significantly higher than those recorded in the previous 9 yr. Dissolved oxygen levels were depressed at most monitoring sites, being ~2 mg l−1 lower than usual in early March 2011. Ecological responses to short-term extreme events are poorly understood, but evidence from elsewhere along the Western Australian coastline suggests that the heat wave was associated with high rates of coral bleaching, fish, invertebrate and macroalgae mortalities, and algal blooms. However, more ecological information from Cockburn Sound and other multiple-use embayments is urgently needed. The 2011 heat wave provided insights into conditions that may become more prevalent in Cockburn Sound, and elsewhere, if the intensity and frequency of short-term extreme events increases as predicted.
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Kajtar, Jules B., Neil J. Holbrook, and Vanessa Hernaman. "A catalogue of marine heatwave metrics and trends for the Australian region." Journal of Southern Hemisphere Earth Systems Science 71, no. 3 (2021): 284. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/es21014.
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Marine heatwaves around Australia, and globally, have been increasing in their frequency, intensity, and duration. This study reviews and catalogues marine heatwave metrics and trends around Australia since 1982, from near the beginning of the satellite sea-surface temperature observing period. The years in which the longest and strongest marine heatwaves around Australia occurred are also recorded. In addition, we analyse marine heatwaves in selected case study regions, and provide a short review of their associated impacts. These regions include: off the Western Australian coast, Torres Strait, Great Barrier Reef, Tasman Sea, and South Australian Basin. Finally, we provide a brief review of progress in understanding the potential predictability of sea surface temperature changes and marine heatwaves around Australia.
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Erbe, Christine, David Peel, Joshua N. Smith, and Renee P. Schoeman. "Marine Acoustic Zones of Australia." Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 9, no. 3 (March 19, 2021): 340. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jmse9030340.
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Underwater sound is modelled and mapped for purposes ranging from localised environmental impact assessments of individual offshore developments to large-scale marine spatial planning. As the area to be modelled increases, so does the computational effort. The effort is more easily handled if broken down into smaller regions that could be modelled separately and their results merged. The goal of our study was to split the Australian maritime Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) into a set of smaller acoustic zones, whereby each zone is characterised by a set of environmental parameters that vary more across than within zones. The environmental parameters chosen reflect the hydroacoustic (e.g., water column sound speed profile), geoacoustic (e.g., sound speeds and absorption coefficients for compressional and shear waves), and bathymetric (i.e., seafloor depth and slope) parameters that directly affect the way in which sound propagates. We present a multivariate Gaussian mixture model, modified to handle input vectors (sound speed profiles) of variable length, and fitted by an expectation-maximization algorithm, that clustered the environmental parameters into 20 maritime acoustic zones corresponding to 28 geographically separated locations. Mean zone parameters and shape files are available for download. The zones may be used to map, for example, underwater sound from commercial shipping within the entire Australian EEZ.
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Teske, Peter R., Jonathan Sandoval-Castillo, Tirupathi Rao Golla, Arsalan Emami-Khoyi, Mbaye Tine, Sophie von der Heyden, and Luciano B. Beheregaray. "Thermal selection as a driver of marine ecological speciation." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 286, no. 1896 (February 6, 2019): 20182023. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.2023.
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Intraspecific genetic structure in widely distributed marine species often mirrors the boundaries between temperature-defined bioregions. This suggests that the same thermal gradients that maintain distinct species assemblages also drive the evolution of new biodiversity. Ecological speciation scenarios are often invoked to explain such patterns, but the fact that adaptation is usually only identified when phylogenetic splits are already evident makes it impossible to rule out the alternative scenario of allopatric speciation with subsequent adaptation. We integrated large-scale genomic and environmental datasets along one of the world's best-defined marine thermal gradients (the South African coastline) to test the hypothesis that incipient ecological speciation is a result of divergence linked to the thermal environment. We identified temperature-associated gene regions in a coastal fish species that is spatially homogeneous throughout several temperature-defined biogeographic regions based on selectively neutral markers. Based on these gene regions, the species is divided into geographically distinct regional populations. Importantly, the ranges of these populations are delimited by the same ecological boundaries that define distinct infraspecific genetic lineages in co-distributed marine species, and biogeographic disjunctions in species assemblages. Our results indicate that temperature-mediated selection represents an early stage of marine ecological speciation in coastal regions that lack physical dispersal barriers.
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Melbourne-Thomas, Jessica, Andrew J. Constable, Elizabeth A. Fulton, Stuart P. Corney, Rowan Trebilco, Alistair J. Hobday, Julia L. Blanchard, et al. "Integrated modelling to support decision-making for marine social–ecological systems in Australia." ICES Journal of Marine Science 74, no. 9 (May 26, 2017): 2298–308. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsx078.
