Publications by year
In Press
Woodall L, García-Hermosa MI (In Press). Marine Plastic: the solution is bigger than removal.
Frontiers in SustainabilityAbstract:
Marine Plastic: the solution is bigger than removal
Despite the increase in the documentation on, and interest in marine debris, there remains a gap between the analytic information available and the recommendations developed by policy and decision makers that could reduce this pollutant. Our paper summarizes some successful initiatives across policy, industry, infrastructure and education; and where they sit in the value chain of plastic products. We suggest that a multidisciplinary approach is required to most effectively address the marine plastic litter problem. This approach should emphasize (1) minimizing plastic production and consumption (where possible), and waste leakage; by (2) improving waste management (taking into consideration the informal sector) rather than focussing on clean-up activities. We then suggest some steps that once addressed would assist policy professionals, and a wide variety of entities and individuals with decision-making to reduce marine plastic litter. We suggest the creation of a user-friendly framework (tool) would facilitate transparency and democratization of the decision-making process across stakeholders and the wider community. This tool would be most useful if it comprised information on (i) defining appropriate metrics for quantifying plastic waste for the study/work case; (ii) providing a list of possible interventions with their key associated enabling and disabling factors, (iii) identifying the main influential factors specific to the situation/region; (iv) recognizing the risks associated with the selected interventions and the consequences of these interventions on the most influential factors; (v) objectively ranking solutions using the information gathered (metrics, targets, risks, factors) based on the regional, national, and/or international context. This tool then provides an opportunity for user groups to explore different suites of options for tackling marine plastic pollution and co-create a suite that is optimum for them.
Abstract.
Stefanoudis P, Fassbender N, Samimi-Namin K, Adam P-A, Ebrahim A, Harlay J, Koester A, Samoilys M, Sims H, Swanborn D, et al (In Press). Trait-Based Approaches Reveal that Deeper Reef Ecosystems in the Western Indian Ocean are Functionally Distinct.
2023
Swanborn DJB, Fassbender N, Huvenne VAI, Pittman SJ, Stefanoudis PV, Woodall LC (2023). Correction to: Geomorphological drivers of deeper reef habitats around Seychelles (Coral Reefs, (2022), 41, 4, (1001-1016), 10.1007/s00338-022-02281-4).
Coral Reefs,
42(2).
Abstract:
Correction to: Geomorphological drivers of deeper reef habitats around Seychelles (Coral Reefs, (2022), 41, 4, (1001-1016), 10.1007/s00338-022-02281-4)
Article was published with an corrupt electronic supplementary file (ESM) and has been replaced with the right version. Original article has been updated.
Abstract.
Swanborn DJB, Huvenne VAI, Pittman SJ, Rogers AD, Taylor ML, Woodall LC (2023). Mapping, quantifying and comparing seascape heterogeneity of Southwest Indian Ridge seamounts.
LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY,
38(1), 185-203.
Author URL.
Pinheiro HT, MacDonald C, Santos RG, Ali R, Bobat A, Cresswell BJ, Francini-Filho R, Freitas R, Galbraith GF, Musembi P, et al (2023). Plastic pollution on the world’s coral reefs. Nature, 619(7969), 311-316.
Halpern BS, Boettiger C, Dietze MC, Gephart JA, Gonzalez P, Grimm NB, Groffman PM, Gurevitch J, Hobbie SE, Komatsu KJ, et al (2023). Priorities for synthesis research in ecology and environmental science. Ecosphere, 14(1).
Swanborn DJB, Huvenne VAI, Malpas T, Pittman SJ, Rogers AD, Taylor ML, Woodall LC (2023). Seamount seascape composition and configuration shape Southwest Indian Ridge fish assemblages.
Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers,
191Abstract:
Seamount seascape composition and configuration shape Southwest Indian Ridge fish assemblages
Seamounts are commercially important fishing grounds. Yet, little is known about their physical characteristics as fish habitat, important for informing conservation and ecosystem-based management. This study examines how multiscale seabed spatial heterogeneity influences commercially important fish families at three Southwest Indian Ridge seamounts (Coral Seamount, Melville Bank and Atlantis Bank). We quantified seascape heterogeneity from bathymetry and geomorphological habitat maps and identified 15 focal fish families from video data. Fish-habitat associations were examined using spatial pattern metrics that measured terrain morphology, seascape composition (variety and relative abundance of patch types) and seascape configuration (spatial arrangement of patches). Broader seascape context was characterised by geographic location and water depth. Multivariate regression trees and random forests modelled fish-habitat associations and identified the most influential explanatory variables. Assemblage characteristics and individual families were strongly influenced by geographic location and depth, and at finer scales (500 m buffers) seascape composition and configuration helped explain fish-habitat associations. Spatially continuous summit habitat and complex shaped ridge features supported high abundance and diversity of commercial fish families. Metrics of seascape composition and configuration (i.e. habitat size, shape and structural connectivity) had higher predictive power than the terrain metrics commonly used in developing proxies for deep-water fish species and biodiversity. These outcomes indicate that seascape metrics, commonly applied on land and in shallow marine environments, are also relevant environmental predictors of fish distributions in deep-sea environments. We highlight strong context dependency and depth-specific associations that hinder attempts to draw wider generalisations on fish-seascape linkages for seamounts.
Abstract.
2022
Frinault BAV, Christie FDW, Fawcett SE, Flynn RF, Hutchinson KA, Montes Strevens CMJ, Taylor ML, Woodall LC, Barnes DKA (2022). Antarctic Seabed Assemblages in an Ice-Shelf-Adjacent Polynya, Western Weddell Sea.
Biology,
11(12).
Abstract:
Antarctic Seabed Assemblages in an Ice-Shelf-Adjacent Polynya, Western Weddell Sea
Ice shelves cover ~1.6 million km2 of the Antarctic continental shelf and are sensitive indicators of climate change. With ice-shelf retreat, aphotic marine environments transform into new open-water spaces of photo-induced primary production and associated organic matter export to the benthos. Predicting how Antarctic seafloor assemblages may develop following ice-shelf loss requires knowledge of assemblages bordering the ice-shelf margins, which are relatively undocumented. This study investigated seafloor assemblages, by taxa and functional groups, in a coastal polynya adjacent to the Larsen C Ice Shelf front, western Weddell Sea. The study area is rarely accessed, at the frontline of climate change, and located within a CCAMLR-proposed international marine protected area. Four sites, ~1 to 16 km from the ice-shelf front, were explored for megabenthic assemblages, and potential environmental drivers of assemblage structures were assessed. Faunal density increased with distance from the ice shelf, with epifaunal deposit-feeders a surrogate for overall density trends. Faunal richness did not exhibit a significant pattern with distance from the ice shelf and was most variable at sites closest to the ice-shelf front. Faunal assemblages significantly differed in composition among sites, and those nearest to the ice shelf were the most dissimilar; however, ice-shelf proximity did not emerge as a significant driver of assemblage structure. Overall, the study found a biologically-diverse and complex seafloor environment close to an ice-shelf front and provides ecological baselines for monitoring benthic ecosystem responses to environmental change, supporting marine management.
Abstract.
Cunningham EM, Ehlers SM, Kiriakoulakis K, Schuchert P, Jones NH, Kregting L, Woodall LC, Dick JTA (2022). Author Correction: the accumulation of microplastic pollution in a commercially important fishing ground (Scientific Reports, (2022), 12, 1, (4217), 10.1038/s41598-022-08203-2).
Scientific Reports,
12(1).
