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Oprandi A, Mucerino L, De Leo F, Bianchi CN, Morri C, Azzola A, Benelli F, Besio G, Ferrari M, Montefalcone M. Effects of a severe storm on seagrass meadows. Sci Total Environ 2020; 748:141373. [PMID: 32805568 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Extreme environmental events can strongly affect coastal marine ecosystems but are typically unpredictable. Reliable data on benthic community conditions before such events are rarely available, making it difficult to measure their effects. At the end of October 2018, a severe storm hit the Ligurian coast (NW Mediterranean) producing damages to coastal infrastructures. Thanks to recent data collected just before the event on two Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows hit by the storm, it has been possible to assess the impact of the event on one of the most valuable habitats of the Mediterranean Sea. By means of seagrass cover and depth data gathered along four depth transects positioned within the two meadows in areas differently exposed to the storm waves, and by using models (WW3® + SWAN + XBeach 1D) to evaluate wave height and bed shear stress, we showed that meadows experienced erosion and burial phenomena according to exposure. Paradoxically, meadows in good conditions suffered more damage as compared to those already suffering from previous local anthropogenic impacts. Besides the direct effect of waves in terms of plant uprooting, a major loss of P. oceanica was due to sediment burial in the deepest parts of the meadows. Overall, the loss of living P. oceanica cover amounted to about 50%. Considering that previous research showed that the loss of the original surface of P. oceanica meadows in 160 years due to anthropogenic pressures was similarly around 50%, the present study documented that an extreme environmental event can generate in a single day a loss of natural capital equal to that produced gradually by more than a century of human impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Oprandi
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132 Genova, Italy; GeoScape Soc. Coop., Via Varese 2, I-16122 Genova, Italy.
| | - L Mucerino
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132 Genova, Italy; GeoScape Soc. Coop., Via Varese 2, I-16122 Genova, Italy
| | - F De Leo
- DiCCA (Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering), University of Genoa, Via Montallegro 1, I-16145 Genova, Italy
| | - C N Bianchi
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132 Genova, Italy
| | - C Morri
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132 Genova, Italy
| | - A Azzola
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132 Genova, Italy
| | - F Benelli
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132 Genova, Italy
| | - G Besio
- DiCCA (Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering), University of Genoa, Via Montallegro 1, I-16145 Genova, Italy
| | - M Ferrari
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132 Genova, Italy
| | - M Montefalcone
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132 Genova, Italy
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Bianchi CN, Azzola A, Bertolino M, Betti F, Bo M, Cattaneo-Vietti R, Cocito S, Montefalcone M, Morri C, Oprandi A, Peirano A, Bavestrello G. Consequences of the marine climate and ecosystem shift of the 1980-90s on the Ligurian Sea biodiversity (NW Mediterranean). The European Zoological Journal 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2019.1687765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. N. Bianchi
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - A. Azzola
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - M. Bertolino
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - F. Betti
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - M. Bo
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - R. Cattaneo-Vietti
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - S. Cocito
- ENEA (Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Marine Environment Research Centre, La Spezia, Italy
| | - M. Montefalcone
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - C. Morri
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - A. Oprandi
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - A. Peirano
- ENEA (Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Marine Environment Research Centre, La Spezia, Italy
| | - G. Bavestrello
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
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Losi V, Sbrocca C, Gatti G, Semprucci F, Rocchi M, Bianchi CN, Balsamo M. Sessile macrobenthos (Ochrophyta) drives seasonal change of meiofaunal community structure on temperate rocky reefs. Mar Environ Res 2018; 142:295-305. [PMID: 30409384 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 10/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Unlike the soft bottom meiofauna, meiofauna associated to hard substrata is poorly studied, despite its ecological relevance. Since communities of hard substrata are usually characterized by species with different life cycles and strategies from those of soft bottom assemblages, information on hard substrata meiofauna is still needed. In this study, sessile macrobenthos and the associated meiofaunal assemblages of two sites of Portofino (NW Mediterranean) were investigated in two seasons at three different depths on both sub-vertical and inclined reefs. The study aimed to assess the abundance, diversity and composition of the meiofauna and the factors structuring its assemblages. Moreover, as meiofauna is known to be dependent upon the substrate characteristics, the study investigated whether the meiofaunal patterns could be related to the sessile macrobenthos structure and composition, and to which extent. Macroalgae dominated the sessile macrobenthic assemblages, while Nematoda and Copepoda were the main meiofaunal groups. Meiofaunal higher-taxa richness and diversity resulted very high, due to the large number of different microhabitats offered by macroalgae. Macrobenthic assemblages were dominated by Rodophyta and Ochrophyta in summer, the latter dramatically collapsing in winter. The meiofaunal abundance and composition changed significantly with the season, consistently with the sessile macrobenthic assemblages, and resulted strongly correlated with Ochrophyta. Shaping the meiofaunal assemblages, macroalgae appeared to act as ecosystem engineer for the meiofauna.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Losi
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - C Sbrocca
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences (DiSB), University of Urbino, 61029 Urbino, Italy
| | - G Gatti
- Mediterranean Institute of Marine and Continental Biodiversity and Ecology (IMBE), CNRS, Station Marine D'Endoume, Chemin de la Batterie des Lions, 13007 Marseille, France
| | - F Semprucci
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences (DiSB), University of Urbino, 61029 Urbino, Italy.
| | - M Rocchi
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences (DiSB), University of Urbino, 61029 Urbino, Italy
| | - C N Bianchi
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - M Balsamo
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences (DiSB), University of Urbino, 61029 Urbino, Italy
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Giovannetti E, Montefalcone M, Morri C, Bianchi CN, Albertelli G. Early warning response of Posidonia oceanica epiphyte community to environmental alterations (Ligurian Sea, NW Mediterranean). Mar Pollut Bull 2010; 60:1031-9. [PMID: 20189197 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2010.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2009] [Revised: 01/27/2010] [Accepted: 01/28/2010] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The epiphyte community structure of the Posidonia oceanica leaves in three impacted meadows occurring in urbanised coastal areas was contrasted with that observed in three meadows located within Marine Protected Areas in the Ligurian Sea. Samplings were carried out in two distinct periods, at the beginning and at the end of the summer season, in order to individuate early changes in the epiphyte community structure. Differently from the descriptors commonly adopted for evaluating the health status of P. oceanica ecosystem, the epiphyte community structure was able to detect alterations in the water quality already after 4 months. The impacted meadows showed an immature epiphyte community characterised by large development of brown algae. Leaf P. oceanica epiphytes are, thus, proposed as appropriate biological quality elements (BQEs) able to show early responses to environmental alterations and they should be included in the monitoring programs for the conservation and the management of coastal areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Giovannetti
- DipTeRis, Department for the study of the Territory and of its Resources, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
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Lasagna R, Albertelli G, Giovannetti E, Grondona M, Milani A, Morri C, Bianchi CN. Status of Maldivian reefs eight years after the 1998 coral mass mortality. Chemistry and Ecology 2008; 24:67-72. [DOI: 10.1080/02757540801966454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
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