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Cimini J, Asnaghi V, Chiantore M, Kaleb S, Onida A, Falace A. Can thermal anomalies impair the restoration of Cystoseira s.l. forests? MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 198:106537. [PMID: 38728798 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106537] [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: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Marine macroalgal forests are facing unprecedented challenges worldwide due to the accelerating impacts of climate change. These ecosystems play a crucial role in supporting biodiversity, coastal ecosystem functions and services, and are indeed object of several conservation and restoration measures. The Mediterranean Sea is warming faster than the oceans and thermal anomalies are occurring with increasing intensity, frequency and duration. Along the Mediterranean coasts, Cystoseira sensu lato species are the main representatives of macroalgal forests and their decline has been widely documented. Some relevant achievements in the implementation of ecological restoration have been obtained, but rising temperatures and the occurrence of thermal anomalies increasingly threaten the success of these restoration attempts. In the summer of 2022, ex-situ restoration actions of Ericaria amentacea were carried out by collecting fertile material from three donor sites of the Italian coasts along a latitudinal gradient, during the period of sexual maturity (June/July). Noteworthy during the summer of 2022, anomalous thermal conditions were recorded at the donor sites, with sea surface temperatures exceeding the climatological mean up to 4.3 °C and heatwaves lasting up to 78 days. Our results suggest that these thermal anomalies may have affected the culture of the embryos in both the pre- and post-zygotic phases, resulting in significantly low culture efficiency at the three donor sites. The reproductive structures showed some abnormalities, fertilization of eggs was lower and embryo growth was slower, resulting in lower percent cover of seedlings on the tiles and lower survival rate. The observations underscore the vulnerability of Mediterranean algal forests to global change and highlight additional challenges for their restoration due to the increasing frequency and severity of thermal anomalies, emphasizing the need for adaptive strategies and a comprehensive understanding of the species in a changing climate. Marine forest restoration requires long lasting projects, to allow for long-term monitoring and better understanding the biology of the species and for mitigating stochastic events that can cause the temporary failure of efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Cimini
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Science, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Valentina Asnaghi
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Science, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Palermo, Italy.
| | - Mariachiara Chiantore
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Science, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Palermo, Italy
| | - Sara Kaleb
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Alessandra Onida
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Science, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Annalisa Falace
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy; National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics - OGS, Trieste, Italy
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Bommarito C, Noè S, Díaz-Morales DM, Lukić I, Hiebenthal C, Rilov G, Guy-Haim T, Wahl M. Co-occurrence of native and invasive macroalgae might be facilitated under global warming. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169087. [PMID: 38056641 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169087] [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: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is driving compositional shifts in ecological communities directly by affecting species and indirectly through changes in species interactions. For example, competitive hierarchies can be inversed when competitive dominants are more susceptible to climate change. The brown seaweed Fucus vesiculosus is a foundation species in the Baltic Sea, experiencing novel interactions with the invasive red seaweed Gracilaria vermiculophylla, which is known for its high tolerance to environmental stress. We investigated the direct and interactive effects of warming and co-occurrence of the two algal species on their performance, by applying four climate change-relevant temperature scenarios: 1) cooling ) 2 °C below ambient - representing past conditions), 2) ambient summer temperature (18 °C), 3) IPCC RCP2.6 warming scenario (1 °C above ambient), and 4) RCP8.5 warming (3 °C above ambient) for 30 days and two compositional levels (mono and co-cultured algae) in a fully-crossed design. The RCP8.5 warming scenario increased photosynthesis, respiration, and nutrients' uptake rates of mono- and co-cultured G. vermiculophylla while growth was reduced. An increase in photosynthesis and essential nutrients' uptake and, at the same time, a growth reduction might result from increasing stress and energy demand of G. vermiculophylla under warming. In contrast, the growth of mono-cultured F. vesiculosus significantly increased in the highest warming treatment (+3 °C). The cooling treatment (-2 °C) exerted a slight negative effect only on co-cultured F. vesiculosus photosynthesis, compared to the ambient treatment. Interestingly, at ambient and warming (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios) treatments, both F. vesiculosus and G. vermiculophylla appear to benefit from the presence of each other. Our results suggest that short exposure of F. vesiculosus to moderate or severe global warming scenarios may not directly affect or even slightly enhance its performance, while G. vermiculophylla net performance (growth) could be directly hampered by warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Bommarito
- Benthic and Experimental Ecology Department, GEOMAR, Helmholtz-Centre for Ocean Research, 24118 Kiel, Germany; ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Place Eugene Bataillon, Bat 22, 34095 Montpellier, France.
| | - S Noè
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 8030, 31080 Haifa, Israel; Anton Dohrn Zoological Station, Integrative Marine Ecology Department, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy.
| | - D M Díaz-Morales
- Aquatic Ecology and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany.
| | - I Lukić
- Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - C Hiebenthal
- Benthic and Experimental Ecology Department, GEOMAR, Helmholtz-Centre for Ocean Research, 24118 Kiel, Germany.
| | - G Rilov
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 8030, 31080 Haifa, Israel.
| | - T Guy-Haim
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 8030, 31080 Haifa, Israel.
| | - M Wahl
- Benthic and Experimental Ecology Department, GEOMAR, Helmholtz-Centre for Ocean Research, 24118 Kiel, Germany.
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Lammerant R, Norkko A, Gustafsson C. A functional perspective on the factors underpinning biomass-bound carbon stocks in coastal macrophyte communities. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 193:106289. [PMID: 38048659 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106289] [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: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Coastal ecosystems have received international interest for their possible role in climate change mitigation, highlighting the importance of being able to assess and predict how changes in habitat distributions and their associated communities may impact the greenhouse gas sink potential of these vegetated seascapes. Importantly, the range and diversity of macrophytes within the vegetated seascape have different capacities to store C within their biomass and potentially sequester C depending on their functional trait characteristics. To bridge the present knowledge gaps in linking macrophyte traits to C storage in tissue, we (1) quantified biomass-bound C stocks within diverse macrophyte communities, separately for soft and hard bottom habitats and (2) explored the links between various traits of both vascular plants and macroalgae and their respective biomass-bound C stocks using structural equation modeling (SEM). We conducted a field survey where we sampled 6 soft bottom locations dominated by aquatic vascular plants and 6 hard bottom locations dominated by the brown algae Fucus vesiculosus in the Finnish archipelago. Macrophyte carbon stocks of hard bottom locations were an order of magnitude higher than those found in soft bottom locations. Biodiversity was associated with aquatic plant carbon stocks through mass ratio effects, highlighting that carbon stocks were positively influenced by the dominance of species with more acquisitive resource strategies, whereas age was the main driver of carbon in the mono-specific macroalgal communities. Overall, our results demonstrate that habitat type and dominating life-history strategies influenced the size of the organism-bound carbon stocks. Moreover, we showed the importance of accounting for the diversity of different traits to determine the drivers underpinning carbon storage in heterogenous seascapes composed of macrophyte communities with high functional diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roel Lammerant
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland.
| | - Alf Norkko
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland
| | - Camilla Gustafsson
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland
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Segaran TC, Azra MN, Handayani KS, Lananan F, Xu J. Seaweed and climate change: A mapping review. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 192:106216. [PMID: 37891025 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106216] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Seaweed has garnered increasing interest due to its capacity to mitigate climate change by curbing carbon emissions from agriculture, as well as its potential to serve as a supplement or alternative for dietary, livestock feed, or fuel source production. Moreover, seaweed is regarded as one of the earliest plant forms to have evolved on Earth. Owing to the extensive body of literature available and the uncertainty surrounding the future trajectory of seaweed research under evolving climate conditions, this review scrutinizes the structure, dynamics, and progression of the literature pertaining to seaweed and climate change. This analysis is grounded in the Web of Science Core Collection database, augmented by CiteSpace software. Furthermore, we discuss the productivity and influence of individual researchers, research organizations, countries, and scientific journals. To date, there have been 8047 articles published globally (after a series of filters and exclusions), with a notable upswing in publication frequency since 2018. The USA, China, and Australia are among the leading countries contributing to this research area. Our findings reveal that current research on seaweed and climate change encompasses 13 distinct research clusters, including "marine heatwave", "temperate estuary", "ocean acidification", and "macroalgal bloom". The most frequently cited keywords are "climate change", "biomass", "community", and "photosynthesis". The seaweed species most commonly referenced in relation to climate change include Gracilaria sp., Sargassum sp., Ecklonia maxima, and Macrocystis pyrifera. These results provide valuable guidance for shaping the direction of specialized topics concerning marine biodiversity under shifting climate conditions. We propose that seaweed production may be compromised during prolonged episodes of reduced water availability, emphasizing the need to formulate strategies to guarantee its continued viability. This article offers fresh perspectives on the analysis of seaweed research in the context of impending climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thirukanthan Chandra Segaran
- Institute of Climate Adaptation and Marine Biotechnology (ICAMB), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), Kuala Nerus 21030, Terengganu, Malaysia.
| | - Mohamad Nor Azra
- Institute of Climate Adaptation and Marine Biotechnology (ICAMB), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), Kuala Nerus 21030, Terengganu, Malaysia; Research Center for Marine and Land Bioindustry, Earth Sciences and Maritime Organization, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Lombok 83352, Indonesia.
| | - Kiki Syaputri Handayani
- Research Center for Marine and Land Bioindustry, Earth Sciences and Maritime Organization, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Lombok 83352, Indonesia.
| | - Fathurrahman Lananan
- East Coast Environmental Research Institute, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Gong Badak Campus, Kuala Nerus 21300, Terengganu, Malaysia.
| | - Juntian Xu
- School of Marine Science and Fisheries, Jiangsu Ocean University, No. 59 Cangwu Road, Haizhou District, Lianyungang City, Jiangsu, China.
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Lokovšek A, Pitacco V, Trkov D, Zamuda LL, Falace A, Orlando-Bonaca M. Keep It Simple: Improving the Ex Situ Culture of Cystoseira s.l. to Restore Macroalgal Forests. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:2615. [PMID: 37514229 PMCID: PMC10386143 DOI: 10.3390/plants12142615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Brown algae from genus Cystoseira s.l. form dense underwater forests that represent the most productive areas in the Mediterranean Sea. Due to the combined effects of global and local stressors such as climate change, urbanization, and herbivore outbreaks, there has been a severe decline in brown algal forests in the Mediterranean Sea. Natural recovery of depleted sites is unlikely due to the low dispersal capacity of these species, and efficient techniques to restore such habitats are needed. In this context, the aims of our study were (1) to improve and simplify the current ex situ laboratory protocol for the cultivation of Gongolaria barbata by testing the feasibility of some cost-effective and time-efficient techniques on two donor sites of G. barbata and (2) to evaluate the survival and growth of young thalli during the laboratory phase and during the most critical five months after out-planting. Specifically, the following ex situ cultivation methods were tested: (A) cultivation on clay tiles in mesocosms with culture water prepared by three different procedures (a) filtered seawater with a 0.22 μm filter membrane, (b) filtered seawater with a 0.7 μm filter membrane (GF), and (c) UV-sterilized water, and (B) cultivation on clay tiles in open laboratory systems. After two weeks, all thalli were fixed to plastic lantern net baskets suspended at a depth of 2 m in the coastal sea (hybrid method), and the algal success was monitored in relation to the different donor sites and cultivation protocol. The satisfactory results of this study indicate that UV-sterilized water is suitable for the cultivation of G. barbata in mesocosm, which significantly reduces the cost of the laboratory phase. This opens the possibility of numerous and frequent algal cultures during the reproductive period of the species. Additionally, if the young thalli remain in the lantern net baskets for an extended period of several months, they can grow significantly in the marine environment without being exposed to pressure from herbivorous fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Lokovšek
