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123 results for “benthic community”
Data from: Competition in slow motion: the unusual case of benthic marine communities in the wake of the end-Permian mass extinction
Changes of community structure in response to competition usually take place on timescales that are much too short to be visible in the geological record. Here we report the notable exception of a benthic marine community in the wake of the end-Permian mass extinction, which is associated with the microbial limestone facies of the earliest Triassic of South China. The newly reported fauna is well preserved and extraordinarily rich (30 benthic macroinvertebrate species, including the new species Astartella? stefaniae (Bivalvia) and Eucochlis obliquecostata (Gastropoda)) and stems from an environmentally stable setting providing favourable conditions for benthic organisms. Whereas changes in the taxonomic composition are negligible over the observed time interval of 10–100 ka, three ecological stages are identified, in which relative abundances of initially rare species continuously increased at the cost of previously dominant species. Concomitant with the changes of dominant species is an increase in faunal evenness and heterogeneity. In the absence of both environmental and taxonomic changes, we attribute this pattern to the long-term effects of interspecific competition, which acted at an unusually slow pace because the number of competing species and potential immigrants was dramatically reduced by the end-Permian mass extinction. We suggest that these non-actualistic conditions led to decreased rates of niche differentiation and hence to the delayed rediversification of benthos that characterizes the aftermath of the greatest Phanerozoic mass extinction event. A hyperbolic diversification model is proposed, which accounts for the positive relationship between the intensity of interspecific competition and the rate of niche differentiation and resolves the conundrum of delayed rediversification at a time when niche space was largely vacated.
Data from: Climatic forcing of Quaternary deep-sea benthic communities in the North Pacific Ocean
There is a growing evidence that changes in deep-sea benthic ecosystems are modulated by climate changes, but most evidence to date comes from the North Atlantic Ocean. Here we analyze new ostracod and published foraminiferal records for the last 250,000 years on Shatsky Rise in the North Pacific Ocean. Using linear models, we evaluate statistically the ability of environmental drivers (temperature, productivity, and seasonality of productivity) to predict changes in faunal diversity, abundance and composition. These microfossil data show glacial-interglacial shifts in overall abundances and species diversities that are low during glacial intervals and high during interglacials. These patterns replicate those previously documented in the North Atlantic Ocean, suggesting that the climatic forcing of the deep-sea ecosystem is widespread, and possibly global in nature. However, these results also reveal differences with prior studies that probably reflect the isolated nature of Shatsky Rise as a remote oceanic plateau. Ostracod assemblages on Shatsky Rise are highly endemic but of low diversity, consistent with the limited dispersal potential of these animals. Benthic foraminifera, by contrast, have much greater dispersal ability and their assemblages at Shatsky Rise show diversities typical for deep-sea faunas in other regions. Statistical analyses also reveal ostracod–foraminferal differences in relationships between environmental drivers and biotic change. Rarefied diversity is best explained as a hump-shaped function of surface productivity in ostracods, but as having a weak and positive relationship with temperature in foraminifera. Abundance shows a positive relationship with both productivity and seasonality of productivity in foraminifera, and a hump-shaped relationship in ostracods. Finally, species composition in ostracods is influenced by both temperature and productivity, but only a temperature effect is evident in foraminifera. Though complex in detail, the global-scale link between deep-sea ecosystems and Quaternary climate changes underscores the interaction between the physical and biological components of paleoceanographical research to better understand the history of the biosphere.
