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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 informatio

Habitat complexity is widely considered an important determinant of biodiversity, and enhancing complexity can play a key role in restoring degraded habitats. However, the effects of habitat complexity on ecosystem functioning - as opposed to biodiversity and community structure - are relatively poorly understood for artificial habitats, which dominate many coastlines. With Greening of Grey Infrastructure (GGI) approaches, or eco-engineering, increasingly being applied around the globe, it is important to understand the effects that modifying habitat complexity has on both biodiversity and ecological functioning in these highly modified habitats. We assessed how manipulating physical (primary substrate) and/or biogenic habitat (bivalves) complexity on intertidal artificial substrata affected filtration rates, net and gross primary productivity (NPP and GPP, respectively) and community respiration (CR) - as well as abundance of filter feeders and macro-algae and habitat use by cryptobenthic fish across six locations in three continents. We manipulated both physical and biogenic complexity using 1) flat or ridged (2.5 cm or 5 cm) settlement tiles that were either 2) unseeded or seeded with oysters or mussels. Across all locations, increasing physical and biogenic complexity (5 cm seeded tiles) had a significant effect on most ecological functioning variables, increasing overall filtration rates and community respiration of the assemblages on tiles but decreasing productivity (both GPP and NPP) across all locations. There were no overall effects of increasing either type of habitat complexity on cryptobenthic fish MaxN, total time in frame or macro-algal cover. Within each location, there were marked differences in the effects of habitat complexity. In Hobart, we found higher filtration, filter feeder biomass and community respiration on 5 cm tiles compared to flat tiles. However, at this location, both macro-algae cover and GPP decreased with increasing physical compl

Microplastics (MPs) constitute suitable substrates for the formation of biofilms. Since local conditions and environmental factors influence the community composition of biofilm, biogeography plays an important role in the composition of MP-colonizing communities. However, there is still controversy as to whether substrate-specific properties or environmental factors prevail in determining microalgal assemblages on plastic debris. In this study, we assessed periphyton growth on two different plastic polymers in freshwater mesocosms distributed across five locations covering a variety of bioclimatic regions in the Iberian Peninsula. In each location, pellets of high-density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate or a mix of the two polymers were deployed inside 2L transparent bottles suspended from surface rafts inside three different 1000L mesocosms. We measured water temperature, pH, conductivity, chlorophyll-a and nutrients in each mesocosm. After one month, MPs were collected and biomass and algal species composition were assessed. Microalgae colonized all the different plastic substrates in all sites with a mean abundance of 288±36 µg cm-2, with the highest biomass reported for PET (329±70 µg cm-2). Significant differences in the biomass development for the different polymers were highlighted for diatoms, which represent on average one of the taxa with higher biomass (29% of total biomass). Our results suggest that different plastic polymers may determine different colonizing conditions for specific taxa and may affect freshwater primary productivity.

A variety of organisms can colonize microplastic surfaces (or “plastisphere”) through biofouling processes. Heterotrophic bacteria tend to be the focus of plastisphere research, however, the presence of epiplastic microalgae within the biofilm has been repeatedly documented. Despite the importance of biofouling for microplastics in aquatic systems, data about this process are still scarce, especially for freshwater ecosystems. Here, our goal was to evaluate the biomass development of biofilms on plastic substrates and determine whether plastic surfaces exert a strong enough selection to drive species sorting, overcoming other niche defining factors driven by spatial patterns. We added microplastic pellets of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and a mix of the two polymers in 15 mesocosms of 5 different locations of the Iberian Peninsula (totally 45 samples) and after one month we evaluated species composition and biomass of microalgae developed on plastic surfaces. Results show that all the different plastic substrates in all sites were colonized by microalgae with mean biomass of 3.05±0.40 mg cm-2, with PET having the highest value (3.63±0.83 mg cm-2). Microplastics supported the growth of many different species of microalgae (242 species), with some cosmopolite species that were able to colonize all different geographic regions and plastic surfaces. We found several species colonizing only one substrate, but with very low recurrence. Local species pools and different environmental conditions, mainly linked to biogeography, seem to prevail in driving community sorting on plastic surfaces.

