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1.
Man-made defence structures (e.g., breakwaters, jetties) are becoming common features of marine coastal landscapes all around the world. The ecology of assemblages of species associated with such artificial structures is, however, poorly known. In this study, we evaluated the density and size of fish predators of echinoids (i.e., Diplodus sargus, Diplodus vulgaris, Sparus aurata), and the density of sea urchins (i.e., Paracentrotus lividus) at defence structures (i.e., breakwaters) inside and outside the marine protected area of Miramare (northern Adriatic Sea) in order to: (1) assess possible differences in fish predator density and size between protected and fished breakwaters; (2) assess whether fish predation may have the potential to affect sea urchin density in artificial rocky habitats. Surveys were carried out at four random times over a period of two years. Total density, and density of medium- and large-sized individuals of the three predatory fishes were generally greater at the protected than at the fished breakwaters, whereas no differences were detected in the density of small-sized individuals. Density of the sea urchin P. lividus did not show any difference between protected and fished breakwaters. The results of this study suggest that: (1) protection may significantly affect predatory fishes in artificial rocky habitats; (2) differences in predatory fish density, and size may be unrelated with the density of the sea urchin P. lividus; (3) protected artificial structures such as breakwaters, originally planned for other purposes, could represent a potential tool for fish population recovery and enhancement of local fisheries.  相似文献   

2.
Previous studies conducted on a local scale emphasised the potential of trophic cascades in Mediterranean rocky reefs (involving predatory fish, sea urchins and macroalgae) in affecting the transition between benthic communities dominated by erected macroalgae and barrens (i.e., bare rock with partial cover of encrusting algae). Distribution patterns of fish predators of sea urchins (Diplodus sargus sargus, Diplodus vulgaris, Coris julis and Thalassoma pavo), sea urchins (Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula) and barrens, and fish predation rates upon sea urchins, were assessed in shallow (3-6m depth) sublittoral rocky reefs in the northern, central and southern sectors of the eastern Adriatic Sea, i.e., on a large spatial scale of hundreds of kilometres. No dramatic differences were observed in predatory fish density across latitude, except for a lower density of small D. sargus sargus in the northern Adriatic and an increasing density of T. pavo from north to south. P. lividus did not show any significant difference across latitude, whereas A. lixula was more abundant in the southern than in the central Adriatic. Barrens were more extended in the southern than in the central and northern sectors, and were related with sea urchin density. Fish predation upon adult sea urchins did not change on a large scale, whereas it was slightly higher in the southern sector for juveniles when predation rates of both urchins were pooled. Results show that: (1) assemblages of predatory fish and sea urchins, and barren extent change across latitude in the eastern Adriatic Sea, (2) the weak relations between predatory fish density and predation rates on urchins reveal that factors other than top-down control can be important over large scale (with the caveat that the study was conducted in fished areas) and (3) patterns of interaction among strongly interacting taxa could change on large spatial scales and the number of species involved.  相似文献   

3.
Abstract. Covering behaviour is displayed by several regular echinoid species but its functional significance has yet to be quantified. Some of the most popular theories have interpreted this behaviour as an adaptive response to avoid over-exposure to light and/or as an anti-predator strategy. Since both predation pressure and light intensity may be seasonal as well as diurnal in nature, the aim of the present study was to quantitatively examine, in situ , the potential seasonality of covering behaviour in the purple sea urchin, Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck). Data were collected over a one-year period at Lough Hyne, Co. Cork in Ireland. A peak in covering activity was observed over the summer months. Predator density and light intensity (sunlight hours) were also shown to vary seasonally at Lough Hyne. Covering behaviour in P. lividus , as in other echinoids, may be a response to a number of simultaneously interacting factors. At Lough Hyne, however, light intensity and covering item availability appear to be particularly important factors.  相似文献   

4.
Ocean Science Journal - Seasonal variations of the gonad index (GI), the biochemical composition, and the concentration of heavy metals in the gonads of the sea urchin, Paracentrotus lividus...  相似文献   

