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This study examines the spatio-temporal variability of the turbidity plume and phytoplankton biomass (in terms of chlorophyll) in the marine region influenced by the Guadalquivir estuary using ocean colour images over a period of 11 years (2003-2013). The area of the turbidity plume was calculated using water-leaving radiance at 555 nm (nLw555). Climatologic and monthly averages showed recurrent high nLw555 levels in winter and high chlorophyll in spring. Similar variability was confirmed by Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis of 8-day composite images, illustrating the existence of different regions with similar behavior. The first EOF mode explained 60.7% and 31% of the variability in nLw555 and chlorophyll, respectively, and was associated with enhanced Total Suspended Solids (TSS) in autumn-winter and phytoplankton blooms in winter-spring periods. The results confirmed that the development of the turbidity plume and subsequent phytoplankton blooms were strongly regulated by river discharges and precipitation. Indeed, interannual variation in nLw555 was consistent with changes in the large-scale climate index, the North Atlantic Oscillation, a proxy for regional rainfall patterns. In the case of phytoplankton biomass, the second EOF mode revealed differentiation between offshore and nearshore areas, the latter characterized by delayed development of phytoplankton bloom due to light limitation by high TSS. This suggests that the stability of the water column, via its influence on phytoplankton light-limitation, influenced also the timing and magnitude of phytoplankton bloom events. The dynamic of the Guadalquivir estuary turbidity plume is a crucial factor for the pelagic ecosystem of the Eastern Gulf of Cadiz, governing phytoplankton productivity. ; IC is supported by a grant of the Junta de Andalucia PhD fellowship program. EPM is supported by a JAE DOCTORES 2010 contract partly funded by the European Union (European Social Fund, ESF2007-2013) and the Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness. LP is supported by the Ramón y Cajal program of Spanish MINECO. This work was financially supported by the Junta de Andalucia Projects P09-RNM-4853 and PR11-RNM-7722, E.U. MarinERA Project MedEX (CTM2008-04036-E/MAR) and PERSEUS (FP7-287600). ; Peer reviewed

Morris, Edward P. et al. ; In low-nutrient, macrophyte-dominated coastal zones, benthic ammonium (NH4+) uptake may be influenced by the structural properties of plant canopies via their effect on near-bed hydrodynamics. Using a dual-tracer (uranine and 15NH4+) method that does not require enclosures, we examined how this process affects nutrient uptake rates within a tidally dominated, patchy Caulerpa prolifera–Cymodocea nodosa landscape. NH4+ uptake was determined by calculating tissue 15N excesses and correcting for 15N enrichment as derived from uranine concentration. Vertical hydrodynamic profiles were measured in the downstream flow direction from outside to inside of the C. nodosa bed by using an array of acoustic Doppler velocimeters. The transition from a C. prolifera to a C. nodosa bed included a change in both benthic canopy properties (short and dense to tall and sparse) and sediment topography (0.2-m increase in water column depth) that resulted in an increase in longitudinal advection and turbulent diffusivity within the C. nodosa canopy between 0.5 and 1.5 m from the leading edge. Vertical differences in canopy water exchange appeared to explain variations in uptake between biotic functional groups; however, no clear differences in longitudinal uptake were found. Using in situ labeling, this study demonstrated for the first time the role of hydrodynamics in structuring NH4+ uptake within an undisturbed, patchy macrophyte landscape. ; This research was supported by regional government of Andalusia project FUNDIV ("Functional diversity of submerged macrophytes: Influence on carbon and nitrogen processing") (P07-RNM-2516), the Spanish project IMACHYDRO ("Interactions between marine macrophyte beds and hydrodynamics: From organisms to ecosystems" CTM2008-00012/MAR), a travel grant from the Schure-Beijerinck-Popping Fund (SBP/JK/2007-32), and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. ; Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research ; Regional government of Andalusia ; Schure-Beijerinck-Popping Fund ; Peer reviewed

This is a copy of the article published in Sea-Technology Magazine, which the authors have bought the rights to redistribute. ; With an uncertain future that includes climate change, sea level rise and increasing coastal populations, being able to make informed policy decisions in coastal zones will be critical for ensuring the well-being of citizens, the environment and the sustainability of economic activities. Earth observation (EO) can be used to efficiently and systematically provide the key information needed to make these decisions. However, getting access to the right EO in- formation can be a complicated and costly business, limiting availability. However, the launch in April 2014 of the first Sentinel satellite from Europe's flagship EO program, Copernicus, represents a major advance in the availability of EO data, which has great potential to benefit numerous sectors involved in marine and coastal activities. We discuss some examples of applications being developed and give an example of a new service which intends to support nature-based flood defense schemes. ; The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 607131. All views presented are those of the authors. The EU is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained herein. ; PDF, 5 pages, 20.4 Mb

