Articles | Volume 19, issue 18
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4619-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4619-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
28 Sep 2022
Research article |
| 28 Sep 2022
| 28 Sep 2022
Mediterranean seagrasses as carbon sinks: methodological and regional differences
Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (IMEDEA-CSIC-UIB),
C/Miquel Marqués 21, 07109, Esporles, Balearic Islands, Spain
Anna Escolano-Moltó
Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (IMEDEA-CSIC-UIB),
C/Miquel Marqués 21, 07109, Esporles, Balearic Islands, Spain
Susana Flecha
Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (IMEDEA-CSIC-UIB),
C/Miquel Marqués 21, 07109, Esporles, Balearic Islands, Spain
Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía (ICMAN-CSIC), Campus
Universitario Río San Pedro s/n, 11519, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
Raquel Vaquer-Sunyer
Marilles Foundation, la Rambla 13, 07003, Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain
Marlene Wesselmann
Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (IMEDEA-CSIC-UIB),
C/Miquel Marqués 21, 07109, Esporles, Balearic Islands, Spain
Núria Marbà
Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (IMEDEA-CSIC-UIB),
C/Miquel Marqués 21, 07109, Esporles, Balearic Islands, Spain
Related authors
Susana Flecha, Mercedes de la Paz, Fiz Fernández Pérez, Núria Marbà, Carlos Morell, Eva Alou-Font, Joaquín Tintoré, and Iris E. Hendriks
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4166, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4166, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Ocean Science (OS).
Short summary
Short summary
Nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas, remains understudied in coastal areas despite its role in global emissions. This study measured N2O levels and air-sea fluxes in the Balearic coast (Mediterranean Sea) from 2018 to 2023. N2O concentrations showed slight variation across sites, with all areas acting as weak sources of N2O. Temperature emerged as the main factor driving seasonal changes. These insights help refine our understanding of coastal contributions to global N2O emissions.
T. Erin Cox, Frédéric Gazeau, Samir Alliouane, Iris E. Hendriks, Paul Mahacek, Arnaud Le Fur, and Jean-Pierre Gattuso
Biogeosciences, 13, 2179–2194, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2179-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2179-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
The ocean absorbs atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) which increases the concentrations of CO2 and decreases pH in a process called ocean acidification. Because seagrass rely on carbon for photosynthesis they are expected to benefit under future ocean acidification. We manipulated pH in a Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadow. Seagrass traits, photosynthesis, and growth were not affected. Any benefit from ocean acidification over the next century on Posidonia physiology and growth may be minimal.
D. Krause-Jensen, C. M. Duarte, I. E. Hendriks, L. Meire, M. E. Blicher, N. Marbà, and M. K. Sejr
Biogeosciences, 12, 4895–4911, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4895-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4895-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
The Arctic Ocean is considered the most vulnerable ecosystem to ocean acidification (OA), but very little information is available on natural variability of pH in the Arctic coastal zone. We report pH variability at various scales in a Greenland fjord. Variability ranged up to 0.2-0.3 pH units horizontally and vertically in the fjord, between seasons and on diel basis in kelp forests and was extreme in tidal pools. Overall, primary producers played a fundamental role in producing mosaics of pH.
J.-P. Gattuso, W. Kirkwood, J. P. Barry, E. Cox, F. Gazeau, L. Hansson, I. Hendriks, D.I. Kline, P. Mahacek, S. Martin, P. McElhany, E. T. Peltzer, J. Reeve, D. Roberts, V. Saderne, K. Tait, S. Widdicombe, and P. G. Brewer
Biogeosciences, 11, 4057–4075, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-4057-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-4057-2014, 2014
I. E. Hendriks, Y. S. Olsen, L. Ramajo, L. Basso, A. Steckbauer, T. S. Moore, J. Howard, and C. M. Duarte
Biogeosciences, 11, 333–346, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-333-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-333-2014, 2014
Susana Flecha, Mercedes de la Paz, Fiz Fernández Pérez, Núria Marbà, Carlos Morell, Eva Alou-Font, Joaquín Tintoré, and Iris E. Hendriks
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4166, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4166, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Ocean Science (OS).
Short summary
Short summary
Nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas, remains understudied in coastal areas despite its role in global emissions. This study measured N2O levels and air-sea fluxes in the Balearic coast (Mediterranean Sea) from 2018 to 2023. N2O concentrations showed slight variation across sites, with all areas acting as weak sources of N2O. Temperature emerged as the main factor driving seasonal changes. These insights help refine our understanding of coastal contributions to global N2O emissions.
Nico Lange, Björn Fiedler, Marta Álvarez, Alice Benoit-Cattin, Heather Benway, Pier Luigi Buttigieg, Laurent Coppola, Kim Currie, Susana Flecha, Dana S. Gerlach, Makio Honda, I. Emma Huertas, Siv K. Lauvset, Frank Muller-Karger, Arne Körtzinger, Kevin M. O'Brien, Sólveig R. Ólafsdóttir, Fernando C. Pacheco, Digna Rueda-Roa, Ingunn Skjelvan, Masahide Wakita, Angelicque White, and Toste Tanhua
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 1901–1931, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1901-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1901-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The Synthesis Product for Ocean Time Series (SPOTS) is a novel achievement expanding and complementing the biogeochemical data landscape by providing consistent and high-quality biogeochemical time-series data from 12 ship-based fixed time-series programs. SPOTS covers multiple unique marine environments and time-series ranges, including data from 1983 to 2021. All in all, it facilitates a variety of applications that benefit from the collective value of biogeochemical time-series observations.
Neus Garcias-Bonet, Raquel Vaquer-Sunyer, Carlos M. Duarte, and Núria Marbà
Biogeosciences, 16, 167–175, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-167-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-167-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We assess the impact of warming on nitrogen fixation in three key Mediterranean macrophytes by experimentally measuring sediment nitrogen fixation rates at current and projected seawater temperature by 2100 under a scenario of moderate greenhouse gas emissions. The temperature dependence of nitrogen fixation could potentially increase rates by 37 % by the end of the century, with important consequences for primary production in coastal ecosystems.
Ariane Arias-Ortiz, Pere Masqué, Jordi Garcia-Orellana, Oscar Serrano, Inés Mazarrasa, Núria Marbà, Catherine E. Lovelock, Paul S. Lavery, and Carlos M. Duarte
Biogeosciences, 15, 6791–6818, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6791-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6791-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Efforts to include tidal marsh, mangrove and seagrass ecosystems in existing carbon mitigation strategies are limited by a lack of estimates of carbon accumulation rates (CARs). We discuss the use of 210Pb dating to determine CARs in these habitats, which are often composed of heterogeneous sediments and affected by sedimentary processes. Results show that obtaining reliable geochronologies in these systems is ambitious, but estimates of mean 100-year CARs are mostly secure within 20 % error.
Francesca Iuculano, Carlos Maria Duarte, Núria Marbà, and Susana Agustí
Biogeosciences, 14, 5069–5075, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5069-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5069-2017, 2017
Raquel Vaquer-Sunyer, Heather E. Reader, Saraladevi Muthusamy, Markus V. Lindh, Jarone Pinhassi, Daniel J. Conley, and Emma S. Kritzberg
Biogeosciences, 13, 4751–4765, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4751-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4751-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Nitrogen-rich dissolved organic matter inputs from wastewater treatment plant effluents increased bacterial production and decreased primary production and community respiration. Nutrient amendments and seasonally variable environmental conditions lead to shifts in bacterial community composition. Increases in bacterial production and simultaneous decreases in primary production lead to more carbon being consumed in the microbial loop and reduce its availability to sustain the food web.
T. Erin Cox, Frédéric Gazeau, Samir Alliouane, Iris E. Hendriks, Paul Mahacek, Arnaud Le Fur, and Jean-Pierre Gattuso
Biogeosciences, 13, 2179–2194, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2179-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2179-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
The ocean absorbs atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) which increases the concentrations of CO2 and decreases pH in a process called ocean acidification. Because seagrass rely on carbon for photosynthesis they are expected to benefit under future ocean acidification. We manipulated pH in a Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadow. Seagrass traits, photosynthesis, and growth were not affected. Any benefit from ocean acidification over the next century on Posidonia physiology and growth may be minimal.
I. Mazarrasa, N. Marbà, C. E. Lovelock, O. Serrano, P. S. Lavery, J. W. Fourqurean, H. Kennedy, M. A. Mateo, D. Krause-Jensen, A. D. L. Steven, and C. M. Duarte
Biogeosciences, 12, 4993–5003, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4993-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4993-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
There has been growing interest in quantifying the capacity of seagrass ecosystems to act as carbon sinks as a natural way of offsetting anthropogenic carbon emissions to the atmosphere. However, most of the efforts have focused on the organic fraction and ignored the inorganic carbon pool. This study offers the first global assessment of PIC stocks and accumulation rates in seagrass sediments, identifying these ecosystems as important contributors to carbonate dynamics in coastal areas.
D. Krause-Jensen, C. M. Duarte, I. E. Hendriks, L. Meire, M. E. Blicher, N. Marbà, and M. K. Sejr
Biogeosciences, 12, 4895–4911, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4895-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4895-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
The Arctic Ocean is considered the most vulnerable ecosystem to ocean acidification (OA), but very little information is available on natural variability of pH in the Arctic coastal zone. We report pH variability at various scales in a Greenland fjord. Variability ranged up to 0.2-0.3 pH units horizontally and vertically in the fjord, between seasons and on diel basis in kelp forests and was extreme in tidal pools. Overall, primary producers played a fundamental role in producing mosaics of pH.
