Numerical Increases and Distributional Shifts of Chrysaora Quinquecirrha (Desor) and Aurelia Aurita (Linne)´ (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa) in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Numerical Increases and Distributional Shifts of Chrysaora Quinquecirrha (Desor) and Aurelia Aurita (Linne)´ (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa) in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Hydrobiologia 451: 97–111, 2001. 97 © 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. Numerical increases and distributional shifts of Chrysaora quinquecirrha (Desor) and Aurelia aurita (Linne)´ (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa) in the northern Gulf of Mexico W. M. Graham Dauphin Island Sea Lab and Department of Marine Science, University of South Alabama, 101 Bienville Blvd, Dauphin Island, AL, 36528, U.S.A. E-mail: [email protected] Key words: jellyfish, medusae, Mississippi River, SEAMAP, eutrophication, hypoxia Abstract Fisheries resource trawl survey data from the National Marine Fisheries Service from a 11–13-year period to 1997 were examined to quantify numerical and distributional changes of two species of northern Gulf of Mexico scyphomedusae: the Atlantic sea nettle, Chrysaora quinquecirrha (Desor), and the moon jelly, Aurelia aurita (Linné). Trawl surveys were grouped into 10 statistical regions from Mobile Bay, Alabama to the southern extent of Texas, and extended seaward to the shelf break. Records of summertime C. quinquecirrha medusa populations show both an overall numerical increase and a distributional expansion away from shore in the down-stream productivity field of two major river system outflows: Mobile Bay and the Mississippi-Atchafalaya Rivers. In addition, there is a significant overlap between summer C. quinquecirrha and lower water column hypoxia on the Louisiana shelf. In trawl surveys from the fall, A. aurita medusae showed significant trends of numerical increase in over half of the regions analyzed. For both species, there were statistical regions of no significant change, but there were no regions that showed significant decrease in number or distribution. The relationships between natural and human-induced (e.g. coastal eutrophication, fishing activity and hard substrate supplementation) ecosystem modifications are very complex in the Gulf of Mexico, and the potential impact of increased jellyfish populations in one of North America’s most valuable fishing grounds is a most critical issue. Several hypotheses are developed and discussed to guide future research efforts in the Gulf of Mexico. Introduction Increased jellyfish production in marine ecosys- tems is perhaps a symptom of larger ecosystem de- The role of jellyfish in long-term ecosystem change gradation due to coastal eutrophication and over- is receiving increased attention. A number of mar- fishing (Caddy, 1993; Mills, 1995). During ‘bloom’ ine ecosystems, identified by Mills (2001) have either events, jellyfish are capable of exerting considerable documented or suspected cases of long-term eco- control over the flow of energy and nutrients through logical variations that involve jellyfish populations. the ecosystem due to extremely high consumption However, systematically collected, long-term data- rates (Purcell, 1989, 1992, 1997). As such, coastal sets involving jellyfish numbers or biomass are rare. seas with a high degree of susceptibility to eutrophic- Among the notable cases where ecological change is ation and with high fisheries yields should be closely best documented with respect to jellyfish are the Black watched for similar ecological change. Yet, again, the and Azov Seas (Kideys, 1994; Kovalev & Piontkovski, availability of existing long-term data-sets involving 1998; Shiganova, 1998; Purcell et al., 2001), the Ber- jellyfish numbers is rare. ing Sea (Brodeur et al., 1999) and the Mediterranean The northern Gulf of Mexico continental shelf is Sea (Goy et al., 1989). among the most productive and highly fished regions 98 of North America. Pulsed delivery of nutrients to the The goal of the present study is to analyze more Gulf of Mexico through the Mississippi River Delta than 10 years of data from large-scale trawling efforts and numerous other river-dominated estuaries of the in the northern Gulf of Mexico. These fishery resource northern Gulf account for a cumulative regional estu- survey data will be used to assess long-term vari- arine surface area of 30 000 km2. The drainage area ations in two important jellyfish species: the Atlantic emptying into the Gulf of Mexico is over 4 mil- sea nettle, Chrysaora quinquecirrha (Desor), and the lion km2 or approximately 55% of the conterminous moon jellyfish, Aurelia aurita (Linné). Similar ana- United States with the Mississippi River and Mo- lyses of fisheries trawl data have been used previously bile Bay estuary discharging the 1st and 4th largest to identify long-term changes of jellyfish populations volumes, respectively. To complicate ecological vari- in the Bering Sea (Brodeur et al., 1999). ations, the Gulf of Mexico yields about 1/3 of the total United States fishery production and supports the largest fishery by volume in North America in the Methods planktivorous Gulf Menhaden, Brevoortia patronus. Fluvial discharge of nutrients directly onto the SEAMAP