Open Water Zone Research Articles

A bright spot of conservation in a Brazilian hotspot of cumulative impacts considering ecosystem quality in a cross-shelf gradient: Perspectives to MPAs network

Coastal regions are the main populated areas in the world and the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) depends on management, stakeholder engagement, and environmental settings, which differ across land-to-sea gradients. This study describes the patterns of biological diversity and the abiotic environment along a densely inhabited stretch of the Brazilian coastline. We examined sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a concentrations among urbanized coasts, inshore, and open water zones. Locally, we considered sites under contrasting protection status (partially restrictive MPA, multiple-use MPA, and no protection areas), the impact of sedimentation, the structure of sessile (algae, corals, and other invertebrates) and fish communities (abundance and diversity). Urban coastal sites are dominated by filamentous turfs (∼55 % coverage), exhibit high sedimentation rates (mean ∼180 mg/cm2/day), and low fish diversity (mean below 9 species/60m2). Open water zones have higher benthic and fish diversity. The highest biomass of fishes (mean ∼575 g/m2) as well as native corals (mean ∼13 %) and calcareous algal turf abundance (mean ∼38 %) was observed in the Alcatrazes archipelago, which increased its no-take MPA limits recently. In an unmanaged multiple-use protected Island, reefs were dominated by the invasive sun coral Tubastraea spp. The expansion of this alien coral is a real threat to the regional biodiversity, and its risk should be considered in management practices, which is done in the Alcatrazes archipelago. Our analysis demonstrates that effective management of multiple-use coastal settings may need to include flexible approaches that include land-based management, which can complement MPA tools to protect and conserve biodiversity. Since the region is considered a hotspot of cumulative impacts, ecosystem quality of the Alcatrazes archipelago could be considered substantially better than expected, being a bright spot of conservation. The expansion of its no-take area might help the role of MPAs within a comprehensive global conservation strategy.

A Floristic Study of Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Lal Nalla Dam of Samadrapur Tehsil, District Wardha, Maharashtra

The floristic diversity studywas carried out at Lal Nalla Dam. It was constructed on the Lal Nalla River, the nearest city to the dam is Samudrapur in Wardha District of Maharashtra. Extensive and repeated field surveys were carried out from January 2020 to December 2021 in the study area, covering all the seasons of the year to document the species richness of the wetland. The three sites were selected from where a comprehensive list of aquatic and wetland plants occurring in the study areais prepared. During field surveys, emphasis was given to document the type of vegetation, growth form, and associated species. Morphological characters were recorded based on fresh material in the field. The open water zone of the lake has less growth of submerged and free-floating plants. The Marginal shallow zone with a depth of 30-40 cm is inhibited by the floating-leaved-like and emergent plants. In the study area total of 41 species were investigated from three major habitats as open-water zone, marginal shallow zone, and seasonal puddles were studied and according to the sites, the growth formlike one floating-leaved,five submerged plants, twenty-nine emergent, and six other plants was identified belonging to 22 different families in which Cyperaceae was a dominant family with 6 species. The study area shows species diversity but because of seasonal water level change and grazing by domestic livestock the disturbance is seen in vegetation.

Exploring Spatial Dynamics of Water Quality in a Tropical Lake Affected by Aquaculture

Lake Maninjau, like many surface water bodies worldwide, faces significant water pollution challenges due to extensive aquaculture activities, making it an ideal site to study the impact of fish farming on water quality, which has contributed to eutrophication and declining water quality. This study investigates the physicochemical parameters and pollution levels in the lake, aiming to provide insights into its environmental health. In August 2022, a comprehensive sampling campaign was undertaken at nine stations within the upper layers of open water and littoral zones of Lake Maninjau. In situ measurements, including temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH, were conducted, accompanied by water sample collection for laboratory analysis of trace elements and heavy metals. Our study revealed notable variability in water parameters across different sites, with surface water layers exhibiting the greatest differences. While certain parameters such as temperature and conductivity remain relatively stable, pH levels show a decreasing trend with increasing water depth. Dissolved oxygen levels vary widely, while oxidation–reduction potential indicates water pollution, particularly in littoral zones. Potassium dominance within cations likely suggests anthropogenic influences, notably from aquaculture activities, that may also contribute to nutrient enrichment and heavy metal pollution. Elevated levels of total nitrogen and ammonia underscore the lake’s moderate pollution levels, with heavy metals such as mercury exceeding permissible limits, posing risks to aquatic life and human health.