J.-P. Gattuso, W. Kirkwood, J. P. Barry, E. Cox, F. Gazeau, L. Hansson, I. Hendriks, D.I. Kline, P. Mahacek, S. Martin, P. McElhany, E. T. Peltzer, J. Reeve, D. Roberts, V. Saderne, K. Tait, S. Widdicombe, and P. G. Brewer
Biogeosciences, 11, 4057–4075, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-4057-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-4057-2014, 2014
I. E. Hendriks, Y. S. Olsen, L. Ramajo, L. Basso, A. Steckbauer, T. S. Moore, J. Howard, and C. M. Duarte
Biogeosciences, 11, 333–346, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-333-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-333-2014, 2014
R. Vaquer-Sunyer, C. M. Duarte, J. Holding, A. Regaudie-de-Gioux, L. S. García-Corral, M. Reigstad, and P. Wassmann
Biogeosciences, 10, 1451–1469, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-1451-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-1451-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function: Marine
Growth response of Emiliania huxleyi to ocean alkalinity enhancement
Phytoplankton adaptation to steady or changing environments affects marine ecosystem functioning
Characterizing regional oceanography and bottom environmental conditions at two contrasting sponge grounds on the northern Labrador Shelf
Seasonal foraging behavior of Weddell seals in relation to oceanographic environmental conditions in the Ross Sea, Antarctica
Multifactorial effects of warming, low irradiance, and low salinity on Arctic kelps
Early life stages of fish under ocean alkalinity enhancement in coastal plankton communities
Planktonic foraminifera assemblage composition and flux dynamics inferred from an annual sediment trap record in the central Mediterranean Sea
Reefal ostracod assemblages from the Zanzibar Archipelago (Tanzania)
Composite calcite and opal test in Foraminifera (Rhizaria)
Influence of oxygen minimum zone on macrobenthic community structure in the northern Benguela Upwelling System: a macro-nematode perspective
Simulated terrestrial runoff shifts the metabolic balance of a coastal Mediterranean plankton community towards heterotrophy
Contrasting carbon cycling in the benthic food webs between a river-fed, high-energy canyon and an upper continental slope
A critical trade-off between nitrogen quota and growth allows Coccolithus braarudii life cycle phases to exploit varying environment
Structural complexity and benthic metabolism: resolving the links between carbon cycling and biodiversity in restored seagrass meadows
Biological response of eelgrass epifauna, Taylor’s sea hare (Phyllaplysia taylori) and eelgrass isopod (Idotea resecata), to elevated ocean alkalinity
Including the invisible: Deep depth-integrated chlorophyll estimates from remote sensing may assist in identifying biologically important areas in oligotrophic coastal margins
Building your own mountain: the effects, limits, and drawbacks of cold-water coral ecosystem engineering
Phytoplankton response to increased nickel in the context of ocean alkalinity enhancement
Diversity and density relationships between lebensspuren and tracemaking organisms: a study case from abyssal northwest Pacific
Technical note: An autonomous flow-through salinity and temperature perturbation mesocosm system for multi-stressor experiments
Reviews and syntheses: The clam before the storm – a meta-analysis showing the effect of combined climate change stressors on bivalves
A step towards measuring connectivity in the deep sea: elemental fingerprints of mollusk larval shells discriminate hydrothermal vent sites
Spawner weight and ocean temperature drive Allee effect dynamics in Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua: inherent and emergent density regulation
Bacterioplankton dark CO2 fixation in oligotrophic waters
The bottom mixed layer depth as an indicator of subsurface Chlorophyll a distribution
Ideas and perspectives: The fluctuating nature of oxygen shapes the ecology of aquatic habitats and their biogeochemical cycles – the aquatic oxyscape
Impact of deoxygenation and warming on global marine species in the 21st century
Ecological divergence of a mesocosm in an eastern boundary upwelling system assessed with multi-marker environmental DNA metabarcoding
Unique benthic foraminiferal communities (stained) in diverse environments of sub-Antarctic fjords, South Georgia
Upwelled plankton community modulates surface bloom succession and nutrient availability in a natural plankton assemblage
First phytoplankton community assessment of the Kong Håkon VII Hav, Southern Ocean, during austral autumn
Early life stages of a Mediterranean coral are vulnerable to ocean warming and acidification
Contrasting vertical distributions of recent planktic foraminifera off Indonesia during the southeast monsoon: implications for paleoceanographic reconstructions
The onset of the spring phytoplankton bloom in the coastal North Sea supports the Disturbance Recovery Hypothesis
Species richness and functional attributes of fish assemblages across a large-scale salinity gradient in shallow coastal areas
Modeling the growth and sporulation dynamics of the macroalga Ulva in mixed-age populations in cultivation and the formation of green tides
Spatial changes in community composition and food web structure of mesozooplankton across the Adriatic basin (Mediterranean Sea)
Predicting mangrove forest dynamics across a soil salinity gradient using an individual-based vegetation model linked with plant hydraulics
Will daytime community calcification reflect reef accretion on future, degraded coral reefs?
Modeling polar marine ecosystem functions guided by bacterial physiological and taxonomic traits
Quantifying functional consequences of habitat degradation on a Caribbean coral reef
Enhanced chlorophyll-a concentration in the wake of Sable Island, eastern Canada, revealed by two decades of satellite observations: a response to grey seal population dynamics?
Population dynamics and reproduction strategies of planktonic foraminifera in the open ocean
The Bouraké semi-enclosed lagoon (New Caledonia) – a natural laboratory to study the lifelong adaptation of a coral reef ecosystem to extreme environmental conditions
Atypical, high-diversity assemblages of foraminifera in a mangrove estuary in northern Brazil
Permanent ectoplasmic structures in deep-sea Cibicides and Cibicidoides taxa – long-term observations at in situ pressure
Ideas and perspectives: Ushering the Indian Ocean into the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (UNDOSSD) through marine ecosystem research and operational services – an early career's take
Persistent effects of sand extraction on habitats and associated benthic communities in the German Bight
Spatial patterns of ectoenzymatic kinetics in relation to biogeochemical properties in the Mediterranean Sea and the concentration of the fluorogenic substrate used
A 2-decade (1988–2009) record of diatom fluxes in the Mauritanian coastal upwelling: impact of low-frequency forcing and a two-step shift in the species composition
Giulia Faucher, Mathias Haunost, Allanah Joy Paul, Anne Ulrike Christiane Tietz, and Ulf Riebesell
Biogeosciences, 22, 405–415, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-405-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-405-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) is being evaluated for its capacity to absorb atmospheric CO2 in the ocean and store it long term to mitigate climate change. As researchers plan for field tests to gain insights into OAE, sharing knowledge on its environmental impact on marine ecosystems is urgent. Our study examined NaOH-induced OAE in Emiliania huxleyi, a key coccolithophore species, and found that the added total alkalinity (ΔTA) should stay below 600 µmol kg⁻¹ to avoid negative impacts.
Isabell Hochfeld and Jana Hinners
Biogeosciences, 21, 5591–5611, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5591-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5591-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Ecosystem models disagree on future changes in marine ecosystem functioning. We suspect that the lack of phytoplankton adaptation represents a major uncertainty factor, given the key role that phytoplankton play in marine ecosystems. Using an evolutionary ecosystem model, we found that phytoplankton adaptation can notably change simulated ecosystem dynamics. Future models should include phytoplankton adaptation; otherwise they can systematically overestimate future ecosystem-level changes.
Evert de Froe, Igor Yashayaev, Christian Mohn, Johanne Vad, Furu Mienis, Gerard Duineveld, Ellen Kenchington, Erica Head, Steve W. Ross, Sabena Blackbird, George A. Wolff, J. Murray Roberts, Barry MacDonald, Graham Tulloch, and Dick van Oevelen
Biogeosciences, 21, 5407–5433, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5407-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5407-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Deep-sea sponge grounds are distributed globally and are considered hotspots of biological diversity and biogeochemical cycling. To date, little is known about the environmental constraints that control where deep-sea sponge grounds occur and what conditions favour high sponge biomass. Here, we characterize oceanographic conditions at two contrasting sponge grounds. Our results imply that sponges and associated fauna benefit from strong tidal currents and favourable regional ocean currents.
Hyunjae Chung, Jikang Park, Mijin Park, Yejin Kim, Unyoung Chun, Sukyoung Yun, Won Sang Lee, Hyun A. Choi, Ji Sung Na, Seung-Tae Yoon, and Won Young Lee
Biogeosciences, 21, 5199–5217, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5199-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5199-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding how marine animals adapt to variations in marine environmental conditions is paramount. In this paper, we investigated the influence of changes in seawater and light conditions on the seasonal foraging behavior of Weddell seals in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Our findings could serve as a baseline and establish a foundational understanding for future research, particularly concerning the impact of marine environmental changes on the ecosystem of the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area.
Anaïs Lebrun, Cale A. Miller, Marc Meynadier, Steeve Comeau, Pierre Urrutti, Samir Alliouane, Robert Schlegel, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, and Frédéric Gazeau
Biogeosciences, 21, 4605–4620, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4605-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4605-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We tested the effects of warming, low salinity, and low irradiance on Arctic kelps. We show that growth rates were similar across species and treatments. Alaria esculenta is adapted to low-light conditions. Saccharina latissima exhibited nitrogen limitation, suggesting coastal erosion and permafrost thawing could be beneficial. Laminaria digitata did not respond to the treatments. Gene expression of Hedophyllum nigripes and S. latissima indicated acclimation to the experimental treatments.
Silvan Urs Goldenberg, Ulf Riebesell, Daniel Brüggemann, Gregor Börner, Michael Sswat, Arild Folkvord, Maria Couret, Synne Spjelkavik, Nicolás Sánchez, Cornelia Jaspers, and Marta Moyano
Biogeosciences, 21, 4521–4532, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4521-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4521-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) is being evaluated as a carbon dioxide removal technology for climate change mitigation. With an experiment on species communities, we show that larval and juvenile fish can be resilient to the resulting perturbation of seawater. Fish may hence recruit successfully and continue to support fisheries' production in regions of OAE. Our findings help to establish an environmentally safe operating space for this ocean-based solution.
Thibauld M. Béjard, Andrés S. Rigual-Hernández, Javier P. Tarruella, José-Abel Flores, Anna Sanchez-Vidal, Irene Llamas-Cano, and Francisco J. Sierro
Biogeosciences, 21, 4051–4076, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4051-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4051-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The Mediterranean Sea is regarded as a climate change hotspot. Documenting the population of planktonic foraminifera is crucial. In the Sicily Channel, fluxes are higher during winter and positively linked with chlorophyll a concentration and cool temperatures. A comparison with other Mediterranean sites shows the transitional aspect of the studied zone. Finally, modern populations significantly differ from those in the sediment, highlighting a possible effect of environmental change.
Skye Yunshu Tian, Martin Langer, Moriaki Yasuhara, and Chih-Lin Wei
Biogeosciences, 21, 3523–3536, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3523-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3523-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Through the first large-scale study of meiobenthic ostracods from the diverse and productive reef ecosystem in the Zanzibar Archipelago, Tanzania, we found that the diversity and composition of ostracod assemblages as controlled by benthic habitats and human impacts were indicative of overall reef health, and we highlighted the usefulness of ostracods as a model proxy to monitor and understand the degradation of reef ecosystems from the coral-dominated phase to the algae-dominated phase.
Julien Richirt, Satoshi Okada, Yoshiyuki Ishitani, Katsuyuki Uematsu, Akihiro Tame, Kaya Oda, Noriyuki Isobe, Toyoho Ishimura, Masashi Tsuchiya, and Hidetaka Nomaki
Biogeosciences, 21, 3271–3288, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3271-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3271-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We report the first benthic foraminifera with a composite test (i.e. shell) made of opal, which coats the inner part of the calcitic layer. Using comprehensive techniques, we describe the morphology and the composition of this novel opal layer and provide evidence that the opal is precipitated by the foraminifera itself. We explore the potential precipitation process and function(s) of this composite test and further discuss the possible implications for palaeoceanographic reconstructions.
Said Mohamed Hashim, Beth Wangui Waweru, and Agnes Muthumbi
Biogeosciences, 21, 2995–3006, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2995-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2995-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The study investigates the impact of decreasing oxygen in the ocean on macrofaunal communities using the BUS as an example. It identifies distinct shifts in community composition and feeding guilds across oxygen zones, with nematodes dominating dysoxic areas. These findings underscore the complex responses of benthic organisms to oxygen gradients, crucial for understanding ecosystem dynamics in hypoxic environments and their implications for marine biodiversity and sustainability.
Tanguy Soulié, Francesca Vidussi, Justine Courboulès, Marie Heydon, Sébastien Mas, Florian Voron, Carolina Cantoni, Fabien Joux, and Behzad Mostajir
Biogeosciences, 21, 1887–1902, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1887-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1887-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Due to climate change, it is projected that extreme rainfall events, which bring terrestrial matter into coastal seas, will occur more frequently in the Mediterranean region. To test the effects of runoffs of terrestrial matter on plankton communities from Mediterranean coastal waters, an in situ mesocosm experiment was conducted. The simulated runoff affected key processes mediated by plankton, such as primary production and respiration, suggesting major consequences of such events.
Chueh-Chen Tung, Yu-Shih Lin, Jian-Xiang Liao, Tzu-Hsuan Tu, James T. Liu, Li-Hung Lin, Pei-Ling Wang, and Chih-Lin Wei
Biogeosciences, 21, 1729–1756, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1729-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1729-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study contrasts seabed food webs between a river-fed, high-energy canyon and the nearby slope. We show higher organic carbon (OC) flows through the canyon than the slope. Bacteria dominated the canyon, while seabed fauna contributed more to the slope food web. Due to frequent perturbation, the canyon had a lower faunal stock and OC recycling. Only 4 % of the seabed OC flux enters the canyon food web, suggesting a significant role of the river-fed canyon in transporting OC to the deep sea.
Joost de Vries, Fanny Monteiro, Gerald Langer, Colin Brownlee, and Glen Wheeler
Biogeosciences, 21, 1707–1727, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1707-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1707-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Calcifying phytoplankton (coccolithophores) utilize a life cycle in which they can grow and divide into two different phases. These two phases (HET and HOL) vary in terms of their physiology and distributions, with many unknowns about what the key differences are. Using a combination of lab experiments and model simulations, we find that nutrient storage is a critical difference between the two phases and that this difference allows them to inhabit different nitrogen input regimes.
Theodor Kindeberg, Karl Michael Attard, Jana Hüller, Julia Müller, Cintia Organo Quintana, and Eduardo Infantes
Biogeosciences, 21, 1685–1705, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1685-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1685-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Seagrass meadows are hotspots for biodiversity and productivity, and planting seagrass is proposed as a tool for mitigating biodiversity loss and climate change. We assessed seagrass planted in different years and found that benthic oxygen and carbon fluxes increased as the seabed developed from bare sediments to a mature seagrass meadow. This increase was partly linked to the diversity of colonizing algae which increased the light-use efficiency of the seagrass meadow community.
Kristin Jones, Lenaïg Hemery, Nicholas Ward, Peter Regier, Mallory Ringham, and Matthew Eisaman
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-972, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-972, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Ocean alkalinity enhancement is a marine carbon dioxide removal method that aims to mitigate the effects of climate change. This method causes localized increases in ocean pH, but the biological impacts of such changes are not well known. Our study investigated the response of two nearshore invertebrate species to increased pH and found the sea hare to be sensitive to pH changes, while the isopod was more resilient. Understanding interactions with biology is important as this field expands.
Renée P. Schoeman, Christine Erbe, and Robert D. McCauley
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-859, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-859, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study used ocean glider data to extend previously established relationships between surface and depth-integrated chlorophyll to an intermittent-oligotrophic continental margin. Relationships were established for stratified summer-transition months, stratified winter months, and mixed water columns. Integrations over twice the euphotic zone depth best captured Deep Chlorophyll Maxima contributing to a seasonal increase in depth-integrated chlorophyll likely relevant to higher trophic levels.
Anna-Selma van der Kaaden, Sandra R. Maier, Siluo Chen, Laurence H. De Clippele, Evert de Froe, Theo Gerkema, Johan van de Koppel, Furu Mienis, Christian Mohn, Max Rietkerk, Karline Soetaert, and Dick van Oevelen
Biogeosciences, 21, 973–992, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-973-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-973-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Combining hydrodynamic simulations and annotated videos, we separated which hydrodynamic variables that determine reef cover are engineered by cold-water corals and which are not. Around coral mounds, hydrodynamic zones seem to create a typical reef zonation, restricting corals from moving deeper (the expected response to climate warming). But non-engineered downward velocities in winter (e.g. deep winter mixing) seem more important for coral reef growth than coral engineering.
Xiaoke Xin, Giulia Faucher, and Ulf Riebesell
Biogeosciences, 21, 761–772, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-761-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-761-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) is a promising approach to remove CO2 by accelerating natural rock weathering. However, some of the alkaline substances contain trace metals which could be toxic to marine life. By exposing three representative phytoplankton species to Ni released from alkaline materials, we observed varying responses of phytoplankton to nickel concentrations, suggesting caution should be taken and toxic thresholds should be avoided in OAE with Ni-rich materials.
Olmo Miguez-Salas, Angelika Brandt, Henry Knauber, and Torben Riehl
Biogeosciences, 21, 641–655, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-641-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-641-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In the deep sea, the interaction between benthic fauna (tracemakers) and substrate can be preserved as traces (i.e. lebensspuren), which are common features of seafloor landscapes, rendering them promising proxies for inferring biodiversity from marine images. No general correlation was observed between traces and benthic fauna. However, a local correlation was observed between specific stations depending on unknown tracemakers, tracemaker behaviour, and lebensspuren morphotypes.
Cale A. Miller, Pierre Urrutti, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, Steeve Comeau, Anaïs Lebrun, Samir Alliouane, Robert W. Schlegel, and Frédéric Gazeau
Biogeosciences, 21, 315–333, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-315-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-315-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This work describes an experimental system that can replicate and manipulate environmental conditions in marine or aquatic systems. Here, we show how the temperature and salinity of seawater delivered from a fjord is manipulated to experimental tanks on land. By constantly monitoring temperature and salinity in each tank via a computer program, the system continuously adjusts automated flow valves to ensure the seawater in each tank matches the targeted experimental conditions.
Rachel A. Kruft Welton, George Hoppit, Daniela N. Schmidt, James D. Witts, and Benjamin C. Moon
Biogeosciences, 21, 223–239, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-223-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-223-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We conducted a meta-analysis of known experimental literature examining how marine bivalve growth rates respond to climate change. Growth is usually negatively impacted by climate change. Bivalve eggs/larva are generally more vulnerable than either juveniles or adults. Available data on the bivalve response to climate stressors are biased towards early growth stages (commercially important in the Global North), and many families have only single experiments examining climate change impacts.
Vincent Mouchi, Christophe Pecheyran, Fanny Claverie, Cécile Cathalot, Marjolaine Matabos, Yoan Germain, Olivier Rouxel, Didier Jollivet, Thomas Broquet, and Thierry Comtet
Biogeosciences, 21, 145–160, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-145-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-145-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The impact of deep-sea mining will depend critically on the ability of larval dispersal of hydrothermal mollusks to connect and replenish natural populations. However, assessing connectivity is extremely challenging, especially in the deep sea. Here, we investigate the potential of using the chemical composition of larval shells to discriminate larval origins between multiple hydrothermal sites in the southwest Pacific. Our results confirm that this method can be applied with high accuracy.
Anna-Marie Winter, Nadezda Vasilyeva, and Artem Vladimirov
Biogeosciences, 20, 3683–3716, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3683-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3683-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
There is an increasing number of fish in poor state, and many do not recover, even when fishing pressure is ceased. An Allee effect can hinder population recovery because it suppresses the fish's productivity at low abundance. With a model fitted to 17 Atlantic cod stocks, we find that ocean warming and fishing can cause an Allee effect. If present, the Allee effect hinders fish recovery. This shows that Allee effects are dynamic, not uncommon, and calls for precautionary management measures.
Afrah Alothman, Daffne López-Sandoval, Carlos M. Duarte, and Susana Agustí
Biogeosciences, 20, 3613–3624, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3613-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3613-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates bacterial dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) fixation in the Red Sea, an oligotrophic ecosystem, using stable-isotope labeling and spectroscopy. The research reveals that bacterial DIC fixation significantly contributes to total DIC fixation, in the surface and deep water. The study demonstrates that as primary production decreases, the role of bacterial DIC fixation increases, emphasizing its importance with photosynthesis in estimating oceanic carbon dioxide production.
Arianna Zampollo, Thomas Cornulier, Rory O'Hara Murray, Jacqueline Fiona Tweddle, James Dunning, and Beth E. Scott
Biogeosciences, 20, 3593–3611, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3593-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3593-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This paper highlights the use of the bottom mixed layer depth (BMLD: depth between the end of the pycnocline and the mixed layer below) to investigate subsurface Chlorophyll a (a proxy of primary production) in temperate stratified shelf waters. The strict correlation between subsurface Chl a and BMLD becomes relevant in shelf-productive waters where multiple stressors (e.g. offshore infrastructure) will change the stratification--mixing balance and related carbon fluxes.
Marco Fusi, Sylvain Rigaud, Giovanna Guadagnin, Alberto Barausse, Ramona Marasco, Daniele Daffonchio, Julie Régis, Louison Huchet, Capucine Camin, Laura Pettit, Cristina Vina-Herbon, and Folco Giomi
Biogeosciences, 20, 3509–3521, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3509-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3509-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Oxygen availability in marine water and freshwater is very variable at daily and seasonal scales. The dynamic nature of oxygen fluctuations has important consequences for animal and microbe physiology and ecology, yet it is not fully understood. In this paper, we showed the heterogeneous nature of the aquatic oxygen landscape, which we defined here as the
oxyscape, and we addressed the importance of considering the oxyscape in the modelling and managing of aquatic ecosystems.
Anne L. Morée, Tayler M. Clarke, William W. L. Cheung, and Thomas L. Frölicher
Biogeosciences, 20, 2425–2454, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2425-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2425-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Ocean temperature and oxygen shape marine habitats together with species’ characteristics. We calculated the impacts of projected 21st-century warming and oxygen loss on the contemporary habitat volume of 47 marine species and described the drivers of these impacts. Most species lose less than 5 % of their habitat at 2 °C of global warming, but some species incur losses 2–3 times greater than that. We also calculate which species may be most vulnerable to climate change and why this is the case.
Markus A. Min, David M. Needham, Sebastian Sudek, Nathan Kobun Truelove, Kathleen J. Pitz, Gabriela M. Chavez, Camille Poirier, Bente Gardeler, Elisabeth von der Esch, Andrea Ludwig, Ulf Riebesell, Alexandra Z. Worden, and Francisco P. Chavez
Biogeosciences, 20, 1277–1298, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1277-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1277-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Emerging molecular methods provide new ways of understanding how marine communities respond to changes in ocean conditions. Here, environmental DNA was used to track the temporal evolution of biological communities in the Peruvian coastal upwelling system and in an adjacent enclosure where upwelling was simulated. We found that the two communities quickly diverged, with the open ocean being one found during upwelling and the enclosure evolving to one found under stratified conditions.
Wojciech Majewski, Witold Szczuciński, and Andrew J. Gooday
Biogeosciences, 20, 523–544, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-523-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-523-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We studied foraminifera living in the fjords of South Georgia, a sub-Antarctic island sensitive to climate change. As conditions in water and on the seafloor vary, different associations of these microorganisms dominate far inside, in the middle, and near fjord openings. Assemblages in inner and middle parts of fjords are specific to South Georgia, but they may become widespread with anticipated warming. These results are important for interpretating fossil records and monitoring future change.
Allanah Joy Paul, Lennart Thomas Bach, Javier Arístegui, Elisabeth von der Esch, Nauzet Hernández-Hernández, Jonna Piiparinen, Laura Ramajo, Kristian Spilling, and Ulf Riebesell
Biogeosciences, 19, 5911–5926, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5911-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5911-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated how different deep water chemistry and biology modulate the response of surface phytoplankton communities to upwelling in the Peruvian coastal zone. Our results show that the most influential drivers were the ratio of inorganic nutrients (N : P) and the microbial community present in upwelling source water. These led to unexpected and variable development in the phytoplankton assemblage that could not be predicted by the amount of inorganic nutrients alone.
Hanna M. Kauko, Philipp Assmy, Ilka Peeken, Magdalena Różańska-Pluta, Józef M. Wiktor, Gunnar Bratbak, Asmita Singh, Thomas J. Ryan-Keogh, and Sebastien Moreau
Biogeosciences, 19, 5449–5482, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5449-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5449-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This article studies phytoplankton (microscopic
plantsin the ocean capable of photosynthesis) in Kong Håkon VII Hav in the Southern Ocean. Different species play different roles in the ecosystem, and it is therefore important to assess the species composition. We observed that phytoplankton blooms in this area are formed by large diatoms with strong silica armors, which can lead to high silica (and sometimes carbon) export to depth and be important prey for krill.
Chloe Carbonne, Steeve Comeau, Phoebe T. W. Chan, Keyla Plichon, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, and Núria Teixidó
Biogeosciences, 19, 4767–4777, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4767-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4767-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
For the first time, our study highlights the synergistic effects of a 9-month warming and acidification combined stress on the early life stages of a Mediterranean azooxanthellate coral, Astroides calycularis. Our results predict a decrease in dispersion, settlement, post-settlement linear extention, budding and survival under future global change and that larvae and recruits of A. calycularis are stages of interest for this Mediterranean coral resistance, resilience and conservation.
Raúl Tapia, Sze Ling Ho, Hui-Yu Wang, Jeroen Groeneveld, and Mahyar Mohtadi
Biogeosciences, 19, 3185–3208, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3185-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3185-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We report census counts of planktic foraminifera in depth-stratified plankton net samples off Indonesia. Our results show that the vertical distribution of foraminifera species routinely used in paleoceanographic reconstructions varies in hydrographically distinct regions, likely in response to food availability. Consequently, the thermal gradient based on mixed layer and thermocline dwellers also differs for these regions, suggesting potential implications for paleoceanographic reconstructions.
Ricardo González-Gil, Neil S. Banas, Eileen Bresnan, and Michael R. Heath
Biogeosciences, 19, 2417–2426, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2417-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2417-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
In oceanic waters, the accumulation of phytoplankton biomass in winter, when light still limits growth, is attributed to a decrease in grazing as the mixed layer deepens. However, in coastal areas, it is not clear whether winter biomass can accumulate without this deepening. Using 21 years of weekly data, we found that in the Scottish coastal North Sea, the seasonal increase in light availability triggers the accumulation of phytoplankton biomass in winter, when light limitation is strongest.
Birgit Koehler, Mårten Erlandsson, Martin Karlsson, and Lena Bergström
Biogeosciences, 19, 2295–2312, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2295-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2295-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding species richness patterns remains a challenge for biodiversity management. We estimated fish species richness over a coastal salinity gradient (3–32) with a method that allowed comparing data from various sources. Species richness was 3-fold higher at high vs. low salinity, and salinity influenced species’ habitat preference, mobility and feeding type. If climate change causes upper-layer freshening of the Baltic Sea, further shifts along the identified patterns may be expected.
Uri Obolski, Thomas Wichard, Alvaro Israel, Alexander Golberg, and Alexander Liberzon
Biogeosciences, 19, 2263–2271, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2263-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2263-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The algal genus Ulva plays a major role in coastal ecosystems worldwide and is a promising prospect as an seagriculture crop. A substantial hindrance to cultivating Ulva arises from sudden sporulation, leading to biomass loss. This process is not yet well understood. Here, we characterize the dynamics of Ulva growth, considering the potential impact of sporulation inhibitors, using a mathematical model. Our findings are an essential step towards understanding the dynamics of Ulva growth.
Emanuela Fanelli, Samuele Menicucci, Sara Malavolti, Andrea De Felice, and Iole Leonori
Biogeosciences, 19, 1833–1851, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1833-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1833-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Zooplankton play a key role in marine ecosystems, forming the base of the marine food web and a link between primary producers and higher-order consumers, such as fish. This aspect is crucial in the Adriatic basin, one of the most productive and overexploited areas of the Mediterranean Sea. A better understanding of community and food web structure and their response to water mass changes is essential under a global warming scenario, as zooplankton are sensitive to climate change.
Masaya Yoshikai, Takashi Nakamura, Rempei Suwa, Sahadev Sharma, Rene Rollon, Jun Yasuoka, Ryohei Egawa, and Kazuo Nadaoka
Biogeosciences, 19, 1813–1832, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1813-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1813-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents a new individual-based vegetation model to investigate salinity control on mangrove productivity. The model incorporates plant hydraulics and tree competition and predicts unique and complex patterns of mangrove forest structures that vary across soil salinity gradients. The presented model does not hold an empirical expression of salinity influence on productivity and thus may provide a better understanding of mangrove forest dynamics in future climate change.