Microplastics (MPs) can be colonized by a wide range of species (“plastisphere”). Even though plastisphere research mostly focused on heterotrophic bacteria, the presence of epiplastic microalgae has been repeatedly documented. However, studies investigating the colonization of MPs by microalgae are still limited, and mainly performed in marine environments. In this study, we assessed periphyton growth and diversity on two different plastic polymers (i.e., high-density polyethylene - HDPE, polyethylene terephthalate - PET) in freshwater mesocosms distributed across five locations in the Iberian Peninsula. Our results showed that colonization occurred in a range of diverse freshwater ecosystems, since we observed biofouling of the MP surfaces in all conditions, regardless of the sites and the plastic polymer type. The amount of biomass developed on substrates differed based on the polymer type, with higher biomass developed on PET substrate compared to HDPE. We observed a rich community of microalgae on both substrates (242 species), but we did not observe species-specificity in colonization of the different plastic polymers. Indeed, local species pool rather than polymeric composition seems to be the determinant factor defining community diversity.

© 2019 Elsevier B.V. Natural systems are threatened by a variety of anthropogenic stressors and so understanding the interactive threats posed by multiple stressors is essential. In this study we focused on urban stressors that are ubiquitous to urban estuarine systems worldwide: elevated nutrients, toxic chemical contaminants, built infrastructure and non-indigenous species (NIS). We investigated structural (abundance, diversity and species richness) and functional endpoints (productivity, primary production (chlorophyll-a) and metabolism) commonly used to determine responses to these selected stressors. Through a systematic review of global literature, we found 579 studies of our selected stressors; 93% measured responses to a single stressor, with few assessing the effects of multiple stressors (7%). Structural endpoints were commonly used to measure the effects of stressors (49% of the total 579 studies). Whereas, functional endpoints were rarely assessed alone (10%) but rather in combination with structural endpoints (41%). Elevated nutrients followed by NIS were the most studied single stressors (43% and 16% of the 541 single stressor studies), while elevated nutrients and toxic contaminants were overwhelmingly the most common stressor combination (79% of the 38 multiple stressor studies); with NIS and built infrastructure representing major gaps in multi-stressor research. In the meta-analysis, structural endpoints tended to decrease, while functional endpoints increased and/or decreased in response to different types of organisms or groups. We predicted an antagonistic effect of elevated nutrients and toxic contaminants based on the opposing enriching versus toxic effects of this stressor combination. Of note, biodiversity was the only endpoint that revealed such an antagonistic response. Our results highlight the continuing paucity of multiple stressor studies and provide evidence for opposing patterns in the responses to single and interacting stressors de

Urban areas have broad ecological footprints with complex impacts on natural systems. In coastal areas, growing populations are advancing their urban footprint into the ocean through the construction of seawalls and other built infrastructure. While we have some understanding of how urbanisation might drive functional change in terrestrial ecosystems, coastal systems have been largely overlooked. This study is one of the first to directly assess how changes in diversity relate to changes in ecosystem properties and functions (e.g. productivity, filtration rates) of artificial and natural habitats in one of the largest urbanised estuaries in the world, Sydney Harbour. We complemented our surveys with an extensive literature search. We found large and important differences in the community structure and function between artificial and natural coastal habitats. However, differences in diversity and abundance of organisms do not necessarily match observed functional changes. The abundance and composition of important functional groups differed among habitats with rocky shores having 40% and 70% more grazers than seawalls or pilings, respectively. In contrast, scavengers were approximately 8 times more abundant on seawalls than on pilings or rocky shores and algae were more diverse on natural rocky shores and seawalls than on pilings. Our results confirm previous findings in the literature. Oysters were more abundant on pilings than on rocky shores, but were also smaller. Interestingly, these differences in oyster populations did not affect in situ filtration rates between habitats. Seawalls were the most invaded habitats while pilings supported greater secondary productivity than other habitats. This study highlights the complexity of the diversity-function relationship and responses to ocean sprawl in coastal systems. Importantly, we showed that functional properties should be considered independently from structural change if we are to design and manage artificial hab

