Marine Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Filter feeders living on suspension feeders: New insights into the lifestyle and distribution of Arcturidae Dana, 1849 (Crustacea: Isopoda) around Iceland","authors":"Vivien Lukas Hartmann, Emanuel Pereira, Nancy F. Mercado‐Salas, Anne‐Nina Lörz, Jörundur Svavarsson, Saskia Brix","doi":"10.1111/maec.12826","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.12826","url":null,"abstract":"The focus of the present study was on arcturid isopods occurring in the subarctic region around Iceland. Data from two decades of sampling with an epibenthic sledge (EBS) during numerous expeditions of the BIOICE (Benthic Invertebrates of Icelandic Waters; 1992–2004) and IceAGE (Icelandic marine Animals: Genetics and Ecology; 2011—ongoing) projects were incorporated into an integrative taxonomy approach. This approach linked distribution records, morphological and molecular examinations, with video and image data observed during recent expeditions in 2018 (MSM75) and 2020 (SO276) using the Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) PHOCA and Kiel 6000 from GEOMAR. The resulting dataset from 120 sampling locations included 6852 specimens, a large percentage of which were fixed in formalin during BIOICE. Ethanol‐fixed specimens collected during IceAGE were used to link morphotypes with haplotypes and occurrence locations, focusing on the coral association of the genus <jats:italic>Astacilla</jats:italic> Cordiner, 1793. The IceAGE sampling was complemented by ROV image and video data and noninvasive sampling, making it possible to obtain pictures of living specimens of <jats:italic>A. longicornis</jats:italic>. The species <jats:italic>A. longicornis</jats:italic> Sowerby, 1806 showed a distribution linked to cold‐water occurrence and was sampled from <jats:italic>Paramuricea placomus</jats:italic>. <jats:italic>Astacilla boreaphilis</jats:italic> Stranky &amp; Svavarsson, 2006, occurring only south of Iceland, showed high morphological variation in the spine pattern of adult females, while the molecular results indicated no clear pattern of potentially ongoing species radiation or cryptic species. <jats:italic>Astacilla granulata</jats:italic> was exclusively found north of Iceland. Thus, the species' distribution is potentially influenced by the Greenland‐Faroe Ridge, which separates the North Atlantic from the Arctic Ocean.","PeriodicalId":18330,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology","volume":"49 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142257857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mass Mortality of the Invasive Sea Urchin Diadema setosum in Türkiye, Eastern Mediterranean Possibly Reveals Vibrio Bacteria Infection","authors":"Ezgi Dinçtürk, Fikret Öndes, Vahit Alan, Emre Dön","doi":"10.1111/maec.12837","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.12837","url":null,"abstract":"The invasive <jats:italic>Diadema setosum</jats:italic> (Leske, 1778) long‐spined sea urchin has been in the Mediterranean Sea since 2006, and then, it has been known that its population density has reached high values on the southern Aegean coasts of Türkiye. This study aimed to report the mass mortality event of <jats:italic>D. setosum</jats:italic> with the determined agent on the Aegean coast of Türkiye. In addition, it was targeted to provide information on the current status of its density based on seasonal SCUBA diving observations for the period between January 2023 and November 2023. The results showed that the mass mortality of <jats:italic>D. setosum</jats:italic> was determined in Muğla, Aegean Sea, in August 2023. Spine loss, the mucoid layer at the bottom of the appendages, and the outer body surface were observed as the clinical symptoms of the diseased samples. Bacterial growth was detected on Vibrio‐selected TCBS agar plates, while no other parasitic agents were determined in the coelomic fluid of sea urchins. The results of the biochemical (API 20E) and molecular tests confirmed the isolated bacteria as <jats:italic>Vibrio</jats:italic> spp. The density of <jats:italic>D. setosum</jats:italic> showed statistically significant temporal changes, and the highest and lowest mean density values were recorded in autumn and spring, respectively. Environmental stressors, such as increasing sea temperature levels, affect the marine ecosystem and lead to opportunistic pathogens. Long‐term monitoring of disease outbreaks is necessary to understand the interactions between species and the ecosystem.","PeriodicalId":18330,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142192711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic Differentiation Between Sympatric Crustacean Decapods Inhabiting the Mediterranean Sea: Implications to Avoid Larval and Adult Misidentification","authors":"Melania Agulló, Sandra Heras, Alba Abras, José Luis García‐Marín, María Inés Roldán","doi":"10.1111/maec.12834","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.12834","url":null,"abstract":"The conservation of species, especially those with high levels of exploitation and economic interest, relies on the knowledge of their biology and geographical distribution. In the marine realm, similar morphology between species is a common difficulty in identifying sympatric species, especially in early stages of development. Therefore, genetic identification of crustacean species has been shown to be the only way to identify the species. We used a 451‐bp fragment of the 16S rDNA gene to differentiate nine species of decapod crustaceans, five of which are sympatric and heavily exploited in the Mediterranean Sea: <jats:italic>Aristeus antennatus</jats:italic> (blue and red shrimp), <jats:italic>A. virilis</jats:italic> (stout