Coulson A. Lantz, William Leggat, Jessica L. Bergman, Alexander Fordyce, Charlotte Page, Thomas Mesaglio, and Tracy D. Ainsworth
Biogeosciences, 19, 891–906, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-891-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-891-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Coral bleaching events continue to drive the degradation of coral reefs worldwide. In this study we measured rates of daytime coral reef community calcification and photosynthesis during a reef-wide bleaching event. Despite a measured decline in coral health across several taxa, there was no change in overall daytime community calcification and photosynthesis. These findings highlight potential limitations of these community-level metrics to reflect actual changes in coral health.
Hyewon Heather Kim, Jeff S. Bowman, Ya-Wei Luo, Hugh W. Ducklow, Oscar M. Schofield, Deborah K. Steinberg, and Scott C. Doney
Biogeosciences, 19, 117–136, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-117-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-117-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Heterotrophic marine bacteria are tiny organisms responsible for taking up organic matter in the ocean. Using a modeling approach, this study shows that characteristics (taxonomy and physiology) of bacteria are associated with a subset of ecological processes in the coastal West Antarctic Peninsula region, a system susceptible to global climate change. This study also suggests that bacteria will become more active, in particular large-sized cells, in response to changing climates in the region.
Alice E. Webb, Didier M. de Bakker, Karline Soetaert, Tamara da Costa, Steven M. A. C. van Heuven, Fleur C. van Duyl, Gert-Jan Reichart, and Lennart J. de Nooijer
Biogeosciences, 18, 6501–6516, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6501-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6501-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The biogeochemical behaviour of shallow reef communities is quantified to better understand the impact of habitat degradation and species composition shifts on reef functioning. The reef communities investigated barely support reef functions that are usually ascribed to conventional coral reefs, and the overall biogeochemical behaviour is found to be similar regardless of substrate type. This suggests a decrease in functional diversity which may therefore limit services provided by this reef.
Emmanuel Devred, Andrea Hilborn, and Cornelia Elizabeth den Heyer
Biogeosciences, 18, 6115–6132, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6115-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6115-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
A theoretical model of grey seal seasonal abundance on Sable Island (SI) coupled with chlorophyll-a concentration [chl-a] measured by satellite revealed the impact of seal nitrogen fertilization on the surrounding waters of SI, Canada. The increase in seals from about 100 000 in 2003 to about 360 000 in 2018 during the breeding season is consistent with an increase in [chl-a] leeward of SI. The increase in seal abundance explains 8 % of the [chl-a] increase.
Julie Meilland, Michael Siccha, Maike Kaffenberger, Jelle Bijma, and Michal Kucera
Biogeosciences, 18, 5789–5809, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5789-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5789-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Planktonic foraminifera population dynamics has long been assumed to be controlled by synchronous reproduction and ontogenetic vertical migration (OVM). Due to contradictory observations, this concept became controversial. We here test it in the Atlantic ocean for four species of foraminifera representing the main clades. Our observations support the existence of synchronised reproduction and OVM but show that more than half of the population does not follow the canonical trajectory.
Federica Maggioni, Mireille Pujo-Pay, Jérome Aucan, Carlo Cerrano, Barbara Calcinai, Claude Payri, Francesca Benzoni, Yves Letourneur, and Riccardo Rodolfo-Metalpa
Biogeosciences, 18, 5117–5140, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5117-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5117-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Based on current experimental evidence, climate change will affect up to 90 % of coral reefs worldwide. The originality of this study arises from our recent discovery of an exceptional study site where environmental conditions (temperature, pH, and oxygen) are even worse than those forecasted for the future.
While these conditions are generally recognized as unfavorable for marine life, we found a rich and abundant coral reef thriving under such extreme environmental conditions.
Nisan Sariaslan and Martin R. Langer
Biogeosciences, 18, 4073–4090, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4073-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4073-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Analyses of foraminiferal assemblages from the Mamanguape mangrove estuary (northern Brazil) revealed highly diverse, species-rich, and structurally complex biotas. The atypical fauna resembles shallow-water offshore assemblages and are interpreted to be the result of highly saline ocean waters penetrating deep into the estuary. The findings contrast with previous studies, have implications for the fossil record, and provide novel perspectives for reconstructing mangrove environments.
Jutta E. Wollenburg, Jelle Bijma, Charlotte Cremer, Ulf Bickmeyer, and Zora Mila Colomba Zittier
Biogeosciences, 18, 3903–3915, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3903-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3903-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Cultured at in situ high-pressure conditions Cibicides and Cibicidoides taxa develop lasting ectoplasmic structures that cannot be retracted or resorbed. An ectoplasmic envelope surrounds their test and may protect the shell, e.g. versus carbonate aggressive bottom water conditions. Ectoplasmic roots likely anchor the specimens in areas of strong bottom water currents, trees enable them to elevate themselves above ground, and twigs stabilize and guide the retractable pseudopodial network.
Kumar Nimit
Biogeosciences, 18, 3631–3635, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3631-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3631-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The Indian Ocean Rim hosts many of the underdeveloped and emerging economies that depend on ocean resources for the livelihood of millions. Operational ocean information services cater to the requirements of resource managers and end-users to efficiently harness resources, mitigate threats and ensure safety. This paper outlines existing tools and explores the ongoing research that has the potential to convert the findings into operational services in the near- to midterm.
Finn Mielck, Rune Michaelis, H. Christian Hass, Sarah Hertel, Caroline Ganal, and Werner Armonies
Biogeosciences, 18, 3565–3577, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3565-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3565-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Marine sand mining is becoming more and more important to nourish fragile coastlines that face global change. We investigated the largest sand extraction site in the German Bight. The study reveals that after more than 35 years of mining, the excavation pits are still detectable on the seafloor while the sediment composition has largely changed. The organic communities living in and on the seafloor were strongly decimated, and no recovery is observable towards previous conditions.
France Van Wambeke, Elvira Pulido, Philippe Catala, Julie Dinasquet, Kahina Djaoudi, Anja Engel, Marc Garel, Sophie Guasco, Barbara Marie, Sandra Nunige, Vincent Taillandier, Birthe Zäncker, and Christian Tamburini
Biogeosciences, 18, 2301–2323, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2301-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2301-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Michaelis–Menten kinetics were determined for alkaline phosphatase, aminopeptidase and β-glucosidase in the Mediterranean Sea. Although the ectoenzymatic-hydrolysis contribution to heterotrophic prokaryotic needs was high in terms of N, it was low in terms of C. This study points out the biases in interpretation of the relative differences in activities among the three tested enzymes in regard to the choice of added concentrations of fluorogenic substrates.
Oscar E. Romero, Simon Ramondenc, and Gerhard Fischer
Biogeosciences, 18, 1873–1891, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1873-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1873-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Upwelling intensity along NW Africa varies on the interannual to decadal timescale. Understanding its changes is key for the prediction of future changes of CO2 sequestration in the northeastern Atlantic. Based on a multiyear (1988–2009) sediment trap experiment at the site CBmeso, fluxes and the species composition of the diatom assemblage are presented. Our data help in establishing the scientific basis for forecasting and modeling future states of this ecosystem and its decadal changes.
Cited articles
Agawin, N. S. R., Ferriol, P., Sintes, E., and Moyà, G.: Temporal and
spatial variability of in situ nitrogen fixation activities associated with the
Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica meadows, Limnol. Oceanogr., 62, 2575–2592,
https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.10591, 2017.
Agueda, P., Hendriks, I. E., Flecha, S., and Jorda, B.: Modified matlab model based on Cole et al. (2000), GitHub [code], https://github.com/PAgueda/Code, last access: 16 June 2022.
Alcoverro, T., Duarte, C. M., and Romero, J.: Annual growth dynamics of
Posidonia oceanica: contribution of large-scale versus local factors to seasonality, Mar.
Ecol.-Prog. Ser., 120, 203–210, 1995.
Ali, E., Cramer, W., Carnicer, J., Georgopoulou, E., Hilmi, N. J. M., Le Cozannet, G., and Lionello, P.: Cross-Chapter Paper 4: Mediterranean Region, in: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, edited by: Pörtner, H.-O., Roberts, D. C., Tignor, M., Poloczanska, E. S., Mintenbeck, K., Alegría, A., Craig, M., Langsdorf, S., Löschke, S., Möller, V., Okem, A., and Rama, B., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, 2233–2272, https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGII_CCP4.pdf, last access: 20 September 2022.
Amitai, Y., Yam, R., Montagna, P., Devoti, S., Correa, M. L., and Shemesh,
A.: Spatial and temporal variability in Mediterranean climate over the last
millennium from vermetid isotope records and CMIP5/PMIP3 models, Global
Planet. Change, 189, 103159,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2020.103159, 2020.
Apostolaki, E. T., Holmer, M., Marbà, N., and Karakassis, I.: Metabolic
Imbalance in Coastal Vegetated (Posidonia oceanica) and Unvegetated Benthic Ecosystems,
Ecosystems, 13, 459–471, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-010-9330-9, 2010.
Armitage, A. R. and Fourqurean, J. W.: Carbon storage in seagrass soils: long-term nutrient history exceeds the effects of near-term nutrient enrichment, Biogeosciences, 13, 313–321, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-313-2016, 2016.
Aufdenkampe, A. K., Mayorga, E., Raymond, P. A., Melack, J. M., Doney, S.
C., Alin, S. R., Aalto, R. E., and Yoo, K.: Riverine coupling of
biogeochemical cycles between land, oceans, and atmosphere, Front.
Ecol. Environ., 9, 53–60, https://doi.org/10.1890/100014, 2011.
Barrón, C. and Duarte, C. M.: Dissolved organic matter release in a
Posidonia oceanica meadow, Mar. Ecol.-Prog. Ser., 374, 75–84, 2009.
Barrón, C., Marbà, N., Terrados, J., Kennedy, H., and Duarte, C. M.:
Community metabolism and carbon budget along a gradient of seagrass
(Cymodocea nodosa) colonization, Limnol. Oceanogr., 49, 1642–1651,
https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2004.49.5.1642, 2004.
