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Pansini A, Deroma M, Guala I, Monnier B, Pergent-Martini C, Piazzi L, Stipcich P, Ceccherelli G. The resilience of transplanted seagrass traits encourages detection of restoration success. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 357:120744. [PMID: 38552518 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120744] [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: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Restoration of coastal ecosystems, particularly those dominated by seagrasses, has become a priority to recover the important ecosystem services they provide. However, assessing restoration outcomes as a success or failure remains still difficult, probably due to the unique features of seagrass species and the wide portfolio of practices used on transplanting actions. Here, several traits (maximum leaf length, number of leaves, leaf growth rate per shoot, and leaf elemental carbon and nitrogen contents) of transplanted seagrass Posidonia oceanica were compared to reference meadows in five sites of Western Mediterranean Sea in which restoration were completed in different times. Results have evidenced the resilience of transplanted P. oceanica shoots within a few years since restoration, as traits between treatments changed depending on the elapsed time since settlement. The highlighted stability of the restoration time effect suggests that the recovery of the plants is expected in four years after transplanting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Pansini
- University of Sassari, Department of Chemical, Physical, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, via Piandanna 4, Sassari, Italy.
| | - Mario Deroma
- University of Sassari, Department of Agricultural Sciences, viale Italia 39/a, Sassari, Italy
| | - Ivan Guala
- University of Sassari, Department of Chemical, Physical, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, via Piandanna 4, Sassari, Italy; IMC - International Marine Centre, Loc. Sa Mardini, Torregrande, 09170, Oristano, Italy
| | - Briac Monnier
- University of Corsica Pasquale Paoli, CNRS UMR SPE, 6134, Campus Grimaldi BP 52, Corte, France
| | | | - Luigi Piazzi
- University of Sassari, Department of Chemical, Physical, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, via Piandanna 4, Sassari, Italy
| | - Patrizia Stipcich
- University of Sassari, Department of Chemical, Physical, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, via Piandanna 4, Sassari, Italy
| | - Giulia Ceccherelli
- University of Sassari, Department of Chemical, Physical, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, via Piandanna 4, Sassari, Italy
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2
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Comte A, Barreyre J, Monnier B, de Rafael R, Boudouresque CF, Pergent G, Ruitton S. Operationalizing blue carbon principles in France: Methodological developments for Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows and institutionalization. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 198:115822. [PMID: 38016206 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115822] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Conservation of ecosystems is an important tool for climate change mitigation. Seagrasses, mangroves, saltmarshes and other marine ecosystems have particularly high capacities to sequester and store organic carbon (blue carbon), and are being impacted by human activities. Calls have been made to mainstream blue carbon into policies, including carbon markets. Building on the scientific literature and the French voluntary carbon standard, the 'Label Bas-Carbone', we develop the first method for the conservation of Posidonia oceanica seagrasses using carbon finance. This methodology assesses the emission reduction potential of projects that reduce physical impacts from boating and anchoring. We show how this methodology was institutionalized thanks to a tiered approach on key parameters including carbon stocks, degradation rates, and decomposition rates. We discuss future needs regarding (i) how to strengthen the robustness of the method, and (ii) the expansion of the method to restoration of seagrasses and to other blue carbon ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Comte
- IRD, Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, LEMAR, 29280 Plouzané, France.
| | | | - Briac Monnier
- Université de Corse, UMR CNRS SPE 6134, Campus Grimaldi BP 52, Corte, France
| | | | - Charles-François Boudouresque
- Aix Marseille Université - Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), UM 110, Marseille, France
| | - Gérard Pergent
- Université de Corse, UMR CNRS SPE 6134, Campus Grimaldi BP 52, Corte, France
| | - Sandrine Ruitton
- Aix Marseille Université - Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), UM 110, Marseille, France
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3
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Gallo E, Oprandi A, Bianchi CN, Morri C, Azzola A, Montefalcone M. Unexpected slow recovery of seagrass leaf epiphytes after the impact of a summer heat wave and concomitant mucilage bloom. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 189:106034. [PMID: 37290233 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The epiphytes of seagrass leaves constitute a peculiar community, comprised of a number of species specialized for this living substrate. Several studies report on the response of epiphytes to different pressures but no information exists about the effects of summer heatwaves, which have become frequent events in the last decades. This paper represents the first attempt to investigate the change in the leaf epiphyte community of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica due to the heatwave occurred in summer 2003. Thanks to a series of data collected seasonally between 2002 and 2006, and punctual data in the summers of 2014 and 2019, we assessed the change over time in the leaf epiphyte community. Temperature data trends were analysed through linear regression, while multivariate analyses (i.e., nMDS and SIMPER) were applied to cover data in order to assess changes over time in the epiphyte community. As a whole, the two most abundant taxa were the crustose coralline alga Hydrolithon and the encrusting bryozoan Electra posidoniae, which displayed the highest average cover values in summer (around 19%) and spring (around 9%), respectively. Epiphytes proved to be sensitive to temperature highs, displaying different effects on cover, biomass, diversity and community composition. Cover and biomass exhibited a dramatic reduction (more than 60%) after the disturbance. In particular, Hydrolithon more than halved, while E. posidoniae dropped sevenfold during summer 2003. While the former recovered comparatively quickly, the latter, as well as the whole community composition, apparently required 16 years to return to a condition similar to that of 2002.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Gallo
- SEL (Seascape Ecology Laboratory), DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132, Genova, Italy
| | - Alice Oprandi
- SEL (Seascape Ecology Laboratory), DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132, Genova, Italy.
