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Seagrasses are a polyphyletic group of angiosperms that colonized marine environments more than 30 million years ago and currently inhabit coastal soft and rocky substrates in all continents except Antarctica. Due to their evolution from terrestrial plants, seagrasses have belowground organs that interact with the substrate, transforming it through chemo-physical processes analogous to terrestrial soil formation. Although seagrass substrates provide valuable ecosystem services including carbon and coastal stabilization, they have been largely regarded as sediments by marine scientists and neglected in soil science research. However, over the last decades, the increasing interest in carbon accumulation by seagrasses has generated multiple data on seagrass soil physical and chemical characteristics. Here, we review clay and silt content (<0.063 mm particle size), redox potential, pH, carbonate content, organic carbon or organic matter contents, dry bulk density, porosity and color of seagrass soils worldwide, summarizing data typically used for soil description, and looking for generalities in soil characteristics across seagrass habitats. The data gathered was biased towards temperate species and high-income countries, while data about color, porosity, redox potential and pH was scarce. Soil characteristics did not show significant differences among seagrass bioregions. Most seagrass substrates showed sandy textures, whereas one of the most sampled genera, Posidonia, was not present in muddy substrates. The soil Corg content was significantly higher in meadows formed by persistent species (mean ± SD; 1.76 ± 2.17 %) than in meadows formed by species with opportunistic and colonizing life-strategies (1.52 ± 2.24 and 0.76 ± 0.95 %, respectively), while mud content was significantly higher in meadows formed by opportunistic and colonizing species (27.87 ± 29.58 and 21.23 ± 21.77 %, respectively) than in those formed by persistent species (11.83 ± 14.45 %). Redox poten

Seagrasses are a polyphyletic group of angiosperms that colonized marine environments more than 30 million years ago and currently inhabit coastal soft and rocky substrates in all continents except Antarctica. Due to their evolution from terrestrial plants, seagrasses have belowground organs that interact with the substrate, trans- forming it through chemo-physical processes analogous to terrestrial soil formation. Although seagrass substrates provide valuable ecosystem services including carbon and coastal stabilization, they have been largely regarded as sediments by marine scientists and neglected in soil science research. However, over the last decades, the increasing interest in carbon accumulation by seagrasses has generated multiple data on seagrass soil physical and chemical characteristics. Here, we review clay and silt content (<0.063 mm particle size), redox potential, pH, carbonate content, organic carbon or organic matter contents, dry bulk density, porosity and color of sea- grass soils worldwide, summarizing data typically used for soil description, and looking for generalities in soil characteristics across seagrass habitats. The data gathered was biased towards temperate species and high- income countries, while data about color, porosity, redox potential and pH was scarce. Soil characteristics did not show significant differences among seagrass bioregions. Most seagrass substrates showed sandy textures, whereas one of the most sampled genera, Posidonia, was not present in muddy substrates. The soil Corg content was significantly higher in meadows formed by persistent species (mean ± SD; 1.76 ± 2.17 %) than in meadows formed by species with opportunistic and colonizing life-strategies (1.52 ± 2.24 and 0.76 ± 0.95 %, respec- tively), while mud content was significantly higher in meadows formed by opportunistic and colonizing species (27.87 ± 29.58 and 21.23 ± 21.77 %, respectively) than in those formed by persistent species (11.83 ± 14.45 %). Redox p

Seagrasses are a polyphyletic group of angiosperms that colonized marine environments more than 30 million years ago and currently inhabit coastal soft and rocky substrates in all continents except Antarctica. Due to their evolution from terrestrial plants, seagrasses have belowground organs that interact with the substrate, transforming it through chemo-physical processes analogous to terrestrial soil formation. Although seagrass substrates provide valuable ecosystem services including carbon and coastal stabilization, they have been largely regarded as sediments by marine scientists and neglected in soil science research. However, over the last decades, the increasing interest in carbon accumulation by seagrasses has generated multiple data on seagrass soil physical and chemical characteristics. Here, we review clay and silt content ( < 0.063 mm particle size), redox potential, pH, carbonate content, organic carbon or organic matter contents, dry bulk density, porosity and color of seagrass soils worldwide, summarizing data typically used for soil description, and looking for generalities in soil characteristics across seagrass habitats. The data gathered was biased towards temperate species and high-income countries, while data about color, porosity, redox potential and pH was scarce. Soil characteristics did not show significant differences among seagrass bioregions. Most seagrass substrates showed sandy textures, whereas one of the most sampled genera, Posidonia, was not present in muddy substrates. The soil Corg content was significantly higher in meadows formed by persistent species (mean ± SD; 1.76 ± 2.17 %) than in meadows formed by species with opportunistic and colonizing life-strategies (1.52 ± 2.24 and 0.76 ± 0.95 %, respectively), while mud content was significantly higher in meadows formed by opportunistic and colonizing species (27.87 ± 29.58 and 21.23 ± 21.77 %, respectively) than in those formed by persistent species (11.83 ± 14.45 %). Redox potent