Host-associated microbial communities play a fundamental role in the life of eukaryotic hosts. It is increasingly argued that hosts and their microbiota must be studied together as 'holobionts' to better understand the effects of environmental stressors on host functioning. Disruptions of host-microbiota interactions by environmental stressors can negatively affect host performance and survival. Substantial ecological impacts are likely when the affected hosts are habitat-forming species (e.g., trees, kelps) that underpin local biodiversity. In marine systems, coastal urbanisation via the addition of artificial structures is a major source of stress to habitat formers, but its effect on their associated microbial communities is unknown. We characterised kelp-associated microbial communities in two of the most common and abundant artificial structures in Sydney Harbour - pier-pilings and seawalls - and in neighbouring natural rocky reefs. The kelp Ecklonia radiata is the dominant habitat-forming species along 8000 km of the temperate Australian coast. Kelp-associated microbial communities on pilings differed significantly from those on seawalls and natural rocky reefs, possibly due to differences in abiotic (e.g., shade) and biotic (e.g., grazing) factors between habitats. Many bacteria that were more abundant on kelp on pilings belonged to taxa often associated with macroalgal diseases, including tissue bleaching in Ecklonia. There were, however, no differences in kelp photosynthetic capacity between habitats. The observed differences in microbial communities may have negative effects on the host by promoting fouling by macroorganisms or by causing and spreading disease over time. This study demonstrates that urbanisation can alter the microbiota of key habitat-forming species with potential ecological consequences.

Along urbanised coastlines, urban infrastructure is increasingly becoming the dominant habitat. These structures are often poor surrogates for natural habitats, and a diversity of eco-engineering approaches have been trialled to enhance their biodiversity, with varying success. We undertook a quantitative meta-analysis and qualitative review of 109 studies to compare the efficacy of common eco-engineering approaches (e.g. increasing texture, crevices, pits, holes, elevations and habitat-forming taxa) in enhancing the biodiversity of key functional groups of organisms, across a variety of habitat settings and spatial scales. All interventions, with one exception, increased the abundance or number of species of one or more of the functional groups considered. Nevertheless, the magnitude of effect varied markedly among groups and habitat settings. In the intertidal, interventions that provided moisture and shade had the greatest effect on the richness of sessile and mobile organisms, while water-retaining features had the greatest effect on the richness of fish. In contrast, in the subtidal, small-scale depressions which provide refuge to new recruits from predators and other environmental stressors such as waves, had higher abundances of sessile organisms while elevated structures had higher numbers and abundances of fish. The taxa that responded most positively to eco-engineering in the intertidal were those whose body size most closely matched the dimensions of the resulting intervention. Synthesis and applications. The efficacy of eco-engineering interventions varies among habitat settings and functional groups. This indicates the importance of developing site-specific approaches that match the target taxa and dominant stressors. Furthermore, because different types of intervention are effective at enhancing different groups of organisms, ideally a range of approaches should be applied simultaneously to maximise niche diversity.

The global sprawl of urban centres is replacing complex natural habitats with relatively flat and featureless infrastructure that supports low biodiversity. In a growing countermovement, artificial microhabitats are increasingly incorporated into designs for “Green” and “Blue” infrastructure. In order to maximise the ecological value of such interventions, we need to inform the designs with observations from natural systems and existing Green and Blue infrastructure. Here, we focussed on water retaining features mimicking intertidal rock pools, as this is a widely used intervention in coastal ecosystems. Using a meta-analysis and a qualitative literature review, we compiled information on diversity and function of rock pools on natural rocky shores and built structures to assess the potential ecological benefits of water retaining microhabitats and the design metrics of rock pools that affect diversity and function. Our meta-analysis showed higher species richness in rock pools compared to emergent surfaces on built structures, but this was variable among locations. The qualitative review revealed that rock pools on both natural and artificial shores generally hosted species that were not present on emergent rock and can also host non-indigenous species, suggesting that the addition of these features can sometimes have unwanted consequences and local ecological knowledge is essential to implement successful interventions. Relationships between species richness and design metrics, such as height on shore, volume, surface area and depth of pool were taxa-specific. For example, results from the meta-analysis suggest that building larger, deeper pools could increase diversity of fish, but not benthic organisms. Finally, this study highlights major gaps in our understanding of how the addition of rock pools and design metrics influence diversity and the variables affecting the ecological functioning of rock pools. Based on the knowledge gathered so far, recommendations f