trawl data-set shelf is responsible for the high production rates (Lohrenz et al., 1997). Rivers and estuaries of the The data presented in this analysis are from the United northern Gulf of Mexico, from the Florida panhandle States National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to southern Texas (Fig. 1), discharge the greatest Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program volume of water during winter and spring months. (SEAMAP) managed through the Southeast Fisheries Low estuarine residence times due to high freshwater Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida. The spe- discharge and typically shallow estuarine geomorpho- cific subset of data used for this study were collected logy rapidly displace nutrients and production out onto as part of the twice-yearly shrimp/groundfish surveys the shelf (Pennock et al., 1999). The greatest sea- from 1985 to 1997 in the northern Gulf of Mexico sonal primary production rates in the northern Gulf of between Mobile Bay, Alabama and the southern bor- Mexico are associated with the Mississippi-Atchafalya der of Texas. Though SEAMAP shrimp/groundfish River system and Mobile Bay estuary outflows; pro- surveys were initiated in 1982, I have omitted 1982– ductivity rates are depressed accordingly with the 1984 entirely from analysis because of inconsistent lower-discharge estuaries of Texas (reviewed in Pen- coverage. nock et al., 1999). Zooplankton grazing and secondary The SEAMAP shrimp/groundfish survey protocol production are intense at the coastal transition zone is detailed in Stuntz et al. (1985). In summary, surveys (Dagg & Whitledge, 1991; Dagg, 1995; Ortner & over the entire sampling area were divided into 11 stat- Dagg, 1995) and trophic transfer of this energy to istical regions. Only NMFS designated regions 11 and fish is highly coupled to estuarine delivery in the Gulf 13 through 21 were used; regions 1–10 east of this area (Deegan et al., 1986). The alternate pathway of en- did not have shrimp/groundfish survey data, and re- ergy to gelatinous zooplankton predators has thus far gion 12 was only occasionally surveyed. Surveys were received little, if any, attention. conducted twice-annually: once in the summer (May– The historical lack of interest in the ecological role July) and once in the fall (October–November). Trawl of jellyfish is surprising. The Gulf of Mexico supports sites (typically 30–50 trawls per statistical region per among the greatest diversity of pelagic cnidarians in survey) were randomly located within each region in the world. Over 115 epipelagic species were listed 5 depth strata. The location of stations within depth by Phillips (1971) including 16 species of Scypho- strata caused sampling frequency to be higher near the zoa and Cubozoa. Given that Phillips’ (1971) synopsis coast but consistent between regions and years. An is nearly 30 years old and lacks deep-water inform- example of station density and arrangement (for fall ation, certainly this number severely under-estimates 1991) is given in Figure 1. A preliminary analysis of the real diversity. Given such diversity and potential variance was performed as a check on the randomness importance of jellyfish in this very productive sys- of distribution within and between statistical regions tem, long-term data on jellyfish variations are crucial and depth strata in order to avoid errors in the inter- for realizing current or future ecological changes as pretation of the data. Because of this, I eliminated identified by Caddy (1993) and Mills (1995). statistical region 12 entirely from the study, and the years 1985–1986 from analysis of the summer trawls. 99 Figure 1. Map of study region in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Boxes indicate 10 statistical regions of the SEAMAP sampling program. Points within the boxes are an example of station distribution for a single trawl series in the Fall of 1991 (446 stations). The 20 m and 40 m isobaths are indicated with heavy lines. Table 1. Summary of SEAMAP trawls conducted in the northern sizes large enough to be captured in the trawl net- Gulf of Mexico from 1985 to 1997. Chrysaora quinquecirrha me- dusae were analyzed only from summer trawls and Aurelia aurita ting, and they are hardy enough to be retained without medusae were analyzed from fall trawls so much damage that they are unrecognizable or un- countable. Chrysaora quinquecirrha medusae occur Year No. Trawls Collected during summer months in the Gulf of Mexico with Summer Fall peak abundance usually in June–July (Burke, 1975, 1985 ··· 404 1976). Some reporting of ‘Dactylometra quinquecir- 1986 ··· 236 rha’ from Texas regions has been combined with the 1987 615 365 C. quinquecirrha since these are widely considered 1988 500 701 to be the same species. Aurelia aurita medusae occur 1989 359 631 during the fall months with peak abundance usually in 1990 432 451 October–November (Burke, 1975, 1976). Therefore, 1991 433 446 analysis of C. quinquecirrha is limited to the summer 1992 420 364 surveys (1987–1997) and A. aurita is limited to fall 1993 454 402 surveys (1985–1997). As seen in the trawl summary of 1994 483 380 Table 1, over 10 000 individual trawls were included in 1995 363 337 the present analysis. 1996 388 438 Numerical trawl data are reported here as a stand- 1997 365 377 ardized catch.
