Publications

Abstract Speculation over a global rise in jellyfish populations has become widespread in the scientific literature, but until recently the purported ‘global increase’ had not been tested. Here we present a citation analysis of peer‐reviewed literature to track the evolution of the current perception of increases in jellyfish and identify key papers involved in its establishment. Trend statements and citation threads were reviewed and arranged in a citation network. Trend statements were assessed according their degree of affirmation and spatial scale, and the appropriateness of the citations used to support statements was assessed. Analyses showed that 48.9% of publications misinterpreted the conclusions of cited sources, with a bias towards claiming jellyfish populations are increasing, with a single review having the most influence on the network. Collectively, these disparities resulted in a network based on unsubstantiated statements and citation threads. As a community, we must ensure our statements about scientific findings in general are accurately substantiated and carefully communicated such that incorrect perceptions, as in the case of jellyfish blooms, do not develop in the absence of rigorous testing.

Immobilization of marine invertebrates for research purposes has been commonly used and is often necessary to obtain high-quality findings. Despite these approaches being standard procedures, they can affect the specimens, and their responses as well. The effectiveness of magnesium chloride (MgCl 2 ) to “narcotize” marine invertebrates has been recognized since 1946. Here, we determine the concentration of MgCl 2 that immobilizes Cassiopea sp., at jellyfish stage, effectively and quickly, without causing mortality. The specimens were exposed to different concentrations of MgCl 2 , until the range was narrowed, and the most effective concentration was found (0.092M). In the final experiment, the jellyfish (~ 8.68 cm ± 1.70 SD of diameter) were exposed to a 0.092M MgCl 2 solution for 2 and 24 hours. Before, during, and after the exposure we monitored the following biological responses: (1) cessation of bell pulsations, (2) responsiveness to bell-tap stimulus, (3) photochemical efficiency, (4) bell pulsation, (5) recovery time, and (6) survival after 24 and 48 hours from exposure. Environmental conditions (pH and dissolved oxygen, d O 2 ) were monitored as well. Our findings indicate that, despite being an effective concentration for immobilization of Cassiopea sp. at jellyfish stage, their bell pulsations were significantly affected both after 2 and 24 hours when comparing the values measured in the “pre-incubation” and “immediate post-incubation” phases, whereas bell size was significantly affected only in the 24 hours incubation. In conclusion, we suggest that this concentration can be used to immobilize Cassiopea sp.at jellyfish stage for short-term analyses. However, the limitations related to the use of this chemical should be reported, as it could lead scientists to misleading conclusions.

The dynamics of mesoscale eddies of the Leeuwin Current off Western Australia (WA) are critical for regional fisheries. We spent a month documenting the dynamics of a large mesoscale eddy accelerating off WA as it formed. The vortex trapped coastal organisms including fish larvae and plankton, and impacted nutrient fluxes and primary productivity. Eddies have been shown to transport a substantial fraction of the heat and momentum flux of the Leeuwin Current, and may be crucial transporters of productive coastal water into the open ocean. Here we hypothesize that they may transport particulte carbon, and possibly dissolved and/or volatile organic carbon, up to 1000 m below the surface, contributing substantially to vertical fluxes in the ocean.

Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Europe 25th Annual Meeting, 3-7 May 2015, Barcelona.-- 2 pages, 4 figures

Understanding how animals move in dense environments where vision is compromised is a major challenge. We used GPS and dead-reckoning to examine the movement of Magellanic penguins commuting through vegetation that precluded long-distance vision. Birds leaving the nest followed the shortest, quickest route to the sea (the ‘ideal path’, or ' I-path ') but return tracks depended where the birds left the water. Penguins arriving at the beach departure spot mirrored the departure. Most of those landing at a distance from the departure spot travelled slowly, obliquely to the coast at a more acute angle than a beeline trajectory to the nest. On crossing their I-path , these birds then followed this route quickly to their nests. This movement strategy saves birds distance, time and energy compared to a route along the beach and the into the colony on the I-track and saves time and energy compared to a beeline trajectory which necessitates slow travel in unfamiliar areas. This suggests that some animals adopt tactics that take them to an area where their navigational capacities are enhanced for efficient travel in challenging environments.

Despite covering a large amount of seafloor & representing a significant percentage of coral reef ecosystem biomass, Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems (MCEs) globally have been largely understudied in comparison to their shallow counterparts. The Red Sea is a unique and biodiverse tropical ecosystem, where few mesophotic coral reefs have been studied. To define spatiotemporal activity of marine life and characterize the soundscapes of the MCE in the Central Red Sea, two locations were surveyed at 70–80 m, as well as at two adjacent shallow reef sites at ∼10 m depth, respectively, during the winter (Jan 2022) and summer (Jul–Aug 2022) seasons. The results of this study, the first of its kind in the Red Sea, show a clear shift in the soundscape between seasons, as well as between the shallow and mesophotic zones, driven mainly by a change in fish and invertebrate chorusing. During the study periods, temperature and oxygen levels in the mesophotic zone remained relatively stable, in comparison to the shallow reef zone which saw a steep temperature increase and large diel fluctuations in oxygen in the summer. Chronic exposure to shipping noise is evident across Red Sea MCE soundscapes and the resulting potential effects are discussed.

.The Red Sea Project (TRSP) is a development that extends over 28,000 km2 along the shores of the Red Sea that will progress to become a sustainable luxury tourism destination on the west coast of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The destination incorporates the Al Wajh lagoon, a pristine 2,081 km2 area that includes 92 islands with valuable habitats (coral reefs, seagrass and mangroves) and species of global conservation importance. The Red Sea Development Company, responsible for the execution of TRSP, has committed to achieve a net-positive impact on biodiversity while developing the site for sustainable tourism. This requires reaching conservation outcomes superior to those of a "business as usual" scenario for an undeveloped site. After careful optimization of the development plans to explore every opportunity to avoid impacts, we applied Marine Spatial Planning to optimize the conservation of the Al Wajh lagoon in the presence of development. We subsequently tested five conservation scenarios (excluding and including development) using Marxan, a suite of tools designed to identify priority areas for protection on the basis of prescribed conservation objectives. We succeeded in creating a three-layer conservation zoning achieving conservation outcomes as those possible in the "business as usual" scenario. Subsequently, we designed additional actions to remove existing pressures and generate net positive conservation outcomes. The results demonstrate that careful design and planning could potentially allow coastal development to enhance, rather than jeopardize, conservation.