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

According to the Water Framework Directive, within 2015 European Union countries must reach and maintain the "good" Ecological Status (ES), quantified through indices based on key biological elements as indicators. Along the Ligurian shallow rocky coasts (NW Italy), a macroalgae based index (CARtography of LITtoral and upper-sublittoral benthic communities, CARLIT), calibrated according to national characteristics and management needs, has been applied by the Regional Environmental Agency over the last ten years. In 2015, at least a "good" ES was achieved in all Ligurian water bodies except one, located in the Eastern Ligurian coastline, characterized by the lack of the most sensitive species, Cystoseira amentacea var. stricta. A general ES improvement has been observed along the Ligurian coastline, also in comparison with other quality indices (macroinvertebrates and fecal bacteria), and in particular in the Genoa water body, as proved by a relevant increase of C. amentacea abundance, probably as a consequence of enhancement in wastewater treatments. In the present study, the reliability of the observed improvement of the ES over a decade has been assessed, teasing apart intra-seasonal and operator-related variability. These results support the reliability of monitoring procedures carried out though the CARLIT Index and highlight the need and the effectiveness of reduction measures for anthropogenic impacts in order to achieve the ES required by European directives

First ex situ outplanting of the habitatforming 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

Distribution of the Mediterranean ribbed limpet Patella ferruginea Gmelin, 1791 along the Ligurian coast and implications for conservation actions

Patella ferruginea is a limpet endemic to the Western Mediterranean Sea. It is presently considered the most threatened marine macroinvertebrate in the region and has been included in several international conservation directives. Its populations were widespread throughout the Western Mediterranean in the late Pleistocene period, and remained broadly distributed until the 19th century. Presently this species is confined into small populations in a few restricted areas due to human harvesting for food and baits, construction of coastal infrastructures and the effects of seawater pollution. In particular, the species is reported as presently disappeared from the whole of the Italian continental coast and measures are in progress to reintroduce the species through translocation and reproduction in controlled conditions along the Ligurian coasts of the Northwestern Mediterranean.Recent surveys implemented in the framework of the present work along the Ligurian coasts, to assess the most suitable sites for reintroduction, resulted in the discovery of 32 specimens of this endemic limpet, which previously was thought to have vanished from the area. These findings shed new light on the ability of species to naturally disperse, the relevance of the measures set in place to restore presently rarefied populations and may provide information to aid in the selection and management of sites within the Natura 2000 Ecological network

Experimenting with ecosystem interaction networks in search of threshold potentials in real-world marine ecosystems

Thresholds profoundly affect our understanding and management of ecosystem dynamics, but we have yet to develop practical techniques to assess the risk that thresholds will be crossed. Combining ecological knowledge of critical system interdependencies with a large-scale experiment, we tested for breaks in the ecosystem interaction network to identify threshold potential in real-world ecosystem dynamics. Our experiment with the bivalves Macomona liliana and Austrovenus stutchburyi on marine sandflats in New Zealand demonstrated that reductions in incident sunlight changed the interaction network between sediment biogeochemical fluxes, productivity, and macrofauna. By demonstrating loss of positive feedbacks and changes in the architecture of the network, we provide mechanistic evidence that stressors lead to break points in dynamics, which theory predicts predispose a system to a critical transition

Where and how - new insight for brown algal forest restoration in the Adriatic

Several anthropogenic factors are responsible for the decline of Cystoseira sensu lato (hereafter Cystoseira) forests along Mediterranean coasts. Some Cystoseira species are already regionally extinct, and their decline has been widely recorded. Sustainable and efficient techniques for the restoration of Cystoseira are needed. In this context, the objectives of this study were i) to analyse the reproductive traits of three populations of Gongolaria barbata from three nearby donor sites in the northern Adriatic Sea, assessing the differences in their reproductive potential and reproductive success; and ii) to evaluate the outplanting success in terms of the effectiveness of G. barbata restoration, in relation to the different donor and receiving sites (Miramare MPA and in front of the Marine Biology Station Piran - MBSP) and implemented methods (ex situ and hybrid method combining a mesocosm cultivation and a suspended culture in the field). After 2 weeks of cultivation in mesocosms, half of the tiles with germlings were transported to the receiving sites and placed on suspended lantern nets (hybrid method), which were later (after 3 months) transferred to the seabed on concrete plates with protective cages. The remaining tiles were placed on the seabed on concrete plates with protective cages after a 4-week culture (ex situ method). At both sites, lantern nets and plates were randomly placed at 3 m depth. Thallus length was measured monthly in each treatment. Seedlings in suspended culture showed lower performance at the Miramare MPA, most likely due to the unfavourable environmental conditions. The satisfactory results obtained at MBSP demonstrate the efficiency of the hybrid method and confirm its potential to reduce the cost and time required for cultivation. Since unpredictable climatic events pose the greatest threat to restoration performance, these challenges must be considered when establishing new restoration practices. Moreover, herbivore regulation is extremely urgent and should be planned and implemented on a larger regional scale

Geographic distance, water circulation and environmental conditions shape the biodiversity of Mediterranean rocky coasts

11 páginas, 2 tablas, 3 figuras.Ecological connectivity is important for effective marine planning and biodiversity conservation. Our aim was to identify factors important in influencing variation in benthic community structure on shallow rocky reefs in 2 regions of the Mediterranean Sea with contrasting oceanographic regimes. We assessed beta (β) diversity at 146 sites in the littoral and shallow sublittoral from the Adriatic/Ionian Seas (eastern region) and Ligurian/Tyrrhenian Seas (western region) using a null modelling approach to account for variation in species richness. The distance decay relationship between species turnover within each region and geographic distance by sea was determined using generalised linear models. Mantel tests were used to examine correlations between β diversity and connectivity by ocean currents, estimated from Lagrangian dispersal simulations. Variation in β diversity between sites was partitioned according to environmental and spatial components using a distance-based redundancy approach. Species turnover along a gradient of geographic distance was greater by a factor of 3 to 5 in the western region than the eastern region, suggesting lower connectivity between sites. β diversity was correlated with connectivity by ocean currents at both depths in the eastern region but not in the western region. The influOPEN ACCESS ence of spatial and environmental predictors of β diversity varied considerably between regions, but was similar between depths. Our results highlight the interaction of oceanographic, spatial and environmental processes influencing benthic marine β diversity. Persistent currents in the eastern region may be responsible for lower observed β diversity compared to the western region, where patterns of water circulation are more variable.This work was supported by the European Community’s 7th Framework Programme (FP7/ 2007−2013) under Grant Agreement No. 287844 for the project ‘Towards COast to COast NETworks of marine protected areas (from the shore to the high and deep sea), coupled with sea-based wind energy potential (CoCoNet)’.Peer reviewe

Large cryptic genomic rearrangements with apparently normal karyotypes detected by array-CGH.

Background: Conventional karyotyping (550 bands resolution) is able to identify chromosomal aberrations >5-10 Mb, which represent a known cause of intellectual disability/developmental delay (ID/DD) and/or multiple congenital anomalies (MCA). Array-Comparative Genomic Hybridization (array-CGH) has increased the diagnostic yield of 15-20%. Results: In a cohort of 700 ID/DD cases with or without MCA, including 15 prenatal diagnoses, we identified a subgroup of seven patients with a normal karyotype and a large complex rearrangement detected by array-CGH (at least 6, and up to 18 Mb). FISH analysis could be performed on six cases and showed that rearrangements were translocation derivatives, indistinguishable from a normal karyotype as they involved a similar band pattern and size. Five were inherited from a parent with a balanced translocation, whereas two were apparently de novo. Genes spanning the rearrangements could be associated with some phenotypic features in three cases (case 3: DOCK8; case 4: GATA3, AKR1C4; case 6: AS/PWS deletion, CHRNA7), and in two, likely disease genes were present (case 5: NR2F2, TP63, IGF1R; case 7: CDON). Three of our cases were prenatal diagnoses with an apparently normal karyotype. Conclusions: Large complex rearrangements of up to 18 Mb, involving chromosomal regions with similar size and band appearance may be overlooked by conventional karyotyping. Array-CGH allows a precise chromosomal diagnosis and recurrence risk definition, further confirming this analysis as a first tier approach to clarify molecular bases of ID/DD and/or MCA. In prenatal tests, array-CGH is confirmed as an important tool to avoid false negative results due to karyotype intrinsic limit of detection

