Article
Plant Sciences
Emily A. Roberts, Matthew E. S. Bracken
Summary: Foundation species like canopy-forming seaweeds provide physical structure that enhances diversity and abundance of associated organisms on rocky shores. Solar radiation, including UV light, can reduce photosynthetic rates and cause DNA damage in algae, but the presence of an algal canopy can protect understory seaweeds by reducing UV exposure. Field experiments showed that removal of the algal canopy led to a significant increase in UV-protective pigment concentrations in seaweeds.
JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
A. Bush, Z. Compson, N. K. Rideout, B. Levenstein, M. Kattilakoski, M. Hajibabaei, W. A. Monk, M. T. G. Wright, D. J. Baird
Summary: The use of metabarcoding to provide consistent and accurate fine-resolution biodiversity data shows promise for improving environmental assessment and research. However, critics argue that metabarcoding data cannot accurately determine species abundance. This study proposes a novel hierarchical approach to recover abundance information from metabarcoding and demonstrates its effectiveness using benthic macroinvertebrates.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Cristina Pineiro-Corbeira, Francisco Arenas, Marina Dolbeth, Candida G. Vale
Summary: Intertidal macroalgal communities in tropical regions, such as the Cape Verde archipelago, are poorly studied. To contribute to the knowledge of macroalgal communities in this region, researchers studied the distributional pattern and zonation of macroalgal communities along the rocky intertidal of Santo Antao Island. The study found 43 macroalgal species, with red algae being the most dominant.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Calvin Jiksing, McMarshall M. Ongkudon, Vun Yee Thien, Kenneth Francis Rodrigues, Wilson Thau Lym Yong
Summary: Modern seaweed farming faces challenges such as inconsistent seed quality and reduced genetic variability. Micropropagation and tissue culture techniques have shown promising results in improving seed supply and producing high-quality seedlings. Acclimatization process and regular monitoring are crucial for successful seaweed production.
Article
Plant Sciences
Raquel Sanchez de Pedro, Andrea N. Fernandez, Maria Jesus Garcia-Sanchez, Antonio Flores-Moya, Elena Banares-Espana
Summary: Acquiring thermotolerance is crucial for organisms and populations to adapt to global warming. Parental thermal histories can modulate the thermotolerance of offspring through provisioning or parental effects. Winter parental provisioning promotes greater thermotolerance, while increasing temperatures and poor nutritional conditions in summer may reduce survival and hinder population recruitment.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Damon Britton, Matthias Schmid, Andrew T. Revill, Patti Virtue, Peter D. Nichols, Catriona L. Hurd, Craig N. Mundy
Summary: Seaweeds in coastal ecosystems play a crucial role as habitats and food sources for various species. Variability in the availability of nutritional compounds of abundant understory seaweeds across different sites in eastern Tasmania is primarily driven by differences in species composition and biochemical composition.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Francesca Porri, Eleonora Puccinelli, Nicolas Weidberg, Paula Pattrick
Summary: This study examined the role of sea foam as a mechanism of physical retention for long-lived invertebrate larvae and found that there was no difference in larval abundance whether foam was present or absent. Barnacle and polychaete larvae were mostly associated with the surface of the short water column at tidal channels, highlighting how the nearshore environment may limit larval dispersal scales.
