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The interactive effect of herbivory, nutrient enrichment and mucilage on shallow rocky macroalgal communities.
Caronni, Sarah; Calabretti, Chiara; Citterio, Sandra; Delaria, Maria Anna; Gentili, Rodolfo; Macri, Giovanni; Montagnani, Chiara; Navone, Augusto; Panzalis, Pieraugusto; Piazza, Giulia; Ceccherelli, Giulia.
Affiliation
  • Caronni S; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
  • Calabretti C; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
  • Citterio S; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
  • Delaria MA; Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
  • Gentili R; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
  • Macri G; Mac Pro e Gis, Pavia, Italy.
  • Montagnani C; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
  • Navone A; Marine Protected Area of Tavolara Punta Coda Cavallo, Olbia, Italy.
  • Panzalis P; Marine Protected Area of Tavolara Punta Coda Cavallo, Olbia, Italy.
  • Piazza G; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
  • Ceccherelli G; Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
PeerJ ; 7: e6908, 2019.
Article in En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31139504
ABSTRACT
This paper focuses on the interactive short and long-term effect of three different stressors on a macroalgal assemblage. Three stressors are considered herbivory, nutrients and mucilage. The experiment was conducted in Tavolara Punta Coda Cavallo Marine Protected Area (Mediterranean Sea) during a bloom of the benthic mucilage-producing microalga Chrysophaeum taylorii (Pelagophyceae); this microalga is recently spreading in the Mediterranean Sea. On a rocky substratum, 36 plots 20 × 20 cm in size were prepared. Factorial combinations of three experimental treatments were applied in triplicate, including three grazing levels crossed with two nutrient enrichment and two mucilage removal treatments. Significant differences were observed among treatments 8 weeks later, at the end of summer. In particular, dark filamentous algae were more abundant in all enriched plots, especially where mucilage and macroalgae had been removed; a higher percent cover of crustose coralline algae was instead observed where nutrients had been increased and no grazing pressure acted. Furthermore, the abundance of Dictyota spp. and Laurencia spp. was significantly higher in enriched mucilage-free plots where the grazing pressure was null or low. However, the effects of the treatments on the overall assemblage of the macroalgal community were not long persistent (36 weeks later). These results illustrate the capacity of a shallow-water macroalgal community to quickly recover from the simultaneous impacts of herbivory, nutrient enrichment, and mucilage.
Key words

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Language: En Journal: PeerJ Year: 2019 Document type: Article Affiliation country: Italy

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Language: En Journal: PeerJ Year: 2019 Document type: Article Affiliation country: Italy