1. Recurrence of Sargassum vulgare C. Agardh in Slovenian coastal waters (Adriatic Sea)Martina Orlando-Bonaca, Borut Mavrič, 2014, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Perennial species from the genus Sargassum are considered to be indicators of high environmental quality and are therefore used in the assessment of the Ecological Status of Mediterranean coastal waters according to the European Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC). Over the past three decades a signifi cant decline in Sargassum populations has been reported in the Gulf of Trieste, as well as in other Adriatic and Mediterranean areas. In Slovenian coastal waters the presence of Sargassum spp. had not been confi rmed since 1980, after a severe decline due to overgrazing by the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. Recently, however, some thalli of S. vulgare were found in Piran Bay. The recurrence of this species is discussed in the paper, as well as the possible causes that led to the non-recovery in its populations in last decades in Slovenian coastal waters.
Ključne besede: macroalgae, Gulf of Trieste, Sargassum, Mediterranean Sea, non-recovery of populations
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 02.08.2024; Ogledov: 70; Prenosov: 56
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2. Benthic-pelagic coupling of marine primary producers under different natural and human-induced pressures’ regimesVasilis Gerakaris, Ioanna Varkitzi, Martina Orlando-Bonaca, Katerina Kikaki, Patricija Mozetič, Polytimi-Ioli Lardi, Konstantinos Tsiamis, Janja Francé, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Marine primary producers are highly sensitive to environmental deterioration caused by natural and human-induced stressors. Following the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive requirements, the importance of using the different primary producers of the coastal marine ecosystem (pelagic: phytoplankton and benthic: macroalgae and angiosperms) as appropriate tools for an integrated assessment of the ecological status of the coastal environment has been recognized. However, the processes by which water column characteristics and phytobenthic indicators are linked have not been systematically studied. Based on a large dataset from three Mediterranean sub-basins (Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean Seas) with different trophic conditions, this study aims to explore the coupled responses of benthic and pelagic primary producers to eutrophication pressures on a large scale, focusing on the structural and functional traits of benthic macroalgal and angiosperm communities, and to investigate the key drivers among the different eutrophication-related pelagic indicators (such as nutrient and Chl-a concentrations, water transparency, etc.) that can force the benthic system indicators to low ecological quality levels. In addition to the effects of high nutrient loading on phytoplankton biomass, our results also show that increased nutrient concentrations in seawater have a similar effect on macroalgal communities. Indeed, increasing nutrient concentrations lead to increased coverage of opportunistic macroalgal species at the expense of canopy-forming species. Most structural traits of Posidonia oceanica (expressed either as individual metrics: shoot density, lower limit depth and lower limit type, or in the context of PREI index) show opposite trends to increasing levels of pressure indicators such as ammonium, nitrate, phosphate, Chl-a and light attenuation. Furthermore, our results highlight the regulating effect of light availability on the ecological status of seagrass meadows (Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa). Increasing leaf length values of C. nodosa are closely associated with higher turbidity values linked to higher phytoplankton biomass (expressed as Chl-a). Overall, the coupling of pelagic and benthic primary producers showed consistent patterns across trophic gradients at the subregional scale.
Ključne besede: macroalgae, seagrasses, phytoplankton, eutrophication, Mediterranean Sea
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 17.07.2024; Ogledov: 87; Prenosov: 82
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3. Identification of marine biotechnology value chains with high potential in the Northern Mediterranean regionAna Rotter, Antonia Giannakourou, Jesús E. Argente García, Grazia Marina Quero, Charlène Auregan, Ernesta Grigalionyte-Bembič, Jan Ulčar, 2023, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Marine (blue) biotechnology is an emerging field enabling the valorization of new products and processes with massive potential for innovation and economic growth. In the Mediterranean region, this innovation potential is not exploited as well as in other European regions due to a lack of a clear identification of the different value chains and the high fragmentation of business innovation initiatives. As a result, several opportunities to create an innovative society are being missed. To address this problem, eight Northern Mediterranean countries (Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain) established five national blue biotechnology hubs to identify and address the bottlenecks that prevent the development of marine biotechnology in the region. Following a three-step approach (1. Analysis: setting the scene; 2. Transfer: identification of promising value chains; 3. Capitalization: community creation), we identified the three value chains that are most promising for the Northern Mediterranean region: algae production for added-value compounds, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) and valorization aquaculture/fisheries/processing by-products, unavoidable/unwanted catches and discards. The potential for the development and the technical and non-technical skills that are necessary to advance in this exciting field were identified through several stakeholder events which provided valuable insight and feedback that should be addressed for marine biotechnology in the Northern Mediterranean region to reach its full potential.
Ključne besede: marine biotechnology, blue biotechnology, innovation, value chains, Northern Mediterranean, microalgae, macroalgae, IMTA, circular economy, discards valorization
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 12.07.2024; Ogledov: 95; Prenosov: 83
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4. Too hot to handle : effects of water temperature on the early life stages of Gongolaria barbata (Fucales)Ana Lokovšek, Valentina Pitacco, Annalisa Falace, Domen Trkov, Martina Orlando-Bonaca, 2024, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Gongolaria barbata plays a crucial role as a habitat-forming Fucales species in the Mediterranean Sea, thriving in shallow, sheltered coastal regions, where it exhibits optimal growth in a temperature range of 10 to 25 °C. In the northern Adriatic Sea, a semi-enclosed part of the Mediterranean, there has been a remarkable increase in seawater temperatures in recent decades, often exceeding 28 °C in summer. These high temperatures pose a significant threat to the vulnerable early life stages of G. barbata. This study delves into the effects of four temperatures (15, 18, 24, and 28 °C) on the growth of G. barbata over its first 16 days, closely monitoring mortality, deformities, and overall survival. Our experiments reveal that higher temperatures can result in deformities and increased mortality of germlings. Notably, a temperature of 28 °C resulted in the death of all germlings within the first week, whereas those exposed to 24 °C survived until the second week, albeit with significant deformities prior to death. In contrast, germlings cultivated at 15 and 18 °C exhibited normal development with minimal deformities. These results highlight the susceptibility of the early life stages of G. barbata to temperature-induced stress and provide valuable insights into the potential consequences of rising seawater temperatures in the Mediterranean.
Ključne besede: sea temperature, early stages of growth, deformations, macroalgae, climate change, Mediterranean Sea
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 17.05.2024; Ogledov: 285; Prenosov: 339
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