- Enthusiastic energetic marine microbial ecologist interested in microbe-marine foundation species (especially seagrass, seaweed and corals) interactionsedit
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Research Interests: Demography, Biology, Ecology, Population Dynamics, Invasive Species, and 15 moreBiological invasions, Biological Sciences, Elasticity, Matrix models, Environmental Sciences, Dynamics, Population, Models, Elasticity analysis, Brown Algae, Population Growth, Plant Invasion, Ecosystem, Brown Seaweed, and Ascophyllum nodosum
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Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Sex, Biology, Fertility, and 7 morePopulation Dynamics, Competition, Density, Medicine, Age, Size, and Ploidy
Research Interests: Botany, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Biology, Medicine, and 5 moreRecruitment, Gametophyte, Fecundity, Spore, and Ploidy
Research Interests: Invertebrates, Biology, Ecology, Biodiversity, Microalgae, and 15 moreMedicine, Portugal, Biological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Animals, Fishes, Trophic Cascade, Trophic Level, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, Aquatic organisms, Marine Protected Area, Conservation of Natural Resources, Paracentrotus lividus, Invertebrate, and Food Chain
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Research Interests: Botany and Brown Seaweed
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Distribution of Earth’s biomes is structured by the match between climate and plant traits, which in turn shape associated communities and ecosystem processes and services. However, that climate–trait match can be disrupted by historical... more
Distribution of Earth’s biomes is structured by the match between climate and plant traits, which in turn shape associated communities and ecosystem processes and services. However, that climate–trait match can be disrupted by historical events, with lasting ecosystem impacts. As Earth’s environment changes faster than at any time in human history, critical questions are whether and how organismal traits and ecosystems can adjust to altered conditions. We quantified the relative importance of current environmental forcing versus evolutionary history in shaping the growth form (stature and biomass) and associated community of eelgrass ( Zostera marina ), a widespread foundation plant of marine ecosystems along Northern Hemisphere coastlines, which experienced major shifts in distribution and genetic composition during the Pleistocene. We found that eelgrass stature and biomass retain a legacy of the Pleistocene colonization of the Atlantic from the ancestral Pacific range and of more...
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On the evenings of June 11 and 12, 2019, 5 and 6 days before full moon, broadcast spawning by four echinoderm species and two mollusc species was observed on the Marsa Shagra reef, Egypt (25° 14′ 44.2" N, 34° 47′ 49.0" E). Water... more
On the evenings of June 11 and 12, 2019, 5 and 6 days before full moon, broadcast spawning by four echinoderm species and two mollusc species was observed on the Marsa Shagra reef, Egypt (25° 14′ 44.2" N, 34° 47′ 49.0" E). Water temperature was 28 °C and the invertebrates were observed at 2–8 m depth. The sightings included a single basket star Astroboa nuda (Lyman 1874), 2 large Tectus dentatus (Forskal 1775) sea snails, 14 individuals of the Leiaster cf. leachi (Gray 1840) sea star and 1 Mithrodia clavigera (Lamarck 1816) sea star, 3 Pearsonothuria graeffei (Semper 1868) sea cucumbers, and 2 giant clams, Tridacna maxima (Röding 1798). The observations presented here provide relevant information on broadcast spawning of non-coral invertebrate taxa in the Red Sea, where spawning is considerably less well documented than in other tropical geographical regions such as the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean.
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Research Interests: Biology and Brown Seaweed
Background: The Cape Verde archipelago consists of 10 volcanic islands in the eastern Atlantic Ocean located 570 km off the coast of Western Africa. While the shallow benthic communities have been studied in some detail no seagrasses have... more
Background: The Cape Verde archipelago consists of 10 volcanic islands in the eastern Atlantic Ocean located 570 km off the coast of Western Africa. While the shallow benthic communities have been studied in some detail no seagrasses have been previously reported for the Republic of Cape Verde. Results: The seagrass Halodule wrightii Ascherson was found and described at one location at Praia, Santiago Island. There it formed a number of patches (≈10) covering a total of ≈20 m 2 at 1.4–1.6 m depth on fine sand soft bottoms. Some population characteristics are also reported. Two other sites with seagrass are also reported for the first time. Conclusion: The current record fills a knowledge gap regarding the distribution of seagrasses in the Tropical North Atlantic and it is expected that seagrasses will be found at other suitable sites within the archipelago.
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Corals are associated with diverse microbial assemblages; however, the spatial-temporal dynamics of intra-species microbial interactions are poorly understood. The coral-associated microbial community varies substantially between tissue... more
Corals are associated with diverse microbial assemblages; however, the spatial-temporal dynamics of intra-species microbial interactions are poorly understood. The coral-associated microbial community varies substantially between tissue and mucus microhabitats; however, the factors controlling the occurrence, abundance, and distribution of microbial taxa over time have rarely been explored for different coral compartments simultaneously. Here, we test (1) differentiation in microbiome diversity and composition between coral compartments (surface mucus and tissue) of two Acropora hosts (A. tenuis and A. millepora) common along inshore reefs of the Great Barrier Reef, as well as (2) the potential linkage between shifts in individual coral microbiome families and underlying host and environmental parameters. Amplicon based 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing of 136 samples collected over 14 months, revealed significant differences in bacterial richness, diversity and community structure ...
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Research Interests: Zoology, Geography, Oceanography, Marine Ecology, Ecology, and 3 moreSeagrass, Fishery, and Sargassum
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Abstract The diversity and structure of epiphytic macrofaunal assemblages on the introduced invasive brown macroalga Sargassum muticum and native fucoids (Bifurcaria bifurcata, Cystoseira humilis, Cystoseira tamariscifolia and Sargassum... more
Abstract The diversity and structure of epiphytic macrofaunal assemblages on the introduced invasive brown macroalga Sargassum muticum and native fucoids (Bifurcaria bifurcata, Cystoseira humilis, Cystoseira tamariscifolia and Sargassum vulgare) were compared over a 1-year period in intertidal rockpools on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. In comparison with the epiphytic fauna associated to other macroalgae from European shores, we found that the associated epiphytic macrofauna was moderately diverse (H'<3 bit) and was mainly dominated by gastropods and crustaceans. The most abundant taxa were the isopod Dynamene bidentata and the gastropods Steromphala umbilicalis and Steromphala pennanti. The epiphytic macrofauna community structure differed slightly between the invader and the natives along the year. There was significant temporal variation in the total number of individuals of epiphytic macrofauna per thallus dry weight for the associated epifauna with the highest abundance found on C. tamariscifolia in the spring. The composition of the epiphytic macrofauna on each macroalga species was fairly constant over time. Overall, our results demonstrated that the mobile epiphytic macrofauna on this rocky area showed low macroalgal specificity. They also revealed that the invader S. muticum supports similar epiphytic macrofaunal communities as the native brown macroalgae and provides an additional appropriate habitat for a generalist associated epiphytic macrofauna.
Research Interests: Plant Biology, Biology, Ecology, Fauna, Rocky Shore, and 3 moreIntertidal Zone, Sargassum, and Epiphyte
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Latitudinal gradients in species interactions are widely cited as potential causes or consequences of global patterns of biodiversity. However, mechanistic studies documenting changes in interactions across broad geographic ranges are... more
Latitudinal gradients in species interactions are widely cited as potential causes or consequences of global patterns of biodiversity. However, mechanistic studies documenting changes in interactions across broad geographic ranges are limited. We surveyed predation intensity on common prey (live amphipods and gastropods) in communities of eelgrass (Zostera marina) at 48 sites across its Northern Hemisphere range, encompassing over 37(0) of latitude and four continental coastlines. Predation on amphipods declined with latitude on all coasts but declined more strongly along western ocean margins where temperature gradients are steeper. Whereas in situ water temperature at the time of the experiments was uncorrelated with predation, mean annual temperature strongly positively predicted predation, suggesting a more complex mechanism than simple increased metabolic activity at the time of predation. This large-scale biogeographic pattern was modified by local habitat characteristics; pre...
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Effective monitoring and combatting the effect of non-indigenous seaweeds relies on a solid confirmation of the non-indigenous status of the species. We critically analysed the status of presumed non-indigenous seaweed species reported... more
Effective monitoring and combatting the effect of non-indigenous seaweeds relies on a solid confirmation of the non-indigenous status of the species. We critically analysed the status of presumed non-indigenous seaweed species reported from the Mediterranean Sea, the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and Macaronesia, resulting in a list of 140 species whose non-indigenous nature is undisputed. For an additional 87 species it is unclear if they are native or non-indigenous (cryptogenic species) or their identity requires confirmation (data deficient species). We discuss the factors underlying both taxonomic and biogeographic uncertainties and outline recommendations to reduce uncertainty about the non-indigenous status of seaweeds. Our dataset consisted of over 19,000 distribution records, half of which can be attributed to only five species (Sargassum muticum,Bonnemaisonia hamifera,Asparagopsis armata,Caulerpa cylindraceaandColpomenia peregrina), while 56 species (40%) are recorded no more t...