Role of small-sized phytoplankton in triggering an ecosystem disruptive algal bloom in a Mediterranean hypersaline coastal lagoon

Mercado, Jesús M.; Cortés, Dolores; Gómez-Jakobsen, Francisco; García‐Gómez, Candela; Ouaissa, Sophia; Yebra, Lidia; Ferrera, Isabel; Valcárcel-Pérez, Nerea; López, María; García-Muñoz, Rocio; Ramos, Aranzazu; Bernardeau, Jaime; Belando, María Dolores; Fraile-Nuez, E.; Ruiz, Juan Manuel García

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.111989

Cited by 29 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…The initial recovery of the ecosystem in the lagoon (Pérez‐Ruzafa et al, 2019) may have increased the chance of recovery of P. nobilis in the short term but it was not sustained in the long term (Ruiz et al, 2020; Mercado et al, 2021). In the summer of 2019, another peak of chlorophyll a and turbidity was detected (Ruiz et al, 2020), and in September 2019 an extreme rainfall event occurred, a major meteorological phenomenon characteristic of the Spanish Mediterranean coast known as the ‘cold drop’ (Ruiz et al, 2020; Figure 5).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some of these impacts, often accentuated by limited water exchange, make coastal lagoons vulnerable to eutrophication. Ecosystem‐disruptive algal blooms (Sunda, Graneli & Gobler, 2006) associated with the input of nutrients (which may cause harmful effects on the structure and functions of the ecosystem and even on humans) are a severe problem affecting coastal lagoons worldwide (Newton et al, 2003; Lenzi et al, 2010; Mercado et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Using density models, Giménez‐Casalduero et al (2020) estimated a similar value of 1,609,943 ± 3,309 individuals inhabiting the lagoon in 2013–2014. However, in 2016, the Mar Menor lagoon went through a major eutrophication event (Pérez‐Ruzafa et al, 2019; Ruiz et al, 2020; Mercado et al, 2021), resulting in the total collapse of the vegetation of the lagoon and the death of most faunal communities, including P. nobilis (Belando et al, 2019), beyond a depth of 2.5 m (Belando et al, 2017; Giménez‐Casalduero et al, 2020). Despite the importance of P. nobilis , no additional studies evaluating the population status have been published.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the Spanish Mediterranean Sea, there are only a few isolated Tarrega (1983). According to García-March (2003), the next records were reported by Calvín-Calvo (1999) and Templado (2001) Mercado et al, 2021), resulting in the total collapse of the vegetation of the lagoon and the death of most faunal communities, including P. nobilis (Belando et al, 2019), beyond a depth of 2.5 m (Belando et al, 2017;Giménez-Casalduero et al, 2020). Despite the importance of P. nobilis, no additional studies evaluating the population status have been published.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Living under threat: Will one of the last Pinna nobilis populations be able to survive?

Nebot‐Colomer

Álvarez

Belando

et al. 2021

Aquatic Conservation

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1. The critically endangered fan mussel Pinna nobilis, endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, faces a drastic population decline all over the Mediterranean Sea owing to an infectious disease.2. Coastal lagoons represent one of this species' last reservoirs; thus, knowledge of the population conservation status in these ecosystems is essential.3. An extensive monitoring programme was conducted during 2014, 2017 and 2019 in the Mar Menor lagoon, a highly eutrophicated lagoon from Spain. On average, 32,535 m 2 have been surveyed each year to determine population densities, distributions and size structures.4. The cumulative impacts produced by intensive agriculture activity around the lagoon, together with a catastrophic meteorological phenomenon that occurred in 2019, have triggered a significant decline in fan mussel population densities and in population mean shell sizes over the years. Additionally, some fan mussels were infected by the protozoan Haplosporidium pinnae.5. Therefore, the current P. nobilis population from the Mar Menor is mainly composed of young individuals in specific areas that are facing an extreme situation. Urgent management and conservation actions focused on restoring the ecosystem and protecting P. nobilis individuals are urgently needed, together with reinforcement projects to increase the species' stock in one of its last reservoirs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Living under threat: Will one of the last Pinna nobilis populations be able to survive?

Nebot‐Colomer

Álvarez

Belando

et al. 2021

Aquatic Conservation

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“…It has been reported that the green algae Nannochloris genus belonging to the chlorellaceae family, identified among the dominant groups in the mucilage structure in the present study, contains species that lead to ecosystem disruptive algae blooms (Zhang et al, 2015;Mercado et al, 2021). Dzhembekova et al (2017) detected the presence of Nannochloris sp.…”

Section: Planktonic Community Compositionsmentioning

confidence: 51%

Metagenomic characterization of planktonic communities during a mucilage event in the Çanakkale Strait (Dardanelles), Turkey

Yılmaz¹,

Küçüker²,

Kahraman³

2021

Journal of Anatolian Environmental and Animal Sciences

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The present study investigates the planktonic communities through metagenomics sequencing during a mucilage event in the Çanakkale Strait (Dardanelles), Turkey. Mucilage samples were collected in May 2021 during an intense period of mucilage formation in three different stations of Dardanelles (Station 1: 40°9'8.09"N, 26°24'16.19"E; Station 2: 40°6'21.62"N, 26°22'41.25"E; Station 3: 40°6'42.78"N, 26°23'57.00"E). The dominant planktonic eukaryotes, at the phylum level, were Dinoflagellata (38.57%), Protalveolata (15.03%), Diatomea (12.41%), Nematozoa (8.44%), Apicomplexa (6.79%) and Chlorophyta (5.43%), which constituted 86.68 % of the total number of sequences. The most dominant OTUs (>10%), were Alexandrium and Syndiniales Group II. other dominant OTUs (>2%) were Viscosia sp., Lankesteria, Arcocellulus, Thalassiosira and Nannochloris. This study has clarified the situation of planktonic communities during a mucilage event in the Çanakkale Strait (Dardanelles), Turkey. As a result, the most dominant genus was Alexandrium, which has been known to produce mucilage. Some Alexandrium species can produce toxins, cause severe impacts on human health, and lead to bivalve, shrimp, and fish mortality. Therefore, a more detailed study is needed to determine the Alexandrium toxins in the mucilage structure. In addition, the heavy metal content of the obtained mucilage was investigated, and the concentrations of the As and Cr are above the disposal limits in the landfill sites. Therefore, collected mucilage from the sea surface should be checked before sending it to landfill sites in terms of the heavy metal content.

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Recovery of eutrophized marine ecosystems using the European flat oyster, Ostrea edulis

Albentosa

Akinyemi

Vera

et al. 2023

Aquatic Conservation

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1. The development of tourism and intensification of agriculture has released large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus into the Mar Menor coastal lagoon in South-east Spain, resulting in a phytoplankton bloom in 2016. This bloom turned the clear and transparent waters turbid and greenish, and killed approximately 85% of benthic macrophytes.2. Nutrient bioextraction by flat oysters, Ostrea edulis, has been proposed for remediation of these eutrophication events and water quality recovery.3. This research aims to quantify the clearance rate and investigate the genetic origin of Mar Menor oysters under eutrophized conditions for potential applications to bioremediation projects. Oligotrophic and eutrophic conditions were replicated in the laboratory, and oyster feeding behaviour (i.e. clearance rates, ingestion rates, absorption efficiency and absorption rates) were studied using a flow-through system. 4. The genetic characterization of oysters showed no significant difference between individuals from the Mar Menor and individuals collected from a nearby Mediterranean bed (Tabarca Island). 5. Based on the physiological results observed, oysters were grouped into highfeeder (HF) and low-feeder (LF) categories according to their clearance rate, that was 3-fold higher in the HF group. Different responses in feeding behaviour were observed under eutrophic conditions in both oyster groups. Constraints in the absorption capacity of LF oysters seemed to be related to their reduced filtering activity. Lower body condition of LF oysters was evidenced by their negative scope for growth value.6. From this work, several conclusions can be drawn for future restoration/ bioextraction actions: (i) the recovery of half of the oyster population that existed in the past would act as an effective top-down control on the phytoplankton community; (ii) using clearance rate measurements is recommended to select

show abstract

Role of small-sized phytoplankton in triggering an ecosystem disruptive algal bloom in a Mediterranean hypersaline coastal lagoon

Cited by 29 publications

References 29 publications

Living under threat: Will one of the last Pinna nobilis populations be able to survive?

Living under threat: Will one of the last Pinna nobilis populations be able to survive?

Metagenomic characterization of planktonic communities during a mucilage event in the Çanakkale Strait (Dardanelles), Turkey

Recovery of eutrophized marine ecosystems using the European flat oyster, Ostrea edulis

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