Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 2012
ABSTRACT The carbonate chemistry of seawater from the Ria Formosa lagoon was experimentally manip... more ABSTRACT The carbonate chemistry of seawater from the Ria Formosa lagoon was experimentally manipulated, by diffusing pure CO 2 , to attain two reduced pH levels, by −0.3 and −0.6 pH units, relative to unmanipulated seawater. After 84 days of exposure, no differences were detected in terms of growth (somatic or shell) or mortality of juvenile mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis. The naturally elevated total alkalinity of the seawater (≈3550 μmol kg − 1) prevented under-saturation of CaCO 3 , even under pCO 2 values exceeding 4000 μatm, attenuating the detrimental effects on the carbonate supply-side. Even so, variations in shell weight showed that net calcification was re-duced under elevated CO 2 and reduced pH, although the magnitude and significance of this effect varied among size-classes. Most of the loss of shell material probably occurred as post-deposition dissolution in the internal aragonitic nacre layer. Our results show that, even when reared under extreme levels of CO 2 -induced acidification, juvenile M. galloprovincialis can continue to calcify and grow in this coastal lagoon en-vironment. The complex responses of bivalves to ocean acidification suggest a large degree of interspecific and intraspecific variability in their sensitivity to this type of perturbation. Further research is needed to assess the generality of these patterns and to disentangle the relative contributions of acclimation to local variations in seawater chemistry and genetic adaptation.
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2002
Macro and meiobenthic communities of two fishing areas (Vilamoura and Lagos) in the western part ... more Macro and meiobenthic communities of two fishing areas (Vilamoura and Lagos) in the western part of south Portugal (Algarve coast) were analysed. Both locations had been under severe dredge-fishing impact until four years previously. Vilamoura has since continued to be dredged, while fishing activity in Lagos was stopped in 1995 as a response to overfishing. For each location, three replicate areas were analysed at depths of 7–9 m. In each of these areas, 18 quadrats for macrofauna and 12 cores for meiofauna were randomly sampled by SCUBA divers during September 1999. The Shannon–Weiner diversity index was higher for meiofauna in the fished area, whereas macrofauna diversity was higher in the recently non-fished area. Bray–Curtis dissimilarity between the two areas was 87·82%. Major differences were found between Ampeliscidea, Amphiura mediterranea, Spisula solida, Haustoriidae, Nemertinea and Diogenes pugilator populations at the two sites. There was higher abundance but lower biom...
ABSTRACT There are numerous studies dealing with larvae of Small Pelagic Fish (SPF), but only a f... more ABSTRACT There are numerous studies dealing with larvae of Small Pelagic Fish (SPF), but only a few have actually addressed advanced larval phases. Temperate coastal lagoons are particularly understudied, due to the absence of standard method to capture advanced larval fish in these near shore shallow habitats. Accordingly, this study aims to describe abundances, nutritional condition and in situ growth of post-flexion (SPF) from the Ria Formosa, a tidal coastal lagoon in southern Portugal. The nutritional condi-tion and in situ growth were determined through cohort analysis and standardized RNA:DNA ratio (sRD), complemented with feeding incidence (gut content) and fatty acids (FAs, trophic biomarkers) of post-flexion larvae sampled sequentially with light traps, from spring 2005 to summer 2006. Simultaneously, environmental parameters such as water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll a were measured. Post-larvae of SPF were captured through the year in important numbers. The dominant species were Sardina pilchardus (50.7%), Engraulis encrasicolus and Atherina presbyter (11.4%). These results are distinct from those based on adult/juvenile surveys or early planktonic phases in the Ria Formosa where clupeiformes were occasionally reported. Sardines were captured mainly in winter, spring and early summer and anchovies mainly during summer and autumn. Sand smelt, a resident species, was present throughout the year. In the early summer, the three species were present and during this period some diet overlapping occurred, the feeding incidence of the clupeiformes was very low, but atherinids always exhibited full guts reflecting the different gut morphology or indicating different life-cycle strategies. The bulk of the diet was mollusks, crustaceans and appendicularians, for sand smelts, sardines and anchovies, respectively. The results of FA analyses showed some contribution of phyto-plankton to SPF in the area. All SPF exhibited higher condition (sRD) and growth rates in summer, which are explained by the adequate temperature and higher planktonic productivity. This is especially relevant because the successful development of postflexion larvae in these nursery areas largely determines the successful recruitment to adult fish populations.
The aims of this study were to monitor basic hydrological and ecological characteristics of the G... more The aims of this study were to monitor basic hydrological and ecological characteristics of the Guadiana Estuary (1996-1998) before the construction of the Alqueva dam. This work was carried out to determine how environmental factors affect seasonal and tidal variations of plankton populations in the estuary. The available information on the subcatchment of the estuary (e.g., urban, agricultural and forested areas) was integrated into a geographic information system-based software program. Mean monthly river flow varied markedly on a seasonal and yearly basis. River flow near Mértola (ca 50 km upstream from the mouth) reached 3400 2 10 6 m 3 in winter and decreased to 42 2 10 6 m 3 in summer. With respect to nutrients, nitrogen to phosphorus ratios indicated some limitation by phosphorus, except at the end of summer, when nitrogen limitation appeared. During this period, cyanobacterial blooms usually occurred in the upper/middle estuary. Estuarine Turbidity Maximum may significantly...
Mortality during the early stages is a major cause of the natural variations in the size and recr... more Mortality during the early stages is a major cause of the natural variations in the size and recruitment strength of marine fish populations. In this study, the relation between the size-at-hatch and early survival was assessed using laboratory experiments and on field-caught larvae of the European sardine (Sardina pilchardus). Larval size-at-hatch was not related to the egg size but was significantly, positively related to the diameter of the otolith-at-hatch. Otolith diameter-at-hatch was also significantly correlated with survival-at-age in fed and unfed larvae in the laboratory. For sardine larvae collected in the Bay of Biscay during the spring of 2008, otolith radius-at-hatch was also significantly related to viability. Larval mortality has frequently been related to adverse environmental conditions and intrinsic factors affecting feeding ability and vulnerability to predators. Our study offers evidence indicating that a significant portion of fish mortality occurs during the ...
Eric Wolanski, Luis Chicharo, Maria Alexandra Chicharo 1 Australian Institute of Marine Science, ... more Eric Wolanski, Luis Chicharo, Maria Alexandra Chicharo 1 Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB No 3, Townsville MC, Queensland 4810, Australia. E-mail: e.wolanski@aims.gov.au 2 Centro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR). Universidade do Algarve, Faculdade de Ciencias do Mar e do Ambiente , 8000-117 Faro, Portugal . E-mail: lchichar@ualg.pt 3 Centro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR). Universidade do Algarve, Faculdade de Ciencias do Mar e do Ambiente, 8000-117 Faro, Portugal. E-mail: mchichar@ualg.pt
Abstract: The presence of sardine larval stages inside estuaries has generally been regarded as a... more Abstract: The presence of sardine larval stages inside estuaries has generally been regarded as accidental and restricted to the lower part of estuaries. Sampling done with a zooplankton net in the Guadiana estuary corroborated this hypothesis. Late sardine larvae (32.8 ± 2.0 ...
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 2012
ABSTRACT The carbonate chemistry of seawater from the Ria Formosa lagoon was experimentally manip... more ABSTRACT The carbonate chemistry of seawater from the Ria Formosa lagoon was experimentally manipulated, by diffusing pure CO 2 , to attain two reduced pH levels, by −0.3 and −0.6 pH units, relative to unmanipulated seawater. After 84 days of exposure, no differences were detected in terms of growth (somatic or shell) or mortality of juvenile mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis. The naturally elevated total alkalinity of the seawater (≈3550 μmol kg − 1) prevented under-saturation of CaCO 3 , even under pCO 2 values exceeding 4000 μatm, attenuating the detrimental effects on the carbonate supply-side. Even so, variations in shell weight showed that net calcification was re-duced under elevated CO 2 and reduced pH, although the magnitude and significance of this effect varied among size-classes. Most of the loss of shell material probably occurred as post-deposition dissolution in the internal aragonitic nacre layer. Our results show that, even when reared under extreme levels of CO 2 -induced acidification, juvenile M. galloprovincialis can continue to calcify and grow in this coastal lagoon en-vironment. The complex responses of bivalves to ocean acidification suggest a large degree of interspecific and intraspecific variability in their sensitivity to this type of perturbation. Further research is needed to assess the generality of these patterns and to disentangle the relative contributions of acclimation to local variations in seawater chemistry and genetic adaptation.
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2002
Macro and meiobenthic communities of two fishing areas (Vilamoura and Lagos) in the western part ... more Macro and meiobenthic communities of two fishing areas (Vilamoura and Lagos) in the western part of south Portugal (Algarve coast) were analysed. Both locations had been under severe dredge-fishing impact until four years previously. Vilamoura has since continued to be dredged, while fishing activity in Lagos was stopped in 1995 as a response to overfishing. For each location, three replicate areas were analysed at depths of 7–9 m. In each of these areas, 18 quadrats for macrofauna and 12 cores for meiofauna were randomly sampled by SCUBA divers during September 1999. The Shannon–Weiner diversity index was higher for meiofauna in the fished area, whereas macrofauna diversity was higher in the recently non-fished area. Bray–Curtis dissimilarity between the two areas was 87·82%. Major differences were found between Ampeliscidea, Amphiura mediterranea, Spisula solida, Haustoriidae, Nemertinea and Diogenes pugilator populations at the two sites. There was higher abundance but lower biom...
