Meta-analysis of Ecopath models reveals secondary productivity patterns across the Gulf of Mexico

Blomberg, Brittany N.; Montagna, Paul A.

doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2014.07.014

Cited by 14 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Based on the sensitivity analysis, another important forage fish was found to have a large capacity to increase biomass in this estuarine food web: the detritivorous Atlantic Menhaden, which is highly migratory and commercially valuable (McBride 2014). The detritus pool positively impacted the Atlantic Menhaden group and several other groups, corresponding with previous documentation that detritus-derived carbon powers benthic food webs exerting bottom-up control in estuaries (Baird and Ulanowicz 1989;Blomberg and Montagna 2014;Buchheister and Latour 2015). These findings highlight the value of preserving marsh habitat-which contributes significant detrital biomass to the SRE-to maintain total system function.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Modeling Predator–Prey Linkages of Diadromous Fishes in an Estuarine Food Web

2016

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Historically, multiple species of diadromous fishes served as a coastal food source for commercially valuable nearshore predators. However, severe declines in diadromous fish populations in the nearshore Gulf of Maine (GOM) have impacted trophic dynamics and increased pressure on other estuarine‐dependent forage resources. The objective of this study was to compare the trophic positions and interspecific interactions of diadromous fishes as predators and prey in relation to current GOM forage fishes. Empirical biomass data along with diet compositions and vital rates were used to construct a static model of a representative GOM coastal food web: the Saco River estuary (SRE) in Maine. A series of sensitivity analyses based on model outputs was performed to determine the trophic role of diadromous fishes in this estuarine food web. Model results suggested that juvenile marine transients played a greater role as forage species for SRE predators than did the anadromous Blueback Herring Alosa aestivalis and Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus. Due to the abundant forage fish base, Atlantic Sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus and Shortnose Sturgeon Acipenser brevirostrum were estimated to have a greater trophic position than reported in past literature. Lower‐trophic‐level fishes functioned as keystone prey species for sturgeon. The use of holistic approaches to update the ecological data on predator–prey interactions among diadromous fishes and forage resources within coastal ecosystems is necessary for the future management of these ecologically significant and threatened species. Received January 4, 2016; accepted May 20, 2016

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Modeling Predator–Prey Linkages of Diadromous Fishes in an Estuarine Food Web

2016

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“…The Lindeman spine (Lindeman 1942), showed that the greatest amount of transferred energy was provided by primary producers structured mainly by algae and seagrasses, which are present with considerable abundance in the study area (Felder and Camp 2009;Blomberg and Montagna 2014). This trophic group also contributes to the greatest amount of energy for Detritus.…”

Section: Whole System Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Crustacea was identified as the most important trophic group in the system, unfortunately it could not be divided into individual groups to analyze it in greater detail, this is due to the fact that it is made of different species of brachyurans with variable biomasses. However, in general, the main function of this group within the ecosystem is to provide energy and biomass to the multiple trophic groups, such as most fish (Hajisamae et al 2004;Blomberg and Montagna, 2014), limiting with low predation other groups such as Mollusk, Polychaeta, and other Benthic invertebrates. Therefore, a variation in its biomass implies a change in the ecosystem, this has already been observed in the study by Zetina-Rejon et al (2015).…”

Section: Whole System Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Ecopath software is commonly used for this purpose through knowledge of the biomass and diets of trophic groups, where the system can be interconnected, and give us an idea of the impact generated by the variation of a single or multiple trophic groups at the same time and its dissemination along the food web (Christensen et al 2005;Heymans et al 2016). Initially, trophic model arose to know, predict and manage the fishery resources (Vidal and Pauly 2005), later it was adapted to an ecological approach such as the impact of exotic species (Arias-González et al 2011), conservation (Arias-González 1998, secondary productivity (Blomberg and Montagna 2014), effects of climatic change (Alva-Basurto and Arias-González 2014) or determinate the flow of matter and energy in the ecosystem (Manickchand-Heileman et al 1998;Morales-Zárate et al 2004;Zetina-Rejón et al 2015) as in the present study.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Trophic dynamics and properties of the marine ecosystem of Campeche Bank, Mexico

