Keywords
physical stress
rocky intertidal
Patagonia
predation
anthropogenic impact.
How to Cite
Abstract
In Patagonian coastal areas, intertidal benthic communities are exposed to extreme physical conditions. The interaction between harsh environment and anthropogenic pressure can generate changes in population biology of marine invertebrates, like density and reproduction. The oral brooding sea star Anasterias minuta is a key organism in food chains of Atlantic Patagonian rocky intertidals, hence changes on its population structure can negatively affect shore communities. We studied the population biology of A. minuta and assess the effect of environmental parameters and anthropogenic activities on its population on rocky intertidal shores of San Matías Gulf, Patagonia, Argentina. Seasonal sea surface temperature, pH, salinity, water velocity, desiccation rate, boulders density, and anthropogenic influence (tourists and octopus fishermen) were recorded. In sites with less tourist influence and high refuge, an increase in density was recorded, especially during the summer. Brooding individuals were found in fall and winter, while feeding individuals were observed in all seasons (12 different prey, mainly the molluscs Tegula patagonica and Perumytilus purpuratus). Environmental variables such as boulders density and water velocity were the most important predictor of variation in population structure. Tourism and pH were the most important variables negatively correlated with density. Rev. Biol. Trop. 65(Suppl. 1): S73-S84. Epub 2017 November 01.
References
Arribas, L. P., Bagur, M., Klein, E., Penchaszadeh, P., & Palomo, M. G. (2013). Geographic distribution of two mussel species and associated assemblages along the northern Argentinean coast. Aquatic Biology, 18, 91-103.
Arribas, L. P., Donnarumma, L., Palomo, M. G., & Scrosati, R. A. (2014). Intertidal mussels as ecosystem engineers: their associated invertebrate biodiversity under contrasting wave exposures. Marine Biodiversity, 44(2), 203-211.
Arribas, L. P., Martinez, M. I., & Brogger, M. I. (2016). Echinoderms in San Matías Gulf, Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Thalassas, 32, 11-18.
Atkinson, M. J., & Cuet, P. (2008). Possible effects of ocean acidification on coral reef biogeochemistry: topics for research. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 373, 249-256.
Bagur, M., Gutiérrez, J. L., Arribas, L. P., & Palomo M. G. (2016). Complementary influences of co-occurring physical ecosystem engineers on species richness: insights from a Patagonian rocky shore. Biodiversity and Conservation, 25, 2787-2802.
Bell, E. C., & Denny, M. W. (1994). Quantifying “wave exposure”: a simple device for recording maximum velocity and results of its use at several field sites. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 181, 9-29.
Bertness, M. D., Crain, C. M., Silliman, B. R., Bazterrica, M. C., Reyna, M. V., Hidalgo, F., & Kongo Farina, J. (2006). The community structure of western Atlantic Patagonian rocky shores. Ecological Monographs, 76(3), 439-460.
Bigatti, G., Primost, M. A., Cledón, M., Averbuj, A., Theobald, N., Gerwinski, W., Arntz, W., Morriconi, E., & Penchaszadeh, P. E. (2009). Biomonitoring of TBT contamination and imposex incidence along 4700 km of Argentinean shoreline (SW Atlantic: From 38S to 54S). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 58(5), 695-701.
Burnham, K. P., & Anderson, D. R. (2002). Information and likelihood theory: a basis for model selection and inference. Model selection and multimodel inference: a practical information-theoretic approach, 2, 49-97.
Cahalan, J. A., Siddall, S. E., & Luckenbach, M. W. (1989). Effects of flow velocity, food concentration and particle flux on growth rates of juvenile bay scallops Argopecten irradians. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 129(1), 45-60.
Chomnalez, F. (2011) Evolución geomorfológica del área costera de Las Grutas, provincia de Río Negro (1969-2008). Párrafos geográficos, 10(1), 116-146.
Clark, A. M., & Downey, M. E. (1992). Starfishes of the Atlantic. Chapman & Hall, London.
Collins, M., Knutti, R., Arblaster, J., Dufresne, J. L., Fichefet, T., Friedlingstein, P., ... & Shongwe, M. (2013). Long-term climate change: projections, commitments and irreversibility.
Dias, J. F., Fernandez, W. S., Boufleur, L. A., Dos Santos, C. E. I, Amaral, L., & Yoneama, M. L. (2009). Biomonitoring study of seasonal anthropogenic influence at the Itamambuca beach (SP, Brazil). Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 267, 1960-1964.
