1
|
Bilajac A, Gljušćić E, Smith S, Najdek M, Iveša L. Effects of extreme temperatures and recovery potential of Gongolaria barbata from a coastal lagoon in the northern Adriatic Sea: an ex situ approach. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2024; 134:415-426. [PMID: 38484147 PMCID: PMC11341668 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcae038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Globally, rising seawater temperatures contribute to the regression of marine macroalgal forests. Along the Istrian coastline (northern Adriatic), an isolated population of Gongolaria barbata persists in a coastal lagoon, representing one of the last marine macroalgal forests in the region. Our objective was to examine the impact of extreme temperatures on the morphology and physiology of G. barbata and test its potential for recovery after simulating marine heatwave (MHW) conditions. METHODS We explored the occurrence of marine heatwaves in southern Istria, adjacent to the study area, in addition to extreme temperatures inside the area itself. Subsequently, we performed a thermotolerance experiment, consisting of a stress and recovery phase, in which we exposed G. barbata thalli to four extreme (28, 30, 32 and 34 °C) and one favourable (18 °C) temperature. We monitored morphological and physiological responses. KEY RESULTS Our findings indicate a significant rise in frequency, duration and intensity of MHWs over decades on the southern Istrian coast. Experimental results show that G. barbata demonstrates potential for both morphological and physiological recovery after exposure to temperatures as high as 32 °C. However, exposure to 34 °C led to thallus decay, with limited ability to regenerate. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that G. barbata has a remarkable resilience to long-term exposure to extreme temperatures ≤32 °C and suggest that short-term exposure to temperatures beyond this, as currently recorded inside the lagoon, do not notably affect the physiology or morphology of local G. barbata. With more MHWs expected in the future, such an adapted population might represent an important donor suitable for future restoration activities along the Istrian coast. These results emphasize the resilience of this unique population, but also warn of the vulnerability of marine macroalgal forests to rising seawater temperatures in rapidly changing climatic conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bilajac
- Ruđer Bošković Institute, Center for Marine Research, G. Paliaga 5, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia
| | - Edi Gljušćić
- Ruđer Bošković Institute, Center for Marine Research, G. Paliaga 5, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia
| | - Shannen Smith
- Ruđer Bošković Institute, Center for Marine Research, G. Paliaga 5, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia
| | - Mirjana Najdek
- Ruđer Bošković Institute, Center for Marine Research, G. Paliaga 5, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia
| | - Ljiljana Iveša
- Ruđer Bošković Institute, Center for Marine Research, G. Paliaga 5, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mancuso FP, Morrissey KL, De Clerck O, Airoldi L. Warming and nutrient enrichment can trigger seaweed loss by dysregulation of the microbiome structure and predicted function. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 879:162919. [PMID: 36958561 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162919] [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: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Warming and nutrient enrichment are key pervasive drivers of ecological shifts in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, impairing the physiology and survival of a wide range of foundation species. But the underlying mechanisms often remain unclear, and experiments have overlooked the potential effects mediated by changes in the microbial communities. We experimentally tested in the field orthogonal stress combinations from simulated air warming and nutrient enrichment on the intertidal foundation seaweed Cystoseira compressa, and its associated bacterial communities. A total of 523 Amplicon Sequence Variance (ASVs) formed the bacterial community on C. compressa, with 222 ASVs assigned to 69 taxa at the genus level. Most bacteria taxa experienced changes in abundance as a result of additive (65 %) and antagonistic (30 %) interactions between the two stressors, with synergies (5 %) occurring less frequently. The analysis of the predicted bacterial functional profile identified 160 metabolic pathways, and showed that these were mostly affected by additive interactions (74 %) between air warming and nutrient enrichment, while antagonisms (20 %) and synergisms (6 %) were less frequent. Overall, the two stressors combined increased functions associated with seaweed disease or degradation of major cell-wall polymers and other algicidal processes, and decreased functions associated with Quorum Quenching and photosynthetic response. We conclude that warming and nutrient enrichment can dysregulate the microbiome of seaweeds, providing a plausible mechanism for their ongoing loss, and encourage more research into the effects of human impacts on crucial but yet largely unstudied host-microbiome relationships in different aquatic and terrestrial species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Paolo Mancuso
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences (DiSTeM), University of Palermo, viale delle Scienze Ed. 16, 90128 Palermo, Italy; Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy.
| | - Kathryn Lee Morrissey
- Phycology Research Group and Center for Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Olivier De Clerck
- Phycology Research Group and Center for Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Laura Airoldi
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy; Chioggia Hydrobiological Station "Umberto D'Ancona", Department of Biology, UO CoNISMa, University of Padova, Chioggia, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Simeoni C, Furlan E, Pham HV, Critto A, de Juan S, Trégarot E, Cornet CC, Meesters E, Fonseca C, Botelho AZ, Krause T, N'Guetta A, Cordova FE, Failler P, Marcomini A. Evaluating the combined effect of climate and anthropogenic stressors on marine coastal ecosystems: Insights from a systematic review of cumulative impact assessment approaches. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 861:160687. [PMID: 36473660 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160687] [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: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Cumulative impacts increasingly threaten marine and coastal ecosystems. To address this issue, the research community has invested efforts on designing and testing different methodological approaches and tools that apply cumulative impact appraisal schemes for a sound evaluation of the complex interactions and dynamics among multiple pressures affecting marine and coastal ecosystems. Through an iterative scientometric and systematic literature review, this paper provides the state of the art of cumulative impact assessment approaches and applications. It gives a specific attention to cutting-edge approaches that explore and model inter-relations among climatic and anthropogenic pressures, vulnerability and resilience of marine and coastal ecosystems to these pressures, and the resulting changes in ecosystem services flow. Despite recent advances in computer sciences and the rising availability of big data for environmental monitoring and management, this literature review evidenced that the implementation of advanced complex system methods for cumulative risk assessment remains limited. Moreover, experts have only recently started integrating ecosystem services flow into cumulative impact appraisal frameworks, but more as a general assessment endpoint within the overall evaluation process (e.g. changes in the bundle of ecosystem services against cumulative impacts). The review also highlights a lack of integrated approaches and complex tools able to frame, explain, and model spatio-temporal dynamics of marine and coastal ecosystems' response to multiple pressures, as required under relevant EU legislation (e.g., Water Framework and Marine Strategy Framework Directives). Progress in understanding cumulative impacts, exploiting the functionalities of more sophisticated machine learning-based approaches (e.g., big data integration), will support decision-makers in the achievement of environmental and sustainability objectives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Simeoni
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca' Foscari Venice, I-30170 Venice, Italy; Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici and Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, CMCC@Ca'Foscari - Edificio Porta dell'Innovazione, 2nd floor - Via della Libertà, 12 - 30175 Venice, Italy
| | - Elisa Furlan
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca' Foscari Venice, I-30170 Venice, Italy; Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici and Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, CMCC@Ca'Foscari - Edificio Porta dell'Innovazione, 2nd floor - Via della Libertà, 12 - 30175 Venice, Italy
| | - Hung Vuong Pham
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca' Foscari Venice, I-30170 Venice, Italy; Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici and Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, CMCC@Ca'Foscari - Edificio Porta dell'Innovazione, 2nd floor - Via della Libertà, 12 - 30175 Venice, Italy
| | - Andrea Critto
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca' Foscari Venice, I-30170 Venice, Italy; Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici and Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, CMCC@Ca'Foscari - Edificio Porta dell'Innovazione, 2nd floor - Via della Libertà, 12 - 30175 Venice, Italy.
| | - Silvia de Juan
- Instituto Mediterraneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marques 21, Esporles, Islas Baleares, Spain
| | - Ewan Trégarot
- Centre for Blue Governance, Portsmouth Business School, University of Portsmouth, Richmond Building, Portland Street, Portsmouth PO1 3DE, UK
| | - Cindy C Cornet
- Centre for Blue Governance, Portsmouth Business School, University of Portsmouth, Richmond Building, Portland Street, Portsmouth PO1 3DE, UK
| | - Erik Meesters
- Wageningen Marine Research, Wageningen University and Research, 1781, AG, Den Helder, the Netherlands; Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University and Research, 6700, AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Catarina Fonseca
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 9500-321, Ponta Delgada, Portugal; CICS.NOVA - Interdisciplinary Centre of Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FCSH/NOVA), Avenida de Berna 26-C, Lisboa 1069-061, Portugal
| | - Andrea Zita Botelho
- Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal; CIBIO (CIBIO - Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBio Associate Laboratory, Ponta Delgada, Portugal
| | - Torsten Krause
- Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, P.O. Box 170, 221-00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Alicia N'Guetta
- Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, P.O. Box 170, 221-00 Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Pierre Failler
- Centre for Blue Governance, Portsmouth Business School, University of Portsmouth, Richmond Building, Portland Street, Portsmouth PO1 3DE, UK
| | - Antonio Marcomini
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca' Foscari Venice, I-30170 Venice, Italy; Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici and Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, CMCC@Ca'Foscari - Edificio Porta dell'Innovazione, 2nd floor - Via della Libertà, 12 - 30175 Venice, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Assessing the Effect of Full Protection on the Biomass of Ericaria amentacea and Understory Assemblages: Evidence from Two Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15010089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Cystoseira sensu lato marine forests, which are among the most productive and diverse systems in rocky intertidal and subtidal habitats of the Mediterranean Sea, are experiencing a widespread decline throughout the basin due to increasing human pressures. Yet it is still unclear whether Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) may represent effective tools for conservation of these important habitat formers and their associated assemblages. Here, we compared the biomass of intertidal stands of Ericaria amentacea (C. Agardh) Molinari and Guiry and their understory assemblages between the no-take zone and control sites in two Mediterranean MPAs. We did not find evidence supporting a significant effect of full protection in increasing the biomass of E. amentacea stands and associated assemblages, except for macroalgae of the understory in one of the investigated MPAs, raising concerns on the potential effectiveness of MPAs in mitigating human impacts on these marine forests. Such findings call for major efforts to implement long-term monitoring programs of protected Cystoseira s.l. forests in order to inform an adaptive management of conservation measures within MPAs and eventually to set active interventions of restoration.
Collapse
|
5
|
Diversity and Carbon Sequestration of Seaweed in the Ma’an Archipelago, China. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d15010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Seaweed communities perform a variety of ecological services, including primary productivity supply, biological habitat construction, water purification, and acting as marine carbon sinks. The abundance of seaweed is the basis for the assessment of ecological services in communities. The Ma’an Archipelago, adjacent to the Yangtze River estuary in China, is an important and typical island group. In this study, the abundance of seaweed in the typical coastal islands of the Ma’an Archipelago, Zhejiang Province, was evaluated by means of sonar detection and scuba diving sampling methods. The organic carbon content of six dominant seaweed species was measured to estimate the carbon sequestration capacity of the dominant species in the Ma’an Archipelago. The results show that 27 species of Rhodophyta, 10 species of Ochrophyta, and two species of Chlorophyta were found in the Ma’an Archipelago. Seaweed was distributed in the coastal areas of the islands, with a distribution width of 2–60 m. Gouqi Island had the longest shoreline, and there, the distribution depth of the seaweed reached 15 m and the area of the seaweed community was the largest. The slope of the rocks in the Sanheng survey area was large and the width of the seaweed community was small. The distribution area of seaweed in the Ma’an Archipelago was 6.51–13.43 km2 and the organic carbon content of the seaweed was 33.16 ± 3.26%. The biomass of Ochrophyta in the Ma’an Archipelago was the largest, followed by Chlorophyta and Rhodophyta. Among the six dominant species, the carbon sequestration of Sargassum thunbergii was the largest, at 277.91–848.74 t per year, and that of Undaria pinnatifida was the smallest. This study provides scientific guidance for the assessment of the primary productivity supply, carbon sink, and conservation capacity of seaweeds in China.
