Article
Environmental Sciences
R. Jimenez-Ramos, F. Tomas, X. Reynes, C. Romera-Castillo, J. L. Perez-Llorens, L. G. Egea
Summary: Seagrass beds act as blue carbon sinks globally, enhancing the trapping of recalcitrant organic carbon in their sediments. Recent studies have shown that the recalcitrant fraction of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in seawater also plays a role in long-term carbon sequestration. However, little attention has been given to the biodegradability of seagrass-exported DOC, which determines its fate in the coastal carbon cycle. Invasive algae pose a major threat to seagrass ecosystems as they can modify their structure and functions, potentially affecting carbon metabolism and DOC release. This study assesses the impact of the invasive alga Halimeda incrassata on carbon metabolism and DOC fluxes in areas invaded by the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Daniele Curiel, Sandra Kraljevic Pavelic, Agata Kovacev, Chiara Miotti, Andrea Rismondo
Summary: Anthropogenic pressures in the twentieth century have greatly endangered the Mediterranean coastal zone and led to significant retreat of marine seagrass habitats, particularly those of Posidonia oceanica. Restoration programs through transplantation activities have been implemented with varying degrees of success, including on other Mediterranean marine seagrasses.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Imen Zribi, H. Ellouzi, I. Mnasri, N. Abdelkader, A. Ben Hmida, S. Dorai, A. Debez, F. Charfi-Cheikhrouha, R. Zakhama-Sraieb
Summary: Under eutrophic conditions, bloom-forming algae can replace seagrasses, causing irreversible ecological changes. This study found that filamentous macroalgae attached to seagrass inhibit its growth and physiological functioning. The shading induced by the macroalgae triggers carbon regulation and physiological adaptations in seagrass.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Raymond B. Banister, Melbert T. Schwarz, Maoz Fine, Kim B. Ritchie, Erinn M. Muller
Summary: This study focused on the differences in microbial communities of the seagrass species Cymodocea nodosa in natural environments, revealing that the microbial community of seagrass leaves remains consistent under different pH conditions, indicating a potential resilience of seagrass to environmental changes.
Article
Ecology
Susanne Schafer, Joao Monteiro, Nuno Castro, Francesca Gizzi, Filipe Henriques, Patricio Ramalhosa, Manuela Isabel Parente, Gil Rilov, Ignacio Gestoso, Joao Canning-Clode
Summary: Seagrass meadows are important coastal habitats globally, but are facing significant declines. A persistent patch of C. nodosa was discovered in Madeira, showing increases in size and density over three years, with leaf lengths following a seasonal pattern. Continuous monitoring of the patch and adjacent areas is crucial to understand its development.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Begona Martinez-Crego, Patricia Prado, Candela Marco-Mendez, Yolanda Fernandez-Torquemada, Fernando Espino, Jose Luis Sanchez-Lizaso, Jose Antonio de la Ossa, David Mateu Vilella, Margarida Machado, Fernando Tuya
Summary: This study investigated the biogeographical variation in seagrass herbivory intensity and its drivers in Cymodocea nodosa meadows across different climate types within the seagrass distribution. The results showed that herbivore density, seagrass size, and annual sea temperature range were significant drivers of herbivory variation, with herbivorous fish density playing a key role. The study highlighted the importance of considering both regional and local factors in predicting variation in seagrass herbivory intensity.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Eva Llabres, Elvira Mayol, Nuria Marba, Tomas Sintes
Summary: Seagrasses play a crucial role in coastal waters, but their significant decline in population could have worrying implications for marine ecosystems. Spatial models for seagrass meadows are important for predicting their response to global warming, analyzing distribution resilience, and optimizing restoration strategies. In this article, a model incorporating species interactions based on clonal growth of seagrasses is proposed and analyzed, with successful simulation results for mixed meadows in the Mediterranean Sea's Ebro River Delta.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Charles-Francois Boudouresque, Aurelie Blanfune, Gerard Pergent, Thierry Thibaut
Summary: Some seagrass species in the Mediterranean have declined, while others are progressing, potentially impacting the presence of other seagrasses. Natural recolonization has been faster and more widespread than previously thought, but sometimes inadequate, necessitating transplanting operations. Despite various proposed restoration techniques, long-term monitoring is often lacking.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Katerina Novotna, Lenka Pivokonska, Lenka Cermakova, Michaela Prokopova, Katerina Fialova, Martin Pivokonsky
