Martin Attrill

University of Plymouth | UoP · Marine Institute

Concern over global climate change as a result of fossil fuel use has resulted in energy production from renewable sources. Marine renewable energy devices provide clean electricity but can also cause physical disturbance to the local environment. There is a considerable paucity of ecological data at potential marine renewable energy sites that is...

Table 1 contains a list of all taxa enumerated from the video analysis during the epibenthic assessment of the renewable tidal energy site in Guernsey, UK.

Climate change has had profound effects upon marine ecosystems, impacting across all trophic levels from plankton to apex predators. Determining the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems requires understanding the direct effects on all trophic levels as well as indirect effects mediated by trophic coupling. The aim of this study was to inv...

Correlation matrix (Pearson's coefficient) between covariates. Significance is indicate as follow: pvalue<0.001 ***, pvalue,<0.01**, pvalue<0.05* SNAO: spring North Atlantic Oscillation index; WNAO: winter North Atlantic Oscillation index; SSST: spring Sea Surface Temperature; WSST: winter Sea Surface Temperature; Small cop: small copepods (<2 mm);...

Zooplankton taxa used in the study. (DOCX)

Herring and sprat landings (kg/km2) from the Western and Celtic Sea Ground Fish Survey (WCGFS) (CEFAS). This trawl survey is designed to study the distribution, composition and abundance of all fish, commercial shellfish and cephalopod species in the Celtic Sea. Pearson's coefficient of correlation: 0.715, p value = 0.001. (JPG)

Competing models for apex predators. AICc weight: Akaike's Information Criteria (corrected) weights, values range from 0 to 1, and high values indicate strong support for a given predictor; k: number of parameters in the model; R2: Adjusted coefficient. WNAO: winter North Atlantic Oscillation index; SNAO: spring North Atlantic Oscillation index; WS...

Competing models for low trophic levels. AICc weight: Akaike's Information Criteria (corrected) weights, values range from 0 to 1, and high values indicate strong support for a given predictor; k: number of parameters in the model; R2: Adjusted coefficient. WNAO: winter North Atlantic Oscillation index; WSST: winter Sea Surface Temperature; Signifi...

Competing models for mid trophic levels. AICc weight: Akaike's Information Criteria (corrected) weights, values range from 0 to 1, and high values indicate strong support for a given predictor; k: number of parameters in the model; R2: Adjusted coefficient. WNAO: winter North Atlantic Oscillation index; 1lag-SSST: 1 year lagged spring Sea Surface T...

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are recognised as being the mechanism through which marine ecosystem services may be conserved to benefit human well-being. Planning and decision-making can be supported by the quantification and valuation of ecosystem services. To inform the development and management of MPAs a service-orientated framework has been de...

1. Harvesting green crabs Carcinus maenas for bait is a popular fishery in south-west UK estuaries, which are important habitats for shorebirds. The fishery involves laying roof tiles or PVC guttering into sediments; crabs seeking refuge bury beneath the tiles and are collected by fishers during low tide. 2. By observing foraging birds in tiled and...

Marine renewable energy installations harnessing energy from wind, wave and tidal resources are likely to become a large part of the future energy mix worldwide. The potential to gather energy from waves has recently seen increasing interest, with pilot developments in several nations. Although technology to harness wave energy lags behind that of...

It is well documented that bottom towed fishing gear can negatively and substantially influence benthic communities through changes in species composition, trophic structure and habitat complexity (de Groot & Lindeboom, 1994; Dayton et al., 1995; Kaiser & Spencer, 1996; Blyth et al., 2004; Hiddink et al., 2006). Such effects caused by fishing gear...

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Following governments' policies to tackle global climate change, the development of offshore renewable energy sites is likely to increase substantially over coming years. All such developments interact with the seabed to some degree and so a key need exists for suitable methodology to monitor the impacts of large-scale Marine Renewable Energy Insta...

One potential approach to combat the impacts of climate change is the expansion of renewable energy installations, leading to an increase in the number of wave-powered marine renewable energy installations (MREIs). The consequences of increased use of these devices for birds are unknown. Here we describe the wave-powered energy-generating devices c...

