Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Overwintering performance of three juvenile temperate estuarine fishes","authors":"Clara Bellotto ,&nbsp;Ashley M. Fowler ,&nbsp;David J. Booth","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152087","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152087","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Estuaries, rich in biodiversity and economically valuable fish species, are increasingly threatened by climate change-induced factors that challenge fish resilience and survival. This study compared the juvenile performance of three estuarine fish species (eastern fortescue, <em>Centropogon australis</em>, common silverbiddy, <em>Gerres subfasciatus,</em> and eastern striped trumpeter, <em>Pelates sexlineatus</em>) at two water temperatures reflecting two scenarios: current Sydney winters (16 °C) and future winters under climate change (20 °C). The fishes' total range of acclimation duration was 16 days at each temperature level, and the experiment included two food levels (low and high), along with two different treatments that accounted for the orders of temperature exposure (20 °C then 16 °C, vs 16 °C then 20 °C). We used a broad range of behavioural and physiological metrics such as growth (change in mass and length), metabolic rate, bite rate, burst speed, boldness, shelter and predator escape response. Overall, as expected from metabolic theory, fish performance was generally greater at higher (future) winter temperatures than at lower (current) winter temperatures, with growth rates, change in total length, bite rate and aerobic scope higher at 20 °C than 16 °C for all species<em>. G. subfasciatus</em> and <em>P. sexlineatus</em> exhibited increased escape responses at 20 °C, with <em>P. sexlineatus</em> also showing greater boldness. Boldness was positively associated with bite rates in <em>P. sexlineatus</em>, potentially indicating foraging advantages under future warming for this species. The order of temperature treatment affected boldness for <em>G. subfasciatus</em> and growth, bite rate and burst speed for <em>P. sexlineatus</em>. Overall, and surprisingly, performance metrics were largely unrelated.</div><div>Contrary to expectations, food had no effect on fish performance either directly or interacting with temperature. Our findings suggest this study was conducted below the species' thermal optima, and future climate change may therefore favour temperate juvenile estuarine fishes at winter temperatures, with potential benefits differing among these species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"584 ","pages":"Article 152087"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143420203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The appearance of plastic debris results in impaired visually-mediated behavior in a reef fish: Evidence of visual sensory pollution","authors":"Antoine O.H.C. Leduc ,&nbsp;Mariana Santos","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152089","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152089","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Macro-plastic debris (MPD) have become ubiquitous pollutants that can negatively impact marine fauna. MPD occur in a wide range of sizes, colors and shapes. The extent to which the visual appearance of MPD can impact organisms that rely on vision is still not well understood, specifically in terms of its potential for causing distraction, masking, and misleading effects. Here, we hypothesized that, much like other disturbances caused by human activities, such as light, sound, and chemical pollution that alter environmental information and impact animal behaviors, the presence of highly visible MPD could disrupt visually-mediated behaviors by causing sensory disruption. For example, MPD that visually contrast against the seascape's background could distract a predator that uses vision to search and catch prey, which may result in mistaken prey identity and reduced hunting efficiency. Prey could also become less contrasted when their color matches that of MPD, thus masking their conspicuousness to predators. Under laboratory conditions, we tested this possibility by measuring the Sergeant major (<em>Abudefduf saxatilis</em>) damselfish's foraging efficiency to consume a set number of crustacean prey (<em>Artemias</em> spp.) in a determined period of time. This was done under each of five treatments, which consisted of a control, white MPD, green MPD and natural fragments of <em>Ulva</em> algae. We also controlled potential interference from chemicals released by MPD by having a treatment of hidden, but submerged, plastic debris. The damselfish's foraging efficiency declined significantly when exposed to white MPD. Specifically, the debris that had the highest contrast in the aquariums and most closely matched the color of <em>Artemias</em> led to the greatest negative impact on fish's foraging efficiency. The visual characteristics of these white MPD appeared to have caused sensory pollution effects, by distorting and/or masking relevant visual information, which led to impaired visually-mediated hunting behavior in this reef fish. To many marine organisms, plastic debris might appear vastly different from natural visual cues, potentially leading to unexpected consequences, which remain incompletely understood.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"584 ","pages":"Article 152089"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143387791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unravelling the secret life of MultiAnnual delayed gametophytes in the order of the Laminariales","authors":"Alexander Ebbing ,&nbsp;Scott Lindell ,&nbsp;Harald Holm ,&nbsp;Yoichi Sato ,&nbsp;Klaas Timmermans","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152081","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152081","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Research within the <em>Laminariales</em> in nature has predominantly focused on the sporophyte phase, often overlooking the other half of a bi-phasic life cycle; the gametophytes which can grow and propagate independently. This study examines the potential function that gametophytes might have within the <em>Laminariales</em>, focussing primarily on the understudied MultiAnnual