| 1. |
- Olsson, Matilda, 1973, et al.
(författare)
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Feeding behaviour in Littorina littorea: the red seaweed Osmundea ramosissima may not prevent trematode infection.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Marine Ecology Progress Series. ; 348, s. 221-228
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Terrestrial herbivores can use anthelmintic properties of plant secondary metabolites to decrease parasite/parasitoid infections. Secondary metabolites with potential anthelmintic properties have also been described from different seaweed species, but the effects of diet on parasitism in marine herbivores has not been studied previously. In the present study, a combination of laboratory and field experiments was used to test the hypotheses that infection by digenean trematode parasites affects the feeding pattern of herbivorous gastropods (Littorina littorea), and that the seaweed diet prevents parasitism in the snails. Heavily infected snails consumed less of the red seaweed Osmundea ramosissima than uninfected snails, but there was no difference in consumption when snails were offered the green seaweed Ulva lactuca. Healthy snails placed in cages with different food treatments and transplanted to different field sites became infected by trematodes, but there was no significant difference in parasite resistance between snails offered different foods. Furthermore, there was no significant negative relationship between infection abundance and consumption when O. ramosissima was incorporated into agar-based artificial diets, indicating that the difference in feeding pattern found in the initial consumption experiment was due to the morphology, and not the chemistry of the seaweeds. In conclusion, these preliminary results do not indicate that parasitized L. littorea feeds on O. ramosissima to prevent parasite infection. However, the hypothesis that algal chemical compounds prevent or decrease parasite infections in herbivores should be tested using additional candidate species before drawing general conclusions about the effect of diet on parasitism in marine systems.
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| 2. |
- Pavia, Henrik, 1964, et al.
(författare)
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Chemical defences against herbivores
- 2012
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Ingår i: Chemical ecology in aquatic systems. - New York, US : Oxford University Press. - 9780199583096 ; , s. 210-235
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In recent years it has become increasingly clear that chemical interactions play a fundamental role in aquatic habitats and have far-reaching evolutionary and ecological consequences. A plethora of studies have shown that aquatic organisms from most taxa and functional groups respond to minute concentrations of chemical substances released by other organisms. However, our knowledge of this 'chemical network' is still negligible. Chemical interactions can be divided into two larger sub-areas based on the function of the chemical substance. First, there are interactions where chemical substances are toxic to other organisms and are used as a defense against consumers (including both herbivores and predators) or a weapon against competitors (allelopathy). Second, chemical substances mey be used as a source for information of the environment; for example: how can I find the optimal habitat, the best food, the nicest partner, and avoid being eaten? Aquatic organisms are able to detect and respond to extremely low concentrations of chemical cues to answer all these questions. The book aims at connecting these intriguing chemical interactions with traditional knowledge of organism interactions. Chemical ecology in aquatic systems covers a wide range of studies, both plant and animal, from different geographic regions and habitats-pelagic as well as benthic. Most of the chemical interactions are similar in freshwater and marine habitats and this book therefor strives at integrating work on both systems. This accessible, research-level text is aimed at graduate students and professional researchers in the fields of limnology, marine ecology, evolutionary biology, behavioral ecology, and chemical ecology.
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| 3. |
- Selander, Erik, 1973, et al.
(författare)
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Copepods induce paralytic shellfish toxin production in marine dinoflagellates
- 2006
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 0962-8452 .- 1471-2954. ; 273:1594, s. 1673-1680
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Among the thousands of unicellular phytoplankton species described in the sea, some frequently occurring and bloom-forming marine dinoflagellates are known to produce the potent neurotoxins causing paralytic shellfish poisoning. The natural function of these toxins is not clear, although they have been hypothesized to act as a chemical defence towards grazers. Here, we show that waterborne cues from the copepod Acartia tonsa induce paralytic shellfish toxin (PST) production in the harmful algal bloom-forming dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum. Induced A. minutum contained up to 2.5 times more toxins than controls and was more resistant to further copepod grazing. Ingestion of non-toxic alternative prey was not affected by the presence of induced A. minutum. The ability of A. minutum to sense and respond to the presence of grazers by increased PST production and increased resistance to grazing may facilitate the formation of harmful algal blooms in the sea.
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| 4. |
- Toth, Gunilla B., 1973, et al.
(författare)
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Marine dinoflagellates show induced life-history shifts to escape parasite infection in response to water-borne signals
- 2004
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B-Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 0962-8452 .- 1471-2954. ; 271:1540, s. 733-738
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Many dinoflagellate species form dormant resting cysts as a part of their life cycle, and in some freshwater species, hatching of these cysts can be delayed by the presence of water-borne signals from grazing zooplankton. Some marine dinoflagellates can form temporary cysts, which may function to resist unfavourable short-term environmental conditions. We investigated whether the marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium ostenfeldii is able to induce an increased resistance to the parasitic flagellate Parvilucifera infectans by forming temporary cysts. We performed several laboratory experiments where dinoflagellates were exposed either to direct contact with parasites or to filtered water from cultures of parasite-infected conspecifics (parasite-derived signals). Infection by P. infectans is lethal to motile A. ostenfeldii cells, but temporary cysts were more resistant to parasite infection. Furthermore, A. ostenfeldii induced a shift in life-history stage (from motile cells to temporary cysts) when exposed to parasite-derived water-borne signals. The response was relaxed within a couple of hours, indicating that A. ostenfeldii may use this behaviour as a short-term escape mechanism to avoid parasite infection. The results suggest that intraspecies chemical communication evoked by biotic interactions can be an important mechanism controlling life-history shifts in marine dinoflagellates, which may have implications for the development of toxic algal blooms.
