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Social-Ecological Systems (SESs) are systems with close linkage between nature and societies. Coastal lagoons are SESs crucial for the ecosystem services (ESs) provided, especially in the Mediterranean Basin, facing threats from anthropogenic activities and climate change. Management strategies focusing solely on ecological elements' improvement have not yielded the desired outcomes, as they often neglect the needs and perspectives of stakeholders. Participatory approaches promote engagement and awareness to develop sustainable and effective management strategies. Aiming to contribute to the preservation and sustainable management of the Nestos Delta coastal lagoons, a Natura 2000 site in Greece, this study explores the application of intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFS) to capture the inherent uncertainty in stakeholder opinions against complex environmental challenges. Through this participatory approach, stakeholder perspectives were assessed and quantified to rank management alternatives. Ecological health and economic values were prioritized, endorsing the adoption of natural and soft interventions; conflicts and a knowledge gap regarding non-provisioning ESs were revealed, highlighting the necessity of inclusive consultation processes. This approach offers the potential to facilitate consensus-building and enhance the legitimacy of coastal lagoon management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we review the functioning and importance of deltaic coastal systems in the northern and southern Gulf of Mexico and how petroleum activities have impacted these two important systems. The Mississippi and Usumacinta-Grijalva Deltas are areas of high biological productivity and biodiversity that support the two largest fisheries in the Gulf. The north central Gulf receives inflow from the Mississippi river, the largest discharge in North America. The Mississippi Delta covers about 10,000 km2. The Usumacinta-Grijalva River is the second highest freshwater input to the Gulf and discharges to the Usumacinta-Grijalva/Laguna de Terminos deltaic complex. These two areas are the largest petroleum producing regions in the Gulf, involving both inshore and offshore production. Petroleum activities impact coastal ecosystems in two important ways. In inshore areas dominated by coastal wetlands, there has been enormous physical disruption of the natural environment that affected hydrology and system functioning. In both inshore and offshore areas, spilled oil and release of high salinity produced water has led to widespread toxic pollution. Documentation of petroleum activity impacts on coastal marine ecosystems is much more advanced in the Mississippi Delta. Here, we describe how petroleum production impacts coastal ecosystems and discuss how restoration and management can restore the functioning of impacted coastal ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-indigenous species (NIS) introduction notoriously threatens the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, Mediterranean coastal lagoons play a crucial role as nurseries for marine species, which new NIS arrivals can threaten. Therefore, monitoring and early warning of NIS presence is essential in preserving biodiversity. An innovative technique for rapid and accurate species identification and biodiversity screening is the application of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding. In this research, different Penaeidae (Arthropoda, Crustacea, Decapoda) NIS specimens were collected from a Mediterranean coastal lagoon after an early warning about a potentially invasive NIS arising from next-generation sequencing data. DNA barcoding of the DNA extracted from tissue samples and amplified with specifically designed primer pairs led to the recognition of Penaeus aztecus in this NATURA 2000 protected ecosystem for the first time. DNA barcoding from DNA isolated from the water where the living specimens were stored further validated the possibility of identifying P. aztecus starting from eDNA. This approach demonstrated the validity of environmental DNA analysis in the early screening of potentially invasive NIS presence in Mediterranean protected areas and ecosystems. This work describes an applicative example of the efficacy in improving the biomonitoring of lagoon ecosystems using molecular tools and it represents a guideline for the validation of eDNA metabarcoding data for the presence of potentially invasive species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like many coastal lagoons in several countries, the "Navío Quebrado" lagoon (La Guajira, Colombia) is a very delicate and precious environment; indeed, it is a nationally recognized Flora and Fauna Sanctuary. Several factors, including climate change, are threatening its existence because of changes in the governing hydro-morphological and biological processes. Certainly, the first step to addressing this problem is to understand its hydrological behavior and to be able to replicate, via simulation, its recent history before inferring likely futures. These potential futures will be marked by changes in the water input by its tributary, the Camarones River, and by modified water exchange with the sea, according to a foreseen sea level rise pattern, as well as by a different evaporation rate from the free surface, according to temperature changes. In order to achieve the required ability to simulate future scenarios, data on the actual behavior have to be gathered, i.e., a monitoring system has to be set up, which to date is non-existent. Conceptually, designing a suitable monitoring system is not a complex issue and seems easy to implement. However, the environmental, socio-cultural, and socio-economic context makes every little step a hard climb. An extremely simple—almost "primitive"—monitoring system has been set up in this case, which is based on very basic measurements of river flow velocity and water levels (river, lagoon, and sea) and the direct participation of local stakeholders, the most important of which is the National Park unit of the Sanctuary. All this may clash with the latest groovy advances of science, such as in situ automatized sensors, remote sensing, machine learning, and digital twins, and several improvements are certainly possible and desirable. However, it has a strong positive point: it provides surprisingly reasonable data and operates at almost zero additional cost. Several technical difficulties made this exercise interesting and worthy of being shared. Its novelty lies in showing how old, simple methods may offer a working solution to new challenges. This humble experience may be of help in several other similar situations across the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimations of ecosystem metabolism have rarely been used to quantify productivity in structural reductionist approaches for the description of phytoplankton composition. However, estimations of ecosystem metabolism could contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between phytoplankton composition and ecosystem functioning. To examine this, we investigated the community structure of phytoplankton in a set of Mediterranean coastal lagoons (natural and artificial) during a hydrological cycle to identify the most important environmental variables determining phytoplankton species composition. The focus of the study was on the quantification of productivity-related variables using estimations of ecosystem metabolism, such as different proxies for the estimation of the production-to-biomass ratio and of the relative importance of K- and r-strategies, which are commonly used conceptually but not quantified. Our results demonstrated differences in phytoplankton composition between seasons, due to the dominant hydrological pattern of flooding confinement in the salt marsh, and between lagoons that were caused by different levels of nutrient availability. Moreover, there was a notable decrease in the production/biomass ratio and a prevalence of K-strategists with seasonal succession, as predicted by Margalef's mandala. Thus, the results showed that estimations of ecosystem metabolism are useful for the higher frequency quantification of important ecological variables, and contribute to a better understanding of planktonic assemblages, and physical and chemical changes, in these fluctuating ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shallow coastal lagoons with restricted connection to the ocean are often productive but can also be sensitive to nutrient enrichment and hydrologic changes. Resolving nutrient dynamics is important for their sustainable management, yet being able to accurately resolve nutrient budgets has remained a challenge due to their complex hydrological regimes and habitat heterogeneity. In this study, we undertake a systematic nutrient budget of a large shallow hypersaline lagoon (Coorong, South Australia), with assistance of a high‐resolution coupled hydrodynamic‐biogeochemical model, to demonstrate the conditions that lead to nutrient retention. Under current conditions, high rates of evapo‐concentration and limited water connectivity have led to a persistent accumulation of nutrients and poor water quality in substantial areas of the lagoon. The interplay between hydrological drivers and biogeochemical processes was quantified using an adjusted Damköhler number, comparing the timescales of nutrient flushing versus processing. This showed a general transition from hydrologic control to biogeochemical control with increasing distance from the main ocean connection, modified by episodes of increased flows and external loads. Whilst water age was a useful indicator of the factors controlling rates of nutrient retention, interannual variability in retention between areas of the lagoon was explained based on river flows and changes in mean sea level. As the system has been affected by reduced flows over past decades, the results provide evidence that increasing river flow to the lagoon would reduce the nutrient retention, and we discuss the potential for net nutrient export to the ocean under sustained high flows. Plain Language Summary: Nutrient loads to coastal waters have increased worldwide as a direct consequence of the growing human population and increased development, with the end result being degraded water quality. Coastal lagoons with topographically restricted connection to the ocean are particularly sensitive relative to other coastal ecosystems since poor flushing and evaporation promotes nutrient retention. Resolving processes and factors that "control" nutrient concentrations is therefore important for guiding water quality management and ecosystem restoration. We studied nutrient dynamics in the Coorong, a shallow hypersaline coastal lagoon located in South Australia, using a high‐resolution coupled hydrodynamic‐water quality model. We showed that reducing flows to the system, and low mean sea level anomalies, encourage increased nutrient recycling and retention within the lagoon, resulting in persistent accumulation of nutrients in the south lagoon where water quality has become degraded. Based on the results, we conclude that potential restoration measures must focus on increasing hydrologic control through managing flow volumes and/or ocean flushing in order to optimize nutrient export. Key Points: An adjusted Damköhler number was developed to quantitatively compare hydrologic versus biogeochemical controls on nutrient dynamicsA transition from hydrologic control to biogeochemical control with increasing water retention time led to higher nutrient retention ratesAnnual nutrient retention rates were co‐modulated by catchment inflows and mean sea levels [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquatic microbial communities are well known to rapidly respond to environmental changes, and to harbor the highest taxonomic and genetic diversity among biological communities. Nevertheless, they remain under-utilized as bioindicators of contamination. Here we applied indicator value analysis (IndVal) to aquatic microbial communities to identify indicators of anthropogenic pressure by emerging contaminants at basin scale. For that, we defined categories of impact according to the Aquatic Quality Index (AQI) based on previous determinations of emerging contaminants (ECs) along an anthropogenic impact gradient. Indicator value analysis (IndVal) was conducted to identify amplicon sequence variants (ASVs; analogous to species in other fields of ecology) associated with each category.It was possible to find combinations of ASV indicators for all impact categories defined by the AQI. Microbial indicators exhibited a high capacity to predict the group membership of the samples within each AQI category and to correctly assign the samples to the appropriate category, employing leave-one-out cross-validation (100 % correctly assigned for streams and coastal sea and 94% for lagoons).This is the first report of emerging contamination indicators based on microbial communities. These results reaffirm the capacity of microbial communities to rapidly adjust their taxonomic composition in response to environmental changes. Therefore, these microscopic entities are promising for the application of environmental management measures and the approximation presented here contributes to the advancement of tools dedicated to monitoring aquatic ecosystems, and the application of more stringent standards for water quality than what is currently implemented.

