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Geographical differences in sex-specific foraging behaviour and diet during the breeding season in the opportunistic Kelp Gull ( Larus dominicanus ) Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2021-01-12 Tatiana Kasinsky, Pablo Yorio, Patricia Dell’Arciprete, Cristian Marinao, Nicolás Suárez
Sexual segregation in feeding strategies has been widely reported in seabirds. Most seabirds occupy wide breeding distributional ranges, and dissimilar ecological settings may result in distinct environmental pressures on males and females leading to geographical differences in sexual segregation. Using GPS loggers and stable isotope analysis of whole blood (δ15N, δ13C), we assessed the occurrence
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Temporal variability in gametogenesis and spawning patterns of crown-of-thorns starfish within the outbreak initiation zone in the northern Great Barrier Reef Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2021-01-11 Ciemon Frank Caballes, Maria Byrne, Vanessa Messmer, Morgan S. Pratchett
Population outbreaks of the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) have resulted in extensive coral mortality on reefs in the Indo-Pacific region and is considered one of the major contributors of significant declines in coral cover in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Effective management of CoTS outbreaks rely on improved understanding of the drivers of individual and population-level differences
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Isotope values from milk and blood serum in New Zealand sea lions: are pups feeding on milk a trophic level higher than their mothers? Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2021-01-08 B. Louise Chilvers
Stable isotope analysis is increasingly used to investigate diet and foraging behaviour in marine wildlife. For marine mammals, samples from offspring are being used as proxies for their mothers foraging isotope niche as the transfer of nutrients between mother and neonates is solely through milk. Most of these proxy studies have, however, used only easily collected tissues, such as fur or whiskers
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Evaluating the constraints governing activity patterns of a coastal marine top predator Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2021-01-07 Evan E. Byrnes, Ryan Daly, Vianey Leos-Barajas, Roland Langrock, Adrian C. Gleiss
How animals partition activity throughout the day is influenced by processes that affect supply and obtainability of resources. However, as resource supply and usability are often entrained by the same diurnal pattern, it has been difficult to disentangle their relative importance. Given the strong influence that tide has on the distribution and accessibility of resources, intertidal systems present
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Movements of green turtles from foraging areas of the United Arab Emirates: regional habitat connectivity and use of marine protected areas Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2021-01-07 Nicolas James Pilcher, Marina A. Antonopoulou, Clara Jimena Rodriguez-Zarate, Daniel Mateos-Molina, Himansu Sekhar Das, Ibrahim Bugla, Saif Mohammed Al Ghais
Adult sea turtles migrate between foraging areas and nesting sites that may be 100 s–1000 s of km away. Little is known of the connectivity between these sites in the Arabian region for green sea turtles. We document linkages between two foraging areas in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with key nesting sites and provide insights on effectiveness of marine protected areas for green sea turtles. Tracking
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Survival strategies on a semi-arid island: submersion and desiccation tolerances of fiddler crabs from the Galapagos Archipelago Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2021-01-04 Mariana V. Capparelli, Carl L. Thurman, Paloma Gusso Choueri, Denis Moledo de Souza Abessa, Mayana Karoline Fontes, Caio Rodrigues Nobre, John Campbell McNamara
During tidal cycles, fiddler crabs undergo alternating periods of submersion and desiccation. We compare physiological and biochemical adjustments to submersion and desiccation challenge in two gelasminids from the Galapagos archipelago: the indigenous Leptuca helleri, and Minuca galapagensis. We examine population distributions and habitat characteristics; survival and hemolymph osmolality after 6 h
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Unusual sexual dimorphism and small adult size for olive ridley sea turtles are linked to volumetric geometric constraints Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2021-01-04 Alexandre Girard, Nathalie Bréheret, Gaëlle Bal, Jean-Gabriel Mavoungou, Jean-Félix Tchibinda, Fils Makaya, Marc Girondot
Determination of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in marine turtles is challenging because females are observed on nesting beaches, while males remain at sea and are rarely encountered. Data obtained from a sea turtle bycatch survey and a nesting monitoring program conducted in the same area in the Republic of the Congo give access to the body size of both male and female olive ridleys (Lepidochelys olivacea)
