Hydrobiologia

Thomaz, Sidinei M.; Fauvelot, Cécile; Kats, Lee B.; Kotta, Jonne; Pelicice, Fernando M.

doi: 10.1007/s10750-025-05833-1pmid: N/A

Frehse, Fabrício de Andrade; Derviche, Patrick; Pereira, Felipe Walter; Hostim-Silva, Maurício; Vitule, Jean Ricardo Simões

doi: 10.1007/s10750-024-05589-0pmid: N/A

Anthropic structures have been deployed in aquatic environments for the most variable purposes. Here, we review the use of artificial aquatic habitats (AAHs) worldwide through a systematic and comprehensive search of peer-reviewed literature. We aimed to synthesize the knowledge on the subject, identify gaps, and propose new perspectives for future research. In total, 460 peer-reviewed papers from 1972 to mid-2016 were included in our systematic review. Field studies carried out in marine temperate environments were predominant, whereas fewer efforts have been made in marine tropical and freshwater ecosystems. Experimental habitats made of concrete were the most common artificial structures. Visual census was the most used sampling method, and there was a dominance of short-term (< 12 months) and shallow waters (< 5 m depth) studies. Fish was the most studied group (18%), whereas tunicates encompassed the large proportion of non-native species associated with AAHs (32.9%). Although idealized for the promotion of biodiversity, AAHs have been serving as stepping stones for non-native invasive species, facilitating biotic homogenization by increasing the connectivity of hard-bottom systems. The scarcity of studies in coastal tropical and freshwater ecosystems, as well as the efforts with reduced temporal scales and restricted depths, calls for future research to better understand the role of artificial habitats, especially in climate change scenarios. In this sense, we provide a conceptual framework exploring major issues regarding AAHs, including biodiversity status, ecosystem services, and climate change, in order to guide future research and assist conservation measures.

Lee, Timothy S.; Fowler, Amy E.; Largen, Jessica R.; Russo, Jonathan P.; Schlegel, Zackary J.; Wright, Dawson K.; Blakeslee, April M. H.

doi: 10.1007/s10750-024-05580-9pmid: N/A

Along the U.S. east coast, the widespread non-native red alga Gracilaria vermiculophylla provides habitat for an array of macroinvertebrates, including the eastern mudsnail Ilyanassa obsoleta. Though I. obsoleta tolerates a wide temperature range, increases in summer water temperatures may enhance mortality; furthermore, the presence of non-native algae in rising seawater temperatures could exacerbate harmful conditions. We tested how the presence or absence of G. vermiculophylla influenced snail mortality across a range of summer temperatures over a 3-week period. We found that I. obsoleta survived the longest in the lowest temperature (27 °C), followed by the medium (32 °C), and lastly the highest (36 °C) where all snails died within 2 days. Mortality was also higher and faster for snails in the presence versus absence of G. vermiculophylla. We suspected dissolved oxygen became very low at the higher temperatures with G. vermiculophylla; thus we conducted a laboratory-based dissolved oxygen experiment. We found that G. vermiculophylla degraded and oxygen declined faster at the highest temperature treatment, thereby creating anoxic conditions. Altogether, our results demonstrate that G. vermiculophylla could enhance anoxic conditions at high summer temperatures, potentially leading to enhanced faunal mortality.

Liu, Huimin; Huang, Huixiong; Yu, Haihao; Fan, Shufeng; Liu, Chunhua

doi: 10.1007/s10750-024-05592-5pmid: N/A

Sulfur deposition and eutrophication accelerated the production of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in aquatic ecosystems. However, the understanding of how H2S affects the invasive potential of exotic aquatic plants is inadequate. Here, the exotic Elodea nuttallii (Planch.) H. St. John was exposed to five H2S concentrations (0–1.0 mM) and compared with the native Hydrilla verticillata (L. f.) Royle. Both plants grew well below 0.5 mM H2S, with E. nuttallii showing better performance. E. nuttallii and H. verticillata maintained their height growth rates by reducing the ramets number and the relative growth rate, respectively. This trade-off in morphological traits was for adequate light and oxygen. Furthermore, E. nuttallii exhibited higher chlorophyll and carotenoids content but lower chlorophyll a/b, indicating better utilization of low light in the water body. High concentrations of H2S induced oxidative stress in E. nuttallii, leading to higher superoxide dismutase (SOD), soluble sugars, and starch. The utilization strategies of C, N, P and S by E. nuttallii remained unchanged with varying H2S concentrations, demonstrating higher stoichiometric stability. In conclusion, E. nuttallii showed greater resistance to H2S compared to H. verticillata. The invasive potential of E. nuttallii in H2S-enriched aquatic environments was depending on the H2S concentration of native community.

Daniel, Susan E.; Burlakova, Lyubov E.; Karatayev, Alexander Y.; Denecke, Lillian E.

doi: 10.1007/s10750-024-05522-5pmid: N/A

The New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) is an invasive mollusk that was first reported in Lake Ontario, a Laurentian Great Lake, in 1991. In 2022, we found a small population in the North Channel representing the first record of this snail in Lake Huron. To understand the status of this species in the Great Lakes, we combined data from the U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office sampling efforts, data from publications, regional reports, and online databases. In the last three decades P. antipodarum has spread to all Great Lakes, and the number of official sightings per year increased fourfold during the last decade. The highest density was observed in Lake Michigan, followed by lakes Ontario, Erie, and Huron. In Lake Michigan in 2021, P. antipodarum lake-wide density increased 56-fold compared to 2015, comprising 93% of the total gastropod density and 79% of biomass. This spread may have been facilitated by invasive Dreissena spp. through stimulation of bottom algae and periphyton growth. While P. antipodarum is still spreading in lakes Michigan and Huron, its abundance remains stable in other lakes. Further monitoring is needed to understand the patterns of spread and P. antipodarum effects on Great Lakes benthic communities.