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Abstract Policy- and decision-makers require assessments of status and trends for marine species, habitats, and ecosystems to understand if human activities in the marine environment are sustainable, particularly in the face of global change. Central to many assessments are statistical and dynamical models of populations, communities, ecosystems, and their socioeconomic systems and management frameworks. The establishment of a national system that could facilitate the development of such model-based assessments has been identified as a priority for addressing management challenges for Australia’s marine environment. Given that most assessments require cross-scale information, individual models cannot capture all of the spatial, temporal, biological, and socioeconomic scales that are typically needed. Coupling or integrating models across scales and domains can expand the scope for developing comprehensive and internally consistent, system-level assessments, including higher-level feedbacks in social–ecological systems. In this article, we summarize: (i) integrated modelling for marine systems currently being undertaken in Australia, (ii) methods used for integration and comparison of models, and (iii) improvements to facilitate further integration, particularly with respect to standards and specifications. We consider future needs for integrated modelling of marine social–ecological systems in Australia and provide a set of recommendations for priority focus areas in the development of a national approach to integrated modelling. These recommendations draw on—and have broader relevance for—international efforts around integrated modelling to inform decision-making for marine systems.
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Holgate, C. M., J. P. Evans, A. I. J. M. van Dijk, A. J. Pitman, and G. Di Virgilio. "Australian Precipitation Recycling and Evaporative Source Regions." Journal of Climate 33, no. 20 (October 15, 2020): 8721–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/jcli-d-19-0926.1.
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AbstractThe relative importance of atmospheric advection and local land–atmosphere coupling to Australian precipitation is uncertain. Identifying the evaporative source regions and level of precipitation recycling can help quantify the importance of local and remote marine and terrestrial moisture to precipitation within the different hydroclimates across Australia. Using a three-dimensional Lagrangian back-trajectory approach, moisture from precipitation events across Australia during 1979–2013 was tracked to determine the source of moisture (the evaporative origin) and level of precipitation recycling. We show that source regions vary markedly for precipitation falling in different regions. Advected marine moisture was relatively more important than terrestrial contributions for precipitation in all regions and seasons. For Australia as a whole, contributions from precipitation recycling varied from ~11% in winter up to ~21% in summer. The strongest land–atmosphere coupling was in the northwest and southeast where recycled local land evapotranspiration accounted for an average of 9% of warm-season precipitation. Marine contributions to precipitation in the northwest of Australia increased in spring and, coupled with positive evaporation trends in the key source regions, suggest that the observed precipitation increase is the result of intensified evaporation in the Maritime Continent and Indian and Pacific Oceans. Less clear were the processes behind an observed shift in moisture contribution from winter to summer in southeastern Australia. Establishing the climatological source regions and the magnitude of moisture recycling enables future investigation of anomalous precipitation during extreme periods and provides further insight into the processes driving Australia’s variable precipitation.
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Li, Yutong, and Jianyue Ji. "Evaluation of Marine Fisheries Vulnerability in China and Its Spatial Effects: Evidence from Coastal Regions." Agriculture 12, no. 6 (June 3, 2022): 809. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12060809.
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Based on data from 10 coastal regions in China, this study establishes an evaluation index system for marine fisheries using the theoretical framework of the DPSR model. The entropy method is used to calculate the degree of marine fisheries vulnerability in each region of China from 2009 to 2018. The spatial Durbin model (SDM) is also used to analyze the influencing factors and spatial spillover effects of marine fisheries vulnerability from four perspectives of economic efficiency, industrial structure, environmental regulation, and ecological pollution. The results show significant positive direct effects between the economic efficiency, ecological pollution, and vulnerability of marine fisheries. At the same time, there are significant negative effects between the industrial structure, environmental regulation, and vulnerability of marine fisheries. In terms of spatial spillover effects, economic efficiency, environmental regulation, and ecological pollution show positive spatial spillover effects, while the industrial structure shows negative spatial spillover effects. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the sustainable development of marine fisheries in China.
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LIPINA, Svetlana A., and Pavel Yu LAMOV. "Conservation and Evolution of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems: Polar Factor." Arctic and North, no. 45 (December 22, 2021): 209–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.37482/issn2221-2698.2021.45.209.
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The paper presents an analysis of polar ecological policy actors. From this perspective, authors discuss in detail a role of state in conservation and development of marine and coastal ecosystems. Furthermore, they describe a green agenda for polar regions. At last, some ways for creating of ecological policies in the Arctic and the Antarctic regions, most especially on behalf of sea and marginal ecosystems conservation and evolution, are proposed. One of the most vital parts of such policies is staff training. The authors have attempted a comprehensive analysis of the Green Agenda at the global, national and local levels in terms of the effectiveness of its proposed mechanisms for the protection of biodiversity in polar areas. Researchers have also reviewed plans of Russia according to the new set of strategies for Arctic and Antarctic regions, which were adopted in 2020. The ideas proposed by the authors can be used in a real-case scenario both for strategies implementation and for public discussion on the global ecological problems.
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Furlong, Morgan, Andrew Adamu, Roslyn I. Hickson, Paul Horwood, Maryam Golchin, Andrew Hoskins, and Tanya Russell. "Estimating the Distribution of Japanese Encephalitis Vectors in Australia Using Ecological Niche Modelling." Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 7, no. 12 (November 22, 2022): 393. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed7120393.
