Evaluating the extent and impact of the extreme Storm Gloria on Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows
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Author
Marco-Méndez, Candela
Marbà, Núria
Amores, Ángel
Romero, Javier
Minguito-Frutos, Mario
García, María
Pagès, Jordi F.
Prado, Patricia
Boada, Jordi
Sánchez-Lizaso, José Luis
Ruiz, Juan Manuel
Muñoz-Ramos, Gregori
Sanmartí, Neus
Mayol, Elvira
Buñuel, Xavier
Bernardeau-Esteller, Jaime
Navarro-Martinez, Pedro Clemente
Marín-Guirao, Lázaro
Morell, Carlos
Wesselmann, Marlene
Font, Rita
Hendriks, Iris E.
Seglar, Xavier
Camps-Castella, Judith
Bonfill, Eli
Requena-Gutiérrez, Aurora
Blanco-Murillo, Fabio
Aguilar-Escribano, Javier
Jimenez-Gutierrez, Santiago
Martínez-Vidal, Joaquín
Guillén, Juan Eduardo
Cefalì, Maria Elena
Pérez, Marta
Marcos, Marta
Alcoverro, Teresa
Publication date
2023-11-07ISSN
0048-9697
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.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Accepted version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
574 - General ecology and biodiversity
Pages
43
Publisher
Elsevier
Is part of
Science of The Total Environment
Citation
Marco‐Méndez, Candela, Núria Marbà, Ángel Amores, Javier Romero, Mario Minguito‐Frutos, María José López García, Jordi F. Pagès, et al. 2024. “Evaluating the Extent and Impact of the Extreme Storm Gloria on Posidonia Oceanica Seagrass Meadows.” Science of the Total Environment 908: 168404. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168404.
Grant agreement number
MICINN/Programa Estatal de generación del conocimiento y fortalecimiento científico y tecnológico del sistema I+D+I y Programa Estatal de I+D+I orientada a los retos de la sociedad/PID2020-113745RB-I00/ES/Storms of change: as phenomena extreme weather alters Mediterranean coastal ecosystems, their services and their perception by society/STORM
Program
Aigües Marines i Continentals
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- ARTICLES CIENTÍFICS [2802]
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/