Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems最新文献

{"title":"An Unusual Protuberant Lithophyllum sp. From Southern Spain Increases Structural Complexity in Urchin Barrens","authors":"Dino Angelo E. Ramos,&nbsp;Jesús Del Río,&nbsp;Julio Peñas,&nbsp;Juan C. Braga","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70090","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Urchin barrens (‘blanquizales’) are habitats dominated by encrusting non-geniculate coralline algae and maintained by urchin grazing. Taxonomic information of coralline communities in Mediterranean blanquizales is limited. Lumpy to fruticose coralline algal specimens, unusual in blanquizales, were found along the southern Spanish coast. Sequences from these specimens resolved with foliose samples morpho-anatomically identified as <i>Lithophyllum dentatum</i>. Initial observations suggested that this protuberant <i>Lithophyllum</i> species increases diversity in the otherwise species-poor exposed blanquizales. When present, higher macroalgal cover was observed with algae and microfauna frequently observed as epibiotic among the coralline's protuberances.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143404422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Structuring Role of Rhodolith Beds on Meiobenthic Communities in the Mediterranean Sea","authors":"Adele Cocozza di Montanara,&nbsp;Federica Semprucci,&nbsp;Francesco Rendina,&nbsp;Giovanni Fulvio Russo,&nbsp;Roberto Sandulli","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70060","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Rhodolith beds are globally distributed structurally complex habitats formed by the aggregation of unattached forms of non-geniculate coralline red algae. They provide key ecosystem functions and services, supporting feeding, settlement and nursery provision for several species. Despite their importance, the associated faunal biodiversity is poorly known, particularly with regard to meiofauna. The Mediterranean is particularly lacking in data; here, meiofaunal samples were collected in three sites from the Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy) aiming to characterize for the first time the meiofaunal communities associated with mesophotic rhodolith beds, exploring whether the microhabitat structure of rhodoliths influences variations in meiofaunal composition compared to the underlying sediment microhabitat. A total of 17 taxa was recorded. A high level of dissimilarity was found between the two different microhabitat types (i.e., rhodoliths and sediments), suggesting that meiofauna is more influenced by ‘micro’ than ‘macro’ spatial scale from both a qualitative and quantitative point of view. Rhodoliths showed a distinct meiofauna represented by copepods and many representative taxa of temporary meiofauna (macrofaunal juveniles), supporting the nursery role of rhodoliths. Conversely, sediments were mainly composed of sediment-dwelling organisms (nematodes and platyhelminthes). The presence of such a multifaceted meiobenthic community, especially in more structurally complex rhodoliths, might favour the resilience of the system and recovery processes after environmental perturbations. These findings underline the key role of rhodoliths as habitat formers and biodiversity/stability enhancers in coastal ecosystems.</p>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aqc.70060","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143404412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Highly Threatened Status for the Relict Populations of Ectoparasitic Copepod Salmincola californiensis in Japan","authors":"Ryota Hasegawa,&nbsp;Yohsuke Uemura,&nbsp;Yasunori Yamashita,&nbsp;Makoto Inoshita,&nbsp;Itsuro Koizumi","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70073","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70073","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Many species have been threatened over the past century because of anthropogenic disturbances. Parasites are among the most vulnerable groups because they rely on host organisms, many of which are now endangered. While many studies have argued and evaluated the risk of parasite extinction, empirical evidence is still lacking, especially from aquatic ecosystems. Here, we show the highly threatened status of relict populations of the ectoparasitic copepod <i>Salmincola californiensis</i> in Japan. <i>S. californiensis</i> attaches to the branchial cavities of freshwater salmonids of the genus <i>Oncorhynchus</i> spp., and only four local populations have been reported from disparate regions of Japan, isolated probably due to range contractions after glacial periods. Through citizen-led field surveys, we found no copepod infections in half of the <i>S. californiensis</i> populations previously reported, suggesting that local extinction has occurred within the last 50–60 years. The upstream reaches of the Kiso River and the Naka River harboured the only sustained populations, though the Kiso population may also have experienced population decline. Our results indicate that parasites can quickly decline over a large geographic scale, especially at range margins. When focal parasites are visible, citizen science is an effective approach for identifying the distributional range of rare parasites and aiding their conservation.