Operation Crayweed: Ecological and sociocultural aspects of restoring Sydney’s underwater forests

Vergés, Adriana; Campbell, Alexandra H.; Wood, Georgina; Kajlich, Lana; Eger, Aaron M.; Cruz, Derrick O.; Langley, Madelaine; Bolton, Damon K.; Coleman, Melinda A.; Turpin, Jennifer; Crawford, Michaelie; Coombes, N. E.; Camilleri, Adam; Steinberg, Peter D.; Marzinelli, Ezequiel M.

doi:10.1111/emr.12413

Cited by 20 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…Alternatively, transplanting adult kelps or seeding very young plants have been explored as restoration tools to combat kelp forest decline with mixed results (Fredriksen et al, 2020). However, these bottom-up approaches seem appropriate for degraded reefs where propagule supply is an issue, while there is evidence that they are inappropriate when herbivory is strong (Carney et al, 2005;Vergés et al, 2020). Therefore, perhaps the only alternative to recover kelp canopy forests in NW Spain may be the removal of the herbivore that is preventing this recovery.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temperate Kelp Forest Collapse by Fish Herbivory: A Detailed Demographic Study

2022

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Kelps dominate rocky shores in temperate latitudes, acting as important foundation species. Recently, kelp forests have received growing attention for their decline around the world. Climate change is one of the main drivers of their deforestation, both through abiotic stress and/or distortion of biotic interactions. In NW Spain, golden kelp (Laminaria ochroleuca) forests have recently declined in some areas due to excessive grazing. To further investigate the mechanisms behind this decline, a thorough 1-year seasonal demographic study was carried out on eight golden kelp reefs: four healthy and four degraded by herbivory. Kelps covered the full range of size classes throughout the year on healthy reefs. By contrast, only small, newly recruited kelps were found on degraded reefs in spring-summer, because excessive herbivory in autumn-winter caused a total collapse of kelp populations on a reef-scale (i.e., all kelps reduced to inviable stubs with no blade and no growth meristem). Bite marks in kelps covering all size classes showed that fishes, instead of invertebrates, were the culprits of the excessive herbivory. Recent studies, mostly conducted in the Indo-Pacific, also found that fish herbivory, alone or in combination with abiotic stressors, can maintain a canopy-free state in kelp reefs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that fish is also shown to cause the collapse of entire kelp forests on a reef scale in the temperate Atlantic. The implications of this finding for the management and potential recovery of degraded reefs are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temperate Kelp Forest Collapse by Fish Herbivory: A Detailed Demographic Study

2022

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“…Rising ocean temperatures, interfering with reproduction, development, and growth (Breeman, 1990;Short and Neckles, 1999), are fundamentally altering genetic diversity and adaptability Gurgel et al, 2020), and devastating macroalgal forests and seagrass meadows around the globe (Arias-Ortiz et al, 2018;Filbee-Dexter et al, 2020;Smale, 2020). In response, large-scale restoration efforts aim to avert severe ecological and economic consequences (Eger et al, 2020;Fredriksen et al, 2020;Layton et al, 2020;Tan et al, 2020;Vergés et al, 2020). Modeling studies, based on projected carbon emission scenarios, predict that poleward range shifts will intensify (Jueterbock et al, 2013;Valle et al, 2014;Assis et al, 2016Assis et al, , 2017Chefaoui et al, 2018;Wilson and Lotze, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Priming of Marine Macrophytes for Enhanced Restoration Success and Food Security in Future Oceans

et al. 2021

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Marine macrophytes, including seagrasses and macroalgae, form the basis of diverse and productive coastal ecosystems that deliver important ecosystem services. Moreover, western countries increasingly recognize macroalgae, traditionally cultivated in Asia, as targets for a new bio-economy that can be both economically profitable and environmentally sustainable. However, seagrass meadows and macroalgal forests are threatened by a variety of anthropogenic stressors. Most notably, rising temperatures and marine heatwaves are already devastating these ecosystems around the globe, and are likely to compromise profitability and production security of macroalgal farming in the near future. Recent studies show that seagrass and macroalgae can become less susceptible to heat events once they have been primed with heat stress. Priming is a common technique in crop agriculture in which plants acquire a stress memory that enhances performance under a second stress exposure. Molecular mechanisms underlying thermal priming are likely to include epigenetic mechanisms that switch state and permanently trigger stress-preventive genes after the first stress exposure. Priming may have considerable potential for both ecosystem restoration and macroalgae farming to immediately improve performance and stress resistance and, thus, to enhance restoration success and production security under environmental challenges. However, priming methodology cannot be simply transferred from terrestrial crops to marine macrophytes. We present first insights into the formation of stress memories in both seagrasses and macroalgae, and research gaps that need to be filled before priming can be established as new bio-engineering technique in these ecologically and economically important marine primary producers.

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“…Globally, few macroalgal restoration attempts have been made (Benayas et al, 2009), but restoration of depleted P . comosa populations in the Sydney region of south‐eastern Australia has been successful and will help direct future restoration investments (Verges et al, 2020). Undertaking such activities at scales capable of supporting commercial fisheries and wider ecosystem functioning will be a significant challenge.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ocean warming threatens key trophic interactions supporting a commercial fishery in a climate change hotspot

Holland

Young

Sherman

et al. 2021

Global Change Biology

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Worldwide, rising ocean temperatures are causing declines and range shifts in marine species. The direct effects of climate change on the biology of marine organisms are often well documented; yet, knowledge on the indirect effects, particularly through trophic interactions, is largely lacking. We provide evidence of ocean warming decoupling critical trophic interactions supporting a commercially important mollusc in a climate change hotspot. Dietary assessments of the Australian blacklip abalone (Haliotis rubra) indicate primary dependency on a widespread macroalgal species (Phyllospora comosa) which we show to be in state of decline due to ocean warming, resulting in abalone biomass reductions. Niche models suggest further declines in P. comosa over the coming decades and ongoing risks to H. rubra. This study highlights the importance of studies from climate change hotspots and understanding the interplay between climate and trophic interactions when determining the likely response of marine species to environmental changes.

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Operation Crayweed: Ecological and sociocultural aspects of restoring Sydney’s underwater forests

Cited by 20 publications

References 66 publications

Temperate Kelp Forest Collapse by Fish Herbivory: A Detailed Demographic Study

Temperate Kelp Forest Collapse by Fish Herbivory: A Detailed Demographic Study

Priming of Marine Macrophytes for Enhanced Restoration Success and Food Security in Future Oceans

Ocean warming threatens key trophic interactions supporting a commercial fishery in a climate change hotspot

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