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Untangling the origin of the newcomer Phorcus sauciatus (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in a remote Atlantic archipelago Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2021-01-04 Lara Baptista, António M. Santos, Carlos S. Melo, Ana C. Rebelo, Patrícia Madeira, Ricardo Cordeiro, Andrea Z. Botelho, Ana Hipólito, Joana Pombo, Antje H. L. Voelker, Sérgio P. Ávila
The marine topshell Phorcus sauciatus is currently found along the temperate–subtropical shores of the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. Although present in the Iberian Peninsula, Madeira, and Canaries for centuries, P. sauciatus has only recently reached another oceanic volcanic archipelago in the region. In 2013, a small population was recorded for the first time in Santa Maria Island (Azores), widening
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Diet niche segregation of co-occurring larval stages of mesopelagic and commercially important fishes in the Osumi Strait assessed through morphological, DNA metabarcoding, and stable isotope analyses Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2021-01-04 Gen Kume, Toru Kobari, Junya Hirai, Hiroumi Kuroda, Tsutomu Takeda, Mutsuo Ichinomiya, Tomohiro Komorita, Maki Aita-Noguchi, Fujio Hyodo
The Osumi Strait and its neighboring waters are major spawning grounds for commercially important small pelagic and coastal fish in the Pacific coastal area of Japan. Mesopelagic fish larvae are also abundant here, co-occurring with the larvae of commercial species. However, it is unknown whether these fish groups compete for prey. We examined the diet of four commercial fish groups (Engraulis japonicus
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Temporal variation in macroalgal removal: insights from an impacted equatorial coral reef system Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2021-01-04 Jovena C. L. Seah, Andrew G. Bauman, Peter A. Todd
Macroalgal removal is a critical ecosystem function yet few studies have considered its temporal variability, especially on impacted reefs with limited herbivorous fish biodiversity. To address this, we quantified macroalgal removal and mass-standardised bite rates of herbivorous fishes monthly from July 2016 to June 2017 using a series of transplanted Sargassum ilicifolium assays and underwater video
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Feeding ecology of juvenile green turtles in food-poor habitats of the Persian Gulf Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2021-01-04 Mohsen Rezaie-Atagholipour, Fahimeh Imani, Parviz Ghezellou, Jeffrey A. Seminoff
The Persian Gulf hosts marine mega-herbivores that forage in its coastal habitats. Some areas, mainly along its southern coast, contain abundant benthic plants; however, marine plant resources are limited throughout most of this warm sea, which presents nutritional challenges for large herbivores. We measured curved carapace length (CCL) for 102 green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from foraging grounds
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Fine-scale foraging effort and efficiency of Macaroni penguins is influenced by prey type, patch density and temporal dynamics Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2021-01-04 G. J. Sutton, C. A. Bost, A. Z. Kouzani, S. D. Adams, K. Mitchell, J. P. Y. Arnould
Difficulties quantifying in situ prey patch quality have limited our understanding of how marine predators respond to variation within and between patches, and throughout their foraging range. In the present study, animal-borne video, GPS, accelerometer and dive behaviour data loggers were used to investigate the fine-scale foraging behaviour of Macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) in response
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When does growth rate influence fitness in a colonial marine invertebrate? Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2021-01-04 Scott C. Burgess, Marília Bueno
Growth rate affects body size, and larger body sizes are often associated with the capacity to produce more surviving offspring. However, the assumption that growth rate should positively relate to fitness is rarely tested, especially in colonial marine invertebrates where size and age can be decoupled. We measured growth, survival, and reproduction through repeated census of 97 colonies from two populations
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Scavenging amphipods from the Wallaby-Zenith Fracture Zone: Extending the hadal paradigm beyond subduction trenches Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-12-21 Johanna N. J. Weston, Rachael A. Peart, Heather A. Stewart, Heather Ritchie, Stuart B. Piertney, Thomas D. Linley, Alan J. Jamieson
Our understanding of the ecology of the hadal zone (> 6000 m depth) is based solely on subduction trenches, leaving other geomorphological features, such as fracture zones, troughs, and basins, understudied. To address this knowledge gap, the Wallaby-Zenith Fracture Zone, Indian Ocean (WZFZ; ~ 22°S, 102°E; maximum depth 6625 m measured during Expedition SO258) was studied using free-fall baited landers
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Impact of heavy rainfall events and shading on the temperature of sea turtle nests Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-11-24 Melissa N. Staines, David T. Booth, Christine A. Madden Hof, Graeme C. Hays