Basista, Matthew P.; Burlakova, Lyubov E.; Karatayev, Alexander Y.; Daniel, Susan E.

doi: 10.1007/s10750-024-05607-1pmid: N/A

Although the invasion dynamics and establishment of quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) into the nearshore areas of north-temperate lakes are well studied, their continued expansion into deep profundal zones is poorly understood, having implications for offshore benthic and pelagic communities. To assess the expansion of quagga mussels into the Lake Michigan profundal, we used U.S. EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office long-term benthic monitoring data (2007–2022) to document changes in density, biomass, average length, and size-frequency distributions within and across three distinct depth zones (> 30–50 m; > 50–90 m; and > 90 m). We found significant differences in mussel density, biomass, and average length across depth zones. While the average dreissenid density at the > 50–90 m and > 90 m depth zones declined throughout the study period, biomass remained unchanged, and the average length of mussels at > 50–90 m depth zone increased, conflicting trends were found at the station level. We found the greatest variation of station size-frequency in the shallowest zone, while deeper zones followed similar demographic patterns. Our results indicate that the management of quagga mussels requires a combined approach that includes demographic data and considers within station variation.

Podwysocki, Krzysztof; Bącela-Spychalska, Karolina; Desiderato, Andrea; Rewicz, Tomasz; Copilaş-Ciocianu, Denis

doi: 10.1007/s10750-024-05565-8pmid: N/A

Phenotypic variability is a key factor promoting the establishment and spread of invasive populations in new environments. The Ponto-Caspian region contains a diverse endemic fauna known for its exceptional environmental plasticity, with many species invading European waters. However, the extent to which the environment shapes the phenotypic variability of these successful invaders remains poorly understood. We test to what extent the environment, intraspecific lineage affinity and geographic range interact and shape the variability of ecologically relevant functional morphological traits of the amphipod, Dikerogammarus villosus. Our results show the highest differentiation among environments, with an enhancement of predation-related traits in brackish waters relative to freshwaters. Differentiation among lineages and ranges (native/invaded) was smaller, occurring in traits related to locomotion and food processing. Although we uncovered an overall increase in variability outside the native range, the dynamics of morphological change were lineage-specific: the Western Lineage (invading via the River Danube) underwent a shift towards increased appendage length, while the Eastern Lineage (invading via the River Dnieper) underwent a significant overall morphospace expansion. We conclude that D. villosus exhibits a remarkable morphological variability across Europe that is influenced by the interplay between the environment as well as its evolutionary and invasion history.

Ribas, Luiz Guilherme; Tramonte, Rafael Prandini; Mantovano, Tatiane; Petsch, Danielle Katharine; Mormul, Roger Paulo

doi: 10.1007/s10750-024-05647-7pmid: N/A

Forecasting the potential distribution of gastropod species with socio-environmental significance under current and future scenarios is crucial for controlling disease transmissions and biological invasions. In this study, ecological niche modeling was employed to predict the potential distribution and assess niche overlap of two problematic gastropod species in South America: the native species Biomphalaria glabrata, which serves as a vector for schistosomiasis pathogen, and the invasive Melanoides tuberculata. Our findings revealed overlapping environmental niches between native and invasive gastropod species, with the invasive species exhibiting broader environmental requirements. The distinct environmental niches of each gastropod species translate into unique potential distribution locations in geographic space, which remain largely unchanged across current and future climatic scenarios. Additionally, we provide evidence suggesting that utilizing the invasive species as a biological control for health-related species may not be advantageous without specific management strategies. Despite niche similarities, the invasive gastropod has the potential to spread to less ideal habitats for the native species. Hence, strategies to address both native and invasive mollusks should be formulated based on empirical evidence to mitigate environmental, ecological, and health concerns.

Hodson, J.; South, J.; Cancellario, T.; Guareschi, S.

doi: 10.1007/s10750-024-05641-zpmid: N/A

Globally, human activities profoundly influence biodiversity, frequently favouring biological invasions. Crayfish, prominent invaders on multiple continents, pose significant varied threats. Using species distribution models (SDMs), this study explores the current and future potential distribution of Pontastacus leptodactylus, a widely introduced but under-studied crayfish, at Eurasian scale. Climate is crucial for most species’ distributions and historically SDMs focused primarily on these variables, while overlooking other environmental factors influencing species occurrence. This research employed 2 approaches: one climatic and one broader environmental model encompassing soil pH and elevation data. Both methods revealed high suitability for the species, particularly currently in Central-Europe. Future climate scenarios for 2050 do not seem to favour the species in terms of intermediate-high suitability regions, with contractions also in the native regions with both approaches. However, remarkable discrepancies were observed in some North-European regions; with the climatic approach predicting high suitability where the environmental approach did not. This study identifies P. leptodactylus as a widespread successful species outside its native range with potential for expansion under current conditions. The synthesised continental overview and projected distribution maps aid in prioritising monitoring and prevention efforts while underlining the importance for using environmental as well as climatic variables in SDMs.

Gaspar, Marcos Ribeiro da Costa; Agostinho, Angelo Antonio; Catelani, Paula Araújo; Fernandes, Rodrigo; Franco, Ana Clara Sampaio; Novaes, José Luis Costa; Peretti, Danielle; Petry, Ana Cristina; Pelicice, Fernando Mayer

doi: 10.1007/s10750-024-05663-7