Seed photosynthesis enhances <i>Posidonia oceanica</i> seedling growth

Celdrán, David; Marín, Antonio Riquelme

doi:10.1890/es13-00104.1

Cited by 19 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Previous studies have shown that a low light environment is more favorable to P. oceanica growth than a high light one, and that plants growing in the upper stands of meadows (<5 m depth) are under stressful light conditions, but physiologically adapted to these conditions and genetically differentiated from those living in deeper stands ( Dattolo et al, 2014 ). However, other studies have found that seedlings require an environment with relatively higher light compared with adults, an adaptation strategy to survive the oligotrophic conditions of the Mediterranean ( Celdrán and Marín, 2013 ). This strategy could explain the presence of seedlings in very shallow areas as well as their apparent absence at greater depths or inside well-established stands.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recruitment and Patch Establishment by Seed in the Seagrass Posidonia oceanica: Importance and Conservation Implications

2017

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Seagrasses are declining globally, and deeper understanding is needed on the recruitment potential and distribution of new populations for many threatened species to support conservation planning in the face of climate change. Recruitment of Posidonia oceanica, a threatened seagrass endemic to the Mediterranean, has long been considered rare due to infrequent flowering, but mounting evidence demonstrates that the species is responding to a changing climate through greater reproductive effort. Due to the fragmentary information on recruit occurrence and distribution, little is known about reproductive success in the species and its contribution to persistence. We assembled P. oceanica recruitment data from published and unpublished sources, including our own, to examine the frequency and extent of recruitment events (establishment of seedlings in a site), seedling growth potential and habitat characteristics at recruitment sites. Results show that at least one recruitment event has occurred about every 3 years, and 18 localities were colonized at least one time since the first seedling record in 1986. Notably, consistently high seedling inputs were observed in four localities of the Western Mediterranean. Seedlings established mainly on unoccupied substrate areas along the coasts of islands, in sheltered sites and at shallower depths (<3 m) than the upper limit of adjacent P. oceanica meadows. Seedling establishment occurred more frequently on rocky than on sandy substrate, and rarely on dead “matte” or meadows of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa. The chance of colonization success on rock was two times higher than on sand. Our 11 years of observations have allowed for the first time the documentation of the formation and development of patches by P. oceanica seed. These findings contradict the historical assumption that sexual recruitment is rare and usually unsuccessful for P. oceanica, and highlight the potential importance of recruitment for the long-term persistence and adaptation of the species to sea level rise predicted in the next century in the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, management actions have mainly focused on established meadows, ignoring the presence of recruits in outside areas. Therefore, it will be useful to identify and consider regeneration sites in designing future management strategies to improve seagrass conservation effectiveness.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recruitment and Patch Establishment by Seed in the Seagrass Posidonia oceanica: Importance and Conservation Implications

2017

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“…In general, the seeds of seagrasses germinate within the sediment, which benefits their growth (Moore et al ; Marbà & Duarte ; Terrados ). The P. oceanica seeds have photosynthetic activity (Celdrán & Marín ), which contributes to early development after germination (Celdrán & Marín ). It is not known how seed burial could affect the development of seedlings.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of substrate and burial on the development of Posidonia oceanica: implications for restoration

Guerrero‐Meseguer

Sanz‐Lázaro

Suk-Ueng

et al. 2016

Restoration Ecology

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Posidonia oceanica is one of the few seagrasses that can colonize hard and soft substrates. To test whether substrate could affect root development of the seedlings, with a legacy effect upon transplantation to sand, we germinated seeds on hard (glass slide) versus soft (sand) substrates in microcosms. We found that sand favored root system development, with a compensatory slowing of leaf development, while glass had the opposite effect. After 4 months, we transplanted all seedlings to sand and tested for a legacy effect of initial substrate type. Leaves of seedlings germinated on sand and glass slides reached approximately the same length, but roots from seedlings germinated on glass did not develop fully. Seed burial (0–1.5 cm) did not affect seedling development. These results suggest that the culture of P. oceanica on sand prior to transplantation could enhance seedlings survival in restoration programs.

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“…Therefore, the benefits of a positive GPP in seeds can be 2-fold, i.e., slowing down pericarp degradation and favouring seed dispersion, but a positive GPP can also enhance initial seed development inside the fruit. Part of the energy that seeds obtain through photosynthesis is invested in root and leaf development in at least the first month of germination [ 28 ]. Thus, the ability of P .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the first months of germination, when leaf development is scarce, P . oceanica seeds perform photosynthetic activity, which increases their photosynthetic rates and thus maximises seedling establishment success [ 27 , 28 ]. Seedlings also show high morphology plasticity during their root system development [ 29 , 30 ] by forming adhesive root hairs to help anchor themselves to rocky sediments [ 21 , 31 , 32 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

2018

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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. We studied the stages of development of P. oceanica seeds from their dispersion in the fruit interior to their settlement in sediment through histological, ultrastructural and mesocosm experiments. P. oceanica sexual recruitment can be divided into three main stages that focus on maximising photosynthesis and anchoring the seedlings to the sediment. In the first stage (fruit dispersion), seeds perform photosynthesis while being transported inside the fruit along the sea surface. In the second stage (seed adhesion), seeds develop adhesive microscopic hairs that cover the primary and secondary roots and favour seed adhesion to the substrate. In the last stage (seedling anchorage), roots attach the seedlings to the substrate by orienting them towards the direction of light to maximise photosynthesis. The adaptations observed in P. oceanica are similar to those in other seagrasses with non-dormant seeds and fruits with membranous pericarps, such as Thalassia sp. and Enhalus sp. These common strategies suggest a convergent evolution in such seagrasses in terms of sexual recruitment. Understanding the sexual recruitment of habitat-forming species such as seagrasses is necessary to adequately manage the ecosystems that they inhabit.

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Seed photosynthesis enhances Posidonia oceanica seedling growth

Cited by 19 publications

References 26 publications

Recruitment and Patch Establishment by Seed in the Seagrass Posidonia oceanica: Importance and Conservation Implications

Recruitment and Patch Establishment by Seed in the Seagrass Posidonia oceanica: Importance and Conservation Implications

Influence of substrate and burial on the development of Posidonia oceanica: implications for restoration

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

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