José Carlos HernándezUniversity of La Laguna | ULL
José Carlos Hernández
PhD on Marine Biology
"Understanding the nature of nature"
Marine Biodiversity and Benthic Communities under Global Change Scenario
About
164
Publications
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Introduction
My research in marine ecology ranges from basic biology to marine conservation. The one thing in common of all my work is that it is supported by basic observations from nature combined with experimental manipulations. In my opinion, research should be based on a strong knowledge of the local natural history. In this sense, I focus on combining long data sets of the environment and biota to figure out the underlying ecological story.
Additional affiliations
February 2021 - present
January 2010 - March 2013
Position
- Faculty Member
Description
- >2000 hours of teaching experience Marine Biology Fisheries Ecology Invertebrate Zoology
January 2010 - present
Education
January 2006 - December 2006
January 2005 - December 2005
January 1996 - December 2005
Publications
Publications (164)
Large populations of the sea urchin Diadema aff. antillarum occur in the east Atlantic archipelagos. The origin and stability of these large herbivorous populations are not well known. Variability in settlement, recruitment and adult urchin density were quantified and compared over a 7 yr period (2002 to 2008) within the Canary Islands. Variables t...
Recurrent sea urchin mass mortality has recently affected eastern Atlantic populations of the barren-forming sea urchin Diadema africanum. This new episode of die-off affords the opportunity to determine common meteorological and oceanographic conditions that may promote disease outbreaks. The population dynamics of this sea urchin species are well...
We assessed the influence of rock cavities, or pits, on the growth dynamics and behavior of the purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. In a paired-designed, laboratory experiment, sea urchins were assigned to sandstone blocks that were either 'Flat' or had a 'Pit' drilled into the center. At the start, both groups were approximately the...
Our study explores genomic signs of adaptation in A. lixula to different water pH conditions. To achieve this, we analysed the genomics variation of A. lixula individuals living across a natural pH gradient in Canary Islands, Spain. We use a 2b-RADseq protocol with 74 samples from sites with varying pH levels (from 7.3 to 7.9 during low tide) and i...
Drilling predation on echinoids (sea urchins) has been known to occur in marine ecosystems since the Jurassic Period; however, it has rarely been studied in existing species. Tests of the irregular sea urchin Brissus unicolor (Leske, 1778), which frequently occurs in shallow substrates of the Canary Islands, mostly show very evident perforations th...
Ocean warming (OW) is one of the greatest threats to the future of our oceans, emphasizing the critical need to understand its impact on predatory species to safeguard our oceans. The aim of this study was to investigate the response of the fissiparous starfish Coscinasterias tenuispina to acute temperature increases (from 20 to 28°C). Metabolism e...
The sea urchin Diadema africanum is a macro-herbivore found in the rocky reef systems of the West African region and Macaronesian archipelagos. Over several decades, high densities of this species have generated marine barrens in certain areas at the Canary Islands. In contrast, more recently, during the last few years, the species has suffered mas...
Sea turtle populations have significantly declined in recent years due to anthropogenic causes. Historical stranding records in the Canary Islands archipelago (Spain) reveal a high frequency of Caretta caretta and Chelonia mydas strandings. Our study aims to comprehensively characterize and explore these stranding records. Additionally, we have inv...
The purpose of this study was to describe Echinodermata diversity across the
Canarian archipelago in two different habitats: intertidal and subtidal. Sampling was
conducted during 2022-2024 using 10 x 2 meter transects. The number of species was higher in the subtidal (14 species) than in the intertidal (4 species). The most abundant echinoderm c...
Hernández, J.C., Alfonso, B., González-Delgado, S., AliendeHernández, M., Cameron, C., Rufino-Navarro, A., Cano, I., Tagawa, K., González, N. &
Hernández, C. (2024) Conference Booklet of the 17th International Echinoderm Conference and 2nd International Hemichordate Meeting. 15-19 July, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. 165 pp....
The sea urchin Diadema africanum has a significant influence on subtidal rocky reef communities on the Canary Islands, facilitating transitions between macroalgal beds and barren grounds. Barren grounds in the archipelago are characterized by a dominance of crustose coralline algae and a lack of invertebrates and fishes compared to macroalgal beds,...
Introduction:
The coral reefs of Isla del Coco National Park are some of the most pristine ecosystems on Earth. The sea urchin Diadema mexicanum (Diadematoida: Diadematidae) is a common inhabitant with a pivotal role in the ecology of this unique ecosystem.
Objective:
In this study, we identified the predominant predators of D. mexicanum and estim...