Dupont, S., Ortega-Martínez, O., & Thorndyke, M. (2010). Impact of near-future ocean acidification on echinoderms. Ecotoxicology, 19, 449-462.
Escofet, A. M., Olivier, S. R., Orensanz, J. M., & Scarabino Caravadossi, V. M. (1978). Biocenología bentónica del Golfo de San Matías (Río Negro, Argentina): Metodología, experiencias y resultados del estudio ecológico de un gran espacio geográfico en América Latina (No. DOC 0083).
Feder, H. M. (1970). Growth and predation by the ochre sea star, Pisaster ochraceus (Brandt), in Monterey Bay, California. Ophelia, 8, 161-185.
Flammang, P., Warnau, M., Temara, A., Lane, D. J., & Jangoux, M. (1997). Heavy metals in Diadema setosum (Echinodermata, Echinoidea) from Singapore coral reefs. Journal of Sea Research, 38(1), 35-45.
Freeman, S. M., Richardson, C. A., & Seed, R. (2001). Seasonal abundance, spatial distribution, spawning and growth of Astropecten irregularis (Echinodermata: Asteroidea). Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 53(1), 39-49.
Gagliardini, D. A., & Rivas, A. L. (2004). Environmental characteristics of San Matías Gulf obtained from LANDSAT-TM and ETM+ data. Gayana (Concepción), 68(2), 186-193.
Gaines, S. D., & Bertness, M. (1993). The dynamics of juvenile dispersal: why field ecologists must integrate. Ecology, 74(8), 2430-2435.
Gerhardt, A. (1992). Effects of subacute doses of iron (Fe) on Leptophlebia marginata (Insecta: Ephemeroptera). Freshwater Biology, 27(1), 79-84.
Gil, D. G., & Zaixso, H. E. (2007). The relation between feeding and reproduction in Anasterias minuta (Asteroidea: Forcipulata). Marine Biology Research, 3(4), 256-264.
Gil, D. G., & Zaixso, H. E. (2008). Feeding ecology of the subantarctic sea star Anasterias minuta within tide pools in Patagonia, Argentina. Revista de Biología Tropical, 56(3), 311-328.
Gil, D. G., Escudero, G., & Zaixso, H. E. (2011). Brooding and development of Anasterias minuta (Asteroidea: Forcipulata) in Patagonia, Argentina. Marine Biology, 158, 2589-2602.
Grueber, C. E., Nakagawa, S., Laws, R. J., & Jamieson, I. G. (2011). Multimodel inference in ecology and evolution: challenges and solutions. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 24(4), 699-711.
Hamel, J. F., & Mercier, A. (1995). Prespawning behavior, spawning, and development of the brooding starfish Leptasterias polaris. The Biological Bulletin, 188(1), 32-45.
Harley, C. D. G. (2011). Climate change, keystone predation, and biodiversity loss. Science, 334, 1124-1127.
Harley, C. D. G., Hughes, A. R., Hultgren, K. M., Miner, B. G., Sorte, C. J. B., Thornber, C. S., Rodriguez, L. F., Tomanek, L., & Williams, S. L. (2006). The impacts of climate change in coastal marine systems. Ecology Letters, 9, 228-241.
Hernández, D. A., & Tablado, A. (1987). Asteroidea de Puerto Deseado (Santa Cruz, Argentina) 1. Studies on neotropical fauna and environment, 22(3), 155-166.
Iribarne, O. O. (1990). Use of shelter by the small Patagonian octopus Octopus tehuelchus: availability, selection and effects on fecundity. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 66, 251-258.
Jones, C. G., Lawton, J. H., & Shachak, M. (1994). Organisms as ecosystem engineers. In Ecosystem management (pp. 130-147). Springer New York.
Keppel, E. A., Scrosati, R. A., & Courtenay, S. C. (2015). Interactive effects of ocean acidification and warming on subtidal mussels and sea stars from Atlantic Canada. Marine Biology Research, 11(4), 337-348.
Kobayashi, N., & Okamura, H. (2005). Effects of heavy metals on sea urchin embryo development. Part 2. Interactive toxic effects of heavy metals in synthetic mine effluents. Chemosphere, 61(8), 1198-1203.
Kokot, R. R., Codignotto, J. O., & Elissondo, M. (2004). Vulnerabilidad al ascenso del nivel del mar en la costa de la provincia de Río Negro. Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina, 59, 477-487.
