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Lönnstedt, Oona
Alternative names
Publications (10 of 21) Show all publications
Natt, M., Lönnstedt, O. & McCormick, M. I. (2017). Coral reef fish predator maintains olfactory acuity in degraded coral habitats. PLOS ONE, 12(6), Article ID e0179300.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Coral reef fish predator maintains olfactory acuity in degraded coral habitats
2017 (English)In: PLOS ONE, E-ISSN 1932-6203, Vol. 12, no 6, article id e0179300Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Coral reefs around the world are rapidly degrading due to a range of environmental stress ors. Habitat degradation modifies the sensory landscape within which predator-prey interactions occur, with implications for olfactory-mediated behaviours. Predator na ve settlement stage damselfish rely on conspecific damage-released odours (i.e., alarm odours) to inform risk assessments. Yet, species such as the Ambon damselfish, Pomacentrus amboinensis, become unable to respond appropriately to these cues when living in dead-degraded coral habitats, leading to increased mortality through loss of vigilance. Reef fish predators also rely on odours from damaged prey to locate, assess prey quality and engage in prey-stealing, but it is unknown whether their responses are also modified by the change to dead degraded coral habitats. Implications for prey clearly depend on how their predatory counterparts are affected, therefore the present study tested whether olfactory-mediated foraging responses in the dusky dottyback, Pseudochromis fuscus, a common predator of P. amboinensis, were similarly affected by coral degradation. A y-maze was used to measure the ability of Ps. fuscus to detect and move towards odours, against different background water sources. Ps. fuscus were exposed to damage-released odours from juvenile P. amboinensis, or a control cue of seawater, against a background of seawater treated with either healthy or dead-degraded hard coral. Predators exhibited an increased time allocation to the chambers of y-mazes injected with damage-released odours, with comparable levels of response in both healthy and dead-degraded coral treated waters. In control treatments, where damage-released odours were replaced with a control seawater cue, fish showed no increased preference for either chamber of the y-maze. Our results suggest that olfactory-mediated foraging behaviours may persist in Ps. fuscus within dead-degraded coral habitats. Ps. fuscus may consequently gain a sensory advantage over P. amboinensis, potentially altering the outcome of predator-prey interactions.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE, 2017
National Category
Biological Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-330723 (URN)10.1371/journal.pone.0179300 (DOI)000404607900020 ()28658295 (PubMedID)
Funder
Australian Research Council, DP170103372
Available from: 2017-10-03 Created: 2017-10-03 Last updated: 2021-06-14Bibliographically approved
McCormick, M. I. & Lönnstedt, O. M. (2016). Disrupted learning: habitat degradation impairs crucial antipredator responses in naive prey. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences, 283(1830), Article ID 20160441.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Disrupted learning: habitat degradation impairs crucial antipredator responses in naive prey
2016 (English)In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences, ISSN 0962-8452, E-ISSN 1471-2954, Vol. 283, no 1830, article id 20160441Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Habitat degradation is a global problem and one of the main causes of bio-diversity loss. Though widespread, the mechanisms that underlie faunal changes are poorly understood. In tropical marine systems, corals play a crucial role in forming habitat, but coral cover on many reefs is declining sharply. Coral degradation affects the olfactory cues that provide reliable information on the presence and intensity of threat. Here, we show for the first time that the ability of a habitat generalist to learn predators using an efficient and widespread method of predator learning is compromised in degraded coral habitats. Results indicate that chemical alarm cues are no longer indicative of a local threat for the habitat generalist (the damselfish, Pomacentrus amboinensis), and these cues can no longer be used to learn the identity of novel predators in degraded habitats. By contrast, a rubble specialist and congeneric (Pomacentrus coelestis) responded to olfactory threat cues regardless of background environment and could learn the identity of a novel predator using chemical alarm cues. Understanding how some species can cope with or acclimate to the detrimental impacts of habitat degradation on risk assessment abilities will be crucial to defining the scope of resilience in threatened communities.

Keywords
chemical alarm cue, coral reef fishes, habitat degradation, predator - prey, risk assessment, threat learning
National Category
Biological Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-298097 (URN)10.1098/rspb.2016.0441 (DOI)000376158800020 ()27170715 (PubMedID)
Available from: 2016-06-29 Created: 2016-06-29 Last updated: 2017-11-28Bibliographically approved
Finn, M., Lönnstedt, O. M., Rizzari, J., Jones, G. & Frisch, A. (2016). Experimental bleaching of a tropical sea anemone in situ. Marine Ecolocy, 37(3), 691-696
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Experimental bleaching of a tropical sea anemone in situ
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2016 (English)In: Marine Ecolocy, ISSN 0173-9565, E-ISSN 1439-0485, Vol. 37, no 3, p. 691-696Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Bleaching (whitening) of cnidarians such as corals and sea anemones has caused widespread degradation of coral reefs around the world and is therefore an urgent issue for coral reef science and conservation. Although cnidarians often bleach in aquaria, methods for experimental induction of bleaching in wild cnidarians are lacking, which impedes scientists’ ability to understand the ultimate effects of bleaching on the broader ecosystem. In this study, we investigated the utility of an in situ method for experimental induction of bleaching in the tropical sea anemone Heteractis crispa. Healthy, wild anemones were covered with opaque black plastic sheets, mesh cages or left undisturbed (controls) and tentacle colour and body size were monitored with a colour reference card and flexible tape, respectively, every 1–3 days for 15 days. Caged and control anemones remained unchanged for the duration of the experiment, but covered anemones commenced whitening after 4–6 days and were completely white after 7–14 days (mean time to bleaching SE = 10.1 0.7 days). Experimental bleaching occurred without reduction in anemone body size and was visibly similar to natural bleaching seen previously in H. crispa. We hypothesize that light-deprivation, reduced water flow, physical contact or some combination of these factors caused the bleaching. This study provides the basis for a simple and rapid method of inducing bleaching in situ, which releases scientists’ dependence on sporadic natural bleaching events or artificial aquarium experiments, and provides a means to investigate the effects of bleaching on other ecosystem components such as fishes.

Keywords
Climate change; coral bleaching; Great Barrier Reef; zooxanthellae
National Category
Ecology
Research subject
Biology (HGO)
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-270134 (URN)10.1111/maec.12333 (DOI)000378646200017 ()
Available from: 2015-12-21 Created: 2015-12-21 Last updated: 2017-12-01Bibliographically approved
Frisch, A. J., Ireland, M., Rizzari, J. R., Lönnstedt, O. M., Magnenat, K. A., Mirbach, C. E. & Hobbs, J.-P. A. (2016). Reassessing the trophic role of reef sharks as apex predators on coral reefs. Coral reefs (Print), 35(2), 459-472
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Reassessing the trophic role of reef sharks as apex predators on coral reefs
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2016 (English)In: Coral reefs (Print), ISSN 0722-4028, E-ISSN 1432-0975, Vol. 35, no 2, p. 459-472Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Apex predators often have strong top-down effects on ecosystem components and are therefore a priority for conservation and management. Due to their large size and conspicuous predatory behaviour, reef sharks are typically assumed to be apex predators, but their functional role is yet to be confirmed. In this study, we used stomach contents and stable isotopes to estimate diet, trophic position and carbon sources for three common species of reef shark (Triaenodon obesus, Carcharhinus melanopterus and C. amblyrhynchos) from the Great Barrier Reef (Australia) and evaluated their assumed functional role as apex predators by qualitative and quantitative comparisons with other sharks and large predatory fishes. We found that reef sharks do not occupy the apex of coral reef food chains, but instead have functional roles similar to those of large predatory fishes such as snappers, emperors and groupers, which are typically regarded as high-level mesopredators. We hypothesise that a degree of functional redundancy exists within this guild of predators, potentially explaining why shark-induced trophic cascades are rare or subtle in coral reef ecosystems. We also found that reef sharks participate in multiple food webs (pelagic and benthic) and are sustained by multiple sources of primary production. We conclude that large conspicuous predators, be they elasmobranchs or any other taxon, should not axiomatically be regarded as apex predators without thorough analysis of their diet. In the case of reef sharks, our dietary analyses suggest they should be reassigned to an alternative trophic group such as high-level mesopredators. This change will facilitate improved understanding of how reef communities function and how removal of predators (e.g., via fishing) might affect ecosystem properties.

Keywords
Elasmobranch, Food web, Stable isotope analysis, Top-down control, Trophic ecology
National Category
Biological Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-298062 (URN)10.1007/s00338-016-1415-2 (DOI)000376244600010 ()
Available from: 2016-06-30 Created: 2016-06-29 Last updated: 2017-11-28Bibliographically approved
Macura, B., Lönnstedt, O. M., Bystrom, P., Airoldi, L., Eriksson, B. K., Rudstam, L. & Stottrup, J. (2016). What is the impact on fish recruitment of anthropogenic physical and structural habitat change in shallow nearshore areas in temperate systems?: A systematic review protocol. Environmental Evidence, 5(1), Article ID 10.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>What is the impact on fish recruitment of anthropogenic physical and structural habitat change in shallow nearshore areas in temperate systems?: A systematic review protocol
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2016 (English)In: Environmental Evidence, E-ISSN 2047-2382, Vol. 5, no 1, article id 10Article, review/survey (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Background:

Shallow nearshore marine ecosystems are changing at an increasing rate due to a range of human activities such as urbanisation and commercial development. The growing numbers of constructions and other physical and structural alterations of the shoreline often take place in nursery and spawning habitats of many fish and other aquatic species. Several coastal fish populations have seen marked declines in abundance and diversity during the past two decades. A systematic review on the topic would clarify if anthropogenic physical and structural changes of near-shore areas have effects on fish recruitment and which these effects are.

Methods:

The review will examine how various physical and structural anthropogenic changes of nearshore fish habitats affect fish recruitment. Relevant studies include small- and large-scale field studies in marine and brackish systems or large lakes in temperate regions of the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Relevant studies may be based on comparisons between undisturbed and disturbed areas, before and after disturbance, or both. Relevant outcomes include measures of recruitment defined as abundance of juveniles of nearshore fish communities. Searches will be made for peer-reviewed and grey literature in English, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, German, Swedish and Spanish. All fish species and species groups will be considered in this review. Included relevant studies will be subject to a critical appraisal that will assess study validity. From relevant included studies, we will extract information on study characteristics, measured outcomes, exposure, comparators, effect modifiers and critical appraisal. Data synthesis will contain narrative and summary findings of each included study of sufficient quality. Meta-analysis may be possible in cases where studies report similar types of outcomes.

Keywords
Coastal habitat loss, Coastal development, Fish recruits, Marine infrastructure, Physical habitat change, Nursery area, Spawning ground, Young-of-the-year, YOY, Juveniles
National Category
Fish and Aquacultural Science Ecology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-400862 (URN)10.1186/s13750-016-0061-z (DOI)000449407300010 ()
Available from: 2020-01-03 Created: 2020-01-03 Last updated: 2023-08-28Bibliographically approved
Lönnstedt, O. M. & McCormick, M. (2015). Damsel in distress: captured damselfish prey emit chemical cues that attract secondary predators and improve escape chances. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences, 282(1818), 20152038
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Damsel in distress: captured damselfish prey emit chemical cues that attract secondary predators and improve escape chances
2015 (English)In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences, ISSN 0962-8452, E-ISSN 1471-2954, Vol. 282, no 1818, p. 20152038-Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

In aquatic environments, many prey animals possess damage-released chemical alarm cues that elicit antipredator behaviours in responsive conand heterospecifics. Despite considerable study, the selective advantage of alarm cues remains unclear. In an attempt to investigate one of the more promising hypotheses concerning the evolution of alarm cues, we examined whether the cue functions in a fashion analogous to the distress vocalizations emitted by many terrestrial animals. Our results suggest that chemical alarm cues in damselfish (Pomacentridae) may have evolved to benefit the cue sender by attracting secondary predators who disrupt the predation event, allowing the prey a greater chance to escape. The coral reef piscivore, the dusky dottyback (Pseudochromis fuscus), chemically eavesdrops on predation events and uses chemical alarm cues from fish prey (lemon damselfish; Pomacentrus moluccensis) in an attempt to find and steal prey from primary predators. Field studies showed that Ps. fuscus aggregate at sites where prey alarm cue has been experimentally released. Furthermore, secondary predators attempted to steal captured prey of primary predators in laboratory trials and enhanced prey escape chances by 35–40%. These results are the first, to the best of our knowledge, to demonstrate a mechanism by which marine fish may benefit from the production and release of alarm cues, and highlight the complex and important role that semiochemicals play in marine predator–prey interactions.

Keywords
alarm calls, kleptoparasitism, chemical alarm cue, foraging behaviour, prey stealing, predator–prey interactions
National Category
Ecology Evolutionary Biology Biological Sciences
Research subject
Biology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-270126 (URN)10.1098/rspb.2015.2038 (DOI)000364850200015 ()
Available from: 2015-12-21 Created: 2015-12-21 Last updated: 2017-12-01Bibliographically approved
Lönnstedt, O. & Frisch, A. J. (2014). Habitat bleaching disrupts threat responses and persistence in anemonefish. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 517, 265-270
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Habitat bleaching disrupts threat responses and persistence in anemonefish
2014 (English)In: Marine Ecology Progress Series, ISSN 0171-8630, E-ISSN 1616-1599, Vol. 517, p. 265-270Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Climate-induced habitat bleaching is linked to dramatic declines in diversity and abundance of coral reef fish; however, mechanisms underlying these declines are poorly understood. Here, we used in situ studies to demonstrate that bleaching can influence persistence of reef fish by affecting behaviours, including responses to a potential predation threat. When encountering the predatory rock cod Cephalophalis cyanostigma, anemonefish Amphiprion akindynos occupying healthy unbleached host anemones Heteractis crispa respond by feeding less and spending more time within the anemone tentacles. When the host anemone was experimentally bleached, these visual risk responses were compromised: A. akindynos continued to feed and did not seek shelter. The impaired behavioural response may prove detrimental to anemonefish populations as abundance levels of fish on bleached anemones was reduced by 60% within 3 d, which may have been the result of increased predation. Our data illustrate how climate-induced habitat degradation can drive declines of reef fish by potentially altering outcomes of predator–prey interactions.

Keywords
climate change, habitat degradation, zooxanthellae, Great Barrier Reef, risk assessment
National Category
Biological Sciences
Research subject
Biology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-241253 (URN)10.3354/meps11031 (DOI)000346421400020 ()
Available from: 2015-01-09 Created: 2015-01-09 Last updated: 2017-12-05Bibliographically approved
Lönnstedt, O. M., McCormick, M. I., Chivers, D. P. & Ferrari, M. C. .. (2014). Habitat degradation is threatening reef replenishment by making fish fearless. Journal of Animal Ecology, 83(5), 1178-1185
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Habitat degradation is threatening reef replenishment by making fish fearless
2014 (English)In: Journal of Animal Ecology, ISSN 0021-8790, E-ISSN 1365-2656, Vol. 83, no 5, p. 1178-1185Article in journal (Refereed) Published
National Category
Ecology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-242194 (URN)10.1111/1365-2656.12209 (DOI)
Available from: 2015-01-22 Created: 2015-01-22 Last updated: 2017-12-05Bibliographically approved
Lönnstedt, O. M., McCormick, M. I. & Chivers, D. P. (2013). Degraded environments alter prey risk assessment. Ecology and Evolution, 3(1), 38-47
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Degraded environments alter prey risk assessment
2013 (English)In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 3, no 1, p. 38-47Article in journal (Refereed) Published
National Category
Climate Research
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-242202 (URN)10.1002/ece3.388 (DOI)
Available from: 2015-01-22 Created: 2015-01-22 Last updated: 2024-01-17Bibliographically approved
McCormick, M. I. & Lönnstedt, O. M. (2013). Degrading habitats and the effect of topographic complexity on risk assessment. Ecology and Evolution, 3(12), 4221-4229
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Degrading habitats and the effect of topographic complexity on risk assessment
2013 (English)In: Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2045-7758, Vol. 3, no 12, p. 4221-4229Article in journal (Refereed) Published
National Category
Evolutionary Biology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-242197 (URN)10.1002/ece3.793 (DOI)
Available from: 2015-01-22 Created: 2015-01-22 Last updated: 2024-01-17Bibliographically approved
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