Potential blue carbon in the fringe of Southern European Kelp forests.

Blue Carbon encompasses the organic carbon sequestered and stored by coastal and marine ecosystems, including seaweed forests. This study aims to quantify the potential Blue Carbon storage and sequestration rates of subtidal kelp forests in Northern Portugal, focusing on the most dominant species Laminaria hyperborea and Saccorhiza polyschides. Through in-situ measurements of forest extension, biomass, growth, and carbon content, we determined that these kelp forests store approximately 16.

Response of intertidal fucales to low-tide heat stress at their southern distributional limit.

The increasing intensity and frequency of atmospheric heatwaves threaten the physiological capabilities of intertidal canopy-forming macroalgae, especially at their southern range, where species live closer to their upper thermal limits. While heat stress experiments on these species are increasingly common, few incorporate realistic intertidal conditions. This study assessed the physiological responses of key intertidal macroalgae across the intertidal range (Fucus serratus, Fucus spiralis, Ascophyllum nodosum, and Pelvetia canaliculata), at their southern distribution limit in the NW Iberian Peninsula to simulate heat stress using a custom setup that replicated realistic conditions, including tidal cycles and temperature patterns.

Morphological and molecular development of Terfezia claveryi ectendomycorrhizae exhibits three well-defined stages.

The normal development of mycorrhizal symbiosis is a dynamic process, requiring elaborately regulated interactions between plant roots and compatible fungi, mandatory for both partners´ survival. In the present study, we further elucidated the mycorrhizal development of the desert truffles Terfezia claveryi with the host plant Helianthemum almeriense as an ectendomycorrhizal symbiosis model under greenhouse conditions. To investigate this, we evaluated the morphology of mycorrhizal colonization, concomitantly with the dynamic expression of selected marker genes (6 fungal and 11 plant genes) measured every week until mycorrhiza maturation (three months).

Revealing the Potential of Linnaeus for Cosmetic Purposes: Chemical Profile and Biological Activities of Commercial and Wild Samples.

The natural products industry is gaining increasing interest, not only due to modern lifestyles becoming more aware of environmental and sustainability issues but also because of the loss of efficacy and undesirable side effects of synthetic ingredients. This pioneering study provides a comprehensive comparison between extracts obtained from wild and commercial samples of Linnaeus, highlighting their multifaceted benefits in cosmetic applications. The antiaging potential of acetone (70 and 90%) and ethanol 60% extracts from wild and commercial samples of , focusing on their application in cosmetics, was explored.

What if the upwelling weakens? Effects of rising temperature and nutrient depletion on coastal assemblages.

Surface temperature of the oceans has increased globally over the past decades. In coastal areas influenced by eastern boundary upwelling systems (EBUS), winds push seawater offshore and deep, cold and nutrient-rich seawater rise towards the surface, partially buffering global warming. On the North coast of Portugal, the NW Iberian upwelling system allows extensive kelp forests to thrive in these "boreal-like" conditions, fostering highly diverse and productive communities.

Rapid tropicalization evidence of subtidal seaweed assemblages along a coastal transitional zone.

Anthropogenic climate change, particularly seawater warming, is expected to drive quick shifts in marine species distribution transforming coastal communities. These shifts in distribution will be particularly noticeable in biogeographical transition zones. The continental Portuguese coast stretches from north to south along 900 km.

Forecasting distributional shifts of Patella spp. in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, under climate change.

Mapping species' geographical distribution is fundamental for understanding current patterns and forecasting future changes. Living on rocky shores along the intertidal zone, limpets are vulnerable to climate change, as their range limits are controlled by seawater temperature. Many works have been studying limpets' potential responses to climate change at local and regional scales.

Design and Validation of qPCR-Specific Primers for Quantification of the Marketed and in Soil.

Desert truffle crop is a pioneer in southeastern Spain, a region where native edible hypogeous fungi are adapted to the semiarid areas with low annual rainfall. Chatin was the first species of desert truffle to be cultivated, and has been increasing in recent years as an alternative rainfed crop in the Iberian Peninsula. However, its behaviour in the field has yet not been investigated.

