The zooplankton of five estuaries of the Basque coast (southeast Bay of Biscay) was surveyed in s... more The zooplankton of five estuaries of the Basque coast (southeast Bay of Biscay) was surveyed in summer 2019 to check the intraregional spread of exotic species and analyse the cross-estuary differences in brackish and neritic communities related to the arrival of exotic species and the summertime geographic gradient of water temperature. Results revealed that all the studied estuaries have been colonized by Oithona davisae but not by Acartia tonsa and Pseudodiaptomus marinus. Environmental constraints due to estuarine hydrological features partly explained such differences, and the role of secondary spread opportunities remained less clear. Cross-estuary differences in the brackish community mainly reflected changes in the dominance of the native species Acartia bifilosa relative to different exotic copepod species. The neritic holoplankton differed in the contribution of thermophilic species in agreement with the thermal west–east increase of surface water temperature in the inner ...
The rapid warming of the wolrd’s oceans during the last few decades has affected distributional p... more The rapid warming of the wolrd’s oceans during the last few decades has affected distributional patterns of marine planktonic communities. Here, we analyse links between sea warming and changes in copepod community composition over the last 3 decades (1980−2012). We used zooplankton time-series data which included 79 species of copepods collected at 3 sites in the eastern North Atlantic (Bay of Biscay and the Kattegat Sea) and the Mediterranean Sea (Gulf of Saronikos). First, using community β-diversity metrics, we analysed temporal patterns of copepod community composition changes over time and its relation to local environmental conditions. Second, to test whether the changes in copepod community composition correspond to community thermal preferences, we used the community temperature index (CTI) and compared CTI interannual changes with local temperature trends. The β-diversity analysis reveals a high temporal turnover in the copepod community composition at the 3 sites (30−45%), with a significant similarity decrease over time (‘decay’) associated with both niche descriptors and demographic stochastic processes. CTI results reveal that both in the Kattegat and Saronikos, where the ocean warming rate was the highest amongst sites, copepod community changes are linked to temperature variability, suggesting that the community is tracking their thermal niche over time. Our findings unveil the fundamental role of abiotic factors structuring copepod biodiversity over time and reveal that the local velocity of ocean warming and the species thermal thresholds are key to rearranging copepod community composition in coastal ecosystems.
Marine wildlife and aquaculture species can accumulate large amounts of microplastic particles (&... more Marine wildlife and aquaculture species can accumulate large amounts of microplastic particles (<1 mm), threatening the health of marine populations and ecosystems and posing a risk to food safety and human health. The uptake of chemicals from microplastics seems to decrease the immune capacity of bivalves and corals to fight pathogenic bacteria, thereby increasing their vulnerability to disease. Moreover, major pathogens of bivalves, fish, and humans, including several Vibrio species, have been shown to be specifically enriched in the microbial communities adhered to marine microplastic debris (MMD). Microplastics can therefore serve as an important vector for and regulator of pathogen transmission and disease dynamics. Here, we outline a theoretical, three-perspective approach for studying the relationship between MMD and disease. First, we provide a framework for retrospective analysis of MMD and pathogen loads in marine animal tissues to assess the relationships between them,...
Marine wildlife and aquaculture species can accumulate large amounts of marine microplastic debri... more Marine wildlife and aquaculture species can accumulate large amounts of marine microplastic debris (MMD) (<1 mm) carrying pathogens, thus threatening the health of marine ecosystems and posing a risk to food safety and human health. Here, we outline a theoretical three-perspective approach for studying the relationship between MMD and disease. First, we provide a framework for retrospective analysis of MMD and pathogen loads in marine animal tissues to assess the relationship between these and other environmental variables in order to decide whether a compound or pathogen should be considered an emerging substance or organism. Second, we describe an experimental design for testing the effects of a variety of microplastics on infection intensity in two model species (oysters and zebrafish). Finally, we create a theoretical susceptible–infected microplastic particle and pathogen transmission model for bivalves and fish. Overall, the experiments and models we propose will pave the w...
The impact of the occurrence of the non-indigenous species (NIS) Acartia tonsa, Oithona davisae, ... more The impact of the occurrence of the non-indigenous species (NIS) Acartia tonsa, Oithona davisae, and Pseudodiaptomus marinus and of the range-expanding copepods Acartia bifilosa and Calanipeda aquaedulcis on the structure and diversity of zooplankton communities was analyzed using 18 years (1998–2015) time series from the contrasting estuaries of Bilbao and Urdaibai (Basque coast, Bay of Biscay). Changes in the structure of communities were assessed by using multivariate analyses of taxa abundances and changes in diversity by using descriptors of alpha, beta, and gamma diversity. The most evident changes occurred at the upper reaches of the estuary of Bilbao, where an abundant and less diverse brackish community, dominated by the NIS, A. tonsa and O. davisae, succeeded a low abundance and more diverse community of neritic origin. The later establishment of C. aquaedulcis was linked to further changes in the structure of the community and a progressive increase in diversity. The seas...
The interannual variations in absolute and relative densities of copepods from the neritic waters... more The interannual variations in absolute and relative densities of copepods from the neritic waters of the southeastern Bay of Biscay and their relationship to climate teleconnections and local environmental factors were assessed using time series for the 1998–2015 period. Opposite patterns of variation of the absolute densities of spring Acartia clausi and Centropages typicusspecies vs. summer/autumn species, mainly Oncaea media, but also Ditrichocorycaeus anglicus, Oithona nana, Temora stylifera, and Oithona plumifera were detected. This type of opposite patterns were also observed between the relative densities of the spring A. clausi and summer Paracalanus parvus species. These opposite density patterns were positively correlated to all seasons North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), spring East Atlantic pattern (EA), summer and autumn water temperature and summer chlorophyll a. They were negatively correlated to summer EA pattern, the winter and spring Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and water temperature, and the upwelling index of all seasons. In these patterns of copepod variation two regime shifts were detected, one in 2008 towards an increase in the spring species and the other one in 2014–2015 towards an increase of summer species. This latter regime shift coincides in time with the abrupt community shifts predicted in the literature for 2014.
Zooplankton phenological shifts may affect energy transfer through pelagic food web and up to fis... more Zooplankton phenological shifts may affect energy transfer through pelagic food web and up to fisheries, but few studies have compared zooplankton phenology across a wide latitudinal range of water temperatures. We examined the phenological variations of zooplankton at four sites along a latitudinal gradient from the Bay of Biscay [Bilbao and Urdaibai (BU)], the English Channel (Plymouth; L4), and the North Sea [Stonehaven (SH)] from 1999 to 2013. Zooplankton taxa showed interannual phenological variations that were opposite in direction between the southernmost BU and the northernmost SH sites. The East Atlantic pattern was the climate teleconnection best related to zooplankton phenological variations. Among local variables , salinity at BU was best related to phenological changes at BU as opposed to those at SH. Locally, chlorophyll a was most relevant at SH and temperature at L4. While we did see some imprints of temperature in causing expected directions of phenology shifts, i.e...
... estuary (Pennock and Sharp, 1986), Chesapeake Bay (Harding et al., 1986), Bristol ... 1988) a... more ... estuary (Pennock and Sharp, 1986), Chesapeake Bay (Harding et al., 1986), Bristol ... 1988) also observed substantially more elevated concentrations of these picocyanobacteria in the ... In contrast, Jochem (1988) found that PE-containing picocyanobacterial abundance increased ...
The zooplankton of five estuaries of the Basque coast (southeast Bay of Biscay) was surveyed in s... more The zooplankton of five estuaries of the Basque coast (southeast Bay of Biscay) was surveyed in summer 2019 to check the intraregional spread of exotic species and analyse the cross-estuary differences in brackish and neritic communities related to the arrival of exotic species and the summertime geographic gradient of water temperature. Results revealed that all the studied estuaries have been colonized by Oithona davisae but not by Acartia tonsa and Pseudodiaptomus marinus. Environmental constraints due to estuarine hydrological features partly explained such differences, and the role of secondary spread opportunities remained less clear. Cross-estuary differences in the brackish community mainly reflected changes in the dominance of the native species Acartia bifilosa relative to different exotic copepod species. The neritic holoplankton differed in the contribution of thermophilic species in agreement with the thermal west–east increase of surface water temperature in the inner ...
The rapid warming of the wolrd’s oceans during the last few decades has affected distributional p... more The rapid warming of the wolrd’s oceans during the last few decades has affected distributional patterns of marine planktonic communities. Here, we analyse links between sea warming and changes in copepod community composition over the last 3 decades (1980−2012). We used zooplankton time-series data which included 79 species of copepods collected at 3 sites in the eastern North Atlantic (Bay of Biscay and the Kattegat Sea) and the Mediterranean Sea (Gulf of Saronikos). First, using community β-diversity metrics, we analysed temporal patterns of copepod community composition changes over time and its relation to local environmental conditions. Second, to test whether the changes in copepod community composition correspond to community thermal preferences, we used the community temperature index (CTI) and compared CTI interannual changes with local temperature trends. The β-diversity analysis reveals a high temporal turnover in the copepod community composition at the 3 sites (30−45%), with a significant similarity decrease over time (‘decay’) associated with both niche descriptors and demographic stochastic processes. CTI results reveal that both in the Kattegat and Saronikos, where the ocean warming rate was the highest amongst sites, copepod community changes are linked to temperature variability, suggesting that the community is tracking their thermal niche over time. Our findings unveil the fundamental role of abiotic factors structuring copepod biodiversity over time and reveal that the local velocity of ocean warming and the species thermal thresholds are key to rearranging copepod community composition in coastal ecosystems.