Assessments of human impacts on natural habitats often focus on the abundance of component species, yet physiological and/or sub-lethal effects of stressors on functional attributes may be equally important to consider. Here we evaluated how artificial structures, an integral part of urbanisation in the marine environment, affects key functional properties of the habitat-forming kelp Ecklonia radiata. Given that stressors rarely occur in isolation, we assessed the effects of infrastructure across an urbanised estuary. Estuaries are ideal for studying how multiple anthropogenic and natural stressors influence potential impacts of infrastructure on habitat-forming species because these habitats usually face a wide range and levels of stressors. Here, we compared the abundance of habitat-forming macro-algae as well as the growth, erosion and photosynthetic activity of kelp in artificial and natural habitats across one of the largest urbanised estuaries in the word - Sydney Harbour. We predicted that effects of artificial structures on functional attributes of kelps would be stronger in the inner area of the Harbour, characterised by higher levels of human impacts and low flushing. Contrary to our predictions, we found that effects of infrastructure were consistent across the estuary, regardless of the ecological footprint caused by human activities or natural environmental gradients. When differences were observed between areas of the estuary, they mostly occurred independently of impacts of substrate type. Importantly, we found lower erosion rates of kelp on pilings than on reefs, likely resulting in lower production of detritus in estuaries where natural reefs are degraded or lost and pilings added. Such impacts have important implications for the connectivity among coastal habitats and secondary productivity in adjacent and remote habitats, which are highly dependent on the exportation of kelp detritus. Our study is the first to assess potential functional consequen

Along urbanised coastlines, urban infrastructure is increasingly becoming the dominant habitat. These structures are often poor surrogates for natural habitats, and a diversity of eco‐engineering approaches have been trialled to enhance their biodiversity, with varying success. We undertook a quantitative meta‐analysis and qualitative review of 109 studies to compare the efficacy of common eco‐engineering approaches (e.g. increasing texture, crevices, pits, holes, elevations and habitat‐forming taxa) in enhancing the biodiversity of key functional groups of organisms, across a variety of habitat settings and spatial scales. All interventions, with one exception, increased the abundance or number of species of one or more of the functional groups considered. Nevertheless, the magnitude of effect varied markedly among groups and habitat settings. In the intertidal, interventions that provided moisture and shade had the greatest effect on the richness of sessile and mobile organisms, while water‐retaining features had the greatest effect on the richness of fish. In contrast, in the subtidal, small‐scale depressions which provide refuge to new recruits from predators and other environmental stressors such as waves, had higher abundances of sessile organisms while elevated structures had higher numbers and abundances of fish. The taxa that responded most positively to eco‐engineering in the intertidal were those whose body size most closely matched the dimensions of the resulting intervention. Synthesis and applications. The efficacy of eco‐engineering interventions varies among habitat settings and functional groups. This indicates the importance of developing site‐specific approaches that match the target taxa and dominant stressors. Furthermore, because different types of intervention are effective at enhancing different groups of organisms, ideally a range of approaches should be applied simultaneously to maximise niche diversity.

