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- Less is more: seagrass restoration success using less vegetation per areaPublication . Mourato, Carolina; Padrão, Nuno; Serrao, Ester A.; Paulo, DiogoSeagrass restoration in open coast environments presents unique challenges. Traditional sod transplant designs, though relatively successful in these environments, are impractical for large-scale restoration due to high biomass requirements. Here, we develop the checkers design, which aims to optimise the usage of biomass by transplanting fewer sods in a checkerboard pattern. We established six plots (9 m2 each) for each species (Zostera marina and Zostera noltei), with 25 sods in each plot. The area, percent cover, density, and leaf length were measured at 1, 6, and 12 months. The plots located on the seaward end of the transplant design vanished over the winter, suggesting location-dependent survival influenced by winter storms. Nevertheless, both species exhibited increased percentages of cover, density, and vegetated area after one year, with variations between species. Z. noltei showed a slower expansion but greater resilience to winter, while Z. marina displayed a higher density and cover over the first 6 months but experienced area loss during the winter. Despite these differences, both species survived and increased vegetated areas after one year, indicating the viability and promise of the checkers method for large-scale restoration. However, careful consideration of location or storm-mitigating measures is essential for the successful implementation of this method.
- Restoration of animal forests: a novel transplantion method for coastal octocorals in the NE AtlanticPublication . Padrão, Nuno; Vieira Mourato, Carolina; Maria Rakka; Serrao, Ester A.; Paulo, DiogoOctocorals are among the main habitat‐engineering species, generating complex three‐dimensional ecosystems of unquestioned importance. Despite their importance, octocoral habitats have dramatically declined in the last decades due to several stressors. Consequently, octocoral gardens are internationally recognized as Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems. In the last decade, several octocoral restoration methodologies were the object of study, yet long‐term success was sparsely achieved or lacked assessment. To reverse the actual scenario, it is important to develop cost‐efficient methodologies to recover impacted, endangered octocoral habitats. In this 4‐year study, we developed and tested the Direct Substrate Attachment (DSA) method. This novel octocoral transplant method was trialed with two size classes of the species Paramuricea grayi and extended with a third class (20–40 cm) using Leptogorgia sarmentosa . With a recorded 95% attachment success, yearly annual positive growth, and a survival of 75% after 4 years, we prove the suitability of the DSA methodology in habitat restoration. Moreover, transplant size did not influence success; all transplants had verifiable holdfast and growth rates of up to 8.34 ± 1.7 cm. Seasonal growth and health status were monitored and compared to further assess the success of the transplant. The transplant performed with the DSA method is to date the first successful octocoral transplant in the Atlantic temperate seas with proven long‐term success. The results achieved are especially important in a moment where ecological degradation and mitigation efforts are a hot topic among decision‐makers. Using the DSA methodology, octocoral transplantation is possible and should be considered in conservation and restoration efforts.
- Withstanding the heat: resilience of free-living coralline algae to marine heatwavesPublication . Nannini, Matteo; Cerpelloni, Martina; Gaspar, Tainá L.; Peña, Viviana; Tuya, Fernando; Peñas, Julio; Rio, Jesús del; Vieira Mourato, Carolina; Silva, João; Santos, Rui; Ragazzola, Federica; Olivé, Irene; Schubert, NadineMarine heatwaves (MHWs) can severely impact benthic ecosystems, driving major ecological shifts. As they become longer, more frequent, and intense, MHWs are emerging as a dominant threat to marine biodiversity. Yet, their potential effects on coralline algal beds (CABs, including rhodolith beds), habitats of critical ecological importance, remain largely unknown. This study investigated the physiological responses of three rhodolith species (Lithothamnion cf. valens, Lithothamnion sp., Lithophyllum incrustans), which dominate the community of a Mediterranean CAB, to an experimentally simulated ecologically relevant scenario of two consecutive summer MHWs. Species responses in key physiological processes, photosynthesis, respiration, and calcification, were assessed before, during, and after the heatwave events. Overall, temperature increases had minor effects on photosynthesis and respiration, while calcification responses to MHWs were more pronounced and speciesspecific. Significant declines were observed in light calcification of L. incrustans during the first MHW, and in dark calcification of all three species, with L. incrustans and L. cf. valens responding during the first and second MHWs, respectively. Lithothamnion sp. exhibited some minor effects on light calcification and a significant shift toward carbonate dissolution in darkness during the first MHW, which reversed over time. Despite these effects, all species fully recovered by the end of the experiment, and the stronger impact of the first MHW suggests a potential priming effect that may enhance tolerance to subsequent heat events. These findings demonstrate rhodoliths’ overall capacity to withstand MHWs, while highlighting the role of species-specific responses in shaping the net carbonate balance of CABs under future climate scenarios.