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Marine Ecology Progress Series

@meps-ir.bsky.social

MEPS has been long established as the leading journal in marine ecology. It is known for its high-quality publication of cutting edge research articles.

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Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 2d ago

🧪🌐🦤 Using BRUVS, Grew et al. investigated whether estuarine rays preferred oysters from commercial oyster leases over more natural prey (worms and pilchards). Rays preferentially choosing not to interact with any of the prey items presented. bit.ly/meps15196

Common Stingaree swimming past the Baited Remote Underwater Video System (BRUVS) set-up.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 7d ago

🦤🌐🧪 Combining fish egg DNA barcoding with eDNA metabarcoding reveals a more complete picture of fish biodiversity. Used together, we can track active spawning patterns as well as the broader fish community, including non-spawners. bit.ly/meps15198

A commonly detected fish species from this study, the California halibut is shown nestled within the sea floor sand. It looks grimacingly at the camera, teeth shown.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · last wk.

🦤🌐🧪 Identical survey methods produce different results across locations. Comparing UVC and stereo-DOV in Indonesia & Honduras showed that both survey location & design can influence estimates of fish abundance, diversity & community composition. bit.ly/meps15185

Underwater view of a coral reef in Indonesia. Large boulder corals and smaller branching corals cover the reef slope in the foreground, while a variety of reef fish are visible above the reef and in the water column. Open blue water extends into the background.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · last wk.

🦤🌐🧪 Biodiversity monitoring is often "imperfect" due to shifting sampling effort. We propose a robust framework to standardize effort and reach solid ecological conclusions without discarding valuable datasets. bit.ly/meps15194

A variety of marine species collected during the 2024 bottom-trawl research survey in the San Matías Gulf, Argentina. Different fish species are sorted on a white processing table for taxonomic identification and monitoring.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · last wk.

🦤🌐🧪 We examined black abalone population dynamics across multiple ocean warming and subsequent cooling events. Black abalone successfully recruited during periods of post-warming cooling despite warming-related declines in adults and juveniles. bit.ly/meps15184

Four black abalone Haliotis cracherodii juveniles found at the base of an anemone during the end of the marine heatwave in the year twenty-sixteen at the Marker Poles site. The black abalone juveniles in the image are measured in situ using a tape measure and range from approximately twelve to fourteen millimeters in length.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 2w ago

🦤🌐🧪 Do microbiomes respond to disturbance the same way that communities of macroorganisms do? In this study, the resident gut microbiome of blue mussels was disturbed with antibiotics and then monitored for patterns of recovery. bit.ly/meps15193

A row of large glass mason jars (microcosms) sits on a laboratory bench, each partially filled with clear seawater and containing a blue mussel resting at the bottom on a white platform. Thin PVC tubes pass through in-line air filters and extend into the microcosms to provide aeration. These microcosms were used to house mussels during the antibiotic-disturbance period of the experiment and during depurations.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 2w ago

🦤🌐🧪 Precise drone-derived length measurements are used to describe seasonal group composition and reproductive patterns of two common dolphin subspecies off southern California, USA. bit.ly/meps15172 @sr3sealife.bsky.social

Aerial view of short-beaked common dolphins off Southern California, USA. Image collected by John Durban / Holly Fearnbach using a drone flown non-invasively at 200ft, authorized by NMFS research permit # 19091.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 2w ago

🦤🌐🧪 Using 20+ years of passive acoustic data (2001–2025) + AI detection, we reveal new seasonal patterns, new Caribbean detections, and more about minke whale presence at low latitudes. bit.ly/meps15180

A ChatGPT-generated image representing the study. A cross -sectional view of the atmosphere, sea surface, water column, and mixed sand and rocky seabed. Center in the water column is a minke whale. On the sea surface top left is a moored acoustic recorder. Top right is a circular inset containing a map of the Western North Atlantic with dots showing study sites, mostly spanning from Florida and Georgia USA southeast along Bermuda, The ABC Islands, and the Caribbean and Atlantic sides of the West Indies. Bottom left is a low wooden wall, as if on the seabed in font of which is a work desk, on which sit a laptop displaying data, field notebook, binoculars, and cables, looking out on the scene.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 3w ago

🦤🌐🧪 Regime shifts in the environment, including changes in temperature and prey availability, appear to be driving changes in fish health or condition for Atlantic mackerel and butterfish on the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf. bit.ly/meps15175

Two Atlantic mackerel on an electronic measuring board. The fish on top is fatter and has higher condition than the fish on the bottom.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 3w ago

🦤🌐🧪 At-sea surveys showed three seabird species in coastal Newfoundland, Canada, may minimize competition nearby multi-species breeding colonies by foraging at different persistent hotspots with varying characteristics (depth, prey density). bit.ly/meps15166 @davorenlab.bsky.social

A group of three seabird species (Atlantic puffins, razorbills, and common murres) aggregated on the water at a coastal marine multi-species foraging hotspot in the study area (Newfoundland, Canada) during their summer breeding season. Photo by Megan Dalton.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 3w ago