Fish Diversity and Use of Nearshore and Open‐Water Habitats in Terminal Lakes

Terminal lakes face conservation challenges due to consumptive water use and changes in climate. We quantified the extent of the littoral and open water zones in 18 terminal lakes spanning five continents and show that lake level declines produce variable changes in littoral zone surface area. While littoral zones account for a small portion of the habitat in these lakes, 77% of the fish species inhabit these zones and 87.5% consume littoral–benthic organisms. We found that littoral zone surface area correlates with littoral zone fish species richness (P < 0.01; R2 = 0.47) as well as the number of species relying on benthos (P < 0.01; R2 = 0.44). However, we found (1) no correlation between the percent of the lake's surface area that is littoral and the percent of the fish community that inhabits the littoral zone (Pearson's r = 0.3; P = 0.3), and (2) no correlation between the percent of the lake's surface area that is littoral and the percent of the fish community that consumes benthic organisms (Pearson's r = −0.1; P = 0.8). Because many terminal lakes are desiccating, conservation of biodiversity in the nearshore zones of these lakes may be warranted.

Contribution of soil seed banks to vegetation resilience in coastal freshwater wetlands of subtropical Australia

AbstractQuestionsWhat role do soil seed banks play in the resilience of coastal freshwater wetland vegetation communities? How might soil seed bank composition and similarity to standing vegetation drive changes in vegetation expression, particularly given projected changes in climate?LocationSixty wooded coastal freshwater wetlands in southeast Queensland, Australia.MethodsWe surveyed standing vegetation and investigated soil seed bank composition through an 8‐month‐long emergence experiment.ResultsSoil seed bank assemblages were dominated by forb and sedge species (23% exotic), but composition varied throughout the study region. Spatial (north–south) and land‐use (urban–rural) gradients explained some variation in soil seed bank composition. Soil moisture and groundwater dependence also influenced species distributions, particularly for freshwater wetland species. The similarity of soil seed banks to standing vegetation was low. Species present in both extant and soil seed bank assemblages were commonly native wetland taxa, including one salt marsh species (Juncus kraussii).ConclusionsProjected climatic changes will likely drive changes in coastal freshwater wetland vegetation communities through increases in the frequency and intensity of disturbances (e.g., storm surge). Our results suggest that regeneration from soil seed banks could promote four potential scenarios: (1) expansion of weed communities, (2) expansion of salt marsh communities, (3) maintenance and expansion of wetland/terrestrial species, and (4) transformation to an unvegetated open water zone because of reduced regeneration success under changing conditions. These diverse vegetation futures highlight the vulnerability of wooded coastal freshwater wetlands and the need for research and management interventions to maintain their biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Global investigation of lake habitat coupling by fishes.

Habitat coupling, where consumers acquire resources from different habitats, plays an important role in ecosystem functioning. In this study, we provide a global investigation of lake habitat coupling by freshwater fishes between littoral (nearshore) and pelagic (open water) zones and elucidate the extent to which magnitude of coupling varies according to environmental context and consumer traits. We consider the influence of lake factors (surface area, depth, shoreline complexity, and annual temperature), relative trophic position of consumers, fish community species richness, and fish morphological traits on habitat coupling by fishes. Using a worldwide dataset consisting of fish stable isotope values (δ13C and δ15N), we developed an index of habitat coupling, and used Bayesian hierarchical and non-hierarchical beta regressions to estimate the effects of environmental lake context and morphological traits on habitat coupling by fishes. Our results show high rates of habitat coupling among fishes globally with marked taxonomic differences in the magnitude and variation. Habitat coupling was higher in lower elevation lakes and in regions characterized by relatively colder climates, whereas other environmental context factors had little or no effects on habitat coupling. Furthermore, habitat coupling was associated with several locomotion and feeding traits, but independent from species maximum body length. Overall, we highlight the prevalence of multiple resources supporting fish populations and suggest future research identify implications to ecosystem functioning that may result from alterations to habitat coupling by fishes.

