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Martinez M, Minetti R, La Marca EC, Montalto V, Rinaldi A, Costa E, Badalamenti F, Garaventa F, Mirto S, Ape F. The power of Posidonia oceanica meadows to retain microplastics and the consequences on associated macrofaunal benthic communities. Environ Pollut 2024; 348:123814. [PMID: 38499170 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
In the coastal environment, a large amount of microplastics (MPs) can accumulate in the sediments of seagrass beds. However, the potential impact these pollutants have on seagrasses and associated organisms is currently unknown. In this study, we investigated the differences in MPs abundance and composition (i.e., shape, colour and polymer type) in marine sediments collected at different depths (-5 m, -15 m, -20 m) at two sites characterized by the presence of Posidonia oceanica meadows and at one unvegetated site. In the vegetated sites, sediment samples were collected respectively above and below the upper and lower limits of the meadow (-5 m and -20 m), out of the P. oceanica meadow, and in the central portion of the meadow (-15 m). By focusing on the central part of the meadow, we investigated if the structural features (i.e. shoots density and leaf surface) can affect the amount of MPs retained within the underlying sediment and if these, in turn, can affect the associated benthic communities. Results showed that the number of MPs retained by P. oceanica meadows was higher than that found at the unvegetated site, showing also a different composition. In particular, at vegetated sites, we observed that MPs particles were more abundant within the meadow (at - 15 m), compared to the other depths, on unvegetated sediment, with a dominance of transparent fragments of polypropylene (PP). We observed that MPs entrapment by P. oceanica was accentuated by the higher shoots density, while the seagrass leaf surface did not appear to have any effect. Both the abundance and richness of macrofauna associated with P. oceanica rhizomes appear to be negatively influenced by the MPs abundance in the sediment. Overall, this study increases knowledge of the potential risks of MPs accumulation in important coastal habitats such as the Posidonia oceanica meadows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Martinez
- Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council (IAS-CNR), Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo n. 4521 (ex complesso Roosevelt), Località Addaura, 90149, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Roberta Minetti
- Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council (IAS-CNR), Via De Marini 16, 16149, Genova, Italy
| | - Emanuela Claudia La Marca
- Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council (IAS-CNR), Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo n. 4521 (ex complesso Roosevelt), Località Addaura, 90149, Palermo, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Centre (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Valeria Montalto
- Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council (IAS-CNR), Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo n. 4521 (ex complesso Roosevelt), Località Addaura, 90149, Palermo, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Centre (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessandro Rinaldi
- Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council (IAS-CNR), Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo n. 4521 (ex complesso Roosevelt), Località Addaura, 90149, Palermo, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Centre (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Elisa Costa
- Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council (IAS-CNR), Via De Marini 16, 16149, Genova, Italy
| | - Fabio Badalamenti
- Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council (IAS-CNR), Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo n. 4521 (ex complesso Roosevelt), Località Addaura, 90149, Palermo, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Centre (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesca Garaventa
- Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council (IAS-CNR), Via De Marini 16, 16149, Genova, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Centre (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Simone Mirto
- Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council (IAS-CNR), Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo n. 4521 (ex complesso Roosevelt), Località Addaura, 90149, Palermo, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Centre (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesca Ape
- Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council (ISMAR-CNR) Via Gobetti, 101, 40129, Bologna, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Centre (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133, Palermo, Italy
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Pisani D, De Lucia C, Pazienza P, Mastrototaro F, Tursi A, Chimienti G. Assessing the economic value of Posidonia oceanica (L.) at Tremiti Islands (Mediterranean Sea): An ecosystem condition-based approach. Mar Pollut Bull 2024; 202:116274. [PMID: 38564819 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
In the context of limiting global warming, the seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) gained the centrality of several international climate change mitigation projects being the most effective carbon storage sink among Mediterranean seagrasses. To assess and monitor the change of environmental conditions and economic values of natural resources, the present study moves from the insights of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting - Ecosystem Accounting to assess the economic value of the carbon sequestration and storage capacity of the Mediterranean-endemic seagrass P. oceanica at the Tremiti Islands Marine Protected Area. The economic value is compared across: i. the reference study by Pergent-Martini et al.; ii. the ecological condition-based approach; and iii. the unit value transfer. Based on the obtained outcomes, an ecosystem-based approach would prevent biases in the accounting of the ecosystem-service provision capacity of P. oceanica and help the policy maker to implement adequate public investment policies to mitigate its overall degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Pisani
- Department of Economics, Management and Territory, University of Foggia, Via Alberto da Zara, 11, Foggia, Italy.
| | - Caterina De Lucia
- Department of Economics, Management and Territory, University of Foggia, Via Alberto da Zara, 11, Foggia, Italy
| | - Pasquale Pazienza
- Department of Economics, Management and Territory, University of Foggia, Via Alberto da Zara, 11, Foggia, Italy
| | - Francesco Mastrototaro
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnology and Environment, University of Bari, Via E. Orabona, 4, 70125 Bari, Italy; CoNISMa, Piazzale Flaminio, 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Tursi
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnology and Environment, University of Bari, Via E. Orabona, 4, 70125 Bari, Italy; CoNISMa, Piazzale Flaminio, 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Chimienti
- CoNISMa, Piazzale Flaminio, 9, 00196 Rome, Italy; Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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3
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Astudillo-Gutierrez C, Gracia V, Cáceres I, Sierra JP, Sánchez-Arcilla A. Influence of seagrass meadow length on beach morphodynamics: An experimental study. Sci Total Environ 2024; 921:170888. [PMID: 38402968 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
A novel flume experiment was conducted to compare the sheltering effect of surrogate seagrass meadows of two different lengths against a bare beach (benchmark). The analyses focused on assessing the impact of meadow cross-shore extent on wave height attenuation, behaviour of wave orbital velocity components, sediment transport, and shoreline erosion. Throughout the tests conducted in the large-scale CIEM wave flume at LIM/UPC Barcelona, meadow density and submergence ratio remained constant, while irregular waves were run over an initial 1:15 sand beach profile. In both meadow layouts, a persistent decrease in wave height from the offshore area in front of the meadow to the breaking zone was found. This reduction was directly correlated with the length of the seagrass meadow. As a result of the reduction in wave energy, less erosion occurred at the shoreline in accordance with the decrease in wave height. The mean velocities exhibited changes in the velocity profile from the meadow area to the immediate zone behind the meadow, a phenomenon not observed in more onshoreward positions. Orbital velocities displayed a reduction exclusively for the long meadow case. This decrease was persistent up to the breaking zone. As a consequence of these changes, the long meadow layout led to a decrease in the volume of sediment transport and a breaker bar closer to the shoreline. The short meadow layout resulted in a higher volume of sediment transport compared to the long meadow layout, although still less than the benchmark layout. Furthermore, in the short meadow layout, the final bar was situated in a location similar to that observed in the benchmark layout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Astudillo-Gutierrez
- Laboratori d'Enginyeria Marítima, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Jordi Girona 1-3, Mòdul D1, Barcelona 08034, Spain; Centre Internacional d'Investigació dels Recursos Costaners (CIIRC), Jordi Girona 1-3, Mòdul D1, Barcelona 08034, Spain.
| | - Vicente Gracia
- Laboratori d'Enginyeria Marítima, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Jordi Girona 1-3, Mòdul D1, Barcelona 08034, Spain; Centre Internacional d'Investigació dels Recursos Costaners (CIIRC), Jordi Girona 1-3, Mòdul D1, Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - Iván Cáceres
- Laboratori d'Enginyeria Marítima, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Jordi Girona 1-3, Mòdul D1, Barcelona 08034, Spain; Centre Internacional d'Investigació dels Recursos Costaners (CIIRC), Jordi Girona 1-3, Mòdul D1, Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - Joan Pau Sierra
- Laboratori d'Enginyeria Marítima, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Jordi Girona 1-3, Mòdul D1, Barcelona 08034, Spain; Centre Internacional d'Investigació dels Recursos Costaners (CIIRC), Jordi Girona 1-3, Mòdul D1, Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - Agustín Sánchez-Arcilla
- Laboratori d'Enginyeria Marítima, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Jordi Girona 1-3, Mòdul D1, Barcelona 08034, Spain; Centre Internacional d'Investigació dels Recursos Costaners (CIIRC), Jordi Girona 1-3, Mòdul D1, Barcelona 08034, Spain
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Rindi L, Mintrone C, Ravaglioli C, Benedetti-Cecchi L. Spatial signatures of an approaching regime shift in Posidonia oceanica meadows. Mar Environ Res 2024; 198:106499. [PMID: 38640690 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Determining the proximity of ecosystems to tipping points is a critical yet complex task, heightened by the growing severity of climate change and local anthropogenic stressors on ecosystem integrity. Spatial Early Warning Signals (EWS) have been recognized for their potential in preemptively signaling regime shifts to degraded states, but their performance in natural systems remains uncertain. In this study, we investigated the performance of 'recovery length' - the spatial extent of recovery from a perturbation - and spatial EWS as early warnings of regime shifts in Posidonia oceanica meadows. Our experimental approach involved progressively thinning the P. oceanica canopy, from 0 to 100%, at the edge of a dead-matte area - a structure formed by dead P. oceanica rhizomes and colonized by algal turfs - to promote the propagation of algal turfs. We calculated recovery length as the distance from the dead-matte edge to the point where algal turfs colonized the canopy-thinned region. Our results showed a linear increase in recovery length with canopy thinning, successfully anticipated the degradation of P. oceanica. While spatial skewness decline with increased canopy degradation, other spatial EWS, such as Moran correlation at lag-1, low-frequency spatial spectra, and spatial variance, were ineffective in signaling this degradation. These findings underscore the potential of recovery length as a reliable early warning indicator of regime shifts in marine coastal ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Rindi
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Derna 1, Pisa, Italy; CoNISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy.
| | - Caterina Mintrone
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Derna 1, Pisa, Italy; CoNISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Ravaglioli
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Derna 1, Pisa, Italy; CoNISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
| | - Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Derna 1, Pisa, Italy; CoNISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
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5
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Nguyen HM, Hong UVT, Ruocco M, Dattolo E, Marín-Guirao L, Pernice M, Procaccini G. Thermo-priming triggers species-specific physiological and transcriptome responses in Mediterranean seagrasses. Plant Physiol Biochem 2024; 210:108614. [PMID: 38626655 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
Heat-priming improves plants' tolerance to a recurring heat stress event. The underlying molecular mechanisms of heat-priming are largely unknown in seagrasses. Here, ad hoc mesocosm experiments were conducted with two Mediterranean seagrass species, Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa. Plants were first exposed to heat-priming, followed by a heat-triggering event. A comprehensive assessment of plant stress response across different levels of biological organization was performed at the end of the triggering event. Morphological and physiological results showed an improved response of heat-primed P. oceanica plants while in C. nodosa both heat- and non-primed plants enhanced their growth rates at the end of the triggering event. As resulting from whole transcriptome sequencing, molecular functions related to several cellular compartments and processes were involved in the response to warming of non-primed plants, while the response of heat-primed plants involved a limited group of processes. Our results suggest that seagrasses acquire a primed state during the priming event, that eventually gives plants the ability to induce a more energy-effective response when the thermal stress event recurs. Different species may differ in their ability to perform an improved heat stress response after priming. This study provides pioneer molecular insights into the emerging topic of seagrass stress priming and may benefit future studies in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung Manh Nguyen
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - Uyen V T Hong
- La Trobe University, AgriBio Building, Bundoora, 3086, VIC, Australia; Department of Plant Biotechnology & Biotransformation, University of Science, Vietnam National University, 700000, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
| | - Miriam Ruocco
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - Emanuela Dattolo
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Piazza Marina 61, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Lázaro Marín-Guirao
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy; Oceanographic Center of Murcia, Seagrass Ecology Group, Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC), C/Varadero, San Pedro del Pinatar, 30740, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Mathieu Pernice
- Faculty of Science, Climate Change Cluster (C3), University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, 2007, NSW, Australia
| | - Gabriele Procaccini
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Piazza Marina 61, 90133, Palermo, Italy
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Bockel T, Marre G, Delaruelle G, Agel N, Boissery P, Guilhaumon F, Mouquet N, Mouillot D, Guilbert A, Deter J. Early signals of Posidonia oceanica meadows recovery in a context of wastewater treatment improvements. Mar Pollut Bull 2024; 201:116193. [PMID: 38428047 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Natural ecological restoration is a cornerstone of modern conservation science and managers need more documented "success stories" to lead the way. In French mediterranean sea, we monitored Posidonia oceanica lower limit using acoustic telemetry and photogrammetry and investigated the descriptors driving its variations, at a national scale and over more than a decade. We showed significant effects of environmental descriptors (region, sea surface temperature and bottom temperature) but also of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents proxies (size of WWTP, time since conformity, and distance to the closest effluent) on the meadows lower limit progression. This work indicates a possible positive response of P. oceanica meadows to improvements in wastewater treatment and a negative effect of high temperatures. While more data is needed, the example of French wastewater policy should inspire stakeholders and coastal managers in their efforts to limit anthropogenic pressures on vulnerable ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Bockel
- Andromède océanologie, 7 place Cassan, Carnon plage, 34130 Mauguio, France; MARBEC, UMR IRD-CNRS-UM-IFREMER 9190, Université Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier Cedex, France.
| | - Guilhem Marre
- Andromède océanologie, 7 place Cassan, Carnon plage, 34130 Mauguio, France
| | | | - Noémie Agel
- Andromède océanologie, 7 place Cassan, Carnon plage, 34130 Mauguio, France
| | - Pierre Boissery
- Agence de l'Eau Rhône-Méditerranée-Corse, Délégation de Marseille, immeuble CMCI, 2 rue Henri Barbusse, CS 90464, 13207 Marseille Cedex 01, France
| | - François Guilhaumon
- MARBEC, UMR IRD-CNRS-UM-IFREMER 9190, Université Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier Cedex, France
| | - Nicolas Mouquet
- MARBEC, UMR IRD-CNRS-UM-IFREMER 9190, Université Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier Cedex, France; FRB - CESAB, Institut Bouisson Bertrand, 5, rue de l'École de médecine, 34000 Montpellier, France
| | - David Mouillot
- MARBEC, UMR IRD-CNRS-UM-IFREMER 9190, Université Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier Cedex, France
| | - Antonin Guilbert
- Andromède océanologie, 7 place Cassan, Carnon plage, 34130 Mauguio, France
| | - Julie Deter
- Andromède océanologie, 7 place Cassan, Carnon plage, 34130 Mauguio, France; MARBEC, UMR IRD-CNRS-UM-IFREMER 9190, Université Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier Cedex, France
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Menicagli V, Balestri E, Bernardini G, Barsotti F, Fulignati S, Raspolli Galletti AM, Lardicci C. Beach-cast seagrass wrack: A natural marine resource improving the establishment of dune plant communities under a changing climate. Mar Pollut Bull 2024; 201:116270. [PMID: 38520997 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Seagrass wrack plays multiple ecological roles in coastal habitats but is often removed from beaches and used for economical processing, neglecting its potential role in sustaining dune plant establishment under changing climate scenarios. Rainwater shortage is a major stress for seedlings and reduced precipitations are expected in some coastal areas. We investigated in mesocosm how wrack influenced seedling performance of Cakile maritima, Thinopyrum junceum, and Calamagrostis arenaria under current and reduced precipitation. We also assessed wrack water holding capacity and leachate chemical/physical properties. Wrack stimulated seedling growth while reduced precipitation decreased root development. Wrack mitigated the effects of reduced precipitation on T. junceum and C. arenaria biomass. Wrack retained water up to five-fold its weight, increased water pH, conductivity, and nutrient content. Wrack promotes dune colonization by vegetation even under rainwater shortage. Thus, the maintenance of this natural resource on beaches is critical for improving dune resilience against climate changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Menicagli
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, via Derna 1, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Elena Balestri
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, via Derna 1, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Giada Bernardini
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, via Derna 1, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesca Barsotti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Sara Fulignati
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Claudio Lardicci
- Center for Instrument Sharing University of Pisa (CISUP), University of Pisa, via S. Maria 53, Pisa, Italy; Center for Climate Change Impact, University of Pisa, Via Del Borghetto 80, Pisa, Italy; Department of Earth Sciences, University of Pisa, via S. Maria 53, Pisa, Italy
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8
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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. J Environ Manage 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Morelle-Hungría E, Serra P. Ecocriminological analysis of brine in aquatic ecosystems: impacts on Posidonia oceanica and the search for restorative justice solutions. Open Res Eur 2024; 3:130. [PMID: 38370029 PMCID: PMC10873548 DOI: 10.12688/openreseurope.16365.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
The consumption of fresh water has generated additional problems in certain territories, along with the consequences of global warming. This has meant that in the most vulnerable areas, such as the Balearic archipelago in the Mediterranean, alternative water supply systems have been established: desalination plants. However, the ecological impact of these infrastructures is great, mainly affecting aquatic ecosystems. In light of the above, this paper addresses the ecological harm caused by desalination and brine discharges on a protected and priority species, P. Oceanica. Taking as ethico-legal foundation the theory of ecological justice, a multilevel analysis was carried out from an ecocriminology perspective on the impacts of this authorized practice on P. Oceanica and other species. Finally, a restorative justice view will allow us to understand and envision possible solutions to this ecological harm.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pablo Serra
- Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
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Pla M, Burgas A, Carrion G, Hermoso V, Feliu P, Romero S, Casanovas P, Sainz de la Maza P, Arnau P, Pino J, Brotons L. Mapping drivers of change for biodiversity risk assessment to target conservation actions: Human frequentation in protected areas. Heliyon 2024; 10:e25312. [PMID: 38322964 PMCID: PMC10844254 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Mapping the drivers of change that pose negative pressures or threats to biodiversity can help to identify where biodiversity is most threatened and can be used to determine priority sites to target conservation actions. Overlapping drivers of change maps with distribution maps of sensitive species provides valuable information to identify where and when it would be better to target actions to minimize the risk. The overall aim of this study was to develop a methodology for the integration of risk mapping associated with high human frequentation to guide conservation actions in two case study: the Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) and Posidonia meadows (Posidonia oceanica), both sensitive to human frequentation. To achieve this, we used two types of geolocated mobile phone information from the STRAVA platform: mapped paths and roads number of visitors at hourly precisions and a sporting activities heatmap representative of a wider period, together with species ecological information and complementary human frequentation data. The final, monthly risk maps identified the areas for Kentish plover with null, low, moderate, high, very high risk attributed to different aspects of the breeding biology of the species, nests, nestlings, and adults. The risk thresholds for nests are lower than for nestlings and adults, thought nestlings were generally less sensitive to human frequentation than adults. Visitors number ranges between 250 and 700 approximately suppose a moderate risk for the three assessed periods, and more than 1200 visitors appeared to prevent the nesting of the species completely. The final risk maps for Posidonia meadows determine the areas with low, moderate, hight and very high risk for human marine activities. Human frequentation values in this case study are scaled between 0 and 1, the results shows that values above 0.1 imply a high risk for the species. Both types of information can be used to target concrete, spatially explicit actions to minimize the risk caused by human frequentation. Furthermore, the first case study would allow to adapt the target actions to the species breeding phenology. The proposed risk assessment workflow is flexible and may be adjusted to match the available information and eventually could be adapted to other conservation objectives arising from different threats. In addition, data gathered from mobile mobility applications show great potential to accurately identify human frequentation, both spatially and temporally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Pla
- CREAF, E08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Forest Sciences and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), 25280 Solsona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Albert Burgas
- Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park, 17486 Castelló d'Empúries, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Gerard Carrion
- Cap de Creus Natural Park, 17489 El Port de la Selva, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Virgilio Hermoso
- Universidad de Sevilla, Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, 41011 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Ponç Feliu
- Cap de Creus Natural Park, 17489 El Port de la Selva, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Sergi Romero
- Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park, 17486 Castelló d'Empúries, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Pilar Casanovas
- Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda, Catalan Government, 08038 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Pau Sainz de la Maza
- Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda, Catalan Government, 08038 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Pedro Arnau
- International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE-UPC), 08860 Castelldefels, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Joan Pino
- CREAF, E08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
| | - Lluís Brotons
- CREAF, E08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Forest Sciences and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), 25280 Solsona, Catalonia, Spain
- CSIC, E08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
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Mnafki R, Morales A, Sillero L, Khiari R, Moussaoui Y, Labidi J. Integral Valorization of Posidonia oceanica Balls: An Abundant and Potential Biomass. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:164. [PMID: 38201829 PMCID: PMC10780897 DOI: 10.3390/polym16010164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Posidonia oceanica balls (POB), a kind of seagrass, are a significant environmental issue since they are annually discharged onto beaches. Their current usefulness limits interest in their management and enhances the environmental problem. Therefore, in this research, the potential of this lignocellulosic biomass was studied from a holistic biorefinery point of view. To this end, an in-depth study was carried out to select the best pathway for the integral valorization of POBs. First, an autohydrolysis process was studied for the recovery of oligosaccharides. Then, a delignification stage was applied, where, in addition to studying different delignification methods, the influence of the autohydrolysis pre-treatment was also investigated. Finally, cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) were obtained through a chemo-mechanical treatment. The results showed that autohydrolysis not only improved the delignification process and its products, but also allowed the hemicelluloses to be valorized. Acetoformosolv delignification proved to be the most successful in terms of lignin and cellulose properties. However, alkaline delignification was able to extract the highest amount of lignin with low purity. CNFs were also successfully produced from bleached solids. Therefore, the potential of POB as a feedstock for a biorefinery was confirmed, and the pathway should be chosen according to the requirements of the desired end products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rim Mnafki
- Organic Chemistry Laboratory (LR17ES08), Faculty of Sciences of Sfax, Sfax 3018, Tunisia
- Faculty of Sciences of Gafsa, University of Gafsa, Gafsa 2112, Tunisia
| | - Amaia Morales
- Biorefinery Processes Research Group, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Leyre Sillero
- Biorefinery Processes Research Group, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Ramzi Khiari
- Department of Textile, Higher Institute of Technological Studies (ISET) of Ksar-Hellal, Ksar-Hellal 5070, Tunisia
- CNRS, Grenoble INP, LGP2, University of Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Younes Moussaoui
- Organic Chemistry Laboratory (LR17ES08), Faculty of Sciences of Sfax, Sfax 3018, Tunisia
- Faculty of Sciences of Gafsa, University of Gafsa, Gafsa 2112, Tunisia
| | - Jalel Labidi
- Biorefinery Processes Research Group, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
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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. Mar Pollut Bull 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Alfattani A, Queiroz EF, Marcourt L, Leoni S, Stien D, Hofstetter V, Gindro K, Perron K, Wolfender JL. One-step Bio-guided Isolation of Secondary Metabolites from the Endophytic Fungus Penicillium crustosum Using High-resolution Semi-preparative HPLC. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2024; 27:573-583. [PMID: 37424340 DOI: 10.2174/1386207326666230707110651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An endophytic fungal strain Penicillium crustosum was isolated from the seagrass Posidonia oceanica and investigated to identify its antimicrobial constituents and characterize its metabolome composition. The ethyl acetate extract of this fungus exhibited antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as well as an anti-quorum sensing effect against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. METHODS The crude extract was profiled by UHPLC-HRMS/MS, and the dereplication was assisted by feature-based molecular networking. As a result, more than twenty compounds were annotated in this fungus. To rapidly identify the active compounds, the enriched extract was fractionated by semipreparative HPLC-UV applying a chromatographic gradient transfer and dry load sample introduction to maximise resolution. The collected fractions were profiled by 1H-NMR and UHPLC-HRMS. RESULTS The use of molecular networking-assisted UHPLC-HRMS/MS dereplication allowed preliminary identification of over 20 compounds present in the ethyl acetate extract of P. crustosum. The chromatographic approach significantly accelerated the isolation of the majority of compounds present in the active extract. The one-step fractionation allowed the isolation and identification of eight compounds (1-8). CONCLUSION This study led to the unambiguous identification of eight known secondary metabolites as well as the determination of their antibacterial properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulelah Alfattani
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CMU, Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CMU, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Emerson Ferreira Queiroz
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CMU, Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CMU, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Laurence Marcourt
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CMU, Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CMU, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sara Leoni
- Microbiological Analysis Platform, Microbiology Unit, Department of Botany and Plant Biology, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Didier Stien
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Biotechnologie Microbiennes, LBBM, Observatoire Océanologique, Banyuls-Sur-Mer, France
| | - Valerie Hofstetter
- Agroscope, Plant Protection Research Division, Mycology Group, Route de Duillier 50, P.O. Box 1012, 1260 Nyon, Switzerland
| | - Katia Gindro
- Agroscope, Plant Protection Research Division, Mycology Group, Route de Duillier 50, P.O. Box 1012, 1260 Nyon, Switzerland
| | - Karl Perron
- Microbiological Analysis Platform, Microbiology Unit, Department of Botany and Plant Biology, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Luc Wolfender
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CMU, Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CMU, Geneva, Switzerland
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14
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Barandiaran A, Lascano D, Montanes N, Balart R, Selles MA, Moreno V. Improvement of the Ductility of Environmentally Friendly Poly(lactide) Composites with Posidonia oceanica Wastes Plasticized with an Ester of Cinnamic Acid. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:4534. [PMID: 38231960 PMCID: PMC10708467 DOI: 10.3390/polym15234534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
New composite materials were developed with poly(lactide) (PLA) and Posidonia oceanica fibers through reactive extrusion in the presence of dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and subsequent injection molding. The effect of different amounts of methyl trans-cinnamate (MTC) on the mechanical, thermal, thermomechanical, and wettability properties was studied. The results showed that the presence of Posidonia oceanica fibers generated disruptions in the PLA matrix, causing a decrease in the tensile mechanical properties and causing an impact on the strength due to the stress concentration phenomenon. Reactive extrusion with DCP improved the PO/PLA interaction, diminishing the gap between the fibers and the surrounding matrix, as corroborated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). It was observed that 20 phr (parts by weight of the MTC, per one hundred parts by weight of the PO/PLA composite) led to a noticeable plasticizing effect, significantly increasing the elongation at break from 7.1% of neat PLA to 31.1%, which means an improvement of 338%. A considerable decrease in the glass transition temperature, from 61.1 °C of neat PLA to 41.6 °C, was also observed. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed a loss of thermal stability of the plasticized composites, mainly due to the volatility of the cinnamate ester, leading to a decrease in the onset degradation temperature above 10 phr MTC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diego Lascano
- Institute of Materials Technology (ITM), Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Plaza Ferrándiz y Carbonell 1, 03801 Alcoy, Spain; (A.B.); (N.M.); (R.B.); (M.A.S.)
| | | | | | | | - Virginia Moreno
- Institute of Materials Technology (ITM), Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Plaza Ferrándiz y Carbonell 1, 03801 Alcoy, Spain; (A.B.); (N.M.); (R.B.); (M.A.S.)
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15
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Hassen B, Sghaier DB, Matmati E, Mraouna R, El Bour M. Detection and quantification of microplastics in Posidonia oceanica banquettes in the Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023:10.1007/s11356-023-30798-w. [PMID: 37953419 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30798-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Plastic pollution and microplastic (MP) debris are some of the most significant solid waste pollutants, threatening the marine environment and causing sediment accumulation. Coastal seagrass areas are usually important habitats that support multiple living species and provide several ecosystem services. This study aimed to determine the abundance, characteristics, and composition of microplastics on the southern side of the Tunisian Mediterranean Sea by using Posidonia oceanica (P. oceanica) as a crucial trap for microplastics. Samples of Posidonia leaves were collected from the Tunisian coastal area of Gabes-City. The characterization of microplastic detritus was carried out by stereomicroscopy, and acid digestion of Posidonia tissue leaves was performed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of MPs using NMR spectroscopy. The study revealed pellets, threads, and fragments of polymers as the frequent forms found in MPs. Polyethylene, polystyrene, and bis(2-ethyl-hexyl) phthalates were the most abundant materials detected. P. oceanica leaves contributed notably to microplastic subsidence, seafloor horizontal migration, and sediment burial. Thus, marine flora appeared to be a good tool to detect and monitor plasticizers, and further studies of the P. oceanica seagrass areas will help in developing a more comprehensive knowledge of chemicals spreading over a geographical zone. The results obtained will be used for developing baseline data on plasticizer contamination on the wide-ranging marine coast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilel Hassen
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Pathology of Aquatic Organisms, Marine Laboratory, The National Institute of Science and Technology of the Sea, University of Carthage, 2025, Tunis, Salammbô, Tunisia.
| | - Dhouha Belhaj Sghaier
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Pathology of Aquatic Organisms, Marine Laboratory, The National Institute of Science and Technology of the Sea, University of Carthage, 2025, Tunis, Salammbô, Tunisia
| | - Emna Matmati
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Pathology of Aquatic Organisms, Marine Laboratory, The National Institute of Science and Technology of the Sea, University of Carthage, 2025, Tunis, Salammbô, Tunisia
| | - Radhia Mraouna
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Pathology of Aquatic Organisms, Marine Laboratory, The National Institute of Science and Technology of the Sea, University of Carthage, 2025, Tunis, Salammbô, Tunisia
| | - Monia El Bour
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Pathology of Aquatic Organisms, Marine Laboratory, The National Institute of Science and Technology of the Sea, University of Carthage, 2025, Tunis, Salammbô, Tunisia
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16
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Ferrández-Gómez B, Jordá JD, Cerdán M, Sánchez A. Valorization of Posidonia oceanica biomass: Role on germination of cucumber and tomato seeds. Waste Manag 2023; 171:634-641. [PMID: 37857050 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2023.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Biostimulants are organic compounds from plant sources such as botanical extracts and bioactive substances that promote plant growth, enhance photosynthesis and increase crop quality. The accumulation of detached Posidonia oceanica leaves on coasts of the Mediterranean Sea results in economic problems, due to the rejection of the tourists who frequent the beaches in the summer months. However, it is a plant with high content of secondary metabolites that can be used in sustainable agriculture. In this study we investigated the physicochemical characterization of Posidonia oceanica extracts with three different solutions and their application in tomato and cucumber seeds germination. The results showed that the aqueous extract of Posidonia oceanica had a high concentration of macro and micronutrients, as well as secondary metabolites with bioactive activity. The aqueous extract had a beneficial effect on both leaf and root growth on tomato seeds, specifically, an increase of 76% for the relative root growth and 73% for the germination index was obtained with respect to the control using the sample with the intermediate dilution (POe0.5). In addition, the extracts did not show toxicity to either germination or growth of the tomato plant. As for cucumber seed germination, the improvement was less significant and did result in a phytotoxic effect on both germination and plant growth. The most diluted extract had better results on seed germination. Therefore, the application of aqueous extracts of Posidonia oceanica were suitable to be appropriate for tomato germination and in turn contribute to eliminate the lots of Posidonia oceanica remains recovered in summer months in Mediterranean beaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Borja Ferrández-Gómez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Edaphology and Agricultural Chemistry, University of Alicante, 03080 Alicante, Spain
| | - Juana D Jordá
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Edaphology and Agricultural Chemistry, University of Alicante, 03080 Alicante, Spain
| | - Mar Cerdán
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Edaphology and Agricultural Chemistry, University of Alicante, 03080 Alicante, Spain
| | - Antonio Sánchez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Edaphology and Agricultural Chemistry, University of Alicante, 03080 Alicante, Spain.
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Bockel T, Marre G, Delaruelle G, Holon F, Boissery P, Blandin A, Mouquet N, Deter J. Anchoring pressure and the effectiveness of new management measures quantified using AIS data and a mobile application. Mar Pollut Bull 2023; 195:115511. [PMID: 37708607 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Large boats can have a major impact on sensitive marine habitats like seagrass meadows when anchoring. The anchoring preference of large boats and their impacts can be mapped using Automatic Identification System (AIS). We found a constant increase in the number of anchoring events with, until recently, a large part of them within the protected Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows. French authorities adopted a new regulation in 2019 forbidding any anchoring within P. oceanica seagrass meadows for boats larger than 24 m. The number of large ships (>24 m) anchoring in P. oceanica meadows significantly decreased after the enforcement of the regulation. The surface of avoided impact thanks to the new regulation corresponds to 134 to 217 tons of carbon sequestered by the preserved meadow in 2022. This work illustrates that a strict regulation of anchoring, based on accurate habitat maps, is effective in protecting seagrass meadows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Bockel
- Andromède océanologie, 7 place Cassan, Carnon plage, 34130 Mauguio, France; MARBEC, UMR IRD-CNRS-UM-IFREMER 9190, Université Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier Cedex, France.
| | - Guilhem Marre
- Andromède océanologie, 7 place Cassan, Carnon plage, 34130 Mauguio, France
| | | | - Florian Holon
- Andromède océanologie, 7 place Cassan, Carnon plage, 34130 Mauguio, France
| | - Pierre Boissery
- Agence de l'Eau Rhône-Méditerranée-, Corse, Délégation de Marseille, Marseille Cedex 01, France
| | - Agathe Blandin
- Andromède océanologie, 7 place Cassan, Carnon plage, 34130 Mauguio, France
| | - Nicolas Mouquet
- MARBEC, UMR IRD-CNRS-UM-IFREMER 9190, Université Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier Cedex, France; FRB - CESAB, Institut Bouisson Bertrand. 5, rue de l'École de médecine, 34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Julie Deter
- Andromède océanologie, 7 place Cassan, Carnon plage, 34130 Mauguio, France; MARBEC, UMR IRD-CNRS-UM-IFREMER 9190, Université Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier Cedex, France
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18
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Rotini A, Conte C, Winters G, Vasquez MI, Migliore L. Undisturbed Posidonia oceanica meadows maintain the epiphytic bacterial community in different environments. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:95464-95474. [PMID: 37548791 PMCID: PMC10482771 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28968-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Seagrasses harbour different and rich epiphytic bacterial communities. These microbes may establish intimate and symbiotic relationships with the seagrass plants and change according to host species, environmental conditions, and/or ecophysiological status of their seagrass host. Although Posidonia oceanica is one of the most studied seagrasses in the world, and bacteria associated with seagrasses have been studied for over a decade, P. oceanica's microbiome remains hitherto little explored. Here, we applied 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to explore the microbiome associated with the leaves of P. oceanica growing in two geomorphologically different meadows (e.g. depth, substrate, and turbidity) within the Limassol Bay (Cyprus). The morphometric (leaf area, meadow density) and biochemical (pigments, total phenols) descriptors highlighted the healthy conditions of both meadows. The leaf-associated bacterial communities showed similar structure and composition in the two sites; core microbiota members were dominated by bacteria belonging to the Thalassospiraceae, Microtrichaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Saprospiraceae, and Hyphomonadaceae families. This analogy, even under different geomorphological conditions, suggest that in the absence of disturbances, P. oceanica maintains characteristic-associated bacterial communities. This study provides a baseline for the knowledge of the P. oceanica microbiome and further supports its use as a putative seagrass descriptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Rotini
- ISPRA Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, Via Vitaliano Brancati, 48, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Conte
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Ecology and Ecotoxicology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Gidon Winters
- Dead Sea and Arava Science Center (DSASC), Masada National Park, 86910, Masada, Israel
- Eilat Campus, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Hatmarim Blv., 8855630, Eilat, Israel
| | - Marlen I Vasquez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, 30 Archbishop Kyprianos Str.t, 3036, Limassol, Cyprus
- European University of Technology, 30 Archbishop Kyprianos Str.t, 3036, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Luciana Migliore
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Ecology and Ecotoxicology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy.
- eCampus University, Via Isimbardi 10, 22060, Novedrate, CO, Italy.
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Santillán-Sarmiento A, Pazzaglia J, Ruocco M, Dattolo E, Ambrosino L, Winters G, Marin-Guirao L, Procaccini G. Gene co-expression network analysis for the selection of candidate early warning indicators of heat and nutrient stress in Posidonia oceanica. Sci Total Environ 2023; 877:162517. [PMID: 36868282 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The continuous worldwide seagrasses decline calls for immediate actions in order to preserve this precious marine ecosystem. The main stressors that have been linked with decline in seagrasses are 1) the increasing ocean temperature due to climate change and 2) the continuous inputs of nutrients (eutrophication) associated with coastal human activities. To avoid the loss of seagrass populations, an "early warning" system is needed. We used Weighed Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), a systems biology approach, to identify potential candidate genes that can provide an early warning signal of stress in the Mediterranean iconic seagrass Posidonia oceanica, anticipating plant mortality. Plants were collected from both eutrophic (EU) and oligotrophic (OL) environments and were exposed to thermal and nutrient stress in a dedicated mesocosm. By correlating the whole-genome gene expression after 2-weeks exposure with the shoot survival percentage after 5-weeks exposure to stressors, we were able to identify several transcripts that indicated an early activation of several biological processes (BP) including: protein metabolic process, RNA metabolic process, organonitrogen compound biosynthetic process, catabolic process and response to stimulus, which were shared among OL and EU plants and among leaf and shoot apical meristem (SAM), in response to excessive heat and nutrients. Our results suggest a more dynamic and specific response of the SAM compared to the leaf, especially the SAM from plants coming from a stressful environment appeared more dynamic than the SAM from a pristine environment. A vast list of potential molecular markers is also provided that can be used as targets to assess field samples.
