scholarly journals Acoustic indexes for marine biodiversity trends and ecosystem health

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1814) ◽  
pp. 20190447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Pieretti ◽  
Roberto Danovaro
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Sound Sources ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Integrative Research ◽  
Research Perspectives ◽  
A Current

Acoustic approaches have been recently proposed to investigate critical ecological issues, such as biodiversity loss and different typologies of impacts, including climate change. However, the extensive use of acoustic monitoring is hampered by the lack of algorithms enabling the discrimination among different sound sources (e.g. geophysical, anthropogenic and biological). Eco- and bioacoustic indexes have been applied to provide non-invasive information on the temporal and spatial patterns of marine biodiversity and on the anthropogenic impact on marine life. Here, we review the potential of acoustic tools in expanding the monitoring of marine ecosystems from a current three-dimensional perception to a four-dimensional dimension. We also explore the use of acoustic indexes, mostly developed in terrestrial ecology, for the investigation of different marine ecosystems. Their appraisal, strengths and limits, and potential for future investigations in the biological exploration of the oceans are also discussed. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Integrative research perspectives on marine conservation’.

scholarly journals Integrative research perspectives on marine conservation

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1814) ◽  
pp. 20190444
Author(s):  
Helmut Hillebrand ◽  
Ute Jacob ◽  
Heather M. Leslie
Keyword(s):  
High Mobility ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Economic Management ◽  
Marine Communities ◽  
International Group ◽  
Integrative Research ◽  
Research Perspectives ◽  
Novel Approaches

Whereas the conservation and management of biodiversity has become a key issue in environmental sciences and policy in general, the conservation of marine biodiversity faces additional challenges such as the challenges of accessing field sites (e.g. polar, deep sea), knowledge gaps regarding biodiversity trends, high mobility of many organisms in fluid environments, and ecosystem-specific obstacles to stakeholder engagement and governance. This issue comprises contributions from a diverse international group of scientists in a benchmarking volume for a common research agenda on marine conservation. We begin by addressing information gaps on marine biodiversity trends through novel approaches and technologies, then linking such information to ecosystem functioning through a focus on traits. We then leverage the knowledge of these relationships to inform theory aiming at predicting the future composition and functioning of marine communities. Finally, we elucidate the linkages between marine ecosystems and human societies by examining economic, management and governance approaches that contribute to effective marine conservation in practice. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Integrative research perspectives on marine conservation’.

scholarly journals The territories of governance : unpacking the ontologies and geophilosophies of fixed to flexible ocean management, and beyond

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1814) ◽  
pp. 20190458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberley Peters
Keyword(s):  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Management Technique ◽  
Integrative Research ◽  
Research Perspectives ◽  
Ocean Governance ◽  
Ocean Management ◽  
Species Specific

This paper offers a conceptual contribution to understanding ocean governance and the management of spaces for the protection of marine biodiversity, organization of extractive industries, the arrangement of global shipping and other ‘blue-economy’ uses. Rather than focus on one type of management technique (such as a Marine Protected Area (MPA) or example of Marine Spatial Planning), or a site- or species-specific case study of governance, this paper offers a theoretical tracking of the uncharted territories of governance that foreground ocean management approaches. The literature on ocean governance and management techniques predominantly derive from scientific disciplines (which provide the basis for planning) and policy-related social science fields, leaving a lacuna in more critical discussions of ways of knowing and understanding the world that drive it. The paper argues the need to critically understand the ontologies (the regimes of what we believe exists) and geophilosophies (the geographically informed modes of thinking) of territory that underscore ocean management to make sense of its past successes and failures, its present functioning and its future directions. This paper argues that without critical consideration of the kinds of thinking—the ontologies and geophilosophies—that drive ocean management, it will lack the transformative potential many hope it will achieve for sustainable development. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Integrative research perspectives on marine conservation’.

