scholarly journals Marine Macrophytes as Carbon Sinks: Comparison Between Seagrasses and the Non-native Alga Halimeda incrassata in the Western Mediterranean (Mallorca)

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukas Marx ◽  
Susana Flecha ◽  
Marlene Wesselmann ◽  
Carlos Morell ◽  
Iris Eline Hendriks
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Nutrient Removal ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Seagrass Species ◽  
Carbon Sinks ◽  
The Mediterranean

Seagrass species play a critical role in the mitigation of climate change by acting as valuable carbon sinks and storage sites. Another important ecosystem service of this coastal vegetation is nutrient removal. However, coastal ecosystems are under increasing pressure of global warming and associated establishment of invasive species. To elucidate the respective contributions of seagrass species Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa and the non-native macroalga Halimeda incrassata as primary producers and nutrient sinks in coastal habitats we conducted in-situ incubations in the North-western Mediterranean Sea. Measured metabolic activity and nutrient removal as well as calcification rates in these habitats over a 24 h period in spring and summer confirmed that the endemic seagrass P. oceanica represents a valuable ecosystem with high O2 production and considerable carbon capture. The documented regression of P. oceanica meadows with higher temperatures and decline in autotrophy as measured here causes concern for the continuity of ecosystem services rendered by this habitat throughout the Mediterranean Sea with progressing climate warming. In contrast, the enhanced performance of C. nodosa and the calcifying alga H. incrassata with increasing temperatures, under expected rates of future warming is uncertain to mitigate loss of productivity in case of a potential shift in marine vegetation. This could ultimately lead to a decline in ecosystem services, decreased carbon storage and mitigation of climate change. Furthermore, this study provides a first estimate for the growth rate of H. incrassata in the Mediterranean Sea, supporting evidence for the mechanism of its rapid extension.

scholarly journals First record of Solea (Microchirus) boscanion (Osteichthyes: Soleidae) in the Mediterranean Sea, with data on other sympatric soleid species

2002 ◽  
Vol 82 (5) ◽  
pp. 907-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enric Massutí ◽  
J.A. Reina-Hervás ◽  
Domingo Lloris ◽  
L. Gil de Sola
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
First Record ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Mediterranean

The capture of five specimens of Solea (Microchirus) boscanion (Osteichthyes: Soleidae), a species previously unrecorded in the Mediterranean, is reported from the Iberian coast (western Mediterranean). The main morphometric and meristic measurements of this species with data of the other sympatric, and morphologically very similar, soleids Microchirus variegatus and Buglossidium luteum are also given. The record is discussed in relation to climate change and competition between species.

scholarly journals Projected Rapid Habitat Expansion of Tropical Seagrass Species in the Mediterranean Sea as Climate Change Progresses

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Beca-Carretero ◽  
Mirta Teichberg ◽  
Gidon Winters ◽  
Gabriele Procaccini ◽  
Hauke Reuter
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Seagrass Species ◽  
The Mediterranean

Long term changes in the deep sea: examples from two Mediterranean Channels

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrin Schroeder ◽  
Sana Ben Ismail ◽  
Jacopo Chiggiato ◽  
Mireno Borghini ◽  
Stefania Sparnocchia
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Marginal Sea ◽  
The Mediterranean

<p>Climate change is one of the key topics of our century. The study of processes related to climate change in the atmosphere, the open ocean, the deep sea or even in shallow coastal waters require sustained long-term observations, often deploying sophisticated and expensive equipment. According to the Deep-Ocean Observing Strategy (DOOS, http://deepoceanobserving.org/), the deep ocean (below 200 m water depth) is the least observed, but largest habitat on our planet by volume and area. With more than 90% of anthropogenic heat imbalance absorbed by the oceans, monitoring long-term changes of its heat content, and over its full depth, is essential to quantify the planetary heat budget.</p><p>The Mediterranean Sea is a mid-latitude marginal sea, particularly responsive to climate change as reported by recent studies. Straits and channels divide it into several sub-basins and the continuous monitoring of these choke points allows to intercept different water masses, and thus to document how they changed over time. This monitoring, in many cases, is done under the umbrella of the CIESM Hydrochanges program (http://www.ciesm.org/marine/programs/hydrochanges.htm). Here we report the long-term time series of physical data collected in two of these choke points: the Sardinia Channel (1900 m) and the Sicily Channel (400 m).</p><p>The Sardinia Channel allows the Western Mediterranean Deep Water (WMDW) to enter the Tyrrhenian Sea (depths > 3000 m), connecting it with the Algerian Sea (depths > 2500 m). This water mass has experienced a significant increase of heat and salt content over the past decades, due both to a gradual process and to and abrupt event, called Western Mediterranean Transition (WMT). The monitoring at the sill (1900 m) of the Sardinia Channel since 2003 shows this very clearly, and the interannual trends are significantly stronger than the global average trends.</p><p>The Sicily Channel (sill at 400 m) separates the Mediterranean in two main basins, the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Western Mediterranean Sea. Here the thermohaline properties of the Intermediate Water (IW) are monitored since 1993, showing increasing temperature and salinity trends at least one order of magnitude stronger than those observed at intermediate depths in the global ocean.</p><p>We investigate the causes of the observed trends and in particular discuss the role of a changing climate over the Mediterranean, especially in the eastern basin, where the IW is formed. The long-term records in two Mediterranean channels reveal how fast the response to climate change can be in a marginal sea compared to the global ocean, and demonstrates the essential role of long time series in the ocean.</p>

scholarly journals The climate change signal in the Mediterranean Sea in a regionally coupled ocean-atmosphere model

