Response of seagrass indicators to shifts in environmental stressors: A global review and management synthesis

Roca, Guillem; Alcoverro, Teresa; Balsby, Thorsten J. S.; Katwijk, M.M. van; Marbà, Núria; Santos, Rui; Mascaró, Oriol; Fernández‐Torquemada, Yolanda; Pérez, Marta; Duarte, Carlos M.; Romero, Javier

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.12.007

Cited by 117 publications

(127 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Human induced pressures on coastal ecosystems affect seagrasses through both physical damage and alterations of the water and sediment quality (Orth et al, 2006;Roca et al, 2016). In this framework, the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile has been shown to be an effective bioindicator to assess the health status of marine coastal environment (Boudouresque et al, 2009;Buia et al, 2004;Montefalcone, 2009;Pergent et al, 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Effects of Costa Concordia shipwreck on epiphytic assemblages and biotic features of Posidonia oceanica canopy

Bacci

Penna

Rende

et al. 2016

Marine Pollution Bulletin

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Effects of Costa Concordia shipwreck on epiphytic assemblages and biotic features of Posidonia oceanica canopy

Bacci

Penna

Rende

et al. 2016

Marine Pollution Bulletin

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“…Seagrass morphological and structural characteristics (e.g. number of leaves per shoot, blade width, leaf length, biomass and above to belowground biomass ratio) are slow indicators of variations in nutrient enrichment compared to the nitrogen and carbon contents of seagrass tissues (Burkholder et al, 2007;Lee et al, 2004;Roca et al, 2016). To evaluate the responses of both (fast and slow) types of indicators, we conducted a manipulative field experiment to investigate macroalgae U. pertusa cover and nutrient effects on the tissue nitrogen and carbon contents, biomass, and morphology of the seagrass Z. marina during a 6-week experiment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combined nutrient and macroalgae loads lead to response in seagrass indicator properties

Han

Soissons

Bouma

et al. 2016

Marine Pollution Bulletin

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a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f oExcess nutrients are potential factors that drive phase shifts from seagrasses to macroalgae. We carried out a manipulative field experiment to study the effects of macroalgae Ulva pertusa loading and nutrient addition to the water column on the nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) contents (i.e., fast indicators) as well as on the morphology and structure (i.e., slow indicators) of Zostera marina. Our results showed rapid impact of increased macroalgae and nutrient load on Z. marina C/N ratios. Also, macroalgae addition resulted in a trend of decreasing belowground biomass of seagrasses, and nutrient load significantly decreased above to belowground biomass ratio. Although some morphological/structural variables showed relatively fast responses, the effects of short-term disturbance by macroalgae and nutrients were less often significant than on physiological variables. Monitoring of seagrass physiological indicators may allow for early detection of eutrophication, which may initiate timely management interventions to avert seagrass loss.

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“…Seagrasses are also capable of changing their physiological traits in response to abiotic conditions. For example, their leaf C : N‐ratio decreases under eutrophication (Duarte ; Roca et al ). Besides modifying only their morphological or physiological traits, seagrasses can also modify their mechanical traits such as leaf strength or stiffness in response to external forcing (de los Santos et al ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal and latitudinal variation in seagrass mechanical traits across Europe: The influence of local nutrient status and morphometric plasticity

Soissons

Katwijk

Peralta

et al. 2017

Limnology & Oceanography

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Seagrasses are marine flowering plants distributed worldwide. They are however threatened, mostly due to the increase of human activities. Seagrasses have the capacity to adapt their morphological, physiological, and mechanical traits to their local conditions. Mechanical traits have been identified as a good tool to investigate a plant-species capacity to withstand physical forces or disturbances but are still sparsely studied in seagrasses. With this study, we aimed to assess how the mechanical traits of a broadly spread seagrass species vary along a latitudinal gradient in relation to its morphometric plasticity and nutrient status. We found that seagrasses acclimate their mechanical traits in relation to their physiological or morphological traits, both over the growing season and across a latitudinal range: leaves were weaker and thinner in northern areas, particularly at the end of the growing season. Besides the influence of the latitudinal gradient, leaf mechanical strength and stiffness were both strongly affected by their morphometric plasticity. Moreover, we showed that leaves mechanical traits change depending on their nutrient status: leaves were stronger and stiffer in oligotrophic conditions as compared to more eutrophic conditions. Thus, our results imply that, under eutrophication, leaves become weaker and thus more vulnerable to physical forces. This vulnerability is higher in the north at the end of the growing season. The latter is consistent with the more ephemeral character of northern seagrass meadows, in contrast to the more evergreen southern meadows.

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Response of seagrass indicators to shifts in environmental stressors: A global review and management synthesis

Cited by 117 publications

References 46 publications

Effects of Costa Concordia shipwreck on epiphytic assemblages and biotic features of Posidonia oceanica canopy

Effects of Costa Concordia shipwreck on epiphytic assemblages and biotic features of Posidonia oceanica canopy

Combined nutrient and macroalgae loads lead to response in seagrass indicator properties

Seasonal and latitudinal variation in seagrass mechanical traits across Europe: The influence of local nutrient status and morphometric plasticity

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