Introduction:
The red starfish (Echinaster sepositus) is one of the most common asteroid species in the Mediterranean Sea. However, information about their biology or their role in benthic communities is scarce.
Objective:
This study aims to provide new information on the ecology of this species through the temporal characterization of the populat...
The islet of Lobos (Canary Islands) located in the Bocaina Strait, between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, has unique characteristics due to its location. Our work consisted of sampling the abundance of invertebrate species on the three intertidal zones on different sides of the islet as well as analyzing the sizes of the most representative species....
The pelagic oceanic zone is one of the largest ecosystems on the planet, which is exposed to different anthropogenic pressures. In order to study and promote biodiversity conservation measures on these ecosystems, it is necessary to know the distribution of the species, the use of the habitat, the degree of connectivity and the status of population...
In recent years, research on ocean acidification in CO2 vents has increased, but very few have considered the meiofaunal communities living in sandy substrates, despite their importance as bioindicators. Therefore, the aim of this work is to carry out a preliminary study of the meiofauna associated with sandy substrates in the acidified system of L...
Genetic sequencing of herbarium specimens provides invaluable information on species genetic history. However, several factors hinder the extraction of high-quality DNA from long-term preserved specimens. Our goal was to study the genetic variability of the endemic and habitat-forming macroalga Gelidium canariense over the last 40 years using the m...
Invasive alien species have widespread impacts on native biodiversity and ecosystem services. Since the number of introductions worldwide is continuously rising, it is essential to prevent the entry, establishment and spread of new alien species through a systematic examination of future potential threats. Applying a three-step horizon scanning con...
Coastal marine pollution from sewage pipes, waste discharges, can seriously affect intertidal organisms. Therefore, the aim of this study is to know if the structuring algae in the Canary intertidal can act as buffers against pollution. Samples were taken in the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) from the intertidal water of Anemonia sulcat...
Metabarcoding techniques have revolutionized ecological research in recent years, facilitating the differentiation of cryptic species and revealing previously hidden diversity. In the current scenario of climate change and ocean acidification, biodiversity loss is one of the main threats to marine ecosystems. Here, we explored the effects of ocean...
El erizo Diadema africanum una especie clave a la hora de determinar la alternancia entre los poco diversos estados de blanquizal y los productivos bosques de macroalgas en los ecosistemas rocosos someros de Canarias. Ambos estados alternativos estables podrían presentar diferencias significativas en la abundancia y diversidad de crustáceos decápod...
Full-text view-only version of this paper: https://rdcu.be/c3phg. The green phyllodocids Eulalia clavigera and E. viridis are a known European pseudo-cryptic complex, but questions about its distribution and evidence of additional lineages in previous studies call for an investigation of the real diversity within the complex.
We analyze DNA sequenc...
Morphologically similar species are often overlooked but molecular techniques have been effective in signalling potential hidden diversity, boosting the documentation of unique evolutionary lineages and ecological diversity. Platynereis dumerilii and Platynereis massiliensis are part of a recognised species complex, where differences in the reprodu...
This paper examines various fishery management scenarios based on the recovery of small-scale fisheries (SSF) following a submarine volcanic eruption in 2011 in El Hierro Island (Canary Islands, Spain). After this catastrophic event, the SSF composition of La Restinga fishing community was affected by socio-economic and demographic changes. The unc...
Early developmental stages of echinoids have been thoroughly studied but continue to offer remarkable insights for the current understanding of biological sciences. The sea urchin Sphaerechinus granularis has been commonly tested by exposing its developmental stages to a variety of stressors, but current descriptions about developmental time and mo...
In recent years, recurrent sea urchin mass mortalities in the Canary Islands have been registered. These mortality-related events have decimated 93% of the eastern Atlantic populations of the barren-forming sea urchin Diadema africanum. Two severe episodes of rough southeastern seas led to winter storms in February 2010 (Xynthia) and February 2018...
We have used the common black sea urchin A. lixula, as a model species
to study genomic diversity, divergence, and signs of local adaption across
a natural pH gradient existing along short geographical distances.
Global warming and ultraviolet radiation (UVR) affect marine organisms worldwide. However, we still lack knowledge about the consequences of these environmental changes to range-restricted macroalgae species, such as Gelidium canariense , a habitat-forming endemic of the Canary Islands. The aim of this study is to provide useful data for analyzing...
Understanding and forecasting the effects of climate changes on vulnerable species are leading concerns for ecologists and conservation biologists. Herbaria are invaluable for use in long-term data series, and one of the few available methods for quantifying biodiversity changes over large periods of time. Gelidium canariense is an endemic and habi...