red shrimp), <jats:italic>A. varidens</jats:italic> (striped red shrimp), <jats:italic>Aristaeomorpha foliacea</jats:italic> (giant red shrimp), <jats:italic>Aristaeopsis edwardsiana</jats:italic> (scarlet shrimp), <jats:italic>Gennadas elegans</jats:italic> (graceful blunt‐tail prawn), <jats:italic>Gennadas valens</jats:italic> (valuable blunt‐tail prawn), <jats:italic>Parapenaeus longirostris</jats:italic> (deep‐water rose shrimp) and <jats:italic>Penaeus kerathurus</jats:italic> (camarote prawn). Analysis of the 16S rDNA gene provides clear evidence of genetic differentiation to be used as an easy method to identify these species.","PeriodicalId":18330,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142192712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Fatty Acid Profile of the Deep‐Sea Gastropod Parvaplustrum wareni Indicates a Dominant Role of Chemosynthesis in the Nutrition of the Hydrothermal Vent Ecosystem (Piip Volcano)","authors":"S. A. Rodkina","doi":"10.1111/maec.12833","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.12833","url":null,"abstract":"The gastropod <jats:italic>Parvaplustrum wareni</jats:italic> (Parvaplustridae) is an important faunal component in the ecosystem of deep‐sea hydrothermal vents of the Piip submarine volcano, Bering Sea. To highlight trophic relationships in this ecosystem, the fatty acid (FA) composition of the hydrothermal gastropod <jats:italic>P. wareni</jats:italic> has been studied. This is one of the few studies analyzing FA compositions of gastropods in a hydrothermal vent ecosystem. The major polyunsaturated FAs of this mollusk are represented by n‐3 and n‐6 FAs: arachidonic acid (20:4n‐6), eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n‐3), docosatetraenoic acid (22:4n‐6), and docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n‐3). The low level of FA markers of phytoplankton suggests an insignificant role of organic matter created by photosynthesis in the nutrition of <jats:italic>P. wareni</jats:italic>. A high level of monounsaturated FAs (more than 70% of total FAs) dominated by palmitoleic (16:1n‐7) and cis‐vaccenic (18:1n‐7) FAs indicates the bacterial nutrition of the mollusk. In general, the analysis of the <jats:italic>P. wareni</jats:italic> FA composition has allowed a conclusion that the organic matter created by chemosynthesis provides a favorable basis for the <jats:italic>P. wareni</jats:italic> population to thrive in the hydrothermal vents of the Piip volcano.","PeriodicalId":18330,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142192785","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Meiofaunal Dynamics in Oceanic Islands: Insights From Spatial Distribution, Substrate Influence and Connectivity","authors":"Adrián Torres‐Martínez, Rodrigo Riera","doi":"10.1111/maec.12829","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.12829","url":null,"abstract":"There is an apparent contradiction between the sedentary lifestyle and direct development of meiofaunal organisms and their widely observed distribution. This study is situated within the theoretical framework of ecological connectivity, metacommunities, and the impact of substrate type, particularly in the unique context of oceanic islands, offering a crucial perspective to unravel the complexities of meiofaunal dispersal and connectivity. We here studied the spatial distribution of meiofauna on natural and artificial beaches of an oceanic island, that is, Gran Canaria (Canary Is., NE Atlantic Ocean). The results revealed higher abundance and richness of meiofauna on artificial substrates compared to natural ones, with nematodes, copepods, and annelids being the dominant groups. The meiofaunal community composition differed significantly between natural and artificial beaches, suggesting colonisation of artificial beaches by natural beach communities. Notably, certain species were exclusively found on artificial beaches. The study highlighted the importance of substrate type in influencing meiofaunal composition, with artificial beaches providing new ecological niches and resources for meiofauna. The dissimilarity between beaches was attributed to morphospecies exclusive to either artificial or natural substrates, emphasising the role of dispersal mechanisms. These findings contribute to understanding the metacommunity dynamics of meiofauna in oceanic islands and call for further research on dispersal potential and biogeography.","PeriodicalId":18330,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology","volume":"58 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142192713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Occurrence of Phyllariopsis brevipes (C. Agardh) E.C. Henry & G.R. South 1987 in the Gulf of Naples","authors":"Alberto Colletti, Antonia Chiarore, Sara De Benedictis, Erika Fabbrizzi, Giulio Franzitta, Luca Licciardi, Simone Musumeci, João Neiva, Chiara Silvestrini, Simonetta Fraschetti","doi":"10.1111/maec.12828","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.12828","url":null,"abstract":"The first record of the kelp species <jats:italic>Phyllariopsis brevipes</jats:italic> in the Campania Region (Tyrrhenian Sea, South Italy) is here reported. The species has been observed in October 2021 in four sites along Sorrento Peninsula and Capri Island coast during scuba diving surveys. <jats:italic>P. brevipes</jats:italic> grew on living thalli of crustose coralline algae from 32 up to 55 m depth, occasionally forming dense aggregations with a maximum cover of about 0.2 m<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>. The DNA barcoding analysis on the basis of the cox1 gene supported the identification, with 98.36% of similarity between the sample