Oceanic Species Research Articles

The First Records of Vaucheria coronata Nordstedt, 1879 (Ochrophyta: Xanthophyceae) from the White Sea

In July 2019, Vaucheria coronata Nordstedt, 1879, an algal species previously unknown in Russia, was collected in the intertidal zone of Kandalaksha Gulf, the White Sea. The new records significantly expand the range of the species in the Arctic Ocean.

No effect of marine protected areas on managed reef fish species in the southeastern United States Atlantic Ocean

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been recommended as an essential conservation tool for ecosystems and fisheries, with MPA coverage increasing four-fold globally since 2000. Despite the increased usage of MPAs, empirical results and scientists are divided on the effectiveness of MPAs to reach their conservation and management goals. In 2009, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council established eight deep-water partially-protected MPAs off the southeast United States (SEUS) Atlantic coast with the goal of protecting long-lived, deep-water, reef-associated fishery species. Data collected during fish trapping from 2000 to 2018 as part of a fisheries-independent survey were used to evaluate the impacts of protection on a subset of fish species in three of these MPAs. There was a modest positive shift to larger fish observed in two of the MPAs and to older fish for one species, Pagrus pagrus (Linnaeus, 1758), in one of the MPAs relative to adjacent fished areas; however, there was either no change or a decrease in managed reef fish abundance in each MPA relative to adjacent fished areas. Based on these metrics, it does not appear that the SEUS MPAs have yet been effective at protecting managed reef fish species. Given that these MPAs have low enforcement, future assessments should examine compliance within the SEUS MPAs to determine if lack of success is due to illegal fishing, species examined, or MPA design before making a final determination if deep-water MPAs are an effective strategy for fisheries managers in the SEUS.

Spatial patterns in planktonic cnidarian distribution in the western boundary current system of the tropical South Atlantic Ocean

Abstract In marine western boundary systems, strong currents flowing coastward spread oceanic water masses over the continental shelves. Here we propose to test the hypothesis according to which oceanic cnidarian species may dominate western boundary system regions even in coastal waters. For that purpose we use a set of data collected above the shelf, slope and around oceanic seamounts and islands in the Western Tropical South Atlantic. Samples were acquired with a plankton net with 300 μm mesh size over 34 stations during an oceanographic cruise carried out in October 2015. Results reveal a diverse cnidarian assemblage in the area, extending the known distribution of many species. In addition, the Fernando de Noronha Chain and most of the narrow continental shelf presented a typical oceanic cnidarian community, dominated by holoplanktonic siphonophores. In this western boundary system, this condition was likely driven by the strong currents, which carry the oceanic tropical water and associated planktonic fauna toward the coast. A specific area with reduced influence of oceanic currents presented typical coastal species. The pattern we observed with the dominance of oceanic plankton communities up to coastal areas may be typical in western boundary systems characterized by a narrow continental shelf.

Half a century of global decline in oceanic sharks and rays

Overfishing is the primary cause of marine defaunation, yet declines in and increasing extinction risks of individual species are difficult to measure, particularly for the largest predators found in the high seas1-3. Here we calculate two well-established indicators to track progress towards Aichi Biodiversity Targets and Sustainable Development Goals4,5: the Living Planet Index (a measure of changes in abundance aggregated from 57 abundance time-series datasets for 18 oceanic shark and ray species) and the Red List Index (a measure of change in extinction risk calculated for all 31 oceanic species of sharks and rays). We find that, since 1970, the global abundance of oceanic sharks and rays has declined by 71% owing to an 18-fold increase in relative fishing pressure. This depletion has increased the global extinction risk to the point at which three-quarters of the species comprising this functionally important assemblage are threatened with extinction. Strict prohibitions and precautionary science-based catch limits are urgently needed to avert population collapse6,7, avoid the disruption of ecological functions and promote species recovery8,9.

