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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Marine Ecosystem Ecology
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1424638
This article is part of the Research Topic Understanding Interaction Among Diversity, Ecosystem Processes and Ocean & Human Health View all articles

Biomass, production and growth strategies of the eelgrass Zostera marina, a relict cold-loving species: The Venice Lagoon as a study case

Provisionally accepted
Adriano Sfriso Adriano Sfriso 1*Alessandro Buosi Alessandro Buosi 1Yari Tomio Yari Tomio 1Giulia Silan Giulia Silan 1Marion Adelheid Wolf Marion Adelheid Wolf 1Katia Sciuto Katia Sciuto 2Andrea A. Sfriso Andrea A. Sfriso 2
  • 1 Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Venice, Italy
  • 2 University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study investigates the biomass production and growth strategies of the relict seagrass Zostera marina, a species sensitive to high temperatures, within the Venice Lagoon (Italy). Monthly data collected from January to December 2019 and November 2020 to October 2021 in a single station in proximity of one lagoon port-entrance, along with seasonal data from 2018 and 2021 for the whole lagoon, were analyzed in conjunction with environmental parameters and macroalgal presence. The objective was to understand the impact of climate changes, particularly rising water temperatures, on the cover, standing crop and net primary production of Z. marina and the effect of the MoSE gate closures designed to protect Venice from high-water events. Despite expectations of a decline due to temperature increase and reduced water exchange, our findings reveal a notable adaptability of Z. marina, with increases in both cover and biomass. This resilience suggests that Z. marina can counteract environmental challenges, making this study relevant for broader ecological and conservation contexts beyond the Venice Lagoon.

    Keywords: Cover, Environmental Variables, macroalgae, primary production, Standing crop, Zostera marina

    Received: 28 Apr 2024; Accepted: 13 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Sfriso, Buosi, Tomio, Silan, Wolf, Sciuto and Sfriso. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Adriano Sfriso, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Venice, Italy

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.