Monitoring nearshore ecosystem health using Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) as an indicator species
An emerging approach to ecosystem monitoring involves the use of physiological biomarker analyses in combination with gene transcription assays. For the first time, we employed these tools to evaluate the Pacific razor clam (Siliqua patula), which is important both economically and ecologically, as...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PeerJ Inc.
2020-03-01
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| Series: | PeerJ |
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/8761.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797418660008034304 |
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| author | Lizabeth Bowen Katrina L. Counihan Brenda Ballachey Heather Coletti Tuula Hollmen Benjamin Pister Tammy L. Wilson |
| author_facet | Lizabeth Bowen Katrina L. Counihan Brenda Ballachey Heather Coletti Tuula Hollmen Benjamin Pister Tammy L. Wilson |
| author_sort | Lizabeth Bowen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | An emerging approach to ecosystem monitoring involves the use of physiological biomarker analyses in combination with gene transcription assays. For the first time, we employed these tools to evaluate the Pacific razor clam (Siliqua patula), which is important both economically and ecologically, as a bioindicator species in the northeast Pacific. Our objectives were to (1) develop biomarker and gene transcription assays with which to monitor the health of the Pacific razor clam, (2) acquire baseline biomarker and gene transcription reference ranges for razor clams, (3) assess the relationship between physiological and gene transcription assays and (4) determine if site-level differences were present. Pacific razor clams were collected in July 2015 and 2016 at three sites within each of two national parks in southcentral Alaska. In addition to determining reference ranges, we found differences in biomarker assay and gene transcription results between parks and sites which indicate variation in both large-scale and local environmental conditions. Our intent is to employ these methods to evaluate Pacific razor clams as a bioindicator of nearshore ecosystem health. Links between the results of the biomarker and gene transcription assays were observed that support the applicability of both assays in ecosystem monitoring. However, we recognize the need for controlled studies to examine the range of responses in physiology and gene transcripts to different stressors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:37:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-57e245ee71e244c9822d1dce7d16fae1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:37:09Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
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| spelling | doaj.art-57e245ee71e244c9822d1dce7d16fae12023-12-03T10:56:35ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592020-03-018e876110.7717/peerj.8761Monitoring nearshore ecosystem health using Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) as an indicator speciesLizabeth Bowen0Katrina L. Counihan1Brenda Ballachey2Heather Coletti3Tuula Hollmen4Benjamin Pister5Tammy L. Wilson6Western Ecological Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Davis, CA, USAAlaska SeaLife Center, Seward, AK, USAAlaska Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Anchorage, AK, USAInventory & Monitoring Program, Southwest Alaska Network, National Park Service, Fairbanks, AK, USACollege of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Alaska SeaLife Center and University of Alaska Fairbanks, Seward, AK, USAOcean Alaska Science and Learning Center, National Park Service, Seward, AK, USADepartment of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USAAn emerging approach to ecosystem monitoring involves the use of physiological biomarker analyses in combination with gene transcription assays. For the first time, we employed these tools to evaluate the Pacific razor clam (Siliqua patula), which is important both economically and ecologically, as a bioindicator species in the northeast Pacific. Our objectives were to (1) develop biomarker and gene transcription assays with which to monitor the health of the Pacific razor clam, (2) acquire baseline biomarker and gene transcription reference ranges for razor clams, (3) assess the relationship between physiological and gene transcription assays and (4) determine if site-level differences were present. Pacific razor clams were collected in July 2015 and 2016 at three sites within each of two national parks in southcentral Alaska. In addition to determining reference ranges, we found differences in biomarker assay and gene transcription results between parks and sites which indicate variation in both large-scale and local environmental conditions. Our intent is to employ these methods to evaluate Pacific razor clams as a bioindicator of nearshore ecosystem health. Links between the results of the biomarker and gene transcription assays were observed that support the applicability of both assays in ecosystem monitoring. However, we recognize the need for controlled studies to examine the range of responses in physiology and gene transcripts to different stressors.https://peerj.com/articles/8761.pdfRazor clam (Siliqua patula)BiomarkerGene expressionEcosystem health |
| spellingShingle | Lizabeth Bowen Katrina L. Counihan Brenda Ballachey Heather Coletti Tuula Hollmen Benjamin Pister Tammy L. Wilson Monitoring nearshore ecosystem health using Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) as an indicator species PeerJ Razor clam (Siliqua patula) Biomarker Gene expression Ecosystem health |
| title | Monitoring nearshore ecosystem health using Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) as an indicator species |
| title_full | Monitoring nearshore ecosystem health using Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) as an indicator species |
| title_fullStr | Monitoring nearshore ecosystem health using Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) as an indicator species |
| title_full_unstemmed | Monitoring nearshore ecosystem health using Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) as an indicator species |
| title_short | Monitoring nearshore ecosystem health using Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) as an indicator species |
| title_sort | monitoring nearshore ecosystem health using pacific razor clams siliqua patula as an indicator species |
| topic | Razor clam (Siliqua patula) Biomarker Gene expression Ecosystem health |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/8761.pdf |
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