Heterotrophic aquatic metabolism and sustained carbon dioxide emissions in a mineral-soil wetland restored with treated effluent

Wetlands are economically valuable ecosystems, in part because they purify wastewater by retaining and processing nutrients, organic matter (OM), and other pollutants. While natural wetlands are highly productive and sequester large pools of carbon (C), it is unclear whether the C cycle of restored treatment wetlands is functionally consistent with natural systems. This knowledge gap limits our appreciation for the role that wetland restoration can play as a natural solution to climate change. Here, we quantified metabolic and C cycling patterns of a restored, multi-basin wetland (Frank Lake, Alberta, Canada) receiving municipal and beef processing plant effluents rich in nutrients and OM. We conducted metabolic measurements in all three basins using dissolved oxygen sensors deployed under ice and in open water. Extreme production and respiration indicated that effluent was largely mineralized and replaced with wetland OM in transit. The heterotrophic status of all basins aligned with a published mass budget demonstrating the aquatic habitat of the wetland was an OM sink under current drought conditions that lengthen effluent processing time. Floating chamber measurements in open water zones confirmed that the wetland was a source of CO2 to the atmosphere. From input to outflow, sustained emissions led to declining pCO2 and a decline in the ratio of dissolved inorganic to organic C. Over 30 years post-restoration, the open water habitats in Frank Lake remain heterotrophic and a net source of CO2, suggesting that the trajectory of aquatic C cycling may be distinct from wetlands restored with non-effluent water sources.

Bladderwort Relationship to Zooplankton in Two Northern Michigan Lakes

Traditionally, most of our understanding of lake zooplankton dynamics is from data collected in the pelagic, open water zone. However, the littoral and benthic zones of lakes can play a role in zooplankton community interactions and relationships. Utricularia spp., or the bladderworts, inhabit littoral and shallow waters of lakes and consume zooplankton. Limited information exists on the dietary habits of bladderworts and how diet varies across lakes and seasonally. Bladderwort dietary assemblage in two Michigan, USA, lakes was quantified during the thermally stratified period of 2020, and was compared to zooplankton in the adjacent water column. Bladderwort trap size was positively related to zooplankton prey size, but not number of prey consumed or taxa richness. Bladderworts consumed a variety of prey, the majority dominated by littoral cladoceran and ostracod taxa. Seasonal change was observed, with significantly higher ostracod dominance earlier in the season, shifting into cladoceran dominance later in the season. Ostracods were more commonly found in traps than the water column, whereas Cladocera were more commonly found in the water column than the traps. These results shed light into the dietary habits of bladderworts, which can have consequences for food web dynamics and energy transfer in small lake systems.

Super-Resolution-Aided Sea Ice Concentration Estimation From AMSR2 Images by Encoder–Decoder Networks With Atrous Convolution

Passive microwave data is an important data source for the continuous monitoring of Arctic-wide sea ice concentration (SIC). However, its coarse spatial resolution leads to blurring effects at the ice-water divides, resulting in the great challenges of fine-scale and accurate SIC estimation, especially for regions with low SIC. Besides, the SIC derived by operational algorithms using high-frequency passive microwave observations has great uncertainties in open water or marginal ice zones due to atmospheric effects. In this article, a novel framework is proposed to achieve accurately SIC estimation with improved spatial details from original low-resolution Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) images, with joint the super-resolution (SR) and SIC estimation network. Based on the SR network, the spatial resolution of original AMSR2 images can be improved by four times, benefiting to construct AMSR2 SR features with more high-frequency information for SIC estimation. The SIC network with an encoder–decoder structure and atrous convolution, is employed to accurately perform the SIC retrieval by considering the characteristics of passive microwave images in the Arctic sea ice region. Experimental results show that the proposed SR-Aided SIC estimation approach can generate accurate SIC with more detailed sea ice textures and much sharper sea ice edges. With respect to MODIS SIC products distributed in Arctic scale, the proposed model achieves a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 5.94% and mean absolute error (MAE) of 3.04%, whereas the Arctic Radiation and Turbulence Interaction Study (ARTIST) Sea Ice (ASI) SIC results have three and two times greater values of RMSE and MAE.

Spatial and temporal dynamics of suspended sediment concentrations in coastal waters of the South China Sea, off Sarawak, Borneo: ocean colour remote sensing observations and analysis

Abstract. High-quality ocean colour observations are increasingly accessible to support various monitoring and research activities for water quality measurements. In this paper, we present a newly developed regional total suspended solids (TSSs) empirical model using MODIS Aqua's Rrs(530) and Rrs(666) reflectance bands to investigate the spatial and temporal variation in TSS dynamics along the southwest coast of Sarawak, Borneo, with the application of the Open Data Cube (ODC) platform. The performance of this TSS retrieval model was evaluated using error metrics (bias = 1.0, MAE = 1.47, and RMSE = 0.22, in milligrams per litre) with a log10 transformation prior to calculation as well as using a k-fold cross-validation technique. The temporally averaged map of the TSS distribution, using daily MODIS Aqua satellite datasets from 2003 until 2019, revealed that large TSS plumes were detected – particularly in the Lupar and Rajang coastal areas – on a yearly basis. The average TSS concentration in these coastal waters was in the range of 15–20 mg L−1. Moreover, the spatial map of the TSS coefficient of variation (CV) indicated strong TSS variability (approximately 90 %) in the Samunsam–Sematan coastal areas, which could potentially impact nearby coral reef habitats in this region. Study of the temporal TSS variation provides further evidence that monsoonal patterns drive the TSS release in these tropical water systems, with distinct and widespread TSS plume variations observed between the northeast and southwest monsoon periods. A map of relative TSS distribution anomalies revealed strong spatial TSS variations in the Samunsam–Sematan coastal areas, while 2010 recorded a major increase (approximately 100 %) and widespread TSS distribution with respect to the long-term mean. Furthermore, study of the contribution of river discharge to the TSS distribution showed a weak correlation across time at both the Lupar and Rajang river mouth points. The variability in the TSS distribution across coastal river points was studied by investigating the variation in the TSS pixels at three transect points, stretching from the river mouth into territorial and open-water zones, for eight main rivers. The results showed a progressively decreasing pattern of nearly 50 % in relation to the distance from shore, with exceptions in the northeast regions of the study area. Essentially, our findings demonstrate that the TSS levels on the southwest coast of Sarawak are within local water quality standards, promoting various marine and socio-economic activities. This study presents the first observation of TSS distributions in Sarawak coastal systems with the application of remote sensing technologies and aims at enhancing coastal sediment management strategies for the sustainable use of coastal waters and their resources.

Differential abundance, composition and mesohabitat use by aquatic macroinvertebrate taxa in ponds with and without fish

Fish are known to pose strong effects on invertebrate abundance, species richness and assemblage structure. Littoral vegetation may play a crucial role as a refuge for invertebrates vulnerable to fish predation. We studied relative densities and taxonomic composition of water mites, aquatic beetles and bugs in large lake-like ponds with different fish status (fish-free and containing fish) and mesohabitats (emergent littoral vegetation and open water zone). The macroinvertebrate taxa differed in their responses to the fish presence and in mesohabitat preferences. The density and species richness of water mites were greater in fish-containing ponds, while no differences were found between littoral and open-water habitats. In contrast, beetles were far more numerous and species-rich in fish-free ponds and in littoral vegetation. Total densities of aquatic bugs were non-significantly higher in fish-containing ponds, and they preferred littoral areas, but species richness was independent of fish presence and mesohabitat. No statistical interactions between fish presence and the densities of individual macroinvertebrate groups in the littoral habitat were detected, indicating that their use of emergent littoral vegetation was not an antipredator response to fish. The assemblages of the three macroinvertebrate taxa exhibited nested structures of a different order, consistent with their species richness patterns. Our research stresses the importance of littoral vegetation for the distribution and abundance of aquatic insects; however, high fish presence may not affect or may even benefit ecologically important macroinvertebrate groups, such as water mites or bugs.

