Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Margoth L. Castro-Cubillos, Joe D. Taylor, Alicia Mastretta-Yanes, Francisco Benitez-Villalobos, Valentina Islas-Villanueva
Summary: This study used eDNA metabarcoding to investigate the benthic biodiversity and its spatial-temporal dynamics in two tropical coastal lagoons. The results showed differences in taxa richness and structure, with salinity being the driving factor of community composition in one lagoon. The study also detected harmful, invasive, non-indigenous species, bioindicators, and commercially important species.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
L. Piazzi, F. Pinna, G. Ceccherelli
Summary: This study examines the interaction between crustose coralline algae and epibiont assemblages in their habitat through manipulative experiments. The results demonstrate the important role of crustose coralline algae in enhancing biodiversity and emphasize the need for their conservation.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sally A. Bracewell, Thayanne L. Barros, Mariana Mayer Pinto, Katherine A. Dafforn, Stuart L. Simpson, Emma L. Johnston
Summary: The novel combinations of climatic conditions and prolonged fire seasons caused by climate change have led to an increased occurrence of megafires. These large-scale fires pose an unknown threat to biodiversity due to the increased extent and severity of burn. This study assessed the impacts of the 2019-2020 Australian wildfires on estuarine benthic sediment communities using eDNA techniques, revealing that estuaries from burnt catchments with no buffer showed greater dissimilarities in composition and abundance compared to those with an intact buffer or from unburnt catchments. The changes in sediment community composition and abundance were associated with increased concentrations of nutrients, carbon, including fire-derived pyrogenic carbon, and copper in highly burnt catchments.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chelsea Aristone, Hossein Mehdi, Jonathan Hamilton, Kelly L. Bowen, Warren J. S. Currie, Karen A. Kidd, Sigal Balshine
Summary: Treated effluent from municipal wastewater treatment plants has a significant impact on aquatic benthic macroinvertebrate communities. However, the effects during winter have been largely ignored. This study examines the impacts of wastewater effluent on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in two different plants, and finds that the treatment capabilities and receiving environments of the plants dictate the impact on these communities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
M. Canessa, G. Bavestrello, E. Trainito, C. N. Bianchi, C. Morri, A. Navone, R. Cattaneo-Vietti
Summary: Coralligenous reefs in the Mediterranean Sea are characterized by a rich species diversity and habitat heterogeneity, with crustose coralline algae and sponges dominating on granitic substrates. In the Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo Marine Protected Area, communities developing on isolated granitic outcrops are mainly composed of sponges, with increasing animal dominance at depth. The distinctive lack of typical biogenic hard substrate made by coralline algae and uneven distribution of gorgonians make these circalittoral communities unique in the Mediterranean.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kosmas Hench, Martin Helmkampf, W. Owen McMillan, Oscar Puebla
Summary: This study presents a striking example of rapid radiation in a highly diverse marine habitat. The analysis suggests that color pattern diversity is generated by different combinations of alleles at a few large-effect loci. The findings provide important insights for understanding the drivers of adaptive radiation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biology
Sara Gonzalez-Delgado, Owen S. Wangensteen, Carlos Sangil, Celso A. Hernandez, Beatriz Alfonso, Ana Z. Soto, Rocio Perez-Portela, Stefano Mariani, Jose Carlos Hernandez
Summary: Metabarcoding techniques have revolutionized ecological research by revealing hidden biodiversity. This study used DNA metabarcoding to assess the effects of ocean acidification on marine benthic communities. The results show that subtropical communities are expected to maintain high biodiversity levels under future ocean acidification.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Michael Tangherlini, Cinzia Corinaldesi, Francesca Ape, Silvestro Greco, Teresa Romeo, Franco Andaloro, Roberto Danovaro
Summary: This study compared benthic microbial responses at naturally acidified sites with different acidification sources and pH values. It found that viral life strategies shift in acidified conditions, leading to reduced impact on prokaryotic communities and a shift towards (chemo)autotrophic assemblages with lower organic matter consumption. Overall, ocean acidification exerts significant control on microbial benthic assemblages, with important feedbacks on ecosystem functioning.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Juan Sempere-Valverde, Enrique Ostale-Valriberas, Manuel Maestre, Roi Gonzalez Aranda, Hocein Bazairi, Free Espinosa
Summary: This study in a marine protected area in the Mediterranean Sea investigated the temporal fluctuations of the coralligenous community, revealing that the rapid expansion of the non-native species R. okamurae led to changes in community structure and decline of sensitive species, highlighting the need for increased management efforts to protect this protected habitat.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nicola Bettoso, Lisa Faresi, Valentina Pitacco, Martina Orlando-Bonaca, Ida Floriana Aleffi, Lovrenc Lipej
Summary: In the northern Adriatic Sea, the rocky outcrops known as trezze or tegnue have been identified as biodiversity hotspots. This study aimed to characterize the species richness and composition of epifaunal invertebrates living on these rocky outcrops, and to test the efficiency of using outcrop area as a predictor of species richness. The results showed that the Arrhenius Species-Area Relationship model effectively described the relationship between epibenthic species richness and outcrop size, with important practical applications for biodiversity estimations and nature conservation implications.
