Use of environmental DNA in early detection of Mnemiopsis leidyi in UK coastal waters

Author(s):  
Véronique Créach ◽  
Sabrine Derveaux ◽  
Katy R. Owen ◽  
Sophie Pitois ◽  
Elvire Antajan
2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 437-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiqiang Xia ◽  
Aibin Zhan ◽  
Yangchun Gao ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
G. Douglas Haffner ◽  
...  

2013 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 792-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caren S. Goldberg ◽  
Adam Sepulveda ◽  
Andrew Ray ◽  
Jeremy Baumgardt ◽  
Lisette P. Waits

2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-126
Author(s):  
Zahra Khoshnood ◽  
Reza Khoshnood ◽  
Mehdi Ghobeitihasab

ABSTRACT Human interventions on the Earth’s natural systems are evident even in remote regions of the Antarctic and rain forests deep within the Amazon. In addition to human-induced climate change and habitat destruction, an emerging anthropogenic threat to biodiversity is the drastic species re-distribution (the movement of species from one place to another due to human intervention) at a global scale. This creates fertile conditions for biological invasions which in turn cause substantial economic and ecological losses. These human-mediated invasions, often referred to as “biological pollution”, are a worldwide problem that is increasing in frequency and magnitude, causing significant damage to the environment, economy and human health. Bioinvasions have strong impact on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning and stability. They are ranked as the second most important threat to biodiversity (after habitat destruction) by the World Conservation Union. The Ctenophore, Mnemiopsis leidyi, is one of the invasive species that naturally lives in the Atlantic coastal waters of North America and South America, but discovered in Azov, Black, Caspian, North, Baltic and Mediterranean (north-eastern part) seas in early 1980s. It seems that the main factor of its redistribution was the ballast waters of ships. As an alien species, Mnemiopsis leidyi caused many alterations in the Caspian Sea ecosystems. The fact that it feeds on the eggs of native fish Clopeonella spp., has resulted in a significant decline of its population; Clopeonella spp. were the main source of industrial fishing in the Caspian Sea and also the main source of food for precious fish species, the sturgeons, and therefore, their decline has caused a huge economical loss for the area's inhabitants and a significant decline of sturgeon populations. This species has caused massive ecosystem changes and substantial economic losses in the late 1980s-1990s, and it has been recognized as a problem of main ecological concern for the sustainable development of the region, together with the high level of anthropogenic pressures on the Caspian Sea ecosystems. Some special characteristics of this species, such as adaptation to a wide range of salinity and temperature, high capability of reproduction, hermaphroditism and dissogeny, have led to huge increases of its mass, especially in southern regions of the Caspian Sea, the coastal waters of Iran. In addition, it has become clear that this species does not have any natural predators in the Caspian Sea, and also that it can feed on any organisms smaller than itself in size. Owing to these facts, it is a huge ecological threat for the Caspian Sea ecosystems. The aim of the present paper is to review the biological and ecological impacts of this invasive species on the Caspian Sea ecosystems.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-75
Author(s):  
A. V. Melnik ◽  
V. V. Melnikov ◽  
L. A. Melnik ◽  
O. V. Mashukova

In the second half of the XX century, Black Sea ecosystem has undergone significant changes: a number of storm winds and upwellings decreased, precipitation abundance increased, coastal waters salinity decreased, temperature increased; moreover, ctenophores invaded. As a result, in the late 1980s, Black Sea pelagic ecosystem abruptly got restructured. This research is based on the studies performed in 1965–1966 and 2007–2012 near Sevastopol (Western Crimea) using the remote sensing data. Analysis of satellite data over the past 20 years showed the presence of positive dynamics in surface water temperature in Sevastopol water area. In the mid-1960s, the annual bioluminescence was characterized by seasonal peaks of dinophytes luminescence. In recent years, this rhythm has changed due to ctenophores invasion. The increase in Mnemiopsis leidyi abundance leads to a decrease in bioluminescence of luminous microalgae being consumed by these ctenophores. Due to Beroe ovata invasion and reproduction, M. leidyi biomass decreased; as a result, bioluminescence increased.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Dufresnes ◽  
Tony Déjean ◽  
Silvia Zumbach ◽  
Benedikt R. Schmidt ◽  
Luca Fumagalli ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
A.D. Gordina ◽  
Ju.A. Zagorodnyaya ◽  
A.E. Kideys ◽  
L. Bat ◽  
H.H. Satilmis

Qualitative composition and abundance of both ichthyoplankton and small forms of zooplankton were evaluated by field studies in the northern (the Crimea near Sevastopol) and southern (Sinop region and TEEZ) Black Sea during the summers 2000 and 2001. A tendency of increasing the species richness, abundance of fish eggs and larvae as well as zooplankton (which is the food for fish larvae) was observed over a period of Mnemiopsis leidyi and Beroe ovata co-existence. The eggs and larvae of the Mediterranean migrants—bonito and bluefish appeared again in the coastal waters near Sevastopol, which testified to favourable conditions for the spawning and nutrition of these fish species and their larvae. Aborigen copepod Oithona nana was found in the Crimean coastal waters although earlier in the 1990s it had completely vanished. Although rare in the 1990s copepods Centropages ponticus and Paracalanus parvus appeared in inshore waters as well as Pontellids species. Observed increases in species number and abundance of both ichthyoplankton and small zooplankton (≤500 μm), which promoted survival and development of fish larvae, were attributed to reduced predatory impact of Mnemiopsis on prey zooplankton after the arrival of Beroe in the late 1990s. However, the influence of Mnemiopsis continued to be significant during the short period of its peak occurrence in late summer. When this period coincided with the appearance of fish larvae, a negative impact on their survival could be predicted due to a low concentration of food items for larvae feeding.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document