Pollution forms an invisible barrier for marine life
March 11th, 2011 - 5:44 pm ICT by ANILondon, Mar 11 (ANI): Rapidly growing human populations near the ocean are massively altering coastal water ecosystems, according to a new study.
One of the most extensive human stressors is the discharge of chemicals and pollutants into the ocean.
Most marine organisms such as sea stars (starfish) do not move among locations as adults; instead juveniles swim in the plankton before settling onto the sea floor and growing into a sedentary adult.
Despite the known toxicity of terrestrial discharge, no one had investigated if it is limiting dispersal of marine larvae between populations along urban coastal areas.Researchers at UH Manoa’s Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) have examined the genetic structure of a common, non-harvested sea star using a spatially explicit model to test whether the largest sewage discharge and urban runoff sources were affecting the genetic structure of this species.
They found that these large pollution sources are not only increasing genetic differentiation between populations (presumably by limiting the dispersal of larvae between them) but also decreasing the genetic diversity of populations closest to them.
In short, human beings are directly affecting the ecological and evolutionary trajectory of a species that is relatively free of any direct human impacts. “This study changes the scale at which we thought human beings can affect non-harvested marine species. These results have the potential to change the way anthropogenic factors are incorporated into marine reserve design and ecosystem-based management,” said PhD student Jon Puritz led the investigation.
The research is published in the online journal Nature Communications. (ANI)
- Self-cloning marine animals may help shed light on ageing process - Apr 21, 2011
- Starfish's 'slimy goo' may cure inflammation - Dec 10, 2010
- Sex promotes seagrass which acts as carbon sink - Jan 17, 2012
- Human activities putting Antarctica's marine ecosystems under threat - Apr 01, 2011
- How climate change and pollution affect ocean chemistry - Jun 20, 2010
- Time to focus on freshwater fish, is India listening? - Oct 25, 2010
- China safe from radiation leaking from reactors in Japan say officials - Mar 16, 2011
- Evidence from octopus hints at ice sheet collapse - May 10, 2012
- 'Stress test' to identify 'reefs of hope' in climate change era - Mar 23, 2011
- Real-life marine haven for Nemo and friends - Dec 05, 2010
- Gujarat coral reefs a virtual gold mine - Mar 27, 2011
- 'Loss of biodiversity rivals climate change impact' - May 03, 2012
- Lowly marine worms distantly related to humans - Feb 10, 2011
- First harmful algal bloom species genome sequenced - Feb 22, 2011
- Starfish could cure asthma, arthritis - Dec 10, 2010
Tags: coastal water, evolutionary trajectory, explicit model, genetic differentiation, genetic diversity, genetic structure, hawaii institute of marine biology, himb, human populations, invisible barrier, journal nature, marine organisms, marine species, pollution sources, runoff sources, sea star, sea stars, uh manoa, urban runoff, water ecosystems