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348 results for “seagrass”

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dryad36/100

Managing biotic interactions during early seagrass life-stages to improve seed-based restoration

1. Seagrasses are declining globally, and effective restoration actions to promote the recovery of degraded meadows are urgently needed. Harnessing positive plant interactions during early life stages is considered a valuable strategy to improve terrestrial and coastal habitat restoration. Yet, its application to seagrass restoration is still in infancy, and very little is known on the role played by biotic interactions in shaping newly established populations. 2. We assessed the feasibility of manipulating intra- and interspecific plant interactions to enhance seed-based restoration success using the seagrass Posidonia oceanica as a model. Specifically, we investigated in mesocosm whether seed germination increased with increasing seed density and whether increasing seedling density and planting a pioneer seagrass promoted facilitation among seedlings. To do this, seedlings were grown either as a single individual or in clumps of medium and high density, with and without Cymodocea nodosa, for two years encompassing their most critical growth stage. 3. Germination of P. oceanica seeds was not affected by seed density. Posidonia oceanica seedlings planted at medium and high density showed higher survival than those planted individually but only in the presence of C. nodosa. Seedlings planted at medium and at high density with C. nodosa performed better than those grown at low density or without C. nodosa due to a positive joint effect of intra- and interspecific interaction. Cymodocea nodosa plants grown with P. oceanica seedlings at high density were larger than those grown alone, indicating a mutualistic relationship. 4. Synthesis and applications: Our results show that in seagrasses positive interactions during early life stages can be promoted by planting seedlings in dense clumps in association with an early successional species. The incorporation of this novel nature-based approach in seed-based restoration could accelerate the recolonization of degraded seagrass habitats. In planning future seed-based restoration interventions, managers should assess both intra- and interspecific interactions established by seedlings of target species for identifying proper planting density/spatial configuration and potential benefactor species promoting facilitative mechanisms to maximize seedling planting success.

opencc-zeroJul 2021View details →

zenodo36/100

Data for Ferretto et al, 2021 "Naturally-detached fragments of the endangered seagrass Posidonia australis collected by citizen scientists can be used to successfully restore fragmented meadows"

Please find attached the data for the manuscript "Ferretto et al, 2021" and a brief description of each file.

opencc-by-4.0Aug 2021View details →

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Fig. 3 in Influence Of Environmental Cycles Upon A Seagrass Caridean Shrimp Assemblage

Fig. 3. Mean (+S.E.) shrimp abundance and diversity (Hill's N2) during the lunar cycle.

opencc-by-4.0Aug 2010View details →

dryad36/100

Limited recovery following a massive seagrass decline in subarctic eastern Canada

Over the last few decades, there has been increasing recognition of seagrasses' contribution to the functioning of nearshore ecosystems and climate change mitigation. Nevertheless, seagrass ecosystems have been deteriorating globally at an accelerating rate during recent decades. In 2017, research into the condition of eelgrass (Zostera marina) along the eastern coast of James Bay, Canada, was initiated in response to reports of eelgrass decline by the Cree First Nations of Eeyou Istchee. As part of this research, we compiled and analyzed two decades of eelgrass cover data and three decades of eelgrass monitoring data (biomass and density) to detect changes and assess possible environmental drivers. We detected a major decline in eelgrass conditions between 1995 and 1999, which encompassed the entire east coast of James Bay. Surveys conducted in 2019 and 2020 indicated limited changes post-decline, e.g., low eelgrass cover (<25%), low aboveground biomass, smaller shoots than before 1995, and marginally low densities persisted at most sites. Overall, the synthesized datasets show a 40 % loss of eelgrass meadows with > 50% cover in eastern James Bay since 1995, representing the largest scale eelgrass decline documented in eastern Canada since the massive die-off event that occurred in the 1930s along the North Atlantic coast. Using biomass data collected since 1982, but geographically limited to the sector of the coast near the regulated La Grande River, generalized additive modeling revealed eelgrass meadows are affected by local sea surface temperature, early ice breakup, and higher summer freshwater discharge. Our results caution against assuming subarctic seagrass ecosystems have avoided recent global declines or will benefit from ongoing climate warming.