The incorporation of the ecosystem approach into marine planning requires that all aspects of value associated with marine biodiversity are incorporated into the decision making process. An ecosystem services approach to valuing marine biodiversity is recognised as a framework by which economic, ecological and social values may be incorporated into...

Oceanographically based mechanisms are shown to explain the spatial variation in the climatic relationship between the abundance of medusae (Aurelia aurita and Cyanea spp. of the class Scyphozoa), in the North Sea between 1971 and 1986 during June-August, and the winter (December-March) North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOI). A scyphomedusa popula...

Harvesting of intertidal invertebrates for use as fishing bait is a global problem for estuary and coastal managers, with significant effects on sediments and associated infauna. Crab-tiling is a method of collection for the shore crab Carcinus maenas, which is then used as angling bait. This fishery operates in estuarine mudflats at a commercial s...

The influence of continuous (non-fragmented) and reticulate (fragmented) bed type and plant architecture on the species richness, abundance and assemblage composition of motile macroinvertebrates associated with the seagrass Posidonia oceanica was investigated at 3 different spatial scales (10s of metres ['small], 100s of metres ['medium'] and kilo...

Laying artificial materials on the shore to create refugia that attract crustaceans is a ‘fishing’ technique known mainly from South America and the UK. In the UK, thismethod of fishing is known as ‘crab-tiling’,which involves laying of roof tiles, pieces of guttering or car tyres (‘crab-tiles’) intertidally in estuaries to provide habitat for Carc...

Zooplankton data from 20 years of weekly sampling were used to determine inter- and intra-annual patterns of meroplankton community change at Station L4, off the coast of Plymouth, UK. From these data, abundances were calculated for five groups; Cirripedia, Decapoda, Polychaeta, Echinodermata and Lamellibranchiata. This taxonomic level of analysis...

A statutory two hundred and six square kilometre ‘closed area’ in Lyme Bay, South West England entered into force on the 11 July 2008 to protect the reef substrate and the associated biodiversity from the impacts of trawling and dredging with heavy demersal fishing gear. This case study provides an example of how the ecosystem approach has been inc...

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) often fail to meet ecological, social or economic objectives due to lack of effective management by government institutions. Partly in response to this failure, a number of marine reserves managed by the private sector, Hotel Managed Marine Reserves (HMMRs), have recently been established. In this study, we investigate...

The oceans play the pivotal role in Earth's climate variability and as early as 1959 it was suggested that, due to their physical properties and volume, the heat content of oceans may dominate changes in the Earth's heat balance. Data collected over the last 40years suggests that 84% of the total heating of the Earth's systems has been due to warmi...

In comparison with terrestrial systems and other components of the marine environment, relatively little is known about how climate and global change has been affecting the organisms of the sea-bed with one exception: tropical coral reefs. A sizeable proportion of research assessing climate impact on marine systems has investigated the response to...

The small-scale distribution of Posidonia oceanica bed types was mapped at four locations off the northern coast of the Maltese Islands, using aerial photography supplemented by surveys using SCUBA diving. Results showed a similar pattern of occurrence of the seagrass at all locations surveyed. In shallow waters (2 m - 4 m), P. oceanica occurred as...

1. The evidence for anthropogenically induced climate change is overwhelming with the production of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels being a key driver. In response, many governments have initiated programmes of energy production from renewable sources. 2. The marine environment presents a relatively untapped energy source and offshore in...

Estuaries receive large quantities of terrestrially derived organic material, yet the current view is that such terrestrial carbon is unimportant for temperate estuarine benthic trophic dynamics beyond microbial processing. This consensus, however, may derive from a lack of consideration in estuarine food web studies of taxa with evolutionary affin...

Estuaries are regarded as valuable nursery habitats for many commercially important marine fishes, potentially providing a thermal resource, refuge from predators and a source of abundant prey. To assess the extent of estuarine use by juvenile (0+) common sole (Solea solea), whiting (Merlangius merlangus) and European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax)...