Food sources of benthic communities at the Caiwei Guyot and Yap Trench, northwestern Pacific Ocean: inferences from carbon and nitrogen isotopes
<p>To investigate nutritional resources for benthic communities at two sites in the northwestern Pacific Ocean (the Caiwei Guyot and the Yap Trench), stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen (δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>15</sup>N) were measured in the tissues of megabenthic consumers (Porifera, Asteroidea, Crinoidea, Holothuroidea, Ophiuroidea, Gammaridea, and Actiniaria) as well as four potential food sources (suspended particles, sinking particles, zooplankton, and sedimentary organic matter, SOM). Fast-sinking particles are generally thought to be the primary food source for benthic consumers, but that paradigm does not seem to apply at these abyssal sites. Here, the δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>15</sup>N signatures of fast-sinking particles (as collected by sediment traps; δ<sup>13</sup>C = −24.1 to −22.6‰, δ<sup>15</sup>N = 1.4 to 5.4‰) were significantly lower than those of the megabenthos (δ<sup>13</sup>C = −20.1 to −16.1‰, δ<sup>15</sup>N = 10.2 to 17.9‰), indicating that these particles are not likely a direct food source for the animals. Buoyant particles (and slow-sinking particles), on the other hand, seem to be a significant direct food source for the megabenthos. Sedimentary organic matter and zooplankton are also important direct food sources. Trophic level analysis similarly indicates a diversity of food sources and suggests that for at least some animals, microbes (e.g., bacteria) may be a food source as well.</p>
Data from: Trophic interactions of fish communities at midwater depths enhance long-term carbon storage and benthic production on continental slopes
Biological transfer of nutrients and materials between linked ecosystems influences global carbon budgets and ecosystem structure and function. Identifying the organisms or functional groups that are responsible for nutrient transfer, and quantifying their influence on ecosystem structure and carbon capture is an essential step for informed management of ecosystems in physically distant, but ecologically linked areas. Here, we combine natural abundance stable isotope tracers and survey data to show that mid-water and bentho-pelagic-feeding demersal fishes play an important role in the ocean carbon cycle, bypassing the detrital particle flux and transferring carbon to deep long-term storage. Global peaks in biomass and diversity of fishes at mid-slope depths are explained by competitive release of the demersal fish predators of mid-water organisms, which in turn support benthic fish production. Over 50% of the biomass of the demersal fish community at depths between 500 and 1800 m is supported by biological rather than detrital nutrient flux processes, and we estimate that bentho-pelagic fishes from the UK–Irish continental slope capture and store a volume of carbon equivalent to over 1 million tonnes of CO2 every year.
Data from: Environmental monitoring through protist NGS metabarcoding: assessing the impact of fish farming on benthic foraminifera communities
The measurement of species diversity represents a powerful tool for assessing the impacts of human activities on marine ecosystems. Traditionally, the impact of fish farming on the coastal environment is evaluated by monitoring the dynamics of macrobenthic infaunal populations. However, taxonomic sorting and morphology-based identification of the macrobenthos demands highly trained specialists and is extremely time-consuming and costly, what makes it unsuitable for large-scale biomonitoring efforts involving numerous samples. Here, we propose to alleviate this laborious task by developing protist metabarcoding tools based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) of environmental DNA and RNA extracted from sediment samples. In this study, we analysed the response of benthic foraminiferal communities to the variation of environmental gradients associated with salmon farms in Scotland. We investigated the foraminiferal diversity based on ribosomal minibarcode sequences generated by the Illumina NGS technology. We compared the molecular data with morphospecies counts and with environmental gradients, including distance to cages and Redox used as a proxy for sediment oxygenation. Our study revealed high variations between foraminiferal communities collected in the vicinity of fish farms and at distant locations. We found evidence for alpha diversity loss in strongly impacted sites, especially visible in the RNA data. We also detected some candidate bioindicator foraminiferal species. Based on this proof-of-concept study, we conclude that NGS metabarcoding using foraminifera and other protists has considerable potential to become a new tool for surveying the impact of aquaculture and other industrial activities in the marine environment.
Data from: Acknowledging differences: number, characteristics, and distribution of marine benthic communities along Taiwan coast
Our knowledge of the ability of coral reefs to face contemporary challenges disregards the wide variety of benthic communities (BCs) that could be associated with contrasted dynamics when facing stressors. Accordingly, this study investigates the number, characteristics, and distribution of BCs responsible for the development of coastal three‐dimensional structures in Taiwan. A total of 89 transects among three regions (north, east, and south) and two depths (−10 and −40 m) were characterized using a morpho‐functional categorization of benthic organisms. Using an unsupervised learning algorithm, k‐means cluster, an optimal number of k groups were identified among transects in order to minimize total intra‐group variance and represent a first level of organization, mirroring the number of BCs. Each BC was then described into prevailing categories and typified by an association with significant indicator groups. Their distributions were further examined and tested among regions and depths. Seven BCs were identified as having different composition and indicator categories. Their distributions suggest that, while sea surface temperature and light regime may be associated with a panel of available BCs, local conditions may have the final say on whether a BC eventually thrives at a given location. Overall, this study proposes an innovative and simple analytical framework for acknowledging differences among BCs. Our results encourage greater consideration of these shades in coral reef ecology studies, as they could conceal a variety of roles and dynamics important for the conservation of these endangered ecosystems.
