After decades of stressor research in urban estuarine ecosystems the focus is still on single stressors: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis

O’Brien, Allyson L.; Dafforn, Katherine A.; Chariton, Anthony A.; Johnston, Emma L.; Mayer‐Pinto, Mariana

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.131

Cited by 52 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Further, the three drivers can have interactive effects, with potential additional consequences for marine ecosystems (see ‘Overlap, interactions and feedbacks’). Other factors relating to urbanization, such as elevated propagule pressure and invasion risk, can also be particularly intense in coastal cities (Carlton , Ruiz et al , 2000, Mineur et al , but see Tan et al and Wells et al ), however, we discuss these primarily as they relate to one or more of the three drivers presented below.…”

Section: Three Main Drivers Of Marine Urbanizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…seawalls, breakwaters, groynes), as well as facilities associated with ports, docks and marinas. Ocean sprawl is a fundamental and dominant feature of urbanized marine environments (Bulleri and Chapman , Duarte et al , Dafforn et al , Firth et al ) with artificial structures comprising the bulk of shorelines in many coastal cities (Bulleri et al , Todd and Chou , Dafforn et al , Lai et al ) and modifying habitats well into the subtidal zone (Airoldi and Beck , Heery et al , Heery and Sebens , Macura et al ).…”

Section: Three Main Drivers Of Marine Urbanizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the most obvious differences is the slope of hard substrates; while shoreline armoring structures such as seawalls are generally very steep, natural rocky shores tend to be more gently sloping with longer and wider intertidal areas (Gabriele et al , Knott et al , Andersson et al , Chapman and Underwood , Firth et al ). The smaller area of intertidal zone typical of seawalls is probably an important contributor to species loss (Chapman and Underwood , Perkins et al ) as it can lead to greater overlap in the distribution of individuals (Klein et al ) or to superimposed distributions of species that would not normally occur (Lam et al , Loke et al b). Wave impact is also more intense on steep shores (Gaylord , Cuomo et al ), potentially dislodging intertidal organisms and/or impeding their settlement (Blockley and Chapman , Iveša et al ).…”

Section: Three Main Drivers Of Marine Urbanizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dispersal limitation can therefore also interact with local stressors and abiotic conditions to result in compositionally very different assemblages across patches of hard substrata (Bulleri and Chapman , Munari ). This may be accentuated where urban habitat conversion has significantly altered hydrodynamic patterns, created other additional barriers to dispersal and subsequent settlement (Bishop et al ) or changed the configuration of habitats at the landscape scale (Loke et al c).…”

Section: Key Ecological Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They also lead to nearshore development, usually starting with a harbour, but also including hard coastal defences to reduce erosion of valuable land, whether it be pre‐existing or reclaimed (Charlier et al , Lotze et al , Tian et al ). These artificial structures have significant effects on the ecology of shorelines, especially when entire habitats are replaced with novel materials such as concrete and granite (Firth et al , Dyson and Yocom , Loke et al a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Towards an urban marine ecology: characterizing the drivers, patterns and processes of marine ecosystems in coastal cities

Todd

Heery

Loke

et al. 2019

Oikos

189

129

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Human population density within 100 km of the sea is approximately three times higher than the global average. People in this zone are concentrated in coastal cities that are hubs for transport and trade – which transform the marine environment. Here, we review the impacts of three interacting drivers of marine urbanization (resource exploitation, pollution pathways and ocean sprawl) and discuss key characteristics that are symptomatic of urban marine ecosystems. Current evidence suggests these systems comprise spatially heterogeneous mosaics with respect to artificial structures, pollutants and community composition, while also undergoing biotic homogenization over time. Urban marine ecosystem dynamics are often influenced by several commonly observed patterns and processes, including the loss of foundation species, changes in biodiversity and productivity, and the establishment of ruderal species, synanthropes and novel assemblages. We discuss potential urban acclimatization and adaptation among marine taxa, interactive effects of climate change and marine urbanization, and ecological engineering strategies for enhancing urban marine ecosystems. By assimilating research findings across disparate disciplines, we aim to build the groundwork for urban marine ecology – a nascent field; we also discuss research challenges and future directions for this new field as it advances and matures. Ultimately, all sides of coastal city design: architecture, urban planning and civil and municipal engineering, will need to prioritize the marine environment if negative effects of urbanization are to be minimized. In particular, planning strategies that account for the interactive effects of urban drivers and accommodate complex system dynamics could enhance the ecological and human functions of future urban marine ecosystems.

