New Perspectives in Benthic-Pelagic Coupling in Marine and Transitional Coastal Areas

Pelagos and benthos have been classically studied as distinct domains of the marine environment, but they are not independent and cannot be considered as separate units. Contrarily, many physical, chemical and biological processes bind the two domains, particularly in shallow environments and transitional habitats, where benthic-pelagic coupling concur to maintain high rates of primary production and degradation. While primary producers compete for the same resources (light and nutrients), benthic filtrators are well adapted to efficiently filter bacteria, phytoplankton and zooplankton, dissolved organic matter, as well as pollutants from the water column. In fact, many pressures affect the status of such biodiverse environments, like eutrophication, chemical contamination, human-induced mechanical disturbance, increased sedimentation and sediment resuspension. Besides this, marine benthic primary producers (including microphytobenthos) and benthic invertebrates, provide an extensive range of ecosystem services and drive important processes such as nutrient cycling, sediment reworking, bio-irrigation and organic matter decomposition in coastal areas.

The goal of this Research Topic is to highlight recent research focusing on benthic-pelagic coupling in shallow marine and transitional waters. Both matter and energy flow between pelagos and benthos in both directions, involving exchanges of organic matter and nutrients but also energy transfer in food webs and the moving of different life stages of planktonic (including resting stages) and benthic organisms driven by seasonality. So, a deeper knowledge of the life cycles of meroplanktonic as well as merobenthic species represents an obligate prerequisite for the understanding of the ecosystem functioning in shallow areas. With the ultimate goal of sustainable management of marine natural resources, the whole picture of the processes and flows between pelagos and benthos is a key factor to be known in depth.

In this Research Topic, we welcome in-field and laboratory studies focused on particular aspects of the life cycles of pelagic and benthic species that contribute to the exchange of matter and energy between the two domains and maintain high production in coastal environments. With this perspective, manuscripts reporting new methods and approaches are very welcomed, as well as mini-reviews or opinions to shade light also on benthic-pelagic coupling applied to functions and services that marine ecosystems provide to society and economy of coastal areas.