Abstract
The present study aims to assess the plastic response of Zostera noltei meadows traits under spatio-temporal shifts in salinity combined with sediment environmental variables (temperature; pH; loss-on-ignition (LOI); carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools (top 5 cm)). Z. noltei biomass, C and N pools, leaf photosynthetic performance and esterified fatty acid (FA) profile were assessed within a temperate coastal lagoon during winter and late spring, along sites spatially distributed. None of the surveyed traits for Z. noltei displayed a clear spatial trend. Z. noltei proved to be euryhaline, whose biology was only slightly affected within this salinity range, in each season (14–39 in winter; 33–41 in late spring). Seasonal differences in salinity and environmental parameters explain the differences recorded in Z. noltei traits (aboveground biomass, N and C pools; photosynthetic performance). Spatio-temporal salinity shifts did not significantly affect the pool of FA present in Z. noltei. Overall, within the salinity range surveyed, the ecological processes studied and regulating Z. noltei meadows do not appear to be at risk. This work reinforces the plasticity of Z. noltei to salinity shifts within the studied range, with this finding being particularly relevant in the context of extreme weather events (e.g., winter freshwater floods, summer droughts).
Highlights
Seagrass meadows have a worldwide distribution from tropical to temperate environments[1]
The main objective of the present study was to assess to what extent spatio-temporal variation in salinity, combined with sediment temperature, pH, LOI and the sediment pool of C and N on the top 5 cm, affect ecological processes supporting ecosystem services (ES) provided by Z. noltei meadows
The salinity range was much lower than that recorded in the winter
Summary
Seagrass meadows have a worldwide distribution from tropical to temperate environments[1]. Z. noltei has the ability to morphologically and physiologically acclimate to different environmental conditions including fluctuations in physical (e.g., wave exposure, sediment resuspension, turbidity, and sediment particle size) and chemical parameters (salinity changes, nutrient and light availability)[20,21,22]. Despite these features, shifts in salinity have been shown to impact and structure seagrass communities. Linoleic (18:2n-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n-3), recognized as seagrass (and vascular plants) biomarkers[29, 30], can reflect environmental variations by changing their unsaturation level and relative content
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