Collapse
|
6
|
Monserrat M, Comeau S, Verdura J, Alliouane S, Spennato G, Priouzeau F, Romero G, Mangialajo L. Climate change and species facilitation affect the recruitment of macroalgal marine forests. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18103. [PMID: 36302874 PMCID: PMC9613703 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22845-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine forests are shrinking globally due to several anthropogenic impacts including climate change. Forest-forming macroalgae, such as Cystoseira s.l. species, can be particularly sensitive to environmental conditions (e.g. temperature increase, pollution or sedimentation), especially during early life stages. However, not much is known about their response to the interactive effects of ocean warming (OW) and acidification (OA). These drivers can also affect the performance and survival of crustose coralline algae, which are associated understory species likely playing a role in the recruitment of later successional species such as forest-forming macroalgae. We tested the interactive effects of elevated temperature, low pH and species facilitation on the recruitment of Cystoseira compressa. We demonstrate that the interactive effects of OW and OA negatively affect the recruitment of C. compressa and its associated coralline algae Neogoniolithon brassica-florida. The density of recruits was lower under the combinations OW and OA, while the size was negatively affected by the temperature increase but positively affected by the low pH. The results from this study show that the interactive effects of climate change and the presence of crustose coralline algae can have a negative impact on the recruitment of Cystoseira s.l. species. While new restoration techniques recently opened the door to marine forest restoration, our results show that the interactions of multiple drivers and species interactions have to be considered to achieve long-term population sustainability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margalida Monserrat
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, ECOSEAS, Nice, France.
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France.
| | - Steeve Comeau
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Jana Verdura
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, ECOSEAS, Nice, France
| | - Samir Alliouane
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Orlando-Bonaca M, Trkov D, Klun K, Pitacco V. Diversity of Molluscan Assemblage in Relation to Biotic and Abiotic Variables in Brown Algal Forests. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11162131. [PMID: 36015433 PMCID: PMC9415959 DOI: 10.3390/plants11162131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Canopy-forming macroalgae, mainly those belonging to the order Fucales, form the so-called brown algal forests, which are among the most productive assemblages in shallow coastal zones. Their vertical, branching canopies increase nearshore primary production, provide nursery areas for juvenile fish, and sustain understory assemblages of smaller algae and both sessile and vagile fauna. The majority of benthic invertebrates inhabiting these forests have larval stages that spend some time floating freely or swimming in the plankton. Therefore, canopy-forming macroalgae play an important role as species collectors related to larval supply and hydrodynamic processes. During the past several decades, brown algal forests have significantly reduced their extension and coverage in the Mediterranean basin, due to multiple interacting natural and anthropogenic pressures, with negative consequences also for the related fauna. The aim of this research was to examine how differences in macrophyte abundance and structure, as well as environmental variables, affect the associated molluscan communities in the shallow northern Adriatic Sea. Sampling sites with well-developed vegetation cover dominated by different canopy-forming species were selected in the shallow infralittoral belt of the northern Adriatic Sea in the spring–summer period of the years 2019 and 2020. Our results confirm the importance of algal forests for molluscan assemblage, with a total of 68 taxa of molluscs found associated with macrophytes. Gastropods showed the highest richness and abundance, followed by bivalves. Mollusc richness and diversity (in terms of biotic indices) were not related with the degree of development of canopy-forming species (in terms of total cover and total volume), nor with the ecological status of benthic macroalgae at different depths. On the contrary, the variability in molluscan taxa abundances was explained by some environmental variables, such as temperature, pH, light, and nitrates concentration.