Article
Ecology
Wojciech Majewski, Witold Szczucinski, Andrew J. Gooday
Summary: Sub-Antarctic fjords in South Georgia were studied to understand the effect of climate change on living benthic foraminifera. Four distinct foraminiferal assemblages were identified, with Miliammina earlandi dominating in glacier-proximal habitats, Cassidulinoides aff. parkerianus in mid-fjord areas, and Globocassidulina aff. rossensis and an assemblage dominated by Ammobaculites rostratus, Reophax subfusiformis, and Astrononion echolsi in the outer fjords. Miliammina earlandi showed adaptability to glacial influence and high sedimentation rates, while C. aff. parkerianus was well-suited to inner-fjord conditions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. Dolbeth, O. Babe, D. A. Costa, A. P. Mucha, P. G. Cardoso, F. Arenas
Summary: This study examined the impact of marine heatwaves on benthic estuarine communities and ecosystem functioning, finding that community composition and structure remained similar under warming conditions, with a slight increase in bioturbation and nutrient release. However, these responses were not consistent with the duration of heatwave exposure, highlighting the complexity of estuarine communities' contribution to ecosystem functioning under warming conditions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Benjamin Flueck, Laetitia Mathon, Stephanie Manel, Alice Valentini, Tony Dejean, Camille Albouy, David Mouillot, Wilfried Thuiller, Jerome Murienne, Sebastien Brosse, Loic Pellissier
Summary: High-throughput DNA sequencing is increasingly important for monitoring and understanding biodiversity responses to environmental changes. Convolutional neural networks have been shown to process eDNA sequences quickly and accurately, outperforming traditional bioinformatic pipelines by 150 times in speed.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Aurora Giorgi, Matteo Monti, James Doc Radawski, Julie B. Olson
Summary: Coral reef ecosystems are experiencing a significant decline due to natural and anthropogenic stressors. This study examines the changes in abundance and percentage cover of benthic invertebrates on shallow coral reefs in Roatan, Honduras over a ten-year period. The results show a decrease in scleractinian coral cover and an increase in macroalgal and turf cover, indicating a homogenization of the benthic community composition.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Limnology
Carlinda Railly Medeiros, Jani Heino, Paulo Jorge Parreira dos Santos, Joseline Molozzi, Raphael Ligeiro
Summary: This study examines the diversity of macroinvertebrates in typical and semi-arid tropical estuaries across multiple scales, identifying a non-random spatial pattern with higher beta diversity values at larger scales. In semi-arid tropical estuaries, richness difference plays a significant role in the rainy season, while species replacement is more prominent in the dry season. Overall, abundance difference is more important in structuring benthic macrofauna communities in both typical and semi-arid tropical estuaries across seasonal periods.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Adria Antich, Cruz Palacin, Emma Cebrian, Raul Golo, Owen S. Wangensteen, Xavier Turon
Summary: Efforts to obtain information from eukaryotic benthic communities by sampling the adjacent water layer showed limited feasibility, with water eDNA being a poor proxy for the analysis of benthic structure, highlighting the need for direct sampling methods.