Abstract:
Author Correction: the accumulation of microplastic pollution in a commercially important fishing ground (Scientific Reports, (2022), 12, 1, (4217), 10.1038/s41598-022-08203-2)
The original version of this Article contained an error in Fig. 1 where the values were incorrect. The original Fig. 1 and accompanying legend appear below. The original Article has been corrected.
Abstract.
Swanborn DJB, Huvenne VAI, Pittman SJ, Woodall LC (2022). Bringing seascape ecology to the deep seabed: a review and framework for its application.
Limnology and Oceanography,
67(1), 66-88.
Abstract:
Bringing seascape ecology to the deep seabed: a review and framework for its application
Seascape ecology is an emerging pattern-oriented and integrative science conceptually linked to landscape ecology. It aims to quantify multidimensional spatial structure in the sea and reveal its ecological consequences. The seascape ecology approach has made important advances in shallow coastal environments, and increasing exploration and mapping of the deep seabed provides opportunities for application in the deep ocean. We argue that seascape ecology, with its integrative and multiscale perspective, can generate new scientific insights at spatial and temporal scales relevant to ecosystem-based management. Seascape ecology provides a conceptual and operational framework that integrates and builds on existing benthic ecology and habitat mapping research by providing additional pattern-oriented concepts, tools and techniques to (1) quantify complex ecological patterns across multiple scales; (2) link spatial patterns to biodiversity and ecological processes; and (3) provide ecologically meaningful information that is operationally relevant to spatial management. This review introduces seascape ecology and provides a framework for its application to deep-seabed environments. Research areas are highlighted where seascape ecology can advance the ecological understanding of deep benthic environments.
Abstract.
Harden-Davies H, Amon DJ, Vierros M, Bax NJ, Hanich Q, Hills JM, Guilhon M, McQuaid KA, Mohammed E, Pouponneau A, et al (2022). Capacity development in the Ocean Decade and beyond: Key questions about meanings, motivations, pathways, and measurements.
Earth System Governance,
12Abstract:
Capacity development in the Ocean Decade and beyond: Key questions about meanings, motivations, pathways, and measurements
Capacity development is a major priority in the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (the Decade). Persistent disparities in ocean science capacity illustrate the substantial challenges to achieving the Decade's stated goal of eradicating inequality. We argue that a new conversation about capacity development is essential for the success of the Decade and beyond. We question the meaning, motivations, pathways and measurement of capacity development at this critical juncture. While we do not propose a single answer to these context- and situation-specific questions, we do recognize that the lack of accepted, or even defined, approaches to capacity development, its initiation, leadership, desired outcomes, implementation, and evaluation is failing the global ocean community. Explicit focus and reflection on the power of discourses, definitions, positionality, and perspectives has the potential to greatly improve the experience and outcomes of capacity development programs. This Perspective seeks to stimulate reflection and action to seize the substantial opportunity presented by the Decade to facilitate capacity development solutions toward a more equitable world.
Abstract.
Rogers AD, Appeltans W, Assis J, Ballance LT, Cury P, Duarte C, Favoretto F, Hynes LA, Kumagai JA, Lovelock CE, et al (2022). Discovering marine biodiversity in the 21st century. , 93, 23-115.
Swanborn DJB, Fassbender N, Huvenne VAI, Pittman SJ, Stefanoudis PV, Woodall LC (2022). Geomorphological drivers of deeper reef habitats around Seychelles.
Coral Reefs,
41(4), 1001-1016.
Abstract:
Geomorphological drivers of deeper reef habitats around Seychelles
Mesophotic (30–150 m) and rariphotic (150–300 m) deeper reef habitats are important from an ecological and conservation perspective, yet remain understudied. Key knowledge gaps exist on the environmental patterns and processes that drive and shape their geographical distributions. Understanding these is particularly important for regions as the Western Indian Ocean, where deeper reefs are poorly known but support food security and host economically important species. Spatial predictive models of assemblage occurrences, using terrain variables as predictors, offer a solution to address knowledge gaps around deeper reef distributions. We identified relationships between seafloor geomorphology, quantified at multiple scales, and sessile benthic assemblages in four atoll seascapes in Seychelles using terrain models derived from high-resolution multibeam sonar and underwater video surveys. Using random forests and boosted regression trees, we demonstrated that terrain derivatives extracted over multiple scales perform as reliable predictors of deeper reef assemblages. The most influential environmental predictors were depth, distance to shore, topographic complexity, slope and curvature and substrate characteristics. The relative importance of predictors was explained by assemblage functional characteristics. Assemblage–environment relationships were used to produce probability distribution maps that showed similar distributional patterns for identified assemblages across locations, with high occurrence probabilities linked to complex geomorphological structures. Our results help contribute to a consistent baseline understanding of the relationship between seascape structure and mesophotic reef ecosystems in this area. Complex geomorphological structures, including terraces and paleoshorelines, supported high densities of mesophotic assemblages and could be considered priority habitats for management.
Abstract.
Waldschläger K, Brückner MZM, Carney Almroth B, Hackney CR, Adyel TM, Alimi OS, Belontz SL, Cowger W, Doyle D, Gray A, et al (2022). Learning from natural sediments to tackle microplastics challenges: a multidisciplinary perspective.
Earth-Science Reviews,
228Abstract:
Learning from natural sediments to tackle microplastics challenges: a multidisciplinary perspective
Although the study of microplastics in the aquatic environment incorporates a diversity of research fields, it is still in its infancy in many aspects while comparable topics have been studied in other disciplines for decades. In particular, extensive research in sedimentology can provide valuable insights to guide future microplastics research. To advance our understanding of the comparability of natural sediments with microplastics, we take an interdisciplinary look at the existing literature describing particle properties, transport processes, sampling techniques and ecotoxicology. Based on our analysis, we define seven research goals that are essential to improve our understanding of microplastics and can be tackled by learning from natural sediment research, and identify relevant tasks to achieve each goal. These goals address (1) the description of microplastic particles, (2) the interaction of microplastics with environmental substances, (3) the vertical distribution of microplastics, (4) the erosion and deposition behaviour of microplastics, (5) the impact of biota on microplastic transport, (6) the sampling methods and (7) the microplastic toxicity. When describing microplastic particles, we should specifically draw from the knowledge of natural sediments, for example by using shape factors or applying methods for determining the principal dimensions of non-spherical particles. Sediment transport offers many fundamentals that are transferable to microplastic transport, and could be usefully applied. However, major knowledge gaps still exist in understanding the role of transport modes, the influence of biota on microplastic transport, and the importance and implementation of the dynamic behaviour of microplastics as a result of time-dependent changes in particle properties in numerical models. We give an overview of available sampling methods from sedimentology and discuss their suitability for microplastic sampling, which can be used for creating standardised guidelines for future application with microplastics. In order to comprehensively assess the ecotoxicology of microplastics, a distinction must be made between the effects of the polymers themselves, their physical form, the plastic-associated chemicals and the attached pollutants. This review highlights areas where we can rely on understanding and techniques from sediment research - and areas where we need new, microplastic-specific knowledge - and synthesize recommendations to guide future, interdisciplinary microplastic research.
Abstract.
Swanborn DJB, Huvenne VAI, Pittman SJ, Rogers AD, Taylor ML, Woodall LC (2022). Mapping, quantifying and comparing seascape heterogeneity of Southwest Indian Ridge seamounts.
