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Journal ArticleDOI

Marine chemical ecology: chemical signals and cues structure marine populations, communities, and ecosystems.

25 Mar 2009-Annual Review of Marine Science (Annual Reviews)-Vol. 1, Iss: 1, pp 193-212
TL;DR: How chemical cues regulate critical aspects of the behavior of marine organisms from bacteria to phytoplankton to benthic invertebrates and water column fishes is reviewed.
Abstract: Chemical cues constitute much of the language of life in the sea. Our understanding of biotic interactions and their effects on marine ecosystems will advance more rapidly if this language is studied and understood. Here, I review how chemical cues regulate critical aspects of the behavior of marine organisms from bacteria to phytoplankton to benthic invertebrates and water column fishes. These chemically mediated interactions strongly affect population structure, community organization, and ecosystem function. Chemical cues determine foraging strategies, feeding choices, commensal associations, selection of mates and habitats, competitive interactions, and transfer of energy and nutrients within and among ecosystems. In numerous cases, the indirect effects of chemical signals on behavior have as much or more effect on community structure and function as the direct effects of consumers and pathogens. Chemical cues are critical for understanding marine systems, but their omnipresence and impact are inadequ...

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Investigation of the impact of herbivory as a potential key factor controlling algal growth on a reef flat in the Egyptian northern Red Sea suggests that herbivorous fish act as an important top-down factor controlling both benthic algal biomass and composition at the study location.
Abstract: One of the major threats facing coral reefs is intense benthic algal growth that can result in overgrowth and mass mortality of corals if not controlled by herbivore grazing. Unlike the well-studied coastlines of the Caribbean, there is currently a lack of knowledge regarding the effects of herbivory on benthic communities in the Red Sea. This is particularly relevant today as the local impacts in the Red Sea are increasing due to growing population and tourism. Over 4 mo, this study investigated the impact of herbivory as a potential key factor controlling algal growth on a reef flat in the Egyptian northern Red Sea. The main experiment consisted of in situ deploy- ment of exclosure cages in combination with quantification of sea urchins and herbivorous fish. When all herbivores were excluded, our findings showed a significant 17-fold increase of algal dry mass within 4 mo. Although herbivorous fish occurred in much lower abundance (0.6 ± 0.1 ind. m �2 ; mean ± SE) compared to sea urchins (3.4 ± 0.2 ind. m �2 ), they were 5-fold more efficient in reducing algal dry mass and 22-fold more efficient in reducing autotrophic production of nitrogen. A significant shift from benthic turf to macroalgae (mostly Padina sp. and Hydroclathrus clathrathus) was observed when grazers were excluded. These algae may serve as early warning indicators for overfishing. Findings suggest that herbivorous fish act as an important top-down factor controlling both benthic algal biomass and composition at the study location. Results also indicate the potential of rapid benthic community change at the study site if herbivory is impeded.

27 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The lipidic extract of the seaweed Chaetomorpha linum revealed an antibacterial activity against Vibrio ordalii andVibrio vulnificus, common pathogens in aquaculture, suggesting its potential employment to control fish and shellfish diseases due to vibriosis and to reduce the public health hazards related to antibiotic use in Aquaculture.
Abstract: Recent studies have shown that marine algae represent a great source of natural compounds with several properties. The lipidic extract of the seaweed Chaetomorpha linum (Chlorophyta, Cladophorales), one of the dominant species in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Mediterranean, Ionian Sea), revealed an antibacterial activity against Vibrio ordalii and Vibrio vulnificus, common pathogens in aquaculture, suggesting its potential employment to control fish and shellfish diseases due to vibriosis and to reduce the public health hazards related to antibiotic use in aquaculture. This extract showed also an antioxidant activity, corresponding to 170.960 ± 16. mmol Trolox equivalent/g (oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay—ORAC) and to 30.554 ± 2.30 mmol Trolox equivalent/g (Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay—TEAC). The chemical characterization of the extract, performed by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, highlighted the presence of free, saturated (SAFAs), unsaturated (UFAs) and polyunsaturated (PUFAs) fatty acids. The high content of ω-6 and ω-3 PUFAs confirmed also by gas chromatography indicates the potentiality of this algal species in the production of fortified food. The antibacterial activity seems related to the presence of linolenic acid present at high density, while the antioxidant activity could be likely ascribable to molecules such as carotenoids and chlorophylls (characterized also by thin-layer chromatography), known for this property. The presence of polyhydroxybutyrate, a biopolymer with potentiality in the field of biodegradable bioplastics was also detected. The exploitation of C. linum for a future biotechnological application is also encouraged by the results from a first attempt of cultivating this species in an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system.

