Signals of loss: Local collapse of neglected vermetid reefs in the western Mediterranean Sea

Bisanti, Luca; Visconti, Giulia; Scotti, Gianfranco; Chemello, Renato

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114383

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Close-up view of the assemblage on the topside of the geopolymer discs. reef aerial exposure, are suggested as possible triggers for vermetid mortality (Bisanti al., 2022). The study of macroalgal canopy as biogenic refugia against these prolonged periods of physiological stress needs a higher concern, weighting the full potential of natural canopyforming algae to ameliorate the rising climatic stress at the reef-scale.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The active protection of this habitat and bioengineering species is advocated in European legislation (Bern Convention European Council, 1979;Barcelona Gubbay et al, 2016). However, during the last decade, living vermetid cover has drastically decreased throughout the Mediterranean rocky shores (Badreddine et al, 2019;Rilov et al, 2020;Bisanti et al, 2022). This collapse is hypothesized to be related to the global climate change and to intensive human coastal exploitation, with severe consequences for the bioconstruction maintenance and cascading effects on the whole rocky intertidal ecosystem (Galil, 2013;Rilov et al, 2020;Albano et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Canopy-forming algae improve the colonization success of the vermetid reef-builder Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi 1859) on artificial substrates

La Marca,

Ape,

Rinaldi

et al. 2024

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Positive interactions among foundation species play a crucial role in achieving and maintaining a good state of the marine environment, enhancing the habitat stability, productivity, and the whole ecosystem functioning. In this regard, macroalgal canopies may affect the biotic and abiotic environmental features, improving the habitat quality for the establishment of other sedentary organisms. In this study, we investigated the effect of intertidal canopy-forming algae on the colonization success of the central-Mediterranean vermetid reef-builder Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi 1859) on artificial substrates produced for reef restoration purposes. An in situ experiment was carried out along the northwestern coast of Sicily during the breeding season of the vermetid snails, by using geopolymer concrete settlement discs with a topographic design to facilitate the vermetid settlement. The discs were placed on the seaward reef rim, underneath the macroalgal canopy, and on adjacent control bare reef areas. The canopy effect on the understory algal colonization and the environmental temperature at the vermetid settlement substrate were also surveyed. After 35 days of field exposure, the vermetid settlement increased by 1.7-fold on the discs underneath the macroalgal canopy compared with that on the bare settlement discs. Moreover, the understory algae showed a higher homogeneity and a lower percent cover on the settlement discs underneath the macroalgal canopy. The peaks of temperature were higher on the bare reef, and the macroalgal canopy also reduced temperature variability under maximum sun irradiance during the diurnal low tides. The vermetid settlement was positively correlated to the canopy cover, which, directly or indirectly, improved the success of colonization of the reef-builder snails on artificial substrates. The deployment of settlement discs where canopy-forming algae are naturally present may facilitate the gardening of vermetid clusters that may be translocated to restock the reef-builder density at degraded areas.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Canopy-forming algae improve the colonization success of the vermetid reef-builder Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi 1859) on artificial substrates

La Marca,

Ape,

Rinaldi

et al. 2024

Front. Mar. Sci.

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“…Despite such ecological importance to Mediterranean coastal seascapes, vermetid reefs are a poorly known and neglected habitat (Picone et al, 2022), whose persistence is at risk. Threatened by a high anthropogenic pressure and the global climate change, local declines and even local losses have been observed and reported in the eastern and central areas of the Mediterranean Sea (Galil, 2013;Badreddine et al, 2019;Bisanti et al, 2022). Ocean warming and acidification negatively impact early life stages of D. cristatum, thus impairing the building of new reef surface (Alessi et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seascape characterization of a Mediterranean vermetid reef: a structural complexity assessment

Picone

Chemello

2023

Front. Mar. Sci.

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In the Mediterranean Sea, vermetid reefs can modify coastal seascapes forming platforms in the intertidal zone of rocky coasts. With their three-dimensional and seaward-expanding structure, these bioconstructions support high biodiversity levels and provide important ecological functions and ecosystem services. In this study, we perform a first structural characterization of a vermetid reef seascape (hereafter, vermetid reefscape) and quantitatively assess the degree of their contribution to the structural complexity of the coastal seascape. Aerial images of a vermetid reef coast were acquired in the Marine Protected Area of Capo Gallo-Isola delle Femmine (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea) by means of unmanned aerial vehicle technology. In the seascape, the outer reef, platform, and coast classes were identified and digitized in GIS environment. The resulting vermetid reefscape was analysed by means of FRAGSTATS software using metrics belonging to the “area-edge”, “shape”, and “aggregation” categories. To quantitatively assess the structural complexity, the edge density, area-weighted perimeter area ratio, and landscape shape index metrics were applied to the seascapes with and without the vermetid reefs to simulate a sea level rise scenario. In addition, the effect of their presence in terms of coast length (i.e., total edge) was statistically tested using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. The outer reef had the highest total edge value (5,785.6 m) and, at the same time, the lowest class area (1,040 m2). It was also the patchiest, and the most fragmented and geometrically complex class in the seascape. Overall, the bioconstruction positively contributed to the structural complexity of the seascape with higher values of coastal area (12%), edge density (139%), area-weighted perimeter-area ratio (90%), and landscape shape index (66%). The Wilcoxon test revealed a statistically significant effect of the vermetid reefs presence on the coastal total edge (z = 3.9, p < 0.005), with a large effect size (r = 0.74). The results showed an overall higher structural complexity of the vermetid reefscape, indicating that its loss would lead to a significantly less complex seascape, entailing detrimental effects on the supported biodiversity levels and the valuable ecosystem services provided.

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Signals of Loss, Part Two: A Phytal Community Collapsing Under Extreme-Climate Conditions on a Mediterranean Vermetid Reef

Bisanti,

Turco,

Chemello

2024

Preprint

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Signals of loss: Local collapse of neglected vermetid reefs in the western Mediterranean Sea

Cited by 4 publications

References 28 publications

Canopy-forming algae improve the colonization success of the vermetid reef-builder Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi 1859) on artificial substrates

Canopy-forming algae improve the colonization success of the vermetid reef-builder Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi 1859) on artificial substrates

Seascape characterization of a Mediterranean vermetid reef: a structural complexity assessment

Signals of Loss, Part Two: A Phytal Community Collapsing Under Extreme-Climate Conditions on a Mediterranean Vermetid Reef

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