Coral reef ecosystems have been declining at an alarming rate during recent decades, despite increasing numbers of marine protected areas (MPAs) encompassing coral reefs. However, many MPAs have not met reserve objectives, inhibiting effective protection. This study focuses on the potential effectiveness of a Hotel Managed Marine Reserve (HMMR) at...

The UK government has committed to a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions for England and Wales by 20% below 1990 levels by 2010 and to increase the amount of electrical energy generated by renewable energy sources to 10% by 2010 and 15% by 2015. Wave and tidal energy are likely to contribute significantly to achieving these targets as important r...

The 2003 Marine Parks Congress recommended networks of marine reserves to be established covering 20–30% of habitats by 2012. Most marine reserves are, however, failing to meet their objectives, the main reason being attributed to lack of funding. In light of the growing need for effectively managed marine reserves, a survey ascertaining tourists'...

Collection of marine invertebrates for use as fishing bait is a substantial activity in many parts of the world, often with unknown ecological consequences. As new fisheries develop, it is critical for environmental managers to have high quality ecological information regarding the potential impacts, in order to develop sound management strategies....

Many commercially important marine fishes are found in estuaries, particularly as juveniles. The estuaries may provide a thermal resource, refuge from predators and a source of abundant prey. Here, carbon (δ13C) and sulphur (δ34S) stable isotope data from coastally caught common sole (Solea solea) and whiting (Merlangius merlangus) were used in ind...

An intertidal Zostera marina landscape in Torbay, Devon, UK, was sampled to investigate the relationship between patch size, diversity and infaunal assemblage composition with the intention of defining a minimum Zostera patch size where the infaunal seagrass assemblage becomes distinct from the bare sand assemblage. All Zostera patches were found t...

The colour of sportswear has been shown to influence the outcome of bouts for several different combat sports. The generality of these effects, and whether they extend to collaborative forms of contests (team sports), is uncertain. Since 1947, English football teams wearing red shirts have been champions more often than expected on the basis of the...

Estuaries are regarded as valuable nursery habitats for many commercially important marine fishes, potentially providing a thermal resource, refuge from predators and a source of abundant prey. Stable isotope analysis may be used to assess relative resource use from isotopically distinct sources. This study comprised two major components: (1) devel...

Coral reefs worldwide have suffered extensive decline in density and diversity. Brazilian coral reefs were spared natural acute stresses that have had key influences on Caribbean and Indo-Pacific corals. Their demise is due mainly to human activities, especially nutrification. This study presents a review of the current state of knowledge of coasta...

The circulation of Atlantic water along the European continental slope, in particular the inflow into the North Sea, influences North Sea water characteristics with consequent changes in the environment affecting plankton community dynamics. The long-term effect of fluctuating oceanographic conditions on the North Sea pelagic ecosystem is assessed....

The first reports of Sargassum muticum occurring in British waters coincided with a warning that this invasive alga may replace seagrass beds, particularly those of Zostera marina. Initial fears were allayed when subsequent research suggested that both species required different attachment substrata, and, therefore, S. muticum would be unable to re...

The provision of artificial shelters for the collection of crabs, known as crab-tiling, and the subsequent harvesting of the soft "peeler" crabs for angling bait, are associated with trampling disturbance of intertidal mudflats in the United Kingdom. Recovery of meiofauna communities following crab-tiling activity was investigated on an intertidal...

Many animals are sexually dimorphic, but the underlying evolutionary causes and ecological consequences of sexual dimorphism are not fully understood. One predicted consequence for sexual dimorphism is that different sexes show niche differentiation. If sexual dimorphism is in feeding appendages, then differences may be manifested by different diet...

Within the phytoplankton community, diatoms and dinoflagellates have diverse roles, different spatial patterns and contrasting trophic value: diatoms are the foundation of the copepod-fish food web while dinoflagellates appear less valuable. Changes in relative abundance of these two phytoplankton groups have been linked to pressures such as climat...

