An experimental investigation aimed at validating a seagrass restoration protocol based on transplantation

Mancini, Gianluca; Ventura, Daniele; Lasinio, Giovanna Jona; Belluscio, Andrea; Ardizzone, G.D.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109397

Cited by 10 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Thus, once reestablished the natural environmental features required for the seagrass's survival and growth, an experimental investigation was carried out focused on a P. oceanica transplantation and aimed at designing new strategies concerning seagrass restoration. The experimental outcomes proved that the impacted area was suitable for a larger scale restoration and highlighted the feasibility in using planting material produced by boat anchoring or storms (not requiring a donor site and the consequent damage) fixed with chemo-degradable iron stakes [19]. This evidence laid the basis for a restoration upscaling to speed up the recovery of the P. oceanica meadow lost after the Concordia shipwrecking [20].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…Since the regression factors were removed and the physico-chemical parameters of the water column were re-established, a transplantation area of 2048 m 2 was selected within the 8427 m 2 of dead matte, extended from 10 to 23 meters depth and previously colonized by P. oceanica, to perform a large-scale restoration [20] with the methods proposed in [19].…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…After the wreck removal and three years of remediation activities, any disturbances that caused P. oceanica loss were removed, and the phanerogam regression ceased. Since the regression factors were removed and the environmental features were re-established, a pilot study focused on a P. oceanica experimental transplantation was carried out in 2016 for designing a specific protocol to be applied at a broader scale [19]. This study laid the basis for a large-scale P. oceanica transplantation planned to speed up the recovery of the meadow impacted by the Concordia shipwreck and its removal [20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Colonization of transplanted Posidonia Oceanica: understanding the spatial dynamics through high-spatial resolution underwater photomosaics

Mancini

Ventura

Casoli

et al. 2022

Ninth International Symposium “Monitoring of Mediterranean Coastal Areas: Problems and Measurement Techniques”

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Following the restoration of a P. oceanica meadow impacted by the Concordia shipwreck, we investigated the spatial dynamic of the most important and protected Mediterranean endemic seagrass over a two-year period applying three spatial metrics: number of patches, mean patch size and total cover. By means of underwater photomosaics, we noticed a diminution in the number of patches in favour of the mean size and total cover. The outcomes showed that, under suitable environmental conditions, P. oceanica colonizes rapidly the dead matte substrate.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Colonization of transplanted Posidonia Oceanica: understanding the spatial dynamics through high-spatial resolution underwater photomosaics

Mancini

Ventura

Casoli

et al. 2022

Ninth International Symposium “Monitoring of Mediterranean Coastal Areas: Problems and Measurement Techniques”

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“…3 So far, some efforts have been made to restore degraded and threatened marine habitats (e.g., Boström-Einarsson et al, 2020;Cebrian et al, 2021;Montseny et al, 2021). In the Mediterranean Sea, several studies focused on the restoration of coralligenous formations (Fava et al, 2010;Forcioli et al, 2011;Montero-Serra et al, 2017;Topçu et al, 2018;Montseny et al, 2019;Pagès Escolà et al, 2020;Casoli et al, 2021), seagrass meadows (Pirrotta et al, 2015;Alagna et al, 2019;Da Ros et al, 2021;Mancini et al, 2021;Piazzi et al, 2021;Ventura et al, 2021), macroalgal forests (De La Fuente et al, 2019;Tamburello et al, 2019), and other vulnerable habitat-forming species (Baldacconi et al, 2010;Musco et al, 2017). Despite their ecological role and fragility, sabellarid reef habitats have been neglected in restoration studies so far.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility of the Sabellarid Reef Habitat Restoration

et al. 2022

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Polychaetes of the genus Sabellaria (Annelida, Sabellariidae) are gregarious bioconstructors that build reefs by assembling rigid tubes with sand grains in shallow waters. Sabellarid bioconstructions provide important ecosystem services such as sediment stabilization, water filtration and the mitigation of coastal erosion as well as nursery areas, shelter and feeding grounds for several marine species. Moreover, sabellarid reefs are exposed to both natural and anthropogenic disturbance and are therefore listed by international directives among the marine habitats deserving protection. We conducted a pilot study to assess the feasibility of habitat restoration with the sabellarid reef through a novel transplantation method. Fragments of S. spinulosa reef were collected at 1 m depth, fixed using epoxy putty into terracotta vases and then attached on the landward side of the two breakwaters in a coastal marine area enclosed in a Site of National Interest (SNI) of the central-western Adriatic (Mediterranean Sea). Overall, 14 of the 24 transplanted fragments (54.2%) survived during the study period (17 months). The total area of the transplanted reef fragments reduced during the early phase, appearing stable toward the end of the experiment. The transplantation method resulted effective given the survival rate observed, however, we did not observe the expected increase in the reef surface. Small-scale variation in environmental conditions such as organic load, sediment granulometry and hydrodynamics might have affected the growth capacity of the transplanted reef fragments. Further studies considering the microscale environmental requirements of this species are needed to better understand the feasibility of sabellarid reef restoration and its large-scale implementation.

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“…The current Italian legislative framework imposes mitigation and compensation measures within certain limits of authorized impact, following the cost-benefit analysis of a given project. Under this scenario, transplantations of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, 1813 shoots have been carried out in Italian waters as a suitable measure to mitigate or compensate for the impacts caused by coastal maritime works (Mancini et al, 2021;Zenone et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

When Scientists and Industry Technologies Mitigate Habitat Loss: The First Bioconstruction Relocation in the Mediterranean Sea

et al. 2022

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The need for habitat recovery in coastal areas, especially those subjected to intensive exploitation, has increased because of significant historical loss and alteration of habitats and, therefore, adverse ecological impacts. The present study defines a stepwise approach to mitigate habitat loss in deep coastal environments, describing the planning, intervention, and monitoring phases following the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) laying along the Apulian coast (Adriatic Sea, Italy). Preliminary field activities encompassed morpho-bathymetric data (MBES and SSS), SCUBA and ROV observations to accurately map and characterize the mesophotic reefs built by invertebrates found in the area. The pipeline route interfered with 30 outcrops between 50 and 80 m depth, mostly colonized by 15 taxa/morphological groups. A functional/conservative approach was adopted to recognize the taxa/morphological groups on which to focus the removal and following relocation activities based on their abundance, conservation status, and functional traits. Saturation divers teams, ROV pilot technicians, and researchers collaborated to minimize the physical impact and the loss of organisms due to the pipeline installation. They relocated a total of 899 living portions (nuclei) from the 30 interfered reefs on the top of the pipeline. The following monitoring activities, carried out after fourteen months since the intervention, revealed a high mean survival rate (88.1%) and slight variations in the structure of the nuclei assemblages. This study represents a paradigmatic case of involvement and support of the private oil and gas sector to mitigate habitat loss in the Mediterranean Sea, and stresses the need for integrated management involving different stakeholders to mitigate the effects of the exploitation of marine resources through ante operam assessment and active restoration actions.

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An experimental investigation aimed at validating a seagrass restoration protocol based on transplantation

Cited by 10 publications

References 42 publications

Colonization of transplanted Posidonia Oceanica: understanding the spatial dynamics through high-spatial resolution underwater photomosaics

Colonization of transplanted Posidonia Oceanica: understanding the spatial dynamics through high-spatial resolution underwater photomosaics

Feasibility of the Sabellarid Reef Habitat Restoration

When Scientists and Industry Technologies Mitigate Habitat Loss: The First Bioconstruction Relocation in the Mediterranean Sea

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