Tag Archive for: bivalves

Bivalve δ15N isoscapes provide a baseline for urban nitrogen footprint at the edge of a World Heritage coral reef

Abstract

Eutrophication is a major threat to world’s coral reefs. Here, we mapped the distribution of the anthropogenic nitrogen footprint around Nouméa, a coastal city surrounded by 15,743 km2 of UNESCO listed reefs. We measured the δ15N signature of 348 long-lived benthic bivalves from 12 species at 27 sites and interpolated these to generate a δ15N isoscape. We evaluated the influence of water residence times on nitrogen enrichment and predicted an eutrophication risk at the UNESCO core area. Nitrogen isoscapes revealed a strong spatial gradient (4.3 to 11.7‰) from the outer lagoon to three highly exposed bays of Nouméa. Several protected reefs would benefit from an improved management of wastewater outputs, while one bay in the UNESCO core area may suffer a high eutrophication risk in the future. Our study reinforces the usefulness of using benthic animals to characterize the anthropogenic N-footprint and provide a necessary baseline for both  ecologists and policy makers.

Fig. 3. δ15N isoscape in 2012, estimated at 27 stations in the southwest lagoon of New Caledonia from muscle samples of 12 bivalve species.

 

Highlights

• Benthic filter-feeding bivalve communities are good bio monitors of spatial variations in anthropogenic-based eutrophication.

• The baseline δ15N value found in bivalves from the outer lagoon of New Caledonia was 4.7 ± 0.4‰.

• The δ15N signature of benthic bivalves reached 11.7‰ in the most exposed station.

• Isoscapes might be used both for long-term monitoring and to predict risks of at-sea anthropogenic pollution.

 

Reference

Thibault M., Duprey N., Gillikin D.P., Thébault J., Douillet P., Chauvaud L., Amice E., Munaron J.M., Lorrain A. 2020. Bivalve δ15N isoscapes provide a baseline for urban nitrogen footprint at the edge of a World Heritage coral reef. Marine Pollution Bulletin vol. 152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110870

Integrative host-microorganism-environment approaches

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In a context of climate change, the emergence of diseases significantly modifies the dynamics of host and pathogenic populations, but also the networks of more complex interactions at different scales in the ecosystem

Marine ecosystems are made up of complex interaction networks integrating different levels of temporal and spatial scales. However, global changes can modify these networks by increasing the intensity and virulence of infectious diseases. It is now essential to have a detailed understanding of host-microorganism-environment systems, which requires integrative approaches including the study of all symbiotic organisms (viruses, prokaryotes or eukaryotes) and more broadly of host-associated microbiota, as well as the physiology of host or vector organisms (e.g. immune system and inflammation, metabolism and nutrition), all within a global environmental approach. This integrative approach, which is a growing strength within LEMAR, will focus on understanding these associations by calling on multiple skills (“omics”, genetics, epigenetics, cellular functional analyses), allowing us to integrate new concepts of evolutionary ecology and health (“One Health”) into our research, which will disrupt our paradigms on host-microorganism-environment systems.

Tag Archive for: bivalves

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Left: Argopecten purpuratus. Right: The bay of Paracas in Peru. Don’t be fooled by appearances: on this day the water temperature is close to 15°C, oxygen saturation close to 0% and this beautiful turquoise colour is due to the presence of hydrogen sulphide, toxic, precipitating in elemental sulphur form.

Left: Argopecten purpuratus. Right: The bay of Paracas in Peru. Don't be fooled by appearances: on this day the water temperature is close to 15°C, oxygen saturation close to 0% and this beautiful turquoise colour is due to the presence of hydrogen sulphide, toxic, precipitating in elemental sulphur form.