Invasive Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) Increases Methane Emissions from a Subtropical Lake in the Yangtze River in China

Lakes represent an important source of atmospheric methane (CH4); however, there are few studies on which lake-dwelling invasive aquatic plants generate CH4. Therefore, in this study, CH4 emissions were measured using a floating chamber and gas chromatography in a subtropical lake in China. We considered four community zones of invasive plants (Eichhornia crassipes), emergent vegetation (Zizania latifolia), floating-plant (Trapa natans) and open-water zones. The results indicate that the flux of CH4 emissions varied between −5.38 and 102.68 mg m−2 h−1. The higher emission values were attributed to lake eutrophication. Moreover, the flux of CH4 emissions in the invasive plant zone was 140–220% higher than that in the open-water and the floating-plant zones. However, there was no significant difference in CH4 emissions between the invasive plant and the emergent vegetation zones. This may be due to a higher production of plants, as well as the rapid reproductive rate of the invasive plants. Finally, CH4 emissions were positively associated with the air and water temperature; however, the emissions were also negatively associated with water depth. Our results suggest that invasive plants enhance freshwater CH4 emissions, thus contributing to global warming.

Benthic species assemblages change through a freshwater cavern-type cenote in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico

We studied benthic assemblages through X-Batún, a continental freshwater cenote and its associated submerged cave located in San Antonio Mulix (Yucatán, Mexico). Using cave diving techniques, we collected sediment samples at four zones of the system. We extracted and counted individuals of benthic species in three replicates of 5 grams of wet sediment at each site. The biological composition was integrated by 15 species from eight higher taxonomic groups. Non-metric multidimensional scaling distinguished four assemblages that coincided with surface, open water, cavern and cave zones. ANOSIM test revealed significant differences between the assemblages. In the deeper zones of the cenote characterized by twilight and total darkness, Ostracoda and Gastropoda show the highest diversity and abundance, with practical absence in surface sediments. This pattern may suggest ecological interactions with chemosynthetic bacterial activity. Surface shows an assemblage typical of epigean environments. Environmental variables along the cenote varied little from the upper layers to bottom. Linear correlation and detrended canonical analysis revealed that light is the main driver of benthic species assemblages. Temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen exert higher influence at individual biological benthic assemblage in X-Batún.

Changes in Algal Plankton Composition and Physico-Chemical Variables in a Shallow Oxbow Lake

In our work, we sought to answer whether we find differences among the various zones of an oxbow lake with different land uses based on physico-chemical variables and dominant algal plankton species. The two ends of the oxbow lake are bordered by settlements, and near them there are open water areas where fishing is the major utilization form. Between the two open water areas we find a protected area with a large aquatic plant coverage and two transition zones towards the open water areas. The oxbow lake receives periodic water replenishment only at one end from one of the open water areas. During summer—due to the lack of rain—the water of the oxbow lake is used for irrigation in the surrounding arable land, so the water level fluctuation can be significant in the riverbed. Our study was performed within a vegetation period of spring, early summer, mid-summer, and fall. In connection with the ecological classification of a smaller water body, studies on the physical and chemical properties of the water and the composition of the algal plankton are usually carried out in few places and relatively infrequently. The characteristics of a water body are also influenced by seasonal changes, which can be the changes in the extent of vegetation coverage, the way land is used and the possibility of water replenishment, to which the algal community usually responds with changes. Based on our study, it can be said that even in a relatively small water body, we found a large differences based on the chemical and physical properties of the water and the characteristic algal species. Open water zones, areas with large macrovegetation coverage, and the transition zones were separated from each other.

Environmental determinants of fish abundance in the littoral zone of gravel pit lakes

The type and extent of habitats along the shoreline specify the distribution of fish in the littoral zone of lakes, but effects are likely species and size-specific and might be overwhelmed by lake-level environmental factors that drive fish abundance (e.g. trophic state). We applied a replicated transect-sampling design by electrofishing assessing fish abundance and distribution along the banks of 20 gravel pit lakes in Lower Saxony (Germany). Boosted regression trees were used to analyse the impact of different characteristic habitat types (e.g. vegetated, woody or open water zones), shoreline water depth and lake-level environmental variables on species-specific fish abundances. In contrast to earlier studies, lake-level environment and transect-level habitat type similarly influenced the abundances of differently sized fish species in the littoral zone of gravel pit lakes. The abundance of almost all fish species increased with lake productivity and extent of structured littoral habitats, mostly following non-linear relationships. Our work suggests that investments into the quality of littoral habitat, and not merely the control of nutrient inputs or other lake-level environmental factors, can promote abundance of most gravel pit lake fish species, in particular those who depend on the littoral zone for at least part of their life-cycle.