Relationships between sea urchins and non-crustose macroalgae are typically non-linear, and an abrupt phase shift from a barren to a macroalgae-dominated state and vice versa happens when the sea urchin abundance exceeds a critical threshold. Here we have used two mass mortality events as a natural experiment to study progressive changes and dynami...
We present a new natural carbon dioxide (CO2) system located off the southern coast of the island of La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain). Like CO2 seeps, these CO2 submarine groundwater discharges (SGDs) can be used as an analogue to study the effects of ocean acidification (OA) on the marine realm. With this aim, we present the chemical characterizat...
Recent studies reporting complexes of cryptic or pseudo-cryptic species with narrow geographic distributions have been challenging the cosmopolitan status of a fair number of marine benthic invertebrates. Morphologically similar species are often overlooked but molecular techniques have been extremely effective in signalling potential hidden divers...
Estudio observacional sobre la llegada y el estado actual de las poblaciones del cangrejo decápodo pantropical Cronius ruber (Lamarck, 1818) en la isla de Tenerife. Se trata de una especie de la familia Portunidae, cuyos primeros registros publicados en Canarias se producen en el año 2017, siendo citada por primera vez en el litoral de Tenerife en...
Dos eventos de mortalidad masiva en 2009-2010 y 2018 han diezmado las poblaciones del erizo de mar Diadema africanum en los archipiélagos de Ca- narias y Madeira (Atlántico subtropical oriental). En estas islas, este erizo es un herbívoro clave que controla el crecimiento de las macroalgas en los ecosistemas rocosos. Como resultado de la sobrepesca...
We present a new natural carbon dioxide (CO2) system located off the southern coast of La Palma Island (Canary Islands, Spain). Like others CO2 seeps, these seeps can be used as an analogue to study the effects of ocean acidification (OA) on the marine realm. With this aim, we present an accurate chemical characterization of the seeps system carbon...
Diadema africanum is a recently described sea urchin from the Eastern Atlantic archipelagos, and adults play a major ecological role mediating the transition between two alternative ecosystem states: macroalgal beds and urchin barrens. The aim of this study was to describe for the first time the egg characteristics, fertilization and larval develop...
Modeling is a useful approach to learn about the capacity of the systems to recover after disturbances. In October 2011, a submarine volcanic eruption in The Punta Restinga-Mar de Las Calmas Marine Protected Area (RMC-MPA) caused catastrophic mass mortality. We modeled the recovery dynamics of the fully protected (no-take zone), partially protected...
Estimating survival rate is a basic part of population studies. Generally it is assumed that populations being studied are both stable and stationary. This probably is seldom the case although as a long-term average populations may persist at a mean density. Estimating survival in short-term studies may fail to capture average rates. A long-term st...
Human activity is generating an excess of atmospheric CO2, creating what we know as ocean acidification, which it is predicted to causes important changes in marine ecosystems. Until recently, most of the research on this phenomenon has been carried out under laboratory conditions, with small-scales, using few representative species and live cycle...
Human activity is generating an excess of atmospheric CO2, resulting in what we know as ocean acidification, which produces changes in marine ecosystems. Until recently, most of the research in this area had been done under small-scale, laboratory conditions, using few variables, few species and few life cycle stages. These limitations raise questi...
The recent decrease in seawater pH has stimulated a great deal of research on the effects of ocean acidificationon various organisms. Most of these studies have mainly focused on the direct effects of acidification on or-ganisms. However, the effects on ecological interactions have been poorly studied. In this paper we have focusedon determining the effe...
In the present paper a growth model for the sea urchin Arbacia lixula is proposed for the first time. A total of 1900 individuals were tagged with calcein, in four localities of Tenerife. After one year, a total of 1638 specimens were recaptured, of which 32 were tagged. Later, the increase in the demi-pyramid of Aristotle's lantern was measured un...
The Cocos Island National Park is a pristine and unique place on earth. The sea urchin Diadema mexicanum is a common inhabitant of the coral reef communities around the island. Its grazing activity is critical to control macroalgae growth, because it increases the survival of coral recruits. However, the outbreaks of sea urchin populations lead to...
The present study aims to examine the effect of the marine protected reserve of the islands
of Ventotene and Santo Stefano, by studying the biomass of the fish community in the
different protected zones. For that they sampled and sized the fish in two periods of time
and in different locations, within the reserve. The fish species that were found w...
Arbacia lixula (Linnaeus, 1758) is a sea urchin belonging to Arbaciidae family, it is commonly known as black sea urchin. It is one of three sea urchin more abundant in the coasts of Tenerife but it is also present in great part of the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean sea. In this study, we aim to determine the relationship between the test size an...