Larsson, B. Å. (1968). Scuba-studies on vertical distribution of Swedish rocky-bottom echinoderms. A methodological study. Ophelia, 5(1), 137-156.
Lawrence, J. M. (2010). Energetic costs of loss and regeneration of arms in stellate echinoderms. Integrative and comparative biology, 50(4), 506-514.
Mercier, A., & Hamel, J. F. (2008). Depth-related shift in life history strategies of a brooding and broadcasting deep-sea asteroid. Marine Biology, 156(2), 205.
Mercier, A., & Hamel, J. F. (2009). Endogenous and exogenous control of gametogenesis and spawning in echinoderms. Advances in Marine Biology, 55, 1-302.
Moreira, D., Simionato, C. G., Dragani, W. C., & Nuandñez, M. N. (2009). Tidal and residual currents observations at the San Matías and San José gulfs, Northern Patagonia, Argentina. Journal of Coastal Research, 957-968.
Morsan, E. M. (2009). Impact on biodiversity of scallop dredging in San Matías Gulf, northern Patagonia (Argentina). Hydrobiologia, 619(1), 167-180.;
Morsan, E., Zaidman, P., Ocampo-Reinaldo, M. & Ciocco, N. (2010). Population structure, distribution and harvesting of southern geoduck, Panopea abbreviata, in San Matías Gulf (Patagonia, Argentina). Scientia Marina, 74(4), 763-772.;
Narvarte, M., González, R., & Filippo, P. (2007). Artisanal mollusk fisheries in San Matías Gulf (Patagonia, Argentina): An appraisal of the factors contributing to unsustainability. Fisheries Research, 87(1), 68-76.
Navarrete, S. A., & Castilla, J. C. (2003). Experimental determination of predation intensity in an intertidal predator guild: dominant versus subordinate prey. Oikos, 100, 251-262.
Pérez, A. F., Boy C. C., Calcagno J., & Malanga G. (2015). Reproduction and oxidative metabolism in the brooding sea star Anasterias antarctica (Lütken, 1957). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 463, 150-157.
Ramírez, F. C. (1996). Composición, abundancia y variación estacional del zooplankton de red del Golfo San Matías. Frente Marítimo, 16, 157-167.
Saier, B. (2001). Direct and indirect effects of seastars Asterias rubens on mussel beds (Mytilus edulis) in the Wadden Sea. Journal of Sea Research, 46(1), 29-42.
Salvat, M. B. (1985). Biología de la reproducción de Anasterias minuta Perrier (Echinodermata, Asteroidea): Especie incubadora de las costas patagónicas (Doctoral dissertation, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires).
Smith, G. F. M. (1940). Factors limiting distribution and size in the starfish. Journal of the Fisheries Board of Canada, 5(1), 84-103.
Temara, A., Warnau, M., Jangoux, M., & Dubois, P. (1997). Factors influencing the concentrations of heavy metals in the asteroid Asterias rubens L. (Echinodermata). Science of the total environment, 203(1), 51-63.
Tokeshi, M., Estrella, C., & Paredes, C. (1989). Feeding ecology of a size-structured predator population, the South American sun-star Heliaster helianthus. Marine Biology, 100(4), 495-505.
Trieff, N. M., Romaña, L. A., Esposito, A., Oral, R., Quiniou, F., Iaccarino, M., Alcock, N., Ramanujam, V. M. S., & Pagano, G. (1995). Effluent from bauxite factory induces developmental and reproductive damage in sea urchins. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 28(2), 173-177.
Wootton, J. T., Pfister, C. A., & Forester, J. D. (2008). Dynamic patterns and ecological impacts of declining ocean pH in a high-resolution multi-year dataset. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(48), 18848-18853.
Young, C. M., Tyler, P. A., Cameron, J. L., & Rumrill, S. G. (1992). Seasonal breeding aggregations in low-density populations of the bathyal echinoid Stylocidaris lineata. Marine Biology, 113(4), 603-612.
Zuur, A. F., Ieno, E. N., Walker, N. J., Saveliev, A. A., & Smith, G. M. (2009). Mixed effects models and extensions in ecology with R. Gail M, Krickeberg K, Samet JM, Tsiatis A, Wong W, editors. New York, NY: Spring Science and Business Media.
Comments
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2017 Revista de Biología Tropical