Tissue nutrient contents of the red alga Ellisolandia elongata as a tool to assess the ecological status in NW Mediterranean coastal waters

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecss.2023.108518
• Publication Date: 2023-10-03T05:56:12Z
• Authors: Pinedo Susana; Esther Jordana; Enric Ballesteros
• Keywords: Bioindicator; Water Framework Directive

Eutrophication is a major threat to aquatic ecosystems because excessive nutrient enrichment may result in biodiversity loss, profound functional changes and reduction of ecosystem services. Unless several water quality indexes have been developed following the implementation EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), there still room for improvement. In particular, stress-tolerant articulated red coralline alga Ellisolandia elongata (=Corallina elongata) dominant wide range environmental conditions, hampering proper evaluation some these places. Here we checked whether E. can be used as eutrophication bioindicator by measuring tissue phosphorus nitrogen contents. Our results detect an increase contents along gradient and, thus, it status. Their measurement will allow more accurate assessment places dominated where WFD compliant based on species/assemblages presence and/or abundance do not provide enough resolution.