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result(s) for
"Marine biology Juvenile literature."
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The ocean biome
Examines the four zones of the marine biome, their plants and animals, coral reefs and estuaries, the importance of the oceans to the Earth, and how they are in danger.
Book
The crown-of-thorns seastar species complex: knowledge on the biology and ecology of five corallivorous Acanthaster species
Coral-eating crown-of-thorns seastars (CoTS,
Acanthaster
spp.) are major contributors to the coral reef crises across the Indo-Pacific region. Until recently, CoTS throughout the Indo-Pacific were regarded to be a single species,
Acanthaster planci
. However, genetic and morphological analyses demonstrated that there are at least four distinct species:
Acanthaster benziei
in the Red Sea,
Acanthaster mauritiensis
and
A. planci
in the Indian Ocean, and
Acanthaster
cf.
solaris
in the western Pacific.
Acanthaster
cf.
ellisii
in the eastern Pacific needs more taxonomic attention. Here, we review the biological knowledge for each species adapting a pragmatic geographical species definition and using a systematic literature review complemented with more focused searches for individual species. The vast majority of CoTS research (88%) was conducted on
A.
cf.
solaris
, with much of this research undertaken on the Great Barrier Reef or in Japan. Many studies of
A.
cf.
solaris
are focused on monitoring or documenting incidences of outbreaks, though there is a solid base of knowledge on larval, juvenile and adult ecology derived from field and laboratory experiments. By contrast, most of the published studies on the four remaining species simply document cases of population outbreaks. The major taxonomic bias in CoTS research constitutes a significant limitation for understanding and managing these species for two reasons. First, even for
A.
cf.
solaris
, which is the most studied species, limited fundamental knowledge of their biology and ecology constrains understanding of the drivers of outbreaks and hinders corresponding management actions for prevention and control of these events. Second, understanding and management of other species are predicated on the assumption that all CoTS species have similar biology and behaviour, an unsatisfying assumption for ecosystem management.
Journal Article
A review of iteroparity in anadromous salmonids: biology, threats and implications
Iteroparity occurs when organisms reproduce more than once, and is seen as a bet-hedging reproductive strategy. Despite a wealth of research on iteroparous Atlantic salmon, steelhead, brown trout, and Arctic charr, the determinants of reproductive investment, the intra- and interspecific differences in the degree of iteroparity, the drivers of repeat spawning, and the contribution of repeat spawners to populations and sustainability remain unclear. In particular, the knowledge base is stronger for Atlantic salmon and brown trout, but relatively weak for Arctic charr and steelhead. While juveniles, maiden spawners and repeat spawners are facing similar challenges, many threats specific to the kelt stage are emerging (e.g., downstream migration passed barriers after spawning). Recent work has quantified the benefits of iteroparity for population resilience, and the potential for iteroparity to increase when anthropogenic stressors are mitigated. This is the first literature review paper synthetizing the growing knowledge base that exists on various aspects of the ecology and biology of repeat spawners in freshwater and at sea, the threats they face, the proximate and ultimate mechanisms underlying iteroparity in salmonids, the importance of iteroparity for population-level processes, as well as highlighting pressing areas of research. Collectively, this work offers a valuable resource to fisheries scientists and managers by shedding light on an important life-history stage that warrants more attention to mitigate these threats and restore healthy wild salmonid populations.
Journal Article
Oceans : dolphins, sharks, penguins, and more! : meet 60 cool sea creatures and explore their watery world
Explore life under the sea with exciting photographs and fascinating facts.