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Recent Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) outbreaks in southeastern Australia have sparked interest into epidemiological factors surrounding the virus’ novel emergence in this region. Here, the geographic distribution of mosquito species known to be competent JEV vectors in the country was estimated by combining known mosquito occurrences and ecological drivers of distribution to reveal insights into communities at highest risk of infectious disease transmission. Species distribution models predicted that Culex annulirostris and Culex sitiens presence was mostly likely along Australia’s eastern and northern coastline, while Culex quinquefasciatus presence was estimated to be most likely near inland regions of southern Australia as well as coastal regions of Western Australia. While Culex annulirostris is considered the dominant JEV vector in Australia, our ecological niche models emphasise the need for further entomological surveillance and JEV research within Australia.
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Wijayawardene, Nalin N., Don-Qin Dai, Prabath K. Jayasinghe, Sudheera S. Gunasekara, Yuriko Nagano, Saowaluck Tibpromma, Nakarin Suwannarach, and Nattawut Boonyuen. "Ecological and Oceanographic Perspectives in Future Marine Fungal Taxonomy." Journal of Fungi 8, no. 11 (October 28, 2022): 1141. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jof8111141.
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Marine fungi are an ecological rather than a taxonomic group that has been widely researched. Significant progress has been made in documenting their phylogeny, biodiversity, ultrastructure, ecology, physiology, and capacity for degradation of lignocellulosic compounds. This review (concept paper) summarizes the current knowledge of marine fungal diversity and provides an integrated and comprehensive view of their ecological roles in the world’s oceans. Novel terms for ‘semi marine fungi’ and ‘marine fungi’ are proposed based on the existence of fungi in various oceanic environments. The major maritime currents and upwelling that affect species diversity are discussed. This paper also forecasts under-explored regions with a greater diversity of marine taxa based on oceanic currents. The prospects for marine and semi-marine mycology are highlighted, notably, technological developments in culture-independent sequencing approaches for strengthening our present understanding of marine fungi’s ecological roles.
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Bell, James B., Nguyễn Văn Nguyên, Hà Vũ Việt, Minh Hoàng Nguyễn, Hùng Thanh Bùi, Tuân Văn Trâng, Paul McIlwaine, Andrew Kenny, and Bát Khắc Nguyễn. "Identifying marine ecological production units in Vietnam." ICES Journal of Marine Science 78, no. 4 (March 13, 2021): 1241–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsab047.
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Abstract Ecosystem-based management is generally viewed as one of the most promising avenues for addressing the various anthropogenic pressures facing the world’s marine ecosystems. These approaches have been developed to varying degrees by individual countries or international organisations, but there remain a large proportion of marine ecosystems, particularly in developing regions, that have not yet been the subject of such research. In these areas, lack of effective regulation and the often high importance of the marine environment in providing food and economic opportunities, together create conditions where marine resources and habitats come under unsustainable levels of pressure. Here, we present a data-limited assessment approach to discern marine ecological patterns, in this case for the exclusive economic zone of Vietnam. By combining data from environmental and biological surveys from the Vietnamese national survey dataset and local oceanographic models, we have identified a series of 12 candidate ecological production units, delineated by their environmental characteristics, and the key commercial species that exist within them. These units are suggested as a possible foundation for a spatial management structure in the Vietnamese exclusive economic zone including considerations such as placement of marine protected areas, or ecological boundaries of key areas of socio-economic importance.
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Hayward, Bruce W., Maria Holzmann, Jan Pawlowski, Justin H. Parker, Tushar Kaushik, Makoto S. Toyofuku, and Masashi Tsuchiya. "Molecular and morphological taxonomy of living Ammonia and related taxa (Foraminifera) and their biogeography." Micropaleontology 67, no. 2-3 (2021): 109–274. http://dx.doi.org/10.47894/mpal.67.3.01.
