Journal of Marine Science and Engineering

Research

12 pages, 3912 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pulsatile Ventilation Flow in Polychaete Alitta succinea Burrows

by Elizabeth A. K. Murphy and Matthew A. Reidenbach

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(7), 1037; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12071037 - 21 Jun 2024

Viewed by 664

In aquatic sediments, active ventilation of burrows is an important component of sediment metabolism, transporting solutes across the sediment–water interface. Within a burrow, the temporal and spatial structure of the flow velocity can dictate the flux of solutes across the burrow walls. However, [...] Read more.

In aquatic sediments, active ventilation of burrows is an important component of sediment metabolism, transporting solutes across the sediment–water interface. Within a burrow, the temporal and spatial structure of the flow velocity can dictate the flux of solutes across the burrow walls. However, it is difficult to measure the fine-scale flow dynamics within a burrow due to the opacity of marine sediments. Here, we allowed a nereid polychaete Alitta succinea, a cosmopolitan deposit feeder found in brackish to marine soft sediments, to construct burrows in a transparent, elastic sediment analog. This allowed the measurement of the temporal velocity structure of flow in the burrow using particle tracking velocimetry. We find that the flow within the burrow of this piston-pumping polychaete is unsteady and that oscillations in flow velocity are damped with distance along the tube. We also show that the flow velocity in a tube scales with worm size. Conversely, neither the unsteadiness of flow oscillations nor the stroke frequency of the worm pump scale with worm size. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benthic Ecology in Coastal and Brackish Systems)

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15 pages, 1791 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Immediate Impact of the 2021 Harmful Algal Bloom in Southeast Hokkaido on the Rocky Intertidal Benthic Community and Its Spatial Variation

by Yuan Yao and Takashi Noda

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(6), 928; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12060928 - 31 May 2024

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Abstract

There has been a limited number of studies on the effects of harmful algal blooms (HABs) on natural rocky intertidal ecosystems. From mid-September to early November 2021, an unprecedented HAB caused by Karenia selliformis hit the Pacific coast of southeast Hokkaido, Japan, for [...] Read more.

There has been a limited number of studies on the effects of harmful algal blooms (HABs) on natural rocky intertidal ecosystems. From mid-September to early November 2021, an unprecedented HAB caused by Karenia selliformis hit the Pacific coast of southeast Hokkaido, Japan, for the first time, causing massive mortalities among marine organisms. To clarify the immediate impacts of the HAB on the abundance of 10 rocky intertidal species in four functional groups (macroalgae, sessile invertebrates, molluscan grazers, and molluscan carnivores), we focused on two questions: (1) How did the HAB affect the abundance of each species differently at the regional scale? and (2) How did the impacts of the HAB on the abundance of each functional groups vary spatially, and was the spatial variation of the HAB impacts related to the spatial distribution of the cell density of HAB species? To study these issues, we compared census data for 17 years before the HAB and within one month after it for five shores on the southeast coast of Hokkaido. The results showed that two macroalgae species and all three molluscan grazer species declined significantly after the HAB. Moreover, the decrease in molluscan grazers was significantly correlated with cell density. These results suggest that the impacts of the HAB in southeast Hokkaido on the abundance of rocky intertidal organisms are highly variable depending on species and locality, presumably because of differences in species-specific tolerances to HAB toxins and the spatial variation in the density of the HAB organisms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benthic Ecology in Coastal and Brackish Systems)

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20 pages, 1675 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Untangling Coastal Diversity: How Habitat Complexity Shapes Demersal and Benthopelagic Assemblages in NW Iberia

by Marisa A. Gomes, Catarina M. Alves, Fábio Faria, Jesus S. Troncoso and Pedro T. Gomes

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(4), 538; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12040538 - 24 Mar 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1562

Abstract

Understanding species–habitat relationships is essential for ecosystem-based conservation. This study explores the significance of habitat characteristics and complexity for demersal and benthopelagic communities within a patchwork of coastal habitats, including rocky seabed, macroalgae formations, sandy bottoms, and a combination of rock and sand [...] Read more.