The way soils form, their distribution on the landscape, and their interactions with their ecosystems must be understood if they are to be managed well. Our incipient understanding of subaqueous soils limits successful management, but recent research efforts have sought to address this problem. The goal of this study was to evaluate the protocols for describing, characterizing, classifying, and mapping subaqueous soils. To this end, a subaqueous soil-landscape model (Wessel, 2020) was used to predict the distribution of soils in South River, a western shore Chesapeake Bay subestuary. The soils of South River were surveyed, and the observed soils were compared to the predictions. The model provided significant positive guidance for mapping subaqueous soils, confirming that a pedological approach is useful in subaqueous settings. Pedological data were used to generate a subaqueous soils map for South River and make recommendations to refine the model. Protocols related to soil porewater halinity and mineralogy were also investigated.

Scientists studying seagrasses typically refer to their substratum as sediment, but recently researchers have begun to refer to it as a soil. However, the logistics of sampling underwater substrata and the fragility of these ecosystems challenge their study using pedological methods. Previous studies have reported geochemical processes within the rhizosphere that are compatible with pedogenesis. Seagrass substratum accumulated over the Recent Holocene and can reach several meters in thickness, but studies about deeper layers are scarce. This study is a first attempt to find sound evidence of vertical structuring in Posidonia oceanica deposits to serve as a basis for more detailed pedological studies. A principal component analysis on X-Ray Fluorescence-elemental composition, carbonate content and organic matter content data along a 475 cm core was able to identify four main physico-chemical signals: humification, accumulation of carbonates, texture and organic matter depletion. The results revealed a highly structured deposit undergoing pedogenetical processes characteristic of soils rather than a mere accumulation of sediments. Further research is required to properly describe the substratum underneath seagrass meadows, decide between the sediment or soil nature for seagrass substrata, and for the eventual inclusion of seagrass substrata in soil classifications and the mapping of seagrass soil resources

Scientists studying seagrasses typically refer to their substratum as sediment, but recently researchers have begun to refer to it as a soil. However, the logistics of sampling underwater substrata and the fragility of these ecosystems challenge their study using pedological methods. Previous studies have reported geochemical processes within the rhizosphere that are compatible with pedogenesis. Seagrass substratum accumulated over the Recent Holocene and can reach several meters in thickness, but studies about deeper layers are scarce. This study is a first attempt to find sound evidence of vertical structuring in Posidonia oceanica deposits to serve as a basis for more detailed pedological studies. A principal component analysis on X-Ray Fluorescence-elemental composition, carbonate content and organic matter content data along a 475 cm core was able to identify four main physico-chemical signals: humification, accumulation of carbonates, texture and organic matter depletion. The results revealed a highly structured deposit undergoing pedogenetical processes characteristic of soils rather than a mere accumulation of sediments. Further research is required to properly describe the substratum underneath seagrass meadows, decide between the sediment or soil nature for seagrass substrata, and for the eventual inclusion of seagrass substrata in soil classifications and the mapping of seagrass soil resources.

Scientists studying seagrasses typically refer to their substratum as sediment, but recently researchers have begun to refer to it as a soil. However, the logistics of sampling underwater substrata and the fragility of these ecosystems challenge their study using pedological methods. Previous studies have reported geochemical processes within the rhizosphere that are compatible with pedogenesis. Seagrass substratum accumulated over the Recent Holocene and can reach several meters in thickness, but studies about deeper layers are scarce. This study is a first attempt to find sound evidence of vertical structuring in Posidonia oceanica deposits to serve as a basis for more detailed pedological studies. A principal component analysis on X-Ray Fluorescence-elemental composition, carbonate content and organic matter content data along a 475 cm core was able to identify four main physico-chemical signals: humification, accumulation of carbonates, texture and organic matter depletion. The results revealed a highly structured deposit undergoing pedogenetical processes characteristic of soils rather than a mere accumulation of sediments. Further research is required to properly describe the substratum underneath seagrass meadows, decide between the sediment or soil nature for seagrass substrata, and for the eventual inclusion of seagrass substrata in soil classifications and the mapping of seagrass soil resources.

Scientists studying seagrasses typically refer to their substratum as sediment, but recently researchers have begun to refer to it as a soil. However, the logistics of sampling underwater substrata and the fragility of these ecosystems challenge their study using pedological methods. Previous studies have reported geochemical processes within the rhizosphere that are compatible with pedogenesis. Seagrass substratum accumulated over the Recent Holocene and can reach several meters in thickness, but studies about deeper layers are scarce. This study is a first attempt to find sound evidence of vertical structuring in Posidonia oceanica deposits to serve as a basis for more detailed pedological studies. A principal component analysis on X-Ray Fluorescence-elemental composition, carbonate content and organic matter content data along a 475 cm core was able to identify four main physico-chemical signals: humification, accumulation of carbonates, texture and organic matter depletion. The results revealed a highly structured deposit undergoing pedogenetical processes characteristic of soils rather than a mere accumulation of sediments. Further research is required to properly describe the substratum underneath seagrass meadows, decide between the sediment or soil nature for seagrass substrata, and for the eventual inclusion of seagrass substrata in soil classifications and the mapping of seagrass soil resources.

Dit rapport geeft een samenvatting van de ‘state of the art’ kennis met betrekking tot de impact van bodemberoerende vistuigen en bespreekt de te verwachte effecten van de flyshoot methode in vergelijking met de andere vismethoden.

Subaqueous soils have to be studied with proper methodologies, according to a pedological approach and considering the key role of animal bioturbation. Morphological and chemical characteristics of submerged soils found in the MPA of "Torre del Cerrano", Adriatic sea (Italy), have been studied in this way, and we conclude that submarine soils of the MPA are important examples of pedogenesis promoted by animals. Soils from the highly protected marine area hosted a major biodiversity than those from the sub- and non-protected areas, while no striking differences in terms of soil physical and chemical characteristics among protected, sub-protected and non-protected areas occurred.

The introduction of the “subaqueous soils” into the international classification system of the Soil Taxonomy (2010) gives a possibility to soil scientists to use the pedogenetic approach to investigate coastal soils in view of resource protection and valorization. Coastal areas, in fact, are complex and fragile ecosystems whose ecological value is worldwide recognized, but generally highly inhabited and affected by different erosion and pollution phenomena, and flooding problems. The soil science has a great opportunity to contribute to the correct management and protection of coastal soils, by recognizing the value of coastal soils and thus investigating the effect of the water table oscillation and ionic composition to the changes of soil properties and functionality. This work represent a first attempt to describe the soil continuum existing from hydromorphic to subaqueous environment, highlighting the evidence of some pedogenetic processes into subaquatic substrates and demonstrating the high ecological values of these pedons.

De ambitie is om van het Nederlands Continentaal Plat (NCP) 10-15% van de bodem te beschermen tegen bodemberoering. Een belangrijk uitgangspunt in de Mariene Strategie is dat de genoemde maatregel voor de visserijsector tot een minimumlast beperkt dient te worden. Daartoe wordt in deze studie het model Marxan toegepast. De geanalyseerde scenario’s resulteren in ruimtelijke uitwerkingen waarbij de te sluiten zone en een schets van de visserijkosten worden gepresenteerd, en ook welke ecologische winst worden behaald.

Dit document is een samenvatting, met daarbij de beleidsrelevantie, van de wetenschappelijke publicatie ‘When does fishing lead to more fish? Community consequences of bottom trawl fisheries in demersal food webs ’ geschreven door Daniel van Denderen, Tobias van Kooten en Adriaan Rijnsdorp, gepubliceerd in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, vol. 280, no. 20131883 op 4 september 2013. Het doel van deze Nederlandstalige samenvatting is het ontsluiten van de conclusies uit deze publicatie voor een breder publiek, en het schetsen van de consequenties daarvan voor het Nederlandse visserij- en natuurbeheer.

Bianca Peixoto Senior Honors Project Macroinvertebrate Assemblages and Dynamic Soil Properties: Influence of Dredging: Abstract The habitat characterization of subaqueous soils is important for inventorying natural resources and monitoring changes in ecosystem processes. This project aimed to characterize benthic communities within coastal ponds of southern Rhode Island, and develop an understanding of how these communities change due to habitat alterations. I explored the distribution of benthic biology among a range of estuarine subaqueous soils and the effect of anthropogenic disturbance (dredging) on these distributions. The term “benthic” refers to the collection of organisms living in the substrate at the interface between the water column and the underlying subaqueous soils. Despite their small size, sometimes microscopic, size, these benthic organisms can have a large impact on the characteristics of subaqueous soils and on other organisms dwelling in the waters. In this study, I used taxonomic keys to identify the relationships between the invertebrate communities and the subaqueous soils. I investigated differences in species diversity and abundance between subaqueous soils with different morphological characteristics. Identifying the organisms will lead to a classification of benthic community assemblages for these soils. The soil samples used in this project were collected from sites that have been dredged and sites that have not been dredged. This allowed me to quantify the organisms’ resistance and resilience to the change that occurs because of dredging activities. I also analyzed the soil samples for pH level, incubation pH level (a metric of sulfide content), particle size, soil organic matter, and calcium carbonate content