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143389159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Uncovering Sea Turtle Strandings in the Greek Seas (Eastern Mediterranean Sea): Spatiotemporal Patterns and Signs of Anthropogenic Interaction","authors":"Smaragda Despoti,&nbsp;Maria Solanou,&nbsp;Stavroula Tsoukali,&nbsp;Vasilis Valavanis,&nbsp;Konstantinos Tsagarakis,&nbsp;Marianna Giannoulaki","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70066","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The Mediterranean Sea is frequented by local populations of loggerhead turtle <i>Caretta caretta</i> and green turtle <i>Chelonia mydas</i>. Greek waters host both nesting sites and foraging grounds for the loggerhead turtle, whereas only foraging grounds for the green turtle. Both species face threats in their marine environment sourcing from anthropogenic activity. Here, stranding data, spanning from 2010 to 2021, were used to shed light on the main drivers underneath these threats and to identify seasons and areas of high number of stranding events. Stranding events showed an increasing trend over the years for both species. The majority of the strandings were categorized as “unknown,” while those showing signs of anthropogenic interaction (i.e., strandings related to marine litter ingestion, oil pollution, fishing gear entanglement, and injuries) held a significant part, representing ~25% and ~35% for the loggerhead and green turtle, respectively. The present work identified seasons and areas of concern with emphasis on areas that indicate fishery interaction, providing information that can support the designation of conservation measures in marine Greek waters.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143397085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Finding Introgression From ‘Native’ Stocks When Looking for Population Structure in Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)","authors":"Nuria Sanz,&nbsp;Gustavo González","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70081","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In brown trout, population structure is the result of a combination of factors such as the geographic distance, the altitude, the hierarchy of the hydrography and the presence of physical barriers totally or partially impassable for trout. Structure can even occur within populations, because of the lack of random mating (panmixia) between individuals, which is often a consequence of stocking with exogenous fish. In this study, we aimed to evaluate fragmentation in brown trout populations of the Pedroso River (Duero basin) to assess the effect of artificial barriers in this system. Our results indicated a significant isolation of populations in the headwaters, which translates into a low genetic diversity, a small effective population size and a high rate of inbreeding. We also found an unexpected substructure in one of the downstream localities (PED-02), where the youngest individuals were genetically different. Genetic analysis confirmed that these rare individuals come from a hatchery native stock used to stocking Pedroso River. Because this stock was originated with individuals from Pedroso itself, we must consider that a strong founder effect took place. Over the years, genetic drift accentuated the genetic differentiation of this stock from the original population. From our results, we made some recommendation for the management and conservation of brown trout in the Pedroso River, based on the removal of the main barriers that isolate the upstream populations, after stopping the restocking carried out with ‘native invaders’ fish from the local hatchery.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143389098","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phenotypic Variation and Genetic Divergence in Natural Populations of Curmuca barb, Hypselobarbus curmuca (Hamilton, 1807) in the Rivers of the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot, India","authors":"Jeevan Thiruguna Mallegowda,&nbsp;Kamei Lanthaimeilu,&nbsp;Dayal Devadas,&nbsp;Sanath Kumar Hirekudel,&nbsp;Ashok Kumar Jaiswar","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70077","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70077","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p><i>Hypselobarbus curmuca</i> is an endemic fish species of Family Cyprinidae found in rivers and reservoirs of the Western Ghats, India. An interdisciplinary study was conducted to assess the population genetic structuring of the species with the help of conventional morphometric, image-based truss network and genomic data of a nonprotein encoding mitochondrial DNA region (partial D-loop −494 bp) (<i>n</i> = 106). Fishes were collected from five rivers of the Western Ghats, namely, Kali, Sharavathi and Chalakudy (west-flowing) and Ghod and Tungabhadra (east-flowing) (<i>n</i> = 294). Multivariate analysis of body measurements and truss distances revealed very weak separation among populations. The D-loop sequence analysis showed that genetically distinct populations of fishes inhabit the studied rivers. Principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) could not completely distinguish morphologically distinct populations. D-loop sequence analysis indicated 13 haplotypes with low nucleotide diversity and 15 polymorphic sites, with location-specific haplotypes. An overall haplotype diversity of 0.80 and nucleotide diversity of 0.00849 were found. The haplotype network and maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree showed three clusters with two most probable ancestors. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed a high value (0.898) of the fixation index (F_ST) among the populations (<i>p</i> &gt; 0.05). Neutrality test and mismatch distribution results indicated that the populations are currently subjected to selection. Application of an integrated approach to characterise the populations of <i>H. curmuca</i> in the wild supports the hypothesis of geographical barriers as major drivers of population genetic differentiation. Different riverine environments have not selected for morphological differences during the evolutionary process in the recent past and showed weak separation of populations. These findings can be utilised while designing conservation strategies for the species in the rivers of the Western Ghats, as the species faces threats due to exploitation in capture fisheries and trade in aquaculture.