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Marco-Méndez C, Marbà N, Amores Á, Romero J, Minguito-Frutos M, García M, Pagès JF, Prado P, Boada J, Sánchez-Lizaso JL, Ruiz JM, Muñoz-Ramos G, Sanmartí N, Mayol E, Buñuel X, Bernardeau-Esteller J, Navarro-Martinez PC, Marín-Guirao L, Morell C, Wesselmann M, Font R, Hendriks IE, Seglar X, Camps-Castella J, Bonfill E, Requena-Gutiérrez A, Blanco-Murillo F, Aguilar-Escribano J, Jimenez-Gutierrez S, Martínez-Vidal J, Guillén JE, Cefalì ME, Pérez M, Marcos M, Alcoverro T. Evaluating the extent and impact of the extreme Storm Gloria on Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows. Sci Total Environ 2024; 908:168404. [PMID: 37939948 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Extreme storms can trigger abrupt and often lasting changes in ecosystems by affecting foundational (habitat-forming) species. While the frequency and intensity of extreme events are projected to increase under climate change, its impacts on seagrass ecosystems remain poorly documented. In January 2020, the Spanish Mediterranean coast was hit by Storm Gloria, one of the most devastating recent climate events in terms of intensity and duration. We conducted rapid surveys of 42 Posidonia oceanica meadows across the region to evaluate the extent and type of impact (burial, unburial and uprooting). We investigated the significance of oceanographic (wave impact model), geomorphological (latitude, depth, exposure), and structural (patchiness) factors in predicting impact extent and intensity. The predominant impact of Storm Gloria was shoot unburial. More than half of the surveyed sites revealed recent unburial, with up to 40 cm of sediment removed, affecting over 50 % of the meadow. Burial, although less extensive, was still significant, with 10-80 % of meadow cover being buried under 7 cm of sediment, which is considered a survival threshold for P. oceanica. In addition, we observed evident signs of recently dead matte in some meadows and large amounts of detached drifting shoots on the sea bottom or accumulated as debris on the beaches. Crucially, exposed and patchy meadows were much more vulnerable to the overall impact than sheltered or continuous meadows. Given how slow P. oceanica is able to recover after disturbances, we state that it could take from decades to centuries for it to recoup its losses. Seagrass ecosystems play a vital role as coastal ecological infrastructure. Protecting vulnerable meadows from anthropogenic fragmentation is crucial for ensuring the resilience of these ecosystems in the face of the climate crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candela Marco-Méndez
- Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB, CSIC), Carrer Accés Cala Sant Francesc, 14, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain.
| | - Núria Marbà
- Marine technologies, operational and coastal oceanography Group, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB) Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats, Miquel Marqués 21, 07190 Esporles, Spain
| | - Ángel Amores
- Marine technologies, operational and coastal oceanography Group, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB) Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats, Miquel Marqués 21, 07190 Esporles, Spain; Department of Physics, University of the Balearic Islands, Cra. de Valldemossa km 7.5, 07122 Palma, Spain
| | - Javier Romero
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Secció d'Ecologia, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mario Minguito-Frutos
- Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB, CSIC), Carrer Accés Cala Sant Francesc, 14, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain
| | - María García
- Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB, CSIC), Carrer Accés Cala Sant Francesc, 14, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain
| | - Jordi F Pagès
- Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB, CSIC), Carrer Accés Cala Sant Francesc, 14, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain
| | - Patricia Prado
- IRTA, Aquatic ecosystems, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Ctra. Poble Nou km 5.5, 43540 Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Tarragona, Spain; Institute of Environment and Marine Science Research (IMEDMAR-UCV), Universidad Católica de Valencia SVM, C/Explanada del Puerto S/n, 03710 Calpe, Alicante, Spain
| | - Jordi Boada
- Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB, CSIC), Carrer Accés Cala Sant Francesc, 14, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain
| | - José Luis Sánchez-Lizaso
- Department of Marine Science and Applied Biology, University of Alicante, Carretera San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03690 Alicante, Spain
| | - Juan Manuel Ruiz
- Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, C/Varadero s/n, 30740 San Pedro del Pinatar, Murcia, Spain
| | | | - Neus Sanmartí
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Secció d'Ecologia, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elvira Mayol
- Global Change Research Group, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB) Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats, Miquel Marqués 21, c7190 Esporles, Spain
| | - Xavier Buñuel
- Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB, CSIC), Carrer Accés Cala Sant Francesc, 14, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain
| | - Jaime Bernardeau-Esteller
- Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, C/Varadero s/n, 30740 San Pedro del Pinatar, Murcia, Spain
| | - Pedro Clemente Navarro-Martinez
- Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, C/Varadero s/n, 30740 San Pedro del Pinatar, Murcia, Spain
| | - Lázaro Marín-Guirao
- Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, C/Varadero s/n, 30740 San Pedro del Pinatar, Murcia, Spain
| | - Carlos Morell
- Global Change Research Group, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB) Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats, Miquel Marqués 21, c7190 Esporles, Spain
| | - Marlene Wesselmann
- Global Change Research Group, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB) Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats, Miquel Marqués 21, c7190 Esporles, Spain
| | - Rita Font
- Global Change Research Group, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB) Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats, Miquel Marqués 21, c7190 Esporles, Spain
| | - Iris E Hendriks
- Global Change Research Group, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB) Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats, Miquel Marqués 21, c7190 Esporles, Spain
| | | | - Judith Camps-Castella
- IRTA, Aquatic ecosystems, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Ctra. Poble Nou km 5.5, 43540 Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Eli Bonfill
- Plàncton, Divulgació y Serveis Marins, Calle Número Vint-i-tres, 284, local 2 (Urb. Les 3 Cales), L'Ametlla de Mar, Spain
| | - Aurora Requena-Gutiérrez
- Plàncton, Divulgació y Serveis Marins, Calle Número Vint-i-tres, 284, local 2 (Urb. Les 3 Cales), L'Ametlla de Mar, Spain
| | - Fabio Blanco-Murillo
- Department of Marine Science and Applied Biology, University of Alicante, Carretera San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03690 Alicante, Spain
| | - Javier Aguilar-Escribano
- Department of Marine Science and Applied Biology, University of Alicante, Carretera San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03690 Alicante, Spain
| | | | - Joaquín Martínez-Vidal
- Institut de Ecología Litoral, Carrer de Sta. Teresa, 50, 03560 El Campello, Alicante, Spain
| | - Juan Eduardo Guillén
- Institut de Ecología Litoral, Carrer de Sta. Teresa, 50, 03560 El Campello, Alicante, Spain
| | - Maria Elena Cefalì
- Estació d'Investigació Jaume Ferrer, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Mahón, Spain
| | - Marta Pérez
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Secció d'Ecologia, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Marcos
- Marine technologies, operational and coastal oceanography Group, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB) Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats, Miquel Marqués 21, 07190 Esporles, Spain; Department of Physics, University of the Balearic Islands, Cra. de Valldemossa km 7.5, 07122 Palma, Spain
| | - Teresa Alcoverro
- Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB, CSIC), Carrer Accés Cala Sant Francesc, 14, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain
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