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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, Trieste, Italy
| | - Miriam Ruocco
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Emanuela Dattolo
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Luca Ambrosino
- Research Infrastructure for Marine Biological Resources Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Gidon Winters
- Dead Sea and Arava Science Center (DSASC), Masada National Park, Mount Masada 8698000, Israel.; Eilat Campus, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Hatmarim Blv, Eilat 8855630, Israel
| | - Lázaro Marin-Guirao
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Naples, Italy; Seagrass Ecology Group, Oceanographic Center of Murcia, Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC), Murcia, Spain
| | - Gabriele Procaccini
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Naples, Italy.
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Russo F, Del Pizzo S, Di Ciaccio F, Troisi S. An Enhanced Photogrammetric Approach for the Underwater Surveying of the Posidonia Meadow Structure in the Spiaggia Nera Area of Maratea. J Imaging 2023; 9:113. [PMID: 37367461 DOI: 10.3390/jimaging9060113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The Posidonia oceanica meadows represent a fundamental biological indicator for the assessment of the marine ecosystem's state of health. They also play an essential role in the conservation of coastal morphology. The composition, extent, and structure of the meadows are conditioned by the biological characteristics of the plant itself and by the environmental setting, considering the type and nature of the substrate, the geomorphology of the seabed, the hydrodynamics, the depth, the light availability, the sedimentation speed, etc. In this work, we present a methodology for the effective monitoring and mapping of the Posidonia oceanica meadows by means of underwater photogrammetry. To reduce the effect of environmental factors on the underwater images (e.g., the bluish or greenish effects), the workflow is enhanced through the application of two different algorithms. The 3D point cloud obtained using the restored images allowed for a better categorization of a wider area than the one made using the original image elaboration. Therefore, this work aims at presenting a photogrammetric approach for the rapid and reliable characterization of the seabed, with particular reference to the Posidonia coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Russo
- International PhD Programme, UNESCO Chair "Environment, Resources and Sustainable Development", Department of Science and Technology, Parthenope University of Naples, 80143 Naples, Italy
- Prisma S.r.l, 80065 Sant'Agnello, NA, Italy
| | - Silvio Del Pizzo
- International PhD Programme, UNESCO Chair "Environment, Resources and Sustainable Development", Department of Science and Technology, Parthenope University of Naples, 80143 Naples, Italy
| | - Fabiana Di Ciaccio
- International PhD Programme, UNESCO Chair "Environment, Resources and Sustainable Development", Department of Science and Technology, Parthenope University of Naples, 80143 Naples, Italy
| | - Salvatore Troisi
- International PhD Programme, UNESCO Chair "Environment, Resources and Sustainable Development", Department of Science and Technology, Parthenope University of Naples, 80143 Naples, Italy
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21
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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. Mar Environ Res 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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22
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Restaino OF, Giosafatto CVL, Mirpoor SF, Cammarota M, Hejazi S, Mariniello L, Schiraldi C, Porta R. Sustainable Exploitation of Posidonia oceanica Sea Balls (Egagropili): A Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087301. [PMID: 37108463 PMCID: PMC10138933 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile is the main seagrass plant in the Mediterranean basin that forms huge underwater meadows. Its leaves, when decomposed, are transported to the coasts, where they create huge banquettes that protect the beaches from sea erosion. Its roots and rhizome fragments, instead, aggregate into fibrous sea balls, called egagropili, that are shaped and accumulated by the waves along the shoreline. Their presence on the beach is generally disliked by tourists, and, thus, local communities commonly treat them as waste to remove and discard. Posidonia oceanica egagropili might represent a vegetable lignocellulose biomass to be valorized as a renewable substrate to produce added value molecules in biotechnological processes, as bio-absorbents in environmental decontamination, to prepare new bioplastics and biocomposites, or as insulating and reinforcement materials for construction and building. In this review, the structural characteristics, and the biological role of Posidonia oceanica egagropili are described, as well as their applications in different fields as reported in scientific papers published in recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Odile Francesca Restaino
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Montesantangelo Campus, Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Concetta Valeria L Giosafatto
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Montesantangelo Campus, Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Seyedeh Fatemeh Mirpoor
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Montesantangelo Campus, Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Marcella Cammarota
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via De Crecchio 7, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Sondos Hejazi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Montesantangelo Campus, Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Loredana Mariniello
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Montesantangelo Campus, Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Chiara Schiraldi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via De Crecchio 7, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Raffaele Porta
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Montesantangelo Campus, Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
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23
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Badraoui R, Mannai G, Siddiqui AJ, Pacioglu O, Rudayni HA, Boufahja F, Essid N. How toxic is the COVID-19 drug azithromycin in the presence of Posidonia oceanica? Toxicokinetics and experimental approach of meiobenthic nematodes from a metallically pristine area. Environ Pollut 2023; 319:121007. [PMID: 36608722 PMCID: PMC9808061 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The current study presents the results of an experiment carried to assess the impact of azithromycin, a COVID-19 drug, probably accumulated in marine sediments for three years, since the start of the pandemic, on benthic marine nematodes. It was explored the extent to which a common macrophyte from the Mediterranean Sea influenced the toxic impact of azithromycin on meiobenthic nematodes. Metals are known to influence toxicity of azithromycin. The nematofauna from a metallically pristine site situated in Bizerte bay, Tunisia, was exposed to two concentrations of azithromycin [i.e. 5 and 10 μg l-1]. In addition, two masses of the common macrophyte Posidonia oceanica [10 and 20% Dry Weight (DW)] were considered and associated with azithromycin into four possible combinations. The abundance and the taxonomic diversity of the nematode communities decreased significantly following the exposure to azithromycin, which was confirmed by the toxicokinetic data and behaving as substrate for P-glycoprotein (P-gp). The toxicity of 5 μg l-1 dosage of azithromycin was partially reduced at 10% DW of Posidonia and completely at 20% DW. The results showed that 5 μg l-1 of azithromycin can be reduced by the macrophyte P. oceanica when present in the environment at low masses as 10% DW.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riadh Badraoui
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of General Biology, University of Ha'il, Ha'il, 81451, Saudi Arabia; Section of Histology-Cytology, Medicine Faculty of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, La Rabta-Tunis, 1007, Tunisia
| | - Ghofrane Mannai
- University of Carthage, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Laboratory of Environment Biomonitoring, Coastal Ecology and Ecotoxicology Unit, 7021, Zarzouna, Tunisia
| | - Arif J Siddiqui
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of General Biology, University of Ha'il, Ha'il, 81451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Octavian Pacioglu
- National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Hassan A Rudayni
- Biology Department, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, 11623, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fehmi Boufahja
- Biology Department, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, 11623, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Naceur Essid
- University of Carthage, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Laboratory of Environment Biomonitoring, Coastal Ecology and Ecotoxicology Unit, 7021, Zarzouna, Tunisia
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24
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García-Márquez MG, Rodríguez-Castañeda JC, Agawin NSR. Sunscreen exposure interferes with physiological processes while inducing oxidative stress in seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile. Mar Pollut Bull 2023; 187:114507. [PMID: 36566514 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The effects of a commercial sunscreen mixture on the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica were investigated, evaluating its response in physiological processes and biochemical indicators of oxidative stress. Short-term laboratory experiments were conducted recreating summer conditions, and two sunscreen concentrations were tested in whole P. oceanica plants placed inside aquaria. Although primary productivity of leaf segments seemed to benefit from sunscreen addition, probably due to inorganic nutrients released, the rest of the biological parameters reflected possible impairments in the overall functioning of P. oceanica as a result of oxidative damages. Chlorophyll production and nitrogen fixation associated with old leaves were inhibited under high sunscreen concentrations, which concurred with elevated reactive oxygen species production, catalase activity and polyphenols content in the seagrass leaves. These results emphasize the importance of directing future investigations on determining which specific components of sunscreen products are likely threatening the wellbeing of critical species, such as P. oceanica.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nona S R Agawin
- Marine Ecology and Systematics (MarES), Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
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25
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Bruno A, Velders AH, Biasone A, Li Vigni M, Mondelli D, Miano T. Chemical Composition, Biomolecular Analysis, and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Fingerprinting of Posidonia oceanica and Ascophyllum nodosum Extracts. Metabolites 2023; 13. [PMID: 36837789 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13020170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
A detailed analysis of the elemental and molecular composition of Posidonia oceanica (PO) and Ascophyllum nodosum (AN) is presented. In particular, an in-depth study of the molecular identification via NMR spectroscopy of aqueous and organic extracts of PO and AN was carried out, exploiting 2D COSY and pseudo-2D DOSY data to aid in the assignment of peaks in complex 1D proton NMR spectra. Many metabolites were identified, such as carbohydrates, amino acids, organic acids, fatty acids, and polyphenols, with NMR complementing the characterization of the two species by standard elemental analysis, HPLC analysis, and colorimetric testing. For PO, different parts of the live plant (roots, rhizomes, and leaves) were analysed, as well as the residues of the dead plant which typically deposit along the coasts. The combination of the various studies made it possible to recognize bioactive compounds naturally present in the two plant species and, in particular, in the PO residues, opening the door for their possible recycling and use in, for example, fertilizer. Furthermore, NMR is proven to be a powerful tool for the metabolomic study of plant species as it allows for the direct identification of specific biomarkers as well as providing a molecular fingerprint of the plant variety.
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26
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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). Mar Environ Res 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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27
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Pansini A, Bosch-Belmar M, Berlino M, Sarà G, Ceccherelli G. Collating evidence on the restoration efforts of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica: current knowledge and gaps. Sci Total Environ 2022; 851:158320. [PMID: 36037894 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Seagrass meadows are important shallow coastal ecosystems due to their contribution to enhancing biodiversity, nutrient cycling, carbon burial, and sediment stabilisation, but the maintenance of their integrity has been threatened by several anthropogenic disturbances. Active restoration is considered a reliable strategy to enhance recovery of seagrass ecosystems, and decision making for correct seagrass restoration management requires relying on valuable information regarding the effectiveness of past restoration actions and experimental efforts. Previous experimental efforts and human-mediated active restoration actions of the slow growing seagrass Posidonia oceanica have been collated here by combining a literature systematic review and questionnaires consulting seagrass ecology experts. Overall, the poor consistency of the available information on P. oceanica restoration may be due to the wide portfolio of practices and methodologies used in different conditions, that supports the need of further field manipulative experiments in various environmental contexts to fill the identified knowledge gaps. The current situation requires an international, collaborative effort from scientists and stakeholders to jointly design the future strategy forward in identifying the best practices that lead to efficient restorations of P. oceanica habitat and functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Pansini
- Dipartimento di Architettura, Design, Urbanistica, Università di Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, Sassari 07100, Italy.
| | - Mar Bosch-Belmar
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare (DISTEM), Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 22, Palermo 90123, Italy
| | - Manuel Berlino
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare (DISTEM), Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 22, Palermo 90123, Italy
| | - Gianluca Sarà
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare (DISTEM), Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 22, Palermo 90123, Italy
| | - Giulia Ceccherelli
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, Sassari 07100, Italy
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28
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Cataldo S, Muratore N, Giannici F, Bongiorno D, Chiodo V, Maisano S, Pettignano A. Hydrocarbons removal from synthetic bilge water by adsorption onto biochars of dead Posidonia oceanica. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2022; 29:90231-90247. [PMID: 35869342 PMCID: PMC9722887 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21998-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Bilge waters are wastewaters produced on boats during navigation and usually contain hydrocarbons and oils. They cannot be directly released into the sea if not below a hydrocarbons concentration limit set by current legislation. Appropriate oil in water separator (OWS) systems can be installed on board boats to remove hydrocarbons from bilge water allowing their spillage into the sea. These systems may contain an adsorption step on a suitable adsorbent. Here, biochars produced from pyrolysis of dead Posidonia oceanica, pristine or chemically activated, have been tested as hydrocarbons adsorbents. Adsorption experiments with aqueous dispersions simulating bilge waters containing a marine gas oil (MGO) fuel for boats, a surfactant, and different NaCl concentrations were carrying out. The hydrocarbons concentrations before and after adsorption have been directly measured by using the reverse phase HPLC technique coupled with a fluorescence detector. These measurements are very fast and their reliability was verified by re-measuring the hydrocarbons concentrations of some samples with the GC-MS-MS technique, according to one of the traditional methods for hydrocarbons determination in emulsions. Different isotherm equations were used to fit the adsorption data. The biochars were characterized from the chemical-structural point of view by means of several instrumental techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Cataldo
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica - Emilio Segrè, Università di Palermo, V.le delle Scienze, ed. 17, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - Nicola Muratore
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica - Emilio Segrè, Università di Palermo, V.le delle Scienze, ed. 17, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesco Giannici
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica - Emilio Segrè, Università di Palermo, V.le delle Scienze, ed. 17, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - David Bongiorno
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università di Palermo, V.le delle Scienze, ed. 17, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - Vitaliano Chiodo
- Istituto CNR-ITAE, via Salita S. Lucia sopra Contesse 5, 98126, Messina, Italy
| | - Susanna Maisano
- Istituto CNR-ITAE, via Salita S. Lucia sopra Contesse 5, 98126, Messina, Italy
| | - Alberto Pettignano
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica - Emilio Segrè, Università di Palermo, V.le delle Scienze, ed. 17, 90128, Palermo, Italy.