Urbanisation in terrestrial systems has driven architects, planners, ecologists and engineers to collaborate on the design and creation of more sustainable structures. Examples include the development of ‘green infrastructure’ and the introduction of wildlife corridors that mitigate urban stressors and provide positive ecological outcomes. In contrast, efforts to minimise the impacts of urban developments in marine environments have been far more restricted in their extent and scope, and have often overlooked the ecological role of the built environment as potential habitat. Urban foreshore developments, i.e. those built on the interface of intertidal and/or subtidal zones, have the potential to incorporate clear multi-functional outcomes, by supporting novel ecosystems. We present a step-by-step eco-engineering framework for ‘building blue’ that will allow coastal managers to facilitate planning and construction of sustainable foreshore developments. Adopting such an approach will incorporate ecological principles, thereby mitigating some of the environmental impacts, creating more resilient urban infrastructure and environments, and maximising benefits to the multiple stakeholders and users of marine urban waterfronts.

Urban land and seascapes are increasingly exposed to artificial lighting at night (ALAN), which is a significant source of light pollution. A broad range of ecological effects are associated with ALAN, but the changes to ecological processes remain largely unstudied. Predation is a key ecological process that structures assemblages and responds to natural cycles of light and dark. We investigated the effect of ALAN on fish predatory behaviour, and sessile invertebrate prey assemblages. Over 21 days fish and sessile assemblages were exposed to 3 light treatments (Day, Night and ALAN). An array of LED spotlights was installed under a wharf to create the ALAN treatments. We used GoPro cameras to film during the day and ALAN treatments, and a Dual frequency IDentification SONar (DIDSON) to film during the night treatments. Fish were most abundant during unlit nights, but were also relatively sedentary. Predatory behaviour was greatest during the day and under ALAN than at night, suggesting that fish are using structures for non-feeding purposes (e.g. shelter) at night, but artificial light dramatically increases their predatory behaviour. Altered predator behaviour corresponded with structural changes to sessile prey assemblages among the experimental lighting treatments. We demonstrate the direct effects of artificial lighting on fish behaviour and the concomitant indirect effects on sessile assemblage structure. Current and future projected use of artificial lights has the potential to significantly affect predator-prey interactions in marine systems by altering habitat use for both predators and prey. However, developments in lighting technology are a promising avenue for mitigation. This is among the first empirical evidence from the marine system on how ALAN can directly alter predation, a fundamental ecosystem process, and have indirect trophic consequences.

Sydney Harbour is a global hotspot for marine and estuarine diversity. Despite its social, economic and biological value, the available knowledge has not previously been reviewed or synthesised. We systematically reviewed the published literature and consulted experts to establish our current understanding of the Harbour's natural systems, identify knowledge gaps, and compare Sydney Harbour to other major estuaries worldwide. Of the 110 studies in our review, 81 focussed on ecology or biology, six on the chemistry, 10 on geology and 11 on oceanography. Subtidal rocky reef habitats were the most studied, with a focus on habitat forming macroalgae. In total 586 fish species have been recorded from the Harbour, which is high relative to other major estuaries worldwide. There has been a lack of process studies, and an almost complete absence of substantial time series that constrains our capacity to identify trends, environmental thresholds or major drivers of biotic interactions. We also highlight a lack of knowledge on the ecological functioning of Sydney Harbour, including studies on microbial communities. A sound understanding of the complexity, connectivity and dynamics underlying ecosystem functioning will allow further advances in management for the Harbour and for similarly modified estuaries around the world.

Underwater cities have long been the subject of science fiction novels and movies, but the "urban sprawl" of artificial structures being developed in marine environments has widespread ecological consequences. The practice of combining ecological principles with the planning, design, and operation of marine artificial structures is gaining in popularity, and examples of successful engineering applications are accumulating. Here we use case studies to explore marine ecological engineering in practice, and introduce a conceptual framework for designing artificial structures with multiple functions. The rate of marine urbanization will almost certainly escalate as "aquatourism" drives the development of underwater accommodations. We show that current and future marine developments could be designed to reduce negative ecological impacts while promoting ecosystem services.