A new species of Dynoides Barnard, 1914 (Crustacea, Isopoda, Sphaeromatidae) from Canada, with notes on geographic distribution of the north-eastern Pacific Ocean species

ABSTRACT Dynoides canadensis sp. nov. is described from the south-western coast of British Columbia, Canada. This species differs from its closely related species, D. elegans (Boone, 1923) ), by the presence of a smooth pleotelson without prominent rounded tubercle on the basal part of the pleotelsonic sinus, its sinus wall lacking crenulation; in having the penial processes length 7.7 × basal width and acute distal apex instead of 2.3 × basal width and rounded and blunt distal apex in D. elegans. This new species also has an appendix masculina with the distal apex extending somewhat beyond its base, instead of not reaching the base as is the case for D. elegans. A map of the distribution for the north-eastern Pacific species of Dynoides Barnard, 1914 (D. elegans (Boone, 1921); D. crenulatus and D. saldanai Carvacho & Haasmann, 1984; and D. dentisinus Shen 1929) in the north-eastern Pacific is provided. The new species is abundant in the western coastal zone of British Columbia. A revised generic diagnosis is provided for the genus Dynoides. Publication LSID: lsid:http://zoobank.org:pub:ADF85BE9-C307-43EA-B270-1B2DB2F61883

Reef fishes biodiversity and conservation at the largest Brazilian coastal Marine Protected Area (MPA Costa dos Corais)

Abstract Coral reefs harbor one of the largest fish biodiversity on earth; yet information on reef fishes is still absent for many regions. We analyzed reef fish richness, distribution, and conservation on the largest Brazilian multiple use coastal MPA; which cover a large extent of coral reefs at the SWA. A total of 325 fish species have been listed for MPA Costa dos Corais, including Chondrichthyes (28 species) and Actinopterygii (297). Fish species were represented by 81 families and the most representative families were Carangidae (23 species), Labridae (21) and Gobiidae (15). The MPA fish richness represented 44% of all recorded fish species of the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (SWA) highlighting the large-scale importance of this MPA. A total of 40 species (12%) are registered at Near Threatened (NT), Vulnerable (VU), Endangered (EN) or Critically Endangered (CR). This study reinforces the importance of MPA Costa dos Corais on reef fish biodiversity and conservation and emphasize the urgent need of conservation strategies.

Untangling the origin of the newcomer Phorcus sauciatus (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in a remote Atlantic archipelago

The marine topshell Phorcus sauciatus is currently found along the temperate–subtropical shores of the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. Although present in the Iberian Peninsula, Madeira, and Canaries for centuries, P. sauciatus has only recently reached another oceanic volcanic archipelago in the region. In 2013, a small population was recorded for the first time in Santa Maria Island (Azores), widening its distribution around the entire island and to the neighbouring island of Sao Miguel in a short period of time. The success of such colonization of the remote archipelago by P. sauciatus still awaits an explanation. To better understand the populational dynamics of the species in the NE Atlantic Ocean, we used a molecular approach to evaluate the genetic structure of P. sauciatus aiming at the determination of a potential origin for the first individuals that reached the Azores. On the foundations of detailed oceanographic, palaeontological, and ecological data, we discuss the impact of climate change as a trigger for colonization of remote oceanic islands and suggest a mechanism that might explain the long-distance dispersal of the non-planktotrophic gastropod P. sauciatus across important biogeographical barriers in the NE Atlantic.

The growth and age structure of Chilean jack mackerel (Trachurus murphyi) following its influx to New Zealand waters

The Chilean jack mackerel (Trachurus murphyi) is a predominantly Southeast Pacific Ocean species. It is relatively difficult to determine its age, and multiple studies of its growth off South America have produced markedly different sets of von Bertalanffy parameters. T. murphyi was first identified from New Zealand waters in the mid-1980s and has comprised part of the commercial landings of Trachurus species (along with Trachurus declivis and Trachurus novaezelandiae) since then. Results from 13 years of age determination of New Zealand samples using sectioned otoliths indicate that a partially validated age determination method has been developed, with a precision level (average percentage error) of 4.6%. The best available von Bertalanffy growth parameters for the New Zealand population (sexes combined) are as follows: L∞ , 51.9 cm fork length; K, 0.223 per year; t0 , -0.5 year. Analyses by sex showed that males have a significantly larger L∞ than females. Estimated annual catch-at-length and catch-at-age distributions from the fishery are presented for 2007-2019. There have been at least two episodes of immigration of T. murphyi from international waters, but little evidence of spawning success to maintain the New Zealand population.

