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I am a broadly trained marine biologist and ecologist with a particular interest in aquatic biodiversity and conservation, as well as sustainable aquaculture/fisheries. I am particularly interested on field studies in coral reefs, sandy beaches and other coastal habitats, including the fresh water sinkholes of the Yucatán peninsula, Mexico. Together with colleagues, I participate and co-lead three research groups. One related to biodiversity and conservation of the Yucatán peninsula sinkholes or cenotes (www.cenoteando.com), another related to marine biodiversity monitoring (www.bdmy.org.mx) and the third focused on marine ornamental species with a special interest on seahorse conservation (http://piecemo.sisal.unam.mx/)
The biodiversity and biogeographic affinity of benthic amphipods from the Yucatan continental shelf with the warm Northwest Atlantic ecoregions were analysed using species occurrence data from benthic marine habitats of the continental shelf (< 200 m). A comprehensive collection of distributional data (presence-only) was obtained from different sources and newly-sampled material and sorted according to 12 ecoregions from the Northwest Atlantic. Distribution of species richness, taxonomic distinctness, endemism, and spatial replacement was analysed across ecoregions. The faunal relationships among ecoregions were explored using a clustering analysis based on the Sørensen dissimilarity index, and a cladistic analysis of distributions and endemism based on parsimony. Results from the Yucatan shelf showed a representative species pool from the highly diverse Northwest Atlantic amphipod fauna (202 spp.), with intermediate levels of endemism and taxonomic distinctness. Results from dissimilarity and parsimony showed two groups of amphipod assemblages consistent with two of the main biogeographic provinces in the Northwest Atlantic: Carolinian and Caribbean. The incorporation of the Yucatan shelf species assemblage, as an ecoregion into the used classification scheme, had implications on the amphipods biogeographic affinity identification. The Yucatan ecoregion led to a latitudinal spatial replacement of amphipod species across ecoregions and provinces, revealing that the Yucatan ecoregion has a higher biogeographic affinity with tropical ecoregions of the Caribbean province. The spatial replacement of amphipods suggests that the Southern Gulf of Mexico ecoregion has a higher affinity with warm-temperate ecoregions of the Carolinian province and is proposed as a transitional zone between the identified provinces.
Carlos E. Paz-Ríos; Daniel Pech; Luis F. Carrera-Parra; Nuno Simões. Biodiversity and biogeographic affinity of benthic amphipods from the Yucatan Shelf: an analysis across the warm Northwest Atlantic ecoregions. Systematics and Biodiversity 2021, 1 -12.
AMA StyleCarlos E. Paz-Ríos, Daniel Pech, Luis F. Carrera-Parra, Nuno Simões. Biodiversity and biogeographic affinity of benthic amphipods from the Yucatan Shelf: an analysis across the warm Northwest Atlantic ecoregions. Systematics and Biodiversity. 2021; ():1-12.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarlos E. Paz-Ríos; Daniel Pech; Luis F. Carrera-Parra; Nuno Simões. 2021. "Biodiversity and biogeographic affinity of benthic amphipods from the Yucatan Shelf: an analysis across the warm Northwest Atlantic ecoregions." Systematics and Biodiversity , no. : 1-12.
Mollusk diversity in coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) has been studied extensively, but this is not the case for deep-water habitats. We present the first quantitative characterization of mollusks in shallow and deep waters of the Perdido Fold Belt. The data came from two research cruises completed in 2017. Sediment samples were collected from 56 sites using a 0.25-m2 box corer. We tested hypotheses about spatial patterns of α, β, and γ-diversity of bivalves in two water-depth zones, the continental shelf (43–200 m) and bathyal zone (375–3563 m). A total of 301 bivalves belonging to 39 species were identified. The two zones display similar levels of γ-diversity, but host different bivalve assemblages. In general, α-diversity was higher on the continental shelf, whereas β-diversity was higher in the bathyal zone. These patterns can be explained by the higher input of carbon (energy) to the near-coast shelf zone, as well as by the greater topographic complexity of habitats in the bathyal zone. These results enabled us to propose redirection of sampling efforts for environmental characterization from continental zones to the deep-water zone, especially in the context of environmental assessments during oil and gas exploration and production.
Nancy Suárez-Mozo; Victor Vidal-Martínez; M. Aguirre-Macedo; Daniel Pech; Edlin Guerra-Castro; Nuno Simões. Bivalve Diversity on the Continental Shelf and Deep Sea of the Perdido Fold Belt, Northwest Gulf of Mexico, Mexico. Diversity 2021, 13, 166 .
AMA StyleNancy Suárez-Mozo, Victor Vidal-Martínez, M. Aguirre-Macedo, Daniel Pech, Edlin Guerra-Castro, Nuno Simões. Bivalve Diversity on the Continental Shelf and Deep Sea of the Perdido Fold Belt, Northwest Gulf of Mexico, Mexico. Diversity. 2021; 13 (4):166.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNancy Suárez-Mozo; Victor Vidal-Martínez; M. Aguirre-Macedo; Daniel Pech; Edlin Guerra-Castro; Nuno Simões. 2021. "Bivalve Diversity on the Continental Shelf and Deep Sea of the Perdido Fold Belt, Northwest Gulf of Mexico, Mexico." Diversity 13, no. 4: 166.
We present 52 new geographic location records for the peracarid crustacean Antromysis cenotensis Creaser, 1936, endemic in cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. This species is currently considered threatened and, therefore, is protected by Mexican law. These results arise from several expeditions carried out between 2017 and 2020 in 75 locations within the cenote-ring, the interior, and coastal plains of the peninsula. A comprehensive literature review provided 84 geographic location records since the species was described in 1936. A map with 136 geographic location records that better describe the current species distribution is also included. With this information, plus some notes on the ecology of the species, a comprehensive literature and data review, and a brief analysis regarding the possible factors associated with the confirmed absence of the species in some locations in the state of Yucatan, we provide a brief and condensed summary of the actual knowledge on this particular species. The data in Darwin Core format can be retrieved in Zenodo.
Luis Liévano-Beltrán; Nuno Simões. Updated Distribution of the Mysid Antromysis cenotensis (Crustacea: Peracarida), a Protected Key Species in Yucatan Peninsula Cenotes. Diversity 2021, 13, 154 .
AMA StyleLuis Liévano-Beltrán, Nuno Simões. Updated Distribution of the Mysid Antromysis cenotensis (Crustacea: Peracarida), a Protected Key Species in Yucatan Peninsula Cenotes. Diversity. 2021; 13 (4):154.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuis Liévano-Beltrán; Nuno Simões. 2021. "Updated Distribution of the Mysid Antromysis cenotensis (Crustacea: Peracarida), a Protected Key Species in Yucatan Peninsula Cenotes." Diversity 13, no. 4: 154.
Within tropical shallow-water coral reefs, marine sponges provide microhabitats for a wide range of fauna. Although there have been numerous studies and reports of symbiotic relationships amongst sponges and their associated fauna, those pieces of information are isolated and disconnected. For this reason, based on the available literature, we compiled a species-interaction dataset of coral reef marine sponge-associated fauna known to date. We introduce a dataset that includes 67 literature items that report 101 species of sponge hosts clustered in 12 Orders having a host/guest interaction with 284 guest species from six Phyla present in the Northwestern Tropical Atlantic coral reefs. This dataset consists of two types of information: 1. Machine-readable data and 2. Human-readable data. These two types of coding improve the scope of the dataset and facilitate the link between machine platforms and human-friendly displays. We also created an interactive visualisation of the species-interactions dataset and of a dynamic Chord Diagram of the host-guest species connections to generate a user-friendly link between the user and the dataset.
Antar Pérez-Botello; Nuno Simões. Sponge-dwelling fauna: a review of known species from the Northwest Tropical Atlantic coral reefs. Biodiversity Data Journal 2021, 9, e63372 .
AMA StyleAntar Pérez-Botello, Nuno Simões. Sponge-dwelling fauna: a review of known species from the Northwest Tropical Atlantic coral reefs. Biodiversity Data Journal. 2021; 9 ():e63372.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntar Pérez-Botello; Nuno Simões. 2021. "Sponge-dwelling fauna: a review of known species from the Northwest Tropical Atlantic coral reefs." Biodiversity Data Journal 9, no. : e63372.
Marine amphipods are gaining attention in aquaculture as a natural live food alternative to traditional preys such as brine shrimps (Artemia spp.). The use of Artemia is convenient for the culture of many marine species, but often problematic for some others, such as seahorses and other marine ornamental species. Unlike Artemia, marine amphipods are consumed by fish in their natural environment and show biochemical profiles that better match the nutritional requirements of marine fish, particularly of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), including eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids. Despite their potentially easy culture, there are no established culture techniques and a deeper knowledge on the reproductive biology, nutritional profiles and culture methodologies is still needed to potentiate the optimization of mass production. The present study assessed, for the first time, the aquaculture potential of Parhyale hawaiensis and Elasmopus pectenicrus, two cosmopolitan marine gammarids (as per traditional schemes of classification) that naturally proliferate in the wild and in aquaculture facilities. For that purpose, aspects of the population and reproductive biology of the species were characterized and then a series of laboratory-scale experiments were conducted to determine amphipod productivity, the time needed to reach sexual maturity by hatchlings (generation time), cannibalism degree, the effects of sex ratio on fecundity and the effects of diet (shrimp diet, plant-based diet and commercial fish diet) on fecundity and juvenile growth. P. hawaiensis, unlike E. pectenicrus, was easily maintained and propagated in laboratory conditions. P. hawaiensis showed a higher total length (9.3 ± 1.3 mm), wet weight (14.4 ± 6.2 mg), dry weight (10.5 ± 4.4 mg), females/males sex ratio (2.24), fecundity (12.8 ± 5.7 embryos per female), and gross energy content (16.71 ± 0.67 kJ g-1) compared to E. pectenicrus (7.9 ± 1.2 mm total length; 8.4 ± 4.3 mg wet weight; 5.7 ± 3.2 mg dry weight; 1.34 females/males sex ratio; 6.5 ± 3.9 embryos per female; 12.86 ± 0.82 kJ g−1 gross energy content). P. hawaiensis juvenile growth showed a small, but significant, reduction by the use of a plant-based diet compared to a commercial shrimp and fish diet; however, fecundity was not affected, supporting the possible use of inexpensive diets to mass produce amphipods as live or frozen food. Possible limitations of P. hawaiensis could be their quite long generation times (50.9 ± 5.8 days) and relatively low fecundity levels (12.8 ± 5.7 embryos per female). With an observed productivity rate of 0.36 ± 0.08 juveniles per amphipod couple per day, P. hawaiensis could become a specialty feed for species that cannot easily transition to a formulated diet such as seahorses and other highly priced marine ornamental species.
