Browsing by Author "Marcos, Concepcion"
Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Assessing, quantifying and valuing the ecosystem services of coastal lagoonsPublication . Newton, Alice; Brito, Ana C.; Icely, John; Derolez, Valerie; Clara, Ines; Angus, Stewart; Schernewski, Gerald; Inacio, Miguel; Lillebo, Ana I.; Sousa, Ana I.; Bejaoui, Bechir; Solidoro, Cosimo; Tosic, Marko; Canedo-Arguelles, Miguel; Yamamuro, Masumi; Reizopoulou, Sofia; Tseng, Hsiao-Chun; Canu, Donata; Roselli, Leonilde; Maanan, Mohamed; Cristina, Sónia; Carolina Ruiz-Fernandez, Ana; de Lima, Ricardo F.; Kjerfve, Bjorn; Rubio-Cisneros, Nadia; Perez-Ruzafa, Angel; Marcos, Concepcion; Pastres, Roberto; Pranovi, Fabio; Snoussi, Maria; Turpie, Jane; Tuchkovenko, Yurii; Dyack, Brenda; Brookes, Justin; Povilanskas, Ramunas; Khokhlov, ValeriyThe natural conservation of coastal lagoons is important not only for their ecological importance, but also because of the valuable ecosystem services they provide for human welfare and wellbeing. Coastal lagoons are shallow semi-enclosed systems that support important habitats such as wetlands, mangroves, salt-marshes and seagrass meadows, as well as a rich biodiversity. Coastal lagoons are also complex social-ecological systems with ecosystem services that provide livelihoods, wellbeing and welfare to humans. This study assessed, quantified and valued the ecosystem services of 32 coastal lagoons. The main findings of the study are: (i) the definitions of ecosystem services are still not generally accepted; (ii) the quantification of ecosystem services is made in many different ways, using different units; (iii) the evaluation in monetary terms of some ecosystem service is problematic, often relying on non-monetary evaluation methods; (iv) when ecosystem services are valued in monetary terms, this may represent very different human benefits; and, (v) different aspects of climate change, including increasing temperature, sea-level rise and changes in rainfall patterns threaten the valuable ecosystem services of coastal lagoons.
- Genetic diversity and connectivity remain high in Holothuria polii (Delle Chiaje 1823) across a coastal lagoon-open sea environmental gradientPublication . Vergara-Chen, Carlos; Gonzalez-Wangueemert, Mercedes; Marcos, Concepcion; Perez-Ruzafa, AngelCoastal lagoons represent habitats with widely heterogeneous environmental conditions, particularly as regards salinity and temperature,which fluctuate in both space and time. These characteristics suggest that physical and ecological factors could contribute to the genetic divergence among populations occurring in coastal lagoon and opencoast environments. This study investigates the genetic structure of Holothuria polii at a micro-geographic scale across theMar Menor coastal lagoon and nearbymarine areas, estimating the mitochondrial DNA variation in two gene fragments, cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and 16S rRNA (16S). Dataset of mitochondrial sequences was also used to test the influence of environmental differences between coastal lagoon andmarine waters on population genetic structure. All sampled locations exhibited high levels of haplotype diversity and low values of nucleotide diversity. Both genes showed contrasting signals of genetic differentiation (non-significant differences using COI and slight differences using 16S, which could due to different mutation rates or to differential number of exclusive haplotypes. We detected an excess of recent mutations and exclusive haplotypes, which can be generated as a result of population growth. However, selective processes can be also acting on the gene markers used; highly significant generalized additive models have been obtained considering genetic data from16S gene and independent variables such as temperature and salinity.
- Phosphoglucose isomerase variability of Cerastoderma glaucum as a model for testing the influence of environmental conditions and dispersal patterns through quantitative ecology approachesPublication . Gonzalez-Wangueemert, Mercedes; Canovas, Fernando; Marcos, Concepcion; Perez-Ruzafa, AngelExtreme conditions of coastal lagoons could directly modify the genetic patterns of species. The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of environmental conditions and small scale dispersal patterns on the phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI*) genetic variability of Cerastoderma glaucum from the Mar Menor coastal lagoon. For this purpose, 284 cockles were collected around the perimeter of the lagoon. Vertical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to scan for PGI* polymorphisms, giving a total of seven alleles. The spatial genetic distribution of the PGI* variability, which seems to be marked by the main circulation in the lagoon, discriminates four hydrological basins. In the central basin, a gradient of allelic composition reflects the circulation forced by the dominant winds and the main channel communicated to the open sea. This result is well supported by the salinity GAM model that defines this gradient. The other three basins are defined by the distribution of fine sand in a more complex model that tries to explain the isolation of the three sites localized inside these basins. The southern, western and northern basins show the lowest degree of interconnection and are considered the most confined areas of the Mar Menor lagoon. This situation agrees with the confinement theory for benthic assemblages in the lagoon. The greater degree of differentiation seen in the Isla del Ciervo population is probably due to recent human intervention on the nearby Marchamalo channel, which has been drained in recent years thus altering the influence of the Mediterranean Sea on the southern basin.
- Small-scale genetic structure of Cerastoderma glaucum in a lagoonal environment: potential significance of habitat discontinuity and unstable population dynamicsPublication . Vergara-Chen, Carlos; Gonzalez-Wangueemert, Mercedes; Marcos, Concepcion; Perez-Ruzafa, AngelEnvironmental heterogeneity in coastal lagoons is expected to facilitate local adaptation in response to different ecological conditions, causing significant genetic structuring within lagoon populations at a small scale and also differentiation between lagoons. However, these patterns and processes of genetic structuring are still poorly understood. The aims of our study were (1) to seek genetic structure at a small scale in Cerastoderma glaucum inside the Mar Menor coastal lagoon using a mitochondrial DNA marker (COI) that has previously detected genetic differentiation inside the lagoon in other species and (2) to evaluate the influence of extreme environmental conditions and habitat discontinuity on its genetic composition. The results indicate high levels of haplotype diversity and low values of nucleotide diversity. COI data provide evidence of significant population differentiation among some localities within the lagoon. Limited gene flow and unstable population dynamics (i.e. fluctuations in population size caused by local extinction and recolonization), probably due to the high environmental heterogeneity, could generate the small-scale genetic divergence detected between populations within the lagoon.
- Vindicating the biological and socioeconomic importance of coastal lagoons and transitional watersPublication . Marcos, Concepcion; Gamito, Sofia; Umgiesser, Georg; Perez-Ruzafa, AngelThe European Congress on Coastal Lagoons celebrates this year 2018 its fifteen years of existence. Its first edition, in November 2003 in Ferrara (Italy), under the slogan “The Influence of River Basin-Coastal Zone Interactions”, opened a series of actions and opportunities that have been consolidated in the biannual celebration of this meeting, the creation of the Euro-Mediterranean Federation on Coastal Lagoons and the reinforce of national networks as Lagunet. In addition, numerous collaborations have been established in projects, publications and ex- changes that, without a doubt, are having impact in a solid and important advance in the study of these transitional ecosystems.