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Globally, one of the two most common shallow-marine and estuarine foraminiferal genera is Ammonia. Over the past 50 years, the majority of workers have identified specimens in this genus as belonging to just 1-3 cosmopolitan species - A. beccarii, A. tepida and A. parkinsoniana. This has been partly because of the problems of discriminating the Ammonia species based entirely on shell morphology and partly because of a 1974 laboratory study that claimed to have shown that all morphologies were merely ecophenotypic variants of one species - a conclusion that molecular studies have proven to be unequivocally wrong. In this study we recognize, describe and figure sixty-seven living species and infraspecies of Recent Ammonia and two closely-related genera (Acarotrochus, Pseudoeponides) from around the world and summarize their ecological and biogeographic distribution. Twenty-six species and two subspecies are recognized by DNA sequencing and shown to be morphologically distinguishable. A further 39 morphospecies and one subspecies, that have not yet been sequenced, have sufficiently distinct morphology to be recognized. Canonical variates analysis using 42 measured or assessed morphological characters shows that the majority of these species can be readily discriminated by their test morphologies, although a few of the less-ornamented molecular species are verging on being pseudocryptic. Molecular sequencing of the type species of Challengerella (C. bradyi) and Helenina (H. anderseni) places them within our Ammonia clade. Here we continue to recognize the morphologically highly distinct genera Pseudoeponides (subjective senior synonym of Helenina) and allied Acarotrochus. Twenty new species or subspecies are described (molecular T types in brackets): Ammonia abramovichae (T8), A. akitaae, A. aoteana australiensis (T5A), A. arabica (T26), A. ariakensis quiltyi, A. buzasi (T11), A. fajemilai, A. goldsteinae, A. goodayi, A. haigi (T25), A. hattai, A. jorisseni (T23), A. justinparkeri, A. kitazatoi (T10), A. morleyae (T12), A. shchedrinae, A. turgida almogilabinae (T22M), Acarotrochus lippsi, Pseudoeponides hottingeri and P. dubuissoni. Aneotype is designated for A. veneta (Schultze 1854) (T1). We recognize 67 Ammonia and related taxa in this study but speculate that there may be 30 or more additional living species that we are not yet confident to discriminate without molecular sequencing. Ammonia species live in most parts of the world between 62 degrees N (Faeroe Islands) and 55 degrees S (Strait of Magellan), where seasonal sea-surface temperatures are 4-10 degrees C and above. One estuarine species (A. veneta, T1) is cosmopolitan, euryhaline and eurythermic. Several species are widespread in one or two ocean regions (e.g., Atlantic and Mediterranean; South Pacific), whereas the majority are endemic to smaller areas (e.g., eastern Mediterranean; Caribbean-Gulf of Mexico). Eleven biogeographic "provinces" are recognized by cluster analysis of presence/absence records with the highest diversities in the Australian and northwest Pacific provinces with 18 and 19 species each). Levels of endemism in our "provinces" range between 0 (temperate Atlantic) and 44% (Australian).
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Navarro, Matthew, Atakelty Hailu, Tim Langlois, Karina L. Ryan, Michael Burton, and Marit E. Kragt. "Combining spatial ecology and economics to incorporate recreational fishing into marine spatial planning." ICES Journal of Marine Science 79, no. 1 (December 20, 2021): 147–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsab249.
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Abstract Many researchers have pointed to coastal environments and their use for energy production, aquaculture, and conservation as key to solving profound challenges facing humanity. Navigating this transition in ocean space necessitates tools to quantify impacts on displaced marine users, including recreational fishers. In this study, we present a novel method combining spatial ecological models of recreational catch with fine-scale random utility models of site choice to predict the impacts of site closures on recreational fishing experiences (fisher welfare). We demonstrate our approach by modelling data from over 10 000 fishing trips to fine-scale sites across 1500 km of coastline in the south-west of Australia and simulating the effects of no-take marine reserves recently implemented in the Australian Marine Parks. The results show how the combination of random utility modelling with spatial ecological methods provides a powerful tool for investigating recreational fisheries as joint social-ecological systems and incorporating recreational fishing into marine spatial planning.
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Luo, Xiaochun, Zilong Wang, Liguo Yang, and Lin Lu. "Extension Evaluation of Marine Ecological Carrying Capacity: An Empirical Study Based on the Development of Tropical Marine Island Free Trade Ports in Developing Countries." Tropical Conservation Science 13 (January 2020): 194008292091134. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1940082920911343.
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Today, the global economy presents a leaping economic network centered on coastal areas. Relying on the ocean has become a very important economic development path for many countries and regions. To coordinate and solve the contradiction between the economic development of Hainan Island and the protection of marine ecological environment, this study, based on the matter-element extension evaluation model, examines the marine ecology of Hainan Island considering the construction of a free trade port. This study uses the extension set theory to describe the advantages of the intermediate state and dynamic trend of the transformation of the assessment object to a certain level, to improve the assessment accuracy of marine ecological carrying capacity. The results show that the marine ecological carrying capacity of Hainan Island in 2016 to 2018 is relatively stable, at the transformation grade of N3, indicating that the marine ecology of Hainan Island is in a medium bearing, sub health state. Focusing on protecting marine ecology, developing a modern service industry, and developing high-tech industry can be effective in improving the ecological carrying capacity of Hainan Island.
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Massana, Ramon, Jose Castresana, Vanessa Balagu�, Laure Guillou, Khadidja Romari, Agn�s Groisillier, Klaus Valentin, and Carlos Pedr�s-Ali�. "Phylogenetic and Ecological Analysis of Novel Marine Stramenopiles." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 70, no. 6 (June 2004): 3528–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.70.6.3528-3534.2004.
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ABSTRACT Culture-independent molecular analyses of open-sea microorganisms have revealed the existence and apparent abundance of novel eukaryotic lineages, opening new avenues for phylogenetic, evolutionary, and ecological research. Novel marine stramenopiles, identified by 18S ribosomal DNA sequences within the basal part of the stramenopile radiation but unrelated to any previously known group, constituted one of the most important novel lineages in these open-sea samples. Here we carry out a comparative analysis of novel stramenopiles, including new sequences from coastal genetic libraries presented here and sequences from recent reports from the open ocean and marine anoxic sites. Novel stramenopiles were found in all major habitats, generally accounting for a significant proportion of clones in genetic libraries. Phylogenetic analyses indicated the existence of 12 independent clusters. Some of these were restricted to anoxic or deep-sea environments, but the majority were typical components of coastal and open-sea waters. We specifically identified four clusters that were well represented in most marine surface waters (together they accounted for 74% of the novel stramenopile clones) and are the obvious targets for future research. Many sequences were retrieved from geographically distant regions, indicating that some organisms were cosmopolitan. Our study expands our knowledge on the phylogenetic diversity and distribution of novel marine stramenopiles and confirms that they are fundamental members of the marine eukaryotic picoplankton.