Recommended publications
  • Population Structures and Levels of Connectivity for Scyphozoan and Cubozoan Jellyfish
    diversity Review Population Structures and Levels of Connectivity for Scyphozoan and Cubozoan Jellyfish Michael J. Kingsford * , Jodie A. Schlaefer and Scott J. Morrissey Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia; [email protected] (J.A.S.); [email protected] (S.J.M.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Understanding the hierarchy of populations from the scale of metapopulations to mesopop- ulations and member local populations is fundamental to understanding the population dynamics of any species. Jellyfish by definition are planktonic and it would be assumed that connectivity would be high among local populations, and that populations would minimally vary in both ecological and genetic clade-level differences over broad spatial scales (i.e., hundreds to thousands of km). Although data exists on the connectivity of scyphozoan jellyfish, there are few data on cubozoans. Cubozoans are capable swimmers and have more complex and sophisticated visual abilities than scyphozoans. We predict, therefore, that cubozoans have the potential to have finer spatial scale differences in population structure than their relatives, the scyphozoans. Here we review the data available on the population structures of scyphozoans and what is known about cubozoans. The evidence from realized connectivity and estimates of potential connectivity for scyphozoans indicates the following. Some jellyfish taxa have a large metapopulation and very large stocks (>1000 s of km), while others have clade-level differences on the scale of tens of km. Data on distributions, genetics of medusa and Citation: Kingsford, M.J.; Schlaefer, polyps, statolith shape, elemental chemistry of statoliths and biophysical modelling of connectivity J.A.; Morrissey, S.J.
    [Show full text]
  • Quinquecirrha (Scyphomedusa)
    MARINE ECOLOGY - PROGRESS SERIES Vol. 19: 39-41. 1984 hblished August 30 Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. I I Changes in the lower Chesapeake Bay food chain in presence of the sea nettle Chrysaora quinquecirrha (Scyphomedusa) David Feigenbaum and Michael Kelly Department of Oceanography, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia 23508. USA ABSTUCT: The abundance of 4 levels of the lower Chesapeake Bay food chain (Chlorophyll a, herbivores, ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi, and Scyphomedusa Chrysaora quinquecimha) were moni- tored twice weekly at 4 stations from May 10 through Sep 30, 1982 in the Lafayette and Elizabeth Rivers (Virginia). The herbivore standing stock, largely copepods, declined sharply in late May when M. leidyi appeared, but rebounded a month later when C. quinquecirrha medusae reduced the ctenophore population. Despite the additional presence of Aurelia aurita (Scyphomedusa) from Jul onward, herbivore abundance remained at moderate levels until the end of the study period. Phytoplankton abundance fluctuated and may have been responsible for brief periods of food shortage; however, the major periods of low herbivore abundance do not seem to have been kept low by food limitation. M. leidyi made a modest resurgence in late Aug when the C. quinquecin-ha population underwent its seasonal decline. Our data suggest that C. quinquecirrha contributes to the secondary productivity of the lower Chesapeake Bay by controlling M. leidyi during summer. INTRODUCTION quence of the sharp reduction in zooplankton standing stock is oxygen depletion in the depths of the fjord due Coelenterate medusae are gelatinous organisms to decaying phytoplankton and dying medusae which with fast growth rates and high metabolic require- accumulate there.