Jorge Arturo Vargas-Abúndez; Humberto Ivan López-Vázquez; Maite Mascaró; Gemma Leticia Martínez-Moreno; Nuno Simões. Marine amphipods as a new live prey for ornamental aquaculture: exploring the potential of Parhyale hawaiensis and Elasmopus pectenicrus. PeerJ 2021, 9, e10840 .
AMA StyleJorge Arturo Vargas-Abúndez, Humberto Ivan López-Vázquez, Maite Mascaró, Gemma Leticia Martínez-Moreno, Nuno Simões. Marine amphipods as a new live prey for ornamental aquaculture: exploring the potential of Parhyale hawaiensis and Elasmopus pectenicrus. PeerJ. 2021; 9 ():e10840.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJorge Arturo Vargas-Abúndez; Humberto Ivan López-Vázquez; Maite Mascaró; Gemma Leticia Martínez-Moreno; Nuno Simões. 2021. "Marine amphipods as a new live prey for ornamental aquaculture: exploring the potential of Parhyale hawaiensis and Elasmopus pectenicrus." PeerJ 9, no. : e10840.
SSP (simulation‐based sampling protocol) is an R package that uses simulations of ecological data and dissimilarity‐based multivariate standard error (MultSE) as an estimator of precision to evaluate the adequacy of different sampling efforts for studies that will test hypothesis using permutational multivariate analysis of variance. The procedure consists in simulating several extensive data matrixes that mimic some of the relevant ecological features of the community of interest using a pilot data set. For each simulated data, several sampling efforts are repeatedly executed and MultSE calculated. The mean value, 0.025 and 0.975 quantiles of MultSE for each sampling effort across all simulated data are then estimated and standardized regarding the lowest sampling effort. The optimal sampling effort is identified as that in which the increase in sampling effort does not improve the highest MultSE beyond a threshold value (e.g. 2.5%). The performance of SSP was validated using real data. In all three cases, the simulated data mimicked the real data and allowed to evaluate the relationship MultSE – n beyond the sampling size of the pilot studies. SSP can be used to estimate sample size in a wide variety of situations, ranging from simple (e.g. single site) to more complex (e.g. several sites for different habitats) experimental designs. The latter constitutes an important advantage in the context of multi‐scale studies in ecology. An online version of SSP is available for users without an R background.
Edlin Guerra-Castro; Juan Carlos Cajas; Nuno Simões; Juan J. Cruz‐Motta; Maite Mascaró. SSP: an R package to estimate sampling effort in studies of ecological communities. Ecography 2021, 44, 561 -573.
AMA StyleEdlin Guerra-Castro, Juan Carlos Cajas, Nuno Simões, Juan J. Cruz‐Motta, Maite Mascaró. SSP: an R package to estimate sampling effort in studies of ecological communities. Ecography. 2021; 44 (4):561-573.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEdlin Guerra-Castro; Juan Carlos Cajas; Nuno Simões; Juan J. Cruz‐Motta; Maite Mascaró. 2021. "SSP: an R package to estimate sampling effort in studies of ecological communities." Ecography 44, no. 4: 561-573.
Recent genomic analyses have highlighted the prevalence of speciation with gene flow in many taxa and have underscored the importance of accounting for these reticulate evolutionary processes when constructing species trees and generating parameter estimates. This is especially important for deepening our understanding of speciation in the sea where fast moving ocean currents, expanses of deep water, and periodic episodes of sea level rise and fall act as soft and temporary allopatric barriers that facilitate both divergence and secondary contact. Under these conditions, gene flow is not expected to cease completely while contemporary distributions are expected to differ from historical ones. Here we conduct range-wide sampling for Pederson’s cleaner shrimp (Ancylomenes pedersoni), a species complex from the Greater Caribbean that contains three clearly delimited mitochondrial lineages with both allopatric and sympatric distributions. Using mtDNA barcodes and a genomic ddRADseq approach, we combine classic phylogenetic analyses with extensive topology testing and demographic modeling (10 site frequency replicates x 45 evolutionary models x 50 model simulations/replicate = 22,500 simulations) to test species boundaries and reconstruct the evolutionary history of what was expected to be a simple case study. Instead, our results indicate a history of allopatric divergence, secondary contact, introgression, and endemic hybrid speciation driven by the final closure of the Isthmus of Panama and the strengthening of the Gulf Stream Current ~3.5 million years ago. The history of this species complex recovered by model-based methods that allow reticulation differs from that recovered by standard phylogenetic analyses and is unexpected given contemporary distributions. The geologically and biologically meaningful insights gained by our model selection analyses illuminate a novel pathway of species formation that resulted from one of the most biogeographically significant events in Earth’s history.
