The ecological role of<i>Holothuria scabra</i>(Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) within subtropical seagrass beds

Wolkenhauer, Svea-Mara; Uthicke, Sven; Burridge, Charis Y.; Skewes, Tim; Pitcher, Roland

doi:10.1017/s0025315409990518

Cited by 86 publications

(73 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Redox stratified (oxic− anoxic) sediments were intended to mimic the redox state of sediments in the natural habitat of H. scabra which exhibit a shallow oxic−anoxic interface below which the sediment remains anoxic (Michio et al 2003, Wolkenhauer et al 2010. Substrate particle size and depth were included as experimental factors, as they can affect organic matter content and the distribution of microbial communities that mediate organic matter decomposition and biogeochemical transformations.…”

Section: Animal Husbandry and Experimental Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Redox stratification drives enhanced growth in a deposit-feeding invertebrate: implications for aquaculture bioremediation

Robinson

Caldwell²,

Jones³

et al. 2015

Aquacult. Environ. Interact.

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Effective and affordable treatment of waste solids is a key sustainability challenge for the aquaculture industry. Here, we investigated the potential for a deposit-feeding sea cucumber, Holothuria scabra, to provide a remediation service whilst concurrently yielding a high-value secondary product in a land-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). The effect of sediment depth, particle size and redox regime were examined in relation to changes in the behaviour, growth and biochemical composition of juvenile sea cucumbers cultured for 81 d in manipulated sediment systems, describing either fully oxic or stratified (oxic−anoxic) redox regimes. The redox regime was the principal factor affecting growth, biochemical composition and behaviour, while substrate depth and particle size did not significantly affect growth rate or biomass production. Animals cultured under fully oxic conditions exhibited negative growth and had higher lipid and carbohydrate contents, potentially due to compensatory feeding in response to higher microphyto benthic production. In contrast, animals in the stratified treatments spent more time feeding, generated faster growth and produced significantly higher biomass yields (626.89 ± 35.44 g m ; mean ± SE). Further, unlike in oxic treatments, growth in the stratified treatments did not reach maximum biomass carrying capacity, indicating that stratified sediment is more suitable for culturing sea cucumbers. However, the stratified sediments may exhibit reduced bioremediation ability relative to the oxic sediment, signifying a trade-off between remediation efficiency and exploitable biomass yield.

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Section: Animal Husbandry and Experimental Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Redox stratification drives enhanced growth in a deposit-feeding invertebrate: implications for aquaculture bioremediation

Robinson

Caldwell²,

Jones³

et al. 2015

Aquacult. Environ. Interact.

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Section: Resale or Republication Not Permitted Without Written Consenmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, a period of ~1 yr is required for Isostichopus badionotus and H. mexicana to rework marine sediments to a depth of 3 mm in the Caribbean (Hammond 1982). In contrast, little is known of the bioturbation and ecological contribution of high-value species (but see Wiedemeyer 1992 andWolkenhauer et al 2010 for studies of bioturbation in the high-value sand-dwelling species H. scabra).Here we investigated the population density of a high-value species Holothuria whitmaei on a 750 ha area of fringing coral reef at Ningaloo, Western Australia, using both stratified and blanket manta tow census methods. Estimates provided here are likely to represent 'natural' population densities since, to our knowledge, Ningaloo has never been subjected to commercial fishing, nor is it likely to have been affected by poaching given its distance from traditional fishing nations.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Aggregations and temporal changes in the activity and bioturbation contribution of the sea cucumber Holothuria whitmaei (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

