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The statistical analysis of annual growth of Posidonia oceanica is traditionally carried out through Gaussian linear models applied to untransformed, or log-transformed, data. In this paper, we claim that there are good reasons for re-considering this established practice, since real data on annual growth often violate the assumptions of Gaussian linear models, and show that the class of Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) represents a useful alternative for handling such violations. By analyzing Sicily PosiData-1, a real dataset on P. oceanica growth data gathered in the period 2000-2002 along the coasts of Sicily, we find that in the majority of cases Normality is rejected and the effect of age on growth is nonlinear. A GLM with Gamma distribution and identity or log link appears to be a satisfactory choice in most cases. Furthermore, when back-dating techniques are employed, each plant provides a longitudinal set of dependent data, and a proper statistical analysis should take such dependence into account. We show that the class of Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM), an extension of GLM's, provides an effective way to analyze longitudinal P. oceanica growth data. Again, by using examples taken from Sicily PosiData-1, we show that misleading results can be obtained if dependence is ignored and that other techniques, like sub-sampling, are not a good option for overcoming the so-called 'pseudo-replications' problem. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the high potential of seagrass restoration to reverse the trend of marine ecosystem degradation, there are still many limitations, especially when ecosystems are severely degraded. In particular, it is not known whether restoring polluted ecosystems can lead to potentially harmful effects associated with contaminant remobilisation. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of P. oceanica transplanted from a pristine meadow to a polluted site (Augusta Bay, Italy, Mediterranean Sea) in two seasons of the year, as a sink or source of trace elements to the environment. The main results showed i) higher accumulation of chromium (Cr), copper (Cu) and total mercury (THg) in plants transplanted in summer than in winter, as well as an increase in Cr and THg in plants from sites with higher trace element loads; ii) an increase in leaf phenolics and a decrease in rhizome soluble carbohydrates associated with As and THg accumulation, suggesting the occurrence of defence strategies to cope with pollution stress; iii) a different partitioning of trace elements between below- and above-ground tissues, with arsenic (As) and Cr accumulating in roots, whereas Cu and THg in both roots and leaves. These results suggest that P. oceanica transplanted to polluted sites can act as both a sink and a source, sequestering trace elements in the below-ground tissues thus reducing their bioavailability, but also potentially remobilising them. However, the amount of trace elements potentially exported from P. oceanica to the environment through transfer into food webs via leaves and detritus appeared to be low under the specific conditions of the study site. Although further research into seagrass restoration of polluted sites would improve current knowledge to support effective ecosystem-based coastal management, the benefits of restoring polluted sites through seagrass transplantation appear to outweigh the potential costs of inaction over time., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Understanding the response of species to disturbance and the ability to recover is crucial for preventing their potential collapse and ecosystem phase shifts. Explosive submarine activity, occurring in shallow volcanic vents, can be considered as a natural pulse disturbance, due to its suddenness and high intensity, potentially affecting nearby species and ecosystems. Here, we present the response of Posidonia oceanica, a long-lived seagrass, to an exceptional submarine volcanic explosion, which occurred in the Aeolian Archipelago (Italy, Mediterranean Sea) in 2002, and evaluate its resilience in terms of time required to recover after such a pulse event. The study was carried out in 2011 in the sea area off Panarea Island, in the vicinity of Bottaro Island by adopting a back-dating methodological approach, which allowed a retrospective analysis of the growth performance and stable carbon isotopes (δ 13 C) in sheaths and rhizomes of P. oceanica, during a 10-year period (2001-2010). After the 2002 explosion, a trajectory shift towards decreasing values for both growth performance and δ 13 C in sheaths and rhizomes was observed. The decreasing trend reversed in 2004 when recovery took place progressively for all the analysed variables. Full recovery of P. oceanica occurred 8 years after the explosive event with complete restoration of all the variables (rhizome growth performance and δ 13 C) by 2010. Given the ecological importance of this seagrass in marine coastal ecosystems and its documented large-scale decline, the understanding of its potential recovery in response to environmental changes is imperative., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)