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Parras-Berrocal ◽  
Ruben Vazquez ◽  
William Cabos ◽  
Dmitry Sein ◽  
Rafael Mañanes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Climate Change Signal ◽  
Good Representation ◽  
Ocean Layer ◽  
High Horizontal Resolution ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. We assess the role of ocean feedbacks in the simulation of the present climate and on the downscaled climate change signal in the Mediterranean Sea with the regionally coupled model REMO-OASIS-MPIOM (ROM). The ROM oceanic component is global with regionally high horizontal resolution in the Mediterranean Sea. In our setup the Atlantic and Black Sea circulations are simulated explicitly. Simulations forced by ERA-Interim show a good representation of the present Mediterranean climate. Our analysis of the RCP8.5 scenario driven by MPI-ESM shows that the Mediterranean waters will be warmer and saltier across most of the basin by the end of the century. In the upper ocean layer temperature is projected to have a mean increase of 2.73 °C, while the mean salinity increases by 0.17 psu, presenting a decreasing trend in the Western Mediterranean, opposite to the rest of the basin. The warming initially takes place at the surface and propagates gradually to the deeper layers.

scholarly journals The climate change signal in the Mediterranean Sea in a regionally coupled atmosphere–ocean model

Ocean Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 743-765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan M. Parras-Berrocal ◽  
Ruben Vazquez ◽  
William Cabos ◽  
Dmitry Sein ◽  
Rafael Mañanes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Thermohaline Circulation ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Climate Change Signal ◽  
Intermediate Water ◽  
Max Planck ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. We analyze the climate change signal in the Mediterranean Sea using the regionally coupled model REMO–OASIS–MPIOM (ROM; abbreviated from the regional atmosphere model, the OASIS3 coupler and the Max Planck Institute Ocean Model). The ROM oceanic component is global with regionally high horizontal resolution in the Mediterranean Sea so that the water exchanges with the adjacent North Atlantic and Black Sea are explicitly simulated. Simulations forced by ERA-Interim show an accurate representation of the present Mediterranean climate. Our analysis of the RCP8.5 (representative concentration pathway) scenario using the Max Planck Institute Earth System Model shows that the Mediterranean waters will be warmer and saltier throughout most of the basin by the end of this century. In the upper ocean layer, temperature is projected to have a mean increase of 2.7 ∘C, while the mean salinity will increase by 0.2 psu, presenting a decreasing trend in the western Mediterranean in contrast to the rest of the basin. The warming initially takes place at the surface and propagates gradually to deeper layers. Hydrographic changes have an impact on intermediate water characteristics, potentially affecting the Mediterranean thermohaline circulation in the future.

scholarly journals Impact of air–sea coupling on the climate change signal over the Iberian Peninsula

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alba de la Vara ◽  
William Cabos ◽  
Dmitry V. Sein ◽  
Claas Teichmann ◽  
Daniela Jacob
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Regional Distribution ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Climate Change Signal ◽  
The North ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn this work we use a regional atmosphere–ocean coupled model (RAOCM) and its stand-alone atmospheric component to gain insight into the impact of atmosphere–ocean coupling on the climate change signal over the Iberian Peninsula (IP). The IP climate is influenced by both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean sea. Complex interactions with the orography take place there and high-resolution models are required to realistically reproduce its current and future climate. We find that under the RCP8.5 scenario, the generalized 2-m air temperature (T2M) increase by the end of the twenty-first century (2070–2099) in the atmospheric-only simulation is tempered by the coupling. The impact of coupling is specially seen in summer, when the warming is stronger. Precipitation shows regionally-dependent changes in winter, whilst a drier climate is found in summer. The coupling generally reduces the magnitude of the changes. Differences in T2M and precipitation between the coupled and uncoupled simulations are caused by changes in the Atlantic large-scale circulation and in the Mediterranean Sea. Additionally, the differences in projected changes of T2M and precipitation with the RAOCM under the RCP8.5 and RCP4.5 scenarios are tackled. Results show that in winter and summer T2M increases less and precipitation changes are of a smaller magnitude with the RCP4.5. Whilst in summer changes present a similar regional distribution in both runs, in winter there are some differences in the NW of the IP due to differences in the North Atlantic circulation. The differences in the climate change signal from the RAOCM and the driving Global Coupled Model show that regionalization has an effect in terms of higher resolution over the land and ocean.