Delayed (MAD) gametophyte, and comparing it with the typically researched newly formed single celled or delayed gametophyte. MAD gametophytes, characterized by extended vegetative growth before reproduction, display notable morphological and functional differences compared to their single-celled or younger multicellular counterparts. Key fundamental questions arise when discussing the evolutionary pressures that result in the formation of these older gametophytes. Why do MAD gametophytes actually exist? Why can MAD gametophytes seemingly live forever? Why do MAD gametophytes grow vegetatively and seemingly without limits? We posit an updated life cycle model for <em>Laminariales</em>, hypothesizing two phenotypically different gametophyte types, each with unique morphologies, functionalities, and reproductive behaviors. This life cycle model puts more focus on the understudied MAD gametophytes and their role in nature, thereby aiming to push for more research and thus comprehensive understanding of the in-culture selection pressures and <em>in vivo</em> life cycle dynamics that affect MAD gametophytes. An understanding that is pertinent since unravelling the secret life of MAD gametophytes is fundamental to the success of future kelp domestication and large scale rewilding efforts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"583 ","pages":"Article 152081"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143268336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thermal stress and availability of potential mates drive decisions related to thermoregulatory burrow retreat and emergence in fiddler crabs","authors":"M. Zachary Darnell,&nbsp;Asa M. Darnell","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2024.152076","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2024.152076","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Behavioral tradeoffs are common, as many behaviors are incompatible. In ectotherms, these tradeoffs often result from incompatibility between thermoregulatory behaviors and other critical behaviors. These trade-offs are resolved by choice, with decisions expected to be based on the costs and benefits of each behavior to optimize fitness outcomes. We examined the social and abiotic factors driving resolution of the trade-off between thermoregulatory behavior and courtship behavior in the fiddler crab <em>Austruca mjoebergi</em>. Male fiddler crabs perform a courtship display on the high intertidal sediment surface, where they face extreme thermal stress; retreat into the burrow is an effective thermoregulatory strategy but requires a cessation of courtship behavior. Surface duration decreased as environmental temperatures increased, indicating that time available for courtship is limited by high temperature. Yet when exposed to a stimulus female, males remained on the surface longer, spent less time in the burrow following a thermoregulatory retreat to the burrow, and spent an overall greater proportion of time on the sediment surface. Results demonstrate that behavioral decisions related to both burrow retreat and subsequent emergence are influenced by the abiotic and social context that determine the relative costs and benefits of the behavioral choices available to the individual.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"583 ","pages":"Article 152076"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143102995","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seafoam avoidance is driven by both chemosensory and contact cues and points towards the presence of soft-surface thigmotaxis in the intertidal gastropod Littorina littorea","authors":"Solène Cazalis-Henry ,&nbsp;Nicolas Spilmont ,&nbsp;Elsa Breton ,&nbsp;Florence Elias ,&nbsp;Laurent Seuront","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152085","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152085","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Seafoam accumulation in coastal waters has long been acknowledged as ecologically, socially and economically relevant. However, its putative effects on the intertidal biota have been alarmingly under-researched despite the ubiquitous nature of onshore foam formation. This study examines the behavioural responses of the common periwinkle, <em>Littorina littorea</em>, exposed to two types of seafoam: a fresh seafoam (freshly formed) and an aged seafoam (collected after three hours of exposure in the field), using experimental assays carried out under controlled laboratory conditions. <em>L. littorea</em> consistently avoid seafoam, and exhibit a stronger aversion for fresh seafoam. They avoid crossing both seafoam, suggesting that contact cues play a crucial role in this avoidance behaviour. In this context, we introduce the concept of soft-surface thigmotaxis, by which <em>L. littorea</em> is able to follow soft physical discontinuities. Snails exhibited more tortuous movements and reduced speed before actually getting into physical contact with the fresh seafoam, suggesting that chemosensory influence foam avoidance, probably due to repellent volatile compounds requiring further identification. Observations suggest that snails show differential responses potentially influenced by variations in foam properties, such as phytoplankton content and the physical properties of the seafoam. Seafoam avoidance by <em>L. littorea</em> could have wider ecological implications by disrupting the snails' ability to find refuges, increasing their vulnerability to other environmental stresses. Investigating surfactants and pollutants in seafoam is crucial due to their toxicity to aquatic life. The study highlights the need for interdisciplinary research to fully understand and mitigate seafoam's effects on intertidal organism.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"583 ","pages":"Article 152085"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143102998","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) roots serve as additional valuable habitat for the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) in a subtropical estuary","authors":"Dinorah H. Chacin ,&nbsp;Susan S. Bell ,&nbsp;Christopher D. Stallings","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152083","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152083","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Occasionally, two foundation species co-exist within seascapes, where one is nested within, or near, the other. However, we often lack an understanding of interactions between co-existing foundation species and how such interactions may affect their demographic rates. Oysters and mangroves are foundation species that often co-occur in subtropical estuaries, with oysters assembled into reefs found near mangrove-rimmed shorelines or oysters growing attached to mangrove prop roots. We evaluated demographics and potential ecological mechanisms affecting eastern oysters (<em>Crassostrea virginica</em>) living on intertidal reefs compared with those growing on red mangrove roots (<em>Rhizophora mangle</em>) using a series of field surveys and by measuring evaporation rates as proxy for desiccation. We found that total oyster density on mangrove roots was over two times higher per unit sample area compared to intertidal reefs. This difference occurred despite slightly higher oyster settlement rates to reefs than mangrove roots, suggesting higher post-settlement mortality in reefs compared to roots. Higher oyster mortality on reefs was consistent with our observations of more predators, higher percentage of gaping oysters, and greater abiotic stress on oysters on reefs versus mangrove root habitats. The comparative demography of oysters on reefs and mangrove roots provides insight into mechanisms by which mangrove roots represent valuable habitats for eastern oysters. Moreover, these findings suggest that future oyster restoration efforts may benefit by considering restoring oyster reefs in close proximity to red mangroves given their additional source of potential oyster settlers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"583 ","pages":"Article 152083"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143350863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Crevices increase feeding behavior, crawling behavior and glucose level of stressed sea cucumbers (Apostichopus japonicus)","authors":"Huiyan Wang ,&nbsp;Ruihuan Tian ,&nbsp;Guo Wu,&nbsp;Xiyuan Huang,&nbsp;Zihe Zhao,&nbsp;Peng Ding,&nbsp;Chong Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152088","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152088","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sea cucumbers seek refuge to crevices in adverse environments. However, the mechanism by which crevices mitigate the adverse impacts of stress on sea cucumbers remains totally unknown. The present study investigated the detrimental effects of mechanical perturbation on behavior and physiology of sea cucumbers (<em>Apostichopus japonicus</em>). We subjected sea cucumbers to mechanical perturbation by placing them in a sieve submerged in water and stirring the sieve parallel to the water surface to simulate common mechanical perturbation in seed production. We found that mechanical perturbation significantly reduced cortisol, glucose, crawling frequency, and feeding duration of <em>A. japonicus</em>. These results suggest that mechanical perturbation decreases cortisol and glucose levels, potentially impacting feeding and crawling behaviors of <em>A. japonicus</em>.</div><div>This study further investigated how crevices mitigated the negative effects of mechanical perturbation. There was a significant increase in the residence time of <em>A. japonicus</em> within crevices, while <em>A. japonicus</em> without crevices exhibited significantly increased movement distances after mechanical perturbation. These results indicate a preference among <em>A. japonicus</em> for inhabiting crevices or actively seeking such habitats following mechanical perturbation. Following mechanical perturbation, <em>A. japonicus</em> exhibited a significantly decrease in feeding time and crawling frequency compared to those that had been inhabiting crevices for 7 h. Sea cucumbers in the crevice showed a significantly higher crawling frequency after being exposed to 7 h of mechanical perturbation, compared to the individuals not in the crevice. These results indicate that crevices serve as an efficacious mechanism for ameliorating the negative impacts of mechanical perturbation on sea cucumber behaviors. Further, the glucose level increased significantly with the increase of time in the crevice in sea cucumbers subjected to mechanical perturbation.</div><div>In summary, crevices attenuate the deleterious impacts of mechanical perturbation on sea cucumbers by enhancing glucose level, crawling, and feeding behaviors, thereby probably promoting the production efficiency in aquaculture of <em>A. japonicus</em>. The study elucidates the mechanism by which crevices alleviate stress in <em>A. japonicus</em>, providing valuable insights into the seed production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"583 ","pages":"Article 152088"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143350864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"eDNA metabarcoding detection of nearshore juvenile white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) and prey fish communities","authors":"Zachariah S. Merson ,&nbsp;Elizabeth E. Jahn ,&nbsp;Matthew A. Barnes ,&nbsp;Emily A. Spurgeon ,&nbsp;Patrick T. Rex ,&nbsp;Jack T. Elstner ,&nbsp;Yamilla N. Samara Chacon ,&nbsp;James M. Anderson ,&nbsp;Whitney D. Jones ,&nbsp;Christopher G. Lowe","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152084","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2025.152084","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Traditional methods for assessing fish communities often face biased catchabilities, resulting in inconsistent detection of certain species. Pelagic elasmobranchs, such as white sharks (<em>Carcharodon carcharias</em>) are challenging to detect and quantify due to their low density, large size, and high mobility. Metabarcoding, an emerging approach, identifies species through genetic sequencing of environmental DNA (eDNA) samples, but requires further calibration due to its novelty. We assessed the efficacy of eDNA approaches to detect white sharks and associated fish prey communities. Juvenile white sharks (JWS) in the Southern California Bight form dense aggregations, offering a unique setting to compare methods. We collected eDNA from 491 