Standard Descriptors and Selected Biomarkers in Assessment of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile Environmental Response.

Endemic Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica is highly endangered today as it lives in a narrow infralittoral zone intensely exposed to human impact. P. oceanica beds are especially endangered in the Adriatic Sea as the central and northern Adriatic could be considered as a naturally suboptimal area for P. oceanica growth. In this research, we used some standard descriptors of Posidonia meadows at different locations and depths and determined the biochemical parameters (phenolic compounds, photosynthetic pigments, and enzyme activities) in its leaves in order to find possible correlations among the measured parameters and environmental conditions. Photosynthetic pigments were shown to be sensitive biomarkers in the assessment of P. oceanica response to different light conditions, but more research is needed to elucidate the impact of other environmental factors. Overall, the results of this research show that the studied parameters are good bioindicators of a meadow's environmental state, but it is necessary to analyze a number of diverse indicators together to properly characterize the state of a particular P. oceanica meadow. This approach would be very useful in the determination of P. oceanica conservation status, which is the first step towards improving monitoring protocols and implementing appropriate conservation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]