| 1. |
- Tano, Stina A., et al.
(författare)
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Tropical seaweed beds as important habitats for juvenile fish
- 2017
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Ingår i: Marine and Freshwater Research. - 1323-1650 .- 1448-6059. ; 68:10, s. 1921-1934
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Seaweed beds within tropical seascapes have received little attention as potential fish habitat, despite other vegetated habitats, such as seagrass meadows and mangroves, commonly being recognised as important nurseries for numerous fish species. In addition, studies of vegetated habitats rarely investigate fish assemblages across different macrophyte communities. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of tropical seaweed beds as fish habitat, particularly for juvenile fish, by comparing their fish assemblages with those of closely situated seagrass beds. Fish assemblages were assessed by visual census in belt transects, where fish were identified and their length estimated, and habitat variables were estimated for each transect. The abundance of juvenile fish in seaweed beds was twice as high as that in seagrass meadows, whereas there was no difference in total, subadult or adult fish abundance. In addition, the abundance of commercially important and coral reef-associated juveniles was higher in seaweed beds, as was fish species richness. Fish assemblages differed between habitats, with siganids being more common in seagrass meadows and juvenile Labridae and Serranidae more common in seaweed beds. These results highlight that tropical seaweed beds are important juvenile fish habitats and underscore the need to widen the view of the shallow tropical seascape.
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| 2. |
- Staveley, Thomas A. B., et al.
(författare)
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Exploring seagrass fish assemblages in relation to the habitat patch mosaic in the brackish Baltic Sea
- 2020
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Ingår i: Marine Biodiversity. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1867-1616 .- 1867-1624. ; 50:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Assessing the influence of habitat patch dynamics on faunal communities is a growing area of interest within marine ecological studies. This study sets out to determine fish assemblage composition in Zostera marina (L.) meadows and ascertain how habitat structural complexity and seascape structure (i.e. composition and configuration of habitat patches) influenced these assemblages in the northern Baltic Sea. Using ten seascapes (600m in diameter), the fish assemblage was surveyed both in summer and autumn using beach seine. We found that the fish assemblage was clearly dominated by sticklebacks, followed by pipefish and with a general absence of larger piscivorous species. Biomass of fish did not differ between seasons, and low-level carnivores dominated the trophic structure. Overall, at the larger seascape-scale in summer, the proportion of bare soft sediment showed a negative relationship with fish biomass, while diversity of patches was found to exhibit a positive association with fish biomass. At the smaller habitat scale, both seagrass shoot height and density had a negative influence on fish biomass in both seasons. This study outlines new knowledge regarding how the mosaic of habitat patches shape seagrass fish assemblages in the northern Baltic Sea. © 2020, The Author(s).
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| 3. |
- Tano, Stina A., et al.
(författare)
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Extensive spread of farmed seaweeds causes a shift from native to non-native haplotypes in natural seaweed beds
- 2015
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Ingår i: Marine Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0025-3162 .- 1432-1793. ; 162:10, s. 1983-1992
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Seaweed farming has been the cause of introductions of non-indigenous seaweed species and genotypes throughout the world. In Zanzibar, Tanzania, foreign genotypes of Eucheuma denticulatum were introduced for farming purposes in 1989, and in recent years a spread of non-indigenous haplotypes has been reported. The current study aimed to investigate the presence and extent of introduced and native haplotypes of E. denticulatum as well as their relative frequencies, to obtain the severity of the spread of cultivated seaweed and the current state of the native populations. The results show that all investigated sites are dominated by the introduced South-east Asian haplotypes, even where seaweed farming has never occurred. As the frequencies of East African haplotypes are remarkably low, this shows a shift from native to introduced E. denticulatum. This shift may, at least in part, be caused by earlier overharvest of natural seaweed populations, and indicates a cryptic invasion of the introduced haplotypes at the potential cost of the recovery of the native haplotype populations.
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| 4. |
- Tano, Stina, et al.
(författare)
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Tropical seaweed beds are important habitats for mobile invertebrate epifauna
- 2016
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Ingår i: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0272-7714 .- 1096-0015. ; 183, s. 1-12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Marine macrophyte habitats in temperate regions provide productive habitats for numerous organisms, with their abundant and diverse invertebrate epifaunal assemblages constituting important linkages between benthic primary production and higher trophic levels. While it is commonly also recognized that certain vegetated habitats in the tropics, such as seagrass meadows, can harbour diverse epifaunal assemblages and may constitute important feeding grounds to fish, little is known about the epifaunal assemblages associated with tropical seaweed beds. We investigated the abundance, biomass and taxon richness of the mobile epifaunal community (>= 1 mm) of tropical East African seaweed beds, as well as the abundance of invertivorous fishes, and compared it with that of closely situated seagrass meadows, to establish the ecological role of seaweed beds as habitat for epifauna as well as potential feeding grounds for fish. The results showed that seaweed beds had a higher abundance of mobile epifauna (mean SD: 10,600 +/- 6000 vs 3700 +/- 2800 per m(2)) than seagrass meadows, as well as a higher invertebrate biomass (35.9 +/- 46.8 vs 1.9 +/- 2.1 g per m(2)) and taxon richness (32.7 +/- 11.8 vs 19.1 +/- 6.3 taxa per sample), despite having a lower macrophyte biomass. Additionally, the high abundance of invertivorous fishes found in seaweed beds indicates that they act as important feeding grounds to several fish species in the region.
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| 5. |
- Belgrano, Andrea, et al.
(författare)
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Mapping and Evaluating Marine Protected Areas and Ecosystem Services: A Transdisciplinary Delphi Forecasting Process Framework
- 2021
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-701X. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are an important tool for management and conservation and play an increasingly recognised role in societal and human well-being. However, the assessment of MPAs often lacks a simultaneous consideration of ecological and socio-economic outcomes, and this can lead to misconceptions on the effectiveness of MPAs. In this perspective, we present a transdisciplinary approach based on the Delphi method for mapping and evaluating Marine Protected Areas for their ability to protect biodiversity while providing Ecosystem Services (ES) and related human well-being benefits – i.e., the ecosystem outputs from which people benefit. We highlight the need to include the human dimensions of marine protection in such assessments, given that the effectiveness of MPAs over time is conditional on the social, cultural and institutional contexts in which MPAs evolve. Our approach supports Ecosystem-Based Management and highlights the importance of MPAs in achieving restoration, conservation, and sustainable development objectives in relation to EU Directives such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive (MSPD), and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
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| 6. |
- Bergström, Lena, et al.
(författare)
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Biodiversitet och ekosystemtjänster i kustområden
- 2021
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Ingår i: Biologisk mångfald, naturnyttor och ekosystemtjänster. - : Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet. - 9789188083357 - 9789188083364 - 9789162013073 ; , s. 209-219
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)
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| 7. |
- Bergström, Lena, et al.
(författare)
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Ekologisk kompensation i kustmiljön : Hur kan man uppväga förluster av biologisk mångfald och ekosystemtjänster i samband med mänsklig verksamhet i kustområdet?
- 2021
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Sveriges kustmiljöer är utsatta för olika typer av mänsklig påverkan, med negativa effekter på arter, livsmiljöer och ekosystemtjänster. Enligt skadelindringshierarkin ska negativa effekter från mänsklig verksamhet i första hand undvikas, minimeras eller avhjälpas. I de kvarstående fall där skada trots dessa åtgärder är oundviklig, kan ekologisk kompensation vara ett sätt att mildra effekterna i syfte att bibehålla eller öka biologisk mångfald och ekosystemtjänster.I projektet ECOCOA har vi undersökt om och hur ekologisk kompensation skulle kunna användas i förvaltningen av kustområden. Vår målsättning har varit att bidra till en vetenskapligt grundad syn på hur ekologisk kompensation skulle kunna medverka till att stoppa nettoförluster av biologisk mångfald och ekosystemtjänster. Eftersom kompensation kan beröra en mängd aktörer och sakägare med olika intressen och perspektiv är det viktigt med en transparent process som hanteras på ett jämförbart sätt mellan olika områden och fall. En viktig flaskhals idag är brist på praktisk erfarenhet hos aktörer om hur kompensationen ska kunna tillämpas. Vi har utvecklat ett ramverk utifrån de steg som man behöver beakta i en bedömning av skada och kompensationsbehov, med fokus på att öka förutsättningarna för en transparent bedömningsprocess. Det föreslagna ramverket bygger på fyra steg: 1) skadebedömning; 2) bedömning av kompensationsbehov; 3) val av kompensationsåtgärder; och 4) utvärdering av resultat. Ramverket baserar sig på att tydliggöra samband mellan ekosystemets strukturer och de nyttigheter dessa kan medföra för människan, där nyttigheter är beroende av ekosystemtjänster, ekosystemtjänster av funktioner, och funktioner av strukturer. Vi kopplar ramverket till en utvärdering av aktuellt kunskapsläge kring åtgärders effektivitet i kustområdet. Viktiga livsmiljöer som ingår är ålgräs, grunda vegetationsklädda mjukbottnar, naturligt vegetationsfria mjukbottnar, tångbälten, musselbankar, stenrev och kustnära våtmarker.Vi har med hjälp av ramverket utvärderat nuvarande och möjliga tillämpningar av ekologisk kompensation. Utvärderingen har gjorts dels genom ett fullständigt exempel som beskriver förlust av ålgräsängar och dels genom att undersöka befintliga fall och sammanhang där kompensation är eller skulle kunna bli relevant. Fallen bygger på i) domslut gällande tillståndspliktig vattenverksamhet, ii) dagens hantering av småskalig exploatering i kustområden, samt iii) tillämpningen av särskild fiskeavgift ur ett kompensationsperspektiv. Slutligen har vi utvecklat förslag på hur liknande tillämpningar skulle kunna se ut för ytterligare livsmiljöer i tillägg till ålgräs.Våra resultat visar det finns fortsatt stor osäkerhet kring hur kompensationsprocesser och kompensationsåtgärder fungerar i praktiken. Samtidigt är det en realitet att man idag i de allra flesta fall exploaterar utan kompensation, eller med otillräcklig kompensation. Detta innebär i praktiken att förluster värderas till noll, det vill säga att man accepterar förluster på biologisk mångfald, ekosystemtjänster och nyttigheter, och att de skador som uppstår inte uppmärksammas i form av åtgärdsbehov som ska täckas av den som orsakar skadan. Eftersom tillämpningen av vårt ramverk synliggör värdet av att förvalta biologisk mångfald och ekosystemtjänster tillsammans kan det även stödja förvaltningen av kustområden i enlighet med ekosystemansatsen på en mer generell nivå.Våra resultat synliggör vikten av att värna biologisk mångfald. Vår genomgång av potentiella kompensationsåtgärder, som redogörs för i rapporten, visar med tydlighet att det är kostsamt att först förstöra och sedan restaurera, i stället för att skydda och undvika skada i första hand. Vi ser dock ett utrymme och ett behov av att förbättra användningen av ekologisk kompensation som ett av många verktyg för att värna biologisk mångfald och ekosystemtjänster i svenska kustmiljöer i enlighet med miljöbalken. ECOCOAs ramverk tillsammans med kaskadmodeller för viktiga livsmiljöer och information om potentiella åtgärder, kunde här fungera som en gemensam utgångspunkt vid diskussioner, samrådsprocesser och bedömningar.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Blenckner, Thorsten, et al.
(författare)
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The Baltic Health Index (BHI): Assessing the social-ecological status of the Baltic Sea
- 2021
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Ingår i: People and Nature. - : Wiley. - 2575-8314. ; 3:2, s. 359-375
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Improving the health of coastal and open sea marine ecosystems represents a substantial challenge for sustainable marine resource management, since it requires balancing human benefits and impacts on the ocean. This challenge is often exacerbated by incomplete knowledge and lack of tools that measure ocean and coastal ecosystem health in a way that allows consistent monitoring of progress towards predefined management targets. The lack of such tools often limits capabilities to enact and enforce effective governance. We introduce the Baltic Health Index (BHI) as a transparent, collaborative and repeatable assessment tool. The Index complements existing, more ecological-oriented, approaches by including a human dimension on the status of the Baltic Sea, an ecosystem impacted by multiple anthropogenic pressures and governed by a multitude of comprehensive national and international policies. Using a large amount of social-ecological data available, we assessed the health of the Baltic Sea for nine goals that represent the status towards set targets, for example, clean waters, biodiversity, food provision, natural products extraction and tourism. Our results indicate that the overall health of the Baltic Sea is suboptimal (a score of 76 out of 100), and a substantial effort is required to reach the management objectives and associated targets. Subregionally, the lowest BHI scores were measured for carbon storage, contaminants and lasting special places (i.e. marine protected areas), albeit with large spatial variation. Overall, the likely future status of all goals in the BHI averaged for the entire Baltic Sea is better than the present status, indicating a positive trend towards a healthier Baltic Sea. However, in some Baltic Sea basins, the trend for specific goals was decreasing, highlighting locations and issues that should be the focus of management priorities. The BHI outcomes can be used to identify both pan-Baltic and subregional scale management priorities and to illustrate the interconnectedness between goals linked by cumulative pressures. Hence, the information provided by the BHI tool and its further development will contribute towards the fulfilment of the UN Agenda 2030 and its Sustainability Development Goals. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
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| 10. |
- Cole, Scott, et al.
(författare)
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Environmental compensation for biodiversity and ecosystem services : A flexible framework that addresses human wellbeing
- 2021
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Ingår i: Ecosystem Services. - : Elsevier BV. - 2212-0416 .- 2212-0416. ; 50
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Environmental compensation should address negative impacts from human activities on nature, including loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, successful compensation, achieving no net loss, requires broad quantitative information on different types of losses and gains. We find that the scope of compensatory schemes varies in what is considered compensable, which makes it challenging to apply a conceptual approach consistently across schemes with different needs. We propose a flexible yet structured framework for determining which values should be compensated and how. Our framework focuses specifically on habitat deterioration and is illustrated with a case study involving loss of eelgrass habitat. The framework helps identify compensation needs and selects among suitable compensation options, merging science-based information with normative issues and local concerns. By integrating the ecosystem services cascade model, it encompasses aspects from biodiversity structure to human wellbeing. The framework prefers in-kind compensation because this targets the structure level and thus meets compensation needs in all subsequent levels of the cascade model; further, it is more likely to capture non-instrumental values (i.e. in nature) and reduce exposure to uncertainty. We highlight the importance of spatial aspects of ecosystem functions, services and their subsequent impacts on wellbeing. Although our selection hierarchy assumes a similar and nearby principle for habitat restoration (preference for in-kind/on-site), this criterion is not universal. We underscore the hierarchy's implicit normative assumptions and suggest that apparent disagreement about who should benefit may be traced to an unresolved conflict between egalitarianism and utilitarianism.
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| 11. |
- Enge, S., et al.
(författare)
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A REVIEW OF HERBIVORE EFFECTS ON SEAWEED INVASIONS
- 2017
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Ingår i: OCEANOGRAPHY AND MARINE BIOLOGY: AN ANNUAL REVIEW, VOL 55. - BOCA RATON : Taylor and Francis. - 9781138197862 - 9781351987592 ; , s. 421-440
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Almost 300 non-native seaweeds are identified worldwide and an increasing number of these are classified as invasive with potential negative effects on the diversity and functioning of native ecosystems. Marine herbivores affect seaweed biomass and community structure in marine habitats across the globe. Consequently, herbivore-seaweed interactions are expected to be important for the establishment and invasion success of non-native seaweeds. To synthesize current knowledge of consumer effects on non-native seaweeds, we performed a meta-analysis on feeding preferences of native herbivores for non-native versus native seaweeds. Data were included from 35 studies, published from 1992-2015 and comprising 18 non-native seaweeds. Results showed that overall, native herbivores tended to prefer to feed on native rather than non-native seaweeds. Preferences were, however, variable across studies with significant differences between taxonomic and functional groups of seaweeds. In particular, filamentous red non-native seaweeds were of low palatability to native herbivores. No general feeding preferences were apparent between natives and non-natives for brown and green seaweeds, or for leathery and corticated seaweeds. In addition, we reviewed the existing studies on the effects of consumers on the performance of native and non-native seaweeds in invaded communities. This indicated that non-native seaweeds performed better than their native competitors in the presence of grazers, but in many cases had superior competitive abilities also in the absence of herbivory. To achieve a comprehensive evaluation of consumers' role in seaweed invasion success, future research should have a larger focus on manipulative community experiments, ideally on time scales that include seasonal changes and complete life cycles of the seaweeds.