Abstract: Aim Photochemical mineralization is a significant pathway for the total oxidation of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) in aquatic ecosystems. The concentration of DOC, watercolor, solar radiation intensity, diagenetic state of DOC, and oxygen availability are known regulating factors influencing the DOC photochemical mineralization process. However, these studies have not yet assessed the importance of these regulatory factors under extreme conditions of DOC concentration and watercolor. The aims of this study were: (1) to optimize methodological parameters for investigating the photo-degradation process in tropical humic/super-humic aquatic ecosystems; (2) to evaluate the relative importance of regulatory factors influencing photochemical mineralization in tropical humic/super-humic ecosystems; and (3) to measure photochemical mineralization rates in 20 coastal tropical humic/super-humic ecosystems and comparing them with available data worldwide. Methods Three types of DOC exposure experiments were conducted: (i) exposing water samples to different solar radiation intensities, (ii) exposing water samples of the same origin but with different DOC concentrations (dilutions) to sunlight and (iii) exposing water samples from a gradient of 20 environments with distinct characteristics to sunlight. Results Our results revealed that oxygen concentration became limiting for the photochemical mineralization process in experiments investigating super-humic ecosystems. Watercolor exhibited ambiguous effects on photochemical mineralization; in environments with colored-DOC, increased DOC watercolor favored higher potential photochemical mineralization rates, whereas in super-humic environments, increased DOC watercolor reduced the photochemical mineralization potential due to DOC self-shading. Conclusions We emphasize that the measured results in this study represent the highest values of photochemical mineralization ever recorded in the literature.

Coastal lagoons are highly productive transitional water bodies threatened by human factors and vulnerable to global climate change effects. Monitoring biophysical parameters in these ecosystems is crucial for their preservation. In this work, we used Sentinel-2 and Landsat imagery combined with in situ data to (1) develop preliminary algorithms for retrieving the Chl-a concentration and water surface temperature of six lagoons located in the Ebro Delta (NE Mediterranean Sea, Spain), and to (2) compute maps and trend lines for analysing their spatiotemporal evolution from 2015 to 2022. Our findings showed that the algorithms' accuracy ranged from 72% to 78% and had limited potential under high Chl-a concentration regimes. Even so, they revealed the lagoons' trophic status, usual fluctuations, and deviations of both parameters attributed to seasonal (i.e., light and temperature) and short-term physical (i.e., winds) forcing, as well as valuable spatial patterns potentially useful for conservation efforts and land use planning. Future work will focus on the acquisition of a larger in situ data sample under a range of environmental conditions to improve the algorithms' robustness, which in turn will allow the investigation of natural and human factors controlling the dynamics of the two investigated parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastic pollution poses an escalating concern, particularly in coastal lagoons rich in biodiversity. This study delved into the occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in Magallana gigas (formerly Crassostrea gigas) from the Orbetello and Varano coastal lagoons (Italy), also investigating the response of these filter-feeding organisms to various colors (P = pink; B = blue; W = white) of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) MP fragments. Oysters were exposed for 7 days under controlled conditions. Subsequently, the oysters underwent analysis for both MP presence and biochemical markers of oxidative stress. Diverse ingestion rates of HDPE were noted among oysters from the two lagoons, eliciting antioxidant responses and modifying baseline activity. The two-way ANOVA revealed the significant effects of treatment (control; HDPE_B; HDPE_P; HDPE_W), site, and the interaction between treatment and site on all biomarkers. Non-metric multidimensional scaling showed a divergent effect of HDPE color on biomarkers. Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the influence of MP color, dose-dependent effects, and the long-term impacts of exposure. Comprehending these intricacies is imperative for devising effective strategies to mitigate plastic pollution and safeguard marine health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The coastal lagoons of the Tramandaí River basin are dynamic ecosystems characterized by high biodiversity. They provide important ecosystem services, such as water supply for human consumption, industry, agriculture, animal husbandry, leisure activities, tourism and fishing. Constant increases in the human population and the use and occupation of the land around the lagoons has brought growing demands for their resources, resulting in increased pressure that compromises these ecosystems. Understanding how biological populations respond to these anthropogenic pressures is essential. This study examined whether the degree of urbanization around 23 lagoons in the Tramandaí River basin influences the size and biomass of the characid fish species Diapoma alburnum. Specimens were collected between 2009 and 2012 using standardized drag nets. All specimens were measured for standard length to determine average length (size) per lagoon, while all fish collected per lagoon were weighed together to determine average biomass per lagoon by dividing by the number of specimens. Urbanization around the lagoons was measured using satellite images representing artificial nocturnal light as a proxy for urbanization. Nocturnal light intensity was measured within 1 km, 3 km, and 5 km buffers around each lagoon. The resulting urbanization index ranged 6 – 44% for the 5 km buffer, from 3 – 55% for the 3 km buffer and 1 – 65% for the 1 km buffer. Regression analyses showed a significant positive relationship with increasing urbanization around lagoons for D. alburnum average biomass in the 3 km and 5 km buffers and for D. alburnum average length in the 3 km buffer. Although urbanization around the lagoons is not fully established, the results indicate its impact on the size and biomass of D. alburnum.