Barrón, C., Duarte, C. M., Frankignoulle, M., and Borges, A. V.: Organic
carbon metabolism and carbonate dynamics in a Mediterranean seagrass
(Posidonia oceanica), meadow, Estuar. Coast., 29, 417–426, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02784990, 2006.
Bay, D.: A field study of the growth dynamics and productivity of Posidonia oceanica (L.)
delile in Calvi Bay, Corsica, Aquat. Bot., 20, 43–64,
https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3770(84)90026-3, 1984.
Béthoux, J. P. and Copin-Montégut, G.: Biological fixation of
atmospheric nitrogen in the Mediterranean Sea, Limnol. Oceanogr.,
31, 1353–1358, https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1986.31.6.1353, 1986.
Bonacorsi, M., Pergent-Martini, C., Breand, N., and Pergent, G.: Is
Posidonia oceanica regression a general feature in the Mediterranean Sea?, Mediterr.
Mar. Sci., 14, 193–203, https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.334, 2013.
Boudouresque, C. F., Bernard, G., Pergent, G., Shili, A., and Verlaque, M.:
Regression of Mediterranean seagrasses caused by natural processes and
anthropogenic disturbances and stress: a critical review, Bot. Mar., 52, 395–418,
https://doi.org/10.1515/BOT.2009.057, 2009.
Brown, J. H., Gillooly, J. F., Allen, A. P., Savage, V. M., and West, G. B.:
Toward a metabolic theory of ecology, Ecology, 85, 1771–1789,
https://doi.org/10.1890/03-9000, 2004.
Burrows, M. T., Schoeman, D. S., Buckley, L. B., Moore, P., Poloczanska, E.
S., Brander, K. M., Brown, C., Bruno, J. F., Duarte, C. M., Halpern, B. S.,
Holding, J., Kappel, C. V., Kiessling, W., O'Connor, M. I., Pandolfi, J. M.,
Parmesan, C., Schwing, F. B., Sydeman, W. J., and Richardson, A. J.: The
Pace of Shifting Climate in Marine and Terrestrial Ecosystems, Science, 334,
652–655, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1210288, 2011.
Cebrian, J.: Patterns in the Fate of Production in Plant Communities, Am.
Nat., 154, 449–468, https://doi.org/10.1086/303244, 1999.
Cebrian, J., Duarte, C. M., Marba, N., and Enriquez, S.: Magnitude and fate
of the production of four co-occurring western Mediterranean seagrass
species, Mar. Ecol.-Prog. Ser., 155, 29-44, 1997.
Champenois, W. and Borges, A. V.: Seasonal and interannual variations of
community metabolism rates of a Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadow, Limnol.
Oceanogr., 57, 347–361, https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2012.57.1.0347, 2012.
Champenois, W. and Borges, A. V.: Inter-annual variations over a decade of
primary production of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica, Limnol. Oceanogr., 64, 32–45,
https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.11017, 2019.
Chefaoui, R. M., Duarte, C. M., and Serrão, E. A.: Dramatic loss of
seagrass habitat under projected climate change in the Mediterranean Sea,
Glob. Change Biol., 24, 4919–4928, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14401,
2018.
Cole, J. J. and Caraco, N. F.: Atmospheric exchange of carbon dioxide in a
low-wind oligotrophic lake measured by the addition of SF6, Limnol. Oceanogr., 43, 647–656, https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1998.43.4.0647, 1998.
Cole, J. J., Pace, M. L., Carpenter, S. R., and Kitchell, J. F.: Persistence
of net heterotrophy in lakes during nutrient addition and food web
manipulations, Limnol. Oceanogr., 45, 1718–1730,
https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2000.45.8.1718, 2000.
Coloso, J. J., Cole, J. J., Hanson, P. C., and Pace, M. L.:
Depth-integrated, continuous estimates of metabolism in a clear-water lake,
Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci., 65, 712–722,
10.1139/f08-006, 2008.
Condie, S. A. and Webster, I. T.: Estimating Stratification in Shallow Water
Bodies from Mean Meteorological Conditions, J. Hydraul.
Eng., 127, 286–292, https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2001)127:4(286),
2001.
Conley, D. J., Carstensen, J., Vaquer-Sunyer, R., and Duarte, C. M.:
Ecosystem thresholds with hypoxia, in: Eutrophication in Coastal Ecosystems:
Towards better understanding and management strategies. Selected Papers from
the Second International Symposium on Research and Management of
Eutrophication in Coastal Ecosystems, 20–23 June 2006, Nyborg, Denmark,
edited by: Andersen, J. H. and Conley, D. J., Springer Netherlands,
Dordrecht, 21–29, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3385-7_3, 2009.
de los Santos, C. B., Krause-Jensen, D., Alcoverro, T., Marbà, N.,
Duarte, C. M., van Katwijk, M. M., Pérez, M., Romero, J.,
Sánchez-Lizaso, J. L., Roca, G., Jankowska, E., Pérez-Lloréns,
J. L., Fournier, J., Montefalcone, M., Pergent, G., Ruiz, J. M., Cabaço,
S., Cook, K., Wilkes, R. J., Moy, F. E., Trayter, G. M.-R., Arañó,
X. S., de Jong, D. J., Fernández-Torquemada, Y., Auby, I., Vergara, J.
J., and Santos, R.: Recent trend reversal for declining European seagrass
meadows, Nat. Commun., 10, 3356, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-11340-4, 2019.
Dennison, W. C.: Effects of light on seagrass photosynthesis, growth and
depth distribution, Aquat. Bot., 27, 15–26,
https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3770(87)90083-0, 1987.
Diaz, R. J.: Overview of hypoxia around the world, J. Environ. Qual., 30,
275–281, https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2001.302275x, 2001.
Díaz, R. J. and Rosenberg, R.: Marine benthic hypoxia: a review of its
ecological effects and the behavioural responses of benthic macrofauna,
Oceanogr. Mar. Biol., 33, 245–303, 1995.
Diaz-Almena, E., Marbà, N., and Duarte, C. M.: Consequences of
Mediterranean warming events in seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) flowering records, Glob. Change
Biol., 13, 224–235, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2006.01260.x,
2007.
Duarte, C. M., Middelburg, J. J., and Caraco, N.: Major role of marine vegetation on the oceanic carbon cycle, Biogeosciences, 2, 1–8, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2-1-2005, 2005.
Duarte, C. M., Marbà, N., Gacia, E., Fourqurean, J. W., Beggins, J.,
Barrón, C., and Apostolaki, E. T.: Seagrass community metabolism:
Assessing the carbon sink capacity of seagrass meadows, Global
Biogeochem. Cy., 24, GB4032, https://doi.org/10.1029/2010GB003793, 2010.
Duarte, C. M., Hendriks, I. E., Moore, T. S., Olsen, Y. S., Steckbauer, A.,
Ramajo, L., Carstensen, J., Trotter, J. A., and McCulloch, M.: Is Ocean
Acidification an Open-Ocean Syndrome? Understanding Anthropogenic Impacts on
Seawater pH, Estuar. Coasts, 36, 221–236, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-013-9594-3,
2013.
Egea, L. G., Jiménez-Ramos, R., Vergara, J. J., Hernández, I., and
Brun, F. G.: Interactive effect of temperature, acidification and ammonium
enrichment on the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa, Mar. Pollut. Bull., 134, 14–26,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.02.029, 2018.
Enríquez, S. and Rodríguez-Román, A.: Effect of water flow on
the photosynthesis of three marine macrophytes from a fringing-reef lagoon,
Mar. Ecol.-Prog. Ser., 323, 119–132, 2006.
Fofonoff, N. P. and Millard Jr., R. C.: Algorithms for the computation of
fundamental properties of seawater, in: UNESCO Technical Papers in Marine
Sciences, UNESCO, Paris, France, 53 pp., https://doi.org/10.25607/OBP-1450, 1983.
Fourqurean, J. W., Duarte, C. M., Kennedy, H., Marbà, N., Holmer, M.,
Mateo, M. A., Apostolaki, E. T., Kendrick, G. A., Krause-Jensen, D.,
McGlathery, K. J., and Serrano, O.: Seagrass ecosystems as a globally
significant carbon stock, Nat. Geosci., 5, 505–509, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1477,
2012.
Frankignoulle, M. and Bouquegneau, J. M.: Seasonal variation of the diel
carbon budget of a marine macrophyte ecosystem, Mar. Ecol.-Prog.
Ser., 38, 197–199, 1987.
Gacia, E., Marba, N., Cebrian, J., Vaquer-Sunyer, R., Garcias-Bonet, N., and
Duarte, C.: Thresholds of irradiance for seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) meadow metabolism: An
experimental approach, Mar. Ecol.-Prog. Ser., 466, 69–79,
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09928, 2012.
Gazeau, F., Duarte, C. M., Gattuso, J.-P., Barrón, C., Navarro, N., Ruiz, S., Prairie, Y. T., Calleja, M., Delille, B., Frankignoulle, M., and Borges, A. V.: Whole-system metabolism and CO2 fluxes in a Mediterranean Bay dominated by seagrass beds (Palma Bay, NW Mediterranean), Biogeosciences, 2, 43–60, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2-43-2005, 2005.
Giorgi, F.: Climate change hot-spots, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L08707,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL025734, 2006.
Giorgi, F. and Lionello, P.: Climate change projections for the
Mediterranean region, Global Planet. Change, 63, 90–104,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2007.09.005, 2008.
Gobert, S., Cambridge, M. L., Velimirov, Pergent, G., Lepoint, G.,
Bouquegneau, J.-M., Dauby, P., Pergent-Martini, C., and Walker, D.: Biology
of Posidonia, in: SEAGRASSES: BIOLOGY, ECOLOGYAND CONSERVATION, Springer, 387 pp., https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-2983-7_17, 2006.
