Ocean Rafting: Marine Litter and Benthic Stopovers Amplify Species Dispersal Opportunities

IF 6.3 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ECOLOGY

Global Ecology and Biogeography Pub Date : 2025-04-14 DOI:10.1111/geb.70031

Sabine Rech, Martin Thiel, Gregory M. Ruiz, Linsey E. Haram, James T. Carlton

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Rafting of organisms on floating objects, long recognised as a key process in biogeography and evolution, has undergone tremendous change with the rapid increase of ocean litter (plastics and other human-made materials). Resulting increases in raft longevity and abundance expand opportunities for marine species' dispersal. Here, we present a conceptual framework for the role of benthic stopovers by artificial rafts and how these likely enhance cumulative species acquisition and dispersal.

Stages of Benthic Stopovers

We define four stages of benthic stopovers: (1) landing (horizontal transport) or sinking (vertical transport), (2) retention in the benthic habitat (intertidal or subtidal), (3) colonisation by local species, and (4) re-washing (horizontal transport) or re-surfacing (vertical transport).

Colonisation and Dispersal From Stopovers

The fate of floating items and their attached biota depends on the interplay of local (site-related), regional (oceanographic/climatic) and object characteristics. Available literature suggests that stopover events on shores (horizontal transport) are most likely to happen in complex natural environments like mangrove forests or rocky shores. These can trap and retain litter in the inter- and subtidal zone, with access to suitable rafting species. Large and highly buoyant items, with rigid surfaces resistant to breakage, are most likely to complete stopovers.

Conclusions

Stopovers can enhance colonisation and dispersal of biota by increasing both the species pool and frequency of dispersal events by litter rafts. We suggest stopovers are far more common than currently reported and play an increasing role in range dynamics, calling for innovative research to address this knowledge gap.

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海洋漂流：海洋垃圾和底栖生物中途停留增加了物种扩散的机会

生物在漂浮物上漂流，长期以来被认为是生物地理学和进化的一个关键过程，随着海洋垃圾（塑料和其他人造材料）的迅速增加，已经发生了巨大的变化。筏子寿命的延长和数量的增加扩大了海洋物种扩散的机会。在这里，我们提出了一个概念框架，说明人工筏子对底栖生物中途停留的作用，以及它们如何可能增强累积物种的获取和扩散。我们定义了底栖生物中途停留的四个阶段：(1)登陆（水平运输）或下沉（垂直运输），(2)滞留在底栖生物栖息地（潮间带或潮下），(3)当地物种的定植，以及(4)重新冲洗（水平运输）或重新浮出水面（垂直运输）。漂浮物及其附着的生物群的命运取决于当地（地点相关）、区域（海洋学/气候）和漂浮物特征的相互作用。现有文献表明，海岸上的中途停留事件（水平运输）最有可能发生在红树林或岩石海岸等复杂的自然环境中。它们可以在潮间带和潮下带捕获和保留垃圾，并获得合适的漂流物种。大而浮力强的物品，表面坚硬，不易破损，最有可能完成中途停留。结论中途停留可通过增加物种库和凋落物筏传播事件的频率来促进生物区系的定植和扩散。我们认为中途停留远比目前报道的更为常见，并在范围动态中发挥越来越大的作用，呼吁进行创新研究以解决这一知识差距。

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来源期刊

Global Ecology and Biogeography 环境科学-生态学

CiteScore

12.10

自引率

3.10%

发文量

170

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： Global Ecology and Biogeography (GEB) welcomes papers that investigate broad-scale (in space, time and/or taxonomy), general patterns in the organization of ecological systems and assemblages, and the processes that underlie them. In particular, GEB welcomes studies that use macroecological methods, comparative analyses, meta-analyses, reviews, spatial analyses and modelling to arrive at general, conceptual conclusions. Studies in GEB need not be global in spatial extent, but the conclusions and implications of the study must be relevant to ecologists and biogeographers globally, rather than being limited to local areas, or specific taxa. Similarly, GEB is not limited to spatial studies; we are equally interested in the general patterns of nature through time, among taxa (e.g., body sizes, dispersal abilities), through the course of evolution, etc. Further, GEB welcomes papers that investigate general impacts of human activities on ecological systems in accordance with the above criteria.