| Title: | Boosted fish abundance associated with Posidonia oceanica meadows in temperate shallow CO(2) vents |
| Author(s): | Mirasole A; Badalamenti F; Di Franco A; Gambi MC; Teixido N; |
| Address: | "Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Ischia Marine Centre, Punta San Pietro, 80077 Ischia, Naples, Italy. Electronic address: alice.mirasole@szn.it. CNR-IAS, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 4521, 90149 Palermo, Italy; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo (complesso Roosevelt), 90149 Palermo, Italy. Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo (complesso Roosevelt), 90149 Palermo, Italy. Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Ischia Marine Centre, Punta San Pietro, 80077 Ischia, Naples, Italy. Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Ischia Marine Centre, Punta San Pietro, 80077 Ischia, Naples, Italy; Sorbonne Universite, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Oceanographie de Villefranche, 181 chemin du Lazaret, Villefranche-sur-mer 06230, France" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145438 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1879-1026 (Electronic) 0048-9697 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Ocean acidification (OA) may induce major shifts in the structure and function of coastal marine ecosystems. Studies in volcanic CO(2) vents, where seawater is naturally acidified, have reported an overall simplification of fish assemblages structure, while some primary producers are likely to increase their biomass under elevated concentration of CO(2). Here we used temperate shallow CO(2) vents located around the coast of Ischia island (Italy) to assess the effects of OA on necto-benthic fish assemblages associated with the foundation seagrass species Posidonia oceanica in the Mediterranean Sea. We compared P. oceanica meadow structure, its epiphytic community and the associated fish assemblage structure and diversity at vents with low pH sites and reference sites with ambient pH using underwater visual census strip transects, in two seasons (fall 2018 and summer 2019). Data were analysed using both univariate and multivariate statistical techniques. Results showed greater P. oceanica habitat complexity (i.e. shoot density) and lower abundance of epiphytic calcareous species (e.g. coralline algae) at the vents than reference sites. Total abundance of adult and juvenile fish was higher at vents than reference sites, while no differences were found for species richness and composition. Overall, the herbivore Sarpa salpa stands out among the species contributing the most to dissimilarity between vents and reference sites, showing higher abundances under OA conditions. This pattern could be explained by the combined effect of a positive response to the higher structural meadows complexity and the greater seagrasses palatability/nutritional value occurring at the vents, which may help herbivores to withstand the higher energetic cost to live under high pCO(2)/low pH conditions. Our results indicate that necto-benthic fish assemblages associated with the Mediterranean P. oceanica ecosystem may cope with OA under the CO(2) emission scenarios forecasted for the end of this century" |
| Keywords: | *Alismatales Animals Carbon Dioxide/analysis *Ecosystem Hydrogen-Ion Concentration Italy Mediterranean Sea Seawater Biodiversity Mediterranean coastal fish Ocean acidification Sarpa salpa Underwater visual census Volcanic CO(2) vents; |
| Notes: | "MedlineMirasole, Alice Badalamenti, Fabio Di Franco, Antonio Gambi, Maria Cristina Teixido, Nuria eng Netherlands 2021/02/07 Sci Total Environ. 2021 Jun 1; 771:145438. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145438. Epub 2021 Jan 28" |