Ecosystem functioning underpins the ecosystem services upon which humans rely. Critical functions, such as primary and secondary productivity, are, however, increasingly threatened by a range of anthropogenic stressors. Although the extent of the threat of contamination is large and has been increasing, pollution is one of the least-studied stressors in ecology. We did a systematic review and critical synthesis of the effects of contaminants on marine and estuarine ecosystem functioning. No other stressors besides toxic chemicals were included in this review. We identified 264 relevant studies across a range of contaminants. Toxic contaminants generally altered marine ecosystem functioning by reducing productivity and increasing respiration. Effects varied, however, according to the type of contaminant and the component(s) of the system studied (e.g. particular trophic levels, functional groups or taxonomic groups). Toxicity studies that included a measure of ecosystem function were strongly biased towards planktonic communities in contrast to studies of biodiversity, which have been dominated by work on soft-sediment communities. Toxicant studies that included measures of ecosystem function rarely included a measure of biodiversity and rarely interpreted their findings within an ecosystem function context. Studies that included multiple components of an ecosystem, that is more than one functional group of organisms, were more likely to find no effect of contamination, possibly due to ecological interactions. Studies that suffered from unclear or flawed methodology were more likely to find a significant impact of contaminants on some endpoints of ecosystem functioning than studies with appropriate designs. Synthesis and applications. Up to 70% of studies found negative impacts of contaminants on primary production. Toxic contaminants therefore have the potential to greatly affect the ecosystem services and benefits provided by these systems. Our findings will help m

© Cambridge University Press 2015. Coastal marine ecosystems are both diverse and productive (Suchanek, 1994; Gray, 1997). They are ecologically significant and socioeconomically important providing an array of critical services and benefits to humans (see Chapters 1 and 2). The delivery of services depends, however, on the efficient functioning of ecosystems, which in turn, is influenced by biological diversity. Marine ecosystems are subject to a range of threats that may affect both diversity and function. In coastal and estuarine systems, contaminants can be a major problem (Thompson et al., 2002). Pollution has been associated with reductions in the densities, biomass and number of species in marine systems (e.g. Johnston and Roberts, 2009) and reductions in ecosystem function (Breitburg et al., 1999; Gonzalez et al., 2009; Johnston et al., 2015; Mayer-Pinto et al., in review). Declining water quality and contamination have been identified as critical factors contributing to the degradation and loss of ecologically and economically important marine biogenic habitats, such as seagrass, kelp beds and coral reefs (see e.g. Benedetti-Cecchi et al., 2001; Duarte, 2002; Bellwood et al., 2004; Foster and Schiel, 2010). Understanding the effect of contaminants on both biodiversity and ecosystem function is critical if we are to effectively prioritise conservation actions and ensure the security of ecosystem services.

Global seascapes are increasingly modified to support high levels of human activity in the coastal zone. Modifications include the addition of defense structures and boating infrastructure, such as seawalls and marinas that replace natural habitats. Artificial structures support different macrofaunal communities to those found on natural rocky shores; however, little is known about differences in microbial community structure or function in urban seascapes. Understanding how artificial constructions in marine environments influence microbial communities is important as these assemblages contribute to many basic ecological processes. In this study, the bacterial communities of intertidal biofilms were compared between artificial structures (seawalls) and natural habitats (rocky shores) within Sydney Harbour. Plots were cleared on each type of habitat at eight locations. After 3 weeks the newly formed biofilm was sampled and the 16S rRNA gene sequenced using the Illumina Miseq platform. To account for differences in orientation and substrate material between seawalls and rocky shores that might have influenced our survey, we also deployed recruitment blocks next to the habitats at all locations for 3 weeks and then sampled and sequenced their microbial communities. Intertidal bacterial community structure sampled from plots differed between seawalls and rocky shores, but when substrate material, age and orientation were kept constant (with recruitment blocks) then bacterial communities were similar in composition and structure among habitats. This suggests that changes in bacterial communities on seawalls are not related to environmental differences between locations, but may be related to other intrinsic factors that differ between the habitats such as orientation, complexity, or predation. This is one of the first comparisons of intertidal microbial communities on natural and artificial surfaces and illustrates substantial ecological differences with potential conse