Understanding species–habitat relationships is essential for ecosystem-based conservation. This study explores the significance of habitat characteristics and complexity for demersal and benthopelagic communities within a patchwork of coastal habitats, including rocky seabed, macroalgae formations, sandy bottoms, and a combination of rock and sand areas. Species and habitats were surveyed along the north-west (NW) Iberian continental shelf area of Viana do Castelo using baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS). We found significant differences (p < 0.05) in species assemblages across habitats, with rocky substrates showing the highest diversity and abundance. Sand habitats showed the lowest species richness and abundance, underscoring the importance of habitat complexity to support marine life. Our study also emphasises the role of specific species in shaping the communities, identifying key species such as Trisopterus luscus, Diplodus vulgaris, and Ctenolabrus rupestris as the three most abundant in the region and significant contributors to the observed dissimilarities between habitats. By elucidating the impact of habitat complexity on marine life, our results offer essential baseline data, which serve as a kick-start point to inform sustainable management and conservation strategies for the long-term health and productivity of these vital ecological systems in the North-East Atlantic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benthic Ecology in Coastal and Brackish Systems)

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20 pages, 6588 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Using Benthic Indices to Assess the Ecological Quality of Sandy Beaches and the Impact of Urbanisation on Sandy Beach Ecosystems

by Jian Liang, Meng-Yuan Shu, Hai-Rui Huang, Chae-Woo Ma and Seon-Kyu Kim

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(3), 487; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12030487 - 14 Mar 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1343

Abstract

As the global population continues to grow, sandy beaches, one of the most valuable ecosystems, have been widely impacted by human activities. Therefore, to develop policies for the conservation and management of sandy beaches, the impact of human activities on sandy beaches must [...] Read more.

As the global population continues to grow, sandy beaches, one of the most valuable ecosystems, have been widely impacted by human activities. Therefore, to develop policies for the conservation and management of sandy beaches, the impact of human activities on sandy beaches must be accurately assessed. We used seven benthic indices to evaluate the ecological quality of sandy beaches in Anmyeon Island, Korea. However, these seven indices were found to either over- or underestimate their ecological quality. Moreover, despite incorporating beach morphodynamics into our study, these indices did not respond to the pressure of urbanisation on beaches. Given the suboptimal performance of benthic indices in reflecting the actual state of Korean beaches, our study indicates that beaches without human interference but with the same morphodynamics must be selected as control groups to further explore the effectiveness of these indices. This is critical for advancing our conservation efforts and managing sandy beach ecosystems under increasing human influence. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benthic Ecology in Coastal and Brackish Systems)

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13 pages, 2241 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Report on the Artificial Reef Use in Grenada, West Indies

by Brianna LeFebre, Phil Saye and James S. Henkel

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(2), 253; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12020253 - 31 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1142

Abstract

Coral reef rehabilitation in the Caribbean is of major ecological and economic importance in the West Indies. Local organizations in Grenada constructed a cement pyramid artificial reef structure with rugosity (termed “The Pyramid”) and placed a number of these artificial reefs in a [...] Read more.

Coral reef rehabilitation in the Caribbean is of major ecological and economic importance in the West Indies. Local organizations in Grenada constructed a cement pyramid artificial reef structure with rugosity (termed “The Pyramid”) and placed a number of these artificial reefs in a shallow marine area fringing two major natural reefs in the southwest coastal region of Grenada. Benthic data for two nearby natural reefs were compared to the benthic evaluation of the artificial reef pyramids. This comparison demonstrated that the artificial reef pyramids were similar in many respects to the natural reefs but were significantly different in macro- and coralline algae cover, two key indicators of reef health. This report is the first benthic evaluation of an artificial reef through comparison to natural reefs in Grenada. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benthic Ecology in Coastal and Brackish Systems)

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13 pages, 1420 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Environmental Dredging of Muck on an Assemblage of Benthic Amphipods

by Nayan Mallick, Kevin B. Johnson and Charles A. Jacoby

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2023, 11(2), 444; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11020444 - 17 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2091

Abstract

To yield environmental benefits, fine sediments with ~10% organic matter, termed muck, were dredged from a tributary to the Indian River Lagoon. Key changes were documented by sampling amphipods, sediments, and the water column near the bottom before dredging, and approximately one month [...] Read more.

