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Menicagli V, Balestri E, Bernardini G, Barsotti F, Fulignati S, Raspolli Galletti AM, Lardicci C. Beach-cast seagrass wrack: A natural marine resource improving the establishment of dune plant communities under a changing climate. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 201:116270. [PMID: 38520997 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Seagrass wrack plays multiple ecological roles in coastal habitats but is often removed from beaches and used for economical processing, neglecting its potential role in sustaining dune plant establishment under changing climate scenarios. Rainwater shortage is a major stress for seedlings and reduced precipitations are expected in some coastal areas. We investigated in mesocosm how wrack influenced seedling performance of Cakile maritima, Thinopyrum junceum, and Calamagrostis arenaria under current and reduced precipitation. We also assessed wrack water holding capacity and leachate chemical/physical properties. Wrack stimulated seedling growth while reduced precipitation decreased root development. Wrack mitigated the effects of reduced precipitation on T. junceum and C. arenaria biomass. Wrack retained water up to five-fold its weight, increased water pH, conductivity, and nutrient content. Wrack promotes dune colonization by vegetation even under rainwater shortage. Thus, the maintenance of this natural resource on beaches is critical for improving dune resilience against climate changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Menicagli
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, via Derna 1, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Elena Balestri
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, via Derna 1, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Giada Bernardini
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, via Derna 1, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesca Barsotti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Sara Fulignati
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Claudio Lardicci
- Center for Instrument Sharing University of Pisa (CISUP), University of Pisa, via S. Maria 53, Pisa, Italy; Center for Climate Change Impact, University of Pisa, Via Del Borghetto 80, Pisa, Italy; Department of Earth Sciences, University of Pisa, via S. Maria 53, Pisa, Italy
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Pardilhó S, Cotas J, Pereira L, Oliveira MB, Dias JM. Marine macroalgae in a circular economy context: A comprehensive analysis focused on residual biomass. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 60:107987. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Abstract
The excess biomass of drifting algae and their casting to the Baltic Sea coast imposes a significant environmental burden. The analysis of beach-cast algae showed that the dominant species are macroalgae Ulva sp., Furcellaria lumbricalis, Cladophora sp., and Polysiphonia fucoides. The biomass of Furcellaria and Polysiphonia algae, containing 25.6% and 19.98% sugars, respectively, has the greatest resource potential in terms of obtaining carbohydrates. Fucose, glucose, and galactose were found to be the most common carbohydrates. The lipid content did not exceed 4.3% (2.3–4.3%), while the fatty acid composition was represented by saturated fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, methyloleic, behenic, etc.). The highest content of crude protein was found in samples of macroalgae of the genus Polysiphonia and amounted to 28.2%. A study of the elemental composition of drifting algae revealed that they have a high carbon content (31.3–37.5%) and a low hydrogen (4.96–5.82%), and sulfur (1.75–3.00%) content. Red algal biomass has the most resource potential in terms of biofuel generation, as it has a high number of lipids and proteins that can produce melanoidins during hydrothermal liquefaction, enhancing the fuel yield. The study noted the feasibility of using the biomass of the studied algae taxa to produce polysaccharides and biofuels. The analyses of antioxidant properties, fat content, and fat composition do not provide convincing evidence of the viability of using the aforementioned macroalgae for their production.
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Domnin D, Burnashov E. Geographical information dataset "geosynthetics in coastal protection of the South-East Baltic". Data Brief 2022; 40:107693. [PMID: 34977289 PMCID: PMC8688549 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2021.107693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The database provides information on coastal protection structures (containing geosynthetic materials) located on the coast of the South-East Baltic, in the Kaliningrad Oblast (Russia) and the Pomeranian Voivodeship (Poland). The fragments of geosynthetics may enter the environment due to partial destruction and operational losses and become a new type of coastal pollution. The database contains the following sections: the tabular data about coastal protecting structures [ProtectingStructures_tab.xlsx]; the point vector geodata about these structures [ProtectingStructures_pnt.kmz] and used geosynthetic materials; the satellite images and photos [ProtectingStructures_images.pdf] demonstrated the general and close-up location of the coastal protecting structures in the satellite image, as well as their seeming. Information was collected during the ERANET-RUS_Plus joint project EI-GEO, ID 212 (RFBR 18-55-76002 ERA_a, BMBF 01DJ18005).
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Domnin
- Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia
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