Chi-Espínola

Vega‐Cendejas

2021

Mar Biol

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Campeche Bank located in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico is characterized by particular oceanographic and physiographic conditions that promote great biodiversity, including abundant fishery resources. Systematic sampling through oceanographic campaigns (November 2015, April 2016), produced high-quality data to generate a trophic model balance using Ecopath software. The goal of this study is to know the baseline of the structure and functioning of this important marine area. The predator/prey matrix was drawn up from the stomach content analysis of 186 fish species integrated into 47 families. The schematic representation exemplifies a complex trophic interaction of 22 trophic groups, including 10 fish groups, 8 invertebrate, zooplankton, phytoplankton, benthic producers, and detritus. Production and consumption of biomass and ecotrophic efficiency values were calculated for each of the trophic groups. The Total System Throughput was of 319.514 t/km 2 /year. The Ascendency, system Overhead, and Development Capacity were of 476.4, 673.1, and 1150.0 flow bits, respectively. Campeche Bank is an oligotrophic system with an intermediate state of resilience to environmental variations, growth potential intermediate, and greatly influenced by loop and Caribbean currents. These properties together with indicators of overfishing in the system and pollution (hydrocarbons), highlight the requirement of controlling fishery pressures and monitor hydrocarbons industry in the area to maintain its function and biodiversity.

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“…Current strategies for monitoring ecosystem-level processes include scaling studies that rely on limited field data and mapped areas to interpolate metabolic rates from reef system to global scales. In the Gulf of Mexico, benthic autotrophs are estimated to contribute up to 90% of primary production within coral reef systems (Blomberg & Montagna, 2014). Therefore, mapping the relative functional-groups that contribute to production is important in assessing productivity of coastal systems.…”

Section: Current Scaling Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping coral reef primary production and calcification from a light-use efficiency model with in-situ and remotely sensed data

Perez¹

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Monitoring coral reef primary and carbonate production is critical to understand changes in ecosystem function over time and between different reef systems. This is essential with increasing anthropogenic stresses from coastal development, overfishing, pollution, and ocean warming and acidification. However, monitoring these processes at spatial scales relevant to on ground management showing details within individual reefs (100's m 2) and across reef systems (1000's km 2) has been difficult due to lack of biogeochemical models that incorporate physical and biological factors for scaling with remote sensing. There is potential to adopt existing models that use absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR) for estimating productivity, such as the light-use efficiency (LUE) model, which has been successfully applied in terrestrial and open ocean systems. The aim of this thesis was to develop methods for applying the LUE model to coral reef environments with field and remotely sensed data collected at multiple spatial scales. The objectives were to: (1) assess variability in community net productivity and calcification rates for algae dominated reef flats and a seagrass community, (2) assess variability of photosynthetic and calcification efficiencies based on APAR for multiple functional-groups: coral, non-calcareous algae, calcareous algae, sediment, and seagrass, and (3) apply the LUE model to map gross productivity and net calcification using multi-spectral imagery. This thesis focused on two reef systems: Heron Reef, southern Great Barrier Reef and Saipan Lagoon, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, which have multi-spectral imagery available for model application. The first chapter of this thesis provided a brief overview of productivity and calcification processes in coral reef systems, and current limitations in monitoring these processes with remote sensing. In Chapter 2 (Obj. 1), field measurements of community net productivity and calcification are reported for algae dominated reef flats and a seagrass community. This study provided the first baseline metabolism and calcification rates for Saipan Lagoon. Both the reef flats and seagrass community had high net productivity that was associated with the dominant presence of algae at all sites. In Chapter 3 (Obj. 2), the theoretical basis for the light-use efficiency model is introduced, and how the model used the relationship between irradiance and photosynthesis to estimate productivity. The relationship between productivity, calcification, absorptance, and irradiance I acknowledge that copyright of all material contained in my thesis resides with the copyright holder(s) of that material. Where appropriate I have obtained copyright permission from the copyright holder to reproduce material in this thesis and have sought permission from coauthors for any jointly authored works included in the thesis.

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Meta-analysis of Ecopath models reveals secondary productivity patterns across the Gulf of Mexico

Cited by 14 publications

References 26 publications

Modeling Predator–Prey Linkages of Diadromous Fishes in an Estuarine Food Web

Modeling Predator–Prey Linkages of Diadromous Fishes in an Estuarine Food Web

Trophic dynamics and properties of the marine ecosystem of Campeche Bank, Mexico

Mapping coral reef primary production and calcification from a light-use efficiency model with in-situ and remotely sensed data

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