Review of the indexes to assess the ecological quality of coralligenous reefs: towards a unified approach
There is an urgent need to better understand the stressors, namely heatwaves, changes in thermohaline circulation and mucilage events, that are rapidly re-shaping bioconstructions, such as coralligenous assemblages. This calls for increased monitoring efforts in these invaluable habitats that will i...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1252969/full |
| _version_ | 1797671820072058880 |
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| author | Cristina Gioia Di Camillo Cristina Gioia Di Camillo Massimo Ponti Massimo Ponti Massimo Ponti Massimo Ponti Annalisa Storari Clarissa Scarpa Camilla Roveta Torcuato Pulido Mantas Martina Coppari Carlo Cerrano Carlo Cerrano |
| author_facet | Cristina Gioia Di Camillo Cristina Gioia Di Camillo Massimo Ponti Massimo Ponti Massimo Ponti Massimo Ponti Annalisa Storari Clarissa Scarpa Camilla Roveta Torcuato Pulido Mantas Martina Coppari Carlo Cerrano Carlo Cerrano |
| author_sort | Cristina Gioia Di Camillo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There is an urgent need to better understand the stressors, namely heatwaves, changes in thermohaline circulation and mucilage events, that are rapidly re-shaping bioconstructions, such as coralligenous assemblages. This calls for increased monitoring efforts in these invaluable habitats that will improve our understanding of the resistance and resilience of bioconstructions. Since 2009, 16 indexes have been designed to assess the ecological quality of Mediterranean coralligenous reefs. The main objective of this work is to propose a framework to support the development of a shared, cost-effective, and practical index to assess the status of the coralligenous biocenosis. To achieve this, studies conceiving these 16 indexes were reviewed: comparing their objectives, metrics, and applied methodologies. A standardized nomenclature of anthropogenic pressures is supplied, using, when possible, definitions from the European Habitat Directive, Marine Strategy Framework Directive and Water Framework Directive. Additionally, given the unprecedented climatic conditions, we highlight that a common index should give particular attention to the response of the coralligenous to thermal stress and mucilage. A list of priority anthropogenic pressures/environmental stressors and relative indicators and metrics are suggested. This review stresses the urgency to align the methodologies at basin scale and highlights the pros and cons of the preexisting indexes that must be considered in the design of a new, shared procedure to evaluate the status of coralligenous assemblages. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T21:21:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8ae41e344e68441aba5a2c3c3373f9d5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T21:21:02Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-8ae41e344e68441aba5a2c3c3373f9d52023-09-28T06:04:09ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452023-09-011010.3389/fmars.2023.12529691252969Review of the indexes to assess the ecological quality of coralligenous reefs: towards a unified approachCristina Gioia Di Camillo0Cristina Gioia Di Camillo1Massimo Ponti2Massimo Ponti3Massimo Ponti4Massimo Ponti5Annalisa Storari6Clarissa Scarpa7Camilla Roveta8Torcuato Pulido Mantas9Martina Coppari10Carlo Cerrano11Carlo Cerrano12Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, ItalyConsorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, ItalyConsorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, University of Bologna, Ravenna, ItalyCentro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca per le Scienze Ambientali, University of Bologna, Ravenna, ItalyCentro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca Industriale Fonti Rinnovabili, Ambiente, Mare ed Energia, University of Bologna, Ravenna, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, ItalyConsorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, ItalyThere is an urgent need to better understand the stressors, namely heatwaves, changes in thermohaline circulation and mucilage events, that are rapidly re-shaping bioconstructions, such as coralligenous assemblages. This calls for increased monitoring efforts in these invaluable habitats that will improve our understanding of the resistance and resilience of bioconstructions. Since 2009, 16 indexes have been designed to assess the ecological quality of Mediterranean coralligenous reefs. The main objective of this work is to propose a framework to support the development of a shared, cost-effective, and practical index to assess the status of the coralligenous biocenosis. To achieve this, studies conceiving these 16 indexes were reviewed: comparing their objectives, metrics, and applied methodologies. A standardized nomenclature of anthropogenic pressures is supplied, using, when possible, definitions from the European Habitat Directive, Marine Strategy Framework Directive and Water Framework Directive. Additionally, given the unprecedented climatic conditions, we highlight that a common index should give particular attention to the response of the coralligenous to thermal stress and mucilage. A list of priority anthropogenic pressures/environmental stressors and relative indicators and metrics are suggested. This review stresses the urgency to align the methodologies at basin scale and highlights the pros and cons of the preexisting indexes that must be considered in the design of a new, shared procedure to evaluate the status of coralligenous assemblages.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1252969/fullmesophotictemperate seasbioconstructionsbiogenic reefsenvironmental statusMediterranean |
| spellingShingle | Cristina Gioia Di Camillo Cristina Gioia Di Camillo Massimo Ponti Massimo Ponti Massimo Ponti Massimo Ponti Annalisa Storari Clarissa Scarpa Camilla Roveta Torcuato Pulido Mantas Martina Coppari Carlo Cerrano Carlo Cerrano Review of the indexes to assess the ecological quality of coralligenous reefs: towards a unified approach Frontiers in Marine Science mesophotic temperate seas bioconstructions biogenic reefs environmental status Mediterranean |
| title | Review of the indexes to assess the ecological quality of coralligenous reefs: towards a unified approach |
| title_full | Review of the indexes to assess the ecological quality of coralligenous reefs: towards a unified approach |
| title_fullStr | Review of the indexes to assess the ecological quality of coralligenous reefs: towards a unified approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Review of the indexes to assess the ecological quality of coralligenous reefs: towards a unified approach |
| title_short | Review of the indexes to assess the ecological quality of coralligenous reefs: towards a unified approach |
| title_sort | review of the indexes to assess the ecological quality of coralligenous reefs towards a unified approach |
| topic | mesophotic temperate seas bioconstructions biogenic reefs environmental status Mediterranean |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1252969/full |
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