Summary: Widespread pollution of aquatic environments by microplastics is a serious environmental threat. This study found that different types of microplastics released significant amounts of dissolved organic carbon and inorganic carbon when in contact with water for a long time. Various elements and harmful compounds were also leached from the microplastics. These results provide insight into the transfer of various compounds from microplastics to ambient water.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marsej Markovski, Mirjana Najdek, Gerhard J. Herndl, Marino Korlevic
Summary: The presence of seagrass shapes the surface sediments and provides a specific environment for diverse and abundant microbial communities. A decline of Cymodocea nodosa, a common seagrass species in the Mediterranean Sea, has been observed. This study characterized and assessed the changes in microbial community composition during the decline of a Cymodocea nodosa meadow using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. The results show that sediment microbial communities are remarkably stable and may resist major disturbances such as seagrass meadow decline.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Rocio Jimenez-Ramos, Carmen Henares, Luis G. Egea, Juan J. Vergara, Fernando G. Brun
Summary: The decay of seagrass leaves is more likely to occur in autumn and winter due to the presence of large green senescent beach-cast leaves. A study on Cymodocea nodosa seagrass suggests that both senescence and hydrodynamic stress contribute to leaf abscission. The force required for leaf detachment varies with season and location, with the lowest forces recorded in autumn.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lulu Han, Yinghui Wang, Wenjie Xiao, Jianqiang Wu, Lixia Guo, Yasong Wang, Huangmin Ge, Yunping Xu
Summary: The East Asian monsoon leads to seasonal changes in fluvial sediment and organic carbon discharge, with a stronger terrigenous signal in the summer months. Net removal of organic carbon from waters in July and net addition in March are attributed to more extensive degradation and larger deposition of OC in the summer.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Cedric G. Fichot, Maria Tzortziou, Antonio Mannino
Summary: Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is present in aquatic systems worldwide and plays important roles in biogeochemical and ecological processes. Understanding the stocks, fluxes, and transformations of DOC is crucial for comprehending its functions and vulnerability to changes in the environment. Optical techniques and earth observations have made it possible to quantify DOC on a global scale and have contributed to our current understanding of the global DOC cycle. However, there are still limitations and challenges to be addressed, and upcoming sensors are expected to provide new insights.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sandra Navarro-Mayoral, Fernando Tuya, Patricia Prado, Candela Marco-Mendez, Victoria Fernandez-Gonzalez, Yolanda Fernandez-Torquemada, Fernando Espino, Jose Antonio de la Ossa, David Mateu Vilella, Margarida Machado, Begona Martinez-Crego
Summary: In this study, the biogeographical patterns and potential drivers of amphipod distribution in seagrass meadows were investigated. The results showed that species abundances were influenced by seagrass leaf area and epiphyte biomass, while the variation in species presence/absence was determined by seagrass density and epiphyte biomass. Seagrass leaf area was also found to be the most important determinant of amphipod density and species richness.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jennifer L. Williamson, Andrew Tye, Dan J. Lapworth, Don Monteith, Richard Sanders, Daniel J. Mayor, Chris Barry, Mike Bowes, Michael Bowes, Annette Burden, Nathan Callaghan, Gareth Farr, Stacey Felgate, Alice Fitch, Stuart Gibb, Pete Gilbert, Geoff Hargreaves, Patrick Keenan, Vassilis Kitidis, Monika Juergens, Adrian Martin, Ian Mounteney, Philip D. Nightingale, M. Gloria Pereira, Justyna Olszewska, Amy Pickard, Andrew P. Rees, Bryan Spears, Mark Stinchcombe, Debbie White, Peter Williams, Fred Worrall, Chris Evans
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive assessment of riverine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export in Great Britain, revealing that smaller river systems draining peat-rich areas are underestimated in global syntheses. The study also highlights the significant influence of upland conifer plantation forestry on the spatial distribution of DOC exports. These findings have implications for future assessments of CO2 sequestration potential and climate change mitigation strategies.