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| 12. |
- Faithfull, Carolyn
(författare)
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Ekosystemtjänstanalyser som stöd för en regional ekosystembaserad havsförvaltning : Erfarenheter från tre pilotområden: 8-fjordar, Stockholms skärgård och Södra Bottenhavet
- 2024
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Kartläggning och analys av ekosystemtjänster är viktiga verktyg för att synliggöra människans relation till och beroende av ekosystemet. De kan till exempel påvisa samband mellan processer i ekosystemet och samhället, och användas som underlag för att diskutera avvägningar mellan olika mål och intressen. I ekosystembaserad havsförvaltning kan diskussioner om ekosystemtjänster öka aktörers förståelse för ekosystemet som grund för vårt nyttjande av havet. De kan också stödja åtgärdsarbete och strategisk planering. Här presenterar vi analyser av ekosystemtjänster som tagits fram som underlag för en regional ekosystembaserad havsförvaltning i Södra Bottenhavet, Stockholms skärgård och området 8+fjordar i Bohuslän. Vi har dels använt två olika metoder för att kartlägga utbredningen av ekosystemtjänster och associerade nyttigheter i pilotområden - en naturbaserad metod som utgår från utbredningen av ekosystemkomponenter och en öppen GIS-metod för att samla in lokal kunskap om ekosystemtjänster från intressenter och allmänhet.Den naturbaserade kartläggningen gjordes för Södra Bottenhavet och Stockholms skärgård. Studien hade som mål att utveckla och testa en metod för att kartlägga kustnära ekosystemtjänster utifrån kartor av arter och livsmiljöer och utvärdera hur metoden kan användas för ekosystembaserad planering. Vi har gjort en bedömning av vilka ekosystemtjänster som är relevanta att kartlägga med metoden i dessa områden och vilka arter och livsmiljöer som främst kan förväntas bidra till dessa tjänster. För att lätt kunna dela resultaten har vi utvecklat en app som tillåter en användare att ta fram potentiella ekosystemtjänstkartor utifrån kartor över arter och livsmiljöer. Som nästa steg behöver appen utvärderas tillsammans med användare, för att testa användbarhet och vidare utvecklingsbehov.Öppen-GIS-analysen gjordes inom projektet 8+fjordar, där intressenter och allmänhet bjöds in till workshops för att beskriva sin syn på områdets värden och vad som påverkar miljön i området. De resulterande GIS-lagren ger en bild av hur användare av det lokala ekosystemet uppfattar sin närmiljö och vilka ekosystemtjänster de värdesätter och nyttjar. En initial utvärdering visar att resultaten kan användas till exempel för att identifiera platser där det finns konflikter mellan olika användningar av havet och peka ut behov av åtgärder för att lösa dessa konflikter. Processen att ta fram underlagen bidrog dessutom till ett gemensamt lärande inom projektet.Den tredje metoden som vi har använt är en enkät- och intervjustudie för att undersöka markägares attityder och preferenser i samband med åtgärdsarbete i Stockholms skärgård. Den här studien fokuserade på vilka ekosystemtjänster och nyttigheter markägare värdesätter i naturtypen grunda havsvikar. Resultatet kompletterar kunskapen om människans förhållande till denna naturtyp och lägger en viktig grund för att inkludera sociala mål och indikatorer i arbetet för att skydda och restaurera grunda havsvikar.Ekosystemtjänster är fortfarande ett abstrakt begrepp för många och rapporten syftar till att genom exempel synliggöra hur ekosystemtjänster kan användas för att stödja en långsiktigt hållbar förvaltning av kustområden. Att ta hänsyn till det komplexa samspelet mellan människa och natur är en central del av ekosystembaserad förvaltning. Våra tre exempel fyller delvis olika syften inom denna komplexitet. De kan användas individuellt för särskilda ändamål eller komplettera varandra. I samtliga fall är det viktigt att arbeta nära aktörer för att tydligt definiera behov, syften, och säkerställa att de slutliga resultaten blir lokalt användbara.
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| 13. |
- Forslund, Helena, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Higher resistance to herbivory in introduced compared to native populations of a seaweed
- 2010
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Ingår i: Oecologia. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0029-8549 .- 1432-1939. ; 164:3, s. 833-840
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Non-indigenous species (NIS) are important components of global change, and in order to manage such species it is important to understand which factors affect their success. Interactions with enemies in the new range have been shown to be important for the outcome of introductions, but thus far most studies on NIS-enemy interactions have considered only specialist herbivores in terrestrial systems. Here we present the results from the first biogeographic study that compares herbivore resistance between populations in the native and new region of a non-indigenous seaweed. We show that low consumption of the non-indigenous seaweed by a generalist herbivore is caused by higher chemical defence levels and herbivore resistance in the new range-and not by the failure of the herbivore to recognise the non-indigenous seaweed as a suitable host. Since most seaweed-herbivore interactions are dominated by generalist herbivores, this pattern could be common in marine communities. Our results also reveal that traits used to predict the invasive potential of species, such as their resistance to enemies, can change during the invasion process, but not always in the way predicted by dominant theories.
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Halin, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
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Pigment epithelium-derived factor stimulates tumor macrophage recruitment and is downregulated by the prostate tumor microenvironment
- 2010
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Ingår i: Neoplasia. - : Neoplasia press. - 1522-8002 .- 1476-5586. ; 12:4, s. 336-345
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis but whether it has additional effects on the tumor microenvironment is largely unexplored. We show that overexpression of PEDF in orthotopic MatLyLu rat prostate tumors increased tumor macrophage recruitment. The fraction of macrophages expressing inducible nitric oxide synthase, a marker of cytotoxic M1 macrophages, was increased, suggesting that PEDF could enhance antitumor immunity. In addition, PEDF overexpression reduced vascular growth both in the tumor and in the surrounding normal tissue, slowed tumor growth, and decreased lymph node metastasis. Contrary, extratumoral lymphangiogenesis was increased. PEDF expression is, for reasons unknown, often decreased or lost during prostate tumor progression. When AT-1 rat prostate tumor cells, expressing high levels of PEDF messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein, were injected into the prostate, PEDF is markedly downregulated, suggesting that factors in the microenvironment suppressed its expression. One such factor could be macrophage-derived tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα). A fraction of the accumulating macrophages expressed TNFα, and TNFα treatment downregulated the expression of PEDF protein and mRNA in prostate AT-1 tumor cells in vitro and in the rat ventral prostate in vivo. PEDF apparently has multiple effects in prostate tumors: it suppresses angiogenesis and metastasis, but it also causes macrophage accumulation. Accumulating macrophages may inhibit tumor growth, but they may also suppress PEDF and enhance lymph angiogenesis and, in this way, eventually enhance tumor growth.
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| 16. |
- Halling, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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Introduction of Asian strains and low genetic variation in farmed seaweeds : indications for new management practices
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Applied Phycology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-8971 .- 1573-5176. ; 25:1, s. 89-95
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Seaweed farming has a crucial role in the development of future sustainable mariculture. In the same time, spreading of introduced species or genotypes from farms may threaten local ecosystems. We analyzed a molecular marker (mitochondrial cox2-3 spacers) from cultivated and wild specimen of the widely farmed seaweeds Eucheuma and Kappaphycus, collected in Zanzibar on the African east coast where commercial farming was introduced in 1989. Genotypes of presumed Asian origin were found growing on coral reefs and drifting in seagrass meadows, indicating that genotypes introduced for farming have established successfully in the wild in Zanzibar. Only a very low number of genotypes, all of Asian origin, were found in the farms. This indicates a low accessible gene pool, which can limit the capacity for adaptation to changed conditions and disease resistance in the farming system. African genotypes were found in a few sites, showing the potential for future farming of native strains. The ecological effects of the Asian genotypes introduced to coral reefs should also be further investigated in order to evaluate the risk connected with further introductions of new foreign strains.
