Comparative analysis of mesozooplankton size fraction structure in bivalve aquaculture embayments in Atlantic and Pacific Canadian coastal regions
Coastal embayments are dynamic ecosystems facing environmental and anthropogenic pressures, including bivalve aquaculture and climate change. Mesozooplankton, essential for transferring energy from primary producers to higher trophic levels, serve as indicators of habitat changes. Size structure is...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Environmental and Sustainability Indicators |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665972724002307 |
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| author | Ruben D. Cordero Anaïs Lacoursière-Roussel Ramón Filgueira Julie Arseneau Jeffrey Barrell Timothy J. Barrett Christopher W. McKindsey Daria Gallardi Olivia Gibb Terri Sutherland Thomas Guyondet |
| author_facet | Ruben D. Cordero Anaïs Lacoursière-Roussel Ramón Filgueira Julie Arseneau Jeffrey Barrell Timothy J. Barrett Christopher W. McKindsey Daria Gallardi Olivia Gibb Terri Sutherland Thomas Guyondet |
| author_sort | Ruben D. Cordero |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Coastal embayments are dynamic ecosystems facing environmental and anthropogenic pressures, including bivalve aquaculture and climate change. Mesozooplankton, essential for transferring energy from primary producers to higher trophic levels, serve as indicators of habitat changes. Size structure is a critical trait that reflects local community dynamics, trophic interactions, and ecosystem conditions, offering insights into the functioning and resilience of aquatic environments. This study examines the spatio-temporal variation in mesozooplankton size structure across nine bivalve aquaculture embayments in Atlantic and Pacific Canada from 2020 to 2022. Using high-resolution imaging (FlowCam®) to measure individual zooplankton, we assessed the effects of location, tide, sampling day, season, and aquaculture pressure on the size distribution variation among and within bays. Results indicate that bays with similar size distributions tend to have larger mesozooplankton, while those with more variable distributions are dominated by medium-sized individuals. Significant associations between environmental factors and size variation were observed in four of eleven sampling events. Notably, St. Peters Bay, with the highest aquaculture pressure, showed significant variation associated with station location and sampling day. However, the tide effect was significant only in two sampling events. Seasonal analysis revealed that colder months generally exhibited larger median sizes, with some exceptions influenced by local conditions. Despite high levels of aquaculture pressure in some bays, no consistent association between aquaculture pressure and size variation was found, highlighting the influence of local environmental factors. This study underscores the importance of monitoring mesozooplankton size structure as a bioindicator for effective ecosystem management and targeted conservation strategies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-349c467aa2654acd8b947ac49766b76a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2665-9727 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental and Sustainability Indicators |
| spelling | doaj-art-349c467aa2654acd8b947ac49766b76a2025-01-29T05:01:50ZengElsevierEnvironmental and Sustainability Indicators2665-97272025-02-0125100562Comparative analysis of mesozooplankton size fraction structure in bivalve aquaculture embayments in Atlantic and Pacific Canadian coastal regionsRuben D. Cordero0Anaïs Lacoursière-Roussel1Ramón Filgueira2Julie Arseneau3Jeffrey Barrell4Timothy J. Barrett5Christopher W. McKindsey6Daria Gallardi7Olivia Gibb8Terri Sutherland9Thomas Guyondet10Gulf Fisheries Centre, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada; Corresponding author. Gulf Fisheries Centre, 343 Université Ave, Moncton, NB, E1C 5K4, Canada.St. Andrews Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, CanadaMarine Affairs Program, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaSt. Andrews Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, CanadaGulf Fisheries Centre, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Moncton, New Brunswick, CanadaSt. Andrews Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, CanadaMaurice-Lamontagne Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Mont Joli, Québec, CanadaNorthwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, CanadaNorthwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, CanadaPacific Science Enterprise Centre, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, West Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaGulf Fisheries Centre, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Moncton, New Brunswick, CanadaCoastal embayments are dynamic ecosystems facing environmental and anthropogenic pressures, including bivalve aquaculture and climate change. Mesozooplankton, essential for transferring energy from primary producers to higher trophic levels, serve as indicators of habitat changes. Size structure is a critical trait that reflects local community dynamics, trophic interactions, and ecosystem conditions, offering insights into the functioning and resilience of aquatic environments. This study examines the spatio-temporal variation in mesozooplankton size structure across nine bivalve aquaculture embayments in Atlantic and Pacific Canada from 2020 to 2022. Using high-resolution imaging (FlowCam®) to measure individual zooplankton, we assessed the effects of location, tide, sampling day, season, and aquaculture pressure on the size distribution variation among and within bays. Results indicate that bays with similar size distributions tend to have larger mesozooplankton, while those with more variable distributions are dominated by medium-sized individuals. Significant associations between environmental factors and size variation were observed in four of eleven sampling events. Notably, St. Peters Bay, with the highest aquaculture pressure, showed significant variation associated with station location and sampling day. However, the tide effect was significant only in two sampling events. Seasonal analysis revealed that colder months generally exhibited larger median sizes, with some exceptions influenced by local conditions. Despite high levels of aquaculture pressure in some bays, no consistent association between aquaculture pressure and size variation was found, highlighting the influence of local environmental factors. This study underscores the importance of monitoring mesozooplankton size structure as a bioindicator for effective ecosystem management and targeted conservation strategies.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665972724002307size fraction structureMesozooplanktonCoastal embaymentsBivalve aquaculture |
| spellingShingle | Ruben D. Cordero Anaïs Lacoursière-Roussel Ramón Filgueira Julie Arseneau Jeffrey Barrell Timothy J. Barrett Christopher W. McKindsey Daria Gallardi Olivia Gibb Terri Sutherland Thomas Guyondet Comparative analysis of mesozooplankton size fraction structure in bivalve aquaculture embayments in Atlantic and Pacific Canadian coastal regions Environmental and Sustainability Indicators size fraction structure Mesozooplankton Coastal embayments Bivalve aquaculture |
| title | Comparative analysis of mesozooplankton size fraction structure in bivalve aquaculture embayments in Atlantic and Pacific Canadian coastal regions |
| title_full | Comparative analysis of mesozooplankton size fraction structure in bivalve aquaculture embayments in Atlantic and Pacific Canadian coastal regions |
| title_fullStr | Comparative analysis of mesozooplankton size fraction structure in bivalve aquaculture embayments in Atlantic and Pacific Canadian coastal regions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparative analysis of mesozooplankton size fraction structure in bivalve aquaculture embayments in Atlantic and Pacific Canadian coastal regions |
| title_short | Comparative analysis of mesozooplankton size fraction structure in bivalve aquaculture embayments in Atlantic and Pacific Canadian coastal regions |
| title_sort | comparative analysis of mesozooplankton size fraction structure in bivalve aquaculture embayments in atlantic and pacific canadian coastal regions |
| topic | size fraction structure Mesozooplankton Coastal embayments Bivalve aquaculture |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665972724002307 |
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