Ecological status improvement over a decade along the Ligurian coast according to a macroalgae based index (CARLIT)

Can we preserve and restore overlooked macroalgal forests?

Habitat degradation and loss are severely affecting macroalgal forests worldwide, and their successful mitigation depends on the identification of the drivers of loss and the implementation of effective conservation and restoration actions. We made an extensive literature review 1- to document the historical (1789-1999) and recent (2000-2020) occurrence of the genus Cystoseira, Ericaria and Gongolaria reported in the literature along the 8000 km of the coasts of Italy, 2- to assess their decline and patterns of extinction, 3- to ascertain the drivers responsible for these changes, 4- to highlight the existence of success stories in their conservation and natural recovery. In the last twenty years, overall information on the distribution of Cystoseira s.l. exponentially increased, although research focused almost exclusively on intertidal reefs. Despite the lack of systematic monitoring programs, the local extinction of 371 populations of 19 different species of Cystoseira s.l. was documented across several regions, since 2000. Coastal engineering and poor quality of waters due to urban, agricultural or industrial activities were often documented as leading causes of habitat loss. However, the drivers of extinction were actually unknown for the majority of the populations and cause-effects relationships are scarcely documented. Although the proportion of protected populations increased to 77.8%, Marine Protected Areas are unlikely to guarantee adequate conservation efficacy, possibly also for the widespread lack of management and monitoring plans dealing specifically with Cystoseira s.l. species, and few evidences of natural recovery were observed. Our review shows the dramatic lack of baseline information for macroalgal forests, highlighting the urgent need for the monitoring of less accessible habitats, the collection of long-term data to unveil drivers of loss, and an updated reporting about the conservation status of the species of interest to plan future interventions.

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

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

First ex situ outplanting of the habitat-forming seaweed Cystoseira amentacea var. stricta from a restoration perspective

In the Mediterranean Sea, brown algae belonging to the Cystoseira genus play a valuable role as foundation species. Due to evidences of regression/loss of the habitats of these species caused by the interplay of human and climatic disturbances, active restoration measures have been encouraged by EU regulations. In particular, nondestructive restoration techniques, which avoid the depletion of threatened species in donor populations, are strongly recommended. In the framework of the EU project ROCPOP-Life, the first ex situ outplanting experience of Cystoseira amentacea var. stricta has been implemented in the Cinque Terre Marine Protected Area (northwestern Mediterranean). A total of 400 clay tiles, hosting approximately three mm-long germlings of C. amentacea, were fixed to the rocky shore with screws: the tiles were monitored for the next 2 months by photographic sampling, and survival (presence/absence of juveniles on the tiles), cover and growth were assessed. Additional sampling was performed 6 months after tile deployment, after which an unprecedented storm surge severely affected the restoration performance. After 2 months, over 40% of the tiles were covered with Cystoseira juveniles, which reached approximately eight mm in total length. The tiles that survived the storm hosted three to six cm-long juveniles. The high cover (≥25%), assuring moisture and shading, and the appropriate size of the juveniles, to avert micro-grazing, at time of deployment were key to the survival and growth of the outplanted juveniles, increasing the potential for restoration success. Our findings show that outplanting of midlittoral canopy-forming species is a feasible approach for restoration efforts, with particular attention given to the early phases: (i) laboratory culture, (ii) transport, and (iii) juvenile densities. These results are strongly encouraging for the implementation of restoration actions for C. amentacea on a large scale, in light of EU guidelines.