5.
Sea urchin embryo-larval development (ELD) and fertilization tests have been widely used in ecotoxicity studies and are included in regulatory frameworks. Biological processes occur naturally within a range of salinity that depends on the species considered. In an attempt to determine the optimum range of salinity, ELD and fertilization bioassays were performed at different salinities (15-40.5‰) with two species of Atlantic sea urchin: Arbacia lixula and Paracentrotus lividus. In the ELD assay, the optimum range of salinity was wider for A.?lixula (29-35.5‰) than for P.?lividus (29-33‰). In the fertilization assay with P.?lividus as a bioindicator species, the highest percentage of fertilization (90%) was obtained at salinities of between 29 and 33‰. More research on A.?lixula is required, since the fertilization success was below 60%. The results of the present study demonstrate that salinity may be a confounding factor in interpreting ELD test results.  相似文献   

6.
Numerous studies of interactions between urchins and algae in temperate areas have shown an important structuring effect of sea urchin populations. These studies focused almost wholly on the effect of high urchin densities on laminarian forests. In contrast, algal communities below 5–6 m depth in the northwestern Mediterranean are characterised by low sea urchin densities (<5 ind m−2) and the absence of laminarian forests. No previous research has addressed sea urchin/algal interactions in this type of community. To determine the effect of the most abundant echinoid species, Paracentrotus lividus, on well-established algal communities in this area, we performed a removal–reintroduction experiment in rocky patches located between 13 and 16 m depth in the northwestern Mediterranean, where sea urchin densities ranged between 0.9 and 3.4 ind m−2. After 6 months, the cover of non-crustose algae was significantly higher in the plots from which sea urchins had been removed than in control plots (84 vs 67% cover). These removal plots reverted to their original state upon reintroduction of sea urchins. The non-crustose algae consisted of turfing and frondose forms, with the former representing some 70% of the non-crustose algal cover. Change in the cover of turfing algae was responsible for the significant increase in algal development in the sea urchin removal plots. The response of frondose algae to the treatment varied between algal species. It is concluded that grazing by P. lividus exerts a significant effect on habitat structure, even in communities with low sea urchin densities, such as those found in vast areas of the Mediterranean sublittoral.  相似文献   

7.
Biological effects of neurotoxic insecticides widely used for agricultural purposes were studied using the early development of the Mediterranean sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus as a model. These compounds, dispersed as aerosols or powders in agricultural regions near to the coast, may affect the health of organisms in the marine environment. The biological effects of Basudin (an organophosphate compound containing 20% Diazinon), Diazinon (Dzn, a thionophosphate), Carbaryl and Pirimicarb (carbamates) on the early phases of sea urchin development were thus investigated. Morphological, biochemical, histochemical and immuno histochemical analyses were performed both during embryo and larval development. For the morphological effects on fertilisation and first cleavages, the effective concentration of insecticides was found to be 10(-4) M, while for further stages concentrations between 10(-5) and 10(-7) M were effective: 10(-3) M of any of these insecticides totally arrested development. During embryonic development, the treatment with organophosphates slowed the rate of early mitotic cycles down, affected nuclear and cytoskeletal status as well as DNA synthesis. From the gastrulation stage onwards, the main effects were exerted on the rate of primary mesenchyme cells migration, larval size, perioral arm length, and acetylcholinesterase activity distribution, thus deregulating the cholinergic system, which modulates cell-to-cell communication mediated by the signal molecule acetylcholine.  相似文献   

8.
Catherine  Dance 《Marine Ecology》1987,8(2):131-142
Abstract. Tagged individuals of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus followed in Port Cros Island showed mostly nocturnal movements, with individual peaks of activity which were not coordinated for the population during the night period. The straight line distance travelled in 24 h has a mean value of 49 cm, with a range of 0 to 240 cm. Neither sea urchin size nor depth affect activity. The urchins living on rocky substrate moved significantly more than those on seagrass beds. From one day to another, the distance travelled by the population of urchins varies significantly; this is not related to season. The activity is negatively correlated with the mean wind speed; during a period of turbulence lasting several hours, movement was significantly oriented to the deep. Periods of inactivity of 1 or 2 days were observed; they are not coordinated for the individuals followed, and the relation between feeding and movement is not clear. Urchins seem to stay in a quite small area, at least for some months.  相似文献   

