Quantitative food web modeling unravels the importance of the microphytobenthos-meiofauna pathway for a high trophic transfer by meiofauna in soft-bottom intertidal food webs.

Heijden, L.H. van der; Niquil, Nathalie; Haraldsson, Matilda; Asmus, Ragnhild; Pacella, Stephen R.; Graeve, Martín; Rzeznik-Orignac, Jadwiga; Asmus, Harald; Saint-Béat, Blanche; Lebreton, Benoît

doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109129

Cited by 18 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 104 publications

(144 reference statements)

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“…The cushion star P. exigua and the limpet F. mutabilis were previously reported to have completely declined at Klein Oesterval (Pillay et al, 2010) (Pillay et al, 2010). The elevated abundances of grazers further emphasise the important trophic role of particularly epiphyte grazing within both seagrass and intertidal ecosystems more broadly (Asmus & Asmus, 1985;Lawrence & Bolton, 2023;van Der Heijden et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…Variability in species patterns on a yearly basis has been observed in seagrass ecosystems in Langebaan, although certain common or dominant species consistently remain present (Pillay et al., 2010). The elevated abundances of grazers further emphasise the important trophic role of particularly epiphyte grazing within both seagrass and intertidal ecosystems more broadly (Asmus & Asmus, 1985; Lawrence & Bolton, 2023; van Der Heijden et al., 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Quantifying direct and indirect linkages between seagrasses, environment and associated macrofauna in a temperate lagoon

Lawrence

2024

Marine Ecology

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Seagrass ecosystems play a vital role in marine environments, providing essential services, including physical habitat that supports a species diversity critical to robust trophic structures. However, seagrass loss due to various influences raises concerns about the persistence of these ecosystems. Seagrass‐associated macrofauna serve as indicators of environmental health, noting change or stability. This study investigated the structural and environmental drivers influencing macrofaunal communities associated with seagrass (Zostera capensis) in a temperate lagoon. Variation in macrofaunal community structure across phenotypically distinct seagrass populations found large‐leaved morphotypes in deeper intertidal stands to support higher species diversity and richness. Conversely, small‐leaved populations in higher shore positions had a greater abundance of desiccation‐resistant gastropods. Seasonal differences were significant, with higher abundances generally observed during spring and summer, while diversity and richness peaked in autumn and winter. Structural equation modelling revealed shoot densities and leaf width to have positive direct effects on macrofaunal abundance, while temperature and tidal exposure produced significant indirect effects. Temperature had a direct effect on seagrass structure and significantly influenced five out of six seagrass metrics measured. Observations of seagrass distribution in the lagoon indicate significant declines in large‐leaved populations with likely adverse consequences for associated macrofauna and related trophic levels.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying direct and indirect linkages between seagrasses, environment and associated macrofauna in a temperate lagoon

Lawrence

2024

Marine Ecology

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“…Protozoa are often food sources for meiofauna 41 ; therefore, using COI for protozoan detection and 18S for metazoan detection showcases multiple trophic levels present in the mesocosms of the current study. Utilizing multiple loci not only broadens taxonomic diversity detection but can also highlight multiple trophic levels for understanding food webs originating in benthic environments 15 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Due to their small size and the challenges of taxonomic identification, micro- and meiofauna are often discounted in sampling studies. However, meiofauna are vital in functioning food webs, involved in waste removal and biogeochemical cycles, and provide oxygenation to hypoxic areas, thus making marine ecosystems more habitable for other organisms 13 – 15 . Micro- and meiofauna are sensitive to environmental disturbances, such as pollution and nutrient changes, and are found in both pelagic and benthic aquatic environments, so they serve as ideal biological indicators of healthy ecosystems 16 – 18 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental RNA as a Tool for Marine Community Biodiversity Assessments

Giroux

Reichman

Langknecht

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Microscopic organisms are often overlooked in traditional diversity assessments due to the difficulty of identifying them based on morphology. Metabarcoding is a method for rapidly identifying organisms where Environmental DNA (eDNA) is used as a template. However, legacy DNA is problematically detected from organisms no longer in the environment during sampling. Environmental RNA (eRNA), which is only produced by living organisms, can also be collected from environmental samples and used for metabarcoding. The aim of this study was to determine differences in community composition and diversity between eRNA and eDNA templates for metabarcoding. Using mesocosms containing field-collected communities from an estuary, RNA and DNA were co-extracted from sediment, libraries were prepared for two loci (18S and COI), and sequenced using an Illumina MiSeq. Results show a higher number of unique sequences detected from eRNA in both markers and higher α-diversity compared to eDNA. Significant differences between eRNA and eDNA for all β-diversity metrics were also detected. This study is the first to demonstrate community differences detected with eRNA compared to eDNA from an estuarine system and illustrates the broad applications of eRNA as a tool for assessing benthic community diversity, particularly for environmental conservation and management applications.

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“…However, the biological contribution to the TMF also depends on the local occurrence of fish schools and massive zooplankton swarms. Despite this, export rates and specific contributions of these sources remain poorly described for coastal upwelling areas, hindering our ability to analyze the episodic influence of these events on the TMF and its signal in the water column and the bottom [4,9,10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Total Mass Flux in the Northern Humboldt Current System: Rates and Contribution Sources from Central Peru (12° S)

Leigh,

Aramayo,

Mendoza

et al. 2023

Hydrobiology

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The total mass flux (TMF) of particulate organic matter (POM) is key for understanding the energetic transfer within the “biological pump” (i.e., involving the carbon cycle), reflecting a critical connection between the surface and the bottom. A fixed multi-sediment trap was installed at 30 m depth in Callao Bay, central Peru from March to December 2020. After recovery, samples were dried and weighed to calculate the TMF and pellet flux. The average TMF was 601.9 mg·m−2·day−1, with 70.2 and 860 mg·m−2·day−1 as the lowest and highest values during “normal conditions”. Zooplankton fecal pellets (ZFP) were found in ovoid (e.g., larvae) and cylindrical (e.g., adult copepods) shapes and their flux contribution to TMF was low, ranging from 0.17 to 85.59 mg·m−2·day−1. In contrast with ZFP, fish fecal pellets (FFP) were found in fragments with a cylindrical shape, and their contribution to the TMF was higher than ZFP, ranging from 1 to 92.56 mg·m−2·day−1. Mean sinking velocities were 4.63 ± 3.47 m·day−1 (ZFP) and 432.27 ± 294.26 m·day−1 (FFP). There is a considerable difference between the ZFP and FFP contributions to TMFs. We discuss the implications of these results regarding a still poorly understood process controlling the POM flux off the Peruvian coast.

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Quantitative food web modeling unravels the importance of the microphytobenthos-meiofauna pathway for a high trophic transfer by meiofauna in soft-bottom intertidal food webs.

Cited by 18 publications

References 104 publications

Quantifying direct and indirect linkages between seagrasses, environment and associated macrofauna in a temperate lagoon

Quantifying direct and indirect linkages between seagrasses, environment and associated macrofauna in a temperate lagoon

Environmental RNA as a Tool for Marine Community Biodiversity Assessments

Total Mass Flux in the Northern Humboldt Current System: Rates and Contribution Sources from Central Peru (12° S)

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