| | - Carlo Nike Bianchi
- SEL (Seascape Ecology Laboratory), DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132, Genova, Italy; Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn - National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Genoa Marine Centre (GMC), Villa del Principe, Piazza Principe 4, I-16126, Genova, Italy
| | - Carla Morri
- SEL (Seascape Ecology Laboratory), DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132, Genova, Italy; Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn - National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Genoa Marine Centre (GMC), Villa del Principe, Piazza Principe 4, I-16126, Genova, Italy
| | - Annalisa Azzola
- SEL (Seascape Ecology Laboratory), DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132, Genova, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, I-90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Monica Montefalcone
- SEL (Seascape Ecology Laboratory), DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132, Genova, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, I-90133, Palermo, Italy
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4
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Pazzaglia J, Dattolo E, Ruocco M, Santillán-Sarmiento A, Marin-Guirao L, Procaccini G. DNA methylation dynamics in a coastal foundation seagrass species under abiotic stressors. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222197. [PMID: 36651048 PMCID: PMC9845983 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation (DNAm) has been intensively studied in terrestrial plants in response to environmental changes, but its dynamic changes in a temporal scale remain unexplored in marine plants. The seagrass Posidonia oceanica ranks among the slowest-growing and longest-living plants on Earth, and is particularly vulnerable to sea warming and local anthropogenic pressures. Here, we analysed the dynamics of DNAm changes in plants collected from coastal areas differentially impacted by eutrophication (i.e. oligotrophic, Ol; eutrophic, Eu) and exposed to abiotic stressors (nutrients, temperature increase and their combination). Levels of global DNAm (% 5-mC) and the expression of key genes involved in DNAm were assessed after one, two and five weeks of exposure. Results revealed a clear differentiation between plants, depending on environmental stimuli, time of exposure and plants' origin. % 5-mC levels were higher during the initial stress exposure especially in Ol plants, which upregulated almost all genes involved in DNAm. Contrarily, Eu plants showed lower expression levels, which increased under chronic exposure to stressors, particularly to temperature. These findings show that DNAm is dynamic in P. oceanica during stress exposure and underlined that environmental epigenetic variations could be implicated in the regulation of acclimation and phenotypic differences depending on local conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Pazzaglia
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Naples, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Emanuela Dattolo
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Miriam Ruocco
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Alex Santillán-Sarmiento
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Naples, Italy
- Faculty of Engineering, National University of Chimborazo, Riobamba, Ecuador
| | - Lazaro Marin-Guirao
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Naples, Italy
- Seagrass Ecology Group, Oceanographic Centre of Murcia, Spanish Institute of Oceanography, Murcia, Spain
| | - Gabriele Procaccini
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Naples, Italy
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Plant and Meadow Structure Characterisation of Posidonia oceanica in Its Westernmost Distribution Range. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15010101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Posidonia oceanica is an endemic seagrass species from the Mediterranean Sea that provides critical ecological services to coastal environments. This species is distributed from the Turkish to the Spanish coast, where its westernmost record was documented in Punta Chullera, Malaga (36°18′36.45′′ N, 5°14′54.31′′ W). Nevertheless, previous studies suggested that its distribution was even further west, although these populations were never described. In this study, we documented and characterised the only known P. oceanica population on the coast of Cadiz, in Cala Sardina (36°18′38.80′′ N, 5°15′15.13′′ W). The newly documented population of P. oceanica presented a fragmented structure, consisting of nine patches found in a rocky shallow area surrounded by the invasive algae Rugulopteryx okamurae, with a total size of 61.14 m2. Shoots had a relatively small size (21.0 ± 2.9 cm) in comparison with centrally-distributed populations. The relatively small size of the plants, alongside the observed low shoot density (437 ± 42 shoots m−2) and leaf area index (4.8 ± 0.7 m2 m−2), may indicate that this meadow could be exposed to sub-optimal environmental conditions for plant development. By contrast, the meadow showed relatively high production rates (0.03 ± 0.01 leaf day−1 shoot−1) in comparison with other Mediterranean populations. The percentage of carbon in plant leaves was 38.73 ± 1.38%, while the nitrogen and C/N were 1.38 ± 0.37% and 29.93 ± 6.57, respectively. The documentation of this meadow extends the distribution of this species to the Mediterranean coast of Cadiz, making this region the place with the highest seagrass biodiversity (four species) in the Iberian Peninsula, and potentially in Europe. This exploratory study provides a baseline to examine the potential effects of climate change, anthropogenic disturbances or the presence of invasive species.
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Leduc M, Abadie A, Viala C, Bouchard A, Iborra L, Fontaine Q, Lepoint G, Marengo M, Pergent G, Gobert S, Lejeune P, Monnier B. A multi-approach inventory of the blue carbon stocks of Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows: Large scale application in Calvi Bay (Corsica, NW Mediterranean). MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 183:105847. [PMID: 36535083 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105847] [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: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In Mediterranean, Posidonia oceanica develops a belowground complex structure ('matte') able to store large amounts of carbon over thousands of years. The inventory of blue carbon stocks requires the coupling of mapping techniques and in situ sediment sampling to assess the size and the variability of these stocks. This study aims to quantify the organic (Corg) and inorganic (Cinorg) carbon stocks in the P. oceanica matte of the Calvi Bay (Corsica) using sub-bottom profiler imagery and biogeochemical analysis of sediment cores. The matte thicknesses map (average ± SD: 2.2 m ± 0.4 m) coupled with marine benthic habitat cartography allows to estimate matte volume at 12 473 352 m3. The cumulative stocks were assessed at 20.2-50.3 kg Corg m-2 and 26.6-58.7 kg Cinorg m-2 within the first meter of depth on matte (3632 ± 486 cal yr BP). The data contributed to estimate the overall carbon stocks at 389 994 t Corg and 615 558 t Cinorg, offering a new insight of the heterogeneity of blue carbon stocks in seagrass meadows. Variability of carbon storage capacity of matte influenced by substrate is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michèle Leduc
- STARESO, BP 33, Pointe de la Revellata, 20260, Calvi, France.
| | - Arnaud Abadie
- Seaviews, 603 chemin des Severiers Nord, 13600, La Ciotat, France; Agence de l'eau Artois-Picardie, 200 rue Marceline, B.P. 80818, 59508, Douai, France
| | - Christophe Viala
- Seaviews, 603 chemin des Severiers Nord, 13600, La Ciotat, France
| | - Alban Bouchard
- iXblue, Acoustic Systems Business Unit, 46 quai François Mitterrand, 13600, La Ciotat, France
| | - Laura Iborra
- STARESO, BP 33, Pointe de la Revellata, 20260, Calvi, France
| | | | - Gilles Lepoint
- Laboratory of Trophic and Isotope Ecology (LETIS), UR FOCUS, University of Liège, 15 allée du six août, B-4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Michel Marengo
- STARESO, BP 33, Pointe de la Revellata, 20260, Calvi, France
| | - Gérard Pergent
- Equipe Ecosystèmes Littoraux, UMR CNRS SPE 6134, Università di Corsica Pasquale Paoli, Campus Grimaldi, BP 52, 20250, Corte, France
| | - Sylvie Gobert
- STARESO, BP 33, Pointe de la Revellata, 20260, Calvi, France; Laboratory of Oceanology, MARE Centre, UR FOCUS, University of Liège, 15 allée du six août, B-4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Pierre Lejeune
- STARESO, BP 33, Pointe de la Revellata, 20260, Calvi, France
| | - Briac Monnier
- Equipe Ecosystèmes Littoraux, UMR CNRS SPE 6134, Università di Corsica Pasquale Paoli, Campus Grimaldi, BP 52, 20250, Corte, France
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Two Sides of the Same Coin: A Theoretical Framework for Strong Sustainability in Marine Protected Areas. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14106332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
In 2014, the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory and the Sea (MATTM) launched the “Environmental Accounting in the Marine Protected Areas” (EAMPA) project, which proposed a new accounting model for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The model foresaw the integration of ecological and economic components in classical accounting schemes through the quantification of stock and flows embracing both the perspectives. The project, which ended in 2019, allowed the testing and the realization of the multidisciplinary framework. Later, in the context of the EU Interreg “Integrated management of ecological networks through parks and marine areas” (GIREPAM) project, an upgraded version of the EAMPA framework was developed, including additional but fundamental components leading to a more detailed and complete assessment as well as a better theoretical definition. The definitive management framework is outlined through the creation of the two parallel paths, but it provides as a final result three balances from the strong sustainability perspective: ecocentric, anthropocentric and integrated. To ensure that sustainability is obtained, all the three balances must guarantee a positive net benefit for humans and nature alike.
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