We present results from a seven year (1995–2001) study on the coral reefs in Bahia (Brazil), the reef invertebrate community being severely impacted by the 1997–98 El Niño Southern Oscillation event. Despite local extinction of some taxa, the urchin Diadema antillarum was the only species out of a total of 678 enumerated demonstrating a significant...

European society is experiencing unprecedented changes triggered by expansion of the European Union, the fall of Communism, economic growth and the onset of globalisation. Europe's regional seas, the Baltic, Black Sea, Mediterranean and North-East Atlantic (including the North Sea), provide key goods and services to the human population but have su...

The Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis is a successful invader. Whilst non-breeding adult E. sinensis have been associated with the destruction of riverbanks, little is known about the ecology of this species in its invaded areas. This is especially true of the juveniles which are a key migratory stage. Intertidal surveys along the Thames estu...

During the 1980s, a rapid increase in the Phytoplankton Colour Index (PCI), a semiquantitative visual estimate of algal biomass, was observed in the North Sea as part of a regionwide regime shift. Two new data sets created from the relationship between the PCI and SeaWiFS chlorophyll "a" (Chl "a') quantify differences in the previous and current re...

Long-term monitoring data collected in the Thames estuary, UK, were used to investigate inter-annual trends in year-end size and growth rate of smelt Osmerus eperlanus (L.). Patterns were related to variations in the thermal opportunity for growth, defined in terms of temperature-dependent cumulative degree-days at estuarine temperatures >= 5 degre...

Data obtained since 1958 from the continuous plankton recorder show an increasing occurrence of jellyfish in the central North Sea that is positively related to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Atlantic inflow to the northern North Sea. Since 1970, jellyfish frequency has been also significantly negatively correlated with mean annual pH, in...

The ecological effects of the green shore crab Carcinus maenas (L.) fishery was investigated in estuaries on the south west coast of the UK. The fishery known as ‘crab-tiling’ involves ‘crab-tilers’ laying artificial refugia such as car tyres, guttering or roof tiles, intertidally in estuaries. ‘Crab-tiles’ are specifically laid on mudflats and san...

Habitat complexity plays an important role in the structuring of ecological assemblages in many terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats. In this study, we investigated the effects of increased habitat complexity on the diversity and abundance of macrofauna colonising artificial kelp holdfasts of 3 varying levels of complexity. The artificial ho...

Recent research and management plans for seagrass habitats have called for landscape level approaches. The present study examines the spatial utilisation of subtidal seagrass beds by fish and decapods around the coast of Jersey (49°N 02° W). A hierarchical scale of landscape configuration and the plant characteristics of eight seagrass beds were me...

The Mediterranean endemic seagrass Posidonia oceanica forms beds characterised by a dense leaf canopy and a thick root-rhizome ‘matte’. Death of P. oceanica shoots leads to exposure of the underlying matte, which can persist for many years, and is termed ‘dead’ matte. Traditionally, dead matte has been regarded as a degraded habitat. To test whethe...

We examined the influence of seasonality and anthropogenic activity on the delivery of land-based nutrients to coral reefs in eastern Brazil. Seawater and porewater were sampled during dry and rainy seasons in three nearshore and offshore reefs with distinct nutrient inputs along the south coast of Bahia State, and analysed for total oxidised nitro...

Vegetation data including plant cover, biomass, species richness, and vegetation height was sampled on a copper-contaminated field with total copper contents varying from 50 to almost 3,000 mg/kg soil. The field was covered by early succession grassland dominated by Agrostis stolonifera. Plant cover, biomass, species richness, and vegetation height...

Recent research has identified a need for seagrass habitat management plans to be based on landscape-level approaches as they offer a more appropriate scale for large mobile fauna than smaller scales. Also, conservation decisions are more likely to be a choice between different seagrass beds rather than parts of individual beds. The present study e...

