Browsing by Author "Correia, Miguel"
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- Habitat suitability of two flagship species, hippocampus hippocampus and hippocampus guttulatus, in the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula - implications for conservationPublication . Peiffer, Friederike; Lima, André R.A.; Henriques, Sofia; Pardal, Miguel; Martinho, Filipe; Gonçalves, Jorge M.S.; Gonçalves, Emanuel J.; Correia, Miguel; Silva, Gonçalo Jorge FrancoAnthropogenic pressures on marine ecosystems are increasing worldwide, causing loss of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, and driving species towards risk of extinction. To protect vulnerable species and habitats, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are increasingly established worldwide as conservation measures. Seahorses act as flagship species for coastal ecosystem conservation due to their charismatic appearance and high vulnerability to habitat degradation. Here, the habitat suitability of the two European seahorse species, Hippocampus hippocampus and Hippocampus guttulatus, was assessed along the western Iberian Peninsula, using an ensemble species distribution modelling approach. Furthermore, the coverage of their core habitat (relative habitat suitability (HS) ≥ 0.5) with MPAs was estimated. The results show that the main drivers for habitat suitability were distance to the coast, aspect of the seafloor, tidal amplitude, and temperature. However, the importance differed between the two species. The suitable habitat of H. hippocampus extended to higher distances to the coast, while H. guttulatus were mostly restricted to areas in the vicinity of the coast and facing away from the open sea (i.e., the westerly aspect of the seafloor). Furthermore, temperature contributes more to the variation in habitat suitability in H. hippocampus than in H. guttulatus. The areas with the highest habitat suitability are estuarine or inlet waters and sheltered coasts in northwestern Spain, central and south of Portugal. Both species’ core habitats are covered by about 19–20 % with implemented protected areas in Portugal. In comparison, there is less coverage for both species in Spain, with 12 % for H. guttulatus and 6 % for H. hippocampus. Besides, zones of full protection cover less than 0.5 % of
- Long-snouted seahorse, Hippocampus guttulatus, under global warmingPublication . Costa, Ana B.; Correia, Miguel; Silva, Goncalo; Faria, Ana M.The earth’s climate system and the global ocean have been warming up, since the mid-twentieth century and it is expected that the global and ocean´s temperature will rise in the next years even more [1,2,13,25,28]. For ectotherms, such as fish, temperature is a determinant cue for several behavioural [29], physiological [24], and metabolic processes [6]. Seahorses’ particular life history makes them vulnerable to human or natural disturbances [17]. The long snout seahorse, Hippocampus guttulatus, is one of the two species that inhabit the coastal areas of Portugal [23]. The present study aims to assess the effects of ocean warming on growth, feed intake and behavior patterns of adult H. guttulatus. Results provide clear evidence of detrimental effects of exposure to warming on this species. Under extreme temperatures (24ºC), the increased food ingestion was not enough for fish to support growth (weighted less), which suggests that fish were spending energy to counterbalance the thermal stress they were exposed to. Fish under both elevated temperature treatments (20 and 24ºC) were also spending more energy in active behaviours. Altogether, these data may indicate that ocean warming will have a drastic effect on seahorse populations currently inhabiting the Sado estuary.
- Performance of the long-snouted seahorse, Hippocampus guttulatus, under warming conditionsPublication . Costa, Ana Beatriz; Correia, Miguel; Silva, Gonçalo; Lopes, Ana Filipa; Faria, Ana MargaridaTemperature is a determinant cue for several behavioral, physiological, and metabolic processes in fish, which occur within a range set to optimize species fitness. Understanding how ocean warming will impact species, at individual and population levels, is, therefore, of utmost relevance for management and conservation purposes. This knowledge assumes particular relevance when it comes to species with unique life history traits that experience multiple threats, such as seahorses. This study aimed to assess the effects of warming on growth, feed intake, and behavioral patterns of the long-snouted seahorse, Hippocampus guttulatus. Fish were collected, before the breeding season, in the Sado estuary, Portugal, and subsequently exposed for an 8-week period to three different temperatures: 17°C, 20°C, and 24°C. Three times a week, behavioral observations were performed. Feed intake was measured every day and individuals were weighed once a week. Results indicate differences in behavioral responses of seahorses exposed to increasingly warming conditions. Under extreme temperature conditions (24°C), fish were more active, and fed more, but this increment of energy through feeding did not translate into increased growth in weight. Altogether, these results indicate that Sado’s population of H. guttulatus may become under thermal stress when exposed, for a long term, to warming conditions that are expected to occur by the end of the century.
- Prolonged exposure to elevated temperature leads to severe thermal stress in the broad-nosed pipefish, Syngnathus typhlePublication . Miranda, Leonor M.; Correia, Miguel; Barraca, Catarina; Baylina, Nuria; Faria, Ana MargaridaChanges in water temperature may have profound effects on phy-siology, metabolism, and fish behaviour. However, much of theexisting research is based on relatively short-term experiments. Inthe context of climate change, where water temperatures areincreasing seasonally, and the frequency and duration of extremeheatwave events are rising, incorporating longer exposure periodswill provide a better understanding of the potential effects ofwarming on marine species. Here, we tested the effects of pro-longed exposure to elevated temperature on broad-nosed pipefish,Syngnathus typhle. Fish were exposed to ambient (20ºC) and high(24ºC) temperatures for a four-month period, during which activitylevels, growth and survival were monitored. Fish under high tem-perature were less active when compared to fish under ambienttemperature, grew less, and survival was dramatically decreased.These findings have significant implications for the long-term sus-tainability of broad-nosed pipefish populations, as the species maystruggle to adapt to future ocean conditions.