collected in this study (NCBI accession number: <jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\" ext-link-type=\"NCBI:refseq\" xlink:href=\"PP622796\">PP622796</jats:ext-link>) and a sequence obtained from a specimen from Provence, Mediterranean France (NCBI accession number: <jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\" ext-link-type=\"NCBI:refseq\" xlink:href=\"GQ368264\">GQ368264</jats:ext-link>). The study area can be considered a stepping stone for the species dispersion. The occurrence of <jats:italic>P. brevipes</jats:italic> can be related to upwelling and good water quality and the monitoring of its health status might be a sentinel of environmental changes.","PeriodicalId":18330,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142192763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Divergent Communities of Marine Nematodes in Impacted Beaches of Bandar Abbas (Iran)","authors":"Narjes Sahraeian, Rodrigo Riera, Gopikrishna Mantha, Homayoun Hosseinzadeh Sahafi, Hadi Mosallanejad","doi":"10.1111/maec.12827","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.12827","url":null,"abstract":"Free‐living marine nematodes play crucial roles in the benthic ecosystem and serve as valuable bioindicators for monitoring environmental stress. We explore the community structure of free‐living marine nematodes in the beach ecosystem near Bandar Abbas port city of Iran. The research focused on assessing the impact of domestic and industrial influences during winter and summer seasons in 2018 and 2019. Three coastal locations, namely KhurGursuzan (KG), Power Plant (PP), and Resalat (RE), were sampled, with KG under domestic wastewater influence, PP characterized by industrial activities, and RE serving as the control site. A total of 41 nematode genera were identified during the study, and dominant genera varied across locations, namely, <jats:italic>Daptonema</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Sabatieria</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Promonhystera</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Ptycholaimellus</jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>Eleutherolaimus</jats:italic> at KG; <jats:italic>Spirinia</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Chromadorina</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Terschellingia</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Eleutherolaimus</jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>Promonhystera</jats:italic> at PP; and <jats:italic>Oncholaimus</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Pomponema</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Viscosia</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Ptycholaimellus</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Daptonema</jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>Eleutherolaimus</jats:italic> at RE. These dominant genera accounted for 80% of the total nematode community during the sampling periods. The study revealed significant differences in abundance and genus diversity among the sites, with pollution‐affected sites exhibiting the lowest nematode diversity. Sediment granulometry showed a positive correlation with genus diversity across the sites, and the structure of the nematode assemblage was negatively influenced by polychlorinated biphenyls and total organic matter. Surprisingly, the spatial patterns in nematode assemblage structure and diversity remained consistent across both studied years. These findings contribute to our understanding of marine ecosystem health and the role of free‐living nematodes as bioindicators in the Persian Gulf.","PeriodicalId":18330,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology","volume":"54 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142192764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An Approach to Assessing the Impact of Hurricane Matthew on Meiofaunal Communities in Sandy Beach Environments","authors":"Daniel Giraldo, Ana Milena Lagos, Sigmer Y. Quiroga, M. Victoria Leon, Angie Colorado","doi":"10.1111/maec.12831","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.12831","url":null,"abstract":"Hurricanes are natural periodic events that disrupt marine ecosystems along their path, altering the distribution and abundance of organisms. In October 2016, Hurricane Matthew struck the Santa Marta region (Colombia) and impacted its coastal zone, yet there have been insufficient studies to measure its effects. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of Hurricane Matthew on the meiofaunal community in the region. To achieve this, sediment samples were collected from the intertidal zone of three beaches 5 days after the hurricane had passed. The results were compared with previous data collected in October 2014, on the abundance and diversity of taxonomic groups of intertidal meiofauna, as well as physicochemical variables such as granulometry, organic matter in sediments, salinity, and water temperature. Following Hurricane Matthew, the physicochemical variables showed changes due to the effect of the cyclonic surge in the coastal zone. The average organism abundance not only experienced a decline in both abundance and richness but also underwent changes in composition. Nematoda, originally the fourth most abundant group in 2014, became the most dominant taxon post‐hurricane. Conversely, the relative abundance of Copepoda decreased. The total number of recorded taxa was 13, which is close to the 15 previously reported. The ANOSIM and PERMANOVA tests confirmed differences in the meiofaunal community before and after Hurricane Matthew, with Tardigrada, Cnidaria, Ostracoda and Mollusca, being the main groups that contributed the most to