Climatic anomalies may create a long‐lasting ecological phase shift by altering the reproduction of a foundation species

Bevilacqua, Stanislao; Savonitto, Gilda; Lipizer, Marina; Mancuso, Francesco Paolo; Ciriaco, Saul; Srijemsi, Marina; Falace, Annalisa

doi:10.1002/ecy.2838

Cited by 35 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The disappearance of structurally complex macroalgal stands (e.g., Cystoseira spp.) in favor of barren grounds or turf assemblages, increased herbivory by sea urchins or invasive fish, climate change, and decline of predator fish populations were likely among the major causes of this degradation (Sala et al, 2012;Strain et al, 2014;Mannino et al, 2017;Bevilacqua et al, 2019;Sini et al, 2019). Despite potential biogeographic limitations regarding thresholds between EQR categories, our results suggested that the degradation of shallow subtidal reefs is ongoing at a basin scale, although likely due to different causes depending on the region.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

The Status of Coastal Benthic Ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea: Evidence From Ecological Indicators

et al. 2020

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The Mediterranean Sea is subject to multiple human pressures increasingly threatening its unique biodiversity. Spatially explicit information on the ecological status of marine ecosystems is therefore key to an effective maritime spatial planning and management, and to help the achievement of environmental targets. Here, we summarized scientific data on the ecological status of a selection of marine ecosystems based on a set of ecological indicators in more than 700 sites of the Mediterranean Sea. For Posidonia oceanica seagrass beds, rocky intertidal fringe, and coastal soft bottoms, more than 70% of investigated sites exhibited good to high ecological conditions. In contrast, about two-thirds of sites for subtidal rocky reefs were classified to be in moderate to bad conditions, stressing the need for prioritizing conservation initiatives on these productive and diverse environments. Very little quantitative information was available for the southern Mediterranean Sea, thus monitoring programs and assessments in this area are essential for a representative assessment of the health of marine coastal ecosystems in the whole basin. This overview represents a first step to implement a baseline that, through georeferenced data on ecological status, could help identifying information gaps, directing future research priorities, and supporting improvements to spatial models of expected cumulative impacts on marine ecosystems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

The Status of Coastal Benthic Ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea: Evidence From Ecological Indicators

et al. 2020

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“…Comparing them with those of Savonitto et al [45] for the Italian part of the Gulf of Trieste, some important conclusions are drawn. Firstly, not only increasing winter temperatures in the Gulf, as reported for 2019 by Bevilacqua et al [68] and Savonitto et al [45], but also exceptional wind periods (like in spring 2020, Figure 2), lead to serious biological anomalies and the loss of the reproductive potential of G. barbata. In both cases, the receptacles collected were smaller than those that usually mature in spring on primary branches, and they were even growing on adventitious branches in February 2019.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

First Restoration Experiment for Gongolaria barbata in Slovenian Coastal Waters. What Can Go Wrong?

Orlando-Bonaca

Pitacco

Slavinec

et al. 2021

Plants

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The global decline of brown algal forests along rocky coasts is causing an exceptional biodiversity loss. Regardless of conservation efforts, different techniques have been developed for large-scale restoration strategies in the Mediterranean Sea. In this study we tested ex situ pilot restoration of Gongolaria barbata (=Treptacantha barbata) for the first time in Slovenian coastal waters. Healthy apical fronds of the species were collected and the development of recruits on clay tiles was followed under laboratory conditions for 20 days. Despite the experimental difficulties experienced, especially due to the lack of antibiotics to prevent the growth of the biofilm, G. barbata recruits were outplanted in the sea on two concrete plates with 48 tiles each, protected by purpose-built cages to avoid grazing by herbivorous fish. The high survival rate of juveniles after four months in the field (89% of the tiles on the plate that was constantly protected) suggests that outplanting G. barbata is an operable approach for restoration efforts in the northern Adriatic Sea. Our first experiment in Slovenian coastal waters provides new information for the optimization of the best practices during the laboratory cultivation and addresses the early steps of restoration and introduction of young thalli in the natural environment.

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“…Finally, extreme climatic events (i.e. thermal anomalies, storm surges) can alter the reproductive timing of species (Bevilacqua et al, 2019) or hamper the survival/growth of outplanted juveniles (De La Fuente et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing reproductive stochasticity and grazing impacts in the restoration of a canopy‐forming brown alga by implementing mitigation solutions

Savonitto

Fuente

Tordoni

et al. 2021

Aquatic Conservation

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1. The worldwide decline of marine forests, due to human impacts and climate change, emphasizes the need to develop and implement effective and sustainable solutions to restore these endangered habitats and to re-establish the services they provide.2. In this study, the ex situ restoration of Gongolaria barbata (=Treptacantha barbata), a Mediterranean subtidal habitat-forming species of brown seaweed, was for the first time implemented in a marine protected area in the Adriatic Sea. Two restoration efforts were performed in 2019. The first was started in winter, after a marine heatwave that triggered early fertility, and the second in spring, when the species usually reproduces.3. This study aimed to evaluate: (i) the disruptive effects of a thermal anomaly on the reproductive biology and performance in culture of G. barbata; and (ii) the impact of the grazing pressure on juveniles after the outplanting. 4. The first cultivation was more productive than the second, in terms of zygote release and germling growth. To mitigate the low efficiency of the second culture and to avoid prolonged highly demanding maintenance in the mesocosms, the cultivation period was extended outdoors using a structure suspended in the water column.5. The modular frames conceived for outplanting G. barbata proved to be effective because of their easy operability and low cost. Controlling for herbivorous fish had significant positive effects on both juvenile survival and growth.6. The outcomes highlighted that an unpredictable climatic event and fish grazing were major threats that impaired the restoration process of G. barbata. These stressors should be considered when developing plans to implement effective large-scale restoration of canopy-forming macroalgae.

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Climatic anomalies may create a long‐lasting ecological phase shift by altering the reproduction of a foundation species

Cited by 35 publications

References 10 publications

The Status of Coastal Benthic Ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea: Evidence From Ecological Indicators

The Status of Coastal Benthic Ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea: Evidence From Ecological Indicators

First Restoration Experiment for Gongolaria barbata in Slovenian Coastal Waters. What Can Go Wrong?

Addressing reproductive stochasticity and grazing impacts in the restoration of a canopy‐forming brown alga by implementing mitigation solutions

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