Ambient nutrient availability drives the outcome of an interaction between a sponge (Halichondria melanadocia) and seagrass (Thalassia testudinum)

Archer, Stephanie K.; Hensel, Enie; Layman, Craig A.

doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2018.02.005

Cited by 14 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…The seagrass in this relationship displayed a net neutral effect of sponge presence, where there was a balance between a negative effect of the sponge shading the seagrass and the positive effect of the sponge releasing bioavailable forms of N and P (Archer et al 2015). However, this interaction is also context-dependent, with small increases in ambient nutrient levels resulting in a shift from commensalism to parasitism and a reduction of seagrass growth and biomass (Archer et al 2018).…”

Section: Wrightii)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Specifically, in eutrophic conditions mussels cause water column nutrient enrichment and biodeposits that combine to result in high sulfide concentrations in sediments, which in turn drives a reduction in seagrass density (Vinther et al 2012). The effect of the epiphytic sponge H. melanadocia was also found to be partially determined by the sponge's supply of limiting nutrients (Archer et al 2015(Archer et al , 2018. Under oligotrophic conditions this sponge-seagrass interaction is commensal, with the seagrass providing an attachment point for the sponge and the seagrass receiving a supply of limiting nutrients.…”

Section: Wrightii)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although sponges have the potential to strongly impact nutrient availability (Southwell et al 2008;de Goeij et al 2013;Archer et al 2017), how they influence seagrasses and other associated primary producers is generally not well-understood. Despite the paucity of studies, there is some evidence that sponges can influence the growth and abundance of seagrass in a context-dependent manner (Archer et al 2015(Archer et al , 2018.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sponges facilitate primary producers in a Bahamas seagrass system

et al. 2021

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Seagrass beds are important coastal ecosystems worldwide that are shaped by facilitative interactions. Recent theoretical work has emphasized the potential for facilitative interactions involving foundation species to be destabilized in the face of anthropogenic change.Consequently, it is important to identify which taxa facilitate seagrasses. In other ecosystems, sponges contribute to the maintenance of diverse and productive systems through their facilitation of foundation species (e.g., mangroves) and the retention and recycling of energy and nutrients. Sponges are common in tropical and subtropical seagrass beds, yet we know little about how their presence impacts these communities. Here, we examine the impact of the sponge Ircinia felix on primary producers in a Thalassia testudinum dominated seagrass bed using a long-term field experiment in The Bahamas. We transplanted live sponges into the center of 5 m x 5 m plots and monitored the response of seagrasses and macroalgae. Sponge presence increased seagrass nutrient content and growth, as well as the abundance of macroalgae and nondominant seagrass species (Syringodium filiforme and Halodule wrightii). These changes were not seen in the control (unmanipulated) or structure (where we placed a polypropylene sponge replica) plots. We conclude that I. felix facilitates seagrass bed primary producers in oligotrophic systems, likely due to nutrients supplied by the sponge. Our study shows that sponges can have a positive influence on seagrass bed foundation species. Further work is needed to understand how this facilitation impacts the stability of seagrass beds in areas where human activities have increased ambient nutrient levels.

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Section: Wrightii)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Wrightii)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sponges facilitate primary producers in a Bahamas seagrass system

et al. 2021

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“…The research site was a mangrove-lined estuary located on Abaco Island, The Bahamas called Cross Harbour (25°56′28″N, 77°16′26″W). Food web structure and dynamics (45)(46)(47)(48)(49)(50)(51)(52), nutrient dynamics (17,35,(53)(54)(55), and movement of gray and schoolmaster snapper (56) have been previously studied by the authors in these systems. Bahamian mangrove-lined estuaries, locally called tidal creeks, are characterized by low physical relief and no riverine input, thus are completely tidally dominated.…”

Section: Study Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual behavior drives ecosystem function and the impacts of harvest

et al. 2020

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Current approaches for biodiversity conservation and management focus on sustaining high levels of diversity among species to maintain ecosystem function. We show that the diversity among individuals within a single population drives function at the ecosystem scale. Specifically, nutrient supply from individual fish differs from the population average >80% of the time, and accounting for this individual variation nearly doubles estimates of nutrients supplied to the ecosystem. We test how management (i.e., selective harvest regimes) can alter ecosystem function and find that strategies targeting more active individuals reduce nutrient supply to the ecosystem up to 69%, a greater effect than body size-selective or nonselective harvest. Findings show that movement behavior at the scale of the individual can have crucial repercussions for the functioning of an entire ecosystem, proving an important challenge to the species-centric definition of biodiversity if the conservation and management of ecosystem function is a primary goal.

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“…Located in a tropical region, Indonesia is understood to possess a huge diversity of marine resources (Edgar et al 2017), in particular sponges, as components of marine ecosystems such as seagrass meadows (Becking et al 2013a,b;Van Soest and De Voogd 2015;Calcinai et al 2016, Maas et al 2020. Several studies found sponge associations with seagrass meadows in the Caribbean region, for example, Halichondria melanadocia sponge and Thalassia testudinum seagrass (Archer et al 2018), Clathria schoenus, Chondrilla caribensis forma caribensis, Clathria sp, Tedania klausi, Amphimedon erina sponges, and Thalassia testudinum seagrass (Wulff 2008). The association between sponge and seagrass communities is mutually beneficial.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short Communication: Diversity of sponges associated in seagrass meadows at coastal area of Pacitan District, East Java, Indonesia

et al. 2021

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Abstract. Setiawan E, Chodiantoro MR, Insany GF, Subagio IB, Dewi NK, Muzaki FK. 2021. Short Communication: Diversity of sponges associated in seagrass meadows at coastal area of Pacitan District, East Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 3105-3112. Sponges are sessile organisms and aquatic filter feeders that play an important role in marine ecosystems. They are also secondary metabolite compounds that exhibit promising novel properties. Indonesia has been categorized as a hot spot for sponge diversity. Despite this fact, some Indonesian coastal areas, especially in the southern area of East Java, have not yet been comprehensively explored to understand its diversity and potential value. For this reason, we investigated species richness of sponges associated with seagrass meadows in the southern coastal area of Pacitan District, in East Java. Seagrass meadows are important coastal areas that have been recognized as buffer zones for sustainable marine conservation because it provides safe shelter and acts as a nursery for many fishes and other invertebrates, including sponges. We identified 16 genera out of 12 families from two selected beaches in Pacitan. Boring sponges belonging to the Clionaidea family were dominant in those areas, covering more than 20 percent of the total recorded specimens. Moreover, conspicuous boring sponges in this study can be used for further environment alert since this group plays a vital role and negatively impacts destroying the calcium carbonate of marine organisms.

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Ambient nutrient availability drives the outcome of an interaction between a sponge (Halichondria melanadocia) and seagrass (Thalassia testudinum)

Cited by 14 publications

References 41 publications

Sponges facilitate primary producers in a Bahamas seagrass system

Sponges facilitate primary producers in a Bahamas seagrass system

Individual behavior drives ecosystem function and the impacts of harvest

Short Communication: Diversity of sponges associated in seagrass meadows at coastal area of Pacitan District, East Java, Indonesia

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