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| 5. |
- Appelqvist, Christin, 1972, et al.
(författare)
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Distribution and abundance of teredinid recruits along the Swedish coast - are shipworms invading the Baltic Sea?
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. - 0025-3154 .- 1469-7769. ; 95:4, s. 783-790
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Shipworms (teredinids) are highly specialized marine bivalves that consume terrestrially derived wood. Changes in environmental variables may result in shipworms spreading into the Baltic Sea – which would have devastating consequences for maritime cultural heritage and submerged wooden structures. We investigated the distribution and abundance of the shipworms Teredo navalis and Psiloteredo megotara along the Swedish coast in 2006–2008, and compared our findings with data collected at partly the same locations in 1971–1973. Wooden test panels were submerged in near-surface waters at 18 harbours. The presence of shipworms was determined by X-ray radiography of each panel. Sea surface temperature and salinity data were analysed to investigate whether any changes in distribution were correlated to changes in environmental variables. We found that past and present distributions of T. navalis were similar – indicating that no range expansion of shipworms into the Baltic Sea has taken place the last 35 years. The abundance of T. navalis was similar between decades at all investigated sites except two (Arild and Barsebäckshamn), where abundances were higher in 2006–2008. The abundance of T. navalis varied along the coast and was positively correlated to mean sea surface salinity, but not to mean sea surface temperature (2006–2008 data). The distribution and abundance of P. megotara were similar during the two study periods with only single observations at a few sites. In conclusion, we found no evidence of range expansion of shipworms along the Swedish coast.
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| 6. |
- Araujo, R., et al.
(författare)
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TRADE-OFFS BETWEEN LIFE-HISTORY TRAITS AT RANGE-EDGE AND CENTRAL LOCATIONS
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Phycology. - : Wiley. - 0022-3646. ; 51:4, s. 808-818
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The allocation of resources to different life-history traits should represent the best compromise in fitness investment for organisms in their local environment. When resources are limiting, the investment in a specific trait must carry a cost that is expressed in trade-offs with other traits. In this study, the relative investment in the fitness-related traits, growth, reproduction and defence were compared at central and range-edge locations, using the seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum as a model system. Individual growth rates were similar at both sites, whereas edge populations showed a higher relative investment in reproduction (demonstrated by a higher reproductive allocation and extended reproductive periods) when compared to central populations that invested more in defence. These results show the capability of A. nodosum to differentially allocate resources for different traits under different habitat conditions, suggesting that reproduction and defence have different fitness values under the specific living conditions experienced at edge and central locations. However, ongoing climate change may threaten edge populations by increasing the selective pressure on specific traits, forcing these populations to lower the investment in other traits that are also potentially important for population fitness.
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| 7. |
- Baumgartner, Finn A., 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Abundance and Size Distribution of the Sacoglossan Elysia viridis on Co-Occurring Algal Hosts on the Swedish West Coast
- 2014
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - 1932-6203. ; 9:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sacoglossans are specialized marine herbivores that tend to have a close evolutionary relationship with their macroalgal hosts, but the widely distributed species Elysia viridis can associate with several algal species. However, most previous investigations on the field abundance and size distribution of E. viridis have focussed on Codium spp. in the British Isles, and algae from this genus are considered superior hosts for E. viridis. In the present study, we investigated the abundance and size distribution of E. viridis on 6 potential host algae with differing morphologies (the septate species Cladophora sericea, Cladophora rupestris, Chaetomorpha melagonium, and Ceramium virgatum, as well as the siphonaceous species Codium fragile and Bryopsis sp.) at 2 sites on the Swedish west coast over the course of a year. In spring, slugs were almost absent from all algal hosts. In summer and autumn, E. viridis consistently occurred on several of the algal species at both sites. The highest number of small E. viridis were found on C. sericea, intermediate numbers of significantly larger E. viridis were found on C. rupestris, while fewer, intermediate sized animals were found on C. fragile. Throughout the study period, only a few E. viridis individuals were found on C. melagonium, Bryopsis sp., and C. virgatum. Our results indicate that E. viridis is an annual species in Sweden, capable of exploiting co-occurring congeneric and intergeneric algal hosts with differing morphologies. These results corroborate previous findings that E. viridis can exploit several different algal species, but does not indicate that C. fragile is a superior host.
