Connecting organic to mineral: How the physiological state of an ecosystem-engineer is linked to its habitat structure

Abstract

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Improving Intertidal Reef Mapping Using UAV Surface, Red Edge, and Near-Infrared Data

“…This massive bioconstruction withstands environmental and human constraints, such as changes in sea level, hydrodynamic and sedimentary forcings (siltation [15,16]), as well as trampling and destructive shell-fishing [17]. Resulting from complex interactions between animal, plant, and sediment, this construction features three main stages: veneers, hummocks, and platforms [18]. These three theoretical types are hybridized in situ due to intermediate stages, either transitioning to more compact or more fragmented stages (see Table 1 in [8] for illustrations).…”

Seascape genomics reveals population isolation in the reef-building honeycomb worm, Sabellaria alveolata (L.)

“…Identifying the relative contribution of gene flow, genetic drift and natural selection to population structure is difficult in marine invertebrates due to their fluctuating population sizes [9]. This is particularly difficult in S. alveolata, as in-depth local ecological knowledge, such as population size and breeding behaviour, is lacking in the majority of sites (but see [31,[55][56][57]). That said, the identification by STRUCTURE of only the North Atlantic site as a separate population, with all other sites forming a single population, supports the idea that low levels of gene flow are still maintaining genetic diversity within the system as a whole.…”

Hyperspectral and Lidar: Complementary Tools to Identify Benthic Features and Assess the Ecological Status of Sabellaria alveolata Reefs

“…In Champeaux, S. alveolata can build three-dimensional structures which present a variety of morphotypes (Gruet, 1972;Curd et al, 2019): elevated platforms, more or less coalescent ballshaped structures (hummocks) or adhering to rocks (veneers). Each morphological structure can display different phases in the reef dynamics: progradation, where bioconstructions are expanding, with new surfaces colonized by the worms and retrogradation, where bioconstructions are eroding and reef surfaces are lost (Curd et al, 2019).…”

“…Gruet (1982) described an evolving S. alveolata morphotype, from "veneers, " where the tubes adhere to the substratum, to "hummocks" where the tubes radiate out from the initial settlement point before reaching "platforms" formed of extensive areas of hummocks fused together. Any one of these types can display outward signs of being in a "progradation" or "retrogradation" phases (Curd et al, 2019), either partially or totally. At European level, these formations are targeted, under the designation of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), as a part of marine habitat (type 1170 "Reef ") to be protected by the European Union's Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC.…”

“…However, this index is only applicable to areas where S. alveolata formations reach extensive bioconstructions, which strongly restricts its application potential. More recently, Curd et al (2019) attempted to investigate the relationship between the structural appearance of the bioconstruction and physiological state of the tube-building polychete. In this study, physiological indicators (lipid markers and metabolic enzymes) were used as biochemical indicators of S. alveolata health status, and linked to bioconstructions types (veneers or hummocks).…”