opencc-zeroDec 2021View details →

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An invasive seagrass drives its own success in two invaded seas by both negatively affecting native seagrasses and benefiting from those costs

The nature and strength of interactions between native and invasive species can determine invasion success. Species interactions can drive, prevent or facilitate invasion, making understanding the nature and outcome of these interactions critical. We conducted mesocosm experiments to test the outcome of interactions between Halophila stipulacea, a seagrass that invaded the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, and native seagrasses (Cymodocea nodosa and Syringodium filiforme, respectively) to elucidate mechanisms explaining the successful invasions. Mesocosms contained intact cores with species grown either mixed or alone. Overall, in both locations, there was a pattern of the invasive growing faster with the native than when alone, while also negatively affecting the native, with similar patterns for shoot density, aboveground and belowground biomass. In the Caribbean, H. stipulacea increased by 5.6 ± 1.0 SE shoots in 6 weeks when grown with the native while, when alone, there was a net loss of −0.8 ± 1.6 SE shoots. The opposite pattern occurred for S. filiforme, although these differences were not significant. While the pattern in the Mediterranean was the same as the Caribbean, with the invasive grown with the native increasing shoots more than when it grew alone, these differences for shoots were not significant. However, when measured as aboveground biomass, H. stipulacea had negative effects on the native C. nodosa. Our results suggest that a seagrass that invaded two seas may drive its own success by both negatively affecting native seagrasses and benefiting from that negative interaction. This is a novel example of a native seagrass species facilitating the success of an invasive at its own cost, providing one possible mechanism for the widespread success of this invasive species.

opencc-zeroNov 2022View details →

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Data from: Delineating seagrass species in the genera Halodule and Halophila from Tanzanian coastal waters using ITS and rbcL DNA barcoding

The seagrass species in Halodule and Halophila may for several reasons be considered as taxonomic complexes. They show close evolutionary relationships, morphological plasticity, and share similar features making misidentifications likely when morphological identification is applied. In Tanzanian coastal waters, there is some uncertainty about the identity of members of Halodule, particularly the existence of Halodule wrightii and the species composition of the Halophila ovalis complex. This study used morphology as well as internal transcribed spacer (ITS1 and ITS2) and ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) DNA barcoding to identify species of Halodule and Halophila. Seagrass samples were collected during low spring tides, from Tanzania's coastal waters of Tanga, Dar es Salaam, Mtwara, Mafia Island, and Unguja Island, from August 2020 to February 2022. Morphological diagnosis, phylogenetic analysis, and evolutionary divergences inferred from the ITS gene supported the identification of five species, namely Halophila ovalis, H. minor, and H. stipulacea, with the first two forming the H. ovalis complex; as well as Halodule uninervis and H. pinifolia. It is the first time that H. pinifolia is reported in Tanzania. This is the first study reporting the delineation of seagrass species in East African coastal waters using DNA barcoding coupled with morphology.

opencc-zeroDec 2022View details →

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Tropicalization shifts herbivore pressure from seagrass to rocky reef communities

Climate-driven species redistributions are reshuffling the composition of marine ecosystems. How these changes alter ecosystem functions, however, remains poorly understood. Here we examine how the impacts of herbivory change across a gradient of tropicalization in the Mediterranean Sea, which includes a steep climatic gradient and marked changes in plant nutritional quality and fish herbivore composition. We quantified individual feeding rates and behaviour of 755 fishes of the native Sarpa salpa, and non-native Siganus rivulatus and Siganus luridus. We measured herbivore and benthic assemblage composition across 20 sites along the gradient, spanning 30º of longitude and 8º of latitude. We coupled patterns in behaviour and composition with temperature measurements and nutrient concentrations to assess changes in herbivory under tropicalization. We found a transition in ecological impacts by fish herbivory across the Mediterranean from a predominance of seagrass herbivory in the west to a dominance of macroalgal herbivory in the east. Underlying this shift were changes in both individual feeding behaviour (i.e., food choice) and fish assemblage composition. The shift in feeding selectivity was consistent among temperate and warm-affiliated herbivores. Our findings suggest herbivory can contribute to the increased vulnerability of seaweed communities and reduced vulnerability of seagrass meadows in tropicalized ecosystems.