Emerald Growth is an overarching sustainable development framework for transitional waters situated between rivers and open sea. The emphasis on connectivity and ecosystem-based management as the underlying principles differentiates Emerald Growth from conventional approaches to managing transitional waters. The study's primary objective was to conjoin the Emerald Growth concept with the Coastal Circles of Sustainability methodology, an analytical framework to assess indicators of critical processes determining the sustainability of the coastal zone. We hypothesized that applying the CCS is an apt approach to categorizing the Emerald Growth's aspects using Lake Liepāja, a fresh-to-brackish water lagoon on Latvia's Baltic Sea coast, as a case study. Based on the document scoping findings on Lake Liepāja's hydrology, ecology, biodiversity, nature conservation, and management, we addressed the knowledge gaps through the field survey, 4 workshops, and 18 in-depth semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders. The research results show that the challenging socio-economic situation is a crucial obstacle to Emerald Growth in the Lake Liepāja area. Subsistence salary and Housing affordability (Economic Welfare aspect), Population growth and Aging population (Demographic aspect), and Traditional practices (Identity aspect) received the lowest sustainability score (Bad). The results imply that considering the Emerald Growth conditions and drivers for transitional waters worldwide, finding a 'one-fits-all' recipe to ensure their sustainability is impossible. The decision-makers, stakeholders, and external experts agreed that for Lake Liepāja, the priority was to bring back to nature part of the polder system, clean the bottom sediments from Soviet-era pollutants, and enhance the transboundary cooperation with Lithuania. These measures would set the right conditions for future Emerald Growth in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amvrakikos Gulf and its surrounding coastal lagoons are of primary importance for the local biodiversity and fishing activities. Fish species inhabited the coastal lagoons based on the seasonal ongoing migration movements of fry and adult fish individuals from the sea towards the lagoons. Information on the early stages of fish and decapod species in the Amvrakikos Gulf is limited only to the planktonic ontogenetic stages and reproduction biology, respectively. The aim of this study was to describe the spatial distribution of fry from commercially important fish and decapod species in the coastal zone of Amvrakikos Gulf. The seasonal appearance of the early stage of the most commercially important fish species caught in the coastal zone of the gulf ranged from one to four seasons, depending on the species. Individuals of all ontogenetic stages (fry, juveniles, and adults) were reported for several species (A. boyeri, A. fasciatus, S. abaster, S. tyfle, and B. ocellaris), indicating that these species may be regarded as residents in the coastal zone, providing habitats for their entire life cycle. The average relative abundance of the species/genera exhibited no differences compared to other Greek brackish waters. The species composition in the Amvrakikos Gulf at 10 cm and above was in agreement with the transitional nature of the area, with permanent and occasional species present. The present study emphasizes the importance of the coastal zone as a nursery habitat for commercially important species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estuarine systems are highly productive ecosystems with diverse fish communities that provide valuable ecosystem services. The structure and ecology of fish communities in the estuarine systems of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System region (MBRS) is largely unknown. Here, the fish communities and their relationship with environmental variables were investigated for the first time in sixteen estuarine systems along the Honduran coast of the MBRS. The estuarine systems included estuarine lagoons and estuaries with different mouth dynamics, such as permanently open estuarine systems (POE) and temporary open-closed estuarine systems (TOCE). A total of 154 fish species were identified. Estuarine lagoons exhibited higher abundance and species richness, with Karataska and Chachaguala having the highest species richness (∼80 species). Overall, higher diversity was observed in POE systems and during the open mouth phase, likely due to higher dispersion rates. Fish species were classified into different functional groups based on their utilization of estuarine environments. The most abundant category was marine fish (50.6 %), with marine stragglers and marine estuarine-opportunists as the dominant guilds within this category. Freshwater, estuarine, and diadromous fish categories contributed less but similarly. Fish communities in estuarine lagoons and estuaries showed clear differences, although they shared some common species. Estuarine lagoons communities were dominated by the marine category and marine-estuarine-opportunists, while those of estuaries were characterized by the freshwater category and freshwater-estuarine-opportunists. The occupancy varied greatly, with some species present in multiple estuarine systems and others restricted to a single system. Species contribution to β-diversity (SCBD) revealed that species present in a single system made the greatest contribution. Local contribution to total β-diversity (LCBD) ranged between 1.48 and 20.10 %, with the Chachaguala estuarine lagoon being the main contributor. In addition to geomorphological features and estuarine mouth state, distance-based multivariate linear model (DistLM) showed that salinity, pH, bottom vegetation, and dissolved oxygen contributed significantly in explaining the fish metacommunity variation. This study shows the importance of environmental filtering in shaping local fish communities in the MBRS estuarine systems. However, further research is needed to understand the role of dispersion pathways and rates for the integral management of the estuarine fish metacommunity in the region.

Invasive species, including many polychaetes, are one of the major factors affecting the diversity of the Mediterranean ecosystems. Coastal lagoons, as transitional ecosystems, present a large spatial and temporal variability that makes them suitable for opportunistic species colonization. In this work, the species Leodamas australiensis (Hartmann-Schröder, 1979) has been identified in the Mar Menor coastal lagoon (Spain) and this is its first report from the Mediterranean. It is characterized by the presence of large aciculae with protruding and distinctly curved tips in abdominal neuropodia and by the onset of dorsal branchiae on chaetiger 6. Molecular analyses were carried out using mitochondrial 16S rDNA gene sequences. The spatio-temporal distribution of L. australiensis and its relationship with other species belonging to the family Orbiniidae in the lagoon was investigated in different periods from 1982 to 2018. This species expanded from sites more connected to the Mediterranean Sea towards more confined areas of the basin. However, this expansion did not affect in an appreciable manner to native orbiniids. Follow-up studies at longer time scales are needed to determine if L. australiensis is a casual presence or maintains a well-established population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic chemicals that consist of carcinogenic and mutagenic properties, which are considered as high-priority persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Their source is due to an incomplete burning of fossil fuels and organic materials. In the present study, the distribution and concentrations of 16 priority PAHs in sediments of the Tampamachoco lagoon and Tuxpan River estuary at the Gulf of Mexico were analyzed. The surface sediment samples were collected during the dry (March–June) and rainy (August–November) seasons. PAHs were analyzed by means of a gas capillary chromatography-FID. In dry season, the average concentration of PAHs in sediments was 860 ± 390 ng/g, and in rainy season, it was 1140 ± 450 ng/g. During both seasons, the total concentration of chrysene was high and a domain of the compounds with 4 benzene rings was observed. The source of PAHs was investigated in 78.6% of the lagoon sites. 45.5% revealed indicators of a mixed origin between pyrolytic and petrogenic sources, and 36.4% was petrogenic, and the remaining 18.2% was pyrolytic PAHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beside that the fish species and their sub-populations are highly important as a keystone species in the coastal and marine ecosystem, there are very few studies on their presence, distribution and temporal variations within and around the lagoon ecosystems in Albania. This paper provides an updated review on the life cycle, fishery, exploitation state and management of the main species that are subject of commercial fishing in the Karavasta lagoon, southeastern Adriatic coast of Albania. Due to the fact that lagoons represent a continuum between continental and marine aquatic ecosystems they play a crucial role in species life cycles. Further on in the circumstances of rapid utilizations and environmental changes, anomalies in salinity and temperatures, accelerated anthropogenic influences their rate of vulnerability is highly increased. Following the requirements of the Water Framework Directive, transitional water, coastal lagoons and estuaries there is a need for urgent monitoring and management approaches. The commercial species include: European eel (Anguilla anguilla), species of Family Mugilidae (Mugil cephalus, Liza ramada, Liza salienes and Chelon labrosus), Seabream (Sparus aurata), Seabass (Dincentrarchus labrax), etc. Fish productivity is oscillating from maximum value of 61.95 kg/ha is recorded in period of 1975–80 and lower value of 31 kg/ha in year 2020. Our study highlights importance of fish and fishery long-term monitoring, and contributes to understand the driving factors in productivity, migration patterns and species ecology in the vital coastal ecosystems.