Macroalgae blooms, a frequent consequence of eutrophication in coastal areas, affect the photosynthetic activity of sediments dominated by microphytobenthos (MPB). Light spectra, steady-state (after 1 h) microprofiles of O2, gross photosynthesis (Pg), community respiration in light (RL) and net community photosynthesis (Pn) were measured in diatom- and cyanobacteria-dominated communities below increasing layers of Ulva. Photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) decreased exponentially with increasing layers of algae and the light spectrum was increasingly enriched in the green and deprived in blue and red regions. Sediment Pg, Pn and RL decreased as the number of Ulva layers increased; however, 1.6 times higher macroalgal density was necessary to fully inhibit cyanobacteria Pg compared with diatoms, indicating that cyanobacteria were better adapted to this light environment. Long-term (3 weeks) incubations of diatom-dominated sediments below increasing layers of Ulva resulted in a shift in the taxonomic composition of the MPB towards cyanobacteria. Hence, changes in the light climate below macroalgal accumulations can negatively affect the photosynthetic activity of sediments. However, spectral niche differentiation of MPB taxonomic groups and concurrent changes in the MPB community may provide sediments with increased resilience to the detrimental effects of eutrophication. ; The research was funded by grants CTM 2009-10736 (Ministry of Education and Science, Spain), P06-RNM-01787 and P06-RNM-01637 (Andalusian Regional Government). E. García-Robledo was funded by a FPU grant (AP2005-4897) from Ministry of Education and Science and by the project ECOLAGUNES (SOE1/P2/F153, Interreg SUDOE, European Union). E.P.M. was funded by a project (FUNDIV, P07-RNM-2516) granted by the Andalusian Regional Government. S. Papaspyrou was funded by a JAE-Doc fellowship (Programa JAE, JAE-Doc109, Spanish National Research Council) and a Marie Curie ERG action (NITRICOS, 235005, European Union). ; Peer reviewed

Wetlands are productive ecosystems that play an important role in the Earth´s carbon cycle and thus global carbon budgets. Climate variability affects amount of material entering and the metabolic balance of wetlands, thereby modifying carbon dynamics. This study presents spatiotemporal changes in air-water CO2 exchange in the vast wetlands of Doñana (Spain) in relation to different hydrological cycles. Water sources feeding Doñana, including groundwater and streams, ultimately depend on the fluctuating balance between annual precipitation and evapotranspiration. Hence, in order to examine the contribution of the rainfall pattern to the emission/capture of CO2 by a range of aquatic habitats in Doñana, we took monthly measurements during severely wet, dry and normal hydrological years (2010-2013). During wet hydrological cycles, CO2 outgassing from flooded marshes markedly decreased in comparison to that observed during subsequent dry-normal cycles, with mean values of 25.84±19 and 5.2±8 mmol m-2 d-1, respectively. Under drier meteorological conditions, air-water CO2 fluxes also diminished in permanent floodplains and ponds, which even behaved as mild sinks for atmospheric CO2 during certain periods. Increased inputs of dissolved CO2 from the underground aquifer and the stream following periods of high rainfall are believed to be behind this pattern. Large lagoons with a managed water supply from an adjacent estuary took up atmospheric CO2 nearly permanently. Regional air-water carbon transport was 15.2 GgC y-1 under wet and 1.24 GgC y-1 under dry meteorological conditions, well below the estimated net primary production for Doñana wetlands, indicating that the ecosystem acts as a large CO2 sink ; This research was funded by the projects P09–RNM–4744 from the Regional Government of Andalucía and 049/2010 and 1539/2015 from the Spanish Ministry for Agriculture, Food and Environment. EPM and SF are supported by a JAE DOCTORES 2010 contract and JAE PREDOCTORAL scholarship, respectively, part-funded by the European Union (European Social Fund, ESF2007-2013) and the Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness, as well as the EU FP7 project FAST (grant 607131). We are grateful to the staff of Doñana National Park for assistance and the owners of Veta la Palma for allowing access to the farm facilities. We also thank Manuel Arjonilla, Maria Ferrer-Marco, Antonio Moreno and Simone Taglialatela for samples collection and analysis. All data contained in this work will be available for download from Digital.CSIC, the Institutional Repository of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). ; Peer reviewed

