Environmental restoration by aquatic angiosperm transplants in transitional water systems: The Venice Lagoon as a case study

Sfriso, Adriano; Buosi, Alessandro; Facca, Chiara; Sfriso, A.; Tomio, Yari; Juhmani, Abdul-Salam; Wolf, Marion Adelheid; Franzoi, Piero; Scapin, Luca; Ponis, Emanuele; Cornello, Michele; Rampazzo, Federico; Berto, Daniela; Gion, Claudia; Oselladore, F.; Brusà, Rossella Boscolo; Bonometto, Andrea

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148859

Cited by 16 publications

(14 citation statements)

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“…There is a conspicuous literature on the degradation of transitional environments both from the point of view of pollution and of the trophic status (Smith, 2003;Viaroli and Christian, 2003;Gamito et al, 2005;Howarth et al, 2011;Peŕez-Ruzafa et al, 2012;Vybernaite-Lubiene et al, 2017; Hsieh et al, 2021) but relatively fewer articles are about the possibility of a reversal of this trend and on the consequent environmental recovery (Carstensen et al, 2006;Rodrigo et al, 2013;Kralj et al, 2016;McCrackin et al, 2016). Recent studies reported that the Venice Lagoon can be taken as an example of quick environmental recovery due to a marked nutrient decrease (Sfriso et al, 2019;Sfriso et al, 2021a;Sfriso et al, 2021b) with a significant impact on the aquatic vegetation. Indeed, the decrease of the macroalgal biomass and production which occurred in the 1980s allowed the recovery of aquatic angiosperms whose biomasses increased markedly.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With exception of C. nodosa, a significant growth of the angiosperm species was also favored by transplant activities carried out in the northern basin of the Venice Lagoon in the framework of the project Life SERESTO (LIFE12 NAT/IT/000331) (Project LIFE12 NAT/IT/000331, 2012; Sfriso et al, 2021b). Indeed, between 2014 and 2018 more than 75,000 rhizomes were transplanted forming wide meadows of Z. noltei, Z. marina, and R. cirrhosa that colonized approximately 15 km 2 of lagoon bottoms with a mean density of 40%.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since the 1980s all these species had almost completely disappeared due to high trophy, clam fishing, and a picocyanobacteria bloom which eliminated much of the remaining prairies in the summer of 2001 (Sorokin et al, 2004). Aquatic angiosperms were reintroduced into the choked areas with the Life SeResto Project (Life12 NAT/IT/000331) by transplanting more than 75,000 rhizomes that have now colonized extensive areas of this basin (Sfriso et al, 2021b).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since the beginning of the 2010s, clam fishing has significantly been reduced due to overfishing of the resource and the lagoon has started a rapid ecological recovery (Sfriso et al, 2019;Sfriso et al, 2021a;Sfriso et al, 2021b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of Ecological Recovery on Macrophyte Dominance and Production in the Venice Lagoon

et al. 2022

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In the last decade, the Venice Lagoon showed a significant environmental recovery that changed the assemblages of macroalgal and aquatic angiosperm dominant species and significantly increased the primary production. The decreasing of anthropogenic impacts, such as eutrophication and clam harvesting, favored a strong reduction of Ulvaceae, replaced by species with higher ecological value, and the recolonization of aquatic angiosperms. Consequently, hypo-anoxic conditions, once frequently occurring in the lagoon, have been considerably reduced and aquatic angiosperms have recolonized the area, covering 94.8 km2 in comparison to the 55.9 km2 recorded in 2003 (+70%). Cymodocea nodosa, Zostera marina, and Zostera noltei expanded by 37.5%, 44.6%, and 191%, respectively, with a significant increase in biomass and primary production. In late spring 2018, angiosperms showed a standing crop of approximately 372 ktonnes (+77%) and a net primary production of approximately 1189 ktonnes FW (+67%). In the meantime, Ruppia cirrhosa, which since the 1980s had disappeared from the lagoon areas subjected to tidal expansion, but was still present in some fishing valleys, recolonized the bottoms of the northern lagoon with meadows of over 6 km2; this accounted for a standing crop and net primary production of 8.9 and 18.0 ktonnes, respectively. Based on surveys carried out in 2021, ecological conditions are still improving, and this is increasing both the biodiversity and the production of macroalgae and aquatic angiosperms.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of Ecological Recovery on Macrophyte Dominance and Production in the Venice Lagoon

et al. 2022

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“…Aquatic angiosperm transplantations started at the end of hydraulic and morphological works. To define the most suitable transplantation techniques and seasons, the experience gained in the LIFE SeResto project was taken into account (Sfriso et al, 2021). Small (15-20 cm) of Ruppia cirrhosa, Zostera noltei, and Zostera marina were transplanted in the whole project site for a total of approx.…”

Section: Measures To Restore Biological and Ecological Integritymentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation actions for restoring the coastal lagoon habitats: Strategy and multidisciplinary approach of LIFE Lagoon Refresh

et al. 2022

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The Habitat Directive of European Union lists Costal Lagoons (habitat code 1150*) among priority habitats because they are in danger of disappearance. Natural ecosystems may recover from anthropogenic perturbations; however, the recovery can follow natural restoration or it can be redirected through ecological restoration by anthropogenic intervention. Accordingly, by collecting the available theoretical indications for restoration of estuarine and coastal areas, a methodological approach was detailed andit can be summarised into five issues: (i) Environmental context from which it began; (ii) Desired state to be achieved; (iii) Policies and socio-economic context; (iv) Typology of recovery and/or improvement of habitats and ecosystems; and (v) Methods for monitoring the impact of the project. The project strategy, management and measures of LIFE Lagoon Refresh were also presented and discussed, as a case study for the implementation of the multidisciplinary approach for restoration ecology in transitional waters. The project takes place in the northern Venice Lagoon (Italy), started in 2017 and it lasts 5 years. In the Venice Lagoon, since the 20th century, strong reductions of the typical salinity gradient of buffer areas between lagoon and mainland, and of reedbed extensions have occurred due to historic human interventions, with negative consequences on coastal lagoon habitats. To improve the conservation status of habitats and biodiversity of the area, the LIFE Lagoon Refresh project included several conservative actions, which are (i) the diversion of a freshwater flow from the Sile River into the lagoon; (ii) the restoration of intertidal morphology, through biodegradable structures; (iii) the reed and aquatic angiosperm transplantations with the involvement of local fishermen and hunters, and (iv) the reduction of hunting and fishing pressures in the intervention area. To achieve the restoration of the lagoon environment, the strategy of the project covered a combination of different aspects and tools, such as planning activities, through the involvement of local Institutions and communities; stakeholder’s involvement to increase awareness of environment conservation and socioeconomic value improvement; an ecological engineering approach; numerical models as supporting tool for planning and managing of conservation actions; environmental monitoring performed before and after the conservation actions.

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A critically endangered estuarine limpet’s only two populations are genomically and morphologically distinct

de Coito,

Emami‐Khoyi,

Hedderson

et al. 2023

Aquatic Conservation

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Seagrass habitats are declining worldwide, placing several seagrass‐associated animals at risk of extinction. The Critically Endangered limpet Siphonaria compressa is one of the rarest molluscs in Africa, and has been reported from only two disjunctive lagoons in South Africa. Being a highly specialized grazer that lives exclusively on the narrow blades of Cape eelgrass, Zostera capensis, which is itself listed as Endangered in the South African Red List and has decreased in abundance, conservation initiatives are urgently needed to ensure the long‐term survival of S. compressa. Molecular data (sequence data from the mitochondrial genome and single nucleotide polymorphism data of the nuclear genome) and morphological data were analysed to determine whether the two populations are conspecific, with implications for whether translocation between localities could be a viable management strategy to restore either population in the event of a collapse, or to maintain the genetic diversity of each population. Strong evidence emerged for the distinctness of the two populations, including a lack of shared mtDNA haplotypes that indicate an absence of contemporary gene flow, a divergence time that dates to the late Pleistocene, and a number of morphological characters that distinguish their shells. These findings indicate that the two populations are distinct cryptic subspecies. As the two populations occur in different temperature‐defined marine biogeographical regions, they are probably adapted to different thermal environments. Translocations are not recommended, as this management strategy has considerable potential to result in outbreeding depression and exacerbate the extinction risk. Instead, each population should be managed separately, and several alternative conservation measures are discussed, including the protection and restoration of seagrass beds.

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Environmental restoration by aquatic angiosperm transplants in transitional water systems: The Venice Lagoon as a case study

Cited by 16 publications

References 59 publications

Effect of Ecological Recovery on Macrophyte Dominance and Production in the Venice Lagoon

Effect of Ecological Recovery on Macrophyte Dominance and Production in the Venice Lagoon

Conservation actions for restoring the coastal lagoon habitats: Strategy and multidisciplinary approach of LIFE Lagoon Refresh

A critically endangered estuarine limpet’s only two populations are genomically and morphologically distinct

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