ORCID Profile
0000-0002-5476-9953
Current Organisation
IHCantabria - Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria
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Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2018.01.059
Abstract: Seagrass meadows provide multiple ecosystem services, yet they are among the most threatened ecosystems on earth. Because of their role as carbon sinks, protection and restoration of seagrass meadows contribute to climate change mitigation. Blue Carbon strategies aim to enhance CO
Publisher: American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Date: 10-2022
DOI: 10.1029/2022GB007481
Abstract: Our knowledge of the factors that can influence the stock of organic carbon (OC) that is stored in the soil of seagrass meadows is evolving, and several causal effects have been used to explain the variation of stocks observed at local to national scales. To gain a global‐scale appreciation of the drivers that cause variation in soil OC stocks, we compiled data on published species‐specific traits and OC stocks from monospecific and mixed meadows at multiple geomorphological settings. Species identity was recognized as an influential driver of soil OC stocks, despite their large intraspecific variation. The most important seagrass species traits associated with OC stocks were the number of leaves per seagrass shoot, belowground biomass, leaf lifespan, aboveground biomass, leaf lignin, leaf breaking force and leaf OC plus the coastal geomorphology of the area, particularly for lagoon environments. A revised estimate of the global average soil OC stock to 20 cm depth of 15.4 Mg C ha −1 is lower than previously reported. The largest stocks were still recorded in Mediterranean seagrass meadows. Our results specifically identify Posidonia oceanica from the Mediterranean and, more generally, large and persistent species as key in providing climate regulation services, and as priority species for conservation for this specific ecosystem service.
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 24-08-2015
Abstract: Abstract. There has been growing interest in quantifying the capacity of seagrass ecosystems to act as carbon sinks as a natural way of offsetting anthropogenic carbon emissions to the atmosphere. However, most of the efforts have focused on the particulate organic carbon (POC) stocks and accumulation rates and ignored the particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) fraction, despite important carbonate pools associated with calcifying organisms inhabiting the meadows, such as epiphytes and benthic invertebrates, and despite the relevance that carbonate precipitation and dissolution processes have in the global carbon cycle. This study offers the first assessment of the global PIC stocks in seagrass sediments using a synthesis of published and unpublished data on sediment carbonate concentration from 403 vegetated and 34 adjacent un-vegetated sites. PIC stocks in the top 1 m of sediment ranged between 3 and 1660 Mg PIC ha−1, with an average of 654 ± 24 Mg PIC ha−1, exceeding those of POC reported in previous studies by about a factor of 5. Sedimentary carbonate stocks varied across seagrass communities, with meadows dominated by Halodule, Thalassia or Cymodocea supporting the highest PIC stocks, and tended to decrease polewards at a rate of −8 ± 2 Mg PIC ha−1 per degree of latitude (general linear model, GLM p 0.0003). Using PIC concentrations and estimates of sediment accretion in seagrass meadows, the mean PIC accumulation rate in seagrass sediments is found to be 126.3 ± 31.05 g PIC m−2 yr−1. Based on the global extent of seagrass meadows (177 000 to 600 000 km2), these ecosystems globally store between 11 and 39 Pg of PIC in the top metre of sediment and accumulate between 22 and 75 Tg PIC yr−1, representing a significant contribution to the carbonate dynamics of coastal areas. Despite the fact that these high rates of carbonate accumulation imply CO2 emissions from precipitation, seagrass meadows are still strong CO2 sinks as demonstrated by the comparison of carbon (PIC and POC) stocks between vegetated and adjacent un-vegetated sediments.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.BIOTECHADV.2014.05.002
Abstract: Exploitation of the world's oceans is rapidly growing as evidenced by a booming patent market of marine products including seaweed, a resource that is easily accessible without sophisticated bioprospecting technology and that has a high level of domestication globally. The investment in research effort on seaweed aquaculture has recently been identified to be the main force for the development of a biotechnology market of seaweed-derived products and is a more important driver than the capacity of seaweed production. Here, we examined seaweed patent registrations between 1980 and 2009 to assess the growth rate of seaweed biotechnology, its geographic distribution and the types of applications patented. We compare this growth with scientific investment in seaweed aquaculture and with the market of seaweed production. We found that both the seaweed patenting market and the rate of scientific publications are rapidly growing (11% and 16.8% per year respectively) since 1990. The patent market is highly geographically skewed (95% of all registrations belonging to ten countries and the top two holding 65% of the total) compared to the distribution of scientific output among countries (60% of all scientific publications belonging to ten countries and the top two countries holding a 21%), but more homogeneously distributed than the production market (with a 99.8% belonging to the top ten countries, and a 71% to the top two). Food industry was the dominant application for both the patent registrations (37.7%) and the scientific publications (21%) followed in both cases by agriculture and aquaculture applications. This result is consistent with the seaweed taxa most represented. Kelp, which was the target taxa for 47% of the patent registrations, is a traditional ingredient in Asian food and Gracilaria and Ulva, which were the focus of 15% and 13% of the scientific publications respectively, that are also used in more sophisticated applications such as cosmetics, chemical industry or bioremediation. Our analyses indicate a recent interest of non-seaweed producing countries to play a part in the seaweed patenting market focusing on more sophisticated products, while developing countries still have a limited share in this booming market. We suggest that this trend could be reverted by promoting partnerships for R and D to connect on-going efforts in aquaculture production with the emerging opportunities for new biotech applications of seaweed products.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-10-2013
DOI: 10.1038/NCLIMATE1970
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-02-2015
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-03-2017
DOI: 10.1002/LNO.10510
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-2022
DOI: 10.1002/LNO.12258
Abstract: Seagrass meadows composed of larger species are assumed to store larger sediment organic carbon (C org ) stocks, storing more C org in their tissues and larger leaves promoting greater burial of seagrass and non‐seagrass C org . However, the influence of species composition on sediment C org stocks remains poorly understood mainly from challenges in isolating it from confounding factors. We assessed C org stocks in seagrass biomass and sediment of four species compositions in a tropical Caribbean meadow. We hypothesized that larger species would lead to higher sediment C org stocks, within a limited geomorphic setting and time frame. Seagrass biomass and surficial and sediment profiles were collected to measure seagrass morphometrics, δ 13 C and δ 15 N, dry bulk density, C org and inorganic carbon (C inorg ) stocks, and grain size. Seagrass biomass C org stocks ranged from 0.04 to 3.7 Mg ha −1 , with higher biomass C org stocks in compositions with larger species. Surficial sediment C org and C inorg stocks (to 1.5 cm) averaged 2.6 ± 0.6 Mg C org ha −1 and 68.8 ± 14.6 Mg C inorg ha −1 , respectively, and did not vary among species compositions. Isotopic analyses revealed a ~ 50% contribution of seagrasses to surficial sediment C org in compositions with larger species, compared to a contribution of ~ 35% for those of smaller species. This study provides novel blue carbon data from an understudied region and contributes to understanding the role of seagrass species composition on sediment carbon storage.