9.
Xueying Han 《Marine Ecology》2016,37(6):1179-1189
Alternate attractors have been shown to exist in a variety of terrestrial and aquatic systems, e.g. temperate forests, savannas, shallow lakes, wetlands, coral reefs, kelp forests. The shift from one attractor to another, also referred to as a regime shift, is thought to occur when a system passes some critical threshold such that the trajectory of the system changes direction. Alternate attractors in population dynamics can also exist, leading to alternate stable states in the population abundance of a species. This study explored alternate attractors in the population dynamics of the Indo‐Pacific sea urchin Diadema savignyi and the potential underlying mechanisms that promote its bi‐stability. In Moorea, French Polynesia, the local abundance of D. savignyi, a functionally important herbivore in lagoon habitats, occurs in two states: (i) solitary individuals that occupy crevices in low densities and (ii) aggregations of tens to hundreds of individuals. These different states are temporally stable and are not explained by spatial differences in recruitment rates of juveniles. A field experiment revealed that the per capita mortality rate of adult D. savignyi was substantially lower at sites where urchins occurred in aggregations compared with sites at which they were solitary individuals. An additional experiment showed that per capita mortality decreased with increasing aggregation size. Individuals in high‐density aggregations, however, had significantly smaller test diameters than solitary individuals, indicating that individuals in aggregations may be food limited. Collectively, the evidence suggests that the two different local abundance states of D. savignyi result from negative feedback loops where high local density can be maintained by aggregative behavior that greatly reduces per capita risk of predation when the local number of adult sea urchins is sufficiently large; sites with few sea urchins remain at low density because individuals are more susceptible to predation when crevices are occupied but there are not enough individuals to form large aggregations. Thus, there may be alternate attractors in the population dynamics of D. savignyi that can produce either persistently low or high local population densities.  相似文献   

10.
Toxicities of sediments from San Diego and San Francisco Bays were compared in laboratory experiments using sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) embryos exposed to pore water and at the sediment-water interface (SWI). Toxicity was consistently greater to embryos exposed at the SWI to intact (unhomogenized) sediment samples relative to homogenized samples. Measurement of selected trace metals indicated considerably greater fluxes of copper, zinc, and cadmium into overlying waters of intact sediment samples. Inhibition of sea urchin embryo development was generally greater in sediment pore waters relative to SWI exposures. Pore water toxicity may have been due to elevated unionized ammonia concentrations in some samples. The results indicate that invertebrate embryos are amenable to SWI exposures, a more ecologically relevant exposure system, and that sediment homogenization may create artifacts in laboratory toxicity experiments.  相似文献   

11.
The spatial structure of fishery resources influences stock dynamics and finally the fishery. Therefore, this aspect should be included as a key topic in the assessment and management of fisheries. The fishery of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus in Galicia has been used as case study to demonstrate how the mismatch between biological, fishery and management scales causes failures in the governance, giving rise to over-exploitation. P. lividus is spatially distributed in nested biological units: patches, micro-stocks, local populations and metapopulations. Fishing operations are local exploiting micro-stocks; however management units in Galician comprise usually more than one local population. This pattern allows the depletion of several micro-stocks without any short-term signals in the exploitation rates over the complete managed territory. Management units should be redefined according to the boundaries of the local populations. In addition, the implementation of reserve networks or a rotation system could allow to effectively managing the resource at a fine-scale. Any of both regulations could also compensate the inverse density dependence that regulates recruitment and fecundity in this species.  相似文献   

12.
Sea urchins can alter the composition and dynamics of algal communities by grazing. Changes in their displacement capability can influence their grazing and thus their effect on algal communities. The daily and monthly movement of Paracentrotus lividus inside and outside a marine reserve in the NW Mediterranean Sea was studied in order to determine the role of predation in sea urchin movements and its potential grazing impacts. During the 3‐month study, the total distance travelled by sea urchins ranged from 71.8 to 673.6 cm (mean = 379.2 cm, SD = 221.3). Home ranges (distances from the initial position) were between 50 and 302 cm (mean = 150.7 cm, SD = 99.4). Movements were not directional but random, with a mean of 150 cm around the initial position. The activity of Paracentrotus lividus was significantly higher at night than during daylight. Total displacement at the end of the experiment was significantly higher in the unprotected area than in the reserve, as was the home range. The linear distance travelled in a 24‐h period ranged between 6 and 220 cm with a mean home range of 51 cm. These results agree with those of other authors, and allow us to rule out major migratory processes of sea urchin populations in this area. Nevertheless, these results underline the role of predatory fishes in reducing herbivory pressure by trophic cascades, reinforcing the evidence that sea urchin escape behaviour may be an important factor in structuring algal communities.  相似文献   