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Johnson, Teresa, Kate Beard, Damian Brady, Carrie Byron, Caitlin Cleaver, Kevin Duffy, Nicholas Keeney, et al. "A Social-Ecological System Framework for Marine Aquaculture Research." Sustainability 11, no. 9 (April 30, 2019): 2522. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11092522.
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Aquaculture has been responsible for an impressive growth in the global supply of seafood. As of 2016, more than half of all global seafood production comes from aquaculture. To meet future global seafood demands, there is need and opportunity to expand marine aquaculture production in ways that are both socially and ecologically sustainable. This requires integrating biophysical, social, and engineering sciences. Such interdisciplinary research is difficult due to the complexity and multi-scale aspects of marine aquaculture and inherent challenges researchers face working across disciplines. To this end, we developed a framework based on Elinor Ostrom’s social–ecological system framework (SESF) to guide interdisciplinary research on marine aquaculture. We first present the framework and the social–ecological system variables relevant to research on marine aquaculture and then illustrate one application of this framework to interdisciplinary research underway in Maine, the largest producer of marine aquaculture products in the United States. We use the framework to compare oyster aquaculture in two study regions, with a focus on factors influencing the social and biophysical carrying capacity. We conclude that the flexibility provided by the SESF is well suited to inform interdisciplinary research on marine aquaculture, especially comparative, cross-case analysis.
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Rouse, Sally, Jennifer Loxton, Mary E. Spencer Jones, and Joanne S. Porter. "A checklist of marine bryozoan taxa in Scottish sea regions." ZooKeys 787 (October 3, 2018): 135–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.787.24647.
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Contemporary and historical bryozoan records were compiled to provide a comprehensive checklist of species in Scottish waters. The checklist comprises 218 species in 58 families, with representatives from each of the extant bryozoan orders. The fauna was relatively sparse compared to other regions for which bryozoan checklists were available e.g. New Zealand and Australia. Six non-indigenous bryozoan species from the Scottish seas region were included in the checklist. Baseline information on species distributions, such as that presented in this checklist, can be used to monitor and manage the impact of human activities on the marine environment, and ultimately preserve marine biodiversity.
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Przeslawski, Rachel, Christopher J. Glasby, and Scott Nichol. "Polychaetes (Annelida) of the Oceanic Shoals region, northern Australia: considering small macrofauna in marine management." Marine and Freshwater Research 70, no. 3 (2019): 307. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf18060.
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Northern Australia has been the focus of recent marine biodiversity research to support natural resource management for both industry and conservation, including management of the Oceanic Shoals Australian Marine Park (AMP). Much of this research has targeted habitat-forming sessile invertebrates and charismatic megafauna, but smaller macrofauna and infauna may also be important because of their roles in ecosystem functions. In this study we characterised the biodiversity of polychaetes collected from four marine surveys to the Oceanic Shoals AMP between 2009 and 2012 from which sediment samples were elutriated (500μm) to separate macrofauna. We used this species-level inventory to examine several questions related to marine management, namely: (1) do polychaete assemblages vary among surveys; (2) can environmental variables or geomorphology explain differences in community structure; and (3) how do ecological patterns change according to taxonomic resolution (species, family) and functional group (feeding, habitat, mobility)? A total of 2561 individual polychaetes were collected from 266 samples, representing 368 species and 43 families, including new species and genera, as well as new family records for Australia (Iospilidae, Lacydoniidae). Polychaete species assemblages and functional groups showed variation among the surveys, but this was not observed at the family level. Species and family assemblages were weakly related to environmental factors, but functional groups showed stronger relationships. Plains and banks each supported distinct polychaete assemblages, although the latter showed temporal variation. The results provide baseline biodiversity and ecological data about polychaetes on the northern Australian shelf, and these are discussed in relation to marine management strategies. Notably, intersurvey and environmental patterns differ from those of larger sessile fauna (sponges) collected on the same surveys, highlighting the need to consider small macrofauna in monitoring programs of marine protected areas.
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Cheung, William W. L., Jessica J. Meeuwig, Ming Feng, Euan Harvey, Vicky W. Y. Lam, Tim Langlois, Dirk Slawinski, Chaojiao Sun, and Daniel Pauly. "Climate-change induced tropicalisation of marine communities in Western Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 63, no. 5 (2012): 415. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf11205.