opencc-zeroDec 2022View details →

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Data sources and code for: "Species-specific acclimation capacity of key traits explains global vertical distributions of seagrass species"

Minguito-Frutos_etal_2023_Data1.xlsx contains the data for analyzing the relationship between plant size and seagrass growth reproductive strategy and the species-specific vertical distribution of seagrasses.  Minguito-Frutos_etal_2023_Data2.xlsx contains the data for the meta-analityc approach studying the relationship between the vertical distribution of seagrass species and the plasticity of their traits (physiological, morphological, structural and growth).  Scripts_Minguito_Frutos_etal_2023_GEB_Ref.GEB-2022-0592.R contains the R reproducible code to run all the analyses carried out in this study.

opencc-by-4.0Oct 2022View details →

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Historic and contemporary biogeographic perspectives on range-wide spatial genetic structure in a widespread seagrass

This raw data set contains multilocus genotypes for 1,312 individual samples from 44 locations. Aim: Historical and contemporary processes drive spatial patterns of genetic diversity. These include climate-driven range shifts and gene flow mediated by biogeographical influences on dispersal. Assessments that integrate these drivers are uncommon, but critical for testing biogeographic hypotheses. Here, we characterise intraspecific genetic diversity and its spatial structure across the entire distribution of a temperate seagrass to test marine biogeographic concepts for southern Australia. Location: Temperate Australian coastal waters Methods: Predictive modelling was used to contrast the current Posidonia australis distribution to its historical distribution during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Spatial genetic structure was estimated for 44 sampled meadows from across the geographical range of the species using nine microsatellite loci. Results: Historical and contemporary distributions were similar, with the exception of the Bass Strait. Genetic clustering was consistent with the three currently recognised biogeographic provinces and largely consistent with the finer-scale IMCRA bioregions. Discrepancies were found within the Flindersian province and southwest IMCRA bioregion, while two regions of admixture coincided with transitional bioregions. Clonal diversity was highly variable, but positively associated with latitude. Genetic differentiation among meadows was significantly associated with oceanographic distance. Main conclusions: Our approach suggests how shared seascape drivers have influenced the capacity of P. australis to effectively track sea level changes associated with natural climate cycles over millennia, and in particular, the recolonisation of meadows across the Continental Shelf following the LGM. Genetic structure associated with IMCRA bioregions reflects the presence of stable biogeographic barriers, such as oceanic upwellings. This study highlights the importance of biogeography to infer the role of historical drivers in shaping extant diversity and structure.

opencc-zeroMar 2023View details →

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Biotic and abiotic data for: European Benthic survey of seagrass-lucinid mutualism

Coastal ecosystem functioning often hinges on habitat-forming foundation species that engage in positive interactions (e.g. facilitation and mutualism) to reduce environmental stress. Seagrasses are important foundation species in coastal zones but are rapidly declining with losses typically linked to intensifying global change-related environmental stress. There is growing evidence that loss or disruption of positive interactions can amplify coastal ecosystem degradation as it compromises its stress-mitigating capacity. Multiple recent studies highlight that seagrass can engage in a facultative mutualistic relationship with lucinid bivalves that alleviate sulphide toxicity. So far, however, the generality of this mutualism, and how its strength and relative importance depend on environmental conditions, remains to be investigated. Here we study the importance of the seagrass-lucinid mutualistic interaction on a continental scale using a field survey across Europe. We found that the lucinid bivalve Loripes orbiculatus is associated with the seagrasses Zostera noltii and Zostera marina across a large latitudinal range. At locations where the average minimum temperature was above 1°C, L. orbiculatus was present in 79% of the Zostera meadows; whereas, it was absent below this temperature. At locations above this minimum temperature threshold, mud content was the second most important determinant explaining the presence or absence of L. orbiculatus. Further analyses suggest that the presence of the lucinids have a positive effect on seagrass biomass by mitigating sulphide stress. Finally, results of a structural equation model (SEM) support the existence of a mutualistic feedback between L. orbiculatus and Z. noltii. We argue that this seagrass-lucinid mutualism should be more solidly integrated into management practices to improve seagrass ecosystem resilience to global change as well as the success of restoration efforts.