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
Environmental Sciences
Jorge Santamaria, Rauel Golo, Emma Cebrian, Maria Garcia, Alba Verges
Summary: This study revealed that morphological changes triggered by high temperatures can enhance the invasive capabilities of Caulerpa cylindracea, especially the development of filamentous morphology which makes it harder to detect in the field.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jorge Santamaria, Fiona Tomas, Enric Ballesteros, Juan M. Ruiz, Jaime Bernardeau-Esteller, Jorge Terrados, Emma Cebrian
Summary: This study highlights that the true capacity of native assemblages to develop resistance to invaders is often underestimated, and neglecting the interactions between biotic mechanisms and restricting the studied time scales may influence the understanding of the strength and effectiveness of biotic resistance against invaders.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alice Mirasole, Fabio Badalamenti, Antonio Di Franco, Maria Cristina Gambi, Nuria Teixido
Summary: Ocean acidification may lead to significant shifts in the structure and function of coastal marine ecosystems, but necto-benthic fish assemblages associated with the Mediterranean Posidonia oceanica ecosystem appear to be able to cope with the effects of ocean acidification.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jorge Santamaria, Fiona Tomas, Enric Ballesteros, Emma Cebrian
Summary: The study found that some common omnivorous sparid species in the Mediterranean Sea consume the invasive alga Caulerpa cylindracea, but it is not a significant part of their diet. The low selectivity values suggest that the fish species tend to avoid feeding on the invasive alga, and it is likely consumed accidentally.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Chloe Carbonne, Nuria Teixido, Billy Moore, Alice Mirasole, Thomas Guttierez, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, Steeve Comeau
Summary: The study shows that the Mediterranean corals, Cladocora caespitosa and Astroides calycularis, are able to survive in future ocean acidification conditions for at least 6 months, regardless of their environmental history, pH treatment, and trophic strategy.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
E. Cebrian, C. Linares, J. Garrabou
Summary: Understanding the interactions between different stressors is crucial to predict the resilience of marine habitats to climate change. Crustose coralline algae (CCA) are important ecosystem engineers in rocky reefs, but are increasingly threatened by invasive species and rising seawater temperatures. When CCA are exposed to both invasive species and elevated temperatures simultaneously, the synergistic effects may lead to drastic consequences on their survival.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Biology
D. Gomez-Gras, C. Linares, A. Lopez-Sanz, R. Amate, J. B. Ledoux, N. Bensoussan, P. Drap, O. Bianchimani, C. Marschal, O. Torrents, F. Zuberer, E. Cebrian, N. Teixido, M. Zabala, S. Kipson, D. K. Kersting, I Montero-Serra, M. Pages-Escola, A. Medrano, M. Frleta-Valic, D. Dimarchopoulou, P. Lopez-Sendino, J. Garrabou
Summary: In a Mediterranean marine protected area, habitat-forming octocoral populations impacted by a severe marine heatwave in 2003 have not recovered after 15 years, facing collapse trajectories that may have been hindered by recurrent marine heatwaves. This highlights the significant risk recurrent marine heatwaves pose for the long-term integrity and functioning of emblematic temperate reefs.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Simonetta Fraschetti, Erika Fabbrizzi, Laura Tamburello, Maria C. Uyarra, Fiorenza Micheli, Enric Sala, Carlo Pipitone, Fabio Badalamenti, Stanislao Bevilacqua, Jordi Boada, Emma Cebrian, Giulia Ceccherelli, Mariachiara Chiantore, Giovanni D'Anna, Antonio Di Franco, Simone Farina, Sylvaine Giakoumi, Elena Gissi, Ivan Guala, Paolo Guidetti, Stelios Katsanevakis, Elisabetta Manea, Monica Montefalcone, Maria Sini, Valentina Asnaghi, Antonio Calo, Manfredi Di Lorenzo, Joaquim Garrabou, Luigi Musco, Alice Oprandi, Gil Rilov, Angel Borja