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A major observed and predicted impact of climate change on marine species is the poleward shift in their distributions and the resulting changes in community structure. Here, we used a Dynamic Bioclimate Envelope Model to project range shift of exploited marine fishes and invertebrates in Western Australia. We combined published data and expert knowledge to predict current species distributions for 30 tropical, sub-tropical and temperate species that occur along the coast of Western Australia. Using outputs from both a Regional Oceanographic Model and a Global Circulation Model, we simulated change in the distribution of each species. Our study shows that under the SRES (Special Report for Emission Scenarios) A1B scenario, the median rate of distribution shift is around 19 km decade–1 towards higher latitudes and 9 m deeper decade–1 by 2055 relative to 2005. As a result, species gains and losses are expected along the south coast and north coast of Western Australia, respectively. Also, the coast of Western Australia is expected to experience a ‘tropicalisation’ of the marine community in the future, with increasing dominance of warmer-water species. Such changes in species assemblages may have large ecological and socio-economic implications through shifts in fishing grounds and unexpected trophic effects.
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Xu, Sh, Y. Gao, F. Li, H. Cheng, and Q. Liu. "Spatial distinction analysis on marine ranch development potential in coastal areas of China." IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 895, no. 1 (November 1, 2021): 012042. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/895/1/012042.
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Abstract According to the 14th Five-Year Plan and the outline of 2035 long-term goals, a modern marine industrial system should be built, the layout of green offshore aquaculture should be optimized, and marine ranching should be built. The research on the construction of marine ranching can provide new ideas for sustainable ecological fishery and inject new vitality into the development of marine industry. In the future, the construction of marine ranching will be a vast world. In this paper, from the perspective of geography, the GC-TOPSIS method combined with the entropy weight TOPSIS method and the grey correlation method were used to construct 22 evaluation index systems to estimate the development potential of marine ranching construction in ten coastal provinces and municipalities of China from 2011 to 2016. The results showed that the overall development potential of marine ranching in ten provinces and urban areas had regional differences (north, central and south), and the differences in the north and south regions were obvious. The regional differences in the central coastal areas of China were not significant, and the development potentials of marine ranching in ten provinces and urban areas were all medium. The development potential of four criteria layers of marine ranching in ten coastal provinces and regions of China is different in space, and the development potential of marine ranching in the same region is unbalanced in all aspects of the criteria layers. To estimate the development potential of marine ranching in China’s ten coastal provinces and regions provides scientific support for the sustainable development of ecological fisheries, and has practical application value for the scientific planning of marine ranching and the selection of demonstration areas.
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Rose, T. H., D. A. Smale, and G. Botting. "The 2011 marine heat wave in Cockburn Sound, southwest Australia." Ocean Science 8, no. 4 (July 27, 2012): 545–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/os-8-545-2012.
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Abstract. Over 2000 km of Western Australian coastline experienced a significant marine heat wave in February and March 2011. Seawater temperature anomalies of +2–4 °C were recorded at a number of locations, and satellite-derived SSTs (sea surface temperatures) were the highest on record. Here, we present seawater temperatures from southwestern Australia and describe, in detail, the marine climatology of Cockburn Sound, a large, multiple-use coastal embayment. We compared temperature and dissolved oxygen levels in 2011 with data from routine monitoring conducted from 2002–2010. A significant warming event, 2–4 °C in magnitude, persisted for > 8 weeks, and seawater temperatures at 10 to 20 m depth were significantly higher than those recorded in the previous 9 yr. Dissolved oxygen levels were depressed at most monitoring sites, being ~ 2 mg l−1 lower than usual in early March 2011. Ecological responses to short-term extreme events are poorly understood, but evidence from elsewhere along the Western Australian coastline suggests that the heat wave was associated with high rates of coral bleaching; fish, invertebrate and macroalgae mortalities; and algal blooms. However, there is a paucity of historical information on ecologically-sensitive habitats and taxa in Cockburn Sound, so that formal examinations of biological responses to the heat wave were not possible. The 2011 heat wave provided insights into conditions that may become more prevalent in Cockburn Sound, and elsewhere, if the intensity and frequency of short-term extreme events increases as predicted.
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Phillips, J. A., C. Conacher, and J. Horrocks. "Marine macroalgae from the Gulf of Carpentaria, tropical northern Australia." Australian Systematic Botany 12, no. 3 (1999): 449. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sb98010.
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Over the last two decades, CSIRO surveys of the seagrass communities in the south-western Gulf of Carpentaria and at Groote Eylandt, the Northern Territory, have provided opportunities for the collection of marine macroalgae from this poorly explored, remote region. Although the cruises did not concentrate on macroalgal communities which typically grow on rocky substrates, 64 specific and subspecific taxa of marine Chlorophyta, Phaeophyceae and Rhodophyta were collected, including 30 species newly recorded for the Gulf. The majority of Gulf species also occur on the tropical eastern Australian coast. One hundred and thirteen macroalgal taxa are now known to occur in the Gulf of Carpentaria, the number from the present study supplemented by collections from the 1948 Arnhem Land Expedition and from an ethnobiological study on Groote Eylandt during the 1970s. Twelve species are recorded by all three Gulf studies and 23 species are reported by two studies. The relatively low number of species common to more than one study is thought to result from each study's narrow sampling window which fails to adequately document the considerable spatial and temporal variability of macroalgal species. Accordingly, the number of species presently recorded for the Gulf is considered to be an underestimate of macroalgal biodiversity for the region. It is clear that further detailed taxonomic and ecological investigations are urgently required before the full extent of macroalgal biodiversity in tropical Australia can be appreciated.