Samimi-Namin K, van Ofwegen LP, Hoeksema BW, Woodall LC, Meijer zu Schlochtern M, McFadden CS (2022). New Records of the Cryptogenic Soft Coral Genus Stragulum (Tubiporidae) from the Eastern Caribbean and the Persian Gulf.
DIVERSITY-BASEL,
14(11).
Author URL.
Royle J, Jack B, Parris H, Elliott T, Castillo AC, Kalawana S, Nashfa H, Woodall LC (2022). Plastic Drawdown: a rapid assessment tool for developing national responses to plastic pollution when data availability is limited, as demonstrated in the Maldives.
Global Environmental Change,
72Abstract:
Plastic Drawdown: a rapid assessment tool for developing national responses to plastic pollution when data availability is limited, as demonstrated in the Maldives
Governments are increasingly supporting initiatives to address plastic pollution, but efforts are largely opportunistic or driven by national socio-political priorities. There is an urgent need to move away from piecemeal single product instruments (e.g. single use plastic bag taxes or plastic straw bans) to deliver system-wide strategies that minimise the most pervasive sources of plastic pollution. Developing a common understanding of a jurisdiction's plastic waste stream and the solutions available to decision-makers is vital to build consensus across stakeholders and to align on an evidence-based portfolio of priority instruments. This paper presents the Plastic Drawdown framework as a boundary-spanning tool to quickly create a coherent, relevant, and credible analysis and visualisation for stakeholders of plastic waste, leakage hotspots and minimisation opportunities. Using a new plastic waste modelling framework with a consultative structure, Plastic Drawdown explores plastic waste and leakage over a ten-year period and assesses impacts of policy instruments on this projection. Plastic Drawdown is adaptable to the data poor environment typical of many countries and designed as a rapid assessment tool to support the decision making of governments operating in a highly resource-constrained context. The Maldives is used as a case study to show the utility of the tool, where it highlighted strategies with the potential to reduce leakage of plastic waste into the marine environment by up to 85% by 2030. Plastic Drawdown built the case for phasing out single-use plastic waste across the Maldives and supported the Government's decision to set ambitious targets, as announced at the United Nations General Assembly in 2019.
Abstract.
Stefanoudis PV, Talma S, Fassbender N, Swanborn D, Ochieng CN, Mearns K, Komakoma JD, Otwoma LM, Mbije NE, Osuka KE, et al (2022). Stakeholder-derived recommendations and actions to support deep-reef conservation in the Western Indian Ocean.
CONSERVATION LETTERS Author URL.
Swanborn DJB, Stefanoudis PV, Huvenne VAI, Pittman SJ, Woodall LC (2022). Structure-from-motion photogrammetry demonstrates that fine-scale seascape heterogeneity is essential in shaping mesophotic fish assemblages.
Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation,
8(6), 904-920.
Abstract:
Structure-from-motion photogrammetry demonstrates that fine-scale seascape heterogeneity is essential in shaping mesophotic fish assemblages
Benthic components of tropical mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) are home to diverse fish assemblages, but the effect of multiscale spatial benthic characteristics on MCE fish is not well understood. To investigate the influence of fine-scale benthic seascape structure and broad-scale environmental characteristics on MCE fish, we surveyed fish assemblages in Seychelles at 30, 60 and 120 m depth using submersible video transects. Spatial pattern metrics from seascape ecology were applied to quantify fine-scale benthic seascape composition, configuration and terrain morphology from structure-from-motion photogrammetry and multibeam echosounder bathymetry and to explore seascape–fish associations. Hierarchical clustering using fish abundance and biomass data identified four distinct assemblages separated by the depth and geographic location, but also significantly influenced by variations in fine-scale seascape structure. Results further revealed variable responses of assemblage characteristics (fish biomass, abundance, trophic group richness, Shannon diversity) to seascape heterogeneity at different depths. Sites with steep slopes and high terrain complexity hosted higher fish abundance and biomass, with shallower fish assemblages (30–60 m) positively associated with aggregated patch mixtures of coral, rubble, sediment and macroalgae with variable patch shapes. Deeper fish assemblages (120 m) were positively associated with relief and structural complexity and local variability in the substratum and benthic cover. Our study demonstrates the potential of spatial pattern metrics quantifying benthic composition, configuration and terrain structure to delineate mesophotic fish–habitat associations. Furthermore, incorporating a finer-scale perspective proved valuable to explain the compositional patterns of MCE fish assemblages. As developments in marine surveying and monitoring of MCEs continue, we suggest that future studies incorporating spatial pattern metrics with multiscale remotely sensed data can provide insights will that are both ecologically meaningful to fish and operationally relevant to conservation strategies.
Abstract.
Cunningham EM, Ehlers SM, Kiriakoulakis K, Schuchert P, Jones NH, Kregting L, Woodall LC, Dick JTA (2022). The accumulation of microplastic pollution in a commercially important fishing ground.
Scientific Reports,
12(1).
Abstract:
The accumulation of microplastic pollution in a commercially important fishing ground
The Irish Sea is an important area for Norway Lobster Nephrops norvegicus fisheries, which are the most valuable fishing resource in the UK. Norway lobster are known to ingest microplastic pollution present in the sediment and have displayed reduced body mass when exposed to microplastic pollution. Here, we identified microplastic pollution in the Irish Sea fishing grounds through analysis of 24 sediment samples from four sites of differing proximity to the Western Irish Sea Gyre in both 2016 and 2019. We used µFTIR spectroscopy to identify seven polymer types, and a total of 77 microplastics consisting of fibres and fragments. The mean microplastics per gram of sediment ranged from 0.13 to 0.49 and 0 to 1.17 MP/g in 2016 and 2019, respectively. There were no differences in the microplastic counts across years, and there was no correlation of microplastic counts with proximity to the Western Irish Sea Gyre. Considering the consistently high microplastic abundance found in the Irish Sea, and the propensity of N. norvegicus to ingest and be negatively impacted by them, we suggest microplastic pollution levels in the Irish Sea may have adverse impacts on N. norvegicus and negative implications for fishery sustainability in the future.
Abstract.
Laffoley D, Baxter JM, Amon DJ, Claudet J, Downs CA, Earle SA, Gjerde KM, Hall-Spencer JM, Koldewey HJ, Levin LA, et al (2022). The forgotten ocean: Why COP26 must call for vastly greater ambition and urgency to address ocean change.
Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems,
32(1), 217-228.
Abstract:
The forgotten ocean: Why COP26 must call for vastly greater ambition and urgency to address ocean change
Of all the interconnected threats facing the planet, the top two are the climate and the biodiversity crises. Neither problem will be solved if we ignore the ocean. To turn the tide in favour of humanity and a habitable planet, we need to recognize and better value the fundamental role that the ocean plays in the earth system, and prioritize the urgent action needed to heal and protect the ocean at the ‘Earthscape’ level – the planetary scale at which processes to support life operate. The countries gathering at COP26 have unparalleled political capacity and leadership to make this happen. COP26 could be the turning point, but there must be commitment to united action for the ocean, as well as planning to meet those commitments, based on science-led solutions that address the interconnectivity of the ocean, climate, and biodiversity. Key ways in which the ocean both contributes to and acts as the major buffer for climate change are summarized, focusing on temperature, but not forgetting the role of storing carbon. It is noted with ‘high confidence’ that the ocean has stored 91% of the excess heat from global warming, with land, melting ice, and the atmosphere only taking up approximately 5, 3, and 1%, respectively. We also highlight the impact of the recent large release of heat from the ocean to the atmosphere during the 2015–2016 El Niño. We then present six science-based policy actions that form a recovery stimulus package for people, climate, nature, and the planet. Our proposals highlight what is needed to view, value, and treat the planet, including the ocean, for the benefit and future of all life.