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| 17. |
- Nyström Sandman, Antonia, 1973-, et al.
(författare)
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Scale-dependent influence of environmental factors on species distribution : a case study on five benthic species in the Baltic Sea
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Statistical modelling can be used to relate biological survey data to environmental factors, thereby providing a basis for predictive mapping of species or communities. However, there has been little discussion about the effect of scale on the predictive power of the variables used for species prediction. In this study, we analysed if the relative importance of environmental factors for the distribution of aquatic species was scale dependent, using data on the cover of five common benthic species (four macrophytes and one animal), from 1731 sites along the Swedish Baltic Sea coast. We modelled the cover and distribution of the five species in relation to salinity, depth, slope, wave exposure and substrate in scale steps from 25 to 1500 km, and analysed the relative contribution of the environmental variables to each species model. The average total deviance explained by the models was generally quite high, and decreased with increasing scale for all macrophyte species, while it increased for the animal, the Baltic Sea blue mussel, Mytilus edulis. The average contribution of salinity increased for all species when moving from local to Baltic Sea scale, and for the Baltic Sea blue mussel it was the single most important factor at the Baltic Sea scale. The average contribution of depth decreased with increasing scale for all species. However, regardless of scale, depth was the most important environmental factor to explain the distribution of all but one of the investigated macrophyte species. The relative contribution of different environmental variables changed with scale, and responses also differed between species. Factors measured on a fine scale, and thus describing local conditions were more influential at the local scale, whereas the large scale salinity gradient increased in importance with scale.
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| 18. |
- NYSTRÖM SANDMAN, ANTONIA, et al.
(författare)
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VALUES – värdering av akvatiskta livsmiljöers ekosystemtjänster
- 2017
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Ekosystemtjänster kan bidra till att synliggöra värden i naturen som människor är beroende av för sin överlevnad och sin välfärd. Värdet av ekosystemtjänster behöver också tydligt och systematiskt integreras i politiska beslut och i förvaltningen av våra gemensamma naturresurser, på alla dess nivåer.Övergödningen av Östersjön är ett fortsatt stort problem. Projektet Values har visat hur kartering, kvantifiering och värdering av ekosystemfunktioner kan användas för att visa på värde och nytta av olika typer av ekosystemtjänster i relation till mänsklig påverkan i form av invasiva arter och övergödning i två studiesystem, djupa sedimentbottnar och grunda kustområden.I rapporten visas att vi för att kunna ta hänsyn till ekosystemtjänster i beslutsfattande och förvaltning, behöver kartlägga dem och övervaka förändringar i deras tillstånd. Studien visar på ett konkret sätt hur begreppet ekosystemtjänster kan komma till praktisk nytta.Den här rapporten är ett resultat från ett av sju projekt inom forskningssatsningen Värdet av ekosystemtjänster och har författats av forskare vid AquaBiota Water Research, SLU och SU Östersjöcentrum. Projektet finansierades av Naturvårdsverkets miljöforskningsanslag.
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| 19. |
- Sagerman, Josefin, et al.
(författare)
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Divergent ecological strategies determine different impacts on community production by two successful non-native seaweeds
- 2014
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Ingår i: Oecologia. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0029-8549 .- 1432-1939. ; 175:3, s. 937-946
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The consequences of plant introductions into ecosystems are frequently reported from terrestrial environments, but little is known about the effects on ecosystem functioning caused by non-native primary producers in marine systems. In this study we explored the effects of the invasion by the two filamentous red algae Heterosiphonia japonica and Bonnemaisonia hamifera on the primary production of seaweed communities by using single and mixed cultures of non-native and native red algae. The experiments were conducted both in the presence and absence of herbivores. Biomass production of the invaded community increased more than four times in mixed cultures with H. japonica, while introduction by B. hamifera had no significant effect. The different impact on community production could be explained by differences in life history strategies between the invaders; H. japonica grew considerably faster than the native seaweeds which directly increased the community production, while B. hamifera showed a relatively slow growth rate and therefore had no effect. From previous studies it is known that B. hamifera produces a highly deterrent, but also costly, chemical defence. The assessment of survival and growth of a native generalist herbivore further corroborated that the biomass produced by B. hamifera constitutes a very low-quality food, whereas the performance of herbivores on a diet of H. japonica was comparable to that on native algal diets. In summary, this study demonstrates that successful invaders belonging to the same functional group (filamentous red algae) may have distinctly different impacts on productivity in the recipient community, depending on their specific life history traits.
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| 20. |
- Sagerman, Josefin, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of boat traffic and mooring infrastructure on aquatic vegetation : A systematic review and meta-analysis
- 2020
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Ingår i: Ambio. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 49:2, s. 517-530
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sustainable management of coastal and inland water areas requires knowledge of how tourism and recreation affects the ecosystems. Here, we present the first systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify to what extent recreational boat traffic and infrastructure for mooring affect the abundance of submerged vegetation on soft bottoms. Our systematic search yielded 25 studies containing data on effects of boat traffic, docks and mooring buoys on vegetation abundance. The abundance below docks was on average 18% of that in controls, and areas with boat traffic had on average 42% of the abundance in control areas. Mooring buoys often created scour areas without vegetation. However, the effects were variable and there were too few studies to test the reasons for this variability. We conclude that boating can cause significant declines in submerged vegetation but that informed management of boat traffic and improved design of docks and buoys can reduce negative impacts.
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| 21. |
- Sagerman, Josefin, et al.
(författare)
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Low feeding preference of native herbivores for the successful non-native seaweed Heterosiphonia japonica
- 2015
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Ingår i: Marine Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0025-3162 .- 1432-1793. ; 162:12, s. 2471-2479
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Non-native seaweeds constitute a conspicuous component of many benthic coastal communities. Seaweed invaders are known to significantly affect invaded communities, but relatively little is known about the mechanisms underlying their success. In this study, we explored the feeding preferences of three generalist herbivores for the successful non-native red alga Heterosiphonia japonica and native seaweed competitors. The experiments were conducted on the Swedish Skagerrak coast (58°52′N, 11°08′E) from July to August. Additionally, chemical and physical traits of the seaweeds were assessed to mechanistically explain herbivore preferences. The results showed that H. japonica was of low preference to native herbivores and that this was most likely explained by chemical properties of the invader. We were, however, not able to determine whether the low preference was caused by deterrent metabolites or low nutritional quality. We conclude that herbivore avoidance may be important for the survival and success of H. japonica in the introduced range and that efficient means of escaping herbivory may be a common feature of invaders in seaweed communities. © 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
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| 22. |
- Schagerström, Ellen, et al.
