Search results for "mari"
showing 10 items of 4641 documents
Plant and sediment properties in seagrass meadows from two Mediterranean CO2 vents: Implications for carbon storage capacity of acidified oceans
2019
Abstract Assessing the status of important carbon sinks such as seagrass meadows is of primary importance when dealing with potential climate change mitigation strategies. This study examined plant and sediment properties in seagrass meadows (Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Asch.) from two high pCO2–low pH Mediterranean vent systems, located at Milos (Greece) and Vulcano (Italy) Islands, providing insights on carbon storage potential in future acidified oceans. Contrary to what has been suggested, carbon content (both inorganic and organic) and its surficial accumulation decreased at high pCO2–low pH in comparison with controls. The decrease in inorganic carbon may result from the higher solubilit…
Seagrass ecosystem response to long-term high CO2 in a Mediterranean volcanic vent
2014
We examined the long-term effect of naturally acidified water on a Cymodocea nodosa meadow growing at a shallow volcanic CO2 vent in Vulcano Island (Italy). Seagrass and adjacent unvegetated habitats growing at a low pH station (pH = 7.65 ± 0.02) were compared with corresponding habitats at a control station (pH = 8.01 ± 0.01). Density and biomass showed a clear decreasing trend at the low pH station and the below- to above-ground biomass ratio was more than 10 times lower compared to the control. C content and δ13C of leaves and epiphytes were significantly lower at the low pH station. Photosynthetic activity of C. nodosa was stimulated by low pH as seen by the significant increase in Chla…
Seguimiento del fenómeno blanco de la laguna de la Cruz (Cuenca, España)
2020
[EN] In the present study, a five-year follow-up was performed by remote sensing of the calcium carbonate precipitation in La Gitana karstic lake also known as La Cruz (located on the province of Cuenca, Spain). The important role that calcium carbonate precipitation plays in the ecology of the lake is well known for its influence on the vertical migrations of phytoplankton, the concentration of bioavailable phosphorus and, therefore, the eutrophication and quality of the waters. Whiting take place between the months of July and August, and it can be studied at this time through its optical properties, with the main objective of offering updated data on a phenomenon traditionally studied an…
Nest sites of a strong excavator, the Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major, in a primeval forest
2017
In managed forests, birds that create their own breeding holes in trees have limited access to substrates in which they can excavate. Therefore, nest site use in these forests possibly reflects availability of substrates more than species preferences. We analysed data on nest sites of Great Spotted Woodpeckers Dendrocopos major collected during 1987–2013 in the strictly protected part of Białowieża National Park in East Poland. The woodpeckers excavated breeding holes in 11 tree species, but species used in individual habitats varied greatly: Alder Alnus glutinosa was almost the only species used in the riverine forest; Common Aspen Populus tremula, Common Hornbeam Carpinus betulus and Pedu…
Standardization proposal for the mapping of Caulerpa taxifolia expansion in the Mediterranean sea
1999
Fourteen years after the first observation of Caulerpa taxifolia (Valh) C. Agardh in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea, this green alga of tropical origin is now present in five countries (Spain, France, Monaco, Italy and Croatia). By the end of 1997, more than 46 km(2), at depths of between 0 and 50 m, were found to be affected by this expansion. A standardization of the cartographic procedure is proposed here. Such a standardization is necessary to compare maps produced by various organizations from different countries. For a given independent station, it is based on the definition of three levels of colonization:Level I refers to a station where one or several colonies less than 100 m a…
The Impact of Variations in the Climate on Seasonal Dynamics of Phytoplankton
2009
Phytoplankton, an assemblage of suspended, primarily autotrophic single cells and colonies, forms part of the base of the pelagic food chain in lakes. The responses of phytoplankton to anthropogenic pressures frequently provide the most visible indication of a long-term change in water quality. Several attributes related to the growth and composition of phytoplankton, such as their community structure, abundance as well as the frequency and the intensity of blooms, are included as indicators of water quality in the Water Framework Directive. The growth and seasonal succession of phytoplankton is regulated by a variety of external as well as internal factors (Reynolds et al., 1993; Reynolds,…
Larger cell or colony size in winter, smaller in summer – a pattern shared by many species of Lake Kinneret phytoplankton
2017
We examined an 8.5-year record (2004-2012) of cell size data for phytoplankton species from Lake Kinneret, Israel, sampled weekly or at 2-week intervals and determined microscopically by the same person. Many of the species abundant enough to be counted year-round showed a typical seasonal cell size pattern that repeated annually: cell diameter was maximal in winter and minimal in summer. This pattern was shared by species from different taxonomic groups including cyanobacteria, chlorophyta, and dinoflagellates. Similarly, in colonial species of diatoms, chlorophyta, and cyanobacteria the number of cells per colony was larger in winter and smaller in summer. We postulated that the seasonal …
Impact of high pCO2 on shell structure of the bivalve Cerastoderma edule
2016
Raised atmospheric emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) result in an increased ocean pCO2 level and decreased carbonate saturation state. Ocean acidification potentially represents a major threat to calcifying organisms, specifically mollusks. The present study focuses on the impact of elevated pCO2 on shell microstructural and mechanical properties of the bivalve Cerastoderma edule. The mollusks were collected from the Baltic Sea and kept in flow-through systems at six different pCO2 levels from 900 μatm (control) to 24,400 μatm. Extreme pCO2 levels were used to determine the effects of potential leaks from the carbon capture and sequestration sites where CO2 is stored in sub-seabed geologica…
Different responses of coexisting Chara species to foreseeable Mediterranean temperature and salinity increases
2017
Abstract An increase in temperature of approximately 4 °C is expected to occur in the Mediterranean by the end of the century. Concomitant to this warming, a foreseeable rise in salinity will affect aquatic species. We addressed the effects of warming and salinity, and their interaction on three coexisting characean species (Chara aspera, C. hispida and C. vulgaris) from a Spanish Mediterranean interdunal pond (spring water temperature 20–23 °C, when charophytes re-grew; salinity 1.3–1.8 PSU). A laboratory experiment was designed with two levels of water temperature treatment (23 and 27 °C), plus two levels of salinity treatment (0.4 and 4.0 PSU). The variables considered were total length,…
Influence of chlorophyllaquantification methods in ecological quality indices
2019
Chlorophyll a concentration in aquatic ecosystems is strongly related to the phytoplankton community biomass, the growth of which depends on nutrient availability. Thus, chlorophyll a concentration...