Sea cucumbers bioturbation potential outcomes on marine benthic trophic status under different temperature regimes.

ABSTRACT: Eutrophication affects coastal oceans worldwide, modifies primary production and sediment biogeochemistry and, overall, is progressively compromising marine ecosystems' integrity. Because of their known bioturbation ability, sea cucumbers are supposed to be candidates for mitigating benthic eutrophication. To provide insights on this, we investigated differences in organic matter quantity and biochemical composition (as proxies of benthic trophic status) of sediments and feces of the sea cucumber Holothuria tubulosa acclimated in mesocosms at temperatures comprised between natural conditions (14-26 °C) and an extreme of 29 °C (representing the highest anomaly under heat waves in the Mediterrranean Sea). Organic matter features differed significantly between sediments characterized by diffe

SUBMITTER: Ennas C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10354198 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature