Anthropogenic impacts on Posidonia oceanica meadows have led to a decline of this ecosystem throughout the Mediterranean. Transplantations have often been prescribed as a compensation measure to mitigate the impacts caused by coastal maritime works. Here a Q methodology approach was used to investigate the stakeholders’ attitudes in four case studies of P. oceanica transplants realized in Italian waters. Twenty-two respondents were asked to score 37 statements, and the resultant Q-sorting was analyzed via an inverse PCA using the KADE software. Four discourses, corresponding to the significant axes in the factorial analysis were identified: science and conservation (F1), oriented at a rigorous scientific approach; engineering and industry (F2), oriented at the economic development; environmentalism and participation (F3), oriented at the conservation of seagrass meadows; and transplantation-oriented (F4), oriented at the realization of transplants as compensation measures. The main conflicts and agreements between discourses are assessed and discussed, based on the analysis of the distinguishing statements that contributed to consensus or disagreement among discourses. The benefits of the Q methodology in the identification and mediation of conflicts in the four case studies are discussed, and its potential as a powerful aid in the development of a good environmental governance is acknowledged.
All seagrass species known from the Mediterranean basin have been recorded along the Sicilian coast, where studies have been carried out at a very local scale and information is fragmented or confined to the grey literature. The objective of this article is to summarise and evaluate current knowledge on seagrass species on the Sicilian coasts, providing an overview of species distribution, genetic diversity, biology and ecology, based on the literature and unpublished data. Most literature studies have been carried out on Posidonia oceanica meadows because of their wide distribution, complexity and ecological importance. In this study, the analyses carried out on P. oceanica structural and functional features show that the Sicilian meadows are in good condition with respect to the Mediterranean average, probably because of relatively low anthropogenic pressure and favourable ecological conditions. The available data on this species summarised in this article represent an important starting point from which to build effective plans for understanding levels of environmental threats and for supporting conservation strategies for these important ecosystems. Conversely, the limited information available on other seagrasses only allows the description of some structural and functional features, and does not permit to drive overall conclusions on their general health status.
Abstract Distribution, structure and phenology of Posidonia oceanica meadows along Sicilian coasts are reported. Posidonia beds are frequently found in Sicily, especially along the south-eastern, north-western and western coasts. Leaf surface per shoot is identified as the most important variable among the phenological parameters. The rhizomes annual mean primary production turned out to be among the highest values observed in the Mediterranean Sea. Flowering and fruiting of Posidonia oceanica are frequent and can occur every year.
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