Coastal lagoons are highly productive transitional water bodies threatened by human factors and vulnerable to global climate change effects. Monitoring biophysical parameters in these ecosystems is crucial for their preservation. In this work, we used Sentinel-2 and Landsat imagery combined with in situ data to (1) develop preliminary algorithms for retrieving the Chl-a concentration and water surface temperature of six lagoons located in the Ebro Delta (NE Mediterranean Sea, Spain), and to (2) compute maps and trend lines for analysing their spatiotemporal evolution from 2015 to 2022. Our findings showed that the algorithms’ accuracy ranged from 72% to 78% and had limited potential under high Chl-a concentration regimes. Even so, they revealed the lagoons’ trophic status, usual fluctuations, and deviations of both parameters attributed to seasonal (i.e., light and temperature) and short-term physical (i.e., winds) forcing, as well as valuable spatial patterns potentially useful for conservation efforts and land use planning. Future work will focus on the acquisition of a larger in situ data sample under a range of environmental conditions to improve the algorithms’ robustness, which in turn will allow the investigation of natural and human factors controlling the dynamics of the two investigated parameters.

Microplastic pollution poses an escalating concern, particularly in coastal lagoons rich in biodiversity. This study delved into the occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in Magallana gigas (formerly Crassostrea gigas) from the Orbetello and Varano coastal lagoons (Italy), also investigating the response of these filter-feeding organisms to various colors (P = pink; B = blue; W = white) of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) MP fragments. Oysters were exposed for 7 days under controlled conditions. Subsequently, the oysters underwent analysis for both MP presence and biochemical markers of oxidative stress. Diverse ingestion rates of HDPE were noted among oysters from the two lagoons, eliciting antioxidant responses and modifying baseline activity. The two-way ANOVA revealed the significant effects of treatment (control; HDPE_B; HDPE_P; HDPE_W), site, and the interaction between treatment and site on all biomarkers. Non-metric multidimensional scaling showed a divergent effect of HDPE color on biomarkers. Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the influence of MP color, dose-dependent effects, and the long-term impacts of exposure. Comprehending these intricacies is imperative for devising effective strategies to mitigate plastic pollution and safeguard marine health.

Marine biotoxins have posed a persistent problem along various coasts for many years. Coastal lagoons are ecosystems prone to phytoplankton blooms when altered by eutrophication. The Mar Menor is the largest hypersaline coastal lagoon in Europe. Sixteen marine toxins, including lipophilic toxins, yessotoxins, and domoic acid (DA), in seawater samples from the Mar Menor coastal lagoon were measured in one year. Only DA was detected in the range of 44.9–173.8 ng L−1. Environmental stressors and mechanisms controlling the presence of DA in the lagoon are discussed. As an enrichment and clean-up method, we employed solid phase extraction to filter and acidify 75 mL of the sample, followed by pre-concentration through a C18 SPE cartridge. The analytes were recovered in aqueous solutions and directly injected into the liquid chromatography system (LC-MS), which was equipped with a C18 column. The system operated in gradient mode, and we used tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) with a triple quadrupole (QqQ) in the multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM) for analysis. The absence of matrix effects was checked and the limits of detection for most toxins were low, ranging from 0.05 to 91.2 ng L−1, depending on the compound. To validate the measurements, we performed recovery studies, falling in the range of 74–122%, with an intraday precision below 14.9% RSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a saline semi-isolated lagoon on Cape Zeleny (White Sea), the annual dynamics of the vertical hydrological structure and the seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton were traced. Species composition, vertical distribution, abundance, nutrition type, and biomass were analyzed. In total, 293 species and supraspecific taxa of algae and cyanobacteria were found. Most of the identified species are marine, and 38 species are freshwater. Taxonomic composition changed in the lagoon throughout the year. Dinoflagellates dominated in winter and early June; unidentified cocci and flagellates in July; diatoms, dinoflagellates, and unidentified cells in August; dinoflagellates in September; and unidentified cocci and flagellates in October–November. The abundance of algae also changed in the lagoon throughout the year. The integrated biomass in the water column varied from 0.01 g C/m2 in January to 0.78 g C/m2 in early September. According to the environmental parameters, the water column of the lagoon was subdivided into several zones with different environmental conditions and corresponding phytoplankton communities. The similarity between the communities of different horizons was 32–46% in summer and 7% in winter. The chemocline layer was the most populous. It contained a maximum of phytoplankton biomass, 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than that in the overlying horizons. Despite the connection to the sea, the phytoplankton structure in the surface water layer in the lagoon and in the sea differed significantly in composition, quantitative parameters, and seasonal dynamics. The similarity between the communities never exceeded 50%. In terms of biomass dynamics, the lagoon lagged behind the sea until mid-summer, but, starting from August, it outnumbered it, and the phytoplankton development in the lagoon lasted longer, until late autumn. According to sequential tests DistLM, the phytoplankton structure and dynamics in the lagoon and in the sea were related to the daylength, water salinity, oxygen content, and pH by 24.5%. At the same time, the PhP structure did not depend on water temperature, underwater illuminance, or depth. Oxygen content and pH were defined by PhP activity. Salinity serves as a vector of the vertical sequence of ecological niches. The day length seems to be the crucial factor of the seasonal PhP dynamics in the semi-isolated coastal stratified lakes and lagoons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Assessment of the fate of microbial contamination driven from treated wastewater disposal at a highly productive zone on a South European coastal lagoon (Ria Formosa). Methods and results: Microbial indicators of contamination (Total coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Enterococci) were evaluated monthly during September 2018–September 2020 at three study areas (Faro, Olhão, and Tavira) under different wastewater discharge flows and hydrodynamic conditions. Additional data on E. coli monitoring in bivalves, available from the national institution responsible for their surveillance was also considered. The maximum microbial contamination was found at Faro, the highest-load and less-flushed study area, contrasting the lowest contamination at Olhão, a lower-load and strongly flushed area. The wastewater impact decreased along the spatial dispersal gradients and during high water, particularly at Faro and Tavira study areas, due to a considerable dilution effect. Microbial contamination at Olhão increased during the summer, while at the other study areas seasonal evidence was not clear. Data also indicate that E. coli in bivalves from bivalve production zones next to the three study areas reflected the differentiated impact of the wastewater treatment plants effluents on the water quality of those areas. Conclusions: Effluent loads together with local hydrodynamics, water temperature, solar radiation, precipitation, and land runoff as well as seabirds populations and environmentally adapted faecal or renaturelized bacterial communities, contributed to microbial contamination of the study areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest and its associated ecosystems are highly biodiverse but still understudied, especially with respect to eukaryotic microbes. Protists represent the largest proportion of eukaryotic diversity and play important roles in nutrient cycling and maintenance of the ecosystems in which they occur. However, much of protist diversity remains unknown, particularly in the Neotropics. Understanding the taxonomic and functional diversity of these organisms is urgently needed, not only to fill this gap in our knowledge, but also to enable the development of public policies for biological conservation. This is the first study to investigate the taxonomic and trophic diversity of the major protist groups in freshwater systems and brackish coastal lagoons located in fragments of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest by DNA metabarcoding, using high-throughput sequencing of the gene coding for the V4 region of the 18S rRNA gene. We compared a and ß diversity for all protist communities and assessed the relative abundance of phototrophic, consumer, and parasitic taxa. We found that the protist communities of coastal lagoons are as diverse as the freshwater systems studied in terms of a diversity, although differed significantly in terms of taxonomic composition. Our results still showed a notable functional homogeneity between the trophic groups in freshwater environments. Beta diversity was higher among freshwater samples, suggesting a greater level of heterogeneity within this group of samples concerning the composition and abundance of OTUs. Ciliophora was the most represented group in freshwater, while Diatomea dominated diversity in coastal lagoons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal lagoons encompass various precious natural resources and are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth. A new Trichoderma species was identified during an investigation of fungi in mangrove soil in Qigu Lagoon, Taiwan. In this study, we provide the description, illustration, and phylogenetic analyses of this new species, Trichoderma longicollum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of cysts by dinoflagellates can be part of the life cycle of some species, improving their survival under adverse environmental conditions; cyst germination may explain the recurrence of algal blooms in some cases. In order to evaluate the germination rates of Pyrodinium bahamense, its cysts were retrieved from surface sediments collected in San José Lagoon, SW Gulf of California, and germination assays were carried out through the cysts incubation under two contrasting light and nutrient concentration conditions. Also, to evaluate cysts viability, we isolated P. bahamense cysts and other dinoflagellate species from different depth layers of a 210Pb-dated sediment core (~100 years) to examine their germination for 20 days. Germination rates were higher under light (28–56%) than in darkness (23–34%); there were indications that the nutrient-enriched media was more effective in promoting germination than seawater. Furthermore, germination was observed in cysts isolated from all selected core depths, even those corresponding to ~100 years. These results demonstrate that cysts remain viable for long periods, and P. bahamense cysts germinate in any light and nutrient conditions. The results of this research provide relevant information to understand its physiology and complex population dynamics. This species should be closely monitored in the area in the context of climate change, as current natural conditions are likely to change.

