Environmental stressors, such as threat of predation can elicit a wide variety of physical and behavioral changes as organisms attempt to avoid predation. Tadpoles of many species are known to display some degree of anatomical, physiological, and/or behavioral plasticity in response to predators. Such epigenetic adjustments often carry costs, and thus, require proper nutrients to fuel the bodily changes. The focus of this study was to examine the impact of predator presence on a fast-developing tadpole species, Pseudacris triseriata, when fed diets of varying nutritional content. Tadpoles fed a high protein/high fat diet and exposed to a predator were hypothesized to undergo a quicker metamorphosis rate and develop a tail more effective for predator avoidance. The experimental group was exposed to a predator and fed either a diet high in protein and fat or a diet low in protein and fat. The control group had no predator and was fed either of the two diets. Growth, overall body length, tail depth at the base and midpoint, and progression through developmental stages were measured for all tadpoles. Faster development was found with the presence of a predator but no morphological tail defenses were made; this was independent of diet. As a species with the opportunistic ability to undergo expedited metamorphosis while living in temporary pools of water, our results suggests that it may be more beneficial for P. triseriata tadpoles to develop quicker and leave the pond to avoid a threat rather than invest in morphological changes that enhance escaping from predators in the water.

The Pelagos Sanctuary is a marine biodiversity hotspot, as well as a busy zone for vessel traffic. Long term research on cetaceans has been important in guiding management of this protected area; however, non-cetacean species have received less attention. For this study, we included cetacean and non-cetacean species in an assessment of biodiversity and the potential for anthropogenic disturbance to cause ecosystem stress, indicated by a decline in species richness or evenness. We analyzed sightings of marine wildlife collected on whale watching vessels operating from Imperia and Genova, Italy, using 95% minimum convex polygons to quantify survey area in each region. Our analysis indicated similar levels of species richness in both areas, however Genova had lower Simpson and Shannon-Wiener diversity indices than Imperia. This suggests that Genova has lower species evenness, with the community being more dominated by common species, while rare species are more elusive. Disturbance was quantified based on vessel traffic and fishermen long lines. Genova exhibited significantly higher levels of vessel traffic, but there was no evidence of a difference in disturbance from long lines. These results suggest that anthropogenic disturbance in Genova may result in more ecosystem stress than Imperia. Consequently, management programs should prioritize reducing the impact of vessel traffic on marine life in the northwest Mediterranean Sea.