Abstract
The intensive reconstructive sampling (1957–2004, 39 localities), a systematic direct observation (1992–2004, 1 locality) and particular direct observations (66 localities) of Posidonia oceanica meadows were analysed together with temporal series of flowering available in the literature (19 localities). This allowed the examination of temporal and spatial variability in annual flowering prevalence (FP, the fraction of meadows flowering in a given year) and of annual meadow flowering intensity (FI, number of inflorescences per shoot) for the period 1979–2004 across the Western Mediterranean, as well as spatial variability of flowering frequency (FF, the fraction of years that a given meadow has flowered) and shoot flowering probability (Pf, fraction of flowering stalks appeared per annual segment). Each year, on an average 17% of the investigated meadows flowered, ranging from 3 to 86% of meadows among the years. The highest annual FP and FI values were obtained in 2003 (FP=0.86 and mean FI=0.23±0.03 inflorescences shoot−1). A secondary peak of FP and mean FI occurred 9 years earlier, in 1994 (FP=0.44 and mean FI=0.08±0.02). Both peaks of flowering occurred after hot summers. Flowering synchrony in particular years across the Western Mediterranean and clines of increased meadow flowering frequency towards the North and East, suggests the existence of large-scale environmental mechanisms controlling the floral induction. On the other hand, meadow FF and Pf were highly heterogeneous among and within the meadows, indicating that local factors also may play a significant role in flowering induction. When flowering, the Western Mediterranean meadows showed an average 0.11±0.02 inflorescences shoot−1, but FI greatly varied among and along the series (from 0.002 to 0.54 inflorescences shoot−1) and decreased significantly with depth but was independent of meadow shoot density and meadow latitude or longitude. The shoot flowering probability was quite low (0.007±0.002 inflorescences shoot−1 year−1) and exponentially increased with shoot age.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alberto F, Correia L, Arnaud-Haond S, Billot C, Duarte CM, Serrao E (2003) New microsatellite markers for the endemic Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Mol Ecol Notes 3:253–255
Arnaud-Haond S, Alberto F, Teixeira S, Procaccini G, Serrao EA, Duarte CM (2005) Assessing genetic diversity in clonal organisms: low diversity or low resolution? Combining power and cost efficiency in selecting markers. J Hered 96:434–440
Balestri E, Piazzi L, Cinelli F (1998) Survival and growth of transplanted and natural seedlings of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile in a damaged coastal area. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 228:209–225
Balestri E, Cinelli F (2003) Sexual reproductive success in Posidonia oceanica. Aquat Bot 75:21–32
Balestri E, Vallerini F (2003) Inter-annual variability in flowering of Posidonia oceanica in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea, and relationships among shoot age and flowering. Bot Mar 46:525–530
Balestri E (2004) Flowering of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica in a north-western Mediterranean coastal area: temporal and spatial variations. Mar Biol 145:61–68
Barrett SCH, Eckert CG, Husband BC (1993) Evolutionary processes in aquatic plant-populations. Aquat Bot 44:105–145
Bethoux JP, Copin-Monteagut G (1986) Biological fixation of atmospheric nitrogen in the Mediterranean Sea. Limnol Oceanogr 31:1353–1358
Boudouresque CF, Harmelin JG, Jeudy De Grissac A (1986) Le benthos marin de l’île de Zembra (Parc National, Tunisie). GIS Posidonie publ., Marseille
Boyer M, Bussotti S, Guidetti P, Matricardi G (1996) Notes on the flowering and fruiting of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile beds in the Ligurian Sea (North-Western Mediterranean). Boll Mus Ist Biol Univ Genova 60–61:21–29
Buia MC, Peirano A (1988) Record of a Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile seedling in the Egadi islands (Sicily, Italy). Posidonia Newslett 2:19–22
Buia MC, Mazzella L (1991) Reproductive phenology of the Mediterranean seagrasses Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Aschers., and Zostera noltii (Hornem). Aquat Bot 40:243–262