Grande, K. D., Marra, J. F., Langdon, C., Heinemann, K., and Bender, M. L.:
Rates of respiration in the light measured in marine phytoplankton using an
18O isotope-labelling technique, J. Exp. Mar. Biol.
Ecol., 129, 95–120, 1989.
Greiner, J. T., McGlathery, K. J., Gunnell, J., and McKee, B. A.: Seagrass
Restoration Enhances “Blue Carbon” Sequestration in Coastal Waters, PLOS
ONE, 8, e72469, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0072469, 2013.
Gutiérrez, J. L., Jones, C. G., Byers, J. E., Arkema, K. K.,
Berkenbusch, K., Commito, J. A., Duarte, C. M., Hacker, S. D., Lambrinos, J.
G., Hendriks, I. E., Hogarth, P. J., Palomo, M. G., and Wild, C.: 7.04 –
Physical Ecosystem Engineers and the Functioning of Estuaries and Coasts A2
– Wolanski, Eric, in: Treatise on Estuarine and Coastal Science, edited by:
McLusky, D., Academic Press, Waltham, 53–81,
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-374711-2.00705-1, 2011.
Heber, U., Bligny, R., Streb, P., and Douce, R.: Photorespiration is
Essential for the Protection of the Photosynthetic Apparatus of C3 Plants
Against Photoinactivation Under Sunlight, Bot. Acta, 109, 307–315,
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1438-8677.1996.tb00578.x, 1996.
Hendriks, I. E., Sintes, T., Bouma, T. J., and Duarte, C. M.: Experimental
assessment and modeling evaluation of the effects of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica on flow
and particle trapping, Mar. Ecol.-Prog. Ser., 356, 163–173,
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07316, 2008.
Hendriks, I. E., Duarte, C. M., and Alvarez, M.: Vulnerability of marine
biodiversity to ocean acidification: A meta-analysis, Estuar. Coast.
Shelf S., 86, 157–164, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2009.11.022, 2010.
Hendriks, I. E., Olsen, Y. S., Ramajo, L., Basso, L., Steckbauer, A., Moore, T. S., Howard, J., and Duarte, C. M.: Photosynthetic activity buffers ocean acidification in seagrass meadows, Biogeosciences, 11, 333–346, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-333-2014, 2014.
Hendriks, I. E., Duarte, C. M., Marbà, N., and Krause-Jensen, D.: pH
gradients in the diffusive boundary layer of subarctic macrophytes, Polar
Biol., 40, 2343–2348, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-017-2143-y, 2017.
Hendriks, I. E., Escolano-Moltó, A., Flecha, S., Vaquer-Sunyer, R., Wesselmann, M., and Marbà, N.: Mediterranean seagrasses as carbon sinks: Methodological and regional differences, Digital CSIC [data set], https://digital.csic.es/handle/10261/263004, last access: 1 June 2022.
Hofmann, G. E., Smith, J. E., Johnson, K. S., Send, U., Levin, L. A.,
Micheli, F., Paytan, A., Price, N. N., Peterson, B., Takeshita, Y., Matson,
P. G., Crook, E. D., Kroeker, K. J., Gambi, M. C., Rivest, E. B., Frieder,
C. A., Yu, P. C., and Martz, T. R.: High-Frequency Dynamics of Ocean pH: A
Multi-Ecosystem Comparison, PLOS ONE, 6, e28983,
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0028983, 2011.
Holloway, P. E.: A Criterion for Thermal Stratification in a Wind-Mixed
System, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 10, 861–869, 1980.
Holmer, M., Duarte, C. M., Boschker, H. T. S., and Barrón, C.: Carbon
cycling and bacterial carbon sources in pristine and impacted Mediterranean
seagrass sediments, Aquat. Microb. Ecol., 36, 227–237, 2004.
IAPWS: Release on the IAPWS Formulation 2008 for the Thermodynamic Properties of Seawater, The International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam, Berlin, Germany, September 2008, http://www.iapws.org/relguide/seawater.pdf (last access: 22 October 2020), 2008.
IAPWS: Supplementary Release on a Computationally Efficient Thermodynamic
Formulation for Liquid Water for Oceanographic Use. The International
Association for the Properties of Water and Steam. Doorwerth, the
Netherlands, September 2009, https://www.iapws.org, 2009.
IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research; International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Oceans): The International thermodynamic equation of seawater – 2010:
calculation and use of thermodynamic properties [includes corrections up to
31st October 2015], in: Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Manuals
and Guides, UNESCO, Paris, France, 196 pp., https://doi.org/10.25607/OBP-1338,
2015.
Jordà, G., Marbà, N., and Duarte, C. M.: Mediterranean seagrass
vulnerable to regional climate warming, Nat. Clim. Change, 2, 821–824,
https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1533, 2012.
Karim, M. R., Sekine, M., Higuchi, T., Imai, T., and Ukita, M.: Simulation
of fish behavior and mortality in hypoxic water in an enclosed bay,
Ecol. Model., 159, 27–42,
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3800(02)00282-X, 2003.
Karl, D. M., Laws, E. A., Morris, P., Williams, P. J. L., and Emerson, S.:
Metabolic balance of the open sea, Nature, 426, 32–32, https://doi.org/10.1038/426032a,
2003.
Keeling, R. F. and Garcia, H. E.: The change in oceanic O2 inventory
associated with recent global warming, P. Natl. Acad.
Sci. USA, 99, 7848-7853, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.122154899, 2002.
Keeling, R. F., Körtzinger, A., and Gruber, N.: Ocean Deoxygenation in a
Warming World, Annu. Rev. Mar. Sci., 2, 199–229,
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.marine.010908.163855, 2010.
Kelly, M. W. and Hofmann, G. E.: Adaptation and the physiology of ocean
acidification, Funct. Ecol., 27, 980–990,
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.02061.x, 2013.
Kennedy, H., Beggins, J., Duarte, C. M., Fourqurean, J. W., Holmer, M., Marbà, N., and Middelburg, J. J.: Seagrass sediments as a global carbon sink: Isotopic constraints, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 24, GB4026, https://doi.org/10.1029/2010GB003848, 2010.
Kihm, C. and Körtzinger, A.: Air-sea gas transfer velocity for oxygen
derived from float data, J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 115, C12003,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JC006077, 2010.
Koopmans, D., Holtappels, M., Chennu, A., Weber, M., and de Beer, D.: High
Net Primary Production of Mediterranean Seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) Meadows Determined With
Aquatic Eddy Covariance, Front. Mar. Sci., 7, 118,
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00118, 2020.
Labasque, T., Chaumery, C., Aminot, A., and Kergoat, G.: Spectrophotometric
Winkler determination of dissolved oxygen: re-examination of critical
factors and reliability, Mar. Chem., 88, 53–60,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2004.03.004, 2004.
Lacoue-Labarthe, T., Nunes, P. A. L. D., Ziveri, P., Cinar, M., Gazeau, F.,
Hall-Spencer, J. M., Hilmi, N., Moschella, P., Safa, A., Sauzade, D., and
Turley, C.: Impacts of ocean acidification in a warming Mediterranean Sea:
An overview, Regional Studies in Marine Science, 5, 1–11,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2015.12.005, 2016.
Lejeusne, C., Chevaldonné, P., Pergent-Martini, C., Boudouresque, C. F.,
and Pérez, T.: Climate change effects on a miniature ocean: the highly
diverse, highly impacted Mediterranean Sea, Trends Ecol.
Evol., 25, 250–260, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2009.10.009, 2010.
Marbà, N. and Duarte, C. M.: Mediterranean warming triggers seagrass
(Posidonia oceanica) shoot mortality, Glob. Change Biol., 16, 2366–2375, 2010.
Marbà, N., Hemminga, M. A., Mateo, M. A., Duarte, C. M., Mass, Y. E. M.,
Terrados, J., and Gacia, E.: Carbon and nitrogen translocation between
seagrass ramets, Mar. Ecol.-Prog. Ser., 226, 287–300, 2002.
Marbà, N., Díaz-Almela, E., and Duarte, C. M.: Mediterranean
seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) loss between 1842 and 2009, Biol. Conserv., 176,
183–190, 2014.
Marx, L., Flecha, S., Wesselmann, M., Morell, C., and Hendriks, I. E.:
Marine Macrophytes as Carbon Sinks: Comparison Between Seagrasses and the
Non-native Alga Halimeda incrassata in the Western Mediterranean (Mallorca), Front.
Mar. Sci., 8, 746379, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.746379, 2021.
Mateo, M. A., Cebrián, J., Dunton, K., and Mutchler, T.: Carbon flux in
seagrass ecosystems, in: Seagrasses: Biology, Ecology and Conservation,
edited by: Larkum, A. W. D., Orth, R. J., and Duarte, C. M., Springer,
Dordrecht, the Netherlands, 159–192, https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4020-2983-7_7 (last access: 20 September 2022), 2006.
MATLAB: MATLAB and Statistics Toolbox Release, The MathWorks, Inc., Natick,
Massachusetts, United States, https://es.mathworks.com/products/statistics.html (last access: 18 August 2021), 2012.
McDougall, T. J. and Barker, P. M.: Getting started with TEOS-10 and the
Gibbs Seawater (GSW) oceanographic toolbox, SCOR/IAPSO WG, 127, 1–28, https://www.TEOS-10.org (last access: 19 September 2022), 2011.
Mcleod, E., Chmura, G. L., Bouillon, S., Salm, R., Björk, M., Duarte, C.
M., Lovelock, C. E., Schlesinger, W. H., and Silliman, B. R.: A blueprint
for blue carbon: toward an improved understanding of the role of vegetated
coastal habitats in sequestering CO2, Front. Ecol.
