Scholarlink

<p>This study examined long-term structural changes in a seaweed-dominated habitat in the northeastern Baltic Sea from 2006 to 2023. During this period, average warm-season (August) temperatures increased by nearly 2&#xa0;°C, alongside rising wave intensity and increasing variability in nutrient availability. Despite relatively stable total seaweed cover, the habitat-forming perennial alga <i>Fucus vesiculosus</i> declined sharply between 2006 and 2013, driven by elevated cold-season (May) losses combined with low warm-season productivity. Since 2014, <i>Fucus</i> has shown a slow recovery, likely reflecting warming-enhanced growth that partially offsets cold-season damage. Opportunistic filamentous algae expanded under low <i>Fucus</i> cover, forming extensive blooms promoted by rising temperatures. Concurrently, cover of the mussel <i>Mytilus</i> declined, probably due to opportunistic filamentous algal overgrowth limiting substrate availability and increased predation pressure following the establishment of the alien round goby <i>Neogobius melanostomus</i>. The predominance of regional and static studies on Baltic Sea seaweed-dominated communities has fostered the perception that these systems are shaped primarily by abiotic forcing and environmental gradients. In contrast, our long-term data show that interacting abiotic and biotic drivers can reorganise benthic communities, and suggest that continued warming and species introductions will further erode habitat-forming species while favouring opportunistic filamentous algae.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Long-term analysis reveals restructuring of a seaweed-dominated coastal community in the northeastern Baltic Sea

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年8月4日

查看全文
  • Emil Kotta,
  • Jonne Kotta,
  • Helen Orav-Kotta,
  • Ilmar Kotta,
  • Mihkel Kotta,
  • Ants Kaasik,
  • Kristiina Nurkse,
  • Merli Rätsep,
  • Francisco R. Barboza

摘要

This study examined long-term structural changes in a seaweed-dominated habitat in the northeastern Baltic Sea from 2006 to 2023. During this period, average warm-season (August) temperatures increased by nearly 2 °C, alongside rising wave intensity and increasing variability in nutrient availability. Despite relatively stable total seaweed cover, the habitat-forming perennial alga Fucus vesiculosus declined sharply between 2006 and 2013, driven by elevated cold-season (May) losses combined with low warm-season productivity. Since 2014, Fucus has shown a slow recovery, likely reflecting warming-enhanced growth that partially offsets cold-season damage. Opportunistic filamentous algae expanded under low Fucus cover, forming extensive blooms promoted by rising temperatures. Concurrently, cover of the mussel Mytilus declined, probably due to opportunistic filamentous algal overgrowth limiting substrate availability and increased predation pressure following the establishment of the alien round goby Neogobius melanostomus. The predominance of regional and static studies on Baltic Sea seaweed-dominated communities has fostered the perception that these systems are shaped primarily by abiotic forcing and environmental gradients. In contrast, our long-term data show that interacting abiotic and biotic drivers can reorganise benthic communities, and suggest that continued warming and species introductions will further erode habitat-forming species while favouring opportunistic filamentous algae.