Australian sperm whales from different whaling stocks belong to the same population

1. Understanding the factors driving population structure in marine mammals is needed to evaluate the impacts of previous exploitation, current anthropogenic threats, conservation status, and success of population recovery efforts.
2. Sperm whales are characterized by a worldwide distribution, low genetic diversity, complex patterns of social and genetic structure that differ significantly within and between ocean basins, and a long history of being commercially whaled. In Australia, sperm whales from the (International Whaling Commission assigned) southern hemisphere ‘Division 5’ stock were very heavily exploited by whaling.
3. The present study assessed the potential effects of whaling on the genetic diversity of sperm whales in Australia and the population genetic structure of these whales within a global context. A combination of historical and contemporary sperm whale samples (n = 157) were analysed across six regions, from south-eastern Australia (‘Division 6’ stock in the Pacific Ocean) to south-western Australia (‘Division 5’ stock in the Indian Ocean).
4. Sperm whales sampled from the ‘Division 5’ and ‘Division 6’ stocks belong to the same population based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analyses. Four novel sperm whale mtDNA haplotypes were identified in animals from Australian waters. Levels of genetic diversity were low in Australian sperm whales but were similar to those previously reported for populations in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
5. Given the genetic distinctiveness of sperm whales in Australian waters from other regions in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and the lack of recovery in population numbers, further scientific studies are needed to increase our understanding of population dynamics and the effectiveness of threat management strategies in this species.

     

Genetic diversity,population structure,and historical demography of a highly vagile and human-impacted seabird in the Pacific Ocean: The red-tailed tropicbird,Phaethon rubricauda

1. Many seabird breeding colonies have recovered from heavy anthropogenic disturbance after conservation actions. The widely distributed red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda, was used as a model species to assess potential anthropogenic impacts on the genetic diversity of breeding colonies in the Pacific Ocean.
2. Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and control region sequences analyses were conducted across the range of the species in the Pacific Ocean. The study sites were at islands without human-related disturbance (non-impacted islands) and with human-related disturbance (impacted islands). We hypothesized that (i) breeding colonies of the red-tailed tropicbird on impacted islands have lower genetic diversity compared with colonies on non-impacted islands, and (ii) breeding colonies of the red-tailed tropicbird show significant fine and broad-scale genetic structure across the Pacific Ocean. Bayesian skyline analyses were conducted to infer past changes in population sizes.
3. Genetic diversity was similar between impacted and non-impacted islands. There was significant broad-scale genetic structure among colonies separated by over 6,000 km, but a lack of significant fine-scale genetic structure within Australasia and Hawai'i, although a significant level of differentiation was found within Chile with Φ_ST analyses. Skyline analyses showed that effective population sizes remained relatively constant through time, but experienced either a slight decrease or the end of an expansion event through the last 1,000 years. These changes may be related to the arrival of humans on Pacific islands.
4. Impacted islands may have received immigrants from other relatively close islands, buffering the loss of genetic diversity. However, it is also possible that colonies have retained ancestral variation or that a large effective population size coupled with a long generation time (13 years) has prevented the loss of genetic diversity in human-impacted islands. Future research using higher-resolution markers is needed to resolve the population genetic structure of the red-tailed tropicbird in an ecological time-scale.

     

Factors (type,colour, density,and shape) determining the removal of marine plastic debris by seabirds from the South Pacific Ocean: Is there a pattern?

