Lost and found: A new hope for the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa in the marine ecosystem of a subtropical Atlantic Island

Susanne Schäfer; João Monteiro; Nuno Castro; Francesca Gizzi; Filipe Henriques; Patrício Ramalhosa; Manuela Isabel Parente; Gil Rilov; Ignacio Gestoso; João Canning-Clode

doi:10.1016/j.rsma.2020.101575

Lost and found: A new hope for the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa in the marine ecosystem of a subtropical Atlantic Island

Susanne Schäfer, João Monteiro, Nuno Castro, Francesca Gizzi, Filipe Henriques, Patrício Ramalhosa, Manuela Isabel Parente, Gil Rilov, Ignacio Gestoso, João Canning-Clode

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Seagrass meadows are globally recognized as important coastal habitats due to the various ecological functions and ecosystem services they provide. Substantial global decline of seagrass habitats has been recorded over the last decades, underlining the need for extensive studies, including monitoring and mapping these habitats across their distributional range. Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Ascherson is the only seagrass species reported in the archipelago of Madeira (NE Atlantic) and systematic or reliable information of its occurrence is very scarce and mostly anecdotal. This study reports the discovery of a yearly-persistent patch of C. nodosa in the southeast coast of Madeira and provides insights into key ecological and biological aspects (e.g. density, leaf length, associated fauna and flora). Seasonal monitoring surveys over a 3-year period, indicate that (1) the patch has increased in size and shoot density over the study period, and (2) leaf lengths follow a typical seasonal pattern over the year. Accounts of past destruction of seagrass meadows in the island, underline the importance of continuous monitoring of the patch and adjacent areas to reveal how the current seagrass patch develops (i.e. patch continuity and/or disappearance), if it integrates a larger meadow and whether anthropogenic pressures as coastal development and/or associated terrigenous sediment runoff events will affect its resilience.

Original language	English
Article number	101575
Journal	Regional Studies in Marine Science
Volume	41
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2020.101575
State	Published - Jan 2021
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
SS was supported through a federal state scholarship by the Kiel University, Germany and is currently funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement no. 774499 ) for funding the GoJelly project. JM was supported by a post-doctoral research fellowship by Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação, Tecnologia e Inovação, Portugal ( ARDITI - M1420-09-5369-FSE- 000001 ). FG was supported by a post-doctoral research fellowship granted by ARDITI, Portugal in the framework of project RAGES [ ARDITI-RAGES-2019-001 ]. NC was funded by a doctoral grant ( SFRH/BD/146881/2019 ) awarded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal . PR was partially funded by the Project Observatório Oceânico da Madeira- OOM ( M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000001 ), co-financed by the Madeira Regional Operational Programme (Madeira 14–20), under the Portugal 2020 strategy, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). IG was financially supported by a post-doctoral grant in the framework of the 2015 ARDITI Grant Programme Madeira 14–20 ( Project M1420-09-5369-FSE-000002 ). JCC is funded by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal , I.P., under the Scientific Employment Stimulus - Institutional Call - [ CEECINST/00098/2018 ]. Activities within this study were supported by projects MIMAR, Portugal ( MAC/4.6.d/066 ) and PLASMAR+, Portugal ( MAC2/1.1a/347 ), cofounded by FEDER Programa, Portugal ( MAC/4.6.d/066 , INTERREG MAC 2014–2020 Programme), and by Observatório Oceânico da Madeira, Portugal ( M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000001 ). Finally, this study also had the support of Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal , through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2019 granted to MARE UI&I. This is contribution 55 from the Smithsonian’s MarineGEO Network.

Funding Information:
We thank the crew of Azul Diving for their support and for enabling our fieldwork and surveys. Furthermore, we thank Karl J. Wittmann and Peter Wirtz for assistance in species identification. We also thank Paola Parretti and Sonia KM Gueroun for their assistance and company during some of the survey dives. SS was supported through a federal state scholarship by the Kiel University, Germany and is currently funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement no. 774499) for funding the GoJelly project. JM was supported by a post-doctoral research fellowship by Ag?ncia Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investiga??o, Tecnologia e Inova??o, Portugal (ARDITI - M1420-09-5369-FSE- 000001). FG was supported by a post-doctoral research fellowship granted by ARDITI, Portugal in the framework of project RAGES [ARDITI-RAGES-2019-001]. NC was funded by a doctoral grant (SFRH/BD/146881/2019) awarded by Funda??o para a Ci?ncia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal. PR was partially funded by the Project Observat?rio Oce?nico da Madeira- OOM (M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000001), co-financed by the Madeira Regional Operational Programme (Madeira 14?20), under the Portugal 2020 strategy, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). IG was financially supported by a post-doctoral grant in the framework of the 2015 ARDITI Grant Programme Madeira 14?20 (Project M1420-09-5369-FSE-000002). JCC is funded by national funds through FCT ? Funda??o para a Ci?ncia e a Tecnologia, Portugal, I.P. under the Scientific Employment Stimulus - Institutional Call - [CEECINST/00098/2018]. Activities within this study were supported by projects MIMAR, Portugal (MAC/4.6.d/066) and PLASMAR+, Portugal (MAC2/1.1a/347), cofounded by FEDER Programa, Portugal (MAC/4.6.d/066, INTERREG MAC 2014?2020 Programme), and by Observat?rio Oce?nico da Madeira, Portugal (M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000001). Finally, this study also had the support of Funda??o para a Ci?ncia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal, through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2019 granted to MARE UI&I. This is contribution 55 from the Smithsonian's MarineGEO Network. No animal testing was performed during this study. All necessary permits for sampling and observational field studies have been obtained by the authors from the competent authorities.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier B.V.