27 citations


Cites background from "Marine chemical ecology: chemical s..."

  • ...In other cases, seaweeds can make themselves disgusting to herbivores, combining forces with deterrent organisms [13]....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that ink but not opaline significantly decreases the palatability of food for all five species, and that escapin products are mildly unpalatable to the two species of wrasses but not to the other species.
Abstract: Sea hares, Aplysia californica, have a diversity of anti-predatory defenses. One is an actively released chemical defense: an ink secretion that is a mixture of two glandular products—ink from the ink gland and opaline from the opaline gland. The mechanisms of action of ink secretion and its components have recently been examined in detail against several predatory invertebrates. Our goal is to extend this mechanistic analysis to predatory vertebrates. Toward this end, the current study details the effects of ink, opaline, and one set of its components—the products of the reaction of escapin, an L-amino acid oxidase, with its natural substrates, L-lysine and L-arginine— on the palatability of food for five species of fishes: bluehead wrasses Thalas- soma bifasciatum, senorita wrasses Oxyjulis californica, pinfish Lagodon rhomboides, mummichogs Fundulus het- eroclitus, and bonnethead sharks Sphyrna tiburo. These fishes have different feeding styles, ranging from large fishes able to engulf sea hares to smaller fishes able to attack sea hares by pecking at them; and they live in a variety of habitats, including those that sea hares typically inhabit. We show that ink but not opaline significantly decreases the palatability of food for all five species, and that escapin products are mildly unpalatable to the two species of wrasses but not to the other species. These results, together with others, show that sea hare ink affects a diversity of predatory fishes, setting the stage for mechanistic studies using electrophysiological analysis of their chemosensory systems.

27 citations


Cites background from "Marine chemical ecology: chemical s..."

  • ...Animals have a diversity of defenses against predators (Endler, 1986; McClintock and Baker, 2001; Paul et al., 2007; Zimmer and Ferrer, 2007; Hay, 2009)....

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  • ...Predator-prey interactions can exert strong selection pressure that affects the evolution of anti-predation defenses (McClintock and Baker, 2001; Paul et al., 2007; Zimmer and Ferrer, 2007; Hay, 2009)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
15 May 2013-PLOS ONE
TL;DR: Evidence is presented for interactions driven by chemical cues between a non-native invasive gastropod and several gastropods native to South Africa that indicate that chemical cues can facilitate invasion success as the behavioural response of native gastropoda is to move away allowing additional food and space resources to become available to T. granifera.
Abstract: Background Chemical cues provide aquatic organisms with sensory information that guides behavioural responses and thus interactions among themselves, each other and the environment. Chemical cues are considered important for predator avoidance, foraging, larval settlement and broadcast spawning in aquatic environments. However, the significance of their role as drivers of direct interactions between heterospecifics has been largely overlooked. Methodology/Principal Findings A video camera and a demarcated arena were used in situ to record behavioural responses of three native gastropod species, Assiminea cf. capensis, Melanoides tuberculata and Coriandria durbanensis, exposed to treatments representing chemical cues released by a non-native invasive gastropod, Tarebia granifera. The responses were measured quantitatively as displacement and orientation of movement at locations in St Lucia Estuary, within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the east coast of South Africa. All native gastropods exhibited a negative taxis response to chemical cues released by T. granifera, while T. granifera individuals responded randomly to conspecifics. Displacement was measured relative to the source of the extract, the number of steps taken were determined with path analysis and orientation was determined from the mean (±95% CIs) turning angles, with significant negative turning angles representing negative taxis. Responses to treatments corresponding to the environment and conspecifics were random and undirected, indicating kinesis. Conclusion/Significance This study presents evidence for interactions driven by chemical cues between a non-native invasive gastropod and several gastropods native to South Africa. The results indicate that chemical cues can facilitate invasion success as the behavioural response of native gastropods is to move away allowing additional food and space resources to become available to T. granifera.

26 citations


Cites background from "Marine chemical ecology: chemical s..."