Abstract.
Ford HV, Jones NH, Davies AJ, Godley BJ, Jambeck JR, Napper IE, Suckling CC, Williams GJ, Woodall LC, Koldewey HJ, et al (2022). The fundamental links between climate change and marine plastic pollution.
Science of the Total Environment,
806Abstract:
The fundamental links between climate change and marine plastic pollution
Plastic pollution and climate change have commonly been treated as two separate issues and sometimes are even seen as competing. Here we present an alternative view that these two issues are fundamentally linked. Primarily, we explore how plastic contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the beginning to the end of its life cycle. Secondly, we show that more extreme weather and floods associated with climate change, will exacerbate the spread of plastic in the natural environment. Finally, both issues occur throughout the marine environment, and we show that ecosystems and species can be particularly vulnerable to both, such as coral reefs that face disease spread through plastic pollution and climate-driven increased global bleaching events. A Web of Science search showed climate change and plastic pollution studies in the ocean are often siloed, with only 0.4% of the articles examining both stressors simultaneously. We also identified a lack of regional and industry-specific life cycle analysis data for comparisons in relative GHG contributions by materials and products. Overall, we suggest that rather than debate over the relative importance of climate change or marine plastic pollution, a more productive course would be to determine the linking factors between the two and identify solutions to combat both crises.
Abstract.
Cunningham EM, Rico Seijo N, Altieri KE, Audh RR, Burger JM, Bornman TG, Fawcett S, Gwinnett CMB, Osborne AO, Woodall LC, et al (2022). The transport and fate of microplastic fibres in the Antarctic: the role of multiple global processes.
Frontiers in Marine Science,
9Abstract:
The transport and fate of microplastic fibres in the Antarctic: the role of multiple global processes
Understanding the transport and accumulation of microplastics is useful to determine the relative risk they pose to global biodiversity. The exact contribution of microplastic sources is hard to elucidate; therefore, investigating the Antarctic Weddell Sea, an area known for its remoteness and little human presence (i.e. limited pollution sources), will help us to better understand microplastic transportation. Here, we investigate the presence of microplastics in a range of Antarctic sample media including air, seawater, and sediment. We hypothesised that multiple transportation processes including atmospheric and oceanic vectors determine the presence of microplastics in the Antarctic. Using techniques including Polarised Light Microscopy and Raman Spectrometry, we identified mostly fibres and categorised them based on their optical and chemical properties. A total of 47 individual microplastic categories (45 of which were fibres) were identified in the air, seawater, and sediment samples. The majority of categories did not overlap multiple media (42/47); however, four fibre categories were present in both air and water samples, and another fibre category was found in all three media (category 27). We suggest that the large variety of fibres identified and the overlap of fibre categories among media indicates that the pollution may result from multiple diffuse sources and transportation pathways. Additionally, our Air Mass Back Trajectory analyses demonstrates that microplastic fibres are being transported by air masses or wind, and strongly suggests that they are transported to the Antarctic from southern South America. We also propose that fibres may be transported into the Antarctic in subsurface waters, and as pollution was identified in our sediment and additional sea ice samples, we suggest that the coastal and Antarctic deep sea may be a sink for microplastic fibres. The results shown here from a remote, near-pristine system, further highlight the need for a global response to the plastic pollution crisis.
Abstract.
Stefanoudis P, Fassbender N, Samimi-Namin K, Adam P-A, Ebrahim A, Harlay J, Koester A, Samoilys M, Sims H, Swanborn D, et al (2022). Trait-Based Approaches Reveal that Deeper Reef Ecosystems in the Western Indian Ocean are Functionally Distinct.
2021
Howell KL, Hilario A, Allcock AL, Bailey D, Baker M, Clark MR, Colaco A, Copley J, Cordes EE, Danovaro R, et al (2021). A decade to study deep-sea life.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION,
5(3), 265-267.
Author URL.
Woodall LC, Talma S, Steeds O, Stefanoudis P, Jeremie-Muzungaile M-M, de Comarmond A (2021). Co-development, co-production and co-dissemination of scientific research: a case study to demonstrate mutual benefits.
BIOLOGY LETTERS,
17(4).
Author URL.
Laffoley D, Baxter JM, Amon DJ, Claudet J, Hall-Spencer JM, Grorud-Colvert K, Levin LA, Reid PC, Rogers AD, Taylor ML, et al (2021). Evolving the narrative for protecting a rapidly changing ocean, post-COVID-19.
Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems,
31(6), 1512-1534.
Abstract:
Evolving the narrative for protecting a rapidly changing ocean, post-COVID-19
The ocean is the linchpin supporting life on Earth, but it is in declining health due to an increasing footprint of human use and climate change. Despite notable successes in helping to protect the ocean, the scale of actions is simply not now meeting the overriding scale and nature of the ocean's problems that confront us. Moving into a post-COVID-19 world, new policy decisions will need to be made. Some, especially those developed prior to the pandemic, will require changes to their trajectories; others will emerge as a response to this global event. Reconnecting with nature, and specifically with the ocean, will take more than good intent and wishful thinking. Words, and how we express our connection to the ocean, clearly matter now more than ever before. The evolution of the ocean narrative, aimed at preserving and expanding options and opportunities for future generations and a healthier planet, is articulated around six themes: (1) all life is dependent on the ocean; (2) by harming the ocean, we harm ourselves; (3) by protecting the ocean, we protect ourselves; (4) humans, the ocean, biodiversity, and climate are inextricably linked; (5) ocean and climate action must be undertaken together; and (6) reversing ocean change needs action now. This narrative adopts a ‘One Health’ approach to protecting the ocean, addressing the whole Earth ocean system for better and more equitable social, cultural, economic, and environmental outcomes at its core. Speaking with one voice through a narrative that captures the latest science, concerns, and linkages to humanity is a precondition to action, by elevating humankind's understanding of our relationship with ‘planet Ocean’ and why it needs to become a central theme to everyone's lives. We have only one ocean, we must protect it, now. There is no ‘Ocean B’.
Abstract.
Bates AE, Primack RB, Biggar BS, Bird TJ, Clinton ME, Command RJ, Richards C, Shellard M, Geraldi NR, Vergara V, et al (2021). Global COVID-19 lockdown highlights humans as both threats and custodians of the environment. Biological Conservation, 263, 109175-109175.
Woodall L, Talma S (2021). Ocean action.
CHEMISTRY & INDUSTRY,
85(7-8), 38-38.
Author URL.
Fassbender N, Stefanoudis PV, Filander ZN, Gendron G, Mah CL, Mattio L, Mortimer JA, Moura CJ, Samaai T, Samimi-Namin K, et al (2021). Reef benthos of Seychelles - a field guide.
Biodiversity Data Journal,
9, 1-189.