This paper discusses how ecological restoration has been pursued through projects financed by L'Instrument Financier pour l'Environnement (LIFE) of the European Commission in Mediterranean and Black Sea coastal lagoon sites affiliated with the Natura 2000 network. While the LIFE programme started in 1992, the first project focusing on ecological restoration in a coastal lagoon setting in this eco-region was attributed in 1995. In total, 50% (27) of the 54 LIFE projects in the Mediterranean and Black Sea coastal lagoons comprised a worksite on ecological restoration. Eighteen finalized projects, all realized after 2008, have been sufficiently documented for our analysis. The ecological restoration works included (i) removing solid waste and alien invasive species, (ii) re-building lagoons, (iii) creating islets for bird colonies, (iv) restoring the hydrodynamics of the lagoons, and (v) restoring and protecting vegetation. The latter includes submerged aquatic vegetation in the lagoons, halophytes on tidal flats and in fringing salt marshes, freshwater marsh plants, and dune vegetation. Abandoned salt works (Salinas), originally created within the coastal lagoons or on their shoreline, represent significant areas that can be managed for conservation or restoration. Coastal lagoons are transitional waters, and successful restoration of water quality and aquatic communities must include the concept of the aquatic continuum. Combating eutrophication requires managing the watersheds of the lagoons to drastically decrease nutrient loadings. Unfortunately, these issues have only been marginally addressed by the LIFE projects, as they were too often limited by the perimeter of the Natura 2000 sites. In principle, the Water Framework Directive takes care of these issues and, according to an integrative vision, links them with the protected Natura 2000 sites. In practice, however, the LIFE projects and the water policies in the member states still suffer from sectorial approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal lagoons are dynamic transitional water ecosystems hosting valuable biological communities, including rich and diverse macrophyte assemblages. Aquatic macrophytes must cope with large fluctuations of environmental conditions on a spatial and seasonal scale. Salinity is one of the most variable parameters, changing from nearly freshwater to hypersalinity, and it is known to have a strong influence on the composition and structure of macrophyte assemblages. This study is focused on the effect of salinity on macrophyte communities of the eight most important coastal lagoons of Apulia (south-eastern Mediterranean Sea). A set of eleven transitional water body types (sensu Water Framework Directive) were allocated in a range of meso- to hyperhaline lagoons. Macrophyte sampling was carried out between 2011 and 2019, and a total of 324 samples (18 sampling stations × 2 seasons × 9 years) was analyzed. Then, macrophyte occurrence in each transitional water body (T-WB) was expressed as frequency values (%) and assemblages were compared to assess any similarity in relation to four salinity classes (mesohaline, polyhaline, euhaline and hyperhaline). Species richness varied according to the salinity class, being much higher in polyhaline and euhaline T-WBs and strongly decreasing at the extremes of the salinity range (mesohaline and hyperhaline T-WBs). Moreover, the statistical analysis showed a high resemblance of macrophyte assemblages of T-WBs within the same salinity class, which shared a great number of species. Four distinct macrophyte communities were distinguished, reflecting the salinity conditions of different T-WB types and confirming the effectiveness of a lagoon typology based on this descriptor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many cases, shallow coastal lagoons are, on the one hand, vulnerable habitats for birds and marine ecosystems and, on the other hand, threatened by discharging nutrient-laden surface waters and groundwater. In particular, the localization and quantification of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is of key concern in this regard. The presented study aimed at investigating SGD into a vulnerable coastal lagoon that is strongly impacted by evaporation applying a multi-tracer approach. The joint application of radionuclides (222Rn, 223Ra, 224Ra), stable water isotopes (δ18O, δ2H) and the water salinity as environmental water tracers allowed evaluating the suitability of the individual parameters in this specific type of environment. Whilst stable isotope and salinity data were difficult to construe in terms of SGD occurrence due to the intense impact of evaporation, a radon mass balance allowed localising SGD areas within the lagoon and quantifying the related SGD flux rates. In addition, a 224Ra/223Ra ratio analysis revealed information on the apparent age of the discharged groundwater, and hence on the flushing intensity of the lagoon. Besides these site-specific results, the study allowed the following general conclusions regarding the suitability of the applied tracers: (i) we verified the suitability of a radon mass balance approach for proving/disproving SGD occurrence and quantifying SGD fluxes in shallow coastal lagoons strongly impacted by evaporation; (ii) we showed that the impact of evaporation may impede the use of water stable isotope and salinity data as SGD indicators in such specific environments; (iii) we demonstrated that the tidal impact on a lagoon water body during a sampling campaign can be compensated by adapting sampling schedule and cruise track to the tidal cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Brazilian Atlantic Forest and its associated ecosystems are highly biodiverse but still understudied, especially with respect to eukaryotic microbes. Protists represent the largest proportion of eukaryotic diversity and play important roles in nutrient cycling and maintenance of the ecosystems in which they occur. However, much of protist diversity remains unknown, particularly in the Neotropics. Understanding the taxonomic and functional diversity of these organisms is urgently needed, not only to fill this gap in our knowledge, but also to enable the development of public policies for biological conservation. This is the first study to investigate the taxonomic and trophic diversity of the major protist groups in freshwater systems and brackish coastal lagoons located in fragments of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest by DNA metabarcoding, using high-throughput sequencing of the gene coding for the V4 region of the 18S rRNA gene. We compared α and β diversity for all protist communities and assessed the relative abundance of phototrophic, consumer, and parasitic taxa. We found that the protist communities of coastal lagoons are as diverse as the freshwater systems studied in terms of α diversity, although differed significantly in terms of taxonomic composition. Our results still showed a notable functional homogeneity between the trophic groups in freshwater environments. Beta diversity was higher among freshwater samples, suggesting a greater level of heterogeneity within this group of samples concerning the composition and abundance of OTUs.Ciliophora was the most represented group in freshwater, while Diatomea dominated diversity in coastal lagoons.

This corrects the article published on Advances in Oceanography and Limnology 2023;14:11124 doi: https://doi.org/10.4081/aiol.2023.11124

The green crab (Carcinus maenas) population was investigated in a coastal lagoon (Santo André) located on the southwest coast of Portugal. This study assessed the spatial-temporal variability of green crab abundance in the lagoon and its relationship with environmental variables. Experimental fishing was used to collect data on abundance, size structure and other demographic characteristics. Sampling was conducted monthly in 2019 at five sites, using fyke nets. From a total of 15063 individuals collected, 3898 were analysed. The highest catches were obtained in winter and at sites closer to the sea. The population was male-biased (58.70% of males and 41.30% of females), with an average carapace width of 48.81 mm for males and 40.79 mm for females. Ovigerous females were most abundant in December and January, and 50% were sexually mature at 45.11 mm. Based on data from the experimental fishing and fishermen’s logbooks, the estimated annual catch of green crab ranged from 1873 to 3354 kg/ha, confirming the potential value of its fishery in the lagoon. This resource can be exploited for multiple purposes, including its meat or shell waste, thus contributing to the circular economy. Considering that green crab is a bycatch of the eel fishery, fishing regulations need to be modified to safeguard the stocks of both species.

Amvrakikos Gulf and its surrounding coastal lagoons are of primary importance for the local biodiversity and fishing activities. Fish species inhabited the coastal lagoons based on the seasonal ongoing migration movements of fry and adult fish individuals from the sea towards the lagoons. Information on the early stages of fish and decapod species in the Amvrakikos Gulf is limited only to the planktonic ontogenetic stages and reproduction biology, respectively. The aim of this study was to describe the spatial distribution of fry from commercially important fish and decapod species in the coastal zone of Amvrakikos Gulf. The seasonal appearance of the early stage of the most commercially important fish species caught in the coastal zone of the gulf ranged from one to four seasons, depending on the species. Individuals of all ontogenetic stages (fry, juveniles, and adults) were reported for several species (A. boyeri, A. fasciatus, S. abaster, S. tyfle, and B. ocellaris), indicating that these species may be regarded as residents in the coastal zone, providing habitats for their entire life cycle. The average relative abundance of the species/genera exhibited no differences compared to other Greek brackish waters. The species composition in the Amvrakikos Gulf at 10 cm and above was in agreement with the transitional nature of the area, with permanent and occasional species present. The present study emphasizes the importance of the coastal zone as a nursery habitat for commercially important species.

The predator-prey relationship is generally size-specific in the pelagic food webs. Phytoplankton cell size structure can provide information on the successive levels of consumers and therefore on the energy that can flow towards the top consumers. This work focuses on phytoplankton cell size structure in a coastal lagoon (Cabras Lagoon, Italy) considered one of the most important for fishing productivity in the Mediterranean. The inter-annual and seasonal dynamics of picophytoplankton (Pico, cell size 3 μm) were considered during almost three years in relation to the temporal dynamics of selected environmental variables and zooplankton. Small-sized cells with a mean linear cell size

A comprehensive hydrogeological report was conducted to determine the origin, occurrence and processes affecting nitrogen in a Mediterranean coastal aquifer-lagoon system. Water levels, hydrochemical and isotopic data was gathered during a 4-year period in the La Pletera salt marsh area (NE Spain). They were collected from the alluvial aquifer, two natural lagoons and four other permanent lagoons excavated during a restoration process (in 2002 and 2016), two watercourses (the Ter River and the Ter Vell artificial channel), 21 wells (considering six of them for groundwater sampling) and the Mediterranean Sea. Potentiometric surveys were carried out seasonally, however twelve-monthly campaigns (from November 2014 to October 2015), and nine seasonal campaigns (from January 2016 to January 2018) were conducted for hydrochemical and environmental isotopes analyses. The evolution of the water table was analysed for each well, and potentiometric maps were plotted to determine the relationship between the aquifer and the lagoons, sea, watercourses, and groundwater flow. Hydrochemical data included physicochemical data measured in situ (temperature, pH, Eh, dissolved oxygen, and electrical conductivity), major and minor ions (HCO3−, CO32−, Cl−, SO42−, F−, Br−, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and K+), and nutrients (NO2−, NO3−, NH4+, Total Nitrogen (TN), PO43−, and Total Phosphorus (TP)). Environmental isotopes included stable water isotopes (δ18O and δD), nitrate (δ15NNO3 and δ18ONO3) and sulphate isotopes (δ34SSO4 and δ18OSO4). Water isotopes were analysed for all campaigns, however, nitrate and sulphate isotopes water samples were only analysed in some particular surveys (November and December 2014; January, April, June, July and August 2015). Additionally, two more surveys for sulphate isotopes were conducted in April and October of 2016. The data generated through this research may be used as a starting point to analyse the evolution of these recently restored lagoons, and their future responses to global change. In addition, this dataset may be used to model the hydrological and hydrochemical behaviour of the aquifer.

The classic paradigm, not always unequivocal though, that seagrass macrobenthic abundance and diversity are greater than those in adjacent unvegetated areas, was tested in a Mediterranean lagoon for which evidence is lacking. We compared the community structure and species composition of macrobenthic assemblages in three distinct areas of the Mistras Lagoon (Sardinia, Italy) dominated by i) the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa (Cym), ii) mixed-macrophyte/detritus (Mix), and iii) unvegetated sediments (Unv). Samplings were conducted in each area twice in spring (April and May) and twice in autumn (October and November) 2010. Multivariate analyses showed significant differences among the three areas and a marked separation between the two vegetated (Cym and Mix) and the unvegetated (Unv) areas. The top discriminating species, indicated by SIMPER analysis, were characterized by direct development lacking free living larvae. They included marine species, e.g. Cerithium lividulum, Microdeutopus gryllotalpa, Loripes orbiculatus and Gammarus aequicauda, at Cym vs Mix, whereas the pair discrimination of the areas Cym vs Unv and Mix vs Unv mostly depended on the marine Abra tenuis, the opportunistic Chironomidae and Capitella capitata, and the brackish Hydrobia acuta. Both vegetated areas showed a higher species number than the unvegetated area. Differently, abundance was higher in Unv than in Cym and Mix in all sampling dates, most notably in spring likely because of reproductive events, due to both opportunistic (C. capitata, chironomids) and halolimnobic (H. acuta, Cerastoderma glaucum) species. Overall, the present study demonstrated the importance of biological factors in structuring the macrobenthic assemblages of the Mistras Lagoon. Habitat-forming phanerogams hosted species-rich assemblages, species-specific reproductive cycles and adaptive strategies contributed to drive species colonization and abundance distribution. Both vegetated and unvegetated patches were found to contribute greatly to the local-scale heterogeneity of the habitat, highlighting the importance of coastal lagoons as hotspots for benthic biodiversity. For these reasons, lagoons must be considered major targets for conservation measures.

The production of cysts by dinoflagellates can be part of the life cycle of some species, improving their survival under adverse environmental conditions; cyst germination may explain the recurrence of algal blooms in some cases. In order to evaluate the germination rates of Pyrodinium bahamense, its cysts were retrieved from surface sediments collected in San José Lagoon, SW Gulf of California, and germination assays were carried out through the cysts incubation under two contrasting light and nutrient concentration conditions. Also, to evaluate cysts viability, we isolated P. bahamense cysts and other dinoflagellate species from different depth layers of a 210Pb-dated sediment core (~100 years) to examine their germination for 20 days. Germination rates were higher under light (28–56%) than in darkness (23–34%); there were indications that the nutrient-enriched media was more effective in promoting germination than seawater. Furthermore, germination was observed in cysts isolated from all selected core depths, even those corresponding to ~100 years. These results demonstrate that cysts remain viable for long periods, and P. bahamense cysts germinate in any light and nutrient conditions. The results of this research provide relevant information to understand its physiology and complex population dynamics. This species should be closely monitored in the area in the context of climate change, as current natural conditions are likely to change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of urbanisation are increasingly pervasive across landscapes, and this has implications for animals and the ecological functions they support. Differences in ecological attributes and assemblages between ecosystems means we cannot assume that different ecosystems within the same landscapes are affected by urbanisation in the same trajectory or over the same spatial scales. We test whether and how ecosystem type can modify ecological responses to urbanisation, contrasting beaches, estuaries, rocky headlands and coastal lagoons impacted by a range of urbanisation intensities on the Sunshine Coast in eastern Australia. We sampled coastal vertebrates and measured carrion scavenging, a key ecological function in all ecosystems, using baited camera traps at 85 sites distributed among five beaches (25 sites at five sites per beach), three estuaries (15 sites at five sites per estuary), four coastal lagoons (20 sites at five sites per lagoon) and five headlands (25 sites at five sites per headland). Coastal vertebrate assemblages were best predicted by the additive effects of ecosystem type and the extent of urbanisation within 5 km of each site, and this was typically characterised by increases in synanthropic species abundance at sites with high to intermediate extents of urbanisation nearby. However, two key indicator species had opposing relationships with the extent of urbanisation, and four varied only between ecosystems and not with urbanisation. Urbanisation substantially depressed rates of carrion scavenging, with some variation in species‐specific consumption rates among ecosystems. While native crows, raptors and water rats accounted for 2/3 of carrion consumed, invasive black rats and free‐ranging domestic dogs were significant consumers of carrion. Our results not only stress the pervasive effects of urbanisation on species distributions and abundance across multiple ecosystems in landscapes, but highlight that pivotal ecological functions can be compromised across multiple ecosystems embedded within the same landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) was distributed along the coastline comprised by the five Mexican states that border the Gulf of Mexico. However, the few healthy populations that currently exist in Mexico are now limited to relatively isolated regions with very specific habitat characteristics. In the state of Veracruz, a limited number of individuals are found in the Alvarado Lagoon System (ALS), located in the coastal zone of southern central Veracruz. The aim of this study was to characterize manatee habitat in the ALS. Transects were established in the ALS and 503 points selected and sampled along these transects, producing data pertaining to salinity, depth, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, surface water temperature, pH, bottom type, and conductivity. A total of 45 outings were conducted, with a total sampling effort of 332.36 h. The average physicochemical parameters found were as follows: salinity 3.33 ppm, total dissolved solids 0.51 g/l, temperature 26.29 °C, dissolved oxygen 0.51%, pH 7.55, and oxidation–reduction potential 417.04 mV. Thirteen manatees were observed, mostly (84.6%) during the cold, where the parameters of electrical conductivity, salinity, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and oxidation–reduction potential showed differences between the sampled seasons, and in the lagoons with a presence of the floating and submersible vegetation species that form part of manatees' diet. This study shows that the ALS presents lagoons that favor the presence of the Antillean manatee, further narrowing the distribution of the species within the same ALS in the southern central zone of the state of Veracruz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classic paradigm, not always unequivocal though, that seagrass macrobenthic abundance and diversity are greater than those in adjacent unvegetated areas, was tested in a Mediterranean lagoon for which evidence is lacking. We compared the community structure and species composition of macrobenthic assemblages in three distinct areas of the Mistras Lagoon (Sardinia, Italy) dominated by i) the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa (Cym), ii) mixed-macrophyte/detritus (Mix), and iii) unvegetated sediments (Unv). Samplings were conducted in each area twice in spring (April and May) and twice in autumn (October and November) 2010. Multivariate analyses showed significant differences among the three areas and a marked separation between the two vegetated (Cym and Mix) and the unvegetated (Unv) areas. The top discriminating species, indicated by SIMPER analysis, were characterized by direct development lacking free living larvae. They included marine species, e.g. Cerithium lividulum, Microdeutopus gryllotalpa, Loripes orbiculatus and Gammarus aequicauda, at Cym vs Mix, whereas the pair discrimination of the areas Cym vs Unv and Mix vs Unv mostly depended on the marine Abra tenuis, the opportunistic Chironomidae and Capitella capitata, and the brackish Hydrobia acuta. Both vegetated areas showed a higher species number than the unvegetated area. Differently, abundance was higher in Unv than in Cym and Mix in all sampling dates, most notably in spring likely because of reproductive events, due to both opportunistic (C. capitata, chironomids) and halolimnobic (H. acuta, Cerastoderma glaucum) species. Overall, the present study demonstrated the importance of biological factors in structuring the macrobenthic assemblages of the Mistras Lagoon. Habitatforming phanerogams hosted species-rich assemblages, species-specific reproductive cycles and adaptive strategies contributed to drive species colonization and abundance distribution. Both vegetated and unvegetated patches were found to contribute greatly to the local-scale heterogeneity of the habitat, highlighting the importance of coastal lagoons as hotspots for benthic biodiversity. For these reasons, lagoons must be considered major targets for conservation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The predator-prey relationship is generally size-specific in the pelagic food webs. Phytoplankton cell size structure can provide information on the successive levels of consumers and therefore on the energy that can flow towards the top consumers. This work focuses on phytoplankton cell size structure in a coastal lagoon (Cabras Lagoon, Italy) considered one of the most important for fishing productivity in the Mediterranean. The inter-annual and seasonal dynamics of picophytoplankton (Pico, cell size <3 µm) and Utermöhl Fraction of Phytoplankton (UFP, cell size >3 µm) were considered during almost three years in relation to the temporal dynamics of selected environmental variables and zooplankton. Small-sized cells with a mean linear cell size <10 µm and a mean cell volume <103 µm3 mainly represented UFP along the entire study period. This size class contributed the most to total phytoplankton biomass (up to 86%) and density (up to 99%) during the first part of the investigation period. A compositional change was detected: smaller species of Chlorophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, filamentous Cyanophyceae, and autotrophic nanoflagellates thrived in the second part of the study, replacing larger Mediophyceae that dominated UFP at the beginning. Picocyanobacteria rich in phycocyanin were the dominant taxa of Pico along the entire investigation period and this size class contributed the most to total phytoplankton biomass (up to 30%) and density (up to 96%) at the end of the study. The observed shift towards different and even smaller UFP and Pico in the second part of the study was most probably due to complex interactions between top-down and bottom-up effects. Indeed, an increased temperature, a decreased salinity and decreased concentrations of nutrients (mainly ammonium and orthophosphate), as well as an increased grazing pressure of rotifers on the larger Mediophyceae were simultaneous with the changes detected in phytoplankton. The obtained results highlight a longer planktonic trophic web in Cabras Lagoon that includes small phytoplankton at the base, ciliates, rotifers, and copepods. This suggests low energy availability for planktivorous fish, with possible future relevant consequences for fishing activities in this coastal lagoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal lagoons are highly productive systems and the quantification of mass fluxes, which is of paramount importance for the sustainable management of these systems, remains poorly studied. In this context, a detailed study was conducted to better understand the exchanges between the productive coastal lagoon Ria Formosa (South-West Europe) and the ocean. The exchanges of water, nutrients, chlorophyll-a and suspended solids between the main inlets (Faro-Olhão inlet - BFO; Armona inlet - BAR; and Ancão inlet - BAN) and adjacent channels (Faro - CF and Olhão - CO) and the adjacent ocean were estimated along complete semidiurnal tidal cycles, under extreme fortnightly tidal ranges and different seasonal and environmental/oceanographic conditions. The net tidal prism was highest during spring tides. Among the three inlets, BFO was the most important in terms of exchange, followed by BAR and BAN. Net transport at BFO was lowest during the Summer campaign, although it exported material that fertilised the adjacent