13.
Field observations by divers indicated that a high rate of predation of whelks (Buccinum undatum) by starfish (Asterias rubens) occurred in an area disturbed by scallop dredging, although these whelks mostly appeared to be alive and externally undamaged. The ability of whelks to escape from starfish was tested in the laboratory after they were dropped or rolled to simulate direct physical contact with bottom fishing gear. Dropping whelks did not significantly affect their escape behaviour, but whelks which had been rolled took significantly longer to right themselves and were significantly less likely to perform an escape response than whelks that had not experienced this treatment. This study suggests that demersal fishing may indirectly increase whelk mortality by increasing their risk of predation.  相似文献   

14.
An outbreak of bald sea urchin disease was detected affecting intertidal populations of the edible temperate species Paracentrotus lividus at its southernmost geographical limit. The mortality event was detected in three sites (Güímar, Palmar and Alcalá) off Tenerife, Canary Islands (Northeastern Atlantic), in October 2003, coinciding with the highest sea surface temperatures (SST) and the lowest wave heights of the year. The prevalence of infection reached 100% but did not affect equally all studied sites or the different size classes. The disease was more prevalent in large sea urchins (>40 mm). The prevalence appeared to be positively correlated with the environmental variable SST and negatively correlated with wave height. In October 2004, only two infected urchins were found (prevalence 1%) at one of the studied sites. However, during 2004 no such extreme values of temperature and wave height were observed. We conclude that high SSTs and low wave heights such as those observed during 2003 are conditions that may trigger outbreaks of urchin disease.  相似文献   

15.
Abstract. Seven harpacticoid species were found to be associated with sea ice collected during 5 Antarctic cruises of the RV Polarstern. Their distribution within the fast ice and pack ice zones of the Weddell Sea is presented. Whereas some individuals probably become entrapped into the ice only accidentally, at least 4 species arc genuinely sympagic. These have evolved remarkable adaptations, as evidenced by field and laboratory studies of Dresclieriella glacialis , which is by far the most abundant. Such adaptations include: the ability to penetrate deep into ice; a comparatively high salinity tolerance allowing it to endure large salinity fluctuations associated with ice crystal formation and melting; good swimming ability, necessary both for horizontal dispersal and for a planktonic intermezzo after annual melting of the sea ice. D. glacialis is the first polar non-vertebrate mctazoan to be cultivated through its entire life cycle. Its life history suggests an r-stratcgy; this would be the first indication of such a trait in the polar environment. A new species of Drescheriella , on the other hand, exhibits resting stages (C IV-V) known to date only for Calanoidu but not reported for Harpacticoida.  相似文献   

16.
Diadema aff. antillarum performs a key role in organizing and structuring rocky macroalgae assemblages in the Canary Islands. Densities of D. aff. antillarum higher than 2 individuals m(-2) are found to drastically reduce non-crustose macroalgal cover to below 30% and wave exposure appears as a major factor determining sea urchin density, which decreases with exposure level. Substrates containing >20% sand limit urchin to under 1 individual m(-2) but high relief rocky habitats show higher density. Moreover, several anthropogenic factors (number of islanders and tourists per coastal perimeter, and number of operational fishing boats) were positively correlated with urchin abundance. A trend of increasing urchin density through time was found, although well structured marine systems found at Mar de Las Calmas Marine Protected Area and at the no-take area of La Graciosa Marine Protected Area do not seem to follow this general trend.  相似文献   