scholarly journals Marine conservation: towards a multi-layered network approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1814) ◽  
pp. 20190459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ute Jacob ◽  
Andrew P. Beckerman ◽  
Mira Antonijevic ◽  
Laura E. Dee ◽  
Anna Eklöf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Network Approach ◽  
Background Rate ◽  
Integrative Research ◽  
Research Perspectives

Valuing, managing and conserving marine biodiversity and a full range of ecosystem services is at the forefront of research and policy agendas. However, biodiversity is being lost at up to a thousand times the average background rate. Traditional disciplinary and siloed conservation approaches are not able to tackle this massive loss of biodiversity because they generally ignore or overlook the interactive and dynamic nature of ecosystems processes, limiting their predictability. To conserve marine biodiversity, we must assess the interactions and impacts among biodiversity and ecosystem services (BD-ES). The scaling up in complexity from single species to entire communities is necessary, albeit challenging, for a deeper understanding of how ecosystem services relate to biodiversity and the roles species have in ecosystem service provision. These interactions are challenging to map, let alone fully assess, but network and system-based approaches provide a powerful way to progress beyond those limitations. Here, we introduce a conceptual multi-layered network approach to understanding how ecosystem services supported by biodiversity drive the total service provision, how different stressors impact BD-ES and where conservation efforts should be placed to optimize the delivery of ecosystem services and protection of biodiversity. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Integrative research perspectives on marine conservation’.

scholarly journals Cross-continental analysis of coastal biodiversity change

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1814) ◽  
pp. 20190452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gavin M. Rishworth ◽  
Janine B. Adams ◽  
Matthew S. Bird ◽  
Nicola K. Carrasco ◽  
Andreas Dänhardt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series Data ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Community Change ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Integrative Research ◽  
Research Perspectives ◽  
Biodiversity Change ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

Whereas the anthropogenic impact on marine biodiversity is undebated, the quantification and prediction of this change are not trivial. Simple traditional measures of biodiversity (e.g. richness, diversity indices) do not capture the magnitude and direction of changes in species or functional composition. In this paper, we apply recently developed methods for measuring biodiversity turnover to time-series data of four broad taxonomic groups from two coastal regions: the southern North Sea (Germany) and the South African coast. Both areas share geomorphological features and ecosystem types, allowing for a critical assessment of the most informative metrics of biodiversity change across organism groups. We found little evidence for directional trends in univariate metrics of diversity for either the effective number of taxa or the amount of richness change. However, turnover in composition was high (on average nearly 30% of identities when addressing presence or absence of species) and even higher when taking the relative dominance of species into account. This turnover accumulated over time at similar rates across regions and organism groups. We conclude that biodiversity metrics responsive to turnover provide a more accurate reflection of community change relative to conventional metrics (absolute richness or relative abundance) and are spatially broadly applicable. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Integrative research perspectives on marine conservation’.

scholarly journals Citizen science and marine conservation: a global review

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1814) ◽  
pp. 20190461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Kelly ◽  
Aysha Fleming ◽  
Gretta T. Pecl ◽  
Julia von Gönner ◽  
Aletta Bonn
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Marine Pollution ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Conservation Action ◽  
Integrative Research ◽  
Ocean Science ◽  
Research Perspectives ◽  
Distribution Type

Climate change, overfishing, marine pollution and other anthropogenic drivers threaten our global oceans. More effective efforts are urgently required to improve the capacity of marine conservation action worldwide, as highlighted by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021–2030. Marine citizen science presents a promising avenue to enhance engagement in marine conservation around the globe. Building on an expanding field of citizen science research and practice, we present a global overview of the current extent and potential of marine citizen science and its contribution to marine conservation. Employing an online global survey, we explore the geographical distribution, type and format of 74 marine citizen science projects. By assessing how the projects adhere to the Ten Principles of Citizen Science (as defined by the European Citizen Science Association), we investigate project development, identify challenges and outline future opportunities to contribute to marine science and conservation. Synthesizing the survey results and drawing on evidence from case studies of diverse projects, we assess whether and how citizen science can lead to new scientific knowledge and enhanced environmental stewardship. Overall, we explore how marine citizen science can inform current understanding of marine biodiversity and support the development and implementation of marine conservation initiatives worldwide. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Integrative research perspectives on marine conservation’.