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| 8. |
- Baumgartner, Finn A., 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Acquired Phototrophy through Retention of Functional Chloroplasts Increases Growth Efficiency of the Sea Slug Elysia viridis
- 2015
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Ingår i: Plos One. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 10:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Photosynthesis is a fundamental process sustaining heterotrophic organisms at all trophic levels. Some mixotrophs can retain functional chloroplasts from food (kleptoplasty), and it is hypothesized that carbon acquired through kleptoplasty may enhance trophic energy transfer through increased host growth efficiency. Sacoglossan sea slugs are the only known metazoans capable of kleptoplasty, but the relative fitness contributions of heterotrophy through grazing, and phototrophy via kleptoplasts, are not well understood. Fitness benefits (i.e. increased survival or growth) of kleptoplasty in sacoglossans are commonly studied in ecologically unrealistic conditions under extended periods of complete darkness and/or starvation. We compared the growth efficiency of the sacoglossan Elysia viridis with access to algal diets providing kleptoplasts of differing functionality under ecologically relevant light conditions. Individuals fed Codium fragile, which provide highly functional kleptoplasts, nearly doubled their growth efficiency under high compared to low light. In contrast, individuals fed Cladophora rupestris, which provided kleptoplasts of limited functionality, showed no difference in growth efficiency between light treatments. Slugs feeding on Codium, but not on Cladophora, showed higher relative electron transport rates (rETR) in high compared to low light. Furthermore, there were no differences in the consumption rates of the slugs between different light treatments, and only small differences in nutritional traits of algal diets, indicating that the increased growth efficiency of E. viridis feeding on Codium was due to retention of functional kleptoplasts. Our results show that functional kleptoplasts from Codium can provide sacoglossan sea slugs with fitness advantages through photosynthesis.
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| 9. |
- Baumgartner, Finn A., 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Individual Specialization to Non-Optimal Hosts in a Polyphagous Marine Invertebrate Herbivore
- 2014
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Ingår i: Plos One. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Factors determining the degree of dietary generalism versus specialism are central in ecology. Species that are generalists at the population level may in fact be composed of specialized individuals. The optimal diet theory assumes that individuals choose diets that maximize fitness, and individual specialization may occur if individuals' ability to locate, recognize, and handle different food types differ. We investigate if individuals of the marine herbivorous slug Elysia viridis, which co-occur at different densities on several green macroalgal species in the field, are specialized to different algal hosts. Individual slugs were collected from three original algal host species (Cladophora sericea, Cladophora rupestris and Codium fragile) in the field, and short-term habitat choice and consumption, as well as long-term growth (proxy for fitness), on four algal diet species (the original algal host species and Chaetomorpha melagonium) were studied in laboratory experiments. Nutritional (protein, nitrogen, and carbon content) and morphological (dry weight, and cell/utricle volume) algal traits were also measured to investigate if they correlated with the growth value of the different algal diets. E. viridis individuals tended to choose and consume algal species that were similar to their original algal host. Long-term growth of E. viridis, however, was mostly independent of original algal host, as all individuals reached a larger size on the non-host C. melagonium. E. viridis growth was positively correlated to algal cell/utricle volume but not to any of the other measured algal traits. Because E. viridis feeds by piercing individual algal cells, the results indicate that slugs may receive more cytoplasm, and thus more energy per unit time, on algal species with large cells/utricles. We conclude that E. viridis individuals are specialized on different hosts, but host choice in natural E. viridis populations is not determined by the energetic value of seaweed diets as predicted by the ODT.
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| 10. |
- Engelen, A. H., et al.
(författare)
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Circumglobal invasion by the brown seaweed Sargassum muticum
- 2015
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Ingår i: Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review. R. N. Hughes, D. J. Hughes, I. P. Smith, and A. C. Dale (eds.). - Boca Raton : Crc Press-Taylor & Francis Group. - 9781498705455 ; 53, s. 81-126
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Hundreds of macroalgal species have been spread outside their natural range by human activities, and many of these introductions are occurring at a worldwide scale. This review considers one of the best-studied and most widespread invasive macroalgae, Sargassum muticum, to determine the traits and processes important in marine invasions and to identify important lines of future research. Particular emphasis is placed on the ecology of S. muticum in its native range and on the four stages of invasion transport, colonization, establishment, and spread integrating taxonomy, invasion history, dispersal, impact, invasiveness and invasibility, and general ecology. Although S. muticum has received a lot of scientific attention, with more than 650 papers on this species, key information on its taxonomy, invasive biology, and evolutionary potential is still lacking. Most previous studies have been local or descriptive or provide circumstantial evidence, and too few have been hypothesis driven. Only by local-scale research conducted in different geographical regions, especially including the native range, and developed in an eco-evolutionary framework, will it be possible to greatly improve our understanding of the complex of factors, traits, and processes involved in macroalgal invasions. ERG P, 1992, ECOLOGY, V73, P1488 ERG P, 1992, ECOLOGY, V73, P1473
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