Collapse
|
8
|
Mancuso FP, D'Agostaro R, Milazzo M, Chemello R. The invasive Asparagopsis taxiformis hosts a low diverse and less trophic structured molluscan assemblage compared with the native Ericaria brachycarpa. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 166:105279. [PMID: 33631361 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105279] [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: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Invasive seaweeds threaten biodiversity and socio-economics values of worldwide marine ecosystems. Understanding to what extent invasive seaweeds can modify local biodiversity is one of the main priorities in conservation ecology. We compared the molluscan assemblage of the invasive Asparagopsis taxiformis with that of the native Ericaria brachycarpa and explore if variation in the molluscan assemblage diversity was related to the substrate attributes (biomass, and thallus, canopy, and interstitial volumes) of the algae. Results showed that A. taxiformis harboured lower diversity and trophic structure of the molluscan assemblage compared to E. brachycarpa. Biomass was the variable that better explained the variation of abundance and number of species as well as the multivariate structure of the molluscan assemblage. Overall, our results suggest that a complete habitat shift from native to invasive species can potentially trigger bottom-up effects in rocky shores habitats, reducing the biodiversity and the services provided by the invaded habitat.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F Paolo Mancuso
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences (DiSTeM), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Ed. 16, 90128, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Riccardo D'Agostaro
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences (DiSTeM), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 20-22, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Marco Milazzo
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences (DiSTeM), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 20-22, 90123, Palermo, Italy; Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy
| | - Renato Chemello
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences (DiSTeM), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 20-22, 90123, Palermo, Italy; Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Orlando-Bonaca M, Pitacco V, Slavinec P, Šiško M, Makovec T, Falace A. First Restoration Experiment for Gongolaria barbata in Slovenian Coastal Waters. What Can Go Wrong? PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:239. [PMID: 33530631 PMCID: PMC7911296 DOI: 10.3390/plants10020239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The global decline of brown algal forests along rocky coasts is causing an exceptional biodiversity loss. Regardless of conservation efforts, different techniques have been developed for large-scale restoration strategies in the Mediterranean Sea. In this study we tested ex situ pilot restoration of Gongolaria barbata (=Treptacantha barbata) for the first time in Slovenian coastal waters. Healthy apical fronds of the species were collected and the development of recruits on clay tiles was followed under laboratory conditions for 20 days. Despite the experimental difficulties experienced, especially due to the lack of antibiotics to prevent the growth of the biofilm, G. barbata recruits were outplanted in the sea on two concrete plates with 48 tiles each, protected by purpose-built cages to avoid grazing by herbivorous fish. The high survival rate of juveniles after four months in the field (89% of the tiles on the plate that was constantly protected) suggests that outplanting G. barbata is an operable approach for restoration efforts in the northern Adriatic Sea. Our first experiment in Slovenian coastal waters provides new information for the optimization of the best practices during the laboratory cultivation and addresses the early steps of restoration and introduction of young thalli in the natural environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martina Orlando-Bonaca
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, SI-6330 Piran, Slovenia; (V.P.); (P.S.); (M.Š.); (T.M.)
| | - Valentina Pitacco
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, SI-6330 Piran, Slovenia; (V.P.); (P.S.); (M.Š.); (T.M.)
| | - Petra Slavinec
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, SI-6330 Piran, Slovenia; (V.P.); (P.S.); (M.Š.); (T.M.)
| | - Milijan Šiško
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, SI-6330 Piran, Slovenia; (V.P.); (P.S.); (M.Š.); (T.M.)
| | - Tihomir Makovec
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, SI-6330 Piran, Slovenia; (V.P.); (P.S.); (M.Š.); (T.M.)
| | - Annalisa Falace
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy;
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bianchelli S, Danovaro R. Impairment of microbial and meiofaunal ecosystem functions linked to algal forest loss. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19970. [PMID: 33203950 PMCID: PMC7673138 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76817-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat loss is jeopardizing marine biodiversity. In the Mediterranean Sea, the algal forests of Cystoseira spp. form one of the most complex, productive and vulnerable shallow-water habitats. These forests are rapidly regressing with negative impact on the associated biodiversity, and potential consequences in terms of ecosystem functioning. Here, by comparing healthy Cystoseira forests and barren grounds (i.e., habitats where the macroalgal forests disappeared), we assessed the effects of habitat loss on meiofaunal and nematode biodiversity, and on some ecosystem functions (here measured in terms of prokaryotic and meiofaunal biomass). Overall, our results suggest that the loss of Cystoseira forests and the consequent barren formation is associated with the loss of meiofaunal higher taxa and a decrease of nematode biodiversity, leading to the collapse of the microbial and meiofaunal variables of ecosystem functions. We conclude that, given the very limited resilience of these ecosystems, active restoration of these vulnerable habitats is needed, in order to recover their biodiversity, ecosystem functions and associated services.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Bianchelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Roberto Danovaro
