Research@Lincoln
Research@Lincoln is an open access institutional repository collecting the research produced by Lincoln University staff and students. You may also be interested in Data@Lincoln or Lincoln University Living Heritage.
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Item Restricted Investigating the effects of anthropogenic stressors on lake biota using sedimentary DNA(Wiley, 2023-11)1. Analyses of sedimentary DNA (DNA) have increased exponentially over the last decade and hold great potential to study the effects of anthropogenic stressors on lake biota over time. 2. Herein, we synthesise the literature that has applied a DNA approach to track historical changes in lake biodiversity in response to anthropogenic impacts, with an emphasis on the past 200 years. 3. We identified the following research themes that are of particular relevance: (1) eutrophication and climate change as key drivers of limnetic communities; (2) increasing homogenisation of limnetic communities across large spatial scales; and (3) the dynamics and effects of invasive species as traced in lake sediment archives. 4. Altogether, this review highlights the potential of sedDNA to draw a more comprehensive picture of the response of lake biota to anthropogenic stressors, opening up new avenues in the field of paleoecology by unrevealing a hidden historical biodiversity, building new paleo-indicators, and reflecting either taxonomic or functional attributes. 5. Broadly, sedDNA analyses provide new perspectives that can inform ecosystem management, conservation, and restoration by offering an approach to measure ecological integrity and vulnerability, as well as ecosystem functioning.Item Restricted Variability in the anatoxin gene clusters of Cuspidothrix issatschenkoi from Germany, New Zealand, China and Japan(Public Library of Science, 2018-07-19)Anatoxin-a and homoanatoxin-a are neurotoxic cyanotoxins produced by benthic and planktonic cyanobacteria worldwide. These toxins are produced by the cyanobacterial genera Dolichospermum, Cuspidothrix, Phormidium, Oscillatoria, Tychonema and Cylindrospermum. In the present study the ana gene clusters (anaA-anaG; c. 21.1 kilobases) of two anatoxin producing Cuspidothrix issatschenkoi strains from Germany: (NIVA-CYA 711) and New Zealand (CAWBG02) were sequenced and compared with the ana gene clusters of two C. issatschenkoi strains from Japan (RM-6 and LBRI48) and one from China (CHABD3). All five ana gene clusters are characterized by the same gene order for anaA-anaG. Similarities were highest (99.56–99.57%) between German (NIVA-CYA 711), New Zealand (CAWBG02) and Chinese (CHABD3) strains. Similarities were lower (91.40–91.67%) when compared to the Japanese strains (RM-6 and LBRI48). Collectively, 2,037 variable sites (328 single nucleotide polymorphisms and 9 insertions/deletions, comprising 1,709 nucleotides) were found in the ana gene clusters of the German, New Zealand and Japanese strains compared to the Chinese strain (CHABD3). The ana gene clusters of the German (NIVA-CYA 711), New Zealand (CAWBG02) and Japanese (RM-6 and LBRI48) strains were characterized by 83, 84, 255 and 231 SNP’s compared to the Chinese strain (CHABD3), respectively. The anaE and anaF genes showed the highest variability in all five strains and are recommended as the best genetic markers for further phylogenetic studies of the ana gene cluster from C. issatschenkoi.Item Restricted Does plastic type matter? Insights into non-indigenous marine larvae recruitment under controlled conditions(PeerJ, 2022-12-19)Marine plastic debris (MPD) are a global threat to marine ecosystems. Among countless ecosystem impacts, MPD can serve as a vector for marine ‘hitchhikers’ by facilitating transport and subsequent spread of unwanted pests and pathogens. The transport and spread of these non-indigenous species (NIS) can have substantial impacts on native biodiversity, ecosystem services/functions and hence, important economic consequences. Over the past decade, increasing research interest has been directed towards the characterization of biological communities colonizing plastic debris, the so called Plastisphere. Despite remarkable advances in this field, little is known regarding the recruitment patterns of NIS larvae and propagules on MPD, and the factors influencing these patterns. To address this knowledge gap, we used custom-made bioassay chambers and ran four consecutive bioassays to compare the settlement patterns of four distinct model biofouling organisms’ larvae, including the three notorious invaders Crassostrea gigas, Ciona savignyi and Mytilus galloprovincialis, along