Dr. Lara-Peña, Carlos

Biotic interactions—and predation in particular—are thought to follow a latitudinal gradient, increasing towards the tropics; yet empirical evidence remains contradictory and largely based on studies from the Northern Hemisphere. Moreover, the role of environmental variables shaping latitudinal gradients of predation intensity has seldom been tested. Here, we quantify predation by shell-breaking crabs on modern shells of the marine gastropod Trophon geversianus along a latitudinal gradient (40°–54° S) on the southwestern Atlantic coast. We further evaluate how intrinsic factors (four shell morphometric traits) and extrinsic factors (seven environmental variables and the biogeographic region) jointly influence predation patterns. Fragmentation from crushing predation affected 37% of the shells (544 out of 1480), with the most frequent damage types being major body whorl damage (28%), deep aperture chips (11%) and extensive aperture chips (6%). When analysed by biogeographic province, fragmentation increased significantly towards the south in the Magellan province. Notably, random forest modelling revealed that intrinsic factors—particularly shell size and thickness—were stronger predictors than extrinsic factors in driving latitudinal variability of shell-breaking crab predation. By highlighting the dominant influence of intrinsic factors over extrinsic ones, this study emphasizes the crucial role of species-specific traits in shaping predator–prey interactions across biogeographic regions.

Marine mussels are one of the most important sources of cultivated shellfish worldwide, particularly among middle- and low-income countries where they are a key food source for coastal communities. Climate Change is bound to have a large impact on the distribution of suitable habitats for the mussel species cultivated throughout the world. To examine these impacts on mussel aquaculture and global food security, we evaluated the distribution of suitable current and future habitats for the six more widely cultivated mussel species under a Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 emission scenario using ecological niche modelling. Occurrence records were obtained from online databases and the literature. The models had a good performance in predicting the current distribution of the six study species. In future scenarios, suitable mussel habitats were projected to shift poleward, with gains at higher latitudes and losses at lower latitudes. By 2050, significant impacts were projected along the Mediterranean coast for Mytilus galloprovincialis, an important mariculture species in Europe, and in Southeast Asia for the tropical green mussel Perna viridis. Overall, our predictions suggested that range shifts could create opportunities to expand mussel farming to higher latitudes, yet loss of suitable habitat in historically productive growing areas could disrupt current mussel aquaculture regions, highlighting the need for immediate action. Therefore, achieving a more nuanced understanding of the spatial changes in the geographic distribution of suitable habitats should be the first step in increasing the adaptive capacity of the mussel aquaculture sector, and ensuring the future supply of this key source of aquafood.

Coastal wetlands are highly threatened by human activities, leading to water quality degradation and biodiversity loss. This study assessed spatial variation in 27 water quality parameters, sediment organic matter, and macroinvertebrate assemblages across 12 sites in the estuarine Cruces River wetland (CRW Ramsar site, southern Chile) during summer 2019. Our analysis identified three areas of sampling stations in the wetland, categorized by trophic gradient and salinity: freshwater (n = 5), mixed (n = 3), and estuary (n = 4). Freshwater sites were characterized by low salinity, turbidity, and high nitrate concentrations. Estuarine sites were characterized by higher salinities and turbidity and low nitrates and total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations, and mixed sites had low salinities, high turbidities, high TOC, and low nitrates. Throughout the CRW, the richness and densities of different invertebrates were recorded. Freshwater stations had higher species richness, and estuary stations had higher abundance. Macroinvertebrates found in the lower reaches of the CRW included species characteristic of estuarine environments, whereas the upper stations were dominated by invertebrates inhabiting low-salinity environments. According to the ordination plot of distance-based redundancy analysis (dbRDA) and distance-based linear model (DistLM), our results indicate that macroinvertebrate assemblages differ significantly among areas of the CRW, primarily due to physicochemical variables (i.e., salinity, total carbon, and dissolved phosphorus). Total organic matter content in sediments was higher in freshwater sites and lower in estuarine sites. Our findings will be used to monitor the wetland and implement appropriate management measures for human activities, thereby protecting and conserving the estuarine Cruces River Ramsar wetland.

The role of rapid adaptation during species invasions has historically been minimized with the assumption that introductions consist of few colonists and limited genetic diversity. While overwhelming evidence suggests that rapid adaptation is more prevalent than originally assumed, the demographic and adaptive processes underlying successful invasions remain unresolved. Here we leverage a large whole-genome sequence dataset to investigate the relative roles of colonization history and adaptation during the worldwide invasion of the forage crop, Trifolium repens (Fabaceae). We show that introduced populations encompass high levels of genetic variation with little evidence of bottlenecks. Independent colonization histories on different continents are evident from genome-wide population structure. Five haploblocks—large haplotypes with limited recombination—on three chromosomes exist as standing genetic variation within the native and introduced ranges and exhibit strong signatures of parallel climate-associated adaptation across continents. Field experiments in the native and introduced ranges demonstrate that three of the haploblocks strongly affect fitness and exhibit patterns of selection consistent with local adaptation across each range. Our results provide strong evidence that large-effect structural variants contribute substantially to rapid and parallel adaptation of an introduced species throughout the world.