  • ...2) took fewer steps on average and tended to move towards, and stay close to, the source, when exposed to the conspecific treatment, suggesting an aggregation response [16,42]....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The keystone species concept provides a valuable framework for integrating findings across traditional disciplines that scale from the cellular level (chemical defense and chemosensory reception) and the organismal level (behavioral traits) to the community level (species interactions).
Abstract: The keystone species concept provides a valuable framework for integrating findings across traditional disciplines that scale from the cellular level (chemical defense and chemosensory reception) and the organismal level (behavioral traits) to the community level (species interactions). Select bioactive compounds cause disproportionately large effects by connecting such seemingly disparate processes as microbial loop dynamics and apex predation. Outstanding examples of these “molecules of keystone significance” draw on four distinct compounds: dimethylsulfoniopropionate, saxitoxin, tetrodotoxin, and pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Through convergent evolution, they inform phylogenetically diverse species; initiate major trophic cascades; and structure respective communities within terrestrial, freshwater, coastal-ocean, and open-ocean environments. Their relevance to conservation biology involves the protection of threatened species or habitats in the face of natural- and human-induced disturbances.

26 citations


Cites background from "Marine chemical ecology: chemical s..."

  • ...Through its effects on communication, chemosensory reception mediates population- and community-level processes (Hay 2009)....

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References
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Journal Article

839 citations


"Marine chemical ecology: chemical s..." refers background in this paper

  • ...…to chemical cues from specific hosts, or corals that settle in response to chemical traits of specific crustose coralline algae, or of soft-substrate animals that recruit to or avoid sands treated with specific chemical cues or extracts (e.g., Pawlik 1992, Krug & Manzi 1999, Hadfield & Paul 2001)....

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  • ...In aquatic systems, chemical cues determine feeding, habitat, and mating choices (e.g., Hay & Fenical 1988, 1996; Pawlik 1992; Breithaupt & Thiel 2008)....

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  • ...…stimulating feeding once prey have been contacted; compounds responsible for attraction from a distance have rarely been investigated for adult specialist consumers [compounds that cue larval settlement have been investigated; see Pawlik (1992), Krug & Manzi (1999), and Hadfield & Paul (2001)]....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is concluded that the best way to protect salt marshes and the services they provide is through the integrated approach of ecosystem-based management.
Abstract: Salt marshes are among the most abundant, fertile, and accessible coastal habitats on earth, and they provide more ecosystem services to coastal populations than any other environment. Since the Middle Ages, humans have manipulated salt marshes at a grand scale, altering species composition, distribution, and ecosystem function. Here, we review historic and contemporary human activities in marsh ecosystems—exploitation of plant products; conversion to farmland, salt works, and urban land; introduction of non-native species; alteration of coastal hydrology; and metal and nutrient pollution. Unexpectedly, diverse types of impacts can have a similar consequence, turning salt marsh food webs upside down, dramatically increasing top down control. Of the various impacts, invasive species, runaway consumer effects, and sea level rise represent the greatest threats to salt marsh ecosystems. We conclude that the best way to protect salt marshes and the services they provide is through the integrated approach of ecosystem-based management.

770 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Although numerous seaweed characteristics can deter some herbivores, the effects of morphology and chemistry have been studied most thoroughly and these types of seaweeds may be considered herbivore tolerant.
Abstract: Herbivory has a profound effect on seaweeds in both temperate and tropical communities (11, 17, 21, 33, 43, 47, 80, 124). This is especially true on coral reefs where 60-97% (11, 42) of the total seaweed production may be removed by herbivores. To persist in marine communities, seaweeds must escape, deter, or tolerate herbivory. The ecological and evolutionary importance of spatial and temporal escapes has been extensively studied for seaweeds and adequately reviewed in the recent literature (33, 45, 47, 71, 80). The ability of seaweeds to tolerate herbivory has received limited attention. On coral reefs, rapidly growing filamentous algae are heavily grazed, but the algae quickly replace these losses and appear to be dependent upon herbivores to prevent their habitat from being overgrown by larger but less herbivoretolerant species (11, 71). Additionally, several seaweeds have spores or vegetative portions that can withstand gut passage; in some cases this significantly increases the growth rates of the newly settled spores (6, 122). These types of seaweeds may be considered herbivore tolerant. Although numerous seaweed characteristics can deter some herbivores, the effects of morphology and chemistry have been studied most thoroughly. The

722 citations


"Marine chemical ecology: chemical s..." refers background in this paper

  • ...In aquatic systems, chemical cues determine feeding, habitat, and mating choices (e.g., Hay & Fenical 1988, 1996; Pawlik 1992; Breithaupt & Thiel 2008)....

