POSIDONArXiV

Summary

The project POSIDONArXiv it aims to reconstruct the Environmental history of marine ecosystems dominated by Oceanic Posidonia, in order to understand how natural and human disturbances have influenced its evolution over millennia.

Using ancient sediments (sediment cores) and combining Environmental DNA (eDNA)—DNA fragments that organisms leave in the water and sediments—, biogeochemical analysis and ecological network analysis It is proposed to reconstruct, over time, the processes and changes in the meadows of Posidonia oceanica from Spain, thus detecting changes in coverage, biomass, genetic richness, floristic composition, and ecological functioning. These reconstructions allow for distinguishing natural components from anthropogenic impacts, establishing pre-human baselines, and assessing resilience to recent disturbances.

A relevant part of the project focuses on the historical genetic dynamics from the prairies of Posidonia, integrating molecular information with sedimentary data to understand how genetic diversity has responded to environmental change.

POSIDONArXiV adds a interdisciplinary approachEcology, paleoecology, biogeochemistry and genetics, to provide deep knowledge about the historical trajectory of seagrass meadows and contribute to their conservation, restoration and appreciation as key blue carbon ecosystems.