17.
The sea surface is an important habitat for the developmental stages (eggs and larvae) of many fish and invertebrates; it is also a concentration point for anthropogenic contaminants entering the sea. Studies were conducted to determine the extent to which the sea surface of Puget Sound was toxic to the early life history stages of fish. Three urban bays with suspected contamination, a rural reference bay, and a Central Sound site were compared. Surface-dwelling eggs and organisms (zooneuston) were collected with a surface-skimming neuston net and their densities enumerated. Sand sole (Psettichthys melanostictus) embryos were exposed in the field and laboratory to the sea-surface microlayer. To develop a useful year-round approach to monitoring sea-surface toxicity, larval development of anchovies, kelp bass, and sea urchins was also evaluated as an indication of sea-surface microlayer toxicity.During the spawning season (February and March), urban boys in Puget Sound had lower concentrations of sand sole eggs and neustonic organisms on the sea surface than did the rural bayor Central Sound reference sites. Compared to the reference sites, laboratory exposure to surface microlayer samples collected from urban bay sites generally resulted in more chromsomal aberrations in developing sole embryos, reduced hatching success of sole larvae, and reduced growth in trout cell cultures. In situ hatching success of sole eggs was reduced by half or more in urban bays compared to reference sites.Toxicity was associated with visible surface slicks and, in urban bays, increased with increasing surface pressure (dynes cm−1). Results to be reported separately (Part II) indicate that toxicity is strongly correlated with the presence of high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals in the sea-surface microlayer. The toxicity of SMIC samples was similar when evaluated by sole, anchovy, kelp bass, or sea urchin tests. A sea-surface monitoring program could use sea urchin embryos to evaluate site-specific sea-surface toxicity throughout the year.  相似文献   

18.
Crab guarding behaviors are influenced by the biological and physical characteristics that each population experiences in a particular habitat. We studied post‐copulatory guarding behavior and the factors affecting it, such as the presence of burrows, female receptivity duration, operational sex ratio (OSR) and male size, in two different populations of Neohelice granulata: Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon (MCL) and San Antonio Oeste (SAO). Laboratory experiments showed that post‐copulatory guarding duration varied between the study areas. In MCL, it depended upon the presence of burrows and female receptivity duration, whereas it was independent of the OSR and male size. In SAO, it was dependent upon the OSR and female receptivity duration, whereas it was independent of the presence of burrows and male size. Thus, N. granulata males display different reproductive strategies related to their post‐copulatory guarding behavior pattern in different habitats. These strategies are related to the fact that this species constructs and defends a burrow that provides shelter and a place to mate, something that other varunids do not have.  相似文献   

19.
Tributyltin (TBT) has been widely employed in marine anti-fouling paints as a biocide, although it represents a serious risk, particularly in estuarine and coastal water/sediment ecosystems. In this study, the embryotoxic effects of TBT and its degradation products, dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT), were analyzed during the development of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus from post-fertilization to the pluteus stage, to better clarify ecotoxicological impact. The embryotoxicity of butyltins is concentration-dependent and increases proportionally with number of butyl groups. Significant growth reduction was observed at TBT concentrations as low as 0.01 microgram l-1; 1 microgram l-1 was the maximum concentration allowing embryos to reach the pluteus stage at 48 h post-fertilization. Development was blocked at the morula or blastula stage with higher TBT concentrations. DBT and MBT are less toxic: slowed development and a decrease in pluteus size occurred at 10 micrograms l-1 DBT and 0.5 mg l-1 MBT. Effects on both skeletal deposition and blocked embryonic development are suggested to be due to the interference of organotin compounds with intracellular calcium homeostasis.  相似文献   

20.
Bioerosion is a natural process in coral reefs. It is fundamental to the health of these ecosystems. In the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) coral reefs, the most important bioeroders are sponges, bivalves, sea urchins and the fish Arothron meleagris. In the 1980s, El Niño caused high coral mortality and an increase in macroalgal growth. As a result, greater sea urchin bioerosion occurred. This weakened the reef framework. Considering the high vulnerability of the ETP coral reefs, the goal of this study was to determine the current bioerosion impact of the sea urchin Diadema mexicanum along the western coasts of Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Panamá. The balance between coral bioaccretion and sea urchin bioerosion was also calculated. Between 2009 and 2010, in 12 coral reefs localities, D. mexicanum density, bottom cover and rugosity were quantified along band transects. The daily bioerosion rate was obtained from the amount of carbonates evacuated by sea urchins per unit time. The rate of coral accretion was calculated by multiplying the coral growth rate of the dominant genus by the density of their skeleton and by their specific coral cover. The localities were dissimilar (R = 0.765, P < 0.001) in terms of live coral cover, crustose calcareous algae, turf cover, rugosity index, and density and size of D. mexicanum. At all sites, with the exception of Bahía Culebra (Costa Rica), coral bioerosion was less than coral bioaccretion. Diadema mexicanum plays a dominant role in the balance of carbonates in the ETP, but this depends on reef condition (protection, overfishing, eutrophication) and so the impacts can be either positive or negative.  相似文献   

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