Dit artikel beschrijft observaties die gedaan zijn tijdens duikexpedities naar scheepswrakken in 2010-2012 om zo meer inzicht te krijgen in de ecologische waarde van scheepswrakken in de Nederlandse Noordzee. Hierbij werd geïllustreerd dat scheepswrakken hot spots zijn voor biodiversiteit. Het aantal soorten dat bekend is van zachte bodems van het gehele Nederlandse Continentale plat, is zo ongeveer gelijk aan het aantal soorten dat op wrakken is aangetroffen. Het oppervlak van het Nederlands grondgebied dat bestaat uit zandbodems is echter vele maken groter dan het bodemoppervlak waarop zich wrakken bevinden. Naast vele andere taxa, zijn grote en juveniele kabeljauwen, een inheemse spookkreeftje, de klipvis en de luipaardgrondel waargenomen op de wrakken. Het voorkomen van deze soorten, en hun afwezigheid in andere Noordzeehabitats, geeft aan dat scheepswrakken voor deze soorten noodzakelijke leefgebieden, kraamkamers en refugia vormen, die op andere plekken in Nederland niet meer of slechts sporadisch aanwezig zijn.

A beach closure during the height of the summer can cost a coastal community approximately $37,000. In 2006, 349 beach closures in Rhode Island were due to presumed human fecal contamination. Fecal contamination is determined based on enumeration of fecal indicator bacteria. Fecal enterococci (FE) are the commonly used indicator bacteria for human fecal contamination in fresh and coastal waters. The EPA has suggested that FE is the best indicator of human health risk in salt water used for recreation and shell fishing activities. Recently, molecular analysis of Bifidobacterium adolescentis has been introduced as a more reliable, specific indicator of human fecal contamination. To be useful, bacterial indicators must die soon after entering a water body, so that their presence can be related to a specific contamination event. Some studies have suggested that FE may survive for long periods after entering receiving waters. We assessed the potential role of subaqueous soils and eelgrass (Zostera marina) as refugia for B. adolescentis and FE in a coastal marine environment. Subaqueous soils are mineral soils that exist in shallow water and support rooted vegetation. Eelgrass is a submerged aquatic plant in the shallow water areas of Narragansett Bay. It provides critical habitat for fish, shellfish and crustaceans and conservation concerns have arisen in the past few years due to its marked decline. The study was conducted in Bluff Hill Cove, Point Judith, Rhode Island. Subaqueous soil samples were extracted using a vibracore and eelgrass sampled from the soil extraction sites. FE was analyzed using the Enterolert method and B. adolescentis was detected using nucleic acid analysis. Particle size distribution of each sample was determined to assess relationships between FE and B. adolescentisn concentration and soil texture. FE were present in both the eelgrass and subaqueous soil samples, with a higher concentration found in the latter. By contrast, B. adolescentis was

Chincoteague Bay is the largest (19,000 ha) of Maryland's inland coastal bays bounded by Assateague Island to the east and the Maryland mainland to the west. It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the Ocean City inlet to the north and the Chincoteague inlet to the south. Water depth ranges mostly from 1.0 to 2.5 meters mean sea level (MSL). The objectives of this study were to identify the subaqueous landforms, evaluate the suitability of existing subaqueous soil-landscape models, develop a soils map, and demonstrate the usefulness of subaqueous soils information. Bathymetric data collected by the Maryland Geological Survey in 2003 were used to generate a digital elevation model (DEM) of Chincoteague Bay. The DEM was used, in conjunction with false color infrared photography to identify subaqueous landforms based on water depth, slope, landscape shape, depositional environment, and geographical setting (proximity to other landforms). The eight such landforms identified were barrier cove, lagoon bottom, mainland cove, paleo-flood tidal delta, shoal, storm-surge washover fan flat, storm-surge washover fan slope, and submerged headland. Previously established soil-landscape models were evaluated and utilized to create a soils map of the area. Soil profile descriptions were collected at 163 locations throughout Chincoteague Bay. Pedons representative of major landforms were characterized for a variety of chemical, physical and mineralogical properties. Initially classification using Soil Taxonomy (Soil Survey Staff, 2006) identified the major soils as Typic Sulfaquents, Haplic Sulfaquents, Sulfic Hydraquents, and Thapto-Histic Sulfaquents. Using a proposed modification to Soil Taxonomy designed to better accommodate subaqueous soils with the new suborder of Wassents, soils of Chincoteague Bay were primarily classified as Fluvic Sulfiwassents, Haplic Sulfiwassents, Thapto-Histic Sulfiwassents, Sulfic Hydrowassents, and Sulfic Psammowassents. To illustrate the applicati

Piñeiro-Juncal, N., Leiva-Dueñas, C., Serrano, O., Mateo, M. Á., & Martínez-Cortízas, A. (2020). Pedogenic Processes in a Posidonia oceanica Mat. Soil Systems, 4(2), 18. https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems4020018