The role of environment descriptors and seagrass biometrics in shaping macrobenthic assemblages' structure in intertidal Zostera noltei meadows.

The present study describes macroinvertebrate assemblages in three Zostera noltei meadows, following a salinity gradient along the Aveiro lagoon (Portugal). The main environmental descriptors and Z. noltei biometrics were studied to provide a model of the multivariate macroinvertebrate assemblage structure.

Reproductive Cycle of the Seagrass in the Ria de Aveiro Lagoon.

Sexual reproduction in seagrasses is essential to increase their resilience towards environmental stressors, but its phenology is still unknown in some regions, limiting our knowledge about the recovery capacity of these ecosystems. In this study, the flowering effort, reproductive phenology, seed production and ability of germination of was studied for the first time in the Ria de Aveiro lagoon, Portugal. Flowering of in the Ria de Aveiro lasts from June to November, reaching a peak between July and August.

Sediment Characteristics Determine the Flowering Effort of Meadows Inhabiting a Human-Dominated Lagoon.

Recent studies have shown increasing meadows in areas modified by anthropogenic activities. However, it is not entirely clear whether this trend of expansion could be linked to a greater reproductive effort in the species. Anthropogenic stressors can induce the reproductive effort of seagrass meadows as a response to stress, but other variables, such as seagrass biometrics or environmental factors, can also influence their sexual reproduction.

Heat wave intensity can vary the cumulative effects of multiple environmental stressors on Posidonia oceanica seedlings.

Climate change is introducing new stressors into already stressed ecosystems. Among these, extreme events such as heat waves play a crucial role in determining the structure of ecosystems. We tested single and combined effects of overgrazing, burial and heat waves on the seedlings of the habitat-forming species Posidonia oceanica.

Understanding the sexual recruitment of one of the oldest and largest organisms on Earth, the seagrass Posidonia oceanica.

The seagrass Posidonia oceanica is considered one of the oldest and largest living organisms on Earth. Notwithstanding, given the difficulty of monitoring its fruits and seeds in the field, the development of P. oceanica during its sexual recruitment is not completely understood.

Future heat waves due to climate change threaten the survival of Posidonia oceanica seedlings.

Extreme weather events are major drivers of ecological change, and their occurrence is likely to increase due to climate change. The transient increases in atmospheric temperatures are leading to a greater occurrence of heat waves, extreme events that can produce a substantial warming of water, especially in enclosed basins such as the Mediterranean Sea. Here, we tested the effects of current and predicted heat waves on the early stages of development of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica.