Gillanders Aquatic Ecology Lab
2024 Publications (links to each paper available at read more)
Image: Figure 1 from paper showing proximal view of right sagittal otoliths from Etelis carbunculus (50 cm FL, left), and Etelis boweni (67 cm FL, right).
Otolith morphometry and Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy as tools to discriminate archived otoliths of newly detected cryptic species, Etelis carbunculusand Etelis boweni
Dahl, K, J O'Malley, B Barnett, B Kline, J Widdrington. 2024. Fisheries Research 272, 106927
Cryptic speciation was recently verified in Etelis carbunculus, an important component of federally managed bottomfish fisheries in the Pacific Territories of the United States. As a result, archived otolith collections used for fishery assessment are now contaminated with newly described E. boweni in areas where these species co-occur. We compared the efficacy of otolith morphometrics and Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy to discriminate species first using voucher (i.e., known species) otoliths (n = 93) from the SW Pacific, then applied optimal models to archived otoliths (n = 91) collected around Guam. Significant and distinguishable differences in otolith morphometrics as well as FT-NIR spectral absorbance patterns were observed between E. carbunculus and E. boweni voucher samples. Classification models applied using both morphometric measurements (quadratic discriminant analysis) and FT-NIR spectral data (partial least squares discriminant analysis) were able to predict species with a high (93 – 100%) degree of accuracy despite a relatively large spatial area of specimen collection ( ± 10° latitude and longitude) and regardless of whether otoliths were whole (i.e., unbroken). Further, each method identified members of newly described E. boweni in the archived collection of E. carbunculus otoliths captured around Guam, providing strong evidence that the species’ distributions overlap in this region. The purported identification of both E. carbunculus and E. boweni in the archived catch from Guam has important implications for fisheries management; therefore, it is imperative that the corresponding otolith collections are examined to ensure that the otoliths are assigned to the correct species.
Image: Figure 4 from paper which is a conceptual diagram of the historical coastal vegetation change uncovered at Torrens Island, South Australia.
Environmental DNA identifies coastal plant community shift 1,000 years ago in Torrens Island, South Australia
Foster, NR, AR Jones, O Serrano, A Lafratta, PS Lavery, K van Dijk, E Biffin, BM Gillanders, J Young, P Masque, PS Gadd, GE Jacobsen, A Zawadzki, A Greene, M Waycott 2024. Communications Earth & Environment 5, 115.
Anthropogenic activities are causing detrimental changes to coastal plants– namely seagrass, mangrove, and tidal marshes. Looking beyond recent times to past vegetation dynamics is critical to assess the response and resilience of an environment to change. Here, we develop a high-resolution multi-proxy approach, providing a new evidence base to decipher long-term change in coastal plant communities. Combining targeted environmental DNA analysis with chemical analysis of soils, we reconstructed 4,000 years of change at a temperate wetland on Torrens Island South Australia and identified an ecosystem shift that occurred ~ 1000 years ago. What was once a subtidal seagrass system shifted to an intertidal mangrove environment that persists at this site today. We demonstrate that high-resolution historical changes in coastal vegetation can be attained using these proxies. This approach could be applied to other ecosystems to improve the way we protect, conserve, and restore vegetated ecosystems.
Image: Graphical abstract from paper.
Projected ocean temperatures impair key proteins used in vision of octopus hatchlings
Hua, QQH, D Kultz, K Wiltshire, ZA Doubleday, BM Gillanders. 2024. Global Change Biology 30: e17255.
Global warming is one of the most significant and widespread effects of climate change. While early life stages are particularly vulnerable to increasing temperatures, little is known about the molecular processes that underpin their capacity to adapt to temperature change during early development. Using a quantitative proteomics approach, we investigated the effects of thermal stress on octopus embryos. We exposed Octopus berrima embryos to different temperature treatments (control 19°C, current summer temperature 22°C, or future projected summer temperature 25°C) until hatching. By comparing their protein expression levels, we found that future projected temperatures significantly reduced levels of key eye proteins such as S-crystallin and retinol dehydrogenase 12, suggesting the embryonic octopuses had impaired vision at elevated temperature. We also found that this was coupled with a cellular stress response that included a significant elevation of proteins involved in molecular chaperoning and redox regulation. Energy resources were also redirected away from non-essential processes such as growth and digestion. These findings, taken together with the high embryonic mortality observed under the highest temperature, identify critical physiological functions of embryonic octopuses that may be impaired under future warming conditions. Our findings demonstrate the severity of the thermal impacts on the early life stages of octopuses as demonstrated by quantitative proteome changes that affect vision, protein chaperoning, redox regulation and energy metabolism as critical physiological functions that underlie the responses to thermal stress.
Image: Graphical abstract from paper.
Current extent and future opportunities for living shorelines in Australia
Morris, RL, E Campbell-Hooper, E Waters, MJ Bishop, CE Lovelock, Ryan J Lowe, EMA Strain, P Boon, A Boxshall, NK Browne, JT Carley, BJ Fest, MW Fraser, M Ghisalberti, BM Gillanders, GA Kendrick, TM Konlechner, M Mayer-Pinto, AWM Pomeroy, AA Rogers, V Simpson, AA Van Rooijen, NJ Waltham, SE Swearer. 2024. Science of the Total Environment 917, 170363.
Living shorelines aim to enhance the resilience of coastlines to hazards while simultaneously delivering co-benefits such as carbon sequestration. Despite the potential ecological and socio-economic benefits of living shorelines over conventional engineered coastal protection structures, application is limited globally. Australia has a long and diverse coastline that provides prime opportunities for living shorelines using beaches and dunes, vegetation, and biogenic reefs, which may be either natural (‘soft’ approach) or with an engineered structural component (‘hybrid’ approach). Published scientific studies, however, have indicated limited use of living shorelines for coastal protection in Australia. In response, we combined a national survey and interviews of coastal practitioners and a grey and peer-reviewed literature search to (1) identify barriers to living shoreline implementation; and (2) create a database of living shoreline projects in Australia based on sources other than scientific literature. Projects included were those that had either a primary or secondary goal of protection of coastal assets from erosion and/or flooding. We identified 138 living shoreline projects in Australia through the means sampled starting in 1970; with the number of projects increasing through time particularly since 2000. Over half of the total projects (59 %) were considered to be successful according to their initial stated objective (i.e., reducing hazard risk) and 18 % of projects could not be assessed for their success based on the information available. Seventy percent of projects received formal or informal monitoring. Even in the absence of peer-reviewed support for living shoreline construction in Australia, we discovered local and regional increases in their use. This suggests that coastal practitioners are learning on-the-ground, however more generally it was stated that few examples of living shorelines are being made available, suggesting a barrier in information sharing among agencies at a broader scale. A database of living shoreline projects can increase knowledge among practitioners globally to develop best practice that informs technical guidelines for different approaches and helps focus attention on areas for further research.
Image: Figure from paper.
Site unseen: Engaging communities on marine protected areas
Nursey-Bray, M, N Wootton, S Holland, K Page, BM Gillanders. 2024. Biological Conservation 292, 110515.
Marine protected areas are ‘sites unseen’ and hence the human communities that live on and around them often struggle to accept their existence. This paper presents an account of a project that sought to establish what are the most effective modes of community engagement to raise awareness of the ecological integrity and values of, and social license to operate for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), especially those in remote and regional areas. Using a case study of offshore MPAs within the state of South Australia, we argue that conventional modes of community engagement and communication are enhanced by the deployment of virtual and visual modes of communication. Our analysis showed that the use of alternate and visually engaged processes, via the deployment of the ‘Fab Five’ marine species, enabled us to break the dominant discourse that MPAs are ‘us’ vs ‘them’, facilitated a reconciliation between State and Commonwealth MPAs, and created a unique space for cross cultural engagement which cumulatively offered opportunities to build the government's social license for the existence of MPAs, and maintain their enduring benefit for marine conservation.
Advancing national standards and best practices to monitor key marine values and pressures
Rachel Przeslawski, Brooke Gibbons, Bronwyn Gillanders, Nicole Hamre, Tim Langlois, Jacquomo Monk, Matthew Navarro, Joni Pini Fitzsimmons, Patrick Reis-Santos, Nina Wootton. 2024. Final report of NESP project 2.2. Report to the National Environmental Science Program. NSW Department of Primary Industries: Huskisson.
Image: Steps to developing an ocean best practice.
Image: Graphical abstract from paper.
Determining environmental drivers of fine-scale variability in blue carbon soil stocks
Image: Black bream; David Muirhead image.
Strong philopatry in an estuarine-dependent fish
Image: Black bream; David Muirhead image.
Combining natural markers to investigate fish population structure and connectivity
Image: Figure 2 from paper.
Incorporating stressor interactions into marine spatial cumulative impact assessments
Image: Figure 6 from paper showing representative examples of variations in element:Ca ratios from the core to the otolith edge and 2-D Sr:Ca maps for different migratory patterns.
Diverse migration strategies of ariid catfishes along a salinity gradient in the Mekong River.
Vu, AV, LJ Baumgartner, KE Limburg, BM Gillanders, M Mallen-Cooper, JA Howitt, JD Thiem, JS Doran, CM Kewish, IG Cowx. 2024. Fisheries Research 279, 107133.
Image: Figure 2 from paper showing otolith images of the two species - Lutjanus sebae (LHS) and Etelis boweni (RHS).
Otolith growth chronologies reveal distinct environmental sensitivities between and within shallow- and deep-water snappers
Image: Graphical abstract from paper.
Research priorities on microplastics in marine and coastal environments: An Australian perspective to advance global action
Wootton, N, BM Gillanders, S Leterme, W Noble, SP Wilson, M Blewitt, SE Swearer, P Reis-Santos. 2024. Marine Pollution Bulletin 205, 116660.
Plastic and microplastic contamination in the environment receive global attention, with calls for the synthesis of scientific evidence to inform actionable strategies and policy-relevant practices. We provide a systematic literature review on microplastic research across Australian coastal environments in water, sediment and biota, highlighting the main research foci and gaps in information. At the same time, we conducted surveys and workshops to gather expert opinions from multiple stakeholders (including researchers, industry, and government) to identify critical research directions to meet stakeholder needs across sectors. Through this consultation and engagement process, we created a platform for knowledge exchange and identified three major priorities to support evidence-based policy, regulation, and management. These include a need for (i) method harmonisation in microplastic assessments, (ii) information on the presence, sources, and pathways of plastic pollution, and (iii) advancing our understanding of the risk of harm to individuals and ecosystems.
Image: Graphical abstract from paper.
Better understanding ocean awareness: Insights from young people
Wootton, N, M Nursey-Bray, S Holland, BM Gillanders. 2024. Marine Policy 164, 106159.
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a key conservation policy tool designed to provide protection of ocean and coastal ecosystems globally. Public engagement and awareness of MPAs, especially in regional communities, is critical in improving outcomes and ultimately their overall acceptance. Engaging with young people is essential as they are key thought shifters and positive movers in the future of MPAs, and environmental issues broadly. Further, it is the younger generation that must live with the conservation choices that are being made now in the future. Therefore, it is essential that we require a detailed understanding of young people’s knowledge of MPAs, and their key pathways of gathering information to do with the environment broadly. In turn, educators, marine park managers and policy makers can utilise these findings to better inform young people on key environmental issues. Here we present results from a survey that explored the knowledge and awareness of young people (ages 11 – 17) in relation to marine environments. School students (N=314) from coastal regions of South Australia were asked about their knowledge of MPAs, the value placed on the marine environment, and their key sources for information on environmental issues. Results indicate that broadly there were low levels of understanding of MPAs, with only 30 % of students acknowledging they knew what MPAs were. This lack of understanding surrounding MPAs indicates the necessity for enriched communication strategies to improve awareness of threats placed on marine environments, and the roles that MPAs play in helping to combat these threats.
 Near Calperun Station, SA |  Giant Australian cuttlefish |  Flinders Chase |  Tourville Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
 Streaky Bay |  Kangaroo Island |  Routeburn Track |  White Island |