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The collapse of marine forests: drastic reduction in populations of the family Sargassaceae in Madeira Island (NE Atlantic)

2021-09Journal article Open Access
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dc.contributor.authorBernal-Ibáñez, Alejandro
dc.contributor.authorGestoso, Ignacio
dc.contributor.authorWirtz, Peter
dc.contributor.authorKaufmann, Manfred
dc.contributor.authorSerrao, Ester
dc.contributor.authorCanning-Clode, João
dc.contributor.authorCacabelos, Eva
dc.date.accessioned2021-07-13T12:36:51Z
dc.date.available2021-07-13T12:36:51Z
dc.date.issued2021-09
dc.description.abstractSpecies of the genera Cystoseira, Ericaria, Gongolaria, and Sargassum (family Sargassaceae) are key components of the Mediterranean-Atlantic marine forests, essential for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Populations of these foundational species are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts, likely to be intensified under future scenarios of climate change. The decline and even disappearance of these species have been reported in different areas of the world. At Madeira Island (NE Atlantic), populations of Gongolaria abies-marina, Ericaria selaginoides, Sargassum vulgare, and Sargassum filipendula, the most ecologically relevant species in Macaronesian marine forests, have been suffering a drastic decline during the last decades, especially on the southern coast of the island, where anthropogenic pressure is higher than on the north coast. The lack of sufficient temporal coverage on qualitative and quantitative studies of Sargassaceae communities in Madeira poses a challenge to establish a specific period for this decline. Consulting qualitative studies and historical records, we have set for the first time a timeline that shows an evident decrease in Sargassaceae populations in the last 20 years on Madeira Island. Following this timeline, we pinpoint the start of this decline in the first decade of the 2000s. This can be particularly confirmed for places like Funchal and Reis Magos, with significantly higher historical records. Currently, most benthic communities on shallow subtidal rocky reefs along the south coast are dominated by sea urchins and crustose coralline algae, the so-called sea urchin barrens. However, in some cases, they are entirely covered by a layer of sediment. We discuss the possible factors contributing to these drastic changes, bringing Madeira’s marine forests to a dramatic decline. As many animal species rely on marine forests, the decline of Sargassaceae populations represents an invaluable ecological loss for the coastal ecosystem of the island.pt_PT
dc.description.sponsorshipM1420-09-5369-FSE-000002, CEECINST/00098/2018, MAC2/1.1a/347, MAC2/4.6d/249, UIDB/04292/2020pt_PT
dc.description.versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionpt_PT
dc.identifier.doi10.1007/s10113-021-01801-2pt_PT
dc.identifier.eissn1436-378X
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/16772
dc.language.isoengpt_PT
dc.peerreviewedyespt_PT
dc.publisherSpringerpt_PT
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/pt_PT
dc.subjectMarine forestspt_PT
dc.subjectAnthropogenic pressurespt_PT
dc.subjectCystoseirapt_PT
dc.subjectEricariapt_PT
dc.subjectGongolariapt_PT
dc.subjectSargassumpt_PT
dc.subjectMadeirapt_PT
dc.subjectMacaronesiapt_PT
dc.titleThe collapse of marine forests: drastic reduction in populations of the family Sargassaceae in Madeira Island (NE Atlantic)pt_PT
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.issue3pt_PT
oaire.citation.titleRegional Environmental Changept_PT
oaire.citation.volume21pt_PT
person.familyNameWirtz
person.familyNameSerrao
person.givenNamePeter
person.givenNameEster A.
person.identifierC-6686-2012
person.identifier.ciencia-id5B13-B26E-B1EC
person.identifier.orcid0000-0003-3920-6228
person.identifier.orcid0000-0003-1316-658X
person.identifier.scopus-author-id7004093604
rcaap.rightsopenAccesspt_PT
rcaap.typearticlept_PT
relation.isAuthorOfPublicationf17e3dea-12ea-4de1-bc7f-85a214044d92
relation.isAuthorOfPublication45ccfe90-155c-4d6f-9e86-8f0fd064005f
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery45ccfe90-155c-4d6f-9e86-8f0fd064005f

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