Data from: Benthic communities under anthropogenic pressure show resilience across the Quaternary
The Southeast Pacific is characterized by rich upwelling systems that have sustained and been impacted by human groups for at least 12 ka. Recent fishing and aquaculture practices have put a strain on productive coastal ecosystems from Tongoy Bay, in north-central Chile. We use a temporal baseline to determine whether potential changes to community structure and composition over time are due to anthropogenic factors, natural climatic variations or both. We compiled a database (n = 33 194) with mollusc species abundances from the Mid-Pleistocene, Late Pleistocene, Holocene, dead shell assemblages and live-sampled communities. Species richness was not significantly different, neither were diversity and evenness indices nor rank abundance distributions. There is, however, an increase in relative abundance for the cultured scallop Argopecten, while the previously dominant clam Mulinia is locally very rare. Results suggest that impacts from both natural and anthropogenic stressors need to be better understood if benthic resources are to be preserved. These findings provide the first Pleistocene temporal baseline for the south Pacific that shows that this highly productive system has had the ability to recover from past alterations, suggesting that if monitoring and management practices continue to be implemented, moderately exploited communities from today have hopes for recovery.
Data from: Differential drivers of benthic foraminiferal and molluscan community composition from a multivariate record of Early Miocene environmental change
Climate changes are multivariate in nature, and disentangling the proximal drivers of biotic responses to paleoclimate events requires time series of multiple environmental proxies. We reconstruct a multivariate time series of local environmental change for the early Miocene Newport Member of the Astoria Formation (20.26–18 Ma), using proxies for temperature (δ18O), productivity (δ13C), organic carbon flux (Δδ13C), oxygenation (δ15N), and sedimentary grain size (% mud). Our data suggest increases in productivity and declines in oxygenation on the Oregon shelf during this interval of global warming. We evaluate the association of individual environmental factors, and combinations of factors, with changes in faunal composition observed in benthic foraminiferal and molluscan communities collected from the exact same sediments as the environmental data. The δ15N values are the most parsimonious correlates with major changes in foraminiferal composition, whereas molluscan composition is most closely related to δ13C values, suggesting that different components of the environment are influencing each group. When the proxies that have the best supported relationships with the faunal gradients are removed from the analyses to simulate the absence of those proxy data, significant relationships between the faunal gradients and the remaining environmental proxies can still be found. This suggests that environmental drivers can be incorrectly attributed to faunal changes when key proxy data are missing. Paleoecological studies of biotic response that test multiple environmental drivers for multiple taxonomic groups are powerful tools for identifying the ecological consequences of past warming events and the regional drivers of ecological changes.
Data from: How does spatial resolution affect model performance? A case for ensemble approaches for marine benthic mesophotic communities
Aim: To investigate how changing grid size can alter model predictions of the distribution of mesophotic taxa and how it affects different modelling methods. Location: Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia. Taxon: Benthic mesophotic taxa: corals, macroalgae, and sponges. Methods: We determined the distributions of the major benthic taxonomic groups: corals, macroalgae, and sponges, using a number of modelling techniques and an ensemble using the 'sdm' R package. A range of grid sizes were used (10 m, 50 m, 100 m, and 250 m) to identify how model predictions were altered. Models were evaluated using the area under the curve of a receiver operator characteristic plot (AUC) and the true skill statistic (TSS) using a spatially independent dataset. Results: Grid size had a large effect on model performance across the taxonomic groups. Model outputs were compared to null surfaces and 88.8% of models performed significantly better than null. Distribution of corals was best predicted using the finest grid size (10 m) regardless of modelling method, although a model ensemble produced the best results (AUC = 0.80, TSS = 0.52). Macroalgae and sponges were better predicted at coaster grids sizes (250 m). Again, ensembles performed well for both macroalgae (AUC = 0.83, TSS = 0.63) and sponges (AUC = 0.88, TSS = 0.66). Model ensembles maintained high accuracy across grid sizes and were consistently the best, or second-best, performing method. Main Conclusions: This study has shown how grid size should be considered when producing distribution models. Identifying the most relevant grid size and being aware of the influence it may have will provide more accurate predictions of the distributions of taxa. Ensemble methods maintained good performance across scenarios and thus provide a useful tool for conservation and management especially where single modelling methods showed high levels of variability.