JOURNAL OF SEA RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Matthew E. Kimball, Bruce W. Pfirrmann, Dennis M. Allen, Virginia Ogburn-Matthews, Paul D. Kenny
Summary: Long-term research programs focused on nekton can provide valuable information on community and population-level changes over time. This study describes the patterns and changes in a nekton assemblage in an estuary over a period of 19 years. They found that the assemblage exhibited distinct seasonality, with increased abundance and species richness over the years, and a shift in composition.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
F. P. Mancuso, S. Lo Brutto, R. Chemello, G. Sara, A. M. Mannino
Summary: Brown foundation seaweeds are important for increasing substrate heterogeneity and shaping biodiversity in rocky coastal ecosystems. However, they are declining due to human activities and climate change, leading to less complex habitats. This study investigates the role of structural attributes of two intertidal macroalgae in shaping their associated epifaunal assemblages. The findings suggest that besides seaweed substrate attributes, wave action and chemical defense might also play a role in structuring the assemblages.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sara Barrientos, Cristina Pineiro-Corbeira, Rodolfo Barreiro
Summary: Kelp forests around the world have been declining, mainly due to climate change. This study reveals that excessive herbivory by fish has caused the degradation of golden kelp forests in NW Spain.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sergio R. Roiloa, Fei-Hai Yu, Rodolfo Barreiro
Summary: The application of glyphosate to the invasive clonal plant Carpobrotus edulis not only negatively affects its own growth and photochemical efficiency, but also reduces the growth of untreated basal ramets connected to the treated apical ramets. Localized glyphosate application can effectively reduce the amount of herbicide used and minimize its negative impact on ecosystems.
Article
Education & Educational Research
Rui Leitao, Martin Maguire, Sarah Turner, Francisco Arenas, Laura Guimaraes
Summary: Low levels of concern regarding anthropogenic climate change are attributed to factors such as lack of education, understanding, and engagement with the multifaceted nature of the issue. In this study, the relationships between the use of different game elements and learning outcomes were examined among secondary school students in Portugal and the UK. The systematic evaluation of game features sheds light on how they impact the participants' learning experience and outcomes, with implications for marine education, climate education, and enhancing ocean literacy efforts.
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Sara Barrientos, Rodolfo Barreiro, Cristina Pineiro-Corbeira
Summary: Kelp forests, one of the most productive ecosystems in the world, have been declining due to climate change and non-climatic stressors such as grazing. Marine protected areas have been suggested as a strategy to boost ecosystem resilience, but their effectiveness may vary for different components of the local community.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oceanography
Raquel De la Cruz-Modino, Cristina Pineiro-Corbeira, Josue Gutierrez-Barroso, Carla Gonzalez-Cruz, Rodolfo Barreiro, Jose A. Batista-Medina, Jose J. Pascual-Fernandez, Jose A. Gonzalez, Agustin Santana-Talavera, Shankar Aswani
Summary: This paper explores the impact of a volcanic eruption on a fishing community in El Hierro, Spain, and the strategies used by the local population to cope with it. The study reveals that the combination of various activities and institutional support enhanced the community's resilience and ensured access to important marine resources and recreational/cultural services.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mariana Cardoso-Andrade, Henrique Queiroga, Mafalda Rangel, Ines Sousa, Adela Belackova, Luis Bentes, Frederico Oliveira, Pedro Monteiro, Nuno Sales Henriques, Carlos M. L. Afonso, Ana F. Silva, Bernardo R. Quintella, Jose L. Costa, Miguel P. Pais, Sofia Henriques, Marisa I. Batista, Gustavo Franco, Emanuel J. Goncalves, Miguel Henriques, Teresa Leonardo, Paula Coelho, Robert Comas-Gonzalez, Laura P. Fernandez, Carla Quiles-Pons, Andre Costa, Cristina Espirito-Santo, Joao J. Castro, Francisco Arenas, Sandra Ramos, Vasco Ferreira, Jorge M. S. Goncalves, Barbara Horta e Costa
Summary: This paper describes a structured expert-based methodology for co-defining a list of multidisciplinary Marine Protected Area (MPA) performance indicators. The proposed methodology can support future processes aiming to define and prioritize MPA performance indicators.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Sandra Hernandez, Ana G. Garcia, Francisco Arenas, M. Pilar Escribano, Alexander Jueterbock, Olivier De Clerck, Christine A. Maggs, Joao N. Franco, Brezo D. C. Martinez
Summary: Global warming is impacting the distribution of species, and this study focuses on the thermal tolerance of two seaweed populations along their latitudinal range. The results show variation in thermal tolerance among populations, with a potential loss of thermal safety margins in the future.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Diana Freitas, Francisco Arenas, Candida Gomes Vale, Isabel Sousa Pinto, Debora Borges
Summary: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of sea temperature on the respiration rate of four limpet species in mainland Portugal. The results showed that the oxygen consumption of P. ulyssiponensis increased linearly with sea temperature, indicating that this species is more sensitive to temperature variations and potentially more susceptible to climate change. This research provides important insights into the effect of sea temperature on oxygen consumption in limpets and their sensitivity to temperature increases in future climate change scenarios.