Coastal wetlands are highly threatened by human activities, leading to water quality degradation and biodiversity loss. This study assessed spatial variation in 27 water quality parameters, sediment organic matter, and macroinvertebrate assemblages across 12 sites in the estuarine Cruces River wetland (CRW Ramsar site, southern Chile) during summer 2019. Our analysis identified three areas of sampling stations in the wetland, categorized by trophic gradient and salinity: freshwater (n = 5), mixed (n = 3), and estuary (n = 4). Freshwater sites were characterized by low salinity, turbidity, and high nitrate concentrations. Estuarine sites were characterized by higher salinities and turbidity and low nitrates and total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations, and mixed sites had low salinities, high turbidities, high TOC, and low nitrates. Throughout the CRW, the richness and densities of different invertebrates were recorded. Freshwater stations had higher species richness, and estuary stations had higher abundance. Macroinvertebrates found in the lower reaches of the CRW included species characteristic of estuarine environments, whereas the upper stations were dominated by invertebrates inhabiting low-salinity environments. According to the ordination plot of distance-based redundancy analysis (dbRDA) and distance-based linear model (DistLM), our results indicate that macroinvertebrate assemblages differ significantly among areas of the CRW, primarily due to physicochemical variables (i.e., salinity, total carbon, and dissolved phosphorus). Total organic matter content in sediments was higher in freshwater sites and lower in estuarine sites. Our findings will be used to monitor the wetland and implement appropriate management measures for human activities, thereby protecting and conserving the estuarine Cruces River Ramsar wetland.

Kelp forest are foundation species that deliver key ecosystem services for coastal habitats. Chile is one of the largest exporters of kelp biomass, which relies on the harvesting of wild populations. The vast and rugged coastline of Chile hinders field-based studies of the seasonal and spatial dynamics of kelp biomass, yet remote sensing approaches can provide an effective tool to study temporal patterns of kelp distribution and biomass. Our study aimed to establish the basic patterns of variation in the surface area and biomass of a Macrocystis pyrifera forest off Concepcion Bay, Central Chile. Using archival data from the Landsat series we constructed a long-term series of annual kelp canopy cover and assessed patterns of interannual, and a seasonal variation with the more recent Sentinel 2 data using Google Earth Engine. We validated satellite observations of the kelp forest in the field by recording local temperature and nutrient concentrations and through a sample of blades and stipes, which we used to estimate whole-individual in situ biomass through allometric relationships. Finally, we related decadal to interannual changes in canopy cover to local and regional drivers using data from public repositories. Our 24-year annual time series revealed large year-to-year variability in kelp forest area that did not show a significant association with different El Niño-Southern Oscillation indices, but the deviance explained increased notably with a 1-year lag. The seasonal time series exhibited clear seasonal patterns with cover peaking during summer. We found a significant influence of local environmental variables such as temperature, wave height, nitrate concentration, and solar radiation on kelp forest area. Furthermore, blade counts appeared as the most reliable metric for estimating M. pyrifera biomass. Interestingly, we found no evidence of temperature or nutrient stress during the summer biomass peak, hence seasonal variation in M. pyrifera abundance appears to be primarily influenced by solar radiation and wave activity in our study population. Our results provide a basis to derive seasonal time series across Chile’s kelp forests and suggest that understanding local stressors is key to ensure harvesting practices that promote the sustainable management of these key habitats. As ongoing climate change and overexploitation threaten kelp forest habitats, remote sensing emerges as a promising tool for the monitoring and management of extensive and remote coastlines.

Turbidity is associated with the loss of water transparency due to the presence of particles, sediments, suspended solids, and organic or inorganic compounds in the water, of natural or anthropogenic origin. Our study aimed to evaluate the spatio-temporal variability of turbidity from Sentinel-2 (S2) images in the Reloncaví sound and fjord, in Northern Patagonia, Chile, a coastal ecosystem that is intensively used by finfish and shellfish aqua culture. To this end, we downloaded 123 S2 images and assembled a five-year time series (2016–2020) covering five study sites (R1 to R5) located along the axis of the fjord and seaward into the sound. We used Acolite to perform the atmospheric correction and estimate turbidity with two algorithms proposed by Nechad et al. (2009, 2016 Nv09 and Nv16, respectively). When compared to match-up, and in situ measurements, both algorithms had the same performance (R2 = 0.40). The Nv09 algorithm, however, yielded smaller errors than Nv16 (RMSE = 0.66 FNU and RMSE = 0.84 FNU, respectively). Results from true-color imagery and two Nechad algorithms singled an image from the austral autumn of 2019 as the one with the highest turbidity. Similarly, three images from the 2020 austral autumn (May 20, 25, 30) also exhibited high turbidity values. The turbid plumes with the greatest extent occurred in the autumn of 2019 and 2020, coinciding with the most severe storms and runoff events of the year, and the highest turbidity values. Temporal trends in turbidity were not significant at any of the study sites. However, turbidity trends at sites R1 and R2 suggested an increasing trend, while the other sites showed the opposite trend. Site R1 recorded the highest turbidity values, and the lowest values were recorded at R5 in the center of the sound. The month of May was characterized by the highest turbidity values. The application of algorithms from high-resolution satellite images proved to be effective for the estimation and mapping of this water quality parameter in the study area. The use of S2 imagery unraveled a predictable spatial and temporal structure of turbidity patterns in this optically complex aquatic environment. Our results suggest that the availability of in situ data and the continued evaluation of the performance of the Nechad algorithms can yield significant insights into the dynamics and impacts of turbid waters in this important coastal ecosystem.

