The Mangrove Periwinkle Littoraria angulifera (Mollusca: Littorinidae) in the Urabá Gulf (Colombian Caribbean): Finding Ways in an Urbanizing Coast?
Periwinkles (Littorinidae: genus Littoraria) are one of the very few molluscan clades showing an adaptive radiation closely associated to the mangrove habitat. However, pervasive land use changes associated to urbanization is prompting mangrove loss or degradation, with unknown consequences for mang...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.641567/full |
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| author | Jhostin Ramos Marco Boto Juan Felipe Blanco-Libreros José M. Riascos José M. Riascos |
| author_facet | Jhostin Ramos Marco Boto Juan Felipe Blanco-Libreros José M. Riascos José M. Riascos |
| author_sort | Jhostin Ramos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Periwinkles (Littorinidae: genus Littoraria) are one of the very few molluscan clades showing an adaptive radiation closely associated to the mangrove habitat. However, pervasive land use changes associated to urbanization is prompting mangrove loss or degradation, with unknown consequences for mangrove-associated fauna. In the southern Colombian Caribbean, mangrove ecosystems have been encroached by human settlements and different populations of Littoraria angulifera (Lamarck, 1822) now inhabit anthropogenic intertidal substrates in urban areas, but the demographic traits of populations thriving in these novel environments are unknown. We studied the relative abundance and size structure of L. angulifera in remnant mangrove patches, woody debris and anthropogenic substrates (boulder seawalls and built structures) in 13 locations throughout the Urabá Gulf, a human-transformed tropical estuarine system. The abundance of L. angulifera was up to two orders of magnitude higher in anthropogenic than in quasi-natural or natural substrates. Snails also displayed a significant preference for wave protected positions in boulder seawalls and built structures exposed to heavy wave action, which was not previously reported in mangrove forests. Moreover, snail populations in anthropogenic substrate were consistently dominated by individuals of small sizes in comparison with mangroves or driftwood. We argue that the anthropogenic disturbances caused by the expansion of Turbo city during nearly one century in a coast formerly dominated by mangrove forests are providing novel and expanding habitats, whose quality might be good enough as to support high-density populations of L. angulifera. However, we hypothesize that shifted thermal regimes in hard and novel wave-exposed urban seascapes might also be prompting behavioral adjustments and the selection of smaller size ranges than those observed in mangrove forests. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T06:57:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ebed8c3e9fc148c9883d04dfdca6a6d3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T06:57:36Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-ebed8c3e9fc148c9883d04dfdca6a6d32022-12-21T18:34:54ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452021-09-01810.3389/fmars.2021.641567641567The Mangrove Periwinkle Littoraria angulifera (Mollusca: Littorinidae) in the Urabá Gulf (Colombian Caribbean): Finding Ways in an Urbanizing Coast?Jhostin Ramos0Marco Boto1Juan Felipe Blanco-Libreros2José M. Riascos3José M. Riascos4Programa de Ecología de Zonas Costeras, Universidad de Antioquia – Sede Ciencias del Mar, Turbo, ColombiaPrograma de Ecología de Zonas Costeras, Universidad de Antioquia – Sede Ciencias del Mar, Turbo, ColombiaInstituto de Biología Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, ColombiaCorporación Académica Ambiental, Universidad de Antioquia – Sede Ciencias del Mar, Turbo, ColombiaCorporación Centro de Excelencia en Ciencias Marinas – CEMarin, Bogotá, ColombiaPeriwinkles (Littorinidae: genus Littoraria) are one of the very few molluscan clades showing an adaptive radiation closely associated to the mangrove habitat. However, pervasive land use changes associated to urbanization is prompting mangrove loss or degradation, with unknown consequences for mangrove-associated fauna. In the southern Colombian Caribbean, mangrove ecosystems have been encroached by human settlements and different populations of Littoraria angulifera (Lamarck, 1822) now inhabit anthropogenic intertidal substrates in urban areas, but the demographic traits of populations thriving in these novel environments are unknown. We studied the relative abundance and size structure of L. angulifera in remnant mangrove patches, woody debris and anthropogenic substrates (boulder seawalls and built structures) in 13 locations throughout the Urabá Gulf, a human-transformed tropical estuarine system. The abundance of L. angulifera was up to two orders of magnitude higher in anthropogenic than in quasi-natural or natural substrates. Snails also displayed a significant preference for wave protected positions in boulder seawalls and built structures exposed to heavy wave action, which was not previously reported in mangrove forests. Moreover, snail populations in anthropogenic substrate were consistently dominated by individuals of small sizes in comparison with mangroves or driftwood. We argue that the anthropogenic disturbances caused by the expansion of Turbo city during nearly one century in a coast formerly dominated by mangrove forests are providing novel and expanding habitats, whose quality might be good enough as to support high-density populations of L. angulifera. However, we hypothesize that shifted thermal regimes in hard and novel wave-exposed urban seascapes might also be prompting behavioral adjustments and the selection of smaller size ranges than those observed in mangrove forests.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.641567/fullmarine urban sprawlurban expansionEco-evo dynamicsmangrove ecologyhuman-dominated ecosystempopulation structure |
| spellingShingle | Jhostin Ramos Marco Boto Juan Felipe Blanco-Libreros José M. Riascos José M. Riascos The Mangrove Periwinkle Littoraria angulifera (Mollusca: Littorinidae) in the Urabá Gulf (Colombian Caribbean): Finding Ways in an Urbanizing Coast? Frontiers in Marine Science marine urban sprawl urban expansion Eco-evo dynamics mangrove ecology human-dominated ecosystem population structure |
| title | The Mangrove Periwinkle Littoraria angulifera (Mollusca: Littorinidae) in the Urabá Gulf (Colombian Caribbean): Finding Ways in an Urbanizing Coast? |
| title_full | The Mangrove Periwinkle Littoraria angulifera (Mollusca: Littorinidae) in the Urabá Gulf (Colombian Caribbean): Finding Ways in an Urbanizing Coast? |
| title_fullStr | The Mangrove Periwinkle Littoraria angulifera (Mollusca: Littorinidae) in the Urabá Gulf (Colombian Caribbean): Finding Ways in an Urbanizing Coast? |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Mangrove Periwinkle Littoraria angulifera (Mollusca: Littorinidae) in the Urabá Gulf (Colombian Caribbean): Finding Ways in an Urbanizing Coast? |
| title_short | The Mangrove Periwinkle Littoraria angulifera (Mollusca: Littorinidae) in the Urabá Gulf (Colombian Caribbean): Finding Ways in an Urbanizing Coast? |
| title_sort | mangrove periwinkle littoraria angulifera mollusca littorinidae in the uraba gulf colombian caribbean finding ways in an urbanizing coast |
| topic | marine urban sprawl urban expansion Eco-evo dynamics mangrove ecology human-dominated ecosystem population structure |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.641567/full |
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