seawater samples at three current and two former aggregation sites. Metabarcoding and white shark-specific qPCR were compared to aerial drone surveys and passive acoustic telemetry for JWS, and to beach seines and baited remote underwater videos for the broader fish community. Overall, metabarcoding captured the greatest species richness of the community methods. We found that metabarcoding detection probability of fish caught by beach seine was predicted by abundance, but not biomass; notably high-biomass catches were primarily elasmobranchs. Quantitative PCR was twice as effective as metabarcoding in detecting JWS presence, and raw acoustic detections best predicted metabarcoding results. Potential differences in eDNA shedding rate between teleosts and elasmobranchs may explain why JWS were less effectively detected by eDNA approaches, and why only seine count influenced detection probability. Species-specific primers may better capture low-density elasmobranchs. Despite limitations, metabarcoding represents an effective complementary tool to biomonitoring due to the additional diversity captured.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"583 ","pages":"Article 152084"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143102997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of suspended sediment on survival, growth, and nutritional condition of green-lipped mussel spat (Perna canaliculus, Gmelin, 1791)","authors":"Brandy S. Biggar ,&nbsp;Andrew Jeffs ,&nbsp;Jenny R. Hillman","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2024.152074","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2024.152074","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Suspended sediment is a significant current threat to coastal ecosystems in many parts of the world. Sediment runoff into the ocean is increasing due to numerous human activities, such as agriculture, deforestation, construction, and mining. Additionally, climate change is impacting local weather patterns, with many regions experiencing marked changes in the frequency and extent of precipitation. Extreme weather events, such as cyclones, can increase suspended sediment (SS) in coastal waters by up to 100-fold. This rapid change in SS can negatively affect filter-feeding bivalves by diminishing their feeding efficiency, often preventing feeding until the sediment settles. In New Zealand, juveniles of the green-lipped mussel (<em>Perna canaliculus</em>) have rudimentary structures for capturing and sorting food particles from the seston, which are prone to clogging and damage. In this study, the effects of a range of SS concentrations (0–1250 mg L⁻¹) on the survival, growth, and nutritional condition of juvenile green-lipped mussels (1–2 mm SL) were determined over two time scales (5 and 30 days) in controlled laboratory experiments. Neither mortality nor nutritional condition were impacted by SS. However, the presence of SS positively affected growth (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) and mussel settlement location (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01) at both time scales. The results show that, under these conditions, SS levels ≤1250 mg L⁻¹ are not apparently harmful to <em>P. canaliculus</em> spat and may even be advantageous.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"582 ","pages":"Article 152074"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143161564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Kelp-bed dynamics across scales: Expanding distributional analysis capacity with spatial pattern metrics and modelling","authors":"Anne P. St-Pierre,&nbsp;Patrick Gagnon","doi":"10.1016/j.jembe.2024.152080","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jembe.2024.152080","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spatial pattern metrics are used to investigate the links between a species' distributional patterns and underlying ecological drivers. These metrics, in combination with remotely acquired imagery, offer a novel approach for the study of kelp bed-urchin barren systems and enable the study of fully submerged kelp distribution at broad spatial scales (km²) difficult to achieve through traditional scuba-based methods. This study uses aerial imagery of 2.85 km² of shallow (&lt;7 m deep) seabed around five islands in the Mingan Archipelago (northern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada) to (1) quantify kelp distribution patterns using spatial pattern metrics at large, intermediate, and small spatial scales and (2) examine correlations between kelp presence and physical and biological variables over a broad spatial scale. Imagery was classified visually and divided into two benthic classes: kelp and non-kelp. Variability in spatial pattern metrics and kelp coverage across spatial scales indicated that kelp distribution is not uniform among islands, suggesting that the spatial extent over which observations are obtained strongly influences the patterns detected. Kelp covered 62 % of the entire study area but with substantial variation (46 % to 87 %) among islands. Kelp and non-kelp patches varied in size from 225 to 891,225 m², while exhibiting considerable variation in geometric complexity. Over 80 % of the kelp patches were relatively small (&lt;1350 m²), although the fewer, larger patches contained most (98 %) of the kelp-covered seabed and were located in shallower water, near the coastline. Both the kelp and non-kelp benthic classes were highly aggregated as suggested by clumpiness indices of 0.67 and 0.59, respectively. Modelling results showed that increasing depth, urchin density, and relative exposure to waves independently led to a decrease in kelp presence, with depth having the strongest correlation, followed by urchin density and relative exposure. This study expands knowledge of kelp distribution patterns at broad spatial scales largely unexplored for fully submerged species and is a step forward towards a comprehensive understanding of scale-dependent processes regulating their distribution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50197,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology","volume":"582 ","pages":"Article 152080"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143161561","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}