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Restaino OF, Scognamiglio M, Mirpoor SF, Cammarota M, Ventriglia R, Giosafatto CVL, Fiorentino A, Porta R, Schiraldi C. Enhanced Streptomyces roseochromogenes melanin production by using the marine renewable source Posidonia oceanica egagropili. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:7265-7283. [PMID: 36198867 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12191-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Since the possibility to biotechnologically produce melanin by Streptomycetes using plant biomass has been so far poorly investigated, Posidonia oceanica egagropili, a marine waste accumulating along the Mediterranean Sea coasts, was explored as a renewable source to enhance extracellular melanin production by Streptomyces roseochromogenes ATCC 13400. Therefore, different amounts of egagropili powder were added to a culture medium containing glucose, malt extract, and yeast extract, and their effect on the melanin biosynthesis was evaluated. A 2.5 g·L-1 supplementation in 120-h shake flask growths at 26 °C, at pH 6.0 and 250 rpm, was found to enhance the melanin production up to 3.94 ± 0.12 g·L-1, a value 7.4-fold higher than the control. Moreover, 2-L batches allowed to reach a concentration of 9.20 ± 0.12 g·L-1 in 96 h with a productivity of 0.098 g·L-1·h-1. Further studies also demonstrated that the melanin production enhancement was due to the synergistic effect of both the lignin carbohydrate complex and the holocellulose components of the egagropili. Finally, the pigment was purified from the broth supernatant by acidic precipitation and reversed-phase chromatography, characterized by UV absorbance and one- and two-dimensional NMR, and also tested for its chemical, antioxidant, and photo-protective properties. KEY POINTS: • S. roseochromogenes ATCC 13400 produces extracellular soluble melanin. • Egagropili added to the growth medium enhances melanin production and productivity. • Both the lignin carbohydrate complex and the holocellulose egagropili components influence the melanin biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Odile Francesca Restaino
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, Università Degli Studi Della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via De Crecchio 7, 80138, Naples, Italy. .,Department of Chemical Sciences, Università Degli Studi Di Napoli "Federico II", Montesantangelo Campus, via Cintia 4, 80126, Naples, Italy.
| | - Monica Scognamiglio
- Department of Environmental Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Università Degli Studi Della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via Vivaldi 43, 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - S Fatemeh Mirpoor
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Università Degli Studi Di Napoli "Federico II", Montesantangelo Campus, via Cintia 4, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Marcella Cammarota
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, Università Degli Studi Della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via De Crecchio 7, 80138, Naples, Italy
| | - Riccardo Ventriglia
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, Università Degli Studi Della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via De Crecchio 7, 80138, Naples, Italy
| | - C Valeria L Giosafatto
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Università Degli Studi Di Napoli "Federico II", Montesantangelo Campus, via Cintia 4, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Fiorentino
- Department of Environmental Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Università Degli Studi Della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via Vivaldi 43, 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Raffaele Porta
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Università Degli Studi Di Napoli "Federico II", Montesantangelo Campus, via Cintia 4, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Chiara Schiraldi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, Università Degli Studi Della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via De Crecchio 7, 80138, Naples, Italy
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Kuqo A, Mai C. Seagrass Leaves: An Alternative Resource for the Production of Insulation Materials. Materials (Basel) 2022; 15:6933. [PMID: 36234271 PMCID: PMC9570856 DOI: 10.3390/ma15196933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Seagrass wracks, the remains of dead leaves accumulated on seashores, are important ecosystems and beneficial for the marine environment. Their presence on the touristic beaches, however, is a problem for the tourism industry due to the lack of aesthetics and safety reasons. At the present time, seagrass leaves are landfilled, although this is not considered an ecological waste management practice. Among other proposed practices for more sustainable and environmentally friendly management, such as composting and biogas or energy generation, in this study we aim to use seagrass leaves for the production of insulation materials. Insulation boards from two types of seagrass leaves (Posidonia oceanica and Zostera marina) at densities varying from 80 to 200 kg m-3 were prepared and their physical and mechanical properties were examined and compared to those of wood fiber insulation boards. The thermal conductivity of seagrass-based insulation boards varied from 0.042 to 0.050 W m-1 K-1, which was up to 12% lower compared to the latter. The cone calorimetry analysis revealed that seagrass-based insulation boards are more fire resistant than those from wood fibers, as they release very low amounts of heat during combustion and do not ignite when exposed to a single flame (Bunsen burner). A simplified cost analysis showed that insulation boards made from seagrass leaves can be up to 30% cheaper compared to those made from wood fibers. After their end of life, seagrass leaves can again be considered a valuable resource and be further utilized by adopting other management strategies.
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Maberly SC, Stott A, Gontero B. The differential ability of two species of seagrass to use carbon dioxide and bicarbonate and their modelled response to rising concentrations of inorganic carbon. Front Plant Sci 2022; 13:936716. [PMID: 36388529 PMCID: PMC9648567 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.936716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Seagrass meadows are one of the most productive ecosystems on the planet, but their photosynthesis rate may be limited by carbon dioxide but mitigated by exploiting the high concentration of bicarbonate in the ocean using different active processes. Seagrasses are declining worldwide at an accelerating rate because of numerous anthropogenic pressures. However, rising ocean concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon, caused by increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, may benefit seagrass photosynthesis. Here we compare the ability of two seagrass from the Mediterranean Sea, Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile and Zostera marina L., to use carbon dioxide and bicarbonate at light saturation, and model how increasing concentrations of inorganic carbon affect their photosynthesis rate. pH-drift measurements confirmed that both species were able to use bicarbonate in addition to carbon dioxide, but that Z. marina was more effective than P. oceanica. Kinetic experiments showed that, compared to Z. marina, P. oceanica had a seven-fold higher affinity for carbon dioxide and a 1.6-fold higher affinity for bicarbonate. However, the maximal rate of bicarbonate uptake in Z. marina was 2.1-fold higher than in P. oceanica. In equilibrium with 410 ppm carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the modelled rates of photosynthesis by Z. marina were slightly higher than P. oceanica, less carbon limited and depended on bicarbonate to a greater extent. This greater reliance by Z. marina is consistent with its less depleted 13C content compared to P. oceanica. Modelled photosynthesis suggests that both species would depend on bicarbonate alone at an atmospheric carbon dioxide partial pressure of 280 ppm. P. oceanica was projected to benefit more than Z. marina with increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide partial pressures, and at the highest carbon dioxide scenario of 1135 ppm, would have higher rates of photosynthesis and be more saturated by inorganic carbon than Z. marina. In both species, the proportional reliance on bicarbonate declined markedly as carbon dioxide concentrations increased and in P. oceanica carbon dioxide would become the major source of inorganic carbon.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew W. Stott
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, United Kingdom
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Monnier B, Pergent G, Mateo MÁ, Clabaut P, Pergent-Martini C. Quantification of blue carbon stocks associated with Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows in Corsica (NW Mediterranean). Sci Total Environ 2022; 838:155864. [PMID: 35569651 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In the last decades, the increasing necessity to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations has intensified interest in quantifying the capacity of coastal ecosystems to sequester carbon, referred to commonly as 'Blue Carbon' (BC). Among coastal habitats, seagrass meadows are considered as natural carbon sinks due to their capacity to store large amounts of carbon in their sediments over long periods of time. However, the spatial heterogeneity of carbon stocks in seagrass sediments needs to be better understood to improve the accuracy of BC assessments, particularly where there is high environmental variability. In the Mediterranean, Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile constitutes extensive meadows considered as long-term carbon sinks due to the development of an exceptional structure known as 'matte', reaching several meters in height, which can be preserved over millennia. In order to specify the role of P. oceanica meadows in climate change mitigation, an estimate of carbon stocks has been conducted along the eastern coast of Corsica (NW Mediterranean). The approach is mainly based on the biogeochemical analysis of 39 sediment cores. Organic carbon (Corg; 327 ± 150 t ha-1, mean ± SE) and inorganic carbon stocks (Cinorg; 245 ± 45 t ha-1) show a high variability related to water depth, matrix (sandy vs rocky substrate) or the depositional environment (coastal vs estuary). The isotopic signature (δ13C) revealed a substantial contribution of allochthonous inputs of organic matter (macroalgae and sestonic sources) mainly in estuarine environment and shallow areas. The carbon stocks in the first 250 cm of matte (average thickness) were estimated at 5.6-14.0 million t Corg (study site) and 14.6-36.9 million t Corg (Corsica), corresponding to 11.6-29.2 and 30.4-76.8 years of CO2 emissions from the population of Corsica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briac Monnier
- Equipe Ecosystèmes Littoraux, FRES 3041/UMR CNRS SPE 6134, Université de Corse, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Campus Grimaldi BP 52, 20250 Corte, France; GIS Posidonie, Université de Corse, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Campus Grimaldi BP 52, 20250 Corte, France; Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain.
| | - Gérard Pergent
- Equipe Ecosystèmes Littoraux, FRES 3041/UMR CNRS SPE 6134, Université de Corse, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Campus Grimaldi BP 52, 20250 Corte, France; GIS Posidonie, Université de Corse, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Campus Grimaldi BP 52, 20250 Corte, France
| | - Miguel Ángel Mateo
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain; School of Science and Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, Edith Cowan University, 6027 Joondalup, WA, Australia
| | - Philippe Clabaut
- Clabaut Consultant Géologie, Impasse du Boutillier, 62240 Selles, France
| | - Christine Pergent-Martini
- Equipe Ecosystèmes Littoraux, FRES 3041/UMR CNRS SPE 6134, Université de Corse, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Campus Grimaldi BP 52, 20250 Corte, France; GIS Posidonie, Université de Corse, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Campus Grimaldi BP 52, 20250 Corte, France
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Pruckner S, Bedford J, Murphy L, Turner JA, Mills J. Adapting to heatwave-induced seagrass loss: Prioritizing management areas through environmental sensitivity mapping. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 2022; 272:107857. [PMID: 35937418 PMCID: PMC9189866 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecss.2022.107857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Seagrass meadows support complex species assemblages and provide ecosystem services with a multitude of socio-economic benefits. However, they are sensitive to anthropogenic pressures such as coastal development, agricultural run-off, and overfishing. The increasing prevalence of marine heatwaves (MHWs) due to climate change poses an additional and growing threat. In this study, we apply the environmental sensitivity mapping approach MESA (Mapping Environmentally Sensitive Assets) to explore the potential consequences of MHWs on the ecosystem services that Posidonia oceanica provides to coastal communities. Under the intermediate climate change scenario Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5, Mediterranean marine heatwaves will be severe by 2050, and will very likely increase mortality of P. oceanica. However, the societal risk of seagrass loss is not evenly distributed across the Mediterranean. The spatial distribution of socio-economic implications of seagrass loss is highlighted through two case studies on seagrass-dependent fisheries and coastal hazards. Coastal communities in Tunisia and Libya show very high sensitivity to a loss of fisheries due to a combination of increasingly intense and frequent MHWs, coupled with high proportions of regional seagrass-dependent fisheries catch. The coastlines of Italy, Tunisia, and Cyprus are shown to potentially be highly sensitive to loss of seagrass due to high levels of coastal hazards, and seagrass meadows susceptible to MHW-induced degradation. These coastlines are likely to suffer from reduced coastal protection services provided by intact seagrass meadows. We demonstrate the implications of MHWs for ecosystem service provision to coastal communities in the Mediterranean and the need for policy instruments to help mitigate and adapt to its effect. We also highlight the potential for environmental sensitivity mapping to help support policymakers with rapid screening tools to prioritize resources more effectively to areas where in-depth local planning is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Pruckner
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), 219 Huntingdon Road, CB30DL, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jacob Bedford
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), 219 Huntingdon Road, CB30DL, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Leo Murphy
- Fauna & Flora International, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke St, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph A. Turner
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), 219 Huntingdon Road, CB30DL, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Juliet Mills
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), 219 Huntingdon Road, CB30DL, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Mancini G, Ventura D, Casoli E, Belluscio A, Ardizzone GD. Transplantation on a Posidonia oceanica meadow to facilitate its recovery after the Concordia shipwrecking. Mar Pollut Bull 2022; 179:113683. [PMID: 35537303 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 02/19/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Ecological restoration is an important tool to reverse habitat loss and recover ecosystem services. Here, for two years, we examine the dynamic of Posidonia oceanica following the restoration of a 1149 m2 meadow damaged by the Concordia shipwreck. To evaluate the suitability of a recently employed seagrass restoration protocol, we assessed the patches' survival and development by high-spatial resolution photomosaics over the whole transplanted surface. To estimate recovery trajectories, we quantified the cuttings' survival, shoot density, and Daily Leaf Production within fixed monitoring squares. The outcomes confirmed that our protocol could be efficiently applied at larger scales, showing diminutions in cuttings' survival and shoot density over the first year (up to -20%), followed by stability in the number of living cuttings and increases of leaf bundles (up to +5%/year). Our insights demonstrate that the recovery of P. oceanica can be speeded up and underline the need for case-specific transplantation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Mancini
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; CIBM, Consorzio per il Centro Interuniversitario di Biologia Marina ed Ecologia Applicata "G. Bacci", Viale N. Sauro 4, I-57128 Livorno, Italy.
| | - D Ventura
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; CIBM, Consorzio per il Centro Interuniversitario di Biologia Marina ed Ecologia Applicata "G. Bacci", Viale N. Sauro 4, I-57128 Livorno, Italy
| | - E Casoli
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; CIBM, Consorzio per il Centro Interuniversitario di Biologia Marina ed Ecologia Applicata "G. Bacci", Viale N. Sauro 4, I-57128 Livorno, Italy
| | - A Belluscio
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; CIBM, Consorzio per il Centro Interuniversitario di Biologia Marina ed Ecologia Applicata "G. Bacci", Viale N. Sauro 4, I-57128 Livorno, Italy
| | - G D Ardizzone
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; CIBM, Consorzio per il Centro Interuniversitario di Biologia Marina ed Ecologia Applicata "G. Bacci", Viale N. Sauro 4, I-57128 Livorno, Italy
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Hernán G, Ortega MJ, Tomas F. Specialized compounds across ontogeny in the seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Phytochemistry 2022; 196:113070. [PMID: 34999511 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.113070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Differences in phenolic composition across different ontogenic stages can be crucial in determining the interaction outcomes between plants and their surrounding biotic environment. In seagrasses, specific phenolic compounds have rarely been analyzed and remain unexplored in ontogenic stages other than non-reproductive adults. Furthermore, it is generally accepted that plants would prioritize defense (e.g., through increased phenolic content) on tissues or stages that are critical for plant fitness but how this affects nutritional quality or plant resources has been scarcely explored. We analyzed how phenolic composition, N and C content and carbohydrate resources varied among different life stages (i.e. old and young leaves of reproductive and non-reproductive plants, and leaves of seedlings) in the seagrass Posidonia oceanica. We identified five phenolic compounds, whose structures were established as hydroxycinnamate esters of tartaric acid. Also, our results show that in all examined ontogenic stages phenolic compounds have the same qualitative composition but inflorescences exhibit higher contents than vegetative tissues. We did not find a reduction in stored resources in reproductive plants, pointing to some kind of compensatory mechanism in the production or storage of resources. In contrast, seedlings seemed to have less phenolic compounds than reproductive plants, perhaps due to limited resources available to allocate to phenolic production. Our results demonstrate how different ontogenic stages change their investment in specialized phenolic compounds prioritizing different functions according to the needs and limitations of that stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gema Hernán
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA; Department of Marine Ecology, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain.
| | - María J Ortega
- Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Cadiz, Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Fiona Tomas
- Department of Marine Ecology, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
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Jebara A, Hassen W, Ousleti A, Mabrouk L, Jaziri A, Di Bella G, Ben Mansour H. Multidrug-resistant epi-endophytic bacterial community in Posidonia oceanica of Mahdia coast as biomonitoring factor for antibiotic contamination. Arch Microbiol 2022; 204:229. [PMID: 35353264 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-022-02842-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Faced with the significant disturbances, mainly of anthropogenic origin, which affect the Mediterranean coastal ecosystem, Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile has often been used to assess the state of health of this environment. The present study aims to determine the multidrug resistance patterns among isolated and identified epi-endophytic bacterial strains in P. oceanica seagrass collected from Mahdia coastal seawater (Tunisia). To investigate the bacterial community structure and diversity from coastal seawater samples from Mahdia, total DNA extraction and 16S rRNA gene amplification were performed and analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The DGGE profiles showed that some bands were specific to a given site, while other bands were found to be common to more than one sample. In the other hand, bacterial strains were isolated from 1 mL of leaves and epiphytes suspension of P. oceanica seagrass in marine agar. Forty-three isolates were obtained, seven of them were selected and identified on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. These isolates belonged to the genus Bacillus, exhibiting 98-100% of identity with known sequences. Susceptibility patterns of these strains were studied toward commonly used antibiotics in Tunisia. All identified isolates were resistant to Aztreonam (72.1%), Ceftazidime (60.5%), Amoxicillin (56%) and Rifampicin (51.2%). S5-L13 strain had presented the highest multidrug resistance with a MAR index of 0.67.
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Agawin NSR, Sunyer-Caldú A, Díaz-Cruz MS, Frank-Comas A, García-Márquez MG, Tovar-Sánchez A. Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica accumulates sunscreen UV filters. Mar Pollut Bull 2022; 176:113417. [PMID: 35152115 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Certain ultra-violet filter (UVF) components of solar creams have negative impacts on coral reefs and have been prohibited in international tourism destinations (i.e., Hawaii, Florida, and Palau) to protect coral reefs. In the Mediterranean coasts which are also hotspots of international tourism and where endemic seagrass Posidonia oceanica forms extensive meadows, the accumulation of UVF components have not been studied. We report for the first time, that the rhizomes of P. oceanica internally accumulated UVFs BP3, BP4, AVO, 4MBC and MeBZT and the paraben preservative MePB. The components BP4 and MePB occurred in higher concentrations reaching up to 129 ng g-1 dw and 512 ng g-1 dw, respectively. This work emphasizes the need for more experimental studies on the effects of UVFs on seagrasses and check if we should follow suit to prohibit certain UVFs to protect this species as what has been done in other regions to protect corals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nona S R Agawin
- Marine Ecology and Systematics, Biology Department, Universidad de las Islas Baleares, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
| | - Adrià Sunyer-Caldú
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research Severo Ochoa Excellence Center, Spanish Council for Scientific Research (IDAEA-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Silvia Díaz-Cruz
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research Severo Ochoa Excellence Center, Spanish Council for Scientific Research (IDAEA-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aida Frank-Comas
- Marine Ecology and Systematics, Biology Department, Universidad de las Islas Baleares, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | | | - Antonio Tovar-Sánchez
- Department of Ecology and Coastal Management, Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (CSIC), Campus Rio San Pedro, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain
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Ventura D, Mancini G, Casoli E, Pace DS, Lasinio GJ, Belluscio A, Ardizzone G. Seagrass restoration monitoring and shallow-water benthic habitat mapping through a photogrammetry-based protocol. J Environ Manage 2022; 304:114262. [PMID: 34923414 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.114262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Seagrasses rank among the most productive yet highly threatened ecosystems on Earth. Loss of seagrass habitat because of anthropogenic disturbances and evidence of their limited resilience have provided the impetus for investigating and monitoring habitat restoration through transplantation programmes. Although Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry is becoming a more and more relevant technique for mapping underwater environments, no standardised methods currently exist to provide 3-dimensional high spatial resolution and accuracy cartographic products for monitoring seagrass transplantation areas. By synthesizing various remote sensing applications, we provide an underwater SfM-based protocol for monitoring large seagrass restoration areas. The data obtained from consumer-grade red-green-blue (RGB) imagery allowed the fine characterization of the seabed by using 3D dense point clouds and raster layers, including orthophoto mosaics and Digital Surface Models (DSM). The integration of high spatial resolution underwater imagery with object-based image classification (OBIA) technique provided a new tool to count transplanted Posidonia oceanica fragments and estimate the bottom coverage expressed as a percentage of seabed covered by such fragments. Finally, the resulting digital maps were integrated into Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to run topographic change detection analysis and evaluate the mean height of transplanted fragments and detect fine-scale changes in seabed vector ruggedness measure (VRM). Our study provides a guide for creating large-scale, replicable and ready-to-use products for a broad range of applications aimed at standardizing monitoring protocols in future seagrass restoration actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Ventura
- Department of Environmental Biology and Ecology, University of Rome 'La Sapienza', V. le dell'Università 32, 00185, Rome, Italy.
| | - Gianluca Mancini
- Department of Environmental Biology and Ecology, University of Rome 'La Sapienza', V. le dell'Università 32, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Edoardo Casoli
- Department of Environmental Biology and Ecology, University of Rome 'La Sapienza', V. le dell'Università 32, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Silvia Pace
- Department of Environmental Biology and Ecology, University of Rome 'La Sapienza', V. le dell'Università 32, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Jona Lasinio
- Department of Statistics Sciences, University of Rome 'La Sapienza', V. le dell'Università 32, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Belluscio
- Department of Environmental Biology and Ecology, University of Rome 'La Sapienza', V. le dell'Università 32, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Giandomenico Ardizzone
- Department of Environmental Biology and Ecology, University of Rome 'La Sapienza', V. le dell'Università 32, 00185, Rome, Italy
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Blanco-Murillo F, Fernández-Torquemada Y, Garrote-Moreno A, Sáez CA, Sánchez-Lizaso JL. Posidonia oceanica L. (Delile) meadows regression: Long-term affection may be induced by multiple impacts. Mar Environ Res 2022; 174:105557. [PMID: 35042063 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Coastal development has an undeniable impact on marine ecosystems resulting in the detriment of the more sensible communities. Posidonia oceanica meadows are climax communities which offer a wide variety of ecosystem services both ecological and socio-economic. Human-derived impact on these habitats has been widely assessed although conclusions may vary depending on the area. P. oceanica meadow regression next to the city of Alicante (SE Spain) was analyzed on the long term (1984-2014) using bionomic cartographies and side-scan sonar images and, during the last two decades (2003-2021), using cover percentage and shoot density descriptors in the remaining meadow. Results showed a 25% colonized area reduction since 1984, this process being more rapid during the 1984-1994 period and decreasing with time. Cover and density have suffered a significant decrease in the last 20 years, mainly in the upper limit of the meadow. Dead matte cover was also assessed and have shown a significant increase in the same period following an inverse trend with the other metrics. There are several coastal impacts which have co-occurred in the area in the last few decades (port enlargement, brine and sewage discharges, industrial activity) thus resulting in the regression of the meadow. The existing negative trend of the measured descriptors indicate the necessity of implementing management actions which focus on the present sources of impact and actively reduce their effect on P. oceanica beds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Blanco-Murillo
- Department of Marine Sciences and Applied Biology, University of Alicante, POB, 99, E-03080, Alicante, Spain; Doctorado Interdisciplinario en Ciencias Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Playa Ancha, 2340000, Valparaíso, Chile.
| | | | - Aurora Garrote-Moreno
- Department of Marine Sciences and Applied Biology, University of Alicante, POB, 99, E-03080, Alicante, Spain
| | - Claudio A Sáez
- Department of Marine Sciences and Applied Biology, University of Alicante, POB, 99, E-03080, Alicante, Spain; HUB AMBIENTAL UPLA, Centro de Estudios Avanzados, Universidad de Playa Ancha, 2340000, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Jose Luis Sánchez-Lizaso
- Department of Marine Sciences and Applied Biology, University of Alicante, POB, 99, E-03080, Alicante, Spain
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Fernández-Juárez V, Jaén-Luchoro D, Brito-Echeverría J, Agawin NSR, Bennasar-Figueras A, Echeveste P. Everything Is Everywhere: Physiological Responses of the Mediterranean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean Epiphyte Cobetia Sp. to Varying Nutrient Concentration. Microb Ecol 2022; 83:296-313. [PMID: 33954842 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01766-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria are essential in the maintenance and sustainment of marine environments (e.g., benthic systems), playing a key role in marine food webs and nutrient cycling. These microorganisms can live associated as epiphytic or endophytic populations with superior organisms with valuable ecological functions, e.g., seagrasses. Here, we isolated, identified, sequenced, and exposed two strains of the same species (i.e., identified as Cobetia sp.) from two different marine environments to different nutrient regimes using batch cultures: (1) Cobetia sp. UIB 001 from the endemic Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica and (2) Cobetia sp. 4B UA from the endemic Humboldt Current System (HCS) seagrass Heterozostera chilensis. From our physiological studies, both strains behaved as bacteria capable to cope with different nutrient and pH regimes, i.e., N, P, and Fe combined with different pH levels, both in long-term (12 days (d)) and short-term studies (4 d/96 h (h)). We showed that the isolated strains were sensitive to the N source (inorganic and organic) at low and high concentrations and low pH levels. Low availability of phosphorus (P) and Fe had a negative independent effect on growth, especially in the long-term studies. The strain UIB 001 showed a better adaptation to low nutrient concentrations, being a potential N2-fixer, reaching higher growth rates (μ) than the HCS strain. P-acquisition mechanisms were deeply investigated at the enzymatic (i.e., alkaline phosphatase activity, APA) and structural level (e.g., alkaline phosphatase D, PhoD). Finally, these results were complemented with the study of biochemical markers, i.e., reactive oxygen species (ROS). In short, we present how ecological niches (i.e., MS and HCS) might determine, select, and modify the genomic and phenotypic features of the same bacterial species (i.e., Cobetia spp.) found in different marine environments, pointing to a direct correlation between adaptability and oligotrophy of seawater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Fernández-Juárez
- Marine Ecology and Systematics (MarES), Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain.
| | - Daniel Jaén-Luchoro
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Culture Collection University of Gothenburg (CCUG), Sahlgrenska Academy of the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jocelyn Brito-Echeverría
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Nona S R Agawin
- Marine Ecology and Systematics (MarES), Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain
| | | | - Pedro Echeveste
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
- Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía, Concepción, Chile
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Ventura D, Castoro L, Mancini G, Casoli E, Pace DS, Belluscio A, Ardizzone G. High spatial resolution underwater data for mapping seagrass transplantation: A powerful tool for visualization and analysis. Data Brief 2022; 40:107735. [PMID: 35005133 PMCID: PMC8717443 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2021.107735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
These datasets derived from our mapping protocol are presented as a research article in the Journal of Environmental Management [1]. In particular, by using a Structure from Motion photogrammetric workflow we produced high spatial resolution 2D raster maps and 3D outputs such as dense points clouds and textured meshes of an underwater seagrass restoration site. In this area transplanted fragments of Posidonia oceanica were planted to restore this impacted site after the Costa Concordia shipwrecking which occurred on 13 January 2012 along the NE coast of Giglio Island (Tuscany, Italy). Photogrammetric outputs were used to render the underwater environment by using the open-source software Blender allowing a fine 3D modelling and immersive visualization of the mapped area. This data other than providing an exceptional tool for analysing the benthic habitats from a biological point of view, following over time the progress transplanting operations, might also provide a new way to visualize and share the perception of such underwater shallow environments to a large plethora of users, increasing the public awareness on restoration programmes and promoting new action aimed at restored underwater habitats restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Ventura
- Department of Environmental Biology, University of Rome 'La Sapienza' - V. le dell'Università 32, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Luca Castoro
- Department of Engineering, Roma Tre University - Via della Vasca Navale, Roma 79-00146, Italy
| | - Gianluca Mancini
- Department of Environmental Biology, University of Rome 'La Sapienza' - V. le dell'Università 32, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Edoardo Casoli
- Department of Environmental Biology, University of Rome 'La Sapienza' - V. le dell'Università 32, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Daniela Silvia Pace
- Department of Environmental Biology, University of Rome 'La Sapienza' - V. le dell'Università 32, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Andrea Belluscio
- Department of Environmental Biology, University of Rome 'La Sapienza' - V. le dell'Università 32, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Giandomenico Ardizzone
- Department of Environmental Biology, University of Rome 'La Sapienza' - V. le dell'Università 32, Rome 00185, Italy
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Casella N, Careddu G, Calizza E, Sporta Caputi S, Rossi L, Belluscio A, Ardizzone G, Calcagnile L, Quarta G, D'Elia M, Costantini ML. Increasing nutrient inputs over the last 500 years in an Italian low-impacted seagrass meadow. Mar Pollut Bull 2022; 174:113298. [PMID: 34995890 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Posidonia oceanica is a seagrass endemic to the Mediterranean and it has been widely used as a bioindicator. We studied the layers of a 500-year-old matte using a multiproxy approach (δ13C, δ15N, 14C and C and N concentrations in seagrass debris) in order to evaluate the potential of P. oceanica as a long-term environmental indicator of N pollution and CO2 emissions. From 1581 to 1800, accumulation rate was ca. 0.35 cm year-1, while in the last 100 years it has amounted to ca. 0.51 cm year-1. We observed increasing δ15N values with height in the vertical matte profile, indicating an increase in anthropogenic organic N inputs over time. In contrast, no clear trend in the δ13C values was observed. This study reconstructs the long-term impact of human activities on a seagrass meadow located off the Italian coast, yielding long-term background information that can help managers to implement efficient plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolò Casella
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulio Careddu
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Rome, Italy.
| | - Edoardo Calizza
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Sporta Caputi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Rome, Italy
| | - Loreto Rossi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Belluscio
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Lucio Calcagnile
- CEDAD (CEnter of Applied Physics, DAting and Diagnostics), Department of Mathematics and Physics "Ennio De Giorgi", University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Gianluca Quarta
- CEDAD (CEnter of Applied Physics, DAting and Diagnostics), Department of Mathematics and Physics "Ennio De Giorgi", University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Marisa D'Elia
- CEDAD (CEnter of Applied Physics, DAting and Diagnostics), Department of Mathematics and Physics "Ennio De Giorgi", University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Maria Letizia Costantini
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Rome, Italy
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Navarrete-Fernández T, Bermejo R, Hernández I, Deidun A, Andreu-Cazenave M, Cózar A. The role of seagrass meadows in the coastal trapping of litter. Mar Pollut Bull 2022; 174:113299. [PMID: 35090282 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The accelerated discard and mismanagement of human-made products are resulting in the continued input of litter into the oceans. Models and field observations show how floating litter can accumulate in remote areas throughout the global ocean, but far less is known about the non-floating litter fraction. Seagrass meadows play an important role in the sediment and natural-debris dynamics, and likely also in the storage and processing of non-floating litter. In this work, non-floating litter was studied across six Posidonia oceanica meadows. Litter accumulated mainly around the landside edge of the meadow. The outer margin of the edge predominantly trapped macro-litter, whilst microplastics accumulated mainly along the inner margin. On average, macro-litter concentrations increased 3-fold after heavy rainfall. Retention of non-floating litter by coastal meadows facilitates the recurrent landward-seaward conveyance of the easily-transportable litter (mainly plastic items) and its fragmentation before it is buried or transferred to deeper areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Navarrete-Fernández
- University of Cádiz, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Department of Biology, Av. República Saharaui s/n, Puerto Real 11510, Spain.
| | - R Bermejo
- University of Cádiz, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Department of Biology, Av. República Saharaui s/n, Puerto Real 11510, Spain.
| | - I Hernández
- University of Cádiz, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Department of Biology, Av. República Saharaui s/n, Puerto Real 11510, Spain.
| | - A Deidun
- University of Malta, Faculty of Science, Department of Geosciences, MSD 2080, Malta..
| | - M Andreu-Cazenave
- University of Cádiz, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Department of Biology, Av. República Saharaui s/n, Puerto Real 11510, Spain
| | - A Cózar
- University of Cádiz, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Department of Biology, Av. República Saharaui s/n, Puerto Real 11510, Spain.
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Pfeifer L. "Neptune Balls" Polysaccharides: Disentangling the Wiry Seagrass Detritus. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:4285. [PMID: 34960836 DOI: 10.3390/polym13244285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Each year, high amounts of dead seagrass material are washed ashore at beaches world-wide. In the Mediterranean region, the seagrass Posidonia oceanica is responsible for huge agglomerates of ball-like seagrass litter. As these are often removed due to touristic reasons, a reuse method would be a step towards a more ecologically oriented society. In this study, the main polysaccharide components were analyzed, in order to propose possible usage options. To do this, different aqueous fractions were extracted, analyzed by classical carbohydrate analysis methods (GC-FID/MS, colorimetric assay and elemental analysis), and purified by ion-exchange chromatography, as well as selective precipitation with a detecting agent for highly glycosylated glycoproteins. The obtained purified fractions were analyzed in detail and a linkage-type analysis of the most promising extract was conducted via permethylation. Only low amounts of glycoproteins, as well as medium amounts of the characteristic apiogalacturonan were likely to be present, while xylan seemed to be the most abundant polysaccharide in most fractions. A partial structural proposal showed general accordance with land plant xylans, presenting reuse options in the field of biofuel and bioplastic generation.
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Alfattani A, Marcourt L, Hofstetter V, Queiroz EF, Leoni S, Allard PM, Gindro K, Stien D, Perron K, Wolfender JL. Combination of Pseudo-LC-NMR and HRMS/MS-Based Molecular Networking for the Rapid Identification of Antimicrobial Metabolites From Fusarium petroliphilum. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:725691. [PMID: 34746230 PMCID: PMC8569130 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.725691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
An endophytic fungal strain isolated from a seagrass endemic to the Mediterranean Sea (Posidonia oceanica) was studied in order to identify its antimicrobial constituents and further characterize the composition of its metabolome. It was identified as Fusarium petroliphilum by in-depth phylogenetic analyses. The ethyl acetate extract of that strain exhibited antimicrobial activities and an ability to inhibit quorum sensing of Staphylococcus aureus. To perform this study with a few tens of mg of extract, an innovative one-step generic strategy was devised. On one side, the extract was analyzed by UHPLC-HRMS/MS molecular networking for dereplication. On the other side, semi-preparative HPLC using a similar gradient profile was used for a single-step high-resolution fractionation. All fractions were systematically profiled by 1H-NMR. The data were assembled into a 2D contour map, which we call “pseudo-LC-NMR,” and combined with those of UHPLC-HRMS/MS. This further highlighted the connection within structurally related compounds, facilitated data interpretation, and provided an unbiased quantitative profiling of the main extract constituents. This innovative strategy led to an unambiguous characterization of all major specialized metabolites of that extract and to the localization of its bioactive compounds. Altogether, this approach identified 22 compounds, 13 of them being new natural products and six being inhibitors of the quorum sensing mechanism of S. aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Minor analogues were also identified by annotation propagation through the corresponding HRMS/MS molecular network, which enabled a consistent annotation of 27 additional metabolites. This approach was designed to be generic and applicable to natural extracts of the same polarity range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulelah Alfattani
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, ISPSO, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Laurence Marcourt
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, ISPSO, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Valérie Hofstetter
- Institute for Plant Production Sciences IPS, Agroscope, Nyon, Switzerland
| | - Emerson Ferreira Queiroz
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, ISPSO, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sara Leoni
- Microbiology Unit, Department of Botany and Plant Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pierre-Marie Allard
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, ISPSO, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Katia Gindro
- Institute for Plant Production Sciences IPS, Agroscope, Nyon, Switzerland
| | - Didier Stien
- Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Biotechnologie Microbienne, USR3579, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Banyuls-sur-mer, France
| | - Karl Perron
- Microbiology Unit, Department of Botany and Plant Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Luc Wolfender
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, ISPSO, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Öztürk RÇ, Gedik K, Şahin A, Özvarol Y, Mutlu E. Comparative trace element trends in Posidonia oceanica and its sediments along the Turkish-Mediterranean Sea coast. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2021; 28:61397-61407. [PMID: 34176047 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-15089-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Concentrations of eight trace elements (V, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb) were investigated in Posidonia oceanica leaf blades and sediments sampled from 23 stations along the Turkish-Mediterranean Sea coast. Trace element (TE) concentration in both sediment and P. oceanica showed a statistically significant distribution among sampling stations. Most of the TE concentration in samples varied remarkably among stations without a consistent trend. Concentrations of Zn, Cd, Cu, and Pb in the sediment of all of the sampling stations were determined as non-polluted based on the comparison with the sediment quality guideline index. More than a quarter of the sampling stations were found as moderately or heavily polluted for Cr, Ni, and As. The mean TE concentrations found in the sediment sample in the present study were similar to the concentrations reported from the different parts of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. TE concentrations in P. oceanica were generally lower compared to the concentrations in the sediment except for Cd, Zn, and Cu. While a positive correlation was found for Ni concentrations between sediment and P. oceanica samples, negative correlation was detected for V, Cr, Zn, Cu, As, and Cd concentrations between sediment and P. oceanica. The highest bioaccumulation factor in P. oceanica was calculated for Cd. The study area of the present study, especially the western sites (provinces of Antalya and Muğla), hosts millions of tourists annually and under the influence of intensive human activities in summer. Thus, coastal waters are heavily exposed to TEs and significantly positive correlations were detected between the anthropogenic TE pollutants (As, Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, and V) and natural sourced TE (Ni and Cr). Based on our data, the Mediterranean Sea coast of Turkey does not present significant levels of Zd, Cd, Cu, and Pb pollution, whereas 65% of the stations were heavily polluted with As. Since As categorized as carcinogenic to humans, seafood sources should be monitored in terms of As concentrations. The current data might be useful in further TE-monitoring studies and TE discharge management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafet Çağrı Öztürk
- Department of Fisheries Technology Engineering, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey.