Depth and latitudinal diversity gradients in seamount benthic communities of the South Atlantic
Aim <p>Although latitudinal and bathymetric species diversity gradients in the deep sea have been identified and investigated, studies have rarely considered these gradients across seamount and oceanic island ecosystems. This study aimed to identify whether the current understanding of latitudinal and bathymetric gradients in α-diversity (species richness) apply to South Atlantic seamount ecosystems, as well as ascertaining whether identifiable trends were present in seamount β-diversity along a bathymetric gradient.</p> Location <p>The South Atlantic Ocean.</p> Time period <p>2013-2019</p> Major taxa studied <p>Benthic communities.</p> Methods <p>Drop camera images from 39 transects, collected between 250 m and 950 m, were used to characterise species richness from within the Exclusive Economic Zones of Ascension Island, Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha, spanning 8°S to 40°S. We subsequently applied linear modelling to test possible environmental drivers across latitudinal and bathymetric ranges (see transect metadata for variables). An Analysis of Similarity was employed to investigate the beta-diversity gradient, and the level of species turnover with depth.</p> Results <p>Surface primary productivity and substrate hardness both had significant positive effects on species richness, and there was significantly higher species richness at temperate latitudes. No significant relationship between species richness and depth was detected, but there was a significant species turnover with depth.</p> Main conclusions <p>Seamounts and oceanic islands do not conform to established depth-diversity relationships within the depth range studied. However, despite their isolation and small sizes, seamounts and oceanic islands in the South Atlantic appear to follow latitudinal patterns of deep-sea species richness established for specific taxonomic groups in different ecosystems.</p>
Data from: Habitat connectivity and in-stream vegetation control temporal variability of benthic invertebrate communities
One of the key challenges to understanding patterns of β diversity is to disentangle deterministic patterns from stochastic ones. Stochastic processes may mask the influence of deterministic factors on community dynamics, hindering identification of the mechanisms causing variation in community composition. We studied temporal β diversity (among-year dissimilarity) of macroinvertebrate communities in near-pristine boreal streams across 14 years. To assess whether the observed β diversity deviates from that expected by chance, and to identify processes (deterministic vs. stochastic) through which different explanatory factors affect community variability, we used a null model approach. We observed that at the majority of sites temporal β diversity was low indicating high community stability. When stochastic variation was unaccounted for, connectivity was the only variable explaining temporal β diversity, with weakly connected sites exhibiting higher community variability through time. After accounting for stochastic effects, connectivity lost importance, suggesting that it was related to temporal β diversity via random colonization processes. Instead, β diversity was best explained by in-stream vegetation, community variability decreasing with increasing bryophyte cover. These results highlight the potential of stochastic factors to dampen the influence of deterministic processes, affecting our ability to understand and predict changes in biological communities through time.
Data from: Recovery of benthic marine communities from the end-Permian mass extinction at the low-latitudes of Eastern Panthalassa
Based on the quantitative community analysis using species-level identifications, we track the restoration of benthic ecosystems after the end-Permian mass extinction throughout the Lower Triassic of the western USA. New data on the palaeoecology of the Thaynes Group and Sinbad Formation are provided, which fill a gap between the recently studied palaeoecology of the Griesbachian–Dienerian Dinwoody Formation and the Spathian Virgin Formation. In the Sinbad Formation and Thaynes Group, 17 species (12 genera) of bivalves, 7 species and genera of gastropods and 2 species and genera of brachiopods are recognized. The new bivalve genus Confusionella (Pteriidae) is described. A comprehensive review of the whole Lower Triassic succession of benthic ecosystems of the western USA indicates that mid- and inner shelf environments show incipient recovery signals around the Griesbachian–Dienerian transition, during the Smithian and, most profound, during the early Spathian. Ecological data from youngest strata of the Dinwoody Formation as well as stratigraphic ranges of species suggest that the late Dienerian was likely a time interval of environmental stress for benthic ecosystems. Despite some evidence for short-term environmental disturbances (e.g. shift of dominant taxa, transient drop in alpha-diversity) during the Smithian–Spathian transition, benthic ecosystems did not show any notable taxonomic turnover at that time, in contrast to the major crisis that affected ammonoids and conodonts. Whereas alpha-diversity of benthic communities generally increased throughout the Early Triassic, beta-diversity remained low, which reflects a persistently wide environmental range of benthic species. This observation is in accordance with a recently proposed model that predicts a time lag between increasing within-habitat diversity (alpha-diversity) and the onset of taxonomic differentiation between habitats (beta-diversity) during biotic recoveries from mass extinction events. The observation that beta-diversity had not significantly increased during the Early Triassic might also provide an explanation for the comparably sluggish increase in benthic diversity during that time, which has previously been attributed to persistent environmental stress.