1. While floating near the sea surface plastic debris interacts with a number of external factors, including many different organisms. Seabirds have the most extensive documented history of interactions with plastics, through ingestion, entanglement, and nest construction.
2. In the present study, eight seabird species from the South Pacific Ocean were used as a proxy to determine potential patterns of removal of marine plastic debris, and three hypotheses were tested in relation to their feeding habits and nesting areas.
3. Plastics from abiotic compartments (Chilean continental coast, South Pacific Gyre, and Rapa Nui beaches) and biotic compartments (surface-feeding seabirds, diving seabirds, and nesting areas) were compared, according to their type, colour, shape, and density.
4. Continental beaches had a relatively wide range of colours and shapes, with many non-buoyant plastics. Samples from the South Pacific Gyre (SPG) and Rapa Nui (Easter Island) beaches comprised mainly hard, rounded, buoyant, and white/grey plastics.
5. These results indicate that the composition of floating plastics from terrestrial sources changes during transport with oceanic currents, reducing the proportion of prey-like plastics present in the subtropical gyres.
6. The stomach contents of surface-feeding and diving seabirds were dominated by hard, white/grey, and round plastic items, similar to plastics from the SPG, suggesting non-selective (accidental or secondary) ingestion.
7. Nesting areas had a more variable composition of brightly coloured plastics, suggesting a pattern of selective removal of plastics by seabirds, probably from oceanic sources.
8. The present study reveals extensive interactions of seabirds with plastics on a broader scale, which is highly relevant given that the impacts of plastics on seabirds are increasing worldwide, compromising their efficient conservation.

     

Regional population genetics and global phylogeography of the endangered highly migratory shark Lamna nasus: Implications for fishery management and conservation

1. The porbeagle shark Lamna nasus is a large highly migratory shark distributed in cold and temperate marine waters of the North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere (SH). According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the porbeagle is assessed globally as Vulnerable and regionally as Critically Endangered in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. This study explored, for the first time, the population genetics of L. nasus at a regional (south-east Pacific Ocean) and global scale.
2. In this study, the null hypotheses of no genetic discontinuities among populations (i) within the SH, and (ii) between the SH and Northern Hemisphere (NH) were tested. Also, the demographic history of L. nasus in different ocean basins was assessed. Two mitochondrial markers (Control Region [CR] and cox1) well suited for population genetics inferences in sharks were used.
3. Spatial–genetic analyses suggested two genetic clusters co-occurring in the south-eastern Pacific Ocean. A two-way ANOVA using the cox1 but not the CR mtDNA fragment detected an effect of genetic identity on shark body size. Phylogeographic analyses, haplotype networks, and analyses of molecular variance demonstrated genetic differences between populations from the NH and SH but not among populations in the SH.
4. Migration estimates indicated limited current maternal gene flow between the two hemispheres but high gene flow within hemispheres. Two well-defined haplotype groups with star-like shapes inhabited all ocean basins in the SH. These results could reflect a historical scenario of reproductive isolation and more recent mixture among previously isolated populations in the SH. A Bayesian skyline plot analysis indicated sudden population expansion in the SH occurring ~100–125 kya.
5. This study highlights the need for additional studies focusing on the population genomics (using nuclear markers, i.e. single nucleotide polymorphisms) and the general biology of L. nasus to explore the existence of genetically dissimilar populations in the SH. Such studies will help implementing efficient genetic monitoring programmes.

     

Quantifying morphological and genetic variation of sympatric populations to guide conservation of endangered,micro‐endemic springsnails

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Weak connectivity and population cohesiveness in rudderfish Kyphosus sandwicensis (Teleostei: Kyphosidae) inhabiting remote oceanic islands

1. Population connectivity has a fundamental role in metapopulation dynamics, with important implications in conservation. Easter Island (EI) and Salas y Gómez Island (SG) in the Pacific Ocean are ideal for the study of population connectivity because they are separated by 415 km and isolated from other islands in the Pacific Ocean by >2,000 km.
2. Considering that dispersal processes could play a critical role in the persistence of its populations, the connectivity pattern of the rudderfish Kyphosus sandwicensis was evaluated between EI and SG using both a population genetics and a biophysical modelling approach.
3. The variability in the control region of the mitochondrial DNA did not show a significant phylogeographical pattern, and the variability in 16 microsatellite loci suggested that individuals of K. sandwicensis located at EI and SG belong to the same genetic population. However, historical migration showed that 0.2% of the recruits at EI come from SG and that 0.15% at SG come from EI per year.
4. Using simulated larval release during September and a larval development of 30 days in the plankton, biophysical modelling did not detect migration between the islands. Furthermore, self-recruitment shows interannual variation ranging from 5 to 10% of the total released larvae.
5. Whereas the genetic data showed a lack of population genetic structure but low connectivity of K. sandwicensis between EI and SG, the biophysical modelling showed null movement of particles between the islands. Stochastic movement of larvae or adults could explain the pattern observed, with rafting as an example. These low-frequency and stochastic movements may be important in maintaining the cohesiveness between EI and SG.