To yield environmental benefits, fine sediments with ~10% organic matter, termed muck, were dredged from a tributary to the Indian River Lagoon. Key changes were documented by sampling amphipods, sediments, and the water column near the bottom before dredging, and approximately one month and one year after dredging. Overall, muck yielded the fewest taxa, muck or sediments in creeks that were dredged yielded a moderate number of taxa, and undisturbed sediments in the lagoon yielded the highest number of taxa. Amphipods did not appear in areas with muck until one month and one year after dredging. In contrast, amphipods in sediments that were not muck decreased after dredging. Increases in the occurrence of amphipods paralleled increases in concentrations of dissolved oxygen and decreases in the water, silt/clay, and organic content of sediments. Overall, results indicated that conditions for amphipods were improved by removing muck, and that dredging sandier sediment led to decreased taxonomic richness and numbers of amphipods, which resembled the effects of navigational dredging. Thus, this study suggested that managers should consider the type of sediment to be dredged when permitting projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benthic Ecology in Coastal and Brackish Systems)

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14 pages, 1553 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring Benthic Scavenger Assemblages, a Multi-Habitat Approach in NW Iberian Peninsula

by Diego Carreira-Flores, Puri Veiga, Jesús Fernández-Gutiérrez, Pedro T. Gomes and Marcos Rubal

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2023, 11(1), 184; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11010184 - 11 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1921

Abstract

Scavenging fauna plays an integral role in ecosystem functioning, nutrient cycling and circulating organic matter. Thus, baseline data of scavenger assemblages on the NW coast of the Iberian Peninsula that provides information on the abundance of species in different habitats is crucial to [...] Read more.

Scavenging fauna plays an integral role in ecosystem functioning, nutrient cycling and circulating organic matter. Thus, baseline data of scavenger assemblages on the NW coast of the Iberian Peninsula that provides information on the abundance of species in different habitats is crucial to understanding the distribution of this understudied group. Two different types of baited traps, to capture scavenging megafaunal and scavenging benthopelagic macrofaunal assemblages, were deployed to compare them among rocky, pebbled and sandy bottoms at shallow subtidal on the northern coast of Portugal. Results showed significant differences in the structure of scavenger assemblages. Scavenging megafaunal assemblages differed between sandy and the other two studied habitats, whereas benthopelagic macrofaunal assemblages differed between pebbles and rocky habitats. This suggests that different drivers seem to shape the structure of benthopelagic macrofauna and megafauna. Regarding megafauna, the dominance of Tritia gastropods in sand habitats in comparison with its absence in rock and its very low abundance in pebbles was mainly responsible for the differences. However, in benthopelagic macrofauna, differences in assemblages between pebbles and rock were more related to changes in the relative abundance of crustacean species (Cirolana cranchii and Socarnes erythrophthalmus) that were less abundant in pebbles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benthic Ecology in Coastal and Brackish Systems)

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22 pages, 3994 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application and Validation of an Ecological Quality Index, ISEP, in the Yellow Sea

by Jae-Won Yoo, Yong-Woo Lee, Mi-Ra Park, Chang-Soo Kim, Sungtae Kim, Chae-Lin Lee, Su-Young Jeong, Dhongil Lim and Sung-Yong Oh

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10(12), 1908; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10121908 - 5 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1779

Abstract

An ecological index of macrobenthic communities is an important tool for assessing the biological quality of habitats and ecosystems. We tested the performance of the inverse function of the Shannon–Wiener evenness proportion (ISEP) with data from the entire west coast of Korea, seasonally [...] Read more.

An ecological index of macrobenthic communities is an important tool for assessing the biological quality of habitats and ecosystems. We tested the performance of the inverse function of the Shannon–Wiener evenness proportion (ISEP) with data from the entire west coast of Korea, seasonally sampled from 2006 to 2008. Two validations were performed: (1) examination of the relationship between ISEP and environmental factors and (2) correspondence between the ISEP and the Pearson–Rosenberg (P-R) model for the species-abundance-biomass (SAB) patterns and taxonomical variations. The ISEP was significantly correlated with suspended solids but independent of other natural habitat conditions due to their low to moderate contamination levels. From this, ISEP performed as expected in transitional zones of low salinity and applications across habitats of various sediments. The SAB patterns and taxonomic variations along the ISEP grades showed marked similarities to the P-R model. The only departure was biomass, which increased after the normal status. The increase was interpreted as reflecting a healthier and more mature status. Taxonomic variation patterns and the taxa composition that characterized either poor or healthy status corresponded well with the P-R model. The conformity to the P-R model indicates the capability and potential applicability of the ISEP to other coastal systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benthic Ecology in Coastal and Brackish Systems)

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