| | - Kenan Gedik
- Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Şahin
- Department of Fisheries Technology Engineering, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey
| | - Yaşar Özvarol
- Kemer Faculty of Maritime, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Erhan Mutlu
- Fisheries Faculty, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey
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Rubio-Portillo E, Martin-Cuadrado AB, Ramos-Esplá AÁ, Antón J. Metagenomics Unveils Posidonia oceanica "Banquettes" as a Potential Source of Novel Bioactive Compounds and Carbohydrate Active Enzymes (CAZymes). mSystems 2021; 6:e0086621. [PMID: 34519521 PMCID: PMC8547425 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00866-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Posidonia oceanica is a long-living and very slow-growing marine seagrass endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. It produces large amounts of leaf material and rhizomes, which can reach the shore and build important banks known as "banquettes." In recent years, interest in the potential uses of these P. oceanica banquettes has increased, and it was demonstrated that biomass extracts showed antioxidant, antifungal, and antiviral activities. The discovery of new compounds through the culture of microorganisms is limited, and to overcome this limitation, we performed a metagenomic study to investigate the microbial community associated with P. oceanica banquettes. Our results showed that the microbial community associated with P. oceanica banquettes was dominated by Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Cyanobacteria. Pseudoalteromonas was the dominant genus, followed by Alteromonas, Labrenzia, and Aquimarina. The metagenome reads were binned and assembled into 23 nearly complete metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), which belonged to new families of Cyanobacteria, Myxococcota, and Granulosicoccaceae and also to the novel genus recently described as Gammaproteobacteria family UBA10353. A comparative analysis with 60 published metagenomes from different environments, including seawater, marine biofilms, soils, corals, sponges, and hydrothermal vents, indicated that banquettes have numbers of natural products and carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) similar to those found for soils and were only surpassed by marine biofilms. New proteins assigned to cellulosome modules and lignocellulose-degrading enzymes were also found. These results unveiled the diverse microbial composition of P. oceanica banquettes and determined that banquettes are a potential source of bioactive compounds and novel enzymes. IMPORTANCE Posidonia oceanica is a long-living and very slow-growing marine seagrass endemic to the Mediterranean Sea that forms large amounts of leaf material and rhizomes, which can reach the shore and build important banks known as "banquettes." These banquettes accumulate on the shore, where they can prevent erosion, although they also cause social concern due to their impact on beach use. Furthermore, Posidonia dry material has been considered a source of traditional remedies in several areas of the Mediterranean, and a few studies have been carried out to explore pharmacological activities of Posidonia extracts. The work presented here provides the first characterization of the microbiome associated with Posidonia banquettes. We carried out a metagenomic analysis together with an in-depth comparison of the banquette metagenome with 60 published metagenomes from different environments. This comparative analysis has unveiled the potential that Posidonia banquettes have for the synthesis of natural products, both in abundance (only surpassed by marine biofilms) and novelty. These products include mainly nonribosomal peptides and carbohydrate active enzymes. Thus, the interest of our work lies in the interest of Posidonia "waste" material as a source of new bioactive compounds and CAZymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Rubio-Portillo
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | | | - Alfonso Ángel Ramos-Esplá
- Department of Marine Sciences and Applied Biology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- CIMAR, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Josefa Antón
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
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Vasarri M, Leri M, Barletta E, Pretti C, Degl'Innocenti D. Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile Dampens Cell Migration of Human Neuroblastoma Cells. Mar Drugs 2021; 19:579. [PMID: 34677478 DOI: 10.3390/md19100579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is a common cancer in childhood, and lethal in its high-risk form, primarily because of its high metastatic potential. Targeting cancer cell migration, and thus preventing metastasis formation, is the rationale for more effective cancer therapy against NB. Previous studies have described the leaf extract from Posidonia oceanica marine plant (POE) as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory agent and inhibitor of cancer cell migration. This study aims to examine the POE anti-migratory role in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and the underlying mechanisms of action. Wound healing and gelatin zymography assays showed that POE at early times inhibits cell migration and reduces pro-MMP-2 release into culture medium. By monitoring expression level of key autophagy markers by Western blot assay, a correlation between POE-induced cell migration inhibition and autophagy activation was demonstrated. Cell morphology and immunofluorescence analyses showed that POE induces neurite formation and neuronal differentiation at later times. These results suggest POE might act against cell migration by triggering early nontoxic autophagy. The POE-induced cellular morphological change toward cell differentiation might contribute to prolonging the phytocomplex anti-migratory effect to later times. Overall, these results encourage future in vivo studies to test POE applicability in neuroblastoma treatment.
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Messina CM, Arena R, Manuguerra S, Pericot Y, Curcuraci E, Kerninon F, Renda G, Hellio C, Santulli A. Antioxidant Bioactivity of Extracts from Beach Cast Leaves of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile. Mar Drugs 2021; 19:560. [PMID: 34677459 PMCID: PMC8539254 DOI: 10.3390/md19100560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The marine environment is a generous source of biologically active compounds useful for human health. In 50 years, about 25,000 bioactive marine compounds have been identified, with an increase of 5% per year. Peculiar feature of algae and plants is the production of secondary metabolites, such as polyphenols, synthesized as a form of adaptation to environmental stress. Posidonia oceanica is a Mediterranean endemic and dominant seagrass and represents a biologically, ecologically and geologically important marine ecosystem. Within this study, methanolic and ethanolic extracts were generated from fresh and dried Posidonia oceanica leaves, with the aim to employ and valorize the beach cast leaves. The best yield and antioxidant activity (polyphenols content equal to 19.712 ± 0.496 mg GAE/g and DPPH IC50 of 0.090 µg/µL.) were recorded in 70% ethanol extracts (Gd-E4) obtained from leaves dried for two days at 60 °C and ground four times. HPLC analyses revealed the presence of polyphenols compounds (the most abundant of which was chicoric acid) with antioxidant and beneficial properties. Bioactive properties of the Gd-E4 extracts were evaluated in vitro using fibroblast cells line (HS-68), subjected to UV induced oxidative stress. Pre-treatment of cells with Gd-E4 extracts led to significant protection against oxidative stress and mortality associated with UV exposure, thus highlighting the beneficial properties of antioxidants compounds produced by these marine plants against photo damage, free radicals and associated negative cellular effects. Beach cast leaves selection, processing and extraction procedures, and the in vitro assay results suggested the potentiality of a sustainable approach for the biotechnological exploitation of this resource and could serve a model for other marine resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Concetta Maria Messina
- Laboratorio di Biochimica Marina ed Ecotossicologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Della Terra e del Mare DiSTeM, Università Degli Studi di Palermo, Via G. Barlotta 4, 91100 Trapani, Italy; (R.A.); (S.M.); (E.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Rosaria Arena
- Laboratorio di Biochimica Marina ed Ecotossicologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Della Terra e del Mare DiSTeM, Università Degli Studi di Palermo, Via G. Barlotta 4, 91100 Trapani, Italy; (R.A.); (S.M.); (E.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Simona Manuguerra
- Laboratorio di Biochimica Marina ed Ecotossicologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Della Terra e del Mare DiSTeM, Università Degli Studi di Palermo, Via G. Barlotta 4, 91100 Trapani, Italy; (R.A.); (S.M.); (E.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Yann Pericot
- LEMAR, IRD, CNRS, Ifremer, Université de Brest, F-29280 Plouzane, France; (Y.P.); (F.K.); (C.H.)
| | - Eleonora Curcuraci
- Laboratorio di Biochimica Marina ed Ecotossicologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Della Terra e del Mare DiSTeM, Università Degli Studi di Palermo, Via G. Barlotta 4, 91100 Trapani, Italy; (R.A.); (S.M.); (E.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Fanny Kerninon
- LEMAR, IRD, CNRS, Ifremer, Université de Brest, F-29280 Plouzane, France; (Y.P.); (F.K.); (C.H.)
| | - Giuseppe Renda
- Istituto di Biologia Marina, Consorzio Universitario della Provincia di Trapani, Via G. Barlotta 4, 91100 Trapani, Italy;
| | - Claire Hellio
- LEMAR, IRD, CNRS, Ifremer, Université de Brest, F-29280 Plouzane, France; (Y.P.); (F.K.); (C.H.)
| | - Andrea Santulli
- Laboratorio di Biochimica Marina ed Ecotossicologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Della Terra e del Mare DiSTeM, Università Degli Studi di Palermo, Via G. Barlotta 4, 91100 Trapani, Italy; (R.A.); (S.M.); (E.C.); (A.S.)
- Istituto di Biologia Marina, Consorzio Universitario della Provincia di Trapani, Via G. Barlotta 4, 91100 Trapani, Italy;
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Vasarri M, Barletta E, Degl'Innocenti D. Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile Extract Reduces Lipid Accumulation through Autophagy Activation in HepG2 Cells. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:969. [PMID: 34681193 DOI: 10.3390/ph14100969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile is a marine plant traditionally used as an herbal medicine for various health disorders. P. oceanica leaf extract (POE) has been shown to be a phytocomplex with cell-safe bioactivities, including the ability to trigger autophagy. Autophagy is a key pathway to counteract non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by controlling the breakdown of lipid droplets in the liver. The aim of this study was to explore the ability of POE to trigger autophagy and reduce lipid accumulation in human hepatoma (HepG2) cells and then verify the possible link between the effect of POE on lipid reduction and autophagy activation. Expression levels of autophagy markers were monitored by the Western blot technique in POE-treated HepG2 cells, whereas the extent of lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells was assessed by Oil red O staining. Chloroquine (CQ), an autophagy inhibitor, was used to study the relationship between POE-induced autophagy and intracellular lipid accumulation. POE was found to stimulate an autophagy flux over time in HepG2 cells by lowering the phosphorylation state of ribosomal protein S6, increasing Beclin-1 and LC3-II levels, and decreasing p62 levels. By blocking autophagy with CQ, the effect of POE on intracellular lipid accumulation was clearly reversed, suggesting that the POE phytocomplex may reduce lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells by activating the autophagic process. This work indicates that P. oceanica may be considered as a promising molecule supplier to discover new natural approaches for the management of NAFLD.
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