(författare)
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Var finns den frilevande blåstången?
- 2020
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Ingår i: Svensk Botanisk Tidskrift. - 0039-646X. ; 114:5, s. 260-263
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Flera äldre marinbotanister har skrivit om en frilevande form av blåstång. Nu arbetar forskare inom projektet FunkVeg på Stockholms och Helsingfors universitet med att kartlägga och dokumentera den frilevande blåstången som bildar viktiga livsmiljöer för många arter i Östersjöns kustnära vatten.V i vill ta reda på vilken utbredning den frilevande formen av blåstång Fucus vesiculosus har i Sverige och Finland. Vår forskning strävar också efter att ta reda på vilken roll den spelar i Östersjöns grunda kustekosystem och hur bestånden förändras över tid och påverkas av klimatförändringen. Inventeringar i Tyskland på 2000-talet visade att de frilevande bestånden av blåstång gått tillbaka kraftigt, framförallt på grund av att övergödning och småskalig exploatering av grunda områden försämrat deras livsmiljö. Det ledde till att deras habitat klassats som hotat i Helsingforskommissionens rödlista för biotoper (Helcom 2013). Men vad vet vi egentligen om den frilevande blåstångens utbredning på en Östersjöskala och vilken funktion har den som habitat?
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| 23. |
- Svedäng, Henrik, et al.
(författare)
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Compensatory Feeding in Eastern Baltic Cod (Gadus morhua) : Recent Shifts in Otolith Growth and Nitrogen Content Suggest Unprecedented Metabolic Changes
- 2020
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Marine Science. - : FRONTIERS MEDIA SA. - 2296-7745. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The productivity of the Eastern Baltic cod (EBC) has been severely reduced over the last 25 years, for reasons that remain unclear. The size distribution of EBC has become increasingly truncated, condition and health status have deteriorated, and sexual maturation has started to occur at increasingly smaller sizes. Despite an increasing trend in recruitment during this period, reduced growth or increased mortality rates after the recruitment phase have resulted in decreasing landing levels and low profitability in the cod fishery, whereas the scientific community has difficulties in disentangling the causes of the decline of EBC. We studied changes in metabolic status in EBC between the capture years of 1995 and 2015, by investigating two aspects of fish metabolism that can be extracted retrospectively from otolith (earstone) morphometry and nitrogen content. Changes in relative otolith size to fish size are related to the metabolic history of the individual fish, and the otolith nitrogen content reveals the level of protein synthesis and feeding rate. Because otoliths accrue continuously on their surface and are biological stable (inert), the chemical content of the otolith trajectory reflects the timeline of the fish. We measured the N/Ca ratio as a proxy for protein content in EBC otolith along distal radius traverses from the core to the edge of the otolith by using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Here we show that the otoliths have become smaller at a given fish size, and the ratio of N/Ca has increased over the studied period. These proxies reveal significant metabolic changes during the same period as the condition, and stock productivity has declined. We discuss potential mechanisms behind the metabolic changes, including elevated temperature and compensatory feeding due to nutrient deficiencies. Such changes in food quality may, in turn, relate to still unrecognized but on-going ecosystem shifts, where climate change could be the ultimate driver.
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| 24. |
- Svedäng, Henrik, et al.
(författare)
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Re-thinking the “ecological envelope” of Eastern Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) : conditions for productivity, reproduction, and feeding over time
- 2022
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Ingår i: ICES Journal of Marine Science. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1054-3139 .- 1095-9289. ; 79:3, s. 689-708
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hypoxia is presently seen as the principal driver behind the decline of the former dominating Eastern Baltic cod stock (EBC; Gadus morhua). It has been proposed that both worsening conditions for reproduction and lower individual growth, condition, and survival are linked to hypoxia. Here, we elucidate the ecological envelope of EBC in terms of salinity stratification, oxygen content, and benthic animal biomasses, and how it has affected EBC productivity over time. The spawning conditions started deteriorating in the Gotland Deep in the 1950s due to oxygen depletion. In contrast, in the Bornholm Basin, hydrographic conditions have remained unchanged over the last 60 years. Indeed, the current extent of both well-oxygenated areas and the frequency of hypoxia events do not differ substantially from periods with high EBC productivity in the 1970s–1980s. Furthermore, oxygenated and therefore potentially suitable feeding areas are abundant in all parts of the Baltic Sea, and our novel analysis provides no evidence of a reduction in benthic food sources for EBC over the last 30 years. We find that while reproduction failure is intricately linked to hydrographic dynamics, a relationship between the spread of hypoxia and the decline in EBC productivity during the last decades cannot be substantiated.
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| 25. |
- Wallin, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Spatially dependent relationships between environmental factors and phytobenthic communities along the Swedish coast of the Baltic Sea, a numeric model approach
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The phytobenthic plant and animal communities are important components in the Baltic Sea ecosystem. In order to properly manage and monitor these communities the knowledge of structuring factors is important. In this study we used multivariate analyses to test the relative importance of environmental variables structuring the phytobenthic communities along the Swedish Baltic Sea coast, how the importance of these factors change with spatial scale and between the three main Baltic Sea sub-basins, the Baltic proper, Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay. We also studied the effect of these environmental factors for different species groups. The environmental factors included were salinity, wave exposure, substrate slope, depth and substrate type. For the analysis a large dataset of 1362 diving transects performed with comparable methods was used, describing the phytobenthic plant and animal species depth distribution and coverage. The environmental factors changed in importance at the different scales. The community-environment relationships also differed between the sub-basins, especially in the Bothnian Bay compared to the Baltic proper and Bothnian Sea. In the calculated best combination of factors correlating with the phytobenthic community the depth and the substrate were included in a majority of the analyses, both at different scales and in the different sub-basins. Differences in the correlation between the phytobenthic community and the environmental factors were also found between species groups. The differences between the spatial scales, the sub-basins and the species groups indicate that the criteria for environmental status, and stratification of sampling during local monitoring assessments, have to be area specific.