The coastal ocean off western Patagonia is one of the main coastal regions with high freshwater inputs from rivers, rain, and glaciers in the Southern Hemisphere. This study conducts an analysis of the seasonal and interannual variations in sea surface salinity and meridional geostrophic transports, specifically focusing on the Cape Horn Current, using improved satellite-derived data of sea surface salinity (SSS) and geostrophic velocities spanning an ∼11-year period (September 2011–August 2022). Our results reveal a clear salinity minimum in a coastal band between 42–54°S associated with the highest freshwater content. The average geostrophic currents are stronger south of 49°S, in line with the location of the Cape Horn Current. The average salinity minimum tends to disappear south of 54°S, with salinity values increasing slightly southward. The seasonal cycle of salinity shows the most pronounced minimum in summer (∼33.2–33.4). The greatest variability in salinity (standard deviation of salinity fields) occurs in the southern region of the Cape Horn Current. Hovmöller plots reveal two cores of minimum salinity observed in spring and summer (∼33.3–33.4). The freshwater off the Gulf of Penas contributes to the northern core. The meridional geostrophic transport differs between the northern and southern sections, with transports predominantly towards the Equator (Pole) north (south) of about 47–48°S during spring–summer. There is a marked seasonal variability in the magnitude and northern limit of the southward-flowing Cape Horn Current, being extended further north during winter and with a maximum average magnitude during summer–fall (about −2×104 m2 s−1). On the interannual scale, a major drop in surface salinity occurred off northern and central Patagonia during 2018–2019. Finally, a potential long-term freshening trend is observed in the coastal area off southern Patagonia (south of 52°S), although prolonged data records are essential to confirm this pattern.

Colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is an indicator and optical proxy of terrestrial processes such as land use with allochthonous material fluxes, biogeochemical cycles, and water quality in coastal zones influenced by rivers. However, the role of land use changes on the spatial and temporal availability of CDOM has been poorly explored in Chile. Here, we studied two watersheds with similar climates and contrasting land use patterns in northern Patagonia considering the sampling of CDOM in their estuarine and adjacent coastal ocean. An empirical algorithm with the coefficients adjusted to our study areas to estimate CDOM was applied to Landsat 7 and 8 images to examine temporal variability of CDOMest from 2001 to 2011 and 2013–2020. Our results showed an increasing trend of CDOMest in both areas. Different trends in land use patterns between the two watersheds showed a significant correlation with CDOMest and contrasting associations with environmental variables. Higher humification was found in Yaldad in comparison with Colu. In both areas, allochthonous materials predominated, especially during austral spring according to the low values of the Fluorescence Index (FI). Our results highlight the potential of CDOMest to parameterize biogeochemical cycling models and to further understand the dynamics of CDOM in coastal ecosystems.

Worldwide climate‐driven shifts in the distribution of species is of special concern when it involves habitat‐forming species. In the coastal environment, large Laminarian algae—kelps—form key coastal ecosystems that support complex and diverse food webs. Among kelps, Macrocystis pyrifera is the most widely distributed habitat‐forming species and provides essential ecosystem services. This study aimed to establish the main drivers of future distributional changes on a global scale and use them to predict future habitat suitability. Using species distribution models (SDM), we examined the changes in global distribution of M. pyrifera under different emission scenarios with a focus on the Southeast Pacific shores. To constrain the drivers of our simulations to the most important factors controlling kelp forest distribution across spatial scales, we explored a suite of environmental variables and validated the predictions derived from the SDMs. Minimum sea surface temperature was the single most important variable explaining the global distribution of suitable habitat for M. pyrifera. Under different climate change scenarios, we always observed a decrease of suitable habitat at low latitudes, while an increase was detected in other regions, mostly at high latitudes. Along the Southeast Pacific, we observed an upper range contraction of −17.08° S of latitude for 2090–2100 under the RCP8.5 scenario, implying a loss of habitat suitability throughout the coast of Peru and poleward to −27.83° S in Chile. Along the area of Northern Chile where a complete habitat loss is predicted by our model, natural stands are under heavy exploitation. The loss of habitat suitability will take place worldwide: Significant impacts on marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are likely. Furthermore, changes in habitat suitability are a harbinger of massive impacts in the socio‐ecological systems of the Southeast Pacific.