     

Decimation of a population of the endangered species Scutellastra mexicana (Broderip and Sowerby, 1829) (Mollusca,Gastropoda) in the Marías Island (Eastern Ocean Pacific) Biosphere Reserve

1. Scutellastra mexicana is the largest known patellid limpet species and probably is one of the most endangered marine invertebrates.
2. The species was once distributed along the American Pacific coast from Mexico to Peru, but their large size (up to 35 cm long) and easy accessibility (shallow sublittoral), made it very vulnerable to human collection and now is extinct on most of the mainland Mexican coast.
3. In August 2017, a large population of this species was found on María Cleofas island, off the coast of west‐central Mexico (Marías Archipelago, Pacific Ocean). This constitutes the only report of a population of this species since 1988.
4. A total of 808 adult individuals of up to 26 cm in length and 20 cm in width were estimated, together with the presence of juveniles, suggesting that it is a self‐sustaining population. The population was monitored in August 2017 and August 2018.
5. Although the species is under the category ‘Special Protection’ in the General Mexican Wild Law, and that María Cleofas island is a Biosphere Reserve, fishermen that operate with impunity in the area decimated the limpet population within a year of its discovery. Abundance in the shallowest area decreased significantly from 120 individuals per transect (65 m long and 2.75 m wide) in August 2017 to 48 individuals in August 2018, and the estimated adult population decreased from 808 to 304 limpets.
6. Neither passive national conservation policies nor local practices have reduced current threats to biodiversity and resource depletion in Marías Archipelago. Protected areas like this are ‘paper parks’—parks in name only—because there is no active conservation strategy or protection of marine species.

     

Historical DNA as a tool to genetically characterize the Mediterranean sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus,Lamniformes: Odontaspididae): A species probably disappeared from this basin

1. The sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus) is a coastal species distributed in temperate and sub‐tropical waters, classified as ‘Vulnerable’ at global level and ‘Critically endangered’ in eastern Australia, south‐western Atlantic Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea. Six populations (north‐western Atlantic, Brazil, South Africa, Japan, eastern Australia, and western Australia) with low genetic diversity and limited gene flow were identified worldwide, but genetic information for many other geographic areas are still missing. Specifically, this species is listed in several reports as part of the Mediterranean fauna, even if there has been a lack of catches and sightings in recent years in this basin. To clarify the origin of C. taurus individuals caught in the past in the Mediterranean Sea, historical samples were genetically analysed.
2. Nine samples with certain Mediterranean origin were collected from different European museums. DNA was extracted and ~600 bp of the mitochondrial DNA control region were amplified using eight overlapping species‐specific primer pairs. Sequences obtained were aligned with all the haplotypes globally known so far.
3. Genetic analysis revealed the misidentification of one museum specimen. Among the remaining Mediterranean historical samples, three different haplotypes were recovered. Two of them previously observed only in South Africa and one described in both South African and Brazilian populations.
4. Results suggest a genetic relationship between Mediterranean sand tiger sharks and those from the western Indian Ocean. According to previous studies, we hypothesized that, during the Pleistocene, the cold Benguela upwelling barrier was temporarily reduced allowing the passage of C. taurus individuals from the Indian to Atlantic Ocean. After the restoration of this phylogeographic barrier some individuals were trapped in the Atlantic Ocean and probably migrated northward colonizing the western African coasts and the Mediterranean Sea.