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143397104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unlocking the Secrets of Sturgeon Ecology: Lessons From Conservation Efforts in Northern Italy","authors":"Fabiola Labria,&nbsp;Valerio Orioli,&nbsp;Stefania Trasforini,&nbsp;Cesare Puzzi,&nbsp;Pietro Tirozzi,&nbsp;Luciano Bani,&nbsp;Olivia Dondina","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70079","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70079","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study aimed to investigate the ecology of the Adriatic sturgeon (<i>Acipenser naccarii</i>) and Beluga sturgeon (<i>Huso huso</i>) in the Po basin in northern Italy, where both species have faced significant population declines. Using data collected from three LIFE projects, we investigated movement behaviour and habitat selection of the species following restocking, reintroduction and river defragmentation actions implemented during the LIFE projects. The two species showed a distinct movement behaviour and habitat selection. <i>A. naccarii</i> preferred to stay in <i>pool</i>, and it showed a tendency to have a landlocked behaviour, whereas <i>H. huso</i> did not show a clear habitat selection, and it always moved downstream, supporting the typical anadromous behaviour of this species. Both species benefited from river defragmentation interventions. These findings underscore the importance of habitat conservation/restoration and defragmentation measures for the long-term survival of sturgeon species.</p>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aqc.70079","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143389100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Call to Action for Conservation of the Critically Endangered Ganges Shark (Glyphis gangeticus)","authors":"Kritish De,&nbsp;Arvind Kumar Dwivedi","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70080","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143389099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trends in Marine Mammal Bycatch in US Fisheries From 1990 to 2017","authors":"Amelia-Jane L. Allerton,&nbsp;Eric V. C. Schneider,&nbsp;Jeremy J. Kiszka,&nbsp;Brendan S. Talwar","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70008","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Bycatch is the greatest threat facing marine mammals globally. In the United States (US), there have been significant efforts to reduce marine mammal bycatch in commercial fisheries, particularly through the implementation of the 1994 amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act. However, trends in marine mammal bycatch in US commercial fisheries have not been evaluated in over a decade. We assessed trends in US marine mammal bycatch for 130 stocks of 51 species from 1990 to 2017 according to taxon, region and gear type based on National Marine Fisheries Service Stock Assessment Reports using the bycatch metric ‘mortalities and serious injuries’. We estimated that total annual marine mammal bycatch in US fisheries was 4296 ± 1789 individuals (mean ± SD), with the majority of bycatch occurring in gillnets (83%). The proportion of pinniped bycatch (52%) was slightly higher than that of cetaceans (48%). After decreasing from 1990 to 2002, there was no change in total marine mammal bycatch in all US fisheries from 2002 to 2017, although pinniped bycatch continued to decline throughout the series. Whereas reductions in marine mammal bycatch continued through 2017 in the Atlantic–Gulf of Mexico–Caribbean region, reductions in the Pacific and Alaskan regions had halted or reversed by 2006. Although a more fine-scale evaluation is needed to determine the exact drivers of changes in marine mammal bycatch, our results agree with previous studies in suggesting some success of US bycatch mitigation measures.</p>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aqc.70008","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143379890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Newly Formed Ribb Reservoir Could Serve as a Refugia for Conserving Ethiopia's Globally Unique Labeobarbus Species Flock","authors":"Abebe Getahun,&nbsp;Minwyelet Mingist,&nbsp;Biniam Hailu,&nbsp;Dagnew Mequanent,&nbsp;Michael S. Cooperman","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70074","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70074","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The 17 species of <i>Labeobarbus</i> found in Lake Tana constitute the only extant cyprinid species flock in the world but extensive water development projects are impacting their habitats. Here, we assess if the <i>Labeobarbus</i> spp. are established above the Ribb Dam, constructed in 2017, and if so, the condition of the individuals and if there is evidence of local recruitment. Fish samplings were conducted once a month during the <i>Labeobarbus</i> species' spawning season of July to the end of September 2022, using monofilament and multifilament gillnets at three locations upstream of the Ribb Dam. We collected 10 <i>Labeobarbus</i> spp., with <i>L. intermedius</i> (40.7%) being the most abundant followed by <i>L. brevicephalus</i> (23.0%) and <i>L. nedgia</i> (22.2%). <i>Labeobarbus</i> fork lengths ranged from 7.8 to 43.0 cm and there were no notable gaps across the size ranges. Fulton's condition factors for species where <i>n</i> ≥ 20 were 1.30–1.54 (good), like Lake Tana populations. Our collection included sexually immature and first-time maturing individuals, indicating <i>Labeobarbus</i> are reproducing and recruiting successfully in the watershed above the dam. Our results suggest that the Ribb River watershed above Ribb Dam may serve as a refugia for at least some of the 17 species of the species flock. However, challenges remain before the upper watershed should be viewed as a viable long-term habitat for <i>Labeobarbus</i>, including the need for a fisheries management program, pollution control and mitigation of catchment degradation in the uplands that is leading to the rapid infilling of the reservoir, where current estimates suggest a 30-year reservoir life span.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143362886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}