Article
Ecology
Carmen B. de los Santos, Luis G. Egea, Marcio Martins, Rui Santos, Pere Masque, Gloria Peralta, Fernando G. Brun, Rocio Jimenez-Ramos
Summary: The researchers investigated four adjacent vegetated coastal habitats in Cadiz Bay, South Spain, and found that subtidal seagrass Cymodocea nodosa had the highest organic carbon and total nitrogen stocks, followed by upper intertidal salt marsh Sporobolus maritimus, subtidal rhizophytic macroalgae Caulerpa prolifera, and lower intertidal seagrass Zostera noltei. They also observed that sedimentation and organic carbon burial rates increased with elevation. Overall, this study emphasizes the importance of using habitat-specific carbon and nitrogen stocks and burial rates to predict the sequestration capacity of vegetated coastal habitats at the seascape level.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Isabel Casal-Porras, Carmen B. de los Santos, Marcio Martins, Rui Santos, J. Lucas Perez-Llorens, Fernando G. Brun
Summary: Seagrass meadows play a crucial role in mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration. However, the construction of coastal infrastructures has led to loss of seagrass cover and reduction in carbon stocks. The study also found that recently established meadows have lower carbon and nitrogen stocks compared to old-established ones, highlighting the continuous accumulation process. These findings contribute to understanding the spatial variability of blue carbon and nitrogen stocks in coastal systems impacted by urban development.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Tomas Azcarate-Garcia, Pedro Beca-Carretero, Claudia L. Cara, Betty Villamayor, Emmeline Cosnett, Ricardo Bermejo, Ignacio Hernandez, Fernando G. Brun, Dagmar B. Stengel
Summary: This study evaluates the seasonal vegetative development of Zostera marina and Z. noltii populations in Ireland and southern Spain, and finds contrasting dynamics in the same temperature range. The Irish Z. marina population exhibits maximum growth during warmer months, while the Spanish population shows growth reduction under maximum annual temperatures. The Z. noltii populations in Ireland and Spain also display different vegetative dynamics and population structures, likely related to the contrasting temperature environments.
Article
Limnology
Luis G. Egea, Rocio Jimenez-Ramos, Cristina Romera-Castillo, Isabel Casal-Porras, Paula Bonet-Melia, Alba Yamuza-Magdaleno, Lucia Cerezo-Sepulveda, Jose L. Perez-Llorens, Fernando G. Brun
Summary: This study examines the effects of a marine heatwave on carbon metabolism and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) fluxes produced by seagrass and macroalgae communities. It finds that temperature plays an important role in determining the net community production and the chemical structure and bioavailability of DOC.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Rocio Jimenez-Ramos, Carmen Henares, Luis G. Egea, Juan J. Vergara, Fernando G. Brun
Summary: The decay of seagrass leaves is more likely to occur in autumn and winter due to the presence of large green senescent beach-cast leaves. A study on Cymodocea nodosa seagrass suggests that both senescence and hydrodynamic stress contribute to leaf abscission. The force required for leaf detachment varies with season and location, with the lowest forces recorded in autumn.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Tomas Azcarate-Garcia, Pedro Beca-Carretero, Fernando G. Brun
Summary: This study documents the only known P. oceanica population on the coast of Cadiz, Spain, and characterizes its structure and characteristics. The population is small but has a relatively high production rate compared to other Mediterranean populations. This baseline data provides a foundation for further research on the potential effects of climate change, anthropogenic disturbances, or invasive species.