Bussotti S, Guidetti P (1996) Lepidochronological study on Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile flowering of Noli bed (Spotorno Bay, Ligurian Sea). S It E Atti 17:305–308
Campey ML, Kendrick GA, Walker DI (2002) Inter-annual and small-scale spatial variability in sexual reproduction of the seagrasses Posidonia coriacea and Heterozostera tasmanica, south western Australia. Aquat Bot 74:287–297
den Hartog C (1970) The seagrasses of the world. North Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam
Dorken ME, Eckert CG (2001) Severely reduced sexual reproduction in Northern Populations of a clonal plant Decodon verticillatus (Lythraceae). J Ecol 89:339–350
Duarte CM, Marbà N, Agawin N et al. (1994) Reconstruction of seagrass dynamics: age determinations and associated tools for the seagrass ecologist. Mar Ecol Progr Ser 107:195–209
Duarte CM, Uri J, Agawin NSR, Fortes MD, Vermaat JE, Marbà N (1997) Flowering frequency of Philippine seagrasses. Bot Mar 40:497–500
Eckert CG, Barrett SCH (1993) Clonal reproduction and patterns of genotypic diversity in Decodon verticillatus (Lythraceae). Am J Bot 80:1175–1182
Gallegos ME, Marbà N, Merino M, Duarte CM (1992) Flowering of Thalassia testudinum Banks ex König in the Mexican Caribbean: age-dependence and inter-annual variability. Aquat Bot 43:249–255
Gambi MC, Russo GF, Chessa LA (1984) Fioritura di Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile in una prateria superficiale della Rada di Porto Conte (Sardegna nord-occidentale). Rend Sem Fac Sci Univ Cagliari, Suppl 54:189–196
Gambi MC, Buia MC, Mazzella L (1996) Record of a diffuse germination of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile in the central Adriatic Sea (Croatia). Biol Mar Medit 3:467–470
Gavino PD, Smart CD, Sandrock RW, Miller JS, Hamm PB, Lee TY, Davis RM, Fry WE (2000) Implications of sexual reproduction for Phytophthora infestans in the United States:generation of an aggressive lineage. Plant Dis 84:731–735
Giraud G (1977) Contribution à la description et à la phenologie quantitative des herbiers de Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile. PhD Thesis. University of Aix-Marseille II
Gobert S, Defawe O, Lepoint G, Demoulin V, Bouquegneau JM (2001) Anthesis effects on Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile phenology in the Bay of Calvi (Corsica, Mediterranean Sea). Hydrobiologia 455:121–125
Gobert S, Lejeune P, Lepoint G, Bouquegneau JM (2005) C, N, P concentrations and requirements of flowering Posidonia oceanica shoots. Hydrobiologia 533:253–259
Guidetti P (2000) Leaf primary production in Posidonia oceanica: two reconstructive aging techniques give similar results. Aquat Bot 144:1–7
Heide OM (1994) Control of flowering and reproduction in temperate grasses. New Phytol 128:347–362
Hemminga MA, Duarte CM (2000) Seagrass ecology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Inglis GJ, Smith MPL (1998) Synchronous flowering of estuarine seagrass meadows. Aquat Bot 60:37–48
Jover MA, del Castillo-Agudo L, García-Carrascosa M, Segura J (2003) Random Amplified polymorphic DNA assessment of diversity in Western Mediterranean populations of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Am J Bot 90:364–369
Luterbacher J, Dietrich D, Xoplaki E, Grosjean M, Wanner H (2004) European seasonal and annual temperature variability, trends and extremes since 1500. Science 303:1499–1503
Marbà N, Cebrián J, Enríquez S, Duarte CM (1996a) Growth patterns of Western Mediterranean seagrasses: species-specific responses to seasonal forcing. Mar Ecol Progr Ser. 133:203–215
Marbà N, Duarte CM, Cebrián J, Gallegos ME, Olesen B, Sand-Jensen K (1996b) Growth and population dynamics of Posidonia oceanica on the Spanish Mediterranean coast: elucidating seagrass decline. Mar Ecol Progr Ser 137:203–213
Mazzella L, Gambi MC, Russo GF, Wittmann JK (1983) Flowering in Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile prairies around the island of Ischia (Gulf of Naples). Rapp Comm int Mer Medit 28:117–119
Molinier R, Picard J (1953) Etudes biologiques sur les herbiers de phanérogames marines à l’ouest d’Alger. Bull Stn Aquicult Pêche Castiglione, Alg 4:7–34
Panayotidis P, Liapi A (1990) Note sur l’inflorescence de Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile (Potamogetonaceae). Thalassographica 13:39–42
