Distribution of Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774) in the invaded range: a geographic approach with notes on species traits variability

Corbicula fluminea is considered one of the most important non-native invasive species (NIS) in aquatic systems mainly due to its widespread distribution and ecological and economic impacts. This species is known to negatively affect native bivalves, also with severe effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Throughout an exhaustive bibliographic survey and with the aid of Geographic Information Systems tools, this study tracks the species dispersion from its native range, including the description of important physical and environmental barriers. Additional analyses were conducted to examine possible influences of latitudinal/ temperature gradients on important traits (e.g. life span, maximum and mean body length, growth at the end of first year). Altitude and winter minimum temperature appear to be delaying the invasion worldwide, but it seems inevitable that the species will spread across the globe. Latitude and summer temperature show a relationship with growth and life span. Overall, the information gathered in this review may be relevant to forecast future distribution patterns of this NIS, and to anticipate the possible implementation of effective management measures. Moreover, it may constitute a valuabletool inthe prediction of population responses to an increasingly changing environment.This research was supported by FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology), through a PhD grant attributed to D. Crespo (SFRH/BD/80252/2011), a post-doc grant attributed to S. Leston (SFRH/BPD/91828/2012) and M Dolbeth (SFRH/BPD/41117/2007) and BIOCHANGED project (PTDC/MAR/111901/2009), subsidized by the European Social Fund and MCTES (Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) National Funds, through the POPH (Human Potential Operational Programme), QREN (National Strategic Reference Framework) and COMPETE (Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The impact of estuarine salinity changes on the bivalves Scrobicularia plana and Cerastoderma edule, illustrated by behavioral and mortality responses on a laboratory assay

Salinity is a major factor impacting estuarine organisms, especially in cases of abrupt changes. The increased physiological stress frequently results in behavioral and physiological responses and in extreme cases may lead to mortality episodes. Mortality and behavioral activity of the bivalves Scrobicularia plana and Cerastoderma edule were evaluated under a wide range of salinity values. Specimens were sampled in the Mondego estuary (Portugal), acclimated and exposed to different salinity treatments (0–35) at constant temperature (20 °C). Organisms were fed daily. Mortality and individual activity were registered during 120 h laboratory assays. Both species showed an optimal salinity range for their activity (S. plana: 20–30; C. edule: 20–25), and survival was mainly affected by low salinity (S. plana: LC50120 h = 5.35; C. edule: LC50120 h = 11.09), with 100% mortality under critical values (S. plana: <5; C. edule: <10). Therefore, the occurrence of extreme climate events, especially floods, may in fact severely impact these species through drastic changes in salinity

Behavioral and mortality responses of the bivalves Scrobicularia plana and Cerastoderma edule to temperature, as indicator of climate change's potential impacts

tTemperature is one of the most important abiotic factors affected by climate change. It determines phys-iological processes, ecological patterns and establishes the limits of geographic distribution of species.The induced thermal stress frequently results in physiological and behavioral responses and, in extremecases, may lead to mortality episodes. Scrobicularia plana and Cerastoderma edule behavioral and mortalityresponses to temperature were evaluated. Specimens were sampled in the Mondego estuary (Portugal),acclimated and exposed to different temperature treatments (5–35◦C). Individual activity and mortal-ity were registered during 120 h laboratory assays. Both species showed a thermal optimum for theiractivity (S. plana: 15–23◦C; C. edule: 20–23◦C), and survival was mainly affected by high temperature(S. plana: LC50120 h= 28.86◦C; C. edule: LC50120 h= 28.01◦C), with 100% mortality above critical values(≥32◦C). Results further indicated that both species are more affected the higher the temperature and thelonger the exposure time. This study indicates that the occurrence of extreme climatic events, especiallyheat waves, may be particularly impairing for these species

Behavioural Responses of Cerastoderma edule as Indicators of Potential Survival Strategies in the Face of Flooding Events

According to climate change scenarios the incidence of extreme events, such as flooding, is expected to increase worldwide. In the current climate change context, understanding behavioural responses of marine species to such stressors is essential, especially for species of high ecological and economic interest such as bivalves, which can be quite useful for future management and conservation actions. In this study, a laboratory experiment using different salinity conditions was undertaken to assess potential behavioural responses of cockles (Cerastoderma edule), as a survival strategy facing low-salinity stress during riverine flood events. Results showed consistent patterns of burrowing/emergence of cockles facing salinity variation: with high salinities the individuals were observed buried in the sediment; when salinity decreased, organisms were observed to actively emerge, and when salinity was <10, cockles were found exposed at the sediment surface. These behavioural changes may be a strategy for the survival of this species in response to flooding: once at the sediment surface, hydrodynamics may transport organisms towards areas that are more suitabl

A validated population-dynamics model for Scrobicularia plana (Mollusca, Bivalvia) in a south-western European estuary

During a recent intervention in the Mondego River estuary, Portugal, the existing connection between the north and the more eutrophic south arm was enlarged, a nutrient-enriched freshwater input was diverted to the north arm and the remaining seagrass patches were protected from human activity. System restoration did not involve disruption of the sediment and successfully reduced the eutrophic state of the estuary. This provided an excellent opportunity to test a population-dynamics model of a common European estuarine bivalve, Scrobicularia plana, (da Costa, 1778) before and after the intervention. The model simulated the number of individuals in three different sampling stations, before and after system restoration, and is regulated by water temperature, salinity and population density. Our analysis indicated that the occurrence of extreme values of the environmental variables has the strongest effect on the model response and possibly on the real system. The model was calibrated and validated with independent data sets and the model performance was highest under the conditions after the management. This corroborates the notion that system restoration was successful and indicates that the system became more predictable after management

Anthropogenic and natural disturbance effects on a macrobenthic estuarine community over a 10-year period

For some decades, the Mondego estuary has been under severe ecological stress, mainly caused by eutrophication. The most visible effect was the occurrence of macroalgal blooms and the concomitant decrease of the area occupied by Zostera noltii beds. Since the end of 1998, mitigation measures were implemented in the estuary to promote the recovery of the seagrass beds and the entire surrounding environment. The present study offers a unique opportunity to evaluate the impact of disturbance and the success of the initial recovery process (before and after implementation of the management measures), over a 10-year period, having secondary production as the descriptor. Before the implementation of the mitigation measures, in parallel with the decrease of the Z. noltii beds, species richness, mean biomass and production also decreased, lowering the carrying capacity of the whole Mondego's south arm. Yet, after the introduction of management measures, the seagrass bed seemed to recover. Consequently, the biomass and production also increased substantially, for the whole intertidal area. Nevertheless, even after the mitigation measures implementation, natural-induced stressors, such as strong flood events induced a drastic reduction of annual production, not seen before the implementation of those measures. This shows that the resilience of the populations may have been lowered by a prior disturbance history (eutrophication) and consequent interactions of multiple stressors.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6V6N-4MW9494-1/1/01588c7d52a28a297417734072ba78f

Recovery trends of Scrobicularia plana populations after restoration measures, affected by extreme climate events

The Mondego estuary (Portugal) went through different ecological scenarios over the last decades. An eutrophication process led to a decline in the ecosystem quality. The ensuing restoration plan resulted into a gradual ecological recovery, which was impaired by the occurrence of successive extreme climate events that affected dynamics and productivity of key species. In this study we assess the response of the bivalve Scrobicularia plana to the impacts of these events in a recovery scenario, by comparing populations in two different intertidal habitats: a seagrass bed and a sandflat area. As a general tendency, S. plana, which was negatively affected by eutrophication, responded positively to restoration. However, the occurrence of extreme climate events seemed to affect recruitment success, biomass and production, impairing the recovery process. In the seagrass bed, S. plana maintained a stable and structured population, while in the sandflat area recovery clearly reverted into a decline, mainly concerning biomass and production values. This sequence of multiple stressors might have reduced S. plana resilience to further impacts and therefore, understanding the behavior of biological populations following restoration initiatives requires acknowledgement that some changes may not be easily reversible

The impact of extreme flooding events and anthropogenic stressors on the macrobenthic communities’ dynamics