Marine Metazoan Modern Mass Extinction: Improving Predictions by Integrating Fossil, Modern, and Physiological Data

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 369-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piero Calosi ◽  
Hollie M. Putnam ◽  
Richard J. Twitchett ◽  
Fanny Vermandele
Keyword(s):  
Global Change ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Physiological Data ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
History Of ◽  
Extinction Events ◽  
Modern Mass

Evolution, extinction, and dispersion are fundamental processes affecting marine biodiversity. Until recently, studies of extant marine systems focused mainly on evolution and dispersion, with extinction receiving less attention. Past extinction events have, however, helped shape the evolutionary history of marine ecosystems, with ecological and evolutionary legacies still evident in modern seas. Current anthropogenic global changes increase extinction risk and pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems, which are critical for human use and sustenance. The evaluation of these threats and the likely responses of marine ecosystems requires a better understanding of evolutionary processes that affect marine ecosystems under global change. Here, we discuss how knowledge of ( a) changes in biodiversity of ancient marine ecosystems to past extinctions events, ( b) the patterns of sensitivity and biodiversity loss in modern marine taxa, and ( c) the physiological mechanisms underpinning species’ sensitivity to global change can be exploited and integrated to advance our critical thinking in this area.

scholarly journals Projecting marine developmental diversity and connectivity in future oceans

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1814) ◽  
pp. 20190450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dustin J. Marshall ◽  
Mariana Alvarez-Noriega
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Developmental Duration ◽  
Larval Phase ◽  
Marine Systems ◽  
Integrative Research ◽  
Research Perspectives ◽  
Species Groups ◽  
Dynamics Of Populations

Global change will alter the distribution of organisms around the planet. While many studies have explored how different species, groups and traits might be re-arranged, few have explored how dispersal is likely to change under future conditions. Dispersal drives ecological and evolutionary dynamics of populations, determining resilience, persistence and spread. In marine systems, dispersal shows clear biogeographical patterns and is extremely dependent on temperature, so simple projections can be made regarding how dispersal potentials are likely to change owing to global warming under future thermal regimes. We use two proxies for dispersal—developmental mode and developmental duration. Species with a larval phase are more dispersive than those that lack a larval phase, and species that spend longer developing in the plankton are more dispersive than those that spend less time in the plankton. Here, we explore how the distribution of different development modes is likely to change based on current distributions. Next, we estimate how the temperature-dependence of development itself depends on the temperature in which the species lives, and use this estimate to project how developmental durations are likely to change in the future. We find that species with feeding larvae are likely to become more prevalent, extending their distribution poleward at the expense of species with aplanktonic development. We predict that developmental durations are likely to decrease, particularly in high latitudes where durations may decline by more than 90%. Overall, we anticipate significant changes to dispersal in marine environments, with species in the polar seas experiencing the greatest change. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Integrative research perspectives on marine conservation’.

scholarly journals Life in fluctuating environments

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1814) ◽  
pp. 20190454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joey R. Bernhardt ◽  
Mary I. O'Connor ◽  
Jennifer M. Sunday ◽  
Andrew Gonzalez
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Living Systems ◽  
Structure And Dynamics ◽  
Integrative Research ◽  
Research Perspectives ◽  
Future State ◽  
Fluctuating Environments ◽  
Future Events ◽  
State Of The Environment