     

Effects of sea-level rise and storm-enhanced flooding on Pacific harbour seal habitat: A comparison of haul-out changes at the Russian and Eel river estuaries

1. Patterns and changes in the distribution of coastal marine mammals can serve as indicators of environmental change that fill critical information gaps in coastal and marine environments. Coastal habitats are particularly vulnerable to the effects of near-term sea-level rise.
2. In California, Pacific harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) are a natural indicator species of coastal change because of their reliance on terrestrial habitats, abundance, distribution, and site fidelity. Pacific harbour seals are marine top predators that are easily observed while hauled out at terrestrial sites, which are essential for resting, pupping, and moulting.
3. Although increasing inundation from recent sea-level rise and storm-driven flooding has changed the Californian coastline, little is known about the effect of future sea-level rise and increased storm frequency and strength on harbour seal haulout site availability and quality in California.
4. Harbour seal habitat was modelled at two sandbar-built estuaries under a series of likely sea-level rise and storm scenarios. The model outputs suggest that, over time, habitat at both estuaries decreased with increasing sea level, and storm-enhanced water levels contributed significantly to habitat flooding. These changes reflect pressures on coastal habitats that have an impact on human and natural systems.

     

Genetic connectivity of the South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis) across Atlantic and Pacific oceans revealed by mitochondrial genes

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Phylogeography,genetic stocks,and conservation implications for an Australian endemic marine turtle

1. Identification of the geographic extent of population boundaries, the distribution of genetic lineages, and the amount of genetic exchange among breeding groups is needed for effective conservation of vulnerable marine migratory species. This is particularly true of the flatback turtle (Natator depressus), which only breeds in Australia but has extensive migrations that can include international waters.
2. This study investigated the phylogeography and genetic structure among 17 flatback turtle rookeries across their range by sequencing an 810 bp portion of the mitochondrial DNA in 889 samples and genotyping 10 microsatellite loci in 598 samples.
3. There was low phylogenetic divergence among haplotypes and evidence of recent population expansion, likely in the late Pleistocene. A predominant haplotype was found across all rookeries, but other haplotype groups were regionally specific.
4. In general, there was agreement in patterns of genetic differentiation in the mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite data, and in some pairwise comparisons a higher mutation rate of microsatellites provided stronger evidence of differentiation.
5. These results suggest natal philopatry operates in the choice of breeding locations for males as well as females.
6. Evidence of genetic connectivity among neighbouring rookeries led to the identification of seven genetic stocks. Geographic boundaries of rookeries used by genetic stocks varied widely (160–1,300 km), highlighting a need for field studies to better understand movement patterns.
7. Hierarchical analysis of molecular variance identified significant genetic differentiation based upon genetic stock, nesting phenology (summer vs. winter nesters), and a west–east discontinuity across Torres Strait. A pattern of isolation by distance was identified, which was most strongly observed in the microsatellite data.
8. In combination with tagging and telemetry studies, these results will allow better quantification of stock‐specific threats along migratory routes and in foraging habitats. Implications of climate change will be stock specific and may depend upon the extent of genetic connectivity between neighbouring stocks.

     

Parasites of Percophis brasiliensis (Percophidae) benefited from fishery regulations: Indicators of success for marine protected areas?

1. Fishing is the greatest source of anthropogenic impact on global marine resources and the ecosystems supporting them. The decline of many fish stocks has led to the need to apply control and protection measures to promote the recovery of these resources.
2. In the Argentine Sea, a multispecies coastal fishery in the El Rincón region has displayed signs of overexploitation since the beginning of the century. Consequently, temporal and spatial protection measures were implemented in 2004.
3. In previous studies, an independent stock of Percophis brasiliensis in El Rincón was identified based on the parasite communities of fish caught in 2005. However, no subsequent studies using parasite communities have been performed since the protective fishery closure measures were applied.
4. To evaluate parasites as indicators of temporal change in the El Rincón stock of P. brasiliensis after the implementation of these protection measures, a sample from 2018 was compared with that from the previous study, as well as with three other samples. Two of the latter (Argentine Common Fishing Zone and San Matías Gulf) corresponded to previously identified independent stocks in the Argentine biogeographical province and the third was a new sample from the Magellanic Province in southern Patagonian waters.
5. The structure and composition of parasite assemblages of the El Rincón stock of P. brasiliensis differed significantly in 2018, after several years of protective measures. The increased loads observed in several parasite species constitute a promising signal of successful ecosystem recovery. A discrete stock in the Magellanic Province was also identified, providing insights into the population structure of P. brasiliensis along its distributional range, with applications for the sustainable management of this resource.