Zooplankton community changes in relation to different macrophyte species: Effects of Egeria densa removal

Macrophytes sometimes become a nuisance, interfering with navigation, fishing, and aesthetic purposes. Therefore, in many water bodies, the macrophytes are periodically removed. However, with the removal of macrophytes, changes occur in the physico-chemical properties of water and the plankton associated with them. Here we describe the zooplankton community composition using functional traits (feeding guilds and habitat type) from littoral and open water zones in the central Mexican waterbody Benito Juárez Reservoir for one year. In two sites, the macrophyte Egeria densa was removed by the local administration, which resulted in an increase of turbidity, chlorophyll a and phycocyanin levels. Among rotifers, Polyarthra, Trichocerca, Lecane, Lepadella, and Keratella were the dominant genera while for microcrustaceans, copepods, Alona, Ceriodaphnia, Chydorus, and Simocephalus were the dominant genera. Littoral sites had a higher number of microphagous and raptorial species than open water; however, after macrophyte removal, microphagous species were more reduced than raptorial species. Moreover, a decrease in semi-planktonic and benthic-periphytic species, as well as an increase in planktonic organisms was observed after macrophyte removal. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling showed that before the removal of Egeria, macrophyte sites were different from open water; however, after the removal, the zooplankton community was similar in all sites. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that carbonates, nitrates, oxygen, and turbidity were the strongest predictors determining zooplankton composition. Our study showed that macrophyte removal caused habitat modification and zooplankton community shifts that reduce diversity and functional groups.

Effects of Aquatic Macrophytes on Spatial Distribution and Feeding Habits of Exotic Fish Species Lepomis macrochirus and Micropterus salmoides in Shallow Reservoirs in South Korea

Aquatic macrophytes determine the physical complexity of aquatic environments and may influence the distribution and feeding habits of fish species. We explored the influence of different microhabitats, including vegetated beds (VB), edges of vegetated beds (EVB), and open water zones (OW), on two exotic fish species (Lepomis macrochirus and Micropterus salmoides) in shallow reservoirs. Lepomis macrochirus was more abundant in VB than in other zones and M. salmoides was mainly distributed in EVB. In VB, L. macrochirus mainly consumed branchiopods and isopods, while M. salmoides in EVB relied on relatively larger food items, such as dipterans, odonatans, and young fish. The consumption of young fish by M. salmoides, including L. macrochirus, showed little difference between winter and summer. Based on these findings, we suggest that young L. macrochirus (~20 cm) utilize VB as a refuge to avoid predation by M. salmoides. Meanwhile, M. salmoides mainly occupied in areas surrounding VB, preying on animals at these edges. As such, the presence of aquatic macrophytes appears to plays a key role in the survival and population growth of L. macrochirus. Proper management of aquatic macrophytes can help reduce populations of exotic fish and support native fish species.

Diving into divergence: Differentiation in swimming performances, physiology and gene expression between locally-adapted sympatric cichlid fishes.

Sympatric speciation occurs without geographical barriers and is thought to often be driven by ecological specialization of individuals that eventually diverge genetically and phenotypically. Distinct morphologies between sympatric populations occupying different niches have been interpreted as such differentiating adaptive phenotypes, yet differences in performance and thus likely adaptiveness between them were rarely tested. Here, we investigated if divergent body shapes of two sympatric crater lake cichlid species from Nicaragua, one being a shore-associated (benthic) species while the other prefers the open water zones (limnetic), affect cruising (Ucrit ) and sprinting (Usprint ) swimming abilities - performances particularly relevant to their respective lifestyles. Furthermore, we investigated species differences in oxygen consumption (MO2 ) across different swimming speeds and compare gene expression in gills and white muscle at rest and during exercise. We found a superior cruising ability in the limnetic Amphilophus zaliosus compared to the benthic Amphilophus astorquii, while sprinting was not different, suggesting that their distinct morphologies affect swimming performance. Increased cruising swimming ability in A.zaliosus was linked to a higher oxygen demand during activity (but not rest), indicating different metabolic rates during exercise - a hypothesis supported by coinciding gene expression patterns of gill transcriptomes. We identified differentially expressed genes linked to swimming physiology, regulation of swimming behaviour and oxygen intake. A combination of physiological and morphological differences may thus underlie adaptations to these species' distinct niches. This complex ecological specialization probably resulted in morphological and physiological trade-offs that contributed to the rapid establishment and maintenance of divergence with gene flow.

