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Updated: Jul 11, 2025

Author Spotlight: Unveiling Plankton Response to Climate Change Through Time-Series Data and Artistic Expression
Published on: July 28, 2023
Synergistic climatic and anthropogenic effects on marine species turnover in estuarine waters
Bianca Possamai1, Sabrina Radunz Vollrath2, João Paes Vieira2
1Laboratório de Ictiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande. Av. Itália km 8 s/n, 96203-900 Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory, University of Vermont, 3 College St., 05401 Burlington, VT, United States.
Abstract:
Climate and anthropogenic stressors are frequent in coastal systems, affecting biological communities in different intensities and directions. When acting synergistically, their effects may be intensified. ENSO strongly affects the climate globally, being responsible for increased rainfall in the Atlantic Southwestern during El Niño and droughts during La Niña phases. Contrasting, human-made breakwaters have static influence in decreasing estuarine salinity. Using a 23-year of fish abundance dataset, we identified that intense El Niño events and breakwater extension decreased the marine fish abundance, with potential additive synergistic effects, whereas La Niña showed no influence. Species composition changes were observed after the breakwater extension, probably related to opportunistic habits of euryhaline species. Anthropogenic and natural climatic disturbances affect habitat use, and their synergic effects must be considered to evaluate ecosystem responses in the current climate change scenario, and constant human modification of coastal zones.
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