Anthropogenic and natural organohalogen compounds in melon-headed whales (Peponocephala electra) stranded along the Japanese coastal waters: Temporal trend analysis using archived samples in the environmental specimen bank (es-BANK)

The present study determined recent accumulation levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), chlordane compounds (CHLs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDDs), polychlorinated diphenyl ethers (PCDEs), methoxylated-PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs) and 2,3,3′,4,4′,5,5′-heptachloro-1′-methyl-1,2′-bipyrrole (Q1) in the blubber of melon-headed whales (Peponocephala electra) stranded along the Japanese coastal waters in 2015 and examined temporal trends of these organohalogen compound (OHC) levels by analyzing blubber samples of this species archived in the environmental specimen bank which were collected in 1982, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2011. The median concentrations in melon-headed whales stranded recently were in the order of DDTs ≈ PCBs > HBCDDs > Q1 > CHLs > MeO-PBDEs > PBDEs > HCB > HCHs > PCDEs, indicating that considerable amounts of HBCDDs, in addition to DDTs and PCBs, have been transported to tropical and subtropical waters of the open ocean and pelagic whale species might be exposed to relatively high levels of these OHCs. Temporal trend analyses of OHC levels in the blubber of melon-headed whales revealed significant decrease for anthropogenic OCs such as DDTs, PCBs, HCB, HCHs and PCDEs, and significant increase for CHLs, PBDEs, HBCDDs, MeO-PBDEs and Q1 since 1982. Besides, the analyses from 2001 to 2015 showed no decreasing trends (unchanged) for some PCB congeners, p,p’-DDE, cis- and trans-nonachlors, Q1, BDE-47, -100 and −154, and significantly increasing trends for α-HBCDD and 6MeO-BDE47, suggesting their chronic exposure for this pelagic whale species.

Red Sea Opisthobranchia 6: Phyllidiidae and their paradorid mimic: new species and new records (Heterobranchia, Nudibranchia, Doridina).

With the complexity of the family Phyllidiidae and the problems of identification in the Indo-West Pacific, the story of the Red Sea species continues to unfold. One new species and one new record are added to the Red Sea fauna, both belonging to the genus Phyllidiella. Phyllidiella amphitritesp. nov. is described from a single specimen from the northern Red Sea and clearly differs from all species of Phyllidiella in having pale yellow pigment on the tubercles. Phyllidiella zeylanica is newly recorded from the Red Sea with five specimen records and several photographed individuals; other than this, it has a western Indian Ocean distribution. Phyllidia schupporum was collected for the first time since its original description; because its distribution is now extended to the Persian Gulf, it is no longer considered endemic to the Red Sea. The distribution of the Red Sea endemic Phyllidia dautzenbergi is extended northwards to Hurghada, Egypt. A small specimen of the endemic Phyllidiopsis sinaiensis was found at 214–237 m depth just at the mouth of the Red Sea, which is a bathymetrical range extension from its previous shallow coral reef records. The identifications of other species are revisited. A new species of Paradoris is described as Paradoris hypocritasp. nov., differing from the well-known but localised West Pacific P. liturata which also resembles a phyllidiid. This new species was recorded many years ago by published photographs, and it is relatively common in the Red Sea, evidenced by several specimens and additional photographs. It is described herein, and is considered a Red Sea endemic, differing from both the unnamed Indian Ocean species and the named Pacific species.

Alkenones in oceanic odontocetes as a potential proxy of environmental water temperature

The alkenones C37:2 and C37:3 are produced exclusively by some haptophyte species. Their relative proportion (Uk’37 index) may be used to infer the water temperature where the synthesising haptophyte lived. Alkenones have been analysed in sediments, planktonic communities and in the low trophic level, filter-feeding fin whales. However, it is unclear whether they can be detected in animals exploiting high trophic levels and used to infer the water temperature in which they live. Alkenones were analysed in blubber samples from three Mediterranean predatory species: the striped dolphin, an epipelagic species; the Risso’s dolphin, a deep diver; and the bottlenose dolphin, a coastal species. Alkenones were detected in all striped dolphin samples and in most of the Risso’s dolphin samples, but they were below detection limits in the bottlenose dolphin samples. The inferred temperature for the striped dolphins (16.4 ± 3.3 °C) was similar to the average water temperature of the region (16.9 ± 3.9 °C), but that for the Risso’s dolphins was lower than expected (12.7 ± 4.4 °C). The small sample sizes and the large variance in the Uk’37 index make it difficult to ascertain if the dissimilarity between the two oceanic species is real. Although further research is needed to calibrate this bio-indicator, we can conclude that alkenones are transferred through the trophic web and are found in oceanic cetaceans situated at a high trophic level.

An uncommon guest is masked in fisheries landings: The case of the endemic sub-population of red spiny lobster Panulirus penicillatus (Decapoda: Palinuridae) in Costa Rica

Fishery landings composition in tropical developing countries is formed of high diversity of species and some of them are not well-reported in landings or national fisheries statistics. This is particularly the case of the endemic red spiny lobster Panulirus penicillatus (Olivier, 1791) on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The red spiny lobster is a circumtropical species which has the most extensive global distribution of all the species of spiny lobsters. In order to fill the gap of knowledge regarding the spatial distribution of this species in the eastern Pacific Ocean and highlight its importance to fishing communities, this study focused on data collected from a dive-based bentho-demersal fishery on the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Environmental and fishing effort data were recorded as an input for fitting site-occupancy models to get estimates of occurrence and probability of detection. The most parsimonious model structure for detection suggested that the covariates of diving time and water column visibility had an important effect on detection probability. For the occupancy part of the model, the depth gradient had the strongest effect, with high probability of lobster encounters in shallow rocky reefs near the coastline. These findings point towards an enlargement of the area of occurrence of the endemic sub-population of P. penicillatus to which sampled animals belong. Further, it is discussed potential ecological and fishery factors that explain the low occurrence of the red spiny lobster at this restricted area of the eastern Pacific continental shelf. As a result, a set of research guidelines and management recommendations are suggested for promoting the conservation and sustainable use of this endemic species within the region.

First shallow record of Bathyphysa conifera (Studer, 1878) (Siphonophora, Cystonectae), a live specimen in the Strait of Gibraltar. Worldwide species distribution review.

The rarely observed cystonect siphonophore Bathyphysa conifera was recorded for the first time in shallow depth water (- 16 m) as a live specimen, at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea by SCUBA divers. It is a delicate oceanic species, with earlier records coming mostly from deep water, where it readily adheres to deep sea fishing cables and nets, causing painful stings to fishermen. Deep water sightings from ROVs include in the North Atlantic, off Angola, the Gulf of Mexico and Monterey Canyon. The present specimen was swimming actively by contracting and expanding its stem, in a yo-yo movement. A review of all reliable records for this species worldwide has been carried out in order to gain a better knowledge of the present known distribution of this species, both geographical and bathymetric. Bathyphysa conifera may possibly represent an important component of the food web and be perhaps also a competitor to fish in the regions it inhabits.

An updated checklist of ctenophores (Ctenophora: Nuda and Tentaculata) of Mexican seas

Ctenophores are one of the most conspicuous and frequent groups of the gelatinous zooplankton community, but their regional diversity in tropical and subtropical latitudes remains largely unknown. We provide an overview and update of the current knowledge of the diversity in Mexican seas, including ocean and coastal-neritic environments of the Gulf of Mexico, the Mexican Caribbean Sea, and the Mexican Pacific Ocean. Ctenophore records were reviewed based on the available scientific and gray literature, the Naturalista network (www.naturalista.mx), and the ctenophore species collected in the Gulf of California by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. A total of 33 taxa (Class Nuda and Tentaculata) were found to occur in Mexican seas, of which 12 of the 33 taxa (36.4 % of the total) were recorded in the Gulf of Mexico, 7 (21.2 %) in the Mexican Caribbean Sea, 25 (75.8 %) in the Gulf of California, 11 (33.3 %) in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, and only 1 (3.0 %) are known in the Northeastern Pacific. Up to nine taxa included in our account represent first records for Mexico (i.e., Bathocyroe fosteri, Kiyohimea usagi, Lampocteis cruentiventer, Leucothea sp., Aulacoctena sp., Haeckelia beehleri, Charistephane fugiens, Bathyctena chuni, and Hormiphora californensis). Due to the lack of data on benthic ctenophores and the sparse studies on oceanic and deep-living species, it is expected that the list will grow as new surveys are performed in the deep sea. The lack of long-term studies on Mexican ctenophores have limited our capacity to draw valid conclusions on their abundance, total diversity, endemicity, and trophic ecology in Mexico.

Iron Uptake Mechanisms in Marine Phytoplankton.

Oceanic phytoplankton species have highly efficient mechanisms of iron acquisition, as they can take up iron from environments in which it is present at subnanomolar concentrations. In eukaryotes, three main models were proposed for iron transport into the cells by first studying the kinetics of iron uptake in different algal species and then, more recently, by using modern biological techniques on the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. In the first model, the rate of uptake is dependent on the concentration of unchelated Fe species, and is thus limited thermodynamically. Iron is transported by endocytosis after carbonate-dependent binding of Fe(III)’ (inorganic soluble ferric species) to phytotransferrin at the cell surface. In this strategy the cells are able to take up iron from very low iron concentration. In an alternative model, kinetically limited for iron acquisition, the extracellular reduction of all iron species (including Fe’) is a prerequisite for iron acquisition. This strategy allows the cells to take up iron from a great variety of ferric species. In a third model, hydroxamate siderophores can be transported by endocytosis (dependent on ISIP1) after binding to the FBP1 protein, and iron is released from the siderophores by FRE2-dependent reduction. In prokaryotes, one mechanism of iron uptake is based on the use of siderophores excreted by the cells. Iron-loaded siderophores are transported across the cell outer membrane via a TonB-dependent transporter (TBDT), and are then transported into the cells by an ABC transporter. Open ocean cyanobacteria do not excrete siderophores but can probably use siderophores produced by other organisms. In an alternative model, inorganic ferric species are transported through the outer membrane by TBDT or by porins, and are taken up by the ABC transporter system FutABC. Alternatively, ferric iron of the periplasmic space can be reduced by the alternative respiratory terminal oxidase (ARTO) and the ferrous ions can be transported by divalent metal transporters (FeoB or ZIP). After reoxidation, iron can be taken up by the high-affinity permease Ftr1.

The high diversity of Southern Ocean sea stars (Asteroidea) reveals original evolutionary pathways

Benthic life in the Southern Ocean (SO) features unique life history traits and species assemblages, but the origin and evolution of many of these taxonomic groups is still unclear. Sea stars (Asteroidea) are a diversified and abundant component of benthic ecosystems in the SO, in which they can play key ecological roles. Former studies suggest that the diversity of the entire class is still poorly known and underestimated, hampering the assessment of the origin and evolution of the class in the SO. In the present study, we analyse spatial patterns of SO sea star diversity using an occurrence database of ~14,000 entries. The biogeographic analysis is coupled with the exploration of an extensive molecular phylogeny based on over 4,400 specimen sequences to inform, support and/or question the observed diversity patterns. We show that the current taxonomy of SO asteroids needs revision and that their diversity has generally been overlooked and misinterpreted. Molecular results highlight the recent diversification of most studied taxa, at genus and species levels, which supports an evolutionary scenario referring to successive invasion and exchange events between the SO and adjacent regions, and clade diversification during periods of rapid environmental changes driven by the succession of glacial cycles. Our work advocates for employing, and endorsing the use of extensive genetic barcode libraries for biodiversity studies.

Using a Bayesian modelling approach (INLA-SPDE) to predict the occurrence of the Spinetail Devil Ray (Mobular mobular)

To protect the most vulnerable marine species it is essential to have an understanding of their spatiotemporal distributions. In recent decades, Bayesian statistics have been successfully used to quantify uncertainty surrounding identified areas of interest for bycatch species. However, conventional simulation-based approaches are often computationally intensive. To address this issue, in this study, an alternative Bayesian approach (Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation with Stochastic Partial Differential Equation, INLA-SPDE) is used to predict the occurrence of Mobula mobular species in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO). Specifically, a Generalized Additive Model is implemented to analyze data from the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission’s (IATTC) tropical tuna purse-seine fishery observer bycatch database (2005–2015). The INLA-SPDE approach had the potential to predict both the areas of importance in the EPO, that are already known for this species, and the more marginal hotspots, such as the Gulf of California and the Equatorial area which are not identified using other habitat models. Some drawbacks were identified with the INLA-SPDE database, including the difficulties of dealing with categorical variables and triangulating effectively to analyze spatial data. Despite these challenges, we conclude that INLA approach method is an useful complementary and/or alternative approach to traditional ones when modeling bycatch data to inform accurately management decisions.

Whistles of Atlantic spotted dolphin from a coastal area in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean.

Atlantic spotted dolphins were recorded on the coastal area of Rio de Janeiro with equipment of 192 kHz sampling rate. The animals produced an average of 33 whistles/min. The repertoire was balanced among four contour categories, with the occurrence of a stereotyped whistle. Frequency parameters were measured between 1.3 and 29 kHz, which represents an increase in the frequency range previously reported for this species in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. With the use of a higher sampling rate, the acoustic parameters of S. frontalis whistles have changed significantly and became more similar to those reported for North Atlantic populations.

Ecology and Distribution of Collemiform Lichens in the Southern Part of the Russian Far East

Environmentally related patterns of the occurrence of 14 collemiform lichen species (Collema s. l. sensu Degel.: C. (Rostania) callibotrys var. callibotrys Tuck., C. complanatum Hue, С. (Enchylium) conglomeratum var. conglomeratum Hoffm., C. (Arctomia) fasciculare var. fasciculare (L.) Weber ex F. H. Wigg., C. japonicum (Mull. Arg.) Hue, C. leptaleum var. leptaleum Tuck., С. (Enchylium) ligerinum (Hy) Harm., C. nepalense Degel., C. pulcellum var. pulcelllum Ach., С. (Enchylium) pycnocarpum Nyl. (=C. conglomeratum var. crassiusculum (Malme) Degel.), C. shiroumanum var. shiroumanum Rasanen, C. subconveniens Nyl., C. subflaccidum Degel., and C. substipitatum var. substipitatum Zahlbr.) on the trunks of various tree species in different forest types have been analyzed, as has their distribution in the southern part of the Russian Far East. The maximum species diversity of collemiform lichens is observed on the oak (Quercus mongolica Fisch. ex Ledeb.) and linden (Tilia mandshurica Rupr. et Maxim., T. amerensis Rupr.) trees (10 and 9 species, respectively), while the minimum diversity is observed on broadleaved trees with a smooth and thin bark. The oak–broadleaved and coniferous–broadleaved (with Pinus koraiensis Siebold et Zucc.) forests meet the ecological requirements of collemiform lichens in the best way; in these forests, 8 and 11 lichen species have been registered, respectively. The three most thermophilic oceanic species, C. complanatum, C. japonicum, and C. subconveniens, have been found only on the coast of the Sea of Japan in the narrow zone of the direct monsoon influence.

Growth curves of the yellowlegs shrimp Penaeus californiensis Holmes, 1900 (Decapoda, Penaeidae), using length data

Abstract The yellowlegs shrimp Penaeus californiensis is an oceanic species that approaches the coastal zone for its reproduction. However, in the southern Gulf of California, this species also enters coastal lagoons to grow and reproduce. To test the hypothesis that the growth of P. californiensis differs between these two environments, monthly samplings of shrimp were made in the interior of the Navachiste coastal lagoon and its adjacent marine area. To determine growth, age groups were identified using the size structures over time. Five cases of the Schnute model were adjusted to the data, and the best case was selected using a multi-model selection approach. A sigmoid-shaped curve best represented the female data (case 2), and the inverted exponential curve (case 5; equivalent to the Von Bertalanffy growth function) was best for males. Average growth differed between sexes () but not between environments ().