    [Show full text]
  • Cubozoan Genome Illuminates Functional Diversification Of
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Cubozoan genome illuminates functional diversification of opsins and photoreceptor evolution Received: 10 February 2015 1,* 1,* 1 1 Accepted: 05 June 2015 Michaela Liegertová , Jiří Pergner , Iryna Kozmiková , Peter Fabian , 2 3 3 3 2 Published: 08 July 2015 Antonio R. Pombinho , Hynek Strnad , Jan Pačes , Čestmír Vlček , Petr Bartůněk & Zbyněk Kozmik1 Animals sense light primarily by an opsin-based photopigment present in a photoreceptor cell. Cnidaria are arguably the most basal phylum containing a well-developed visual system. The evolutionary history of opsins in the animal kingdom has not yet been resolved. Here, we study the evolution of animal opsins by genome-wide analysis of the cubozoan jellyfish Tripedalia cystophora, a cnidarian possessing complex lens-containing eyes and minor photoreceptors. A large number of opsin genes with distinct tissue- and stage-specific expression were identified. Our phylogenetic analysis unequivocally classifies cubozoan opsins as a sister group to c-opsins and documents lineage-specific expansion of the opsin gene repertoire in the cubozoan genome. Functional analyses provided evidence for the use of the Gs-cAMP signaling pathway in a small set of cubozoan opsins, indicating the possibility that the majority of other cubozoan opsins signal via distinct pathways. Additionally, these tests uncovered subtle differences among individual opsins, suggesting possible fine-tuning for specific photoreceptor tasks. Based on phylogenetic, expression and biochemical analysis we propose that rapid lineage- and species-specific duplications of the intron-less opsin genes and their subsequent functional diversification promoted evolution of a large repertoire of both visual and extraocular photoreceptors in cubozoans.
    [Show full text]
  • Biology, Ecology and Ecophysiology of the Box Jellyfish Biology, Ecology and Ecophysiology of the Box Jellyfishcarybdea Marsupialis (Cnidaria: Cubozoa)
    Biology, ecology and ecophysiology of the box M. J. ACEVEDO jellyfish Carybdea marsupialis (Cnidaria: Cubozoa) Carybdea marsupialis MELISSA J. ACEVEDO DUDLEY PhD Thesis September 2016 Biology, ecology and ecophysiology of the box jellyfish Biology, ecology and ecophysiology of the box jellyfishCarybdea marsupialis (Cnidaria: Cubozoa) Biologia, ecologia i ecofisiologia de la cubomedusa Carybdea marsupialis (Cnidaria: Cubozoa) Melissa Judith Acevedo Dudley Memòria presentada per optar al grau de Doctor per la Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Programa de Doctorat en Ciències del Mar (RD 99/2011). Tesi realitzada a l’Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC). Director: Dr. Albert Calbet (ICM-CSIC) Co-directora: Dra. Verónica Fuentes (ICM-CSIC) Tutor/Ponent: Dr. Xavier Gironella (UPC) Barcelona – Setembre 2016 The author has been financed by a FI-DGR pre-doctoral fellowship (AGAUR, Generalitat de Catalunya). The research presented in this thesis has been carried out in the framework of the LIFE CUBOMED project (LIFE08 NAT/ES/0064). The design in the cover is a modification of an original drawing by Ernesto Azzurro. “There is always an open book for all eyes: nature” Jean Jacques Rousseau “The growth of human populations is exerting an unbearable pressure on natural systems that, obviously, are on the edge of collapse […] the principles we invented to regulate our activities (economy, with its infinite growth) are in conflict with natural principles (ecology, with the finiteness of natural systems) […] Jellyfish are just a symptom of this
    [Show full text]
  • Life Cycle of Chrysaora Fuscescens (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa) and a Key to Sympatric Ephyrae1
    Life Cycle of Chrysaora fuscescens (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa) and a Key to Sympatric Ephyrae1 Chad L. Widmer2 Abstract: The life cycle of the Northeast Pacific sea nettle, Chrysaora fuscescens Brandt, 1835, is described from gametes to the juvenile medusa stage. In vitro techniques were used to fertilize eggs from field-collected medusae. Ciliated plan- ula larvae swam, settled, and metamorphosed into scyphistomae. Scyphistomae reproduced asexually through podocysts and produced ephyrae by undergoing strobilation. The benthic life history stages of C. fuscescens are compared with benthic life stages of two sympatric species, and a key to sympatric scyphome- dusa ephyrae is included. All observations were based on specimens maintained at the Monterey Bay Aquarium jelly laboratory, Monterey, California. The Northeast Pacific sea nettle, Chry- tained at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Mon- saora fuscescens Brandt, 1835, ranges from terey, California, for over a decade, with Mexico to British Columbia and generally ap- cultures started by F. Sommer, D. Wrobel, pears along the California and Oregon coasts B. B. Upton, and C.L.W. However the life in late summer through fall (Wrobel and cycle remained undescribed. Chrysaora fusces- Mills 1998). Relatively little is known about cens belongs to the family Pelagiidae (Gersh- the biology or ecology of C. fuscescens, but win and Collins 2002), medusae of which are when present in large numbers it probably characterized as having a central stomach plays an important role in its ecosystem giving rise to completely separated and because of its high biomass (Shenker 1984, unbranched radiating pouches and without 1985). Chrysaora fuscescens eats zooplankton a ring-canal.
