Top-down control in a neritic plankton system by<i>Aurelia aurita</i>medusae — a summary

Schneider, Gerald; Behrends, Gerda

doi:10.1080/00785236.1998.10428677

Cited by 88 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 25 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Alternatively, the mechanisms linking the climatic changes to interannual jellyfish population variation could be indirect, resulting in improved availability of prey to the growing jellyfish, either by altering the timing of the spring bloom to synchronize with the period of rapid ephyral growth or by increasing the abundance of zooplankton or ichthyoplankton prey to juvenile medusae (Båmstedt et al 2001;Platt et al 2003). Therefore, there could be an effect of jellyfish on fisheries either through top-down (medusae prey on fish eggs and larvae) or bottom-up processes (medusae reduce zooplankton abundance, including copepods, thus limiting fish populations) (Schneider and Behrends 1998;Purcell and Arai 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interannual variability in abundance of North Sea jellyfish and links to the North Atlantic Oscillation

Lynam

Hay

Brierley

2004

Limnology & Oceanography

153

136

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Pronounced interannual variability in the abundance of medusae of the jellyfish species Aurelia aurita, Cyanea lamarckii, and Cyanea capillata (Phylum Cnidaria, Class Scyphozoa) in the North Sea was evident in data arising from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas International 0-group Gadoid Surveys between 1971 and 1986. Possible climatic forcing of jellyfish abundance, via the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), was investigated with data on medusae from four areas of the North Sea (east of Scotland, north of Scotland, east of Shetland, and west of northern Denmark). There were significant inverse relationships between medusa abundance and the NAO Index (December-March) in two regions: west of northern Denmark (A. aurita r 2 ϭ 0.70, P ϭ 0.003, n ϭ 10; C. lamarckii r 2 ϭ 0.74, P ϭ 0.002, n ϭ 10) and east of Scotland (A. aurita r 2 ϭ 0.53, P ϭ 0.008, n ϭ 12). Fluctuations in the abundance of A. aurita and C. lamarckii medusae might be linked to hydroclimatic changes induced through atmospheric effects (as encapsulated in the NAO Index) on wind stress, temperature, and currents. These fundamental hydroclimatic changes alter the timing of spring phytoplankton blooms and zooplankton community composition. Predation by an abundance of medusae on zooplankton and ichthyoplankton could affect the North Sea ecosystem through top-down and bottom-up mechanisms. Because the NAO is presently in a high phase, climatic conditions could be serving to depress the abundance of medusae: a future reversal of the NAO might favor jellyfish and weaken the persistence or recovery of fisheries.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interannual variability in abundance of North Sea jellyfish and links to the North Atlantic Oscillation

Lynam

Hay

Brierley

2004

Limnology & Oceanography

153

136

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Medusae may exert top-down control over marine ecosystems (Schneider & Behrends 1998, Oguz et al 2001, and previous studies have suggested that jellyfish may impact on herring larval survival directly and indirectly through predation on ichthyoplankton and zooplankton (Bailey 1984, Möller 1984, Purcell 2003. Whether or not these interactions between jellyfish and finfish have any measurable long-term impact on populations of either is as yet unknown, but it has been suggested that the overexploitation of fish stocks could increase prey availability and release jellyfish from competitively imposed restrictions on population abundance, which may exacerbate any detrimental effect (Pauly et al 1998, Sommer et al 2002.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Jellyfish (medusae of Scyphozoa) abundance is increasing in many marine ecosystems (Mills 2001, Xian et al 2005 and, because jellyfish are important consumers of zooplankton, they might have an increasingly adverse affect on fish populations (Schneider & Behrends 1998, Purcell & Arai 2001, Sommer et al 2002. Aurelia aurita has had devastating impacts on Atlantic herring larvae (Clupea harengus) in a Baltic Sea fjord (Möller 1984), and Aequorea victoria is a major cause of mortality of Pacific herring larvae (C. pallasi) in Kulleet Bay, British Columbia (Purcell & Grover 1990).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for impacts by jellyfish on North Sea herring recruitment

