The Role of <i>Cymodocea nodosa</i> and <i>Caulerpa prolifera</i> Meadows as Nitrogen Sinks in Temperate Coastal Lagoons
In coastal lagoons, marine benthic macrophyte meadows can be an important element in the resistance to eutrophication of the ecosystem, as they can function as temporary nitrogen sinks, limiting the availability of this nutrient for opportunistic organisms. The role of nitrogen sinks for two dominan...
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/2/172 |
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| author | Jaime Bernardeau-Esteller José Miguel Sandoval-Gil María Dolores Belando Aranzazu Ramos-Segura Rocío García-Muñoz Lazaro Marín-Guirao Juan Manuel Ruiz |
| author_facet | Jaime Bernardeau-Esteller José Miguel Sandoval-Gil María Dolores Belando Aranzazu Ramos-Segura Rocío García-Muñoz Lazaro Marín-Guirao Juan Manuel Ruiz |
| author_sort | Jaime Bernardeau-Esteller |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In coastal lagoons, marine benthic macrophyte meadows can be an important element in the resistance to eutrophication of the ecosystem, as they can function as temporary nitrogen sinks, limiting the availability of this nutrient for opportunistic organisms. The role of nitrogen sinks for two dominant macrophyte species of Mediterranean coastal lagoons, the seagrass <i>Cymodocea nodosa</i> and the seaweed <i>Caulerpa prolifera</i>, was analysed by two different approaches: (i) studying nitrate (NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup>) and ammonium (NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>) uptake kinetics of aboveground tissues in a laboratory and (ii) estimating nitrogen stocks and demands of meadows under natural conditions. The studies were carried out in the coastal lagoon of the Mar Menor, which has been subjected to high anthropogenic nitrogen inputs for decades. While both macrophytes were efficient in exploiting NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> from the water column, only <i>C. prolifera</i> showed a high NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> uptake capacity. Large N pools in the <i>C. nodosa</i> and <i>C. prolifera</i> meadows of the Mar Menor were detected, suggesting that these habitats may have the potential to be essential reservoirs for this nutrient. However, the major role of belowground tissues of the seagrasses in nitrogen accumulation may determine important differences between the two species in temporary N storage and sequestration. The data on N demands for the meadows of both macrophytes in the Mar Menor suggest an important contribution of these habitats in controlling the inputs of this nutrient into the lagoon. We conclude that <i>C. nodosa</i> and <i>C. prolifera</i> meadows can play a key role as a sink for dissolved inorganic nitrogen in temperate coastal lagoons, being an important mechanism of resistance to eutrophication. |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:57:25Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-e2a249bf300e4953be7b0cc70b52330b2023-11-16T20:04:07ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182023-01-0115217210.3390/d15020172The Role of <i>Cymodocea nodosa</i> and <i>Caulerpa prolifera</i> Meadows as Nitrogen Sinks in Temperate Coastal LagoonsJaime Bernardeau-Esteller0José Miguel Sandoval-Gil1María Dolores Belando2Aranzazu Ramos-Segura3Rocío García-Muñoz4Lazaro Marín-Guirao5Juan Manuel Ruiz6Seagrass Ecology Group, Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, IEO-CSIC, 30740 Murcia, SpainMarine Botany Lab, Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas (IIO), Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC), Ensenada 22870, MexicoSeagrass Ecology Group, Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, IEO-CSIC, 30740 Murcia, SpainSeagrass Ecology Group, Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, IEO-CSIC, 30740 Murcia, SpainSeagrass Ecology Group, Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, IEO-CSIC, 30740 Murcia, SpainSeagrass Ecology Group, Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, IEO-CSIC, 30740 Murcia, SpainSeagrass Ecology Group, Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, IEO-CSIC, 30740 Murcia, SpainIn coastal lagoons, marine benthic macrophyte meadows can be an important element in the resistance to eutrophication of the ecosystem, as they can function as temporary nitrogen sinks, limiting the availability of this nutrient for opportunistic organisms. The role of nitrogen sinks for two dominant macrophyte species of Mediterranean coastal lagoons, the seagrass <i>Cymodocea nodosa</i> and the seaweed <i>Caulerpa prolifera</i>, was analysed by two different approaches: (i) studying nitrate (NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup>) and ammonium (NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>) uptake kinetics of aboveground tissues in a laboratory and (ii) estimating nitrogen stocks and demands of meadows under natural conditions. The studies were carried out in the coastal lagoon of the Mar Menor, which has been subjected to high anthropogenic nitrogen inputs for decades. While both macrophytes were efficient in exploiting NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> from the water column, only <i>C. prolifera</i> showed a high NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> uptake capacity. Large N pools in the <i>C. nodosa</i> and <i>C. prolifera</i> meadows of the Mar Menor were detected, suggesting that these habitats may have the potential to be essential reservoirs for this nutrient. However, the major role of belowground tissues of the seagrasses in nitrogen accumulation may determine important differences between the two species in temporary N storage and sequestration. The data on N demands for the meadows of both macrophytes in the Mar Menor suggest an important contribution of these habitats in controlling the inputs of this nutrient into the lagoon. We conclude that <i>C. nodosa</i> and <i>C. prolifera</i> meadows can play a key role as a sink for dissolved inorganic nitrogen in temperate coastal lagoons, being an important mechanism of resistance to eutrophication.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/2/172benthic macrophytesseagrassmacroalgaecoastal filterseutrophicationdissolved inorganic nitrogen |
| spellingShingle | Jaime Bernardeau-Esteller José Miguel Sandoval-Gil María Dolores Belando Aranzazu Ramos-Segura Rocío García-Muñoz Lazaro Marín-Guirao Juan Manuel Ruiz The Role of <i>Cymodocea nodosa</i> and <i>Caulerpa prolifera</i> Meadows as Nitrogen Sinks in Temperate Coastal Lagoons Diversity benthic macrophytes seagrass macroalgae coastal filters eutrophication dissolved inorganic nitrogen |
| title | The Role of <i>Cymodocea nodosa</i> and <i>Caulerpa prolifera</i> Meadows as Nitrogen Sinks in Temperate Coastal Lagoons |
| title_full | The Role of <i>Cymodocea nodosa</i> and <i>Caulerpa prolifera</i> Meadows as Nitrogen Sinks in Temperate Coastal Lagoons |
| title_fullStr | The Role of <i>Cymodocea nodosa</i> and <i>Caulerpa prolifera</i> Meadows as Nitrogen Sinks in Temperate Coastal Lagoons |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Role of <i>Cymodocea nodosa</i> and <i>Caulerpa prolifera</i> Meadows as Nitrogen Sinks in Temperate Coastal Lagoons |
| title_short | The Role of <i>Cymodocea nodosa</i> and <i>Caulerpa prolifera</i> Meadows as Nitrogen Sinks in Temperate Coastal Lagoons |
| title_sort | role of i cymodocea nodosa i and i caulerpa prolifera i meadows as nitrogen sinks in temperate coastal lagoons |
| topic | benthic macrophytes seagrass macroalgae coastal filters eutrophication dissolved inorganic nitrogen |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/2/172 |
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