Marine wildlife and aquaculture species can accumulate large amounts of microplastic particles (&... more Marine wildlife and aquaculture species can accumulate large amounts of microplastic particles (<1 mm), threatening the health of marine populations and ecosystems and posing a risk to food safety and human health. The uptake of chemicals from microplastics seems to decrease the immune capacity of bivalves and corals to fight pathogenic bacteria, thereby increasing their vulnerability to disease. Moreover, major pathogens of bivalves, fish, and humans, including several Vibrio species, have been shown to be specifically enriched in the microbial communities adhered to marine microplastic debris (MMD). Microplastics can therefore serve as an important vector for and regulator of pathogen transmission and disease dynamics. Here, we outline a theoretical, three-perspective approach for studying the relationship between MMD and disease. First, we provide a framework for retrospective analysis of MMD and pathogen loads in marine animal tissues to assess the relationships between them,...
Marine wildlife and aquaculture species can accumulate large amounts of marine microplastic debri... more Marine wildlife and aquaculture species can accumulate large amounts of marine microplastic debris (MMD) (<1 mm) carrying pathogens, thus threatening the health of marine ecosystems and posing a risk to food safety and human health. Here, we outline a theoretical three-perspective approach for studying the relationship between MMD and disease. First, we provide a framework for retrospective analysis of MMD and pathogen loads in marine animal tissues to assess the relationship between these and other environmental variables in order to decide whether a compound or pathogen should be considered an emerging substance or organism. Second, we describe an experimental design for testing the effects of a variety of microplastics on infection intensity in two model species (oysters and zebrafish). Finally, we create a theoretical susceptible–infected microplastic particle and pathogen transmission model for bivalves and fish. Overall, the experiments and models we propose will pave the w...
The impact of the occurrence of the non-indigenous species (NIS) Acartia tonsa, Oithona davisae, ... more The impact of the occurrence of the non-indigenous species (NIS) Acartia tonsa, Oithona davisae, and Pseudodiaptomus marinus and of the range-expanding copepods Acartia bifilosa and Calanipeda aquaedulcis on the structure and diversity of zooplankton communities was analyzed using 18 years (1998–2015) time series from the contrasting estuaries of Bilbao and Urdaibai (Basque coast, Bay of Biscay). Changes in the structure of communities were assessed by using multivariate analyses of taxa abundances and changes in diversity by using descriptors of alpha, beta, and gamma diversity. The most evident changes occurred at the upper reaches of the estuary of Bilbao, where an abundant and less diverse brackish community, dominated by the NIS, A. tonsa and O. davisae, succeeded a low abundance and more diverse community of neritic origin. The later establishment of C. aquaedulcis was linked to further changes in the structure of the community and a progressive increase in diversity. The seas...
The interannual variations in absolute and relative densities of copepods from the neritic waters... more The interannual variations in absolute and relative densities of copepods from the neritic waters of the southeastern Bay of Biscay and their relationship to climate teleconnections and local environmental factors were assessed using time series for the 1998–2015 period. Opposite patterns of variation of the absolute densities of spring Acartia clausi and Centropages typicusspecies vs. summer/autumn species, mainly Oncaea media, but also Ditrichocorycaeus anglicus, Oithona nana, Temora stylifera, and Oithona plumifera were detected. This type of opposite patterns were also observed between the relative densities of the spring A. clausi and summer Paracalanus parvus species. These opposite density patterns were positively correlated to all seasons North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), spring East Atlantic pattern (EA), summer and autumn water temperature and summer chlorophyll a. They were negatively correlated to summer EA pattern, the winter and spring Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and water temperature, and the upwelling index of all seasons. In these patterns of copepod variation two regime shifts were detected, one in 2008 towards an increase in the spring species and the other one in 2014–2015 towards an increase of summer species. This latter regime shift coincides in time with the abrupt community shifts predicted in the literature for 2014.
Zooplankton phenological shifts may affect energy transfer through pelagic food web and up to fis... more Zooplankton phenological shifts may affect energy transfer through pelagic food web and up to fisheries, but few studies have compared zooplankton phenology across a wide latitudinal range of water temperatures. We examined the phenological variations of zooplankton at four sites along a latitudinal gradient from the Bay of Biscay [Bilbao and Urdaibai (BU)], the English Channel (Plymouth; L4), and the North Sea [Stonehaven (SH)] from 1999 to 2013. Zooplankton taxa showed interannual phenological variations that were opposite in direction between the southernmost BU and the northernmost SH sites. The East Atlantic pattern was the climate teleconnection best related to zooplankton phenological variations. Among local variables , salinity at BU was best related to phenological changes at BU as opposed to those at SH. Locally, chlorophyll a was most relevant at SH and temperature at L4. While we did see some imprints of temperature in causing expected directions of phenology shifts, i.e...
... estuary (Pennock and Sharp, 1986), Chesapeake Bay (Harding et al., 1986), Bristol ... 1988) a... more ... estuary (Pennock and Sharp, 1986), Chesapeake Bay (Harding et al., 1986), Bristol ... 1988) also observed substantially more elevated concentrations of these picocyanobacteria in the ... In contrast, Jochem (1988) found that PE-containing picocyanobacterial abundance increased ...
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