the dissimilarity between periods. The environmental variables of organic matter and temperature best explained the structure of the meiofaunal community after the natural phenomenon. This study highlights the importance of meiofauna as a monitoring tool for beaches and the effects of environmental disturbances such as hurricanes, which are expected to become more common in coastal areas due to climate change.","PeriodicalId":18330,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142192765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Greenland–Scotland Ridge in a Changing Ocean: Time to Act?","authors":"Christophe Pampoulie, Saskia Brix, H. Randhawa","doi":"10.1111/maec.12830","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.12830","url":null,"abstract":"The Greenland–Scotland Ridge is a submarine mountain that rises up to 500 m below the sea surface and extends from the east coast of Greenland to the continental shelf of Iceland and across the Faroe Islands to Scotland. The ridge not only separates deeper ocean basins on either side, that is, the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans, but also forms a geomorphological barrier between the cold arctic water masses of the Nordic Seas and the comparably contrastingly warmer water of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is therefore situated at a strategic geographical position in relation to the effect of climate change in the Arctic region. Both the Arctic and the Atlantic subpolar ecosystems are facing each other at the ridge, creating oceanic fronts in the Denmark Strait and in the Iceland–Faroe ridge alike. This ridge in the subarctic area forms the southern boundary of the North Atlantic Gateway to the Arctic Ocean, affecting exchanges of oceanic currents and of marine organisms between the two main ecosystems in the Nordic polar region. For example, the appearance of natural invasive species such as the Atlantic mackerel in this region mainly occurred along the ridge, with arrival through the Scotland–Faroe Islands mount with subsequent waves of colonization which eventually reached the southern tip of Greenland. With the increasing impacts of climate change, such natural colonization through the ridge is likely to happen more frequently and affect regional ecosystems. Yet, the human resources and the economy of the local nations on the ridge are rather limited compared to neighboring countries. With a total of less than half a million people inhabiting the area and a total ocean surface of circa 3 million km2 of continental shelf, Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Scotland will face critical challenges in the coming years with respect to biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of marine resources. Here is a summary of what we know, what we might expect, and an opening to potential discussions for the future of research in this region. The main objective of this paper is calling attention to much needed additional research effort on the marine environment around the Greenland–Scotland Ridge, instead of presenting a comprehensive overview of research in this area.","PeriodicalId":18330,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology","volume":"10 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141925847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi‐year monitoring shows higher species richness and diversity of fish assemblages in a Danish seagrass meadow as compared to neighbouring non‐vegetated areas","authors":"Søren Lundgaard Olesen, Michael Hansen, Jens Peder Jeppesen, Michael Kühl, Kasper Elgetti Brodersen","doi":"10.1111/maec.12821","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.12821","url":null,"abstract":"Seagrass meadows provide an important nursery and feeding habitat for fish, globally. However, limited data exist on how these vegetated coastal ecosystems affect local fish stocks over longer time periods. By means of beach seine hauling with a bio‐monitoring seine net, we collected fish data in Kronborg Bay (Denmark) over 4 years. The bay contains both vegetated and bare sediment areas in close proximity to Kronborg Castle in Elsinore and is part of the Øresund strait; a dynamic marine environment linking the Baltic Sea with the inner Danish waters (Kattegat). We investigated the biodiversity and fish abundance in a healthy seagrass meadow and compared it with a bare adjacent sediment area. We show that seagrass is important for fish species like the Atlantic cod, the two‐spotted goby, and the broadnosed pipefish. The seagrass meadow harboured more fish species and higher biodiversity, while the number of individuals was higher in the adjacent bare sediment area as a result of high abundances of lesser sand eel. Pilou's evenness and the Shannon‐Wiener index showed 2–4‐fold higher biodiversity in the seagrass meadow. The seagrass meadow harboured about 35% more fish species than the bare adjacent sediment. The Atlantic cod was almost entirely found in the seagrass meadow, while lesser sand eel that showed an overall increase in abundance in both habitats, represented the largest proportion of the total number of fish individuals (up to about 60%) and was mostly found on the bare adjacent sediment. Species abundance was analysed for changes over time, where, for example the European plaice showed an increase in abundance over the 4‐year period of investigation. Seagrass meadows can thus be very important for the Atlantic cod population in the Øresund strait and generally for local fish productivity, abundance and diversity.","PeriodicalId":18330,"journal":{"name":"Marine Ecology","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141530178","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}