While most studies assessing the ecological impacts of climate change have examined impacts from warming temperatures, less attention has been given to other parameters such as increased rainfall events. At a nesting rookery in the northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia, we used data loggers to examine the impact of heavy rainfall and shade on the nest temperatures for green (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill
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Cryptic diversity in the macroalgal genus Lobophora (Dictyotales) reveals environmental drivers of algal assemblages Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-11-23 Laura D. Puk, Christophe Vieira, George Roff, Olivier De Clerck, Peter J. Mumby
Stress-induced reductions in the world’s coral populations are, in many locations, giving way to an increase in macroalgae, for example the common brown macroalgal genus Lobophora. While many ecological studies report a single species (Lobophora variegata), DNA-based identification methods have recently shown that Lobophora is a highly diverse genus with over 100 reported species. Here, we aim to identify
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Novel deep-water spawning patterns of bonefish ( Albula vulpes ), a shallow water fish Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-11-23 Steven M. Lombardo, Aaron J. Adams, Andy J. Danylchuk, Cameron A. Luck, Matthew J. Ajemian
Coastal marine fishes that form spawning aggregations most commonly exhibit a two-point movement pattern, with locations separated by migration: home range to spawning aggregation site and return to home range. However, the bonefish, Albula vulpes, partakes in a unique three-point spawning migration. Bonefish migrate up to 80 km from shallow water home flats to form nearshore pre-spawning aggregations
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No way home: collapse in northern gannet survival rates point to critical marine ecosystem perturbation Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-11-23 David Grémillet, Clara Péron, Amélie Lescroël, Jérôme Fort, Samantha C. Patrick, Aurélien Besnard, Pascal Provost
Seabirds are one of the most threatened of all bird groups, with a marked community-wide decline across the last decades. Yet, some seabird species are more resilient than others, and it is essential to study under which conditions even these highly resilient organisms are affected by global changes. Here, we report such a case in northern gannets (Morus bassanus). Using global location sensors (GLS)
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Skin δ 13 C and δ 15 N reveal spatial and temporal patterns of habitat and resource use by free-ranging odontocetes from the southwestern Atlantic Ocean Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-11-22 Genyffer Cibele Troina, Silvina Botta, Frank Dehairs, Juliana Couto Di Tullio, Marc Elskens, Eduardo Resende Secchi
Large diversity and abundance of cetacean species occur along the Brazilian outer continental shelf and slope waters. In the present study, we analyzed carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopes in skin biopsies of ten odontocete species (Delphinidae and Physeteridae) to assess the intra- and inter-specific patterns in the use of resources along the region. Our isotopic analysis allowed us to
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Shore-fish assemblage structure in the central Philippines from shallow coral reefs to the mesophotic zone Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-11-22 Rene A. Abesamis, Jean Asuncion T. Utzurrum, Lucille Jean J. Raterta, Garry R. Russ
Connectivity between shallow coral reefs and adjacent deeper habitats may be crucial to reef ecosystem stability. However, deeper habitats such as mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) remain understudied. We investigated the depth structuring of shore-fish assemblages in the central Philippines across shallow (10–30 m) and mesophotic (upper: 30–60 m, lower: 60–90 m) depth zones. Baited video surveys
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Diet and parasites of a mesopelagic fish assemblage in the Gulf of Mexico Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-11-21 Matthew S. Woodstock, Christopher A. Blanar, Tracey T. Sutton
Mesopelagic fishes are important consumers of zooplankton and are the prey of oceanic predators. Some mesopelagic fishes (e.g., Myctophidae) undertake a diel vertical migration where they ascend to the near-surface waters during the night to feed and descend into the depths during the day to avoid predators. Other mesopelagic fishes (e.g., Sternoptyx) remain at depth throughout the day. Although fishes
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A global review of green turtle diet: sea surface temperature as a potential driver of omnivory levels Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-11-16 Nicole Esteban, Jeanne A. Mortimer, Holly J. Stokes, Jacques-Olivier Laloë, Richard K. F. Unsworth, Graeme C. Hays
To better understand dietary requirements, trophic shifts, and trophic interactions of the threatened green turtle (Chelonia mydas), we conducted a comprehensive global review and literature tabulation (177 studies) reporting diets of individuals > 25 cm carapace length. We analysed those studies involving natural sites and healthy animals that reported relative proportions of all diet components (67
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Complex patterns of secondary spread without loss of genetic diversity in invasive populations of the Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus takanoi (Decapoda) along European coasts Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-11-04 Jonas C. Geburzi, Christine Ewers-Saucedo, Dirk Brandis, Günther B. Hartl
Genetic studies of introduced non-native species are a valuable tool to investigate invasion history and pathways, source populations and multiple introductions of alien species, as well as evolutionary genetic changes following establishment in a new environment. We used a set of nine polymorphic microsatellites to analyse the population genetic structure of the introduced Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus
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Body size constrains maternal investment in a small sea turtle species Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-11-04 Christopher R. Gatto, Nathan J. Robinson, James R. Spotila, Frank V. Paladino, Pilar Santidrián Tomillo
To maximise reproductive fitness, species make trade-offs among reproductive traits, e.g., offspring quantity vs. offspring size, within energetic, anatomical, and physiological constraints. Sea turtles are a model taxon to study reproductive trade-offs, because they lack parental care and because there are strong selective pressures on hatchlings due to high predation rates. Natural selection therefore
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Do species display characteristic intraspecific levels of patchiness in a given habitat type? The case of intertidal seagrass macrobenthos Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-11-04 R. S. K. Barnes
Intertidal macrobenthic assemblages associated with monospecific stands of Zostera muelleri, Cymodocea serratula, Halodule uninervis and Halophila ovalis seagrasses are known to display uniform spatial patchiness on the Moreton Bay coast of North Stradbroke Island, Queensland, as do those in Z. capensis in the Knysna estuarine bay, South Africa. Thirty-seven historical datasets of these macrobenthic
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Nutrient enrichment stimulates herbivory and alters epibiont assemblages at the edge but not inside subtidal macroalgal forests Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-11-04 Fabio Bulleri, Giuseppina Pardi, Laura Tamburello, Chiara Ravaglioli
Nutrient enrichment is a major threat to subtidal macroalgal forests. Several studies have shown that nutrient inputs can enhance the ability of opportunistic algal species to acquire space freed by disturbance, at the expense of architecturally complex species that form forests. However, competition between canopy- and turf-forming macroalgae is not limited to the aftermath of disturbance. Canopy-forming
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Seasonality dictates changes in the ecological interactions among spatial dominants Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-11-04 Marianela Gastaldi, Fausto Nahuel Firstater, María Alejandra Romero, Patricio Javier Pereyra, Maite Andrea Narvarte
Marine coasts are dynamic environments where spatial-physical gradients interact with seasonality. In the Patagonia in particular, high temperatures and strong winds lead to stressing physical conditions that shape intertidal communities. In a previous study, we found that the interaction between the sponge Hymeniacidon perlevis and the macroalga Ulva lactuca was context-dependent, switching from positive
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Macroalgal defense phenotype correlates with herbivore abundance Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-11-04 Scott S. Gabara, Benjamin P. Weitzman, Brenda H. Konar, Matthew S. Edwards
A primary goal in the study of producer–herbivore interactions is to characterize the tradeoffs between primary producer growth and defense. Across the Aleutian Island Archipelago, the widespread decline in sea otters has resulted in reduced predation on sea urchins, which has led to increases in urchin populations, the formation of urchin barrens, and ultimately to overgrazing of much of the region’s
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Stable isotope labeling reveals patterns in essential fatty acid growth efficiency in a lipid-poor coastal calanoid copepod Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-11-04 Laura Helenius, Suzanne M. Budge, Catherine L. Johnson
Copepods are an important link in marine food webs, transferring crucial nutrients such as essential fatty acids (EFA) from primary producers to higher consumers. Yet data on lipid dynamics in marine ecosystems associated with small lipid-poor copepods are scarce. In this study, we used the coastal calanoid copepod Eurytemora herdmani, which is an opportunistic generalist feeder, to assess EFA-specific
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Biology of Salpa thompsoni at the Chatham Rise, New Zealand: demography, growth, and diel vertical migration Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-11-03 Florian Lüskow, Evgeny A. Pakhomov, Michael R. Stukel, Moira Décima
The abundant pelagic tunicate Salpa thompsoni is a major grazer in the Southern Ocean (SO) with high ingestion rates, fast-sinking faecal pellets, and the potential to rapidly grow and form dense blooms. We investigated the length-frequency distribution, maturity stage composition, growth, development speed, and size-specific diel vertical abundance patterns at one of the northernmost habitats of S
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Juvenile Cassiopea andromeda medusae are resistant to multiple thermal stress events Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-11-01 Thomás N. S. Banha, Miguel Mies, Arthur Z. Güth, Christopher M. Pomory, Paulo Y. G. Sumida
Oceans are undergoing successive heatwaves. Several invertebrate taxa associate with dinoflagellates and are susceptible to bleaching caused by heat stress. Although the impacts of a single bleaching event have been well documented, the consequences of successive events are less understood. We investigated the effects of multiple thermal stress events on juvenile Cassiopea andromeda, while also addressing
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Transitions in microbial communities along two sediment cores collected from the landward walls of the New Britain trench Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-11-01 Li Wang, Rulong Liu, Xing Wei, Zixuan Wang, Ziyi Shen, Junwei Cao, Yuli Wei, Zhe Xie, Liangbiao Chen, Jiasong Fang
The landward wall of the New Britain Trench (NBT) is an active continental margin. Unlike passive margins, it lacks a continental rise and the abyssal plain, and has a steep continental slope ending in an oceanic trench. Although the trench systems are receiving more and more attentions, our understanding of the microbiology of the NBT and its trench walls is limited. In this study, we collected a
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Investigating the cumulative effects of multiple stressors on fish assemblages in a semi-enclosed bay Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-10-22 Sasha K. Whitmarsh, Charlie Huveneers, Peter G. Fairweather
The growing intensity of anthropogenic activities has led to an increase in the number of studies assessing the effects of stressors on marine ecosystems. Yet, the cumulative effects of multiple stressors are rarely studied although they seldom operate in isolation of each other. Our study aimed to investigate the effects of multiple stressors on fish assemblages in a series of semi-enclosed bays.
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Evaluating different spatial scales of forage item availability to determine diet selection of juvenile green turtles ( Chelonia mydas ) Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-10-22 Anthony J. Gillis, Natalie E. Wildermann, Simona A. Ceriani, Jeffrey A. Seminoff, Mariana M. P. B. Fuentes
Diet selection by a species is determined by comparing the consumption (i.e., use) and abundance (i.e., availability) of prey within their area of occupancy. Because individuals commonly use only a portion of habitat available to them (e.g., a 10-ha home range within a 1000-ha foraging habitat), it is important to quantify forage availability within individuals’ home ranges and core areas, and include
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Differences in relative heart mass among deep-sea and coastal sharks with increasing depth Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-10-22 M. E. Larsen, D. C. Abel, D. P. Crane, R. D. Grubbs
Cardiac morphology and mass have been associated with activity levels for bony fishes and elasmobranchs; however, there is little information on cardiac morphology of deep-sea sharks (living primarily below 200 m) and how that morphology compares to cardiac morphology of shallow coastal species. We examined relative heart mass and relative ventricle dry mass in 10 species of sharks from coastal to
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The behavioral ecology and distribution of leptocephali: marine fish larvae with unforeseen abilities Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-10-22 Michael J. Miller, Katsumi Tsukamoto
Leptocephali are the unique larvae of eels and their relatives of the teleost superorder Elopomorpha that have remained poorly understood despite their ubiquitous presence at tropical to temperate latitudes. This review examines recent advancements in understanding the behavioral ecology and distribution of leptocephali. Their regional distributions and abundance are determined by when and where the
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Isolation promotes abundance and species richness of fishes recruiting to coral reef patches Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-10-20 G. P. Jones, G. Barone, K. Sambrook, M. C. Bonin
Habitat area and fragmentation are recognised as important factors that influence population size, community structure and extinction risk. Abundance and species richness universally increase with habitat area. However, the effects of different aspects of habitat fragmentation, including variation in patch size, number and isolation are often not distinguished from each other or the overall effects
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Ingestion and elimination of anthropogenic fibres and microplastic fragments by the European anchovy ( Engraulis encrasicolus ) of the NW Mediterranean Sea Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-10-16 Alessandro Capone, Mario Petrillo, Cristina Misic
This study analysed the anthropogenic microparticles in the stomach content of the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) in the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean). The results showed that 30–40% of the anchovies had ingested anthropogenic microparticles (on average, 0.34 ± 0.29 fibres ind−1 and 0.12 ± 0.12 fragments ind−1). The fibres were probably ingested via filtration, and were significantly correlated
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Stable isotopes and epibiont communities reveal foraging habitats of nesting loggerhead turtles in the South West Indian Ocean Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-10-14 C. R. Nolte, M. C. Pfaff, A. M. de Lecea, D. le Gouvello, R. Nel
Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) occupy an array of marine habitats throughout their lives and understanding how this threatened species utilizes these habitats can help guide conservation efforts. This study used a combination of isotopic analysis (δ13C; δ15N) of turtle epidermis and epibiotic community composition to examine habitat-use patterns of nesting loggerheads from the South West
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Differences in spawning time drive cryptic speciation in the coral Acropora divaricata Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-10-14 Mao Furukawa, Shun Ohki, Seiya Kitanobo, Hironobu Fukami, Masaya Morita
Most of the reef-building Acropora corals around Okinawa Island spawn in May and/or June. We found that two morphotypes of Acropora divaricata spawned in August and/or September. The “robust” and “slender” morphotypes differed in branch width and in the diameter of axial corallites. Histological analyses showed that the onset of gamete production/maturation occurred from June onwards. Most of the other
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Shifts in coral clonality along a gradient of disturbance: insights on reproduction and dispersal of Pocillopora acuta Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-10-14 Andrew F. Torres, Zac H. Forsman, Rachel Ravago-Gotanco
Pocillopora acuta, formerly synonymized with P. damicornis, is an ecologically important reef-building coral that exhibits mixed reproductive modes, geographic variation in clonality, and conflicting reports of population genetic structure. Using 16 polymorphic microsatellite loci, this study examined clonality, genetic differentiation, and connectivity of genetically identified P. acuta (n = 428)
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Lack of oxidative damage on temperate juvenile catsharks after a long-term ocean acidification exposure Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-10-14 Maria Rita Pegado, Catarina P. Santos, Marta Pimentel, Ricardo Cyrne, Eduardo Sampaio, Ana Temporão, Janina Röckner, Mário Diniz, Rui Rosa
Ocean acidification is a consequence of chemical changes driven mainly by a continuous uptake of carbon dioxide, resulting in pH decrease. This phenomenon represents an additional threat to marine life, with expected effects ranging from changes in behavioral responses and calcification rates to the potential promotion of oxidative stress. To unravel the impacts of ocean acidification on the antioxidant
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Exploring a legendary giant squid: an environmental DNA approach Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-10-14 Toshifumi Wada, Hideyuki Doi, Daisuke Togaki, Ryotaro Kaida, Mariko Nagano, Izumi Katano, Masami Suzuki, Tetsuya Ohtani, Hiromune Mitsuhashi
The giant squid, Architeuthis dux, has been reported for centuries, but its distribution and ecology have remained famously mysterious. We investigated the A. dux distribution in the Sea of Japan using the environmental DNA (eDNA) method, which has recently been considered as a useful technique for evaluating the distributions of rare species. To develop the eDNA method to detect A. dux, we first created
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Sponges in shallow tropical and temperate reefs are important habitats for marine invertebrate biodiversity Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-10-14 Ying-Yueh Chin, Jane Prince, Gary Kendrick, Muhammad Azmi Abdul Wahab
Habitat availability underpins the diversity and distribution of benthic marine communities. Sponges are significant structural components of seabeds; therefore, understanding sponge-community associations are important for the effective management of marine biodiversity. Invertebrate communities were quantified from 11 sponge species having distinct morphologies from Ningaloo Reef (tropical) and Rottnest
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A review of a decade of lessons from one of the world’s largest MPAs: conservation gains and key challenges Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-10-14 Graeme C. Hays, Heather J. Koldewey, Samantha Andrzejaczek, Martin J. Attrill, Shanta Barley, Daniel T. I. Bayley, Cassandra E. Benkwitt, Barbara Block, Robert J. Schallert, Aaron B. Carlisle, Pete Carr, Taylor K. Chapple, Claire Collins, Clara Diaz, Nicholas Dunn, Robert B. Dunbar, Dannielle S. Eager, Julian Engel, Clare B. Embling, Nicole Esteban, Francesco Ferretti, Nicola L. Foster, Robin Freeman