    [Show full text]
  • Swimming and Feeding by the Scyphomedusa Chrysaora Quinquecirrha
    Marine Biology (1997) 129: 355±362 Ó Springer-Verlag 1997 M. D. Ford á J. H. Costello á K. B. Heidelberg J. E. Purcell Swimming and feeding by the scyphomedusa Chrysaora quinquecirrha Received: 29 March 1997 / Accepted: 11 April 1997 Abstract The semaeostome scyphomedusa, Chrysaora the eastern USA during the summer. At these times, quinquecirrha (Desor, 1848), is an abundant and im- C. quinquecirrha consumes a variety of zooplankton and portant planktonic predator in estuaries and coastal can directly in¯uence copepod populations (Purcell waters of the eastern USA during the summer. We 1992, but see Purcell et al. 1994b), ®sh eggs and larvae videotaped free-swimming medusae in the laboratory (Cowan and Houde 1993; Purcell et al. 1994a) and and in the ®eld in order to determine the relationship ctenophores (Miller 1974; Purcell and Cowan 1995). between swimming motions and prey encounter with Indirect eects of predation by C. quinquecirrha have capture surfaces. Medusae were collected from the been suggested to play a major role in the structure and Choptank River (Chesapeake Bay) in September 1992 function of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem (Feigenbaum and in the Niantic River, Connecticut, USA in July and Kelly 1984; Baird and Ulanowicz 1989). Because 1994. We used newly hatched Artemia sp. nauplii and this medusa consumes such a wide variety of prey types, ¯uorescein dye to trace water motions around swimming it may appear that C. quinquecirrha is a generalist feeder medusae. Swimming results in a pulsed series of toroids with few patterns of prey selection, but in one study which travel along the medusan oral arms and tentacles.
    [Show full text]
  • Growth and Development of Chrysaora Quinquecirrha Reared Under Different Diet Compositions
    UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA FACULDADE DE CIÊNCIAS DEPARTAMENTO DE BIOLOGIA ANIMAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHRYSAORA QUINQUECIRRHA REARED UNDER DIFFERENT DIET COMPOSITIONS Mestrado em Ecologia Marinha Guilherme da Costa Cruz Dissertação orientada por: Doutora Susana Garrido e Professor Pedro Ré 2015 GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHRYSAORA QUINQUECIRRHA UNDER DIFFERENT DIETS Index I. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................. 4 II. ABSTRACT/RESUMO ...................................................................................................................... 6 III. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 9 III. 1. THE MEDICAL POTENTIAL OF VENOM............................................................................................. 11 III. 2. NATURAL ECOLOGY AND LIFE CYCLE .............................................................................................. 12 III. 3. NATURAL DIET AND FEEDING BEHAVIOUR ...................................................................................... 14 III. 4. GROWTH FACTORS AND BLOOMS ................................................................................................ 16 III. 5. JELLYFISH REARING AND AQUARIUM PRECAUTIONS .......................................................................... 18 III. 6. THE SPECIES UNDER STUDY: CHRYSAORA QUINQUECIRRHA ................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • An Annotated Checklist of the Marine Macroinvertebrates of Alaska David T
    NOAA Professional Paper NMFS 19 An annotated checklist of the marine macroinvertebrates of Alaska David T. Drumm • Katherine P. Maslenikov Robert Van Syoc • James W. Orr • Robert R. Lauth Duane E. Stevenson • Theodore W. Pietsch November 2016 U.S. Department of Commerce NOAA Professional Penny Pritzker Secretary of Commerce National Oceanic Papers NMFS and Atmospheric Administration Kathryn D. Sullivan Scientific Editor* Administrator Richard Langton National Marine National Marine Fisheries Service Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center Maine Field Station Eileen Sobeck 17 Godfrey Drive, Suite 1 Assistant Administrator Orono, Maine 04473 for Fisheries Associate Editor Kathryn Dennis National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Science and Technology Economics and Social Analysis Division 1845 Wasp Blvd., Bldg. 178 Honolulu, Hawaii 96818 Managing Editor Shelley Arenas National Marine Fisheries Service Scientific Publications Office 