Following the Second World War, the development of industrial agriculture and medical advances allowed for an exponential increase in the human population. During this period, the concept of mass consumption society was also encouraged in developed and developing countries, increasing the demand for resources. The associated expansion and intensification of human activities necessary to cover the needs of a larger and more demanding population (e.g. marine transport, urbanization, fishing, agriculture, industry, tourism) has led to important changes in the earth system, making humankind one of the most important drivers of global change (e.g. ocean acidification, climate change, eutrophication, metal pollution, biological invasions). All of these human-induced changes in environmental conditions have produced important alterations and imbalances in the structure and functioning of ecosystems.
In coastal and estuarine waters, one of the most evident signs of the impact of human activities in ecosystems is the development of macroalgal blooms. Macroalgal blooms or seaweed tides are accumulations of fast-growing opportunistic species on the shore or shallow waters, which can produce anoxic events and the release of nuisance or toxic compounds during the degradation of the biomass. These blooms alter the ecosystem functioning of shore environments and limit the services that these areas provide. The occurrence of seaweed tides is a widespread phenomenon affecting coastal areas all over the world. Seaweed tides became more frequent and larger in the 1970s, especially in industrialised countries, since then the number of reports from new locations and the magnitude of these tides have continued to increase. Important research efforts have been developed in order to understand the causes and mechanisms underlying these phenomena, which have demonstrated the key role nutrient over-enrichment plays in explaining the occurrence of macroalgal blooms. Despite the critical role of nutrient over-enrichment in the occurrence of seaweed tides, additional abiotic and biotic factors such as light, temperature, local hydrodynamic conditions, grazing, propagule bank size and local species pool are critical in explaining bloom development.
Considering the current context of global change, we are looking for contributions that help to identify factors and understand processes that can play an important role in explaining the development of macroalgal blooms in the present and future ocean. In this sense, we are interested in:
• Ecophysiological studies
• Modelling approaches
• Historical datasets
• Field experiments
• Observational studies (field-based and Earth observation –satellite, UAV-)
• Studies about species composition based on molecular techniques
• New monitoring techniques
Following the Second World War, the development of industrial agriculture and medical advances allowed for an exponential increase in the human population. During this period, the concept of mass consumption society was also encouraged in developed and developing countries, increasing the demand for resources. The associated expansion and intensification of human activities necessary to cover the needs of a larger and more demanding population (e.g. marine transport, urbanization, fishing, agriculture, industry, tourism) has led to important changes in the earth system, making humankind one of the most important drivers of global change (e.g. ocean acidification, climate change, eutrophication, metal pollution, biological invasions). All of these human-induced changes in environmental conditions have produced important alterations and imbalances in the structure and functioning of ecosystems.
In coastal and estuarine waters, one of the most evident signs of the impact of human activities in ecosystems is the development of macroalgal blooms. Macroalgal blooms or seaweed tides are accumulations of fast-growing opportunistic species on the shore or shallow waters, which can produce anoxic events and the release of nuisance or toxic compounds during the degradation of the biomass. These blooms alter the ecosystem functioning of shore environments and limit the services that these areas provide. The occurrence of seaweed tides is a widespread phenomenon affecting coastal areas all over the world. Seaweed tides became more frequent and larger in the 1970s, especially in industrialised countries, since then the number of reports from new locations and the magnitude of these tides have continued to increase. Important research efforts have been developed in order to understand the causes and mechanisms underlying these phenomena, which have demonstrated the key role nutrient over-enrichment plays in explaining the occurrence of macroalgal blooms. Despite the critical role of nutrient over-enrichment in the occurrence of seaweed tides, additional abiotic and biotic factors such as light, temperature, local hydrodynamic conditions, grazing, propagule bank size and local species pool are critical in explaining bloom development.
Considering the current context of global change, we are looking for contributions that help to identify factors and understand processes that can play an important role in explaining the development of macroalgal blooms in the present and future ocean. In this sense, we are interested in:
• Ecophysiological studies
• Modelling approaches
• Historical datasets
• Field experiments
• Observational studies (field-based and Earth observation –satellite, UAV-)
• Studies about species composition based on molecular techniques
• New monitoring techniques