Keywords

Cymodocea nodosa
Ecosystem services
Habitat type
Madeira Island
Seagrass

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Aquatic Science
Ecology
Animal Science and Zoology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.rsma.2020.101575

Cite this

@article{fb66a63311674986bea5a263a1220f1a,

title = "Lost and found: A new hope for the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa in the marine ecosystem of a subtropical Atlantic Island",

abstract = "Seagrass meadows are globally recognized as important coastal habitats due to the various ecological functions and ecosystem services they provide. Substantial global decline of seagrass habitats has been recorded over the last decades, underlining the need for extensive studies, including monitoring and mapping these habitats across their distributional range. Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Ascherson is the only seagrass species reported in the archipelago of Madeira (NE Atlantic) and systematic or reliable information of its occurrence is very scarce and mostly anecdotal. This study reports the discovery of a yearly-persistent patch of C. nodosa in the southeast coast of Madeira and provides insights into key ecological and biological aspects (e.g. density, leaf length, associated fauna and flora). Seasonal monitoring surveys over a 3-year period, indicate that (1) the patch has increased in size and shoot density over the study period, and (2) leaf lengths follow a typical seasonal pattern over the year. Accounts of past destruction of seagrass meadows in the island, underline the importance of continuous monitoring of the patch and adjacent areas to reveal how the current seagrass patch develops (i.e. patch continuity and/or disappearance), if it integrates a larger meadow and whether anthropogenic pressures as coastal development and/or associated terrigenous sediment runoff events will affect its resilience.",

keywords = "Cymodocea nodosa, Ecosystem services, Habitat type, Madeira Island, Seagrass",

author = "Susanne Sch{\"a}fer and Jo{\~a}o Monteiro and Nuno Castro and Francesca Gizzi and Filipe Henriques and Patr{\'i}cio Ramalhosa and Parente, {Manuela Isabel} and Gil Rilov and Ignacio Gestoso and Jo{\~a}o Canning-Clode",