Benjamin M. Titus; H. Lisle Gibbs; Nuno Simões; Marymegan Daly. Topology Testing and Demographic Modeling Illuminate a Novel Speciation Pathway in the Greater Caribbean Sea Following the Formation of the Isthmus of Panama. 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleBenjamin M. Titus, H. Lisle Gibbs, Nuno Simões, Marymegan Daly. Topology Testing and Demographic Modeling Illuminate a Novel Speciation Pathway in the Greater Caribbean Sea Following the Formation of the Isthmus of Panama. . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBenjamin M. Titus; H. Lisle Gibbs; Nuno Simões; Marymegan Daly. 2021. "Topology Testing and Demographic Modeling Illuminate a Novel Speciation Pathway in the Greater Caribbean Sea Following the Formation of the Isthmus of Panama." , no. : 1.
This study provides an updated checklist and an illustrated guide to the 17 currently known stygobiont Malacostraca species of the state of Yucatan (Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico). The compilation is based on the individuals collected during our cave-diving expeditions (2016–2019), and, has the purpose of expanding previous knowledge on the taxonomy of these subterranean crustaceans. The identification guide contains drawings of the main diagnostic characters of the species as well as a brief introduction of the relevant malacostracan orders. The information is further complemented with a historic account and timeline of the stygobiont Malacostraca species of the Yucatan Peninsula. This is the first study that provides a unified tool for the morphological identification of these highly endemic species.
Dorottya Angyal; Nuno Simões; Maite Mascaró. Uptaded checklist, historical overview and illustrated guide to the stygobiont Malacostraca (Arthropoda: Crustacea) species of Yucatan (Mexico). Subterranean Biology 2020, 36, 83 -108.
AMA StyleDorottya Angyal, Nuno Simões, Maite Mascaró. Uptaded checklist, historical overview and illustrated guide to the stygobiont Malacostraca (Arthropoda: Crustacea) species of Yucatan (Mexico). Subterranean Biology. 2020; 36 ():83-108.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDorottya Angyal; Nuno Simões; Maite Mascaró. 2020. "Uptaded checklist, historical overview and illustrated guide to the stygobiont Malacostraca (Arthropoda: Crustacea) species of Yucatan (Mexico)." Subterranean Biology 36, no. : 83-108.
Cave shrimps of the Typhlatya genus are common and widespread in fresh, brackish and marine groundwater throughout the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico). These species are ideal models to test niche partitioning within sympatric species in oligotrophic systems. Nevertheless, their food sources remain unidentified, and despite their frequency and functional importance, distribution and abundance patterns of these species within caves have not been fully recognized. Here, we describe the abundance of three Typhlatya species in different temporal and spatial scales, investigate changes in water conditions, and potential sources of carbon as an indication of food origin. Species composition and abundance varied markedly in space and time revealing patterns that differed from one system to another and in relation to environmental parameters. Isotope analysis showed that each species reflects a particular δ13C and Δ14C fingerprint, suggesting they feed in different proportions from the available carbon sources. Overall, our findings suggest a niche partitioning of habitat and feeding sources amongst the three Typhlatya species investigated, where environmental characteristics and physiological differences could play an important role governing their distribution patterns.
Efrain Miguel Chavez Solis; C. Solís; Nuno Simoes; M. Mascaró. Distribution patterns, carbon sources and niche partitioning in cave shrimps (Atyidae: Typhlatya). Scientific Reports 2020, 10, 1 -16.
AMA StyleEfrain Miguel Chavez Solis, C. Solís, Nuno Simoes, M. Mascaró. Distribution patterns, carbon sources and niche partitioning in cave shrimps (Atyidae: Typhlatya). Scientific Reports. 2020; 10 (1):1-16.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEfrain Miguel Chavez Solis; C. Solís; Nuno Simoes; M. Mascaró. 2020. "Distribution patterns, carbon sources and niche partitioning in cave shrimps (Atyidae: Typhlatya)." Scientific Reports 10, no. 1: 1-16.
SSP (simulation-based sampling protocol) is an R package that uses simulation of ecological data and dissimilarity-based multivariate standard error (MultSE) as an estimator of precision to evaluate the adequacy of different sampling efforts for studies that will test hypothesis using permutational multivariate analysis of variance. The procedure consists in simulating several extensive data matrixes that mimic some of the relevant ecological features of the community of interest using a pilot data set. For each simulated data, several sampling efforts are repeatedly executed and MultSE calculated. The mean value, 0.025 and 0.975 quantiles of MultSE for each sampling effort across all simulated data are then estimated and standardized regarding the lowest sampling effort. The optimal sampling effort is identified as that in which the increase in sampling effort do not improve the precision beyond a threshold value (e.g. 2.5 %). The performance of SSP was validated using real data, and in all examples the simulated data mimicked well the real data, allowing to evaluate the relationship MultSE – n beyond the sampling size of the pilot studies. SSP can be used to estimate sample size in a wide range of situations, ranging from simple (e.g. single site) to more complex (e.g. several sites for different habitats) experimental designs. The latter constitutes an important advantage, since it offers new possibilities for complex sampling designs, as it has been advised for multi-scale studies in ecology.