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Liceaga-Correa, María de los Angeles, Abigail Uribe-Martínez, and Eduardo Cuevas. "Ecological Vulnerability of Adult Female Marine Turtles as Indicators of Opportunities for Regional Socioecosystem Management in the Southern Gulf of Mexico." Sustainability 14, no. 1 (December 24, 2021): 184. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su14010184.
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Planning for marine ecosystems management demands spatially explicit information about structural and functional components, in a tradeoff between including the most taxa and keeping it functional. Sentinel, umbrella, and surrogate taxa are strategic for developing indexes that account for other associated species and contribute to a sustainable administration of our seas. Marine turtles feature the former species descriptions, and the knowledge on their ecology contributes to design conservation and restoration strategies in regions they occupy, such as the Gulf of Mexico. Several administrative tools exist to govern marine territories for biodiversity conservation, and assessing how these tools interact with the ecological vulnerability of endangered species is crucial for improving public policies. We assessed the spatial interactions among ecological sensitivity, vulnerability, and the potential impacts on four marine turtle species in the southern Gulf of Mexico and northwestern Caribbean Sea with territorial management tools (natural protected areas, marine priority sites, and ecoregions). A small percentage of the most vulnerable areas is inside natural protected areas, while marine priority sites include a higher percentage. We identified spatial covering gaps that need to be addressed to ensure the conservation and recovery of these endangered species in the Gulf of Mexico and proposed key regions for maximizing territorial conservation.
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TAKEUCHI, Kazuhiko, and Hiroo OHMORI. "VEGETATION-ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF “DESERTIFICATION” IN THE SEMI-ARID REGIONS OF AUSTRALIA." Geographical Review of Japa,. Ser. A, Chirigaku Hyoron 61, no. 2 (1988): 124–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.4157/grj1984a.61.2_124.
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Boucher, Guy, and P. John D. Lambshead. "Ecological Biodiversity of Marine Nematodes in Samples from Temperate, Tropical, and Deep-Sea Regions." Conservation Biology 9, no. 6 (December 1995): 1594–604. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1523-1739.1995.09061594.x.
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Corbett, Bobbie, Leslie Angus Jackson, Timothy Evans, and Simon Restall. "COMPARISON OF GEOSYNTHETIC MATERIALS AS SUBSTRATES ON COASTAL STRUCTURES – GOLD COAST (AUSTRALIA) AND ARABIAN GULF." Coastal Engineering Proceedings 1, no. 32 (January 25, 2011): 69. http://dx.doi.org/10.9753/icce.v32.structures.69.
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Coastal structures should be designed to minimize the risks to beach users and avoid negative impacts on the marine environment. Past experience with sand-filled geotextile containers in the marine environment (i.e. submerged) shows that they provide a permeable substrate that supports a diverse range of marine growth which differs from that found on conventional “hard” structures. To quantify the potential benefits, comparative trials between different geosynthetics at different depths have been undertaken in both in the hot high salinity waters of the Arabian Gulf [UAE] and in the sub-tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean [Gold Coast, Australia]. Results indicated that high strength non-woven type geosynthetics are most suitable for structures which are intended to provide ecological / recreational benefits as they provide higher diversity and less hard growths which are not as user-friendly.
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Przeslawski, Rachel, Matthew A. McArthur, and Tara J. Anderson. "Infaunal biodiversity patterns from Carnarvon Shelf (Ningaloo Reef), Western Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 64, no. 6 (2013): 573. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf12240.
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Infauna are important in many ecological processes but have been rarely considered in biodiversity assessments of coral reefs and surrounding areas. We surveyed infaunal assemblages and associated environmental factors (depth, seabed reflectance, sediment characteristics) in three areas (Mandu, Point Cloates, Gnaraloo) along the Carnarvon Shelf, Western Australia. This region supports Ningaloo Reef, a relatively pristine coral reef protected by the Ningaloo Marine Park and a Commonwealth marine reserve. Macrofauna were sampled with a Smith-McIntyre grab and sieved through 500 µm. A total of 423 species and 4036 individuals was recorded from 145 grabs, with infauna accounting for 67% of species and 78% of individuals. Rare species (≤2 individuals per species) represented 42% of the total assemblage. Assemblages were significantly different among all three areas, with the most distinct recorded from the southern-most area (Gnaraloo). Although assemblages varied significantly with depth and sediment composition (mud and gravel), these relationships were weak. Results from the current study broadly quantify macrofaunal diversity in the region and identify potential spatial and environmental patterns which will help inform future marine management plans, including the provision of baseline information to assess the efficacy of protected areas in soft-sediment habitats adjacent to coral reefs.
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Johnson, Johanna E., and Neil J. Holbrook. "Adaptation of Australia’s Marine Ecosystems to Climate Change: Using Science to Inform Conservation Management." International Journal of Ecology 2014 (2014): 1–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/140354.