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn di Napoli, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Medrano A, Hereu B, Mariani S, Neiva J, Pagès-Escolà M, Paulino C, Rovira GL, Serrão EA, Linares C. Ecological traits, genetic diversity and regional distribution of the macroalga Treptacantha elegans along the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean Sea). Sci Rep 2020; 10:19219. [PMID: 33154466 PMCID: PMC7644675 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76066-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The widespread decline of canopy-forming macroalgal assemblages has been documented in many regions during the last decades. This pattern is often followed by the replacement of structurally complex algal canopies by more simplified habitats (e.g., turfs or sea urchin barren grounds). Against all odds, the fucoid Treptacantha elegans, a large Mediterranean brown macroalga, broadened its depth range to deeper and exposed environments and displayed an unexpected range expansion along the northern coast of Catalonia over the last two decades. Here, we reconstruct the spread of T. elegans in time and space and unravel ecological and demographic traits such as population dynamics and genetic patterns to provide a comprehensive and integrated view of the current status and geographical expansion for this species. Fast-growing dynamics, early fertile maturity, and high turnover rate are the main competitive advantages that allow the exposed populations of T. elegans to colonize available substrata and maintain dense and patchy populations. We also provided evidence that the deeper and exposed populations of T. elegans constitute a single group across the Catalan coast, with little genetic differentiation among populations. This seems to support the hypothesis of a unique source of spread in the last decades from the Medes Islands No-Take Zone towards both southern and northern waters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alba Medrano
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de La Biodiversitat (IRBIO), University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Bernat Hereu
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de La Biodiversitat (IRBIO), University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Simone Mariani
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de La Biodiversitat (IRBIO), University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes - CSIC, Accés Cala Sant Francesc 14, Blanes, 17300, Girona, Spain
| | - João Neiva
- Center of Marine Science (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal
| | - Marta Pagès-Escolà
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de La Biodiversitat (IRBIO), University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Paulino
- Center of Marine Science (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal
| | - Graciel la Rovira
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de La Biodiversitat (IRBIO), University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ester A Serrão
- Center of Marine Science (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal
| | - Cristina Linares
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institut de Recerca de La Biodiversitat (IRBIO), University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Phycological Herbaria as a Useful Tool to Monitor Long-Term Changes of Macroalgae Diversity: Some Case Studies from the Mediterranean Sea. DIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12080309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The Mediterranean Sea is currently experiencing a decline in the abundance of several key species, as a consequence of anthropogenic pressures (e.g., increase in human population, habitat modification and loss, pollution, coastal urbanization, overexploitation, introduction of non-indigenous species and climate change). Herbaria and natural history collections are certainly fundamental for taxonomic studies, but they are also an invaluable, if currently underestimated, resource for understanding ecological and evolutionary responses of species to environmental changes. Macroalgae herbarium collections, which are really consistent (ranging from 200,000 to approximately 500,000 specimens) in some European herbaria (e.g., Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris, University of Copenhagen, Natural History Museum in Kensington), can be successfully used as real “witnesses” to biodiversity changes. In this respect, we report some case studies from the Mediterranean Sea which summarize well the potential of macroalgae herbarium specimens to provide useful data on biodiversity changes. Indeed, these data enable the evaluation of the responses of biota, including shifts in species ranges, the detection of the presence of introduced species, and the prediction of changes in species distributions and patterns under future climate scenarios. To increase the use of this invaluable tool of research, their curation, the digitization of collections, and specimen genomics should be even more addressed.
Collapse
|
13
|
Bevilacqua S, Savonitto G, Lipizer M, Mancuso P, Ciriaco S, Srijemsi M, Falace A. Climatic anomalies may create a long-lasting ecological phase shift by altering the reproduction of a foundation species. Ecology 2019; 100:e02838. [PMID: 31330045 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stanislao Bevilacqua
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy.,Conisma, Piazzale Flaminio 9, Roma, Italy
| | - Gilda Savonitto
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Marina Lipizer
- OGS, National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Paolo Mancuso
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Saul Ciriaco
- WWF Marine Protected Area of Miramare, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Marina Srijemsi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Annalisa Falace
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| |
Collapse
|