    [...]

  • ...…on the plants they consume and that are especially susceptible to predation suggest that feeding preferences are commonly driven by the need to colonize hosts that provide escapes from consumers rather than by the direct food value of those hosts (see also Hay & Fenical 1988, 1996; Hay 1992, 1996)....

    [...]

  • ...In the past 20 years, the review of selected aspects of marine chemical ecology has become a growth industry (e.g., Hay & Fenical 1988, 1996; Paul 1992; Hay 1996; McClintock & Baker 2001; Paul et al. 2007; Pohnert et al. 2007; Amsler 2008), with numerous reviews focusing on specific groups…...

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The contention that furanones, at the concentrations produced by the alga, can control bacterial colonization of surfaces by specifically interfering with AHL-mediated gene expression at the level of the LuxR protein is supported.
Abstract: Summary: Acylated homoserine lactone (AHL)-mediated gene expression controls phenotypes involved in colonization, often specifically of higher organisms, in both marine and terrestrial environments. The marine red alga Delisea pulchra produces halogenated furanones which resemble AHLs structurally and show inhibitory activity at ecologically realistic concentrations in AHL bioassays. Evidence is presented that halogenated furanones displace tritiated OHHL [N-3- (oxohexanoy1)-L-homoserine lactone] from Escherichia coli cells overproducing LuxR with potencies corresponding to their respective inhibitory activities in an AHL-regulated bioluminescence assay, indicating that this is the mechanism by which furanones inhibit AHL-dependent phenotypes. Alternative mechanisms for this phenomenon are also addressed. General metabolic disruption was assessed with two-dimensional PAGE, revealing limited non- AHL-related effects. A direct chemical interaction between the algal compounds and AHLs, as monitored by 1H NMR spectroscopy, was shown not to occur in vitro. These results support the contention that furanones, at the concentrations produced by the alga, can control bacterial colonization of surfaces by specifically interfering with AHL-mediated gene expression at the level of the LuxR protein.

612 citations


"Marine chemical ecology: chemical s..." refers background in this paper

  • ...This inhibition occurs because halogenated furanones interfere with the bacteria’s signal-based regulatory systems that control surface motility, exoenzyme production, and biofilm formation/stability (Manefield et al. 1999, 2002; Rasmussen et al. 2000; McDougald et al. 2001)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This review concludes that relatively unstudied, ontogenetic shifts in concentrations and types of defenses occur in marine species, and patterns of larval chemical defenses appear to provide insights into the evolution of complex life cycles and of differing modes of development among marine invertebrates.

607 citations


"Marine chemical ecology: chemical s..." refers background in this paper

  • ...…on the plants they consume and that are especially susceptible to predation suggest that feeding preferences are commonly driven by the need to colonize hosts that provide escapes from consumers rather than by the direct food value of those hosts (see also Hay & Fenical 1988, 1996; Hay 1992, 1996)....

    [...]

  • ...In other instances the larvae are chemically defended, but the adults are not and appear instead to rely more on physical/structural defenses (Lindquist & Hay 1996)....

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  • ...…past 20 years, the review of selected aspects of marine chemical ecology has become a growth industry (e.g., Hay & Fenical 1988, 1996; Paul 1992; Hay 1996; McClintock & Baker 2001; Paul et al. 2007; Pohnert et al. 2007; Amsler 2008), with numerous reviews focusing on specific groups (seaweeds…...

    [...]

  • ...Once larvae or embryos are released from brooding adults, they can be at considerable risk of predation in the plankton, but even more so as they recruit to the benthos where both fish and invertebrate predators are commonly concentrated (Lindquist & Hay 1996)....

    [...]

  • ...…of resistance to host chemical defenses, selective consumption of those hosts, being cued to feed by the specific host chemicals that deter other consumers, and sequestration by the specialist of its host’s chemical defenses, thus becoming immune to many of its own enemies (Hay 1992, 1996)....

    [...]