The ratio of methanogens to methanotrophs and water-level dynamics drive methane transfer velocity in a temperate kettle-hole peat bog

Abstract. Peatlands are a large source of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere, yet the uncertainty around the estimates of CH4 flux from peatlands is large. To better understand the spatial heterogeneity in temperate peatland CH4 emissions and their response to physical and biological drivers, we studied CH4 dynamics throughout the growing seasons of 2017 and 2018 in Flatiron Lake Bog, a kettle-hole peat bog in Ohio. The site is composed of six different hydro-biological zones: an open water zone, four concentric vegetation zones surrounding the open water, and a restored zone connected to the main bog by a narrow channel. At each of these locations, we monitored water level (WL), CH4 pore-water concentration at different peat depths, CH4 fluxes from the ground and from representative plant species using chambers, and microbial community composition with a focus here on known methanogens and methanotrophs. Integrated CH4 emissions for the growing season were estimated as 315.4±166 mgCH4m-2d-1 in 2017 and 362.3±687 mgCH4m-2d-1 in 2018. Median CH4 emission was highest in the open water, then it decreased and became more variable through the concentric vegetation zones as the WL dropped, with extreme emission hotspots observed in the tamarack mixed woodlands (Tamarack) and low emissions in the restored zone (18.8–30.3 mgCH4m-2d-1). Generally, CH4 flux from above-ground vegetation was negligible compared to ground flux (<0.4 %), although blueberry plants were a small CH4 sink. Pore-water CH4 concentrations varied significantly among zones, with the highest values in the Tamarack zone, close to saturation, and the lowest values in the restored zone. While the CH4 fluxes and pore-water concentrations were not correlated with methanogen relative abundance, the ratio of methanogens to methanotrophs in the upper portion of the peat was significantly correlated to CH4 transfer velocity (the CH4 flux divided by the difference in CH4 pore-water concentration between the top of the peat profile and the concentration in equilibrium with the atmosphere). Since ebullition and plant-mediated transport were not important sources of CH4 and the peat structure and porosity were similar across the different zones in the bog, we conclude that the differences in CH4 transfer velocities, and thus the flux, are driven by the ratio of methanogen to methanotroph relative abundance close to the surface. This study illustrates the importance of the interactions between water-level and microbial composition to better understand CH4 fluxes from bogs and wetlands in general.

Sediment fluxes rather than oxic methanogenesis explain diffusive CH4 emissions from lakes and reservoirs

Methane emissions from lakes and reservoirs are a major natural source in the global budget of atmospheric CH4. A large fraction of these emissions are due to diffusive transport of CH4 from surface waters to the atmosphere. It was suggested recently that CH4 production in the oxic surface waters is required to compensate for diffusive CH4 emissions from lakes. In contrast, we demonstrate here that typical diffusive CH4-fluxes from sediments in shallow water zones, Fsed,S, suffice to explain CH4 emissions to the atmosphere. Our analysis is based on the combination of an exceptional data set on surface concentrations of CH4 with a mass balance model of CH4 that is focused on the surface mixed layer and considers CH4-fluxes from sediments, lateral transport, gas exchange with the atmosphere, and includes temperature dependencies of sediment fluxes and gas exchange. Fsed,S not only explains observed surface CH4 concentrations but also concentration differences between shallow and open water zones, and the seasonal variability of emissions and lateral concentration distributions. Hence, our results support the hypothesis that diffusive fluxes from shallow sediments and not oxic methanogenesis are the main source of the CH4 in the surface waters and the CH4 emitted from lakes and reservoirs.