Book
Using the VEMCO Positioning System (VPS) to explore fine-scale movements of aquatic species
Recent advancements in telemetry have redefined our ability to quantify the fine-scale movements of aquatic animals and derive a mechanistic understanding of movement behaviours. The VEMCO Positioning System (VPS) is a fine-scale commercial positioning system used to generate highly accurate semi-continuous animal tracks. To date, VPS has been used to study 86 species, spanning 25 taxonomic orders. It has provided fine-scale movement data for critical life stages, from tracking day-old turtle hatchlings on their first foray into the sea to adult fish returning to natal rivers to spawn. These high-resolution tracking data have improved our understanding of the movements of species across environmental gradients within rivers, estuaries and oceans, including species of conservation concern and commercial value. Existing VPS applications range from quantifying spatio-temporal aspects of animal space use and key aspects of ecology, such as rate of movement and resource use, to higher-order processes such as interactions among individuals and species. Analytical approaches have seen a move towards techniques that incorporate error frameworks such as autocorrelated kernel density estimators for home range calculations. VPS technology has the potential to bridge gaps in our fundamental understanding of fine-scale ecological and physiological processes for single and multi-species studies under natural conditions. Through a systematic review of the VPS literature, we focus on 4 principle topics: the diversity of species studied, current ecological and ecophysiological applications and data analysis techniques, and we highlight future frontiers of exploration.
Journal Article
Disentangling the potential effects of four non-indigenous species on commercially and recreationally used fish stocks in the Baltic Sea—a review
Non-indigenous species (NIS) are on a rise globally. They can pose strong impacts on ecosystems in their non-native range and can therefore be a serious threat to biodiversity. Here, we compile the existing information available regarding the extent to which commercially and recreationally used fish stocks (exploited fish species) are affected by NIS. To do so, we conducted a literature review to summarize the known and presumed impacts of four case study NIS with already known strong effects on the Baltic Sea ecosystem: round goby,
Neogobius melanostomus
, sea walnut,
Mnemiopsis leidyi
, mud crab,
Rhithropanopeus harrisii
, and fishhook water flea,
Cercopagis pengoi.
We found that round goby, mud crab and fishhook water flea are documented to serve as a new food source for native fish species, while sea walnut and fishhook water flea are supposedly affecting planktivorous fish through resource competition. Round goby is very likely a strong competitor for the benthivore fish community. There are also indications that it feeds on juvenile fish and fish eggs. Generally, our results show that large knowledge gaps exist, while the published impacts on exploited fish species are often solely based on correlations (e.g. decreasing abundances of native species with cooccurring increasing abundances of NIS), regionally restricted studies or expert judgements. In addition, many studies are older and the current population size of the NIS, which is obviously associated with their impact, is unknown. Thus, the majority of described impacts of NIS on commercially and recreationally used fish stocks seems to stem from assumptions. Therefore, more field observations and experimental studies are needed to be able to scientifically evaluate the impact of NIS. Nevertheless, in this review, the available information was summarized, even if they are speculative, and specific knowledge gaps were identified. Moreover, we outline further investigations that are needed to advance our mechanistic understanding of the interactions between NIS and exploited fish species in the Baltic Sea. This knowledge is essential for the sustainable management of aquatic resources and management of NIS of the Baltic Sea.
Journal Article
Sea life
Introduces a variety of things that live in or near the sea, including crabs, fish, and dolphins.
Book
Differences in the morphological body condition index of sea turtles between species and size classes
The body condition of animals is an important indicator of their habitats and the effects of anthropogenic activities and pollution. Body condition indices calculated from morphometric measurements have been widely employed as they are easy to use and inexpensive. In sea turtles, Fulton's condition index, calculated as the bodyweight divided by the cube of straight carapace length (SCL), has been commonly used and it has been proposed that an index of ≥1.2 indicates a good body condition. However, comparing Fulton's condition index between different species and size classes is problematic as it does not consider the mass-length relationship. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the differences between sea turtles. A literature review indicated that most studies reported the SCL-based Fulton's condition index for green turtles (Chelonia mydas), followed by loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) and hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata). Therefore, we compared the values reported for healthy turtles of these three species. Meta-analysis supported the adequacy of 1.2 as a threshold in juvenile and adult green turtles and large juvenile and adult loggerhead turtles. High Fulton's condition index values were found for hatchlings and post-hatchlings of all three species and small loggerhead turtle juveniles. Low Fulton's condition index values were found for hawksbill turtles, particularly small juveniles. The differences in the Fulton's condition index between species and size classes indicated that it should be used carefully as a threshold for health condition evaluation.
Journal Article