Acronym REMEDIGRASS
Category
Fisheries
Title Seagrasses as tools in the rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems Programme Nat. Programme (supported by ESIF)
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source National-European Coordinator João Pedro Martins Coelho Coordinator email NA
Coordinator institution
UA - University of Aveiro (Portugal)
Institutions involved
CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (Portugal) ,
CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (Portugal) ,
Start year 2018 End year 2022 Funding (€) € 239,654 Website https://www.cesam-la.pt/projetos/remedigrass-ervas-marinhas-como-ferramentas-na-reabilitacao-de-ecossistemas-degradados-2/ Summary "With the implementation of the WFD, currently the problems of contamination of estuarine systems are essentially due to geochemical processes involving the contaminants stored in the sediments. These processes result in the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services, and may require rehabilitation measures.
The main objective of this project is the development of an innovative and feasible methodology for the rehabilitation of contaminated estuarine areas, through recolonization with seagrass meadows, using them as a Green Infrastructure. The project is thus aligned with Target 2 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020, which indicates the need to ""By 2020, maintain and enhance ecosystems and their services, through the creation of green infrastructure and the restoration of at least 15% of degraded ecosystems"".
The innovative nature of this project will be the holistic approach at the community level, evaluating the response of the ecosystem as a whole. The specific objectives are: a) to determine the most favourable conditions for the growth of the transplanted moliço through growth experiments in the laboratory; (b) carry out a pilot experiment on transplantation of moliço in an area with historical contamination; (c) assess the effect of moliço on changing the geochemistry of contaminants and nutrients, including their fixation or release into the water column (blue carbon fixation); d) to evaluate the effect of transplanted moliço meadows on biodiversity, structure of resident populations and reduction of trophic transfer processes of contaminants; e) develop medium and long-term scenarios of the effect of transplantation on ecosystem resilience, service gains and rehabilitation costs (cost-benefit ratio).
The expected results of this project include the increase of biodiversity due to the protection and food effect provided by seagrasses for the local fauna, and the fixation of sediment and increase of sedimentation rates, promoting a faster deepening of the layers of historically contaminated sediment. A decrease in bioavailability and trophic transfer of contaminants is also expected after rehabilitation measures.
These results are in line with the objectives of the National Strategy for Smart Specialisation (in the Water and Environment, Economy of the Sea and Tourism Domains). The corollary of the project will be the development of a ""methodological toolbox"" (evaluation of sites to be intervened, transplantation methodologies, contingency actions, costs) for the recovery of estuarine ecosystems with historical contamination, which can be used in other systems."
Keywords
Biodiversity;
Seagrass;
Restoration;
Marine Region
38
Portuguese Waters (27.IXa,27.IXb)
1
Marine Region Map
