Implementation of a new index to assess intertidal seaweed communities as bioindicators for the European Water Framework Directory

Abstract

International audienceAn index CCO (cover, characteristic species, opportunistic species) has been developed for the implementation of the European Water Framework Directory (WFD) in coastal waters, using intertidal macroalgal communities as bio-indicator (Biological Quality Element). CCO is based on the calculation of three metrics corresponding to the global cover of macroalgal communities (metric 1), the number of characteristic species per topographic level/seaweed community (metric 2) and the cover of opportunistic species (metric 3). The final rating is obtained by pooling the scores of the three metrics. Results are given for 32 sites in 29 water bodies, grouped into four biogeographic regions along the Channel–Atlantic coasts of France. Over the six-year study, most of sites were sampled twice each (every three years). CCO index revealed that 25 coastal water bodies of both the Channel and the Bay of Biscay were in good or high ecological quality status (EQS), whereas only 4 of them were moderate and none in poor to bad status. However, significant differences have been found between sites and between geographic regions, water bodies located in Brittany obtaining the best EQS. No significant change occurred between the three-year sampling sets. A significant correlation has been established between a three-component anthropogenic pressure index and CCO ratings, showing the accuracy of CCO to evaluate the impact of anthropic activities on the structure and development of macroalgal communities as indicator of the ecological quality of coastal water bodies

An ecosystem-based approach to assess the status of Mediterranean algae-dominated shallow rocky reefs

“…As far as algae-dominated rocky reefs are concerned, these indices are mainly and exclusively based on macroalgae, e.g. EEI (Ecological Evaluation Index; Orfanidis et al, 2001Orfanidis et al, , 2003Orfanidis et al, , 2011, CARLIT (CARtografia LIToral; Ballesteros et al, 2007), RSL (Reduced Species List; Wells et al, 2007;Bermejo et al, 2012), CFR (Calidad de Fondos Rocosos; Guinda et al, 2008;, E-MaQI (Expert-Macrophytes Quality Index; Sfriso et al, 2009), MarMAT (Marine Macroalgae Assessment Tool; Neto et al, 2012), RICQI (Rocky Intertidal Community Quality Index; Díez et al, 2012), ICS (Index of Community Structure; Ar Gall and Le Duff, 2014), QISubMac (Quality Index of Subtidal Macroalgae; Le Gal and Derrien-Courtel, 2015), CCO (Cover, Characteristic species, Opportunistic species; Ar Gall et al, 2016). These indices provide a valuable body of tools to assess the ecological status of a water body.…”

“…These indicators are multiple, using a panel of techniques ranging from quadrat sampling to in situ visual estimation of the assemblages (e.g. Díez et al, 2003;Ballesteros et al, 2007;Orfanidis et al, 2011;Díez et al, 2012;Le Gal and Derrien-Courtel, 2015;Ar Gall et al, 2016;Blanfuné et al, 2016, and references therein). A further aim of seascape indicators using macroalgae is to provide information on the ecological status of the littoral zone (Cariou et al, 2013;Gobert et al, 2014).…”

Ecological Quality Status of the Algiers coastal waters by using macroalgae assemblages as bioindicators (Algeria, Mediterranean Sea)

“…Macroalgal assemblages have been proposed as a quality element for the assessment of the ecological status of coastal water bodies within the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC) (Clarke, 1993;Panayotidis et al, 2004;Rombouts et al, 2013;Ar Gall et al, 2016). The WFD identifies the use of macroalgae as biological indicators with the goal of maintaining and improving aquatic environments (Soltan et al, 2001;Pinedo et al, 2007;Patrício et al, 2007;Juanes et al, 2008).…”

Algas como bioindicadores da qualidade da água

“…Frente à necessidade de proteger o meio ambiente e preservar a vida nos ecossistemas, acordos internacionais são assinados para proteger a biodiversidade (UNITED NATIONS, 1992), fazendo necessária a avaliação global de áreas continentais e, ou marinhas. Para avaliar o grau de contaminação de ambientes aquáticos e o prejuízo que os poluentes podem proporcionar, de acordo com Ar Gall et al (2016), a União Europeia incluiu no "Water Framework Directory", desde os anos 2000, a investigação de determinadas comunidades biológicas como bioindicadores para realizar avaliação do status ecológico de corpos hídricos. Os bioindicadores aquáticos utilizados incluem principalmente o fitoplâncton, as macroalgas, as algas marinhas, os macroinvertebrados e os peixes.…”

“…Quer sejam uni ou pluricelulares, as algas tiram todos os nutrientes que precisam do meio onde estão -solução ou umidade -e, portanto, são organismos fundamentalmente aquáticos (VIDOTTI;ROLLEMBERG, 2004). Comunidades de algas foram as primeiras a serem reconhecidas como um elemento indicativo da qualidade para classificação de corpos hídricos costeiros, e foram estabelecidos para macroalgas índices capazes de avaliar tanto as águas costeiras como as de transição (AR GALL et al, 2016). Fatores incluindo aquecimento e acidificação do oceano têm causado efeitos colaterais às algas, como, por exemplo, reorganização de comunidades locais, desaparecimento de algumas espécies e alteração da importância de outras.…”