note = "Funding Information: SS was supported through a federal state scholarship by the Kiel University, Germany and is currently funded by the European Union{\textquoteright}s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement no. 774499 ) for funding the GoJelly project. JM was supported by a post-doctoral research fellowship by Ag{\^e}ncia Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investiga{\c c}{\~a}o, Tecnologia e Inova{\c c}{\~a}o, Portugal ( ARDITI - M1420-09-5369-FSE- 000001 ). FG was supported by a post-doctoral research fellowship granted by ARDITI, Portugal in the framework of project RAGES [ ARDITI-RAGES-2019-001 ]. NC was funded by a doctoral grant ( SFRH/BD/146881/2019 ) awarded by Funda{\c c}{\~a}o para a Ci{\^e}ncia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal . PR was partially funded by the Project Observat{\'o}rio Oce{\^a}nico da Madeira- OOM ( M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000001 ), co-financed by the Madeira Regional Operational Programme (Madeira 14–20), under the Portugal 2020 strategy, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). IG was financially supported by a post-doctoral grant in the framework of the 2015 ARDITI Grant Programme Madeira 14–20 ( Project M1420-09-5369-FSE-000002 ). JCC is funded by national funds through FCT – Funda{\c c}{\~a}o para a Ci{\^e}ncia e a Tecnologia, Portugal , I.P., under the Scientific Employment Stimulus - Institutional Call - [ CEECINST/00098/2018 ]. Activities within this study were supported by projects MIMAR, Portugal ( MAC/4.6.d/066 ) and PLASMAR+, Portugal ( MAC2/1.1a/347 ), cofounded by FEDER Programa, Portugal ( MAC/4.6.d/066 , INTERREG MAC 2014–2020 Programme), and by Observat{\'o}rio Oce{\^a}nico da Madeira, Portugal ( M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000001 ). Finally, this study also had the support of Funda{\c c}{\~a}o para a Ci{\^e}ncia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal , through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2019 granted to MARE UI&I. This is contribution 55 from the Smithsonian{\textquoteright}s MarineGEO Network. Funding Information: We thank the crew of Azul Diving for their support and for enabling our fieldwork and surveys. Furthermore, we thank Karl J. Wittmann and Peter Wirtz for assistance in species identification. We also thank Paola Parretti and Sonia KM Gueroun for their assistance and company during some of the survey dives. SS was supported through a federal state scholarship by the Kiel University, Germany and is currently funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement no. 774499) for funding the GoJelly project. JM was supported by a post-doctoral research fellowship by Ag?ncia Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investiga??o, Tecnologia e Inova??o, Portugal (ARDITI - M1420-09-5369-FSE- 000001). FG was supported by a post-doctoral research fellowship granted by ARDITI, Portugal in the framework of project RAGES [ARDITI-RAGES-2019-001]. NC was funded by a doctoral grant (SFRH/BD/146881/2019) awarded by Funda??o para a Ci?ncia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal. PR was partially funded by the Project Observat?rio Oce?nico da Madeira- OOM (M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000001), co-financed by the Madeira Regional Operational Programme (Madeira 14?20), under the Portugal 2020 strategy, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). IG was financially supported by a post-doctoral grant in the framework of the 2015 ARDITI Grant Programme Madeira 14?20 (Project M1420-09-5369-FSE-000002). JCC is funded by national funds through FCT ? Funda??o para a Ci?ncia e a Tecnologia, Portugal, I.P. under the Scientific Employment Stimulus - Institutional Call - [CEECINST/00098/2018]. Activities within this study were supported by projects MIMAR, Portugal (MAC/4.6.d/066) and PLASMAR+, Portugal (MAC2/1.1a/347), cofounded by FEDER Programa, Portugal (MAC/4.6.d/066, INTERREG MAC 2014?2020 Programme), and by Observat?rio Oce?nico da Madeira, Portugal (M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000001). Finally, this study also had the support of Funda??o para a Ci?ncia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal, through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2019 granted to MARE UI&I. This is contribution 55 from the Smithsonian's MarineGEO Network. No animal testing was performed during this study. All necessary permits for sampling and observational field studies have been obtained by the authors from the competent authorities. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2021",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1016/j.rsma.2020.101575",

language = "English",

volume = "41",

journal = "Regional Studies in Marine Science",

issn = "2352-4855",

publisher = "Elsevier",

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T1 - Lost and found

T2 - A new hope for the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa in the marine ecosystem of a subtropical Atlantic Island