coast. The persistent net export of suspended solids and ammonium suggests the higher biological productivity of Ria Formosa compared to that found in coastal waters. In the Winter campaign, after a period of rainfall and increased land runoff, there was a remarkable export of matter, on which, ammonium and suspended particles exported can exceed 0.3 times and almost 0.9 times, respectively, those imported from coastal water. However, the import of phosphate and nitrate can be attributed to a weak coastal upwelling event, as well to low consumption and nitrification at this period of low temperature. During the Spring and Autumn campaigns, the Ria Formosa was fertilised either by upwelling events or due to rapid consumption of nutrients by phytoplankton in this shallow system. BFO and the other two inlets of the western sector of Ria Formosa are interconnected by CF and CO. The higher nutrient transport was recorded at CF, despite the highest nutrients concentrations was recorded at CO. The data show the strong link between physical and biogeochemical processes with meteorological/oceanographic factors. The study showed that associated biological processes are superimposed on the tidal effect in this system. Data from this study could be used as a reference, particularly important for management of Ria Formosa, a productive system where bivalves production depends deeply on water quality. In addition, the nutrient concentrations and mass exchanges resulting from the different processes can be used as a reference for other lagoon systems where shellfish production is practised. • Exchanges of mass were estimated between Ria Formosa (RF) and the adjacent ocean. • Among the three inlets, BFO arose as the most important regarding mass exchanges. • The net tidal prism was highest during spring tides. • RF fertilised the ocean but being also a sink of dissolved and particulate material. • Meteorological/oceanographic and biological processes superimposed on the tides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to assess the potential of emerging contaminants as environmental quality indicators for short-term monitoring programs, in contrast with traditional contaminants. Thirteen sediment samples from from Piratininga, a coastal lagoon subjected to anthropogenic impact, were analyzed for the following compounds: napropamide, diclofenac, naproxen, triclosan, ibuprofen, 17β-estradiol, bisphenol A, nadolol, ethofibrate and carbamazepine. The developed method, which included solid phase extraction, derivatization, and analysis by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, demonstrated robustness and suitability with quantification limits between 0.32 and 1.49 ng g−1. The concentrations of etofibrate, nadolol, napropamide and diclofenac were below the quantification limits for all the analyzed samples. The highest concentration was reported for bisphenol A (4.76 ± 0.44 ng g−1), followed by 17β-estradiol (2.88 ± 0.65 ng g−1), ibuprofen (2.70 ± 1.67 ng g−1) and triclosan (1.5 ± 0.43 ng g−1). The detected concentrations, spatial distribution, and local climatic conditions with distinct dry and wet seasons indicate the feasibility of biannual environmental quality monitoring. By evaluating the concentrations and statistical treatment, the use of contaminants of emerging concern as short-term indicators proved promising, leading to an optimized monitoring program from nine to three compounds (bisphenol A, ibuprofen and triclosan) and a sampling grid reduced from 13 to 4 points. • Contaminants of emerging concern are evaluated as indicators for short-term environmental monitoring. • Refinement of a robust and sensitive method for sediment samples • Optimized monitoring plan developed from chemical and statistical assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Aquatic Quality Index denotes a high impact by emerging contaminants in two coastal lagoon basins from streams to coastal sea. • Microbial communities respond sensitively to emerging contamination at basin scale. • Microbial indicators exhibited a high capacity to predict categories of impacted sites defined by the Aquatic Quality Index. • Molecular indicators based on microbial communities can detect impacts that might otherwise go unnoticed due to their high sensitivity. Aquatic microbial communities are well known to rapidly respond to environmental changes, and to harbor the highest taxonomic and genetic diversity among biological communities. Nevertheless, they remain under-utilized as bioindicators of contamination. Here we applied indicator value analysis (IndVal) to aquatic microbial communities to identify indicators of anthropogenic pressure by emerging contaminants at basin scale. For that, we defined categories of impact according to the Aquatic Quality Index (AQI) based on previous determinations of emerging contaminants (ECs) along an anthropogenic impact gradient. Indicator value analysis (IndVal) was conducted to identify amplicon sequence variants (ASVs; analogous to species in other fields of ecology) associated with each category. It was possible to find combinations of ASV indicators for all impact categories defined by the AQI. Microbial indicators exhibited a high capacity to predict the group membership of the samples within each AQI category and to correctly assign the samples to the appropriate category, employing leave-one-out cross-validation (100 % correctly assigned for streams and coastal sea and 94% for lagoons). This is the first report of emerging contamination indicators based on microbial communities. These results reaffirm the capacity of microbial communities to rapidly adjust their taxonomic composition in response to environmental changes. Therefore, these microscopic entities are promising for the application of environmental management measures and the approximation presented here contributes to the advancement of tools dedicated to monitoring aquatic ecosystems, and the application of more stringent standards for water quality than what is currently implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cosmopolitan species Ficopomatus enigmaticus is one of the most prominent providers of polychaete reefs in shallow and brackish waters. The effects of polychaete reefs on the environment can be positive or negative subject to their structural complexity and vary with local environmental conditions and over time. The Coorong is a large temperate estuarine and lagoonal system with extensive polychaete reefs built by F. enigmaticus. The aims of this study were to (1) classify polychaete reefs based on size and morphology, (2) quantify reef density, (3) assess their spatial distribution and (4) assess the correlation between reefs (e.g., density, size) with the environmental gradient. Structural morphologies of F. enigmaticus were classified as either halo, circular, irregular, platform or fringing reef types. The largest densities of polychaete reefs were recorded in the vicinity of the mouth of the estuary with 224 reefs per ha compared to the lagoon (62 reefs per ha). The most common reef morphology was circular and largest sizes in the lagoon were positively correlated with salinity, chlorophyll a , TRIX (trophic index) and bicarbonate. The largest reef diameter recorded was 11.3 m, exceeding previously known F. enigmaticus circular reef formations globally. The growth of large circular reefs may have benefitted from low flows and eutrophic conditions in the Coorong during the last two decades. This study serves as an important baseline for future assessments of reef change in a Ramsar listed wetland. Furthermore, this study highlights reef characteristics of F. enigmaticus across an environmental gradient, which can be informative for the management of flow and eutrophication in estuaries and coastal lagoons. [Display omitted] • The classification, density, and distribution of polychate reefs were assessed. • Largest recorded circular polychaete reefs globally. • Average reef size and density differed across the environmental gradient. • Reef size correlated with low water levels, eutrophic and hypersaline conditions. • Current distribution of F. enigmaticus reefs suggest an expansion along the Coorong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal lagoons have been providing ecological, economic and cultural benefits for many centuries. Despite their importance, the monitoring of coastal lagoons poses numerous challenges related to their complex environmental processes, their large variability in size and their remote location, inhibiting effective management programmes. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of Sentinel-2 satellites to map highly dynamic morphological and hydrological changes in the Louro lagoon, a small choked lagoon located on the Galician coast (NW Spain). For this purpose, a simple methodology using the Normalised Difference Water Index (NDWI) has been evaluated, which allows to monitor the sand barrier changes and the inlet formation. The results show that the sand barrier's opening and closing might take only a very short period, and the recovery of the lagoon to its full water level can happen in less than a month. Sentinel-2 images also reveal drastic changes in the water level once the sand barrier is broken. A water surface area of 0.24 km2 was estimated on 04/11/2019, while this surface was reduced to 0.10 km2 on 04/12/2019. Monitoring these changes is critical to understand the different processes ongoing in these valuable environments and making informed decisions for their management and protection.

The impact of invasive alien species on native communities can act at different levels both by affecting the ecosystem's structure (i.e., mainly in the case of vegetation) and through direct interactions (i.e., competition for food or space). Behavioral studies under controlled conditions can provide relevant information on both the invasive potential of alien species and the potential impact of the invaders on the local native species. In the laboratory, the competition for food resources between the invasive oriental shrimp Palaemon macrodactylus, Rathbun, 1902, and the Mediterranean native shrimp Palaemon elegans, Rathke, 1836, was analyzed. These species are typical residents of coastal transitional and estuarine waters, so the experiments were carried out using two salinity conditions that characterize the coastal lagoon of Venice. Although at both salinity treatments the alien species tended to be more aggressive than the native one, significant differences between the two species were mainly observed at a salinity of 30. In particular, at a salinity of 30, P. macrodactylus spent more time attending to the food source than the native species. The results are discussed in light of the potential inter-specific competition between the two species within the conditions of the Venice lagoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]