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| 26. |
- Weinberger, Florian, et al.
(författare)
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Seaweed resources of the Baltic Sea, Kattegat and German and Danish North Sea coasts
- 2020
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Ingår i: Botanica Marina. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 0006-8055 .- 1437-4323. ; 63:1, s. 61-72
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Due to low salinity and lack of hard substrata, the Baltic Sea and Kattegat area and German and Danish North Sea coasts are characterized by a relatively low diversity of seaweeds. At the same time the areas are severely eutrophicated, which has caused extensive shifts in macroalgal communities toward opportunistic species. Unattached seaweed communities dominated by Furcellaria lumbricalis, which have been a resource for hydrocolloid production since the 1940s, have been severely reduced due to eutrophication and unsustainable harvesting and are nowadays only exploited commercially in Estonia. On the other hand, the biomass of opportunistic seaweeds of various red, green and brown algal genera has increased. They cause ecological problems, are a nuisance on many tourist beaches and constitute at the same time a potential bioresource that is so far only exploited to a limited extent for production of energy and fertilizer. Commercial seaweed cultivation is largely focused on Saccharina latissima and still very limited, but is currently being expanded as a compensation measure for sea-based fish aquaculture. Also land-based seaweed cultivation is primarily employed for recycling of nutrients in tank animal aquaculture, but in most cases so far only on an experimental scale.
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| 27. |
- Wikström, Sofia A., et al.
(författare)
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Cover of coastal vegetation as an indicator of eutrophication along environmental gradients
- 2016
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Ingår i: Marine Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0025-3162 .- 1432-1793. ; 163:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Coastal vegetation communities are important for primary production, biodiversity, coastal protection, carbon and nutrient cycling which, in combination with their sensitivity to eutrophication, render them potential indicators of environmental status for environmental policies like the EU Water and Marine Strategy Framework Directives. We evaluated one potential indicator for coastal vegetation, the cumulative cover at depths where the vegetation is light limited, by investigating its response to eutrophication along gradients in natural conditions. We used a large data set covering the Swedish coastline, spanning broad gradients in nutrient level, water clarity, sea-bed substrate, physical exposure and climate in addition to a salinity gradient from 0.5 to 30.5. Macroalgal cover increased significantly along gradients of declining nutrient concentration and increasing water clarity when we had accounted for diver effects, spatio-temporal sampling variability, salinity gradients, wave exposure and latitude. The developed empirical model explained 79% of the variation in algal cover across 130 areas. Based on this, we identified macroalgal cover as a promising indicator across the Baltic Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak. A parallel analysis of soft-substrate macrophytes similarly identified significant increases in cover with decreasing concentrations of total nitrogen and increasing salinity, but the resulting empirical model explained only 52% of the variation in cover, probably due to the spatially more variable nature of soft-substrate vegetation. The identified general responses of vegetation cover to gradients of eutrophication across wide ranges in environmental settings may be useful for monitoring and management of marine vegetation in areas with strong environmental gradients.
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| 28. |
- Wikström, Sofia A., et al.
(författare)
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Ekosystemansatsen – praktiska erfarenheter från svensk havs- och vattenförvaltning
- 2020
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Rapporten sammanfattar resultaten från forskningsprojektet ”Ekosystemansatsen – praktiska erfarenheter och nästa steg”. Projektet har undersökt erfarenheter av det praktiska införandet av ekosystembaserad havs-, vattenoch fiskförvaltning i Sverige, utifrån publicerad litteratur och intervjuer med nyckelpersoner i Sverige, Tyskland, Norge och USA. Sammanställningen visar att Sverige tagit flera steg mot en mer ekosystembaserad förvaltning, men pekar också på svårigheter. En viktig erfarenhet är att ekosystembaserad förvaltning ställer höga krav på samverkan och kommunikation mellan aktörer och att en stabil och tillräcklig finansiering är en viktig förutsättning. Det finns behov av en tydligare styrning och uppföljning från centrala myndigheter, en mer långsiktig finansiering och tydligare processer för kunskapsutbyte mellan olika aktörer. Det finns även ett behov av att kartlägga bristande överensstämmelse mellan olika sektorslagstiftningar och olika samhällsmål och att diskutera målkonflikter på nationell nivå. Implementeringen av åtgärdsprogram och planer behöver stärkas genom att berörda aktörer ges ett tydligt ansvar för att förvaltningsmål uppfylls och för en ambitiös uppföljning av framsteg mot målen. Det vore också önskvärt att vidareutveckla indikatorer för ekosystembaserad förvaltning som kvantitativt mäter framstegen mot dess principer.
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| 29. |
- Wikström, Sofia A., et al.
(författare)
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Establishment of the exotic species Fucus evanescens C. Ag. (Phaeophyceae) in Öresund, Southern Sweden
- 2002
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Ingår i: Botanica Marina. - 0006-8055 .- 1437-4323. ; 45:6, s. 510-517
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The spread and establishment of the exotic species Fucus evanescens in öresund, Southern Sweden was documented through inventories in 1966–72 and 2000. The species spread fast from the first known introduction in 1955, colonising harbours along the coast. After this expansion the further spread has been limited and the species is still largely confined to harbour areas, where it occurs in the same depth zone as its native relatives, F. vesiculosus, F. serratus and Ascophyllum nodosum. It is more common in the northern part of the area and has not expanded into the Baltic Sea proper. Tests of the attachment strength of F. evanescens plants suggest that the restriction to harbours is not due to the direct effects of wave exposure on adults. In the laboratory, reproductive success of F. evanescens decreased from 99% in 24 psu to 12% in 10 psu and at lower salinity reproduction failed. Growth of embryonic recruits was similarly affected by salinity. Hence, low salinity explains the limited success of F. evanescens in southern Öresund, where the salinity is low and fluctuating, and its failure to colonise the Baltic Sea proper.
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| 30. |
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| 31. |
- Wikström, Sofia A., et al.
