The evolutive role of shoot apical meristems in the adaptation of angiosperms to life at sea and the jump to potential environmental biotechnology applications.

Seagrasses have adapted to a submerged lifestyle in seawater through a complex set of evolutionary processes. However, they show sensitivity to increases in natural salinity levels such as those commonly found in discharges of desalination plants, which have exponentially grown due to water scarcity in highly populated temperate areas, such as the Mediterranean basin. This study assessed the effects of brine-derived hypersalinity on the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica, focusing on the metabolic responses of shoot apical meristems (SAMs).

Assessment of brine discharges dispersion for sustainable management of SWRO plants on the South American Pacific coast.

Seawater desalination is one of the most feasible technologies for producing fresh water to address the water scarcity scenario worldwide. However, environmental concerns about the potential impact of brine discharge on marine ecosystems hinder or delay the development of desalination projects. In addition, scientific knowledge is lacking about the impact of brine discharges on the South America Pacific coast where desalination, is being developed.

Transcriptomic profiles and diagnostic biomarkers in the Mediterranean seagrasses Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa reveal mechanistic insights of adaptative strategies upon desalination brine stress.

Seawater desalination by reverse osmosis is growing exponentially due to water scarcity. Byproducts of this process (e.g.

Desalination brine effects beyond excess salinity: Unravelling specific stress signaling and tolerance responses in the seagrass Posidonia oceanica.

Desalination has been proposed as a global strategy for tackling freshwater shortage in the climate change era. However, there is a concern regarding the environmental effects of high salinity brines discharged from desalination plants on benthic communities. In this context, seagrasses such as the Mediterranean endemic and ecologically important Posidonia oceanica have shown high vulnerability to elevated salinities.

A risk assessment on Zostera chilensis, the last relict of marine angiosperms in the South-East Pacific Ocean, due to the development of the desalination industry in Chile.

Seagrasses, which are considered among the most ecologically valuable and endangered coastal ecosystems, have a narrowly limited distribution in the south-east Pacific, where Zostera chilensis is the only remaining relict. Due to water scarcity, desalination industry has grown in the last decades in the central-north coasts of Chile, which may be relevant to address in terms of potential impacts on benthic communities due to their associated high-salinity brine discharges to subtidal ecosystems. In this work, we assessed ecophysiological and cellular responses to desalination-extrapolable hypersalinity conditions on Z.

A Critical Gap in Seagrass Protection: Impact of Anthropogenic Off-Shore Nutrient Discharges on Deep Meadows.

In the Mediterranean, anthropogenic pressures (specifically those involving nutrient loads) have been progressively moved to deeper off-shore areas to meet current policies dealing with the protection of marine biodiversity (e.g., European Directives).

Reconstructed life history metrics of the iconic seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) detect localized anthropogenic disturbance signatures.

Substantial losses of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica have initiated investigations into localized resilience declines related to anthropogenic disturbances. In this study, we determined reconstructed shoot age and interannual growth metrics can detect anthropogenic impact effects on P. oceanica production.

Posidonia oceanica L. (Delile) meadows regression: Long-term affection may be induced by multiple impacts.

Coastal development has an undeniable impact on marine ecosystems resulting in the detriment of the more sensible communities. Posidonia oceanica meadows are climax communities which offer a wide variety of ecosystem services both ecological and socio-economic. Human-derived impact on these habitats has been widely assessed although conclusions may vary depending on the area.

Comparative analysis of the social vulnerability assessment to climate change applied to fisheries from Spain and Turkey.

The aim of this study is to assess the climate effects on fisheries from a bottom-up approach based on fishers' fishing experience, knowledge, and perceptions. To perform this task, a social vulnerability assessment was conducted in two different fishing areas: one in Spain and the other one in Turkey. The vulnerability was measured using the collected data and information through a structured questionnaire, and surveys were carried out among fishers in the Castelló (Spain) and the Aegean Sea (Turkey) between 2018 and 2019.

Sustainable desalination: Long-term monitoring of brine discharge in the marine environment.

The environmental impact of desalination is the most important concern related to its sustainable development. We present the results of a long-term environmental plan to monitor brine discharge (BD) from a desalination plant located in a high environmental value area in Spain. Generalized additive models were used to analyze the biological parameters of biological communities.

Physiological and metabolic responses to hypersalinity reveal interpopulation tolerance in the green macroalga Ulva compressa with different pollution histories.

There is scarce investigation addressing interpopulation tolerance responses to address the influence of a history of chronic stress exposure, as that occurring in polluted environments, in photoautotrophs. We evaluated ecophysiological (photosynthetic activity) and metabolic (oxidative stress and damage) responses of two populations of green macroalga Ulva compressa from polluted (Ventanas) and non-polluted (Cachagua) localions of central Chile, and exposed to controlled hypersalinity conditions of 32 (control), 42, 62 and 82 psu (practical salinity units) for 6 h, 48 h and 6 d. Both primary production (ETR) and photosynthetic efficiency (α) were generally higher in the population from Cachagua compared to Ventanas at all times and salinities.

MAPK Pathway under Chronic Copper Excess in Green Macroalgae (Chlorophyta): Influence on Metal Exclusion/Extrusion Mechanisms and Photosynthesis.

There is currently no information regarding the role that whole mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways play in counteracting environmental stress in photosynthetic organisms. To address this gap, we exposed to chronic levels of copper (10 µM) specific inhibitors of Extracellular Signal Regulated Kinases (ERK), c-Jun -terminal Kinases (JNK), and Cytokinin Specific Binding Protein (p38) MAPKs alone or in combination. Intracellular copper accumulation and photosynthetic activity (in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence) were measured after 6 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 6 days of exposure.

MAPK Pathway under Chronic Copper Excess in Green Macroalgae (Chlorophyta): Involvement in the Regulation of Detoxification Mechanisms.

Following the physiological complementary/parallel Celis-Plá et al., by inhibiting extracellular signal regulated kinases (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK), and cytokinin specific binding protein (p38), we assessed the role of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway in detoxification responses mediated by chronic copper (10 µM) in . Parameters were taken at 6, 24, and 48 h, and 6 days (d).

Recent trend reversal for declining European seagrass meadows.

Seagrass meadows, key ecosystems supporting fisheries, carbon sequestration and coastal protection, are globally threatened. In Europe, loss and recovery of seagrasses are reported, but the changes in extent and density at the continental scale remain unclear. Here we collate assessments of changes from 1869 to 2016 and show that 1/3 of European seagrass area was lost due to disease, deteriorated water quality, and coastal development, with losses peaking in the 1970s and 1980s.

Shift in tuna catches due to ocean warming.

Ocean warming is already affecting global fisheries with an increasing dominance of catches of warmer water species at higher latitudes and lower catches of tropical and subtropical species in the tropics. Tuna distributions are highly conditioned by sea temperature, for this reason and their worldwide distribution, their populations may be a good indicator of the effect of climate change on global fisheries. This study shows the shift of tuna catches in subtropical latitudes on a global scale.

Lack of Impact of Posidonia oceanica Leaf Nutrient Enrichment on Sarpa salpa Herbivory: Additional Evidence for the Generalist Consumer Behavior of This Cornerstone Mediterranean Herbivore.

The fish Sarpa salpa (L.) is one of the main macroherbivores in the western Mediterranean. Through direct and indirect mechanisms, this herbivore can exert significant control on the structure and functional dynamics of seagrass beds and macroalgae.

Abundance and Distribution Patterns of Thunnus albacares in Isla del Coco National Park through Predictive Habitat Suitability Models.

Information on the distribution and habitat preferences of ecologically and commercially important species is essential for their management and protection. This is especially important as climate change, pollution, and overfishing change the structure and functioning of pelagic ecosystems. In this study, we used Bayesian hierarchical spatial-temporal models to map the Essential Fish Habitats of the Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) in the waters around Isla del Coco National Park, Pacific Costa Rica, based on independent underwater observations from 1993 to 2013.

Benthic community recovery from brine impact after the implementation of mitigation measures.

In many regions, seawater desalination is a growing industry that has its impact on benthic communities. This study analyses the effect on benthic communities of a mitigation measure applied to a brine discharge, using polychaete assemblages as indicator. An eight-year study was conducted at San Pedro del Pinatar (SE Spain) establishing a grid of 12 sites at a depth range of 29-38 m during autumn.

Ecophysiological plasticity of shallow and deep populations of the Mediterranean seagrasses Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa in response to hypersaline stress.

The differential expression of the plant phenotypic plasticity due to inter- and intraspecific divergences can determine the plant physiological tolerance under stress. In this work, we examined the interspecific ecophysiological plasticity that the main Mediterranean seagrass species with distinct marine environmental distribution (Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa) can exhibit in response to hypersaline stress. We also tested the potential implication of ecotypic intraspecific divergences in the development of such plasticities.

A meta-analysis approach to the effects of fish farming on soft bottom polychaeta assemblages in temperate regions.

Marine fish farms could cause environmental disturbances on the sediment due to uneaten food and fish faeces that impact the marine benthos. Polychaete assemblages are considered good indicators of environmental perturbations. The present study aimed to establish groups of polychaetes as potential indicators of fish farm pollution.

Responses of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica to hypersaline stress duration and recovery.

We studied the hypersaline stress responses of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica to determine if the species was tolerant to salinity increases that occur in coastal waters by the desalination industry. Water relations, amino acids, carbohydrates, ions, photosynthesis, respiration, chlorophyll a fluorescence, leaf growth and morphology, and plant mortality were analysed after exposing the mesocosm P. oceanica to a salinity level of 43 for one and three months followed by a month for recovery.

Assessing reliable indicators to sewage pollution in coastal soft-bottom communities.

Physicochemical characteristics of sediment and benthic communities were studied in the proximity of seven sewage outfalls with differences in flow and wastewater treatment in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Redox potential was the only abiotic parameter which showed a pattern related with distance to outfalls, whereas granulometry, percentage of organic matter, metal concentrations or pH did not show changes related with outfall presence. Benthic community analysis proved to be the most suitable monitoring tool.

Sewage treatment level and flow rates affect polychaete assemblages.

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) aim to improve water quality and reduce the environmental impact of wastewater, by requiring member states to introduce better treatment levels. This study was carried out in order to detect the most suitable treatment type or flow level for reducing benthic environmental impact. Therefore, soft-bottom polychaete assemblages affected by discharges of six treatment plants, with different treatment technologies and flow rates, were analysed over three consecutive years.