An integrated assessment of the Good Environmental Status of Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas

Este artículo contiene 11 páginas, 2 figuras, 2 tablas.Local, regional and global targets have been set to halt marine biodiversity loss. Europe has set its own policy targets to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) of marine ecosystems by implementing the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) across member states. We combined an extensive dataset across five Mediterranean ecoregions including 26 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), their reference unprotected areas, and a no-trawl case study. Our aim was to assess if MPAs reach GES, if their effects are local or can be detected at ecoregion level or up to a Mediterranean scale, and which are the ecosystem components driving GES achievement. This was undertaken by using the analytical tool NEAT (Nested Environmental status Assessment Tool), which allows an integrated assessment of the status of marine systems. We adopted an ecosystem approach by integrating data from several ecosystem components: the seagrass Posidonia oceanica, macroalgae, sea urchins and fish. Thresholds to define the GES were set by dedicated workshops and literature review. In the Western Mediterranean, most MPAs are in good/high status, with P. oceanica and fish driving this result within MPAs. However, GES is achieved only at a local level, and the Mediterranean Sea, as a whole, results in a moderate environmental status. Macroalgal forests are overall in bad condition, confirming their status at risk. The results are significantly affected by the assumption that discrete observations over small spatial scales are representative of the total extension investigated. This calls for large-scale, dedicated assessments to realistically detect environmental status changes under different conditions. Understanding MPAs effectiveness in reaching GES is crucial to assess their role as sentinel observatories of marine systems. MPAs and trawling bans can locally contribute to the attainment of GES and to the fulfillment of the MSFD objectives. Building confidence in setting thresholds between GES and non-GES, investing in long-term monitoring, increasing the spatial extent of sampling areas, rethinking and broadening the scope of complementary tools of protection (e.g., Natura 2000 Sites), are indicated as solutions to ameliorate the status of the basin.This article was undertaken within the COST Action 15121 MarCons (http://www.marcons-cost.eu, European Cooperation in Science and Technology), the Interreg MED AMAre Plus (Ref: 8022) and the project PO FEAMP 2014-2020 Innovazione, sviluppo e sostenibilita ` nel settore della pesca e dell’acquacoltura per la Regione Campania (ISSPA 2.51). M.C.U., A.B. have been funded by the project MEDREGION (European Commission DG ENV/MSFD, 2018 call, Grant Agreement 110661/ 2018/794286/SUB/ENV.C2). Aegean Sea data were retrieved from the project PROTOMEDEA (www.protomedea.eu), funded by DG for Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the EC, under Grant Agreement SI2.721917. JB acknowledges support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Juan de la Cierva fellowship FJC 2018-035566-I).With the institutional support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S).Peer reviewe

Data from: The multiple roles of β–diversity help untangle community assembly processes affecting recovery of temperate rocky shores

Metacommunity theory highlights the potential of β–diversity as a useful link to empirical research, especially in diverse systems where species exhibit a range of stage-dependent dispersal characteristics. To investigate the importance of different components and scales of β–diversity in community assembly we conducted a large-scale disturbance experiment and compared relative recovery across multiple sites and among plots within sites on the rocky shore. Six sites were spread along 80 km of coastline and, at each site, 5 plots were established, matching disturbed and undisturbed quadrats. Recovery was not complete at any of the sites after 1 year for either epibenthos (mostly composed of macroalgae and, locally, mussels) or infauna. Significant differences in recovery among sites were observed for epibenthos but not for infauna suggesting different community assembly processes were operating. This was supported by epibenthos in the recovering plots having higher species turnover than in undisturbed sediment, and recovery well predicted by local diversity, while infaunal recovery was strongly influenced by the epibenthic community’s habitat complexity. However, infaunal community recovery did not simply track formation of habitat by recovering epibenthos, but appeared to be overlain by within-site and among-site aspects of infaunal -diversity. These results suggest that documenting changes in the large plants and animals alone will be a poor surrogate for rocky shore community assembly processes. No role for ecological connectivity (negative effect of among-site β–diversity) in driving recovery was observed, suggesting a low risk of effects from multiple disturbances propagating along the coast, but a limited resilience at the site scale to large-scale disturbances such as landslides or oil spills