Degradation of naturally produced hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers in Baltic Sea sediment via reductive debromination

Over the last two decades, the occurrence of hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (OH-PBDEs) has been observed to be nearly ubiquitous among Baltic Sea filamentous macroalgae. High concentrations are continuously recorded among red, green, and brown filamentous algae. Several of these algae species are ephemeral, and when large parts of the colonies decay at the end of their lifecycles, the OH-PBDEs are expected to largely partition to the sediment. In this study, the fate of OH-PBDEs in Baltic Sea sediment was investigated, with focus on the effect of reductive debromination. During chemical debromination, it was observed that the half-life could differ with as much as two orders of magnitude between a pentabrominated and a tetrabrominated congener. Using collected Baltic Sea sediment, it was further observed that the half-life of spiked pentabrominated OH-PBDEs spanned from a few days up to a few weeks in room temperature. At 4 °C, it took 6 months to achieve a 50% decrease in concentration of the fasted degrading congener. Clear differences in selectivity between chemical debromination and debromination in sediment were also observed when studying the major reaction products. Baltic Sea sediment seems to have a good capacity for reducing naturally produced OH-PBDEs.

Fatty acid trophic transfer of Antarctic algae to a sympatric amphipod consumer

The shallow benthos along the western Antarctic Peninsula supports brown macroalgal forests with dense amphipod assemblages, commonly including Gondogeneia antarctica (Amsler et al. 2014). Gondogeneia antarctica and most other amphipods are chemically deterred from consuming the macroalgae (Amsler et al. 2014). They primarily consume diatoms, other microalgae, filamentous macroalgae and a few undefended macroalgal species, including Palmaria decipiens (Aumack et al. 2017). Although unpalatable when alive, G. antarctica and other amphipods will consume the chemically defended brown algae Himantothallus grandifolius and Desmarestia anceps within a few weeks of death (Amsler et al. 2014).

Plant-mediated community structure of spring-fed, coastal rivers

Quantifying ecosystem-level processes that drive community structure and function is key to the development of effective environmental restoration and management programs. To assess the effects of large-scale aquatic vegetation loss on fish and invertebrate communities in Florida estuaries, we quantified and compared the food webs of two adjacent spring-fed rivers that flow into the Gulf of Mexico. We constructed a food web model using field-based estimates of community absolute biomass and trophic interactions of a highly productive vegetated river, and modeled long-term simulations of vascular plant decline coupled with seasonal production of filamentous macroalgae. We then compared ecosystem model predictions to observed community structure of the second river that has undergone extensive vegetative habitat loss, including extirpation of several vascular plant species. Alternative models incorporating bottom-up regulation (decreased primary production resulting from plant loss) versus coupled top-down effects (compensatory predator search efficiency) were ranked by goodness-of-fit tests of model predictions to the empirical community observations. Our best model for predicting community responses to vascular plant loss incorporated coupled effects of decreased primary production (bottom-up), increased prey search efficiency of large-bodied fishes at low vascular plant density (top-down), and decreased prey search efficiency of small-bodied fishes with increased biomass of filamentous macroalgae (bottom-up). The results of this study indicate that the loss of vascular plants from the coastal river ecosystem may alter the food web structure and result in a net decline in the biomass of fishes. These results are highly relevant to ongoing landscape-level restoration programs intended to improve aesthetics and ecosystem function of coastal spring-fed rivers by highlighting how the structure of these communities can be regulated both by resource availability and consumption. Restoration programs will need to acknowledge and incorporate both to be successful.

ENSAMBLES DE MACROALGAS SOBRE SUPERFICIES MUERTAS DE CORALES ESCLERACTINIOS (ANTHOZOA: SCLERACTINIA) EN EL ARRECIFE ORO VERDE, VERACRUZ, MÉXICO