The widespread decline of seagrass beds within the Mediterranean often results in the replacement of seagrasses by opportunistic green algae of the Caulerpa family. Because Caulerpa beds have a different height, stiffness and density compared to seagrasses, these changes in habitat type modify the interaction of the seafloor with hydrodynamics, influencing key processes such as sediment resuspension and particle trapping. Here, we compare the effects on hydrodynamics and particle trapping of Caulerpa taxifolia, C. racemosa, and C. prolifera with the Mediterranean seagrasses Cymodocea nodosa and Posidonia oceanica. All macrophyte canopies reduced near-bed volumetric flow rates compared to bare sediment, vertical profiles of turbulent kinetic energy revealed peak values around the top of the canopies, and maximum values of Reynolds stress increased by a factor of between 1.4 (C. nodosa) and 324.1 (P. oceanica) when vegetation was present. All canopies enhanced particle retention rates compared to bare sediment. The experimental C. prolifera canopy was the most effective at particle retention (m2 habitat); however, C. racemosa had the largest particle retention capacity per structure surface area. Hence, in terms of enhancing particle trapping and reducing hydrodynamic forces at the sediment surface, Caulerpa beds provided a similar or enhanced function compared to P.oceanica and C. nodosa. However, strong seasonality in the leaf area index of C. racemosa and C. taxifolia within the Mediterranean, combined with a weak rhizome structure, suggests that sediments maybe unprotected during winter storms, when most erosion occurs. Hence, replacement of seagrass beds with Caulerpa is likely to have a major influence on annual sediment dynamics at ecosystem scales. ; This research was funded by the European Network of Excellence ''Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function'' (MarBEF); FP6, EC contract no. 505446 and a grant from the Fundacio ´n BBVA. EPM was supported by a European Union Marie Curie host fellowship for transfer of knowledge, MTKD-CT-2004-509254, the Spanish national project EVAMARIA (CTM2005-00395/MAR) and the regional government of Andalusia project FUNDIV(P07-RNM-2516).

Estuaries are hotspots of intense biogeochemical cycling that regulate land–ocean exchanges and support a broad range of ecosystem services. They are a particularly important, still under-resolved, component of the global carbon cycle and often flash points for local socioeconomic conflicts. The mesotidal Guadalquivir estuary is fed by one of the Iberian Peninsula's largest rivers, has a long history of anthropogenic manipulation, and hosts a surrounding population of over 1.7 million people. Monthly sampling of water biogeochemical properties (pigments, nutrients, alkalinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and organic matter) was carried out in the estuary at 12 stations along its length between November 2007 and August 2009. pCO2 and dissolved inorganic carbon were calculated from total alkalinity and pH, allowing air–water fluxes (FCO2) and land–ocean transport to be estimated. The spatial distribution of oxygen concentration and suspended materials led to divide the system in three zones, the inner estuary (IE), the middle estuary (ME), and the lower estuary (LE), with a minimum oxygen zone and a maximum turbidity zone being found in the IE and ME, respectively. CO2 exchange pattern defined the estuary as a strong source being the IE the major contributor. Thus, estuarine waters were CO2 oversaturated with respect to the atmosphere during most of the study period, with average annual FCO2 values being 66.9 ± 18.6, 29.4 ± 20.3, and 3.4 ± 8.1 mmol C m−2 day−1 in the IE, ME, and LE, respectively. The average annual CO2 flux to the atmosphere was 36.4 ± 11.7 mol C m−2 year−1. The present study reinforces the heterotrophic status of the estuary in relation to the carbon system variable description. ; This research was funded by the Andalusian Regional Government, by the project P09–RNM–4853, and by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment through the project 49/2010. SF was supported by a JAE Predoctoral scholarship and a COST Action 735. EPM was supported by a JAE DOCTORES 2010 contract; both JAE are partly funded by the European Union (European Social Fund ESF2007-2013) and the Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness. ; Peer reviewed

Related Digital.CSIC items: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/72209; http://hdl.handle.net/10261/63554.-- The data used for this article is here: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/77418 ; Inland and transitional aquatic systems play an important role in global carbon (C) cycling. Yet, the C dynamics of wetlands and floodplains are poorly defined and field data is scarce. Air-water CO2 fluxes in the wetlands of Doñana Natural Area (SW Spain) were examined by measuring alkalinity, pH and other physiochemical parameters in a range of water bodies during 2010–2011. Areal fluxes were calculated and, using remote sensing, an estimate of the contribution of aquatic habitats to gaseous CO2 transport was derived. Semi-permanent ponds adjacent to the large Guadalquivir estuary acted as mild sinks, whilst temporal wetlands were strong sources of CO2 (−0.8 and 36.3 mmolCO2 m-2 d-1). Fluxes in semi-permanent streams and ponds changed seasonally; acting as sources in spring-winter and mild sinks in autumn (16.7 and −1.2 mmolCO2 m-2 d-1). Overall, Doñana's water bodies were a net annual source of CO2 (5.2 molc m-2 y-1). Up–scaling clarified the overwhelming contribution of seasonal flooding and allochthonous organic matter inputs in determining regional air-water gaseous CO2 transport (13.1 Ggc y-1). Nevertheless, this estimate is about 6 times < local marsh net primary production, suggesting the system acts as an annual net CO2 sink. Initial indications suggest longer hydroperiods may favour autochthonous C capture by phytoplankton. Direct anthropogenic impacts have reduced the hydroperiod in Doñana and this maybe exacerbated by climate change (less rainfall and more evaporation), suggesting potential for the modification of C sequestration. ; This research was supported by the projects P09–RNM–4744 and 049/2010 funded by the Regional Government of Andalucia and the Spanish Ministry for Agriculture, Food and Environment, respectively. EPM and SF are supported by a JAE DOCTORES 2010 contract and JAE PREDOCTORAL scholarship, respectively, part-funded by the European Union (European Social Fund, ESF2007-2013) and the Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness. ; Peer reviewed

Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) acts as a large reservoir of fixed nitrogen. Whereas DON utilization is common in the microbial community, little is known about utilization by macrophytes. We investigated the ability of the coexisting temperate marine macrophytes Zostera noltii, Cymodocea nodosa, and Caulerpa prolifera to take up nitrogen and carbon from small organic substrates of different molecular complexities (urea, glycine, L-leucine, and L-phenylalanine) and from dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from algal and bacterial cultures (substrates with a complex composition). In addition to inorganic nitrogen, nitrogen from small organic substrates could be taken up in significant amounts by all macrophytes. Substrate uptake by the aboveground tissue differed from that of the belowground tissue. No relationships between carbon and nitrogen uptake of small organics were found. The preference for individual organic substrates was related to their structural complexity and C:N ratio. Uptake of algae-derived organic nitrogen was of similar magnitude as inorganic nitrogen, and was preferred over bacteria-derived nitrogen. These results add to the growing evidence that direct or quick indirect DON utilization may be more widespread among aquatic macrophytes than traditionally thought. ; This research was supported by the regional government of Andalusia project FUNDIV (P07-RNM-2516), the Spanish Project CTM2008-00012/MAR, a European Reintegration Grant (MERG-CT-2007-205675), a travel grant from Schure-Beijerinck-Popping Fund (SBP/JK/2007-32) and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. Thanks to Fidel Echevarrìa Navas (Director of CACYTMAR) for granting us access to facilities, and to Bas Koutstaal for helping with sample processing. We also thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments which significantly improved this manuscript.

Many of the world's wetlands may be profoundly affected by climate change over the coming decades. Although wetland managers may have little control over the causes of climate change, they can help to counteract its effects through local measures. This is because direct anthropogenic impacts, such as water extraction and nutrient loading, work in concert with climate change to damage wetlands. Control of these local stressors may therefore ameliorate undesired effects of climate change, such as a shift towards dominance by invasive floating plants, increasingly frequent cyanobacteria blooms, or extinction of key species. Using the iconic Doñana wetlands in Spain as a case study, we illustrate how the concept of creating a "safe operating space" may be implemented to better ensure that ecosystems do not surpass thresholds for collapse during an era of global change. ; WIMEK grant for a research stay at WUR. JAE DOCTORES. European Union. European Social Fund. Grant Number: ESF2007‐2013. Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness. EU FP7 project FAST. Grant Number: 607131. European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. Grant Number: 641762 ; Peer reviewed

Many of the world's wetlands may be profoundly affected by climate change over the coming decades. Although wetland managers may have little control over the causes of climate change, they can help to counteract its effects through local measures. This is because direct anthropogenic impacts, such as water extraction and nutrient loading, work in concert with climate change to damage wetlands. Control of these local stressors may therefore ameliorate undesired effects of climate change, such as a shift towards dominance by invasive floating plants, increasingly frequent cyanobacteria blooms, or extinction of key species. Using the iconic Doñana wetlands in Spain as a case study, we illustrate how the concept of creating a "safe operating space" may be implemented to better ensure that ecosystems do not surpass thresholds for collapse during an era of global change. ; AJG was supported by a WIMEK grant for a research stay at WUR. EPM was supported by a JAE DOCTORES 2010 contract funded by the European Union (European Social Fund, ESF2007-­2013) and the Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness, as well as the EU FP7 project FAST (grant 607131). Funding was also provided by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement number 641762 to the ECOPOTENTIAL project. C Perennou provided helpful comments on earlier versions of the manuscript. Maps were made using data from CHG­ uadalquivir (www.chguadalquivir.es/ide) with QGIS (www.qgis.org) and the Google Maps API. ; PDF 9 pages