Edlin Jose Guerra-Castro; Juan Carlos Cajas; Fernando Nuno Dias Marques Simoes; Juan Jose Cruz-Motta; Maite Mascaro. SSP: An R package to estimate sampling effort in studies of ecological communities. 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleEdlin Jose Guerra-Castro, Juan Carlos Cajas, Fernando Nuno Dias Marques Simoes, Juan Jose Cruz-Motta, Maite Mascaro. SSP: An R package to estimate sampling effort in studies of ecological communities. . 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEdlin Jose Guerra-Castro; Juan Carlos Cajas; Fernando Nuno Dias Marques Simoes; Juan Jose Cruz-Motta; Maite Mascaro. 2020. "SSP: An R package to estimate sampling effort in studies of ecological communities." , no. : 1.
Amphipod species collected during three oceanographic campaigns (2010–2012) were analyzed to describe their spatiotemporal community distribution trends and their relationships with bottom water and sediment variables. The results show that the species richness (117 spp.) did not reach its maximum value according to the species accumulation curve (up to 187 spp.). Multivariate analyses and constrained ordinations techniques detected three main amphipod assemblages along the longitudinal gradient (i.e., Western Caribbean, Mid-Yucatan, and West-Yucatan) and during two temporal hydrographic scenarios (i.e., upwelling in 2010–2011 and non-upwelling in 2012). In 2010–2011, low values in species richness and abundance from the Western Caribbean and eastern Mid-Yucatan assemblages were associated with relatively low bottom-water temperatures from the upwelling systems. In 2012, the absence of upwelling and the occurrence of a warm-core anticyclonic eddy seemed to cause an increase in species richness and abundance in the three assemblages. The hydrographic variability and sediment characteristics are suggested as the major environmental drivers that shapes the soft-bottom amphipod community structure and diversity in the Yucatan continental shelf.
Carlos E. Paz-Ríos; Daniel Pech; Ismael Mariño-Tapia; Nuno Simoes. Influence of bottom environment conditions and hydrographic variability on spatiotemporal trends of macrofaunal amphipods on the Yucatan continental shelf. Continental Shelf Research 2020, 198, 104098 .
AMA StyleCarlos E. Paz-Ríos, Daniel Pech, Ismael Mariño-Tapia, Nuno Simoes. Influence of bottom environment conditions and hydrographic variability on spatiotemporal trends of macrofaunal amphipods on the Yucatan continental shelf. Continental Shelf Research. 2020; 198 ():104098.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarlos E. Paz-Ríos; Daniel Pech; Ismael Mariño-Tapia; Nuno Simoes. 2020. "Influence of bottom environment conditions and hydrographic variability on spatiotemporal trends of macrofaunal amphipods on the Yucatan continental shelf." Continental Shelf Research 198, no. : 104098.
New records of 14 stygobiont crustacean species pertaining to six Malacostraca orders from 32 cenotes are presented, with their associated caves of the state of Yucatan, Mexico, together with an individual account for each species. Species composition of most of the investigated cenotes is examined for the first time. A thermosbaenacean and two amphipod species were not formally recorded to the cenote ecosystems of the state of Yucatan prior to our research. Distribution data of a cirolanid isopod previously known only from its type locality is also provided. Barcodes of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I for the reported peracarid species previously lacking this information have been included in present study as tools for species identification and a baseline of further molecular genetic analyses.
Dorottya Angyal; Efrain Miguel Chavez Solis; Luis Arturo Liévano Beltrán; Benjamín Magaña; Nuno Simões; Maite Mascaró. New distribution records of subterranean crustaceans from cenotes in Yucatan (Mexico). ZooKeys 2020, 911, 21 -49.
AMA StyleDorottya Angyal, Efrain Miguel Chavez Solis, Luis Arturo Liévano Beltrán, Benjamín Magaña, Nuno Simões, Maite Mascaró. New distribution records of subterranean crustaceans from cenotes in Yucatan (Mexico). ZooKeys. 2020; 911 ():21-49.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDorottya Angyal; Efrain Miguel Chavez Solis; Luis Arturo Liévano Beltrán; Benjamín Magaña; Nuno Simões; Maite Mascaró. 2020. "New distribution records of subterranean crustaceans from cenotes in Yucatan (Mexico)." ZooKeys 911, no. : 21-49.
The abundance of the alien, Indo-Pacific damselfish Neopomacentrus cyanomos on an oil-loading platform in the southwest Gulf of Mexico indicates that widely distributed platforms could facilitate the expansion of its geographic range across the western and northern fringes of the Gulf. From there it likely will spread to other areas of the Greater Caribbean. The lionfish example demonstrates that it eventually happens, and can do so rapidly. Reduced temperature effects on the physiology of this species were examined to better predict its survivability in the northern Gulf during winter, when sea surface temperatures fall as low as 15 °C along the coast. Overall, our results show that when the degree of experimental temperature decline was large and rapid, no compensation occurred and the stress response observed mostly reflected cellular processes that minimized damage. Integrated biomarker response values were significantly different between fish rapidly exposed to colder vs. warmer temperatures (declines of −4 °C each day, from 26 to 14 °C), reflected in higher values of blood metabolites and routine metabolic rates observed in fish exposed to 14 and 18 °C respectively, and lower activity of all enzymes, lower protein carbonylation, and higher oxidative damage to lipids in fish exposed to 14 °C. While the physiological proxies responded to minimize damage during the rapid-decrease experiment, the same proxies reflected the consequences of compensation when fish were thermally challenged after a 45 days acclimation at 18 °C. In this case, lower values of blood metabolites and high antioxidant levels and indicators of damages underpinned its pejus lower range. Based on the results of the present work, it seems clear that low winter SSTs in the northern Gulf will slow down the colonization of the inshore area of N. cyanomos. We suggest that the use of physiological cellular stress markers on specimens acquired at the beginning of an invasion should be implemented in new standardized experimental protocols, including both rapid increases/decreases of temperature and post-acclimation temperature challenges, to assess the invasiveness potential of aquatic species such as this.