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The challenges that climate change poses for marine ecosystems are already manifesting in impacts at the species, population, and community levels in Australia, particularly in Tasmania and tropical northern Australia. Many species and habitats are already under threat as a result of human activities, and the additional pressure from climate change significantly increases the challenge for marine conservation and management. Climate change impacts are expected to magnify as sea surface temperatures, ocean chemistry, ocean circulation, sea level, rainfall, and storm patterns continue to change this century. In particular, keystone species that form the foundation of marine habitats, such as coral reefs, kelp beds, and temperate rocky reefs, are projected to pass thresholds with subsequent implications for communities and ecosystems. This review synthesises recent science in this field: the observed impacts and responses of marine ecosystems to climate change, ecological thresholds of change, and strategies for marine conservation to promote adaptation. Increasing observations of climate-related impacts on Australia’s marine ecosystems—both temperate and tropical—are making adaptive management more important than ever before. Our increased understanding of the impacts and responses of marine ecosystems to climate change provides a focus for “no-regrets” adaptations that can be implemented now and refined as knowledge improves.
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Harriott, Vicki J., Simon A. Banks, Roland L. Mau, Darren Richardson, and Lisa G. Roberts. "Ecological and conservation significance of the subtidal rocky reef communities of northern New South Wales, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 50, no. 4 (1999): 299. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf98042.
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The subtropical rocky reefs of Cook Island, Julian Rocks and the South West Rocks area form part of a chain of islands and reefs with significant coral cover from the Queensland border (28˚S) to the southern extent of extensive coral communities in coastal Australia (31˚S). Benthic communities at 18 subtidal sites at the three localities were surveyed quantitatively by video-transects, and coral species lists were compiled. Twenty-eight coral species previously unrecorded for these localities were identified, increasing the species richness of hermatypic corals reported for the northern NSW region (excluding the Solitary Islands) from 14 to 43. Coral species richness declined with latitude. Benthic communities were generally dominated by turfing and macroalgal species, with Pyura, sponges, and barnacles locally abundant. Scleractinian coral cover ranged from 0% to 42.6% per site, with highest coral cover at the most southern site. Julian Rocks is a designated Aquatic Reserve, and Marine Parks have been suggested for all three localities. Selection of Marine Protected Areas requires information on their ecological significance. These surveys report the first quantitative information on the shallow- water, rocky-reef communities in the region, which is a vital step in assessing their ecological significance.
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Morales, Hernán E., Rui Faria, Kerstin Johannesson, Tomas Larsson, Marina Panova, Anja M. Westram, and Roger K. Butlin. "Genomic architecture of parallel ecological divergence: Beyond a single environmental contrast." Science Advances 5, no. 12 (December 2019): eaav9963. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aav9963.
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The study of parallel ecological divergence provides important clues to the operation of natural selection. Parallel divergence often occurs in heterogeneous environments with different kinds of environmental gradients in different locations, but the genomic basis underlying this process is unknown. We investigated the genomics of rapid parallel adaptation in the marine snail Littorina saxatilis in response to two independent environmental axes (crab-predation versus wave-action and low-shore versus high-shore). Using pooled whole-genome resequencing, we show that sharing of genomic regions of high differentiation between environments is generally low but increases at smaller spatial scales. We identify different shared genomic regions of divergence for each environmental axis and show that most of these regions overlap with candidate chromosomal inversions. Several inversion regions are divergent and polymorphic across many localities. We argue that chromosomal inversions could store shared variation that fuels rapid parallel adaptation to heterogeneous environments, possibly as balanced polymorphism shared by adaptive gene flow.
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Tompkins, Paul, and Matthias Wolff. "Galápagos macroalgae: A review of the state of ecological knowledge." Revista de Biología Tropical 65, no. 1 (September 23, 2016): 375. http://dx.doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v65i1.18139.
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Previous work has highlighted the critical role of macroalgal productivity and dynamics in supporting and structuring marine food webs. Spatio-temporal variability in macroalgae can alter coastal ecosystems, a relationship particularly visible along upwelling-influenced coastlines. As a result of its equatorial location and nutrient rich, upwelling-influenced waters, the Galápagos Archipelago in the East Pacific, hosts a productive and biodiverse marine ecosystem. Reports and collections of macroalgae date back to the Beagle voyage, and since then, more than three hundred species have been reported. However, their ecology and functional role in the ecosystem is not well understood. According to various disparate and in part anecdotal sources of information, abundant and diverse communities exist in the Western regions of the archipelago, the North is essentially barren, and in the central/South abundance and distribution is variable and less well defined. Both oceanographic conditions and herbivore influence have been theorized to cause this pattern. Extensive changes in macroalgal productivity and community composition have occurred during strong ENSO events, and subsequent declines in marine iguana (an endemic and iconic grazer) populations have been linked to these changes. Iguanas are only one species of a diverse and abundant group of marine grazers in the system, highlighting the potentially important role of macroalgal productivity in the marine food web. This review represents a first compilation and discussion of the available literature and presents topics for future research.