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, 6330 Piran, Slovenia
- Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova Cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Valentina Pitacco
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, 6330 Piran, Slovenia
| | - Domen Trkov
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, 6330 Piran, Slovenia
| | - Leon Lojze Zamuda
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, 6330 Piran, Slovenia
| | - Annalisa Falace
- Department of Life Science, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Martina Orlando-Bonaca
- Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 41, 6330 Piran, Slovenia
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Pedicini L, Vannini C, Rindi F, Ravaglioli C, Bertocci I, Bulleri F. Variations in epilithic microbial biofilm composition and recruitment of a canopy-forming alga between pristine and urban rocky shores. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 188:106035. [PMID: 37267663 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106035] [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: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Brown algae of the genus Ericaria are habitat formers on Mediterranean rocky shores supporting marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Their population decline has prompted attempts for restoration of threatened populations. Although epilithic microbial biofilms (EMBs) are determinant for macroalgal settlement, their role in regulating the recovery of populations through the recruitment of new thalli is yet to be explored. In this study, we assessed variations in microbial biofilms composition on the settlement of Ericaria amentacea at sites exposed to different human pressures. Artificial fouling surfaces were deployed in two areas at each of three study sites in the Ligurian Sea (Capraia Island, Secche della Meloria and the mainland coast of Livorno), to allow bacterial biofilm colonization. In the laboratory, zygotes of E. amentacea were released on these surfaces to evaluate the survival of germlings. The EMB's composition was assessed through DNA metabarcoding analysis, which revealed a difference between the EMB of Capraia Island and that of Livorno. Fouling surfaces from Capraia Island had higher rates of zygote settlement than the other two sites. This suggests that different environmental conditions can influence the EMB composition on substrata, possibly influencing algal settlement rate. Assessing the suitability of rocky substrata for E. amentacea settlement is crucial for successful restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovica Pedicini
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Claudia Vannini
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy; Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca per lo Studio degli Effetti del Cambiamento Climatico (CIRSEC), Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Rindi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, I-60131, Ancona, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center, Italy
| | - Chiara Ravaglioli
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Iacopo Bertocci
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Fabio Bulleri
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy; Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca per lo Studio degli Effetti del Cambiamento Climatico (CIRSEC), Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Nikolaou A, Tsirintanis K, Rilov G, Katsanevakis S. Invasive Fish and Sea Urchins Drive the Status of Canopy Forming Macroalgae in the Eastern Mediterranean. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:763. [PMID: 37372048 DOI: 10.3390/biology12060763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Canopy-forming macroalgae, such as Cystoseira sensu lato, increase the three-dimensional complexity and spatial heterogeneity of rocky reefs, enhancing biodiversity and productivity in coastal areas. Extensive loss of canopy algae has been recorded in recent decades throughout the Mediterranean Sea due to various anthropogenic pressures. In this study, we assessed the biomass of fish assemblages, sea urchin density, and the vertical distribution of macroalgal communities in the Aegean and Levantine Seas. The herbivore fish biomass was significantly higher in the South Aegean and Levantine compared to the North Aegean. Very low sea urchin densities suggest local collapses in the South Aegean and the Levantine. In most sites in the South Aegean and the Levantine, the ecological status of macroalgal communities was low or very low at depths deeper than 2 m, with limited or no canopy algae. In many sites, canopy algae were restricted to a very narrow, shallow zone, where grazing pressure may be limited due to harsh hydrodynamic conditions. Using Generalized Linear Mixed Models, we demonstrated that the presence of canopy algae is negatively correlated with the biomass of the invasive Siganus spp. and sea urchins. The loss of Cystoseira s.l. forests is alarming, and urgent conservation actions are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanasios Nikolaou
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, 81100 Mytilene, Greece
| | | | - Gil Rilov
- National Institute of Oceanography, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research (IOLR), Haifa 31080, Israel
- The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, Marine Biology Department, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel
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