Nelly Tremblay; Edlin J. Guerra-Castro; Fernando Díaz; Gabriela Rodríguez-Fuentes; Nuno Simões; D. Ross Robertson; Carlos Rosas. Cold temperature tolerance of the alien Indo-Pacific damselfish Neopomacentrus cyanomos from the Southern Gulf of Mexico. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 2019, 524, 151308 .
AMA StyleNelly Tremblay, Edlin J. Guerra-Castro, Fernando Díaz, Gabriela Rodríguez-Fuentes, Nuno Simões, D. Ross Robertson, Carlos Rosas. Cold temperature tolerance of the alien Indo-Pacific damselfish Neopomacentrus cyanomos from the Southern Gulf of Mexico. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 2019; 524 ():151308.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNelly Tremblay; Edlin J. Guerra-Castro; Fernando Díaz; Gabriela Rodríguez-Fuentes; Nuno Simões; D. Ross Robertson; Carlos Rosas. 2019. "Cold temperature tolerance of the alien Indo-Pacific damselfish Neopomacentrus cyanomos from the Southern Gulf of Mexico." Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 524, no. : 151308.
The spotted cleaner shrimp, Periclimenes yucatanicus (Ives, 1891), forms symbioses with sea anemones that may serve as cleaning stations for reef fishes
Ricardo González-Muñoz; Agustín Garese; Fabián H. Acuña; James D. Reimer; Nuno Simões. The Spotted Cleaner Shrimp, Periclimenes yucatanicus (Ives, 1891), on an Unusual Scleractinian Host. Diversity 2019, 11, 213 .
AMA StyleRicardo González-Muñoz, Agustín Garese, Fabián H. Acuña, James D. Reimer, Nuno Simões. The Spotted Cleaner Shrimp, Periclimenes yucatanicus (Ives, 1891), on an Unusual Scleractinian Host. Diversity. 2019; 11 (11):213.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRicardo González-Muñoz; Agustín Garese; Fabián H. Acuña; James D. Reimer; Nuno Simões. 2019. "The Spotted Cleaner Shrimp, Periclimenes yucatanicus (Ives, 1891), on an Unusual Scleractinian Host." Diversity 11, no. 11: 213.
Frank A. Ocaña; Daniel Pech; Nuno Simoes; Iván Hernández-Ávila. Spatial assessment of the vulnerability of benthic communities to multiple stressors in the Yucatan Continental Shelf, Gulf of Mexico. Ocean & Coastal Management 2019, 181, 1 .
AMA StyleFrank A. Ocaña, Daniel Pech, Nuno Simoes, Iván Hernández-Ávila. Spatial assessment of the vulnerability of benthic communities to multiple stressors in the Yucatan Continental Shelf, Gulf of Mexico. Ocean & Coastal Management. 2019; 181 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFrank A. Ocaña; Daniel Pech; Nuno Simoes; Iván Hernández-Ávila. 2019. "Spatial assessment of the vulnerability of benthic communities to multiple stressors in the Yucatan Continental Shelf, Gulf of Mexico." Ocean & Coastal Management 181, no. : 1.
The physiological and behavioural responses of ectotherms to temperature is strongly dependent on the individuals' previous thermal history. Laboratory based studies investigating the mechanisms of thermoregulation in marine ectotherms, however, rarely consider key temporal elements of thermal exposure, such as the rate at which temperature changes. We tested the hypothesis that juvenile seahorses, Hippocampus erectus, from a tropical coastal lagoon in Yucatan, Mexico, would exhibit variations in physiological and behavioural descriptors of thermoregulation when submitted to contrasting regimes during 30 days: temperature constant at 25 °C (C 25); gradually increasing 1 °C every 5 days from 25 to 30 °C (GI 25-30); and constant at 30 °C (C 30). Immediately after exposure, critical maximum temperature, thermal preference, oxygen consumption, partial energy balance, growth rate and survival of seahorses were measured. Seahorses exposed to GI 25-30 showed a significantly higher critical thermal maxima (37.8 ± 0.9 °C), preference (28.7 ± 0.4 °C), growth (1.10 ± 0.49%) and survival (97.6%) than those exposed to C 30 (36.5 ± 1, 29.4 ± 0.3 °C, 0.48 ± 0.32%, 73.8%, respectively). Both high temperature regimes induced metabolic depression, but ramping resulted in a greater amount of energy assimilated (278.9 ± 175.4 J g-1 day-1) and higher energy efficiency for growth (89.8%) than constant exposure to 30 °C (115.4 ± 63.4 J g-1 day-1, 65.3%, respectively). Gradually increasing temperature allowed physiological mechanisms of thermal adjustment to take place, reflecting the capacity of juvenile H. erectus to respond to environmental change. Despite its advantage, this capacity is limited in time, since the cumulative effect of thermal exposure affected metabolic performance, eventually compromising survival. The study of seahorse response to thermal variations in the context of ocean warming needs to consider the temporal elements of thermal exposure to foresee its vulnerability under future scenarios.