Given the recent trend towards establishing very large marine protected areas (MPAs) and the high potential of these to contribute to global conservation targets, we review outcomes of the last decade of marine conservation research in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), one of the largest MPAs in the world. The BIOT MPA consists of the atolls of the Chagos Archipelago, interspersed with and
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Variation in the photosynthetic activities of the dinoflagellate Akashiwo sanguinea during formation of resting cysts Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-10-06 Yun Liu, Tiantian Chen, Xiaoting Wang, Shuqun Song, Caiwen Li
Resting cysts represent the dormant life stage produced by sexual reproduction of dinoflagellates; it generally maintain a limited level of metabolic activities. In the present study, changes in the photosynthetic apparatus of Akashiwo sanguinea during the encystment process in different nitrogen (N) conditions were characterized, and the transcriptional responses of nine photosynthesis genes were
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Maternal provisioning gives young-of-the-year Hammerheads a head start in early life Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-10-06 Kady Lyons, Ashley S. Galloway, Douglas H. Adams, Eric A. Reyier, Amanda M. Barker, David S. Portnoy, Bryan S. Frazier
For species that do not provide parental care after birth, excess maternal provisioning during development, beyond what is required for embryogenesis, provides offspring with resources to increase their chances of survival. Maternally derived resources are expected to be important for buffering offspring against limited food resources at birth or time needed to learn how to properly feed. Young-of-the-year
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Feeding by the newly described heterotrophic dinoflagellate Gyrodinium jinhaense : comparison with G. dominans and G. moestrupii Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-10-01 Hee Chang Kang, Hae Jin Jeong, Sang Ah Park, Se Hee Eom, Jin Hee Ok, Ji Hyun You, Se Hyeon Jang, Sung Yeon Lee
Heterotrophic dinoflagellates are major grazers of microalgae in marine food webs. The feeding of the newly described heterotrophic dinoflagellate Gyrodinium jinhaense was explored by providing 19 common microalgal prey species and the ciliate Mesodinium rubrum as prey. Furthermore, the specific growth and ingestion rates of G. jinhaense feeding on the chlorophyte Dunaliella salina were determined
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Correction to: High-temperature acclimation strategies within the thermally tolerant endosymbiont Symbiodinium trenchii and its coral host, Turbinaria reniformis , differ with changing pCO 2 and nutrients Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-09-30 Kenneth D. Hoadley, D. Tye Pettay, Andréa G. Grottoli, Wei-Jun Cai, Todd F. Melman, Stephen Levas, Verena Schoepf, Qian Ding, Xiangchen Yuan, Yongchen Wang, Yohei Matsui, Justin H. Baumann, Mark E. Warner
In the original article, the light cycle was indicated as 12:12 h light:dark.
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A trade-off between mucocytes and bacteriocytes in Loripes orbiculatus gills (Bivalvia, Lucinidae): a mixotrophic adaptation to seasonality and reproductive status in a symbiotic species? Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-09-30 Cécile Roques, Evelyse Grousset, Marc Troussellier, Sophie Hermet, Johan Le Carrer, Chamroeun Sar, Audrey Caro
In this study, we investigated the composition of the gill tissue relative to the reproductive status of the lucinid clam Loripes orbiculatus (sensus Poli, 1791) according to seasonal as well as biological parameters to provide insights into the physiological variability of this symbiotic bivalve. Temporal variation in population density was also studied. The species was investigated in Zostera noltii
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Diet relationships between parasitic gastropods Echineulima mittrei (Gastropoda: Eulimidae) and sea urchin Diadema setosum (Echinoidea: Diadematidae) hosts Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-09-29 Polina Yu. Dgebuadze, Elena S. Mekhova, Nguyen T. N. Thanh, Anna K. Zalota
Gastropods from the family Eulimidae are known as parasites of all living classes of echinoderms. Here we determine the trophic relationships between ectoparasitic eulimids Echineulima mittrei and their hosts, sea urchins Diadema setosum in Vietnam. Stable isotope analysis showed the differences in δ13C and δ15N saturation in echinoderms tissues. The eulimids’ muscle and gonad tissues have the same
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Stable Isotope Values in South American Fur Seal Pup Whiskers as Proxies of Year-round Maternal Foraging Ecology Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-09-29 Kayleigh A. Jones, Alastair. M. M. Baylis, Rachael A. Orben, Norman Ratcliffe, Stephen C. Votier, Jason Newton, Iain J. Staniland