Abstract:
Reef benthos of Seychelles - a field guide
Background During the 2019 First Descent: Seychelles Expedition, shallow and deep reef ecosystems of the Seychelles Outer Islands were studied by deploying a variety of underwater technologies to survey their benthic flora and fauna. Submersibles, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and SCUBA diving teams used stereo-video camera systems to record benthic communities during transect surveys conducted at 10 m, 30 m, 60 m, 120 m, 250 m and 350 m depths. In total, ~ 45 h of video footage was collected during benthic transect surveys, which was subsequently processed using annotation software in order to assess reef biodiversity and community composition. Here, we present a photographic guide for the visual identification of the marine macrophytes, corals, sponges and other common invertebrates that inhabit Seychelles’ reefs. It is hoped that the resulting guide will aid marine biologists, conservationists, managers, divers and naturalists with the coarse identification of organisms as seen in underwater footage or live in the field. New information a total of 184 morphotypes (= morphologically similar individuals) were identified belonging to Octocorallia (47), Porifera (35), Scleractinia (32), Asteroidea (19), Echinoidea (10), Actiniaria (9), Chlorophyta (8), Antipatharia (6), Hydrozoa (6), Holothuroidea (5), Mollusca (2), Rhodophyta (2), Tracheophyta (2), Annelida (1), Crinoidea (1), Ctenophora (1), Ochrophyta (1) and Zoantharia (1). Out of these, we identified one to phylum level, eight to class, 14 to order, 27 to family, 110 to genus and 24 to species. This represents the first attempt to catalogue the benthic diversity from shallow reefs and up to 350 m depth in Seychelles.
Abstract.
Laffoley D, Baxter JM, Amon DJ, Claudet J, Hall-Spencer JM, Grorud-Colvert K, Levin LA, Reid PC, Rogers AD, Taylor ML, et al (2021). Response to Ota, Allison and Fabinyi on ‘Evolving the narrative for protecting a rapidly changing ocean, post COVID-19’. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 31(8), 2302-2303.
Cooke SJ, Soroye P, Brooks JL, Clarke J, Jeanson AL, Berberi A, Piczak ML, Reid CH, Desforges JE, Guay JD, et al (2021). Ten considerations for conservation policy makers for the post-covid-19 transition.
Environmental Reviews,
29(2), 111-118.
Abstract:
Ten considerations for conservation policy makers for the post-covid-19 transition
Public health and safety concerns around the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus and the COVID-19 pandemic have greatly changed human behaviour. Such shifts in behaviours, including travel patterns, consumerism, and energy use, are variously impacting biodiversity during the human-dominated geological epoch known as the Anthropocene. Indeed, the dramatic reduction in human mobility and activity has been termed the “Anthropause”. COVID-19 has highlighted the current environmental and biodiversity crisis and has provided an opportunity to redefine our relationship with nature. Here we share 10 considerations for conservation policy makers to support and rethink the development of impactful and effective policies in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are opportunities to leverage societal changes as a result of COVID-19, focus on the need for collaboration and engagement, and address lessons learned through the development of policies (including those related to public health) during the pandemic. The pandemic has had devastating impacts on humanity that should not be understated, but it is also a warning that we need to redefine our relationship with nature and restore biodiversity. The considerations presented here will support the development of robust, evidence-based, and transformative policies for biodiversity conservation in a post-COVID-19 world.
Abstract.
Canals M, Pham CK, Bergmann M, Gutow L, Hanke G, van Sebille E, Angiolillo M, Buhl-Mortensen L, Cau A, Ioakeimidis C, et al (2021). The quest for seafloor macrolitter: a critical review of background knowledge, current methods and future prospects.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS,
16(2).
Author URL.
Stefanoudis PV, Licuanan WY, Morrison TH, Talma S, Veitayaki J, Woodall LC (2021). Turning the tide of parachute science.
CURRENT BIOLOGY,
31(4), R184-R185.
Author URL.
2020
Howell KL, Hilário A, Allcock AL, Bailey DM, Baker M, Clark MR, Colaço A, Copley J, Cordes EE, Danovaro R, et al (2020). A Blueprint for an Inclusive, Global Deep-Sea Ocean Decade Field Program.
Frontiers in Marine Science,
7Abstract:
A Blueprint for an Inclusive, Global Deep-Sea Ocean Decade Field Program
The ocean plays a crucial role in the functioning of the Earth System and in the provision of vital goods and services. The United Nations (UN) declared 2021–2030 as the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. The Roadmap for the Ocean Decade aims to achieve six critical societal outcomes (SOs) by 2030, through the pursuit of four objectives (Os). It specifically recognizes the scarcity of biological data for deep-sea biomes, and challenges the global scientific community to conduct research to advance understanding of deep-sea ecosystems to inform sustainable management. In this paper, we map four key scientific questions identified by the academic community to the Ocean Decade SOs: (i) What is the diversity of life in the deep ocean? (ii) How are populations and habitats connected? (iii) What is the role of living organisms in ecosystem function and service provision? and (iv) How do species, communities, and ecosystems respond to disturbance? We then consider the design of a global-scale program to address these questions by reviewing key drivers of ecological pattern and process. We recommend using the following criteria to stratify a global survey design: biogeographic region, depth, horizontal distance, substrate type, high and low climate hazard, fished/unfished, near/far from sources of pollution, licensed/protected from industry activities. We consider both spatial and temporal surveys, and emphasize new biological data collection that prioritizes southern and polar latitudes, deeper (> 2000 m) depths, and midwater environments. We provide guidance on observational, experimental, and monitoring needs for different benthic and pelagic ecosystems. We then review recent efforts to standardize biological data and specimen collection and archiving, making “sampling design to knowledge application” recommendations in the context of a new global program. We also review and comment on needs, and recommend actions, to develop capacity in deep-sea research; and the role of inclusivity - from accessing indigenous and local knowledge to the sharing of technologies - as part of such a global program. We discuss the concept of a new global deep-sea biological research program ‘Challenger 150,’ highlighting what it could deliver for the Ocean Decade and UN Sustainable Development Goal 14.
Abstract.
Stefanoudis PV, Talma S, Samimi-Namin K, Woodall LC (2020). Deep reef ecosystems of the Western Indian Ocean: addressing the great unknown. Research Ideas and Outcomes, 6
Laffoley D, Baxter JM, Amon DJ, Currie DEJ, Downs CA, Hall-Spencer JM, Harden-Davies H, Page R, Reid CP, Roberts CM, et al (2020). Eight urgent, fundamental and simultaneous steps needed to restore ocean health, and the consequences for humanity and the planet of inaction or delay.
Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems,
30(1), 194-208.
Abstract:
Eight urgent, fundamental and simultaneous steps needed to restore ocean health, and the consequences for humanity and the planet of inaction or delay
The ocean crisis is urgent and central to human wellbeing and life on Earth; past and current activities are damaging the planet's main life support system for future generations. We are witnessing an increase in ocean heat, disturbance, acidification, bio-invasions and nutrients, and reducing oxygen levels. Several of these act like ratchets: once detrimental or negative changes have occurred, they may lock in place and may not be reversible, especially at gross ecological and ocean process scales. Each change may represent a loss to humanity of resources, ecosystem function, oxygen production and species. The longer we pursue unsuitable actions, the more we close the path to recovery and better ocean health and greater benefits for humanity in the future. We stand at a critical juncture and have identified eight priority issues that need to be addressed in unison to help avert a potential ecological disaster in the global ocean. They form a purposely ambitious agenda for global governance and are aimed at informing decision-makers at a high level. They should also be of interest to the general public. of all the themes, the highest priority is to rigorously address global warming and limit surface temperature rise to 1.5°C by 2100, as warming is the pre-eminent factor driving change in the ocean. The other themes are establishing a robust and comprehensive High Seas Treaty, enforcing existing standards for Marine Protected Areas and expanding their coverage, especially in terms of high levels of protection, adopting a precautionary pause on deep-sea mining, ending overfishing and destructive fishing practices, radically reducing marine pollution, putting in place a financing mechanism for ocean management and protection, and lastly, scaling up science/data gathering and facilitating data sharing. By implementing all eight measures in unison, as a coordinated strategy, we can build resilience to climate change, help sustain fisheries productivity, particularly for low-income countries dependent on fisheries, protect coasts (e.g. via soft-engineering/habitat-based approaches), promote mitigation (e.g. carbon storage) and enable improved adaptation to rapid global change.
