High spatial heterogeneity of two planktonic cnidarian species related to the variability of a shelf-slope front at short time scales

Guerrero, Elena; Marrodán, Anna; Sabatés, Ana; Orejas, Covadonga; Gili, Josep María

doi:10.3989/scimar.04452.03a

Cited by 14 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 46 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…These studies used methods suited only to sample the larger scyphozoans, such as trawl bycatch and visual survey methods, and were therefore unable to investigate the wider gelatinous assemblage. Where the wider gelatinous assemblage has been sampled, much of the literature reports fronts acting as a barrier between distinct gelatinous communities (Hutchings et al ; Pagès and Gili ; Mianzan and Guerrero ; Graham et al ; Guerrero et al ). In regions where the front separates a warm offshore region from a tidally mixed or an upwelling inshore region, there seems to be greater gelatinous diversity and biomass in the offshore region (Pagès et al ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is consistent with the results here, where there was a slight increase in gelatinous biomass moving away from the front, and an obvious increase in diversity in the warm water gelatinous community. Gelatinous biomass does not always increase in the offshore regions, as demonstrated by the increased hydrozoan abundance on the shoreward side of the Catalan front (Guerrero et al ). However, an increase in diversity with the oceanic influence is well‐reported (Mackie et al ; Pagès and Gili ; Mianzan and Guerrero ; Graham et al ), and Pagès et al () suggested that the warm stable conditions in stratified water provided a favorable environment for gelatinous taxa.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The community transition can be abrupt and is usually coherent with the physical discontinuity or “front” that partitions the water masses (Le Fèvre ; Graham et al ; Acha et al ). Scyphozoan species are clearly partitioned by seasonal fronts between distinct water masses in northwest Europe (Doyle et al ), and the majority of work on gelatinous zooplankton would suggest that most fronts are barriers with negligible community exchange (Pagès and Gili ; Pages et al ; Graham et al ; Guerrero et al ). However, there are some studies that demonstrate no barrier effect but rather a gradual change in the zooplankton community structure (Schultes et al ; Luo et al ) and, in fact, Acha et al () suggested that most fronts are “leaky boundaries.” Some work suggests that the enhanced primary productivity at fronts (Le Fèvre ; McGillicuddy ) can directly enhance gelatinous biomass through bottom‐up effects (Mianzan and Guerrero ; Luo et al ); however, it is not clear how these studies distinguish between potential bottom‐up effects and physical aggregative processes.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, there are some studies that demonstrate no barrier effect but rather a gradual change in the zooplankton community structure (Schultes et al ; Luo et al ) and, in fact, Acha et al () suggested that most fronts are “leaky boundaries.” Some work suggests that the enhanced primary productivity at fronts (Le Fèvre ; McGillicuddy ) can directly enhance gelatinous biomass through bottom‐up effects (Mianzan and Guerrero ; Luo et al ); however, it is not clear how these studies distinguish between potential bottom‐up effects and physical aggregative processes. Much of the literature seems to suggest that it is the hydrographic conditions within the distinct water masses rather than frontal dynamics that influence the gelatinous community (Hutchings et al ; Pages et al ; Luo et al ; Guerrero et al ). Considering that distinct water masses and fronts exist on every continental shelf region (Hill et al ; Belkin et al ; Raine ; Acha et al ), there remains a strong imperitive to understand their influence over gelatinous zooplankton.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Distinct gelatinous zooplankton communities across a dynamic shelf sea

Haberlin

Raine

McAllen

et al. 2019

Limnology & Oceanography

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding how gelatinous zooplankton communities are structured by local hydrography and physical forcing has important implications for fisheries and higher trophic predators. Although a large body of research has described how fronts, hydrographic boundaries, and different water masses (e.g., mixed vs. stratified) influence phytoplankton and zooplankton communities, comparatively few studies have investigated their influence on gelatinous zooplankton communities. In July 2015, 49 plankton samples were collected from 50 m depth to the surface, across five transects in the Celtic Sea, of which, four crossed the Celtic Sea Front. Two distinct gelatinous communities were found in this dynamic shelf sea: a cold water community in the cooler mixed water that mainly contained neritic taxa and a warm water community in the warmer stratified water that contained a mixture of neritic and oceanic taxa. The gelatinous biomass was 40% greater in the warm water community (∼ 2 mg C m−3) compared with the cold water community (∼ 1.3 mg C m−3). The warm water community was dominated by Aglantha digitale, Lizzia blondina, and Nanomia bijuga, whereas the cold water community was dominated by Clytia hemisphaerica and ctenophores. Physonect siphonophores contributed > 36% to the gelatinous biomass in the warm water community, and their widespread distribution suggests they are ecologically more important than previously thought. A distinct oceanic influence was also recorded in the wider warm water zooplankton community, accounting for a ∼ 20 mg C m−3 increase in biomass in that region.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Distinct gelatinous zooplankton communities across a dynamic shelf sea

Haberlin

Raine

McAllen

et al. 2019

Limnology & Oceanography

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For both CCA analyses, the collinearity between pairs of environmental variables was evaluated by pairwise scatterplots and Pearson’s correlation coefficients with a cut-off value of |0.5| [ 33 ]. The variables chlorophyll a and salinity were collinear, and salinity was retained for the analyses because it was previously observed to be one of the most determinant parameters in the distribution of planktonic cnidarians in the area [ 37 , 38 ]. The species matrix used in all the statistical analyses was composed by those species with more than five presences (individuals) and/or present in more than 2 stations during the three surveys.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term changes in the planktonic cnidarian community in a mesoscale area of the NW Mediterranean

et al. 2018

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the present work, possible long-term changes in the planktonic cnidarian community were investigated by analyzing (1) species and community spatial distribution patterns, (2) variations in abundance and (3) changes in species richness during three mesoscale surveys representative of the climatic and anthropogenic changes that have occurred during the last three decades (years: 1983, 2004 and 2011) in the NW Mediterranean. These surveys were conducted during the summer (June) along the Catalan coast. All surveys covered the same area, used the same sampling methodology, and taxonomic identification was conducted by the same team of experts. An increase in the abundance of total cnidaria was found from 1983 to 2011. The siphonophore Muggiaea atlantica and the hydromedusa Aglaura hemistoma were the most abundant species, while Muggiaea kochii presented the largest abundance increment over time. Temperature was the main environmental parameter driving significant differences in the cnidarian community composition, abundance and spatial distribution patterns among the surveys. Our results suggest that in the current climate change scenario, warm-water species abundances will be positively favored, and the community will suffer changes in their latitudinal distribution patterns. We consider it extremely important to study and monitor gelatinous zooplankton in mesoscale spatial areas to understand not only long-term changes in abundances but also changes in their spatial distributions since spatial changes are sensitive indicators of climate change.

show abstract