Las macroalgas son abundantes en el arrecife Oro Verde, Veracruz pero, hasta ahora, se desconocía su riqueza taxonómica, y se presume que presentan asentamientos en los corales escleractinios hermatípicos. Por ello el presente trabajo investigó qué especies de corales presentaron colonizaciones algales; además, se determinó la composición taxonómica y la similitud de los ensambles de macroalgas entre las especies de corales escleractinios. Se establecieron diez puntos de muestreo de manera sistemática en el arrecife; en cada lugar de estudio se colocó un transecto de banda de 50 x 2 m para localizar y recolectar macroalgas en superficies muertas de corales escleractinios. La frecuencia de aparición de las algas se estimó con base en el total de corales estudiados, así como para cada especie coral. Para explicar similitudes y diferencias significativas de la composición de ensamblajes macroalgales entre especies de corales se aplicaron análisis de similitud y ordenación. Los corales escleractinios con ensambles de algas fueron Siderastrea siderea, Montastraea cavernosa, Pseudodiploria strigosa, Colpophylia natans, Stephanocoenia intersepta, Porites astreoides, Orbicella annularis, Orbicella faveolata. De un total de 100 colonias coralinas revisadas se determinaron 32 especies de macroalgas, las cuales están representadas en tres divisiones, 10 órdenes y 15 familias. Las macroalgas corticadas, foliosas corticadas y filamentosas fueron las más representadas en especies. Las algas de mayor frecuencia sobre los corales masivos fueron Laurencia obtusa, Amphiroa rigida y Caulerpa chemnitzia. Los corales masivos con mayor número de registros de algas fueron S. siderea (9 especies), M. cavernosa (19) y P. strigosa (17). Los ensambles algales en los corales masivos presentaron baja similitud, sin embargo no se detectaron grupos significativamente disimiles. Solamente S. siderea y M. cavernosa son ligeramente parecidos en la composición ficológica. Los resultados sugieren que los corales masivos del arrecife Oro Verde son vulnerables a la colonización de algas, pero es necesario indagar qué condiciones preceden al asentamiento algal.Macroalgal assemblages on dead surfaces of scleractinian corals (Anthozoa: Scleractinia) in the Oro Verde reef, Veracruz, MexicoBenthic macroalgae are abundant in the Oro Verde reef but their taxonomic richness was hitherto unknown and it is presumed to present settlements on the massive corals. For this reason, the present work investigated which species of massive corals show algal colonization. Also, their taxonomic composition was determined, and the similarity of the algal assemblages between species of scleractinian corals was measured. Ten sampling points were systematically established in the reef, where a transect band of 50 x 2 m at each site was placed to locate and collect algae fron the dead surfaces of scleractinian corals. The frequency of occurrence of algae species was estimated based on the total number of coral species studied, as well as on each coral species. Similarity and ordination analysis were applied in order to explain similarities and significant differences of the phycological composition among the coral species. Scleractinian corals with algal assemblages were: Siderastrea siderea, Montastraea cavernosa, Pseudodiploria strigosa, Colpophylia natans, Stephanocoenia intersepta, Porites astreoides, Orbicella annularis, Orbicella faveolata. Thirty-two species of algae were identified from a total of 100 revised coral colonies which are represented in 3 divisions, 10 orders and 15 families. The corticated, foliose corticated and filamentous macroalgae were the most represented species. The most frequent algae on massive corals were Laurencia obtusa, Amphiroa rigida and Caulerpa chemnitzia. Massive corals with higher algal records were S. siderea (9 species), M. cavernosa (19 species) and P. strigosa (17 species). The algal assemblages on the massive corals presented low similarity. However, no significant dissimilar groups were detected. Only S. siderea and M. cavernosa are relatively similar in phycological composition. The results suggest that the massive corals of the Oro Verde reef are vulnerable to the colonization of algae, but it is necessary to investigate the conditions preceding algal settlement.

Intertidal seaweeds from North Atlantic Patagonian coasts, Argentina

The coasts located between 39°S and 41°S in the Argentinean biogeographic province have been described by impoverished seaweed assemblages, however the floristic information about this region is sparse. The aim of this study was to survey the intertidal seaweeds inhabiting three sites in the oceanographic system “El Rincon” (Buenos Aires, Argentina). A total of 42 taxa were identified with a dominance of Rhodophyta species. The sandstone outcrops (SO) had 29 taxa, whereas both the tidal flat (TF) and oyster reefs (OR) had 11 taxa. The estuarial species Ulva intestinalis and Ulva prolifera were recorded in TF, whereas calcified macroalgae were only found in SO. The differences in richness and composition of seaweed assemblages were associated with substrate type, wave exposure, incident light and salinity. These differences were also evidenced by a dissimilar number of functional groups, which was higher in SO with a dominance of filamentous macroalgae.