First record of Sphoeroides spengleri (Osteichthyes: Tetraodontidae) in the Mediterranean Sea

2004 ◽  
Vol 84 (5) ◽  
pp. 1089-1090 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.A. Reina-Hervás ◽  
J.E. García Raso ◽  
M.E. Manjón-Cabeza
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
First Record ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Alboran Sea ◽  
Total Length ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Alborán Sea

The capture of a specimen of Sphoeroides spengleri (Osteichthyes: Tetraodontidae), 17 December 2000 and 29·7 mm total length, from the Málaga coast (Alborán Sea, western Mediterranean) represents the first record of a new alien species for Mediterranean waters.

scholarly journals Further spreading of the non-indigenous bryozoan Celleporaria brunnea in the Mediterranean Sea: port to port morphological variations

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmine Ferrario ◽  
Agnese Marchini ◽  
Martina Marić ◽  
Dan Minchin ◽  
Anna Occhipinti-Ambrogi
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Large Variability ◽  
Morphometric Characters ◽  
Morphological Variations ◽  
The North ◽  
Western Mediterranean Sea ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Mediterranean

The Pacific cheilostome bryozoan Celleporaria brunnea (Hincks, 1884), a non-indigenous species already known for the Mediterranean Sea, was recorded in 2013-2014 from nine Italian port localities (Genoa, Santa Margherita Ligure, La Spezia, Leghorn, Viareggio, Olbia, Porto Rotondo, Porto Torres and Castelsardo) in the North-western Mediterranean Sea; in 2014 it was also found for the first time in the Adriatic Sea, in the marina “Kornati”, Biograd na Moru (Croatia). In Italy, specimens of C. brunnea were found in 44 out of 105 samples (48% from harbour sites ad 52% from marinas). These data confirm and update the distribution of C. brunnea in the Mediterranean Sea, and provide evidence that recreational boating is a vector responsible for the successful spread of this species. Previous literature data have shown the existence of differences in orifice and interzooidal avicularia length and width among different localities of the invaded range of C. brunnea. Therefore, measurements of orifice and avicularia were assessed for respectively 30 zooids and 8 to 30 interzooidal avicularia for both Italian and Croatian localities, and compared with literature data, in order to verify the existence of differences in the populations of C. brunnea that could reflect the geographic pattern of its invasion range. Our data show high variability of orifice measures among and within localities: zooids with broader than long orifice coexisted with others displaying longer than broad orifice, or similar values for both length and width. The morphological variation of C. brunnea in these localities, and above all the large variability of samples within single localities or even within colonies poses questions on the reliability of such morphometric characters for inter and intraspecific evaluations.

scholarly journals Mediterranean Sea climatic indices: monitoring long term variability and climate changes

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athanasia Iona ◽  
Athanasios Theodorou ◽  
Sarantis Sofianos ◽  
Sylvain Watelet ◽  
Charles Troupin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Time Series ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Salt Content ◽  
Climatic Indices ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. We present a new product composed of a set of thermohaline climatic indices from 1950 to 2015 for the Mediterranean Sea such as decadal temperature and salinity anomalies, their mean values over selected depths, decadal ocean heat and salt content anomalies at selected depth layers as well as their long times series. It is produced from a new high-resolution climatology of temperature and salinity on a 1/8° regular grid based on historical high quality in situ observations. Ocean heat and salt content differences between 1980–2015 and 1950–1979 are compared for evaluation of the climate shift in the Mediterranean Sea. The spatial patterns of heat and salt content shifts demonstrate in greater detail than ever before that the climate changes differently in the several regions of the basin. Long time series of heat and salt content for the period 1950 to 2015 are also provided which indicate that in the Mediterranean Sea there is a net mean volume warming and salting since 1950 with acceleration during the last two decades. The time series also show that the ocean heat content seems to fluctuate on a cycle of about 40 years and seems to follow the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation climate cycle indicating that the natural large scale atmospheric variability could be superimposed on to the warming trend. This product is an observations-based estimation of the Mediterranean climatic indices. It relies solely on spatially interpolated data produced from in-situ observations averaged over decades in order to smooth the decadal variability and reveal the long term trends with more accuracy. It can provide a valuable contribution to the modellers' community, next to the satellite-based products and serve as a baseline for the evaluation of climate-change model simulations contributing thus to a better understanding of the complex response of the Mediterranean Sea to the ongoing global climate change. The product is available here: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1210100.

scholarly journals First record of the sipunculan worm Phascolion (Phascolion) caupo Hendrix, 1975 in the Mediterranean Sea

2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 89 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.M. FERRERO-VICENTE ◽  
A. LOYA-FERNANDEZ ◽  
C. MARCO-MENDEZ ◽  
E. MARTINEZ-GARCIA ◽  
J.I. SAIZ-SALINAS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
First Record ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
High Load ◽  
San Pedro ◽  
Soft Bottoms ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
First Time

Specimens of the sipunculan worm Phascolion (Phascolion) caupo Hendrix, 1975 have been collected for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, thus increasing the number of known sipunculan species of up to 36 in this area. They were encountered on soft bottoms from the coast of San Pedro del Pinatar (Western Mediterranean). Thirty specimens were collected at a depth ranging from 32.6 to 37.2 m, mainly in sandy substrata with high load of silt and clays. 80% of the individuals were found inhabiting empty shells of gastropods or empty tubes of serpulid polychaetes.

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