Marine and coastal environments are among the most ecologically and socio-economically important habitats on Earth. However, climate change associated with a variety of anthropogenic stressors (e.g. eutrophication) may interact to produce combined impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, which in turn will have profound implications for marine ecosystems and the economic and social systems that depend upon them. Marine and coastal environments are among the most ecologically and socio-economically important habitats on Earth. However, climate change associated with a variety of anthropogenic stressors (e.g. eutrophication) may interact to produce combined impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, which in turn will have profound implications for marine ecosystems and the economic and social systems that depend upon them. Over period 1980–2000, the environment of the Mondego estuary, Portugal, has deteriorated through eutrophication, manifested in the replacement of seagrasses by opportunistic macroalgae, degradation of water quality and increased turbidity, and the system has also experienced extreme flood events. A restoration plan was implemented in 1998 which aimed to reverse the eutrophication effects, especially to restore the original natural seagrass (Zostera noltii) community. This paper explores the interactions between extreme weather events (e.g. intense floods) and anthropogenic stressors (e.g. eutrophication) on the dynamics of the macrobenthic assemblages and the socio-economic implications that follow. We found that during the previous decade, the intensification of extreme flooding events had significant effects on the structure and functioning of macrobenthic communities, specifically a decline in total biomass, a decline in species richness and a decline in suspension feeders. However, the earlier eutrophication process also strongly modified the macrobenthic community, seen as a decline in species richness, increase in detritivores and a decline in herbivores together with a significant increase in small deposit-feeding polychaetes. After the implementation of the management plan, macrobenthic assemblages seemed to be recovering from eutrophication, but it is argued here that those earlier impacts reduced system stability and the resilience of the macrobenthic assemblages, so that its ability to cope with other stressors was compromised. Thus, heavy flooding in the Mondego region during the recovery process had more severe effects on these assemblages than expected, effectively re-setting the recovery clock, with significant socio-economic impacts (e.g. high mortality of fish in fish farms, and a large decline of economically important species, such as the bivalves Scrobicularia plana and Cerastoderma edule). The frequency and magnitude of these extreme events is predicted to increase in future years [IPCC WGI, 2001. Climate change 2001: the scientific basis, contribution of working group I to the third assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In: Houghton, J.T., Ding, Y., Griggs, D.J., Noguer, M., van der Linden, P.J., Xiaosu, D. (Eds.), Cambridge University Press, UK, 944 p.] and there is a risk that impacted ecosystems will never recover fully, with far-reaching consequences for human well bein

The effect of eutrophication abatement on the bivalve Scrobicularia plana

Over the last few decades, the excessive growth of macroalgae and decline of seagrass beds, associated with increased eutrophication, has become a worldwide problem. It is known that submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) offers stable habitats, allowing the continuous availability of food and protection against predators and contributing to biodiversity, sediment stability and water transparency when compared to areas covered by macroalgae mats. In the Mondego estuary (Portugal), several mitigation measures (nutrient-load reduction, seagrass-bed protection and freshwater-circulation enhancement) were implemented in 1998 in order to promote the recovery of the seagrass beds and the entire surrounding environment following a long period of eutrophication. Here the success of this restoration project is evaluated by comparing the water nutrient concentrations, the extent of seagrass cover and the dynamics of the bivalve Scrobicularia plana before and after the implementation of the management measures. During the period in which environmental quality declined, S. plana's adult abundance, total biomass and growth production also declined, parallel with the almost total disappearance of Zostera noltii. After the implementation of management measures, dissolved nutrients and green macroalgal blooms were much reduced, and seagrass beds started to recover. The S. plana population also responded positively, becoming more structured (including individuals of all age classes), with higher biomass and growth production.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6WDV-4FCRFDM-1/1/d653dc6f4a1a90598f31649f450376a

Fatty acids' profiles as indicators of stress induced by of a common herbicide on two marine bivalves species: Cerastoderma edule (Linnaeus, 1758) and Scrobicularia plana (da Costa, 1778)

In Europe, mainly the Mediterranean region, intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides has been recorded over the past 30 years, exceeding, in some cases, the limits of contamination authorized by the European Union. The intensive use of pollutants in fields near ecological coastal wetlands has led to implementation of pesticide monitoring programs to recover aquatic systems such as the Mondego estuary (Figueira da Foz, Portugal). According to information from the agricultural cooperatives of the Mondego valley, Primextra(R) Gold TZ is the most-used herbicide in corn crop fields. Biomarkers, such fatty acids (FAs), proved to be new and potentially powerful tools to detect, illustrate, and evaluate exposure to and the effects of contamination hazards. They play important roles in establishing neural levels in organisms' biochemical and physiological responses and are considered good bio-indicators of stress and potential indicators of ecosystem health. Bivalves are currently used in ecotoxicological bioassays because of their ecological importance, wide geographic distribution, ease of handling in the laboratory and in the field, and their ability to filter and ingest large volumes of water and sediment particles. Thus, the main goal of this work was to determine the toxic and biochemical (namely fatty acid profiles) responses of two size classes (small and big) of the two marine bivalve species Cerastoderma edule and Scrobicularia plane to the herbicide Primextra Gold. Furthermore, we aimed to compare the fatty acid contents, and thus the nutritive values, of both species and size classes collected in the field with those under laboratory conditions. Results show S. plana is more sensitive to the herbicide than C edule. In general, among the larger-sized specimens in the field, S. plum is more nutritive than C. edule, but among the smaller-sized specimens, the opposite tendency is seen, where C. edule presents a greater abundance of FAs. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved