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Abstract Foz do Almargem and Salgados are two small, intermittently closed and open lakes and lagoons (ICOLLs) located in the Portuguese southern coast, both remaining isolated from the sea throughout great part of the year. Based on environmental and biotic parameters, the first lagoon was classified as mesotrophic, with a greater marine influence, while the second one was classified as hypereutrophic. The plankton relations and seasonal variation were examined in both lagoons aiming at understanding the biological patterns here present and relating them with the environmental conditions, as well as inferring possible top-down or bottom-up control in the communities, determining also in which alternative trophic state they are: a clean water lagoon, with submerged macrophyte vegetation; or a turbid water lagoon, with only phytoplankton as primary producer. The plankton community greatly differs in the two lagoons. Salgados lagoon presented extremely high concentrations of phytoplankton, which form blooms throughout the year, mostly composed by potential harmful organisms. This lagoon also had very high densities of zooplankton. Phytoplankton and zooplankton density was always lower in Foz do Almargem. Rotifera, Ostracoda and Cladocera dominated the Zooplankton community in Salgados. In Foz do Almargem, Rotifera also dominates, together with other groups, such as annelids, crustaceans and mollusks larvae, which denotes a stronger marine influence. In both lagoons, organisms with body size inferior to 100 μm mainly composed the zooplankton. In Salgados lagoon, excess nutrient load induced a high density of phytoplankton, which is utilized by a high density of zooplankton, following a bottom-up control model. The lagoon clearly showed a permanent turbid-water alternative state due to excess nutrients. On Foz do Almargem, the frequent openings of the inlet throughout the wet season caused strong physical disturbance, which prevented the development of a stable planktonic community. Highlights • Foz do Almargem and Salgados are two ICOLLs that remain isolated from the sea part of the year. • The first lagoon is mesotrophic, while the other is hypereutrophic. • Salgados is in a permanent turbid state, with characteristics of bottom-up control. • In Almargem, the frequent openings of the inlet cause strong physical disturbance. • These disturbances prevent the development of a stable planktonic community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of biological communities is structured at multiple spatiotemporal scales. The identification of trends and patterns in highly variable coastal ecosystems contributes to explaining the relative importance of the different scales. Herein, a temporally nested hierarchical analysis was applied to a fish community in order to determine the temporal variation in three time scales (month, season, and year) for four community attributes (species richness, abundance, biomass, and taxonomic distinctness) and two facets of species assemblages (species composition and abundance, and species composition and biomass). The analysis relied on data from four similar sets of samples belonging to a multidecadal series of Terminos Lagoon (1980, 1998, 2010, and 2016). In accordance with the hydrographic variability over time, the results revealed recurrent configurations of fish community characteristics, where the year (long term) and season (intermediate term) scales determined distribution trends and species composition patterns. In particular, trends emerged for the community attributes in the long term, whereas in the intermediate term, fluctuations were mostly recorded, which had higher values during the rainy and cold fronts seasons. Distribution patterns in both facets of species assemblages were consistent in the long and intermediate term, with the first one corresponding to an associated group of species for each year and the second one corresponding to a variable interaction with transparency and salinity according to the weather season. The present study highlights the fish adaptive response, which contributes to the ecological processes driving their temporal variability in Terminos Lagoon and is associated with hydrographic variability and estuarine condition shifts. • Ichthyofaunal and environmental data were examined from four time periods (1980, 1998, 2010, and 2016). • The fish community (attributes and species composition) varied as a function of three time scales (month, season, and year). • A higher temporal variability in community characteristics was identified at the year scale, followed by the season scale. • At the year scale, the hydrographic heterogeneity influences the temporal variability in community characteristics. • At the season scale, salinity and transparency induce distribution trends in the abundance and biomass of species composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benthic macroinvertebrate communities and environmental conditions were studied in two intermittently closed and open coastal lakes and lagoons (ICOLLs), located in southern Algarve (Foz do Almargem e Salgados), with the purpose of evaluating the effects of organic pollution, originated mainly from wastewater discharges, and the physical stress caused by the irregular opening of the lagoons. Most of the year, lagoons were isolated from the sea, receiving the freshwater inputs from small rivers and in Salgados, also from the effluents of a wastewater plant. According to environmental and biotic conditions, Foz do Almargem presented a greater marine influence and a lower trophic state (mesotrophic) than Salgados (hypereutrophic). Benthic macroinvertebrate communities in the lagoons were distinct, just as their relations with environmental parameters. Mollusca were the most abundant macroinvertebrates in Foz do Almargem, while Insecta, Oligochaeta and Crustacea were more relevant in Salgados. Corophium multisetosum occurred exclusively in Salgados stations and, just as Chironomus sp., other Insecta and Oligochaeta, densities were positively related to total phosphorus, clay content and chlorophyll a concentration in the sediment, chlorophyll a concentration in water and with total dissolved inorganic nitrogen. Abra segmentum, Cerastoderma glaucum, Peringia ulvae and Ecrobia ventrosa occurred only in Foz do Almargem, with lower values of the above mentioned parameters. Both lagoons were dominated by deposit feeders and taxa tolerant to environmental stress, although in Salgados there was a greater occurrence of opportunistic taxa associated to pronounced unbalanced situations, due to excess organic matter enrichment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine if estuarine meiofaunal communities of Uruguay (South America) vary between permanently open estuaries and open/closed coastal lagoons, or if they respond to the sediment composition. In Uruguay, estuaries and coastal lagoons vary in the degree of connectivity to the sea and in the sediment composition; sediments in estuaries are characterized by fine-medium sands but sediments vary from lagoon to lagoon (either fine-medium or coarse sand). Taxa richness (total = 16) showed less temporal variability in lagoons than in estuaries, due to patterns of presence/absence of the less abundant taxa. However, no major response to habitat was found in the most abundant groups: polychaetes (6% of total fauna) were on average 5% more abundant in lagoons than in estuaries. Some level of zonation, within estuaries and lagoons, was found in the most abundant groups, nematodes (63% of total fauna) and copepods (15%) in response to medium and fine sands. In addition, sediment type modulated seasonal patterns in the frequency of presence/absence in ostracods, polychaetes and oligochaetes. For instance, in polychaetes and ostracods the increase in the frequency of absences, occurring from summer to winter, was stronger in lagoons and estuaries dominated by fine sands. The lagoon habitat appears to ameliorate the effects of unfavourable (winter) conditions in less abundant meiofaunal taxa. In summary, sediment fractions explain spatial patterns in the average abundance of organisms (e.g. nematodes) as well as the seasonal changes in frequency of presence/absence (e.g. polychaetes). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal lagoons are characterized by high habitat heterogeneity where natural habitats coexist with artificial ones, historically set up to support human activities. Increasing anthropogenic pressure may lead to progressive degradation of the most vulnerable lagoonal habitats and the associated biological communities. One of the strictly estuarine-dependent fish species that may be affected by the degradation of lagoon habitats is the South European toothcarp Aphanius fasciatus , archetype of Mediterranean lagoon residents. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes were used to disentangle the influence of habitat types (natural vs artificial) and fish community (multi-trophic context) on the trophic niche features of A. fasciatus. Fish communities and organic matter sources were sampled in two Mediterranean lagoons located at the northernmost (Lagoon of Venice) and at the mid-latitude (Stagnone di Marsala, Trapani) of A. fasciatus distribution. Results showed evidence of high trophic adaptability of A. fasciatus , whose omnivorous feeding habit resulted in seasonal changes in isotopic niche width and niche partitioning with co-occurring species, constituting an advantage in habitats characterized by high seasonal variation of resources availability. Furthermore, while macrophytes drove the main trophic pathways leading to A. fasciatus in natural habitats, artificial habitats were mainly based on sedimentary organic matter routes. These outcomes broaden our knowledge on how natural and artificial habitats trophically support A. fasciatus populations and results are discussed in light of the ecological implications for environmental management of coastal lagoons. • Aphanius fasciatus may be affected by the degradation of coastal lagoon habitats. • Trophic niche of the species was assessed across lagoon habitats. • A. fasciatus showed high trophic adaptability across habitat types. • Trophic pathways differed between natural and artificial habitats. • Both natural and artificial habitats are crucial for A. fasciatus conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Long-term non-linear ecosystem-scale changes in water quality and biotic communities in coastal lagoons have been associated with intensification of anthropogenic pressures. In light of incipient changes in Johnson Bay (an embayment of Chincoteague Bay, Maryland-Virginia, USA), examination of nitrogen sources was conducted through synoptic water quality monitoring, stable nitrogen isotope signatures (δ15N) of in situ bioindicators, and denitrification estimates. These data were placed in the context of long-term and broader spatial analyses. Despite various watershed protection efforts, multiyear summer time studies (2004–2007) suggested that high levels of terrestrially derived nutrients still enter Johnson Bay. Total nitrogen concentrations in Johnson Bay were 132% the concentrations in the broader Chincoteague Bay during the late 1970s (mean 2004–2007 was 40.0 – 73.2 μM). Comparing total nitrogen concentrations in Johnson Bay to St. Martin River (consistently the most eutrophic region of these coastal bays), Johnson Bay has increased from 62.5% to 82.5% of the concentrations in St. Martin River during the late 1970s. Though specific sources of nitrogen inputs have not yet been definitively identified, the long-term increase in total nitrogen concentrations occurred despite increased and continued conservation and protection measures. We suggest that investigating nutrient sources can reveal potentially ineffective nutrient policies and that this knowledge can be applied towards other coastal lagoons. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We present here a detailed case study on the lessons learned after a restoration process of a natural ecosystem, which can be considered as an ecological experiment. Senillar de Moraira is a brackish water small coastal lagoon located in the Spanish Mediterranean coast. It is separated from the sea by a sand bar and a beach, and is regularly fed by groundwater. Mostly due to the strong anthropogenic pressure this lagoon was degraded, and a restoration process, consisting mostly on the rebuilt of hydrogeomorphological features, was accomplished about a decade ago. After the restoration project, ecological monitoring was performed to reveal the recovery of the ecological integrity of the ecosystem, mainly focusing on the restoration of ecological processes and biological communities. Biological communities, rates of autotrophic (primary production) and heterotrophic (respiration) processes, sediment inputs and wash-out, and other ecological features were monitored during one and half year, two years after the restoration works finished, and the ecological patterns of the current functioning of this ecosystem were determined in order to suggest management strategies for its conservation. The maintenance of most anthropogenic pressures hardly allows the sustainability of natural processes to preserve the ecological health of the ecosystem. According to our results, the success of the restoration process is strongly compromised by the maintenance of most pressures, and subsidies are needed to allow the preservation of a somewhat natural condition of the ecosystem. Though many typical species and functional groups and processes re-established after the restoration, a progressive degradation was observed, especially reflected in the decline of submerged macrophytes that are essential to the maintenance of the ecological health of the system. The decline of these macrophytes was caused by a combination of impacts and risks that were not totally removed when restoration works were accomplished, namely the risk of occasional sewage inputs, increased salinity by groundwater overexploitation, enhanced siltation caused by deforestation in the catchment, and increased pressure of exotic species. This also resulted in a change of the functioning of the lagoon, from the dominance of autotrophic processes driven by macrophytes, to that of heterotrophic processes mediated by increased organic matter and inorganic nutrient inputs, and to the dominance of phytoplanktonic primary production, as revealed by the statistical analyses of the obtained data. This offers the lesson that attempts for ecological restoration without removing the causes of degradation result in the lack of self-sustainability of ecosystem functioning and drive to a perennial need for maintenance measures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Coastal shallow lagoons are important ecosystems in terms of their high ecological relevance. They act as buffers of the land–sea interface, providing valuable ecosystem services such as nutrient recycling, decomposition of organic matter and removal of pollutants. Lagoons are regions of restricted exchange, subject to anthropogenic pressures that result in problems such as eutrophication. Because they are shallow, submerged primary producers play a prominent role in lagoon system metabolism. Furthermore, coastal lagoons are particularly vulnerable to global climate change and may act as ‘sentinel systems’. Sea level rise already threatens to overwhelm some lagoons, such as Venice and Moroccan lagoons. Recent observations and studies have shown that a global climate change, especially the warming of the climate system and the sea level rise is unequivocal (IPCC, 2007). Therefore, the dCSTT-MPB model, which deals with nitrogen and chlorophyll concentrations in the water column and within the sediments, was used to explore a range of scenarios that aimed at representing these changes. The tendency of the light limitation due to the sea level rise is the potential degradation of the microphytobenthos community. This reduction would lead to stronger nitrogen fluxes from pore water to the water column, increasing significantly the nitrogen concentrations. No increase in the phytoplankton community was found because it is mainly influenced by the resuspension of microphytobenthos. High nitrogen concentration may be the first indication of an eutrophication event. Nonetheless, nitrogen may be exported to the sea and cause problems in the adjacent coastal waters. The increase in temperature did not lead to significant differences. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The current work examines the linkage of pronounced winter–summer fluctuations on the nutrient composition with phytoplankton assemblages and mussel toxicity produced by the presence of toxic dinoflagellates. The work was performed at the Óbidos lagoon, a coastal eutrophic ecosystem that is permanently connected to an area characterized by frequent upwelling episodes. The lagoon and adjoining coastal area exhibit recurrent incidents of diarrhetic and paralytic shellfish poisoning. The conclusions are based on: (1) inorganic and organic nutrients at five sites of the lower, middle and upper Óbidos lagoon, and inorganic nutrients at two sites of the adjacent coastal area; biannual campaigns were performed in winter and summer between 2006 and 2010; (2) phytoplankton assemblages at three sites of the lagoon (located at lower and upper areas) in winter and summer of 2009; (3) algae-derived toxicity of wild mussels from the lower lagoon and coastal area, on a 1–2 week time scale, over 2006 and 2009. Nutrient molar ratios in Óbidos lagoon contrast between winter and summer. The lower median ratios DIN:P (31 and 0.8) and Si:P (11 and 3.3) in summer reflect the excess of phosphate. Excess was mainly attributed to phosphorus regeneration in sediments of the upper lagoon with accentuated symptoms of eutrophication. Dissolved organic nitrogen and dissolved organic phosphorus were also higher in summer, particularly in this area. No significant winter–summer differences were recorded for nutrient ratios in the adjacent coastal area. Phytoplankton assemblages pointed to a winter–summer contrast characterized by a shift of non-siliceous-based phytoplankton to diatoms. The toxic dinoflagellate species (Gymnodinium catenatum, Dinophysis cf. acuminata and Dinophysis acuta), presumably imported from the adjacent coast following upwelling episodes in summer, were observed in the lower lagoon. In summer of the two surveyed years, toxins produced by dinoflagellates occurred in mussels from the lower lagoon and coastal area. However, mussel toxicity in the lagoon exceeded values of the coastal area suggesting that high cell density of toxic dinoflagellates resulted from favourable nutrient conditions. We conclude that connectivity between eutrophic lagoons and upwelling systems stimulates the increase of toxic algae and consequently enhancing shellfish toxicity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Santo André is an enclosed brackish water coastal lagoon with temporary connections to the sea by a man-made channel. The exchange and mixture of saltwater and freshwater is irregular and the lagoon may show daily and seasonal fluctuations, but also long-term variation. Different benthic communities may be present along the annual cycle according to the magnitude of episodic freshwater and sea water inputs. In the last 30 years the communication with the sea has followed different regimes from year to year and, as a consequence, macrobenthic communities, assessed several times during the period before the opening to the sea, shifted from freshwater to marine affinities. Major differences were found between 1979 and 2010, with a preponderance of species with marine affinity, and the 1980s in which the organisms with freshwater affinity prevailed. Benthic communities are frequently used to assess aquatic environmental condition. Metrics used in the indices currently under discussion to assess ecological status of aquatic ecosystems within the scope of European Water Framework Directive were applied to Santo André data and the applicability of these metrics to assess quality in this coastal land-locked lagoon was discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Shallow coastal lagoons, especially the ones with clear waters and lighted substrata, are likely to have large microphytobenthos (MPB) communities. MPB is an important component of these systems, representing up to 99% of the chlorophyll concentration when compared to phytoplankton. It is therefore expected that MPB resuspension play a key role in the dynamics of phytoplankton due to the tide and wind action. Water samples were collected twice per month inside and outside Ria Formosa lagoon (Portugal), for nutrients and chlorophyll a (chl a). Sediment samples were also collected for MPB chl a. Chl a was also analysed in water and sediment samples from Venice lagoon (Italy), at least once per month. A truncated Fourier series was fitted to the data to investigate the seasonal and high-frequency components of the time-series. In the Ria Formosa, the best significant fit for MPB was obtained considering the sum of 26 wave-pairs (sin and cosine), which explained 31% of the variability. The seasonal cycle (1–3 waves) explained approximately 5% of the total variability. Within-day variability which includes spatial heterogeneity explained 61% of the variability. The best fit for phytoplankton inside Ria Formosa was obtained considering the sum of 23 wave-pairs. Outside the lagoon the best fit was obtained using only the sum of 16 wave-pairs. For both cases, the sum of waves explained more than 64% of the variability and the seasonal cycle explained more than 31% of the variability. It is expected that primary producers in the water column have a strong seasonal factor due to the direct effect of the solar cycle, which is the case of other clear waters. In the Venice lagoon, which is microtidal, the best fit for MPB was obtained using 10 wave-pairs. However, the best fit for phytoplankton was obtained with only 3 wave-pairs, indicating the importance of the seasonal cycle. Significant relationships were found between phytoplankton inside and outside the Ria Formosa, as well as between microphytobenthos and phytoplankton in the lagoons of Venice and Ria Formosa. These results suggest the influence of MPB resuspension in the phytoplankton community of shallow coastal lagoons and the importance of phytoplankton exportation to the coastal zone. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Submerged macrophytes are key in coastal ecosystems, with important structural and functional roles. Thus, the characterization of the submerged aquatic vegetation dynamics is of prime importance for assessing the ecological status of coastal ecosystems. The main aim of this study was to assess the spatial and temporal dynamics of submerged macrophytes biomass in a temporarily open coastal lagoon in Melides, Portugal, and to evaluate the physiological performance of the dominant macrophyte in the system. This lagoon is subject to several disturbances such as the dramatic changes in water physicochemical parameters over time, since temporarily opens to the sea occur renewing the lagoon water content. Moreover it is under a Mediterranean climate with the inherently high temporal variability of precipitation and high temperatures during the summer. Our study shows that the submerged macrophyte community was dominated initially by Ruppia cirrhosa and then replaced by Potamogeton pectinatus, which showed a marked temporal and spatial pattern with extremely high values of biomass in August and in the inner part of the lagoon. The spatial and temporal biomass patterns in submerged macrophytes were mainly related with water level, salinity, pH and transparency. The physiological performance of R. cirrhosa was lower when there was greater biomass accumulation and in extremely shallow waters, whereas physiological vigor seemed to be greater at moderate temperatures and in areas with higher salinity and dissolved oxygen. The data from this study can be used to predict submerged biomass macrophyte responses to extreme water quality changes and to feed a decision support system for the best period to promote the seasonal artificial breaching of the sandy barrier. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Global climate change is a reality that is rendering the concept of ‘background conditions’ meaningless. We can no longer attempt to maintain the environmental status quo. What we can do is to attempt to maintain ecosystem services despite climate-driven environmental change. There is a pressing need for proactive management that purposefully changes ecosystems to maintain ecosystem services before uncontrolled, detrimental changes occur. Such management would go beyond the bounds of current management efforts and could include, for example, introduction of species, bioengineering, and physical engineering. I suggest that this approach be applied first to coastal lagoons as they are clearly defined geographic areas where this approach can, hopefully, be demonstrated such that it can be applied more widely – when it is accepted, which unfortunately will most probably not occur until the adverse impacts of global climate change become much more apparent. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: From a geoscience perspective, coastal lagoons are essentially ephemeral features which are part of a continuum of coastal environments. Their natural hydromorphological evolution is seldom if ever permitted to take place as a consequence of human action; either directly by engineering interventions, to maintain or create navigable inlets, or indirectly due to activities within their catchment areas. The hydromorphological impacts of historical, contemporary and proposed engineering activities in coastal lagoons around in the world are reviewed and from these a powerful exemplar is that of the Aveiro system in Portugal. Here, two centuries of channelization, jetty and breakwater construction and progressive dredging have transformed a then fluvially dominant system into one that is today tidally dominant. Both the tidal range and tidal prism have increased along with the extent of saline intrusion. The associated stresses imposed by increased tidal currents have, in turn, led to important changes in the sedimentary regime and to the loss of almost all seagrass species which were once abundant in the system. This, along with observations from other related case studies, raises important questions regarding the concept of lagoon ecosystem ‘health’ and the baseline or reference conditions to which it is assessed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Coastal lagoons are considered to be among the most productive ecosystems in the world. Many of them support important fisheries, and some of them maintain intensive and extensive aquacultural exploitations. Their particular features, such as shallowness, relative isolation and protection from the sea, and the presence of boundaries with strong physical and ecological gradients help explain this high productivity. Despite the fact that coastal lagoons are among the most studied ecosystems in the world, our knowledge on fisheries in coastal lagoons or why some lagoons capable of maintaining profitable fisheries seem inadequate for intensive aquaculture remains limited. Scarce, too, is our knowledge of the characteristics of target species, their exploitation status, and the ecological processes that are affected by fisheries or that influence them, including the impact of human activities or climatic change. Here, we review present day knowledge on lagoon fisheries and analyse gaps in the science, stressing the need for adequate management of these important resources. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Controversy surrounds the sources and transport of land derived pollutants in the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem because there is insufficient knowledge of the mechanism of movement of organic contaminants and the cycling of organic matter in this dynamic system. Thus a sediment and sediment trap study was used to describe the composition of resuspended and surface sediments in the south central Great Barrier Reef and its lagoon. This region is characterised by strong tides (6–8m at Mackay) and trade winds regularly about 15–20 knots. A series of organic biomarkers detailed the cyclical processes of sediment resuspension, recolonising with marine algae and bacteria, packaging into zooplankton faecal pellets and resettlement to sediments where the organics undergo further diagenesis. With each cycle the inshore sediments are diluted with CaCO3 reef sediments and moved further offshore with the strong ebb tide currents. This results in transport of land derived materials offshore and little storage of organic materials in the lagoon or reef sediments. These processes were detailed by inorganic measurements such as %CaCO3 and Al/Ca ratios, and by the compositions of hydrocarbon, sterol, alcohol, and fatty acid lipid fractions. Persistent contaminants such as coal dust from a coastal loading facility can be detected in high concentration inshore and decreasing out to the shelf break at 180m approximately 40 nautical miles offshore. The normal processes would likely be amplified during cyclonic and other storms. The lipids show the sources of carbon to include diatoms and other phytoplankton, creanaerchaeota, sulfate reducing and other bacteria, land plants including mangrove leaves, plus coal dust and other petroleum contaminants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Spatio-temporal changes in macrozoobenthic assemblage structure were monitored at 8 stations in a river-affected temperate lagoon (Idoura Lagoon, Japan) from May 1997 to May 1998 to assess animal–environment relationships in estuarine soft-bottom habitats. A total of 29 taxa occurred with a predominance of a few polychaete species including Heteromastus cf. similis, Hediste spp., Pseudopolydora cf. kempi and Prionospio japonica. The community structure differed significantly among four habitat types that were characterized by different salinity, sediment characteristics, and/or bottom elevation. For each habitat, macrozoobenthic community structure changed significantly with time, which was discriminated mostly by the lower density of polyhaline opportunistic species such as P. cf. kempi in warmer period. The salinity in the study area was much lower from May to September, mainly due to irrigation discharge from paddy fields, which seemed to be a lethal factor for the polyhaline species. C/N ratio and δ13C value of the sediment implied the accumulation of river-derived organic matters during the high river flow period. Present results showed the significant effects of fluctuating river discharge on the estuarine soft-bottom habitats, suggesting a linkage among terrestrial, riverine and estuarine ecosystems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ecosystem engineering by plants and animals significantly influences community structure and the physico-chemical characteristics of marine habitats. In this paper we document the contrasting effects of ecosystem engineering by the cordgrass Spartina maritima and the burrowing sandprawn Callianassa kraussi on physico-chemical characteristics, microflora, macrofaunal community structure and morphological attributes in the high shore intertidal sandflats of Langebaan Lagoon, a marine-dominated system on the west coast of South Africa. Comparisons were made at six sites in the lagoon within Spartina and Callianassa beds, and in a “bare zone” of sandflat between these two habitats that lacks both sandprawns and cordgrass. Sediments in Spartina habitats were consolidated by the root-shoot systems of the cordgrass, leading to low sediment penetrability, while sediments in beds of C. kraussi were more penetrable, primarily due to the destabilising effects of sandprawn bioturbation. Sediments in the “bare zone” had intermediate to low values of penetrability. Sediment organic content was lowest in bare zones and greatest in Spartina beds, while sediment chl-a levels were greatest on bare sand, but were progressively reduced in the Spartina and Callianassa beds. These differences among habitats induced by ecosystem engineering in turn affected the macrofauna. Community structure was different between all three habitats sampled, with species richness being surprisingly greater in Callianassa beds than either the bare zone or Spartina beds. In general, the binding of surface sediments by the root systems of Spartina favoured rigid-bodied, surface-dwelling and tube-building species, while the destabilising effect of bioturbation by C. kraussi favoured burrowing species. The contrasting effects of these ecosystem engineers suggest that they play important roles in increasing habitat heterogeneity. Importantly, the role of bioturbation by C. kraussi in enhancing macrofaunal richness was unexpected. By loosening sediments, reducing anoxia and enhancing organic content, C. kraussi may engineer these high shore habitats to ameliorate environmental stresses or increase food availability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The dynamics of the Lesina coastal lagoon (Italy) in terms of nutrients, phytoplankton and chemical–physical parameters were evaluated, together with their functional relationships with freshwater inputs, in order to identify ecosystem responses to changes in driving forces in a Mediterranean non-tidal lentic environment. Lesina Lagoon is a shallow coastal environment characterised by limited exchange with coastal waters, which favours enrichment of nutrients and organic matter and benthic fluxes within the system. Lagoon–sea exchanges are influenced by human management. There is a steep salinity gradient from East to West. High nitrogen and silica values were found close to freshwater inputs, indicating wastewater discharges and agricultural runoff, especially in winter. Dissolved oxygen was well below saturation (65%) near sewage and runoff inputs in the western part of the lagoon during summer. Classification in accordance with guidelines suggests the system is of “poor” or “bad” quality in terms of nitrogen concentrations in the eastern zone during the winter rainy period. In terms of phosphate concentrations, the majority of the stations fall into the “good” category, with only two stations (close to the sewage and runoff inputs) classed as “bad”. In both cases, the raw nitrogen levels make the lagoon a P-limited system, especially in the eastern part. There was wide space–time variability in chlorophyll a concentrations, which ranged from 0.25 to 56μgl−1. No relationships between chlorophyll a and nutrients were found, suggesting that autotrophic biomass may be controlled by a large number of internal and external forcing factors driving eutrophication processes. Water quality for this type of environment depends heavily on pressure from human activities but also on the management of sewage treatment plants, agricultural practices and the channels connecting the lagoon with the sea. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Mapping marine biocenoses is an efficient method for providing useful data for the management and conservation of Mediterranean lagoons. Fused images from two satellites, SPOT 5 and IKONOS, were tested as management tools for identifying specific ecosystems in the El Bibane lagoon, situated in southern Tunisia near the Libyan border. The objectives of this study were to provide a precise map of the entire El Bibane lagoon using fused images from SPOT 5 and to compare fused images from SPOT 5 and IKONOS over a test-area. After applying a supervised classification, pixels are automatically classified in four classes: low seagrass cover, high seagrass cover, superficial mobile sediments and deep mobile sediments. The maps of the lagoon revealed and confirmed an extremely wide distribution of seagrass meadows within the lagoon (essentially Cymodocea nodosa; 19 546ha) and a large area of mobile sediments more or less parallel to the shore (3 697ha). A direct comparison of overall accuracy between SPOT 5 over the entire area, SPOT 5 over the test-area and IKONOS over the test-area revealed that these tools provided accurate mapping of the lagoon environment (83.25%, 85.91% and 73.41% accuracy, respectively). The SPOT 5 images provided greater overall accuracy than the IKONOS image, but did not take into account the heterogeneous spatial structure of the seagrasses and sediments present in the lagoon environment. Although IKONOS imagery provided lower overall accuracy than SPOT 5, it proved a very useful tool for the mapping of heterogeneous structures as it enabled the patchiness of formations to be better taken into account. The use of SPOT 5 and IKONOS fused images appears to be very promising for completing the mapping of lagoons in other regions and countries of the Mediterranean Sea. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Shallow bays with soft sediment bottoms are common habitats along the Swedish and Finnish Baltic Sea coastline. These bays undergo a process of geomorphometric evolution with the natural isostatic land-uplift process, whereby open bays and sounds decrease in depth and are gradually isolated from the sea, forming bays with narrow openings. This study tested the relationship between the morphometric isolation of the bays from the sea and the macroinvertebrate fauna community of these bays. Additionally, we tested the specific role of the submerged vegetation as an indicator of the macroinvertebrate fauna community. We chose two environmental factors for the analyses, water exchange of the bays and the taxon richness of the macroflora in the bays. We found a hierarchical relationship between water exchange, flora taxon richness, and fauna biomass and taxon richness using structural equation modelling: decreased biomass and taxon richness of fauna were related to decreased flora taxon richness, which in turn was related to decreased water exchange. Using multivariate redundancy analysis, the two environmental factors included in the model were found to explain 47.7% of the variation in the fauna taxon composition and 57.5% of the variation in the functional feeding groups of the fauna. Along the morphometric isolation gradient of the bays, the fauna assemblages changed from a community dominated by gastropods, bivalves, and crustaceans, to a community mainly consisting of a few insect taxa. Moreover, the proportion of predators, gathering collectors, and shredders increased while that of filtering collectors and scrapers decreased. Our results indicate that the density and taxon richness of macroinvertebrate fauna are higher in less morphometrically isolated bays than in more isolated bays in the Baltic Sea. Furthermore, we suggest that the taxon richness of macroflora can serve as an indicator of the fauna community. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Although prokaryotes are small in size, they are a significant biomass component in aquatic ecosystems and play a major role in biogeochemical processes. It is generally assumed that the relative importance of prokaryotes to material and energy fluxes is maximized in low-productivity (oligotrophic) ecosystems and decreases in high-productivity (eutrophic) ecosystems. Lagoon and coastal ecosystems are extremely dynamic, typically highly productive and dominated by macro-size organisms (both macrofauna and macrophytes). As such, their functional characteristics are typically evaluated from a “macrobial” perspective. An efficient ecosystem functioning, with fast nutrient cycling, high productivity, low C accumulation and lack of hypoxic/dystrophic crises is, however, intimately dependent on the interaction between microbial and macrobial organisms. We make here an attempt to relate prokaryote biodiversity (genotype richness, using fingerprinting techniques, ARISA) and ecosystem functioning (using a series of parameters including meiofaunal biomass, prokaryote C production and organic matter turnover rates) in different Mediterranean lagoon systems. The lagoons differed significantly with each other for all the variables. While no relationships were observed between the environmental characteristics of the lagoons and the bacterial diversity, the latter was significantly and positively correlated with the functioning and efficiency of the lagoons. The investigation of the links between microbial diversity and functioning in lagoons is still at its infancy, but these preliminary results suggest that a better understanding of the role of prokaryote diversity on ecosystem functioning and efficiency could open new perspectives for the conservation and management of these highly productive and vulnerable ecosystems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We used carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis to describe the food web of the Lapalme Lagoon, one of the best preserved coastal lagoons along the French Mediterranean coast. Three surveys, corresponding to contrasting situations both in terms of continental inputs and of connection between the lagoon and the open sea, were conducted in June and September 2004 and in February 2005. There were significant spatio-temporal changes in the isotopic ratios of both primary producers and consumers. Temporal changes were mostly linked to important 13C-depleted continental inputs caused by the long period of heavy rainfall before the June survey. Conversely, isotopic ratios were rather similar in September and February despite the opening of the connection of the lagoon with the sea between these two surveys. The interpretation of the results in terms of the structure of the trophic network differed between the June period and the two other ones. In September 2004 and February 2005, the food web was mostly based on SOM and lagoon POM pools with only a few consumers departing from this general trend. In June 2004, a significant proportion of consumers were conversely 13C-depleted probably due to the assimilation of significant amounts of continental inputs by grazers and filter-feeders. This stresses the necessity of carrying out seasonal surveys to get a sound idea of the structure of the food web in highly variable ecosystems such as coastal lagoons. Spatial changes in isotopic ratios were likely linked to: (1) the salinity/confinement gradient with a trend toward lower δ 13C and δ 15N values (i.e., higher continental influence) in the inner part of the main lagoon; and (2) the high δ 15N values of primary producers and discretely motile consumers in a semi-confined site located downstream a vineyard receiving large amounts of fertilizers. We hypothesised that these inputs are quickly 15N-enriched through denitrification and ammonia volatilisation processes and then contribute to the 15N-enrichment of salt marsh plants and seagrass at this site. This interpretation is supported by the fact that such a 15N-enrichment of primary producers only occurred in February (i.e., after the dispersion of the fertilizers). Conversely, discretely motile consumers were 15N-enriched all year round, which suggests that they were mostly exploiting the detritic pool derived from 15N-enriched salt marsh plants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mangrove ecosystems may be a source of organic carbon and nutrients to adjacent coastal systems on one hand and provide a sedimentary sink for organic carbon on the other. The balance between these two functions may be sensitive to both natural and anthropogenically induced variability, yet these effects have not been thoroughly evaluated in mangrove ecosystems. We determine organic matter sources and carbon burial rates over the past 160 years in three lagoons on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Carbon isotopes and C/N elemental ratios are utilized to trace the three sources contributing to sedimentary organic matter, mangroves, seagrasses and phytoplankton, while nitrogen isotopes are used to elucidate potential post-depositional biogeochemical transformations in mangrove lagoon sediments. All three organic matter sources contribute to organic carbon burial. Phytoplankton and mangroves are the dominant sources of organic matter in lagoon bank sediments and seagrasses are a significant source to central lagoon sediments. Organic carbon burial rates are higher at the lagoon fringes, where mangrove vegetation dominates, than in seagrass-dominated mid-lagoon areas. A reduction in mangrove contribution to the sedimentary organic matter pool concurrent with reduced total organic carbon burial rates is observed in the recent past at all three lagoons studied. Natural cycles in sediment organic matter source over the past 160 years are observed in a high-resolution core. These fluctuations correspond to climatic variability in this region, as recorded in deep-sea foraminiferal assemblages. Additional work is required in order to differentiate between recent anthropogenic perturbations and natural variability in organic carbon sources and burial rates within these ecosystems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]