Article
Environmental Sciences
E. Londono-Londono Julian, Condesso de Melo, A. C. F. Silva
Summary: Groundwater discharge plays a significant role in coastal aquatic ecosystems, but its patterns, importance, and effects on rocky shores communities are largely unknown. This study assessed the importance of groundwater discharge in intertidal ecosystems using benthic macroinvertebrate composition and abundance as indicators. The results showed that groundwater discharge significantly affected the abundance of biological communities across all shores, but did not impact biodiversity patterns. Certain algae, snails, and lichens could be used as bioindicators for shifts in groundwater discharge patterns.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Eliseo Fica-Rojas, Alexis M. Catalan, Bernardo R. Broitman, Alejandro Perez-Matus, Nelson Valdivia
Summary: Ecological stability depends on interactions between different levels of biological organization. Insurance effects occur when increasing species diversity leads to more stable community-level properties. This study investigates how species richness and population-level parameters influence community invariability.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jorge L. Gutierrez, Maria Bagur, Rodrigo A. Lorenzo, Maria Gabriela Palomo
Summary: A study has found that a type of seaweed, Porphyra/Pyropia, can protect mussels from the impacts of extreme temperatures and reduce mussel mortality. The study also shows that mussel cover is critical for the establishment of the seaweed. This mutualistic relationship between mussels and seaweed has important implications for the stability of mussel beds in warming climates.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dominic McAfee, Melanie J. Bishop, Gray A. Williams
Summary: The habitat formed by rock oysters can provide cool microclimates, allowing associated invertebrate communities to remain stable during periods of temperature change. Oyster habitats consistently have lower maximum temperatures and greater thermal stability compared to bare rock habitats.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carlos Sanz-Lazaro, Nuria Casado-Coy, Aitor Navarro-Ortin, Marc Terradas-Fernandez
Summary: Climate change not only affects the average values of environmental parameters, but also changes the pattern of disturbances. Extreme events play a key role in structuring biological communities, and their effects can be strengthened when combined with other pressures. Research indicates that extreme events have a greater impact on species assemblages in areas with higher anthropogenic pressure, and the recovery time is longer. The intertidal zone is more resistant and capable of recovering from extreme events compared to the subtidal zone.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bruce A. Menge, Sarah A. Gravem, Angela Johnson, Jonathan W. Robinson, Brittany N. Poirson
Summary: Climate change poses a threat to the stability of ecosystems. In the rocky intertidal meta-ecosystem along the Oregon coast, signs of increasing destabilization have been observed over the past decade, possibly due to thermal disruptions and shifts in ocean currents.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jana Verdura, Jorge Santamaria, Enric Ballesteros, Dan A. Smale, Maria Elena Cefali, Raul Golo, Sonia de Caralt, Alba Verges, Emma Cebrian
Summary: Gradual climate change and discrete extreme climatic events have significant impacts on marine ecosystems, especially at the warm edges of species and large species. Local-scale climate variability may lead to local extinctions of habitat-forming seaweed populations, but also highlight the potential for local-scale climatic refugia.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Robin J. Pakeman, David O'Brien, David Genney, Rob W. Brooker
Summary: Attributing biodiversity trends to individual drivers is crucial for conservation and restoration strategies. In Scotland, trends in bryophyte and lichen species were linked to specific drivers, such as temperature change, nitrogen pollution, and land use intensity. Positive trends were observed in bryophyte species from heathlands and woodlands, while lichen species from these habitats showed negative trends. Furthermore, drier habitats and locations tended to have more positive trends, while wetter habitats tended to have negative trends.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenlong Xie, Cheng Sun, Zhongjie Lin
Summary: This study developed an evaluation index system to investigate the evolution of urban form resilience to climate disturbances in Changchun city. The results showed a significant decline in absorption capacity and a dramatic rise in recovery capacity over the past 100 years. The study aims to provide scientific guidance for resilience management in cities.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mikel Rodriguez-Hidalgo, Juan Lucas Cervera, Jose A. Cuesta
