Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SHIFT2SOLVE (Shifting perspectives: from macrophyte collapses (tipping element) to global environmental change mitigation agents)
Reporting period: 2022-02-01 to 2024-01-31
Ocean environmental conditions are being rapidly altered due to human action. Two of the main resulting changes are Ocean Warming (OW) and Ocean Acidification (OA) which are the fundamental changes explored within the framework of the SHIFT2SOLVE project. Ocean Warming influences the fate of foundation species in coastal habitats such as seagrasses and macroalgae at different levels of organisation (from their physiology to their structure and functioning). Severe changes in the seawater temperature have resulted in important contractions of these habitats. Similarly, OA resulting from the incorporation of 25% of total anthropogenic CO2 emissions implies a shift in the carbonate system that may have important consequences for primary producers as well. While there is already sufficient knowledge on the effects of OW on marine vegetation and of OA on marine calcifying organisms mostly, there is still a lack of research on the combined effects on marine vegetation species.
The consideration of marine vegetation species as a tipping element of the planetary system has been largely overlooked. These systems contribute disproportionally to climate regulation having a key role in the carbon cycle, and being important habitats for global carbon sequestration. At the same time, they suffer important contractions and can tip over when levels of a variety of stressors are surpassed (e.g. light limitation, eutrophication, pollution, grazing). The knowledge derived from the project will contribute to preserving the maximum mitigation capacity possible related to these habitats while contributing to developing ocean-based solutions. The project is aligned with European and international societal priorities for climate action, the efficiency of resources and the Sustainable Development GOALS on Life below water and Climate action. SHIFT2SOLVE will eventually also contribute to a better description of marine vegetation as tipping elements and their capacity to acclimate to future ocean conditions. This is relevant given the IPCC expected projections at the end of the century (RCP 4.5 8.5).
SHIFT2SOLVE proposed to contribute to this gap of knowledge and at its completion, we expect the contribution to be significant. The project timely explores the capacity of marine vegetation (as a tipping element) to acclimate to changing ocean environmental conditions helping to better comprehend the capacity of these habitats to provide amelioration capacity. The general aim of the project is to provide the scientific basis for marine macrophyte and macroalgal systems under present and future climatic conditions contributing to safeguarding the maximum mitigation capacity to contribute to the Earth System resilience. The specific project objectives are:
- Quantifying macrophytes capacity to buffer environmental change.
- Assessing the acclimatization and adaptive capacity.
- Forecasting future scenarios.
- Identifying ecosystem contractions (landscape approach) by using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (AUV) and machine learning.
The consideration of marine vegetation species as a tipping element of the planetary system has been largely overlooked. These systems contribute disproportionally to climate regulation having a key role in the carbon cycle, and being important habitats for global carbon sequestration. At the same time, they suffer important contractions and can tip over when levels of a variety of stressors are surpassed (e.g. light limitation, eutrophication, pollution, grazing). The knowledge derived from the project will contribute to preserving the maximum mitigation capacity possible related to these habitats while contributing to developing ocean-based solutions. The project is aligned with European and international societal priorities for climate action, the efficiency of resources and the Sustainable Development GOALS on Life below water and Climate action. SHIFT2SOLVE will eventually also contribute to a better description of marine vegetation as tipping elements and their capacity to acclimate to future ocean conditions. This is relevant given the IPCC expected projections at the end of the century (RCP 4.5 8.5).
SHIFT2SOLVE proposed to contribute to this gap of knowledge and at its completion, we expect the contribution to be significant. The project timely explores the capacity of marine vegetation (as a tipping element) to acclimate to changing ocean environmental conditions helping to better comprehend the capacity of these habitats to provide amelioration capacity. The general aim of the project is to provide the scientific basis for marine macrophyte and macroalgal systems under present and future climatic conditions contributing to safeguarding the maximum mitigation capacity to contribute to the Earth System resilience. The specific project objectives are:
- Quantifying macrophytes capacity to buffer environmental change.
- Assessing the acclimatization and adaptive capacity.
- Forecasting future scenarios.
- Identifying ecosystem contractions (landscape approach) by using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (AUV) and machine learning.
At the end of 2022, the project has already collected important missing information on marine vegetation performance at combined OW and OA scenarios both by means of field and laboratory experimentation. These results will be later implemented in ecosystem resilience models.
Below, I detail the progress made in relation to each of the 4 specific scientific objectives.