Abstract.
2019
Howell KL, Davies JS, Allcock AL, Braga-Henriques A, Buhl-Mortensen P, Carreiro-Silva M, Dominguez-Carrio C, Durden JM, Foster NL, Game CA, et al (2019). A framework for the development of a global standardised marine taxon reference image database (SMarTaR-ID) to support image-based analyses.
PLOS ONE,
14(12).
Author URL.
Howell KL, Davies JS, Allcock AL, Braga-Henriques A, Buhl-Mortensen P, Carreiro-Silva M, Dominguez-Carrió C, Durden JM, Foster NL, Game CA, et al (2019). A framework for the development of a global standardised marine taxon reference image database (SMarTaR-ID) to support image-based analyses.
Stefanoudis PV, Rivers M, Ford H, Yashayaev IM, Rogers AD, Woodall LC (2019). Changes in zooplankton communities from epipelagic to lower mesopelagic waters.
Marine Environmental Research,
146, 1-11.
Abstract:
Changes in zooplankton communities from epipelagic to lower mesopelagic waters
Zooplankton form a trophic link between primary producers and higher trophic levels, and exert significant influence on the vertical transport of carbon through the water column (‘biological carbon pump’). Using a MultiNet we sampled and studied mesozooplankton communities (i.e. >0.2 mm) from six locations around Bermuda targeting four depth zones: ∼0–200 m, ∼200–400 m, ∼400–600 m (deep-scattering layer), and ∼600–800 m. Copepoda, our focal taxonomic group, consistently dominated samples (∼80% relative abundance). We report declines in zooplankton and copepod abundance with depth, concurrent with decreases in food availability. Taxonomic richness was lowest at depth and below the deep-scattering layer. In contrast, copepod diversity peaked at these depths, suggesting lower competitive displacement in these more food-limited waters. Finally, omnivory and carnivory, were the dominant trophic traits, each one affecting the biological carbon pump in a different way. This highlights the importance of incorporating data on zooplankton food web structure in future modelling of global ocean carbon cycling.
Abstract.
Stefanoudis PV, Gress E, Pitt JM, Smith SR, Kincaid T, Rivers M, Andradi-Brown DA, Rowlands G, Woodall LC, Rogers AD, et al (2019). Depth-dependent structuring of reef fish assemblages from the shallows to the rariphotic zone.
Frontiers in Marine Science,
6(JUN).
Abstract:
Depth-dependent structuring of reef fish assemblages from the shallows to the rariphotic zone
Shallow coral reef ecosystems worldwide are affected by local and global anthropogenic stressors. Exploring fish assemblages on deeper reefs is therefore important to examine their connectivity, and to help understand the biodiversity, ecology, distinctiveness, evolutionary history and threats in this sparsely studied environment. Conducting visual surveys on the Bermuda slope and a nearby seamount at depths from 15 to 300 m, we document decreasing fish biomass and diversity with increasing depth. Fish assemblages were primarily depth-stratified, with distinct suites of species inhabiting shallow ( < 30 m depth) and upper (60 m) and lower (90 m) mesophotic coral ecosystems, and confirming the presence of a distinct rariphotic (~150-300 m) assemblage. We also report evidence of anthropogenic pressures throughout our surveyed depths. Our results highlight the novelty of deeper reef fish faunas, therefore suggesting limited applicability of the deep reef refuge hypothesis, and showcase the vulnerability of deep reefs to targeted fishing pressure and invasive species.
Abstract.
Riquet F, Lieutard-Haag C, Serluca G, Woodall L, Claude J, Louisy P, Bierne N (2019). Effective population size and heterozygosity-fitness correlations in a population of the Mediterranean lagoon ecotype of long-snouted seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus.
CONSERVATION GENETICS,
20(6), 1281-1288.
Author URL.
Turner JA, Andradi-Brown DA, Gori A, Bongaerts P, Burdett HL, Ferrier-Pagès C, Voolstra CR, Weinstein DK, Bridge TCL, Costantini F, et al (2019). Key Questions for Research and Conservation of Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems and Temperate Mesophotic Ecosystems. In (Ed) Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems, 989-1003.
Stefanoudis PV, Rivers M, Smith SR, Schneider CW, Wagner D, Ford H, Rogers AD, Woodall LC (2019). Low connectivity between shallow, mesophotic and rariphotic zone benthos.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE,
6(9).
Author URL.
Riquet F, Liautard-Haag C, Woodall L, Bouza C, Louisy P, Hamer B, Otero-Ferrer F, Aublanc P, Béduneau V, Briard O, et al (2019). Parallel pattern of differentiation at a genomic island shared between clinal and mosaic hybrid zones in a complex of cryptic seahorse lineages.
Evolution,
73(4), 817-835.
Abstract:
Parallel pattern of differentiation at a genomic island shared between clinal and mosaic hybrid zones in a complex of cryptic seahorse lineages.
Diverging semi-isolated lineages either meet in narrow clinal hybrid zones, or have a mosaic distribution associated with environmental variation. Intrinsic reproductive isolation is often emphasized in the former and local adaptation in the latter, although both reduce gene flow between groups. Rarely are these two patterns of spatial distribution reported in the same study system. Here, we report that the long-snouted seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus is subdivided into discrete panmictic entities by both types of hybrid zones. Along the European Atlantic coasts, a northern and a southern lineage meet in the southwest of France where they coexist in sympatry-i.e. in the same geographical zone-with little hybridization. In the Mediterranean Sea, two lineages have a mosaic distribution, associated with lagoon-like and marine habitats. A fifth lineage was identified in the Black Sea. Genetic homogeneity over large spatial scales contrasts with isolation maintained in sympatry or close parapatry at a fine scale. A high variation in locus-specific introgression rates provides additional evidence that partial reproductive isolation must be maintaining the divergence. We find that fixed differences between lagoon and marine populations in the Mediterranean Sea belong to the most differentiated SNPs between the two Atlantic lineages, against the genome-wide pattern of structure that mostly follow geography. These parallel outlier SNPs cluster on a single chromosome-wide island of differentiation. Since Atlantic lineages do not map to lagoon-sea habitat variation, genetic parallelism at the genomic island suggests a shared genetic barrier contributes to reproductive isolation in contrasting contexts-i.e. spatial versus ecological. We discuss how a genomic hotspot of parallel differentiation could have evolved and become associated both with space and with a patchy environment in a single study system.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Rivers ML, Gwinnett C, Woodall LC (2019). Quantification is more than counting: Actions required to accurately quantify and report isolated marine microplastics.
Marine Pollution Bulletin,
139, 100-104.
Abstract:
Quantification is more than counting: Actions required to accurately quantify and report isolated marine microplastics
Research on marine microplastics continues to increase in popularity, with a large number of studies being published every year. However, with this plethora of research comes the need for a standardised approach to quantification and analysis procedures in order to produce comparative assessments. Using data collected from neuston nets in 2016, parameters for quantifying microplastics were compared. Surface area was the most accurate parameter to describe plastic size and should be used to describe plastic quantity (per km2 or m3), alongside abundance. of the two most commonly used methods for calculating plastic concentration (flowmeter and ship's log), ship's log provided consistently smaller abundances, with the exception of one sample, calling for a standardisation in the techniques and measurements used to quantify floating microplastics.