with one sessile macro-invertebrate Spirobranchus cariniferus, on three different types of polymers, namely Low-Linear Density Polyethylene (LLDPE), Polylactic Acid (PLA), Nylon-6, and a glass control. Control bioassay chambers were included to investigate the microbial community composition colonizing the different substrates using 16S rRNA metabarcoding. We observed species-specific settlement patterns, with larvae aggregating on different locations on the substrates. Furthermore, our results revealed that C. savignyi and S. cariniferus generally favoured Nylon and PLA, whereas no specific preferences were observed for C. gigas and M. galloprovincialis. We did not detect significant differences in bacterial community composition between the tested substrates. Taken together, our results highlight the complexity of interactions between NIS larvae and plastic polymers. We conclude that several factors and their potential interactions influenced the results of this investigation, including: (i) species-specific larval biological traits and ecology; (ii) physical and chemical composition of the substrates; and (iii) biological cues emitted by bacterial biofilm and the level of chemosensitivity of the different NIS larvae. To mitigate the biosecurity risks associated with drifting plastic debris, additional research effort is critical to effectively decipher the mechanisms involved in the recruitment of NIS on MPD.Item Restricted Combining morpho-taxonomy and metabarcoding enhances the detection of non-indigenous marine pests in biofouling communities(Springer Nature, 2018-11-02)Marine infrastructure can favor the spread of non-indigenous marine biofouling species by providing a suitable habitat for them to proliferate. Cryptic organisms or those in early life stages can be difficult to distinguish by conventional morphological taxonomy. Molecular tools, such as metabarcoding, may improve their detection. In this study, the ability of morpho-taxonomy and metabarcoding (18S rRNA and COI) using three reference databases (PR2, BOLD and NCBI) to characterize biodiversity and detect non-indigenous species (NIS) in biofouling was compared on 60 passive samplers deployed over summer and winter in a New Zealand marina. Highest resolution of metazoan taxa was identified using 18S rRNA assigned to PR2. There were higher assignment rates to NCBI reference sequences, but poorer taxonomic identification. Using all methods, 48 potential NIS were identified. Metabarcoding detected the largest proportion of those NIS: 77% via 18S rRNA/PR2 and NCBI and 35% via COI/BOLD and NCBI. Morpho-taxonomy detected an additional 14% of all identified NIS comprising mainly of bryozoan taxa. The data highlight several on-going challenges, including: differential marker resolution, primer biases, incomplete sequence reference databases, and variations in bioinformatic pipelines. Combining morpho-taxonomy and molecular analysis methods will likely enhance the detection of NIS from complex biofouling.Item Open Access Price, quality, and availability of gluten-free products in Australia and New Zealand–a cross-sectional study(Taylor $ Francis, 2024-08-14)Adhering to a gluten-free diet (GFD) is essential for individuals with gluten-related disorders such as coeliac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis, gluten ataxia, and wheat allergy. Approximately 1%-2% of the population is affected by these conditions. Access to affordable, high-quality gluten-free products (GFPs) is crucial for maintaining dietary compliance and well-being. This study explores the experiences of those on a GFD, focusing on the availability, quality, and cost of GFPs compared to non-GFPs. The study was conducted in two stages: (1) An online survey was distributed to Australian Coeliac Association and Coeliac New Zealand members to gather data on shopping habits, preferred GFPs, and opinions on product availability, value, and quality. (2) Retail observations involved creating a `shopping basket/list' based on survey results to compare the availability and price of GFPs versus non-GFPs in major supermarkets across urban and rural areas. Results from 1501 Australian and 700 New Zealand respondents and retail observations revealed that GFPs are significantly more expensive and of lower quality than non-GFPs. Commonly purchased items include bread, pasta, crackers, flour, and breakfast cereals. The study highlights the need for improved availability, affordability, and quality of GFPs, especially in bridging the cost disparity between urban and rural areas.
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