Lynam

Heath²,

Hay³

et al. 2005

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

120

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…When jellyfish occur in high numbers, their collective prey-consumption rate can be so high that this predation directly or indirectly controls the population size of other zooplankton organisms (Huntley & Hobson 1978, Feigenbaum & Kelly 1984, Baird & Ulanowicz 1989, Matsakis & Conover 1991, Purcell 1992, Schneider & Behrends 1994, Olesen 1995, Riisgård et al 1995, Nielsen et al 1997 including fish (Möller 1984, Øiestad 1985, Purcell & Grover 1990. Intense predation by jellyfish on certain prey can cause a shift in the trophic structure of the pelagic community as a result of trophic cascading (Behrends & Schneider 1995, Schneider & Behrends 1998, Stibor et al 2004). However, the effects of jellyfish predation upon ecosystem components are not always conspicuous but appear to vary (Fancett & Jenkins 1988, Schnei-der 1989, Olsson et al 1992, Purcell & Nemazie 1992, Purcell et al 1994, Brodeur et al 2002.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clearance rates of jellyfish and their potential predation impact on zooplankton and fish larvae in a neritic ecosystem (Limfjorden, Denmark)

Hansson¹,

Moeslund²,

Kiørboe³

et al. 2005

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

124

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Clearance rates of the hydromedusae Sarsia tubulosa, Rathkea octopunctata and Bougainvillea superciliaris and the scyphomedusa Aurelia aurita were measured in the laboratory. Gut contents analyses of A. aurita were also collected in situ and subsequently used for estimation of clearance rate. The clearance rate of A. aurita varied widely with prey organisms. Large crustacean prey with low escape capabilities (Artemia salina nauplii and cirripede larvae) were cleared at high rates, whereas copepodites were cleared at lower rates, and clearance rates of small bivalve larvae and copepod nauplii were comparatively low. These data were used to assess the impact of jellyfish predation upon zooplankton and fish larvae in Limfjorden, Denmark. Repeated sampling of zooplankton, fish larvae and medusae was undertaken during the first half of 2003. Nine taxa of hydromedusae and 4 taxa of scyphomedusae were identified. Abundance estimates were combined with estimated clearance rates of individual medusae to calculate potential jellyfish-induced mortality on prey in Limfjorden. Copepoda was used as a model prey group to estimate the collective predation impact by all medusae. Medusa species with unknown clearance potential were given assumed clearance rate values, but the collective predation potential by these species was evaluated to be small. Hydromedusae dominated numerically and had their highest potential clearance impact in spring, but overall jellyfish clearance potential on copepods was low during this period. From May A. aurita was the most abundant jellyfish and the potential jellyfish predation impact became totally dominated by this scyphomedusa. Clearance potential was locally high on some prey, and predation by A. aurita probably controlled the abundance of cirripede larvae and fish larvae in Limfjorden. For these prey groups, half-life expectancy was less than 1 d at several locations. Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 304: [117][118][119][120][121][122][123][124][125][126][127][128][129][130][131] 2005 der 1989, Olsson et al. 1992, Purcell & Nemazie 1992, Purcell et al. 1994, Brodeur et al. 2002.It has been suggested that jellyfish predation might be an important factor shaping the pelagic ecosystem structure in Limfjorden. The waters of Limfjorden have been targeted as a fishing area since prehistoric times. However, between 1981 and 1996 the landings of edible fish such as eel, plaice and cod were severely reduced (Dolmer & Frandsen 2002), and one of the locally raised hypotheses was that the reduced landings might have been due to jellyfish. Interest in the possible effects of jellyfish predation on fish eggs and fish larvae motivated the local county authorities to finance a survey of fish and jellyfish in Limfjorden. The survey was conducted in spring months from 1996 to 1999 by a consulting company (Bio/consult 2001). In total, 10 taxa of medusae were identified, and a high spatial and temporal variation in jellyfish density was ...

show abstract

Top-down control in a neritic plankton system byAurelia auritamedusae — a summary

Cited by 88 publications

References 25 publications

Interannual variability in abundance of North Sea jellyfish and links to the North Atlantic Oscillation

Interannual variability in abundance of North Sea jellyfish and links to the North Atlantic Oscillation

Evidence for impacts by jellyfish on North Sea herring recruitment

Clearance rates of jellyfish and their potential predation impact on zooplankton and fish larvae in a neritic ecosystem (Limfjorden, Denmark)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About