The present and future capacity of marine macrophytes to provide amelioration to changing environmental conditions in the ocean is related to i) their capacity to generate habitat along gradients of stress and ii) to increase the water pH by removing CO2 through photosynthesis. To evaluate the capacity to generate habitat we measured the structural complexity of Posidonia oceanica and macroalgal forests in CO2 vents and ambient sites. The capacity of both P. oceniaca and Cystoseira species to ameliorate pH was evaluated by means of field and laboratory experiments.
We test the performance of marine macrophytes under IPCC 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios of OW and OA by means of a laboratory experiment. P. oceanica fragments from CO2 vents in Ischia were used to this purpose. Plant tissue samples were collected and preserved for genetic analyses; expression level of target genes involved in key physiological processes. Plant performance of fragments exposed to different pH and temperature treatments was measured using multiple approaches including evaluations of net photosynthesis and respiration. Results will be used to develop mathematical models to understand the resilience of these systems in current and future ocean scenarios.
We used UAV to create a library of ortomosaics of coastal habitats across the North Western Mediterranean. These maps include both macroalgal forests and seagrass habitats of different species. We apply AI tools for semiautomatic habitat classification and further analysis of landscape patterns.
SHIFT2SOLVE explored the capacity of marine vegetation (as a tipping element) to acclimate to these changes and to provide amelioration capacity. The knowledge derived from the project will contribute to preserving the maximum mitigation capacity possible related to these habitats while contributing to developing ocean-based solutions. The project is aligned with European and international societal priorities for climate action, the efficiency of resources and the Sustainable Development GOALS on Life below water and Climate action. Dissemination of results to the scientific community will be done through a series of scientific publications and presentations at international conferences. Media content was generated both in the field and in the laboratory. The MSCA fellowship has been pivotal for the fellow's career development and professional maturity.
Below, I detail the progress made in relation to each of the 4 specific scientific objectives.
The present and future capacity of marine macrophytes to provide amelioration to changing environmental conditions in the ocean is related to i) their capacity to generate habitat along gradients of stress and ii) to increase the water pH by removing CO2 through photosynthesis. To evaluate the capacity to generate habitat we measured the structural complexity of Posidonia oceanica and macroalgal forests in CO2 vents and ambient sites. The capacity of both P. oceniaca and Cystoseira species to ameliorate pH was evaluated by means of field and laboratory experiments.
We test the performance of marine macrophytes under IPCC 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios of OW and OA by means of a laboratory experiment. P. oceanica fragments from CO2 vents in Ischia were used to this purpose. Plant tissue samples were collected and preserved for genetic analyses; expression level of target genes involved in key physiological processes. Plant performance of fragments exposed to different pH and temperature treatments was measured using multiple approaches including evaluations of net photosynthesis and respiration. Results will be used to develop mathematical models to understand the resilience of these systems in current and future ocean scenarios.
We used UAV to create a library of ortomosaics of coastal habitats across the North Western Mediterranean. These maps include both macroalgal forests and seagrass habitats of different species. We apply AI tools for semiautomatic habitat classification and further analysis of landscape patterns.
SHIFT2SOLVE explored the capacity of marine vegetation (as a tipping element) to acclimate to these changes and to provide amelioration capacity. The knowledge derived from the project will contribute to preserving the maximum mitigation capacity possible related to these habitats while contributing to developing ocean-based solutions. The project is aligned with European and international societal priorities for climate action, the efficiency of resources and the Sustainable Development GOALS on Life below water and Climate action. Dissemination of results to the scientific community will be done through a series of scientific publications and presentations at international conferences. Media content was generated both in the field and in the laboratory. The MSCA fellowship has been pivotal for the fellow's career development and professional maturity.
SHIFT2SOLVE develops the basic knowledge to understand the future fate of marine vegetation under future ocean environmental conditions of OW and OA. The knowledge gained will help identify the most appropriate ways to manage these ecosystems to preserve the maximum mitigation capacity possible, contributing to developing natural ocean-based actions to attenuate OW and OA, and securing natural resources including food supply. This knowledge is of scientific priority and pivotal also for management and policy at EU and international levels. It perfectly aligns with European and international societal priorities for climate action, the efficiency of resources and the sustainable development GOALS on life below water and climate action. SHIFT2SOLVE outcomes will serve as a good basis for including marine vegetation in the context of tipping elements of the climate system and provides a holistic understanding able to secure the maximum mitigation capacity to preserve or increase future global resilience.