JOURNAL OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Diana Freitas, Debora Borges, Francisco Arenas, Isabel Sousa Pinto, Candida Gomes Vale
Summary: This study focuses on predicting the climate change impacts on the global distribution of four Patella species living along the rocky shores of the Portuguese coast, while also exploring the potential role of the Portuguese intertidal as a climate refugium. The study finds that the distribution of these limpets is mainly determined by the intertidal zone and seawater temperature. Regardless of the climate scenario, all species are projected to gain suitable conditions in the north while losing in the south, with only P. rustica expected to experience a contraction in its extent of occurrence.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
H. Morais, F. Arenas, C. Cruzeiro, S. Galante-Oliveira, P. G. Cardoso
Summary: This study found that the combined effects of increased temperature and endocrine disruptors have a negative impact on coastal ecosystems, with a greater effect on females. While the individual stressors did not affect gonad maturation, a delay was observed in females when exposed to higher temperature. Therefore, the combination of endocrine disruptors and temperature increase should be a concern.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Cristina Pineiro-Corbeira, Sara Barrientos, Isabella Provera, Manuel E. Garcia, Pilar Diaz-Tapia, Viviana Pena, Ignacio Barbara, Rodolfo Barreiro
Summary: This study highlights the impact of kelp forest decline on the macroalgal understorey, showing that traditional alpha-diversity indicators may not detect significant differences between healthy and degraded reefs. Instead, small-scale spatial beta-diversity decreases significantly due to deforestation, indicating a more comprehensive assessment of the consequences of kelp forest decline.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Marta Ginovart, Jose Pintado, Gonzalo del Olmo, Javier Cremades, Patricia Jimenez, Ingrid Masalo
Summary: Seaweed farming is an interesting technique to meet future global food demand, but increasing productivity is crucial to reduce land requirement and make it more cost competitive. The productivity of seaweed is influenced by irradiance, stocking density, and nutrients. This study investigated the light distribution and average irradiance in aerated tanks with and without the green alga Ulva ohnoi. The results showed that average irradiance increased with incident irradiance and decreased with stocking density and chlorophyll content. The actual average irradiance was much lower than predicted using the Lambert-Beer law. Multiple regression analysis revealed that stocking density, incident irradiance, and chlorophyll content were significant variables in explaining and predicting average irradiance for the macroalga U. ohnoi.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Cristina Pineiro-Corbeira, Francisco Arenas, Marina Dolbeth, Candida G. Vale
Summary: Intertidal macroalgal communities in tropical regions, such as the Cape Verde archipelago, are poorly studied. To contribute to the knowledge of macroalgal communities in this region, researchers studied the distributional pattern and zonation of macroalgal communities along the rocky intertidal of Santo Antao Island. The study found 43 macroalgal species, with red algae being the most dominant.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jonas de Azevedo, Joao N. Franco, Candida G. Vale, Marco F. L. Lemos, Francisco Arenas
Summary: Anthropogenic climate change, especially seawater warming, is expected to cause rapid shifts in marine species distribution, resulting in transformation of coastal communities. These shifts are particularly pronounced in biogeographical transition zones. Recent evidence suggests that intertidal species in coastal areas are changing their distribution edges due to rising seawater temperatures.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)