Summary: The decapod crustaceans in the rocky intertidal shore of La Caleta, an urban beach in Cadiz, Spain, were surveyed for one year. Monthly samplings were conducted in three different zones at five sites during the spring low tides. Species were identified through qualitative visual identification and DNA barcode. A total of 44 species were identified, which was higher compared to other Atlantic and Mediterranean intertidal or subtidal ecosystems.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cinzia Corinaldesi, Stefano Varrella, Michael Tangherlini, Antonio Dell'Anno, Sara Canensi, Carlo Cerrano, Roberto Danovaro
Summary: Global warming is causing mass mortality events of marine organisms. We investigated the microbiome responses of corals in the Northwestern Mediterranean to temperature anomalies and found that bacterial and archaeal abundance increased with rising seawater temperature. The coral microbiomes were highly sensitive to thermal shifts and exhibited increased bacterial diversity.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Longhao Wang, Yongqiang Zhang, Ning Ma, Peilin Song, Jing Tian, Xuanze Zhang, Zhenwu Xu
Summary: Heatwaves have been significantly increasing, causing serious impacts on the biosphere. The health of the ecosystem is adversely affected by alterations in the vegetation canopy due to high temperatures and water deficit. However, the behavior of canopy resilience in different ecosystems towards heatwaves remains less understood.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
J. J. Hunter, C. G. Volschenk, E. Mania, A. Vicente Castro, M. Booyse, S. Guidoni, A. Pisciotta, R. Di Lorenzo, V Novello, R. Zorer
Summary: Ambient radiation and temperature play a crucial role in grapevine growth and quality. Exposure to direct sunlight in the morning led to higher pulp temperatures and increased anthocyanins and phenols in the berries, contributing to an earlier sugar ripening. Over-exposure and heat peaking in the late afternoon were found to be detrimental to grape composition.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kaiye Yuan, Hailiang Xu, Guangpeng Zhang
Summary: This study examines the response mechanisms of plants to climate change using NDVI, TRW, and climate data in the Irtysh River basin in Central Asia. The results indicate a warming and humidifying trend in the region from 1982 to 2015, with increases in NDVI and TRW in different vegetation type zones.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maria M. Mendez, Juan P. Livore, Federico Marquez, Gregorio Bigatti
Summary: This study aimed to test a methodology proposed for the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network Pole to Pole of the Americas program, and found that the methodology can detect mass mussel mortality events timely, with almost 0% mussel cover detected. This simple methodology is an adequate tool for monitoring rocky intertidal habitats.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi
Summary: The research found that marine heatwaves have reached a dangerous tipping point, transitioning from highly synchronized preindustrial MHWs to the more extreme but less coherent warming events we experience today. This loose spatiotemporal organization persists under a reduced emission scenario of RCP 2.6, while a second abrupt transition towards a permanent state of highly synchronized MHWs is foreseen by 2075 under a business-as-usual RCP 8.5 scenario.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lucia De Marchi, Carlo Pretti, Alessia Cuccaro, Matteo Oliva, Federica Tardelli, Gianfranca Monni, Michele Magri, Fabio Bulleri
Summary: In this study, extracts from the Mediterranean sponge Ircinia oros were tested using a multi-bioassay approach to assess their antifouling potential. The effects of extracts were species-specific, with inhibitory effects on the growth of a marine diatom and toxic effects on different developmental stages of a brackish water serpulid. The proposed test battery can be considered a suitable tool for screening bioactivity of marine natural products.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
C. Ravaglioli, Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi, Iacopo Bertocci, Elena Maggi, M. Uya, Fabio Bulleri
Summary: This study reveals the importance of seasonal and interannual variations in regulating the temporal patterns of Caulerpa cylindracea abundance. Lower seawater temperature in spring and summer, along with higher autumn wind speed and spring precipitation, are associated with higher peak abundance of the invasive seaweed.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Federica Manca, Clelia Mula, Camilla Gustafsson, Achille Mauri, Tomas Roslin, David N. Thomas, Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi, Alf Norkko, Giovanni Strona
Summary: Network theory provides innovative tools to explore complex ecological mechanisms regulating species associations and interactions. However, the application of network approaches is unevenly distributed across different study systems, with aquatic macrophyte-animal associations in coastal environments being largely neglected. Network analysis has the potential to broaden our understanding of coastal ecosystems and their response to anthropogenic disturbance and environmental change.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mads S. Thomsen, Andrew H. Altieri, Christine Angelini, Melanie J. Bishop, Fabio Bulleri, Roxanne Farhan, Viktoria M. M. Fruhling, Paul E. Gribben, Seamus B. Harrison, Qiang He, Moritz Klinghardt, Joachim Langeneck, Brendan S. Lanham, Luca Mondardini, Yannick Mulders, Semonn Oleksyn, Aaron P. Ramus, David R. Schiel, Tristan Schneider, Alfonso Siciliano, Brian R. Silliman, Dan A. Smale, Paul M. South, Thomas Wernberg, Stacy Zhang, Gerhard Zotz
Summary: Habitat heterogeneity is a primary driver of biodiversity patterns, but its universal role has not been fully understood due to a lack of coordinated experiments. This study conducted 22 experiments to assess the impact of habitat heterogeneity on biodiversity across different ecosystems and regions, and found that positive and additive effects were common across the three axes of heterogeneity. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the importance of habitat heterogeneity in promoting biodiversity through facilitative interactions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cinzia Corinaldesi, Silvia Bianchelli, Eugenio Rastelli, Stefano Varrella, Sara Canensi, Cristina Gambi, Marco Lo Martire, Luigi Musco, Iacopo Bertocci, Emanuela Fanelli, Giulia Lucia, Nicola Simoncini, Antonio Dell'Anno
Summary: Industrial activities in coastal areas have caused contamination and habitat degradation, but a coastal marine area that was off-limits to human activity for 20 years has shown signs of natural recovery.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Laura F. B. Marangoni, Thomas Davies, Tim Smyth, Airam Rodriguez, Mark Hamann, Cristian Duarte, Kellie Pendoley, Jorgen Berge, Elena Maggi, Oren Levy
Summary: The globally widespread adoption of Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) has led to a renewed research focus on its impacts in the marine environment. This review presents the current understanding of ALAN impacts in diverse marine ecosystems and species, including seabirds, sea turtles, and corals. ALAN can mask navigation, change predation patterns, disrupt coral spawning synchronization, and inhibit zooplankton migration. While mitigation measures are recommended, barriers to implementation are poorly understood. Addressing knowledge gaps would aid in predicting and mitigating ALAN impacts in the marine realm.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
L. Rindi, L. Benedetti-Cecchi
Summary: This study experimentally assessed the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus inputs on the stability of phototrophic rocky intertidal biofilm. The results showed that regardless of concentration, nitrogen and phosphorus inputs increased the sensitivity of the biofilm without altering its resilience.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Luca Rindi, Jianyu He, Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi
Summary: Understanding the impact of multifactorial fluctuating environments on species and communities is a major challenge. This study investigated the influence of spatial correlation between warming and sediment deposition on the biomass and photosynthetic activity of rocky intertidal biofilm using field experiments and simulations. The results showed that the spatial correlation between the two climate variables determined the nonlinear response of biofilm biomass, but not photosynthetic activity, to fluctuating levels of warming and sediment deposition. Negative spatial correlation buffered against extreme levels of warming and sediment deposition.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Joseph Elsherbini, Christopher Corzett, Chiara Ravaglioli, Laura Tamburello, Martin Polz, Fabio Bulleri
Summary: Temperate rocky reefs support diverse habitats including macroalgal forests, algal turfs, and sea urchin barrens. The composition of epilithic microbial biofilms (EMBs) plays a crucial role in macroalgal recruitment, but their role in regulating the stability of alternative habitats remains unknown. A study on shallow rocky reefs in the Mediterranean compared EMB structure in different habitats under ambient and enhanced nutrient levels. Results showed distinct microbial communities in different habitats, with moderate nutrient enhancement having minimal effects on EMBs. Understanding the role of EMBs in habitat stability and reverse shifts is important.
Article
Ecology
Iacopo Bertocci, Elena Maggi, Claudia Scire Scappuzzo, Luca Rindi, Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi
Summary: Although the importance of time after disturbance is well known, there are few studies on how differences in growth rate affect species recovery in relation to the interval between disturbances. This study examined the response of two primary producers to different disturbance regimes. The results showed that one species was able to persist regardless of disturbance frequency, while the other species could not withstand any disturbance regime.
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Antonio Di Cintio, Federico Niccolini, Sara Scipioni, Fabio Bulleri
Summary: Marine protected areas (MPAs) are important for preserving marine biodiversity and resources. However, some MPAs fail to achieve their conservation and socioeconomic targets. To understand the factors contributing to MPA success, a global literature review was conducted. The study found that stakeholder involvement, communication, enforcement, and monitoring are critical for MPA success.