M. Mascaró; J.L. Horta; F. Diaz; K. Paschke; C. Rosas; N. Simões. Effect of a gradually increasing temperature on the behavioural and physiological response of juvenile Hippocampus erectus: Thermal preference, tolerance, energy balance and growth. Journal of Thermal Biology 2019, 85, 102406 .
AMA StyleM. Mascaró, J.L. Horta, F. Diaz, K. Paschke, C. Rosas, N. Simões. Effect of a gradually increasing temperature on the behavioural and physiological response of juvenile Hippocampus erectus: Thermal preference, tolerance, energy balance and growth. Journal of Thermal Biology. 2019; 85 ():102406.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. Mascaró; J.L. Horta; F. Diaz; K. Paschke; C. Rosas; N. Simões. 2019. "Effect of a gradually increasing temperature on the behavioural and physiological response of juvenile Hippocampus erectus: Thermal preference, tolerance, energy balance and growth." Journal of Thermal Biology 85, no. : 102406.
This study assessed the effect of starvation on survival and nutritional status of newborn juveniles H. erectus (<10 days) to optimize rearing protocols, thereby helping to reduce wildlife exploitation. Maximum starvation time (MST) was estimated through the survival of juveniles continuously starved from birth. Resistance to starvation and the effect of food re‐introduction after 1, 2, 4 and 6 days of starvation on survival and metabolite concentrations (total proteins, total lipids, acylglycerides, cholesterol, glucose) were also determined. Survival amongst continuously starved animals decreased from 6.6 ± 0.5 to 0% from days 9 to 10 of starvation. Seahorses under different starvation–refeeding treatments all had 100% survival up to day 5 of experiments. After 10 days, however, a 4‐day starvation period followed by refeeding showed negative effects with <50% survival. During continuous starvation, lipids were the first energy reserve used to maintain basal metabolism, followed by proteins. Except for cholesterol, all metabolite concentrations differed between continuous starvations and feeding. Despite high seahorse survival after 5 days in the absence of food, the recovery of the metabolic status is possible after a starvation period of no more than 2 days, since irreversible physiological changes compromising the ultimate survival of the organisms take place after this time.
Giulia Del Vecchio; Francisco Otero‐Ferrer; Cristina Pascual; Carlos Rosas; Nuno Simoes; Maite Mascaró. Effect of starvation on survival and biochemical profile of newborn juvenile lined seahorses,Hippocampus erectus(Perry, 1810). Aquaculture Research 2019, 50, 3729 -3740.
AMA StyleGiulia Del Vecchio, Francisco Otero‐Ferrer, Cristina Pascual, Carlos Rosas, Nuno Simoes, Maite Mascaró. Effect of starvation on survival and biochemical profile of newborn juvenile lined seahorses,Hippocampus erectus(Perry, 1810). Aquaculture Research. 2019; 50 (12):3729-3740.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiulia Del Vecchio; Francisco Otero‐Ferrer; Cristina Pascual; Carlos Rosas; Nuno Simoes; Maite Mascaró. 2019. "Effect of starvation on survival and biochemical profile of newborn juvenile lined seahorses,Hippocampus erectus(Perry, 1810)." Aquaculture Research 50, no. 12: 3729-3740.
Climate change, mismanaged resource extraction, and pollution are reshaping global marine ecosystems with direct consequences on human societies. Sustainable ocean development requires knowledge and data across disciplines, scales and knowledge types. Although several disciplines are generating large amounts of data on marine socio-ecological systems, such information is often underutilized due to fragmentation across institutions or stakeholders, limited standardization across scale, time or disciplines, and the fact that information is often not searchable within existing databases. Compiling metadata, the information which describes existing sets of data, is an effective tool that can address these challenges, particularly when metadata corresponding to multiple datasets can be combined to integrate, organize and classify multidisciplinary data. Here, using Mexico as a case study, we describe the compilation and analysis of a metadatabase of ocean knowledge that aims to improve access to information, facilitate multidisciplinary data sharing and integration, and foster collaboration among stakeholders. We also evaluate the knowledge trends and gaps for informing ocean management. Analysis of the metadatabase highlights that past and current research in Mexico focuses strongly on ecology and fisheries, with biological data more consistent over time and space compared to data on human dimensions. Regional imbalances in available information were also evident, with most available information corresponding to the Gulf of California, Campeche Bank and Caribbean and less available for the central and south Pacific and the western Gulf of Mexico. Despite existing knowledge gaps in Mexico and elsewhere, we argue that systematic efforts such as this can often reveal an abundance of information for decision-makers to develop policies that meet key commitments on ocean sustainability. Surmounting current cross-scale social and ecological challenges for sustainability requires transdisciplinary approaches. Metadatabases are critical tools to make efficient use of existing data, highlight and address strengths and deficiencies, and develop scenarios to inform policies for managing complex marine social-ecological systems.