AU - Schäfer, Susanne

AU - Monteiro, João

AU - Castro, Nuno

AU - Gizzi, Francesca

AU - Henriques, Filipe

AU - Ramalhosa, Patrício

AU - Parente, Manuela Isabel

AU - Rilov, Gil

AU - Gestoso, Ignacio

AU - Canning-Clode, João

N1 - Funding Information: SS was supported through a federal state scholarship by the Kiel University, Germany and is currently funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement no. 774499 ) for funding the GoJelly project. JM was supported by a post-doctoral research fellowship by Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação, Tecnologia e Inovação, Portugal ( ARDITI - M1420-09-5369-FSE- 000001 ). FG was supported by a post-doctoral research fellowship granted by ARDITI, Portugal in the framework of project RAGES [ ARDITI-RAGES-2019-001 ]. NC was funded by a doctoral grant ( SFRH/BD/146881/2019 ) awarded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal . PR was partially funded by the Project Observatório Oceânico da Madeira- OOM ( M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000001 ), co-financed by the Madeira Regional Operational Programme (Madeira 14–20), under the Portugal 2020 strategy, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). IG was financially supported by a post-doctoral grant in the framework of the 2015 ARDITI Grant Programme Madeira 14–20 ( Project M1420-09-5369-FSE-000002 ). JCC is funded by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal , I.P., under the Scientific Employment Stimulus - Institutional Call - [ CEECINST/00098/2018 ]. Activities within this study were supported by projects MIMAR, Portugal ( MAC/4.6.d/066 ) and PLASMAR+, Portugal ( MAC2/1.1a/347 ), cofounded by FEDER Programa, Portugal ( MAC/4.6.d/066 , INTERREG MAC 2014–2020 Programme), and by Observatório Oceânico da Madeira, Portugal ( M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000001 ). Finally, this study also had the support of Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal , through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2019 granted to MARE UI&I. This is contribution 55 from the Smithsonian’s MarineGEO Network. Funding Information: We thank the crew of Azul Diving for their support and for enabling our fieldwork and surveys. Furthermore, we thank Karl J. Wittmann and Peter Wirtz for assistance in species identification. We also thank Paola Parretti and Sonia KM Gueroun for their assistance and company during some of the survey dives. SS was supported through a federal state scholarship by the Kiel University, Germany and is currently funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement no. 774499) for funding the GoJelly project. JM was supported by a post-doctoral research fellowship by Ag?ncia Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investiga??o, Tecnologia e Inova??o, Portugal (ARDITI - M1420-09-5369-FSE- 000001). FG was supported by a post-doctoral research fellowship granted by ARDITI, Portugal in the framework of project RAGES [ARDITI-RAGES-2019-001]. NC was funded by a doctoral grant (SFRH/BD/146881/2019) awarded by Funda??o para a Ci?ncia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal. PR was partially funded by the Project Observat?rio Oce?nico da Madeira- OOM (M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000001), co-financed by the Madeira Regional Operational Programme (Madeira 14?20), under the Portugal 2020 strategy, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). IG was financially supported by a post-doctoral grant in the framework of the 2015 ARDITI Grant Programme Madeira 14?20 (Project M1420-09-5369-FSE-000002). JCC is funded by national funds through FCT ? Funda??o para a Ci?ncia e a Tecnologia, Portugal, I.P. under the Scientific Employment Stimulus - Institutional Call - [CEECINST/00098/2018]. Activities within this study were supported by projects MIMAR, Portugal (MAC/4.6.d/066) and PLASMAR+, Portugal (MAC2/1.1a/347), cofounded by FEDER Programa, Portugal (MAC/4.6.d/066, INTERREG MAC 2014?2020 Programme), and by Observat?rio Oce?nico da Madeira, Portugal (M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000001). Finally, this study also had the support of Funda??o para a Ci?ncia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal, through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2019 granted to MARE UI&I. This is contribution 55 from the Smithsonian's MarineGEO Network. No animal testing was performed during this study. All necessary permits for sampling and observational field studies have been obtained by the authors from the competent authorities. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier B.V.

PY - 2021/1

Y1 - 2021/1

N2 - Seagrass meadows are globally recognized as important coastal habitats due to the various ecological functions and ecosystem services they provide. Substantial global decline of seagrass habitats has been recorded over the last decades, underlining the need for extensive studies, including monitoring and mapping these habitats across their distributional range. Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Ascherson is the only seagrass species reported in the archipelago of Madeira (NE Atlantic) and systematic or reliable information of its occurrence is very scarce and mostly anecdotal. This study reports the discovery of a yearly-persistent patch of C. nodosa in the southeast coast of Madeira and provides insights into key ecological and biological aspects (e.g. density, leaf length, associated fauna and flora). Seasonal monitoring surveys over a 3-year period, indicate that (1) the patch has increased in size and shoot density over the study period, and (2) leaf lengths follow a typical seasonal pattern over the year. Accounts of past destruction of seagrass meadows in the island, underline the importance of continuous monitoring of the patch and adjacent areas to reveal how the current seagrass patch develops (i.e. patch continuity and/or disappearance), if it integrates a larger meadow and whether anthropogenic pressures as coastal development and/or associated terrigenous sediment runoff events will affect its resilience.

AB - Seagrass meadows are globally recognized as important coastal habitats due to the various ecological functions and ecosystem services they provide. Substantial global decline of seagrass habitats has been recorded over the last decades, underlining the need for extensive studies, including monitoring and mapping these habitats across their distributional range. Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Ascherson is the only seagrass species reported in the archipelago of Madeira (NE Atlantic) and systematic or reliable information of its occurrence is very scarce and mostly anecdotal. This study reports the discovery of a yearly-persistent patch of C. nodosa in the southeast coast of Madeira and provides insights into key ecological and biological aspects (e.g. density, leaf length, associated fauna and flora). Seasonal monitoring surveys over a 3-year period, indicate that (1) the patch has increased in size and shoot density over the study period, and (2) leaf lengths follow a typical seasonal pattern over the year. Accounts of past destruction of seagrass meadows in the island, underline the importance of continuous monitoring of the patch and adjacent areas to reveal how the current seagrass patch develops (i.e. patch continuity and/or disappearance), if it integrates a larger meadow and whether anthropogenic pressures as coastal development and/or associated terrigenous sediment runoff events will affect its resilience.

KW - Cymodocea nodosa

KW - Ecosystem services

KW - Habitat type

KW - Madeira Island

KW - Seagrass

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DO - 10.1016/j.rsma.2020.101575

M3 - Article

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SN - 2352-4855

VL - 41

JO - Regional Studies in Marine Science

JF - Regional Studies in Marine Science

M1 - 101575

ER -

Lost and found: A new hope for the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa in the marine ecosystem of a subtropical Atlantic Island

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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