Effects of seawater acidification on a coral reef meiofauna community

Sarmento, Visnu Cunha; Souza, Tarciane Pires; Esteves, André Morgado; Santos, Paulo Jorge Parreira dos

doi:10.1007/s00338-015-1299-6

Cited by 30 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 88 publications

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“…The ASUs selected for this study were rectangles of 10 × 5 cm synthetic grass that adequately mimic the turf algae environment and have been used in experimental laboratory studies investigating the anthropogenic impacts on meiofauna communities in reef environments [9,46].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is due to the development of human populations historically being concentrated in coastal areas, causing profound alterations in these environments [6]. Recently, studies have highlighted the negative effects of anthropogenic disturbances on coastal benthic communities, such as increased seawater temperatures in tropical environments [7], ocean acidification [8,9], and diffused source pollution [10]. In addition, during the last few decades, scientific literature has pointed out that human activities are not random in their negative and positive impacts on the communities in question [11][12][13][14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Anthropogenic Impacts on Coral Reef Harpacticoid Copepods

et al. 2018

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The number of studies demonstrating the susceptibility of benthic reef communities to anthropogenic impacts is growing. However, for some of the components of reef fauna, such as meiobenthic harpacticoid copepods, information is still lacking. Here, different diversity and taxonomic distinctness indexes and multivariate analyses were used to test whether the assemblage of harpacticoid copepods colonizing Artificial Substrate Units (ASUs) is an appropriate tool for the identification of reefs subjected to different levels of anthropogenic pressure. Furthermore, we also evaluate if diffused, persistent, anthropogenic impacts generate the homogenization and simplification of Harpacticoida assemblages. Six reefs were organized into two groups along the coast, depending on their proximity to very large urban centers. ASUs were used for meiofauna colonization and, for each reef, 320 Harpacticoida individuals were separated for identification at the species level. Abiotic parameters were analyzed, and significant differences were found between the two groups of reefs, with an increase in dissolved inorganic nutrients found in areas near large urban centers. Both the multivariate analyses and the indexes of diversity showed a clear separation between the reefs closer to the urban zones and those further away, as a response to the anthropogenic pressure. As hypothesized, in the impacted reef areas, there was a strong simplification and homogenization of the harpacticoid copepod assemblages. However, the results of the indexes, based on taxonomic distinctness, suggest that there was no phylogenetic signal of anthropogenic impact on coral reef harpacticoid copepods.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anthropogenic Impacts on Coral Reef Harpacticoid Copepods

et al. 2018

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“…As global seawater pH continues to decline, calcification by corals—the primary ecosystem providers—will become increasingly difficult (Albright et al., ; Andersson & Gledhill, ; Dove et al., ; Hoegh‐Guldberg et al., ; Shaw, Phinn, Tilbrook, & Steven, ). As shown in field (Albright et al., ; Shamberger et al., ; Shaw et al., ; Silverman et al., ) and mesocosm (Alsterberg, Eklöf, Gamfeldt, Havenhand, & Sundbäck, ; Dove et al., ; Page et al., ; Sarmento, Pinheiro, Montes, & Santos, ; Sarmento, Souza, Esteves, & Santos, ) studies, significant changes to reef chemistry, structure and benthic communities are already occurring with further negative prospects for reef resilience expected for the coming decades (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC], ; Spalding & Brown, ). Predicting the impacts of changing ocean conditions on marine ecosystems requires a better understanding of community–habitat interactions, and the potential for compensatory mechanisms through ecological interactions to resist deleterious regime shifts in a future ocean (Alsterberg et al., ; Anthony, Diaz‐Pulido, Verlinden, Tilbrook, & Andersson, ; Dove et al., ; Ghedini, Russell, & Connell, ; Kleypas, Anthony, & Gattuso, ; Kroeker, Micheli, Gambi, & Martz, ; Nagelkerken & Munday, ; Page et al., ; Vinebrooke et al., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Altered sediment biota and lagoon habitat carbonate dynamics due to sea cucumber bioturbation in a high‐pCO₂ environment

Wolfe

Vidal-Ramirez

Dove

et al. 2017

Global Change Biology

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The effects of global change on biological systems and functioning are already measurable, but how ecological interactions are being altered is poorly understood.Ecosystem resilience is strengthened by ecological functionality, which depends on trophic interactions between key species and resilience generated through biogenic buffering. Climate-driven alterations to coral reef metabolism, structural complexity and biodiversity are well documented, but the feedbacks between ocean change and trophic interactions of non-coral invertebrates are understudied. Sea cucumbers, some of the largest benthic inhabitants of tropical lagoon systems, can influence diel changes in reef carbonate dynamics. Whether they have the potential to exacerbate or buffer ocean acidification over diel cycles depends on their relative production of total alkalinity (A T ) through the dissolution of ingested calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) sediments and release of dissolved inorganic carbon (C T ) through respiration and trophic interactions. In this study, the potential for the sea cucumber, Stichopus herrmanni, a bêche-de-mer (fished) species listed as vulnerable to extinction, to buffer the impacts of ocean acidification on reef carbonate chemistry was investigated in lagoon sediment mesocosms across diel cycles. Stichopus herrmanni directly reduced the abundance of meiofauna and benthic primary producers through its depositfeeding activity under present-day and near-future pCO 2 . These changes in benthic community structure, as well as A T (sediment dissolution) and C T (respiration) production by S. herrmanni, played a significant role in modifying seawater carbonate dynamics night and day. This previously unappreciated role of tropical sea cucumbers, in support of ecosystem resilience in the face of global change, is an important consideration with respect to the bêche-de-mer trade to ensure sea cucumber populations are sustained in a future ocean.

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“…Sarmento et al (2015) performed a mesocosm experiment to investigate the effects of ocean acidification on the meiobenthic communities at the Marine Park Recife de Fora Municipal Marine Park (East Coast, Bahia). The results from this study indicate that ocean acidification causes important changes in the structure of marine benthic communities and can represent a serious threat to tropical reef food chains.…”

Section: Climate Change Global Warming and Ocean Acidificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation of Brazilian coral reefs in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean: a change of approach

Tedesco

Segal

Calderón

et al. 2017

lajar

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ABSTRACT. Brazil has the most extensive and richest areas of coral reefs in the South Atlantic Ocean, with its fauna characterized by high endemism and adaptations related to its growth and morphology, to its coral building fauna and to the depositional environment that differ from other coral reefs around the world. In spite of the effects from changes in the global environmental, the main stress factors for Brazilian reefs are local level threats, such as pollution and overfishing. The effects from these threats reduce biodiversity and result in decreasing stocks at different trophic levels. The trend that currently exists, regarding marine resource use, implies that reassessing the conservation strategies is urgently necessary if the degradation of these environments is to be reversed. It is necessary that the practices used in adjacent watersheds be improved, combined with actions to protect and recover native vegetation, along with planning for developing coastal areas, which will ensure that sedimentation rates be controlled and pollution sources are drastically reduced. Brazil should have to adopt a multidisciplinary approach to lead an evolution from traditional threat management in individual portions of ecosystems to large-scale management strategies in complex socio-economic and natural systems.

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Effects of seawater acidification on a coral reef meiofauna community

Cited by 30 publications

References 88 publications

Anthropogenic Impacts on Coral Reef Harpacticoid Copepods

Anthropogenic Impacts on Coral Reef Harpacticoid Copepods

Altered sediment biota and lagoon habitat carbonate dynamics due to sea cucumber bioturbation in a high‐pCO₂ environment

Conservation of Brazilian coral reefs in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean: a change of approach

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Effects of seawater acidification on a coral reef meiofauna community

Cited by 30 publications

References 88 publications

Anthropogenic Impacts on Coral Reef Harpacticoid Copepods

Anthropogenic Impacts on Coral Reef Harpacticoid Copepods

Altered sediment biota and lagoon habitat carbonate dynamics due to sea cucumber bioturbation in a high‐pCO2 environment

Conservation of Brazilian coral reefs in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean: a change of approach

Contact Info

Product

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Altered sediment biota and lagoon habitat carbonate dynamics due to sea cucumber bioturbation in a high‐pCO₂ environment