Figure 1 in The marine soft-sediment benthic communities of Hong Kong: a comparison of submarine cave and open habitats
Figure 1. Particle-size histograms by proportionate weight of the sediments from eight of the sampling sites, grouped into 1Φ divisions (silt-clay fractions amalgamated).
Figure 2. A in The marine soft-sediment benthic communities of Hong Kong: a comparison of submarine cave and open habitats
Figure 2. A, dendrogram of Bray-Curtis similarity (%) based on square-root-transformed data for the benthic community from each sampling site; B, MDS ordination of the data shown in Figure 2A, with definition of clusters at 20, 30 and 40% from that figure.
Figure 4 in Community properties of benthic molluscs as indicators of environmental stress induced by organic enrichment
Figure 4. MDS plots of Functional Feeding Groups (FFG) where mean abundance of each group is superimposed.
Figure 3 in Community properties of benthic molluscs as indicators of environmental stress induced by organic enrichment
Figure 3. MDS plot (a) and cluster analysis (b) of species abundances highlighting three main groups of areas.
Figure 2 in Community properties of benthic molluscs as indicators of environmental stress induced by organic enrichment
Figure 2. Probability funnels of diversity indices Δ+ (a) and Λ+ (b) for all sampling stations and seasons in the study area.
Figure 1. A in Community properties of benthic molluscs as indicators of environmental stress induced by organic enrichment
Figure 1. A map of the island of Lesvos indicating Gera Gulf, the study area (Palioloutro) where the fish farm unit is located and the sampling sites.
Does experimental seaweed cultivation affect benthic communities and shorebirds? Applications for extensive aquaculture
<p>Extensive seaweed aquaculture is a growing industry expected to expand globally due to its relatively low impact and benefits in the form of ecosystem services. However, seaweeds are ecosystem engineers that may alter coastal environments by creating complex habitats on previously bare mudflats. These changes may scale up to top-consumers, particularly migratory shorebirds, species of conservation concern that regulate trophic webs at these habitats. Understanding how habitats are transformed and how this affects different species is critical to direct ecological applications for commercial seaweed management. We experimentally assessed through a Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) design the potential changes exerted by Gracilaria chilensis farming on bare mudflats on the abundance, biomass, and assemblage structure of benthic macroinvertebrates, and their scaled-up effects on shorebirds' habitat use and prey consumption. Experimental cultivation of G. chilensis significantly affects different components of biodiversity that scale-up from lower to upper trophic levels. The total biomass of benthic macroinvertebrates increased with seaweed cultivation and remained high for at least two months after harvest, boosted by an increase in the median size of polychaetes, particularly Nereids. Tactile-foraging shorebirds tracked these changes at the patch level increasing their abundance and spending more time foraging at seaweed cultivated plots. These results suggest that seaweed farming has the potential to impact shorebird populations by favouring tactile-foraging species which could lead to a competitive disadvantage to species that rely on visual cues. Therefore, the establishment of new seaweed farms in bare mudflats at key sites for shorebirds must be planned warranting habitat heterogeneity (i.e., cultivated and non-cultivated areas) at the landscape level and based on an experimental approach to account for local characteristics. Fostering properly designed extensive seaweed farming over other aquaculture industries with greater negative environmental impacts would provide benefits for human well-being and for ecosystem functions.</p>
Data obtained by systematic review (codified data and meta-data) for: Influence of upwelling on coral reef benthic communities: a systematic review and meta-analysis
<p>Highly competitive coral reef benthic communities are acutely sensitive to changes in environmental parameters such as temperature and nutrient concentrations. Physical oceanographic processes that induce upwelling therefore act as drivers of community structure on tropical reefs. How upwelling impacts coral communities, however, is not fully understood; upwelling may provide a natural buffer against climate impacts and could potentially enhance the efficacy of spatial management and reef conservation efforts. This study employed a systematic review to assess existing literature linking upwelling with reef community structure, and a meta-analysis to quantify upwelling impact on the percentage cover of coral reef benthic groups. We show that upwelling has context-dependant effects on the cover of hard coral and fleshy macroalgae, with effect size and direction varying with depth, region and remoteness. Fleshy macroalgae was found to increase by 110% on inhabited reefs yet decrease by 56% around one well-studied remote island in response to upwelling. Hard coral cover was not significantly impacted by upwelling on inhabited reefs but increased by 150% when direct human pressures were absent. By synthesising existing evidence, this review facilitates adaptive and nuanced reef management which considers the influence of upwelling on reef assemblages.</p>
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