     

Progress,opportunities and challenges for marine conservation in the Pacific Islands

1. The people of the Pacific have long relied on the ocean for sustenance, commerce and cultural identity, which resulted in a sophisticated understanding of the marine environment and its conservation.
2. The global declines in ocean health require new and innovative approaches to conserving marine ecosystems. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been shown to be a highly effective means of conserving biodiversity and managing fisheries, while also restoring and preserving overall ecosystem function.
3. Traditional ecological knowledge held by many island peoples in the Pacific is critical to the development, design and implementation of contemporary MPAs.
4. Chile's offshore islands are among the few oceanic archipelagos along the west coast of South America. These islands have cultural and ecological connections to the broader insular Pacific, yet our scientific understanding of them is extremely limited.
5. Chile has created several large-scale MPAs around their offshore archipelagos. By protecting these unique ecosystems, Chile has established itself as a global leader in marine conservation.
6. Effective management and a better understanding of social–ecological interactions are currently the biggest challenges facing MPAs in the Pacific Islands.

     

Predictive modelling of mesophotic habitats in the north‐western Gulf of Mexico

1. Effective management of marine resources requires an understanding of the spatial distribution of biologically important communities.
2. The north‐western Gulf of Mexico contains diverse marine ecosystems at a large range of depths and geographic settings. To better understand the distribution of these marine habitats across large geographic areas under consideration for marine sanctuary status, presence‐only predictive modelling was used.
3. Results confirmed that local geographic characteristics can accurately predict the probability of occurrence for marine habitat types, and include a novel technique for assigning a single, most likely habitat in areas where multiple habitats are predicted.
4. The highest resolution bathymetric data (10 m) available for the region was used to develop raster layers that represent characteristics that have been shown to influence species occurrence in other settings.
5. A georeferenced historical photo record collected via remotely operated vehicle was classified according to six commonly found mesophotic habitats across the 18 reefs and banks under consideration for Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary boundary expansion.
6. Using maximum entropy modelling, the influence of local geographic characteristics on the presence of these habitats was measured and a spatial probability distribution was developed for each habitat type across the study area.

     

A 40-year chronology of the vulnerability of spinetail devil ray (Mobula mobular) to eastern Pacific tuna fisheries and options for future conservation and management

1. Tuna fisheries are among the largest and most valuable fisheries in the world, but most interact with many non-target species, including several of high conservation importance. The spinetail devil ray (Mobula mobular) – listed as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species – is a commonly discarded bycatch species, particularly in the eastern Pacific Ocean, yet insufficient data exist to undertake a traditional population assessment.
2. A new ecological risk assessment approach designed for data-limited settings – Ecological Assessment of the Sustainable Impacts of Fisheries (EASI-Fish) – was used to reconstruct the historical vulnerability status of M. mobular and to simulate potential changes in its status under 45 hypothetical conservation and management measures. These involved various temporal closures of the eastern Pacific Ocean tuna fishery, decreasing post-capture mortality by improved handling and release practices, and combinations of the two.
3. The species was classified as ‘Least Vulnerable’ between 1979 and 1993, but became ‘Most Vulnerable’ from 1994, which coincided with a rapid spatial expansion of the industrial purse-seine fishery, and especially from 2011 following the rapid increase in the number of sets made on floating objects. Simulating the conservation and management measures in place in 2018 revealed that 31 of the 45 scenarios resulted in a change in classification of the species to ‘Least Vulnerable’, which primarily involved a reduction of post-capture mortality by as little as 20%.
4. It is fortuitous in that education of fishers to implement appropriate best handling and release practices is simpler, more rapid and more cost-effective than the implementation of fishery closures or gear modifications, which can be expensive and complex to implement and monitor and will probably result in substantial reduction in the catches of target species.

