Search results for " Intertidal"

Meiofauna associated with vermetid reefs: the role of macroalgae in increasing habitat size and complexity

2018

We present the first dataset of meiofauna associated with vermetid reefs (biogenic constructions of Mediterranean intertidal habitat) in two areas along the northern coast of Sicily, Italy. The vermetid reefs are characterized by a horizontal extension from the shore towards the open sea and can be divided into three zones (the inner margin, the cuvette zone and the outer margin) which differ in hydrodynamic features. We studied the spatial distribution of meiofauna along the horizontal axis of the vermetid reefs, investigating the communities inhabiting the sediment inside cuvettes (shallow pools inside the “cuvette zone”) located between the inner and the outer margins of the reefs. We ob…

The impact of ocean acidification and warming on the skeletal mechanical properties of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus from laboratory and field…

2015

AbstractIncreased atmospheric CO2 concentration is leading to changes in the carbonate chemistry and the temperature of the ocean. The impact of these processes on marine organisms will depend on their ability to cope with those changes, particularly the maintenance of calcium carbonate structures. Both a laboratory experiment (long-term exposure to decreased pH and increased temperature) and collections of individuals from natural environments characterized by low pH levels (individuals from intertidal pools and around a CO2 seep) were here coupled to comprehensively study the impact of near-future conditions of pH and temperature on the mechanical properties of the skeleton of the euechin…

Influence of environmental factors and biogenic habitats on intertidal meiofauna

2017

This study investigated the influence of physical and chemical conditions and biotic factors on the distribution and diversity of meiofauna in intertidal zone along a geographical gradient. At 11 sites along the Italian coast, we studied the concurring role of environmental variables, trophic resources and the presence of habitat-forming species (macroalgae vs. mussels) in controlling the meiofaunal communities. The increase of water temperature combined with local thermal conditions was associated with a decrease in nematodes and copepods, with a consequent decrease in meiofaunal abundance towards the south. However, the increase in salinity, as geographical gradient decreases, and local t…

A global analysis of complexity–biodiversity relationships on marine artificial structures

2020

Aim Topographic complexity is widely accepted as a key driver of biodiversity, but at the patch‐scale, complexity–biodiversity relationships may vary spatially and temporally according to the environmental stressors complexity mitigates, and the species richness and identity of potential colonists. Using a manipulative experiment, we assessed spatial variation in patch‐scale effects of complexity on intertidal biodiversity. Location 27 sites within 14 estuaries/bays distributed globally. Time period 2015–2017. Major taxa studied Functional groups of algae, sessile and mobile invertebrates. Methods Concrete tiles of differing complexity (flat; 2.5‐cm or 5‐cm complex) were affixed at low–high…

Effect of Bacillus thuringiensis on physiological rates of Mediterranean marine intertidal Mytilaster minimus (Mollusca, Bivalvia)

2010

The aim of the present research is to evaluate the impact of agricultural products in the marine environments. Indeed in a country such as Italy and in particularly Sicily where agricultural areas nearshore marine waters, predicting where, when and with what magnitude the impact of xenobiotics derived from agriculture is imperative. In this contest we use as model a biological product (Bacillus thuringiensis) in understanding its potential effects on non target species and on marine biodiversity. Bivalves are important elements of marine biodiversity and very often they play a role of ecosystem engineers in that many other species structurally depend on their presence. Moreover as they cons…

Testing the effects of temporal data resolution on predictions of the effects of climate change on bivalves

2014

a b s t r a c t The spatial-temporal scales on which environmental observations are made can significantly affect our perceptions of ecological patterns in nature. Understanding potential mismatches between environmen- tal data used as inputs to predictive models, and the forecasts of ecological responses that these models generate are particularly difficult when predicting responses to climate change since the assumption of model stationarity in time cannot be tested. In the last four decades, increases in computational capacity (by a factor of a million), and the evolution of new modeling tools, have permitted a corresponding increase in model complexity, in the length of the simulations,…

The Mediterranean intertidal habitat as a natural laboratory to study climate change drivers of geographic patterns in marine biodiversity.

2011

The Status of Coastal Benthic Ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea: Evidence From Ecological Indicators

2020

The Mediterranean Sea is subject to multiple human pressures increasingly threatening its unique biodiversity. Spatially explicit information on the ecological status of marine ecosystems is therefore key to an effective maritime spatial planning and management, and to help the achievement of environmental targets. Here, we summarized scientific data on the ecological status of a selection of marine ecosystems based on a set of ecological indicators in more than 700 sites of the Mediterranean Sea. For Posidonia oceanica seagrass beds, rocky intertidal fringe, and coastal soft bottoms, more than 70% of investigated sites exhibited good to high ecological conditions. In contrast, about two-th…

Trophic structure of vermetid reef community: High trophic diversity at small spatial scales

2013

Stable isotopes were used to investigate contributions of autochthonous (i.e. benthic: epilithon and macroalgae) and allochthonous (i.e. pelagic: phytoplankton) organic matter sources to the diet of suspension-feeders, grazers and predators associated to small reef-pools (cuvettes) created by the reef-building species Dendropoma petraeum in the north-western coast of Sicily (Italy). Contributions of potential food sources were calculated using Bayesian mixing-models and integrated to a multivariate approach to highlight the diversity of C and N pathways within Dendropoma cuvettes. Both pelagic and benthic organic matter sources were exploited by benthic consumers, although clear differences…

Influence of ambient temperature on the photosynthetic activity and phenolic content of the intertidal Cystoseira compressa along the Italian coastli…

2019

Understanding the physiological responses of intertidal seaweeds to environmental factors is fundamental to characterize their local physiological adaptation and success in the face of climate change. We measured the photosynthetic activity and the total phenolic content of the intertidal alga Cystoseira compressa and explored their relationship with latitude or local ambient air and seawater temperatures. Our results show that, when submerged, the photosynthetic activity of C. compressa showed values typical for non-stressed thalli, and the seawater temperatures found across sites explained the variability of these values. We observed a decrease in the photosynthetic activity of C. compres…