Juliano Palacios-Abrantes; Andrés M. Cisneros-Montemayor; Miguel A. Cisneros-Mata; Laura Rodríguez; Francisco Arreguín-Sánchez; Verónica Aguilar; Santiago Domínguez-Sánchez; Stuart Fulton; Raquel López-Sagástegui; Héctor Reyes-Bonilla; Rocío Rivera-Campos; Silvia Salas; Nuno Simoes; William W. L. Cheung. A metadata approach to evaluate the state of ocean knowledge: Strengths, limitations, and application to Mexico. PLOS ONE 2019, 14, e0216723 .
AMA StyleJuliano Palacios-Abrantes, Andrés M. Cisneros-Montemayor, Miguel A. Cisneros-Mata, Laura Rodríguez, Francisco Arreguín-Sánchez, Verónica Aguilar, Santiago Domínguez-Sánchez, Stuart Fulton, Raquel López-Sagástegui, Héctor Reyes-Bonilla, Rocío Rivera-Campos, Silvia Salas, Nuno Simoes, William W. L. Cheung. A metadata approach to evaluate the state of ocean knowledge: Strengths, limitations, and application to Mexico. PLOS ONE. 2019; 14 (6):e0216723.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJuliano Palacios-Abrantes; Andrés M. Cisneros-Montemayor; Miguel A. Cisneros-Mata; Laura Rodríguez; Francisco Arreguín-Sánchez; Verónica Aguilar; Santiago Domínguez-Sánchez; Stuart Fulton; Raquel López-Sagástegui; Héctor Reyes-Bonilla; Rocío Rivera-Campos; Silvia Salas; Nuno Simoes; William W. L. Cheung. 2019. "A metadata approach to evaluate the state of ocean knowledge: Strengths, limitations, and application to Mexico." PLOS ONE 14, no. 6: e0216723.
Fernando Enseñat-Soberanis; Rocío Blanco-Gregory; Johnathan Mondragón-Mejía; Nuno Simoes; Elda Moreno-Acevedo; Isaac Ortega. Crowding standards and willingness to pay at cenotes (sinkholes) of the Yucatan Peninsula: a comparative analysis of local, national and international visitors. Journal of Ecotourism 2019, 19, 1 -22.
AMA StyleFernando Enseñat-Soberanis, Rocío Blanco-Gregory, Johnathan Mondragón-Mejía, Nuno Simoes, Elda Moreno-Acevedo, Isaac Ortega. Crowding standards and willingness to pay at cenotes (sinkholes) of the Yucatan Peninsula: a comparative analysis of local, national and international visitors. Journal of Ecotourism. 2019; 19 (1):1-22.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFernando Enseñat-Soberanis; Rocío Blanco-Gregory; Johnathan Mondragón-Mejía; Nuno Simoes; Elda Moreno-Acevedo; Isaac Ortega. 2019. "Crowding standards and willingness to pay at cenotes (sinkholes) of the Yucatan Peninsula: a comparative analysis of local, national and international visitors." Journal of Ecotourism 19, no. 1: 1-22.
A series of small emergent coral reefs and shallow, submerged coralliferous banks are scattered along the western edge of Campeche Bank (southwest Gulf of Mexico), 150–200 km offshore from the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Here a reasonably comprehensive, annotated checklist of reef-associated fishes for one reef, Cayo Arcas (expanded from 162 to 209 species) is presented, with preliminary checklists of such fishes from three other emergent reefs (Cayo Arenas, Triángulo Oeste, Triángulo Este) and four submerged bank reefs (Banco Obispo Norte, Banco Obispo Sur, Banco Nuevo and Banco Pera). During 2017–18 a total of 260 species was observed or collected from those reefs, and previous studies and georeferenced museum records in the global aggregator Fishnet2 added another 101 shallow-living species recorded on or adjacent to those reefs. Some coral-reef fishes are thought to be strongly dependent on seagrass and mangrove areas as nursery habitats for maintenance of their local populations on reefs near to those habitats. The abundance of a number of such “nursery” species on these Campeche reefs indicates otherwise, as there are no seagrass- or mangrove habitats for reef fishes within ~ 150 km of the study reefs. Other isolated Caribbean-area reefs that lack mangroves and, in some cases, seagrasses, also support many such nursery species of reef-fishes.
D. Ross Robertson; Omar Domínguez-Dominguez; Yareli Margarita López Aroyo; Rigoberto Moreno Mendoza; Nuno Simões. Reef-associated fishes from the offshore reefs of western Campeche Bank, Mexico, with a discussion of mangroves and seagrass beds as nursery habitats. ZooKeys 2019, 843, 71 -115.
AMA StyleD. Ross Robertson, Omar Domínguez-Dominguez, Yareli Margarita López Aroyo, Rigoberto Moreno Mendoza, Nuno Simões. Reef-associated fishes from the offshore reefs of western Campeche Bank, Mexico, with a discussion of mangroves and seagrass beds as nursery habitats. ZooKeys. 2019; 843 ():71-115.
Chicago/Turabian StyleD. Ross Robertson; Omar Domínguez-Dominguez; Yareli Margarita López Aroyo; Rigoberto Moreno Mendoza; Nuno Simões. 2019. "Reef-associated fishes from the offshore reefs of western Campeche Bank, Mexico, with a discussion of mangroves and seagrass beds as nursery habitats." ZooKeys 843, no. : 71-115.