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Como S, Melouah K, Draredja MA, Draredja B, Magni P. Variability of soft-bottom macrobenthic invertebrates at different spatial scales: Comparisons between habitats and seasons. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 197:106488. [PMID: 38593646 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106488] [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: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Studies focusing on patterns of spatial variation in marine soft-bottom assemblages suggest that variability is mainly concentrated at small spatial scale (from tens of centimeters to few meters), but there is still a lack of knowledge about the consistency of this spatial pattern across habitats and seasons. To address this issue, we quantified the variability in the structure of macrozoobenthic assemblages and in the abundance of dominant macroinvertebrate species in the Mellah Lagoon (Algeria) at three spatial scales, i.e., Plot (meters apart), Station (10's m apart) and Site (kms apart) scale, in Ruppia maritima (Ruppia) beds and unvegetated sediments (Unvegetated), and in two dates in winter and two dates in summer 2016. Spatial variability of the most dominant bivalve Mytilaster marioni varied significantly between habitats, but consistent across the two seasons, with a more heterogeneous distribution in Ruppia than in Unvegetated at the Station scale. Furthermore, a second-order interaction among the hierarchical nature of spatial variability, season and habitat emerged for the assemblage structure. Spatial variability between habitats varied significantly in winter, with the largest variation at the Plot scale in Unvegetated and more heterogenous assemblages at the Plot and Site scales than at the Station scale in Ruppia, but did not vary in summer when most of the variance was at the Site scale. We demonstrate that the scales of influence of the processes operating in the Mellah Lagoon are contingent on the specific habitat and/or period of the year at which the study was conducted, highlighting the importance of examining all these sources of variation simultaneously to increase the accuracy of explanatory models derived from the observed patterns in sedimentary environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Como
- Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Istituto di Biofisica (CNR-IBF), 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Khalil Melouah
- Laboratory of Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems, Faculty of Sciences of Nature and Life, M.C Messaadia University, PB.1553, Souk Ahras, 41000, Souk Ahras, Algeria
| | - Mohamed Anis Draredja
- Marine Bioresources Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Badji Mokhtar University, Annaba, Algeria
| | - Brahim Draredja
- Marine and Coastal Ecobiology Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, Badji Mokhtar University, BP.12, 23000, Annaba, Algeria
| | - Paolo Magni
- Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Istituto per lo Studio Degli Impatti Antropici e Sostenibilità in Ambiente Marino (CNR-IAS) Loc. Sa Mardini Snc, Torregrande, 09170, Oristano, Italy.
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Climate benefits from establishing marine protected areas targeted at blue carbon solutions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2121705119. [PMID: 35653565 PMCID: PMC9191663 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2121705119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
SignificanceMarine conservation and the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) have gained attention as ways to protect and restore ecosystems and rebuild fish populations. They may also play an important role in sequestering carbon and reducing emissions from sources such as habitat degradation. Implementing six strategies for enhancing blue carbon sinks, including establishing MPAs to protect and restore coastal wetlands, macroalgae forests, and seafloor sediments and expand seaweed farming can not only remove significant amounts of carbon and avoid emissions but also bring many more environmental and human-related benefits.
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Hendy IW, Woolford K, Vincent-Piper A, Burt O, Schaefer M, Cragg SM, Sanchez-Navarro P, Ragazzola F. Climate-driven golden tides are reshaping coastal communities in Quintana Roo, Mexico. CLIMATE CHANGE ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecochg.2021.100033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Alsaffar Z, Cúrdia J, Irigoien X, Carvalho S. Composition, uniqueness and connectivity across tropical coastal lagoon habitats in the Red Sea. BMC Ecol 2020; 20:61. [PMID: 33228627 PMCID: PMC7686702 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-020-00329-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tropical habitats and their associated environmental characteristics play a critical role in shaping macroinvertebrate communities. Assessing patterns of diversity over space and time and investigating the factors that control and generate those patterns is critical for conservation efforts. However, these factors are still poorly understood in sub-tropical and tropical regions. The present study applied a combination of uni- and multivariate techniques to test whether patterns of biodiversity, composition, and structure of macrobenthic assemblages change across different lagoon habitats (two mangrove sites; two seagrass meadows with varying levels of vegetation cover; and an unvegetated subtidal area) and between seasons and years. Results In total, 4771 invertebrates were identified belonging to 272 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). We observed that macrobenthic lagoon assemblages are diverse, heterogeneous and that the most evident biological pattern was spatial rather than temporal. To investigate whether macrofaunal patterns within the lagoon habitats (mangrove, seagrass, unvegetated area) changed through the time, we analysed each habitat separately. The results showed high seasonal and inter-annual variability in the macrofaunal patterns. However, the seagrass beds that are characterized by variable vegetation cover, through time, showed comparatively higher stability (with the lowest values of inter-annual variability and a high number of resident taxa). These results support the theory that seagrass habitat complexity promotes diversity and density of macrobenthic assemblages. Despite the structural and functional importance of seagrass beds documented in this study, the results also highlighted the small-scale heterogeneity of tropical habitats that may serve as biodiversity repositories. Conclusions Comprehensive approaches at the “seascape” level are required for improved ecosystem management and to maintain connectivity patterns amongst habitats. This is particularly true along the Saudi Arabian coast of the Red Sea, which is currently experiencing rapid coastal development. Also, considering the high temporal variability (seasonal and inter-annual) of tropical shallow-water habitats, monitoring and management plans must include temporal scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Alsaffar
- Red Sea Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.,Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University (KSU), Riyadh, P.O. Box 2455, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - João Cúrdia
- Red Sea Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Xabier Irigoien
- Red Sea Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.,AZTI - Marine Research, Herrera Kaia, Pasaia, 20100, Spain.,IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, 48013, Spain
| | - Susana Carvalho
- Red Sea Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
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Alsaffar Z, Pearman JK, Cúrdia J, Ellis J, Calleja ML, Ruiz-Compean P, Roth F, Villalobos R, Jones BH, Morán XAG, Carvalho S. The role of seagrass vegetation and local environmental conditions in shaping benthic bacterial and macroinvertebrate communities in a tropical coastal lagoon. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13550. [PMID: 32782295 PMCID: PMC7419567 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70318-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated the influence of seagrass canopies on the benthic biodiversity of bacteria and macroinvertebrates in a Red Sea tropical lagoon. Changes in abundance, number of taxa and assemblage structure were analyzed in response to seagrass densities (low, SLD; high, SHD; seagrasses with algae, SA), and compared with unvegetated sediments. Biological and environmental variables were examined in these four habitats (hereafter called treatments), both in the underlaying sediments and overlaying waters, at three randomly picked locations in March 2017. Differences between treatments were more apparent in the benthic habitat than in the overlaying waters. The presence of vegetation (more than its cover) and changes in sedimentary features (grain size and metals) at local scales influenced the observed biological patterns, particularly for macroinvertebrates. Of note, the highest percentage of exclusive macroinvertebrate taxa (18% of the gamma diversity) was observed in the SHD treatment peaking in the SA for bacteria. Benthic macroinvertebrates and bacteria shared a generally low number of taxa across treatments and locations; approximately, 25% of the gamma diversity was shared among all treatments and locations for macrofauna, dropping to 11% for bacteria. Given the low overlap in the species distribution across the lagoon, sustaining the connectivity among heterogeneous soft sediment habitats appears to be essential for maintaining regional biodiversity. This study addresses a current scientific gap related to the relative contributions of vegetated and unvegetated habitats to biodiversity in tropical regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Alsaffar
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.,King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - J K Pearman
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.,Coastal and Freshwater Group, Cawthron Institute, Nelson, New Zealand
| | - J Cúrdia
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - J Ellis
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.,School of Science, University of Waikato, Tauranga, New Zealand
| | - M Ll Calleja
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Climate Geochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (MPIC), Mainz, Germany
| | - P Ruiz-Compean
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - F Roth
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.,Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - R Villalobos
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - B H Jones
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - X A G Morán
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - S Carvalho
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
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Tagliapietra D, Pessa G, Cornello M, Zitelli A, Magni P. Temporal distribution of intertidal macrozoobenthic assemblages in a Nanozostera noltii-dominated area (Lagoon of Venice). MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2016; 114:31-39. [PMID: 26748407 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2015.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We describe the temporal distribution of intertidal macrozoobenthic assemblages in a small marsh pond of the Lagoon of Venice colonized by the seagrass Nanozostera noltii (Hornemman) Tomlinson et Posluzny. Three stations ranging in the degree of N. noltii cover were selected about 100 m apart and sampled 9 times at regular intervals from March 1996 to March 1997. We applied the concepts of resistance and resilience to "natural stress" (e.g. extent of protection from seagrass meadows, exposure of macrozoobenthic assemblages to high temperatures in summer) with the aim to assess the stability of a community along a gradient of seagrass coverage. Results showed that the most structured and taxa-rich macrozoobenthic assemblage occurred at the station covered by a continuous stand of N. noltii, where permanent taxa (i.e. found in 100% of samples) were almost double than those found at the other stations. During the annual cycle, the macrozoobenthic assemblages showed a cyclical pattern, with temporal fluctuations increasing as they moved further away from the seagrass beds. We propose the role of N. noltii offering structural complexity and stability as the more probable explanation to the observed differences between stations in the intertidal assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Tagliapietra
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto di Scienze Marine (CNR-ISMAR), Arsenale - Tesa 104, Castello 2737/F, 30122 Venice, Italy
| | - G Pessa
- Greensea scarl, Via Zannier 18, 30025 Fossalta di Portogruaro, Italy
| | - M Cornello
- Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), Castello 4665, 30122 Venice, Italy
| | - A Zitelli
- University IUAV of Venice, Venice 30123, Italy
| | - P Magni
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero (CNR-IAMC), Località Sa Mardini, Torregrande, 09170 Oristano, Italy.
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Jankowska E, Jankowska K, Włodarska-Kowalczuk M. Seagrass vegetation and meiofauna enhance the bacterial abundance in the Baltic Sea sediments (Puck Bay). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 22:14372-14378. [PMID: 26178839 PMCID: PMC4560759 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5049-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
This study presents the first report on bacterial communities in the sediments of eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadows in the shallow southern Baltic Sea (Puck Bay). Total bacterial cell numbers (TBNs) and bacteria biomass (BBM) assessed with the use of epifluorescence microscope and Norland's formula were compared between bare and vegetated sediments at two localities and in two sampling summer months. Significantly higher TBNs and BBM (PERMANOVA tests, P < 0.05) were recorded at bottom covered by the seagrass meadows in both localities and in both sampling months. The relationships between bacteria characteristics and environmental factors (grain size, organic matter, photopigments in sediments), meiofauna and macrofauna densities, as well as macrophyte vegetation characteristics (shoot density, phytobenthos biomass) were tested using PERMANOVA distance-based linear model (DISTLM) procedures and showed that the main factors explaining bacteria characteristics are bottom type (vegetated vs. unvegetated) and meiofauna density. These two factors explained together 48.3% of variability in TBN and 40.5% in BBM, and their impacts did not overlap (as indicated by DISTLM sequential tests) demonstrating the different natures of these relationships. The effects of seagrass were most probably related to the increase of organic matter and providing habitat while higher numbers of meiofauna organisms may have stimulated the bacterial growth by increased grazing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia Jankowska
- Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712, Sopot, Poland,
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Barnes RSK, Hendy IW. Functional uniformity underlies the common spatial structure of macrofaunal assemblages in intertidal seagrass beds. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R. S. K. Barnes
- Department of Zoology; University of Cambridge; Cambridge CB2 3EJ UK
- School of Biological Sciences and Centre for Marine Science; University of Queensland; Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
- Department of Zoology and Entomology; Rhodes University; Grahamstown 6140 Republic of South Africa
- Knysna Basin Project; Knysna 6570 Republic of South Africa
| | - Ian W. Hendy
- Institute of Marine Sciences Laboratories; University of Portsmouth; Eastney, Portsmouth PO4 9LY UK
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