Shiell¹,

Knott²

2010

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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The population density, activity and bioturbation contribution of the sea cucumber Holothuria whitmaei was investigated on Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. Two methods, stratified manta tows and blanket manta tows, recorded population densities between 11.4 and >100 individuals (ind.) ha -1 . Further analysis revealed a heterogeneous pattern of distribution, with individuals tending to aggregate (Moran's I; 0.039; p < 0.05) on the outer reef lagoon and particularly in areas of high flow. Densities within aggregations were up to 7.2 times greater than those obtained after blanket manta tows (17.1 ind. ha -1 ), and 4.5 to 6.3 times greater than those obtained after traditional stratified manta tows (19.3 to 27.1 ind. ha -1 ). Behavioural studies, including investigations of activity and bioturbation, were conducted over a 2 yr time frame (2002)(2003) incorporating 3 monitoring periods within each year: January, April and August. Rates of activity varied diurnally, increasing between morning and afternoon, and seasonally, increasing in April, relative to January and August. Temporal patterns of feeding were more difficult to characterise; although rates of sediment egestion were in many cases higher in the morning, no conclusive diurnal or seasonal patterns could be established. Subsequent regression analysis, however, did find a significant positive correlation between the distance travelled and the volume of sediment egested. The volume of sediment bioturbated by H. whitmaei at a population level was found to represent only a small fraction of the sediments available (ca. 2 to 14% per annum), even though the contribution per individual was greater than that of smaller sea cucumber species. However, at maximum densities and typical rates of activity, H. whitmeai makes physical contact with approximately 2 times the available coral reef sediments per annum per hectare, simply by crawling. This may represent an important ecological contribution, particularly in light of previously documented links between sea cucumber activity, nutrient recycling and the enhancement of benthic microalgal communities.KEY WORDS: Aggregation · Behavioural activity · Bioturbation · Coral reef lagoon · Densitydependent effects Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 415: [127][128][129][130][131][132][133][134][135][136][137][138][139] 2010 tributed to a 'boom and bust' cycle where high-value sea cucumbers are targeted preferentially, leading to high-value species being fished to near local extinction (Rees et al. 2003) or to levels too low to sustain the fishery (Uthicke & Benzie 2000a).Previous studies of the ecology and biology of Holothuria whitmaei centred on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Queensland, Australia (Uthicke & Karez 1999, Uthicke & Benzie 2000a,b, 2002) and elsewhere in the broader Pacific Ocean (Conand 1981, Martinez & Richmond 1998. Several of these provide useful descriptions of the habitat preferences of H. whitmaei, which are described broadl...

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“…As primarily sediment feeders they effectively provide, through bioturbation and remineralization, significant amounts of otherwise inaccessible nutrients to other organisms in the benthic environment [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. In addition, many species of this group have commercial value and are exploited in fisheries, often in an unregulated manner with severe ecological consequences [8][9][10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abundance and Diversity of Holothuroids in Shallow Habitats of the Northern Red Sea

Yuval

Sudai

Ziv

2014

Journal of Marine Biology

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Holothuroid sea cucumbers are vital members of Coral Reefs and associated marine habitats and provide vital ecological services. In the southern regions of the Red Sea their populations have been decimated by overfishing. The main objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the northern part of the Red Sea serves as an ecological refuge for the species threatened farther to the south. Accordingly, populations of sea cucumbers in 4 shallow sites south of Eilat, Israel (29 ∘ 33 00N 34 ∘ 57 14E), were repeatedly surveyed from November 2013 to April 2014. Overall 11 species were observed in these shallow sites. Their abundance and diversity differed significantly between sites, but not temporally. In sites in marine protected areas, with an intact fringing reef, diversity was high, with Holothuria edulis and Bohadschia sp. being the most common species. In areas with higher human use and characterized by rubble and scattered corals, diversity was low, and Actinopyga bannwarthi was the most common species. The observed abundance and diversity did not support the refuge hypothesis. These findings are discussed in relation to other surveys of abundance and diversity in similar habitats.

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The ecological role ofHolothuria scabra(Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) within subtropical seagrass beds

Cited by 86 publications

References 58 publications

Redox stratification drives enhanced growth in a deposit-feeding invertebrate: implications for aquaculture bioremediation

Redox stratification drives enhanced growth in a deposit-feeding invertebrate: implications for aquaculture bioremediation

Aggregations and temporal changes in the activity and bioturbation contribution of the sea cucumber Holothuria whitmaei (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

Abundance and Diversity of Holothuroids in Shallow Habitats of the Northern Red Sea

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