Meiobenthic community underneath the carcass of a stingray: a snapshot after natural death

Fonseca, Gustavo; Hutchings, Pat; Vieira, Danilo Cândido; Gallucci, Fabiane

doi:10.3354/ab00347

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Whereas at the local scale C. taxifolia have reduced species richness at 1 of the sites, at the larger scale it caused an apparent increase in species richness by favouring species that were seemingly absent from the native environments. As suggested by previous studies (Gallucci et al 2008, Fonseca et al 2011b) these species are probably rare in the surrounding environments (particularly in the superficial layers, i.e. 0 to 2 cm) and take advantage of the 'unfavourable' conditions created by C. taxifolia and the consequent lack of competition to prosper.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Habitat alteration and community-level effects of an invasive ecosystem engineer: a case study along the coast of NSW, Australia

Gallucci¹,

Hutchings²,

Gribben³

et al. 2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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We investigated the effects of the habitat-modifying green algae Caulerpa taxifolia on meiobenthic communities along the coast of New South Wales, Australia. Samples were taken from unvegetated sediments, sediments underneath the native seagrass Zostera capricorni, and sediments invaded by C. taxifolia at 3 sites along the coast. Meiofaunal responses to invasion varied in type and magnitude depending on the site, ranging from a slight increase to a substantial reduction in meiofauna and nematode abundances and diversity. The multivariate structure of meiofauna communities and nematode assemblages, in particular, differed significantly in sediments invaded by C. taxifolia when compared to native habitats, but the magnitude of this dissimilarity differed between the sites. These differential responses of meiofauna to C. taxifolia were explained by different sediment redox potentials. Sediments with low redox potential showed significantly lower fauna abundances, lower numbers of meiofaunal taxa and nematode species and more distinct assemblages. The response of meiofauna to C. taxifolia also depended on spatial scale. Whereas significant loss of benthic biodiversity was observed locally at one of the sites, at the larger scale C. taxifolia promoted an overall increase in nematode species richness by favouring species that were absent from the native environments. Finally, we suggest there might be some time-lags associated with the impacts of C. taxifolia and point to the importance of considering the time since invasion when evaluating the impact of invasive species. KEY WORDS: Ecosystem engineer · Invasive species · Meiofauna · Nematodes · Caulerpa taxifoliaResale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Habitat alteration and community-level effects of an invasive ecosystem engineer: a case study along the coast of NSW, Australia

Gallucci¹,

Hutchings²,

Gribben³

et al. 2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Several studies from shallow-water habitats have shown that nematode communities associated with decaying fauna are distinct from communities in nearby areas (e.g., Gerlach 1977, Ó lafsson et al 1992, Fonseca et al 2011). Several studies from shallow-water habitats have shown that nematode communities associated with decaying fauna are distinct from communities in nearby areas (e.g., Gerlach 1977, Ó lafsson et al 1992, Fonseca et al 2011).…”

Section: Disturbancementioning

confidence: 99%

3. Ecology of free-living marine nematodes

Moens¹,

Braeckman²,

Derycke³

et al. 2013

Nematoda

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Section: Meiofauna From Carcasses and Sunken Woodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, the abundance and diversity of meiofauna under an estuarine stingray carcass were significantly lower when compared with samples away from the carcass (Fonseca et al 2011). Only a few nematode species, typical of hypoxic/anoxic sediments, were more abundant under this carcass (Fonseca et al 2011). Among copepods associated with sunken wood, Xylora bathyalis is also found living in hydrothermal vents and cold seeps (Hicks 1988;Cuvelier et al 2014;Plum et al 2015).…”

Section: Meiofauna From Carcasses and Sunken Woodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics of meiofauna in extreme marine ecosystems: a review

et al. 2017

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Extreme marine environments cover more than 50% of the Earth's surface and offer many opportunities for investigating the biological responses and adaptations of organisms to stressful life conditions. Extreme marine environments are sometimes associated with ephemeral and unstable ecosystems, but can host abundant, often endemic and welladapted meiofaunal species. In this review, we present an integrated view of the biodiversity, ecology and physiological responses of marine meiofauna inhabiting several extreme marine environments (mangroves, submarine caves, Polar ecosystems, hypersaline areas, hypoxic/anoxic environments, hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, carcasses/sunken woods, deep-sea canyons, deep hypersaline anoxic basins [DHABs] and hadal zones). Foraminiferans, nematodes and copepods are abundant in almost all of these habitats and are dominant in deep-sea ecosystems. The presence and dominance of some other taxa that are normally less common may be typical of certain extreme conditions. Kinorhynchs are particularly well adapted to cold seeps and other environments that experience drastic changes in salinity, rotifers are well represented in polar ecosystems and loriciferans seem to be the only metazoan able to survive multiple stressors in DHABs. As well as natural processes, human activities may generate stressful conditions, including deoxygenation, acidification and rises in temperature. The behaviour and physiology of different meiofaunal taxa, such as some foraminiferans, nematode and copepod species, can provide vital information on how organisms may respond to these challenges and can provide a warning signal of anthropogenic impacts. From an evolutionary perspective, the discovery of new meiofauna taxa from extreme environments very often sheds light on phylogenetic relationships, while understanding how meiofaunal organisms are able to survive or even flourish in these conditions can explain evolutionary pathways. Finally, there are multiple potential economic benefits to be gained from ecological, biological, physiological and evolutionary studies of meiofauna in extreme environments. Despite all the advantages offered by meiofauna studies from extreme environments, there is still an urgent need to foster meiofauna research in terms of composition, ecology, biology and physiology focusing on extreme environments.

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Meiobenthic community underneath the carcass of a stingray: a snapshot after natural death

Cited by 9 publications

References 39 publications

Habitat alteration and community-level effects of an invasive ecosystem engineer: a case study along the coast of NSW, Australia

Habitat alteration and community-level effects of an invasive ecosystem engineer: a case study along the coast of NSW, Australia

3. Ecology of free-living marine nematodes

Characteristics of meiofauna in extreme marine ecosystems: a review

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