Desert truffle mycorrhizosphere harbors organic acid releasing plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, essentially during the truffle fruiting season.

Desert truffle is becoming a new crop in semiarid areas. Climatic parameters and the presence of microorganisms influence the host plant physiology and alter desert truffle production. Desert truffle plants present a typical summer deciduous plant phenology divided into four stages: summer dormancy, autumn bud break, winter photosynthetic activity, and spring fruiting.

Different patterns in root and soil fungal diversity drive plant productivity of the desert truffle Terfezia claveryi in plantation.

The desert truffle Terfezia claveryi is one of the few mycorrhizal fungi currently in cultivation in semiarid and arid areas. Agroclimatic parameters seem to affect its annual yield, but there is no information on the influence of biotic factors. In this study, fungal diversity was analysed by high-throughput sequencing of the ITS2 rDNA region from soil and root samples to compare productive and non-productive mycorrhizal plants in a 4-years old plantation (Murcia, Spain).

Resurvey of sea urchins and mussels at protected and harvested shores a decade after: A beyond-BACI approach.

Comparing temporal patterns of distribution and abundance of target organisms between protected and harvested shores is essential to assess the extant effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs) and whether it is maintained through time. By means of an adapted Beyond-BACI approach, we compared the short- and long-term patterns of variation in the abundance of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus and the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis at a protected shore (within the Parque Litoral Norte MPA, Portugal) and at three adjacent shores subject to intense harvesting over a decadal interval. Despite the existence of the MPA for more than 30 years, we did not obtain clear evidence of its persistent or recent effectiveness on intertidal species of commercial interest.

Desert truffle genomes reveal their reproductive modes and new insights into plant-fungal interaction and ectendomycorrhizal lifestyle.

Desert truffles are edible hypogeous fungi forming ectendomycorrhizal symbiosis with plants of Cistaceae family. Knowledge about the reproductive modes of these fungi and the molecular mechanisms driving the ectendomycorrhizal interaction is lacking. Genomes of the highly appreciated edible desert truffles Terfezia claveryi Chatin and Tirmania nivea Trappe have been sequenced and compared with other Pezizomycetes.

Short-term effects of increased CO2, nitrate and temperature on photosynthetic activity in Ulva rigida (Chlorophyta) estimated by different pulse amplitude modulated fluorometers and oxygen evolution.

Short-term effects of pCO2 (700-380 ppm; High carbon (HC) and Low carbon (LC), respectively) and nitrate content (50-5 µM; High nitrogen (HN) and Low nitrogen (LN), respectively on photosynthesis were investigated in Ulva rigida (Chlorophyta) under solar radiation (in-situ) and in the laboratory under artificial light (ex-situ). After six days of incubation at ambient temperature (AT), algae were subjected to a 4 °C temperature increase (AT+4 °C) for 3 d. Both in-situ and ex-situ maximal electron transport rate (ETRmax) and in situ gross photosynthesis (GP), measured by O2 evolution, presented highest values under HCHN, and lowest under HCLN, across all measuring systems.

Elevated atmospheric CO modifies responses to water-stress and flowering of Mediterranean desert truffle mycorrhizal shrubs.

Predicted increases in atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO ) coupled with increased temperatures and drought are expected to strongly influence the development of most of the plant species in the world, especially in areas with high risk of desertification like the Mediterranean basin. Helianthemum almeriense is an ecologically important Mediterranean shrub with an added interest because it serves as the host for the Terfezia claveryi mycorrhizal fungus, which is a desert truffle with increasingly commercial interest. Although both plant and fungi are known to be well adapted to dry conditions, it is still uncertain how the increase in atmospheric CO will influence them.

Effects of pH on salicylic acid toxicity in terms of biomarkers determined in the marine gastropod Gibbula umbilicalis.

Alterations of the physical-chemical properties of the oceans due to anthropogenic activities are, at present, one of the most concerning environmental issues studied by researchers. One of these issues is ocean acidification, mainly caused by overproduction and release of carbon dioxide (CO) from anthropogenic sources. Another component of environmental degradation is related to the production and release of potential toxic compounds, namely active pharmaceutical ingredients, into the aquatic environment that, combined with oceanic acidification, can cause unpredictable and never before considered deleterious effects on non-target marine organisms.

Effects of Water Acidification on Senegalese Sole Health Status and Metabolic Rate: Implications for Immune Responses and Energy Use.

Increasing water CO, aquatic hypercapnia, leads to higher physiological pCO levels in fish, resulting in an acidosis and compensatory acid-base regulatory response. Senegalese sole is currently farmed in super-intensive recirculating water systems where significant accumulation of CO in the water may occur. Moreover, anthropogenic releases of CO into the atmosphere are linked to ocean acidification.

Interaction of short-term copper pollution and ocean acidification in seagrass ecosystems: Toxicity, bioconcentration and dietary transfer.

We aimed to show how the predicted pH decrease in the ocean would alter the toxicity, bioconcentration and dietary transfer of trace metal copper on seagrass ecosystems, on a short-term basis. Seagrass Zostera noltei was exposed to two pH levels (8.36 and 8.

Unexpected nutrient influence on the thermal ecophysiology of seaweeds that recently followed opposite abundance shifts.

World's oceans are warming, and recent studies suggest that the Iberian upwelling system may be weakening. To understand the potential consequences of both trends, six intertidal seaweeds that recently followed opposite upward and downward abundance shifts in the Iberian upwelling region were exposed for six weeks to conditions simulating present and warmed scenarios, combined with nutrient treatments emulating the influence and absence of the upwelling. Unlike expectations, a high nutrient supply did not ameliorate the effects of warming.

The effect of sex, season and gametogenic cycle on gonad yield, biochemical composition and quality traits of Paracentrotus lividus along the North Atlantic coast of Portugal.

Sea urchin population harvest in the North Atlantic coast of Portugal was characterized in terms of gonad yield, nutritional composition and important market-related traits, over one reproductive cycle (March 2016 to March 2017). Most of the quality attributes showed a seasonal variation strongly dependent on sea urchin sex. Maximum gonad yield (18%) was observed in March 2017.

Seasonal effect in nutritional quality and safety of the wild sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus harvested in the European Atlantic shores.

Paracentrotus lividus gonads are gastronomic delicacies widely appreciated in Europe. Two commercially exploited populations of sea urchins were characterized, for the first time, in terms of gonad quality (market-related traits such as colour, texture and nutritional value) and safety (contaminants levels) to define the best season for harvesting this valuable resource. Spawning occurred between spring-summer, yet gonad index peaked only in one population during winter.

Short-term variation of abundance of the purple sea urchin, Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816), subject to harvesting in northern Portugal.

Paracentrotus lividus is a common and intensely harvested sea urchin at several European locations, including the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The increasing human pressure on this resource due to the growing demand and market value of sea urchin gonads as seafood raises concerns on the ecological sustainability of present fisheries, which are showing a technological improvement and an expansion towards previously non-harvested areas. We examined the abundance of P.

Mycelium of Terfezia claveryi as inoculum source to produce desert truffle mycorrhizal plants.

Terfezia claveryi Chatin was the first desert truffle species to be cultivated, the mycorrhizal plants being successfully produced by using both desert truffle spores and mycelia. However, it is more advisable to use mycelium than spores whenever possible and profitable. Given the low yields of mycelia obtained using traditional culture methods of this truffle, the medium composition was modified in an attempt to determine its nutritional requirements.

Harnessing positive species interactions as a tool against climate-driven loss of coastal biodiversity.

Habitat-forming species sustain biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in harsh environments through the amelioration of physical stress. Nonetheless, their role in shaping patterns of species distribution under future climate scenarios is generally overlooked. Focusing on coastal systems, we assess how habitat-forming species can influence the ability of stress-sensitive species to exhibit plastic responses, adapt to novel environmental conditions, or track suitable climates.