Publisher: American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Date: 06-2021
DOI: 10.1029/2021GB006935
Abstract: Seagrass meadows rank among the most significant organic carbon (C org ) sinks on earth. We examined the variability in seagrass soil C org stocks and composition across Australia and identified the main drivers of variability, applying a spatially hierarchical approach that incorporates bioregions and geomorphic settings. Top 30 cm soil C org stocks were similar across bioregions and geomorphic settings (min‐max: 20–26 Mg C org ha −1 ), but meadows formed by large species (i.e., Amphibolis spp. and Posidonia spp.) showed higher stocks (24–29 Mg C org ha −1 ) than those formed by smaller species (e.g., Halodule, Halophila, Ruppia, Zostera, Cymodocea, and Syringodium 12–21 Mg C org ha −1 ). In temperate coastal meadows dominated by large species, soil C org stocks mainly derived from seagrass C org (72 ± 2%), while allochthonous C org dominated soil C org stocks in meadows formed by small species in temperate and tropical estuarine meadows (64 ± 5%). In temperate coastal meadows, soil C org stocks were enhanced by low hydrodynamic exposure associated with high mud and seagrass C org contents. In temperate estuarine meadows, soil C org stocks were enhanced by high contributions of seagrass C org , low to moderate solar radiation, and low human pressure. In tropical estuarine meadows formed by small species, large soil C org stocks were mainly associated with low hydrodynamic energy, low rainfall, and high solar radiation. These results showcase that bioregion and geomorphic setting are not necessarily good predictors of soil C org stocks and that site‐specific estimates based on local environmental factors are needed for Blue Carbon projects and greenhouse gases accounting purposes.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-03-2019
DOI: 10.1038/S41467-019-08842-6
Abstract: Calcium carbonates (CaCO 3 ) often accumulate in mangrove and seagrass sediments. As CaCO 3 production emits CO 2 , there is concern that this may partially offset the role of Blue Carbon ecosystems as CO 2 sinks through the burial of organic carbon (C org ). A global collection of data on inorganic carbon burial rates (C inorg , 12% of CaCO 3 mass) revealed global rates of 0.8 TgC inorg yr −1 and 15–62 TgC inorg yr −1 in mangrove and seagrass ecosystems, respectively. In seagrass, CaCO 3 burial may correspond to an offset of 30% of the net CO 2 sequestration. However, a mass balance assessment highlights that the C inorg burial is mainly supported by inputs from adjacent ecosystems rather than by local calcification, and that Blue Carbon ecosystems are sites of net CaCO 3 dissolution. Hence, CaCO 3 burial in Blue Carbon ecosystems contribute to seabed elevation and therefore buffers sea-level rise, without undermining their role as CO 2 sinks.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2019
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-2013
DOI: 10.1038/NBT.2636
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-03-2017
DOI: 10.1002/LNO.10509
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 15-11-2018
Abstract: Abstract. Vegetated coastal ecosystems, including tidal marshes, mangroves and seagrass meadows, are being increasingly assessed in terms of their potential for carbon dioxide sequestration worldwide. However, there is a paucity of studies that have effectively estimated the accumulation rates of sediment organic carbon (Corg), also termed blue carbon, beyond the mere quantification of Corg stocks. Here, we discuss the use of the 210Pb dating technique to determine the rate of Corg accumulation in these habitats. We review the most widely used 210Pb dating models to assess their limitations in these ecosystems, often composed of heterogeneous sediments with varying inputs of organic material, that are disturbed by natural and anthropogenic processes resulting in sediment mixing and changes in sedimentation rates or erosion. Through a range of simulations, we consider the most relevant processes that impact the 210Pb records in vegetated coastal ecosystems and evaluate how anomalies in 210Pb specific activity profiles affect sediment and Corg accumulation rates. Our results show that the discrepancy in sediment and derived Corg accumulation rates between anomalous and ideal 210Pb profiles is within 20 % if the process causing such anomalies is well understood. While these discrepancies might be acceptable for the determination of mean sediment and Corg accumulation rates over the last century, they may not always provide a reliable geochronology or historical reconstruction. Reliable estimates of Corg accumulation rates might be difficult at sites with slow sedimentation, intense mixing and/or that are affected by multiple sedimentary processes. Additional tracers or geochemical, ecological or historical data need to be used to validate the 210Pb-derived results. The framework provided in this study can be instrumental in reducing the uncertainties associated with estimates of Corg accumulation rates in vegetated coastal sediments.
Location: Spain
No related grants have been discovered for Ines Mazarrasa.