Journal of Ecosystem & Ecography
Open Access

Anthropocene; Ecosystem; eDNA

Introduction

The increasing human impacts and concurrent threat to environmental resources at both the global (i.e., climate change) and local (e.g., pollution, overexploitation) scales have resulted in the Anthropocene Epoch being defined (Lewis and Maslin, 2015). Environmental degradation is widespread in marine environments, particularly in coastal ecosystems, which are the primary global economic assets in terms of ecological services (Costanza et al., 1997, Keyes and McLaughlin, 2021). The impact on coastal marine ecosystems has far-reaching consequences, including the extinction of species (Barnosky et al., 2011, Dirzo et al., 2014), the impairment of ecological functions (Obura et al., 2021), and the loss of ecosystem goods (Worm et al., 2006). As a result, monitoring changes in marine biodiversity at various spatiotemporal scales becomes necessary. [1-5].

Radiometric analyses and geochronology

Gamma spectrometry analyses of 20 g geometry of slightly ground sediment samples were performed to determine 210Pb and 226Ra activities. Delbono et al. describe calibration, quality checks, and measurement procedures (2016). The difference between the total 210Pb and the fraction in equilibrium with the parent radionuclide 226Ra was used to calculate the excess 210Pb (210Pbex) activity. The sediment layers’ compaction was accounted for using mass depth (g cm2). To determine the age of each layer of the sediment core, the Constant Rate of Supply (CRS) model (Appleby and Oldfield, 1978) was used, with a CRS of unsupported 210Pb. Using data from 226Ra activities, the 210Pb dating was validated and extended over several centuries. In fact, the ejected sediments by Vesuvius volcanic activities are marked by a high 226Ra concentration (Voltaggio et al., 2004), and its recent historical activity (1631-1944) is well-known and continuous (Scandone et al., 2008) giving a series of well-recognized time-markers: in the AB01 sediment core, 226Ra peaks due to Vesuvius eruptions in 1944, 1906 and 1822 were identified.

Conclusion

The ecosystem then underwent a complete transformation, with seagrasses and associated fauna, as well as diverse groups of planktonic and benthic protists, being replaced by a low diversity biota dominated by dinophyceans and infaunal metazoan species. The sedaDNA approach allows us to disentangle the multi-level cascade effects of industrialization, bringing to light pre-industrial reference conditions and demonstrating that good ecological conditions have not fully recovered after 20 years of decommissioning. [6- 10].

Acknowledgement

This research was made possible by the ABBaCo project, which was funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University, and Research under grant number C62F16000170001. Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn provided M.L. Romero-Martnez with a PhD fellowship. The Swiss National Science Foundation grant 31003A 179125 supported I.B.A. and J.P.

Potential Conflict of Interest

The author has no conflict of interest.

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