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle, Washington 98115 Editorial Committee Ann C. Matarese National Marine Fisheries Service James W. Orr National Marine Fisheries Service The NOAA Professional Paper NMFS (ISSN 1931-4590) series is pub- lished by the Scientific Publications Of- *Bruce Mundy (PIFSC) was Scientific Editor during the fice, National Marine Fisheries Service, scientific editing and preparation of this report. NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. The Secretary of Commerce has The NOAA Professional Paper NMFS series carries peer-reviewed, lengthy original determined that the publication of research reports, taxonomic keys, species synopses, flora and fauna studies, and data- this series is necessary in the transac- intensive reports on investigations in fishery science, engineering, and economics. tion of the public business required by law of this Department.
    [Show full text]
  • Stomolophus Meleagris
    Programa de Estudios de Posgrado “EFECTO DE TEMPERATURAS OSCILANTES EN LA FISIOLOGÍA DE PÓLIPOS DE MEDUSA Stomolophus meleagris (RHIZOSTOMEAE: STOMOLOPHIDAE)” TESIS Que para obtener el grado de Maestro en Ciencias Uso, Manejo y Preservación de los Recursos Naturales Orientación Biología Marina P r e s e n t a Carolina Olguín Jacobson La Paz, Baja California Sur, Septiembre, 2016 ii COMITÉ TUTORAL Dra. Lucía Ocampo Director de Tesis Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S. C., La Paz, B. C. S. Dra. Liliana Carvalho Saucedo Co-Tutor Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S. C., La Paz, B. C. S. Dr. Agustín Schiariti Co-Tutor Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero, Mar del Plata, Argentina. COMITÉ REVISOR DE TESIS Dra. Lucía Ocampo Dra. Liliana Carvalho Saucedo Dr. Agustín Schiariti JURADO EN EXAMEN DE GRADO Dra. Lucía Ocampo Dra. Liliana Carvalho Saucedo Dr. Agustín Schiariti SUPLENTE Dra. Elisa Serviere Zaragoza iii RESUMEN Los pólipos de la clase Scyphozoa generan medusas que son liberadas a la columna de agua y pueden llegar a generar blooms, como es el caso de Stomolophus meleagris. Estos blooms pueden tener variaciones estacionales y/o anuales y son aprovechados como un recurso pesquero en México desde hace más de 10 años incrementando la economía nacional. La producción de medusas está supeditada a la estrobilación de los pólipos y a los factores ambientales que la regulan como la temperatura. Se simuló en el laboratorio una oscilación térmica con un pico máximo (cresta) de 30°C y un mínimo (valle) de 20°C que representa la variación de la temperatura del mar durante una estación cálida (verano-otoño).
    [Show full text]
  • Escape of the Ctenophore Mnemiopsis Leidyi from the Scyphomedusa Predator Chrysaora Quinquecirrha
    Marine Biology (1997) 128: 441–446 Springer-Verlag 1997 T. A. Kreps · J. E. Purcell · K. B. Heidelberg Escape of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi from the scyphomedusa predator Chrysaora quinquecirrha Received: 14 November 1996 / Accepted: 4 December 1996 Abstract The ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi A. Agassiz, bay, and effects of medusa predation on ctenophore 1865 is known to be eaten by the scyphomedusan populations could be seen at lower trophic levels (Fe- Chrysaora quinquecirrha (Desor, 1948), which can con- igenbaum and Kelly 1984; Purcell and Cowan 1995). trol populations of ctenophores in the tributaries of Recently, Purcell and Cowan (1995) documented that Chesapeake Bay. In the summer of 1995, we videotaped Mnemiopsis leidyi may occur in situ with one or both interactions in large aquaria in order to determine lobes reduced in size by 80% or more. Lobe reduction whether M. leidyi was always captured after contact was not caused by starvation, and other predators ap- with medusae. Surprisingly, M. leidyi escaped in 97.2% parently were absent. In laboratory experiments, small of 143 contacts. The ctenophores increased swimming Chrysaora quinquecirrha (≤20 mm diameter) partially speed by an average of 300% immediately after contact consumed small ctenophores (≤20 mm in length) that with tentacles and 600% by mid-escape. When caught in were larger than themselves. Therefore, Purcell and the tentacles of C. quinquecirrha, the ctenophores fre- Cowan (1995) concluded that the short-lobed condition quently lost a portion of their body, which allowed them was caused by C. quinquecirrha partially consuming the to escape. Lost parts regenerated within a few days.