🌐🧪🦤 Habitat complexity as well as Beta-diversity in a remote coral reef in the Gulf of Mexico foster fish assemblages functional diversity. bit.ly/meps15181

Healthy colonies of the massive reef building coral Orbicella annularis, in the shallow reef lagoon of Alacranes Reef, Mexico.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 3w ago

🦤🌐🧪 Epi- and mesopelagic zooplankton and micronekton vertical zonation patterns in the Slope Sea resolved with acoustics, imaging, and nets. bit.ly/meps15176

A collage of ocean twilight zone animals imaged using in situ shadowgraph photography. Our study combines this high resolution imagery with acoustic and net-derived measurements to describe the distinct habitat utilization patterns for the major zooplankton and micronekton taxa in the Slope Sea of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 4w ago

🦤🌐🧪 Not all mixotrophs are equal prey; well-fed Ochromonas attract more predators. New work unpacking how metabolic strategy shapes predation risk in marine mixotrophic nanoflagellates. bit.ly/meps15173 @mixotrophe.bsky.social

Multi-channel fluorescence confocal expansion microscopy image of a single Ochromonas cell approximately 15 µm in diameter, imaged using four fluorescence channels: NHS ester (yellow, total protein), Fluorescein (green, bacteria), Hoechst-DAPI (blue, nucleus), and Anti-Photosystem II (red, plastid). The large red plastid (upper left of cell) and blue nucleus (upper right of cell) are clearly visible, along with two green ingested bacteria in the lower portion of the cell. Scale bar 5 µm.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 4w ago

🦤🌐🧪 We look how market squid can act as a low-level vector of domoic acid, a neurotoxin, in California sea lions. We discover how this prey species may play a role in chronic toxin exposure and long-term health effects in marine mammals. bit.ly/meps15156

Left: Market squid taken during a mating event at the Alki Junkyard Marine Protected Area,Seattle, WA. Photo by Derek Singer. Right: Size comparison of one of the market squid that was found inside the stomach of California sea lions with another squid that was caught in Ensenada in 2023. Photo by Ana F. Da-Gama-Vieira.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · last mo.

🦤🌐🧪 Filter-feeding sponges capture particles down to 0.1 µm, including dissolved organic matter (DOM), but the bioavailability is low DOM may be treated as inedible particles and expelled. No evidence for suggesting that DOM contribute to the diet. bit.ly/meps15177

Yellow tube sponge, Aplysina fistularis.
Photo credsit: Nhobgood Nick Hobgood, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · last mo.

🦤🌐🧪 Our global synthesis of marine biofouling research reveals 6 major themes, uncovers geographic & habitat biases, & charts a path for integrating ecology with management including better monitoring, experiments & NIS prevention. bit.ly/meps15160

Left: An underwater photograph of a settlement panel mounted horizontally on a white PVC T-frame, deployed on a sandy seafloor surrounded by dense seagrass vegetation in turbid, green-tinted water. (Photo credit: Dean Janiak, Smithsonian Marine Station).
Right: A top-down view of a biofouling community on a PVC panel photographed in a water-filled tray, covered by a diverse fouling community including colonial ascidians and arborescent bryozoan, collected from southern California. (Photo credit: Claire Murphy, University Of California, Davis).

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · last mo.

🦤🌐🧪 Using environmental, morphometric and whisker isotope data, we tested whether morphology or habitat selection drives individual specialization in Australian fur seals to better understand resilience to climate and anthropogenic impacts. bit.ly/meps15174

An Australian fur seal female with her pup on Kanowna Island.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · last mo.

🦤🌐🧪 Long‑term monitoring in Bahía de La Paz shows how sea temperature, productivity, and ENSO events shape juvenile whale shark numbers. SST, Chl‑a, & ONI strongly drive aggregations, underscoring climate impacts & the need for adaptive conservation. bit.ly/meps15136 @ecologicalrealist.bsky.social

A juvenile whale shark swims just below the surface in calm, deep‑blue coastal waters. Its distinctive white spots and stripes are visible along the dorsal surface. In the background, an arid, rugged mountain range rises from the shoreline of Bahía de La Paz, Mexico.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · last mo.

🦤🌐🧪 Harbour porpoises in 6 Danish SACs monitored since 2012 show stable or rising density despite population decline. Current PAM setup detects 30% change; 20% needs 40% more stations or double monitoring time. #MarineConservation #PAM bit.ly/meps15155

Harbour porpoise at Fyns Hoved, Denmark.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 2mo ago

🦤🌐🧪 Feeding trials with cushion sea stars in Hawaiʻi revealed key foraging ecology insights, showing a clear prey hierarchy and strong preference for Pocillopora corals, a pioneer species already vulnerable to other anthropogenic stressors. #CoralReef bit.ly/meps15157 @daniescontrela.bsky.social

A cushion sea star sits atop a fragment of cauliflower coral (Pocillopora meandrina) inside an experimental cage. The cauliflower coral is zip-tied to the bottom of the cage, and its skeleton appears white, presumably from consumption by the cushion sea star.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Blue crabs face many survival challenges, including climate-related threats such as drought. In Texas, the impact of drought severity on blue crab abundance was found to vary according to estuarine characteristics. bit.ly/meps15154