Many sea urchins can detect light on their body surface and some species are reported to possess image-resolving vision. Here we measure the spatial resolution of vision in the long-spined sea urchin Diadema africanum, using two different visual responses: a taxis towards dark objects and an alarm response of spine-pointing towards looming stimuli....
One of the most important environmental factors controlling the distribution, physiology, morphology and behaviour of marine invertebrates is ocean pH. In the last decade, the effects of decreasing ocean pH as a result of climate change processes (i.e. ocean acidification) on marine organisms have been target of much research. However, the effects...
Ocean warming and acidification are the two most significant side effects of carbone dioxide emissions in the world's oceans. By changing water, temperature and pH are the main environmental factors controlling the distribution, physiology, morphology and behaviour of marine invertebrates. This study evaluated the combined effects of predicted high...
Size, growth, and density have been studied for North American Pacific coast sea urchins Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, S. droebachiensis, S. polyacanthus, Mesocentrotus (Strongylocentrotus) franciscanus, Lytechinus pictus, Centrostephanus coronatus, and Arbacia stellata by various workers at diverse sites and for varying lengths of time from 1956...
Gelidium canariense and G. arbusculum, coexist in the upper sublittoral in the Canary Islands, and are the only Gelidiales registered as vulnerable species. Spore germination and formation of rhizoids are vital steps for the successful growth of new plants. We investigated the initial germination stages of tetraspores and the growth of the primary...
Shallow subtidal macroalgal communities in the North-eastern Atlantic archipelagos (Azores, Madeira, Canaries and Cape Verde) were studied in order to identify their spatial organization patterns and the main drivers of change. Fifteen islands 20 and 145 sites across 15º of latitude and 2 850 km were sampled. We found high spatial variability acros...
Primary production and respiration rates were studied for six seaweed species (Cystoseira abies-marina, Lobophora variegata, Pterocladiella capillacea, Canistrocarpus cervicornis, Padina pavonica and Corallina caespitosa) from Subtropical North-East Atlantic, to estimate the combined effects of different pH and temperature levels. Macroalgal sample...
Echinoids play an important role in marine ecosystems structuring. Often, their population density experience markedly fluctuations that promote a state shift in the ecosystems they inhabit. Population increments of some sea urchins may cause catastrophic changes in temperate areas of the planet by decimating the erect macroalgae cover. These popul...
En el año 2016 descubrimos una zona de surgencias submarinas de CO2 en la costa de
Fuencaliente, al SE de la isla de La Palma (Islas Canarias, Atlántico Oriental). Este descubrimiento ofrece una oportunidad única para abordar el estudio de los efectos, a largo plazo, de la acidificación en el océano Atlántico, mediante experimentación in situ. Adem...
Stranding’s of sea turtles in the Canary Islands occur with a high frequency. In the main islands, a digitized record of the occurrences of stranding’s has been carried out since 1998. Although this has been done independently on each island. In this work, a compilation of the digitized stranding’s data is made throughout the Canaries, from 1998 to...
In the Canaries, some coastal species of molluscs, crustaceans and annelids have been
shellfish resources from prehispanic times to the present, both for their nutritive value
and bait for fishing. This has led to the gradual decrease of the populations of these
species, being necessary for the administration to regulate the coastal extraction and...
The ocean are important sinks of atmospheric CO2 emitted by human activities. In last decades and due to the increase concentration of this gas in the atmosphere, the chemistry of the sea water has been severely altered producing a phenomenon known as ocean acidification. This study focuses on the effects of the pH decrease, due to a natural CO2 co...
In the Canaries, some species of “burgados” (littoral gastropod molluscs) have been consumed as seafood, which are relatively abundant in its coasts. The intensive local fishing and the non-regularization of their catch has led to the loss of a large part of the population, being reduced to small groups distributed in specific points of the islands...
The huge quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere by human activities have caused changes on ocean’s chemistry. The pH has already decreased 0,1 units and seawater acidity is expected to increase if CO2 emissions continue at the current rate. This ocean acidification process (OA) has profound implications on calcifying specie...
A study of the populations of the mollusc gastropod Micromelo undatus, which inhabits the intertidal pools of the northwest coast of Tenerife, is carried out. The interest of its study is due to the fact that it is a species of more southern latitudes and, in the last decades, has colonized the coast of the western islands of the Canaries. Global w...
Herbivory is a widespread biotic interaction with important ecological and evolutionary implications. Benthic marine systems show greater producer consumption than any other aquatic or terrestrial environment. Marine algae and plants have a variety of defensive mechanisms such as structural, chemical, and nutritional traits with the capacity to red...