    [Show full text]
  • Carybdea Sting
    Grid Challenge test to evaluate Safe Sea protection level against Carybdea sting. Purpose The purpose of this study was to test the protection levels of Safe Sea sunscreen against the Carybdea sting. Envenomation by cnidarians is a worldwide problem. Cnidarians are equipped with stinging cells, each of which contains a stinging apparatus capable of delivering toxins into the victim when activated. Safe Sea sunscreen inhibits jellyfish, coral and hydroids stinging mechanism based on patented technology. Safe Sea has been successfully tested on the Atlantic Chrysaora (sea nettle), the dangerous species of the Atlantic Chiropsalmus (Box jellyfish) and Mediterranean Rhopilema. This challenge tests was conducted by Japanese group to monitor Safe Sea efficacy against Carybdea sting. Figure 1: Carybdea Testing Protocol: 1. Inner arms were marked and divided into 4 grids for conducting 8 independent experiments on each subject (Figure 2) Figure 2. l l 2. Left arms grids were lotion with Coppertone (Control sunscreen) at a concentration of 0.1gram per 50 Square Cm. Right arm grids were lotion with same amounts of Safe Sea. 3. Lotion was applied 10-15 minutes before the tests or before any exposure into Seawater. 4. Five Millimeter of Carybdea tentacles was prepared from fresh specimens (Figure 3). Figure 3. 5. Using Paster pipettes, Carybdea tentacles were applied on each grid, and he water around the tentacles was dried to induced maximum contact of the tentacles with the skin (Figure 4). Figure 4. 6. 30 second later the tentacles were removed and inflammation was monitored for each grid after 15 Min. Data collection and Data Analysis Tests results represented the sum of inflammatory grids that were developed after 15 minutes on pre-lotion Safe Sea or Coppertone (control) skin.
    [Show full text]
  • Biology, Ecology and Ecophysiology of the Box Jellyfish Carybdea Marsupialis (Cnidaria: Cubozoa)
    Biology, ecology and ecophysiology of the box jellyfish Carybdea marsupialis (Cnidaria: Cubozoa) MELISSA J. ACEVEDO DUDLEY PhD Thesis September 2016 Biology, ecology and ecophysiology of the box jellysh Carybdea marsupialis (Cnidaria: Cubozoa) Biologia, ecologia i ecosiologia de la cubomedusa Carybdea marsupialis (Cnidaria: Cubozoa) Melissa Judith Acevedo Dudley Memòria presentada per optar al grau de Doctor per la Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Programa de Doctorat en Ciències del Mar (RD 99/2011). Tesi realitzada a l’Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC). Director: Dr. Albert Calbet (ICM-CSIC) Co-directora: Dra. Verónica Fuentes (ICM-CSIC) Tutor/Ponent: Dr. Xavier Gironella (UPC) Barcelona – Setembre 2016 The author has been nanced by a FI-DGR pre-doctoral fellowship (AGAUR, Generalitat de Catalunya). The research presented in this thesis has been carried out in the framework of the LIFE CUBOMED project (LIFE08 NAT/ES/0064). The design in the cover is a modication of an original drawing by Ernesto Azzurro. “There is always an open book for all eyes: nature” Jean Jacques Rousseau “The growth of human populations is exerting an unbearable pressure on natural systems that, obviously, are on the edge of collapse […] the principles we invented to regulate our activities (economy, with its innite growth) are in conict with natural principles (ecology, with the niteness of natural systems) […] Jellysh are just a symptom of this situation, another warning that Nature is giving us!” Ferdinando Boero (FAO Report 2013) Thesis contents
    [Show full text]