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 2mo ago

🦤🌐🧪 Over 56 momths in northern Norway, seasonal patterns in 47 nudibranch species across intertidal and fouling habitats revealed strong habitat differences. We provide the first detailed ecological overview of sub-Arctic nudibranch communities. bit.ly/meps15211

The nudibranch Coryphella verrucosa laying a spiral ribbon of eggs on the wall of a small aquarium. The image shows the underside of the translucent sea slug against a black background, with the tightly coiled egg ribbon creating the impression that the animal is “writing” on the surface. The species was commonly observed in the habitats studied in northern Norway.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 2mo ago

🦤🌐🧪 Seaweed beds are busy habitats for tiny animals. Most stayed at similar heights by day and night, but some moved upward at night. Overall, height within the seaweed mattered more than time of day. At night, other animals appeared nearby. bit.ly/meps15165

Underwater view of a dense Sargassum horneri bed, with tall macroalgal thalli rising vertically through blue water like a submerged forest. Soft light enters from the upper left, and the long, narrow thalli create a layered three-dimensional habitat extending from the seafloor toward the surface.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 2mo ago

🦤🌐🧪 Two closely related #Snapper species show differences in occurrence across #Reef flats and reef slopes. Snapper which inhabit reef flats have greater #ThermalPlasticity and #Physiological #Tolerance than species found on reef slopes. bit.ly/meps15120

Left: A group of yellow-banded snappers (Lutjanus adetii) swim across the forereef at Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef (photo credit Aaron Chai). Right: A group of Spanish flag snappers (Lutjanus carponotatus) swim across the forereef at Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef (photo credit Peter Mumby).

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 2mo ago

🦤🌐🧪 Tracking male green turtles at Fernando de Noronha, Brazil, shows 2 post-breeding strategies: some stay resident, others migrate to mainland foraging grounds. Different space use & dive activity—conservation should span both habitats. bit.ly/meps15148

Underwater photograph of a male green turtle with a satellite transmitter (antenna visible) swimming over a hard bottom habitat, representing the satellite-tracking approach used to quantify breeding and post-breeding space use and movements in our study. Photographer: Thiege Rodrigues (All Angle Images).

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 2mo ago

🦤🌐🧪 We show that upwelling triggers a rapid dietary expansion in a subtropical damselfish, boosting plankton feeding while maintaining benthic links. Transient oceanographic events can strongly shape reef trophic dynamics 🌊🐠. bit.ly/meps15142

A yellowtail damselfish Stegastes pictus looking directly into the camera.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 2mo ago

🦤🌐🧪 Phenotypic plasticity in corals and D. antillarum jointly govern Caribbean reef resilience. Plasticity mitigates stress but cannot replace herbivory—restoring urchins and reducing local stressors is critical to avoid macroalgal dominance. bit.ly/meps15139

An underwater photograph depicting a structurally complex Caribbean coral reef community characterized by pronounced morphological diversity and spatial heterogeneity. The composition centers on a branching coral colony positioned in the left-middle region, exhibiting characteristic finger-like or digitate projections with cream-to-tan coloration and visible polyp structures, likely representing Acroporid morphology. Adjacent to this in the upper-right quadrant, a large, massive coral colony, demonstrating the contrasting architectural strategies employed by reef-building scleractinians. The lower portion contains additional coral formations including foliose and encrusting morphotypes, creating vertical structural complexity, and one Diadema antillarum individual. Notably, blade-like macroalgal thalli are visible in the right portion of the frame, illustrating the contemporary benthic assemblage composition and potential competitive interactions between autotrophic functional groups. Water clarity and natural illumination indicate shallow reef-crest or fore-reef habitat, exemplifying the three-dimensional framework architecture and taxonomic diversity characteristic of functional coral-dominated ecosystems discussed throughout the manuscript.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 2mo ago

🦤🌐🧪 Rising ocean temperatures threaten serpulid tube worms, key benthic engineers. Using heated panels in New Zealand, we show that warming strongly reduces their abundance, recruitment, survival, cover, and growth, particularly under +2 °C. bit.ly/meps15151

A portion of the heated surface of an experimental panel. The surface is densely covered with small circular and irregular calcareous tubes and other sessile organisms. Several elongated tubes represent serpulin worms, while small coiled tubes correspond to spirorbin worms.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 3mo ago

🦤🌐🧪 Check out this research from the University of British Columbia highlighting the response of sea anemones to heatwaves and extreme cold events! bit.ly/meps15145

A group of aggregating anemones in a tidepool.

Marine Ecology Progress Series @meps-ir.bsky.social · 3mo ago

🦤🌐🧪 Environmental DNA research at Ningaloo Reef, Australia, reveals Irukandji jellyfish (Malo bella) are more common offshore and have a longer ‘season’ than once thought, proving this a vital tool for monitoring elusive, hazardous jellyfish. bit.ly/meps15124