ABSTRACT There are numerous studies dealing with larvae of Small Pelagic Fish (SPF), but only a f... more ABSTRACT There are numerous studies dealing with larvae of Small Pelagic Fish (SPF), but only a few have actually addressed advanced larval phases. Temperate coastal lagoons are particularly understudied, due to the absence of standard method to capture advanced larval fish in these near shore shallow habitats. Accordingly, this study aims to describe abundances, nutritional condition and in situ growth of post-flexion (SPF) from the Ria Formosa, a tidal coastal lagoon in southern Portugal. The nutritional condi-tion and in situ growth were determined through cohort analysis and standardized RNA:DNA ratio (sRD), complemented with feeding incidence (gut content) and fatty acids (FAs, trophic biomarkers) of post-flexion larvae sampled sequentially with light traps, from spring 2005 to summer 2006. Simultaneously, environmental parameters such as water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll a were measured. Post-larvae of SPF were captured through the year in important numbers. The dominant species were Sardina pilchardus (50.7%), Engraulis encrasicolus and Atherina presbyter (11.4%). These results are distinct from those based on adult/juvenile surveys or early planktonic phases in the Ria Formosa where clupeiformes were occasionally reported. Sardines were captured mainly in winter, spring and early summer and anchovies mainly during summer and autumn. Sand smelt, a resident species, was present throughout the year. In the early summer, the three species were present and during this period some diet overlapping occurred, the feeding incidence of the clupeiformes was very low, but atherinids always exhibited full guts reflecting the different gut morphology or indicating different life-cycle strategies. The bulk of the diet was mollusks, crustaceans and appendicularians, for sand smelts, sardines and anchovies, respectively. The results of FA analyses showed some contribution of phyto-plankton to SPF in the area. All SPF exhibited higher condition (sRD) and growth rates in summer, which are explained by the adequate temperature and higher planktonic productivity. This is especially relevant because the successful development of postflexion larvae in these nursery areas largely determines the successful recruitment to adult fish populations.
The aims of this study were to monitor basic hydrological and ecological characteristics of the G... more The aims of this study were to monitor basic hydrological and ecological characteristics of the Guadiana Estuary (1996-1998) before the construction of the Alqueva dam. This work was carried out to determine how environmental factors affect seasonal and tidal variations of plankton populations in the estuary. The available information on the subcatchment of the estuary (e.g., urban, agricultural and forested areas) was integrated into a geographic information system-based software program. Mean monthly river flow varied markedly on a seasonal and yearly basis. River flow near Mértola (ca 50 km upstream from the mouth) reached 3400 2 10 6 m 3 in winter and decreased to 42 2 10 6 m 3 in summer. With respect to nutrients, nitrogen to phosphorus ratios indicated some limitation by phosphorus, except at the end of summer, when nitrogen limitation appeared. During this period, cyanobacterial blooms usually occurred in the upper/middle estuary. Estuarine Turbidity Maximum may significantly...
Mortality during the early stages is a major cause of the natural variations in the size and recr... more Mortality during the early stages is a major cause of the natural variations in the size and recruitment strength of marine fish populations. In this study, the relation between the size-at-hatch and early survival was assessed using laboratory experiments and on field-caught larvae of the European sardine (Sardina pilchardus). Larval size-at-hatch was not related to the egg size but was significantly, positively related to the diameter of the otolith-at-hatch. Otolith diameter-at-hatch was also significantly correlated with survival-at-age in fed and unfed larvae in the laboratory. For sardine larvae collected in the Bay of Biscay during the spring of 2008, otolith radius-at-hatch was also significantly related to viability. Larval mortality has frequently been related to adverse environmental conditions and intrinsic factors affecting feeding ability and vulnerability to predators. Our study offers evidence indicating that a significant portion of fish mortality occurs during the ...
Eric Wolanski, Luis Chicharo, Maria Alexandra Chicharo 1 Australian Institute of Marine Science, ... more Eric Wolanski, Luis Chicharo, Maria Alexandra Chicharo 1 Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB No 3, Townsville MC, Queensland 4810, Australia. E-mail: e.wolanski@aims.gov.au 2 Centro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR). Universidade do Algarve, Faculdade de Ciencias do Mar e do Ambiente , 8000-117 Faro, Portugal . E-mail: lchichar@ualg.pt 3 Centro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR). Universidade do Algarve, Faculdade de Ciencias do Mar e do Ambiente, 8000-117 Faro, Portugal. E-mail: mchichar@ualg.pt
Abstract: The presence of sardine larval stages inside estuaries has generally been regarded as a... more Abstract: The presence of sardine larval stages inside estuaries has generally been regarded as accidental and restricted to the lower part of estuaries. Sampling done with a zooplankton net in the Guadiana estuary corroborated this hypothesis. Late sardine larvae (32.8 ± 2.0 ...
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