Natural selection should favour strategies that maximise reproductive success. Females may use different resources during progressive stages of reproduction according to energetic demands, behavioural constraints and prey availability. We used South American fur seal, Arctocephalus australis australis, pup whisker isotope values as proxies for maternal diet and habitat use to determine how resource
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The yellow stingray ( Urobatis jamaicensis ) can discriminate the geomagnetic cues necessary for a bicoordinate magnetic map Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-09-29 Kyle C. Newton, Stephen M. Kajiura
Elasmobranch fishes (sharks, skates, and rays) are hypothesized to use environmental cues, such as the geomagnetic field (GMF), to navigate across the ocean. However, testing the sensory and navigation abilities of large highly migratory fishes in the field is challenging. This laboratory study tested whether the yellow stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis, could detect and distinguish between the GMF cues
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Quantification of methanogenic Archaea within Baltic Sea copepod faecal pellets Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-09-29 Janine Wäge, Oliver Schmale, Matthias Labrenz
Methane enrichments are frequently observed in the oxic upper water column of the central Baltic Sea during summer months. However, methane sources as well as the fate of methane produced in surface near waters still remain unclear. In the present study, we conducted ship-based grazing experiments to examine the presence of methanogenic archaea in copepod faecal pellets. We quantified bacterial and
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Optimising the application of 5-methoxy-2-methyl-indole to induce strobilation in moon jellyfish polyps Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-09-29 Kylie A. Pitt, Emily F. Hourahane, Ashley Johnston, Kai I. Pacey, Jonathan D. R. Houghton
Indoles, including 5-methoxy-2-methyl-indole (5MeO2MeIn), are a potent trigger of strobilation in jellyfish polyps. Indoles may be an alternative method to cooling to induce strobilation, but the ephyrae produced should have similar or better rates of survival, deformities, growth, and behaviour to those produced by cooling, and polyps should remain viable after strobilating. We used two experiments
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Nitrogen isotope fractionation of amino acids from a controlled study on the green turtle ( Chelonia mydas) : expanding beyond Glx/Phe for trophic position Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-09-29 Garrett E. Lemons, Rebecca L. Lewison, Jeffrey A. Seminoff, Christina M. Coppenrath, Brian N. Popp
Compound specific nitrogen isotope analysis of amino acids (AA CSIA) has been used to study the trophic ecology of many marine organisms because of its ability to characterize the δ15N value at the base of a food web while simultaneously providing trophic position information from a single tissue sample of a consumer. Although application of this method is becoming more widely used in trophic studies
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Predicting adult lifespan and lifetime reproductive success from early-life reproductive events Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-09-15 Matthew J. Powers, Ryan J. Weaver, Kyle B. Heine, Geoffrey E. Hill
Fitness is a product of survival and fecundity, which arise from a host of individual traits that vary among individuals. Estimating fitness is central to many research programs in ecology and evolution. Yet, because researchers are rarely able to track individuals through a complete lifetime, they typically rely on proxies of reproductive success. Because it can be readily measured, the number of
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Regional environmental drivers of Kemp’s ridley sea turtle somatic growth variation Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-09-10 Matthew D. Ramirez, Larisa Avens, Lisa R. Goshe, Melissa L. Snover, Melissa Cook, Heather L. Haas, Selina S. Heppell
Many environmental processes influence animal somatic growth rates. However, elucidating specific drivers of somatic growth variation has been challenging for marine megafauna. Using a 20+ year dataset of somatic growth generated through skeletochronology, we evaluated the relationship between multiple region-wide environmental factors—the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, increasing population density
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Resilience of invasive tubeworm ( Hydroides dirampha ) to warming and salinity stress and its implications for biofouling community dynamics Mar. Biol. (IF 2.05) Pub Date : 2020-09-07 Ting-Xuan Liu, Seneca Kinn-Gurzo, Kit Yu Karen Chan
Anthropogenic activities have accelerated the movement of non-indigenous species throughout the world. One approach to predict the spread of non-indigenous species is to employ bioclimatic envelope models which often assume niche conservation among sympatric, closely related species. Here, we test this assumption by comparing early developmental progress of two non-indigenous calcareous biofouling
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