The giant squid Architeuthis: An emblematic invertebrate that can represent concern for the conservation of marine biodiversity

Abstract

The current public perception is that there is little reason for concern for the conservation of marine invertebrates, in part due to the scarcity of emblematic species to represent that diverse group. This paper shows that giant squid can be considered an emblematic species to represent concern for the conservation of marine invertebrate biodiversity because it satisfies all the requirements of an emblematic species. It shows that Architeuthis attracts public interest and attention and can serve as an indicator of oceanographic conditions and ocean climate change. It asserts that Architeuthis can represent concerns for vulnerable marine ecosystems associated with submarine canyons and that it belongs to a broad diverse phylogenetic group of organisms associated with these canyons, sharing common concerns with that group with respect to vulnerability and conservation. This study also advocates that the giant squid can serve as an indicator of effects of ecosystem stress resulting from anthropogenic effects including ocean acidification and warming. It is also shown to be vulnerable to such anthropogenic effects as fishing, acoustic seismic exploration and, possibly, pollutants.

Cephalopods in the potential prey field of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) (Cetacea: Physeteridae) in the northern Gulf of Mexico

“…This is also where the large Architeuthis dux was captured, highlighting again the seemingly close relationship that exists between sperm whales and giant squid. This occurrence mirrors other studies (Guerra et al 2006(Guerra et al , 2011 where larger aggregations of predators and prey have been documented. The average southeastern species richness is lower, perhaps because of lower sampling effort.…”

Evidence of Cnidarians sensitivity to sound after exposure to low frequency noise underwater sources

“…Much remains to be learned about the hearing or sound-producing capabilities of invertebrates and how they respond to, and are potentially affected by, man-made sounds. However, a few studies on invertebrate sensitivity to noise and possible negative effects after sound exposure have been recently published25262728293031323334. A detailed literature review on these effects can be found in recent publications353637.…”

Classification of submarine canyons of the Australian continental margin

“…• benthic macrofauna such as polychaetes (e.g., Rowe et al, 1982;Vetter, 1994;Vetter and Dayton, 1998;Cartes et al, 2010;Louzao et al, 2010;Cunha et al, 2011;Paterson et al, 2011;Currie and Sorokin, 2014;De Leo et al, 2014); • benthic megafauna such as sponges and cold-water corals (e.g., Rowe, 1971;Vetter and Dayton, 1999;Hargrave et al, 2004;Schlacher et al, 2007;Cartes et al, 2010;De Leo et al, 2010;Ramirez-Llodra et al, 2010;Vetter et al, 2010;De Mol et al, 2011); • phytoplankton (e.g., Skliris and Djenidi, 2006;Mendes et al, 2011); • zooplankton such as krill (e.g., Greene et al, 1988;Allen et al, 2001;Skliris and Djenidi, 2006;Robison et al, 2010); • fish and invertebrates such as rockfish, Pacific ocean perch and giant squid (e.g., Vetter and Dayton, 1999;Yoklavich et al, 2000;Brodeur, 2001;De Leo et al, 2010;Vetter et al, 2010;Guerra et al, 2011;De Leo et al, 2012); and • whales (e.g., Hooker et al, 1999;S. Rennie et al, 2009).…”