     

Benthic communities in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean: Conservation value of animal forests at the Burdwood Bank slope

1. The characterization of benthic communities at the Burdwood Bank slope (≥200 m depth) is provided, comprising data from the marine protected area (MPA) Namuncurá II (created in December 2018), as well as from some deep bathyal surrounding areas in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean. This information was acquired during two research cruises with RV Puerto Deseado (Argentina) during 2016 and 2017.
2. Marine animal forests were detected in the study area: coral gardens, mainly composed of alcyonaceans, were detected in the south and west of Burdwood Bank (MPA Namuncurá II) and neighbouring areas, whereas pennatulacean aggregations were detected in the north‐west of the plateau. The three‐dimensional structures of live but also dead corals provide substrate and refuge to many associated species. Benthic communities dominated by sponges were also recorded between 200 and 300 m in depth.
3. Six sites that meet the characteristics of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) are reported.
4. Conservation strategies applied to scarcely known austral Argentinean waters led to the establishment of a pioneer MPA (Namuncurá I). Following the management plan that aimed to establish the biodiversity of Namuncurá I and neighbouring areas, the area of protection has now been enlarged to include the southern slope of the bank (currently Namuncurá II), where marine animal forests were detected, at depths below 200 m. The data presented here provide empirical evidence to support the conservation value of the region.

     

Understanding the impact of climate change on the oceanic circulation in the Chilean island ecoregions

1. The largest changes in the circulation of the South-eastern Pacific resulting from global warming are associated with the southward shift and intensification of the anticyclone and with coastal surface warming. Coastal upwelling is projected to be increase off central Chile, due to an increase in equatorward winds, although increased oceanic stratification and associated enhanced nearshore turbulence will yield an onshore deepening/flattening of the thermocline.
2. The overall increase in south-easterly trade winds of the South-eastern Pacific in a warmer climate are likely to increase the connectivity pattern between Juan Fernandez and Desventuradas islands, and along the Sala y Gomez ridge, through increasing wind-driven mean ocean currents.
3. Deoxygenation associated with the warmer temperatures and changes in ventilation are likely to modify marine habitat and the respiratory barriers of species in the seamounts located in the vicinity of the limits of the minimum oxygen zone.
4. In the South-eastern Pacific, the prevailing 2D understanding of the responses of marine life to climate change needs to be expanded to 3D approaches, integrating the vertical habitat compression of marine organisms as a result of ocean warming and deoxygenation, as climate velocities for temperature and oxygen have contrasting vertical and horizontal patterns.
5. There is a need for regional biogeochemical-coupled modelling studies dedicated to the Chilean islands in order to provide an integrated view of the impact of anthropogenic stressors (e.g. deoxygenation, increased stratification, and climate shift) at the scale required for addressing socio-ecological interactions.
6. A refined understanding of the large-scale biogeography and spatial dynamics of marine populations through experimentation with high-resolution regional ocean models is a prerequisite for scaling-up regional management planning and optimizing the conservation of interconnected marine ecosystems across large scales.

     

A new map of the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) genetic population structure in the western Atlantic Ocean: Hypothesis of an equatorial convergence centre

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Common dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth are Critically Endangered

1. Regional populations (“subpopulations”) of globally abundant species can be exposed to human impacts that threaten their viability. Given the value of cetacean subpopulations as evolutionary significant units, keystone and umbrella species, it is important to assess their conservation status separately and propose area-specific conservation measures.
2. We used a threat assessment process and applied IUCN Red List criteria to a regional population of common dolphins Delphinus delphis in the semi-enclosed Gulf of Corinth, Greece. We compiled subpopulation-specific information about abundance and trends, estimated the geographic range of the subpopulation (area of occupancy and extent of occurrence), and calculated the probability of extinction through stochastic modelling.
3. The subpopulation qualified as Endangered according to criteria A (population size reduction over three generations) and B (geographic range), and as Critically Endangered under criteria C (population size and decline) and D (very small or restricted population). The probability of extinction was estimated to be ≥50% in three generations, qualifying the subpopulation as Critically Endangered under criterion E (quantitative analysis). We concluded that the subpopulation should be classified as Critically Endangered.
4. Considering the high extinction risk faced by common dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth, we recommend that: (a) immediate action is taken to mitigate anthropogenic activities known or suspected to have a negative impact on cetaceans in the area (particularly commercial fishing); and (b) a marine protected area is established in the Gulf of Corinth as a management tool for enforcing conservation action and facilitating the recovery of common dolphins.