Ecosystem turnover in an urbanized subtropical seascape driven by climate and pollution

Yuanyuan Hong; Moriaki Yasuhara; Hokuto Iwatani; Anne Chao; Paul G. Harnik; Chih-Lin Wei

doi:10.1016/j.ancene.2021.100304

Ecosystem turnover in an urbanized subtropical seascape driven by climate and pollution

Yuanyuan Hong^* (Co-first Author)
, Moriaki Yasuhara^* (Co-first Author)
, Hokuto Iwatani (Co-first Author)
, Anne Chao (Co-first Author)
, Paul G. Harnik (Co-first Author)
, Chih-Lin Wei (Co-first Author)

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

21 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Natural and anthropogenic factors shape present-day benthic marine ecosystems. Understanding their combined influence on benthic communities is limited, however, by a lack of biological monitoring. Using a conservation paleobiology approach, this study establishes biological baselines and assesses the effects of natural and anthropogenic environmental change on benthic communities in an urbanized subtropical seascape. We compared subsurface (“past”, covering approximately the last 50–100 years) and surface ("present", covering approximately the last 5 years) faunal assemblages in sediment grab samples in Hong Kong, one of the busiest ports and urbanized coastal areas in the world. Results show that both natural (climate, monsoon) and anthropogenic factors (metal pollution, damming) were associated with recent faunal changes (dissimilarities between subsurface and surface faunal assemblages). Changes in freshwater and sediment discharge from the Pearl River due to monsoon rains and dams produced a strong west-east gradient in the turnover of rare species. Pollution from metals resulted in the turnover of abundant and dominant species in the central part of Hong Kong. Examining these data in the context of published results from other urbanized coastal areas around the world suggests that metal pollution may be an important and understudied factor, responsible for benthic turnover in regions where pollution levels exceed thresholds for sediment toxicity. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

Original language	English
Article number	100304
Journal	Anthropocene
Volume	36
Online published	28 Jul 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ancene.2021.100304
Publication status	Published - Dec 2021
Externally published	Yes

Funding

We thank the Environmental Protection Department of Hong Kong, especially K. Yung, for sediment collection support; L. Wong, C. Law, M. Lo, R.P.P. Wong, F.Y.F. Chan and K.H.M. Wong for their technical support; B. Lin, S. Wang, R. Mak, and V. Wang for helping with sampling; T. Irizuki for valuable comments on taxonomic identification and an early version of this manuscript; and S.M. Kidwell for discussion. We also thank the editor Anne Chin and two anonymos reviewers for their valuable comments. All data analyed for this study are included in the tables and supplements. The work described in this paper was partially supported by the Environment and Conservation Fund of Hong Kong (project code: 19/2012), grants from the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (project codes: HKU 17303115, 17302518, C7013-19G), the Early Career Scheme of the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (project code: HKU 709413P), the Marine Ecology Enhancement Fund of Hong Kong (MEEF2021001), the Small Equipment Grant of the University of Hong Kong, the Faculty of Science RAE Improvement Fund of the University of Hong Kong, the Seed Funding Programme for Basic Research of the University of Hong Kong (project codes: 201111159140, 201611159053), and the Seed Funding of the HKU-TCL Joint Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (to MY); the National Science Foundation (NSF EAR-2041667) (to PGH), the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan (MOST 108-2611-M-002-001 and 108-2119-M-001-019) (to CW); and the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (grant No. 203108) and the 45th Round of the Post-doctoral Fellow Scheme of the University of Hong Kong (to YH).

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 14 Life Below Water
SDG 15 Life on Land

Research Keywords

Conservation paleobiology
East Asian Summer Monsoon
Ostracoda
pollution
river discharge
urban environment

RGC Funding Information

RGC-funded

Access Output

10.1016/j.ancene.2021.100304

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Cite this

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title = "Ecosystem turnover in an urbanized subtropical seascape driven by climate and pollution",

abstract = "Natural and anthropogenic factors shape present-day benthic marine ecosystems. Understanding their combined influence on benthic communities is limited, however, by a lack of biological monitoring. Using a conservation paleobiology approach, this study establishes biological baselines and assesses the effects of natural and anthropogenic environmental change on benthic communities in an urbanized subtropical seascape. We compared subsurface (“past”, covering approximately the last 50–100 years) and surface ({"}present{"}, covering approximately the last 5 years) faunal assemblages in sediment grab samples in Hong Kong, one of the busiest ports and urbanized coastal areas in the world. Results show that both natural (climate, monsoon) and anthropogenic factors (metal pollution, damming) were associated with recent faunal changes (dissimilarities between subsurface and surface faunal assemblages). Changes in freshwater and sediment discharge from the Pearl River due to monsoon rains and dams produced a strong west-east gradient in the turnover of rare species. Pollution from metals resulted in the turnover of abundant and dominant species in the central part of Hong Kong. Examining these data in the context of published results from other urbanized coastal areas around the world suggests that metal pollution may be an important and understudied factor, responsible for benthic turnover in regions where pollution levels exceed thresholds for sediment toxicity. {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier Ltd",

keywords = "Conservation paleobiology, East Asian Summer Monsoon, Ostracoda, pollution, river discharge, urban environment",

author = "Yuanyuan Hong and Moriaki Yasuhara and Hokuto Iwatani and Anne Chao and Harnik, \{Paul G.\} and Chih-Lin Wei",

year = "2021",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1016/j.ancene.2021.100304",

language = "English",

volume = "36",

journal = "Anthropocene",

issn = "2213-3054",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ecosystem turnover in an urbanized subtropical seascape driven by climate and pollution

AU - Hong, Yuanyuan

AU - Yasuhara, Moriaki

AU - Iwatani, Hokuto

AU - Chao, Anne

AU - Harnik, Paul G.

AU - Wei, Chih-Lin

PY - 2021/12

Y1 - 2021/12

N2 - Natural and anthropogenic factors shape present-day benthic marine ecosystems. Understanding their combined influence on benthic communities is limited, however, by a lack of biological monitoring. Using a conservation paleobiology approach, this study establishes biological baselines and assesses the effects of natural and anthropogenic environmental change on benthic communities in an urbanized subtropical seascape. We compared subsurface (“past”, covering approximately the last 50–100 years) and surface ("present", covering approximately the last 5 years) faunal assemblages in sediment grab samples in Hong Kong, one of the busiest ports and urbanized coastal areas in the world. Results show that both natural (climate, monsoon) and anthropogenic factors (metal pollution, damming) were associated with recent faunal changes (dissimilarities between subsurface and surface faunal assemblages). Changes in freshwater and sediment discharge from the Pearl River due to monsoon rains and dams produced a strong west-east gradient in the turnover of rare species. Pollution from metals resulted in the turnover of abundant and dominant species in the central part of Hong Kong. Examining these data in the context of published results from other urbanized coastal areas around the world suggests that metal pollution may be an important and understudied factor, responsible for benthic turnover in regions where pollution levels exceed thresholds for sediment toxicity. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

AB - Natural and anthropogenic factors shape present-day benthic marine ecosystems. Understanding their combined influence on benthic communities is limited, however, by a lack of biological monitoring. Using a conservation paleobiology approach, this study establishes biological baselines and assesses the effects of natural and anthropogenic environmental change on benthic communities in an urbanized subtropical seascape. We compared subsurface (“past”, covering approximately the last 50–100 years) and surface ("present", covering approximately the last 5 years) faunal assemblages in sediment grab samples in Hong Kong, one of the busiest ports and urbanized coastal areas in the world. Results show that both natural (climate, monsoon) and anthropogenic factors (metal pollution, damming) were associated with recent faunal changes (dissimilarities between subsurface and surface faunal assemblages). Changes in freshwater and sediment discharge from the Pearl River due to monsoon rains and dams produced a strong west-east gradient in the turnover of rare species. Pollution from metals resulted in the turnover of abundant and dominant species in the central part of Hong Kong. Examining these data in the context of published results from other urbanized coastal areas around the world suggests that metal pollution may be an important and understudied factor, responsible for benthic turnover in regions where pollution levels exceed thresholds for sediment toxicity. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

KW - Conservation paleobiology

KW - East Asian Summer Monsoon

KW - Ostracoda

KW - pollution

KW - river discharge

KW - urban environment

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85121973906

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85121973906#tab=impact

U2 - 10.1016/j.ancene.2021.100304

DO - 10.1016/j.ancene.2021.100304

M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal

SN - 2213-3054

VL - 36

JO - Anthropocene

JF - Anthropocene

M1 - 100304

ER -

Ecosystem turnover in an urbanized subtropical seascape driven by climate and pollution

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Research Keywords

RGC Funding Information

Access Output

Other Access Options

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CRF: What Lies Beneath: Human and Environmental Health Risk Factors in our Ocean - An Experimental Application of MarineGEO-Hong Kong

Cite this

Ecosystem turnover in an urbanized subtropical seascape driven by climate and pollution

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Research Keywords

RGC Funding Information

Access Output

Other Access Options

Permanent Link

Other Files and Links

Fingerprint

Projects

CRF: What Lies Beneath: Human and Environmental Health Risk Factors in our Ocean - An Experimental Application of MarineGEO-Hong Kong

Cite this