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Section: Three Main Drivers Of Marine Urbanizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Three Main Drivers Of Marine Urbanizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Three Main Drivers Of Marine Urbanizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Key Ecological Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Towards an urban marine ecology: characterizing the drivers, patterns and processes of marine ecosystems in coastal cities

Todd

Heery

Loke

et al. 2019

Oikos

189

129

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Cumulative stressors reduce the self‐regulating capacity of coastal ecosystems

Thrush

Hewitt

Gladstone‐Gallagher

et al. 2020

Ecological Applications

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Marine ecosystems are prone to tipping points, particularly in coastal zones where dramatic changes are associated with interactions between cumulative stressors (e.g., shellfish harvesting, eutrophication and sediment inputs) and ecosystem functions. A common feature of many degraded estuaries is elevated turbidity that reduces incident light to the seafloor, resulting from multiple factors including changes in sediment loading, sea-level rise and increased water column algal biomass. To determine whether cumulative effects of elevated turbidity may result in marked changes in the interactions between ecosystem components driving nutrient processing, we conducted a large-scale experiment manipulating sediment nitrogen concentrations in 15 estuaries across a national-scale gradient in incident light at the seafloor. We identified a threshold in incident light that was related to distinct changes in the ecosystem interaction networks (EIN) that drive nutrient processing. Above this threshold, network connectivity was high with clear mechanistic links to denitrification and the role of large shellfish in nitrogen processing. The EIN analyses revealed interacting stressors resulting in a decoupling of ecosystem processes in turbid estuaries with a lower capacity to denitrify and process nitrogen. This suggests that, as turbidity increases with sediment load, coastal areas can be more vulnerable to eutrophication. The identified interactions between light, nutrient processing and the abundance of large shellfish emphasizes the importance of actions that seek to manage multiple stressors and conserve or enhance shellfish abundance, rather than actions focusing on limiting a single stressor.

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Global environmental changes negatively impact temperate seagrass ecosystems

et al. 2019

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The oceans are increasingly affected by multiple aspects of global change, with substantial impacts on ecosystem functioning and food‐web dynamics. While the effects of single factors have been extensively studied, it has become increasingly evident that there is a need to unravel the complexities related to a multiple stressor environment. In a mesocosm experimental study, we exposed a simplified, multi‐trophic seagrass ecosystem (composed of seagrass, two shrimp species, and two intermediate predatory fish species) to three global change factors consisting of simulated storm events (Storms), heat shocks (Heat), and ocean acidification (OA), and the combination of all three factors (All). The most striking result indicated that when all factors were combined, there was a negative influence at all trophic levels, while the treatments with individual factors revealed species‐specific response patterns. It appeared, however, that single factors may drive the multi‐stressor response. All single factors (i.e., Storms, Heat, and OA) had either negative, neutral, or positive effects on fish and shrimp, whereas no effect was recorded for any single stressor on seagrass plants. The findings demonstrate that when several global change factors appear simultaneously, they can have deleterious impacts on seagrass ecosystems, and that the nature of factors and food‐web composition may determine the sensitivity level of the system. In a global change scenario, this may have serious and applicable implications for the future of temperate seagrass ecosystems.

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After decades of stressor research in urban estuarine ecosystems the focus is still on single stressors: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis

Cited by 52 publications

References 63 publications

Towards an urban marine ecology: characterizing the drivers, patterns and processes of marine ecosystems in coastal cities

Towards an urban marine ecology: characterizing the drivers, patterns and processes of marine ecosystems in coastal cities

Cumulative stressors reduce the self‐regulating capacity of coastal ecosystems

Global environmental changes negatively impact temperate seagrass ecosystems

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