Environ., 9, 552–560, https://doi.org/10.1890/110004, 2011.
Micheli, F., Halpern, B. S., Walbridge, S., Ciriaco, S., Ferretti, F.,
Fraschetti, S., Lewison, R., Nykjaer, L., and Rosenberg, A. A.: Cumulative
Human Impacts on Mediterranean and Black Sea Marine Ecosystems: Assessing
Current Pressures and Opportunities, PLOS ONE, 8, e79889,
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0079889, 2013.
Nykjaer, L.: Mediterranean Sea surface warming 1985–2006, Clim. Res.,
39, 11–17, 2009.
Odum, H. T. and Hoskin, C. M.: Comparative studies on the metabolism of
marine waters, Publications of the Institute of Marine Science, Texas, 5,
16–46, 1958.
Odum, H. T. and Wilson, R. F.: Further studies on reaeration and metabolism
of Texas bays, 1958–1960, Publications of the Institute of Marine Science,
Texas, 8, 23–55, 1962.
Olivé, I., Silva, J., Costa, M. M., and Santos, R.: Estimating Seagrass
Community Metabolism Using Benthic Chambers: The Effect of Incubation Time,
Estuaries and Coasts, 39, 138–144, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-015-9973-z, 2016.
Olsen, Y. S., Sánchez-Camacho, M., Marbà, N., and Duarte, C. M.:
Mediterranean Seagrass Growth and Demography Responses to Experimental
Warming, Estuar. Coasts, 35, 1205–1213, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-012-9521-z,
2012.
Orth, R. J., Carruthers, T. J. B., Dennison, W. C., Duarte, C. M.,
Fourqurean, J. W., Heck, K. L., Hughes, A. R., Kendrick, G. A., Kenworthy, W. J., Olyarnik, S., Short, F. T., Waycott, M., and Williams, S. L.: A Global Crisis for
Seagrass Ecosystems, Bioscience, 56, 987–996,
https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2006)56[987:Agcfse]2.0.Co;2, 2006.
Pace, M. L. and Prairie, Y. T.: Respiration in lakes, Respiration in
aquatic ecosystems, 1, 103–122, 2005.
Paerl, H. W.: Assessing and managing nutrient-enhanced eutrophication in
estuarine and coastal waters: Interactive effects of human and climatic
perturbations, Ecol. Eng., 26, 40–54, 2006.
Pasqualini, V., Pergent-Martini, C., Clabaut, P., and Pergent, G.: Mapping
of Posidonia oceanica using Aerial Photographs and Side Scan Sonar: Application off the Island
of Corsica (France), Estuar. Coast. Shelf S., 47, 359–367,
1998.
Pergent, G., Rico-Raimondino, V., and Pergent-Martini, C.: Fate of primary
production in Posidonia oceanica meadows of the Mediterranean, Aquat. Bot., 59, 307–321, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3770(97)00052-1, 1997.
Pringault, O., Tassas, V., and Rochelle-Newall, E.: Consequences of respiration in the light on the determination of production in pelagic systems, Biogeosciences, 4, 105–114, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-4-105-2007, 2007.
R Core Team: R: A language and environment for statistical computing, R
Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria, https://www.R-project.org/ (last access: 13 June 2022), 2021.
Ricart, A. M., Pérez, M., and Romero, J.: Landscape configuration
modulates carbon storage in seagrass sediments, Estuar. Coast. Shelf
S., 185, 69–76, 2017.
Richon, C., Dutay, J.-C., Bopp, L., Le Vu, B., Orr, J. C., Somot, S., and Dulac, F.: Biogeochemical response of the Mediterranean Sea to the transient SRES-A2 climate change scenario, Biogeosciences, 16, 135–165, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-135-2019, 2019.
Romero, J., Pérez, M., Mateo, M. A., and Sala, E.: The belowground
organs of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica as a biogeochemical sink, Aquat.
Bot., 47, 13–19, https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3770(94)90044-2, 1994.
Samper-Villarreal, J., Lovelock, C. E., Saunders, M. I., Roelfsema, C., and
Mumby, P. J.: Organic carbon in seagrass sediments is influenced by seagrass
canopy complexity, turbidity, wave height, and water depth, Limnol. Oceanogr., 61, 938–952, 2016.
Santos, R., Silva, J., Alexandre, A., Navarro, N., Barrón, C., and
Duarte, C. M.: Ecosystem metabolism and carbon fluxes of a tidally-dominated
coastal lagoon, Estuaries, 27, 977–985, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02803424, 2004.
Savva, I., Bennett, S., Roca, G., Jordà, G., and Marbà, N.: Thermal
tolerance of Mediterranean marine macrophytes: Vulnerability to global
warming, Ecol. Evol., 8, 12032–12043, https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4663, 2018.
Serrano, O., Lavery, P. S., Rozaimi, M., and Mateo, M. Á.: Influence of
water depth on the carbon sequestration capacity of seagrasses, Global
Biogeochem. Cy., 28, 950–961, 2014.
Simboura, N., Pavlidou, A., Bald, J., Tsapakis, M., Pagou, K., Zeri, C.,
Androni, A., and Panayotidis, P.: Response of ecological indices to nutrient
and chemical contaminant stress factors in Eastern Mediterranean coastal
waters, Ecol. Indic., 70, 89–105,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.05.018, 2016.
Simpson, J. and Hunter, J.: Fronts in the Irish sea, Nature, 250, 404–406,
1974.
Telesca, L., Belluscio, A., Criscoli, A., Ardizzone, G., Apostolaki, E. T.,
Fraschetti, S., Gristina, M., Knittweis, L., Martin, C. S., Pergent, G.,
Alagna, A., Badalamenti, F., Garofalo, G., Gerakaris, V., Louise Pace, M.,
Pergent-Martini, C., and Salomidi, M.: Seagrass meadows (Posidonia oceanica) distribution and
trajectories of change, Sci. Rep. UK, 5, 12505, https://doi.org/10.1038/srep12505,
2015.
Touratier, F. and Goyet, C.: Impact of the Eastern Mediterranean Transient
on the distribution of anthropogenic CO2 and first estimate of
acidification for the Mediterranean Sea, Deep-Sea Res. Pt. I, 58, 1–15,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2010.10.002, 2011.
Trevathan-Tackett, S. M., Kelleway, J., Macreadie, P. I., Beardall, J.,
Ralph, P., and Bellgrove, A.: Comparison of marine macrophytes for their
contributions to blue carbon sequestration, Ecology, 96, 3043–3057, 2015.
Vaquer-Sunyer, R. and Duarte, C. M.: Thresholds of hypoxia for marine
biodiversity, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 105,
15452–15457, 2008.
Vaquer-Sunyer, R. and Duarte, C. M.: Experimental evaluation of the
response of coastal Mediterranean planktonic and benthic metabolism to
warming, Estuar. Coasts, 36, 697–707, 2013.
Vaquer-Sunyer, R., Duarte, C. M., Jordà, G., and Ruiz-Halpern, S.:
Temperature Dependence of Oxygen Dynamics and Community Metabolism in a
Shallow Mediterranean Macroalgal Meadow (Caulerpa prolifera). Estuar. Coasts, 35,
1182–1192, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-012-9514-y, 2012.
Vargas-Yáñez, M., Jesús García, M., Salat, J.,
García-Martínez, M. C., Pascual, J., and Moya, F.: Warming trends
and decadal variability in the Western Mediterranean shelf, Global
Planet. Change, 63, 177–184, 2008.
Wanninkhof, R.: Relationship between wind speed and gas exchange over the ocean, J. Geophys. Res., 97, 7373–7382, https://doi.org/10.1029/92JC00188, 1992.
Wanninkhof, R. and McGillis, W. R.: A cubic relationship between air-sea
CO2 exchange and wind speed, Geophys. Res. Lett., 26,
1889–1892, 1999.
Waycott, M., Duarte, C. M., Carruthers, T. J., Orth, R. J., Dennison, W. C.,
Olyarnik, S., Calladine, A., Fourqurean, J. W., Heck, K. L., and Hughes, A.
R.: Accelerating loss of seagrasses across the globe threatens coastal
ecosystems, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 106,
12377–12381, 2009.
Wesselmann, M., Geraldi, N. R., Duarte, C. M., Garcia-Orellana,
J., Díaz-Rúa, R., Arias-Ortiz, A., Hendriks, I. E., Apostolaki, E. T., and Marbà, N.: Seagrass (Halophila stipulacea) invasion enhances carbon sequestration in the Mediterranean Sea, Glob. Change Biol., 27, 2592–2607, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15589, 2021.
Zhang, J., Gilbert, D., Gooday, A. J., Levin, L., Naqvi, S. W. A., Middelburg, J. J., Scranton, M., Ekau, W., Peña, A., Dewitte, B., Oguz, T., Monteiro, P. M. S., Urban, E., Rabalais, N. N., Ittekkot, V., Kemp, W. M., Ulloa, O., Elmgren, R., Escobar-Briones, E., and Van der Plas, A. K.: Natural and human-induced hypoxia and consequences for coastal areas: synthesis and future development, Biogeosciences, 7, 1443–1467, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-7-1443-2010, 2010.
Ziegler, S. and Benner, R.: Ecosystem metabolism in a subtropical,
seagrass-dominated lagoon, Mar. Ecol.-Prog. Ser., 173, 1–12, 1998.
Short summary
Seagrasses are marine plants with the capacity to act as carbon sinks due to their high primary productivity, using carbon for growth. This capacity can play a key role in climate change mitigation. We compiled and published data showing that two Mediterranean seagrass species have different metabolic rates, while the study method influences the rates of the measurements. Most communities act as carbon sinks, while the western basin might be more productive than the eastern Mediterranean.
Seagrasses are marine plants with the capacity to act as carbon sinks due to their high primary...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint