Spatial-temporal dynamics of decaying stages of pelagic Sargassum spp. along shorelines in Puerto Rico using Google Earth Engine

León-Pérez, Mariana C.; Reisinger, Anthony; Gibeaut, James C.

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114715

Cited by 10 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Remote sensing is providing complementary information on the nearshore presence of sargassum [39]. The highest resolution satellite data-via the Multispectral Instrument (MSI, resolution 10-20 m) on board of Sentinel 2, Operational Land Imager (OLI, 30 m) on board of Landsat mission, WorldView-II (WV-2, 2 m), and PlanetScope/Dove (3 m)-have been combined, with deep learning methods, to fill previous gaps of monitoring in nearshore waters [40] and in some cases for automatic identification of Sargassum features [41].…”

Section: Plos Climatementioning

confidence: 99%

“…By combining different sources of remote sensing data, it is further possible to detect both floating and beached sargassum with increased accuracy [3]. Furthermore, data from Sentinel-2 MSI could be used to distinguish different decomposition levels of sargassum and to map sargassum accumulation hotspots [39]. At very high spatial resolution, there are also prospects to better understand distribution of the three dominant sargassum morphotypes; by identifying the insitu spectral signatures of different morphotypes using field spectrometers on the beach, these observations could potentially be scaled up through UAS with hyperspectral sensor and high spatial resolution satellite images.…”

Section: Plos Climatementioning

confidence: 99%

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Climate-sargassum interactions across scales in the tropical Atlantic

et al. 2023

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The impacts of climate change on ecosystems are highly uncertain but potentially profound. One such impact may be the emergence of extensive mats of seaweed (macroalgae), due to the extraordinary proliferation of pelagic sargassum species, in the tropical Atlantic since 2011. Sargassum blooms are now an annual event and reached record levels across what is now known as the ‘Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt’ (GASB) in summer 2022. Monitoring across scales, from satellite surveillance to in-situ beach surveys, is bringing step changes in process-level understanding of sargassum. Physical and biogeochemical drivers of sargassum act at basin scale to shape the GASB, highly variable from year to year. In the local environment, sargassum is sensitive to ambient conditions, with new findings confirming that growth rates are temperature dependent. Multidecadal ocean warming may therefore be detrimental to sargassum, although projected changes in other drivers are uncertain. Emerging options for climate change action around sargassum include valorisation and carbon sequestration, although uncertainties are again considerable. In conclusion, the emergence of sargassum across the tropical Atlantic highlights interconnected systems that embrace physical, biogeochemical, and socioeconomic dimensions, with considerable scope for improved monitoring, process-level understanding and prediction.

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Section: Plos Climatementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Plos Climatementioning

confidence: 99%

Climate-sargassum interactions across scales in the tropical Atlantic

et al. 2023

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“…Wang et al, 2019). The accumulation and decay of stranded sargassum masses poses a significant concern for the health of mangroves (Hernández et al, 2022;León-Pérez et al, 2023). Furthermore, coastal eutrophication, the phenomenon of excessive nutrient inputs into coastal waters (Nixon, 1995), disrupts the nutrient balance of coastal ecosystems and impacts the resilience of mangroves against various disturbances (Feller et al, 2015;Lovelock et al, 2009).…”

Section: Mangroves Under the Impacts Of Global Changementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mangrove, seagrass, coral (Adame et al, 2012;Briand et al, 2015;Hernández et al, 2022;León-Pérez et al, 2023;Middelburg et al, 1996;Signa et al, 2017) Mangrove, seagrass (Asplund et al, 2021;Dahl et al, 2022;Hidayah et al, 2022;Kammann et al, 2022;A. K. Mishra et al, 2023;Sullivan et al, 2021;Walton et al, 2014) Mangrove, coral (Keyes et al, 2019) Mangrove (Agraz-Hernández et al, 2018;Analuddin et al, 2021;Feller et al, 2015;Gillis et al, 2016;Moroyoqui-Rojo et al, 2015;Vaiphasa et al, 2007;Williams et al, 2013) Seagrass (Apostolaki et al, 2012;…”

Section: Carbon Stocks and Nutrientsunclassified

“…In addition to the large amounts of nutrients imported by sargassum, its decomposition also results in the accumulation of sulphide and ammonium in sediments and water, causing toxicity to animals (Rodríguez-Martínez et al, 2019) and plants such as mangroves (Hernández et al, 2021), seagrass, and corals (Van Tussenbroek et al, 2017). Mangrove basins and channels are particularly prone to sargassum accumulation (Hernández et al, 2021;León-Pérez et al, 2023) possibly due to being trapped in their complex mangrove root systems. The broader implications of sargassum brown tides for connected seascapes are not yet fully understood, nor is the natural capacity of mangroves, seagrass and corals acting in association to counteract their impacts.…”

Section: Nutrient Enrichmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mangroves in a transforming world : Biogeochemical interactions, global change drivers, and innovative mitigation strategies

Pino Cobacho

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Tropical seascapes rely on the feedback relationships among mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs, as they mutually facilitate and enhance each other's functionality. Biogeochemical fluxes link tropical coastal habitats by exchanging material flows and energy through various natural processes that determine the conditions for life and ecosystem functioning. However, little is known about the seascape-scale implications of anthropogenic disruptions to these linkages. Despite the limited number of integrated empirical studies available (with only 11 out of 81 selected studies focusing on the integrated dynamics of mangroves, seagrasses, and corals), this review emphasizes the importance of biogeochemical fluxes for ecosystem connectivity in tropical seascapes. It identifies four anthropogenic drivers that can disturb these fluxes, including nutrient pollution, pH imbalance, disease outbreaks, and other forms of environmental degradation. This review also highlights significant knowledge gaps in our understanding of biogeochemical fluxes and ecosystem responses to perturbations in tropical seascapes. Addressing these knowledge gaps is crucial for developing practical strategies to conserve and manage connected seascapes effectively. Integrated research is needed to shed light on the complex interactions and feedback mechanisms within these ecosystems, providing valuable insights for conservation and management practices.

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