Summary: The study aimed to assess the environmental status of Mediterranean ecosystems, especially the impact of Marine Protected Areas on achieving Good Environmental Status. Results showed that most MPAs in the Western Mediterranean are in good/high status, but the overall environmental status is moderate, with macroalgal forests in poor condition.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joaquim Garrabou, Daniel Gomez-Gras, Alba Medrano, Carlo Cerrano, Massimo Ponti, Robert Schlegel, Nathaniel Bensoussan, Eva Turicchia, Maria Sini, Vasilis Gerovasileiou, Nuria Teixido, Alice Mirasole, Laura Tamburello, Emma Cebrian, Gil Rilov, Jean-Baptiste Ledoux, Jamila Ben Souissi, Faten Khamassi, Raouia Ghanem, Mouloud Benabdi, Samir Grimes, Oscar Ocana, Hocein Bazairi, Bernat Hereu, Cristina Linares, Diego Kurt Kersting, Graciel la Rovira, Julia Ortega, David Casals, Marta Pages-Escola, Nuria Margarit, Pol Capdevila, Jana Verdura, Alfonso Ramos, Andres Izquierdo, Carmen Barbera, Esther Rubio-Portillo, Irene Anton, Paula Lopez-Sendino, David Diaz, Maite Vazquez-Luis, Carlos Duarte, Nuria Marba, Eneko Aspillaga, Free Espinosa, Daniele Grech, Ivan Guala, Ernesto Azzurro, Simone Farina, Maria Cristina Gambi, Giovanni Chimienti, Monica Montefalcone, Annalisa Azzola, Torcuato Pulido Mantas, Simonetta Fraschetti, Giulia Ceccherelli, Silvija Kipson, Tatjana Bakran-Petricioli, Donat Petricioli, Carlos Jimenez, Stelios Katsanevakis, Inci Tuney Kizilkaya, Zafer Kizilkaya, Stephane Sartoretto, Rouanet Elodie, Sandrine Ruitton, Steeve Comeau, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, Jean-Georges Harmelin
Summary: This study reveals that the Mediterranean Sea has experienced exceptional thermal conditions, leading to five consecutive years of mass mortality events of marine organisms. The occurrence of these events is significantly related to the heat exposure from marine heatwaves observed at the surface and depths. The Mediterranean Sea is facing an unprecedented threat to its ecosystem's health and functioning due to the accelerated ecological impacts of marine heatwaves.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Guillaume Latombe, Hanno Seebens, Bernd Lenzner, Franck Courchamp, Stefan Dullinger, Marina Golivets, Ingolf Kuehn, Brian Leung, Nuria Roura-Pascual, Emma Cebrian, Wayne Dawson, Christophe Diagne, Jonathan M. Jeschke, Cristian Perez-Granados, Dietmar Moser, Anna Turbelin, Piero Visconti, Franz Essl
Summary: This study investigated the impact of socio-economic and environmental factors on biological invasions and found that trade, governance, lifestyle and education are the best indicators for explaining invasive species richness and a country's capacity to manage invasions. Historical levels of governance and trade were found to have a stronger influence than recent levels, highlighting the importance of historical factors in shaping future invasions. The results provide valuable insights for decision-making and management of biological invasions.
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Federica Nasi, Seyed Ehsan Vesal, Federica Relitti, Matteo Bazzaro, Nuria Teixido, Rocco Auriemma, Tamara Cibic
Summary: We investigated the changes in the soft-bottom macrofaunal community after enhancing a wastewater treatment plant, and found a gradual decrease in organic carbon in the water column. Species richness and functional entities increased with distance from the contamination source and after treatment enhancement. The community showed different stages of succession, with higher taxonomic beta-diversity but stable functional beta-diversity. Improved treatment led to the establishment of new species with the same functions and increased community stability. Integrating taxonomic and functional analyses provides insight into the sensitivity of macrofauna to stressors and ecological changes.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cristina Palombo, Antonia Chiarore, Maria Ciscato, Davide Asnicar, Alice Mirasole, Erika Fabbrizzi, Nuria Teixido, Marco Munari
Summary: The study finds that juvenile stages of marine species are more vulnerable to climate change than adults, but parental anticipatory buffer effects during gametogenesis can mitigate larval vulnerability to predictable environmental changes. The research investigates the effect of ocean acidification on the growth of two sea urchin species, Arbacia lixula and Paracentrotus lividus, at different temperature levels. Results indicate that altered pH and temperature have negative effects on larval development, resulting in reduced spicule length and increased abnormal larvae. However, the impact of reduced pH and high temperature depends on the mother.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Chloe Carbonne, Steeve Comeau, Phoebe T. W. Chan, Keyla Plichon, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, Nuria Teixido
Summary: The study shows that ocean warming and acidification have negative impacts on the larval and recruit development of the Mediterranean azooxanthellate coral Astroides calycularis, with successful settlement and metamorphosis under warmer temperatures, while low pH delays metamorphosis and affects recruit growth.