(författare)
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Invasion of a habitat-forming seaweed : effects on associated biota
- 2004
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Ingår i: Biological Invasions. - 1387-3547 .- 1573-1464. ; 6:2, s. 141-150
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Fucus evanescens is a brown alga of arctic origin that has invaded European coasts. The epiphytic community of F. evanescens in southern Sweden was compared with that of the native Fucus vesiculosus, to examine to what extent an invading seaweed can modify local biodiversity. F. evanescens was much less fouled than F. vesiculosus, supporting both less biomass and fewer species of epiphytes. Multivariate analysis of the most common epiphyte taxa showed that the epiphytic community composition of F. evanescens was not entirely separated from that of F. vesiculosus, but host species contributed significantly to explain the variation in community composition. The biomass of free-living invertebrates was also lower on F. evanescens, although the pattern differed between taxonomic groups. While the biomass of amphipods was lower on F. evanescens, there was no significant difference in biomass of isopods or gastropods between the Fucus species. The good correlation between biomass of epiphytes and free-living animals suggests that the epiphytes play an important role in providing a suitable habitat for many species of free-living epifauna. The study shows that the invasion of F. evanescens affects the environmental conditions for many species associated with the Fucus community but that the direct effect on biodiversity is probably low.
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| 32. |
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| 33. |
- Wikström, Sofia A., 1975-
(författare)
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Marine Seaweed Invasions : the Ecology of Introduced Fucus evanescens
- 2004
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Biological invasions are an important issue of global change and an increased understanding of invasion processes is of crucial importance for both conservation managers and international trade. In this thesis, I have studied the invasion of the brown seaweed Fucus evanescens, to investigate the fate and effect of a perennial, habitat-forming seaweed introduced to a coastal ecosystem. A long-term study of the spread of F. evanescens in Öresund (southern Sweden) showed that the species was able to expand its range quickly during the first 20 years after the introduction, but that the expansion has been slow during the subsequent 30 years. Both in Öresund and in Skagerrak, the species is largely restricted to sites where native fucoids are scarce. Laboratory experiments showed that the restricted spread of F. evanescens cannot be explained by the investigated abiotic factors (wave exposure and salinity), although salinity restricts the species from spreading into the Baltic Sea. Neither did I find evidence for that herbivores or epibiota provide biotic resistance to the invader. On the contrary, F. evanescens was less consumed by native herbivores, both compared to the native fucoids and to F. evanescens populations in its native range, and little overgrown by epiphytes. Instead, the restricted spread may be due to competition from native seaweeds, probably by pre-occupation of space, and the establishment has probably been facilitated by disturbance. The studies provided little support for a general enemy release in introduced seaweeds. The low herbivore consumption of F. evanescens in Sweden could not be explained by release from specialist herbivores. Instead, high levels of chemical anti-herbivore defence metabolites (phlorotannins) could explain the pattern of herbivore preference for different fucoids. Likewise, the low epibiotic colonisation of F. evanescens plants could be explained by high resistance to epibiotic survival. This shows that colonisation of invading seaweeds by native herbivores and epibionts depends on properties of the invading species. The large differences between fucoid species in their quality as food and habitat for epibionts and herbivores imply that invasions of such habitat-forming species may have a considerable effect on a number of other species in shallow coastal areas. However, since F. evanescens did not exclude other fucoids in its new range, its effect on the recipient biota is probably small.
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| 34. |
- Wikström, Sofia A., et al.
(författare)
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Structure and diversity of invertebrate communities in the presence and absence of canopy-forming Fucus vesiculosus in the Baltic Sea
- 2007
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Ingår i: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0272-7714. ; 72, s. 168-176
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Canopy-forming seaweeds are regarded as important habitat-formers in shallow coastal zones and their present decline or disappearance in many coastal areas can potentially affect diversity and abundance of associated species. Here, we evaluate potential effects of large-scale disappearance of the dominant canopy-forming species Fucus vesiculosus L. on vegetation-associated invertebrates in the Baltic Sea. We compare the macroalgal and invertebrate assemblages between sites where F. vesiculosus has disappeared over a larger area and adjacent sites with intact Fucus vegetation. The species richness of animals did not differ between sites with and without F. vesiculosus and no species were clearly confined to sites with Fucus. However, total animal abundance and biomass were generally lower when F. vesiculosus was absent and the animal assemblage at sites without Fucus differed consistently from adjacent Fucus sites. Since the assemblage of epiphytic and turf-forming macroalgae also differed with the presence of Fucus, the differences in invertebrate assemblages can be explained either by direct effects of the Fucus plants or by altered abundance of other macroalgal species. Based on these observations we suggest that large-scale disappearance of F. vesiculosus in the Baltic Sea may result in a changed composition and biomass of vegetation-associated invertebrates, with potential effects on higher trophic levels.
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| 35. |
- Åberg, Anna-Maja, et al.
(författare)
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High monocyte count and expression of s100a9 and s100a12 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells are associated with poor outcome in patients with metastatic prostate cancer
- 2021
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Ingår i: Cancers. - : MDPI. - 2072-6694. ; 13:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Increasing evidence indicates calcium-binding S100 protein involvement in inflammation and tumor progression. In this prospective study, we evaluated the mRNA levels of two members of this family, S100A9 and S100A12, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in a cohort of 121 prostate cancer patients using RT-PCR. Furthermore, monocyte count was determined by flow cytometry. By stratifying patients into different risk groups, according to TNM stage, Gleason score and PSA concentration at diagnosis, expression of S100A9 and S100A12 was found to be significantly higher in patients with metastases compared to patients without clinically detectable metastases. In line with this, we observed that the protein levels of S100A9 and S100A12 in plasma were higher in patients with advanced disease. Importantly, in patients with metastases at diagnosis, high monocyte count and high levels of S100A9 and S100A12 were significantly associated with short progression free survival (PFS) after androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). High monocyte count and S100A9 levels were also associated with short cancer-specific survival, with monocyte count providing independent prognostic information. These findings indicate that circulating levels of monocytes, as well as S100A9 and S100A12, could be biomarkers for metastatic prostate cancer associated with particularly poor prognosis.
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