Article
Ecology
C. J. Perez-Estrada, R. Rodriguez-Estrella, F. G. Brun-Murillo, P. Gurgo-Salice, R. Valles-Jimenez, E. Morales-Bojorquez, M. A. Medina-Lopez
Summary: The structural complexity of Halodule wrightii in Bahia Balandra marine protected area enhances the abundance and diversity of mollusks. Taxonomical and functional analyses of the mollusk community revealed a total abundance of 7284 individuals belonging to 89 species. The study also found a positive relationship between seagrass biomass and gastropod richness.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jimmy de Fouw, Marianne Holmer, Pedro Beca-Carretero, Christoffer Bostrom, Jessica Brice, Fernando G. Brun, Peter M. J. M. Cruijsen, Laura L. Govers, Joxe Mikel Garmendia, Lukas Meysick, Liina Pajusalu, Jonathan Richir, Bjorn Robroek, Mireia Valle, Paul van der Ven, Johan S. Eklof, Tjisse van der Heide
Summary: Coastal ecosystem functioning relies on foundation species that engage in positive interactions to mitigate environmental stress. Seagrasses are important foundation species in coastal zones, but they are rapidly declining due to global change-related stress. Recent studies have shown that seagrasses can engage in a mutualistic relationship with lucinid bivalves that alleviate sulphide toxicity. However, the generality and importance of this mutualism under different environmental conditions are still unknown.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rocio Jimenez-Ramos, Fernando G. Brun, Jose L. Perez-Llorens, Juan J. Vergara, Fatima Delgado-Cabezas, Noelia Sena-Soria, Luis G. Egea
Summary: A key factor for benthic macrophyte communities to survive under light-reduction stress is their ability to balance carbon metabolism. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) released by these communities serves as a carbon source, playing a significant role in ocean carbon sequestration. This study evaluates the response of seagrass and macroalgae to light-reduction stress and recovery. Results show that light reduction significantly decreases production, with most of the released DOC coming from photosynthetic activity, and shading events greatly impacting net DOC fluxes. Both communities demonstrate high recovery but low resistance capacity, with macroalga showing the highest resilience to unfavorable light conditions.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Luis G. Egea, Claudia J. Perez-Estrada, Rocio Jimenez-Ramos, Ignacio Hernandez, Silverio Lopez-Lopez, Fernando G. Brun
Summary: This study evaluates the community carbon metabolism, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) fluxes, and associated fauna in patches of seagrass with different ages. The results show that net community production declined with patch age and the export of DOC was significantly higher in the youngest patches.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Luis G. Egea, Javier Cavijoli-Bosch, Isabel Casal-Porras, Alba Yamuza-Magdaleno, Fernando G. Brun, Rocio Jimenez-Ramos
Summary: Coastal environments play a role in the accumulation of macroplastics, with seagrasses and salt marshes being the main accumulation areas, sandy beaches being the main accumulation area for marine plastic litter, and rocky bottoms acting as important sinks for macroplastics.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Jose Lucas Perez-Llorens, Fernando G. Brun
Summary: Seaweed cuisine is popular in Western countries, but the potential of seagrasses in terms of nutrition and culinary uses is not fully explored yet. The seeds of Zostera marina, known as sea rice, have historically been used as staple food by indigenous cultures and are now considered as a novel ingredient in avant-garde restaurants. This article highlights the importance of understanding the main barriers to seed production and meadow growth in order to utilize seagrass seeds as sustainable ingredients. Domestication and farming of seagrass in natural ponds near coastal areas with scarce meadows could not only provide gastronomic opportunities, but also contribute to meadow restoration, local economy, sustainability, and carbon removal, making the combination of gastronomy and sustainability a reality.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GASTRONOMY AND FOOD SCIENCE
(2023)
