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Hydroids (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa): A Neglected Component of Animal Forests Presenter: Patricia Innah Hermogenes Webster Jhon Cerujano Hydroids, one of the dominant components of the zoobenthic communities, share comparable growth patterns with higher plants...

Hydroids (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa): A Neglected Component of Animal Forests Presenter: Patricia Innah Hermogenes Webster Jhon Cerujano Hydroids, one of the dominant components of the zoobenthic communities, share comparable growth patterns with higher plants because of their modular body organization, high potential of asexual reproduction, and phenotypic plasticity. These features, together with the ability to enter dormancy to overcome unfavorable conditions, make hydroids successful organisms adaptable to a wide range of environmental scenarios. Clonal animals, according to Jackson and Coates (1986), have either uniserial or multiserial growth patterns. Uniserial colonies are also called “runners” and do not form large the Threats assemblages, whereas multiserial colonies perform lateral and distal growth and tend to persist, with the possibility of forming large assemblages. The colonies of the Hydrozoa show highly diverse growth forms that cover both categories (Bouillon et al. 2006). Small polyp colonies (usually less than 1 cm high) are reptant and tend either to grow on other organisms or to form “meadows,” growing directly on primary substrates where they can play a certain ecological role in becoming habitats for other species. Small hydroids are mostly overlooked, being considered as mere epizoites. Similarly to what highlighted by Becerro (2008) regarding sponges, most of researches on hydroid ecology generally are descriptive and focus on one or few species, interesting a narrow readership. Lack of published quantitative data expressed in terms of biomass prevents estimation of the potential of hydrozoan forests in terms of trophic impact, food source, and reproductive output and does not allow the comparison with other animal forests or within the animal forests. Deciduous Hydroid Deciduous hydroids, typical of shallow waters at cold Forests and temperate latitudes, range from less than 1 mm (many Campanulariids, Campanuliniids) to about 20 cm in height (i.e., several Eudendriids, Pennariids, Tubulariids, Aglaopheniids, etc.). Deciduous Hydroid Forests In these seasonal species, hydranth resorption or shedding occurs in response to periodic adverse environmental conditions, followed by dormancy of remaining fragments of tissue (coenosarc) enclosed in stems or hydrorhizae acting as resting stages (Bouillon et al. 2006). When environmental conditions become favorable again, the regeneration of the colonies takes place from the dormant tissue. These considerations highlight that studies on fast- growing suspension feeders are indispensable to understand how population dynamics mirror environmental pressures and that the natural variability of these phenomena is great. In tropical areas, seasonality is due to rainfalls, and biomass fluctuations are probably related to variations in food abundance during the wet and dry season (Boero 1994). Perennial Perennial hydroids are always present in their erect forms (e.g., the calcareous Milleporidae and Hydroid Stylasteridae) and are more common than seasonal species where variations in environmental conditions are small. Habitat stability allows enduring species to Forests develop large and sturdy colonies and to reach considerable sizes ranging from 20 cm up to 2 m: for example, Plumularia elongata Billard, 1913, Solanderia spp., or Millepora spp. at tropics; Lytocarpia myriophyllum (Linnaeus, 1758) on soft bottoms; Errina spp., and Amphisbetia operculata (Linnaeus, 1758) on hard substrates from temperate regions (Table 1, Figs. 3 and 4). Perennial hydroids can give rise to animal forests comparable to those formed by gorgonians. Some large warm-affinity hydrozoans. (a, b) The subtropical Solanderia ericopsis (Carter,1873) (a) from New Zealand predated by the nudibranch Jason mirabilis M. C. Miller, 1974 and Solanderia secunda (b) from the North Sulawesi.The insets show the polynoid Medioantenna variopinta and the nudibranch Pleurolidia juliae (c–d)Aglaophenia cupressina from the North Sulawesi; the inset shows a colony explored by razor fish. (e)Plumularia elongata from Bali: a large colony completely covered with the zoanthid Hydrozoanthussp. 1 (inset). (f–g) Macrorhynchia spectabilis(f) and Sertularella diaphana (g) from the North Sulawesi.The insets in Fig. (g) show a pteriod bivalve and numerous amphipods respectively on the main axis andon hydrorhiza of S. diaphana  (a) Nemertesia antennina (b) Nemertesiaramosa  (c) Polyplumaria flabellata. (d) Amphibestia operculata  (e) Hydrallmania falcata (f)Halecium muricatum  (g) Lytocarpia myriophyllum from the Western Mediterranean (h) The deepstylasterid Errina aspera from the Strait of Messina  Hydroids can establish different kinds of Interactions with symbiotic relationships with several organisms from viruses to vertebrates, and, due to their Other wide size range, they can be bothhosts and epibionts.Hydroids increase habitat complexity Organisms and enhance biodiversity demonstratedthrough the study of temporal as variations in composition and biomass of the organisms associated to Tubularia indivisa Linnaeus, 1758 from the North Sea (Zintzenet al. 2008).  Interactions between hydroids and other taxa Percentage of published papers)  Hydroid habitat formers do Trophic Ecology, Feeding not give rise to large colonies and forests Behavior, and everywhere,suggesting that formation of forests occurs ReproductiveStrategies only where food availability can supporttheir development.  Hydroids hosting zooxanthellae (i.e., Myrionema spp., Eudendrium molouyensis,Millepora spp., Aglaophenia cupressina) probably adopt a mixotrophic strategy andexploit products of the photosynthesis in oligotrophic waters.Trophic strategies are finalized to optimize the hydroid reproductive effort: sincethe reproductive period overlaps, at least partially, with the higher food intake andthe maximal colony size, it is hypothesizable that hydroids store the energy necessary to produce gametes or medusae (Rossi et al. 2012 and references therein). Emerging Threats As other “animal forests,” hydroid for assemblages represent fragile and diverse systemsthat could suffer severe threats from direct and Hydroid Forests indirect impacts and for the lack of aclear responsibility for some human activities in coastal and offshore benthicsystems (Rossi 2013). Conclusions The scientific literature on hydroids here reported clearly highlights a gap insupplying quantitative data, limiting the possibility to compare information onhydroids with those available for other suspension feeders, to evaluate the impact of hydroids on seston, to calculate energy budgets, and therefore to define theiractual role in benthic-pelagic coupling. Moreover, most of studies focused above all on species easy to rear (i.e., Hydraspp.) or on shallow-water hydroids easy to study in situ. Since several species live inenvironments difficult and/or expensive to be explored, there are very few dataavailable on cryptic, tropical, polar, and deep hydroids, suggesting that we haveonly a partial knowledge on hydroid ecology. Thank you! Corporate Companies can make a significant impact by adopting sustainable practices in their operations, reducing plastic waste, supporting Support marine protected areas, and investing in research and innovation for ocean conservation. By taking proactive steps to protect our oceans, corporations not only fulfill their ethical obligations but also contribute to a healthier planet for future generations. The collaboration between businesses, scientists, and environmental organizations is crucial in ensuring the long-term health and vitality of our marine ecosystems.