In April/May each year from 1995 to 2000, ascidians were sampled randomly with 35 1m2 quadrats from three different reef habitats (intertidal reef tops, coastal reef walls and shallow-bank reefs) at four replicate localities (Praia do Forte, Itacimirim, Guarajuba and Abai) in northern Bahia (Brazil). As the sampling period included the 1997/1998 El...

The present study describes the spatial and temporal patterns of surficial sediments within the transition zone of the terrigenous and carbonate (CO) provinces in the Southern Gulf of Mexico after flood events during the rainy season of 1999. The sampling design consisted of two across-shelf (A, B) and two along-shelf (C, D) transects that followed...

The Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) survey has been used to characterize phytoplankton and zooplankton space–time dynamics in the North Sea since 1931 and in the North Atlantic since 1939. Phytoplankton biomass is assessed from these samples by visual assessment of the green color of the silk mesh, the Phytoplankton Color Index (PCI), and the to...

Most herring Clupea harengus and sprat Sprattus sprattus sampled from West Thurrock power station intake screens, middle Thames estuary, between 1977 and 1992 were age-0 and followed regular patterns of seasonal occurrence. Juvenile herring entered the estuary in July, peaked in abundance November to March, and then declined. Juvenile sprat first a...

Considering the long history of oil extraction and the numerous platforms that exist in the southern Gulf of Mexico, a regional approach has been used to investigate the impact of oil-related activities on the macrobenthic community. The objective was to determine the effect of oil-related activity in a region known to have a highly variable benthi...

Seagrass beds occur in various morphological forms, ranging from small patches to continuous meadows. The endemic Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica forms dense and extensive stands that occur in several different morphotypes, including reticulate (seagrass interspersed with a different habitat type, such as bare sand) and continuous beds. T...

We estimated the abundance of a small population of threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, by mark-recapture over a 21 year period. Length-frequency analysis showed that the population in October consisted almost entirely of young-of-the-year. The per capita annual rate of increase was inversely related to abundance in October. Time series...

Temperature (i.e. habitat at any given temperature) is an ecological resource for which organisms compete to maximise growth and other fitness measures, but the temperature (thermal habitat)-resource concept has not been widely applied to the study of estuarine fish. Temperature–abundance relationships for 16 fish and four invertebrate species from...

We studied the relationship between abundance and extent of occupancy of 158 species of macrofauna inhabiting 66 sandy beaches around the coast of Great Britain. We also used these data to test the predictions of two hypotheses proposed to explain positive abundance-occupancy relationships. We found a strong positive relationship between abundance...

The 1997–1998 El-Niño Southern Oscillation was the most severe on record and dramatically impacted corals worldwide. However, the effect of this event on the associated community of reef organisms has received much less attention. The composition of the bryozoan assemblage from the coral reefs of Northern Bahia, Brazil were monitored annually from...

The 1997-98 El Niño event was the most severe on record, resulting in record elevated water temperatures across much of the world's tropical ocean regions. This event triggered extensive bleaching of coral reefs world-wide, but little information is available on the impact of this major global event on the non-coral invertebrates associated with re...

Body size is a central parameter in determining prey selection, and where animals exhibit large increases in size, ontogenetic diet shifts are common. Optimal foraging models have proved to be useful tools in predicting changes in diet, but previous applications have been limited to those associated with changes in external drivers such as habitat...

Macroecology is essentially concerned with understanding the large-scale patterns in organisms' abundance and distribution, and determining how these patterns arise. Whilst macroecological studies abound in terrestrial and freshwater ecology, few comparable studies have ever been conducted using marine data. We examined the relationships between me...

The influence of large-scale natural disturbance from winter storms (‘northers’) and river runoff on the macrobenthic community structure of the southern Gulf of Mexico was investigated in both carbonate and transitional carbonate–terrigenous sedimentary environments. Samples of the infauna were obtained in three seasons from 13 stations from two 2...

Data on the relative abundance of Syngnathus rostellatus Nilsson sampled over 16 years from a power station on the Thames estuary were used to investigate linkages between estuarine environmental and seasonal variables and fluctuations in pipefish abundance using multiple regression. Temperature was the dominant influence on abundance and, when com...