opencc-zeroMar 2023View details →

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The natural capital of seagrass beds in the Caribbean: evaluating their ecosystem services and blue carbon trade potential

Seagrass beds provide tremendous services to society, including the storage of carbon, with important implications for climate change mitigation. Prioritizing conservation of this valuable natural capital is of global significance, and including seagrass beds in global carbon markets through projects that minimize loss, increase area, or restore degraded areas represents a mechanism towards this end. Using newly available Caribbean seagrass distribution data, we estimated carbon storage in the region and calculated economic valuations of total ecosystem services and carbon storage. We estimated the 88,170 km2 of seagrass in the Caribbean stores 1,337.8 (360.5–2335.0, minimum and maximum estimates, respectively) Tg carbon. The value of these seagrass ecosystems in terms of total ecosystem services and carbon alone was estimated to be $255 billion yr-1 and $88.3 billion, respectively, highlighting their potential monetary importance for the region. Our results show that Caribbean seagrass beds are globally substantial pools of carbon, and our findings underscore the importance of such evaluation schemes to promote urgently needed conservation of these highly threatened and globally important ecosystems.

opencc-zeroMay 2023View details →

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Habitat isolation interacts with top-down and bottom-up processes in a seagrass ecosystem

Habitat loss is accelerating at unprecedented rates, leading to the emergence of smaller, more isolated habitat remnants. Habitat isolation adversely affects many ecological processes independently, but little is known about how habitat isolation may interact with ecosystem processes such as top-down (consumer-driven) and bottom-up (resource-driven) effects. To investigate the interactive influence of habitat isolation, resource availability and consumer distribution and impact on community structure, we tested two hypotheses using invertebrate and algal epibionts on temperate seagrasses, an ecosystem of ecological and conservation importance. First, we hypothesized that habitat isolation will change the structure of the seagrass epibiont community, and isolated patches of seagrass will have lower epibiont biomass and different epibiont community composition. Second, we hypothesized that habitat isolation would mediate top-down (i.e., herbivory) and bottom-up (i.e., nutrient enrichment) control for algal epibionts. We used observational studies in natural seagrass patches, and experimental artificial seagrass to examine three levels of habitat isolation. We further manipulated top-down and bottom-up processes in artificial seagrass through consumer reductions and nutrient additions, respectively. We indeed found that habitat isolation of seagrass patches decreased epibiont biomass and modified epibiont community composition. This pattern was largely due to dispersal limitation of invertebrate epibionts that resulted in a decline in their abundance and richness in isolated patches. Further, habitat isolation reduced consumer abundances, weakening top-down control of algal epibionts in isolated seagrass patches. Nutrient additions, however, reversed this pattern, and allowed a top-down effect on algal richness to emerge in isolated habitats, demonstrating a complex interaction between patch isolation and top-down and bottom-up processes. Habitat isolation may therefore shape the relative importance of central processes in ecosystems, leading to changes in community composition and food web structure in marine habitats.

opencc-zeroMay 2023View details →

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Microsatellite genotypes for adult and seedlings of the temperate seagrass (ribbon weed), Posidonia australis, from four meadows at Rottnest Island, Western Australia

Adult shoots and seedings of the ribbon weed (Posidonia australis Hook.f.), a widespread temperate seagrass, were sampled from four meadows around Rottnest Island, Western Australia. The data set contains multilocus genotypes for adult shoots from four meadows and seedlings from three meadows over two consecutive years. The metadata file contains: Pop number (1 – 10), Sample site, Latitude (S), Longitude (E), individual sample code, year of sampling, life stage (adult shoot or seedling), genotypes (2 columns per locus). The seven polymorphic microsatellite loci are: PaA1, PaA105, PaA120, PaB6, PaB8, PaB112, PaD113. Most genotypes are diploid, however, 3N genotypes are included.

opencc-zeroAug 2023View details →

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