Ecology and conservation of benthic communities.
Studies explore the ecology of intertidal and subtidal benthic communities with specific interest in community biodiversity and how it is affected by biogeography, the local seascape, species interactions, benthic-pelagic coupling, bioinvasions and climate change. Emphasis on the context-dependency of biodiversity, predation and the supply of larvae on the rocky shore, and how these aspects interact with each other and are affected by environmental influences. A major interest is testing the impact of climate change on species and communities using delta-treatments in novel flow-through mesocosm methodologies. The biogeographic focus region: the Mediterranean; mostly Levant rocky reefs where we do ecological, biogeochemical and physical monitoring, surveys and experiments. Studies include also the impact of community change on ecosystem functions, and the valuation of marine ecosystem services. Another area of interest is the ecology and conservation of sea turtles, coral reefs and seagrass.
Yeruham, E., Rilov, G., Shpigel, M. & Abelson, A. (2015). Collapse of the echinoid Paracentrotus lividus populations in the Eastern Mediterranean - result of climate change? Scientific Reports (in press).
Wahl, M., Buchholz, B., Winde, V., Golomb, D. Guy-Haim, T., Muller, J., Rilov, G., Scotti, M., Bottcher, M.E. (2015). A mesocosm concept for the simulation of near-natural shallow underwater climates: The Kiel Outdoor Benthocosms (KOB). Limnology and Oceanography, Methods (in press).
Stokes, K., Broderick, A., Canbolat, A., Candan, O., Fuller, W., Glen, F., Levy, Y., Rees, A., Rilov, G. & Snape, R. (2015) Migratory corridors and foraging hotspots: critical habitats identified for Mediterranean green turtles. Diversity and Distributions, DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12317.
Guy-Haim T, Rilov G, Achituv Y (2015). Different settlement strategies explain intertidal zonation of barnacles in the Eastern Mediterranean. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 463: 125-134.
Lyons DA, Arvanitidis C, Blight A, Chatzinikolaou E, Guy-Haim T, Kotta J, Orav-Kotta H, Queiros AM, Rilov G, Somerfield PJ, Crowe T (2014). Effects of macroalgal blooms on marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: a global meta-analysis. Global Change Biology 20: 2712-2724.
Levin N, Coll M, Fraschetti S, Gal G, Giakoumi S, Goke C, Heymans JJ, Katsanevakis S, Mazor T, Ozturk B, Rilov G., Gajewski J, Steenbeek J, Kark S (2014). Review of biodiversity data requirements for systematic conservation planning in the Mediterranean Sea. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 508: 261-281.
Sternberg M, Gabay O, Angel D, Barneah O, Gafny S, Gasith A, Grunzweig JM, Hershkovitz Y, Israel A, Milstein D, Rilov G, Steinberger Y, Zohary T (2014). Impacts of climate change on biodiversity in Israel: an expert assessment approach. Regional Environmental Change. DOI 10.1007/s10113-014-0675-z.
Maggi E, Benedetti-Cecchi L., Castelli A, Chatzinikolaou E, Crowe TP, Ghedini G, Kotta J, Lyons DA, Ravaglioli C, Rilov G, Rindi L, Bulleri F (2014). Ecological impacts of invading seaweeds: a meta-analysis of their effects at different trophic levels. Diversity and Distributions 21: 1-12. DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12264.
Edelist D, Rilov G, Golani D, Carlton JT, Spanier E (2013). Restructuring the Sea: profound shifts in the world's most invaded marine ecosystem. Diversity and Distributions 19: 69-77.
Rilov G, Mant R, Lyons DA, Bulleri F, Benedetti-Cecchi L, Kotta J, Queiros A, Chatzinikolaou E, Crowe T, Guy-Haim T (2012). How strong is the effect of invasive ecosystem engineers on the distribution patterns of local species, the local and regional biodiversity and ecosystem functions? Environmental Evidence 1:10. DOI: 10.1186/2047-2382-1-10.
Menge BA, Hacker SD, Lubchenco J, Craig R, Rilov G, Nobel M, Richmond E (2011). Potential impact of climate-related changes on a rocky intertidal ecosystem is buffered by differential responses to recruitment and species interactions. Ecological Monographs 81(3) 493–509.
Rilov G, & Schiel RD (2011). Community regulation: the relative importance of recruitment and predation intensity in the context of seascape. PLoS ONE 6(8): e23958. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0023958.
Lopez S, Ferreira CE, Coutinho R, Rilov G. (2010). Predator-prey interactions in a bioinvasion scenario: differential predation by native predators on two exotic rocky intertidal bivalves. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 403: 101–112.
Rilov G, Dudas S, Menge BA, Grantham B, Lubchenco J, Schiel RD (2008). The surf zone: a semi-permeable barrier to onshore recruitment of invertebrate larvae? Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 361: 59-74.
Rilov G, Figueira WF, Lyman SJ, & Crowder L (2007). Complex habitats may not always benefit prey: Linking visual field, reef fish behavior and distribution. Marine Ecology Progress Series 329: 225–238.
Rilov G, & Schiel RD. (2006) Seascape-dependent subtidal-intertidal trophic linkages. Ecology 87(3) 731–744.