Pasqualini V, Pergent-Martini C, Clabaut P, Pergent G (1998) Mapping of Posidonia oceanica using aerial photographs and side scan sonar: application off the island of Corsica (France). Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 47:359–367
Pergent G (1987) Recherches Lépidochronologiques chez Posidonia oceanica (Potamogetonaceae): fluctuations des parametres anatomiques et morphologiques des écailles des rhizomes. PhD Thesis University of Aix-Marseille II
Pergent G, Pergent-Martini C (1988) Phénologie de Posidonia oceanica (Linnaeus) Delile dans le bassin Méditerranéen. Ann Inst Océanogr Paris 64:79–100
Pergent G, Ben Maiz N, Boudouresque CF, Meinesz A (1989) The flowering of Posidonia oceanica over the past fifty years: a lepidochronological study. In: Boudouresque CF, Meinesz A, Fresi E, Gravez V, Boudouresque CF, Meinesz A, Fresi E, Gravez V (eds) II. International Workshop on Posidonia beds, vol 2. G.I.S. Posidonie publ, Marseille, pp 69–76
Pergent G, Pergent-Martini C (1990) Some applications of Lepidochronological Analysis in the seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Bot Mar 33:299–310
Pirc H (1984) Depth-adaptation in Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile. In: Boudouresque CF, Jeudy de Grissac A, Olivier J (eds) International workshop on Posidonia oceanica beds. Porquerolles, vol 1. G.I.S. Posidonie, Marseille, pp 227–234
Procaccini G, Alberte Rs, Mazzella L (1996) Genetic structure of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica in the Western Mediterranean: ecological implications. Mar Ecol Progr Ser 140:153–160
Procaccini G, Mazzella L (1998) Population genetic structure and gene flow in the seagrass Posidonia oceanica assessed using microsatellite analysis. Mar Ecol Progr Ser 169:133–141
Procaccini G, Orsini L, Ruggiero MV (2000) Genetic structure and distribution of microsatellite diversity in Posidonia oceanica. Biol Mar Medit 7:115–118
Rollón RN, de Ruyter van Steveninck ED, van Vierssen W (2003) Spatio-temporal variation in sexual reproduction of the tropical seagrass Enhalus acoroides (L.f) Royle in Cape Bolinao, NW Philippines. Aquat Bot 76:339–354
Roussopoulos D, Liakatas A, Whittington WJ (1998) Cotton responses to different light-temperature regimes. J Agric Sci 131:277–283
Sánchez-Lizaso JL, Ruiz-Fernández JM (1993) Floraciones recientes de Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile en el sudeste de la peninsula ibérica. Publ Espec Inst Esp Oceanogr 11:105–109
Sandmeier M, Caye G, Molenaar H (1999) Seeds enzyme polymorphism and autogamy of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica from the Western Mediterranean. Bot Mar 42:359–366
Semroud R (1993) Données sur des floraisons anciennes de Posidonia oceanica (Linnaeus) Delile dans la région d’Alger (Algérie). Posidonia Newslett 4:31–35
Stoppelli N, Peirano A (1996) Continuous flowering of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile in the bay of Monterosso al Mare (SP) North-Western Mediterranean Sea. Boll Mus Ist Biol Univ Genova 60–61:31–40
Thelin I, Boudouresque CF (1985) Posidonia oceanica flowering and fruiting: recent data from an international inquiry. Posidonia Newslett 1:5–14
Vantussenbroek BI (1994) Aspects of the reproductive ecology of Thalassia testudinum in Puerto Morelos reef lagoon, Mexico. Bot Mar 37:413–419
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Rocío Santiago, Regino Martínez and Catalina Arrondo for their participation in field and lab work and to Amparo Lázaro and Javier Rodríguez for instructive discussions and suggestions for data analysis. This research has been funded by the EU projects M&M’s (EVK3-CT-2000-00044 and REN-2000-3091-CE/MAR) and LIFE-Posidonia (LIFE 2000/NAT/E/7303) and by the Spanish National Programme of Research in Protected Areas (MAM/2484/0055/2002). E. Diaz-Almela was supported by a Ph.D fellowship from the regional government of the Balearic Islands (Spain). All samplings were performed complying with the current national and European laws for protected species.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by S. A. Poulet, Roscoff
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Diaz-Almela, E., Marbà, N., Álvarez, E. et al. Patterns of seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) flowering in the Western Mediterranean. Marine Biology 148, 723–742 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-005-0127-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-005-0127-x