Variability in the environment defines the structure and dynamics of all living systems, from organisms to ecosystems. Species have evolved traits and strategies that allow them to detect, exploit and predict the changing environment. These traits allow organisms to maintain steady internal conditions required for physiological functioning through feedback mechanisms that allow internal conditions to remain at or near a set-point despite a fluctuating environment. In addition to feedback, many organisms have evolved feedforward processes, which allow them to adjust in anticipation of an expected future state of the environment. Here we provide a framework describing how feedback and feedforward mechanisms operating within organisms can generate effects across scales of organization, and how they allow living systems to persist in fluctuating environments. Daily, seasonal and multi-year cycles provide cues that organisms use to anticipate changes in physiologically relevant environmental conditions. Using feedforward mechanisms, organisms can exploit correlations in environmental variables to prepare for anticipated future changes. Strategies to obtain, store and act on information about the conditional nature of future events are advantageous and are evidenced in widespread phenotypes such as circadian clocks, social behaviour, diapause and migrations. Humans are altering the ways in which the environment fluctuates, causing correlations between environmental variables to become decoupled, decreasing the reliability of cues. Human-induced environmental change is also altering sensory environments and the ability of organisms to detect cues. Recognizing that living systems combine feedback and feedforward processes is essential to understanding their responses to current and future regimes of environmental fluctuations. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Integrative research perspectives on marine conservation’.

scholarly journals Modern models of trophic meta-communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1814) ◽  
pp. 20190455
Author(s):  
Thilo Gross ◽  
Korinna T. Allhoff ◽  
Bernd Blasius ◽  
Ulrich Brose ◽  
Barbara Drossel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Complex Systems ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Trophic Interactions ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
The Past ◽  
Integrative Research ◽  
Research Perspectives ◽  
Overwhelming Evidence ◽  
The Common

Dispersal and foodweb dynamics have long been studied in separate models. However, over the past decades, it has become abundantly clear that there are intricate interactions between local dynamics and spatial patterns. Trophic meta-communities, i.e. meta-foodwebs, are very complex systems that exhibit complex and often counterintuitive dynamics. Over the past decade, a broad range of modelling approaches have been used to study these systems. In this paper, we review these approaches and the insights that they have revealed. We focus particularly on recent papers that study trophic interactions in spatially extensive settings and highlight the common themes that emerged in different models. There is overwhelming evidence that dispersal (and particularly intermediate levels of dispersal) benefits the maintenance of biodiversity in several different ways. Moreover, some insights have been gained into the effect of different habitat topologies, but these results also show that the exact relationships are much more complex than previously thought, highlighting the need for further research in this area. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Integrative research perspectives on marine conservation’.

scholarly journals Consumer regulation of the carbon cycle in coastal wetland ecosystems

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1814) ◽  
pp. 20190451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang He ◽  
Haoran Li ◽  
Changlin Xu ◽  
Qingyan Sun ◽  
Mark D. Bertness ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Coastal Wetland ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Wetland Ecosystems ◽  
Integrative Research ◽  
Research Perspectives

Despite escalating anthropogenic alteration of food webs, how the carbon cycle in ecosystems is regulated by food web processes remains poorly understood. We quantitatively synthesize the effects of consumers (herbivores, omnivores and carnivores) on the carbon cycle of coastal wetland ecosystems, ‘blue carbon’ ecosystems that store the greatest amount of carbon per unit area among all ecosystems. Our results reveal that consumers strongly affect many processes of the carbon cycle. Herbivores, for example, generally reduce carbon absorption and carbon stocks (e.g. aboveground plant carbon by 53% and aboveground net primary production by 23%) but may promote some carbon emission processes (e.g. litter decomposition by 32%). The average strengths of these effects are comparable with, or even times higher than, changes driven by temperature, precipitation, nitrogen input, CO 2 concentration, and plant invasions. Furthermore, consumer effects appear to be stronger on aboveground than belowground carbon processes and vary markedly with trophic level, body size, thermal regulation strategy and feeding type. Despite important knowledge gaps, our results highlight the powerful impacts of consumers on the carbon cycle and call for the incorporation of consumer control into Earth system models that predict anthropogenic climate change and into management strategies of Earth's carbon stocks. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Integrative research perspectives on marine conservation’.

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