Abstract.
2018
Woodall LC, Andradi-Brown DA, Brierley AS, Clark MR, Connelly D, Hall RA, Howell KL, Huvenne VAI, Linse K, Ross RE, et al (2018). A multidisciplinary approach for generating globally consistent data on mesophotic, deep-pelagic, and bathyal biological communities.
Oceanography,
31(3), 76-89.
Abstract:
A multidisciplinary approach for generating globally consistent data on mesophotic, deep-pelagic, and bathyal biological communities
Approaches to measuring marine biological parameters remain almost as diverse as the researchers who measure them. However, understanding the patterns of diversity in ocean life over different temporal and geographic scales requires consistent data and information on the potential environmental drivers. As a group of marine scientists from different disciplines, we suggest a formalized, consistent framework of 20 biological, chemical, physical, and socioeconomic parameters that we consider the most important for describing environmental and biological variability. We call our proposed framework the General Ocean Survey and Sampling Iterative Protocol (GOSSIP). We hope that this framework will establish a consistent approach to data collection, enabling further collaboration between marine scientists from different disciplines to advance knowledge of the ocean (deep-sea and meso- photic coral ecosystems).
Abstract.
Woodall LC, Otero-Ferrer F, Correia M, Curtis JMR, Garrick-Maidment N, Shaw PW, Koldewey HJ (2018). A synthesis of European seahorse taxonomy, population structure, and habitat use as a basis for assessment, monitoring and conservation.
MARINE BIOLOGY,
165(1).
Author URL.
Woodall LC, Jungblut AD, Hopkins K, Hall A, Robinson LF, Gwinnett C, Paterson GLJ (2018). Deep-sea anthropogenic macrodebris harbours rich and diverse communities of bacteria and archaea.
PLOS ONE,
13(11).
Author URL.
Neal L, Taboada S, Woodall LC (2018). Slope-shelf faunal link and unreported diversity off Nova Scotia: Evidence from polychaete data.
DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART I-OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH PAPERS,
138, 72-84.
Author URL.
2017
Gress E, Andradi-Brown DA, Woodall L, Schofield PJ, Stanley K, Rogers AD (2017). Lionfish (. Pterois sp. ) invade the upper bathyal zone in the western Atlantic.
Gress E, Andradi-Brown DA, Woodall L, Schofield PJ, Stanley K, Rogers AD (2017). Lionfish (Pterois sp.) invade the upper bathyal zone in the western Atlantic. , 5
Gress E, Andradi-Brown DA, Woodall L, Schofield PJ, Stanley K, Rogers AD (2017). Lionfish (Pterois spp.) invade the upper-bathyal zone in the western Atlantic.
PeerJ,
5Abstract:
Lionfish (Pterois spp.) invade the upper-bathyal zone in the western Atlantic.
Non-native lionfish have been recorded throughout the western Atlantic on both shallow and mesophotic reefs, where they have been linked to declines in reef health. In this study we report the first lionfish observations from the deep sea (>200 m) in Bermuda and Roatan, Honduras, with lionfish observed to a maximum depth of 304 m off the Bermuda platform, and 250 m off West End, Roatan. Placed in the context of other deeper lionfish observations and records, our results imply that lionfish may be present in the 200-300 m depth range of the upper-bathyal zone across many locations in the western Atlantic, but currently are under-sampled compared to shallow habitats. We highlight the need for considering deep-sea lionfish populations in future invasive lionfish management.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Riquet F, Liautard-Haag C, Woodall L, Bouza C, Louisy P, Hamer B, Otero-Ferrer F, Aublanc P, Béduneau V, Briard O, et al (2017). Parallel pattern of differentiation at a genomic island shared between clinal and mosaic hybrid zones in a complex of cryptic seahorse lineages.
2016
Kubasiewicz LM, Minderman J, Woodall LC, Quine CP, Coope R, Park KJ (2016). Fur and faeces: an experimental assessment of non-invasive DNA sampling for the European pine marten.
Mammal Research,
61(4), 299-307.
Abstract:
Fur and faeces: an experimental assessment of non-invasive DNA sampling for the European pine marten
Non-invasive genetic sampling using materials such as faeces or hair can be used to monitor wildlife populations, although DNA quality is often poor. Improving sampling efficiency and minimising factors that reduce DNA quality are therefore critical. After a severe decline, the European pine marten, Martes martes, has reclaimed much of its former range in Scotland, UK. Recording this rapid range expansion requires developing techniques for accurate monitoring, but this is hampered by the species’ elusive behaviour. We tested two sampling methods, hair collected from hair tubes and faeces (scat) collected along tracks, to assess the effects of key environmental and sampling variables on DNA quality and sampling efficiency. For hair, we tested the influence of hair tube location (distance from forest tracks) on collection rate and sex ratio of animals successfully sampled. For scats, we assessed the effect of time since defecation (1 to 16 days) on genotyping error rates and success under two contrasting environmental conditions (exposed to rainfall or sheltered). We found no bias in the collection rate or sex ratio of animals detected by hair samples with differing proximity to forest tracks. DNA amplification failure for scats exposed to rainfall increased from 28 to 65 % over the 16-day experimental period. During periods of low rainfall, the length of collection sessions could therefore be extended to increase sample number without risk of DNA degradation. Lack of bias in hair collection rates with proximity to forest tracks provides justification for tube placement close to tracks, as this reduces survey effort. These findings provide guidance for the development of efficient and cost-effective non-invasive sampling of Scottish pine martens.
Abstract.
Taylor ML, Gwinnett C, Robinson LF, Woodall LC (2016). Plastic microfibre ingestion by deep-sea organisms.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS,
6 Author URL.
2015
Woodall LC, Robinson LF, Rogers AD, Narayanaswamy BE, Paterson GLJ (2015). Deep-sea litter: a comparison of seamounts, banks and a ridge in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans reveals both environmental and anthropogenic factors impact accumulation and composition.
Frontiers in Marine Science,
2(FEB).
Abstract:
Deep-sea litter: a comparison of seamounts, banks and a ridge in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans reveals both environmental and anthropogenic factors impact accumulation and composition
Marine litter is a global challenge that has recently received policymakers' attention, with new environmental targets in addition to changes to old legislation. There are no global estimates of benthic litter because of the scarcity of data and only patchy survey coverage. However, estimates of baseline abundance and composition of litter are vital in order to implement litter reduction policies and adequate monitoring schemes. Two large-scale surveys of submarine geomorphological features in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans reveal that litter was found at all locations, despite their remoteness. Litter abundance was patchy, but both surveyed oceans had sites of high litter density. There was a significant difference in the type of litter found in the two oceans, with the Indian Ocean sites being dominated by fishing gear, whereas the Atlantic Ocean sites displayed a greater mix of general refuse. This study suggests that seabed litter is ubiquitous on raised benthic features, such as seamounts. It also concludes that the pattern of accumulation and composition of the litter is determined by a complex range of factors both environmental and anthropogenic. We suggest that the tracing of fishing effort and gear type would be an important step to elucidate hotspots of litter abundance on seamounts, ridges and banks.
Abstract.
Woodall LC, Koldewey HJ, Boehm JT, Shaw PW (2015). Past and present drivers of population structure in a small coastal fish, the European long snouted seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus.
Conservation Genetics,
16(5), 1139-1153.
Abstract:
Past and present drivers of population structure in a small coastal fish, the European long snouted seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus
The effective design of species conservation programs is reliant on information such as extant geographic distribution, taxon-specific life-history characteristics, and the relative influence of historic processes and contemporary environmental parameters in shaping population genetic diversity. Seahorses are weak swimmers and have a brooded young, limiting their dispersal potential. They live in sheltered locations, which are physically isolated from each other. Therefore panmixia across their geographic range is unlikely. Hippocampus guttulatus, a seahorse inhabiting European waters, has a geographic range spanning a number of contemporary oceanographic features that are proposed barriers to gene flow. Thus this fish is well-placed to test the contributions of environment and life-history factors in shaping population structuring. This study found that mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA (microsatellite) genotype data are concordant in suggesting that, like many other small fishes in European waters, H. guttulatus extant populations expanded from at least one southern European refugial population. Subsequent population differentiation of four geographic lineages reflects contemporary oceanographic barriers to gene flow. Demographic analyses suggest a northward, and long-term isolation between Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea populations. Moreover H. guttulatus contemporary population distribution and population structure are predominately explained by historic and oceanographic influences. These findings suggest that conservation of genetic diversity in H. guttulatus may be aided by a network of marine protected areas (MPAs), implemented to conserve coastal habitats, but the species’ unusual life history and gamete retaining behaviours should be considered as part of management decisions including MPA design and fisheries management plans.
Abstract.
Scriven JJ, Woodall LC, Tinsley MC, Knight ME, Williams PH, Carolan JC, Brown MJF, Goulson D (2015). Revealing the hidden niches of cryptic bumblebees in Great Britain: Implications for conservation.
Biological Conservation,
182, 126-133.
Abstract:
Revealing the hidden niches of cryptic bumblebees in Great Britain: Implications for conservation
Bumblebees are ecologically and economically important, and some species have suffered dramatic population declines. The absence of morphological diagnostic characters for the identification of some species creates difficulties for basic ecological studies, and for conservation management. The widespread and commercially exploited bumblebee subgenus Bombus sensu stricto contains a cryptic species complex, known as the lucorum complex, which in Europe comprises B. lucorum, B. cryptarum and B. magnus. Little is known about these species and much of what has been reported is likely to have suffered from incorrect identification. Although the lucorum complex as a whole is common in Great Britain, we aimed to determine whether the populations of the individual species are vulnerable and require conservation action. Using genetic methods to distinguish them, we determined the geographic distribution and abundance of the lucorum complex species in Great Britain, and assessed the extent of niche differentiation between these species. We detected major differences in the geographic range, forage use and sensitivity to summer temperatures of the three species. Bombus lucorum was found to have the broadest distribution and diet, being present throughout mainland Great Britain, whereas B. cryptarum and B. magnus were absent from large areas of central and southern England. Bombus cryptarum and B. magnus were more likely to be found at sites with lower summer temperatures. Bombus magnus, the least abundant species, was found to exhibit an unusually tight biotope association with heathland habitat. This has conservation implications for B. magnus given the current threats to this habitat type.
Abstract.
Woodall LC, Gwinnett C, Packer M, Thompson RC, Robinson LF, Paterson GLJ (2015). Using a forensic science approach to minimize environmental contamination and to identify microfibres in marine sediments.
Marine Pollution Bulletin,
95(1), 40-46.
Abstract:
Using a forensic science approach to minimize environmental contamination and to identify microfibres in marine sediments
There is growing evidence of extensive pollution of the environment by microplastic, with microfibres representing a large proportion of the microplastics seen in marine sediments. Since microfibres are ubiquitous in the environment, present in the laboratory air and water, evaluating microplastic pollution is difficult. Incidental contamination is highly likely unless strict control measures are employed. Here we describe methods developed to minimize the amount of incidental post-sampling contamination when quantifying marine microfibre pollution. We show that our protocol, adapted from the field of forensic fibre examination, reduces fibre abundance by 90% and enables the quick screening of fibre populations. These methods therefore allow an accurate estimate of microplastics polluting marine sediments. In a case study from a series of samples collected on a research vessel, we use these methods to highlight the prevalence of microfibres as marine microplastics.
Abstract.
2014
Woodall LC, Sanchez-Vidal A, Canals M, Paterson GLJ, Coppock R, Sleight V, Calafat A, Rogers AD, Narayanaswamy BE, Thompson RC, et al (2014). The deep sea is a major sink for microplastic debris.
Royal Society Open Science,
1(4), 140317-140317.
Abstract:
The deep sea is a major sink for microplastic debris
. Marine debris, mostly consisting of plastic, is a global problem, negatively impacting wildlife, tourism and shipping. However, despite the durability of plastic, and the exponential increase in its production, monitoring data show limited evidence of concomitant increasing concentrations in marine habitats. There appears to be a considerable proportion of the manufactured plastic that is unaccounted for in surveys tracking the fate of environmental plastics. Even the discovery of widespread accumulation of microscopic fragments (microplastics) in oceanic gyres and shallow water sediments is unable to explain the missing fraction. Here, we show that deep-sea sediments are a likely sink for microplastics. Microplastic, in the form of fibres, was up to four orders of magnitude more abundant (per unit volume) in deep-sea sediments from the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean than in contaminated sea-surface waters. Our results show evidence for a large and hitherto unknown repository of microplastics. The dominance of microfibres points to a previously underreported and unsampled plastic fraction. Given the vastness of the deep sea and the prevalence of microplastics at all sites we investigated, the deep-sea floor appears to provide an answer to the question—
. where is all the plastic?
.
Abstract.
2013
Scriven JJ, Woodall LC, Goulson D (2013). Nondestructive DNA sampling from bumblebee faeces.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES,
13(2), 225-229.
Author URL.
Boehm JT, Woodall L, Teske PR, Lourie SA, Baldwin C, Waldman J, Hickerson M (2013). ORIGINAL ARTICLE Marine dispersal and barriers drive Atlantic seahorse diversification.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY,
40(10), 1839-1849.
Author URL.
2012
Woodall LC, Jones R, Zimmerman B, Guillaume S, Stubbington T, Shaw P, Koldewey HJ (2012). Partial fin-clipping as an effective tool for tissue sampling seahorses, Hippocampus spp.
JOURNAL OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM,
92(6), 1427-1432.
Author URL.
Darvill B, Lepais O, Woodall LC, Goulson D (2012). Triploid bumblebees indicate a direct cost of inbreeding in fragmented populations.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY,
21(16), 3988-3995.
Author URL.
2011
Woodall LC, Koldewey HJ, Shaw PW (2011). Historical and contemporary population genetic connectivity of the European short-snouted seahorse Hippocampus hippocampus and implications for management.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY,
78(6), 1738-1756.
Author URL.
Woodall LC, Koldewey HJ, Shaw PW (2011). Serial monogamy in the European long-snouted seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus.
CONSERVATION GENETICS,
12(6), 1645-1649.
Author URL.
2009
Woodall LC, Koldewey HJ, Santos SV, Shaw PW (2009). First occurrence of the lined seahorse Hippocampus erectus in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY,
75(6), 1505-1512.
Author URL.
Naud M-J, Curtis JMR, Woodall LC, Gaspar MB (2009). Mate choice, operational sex ratio, and social promiscuity in a wild population of the long-snouted seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY,
20(1), 160-164.
Author URL.