Ana Isabel Lillebø

University of Aveiro | UA · Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM)

Patchy global data on belowground litter decomposition dynamics limit our capacity to discern the drivers of carbon preservation and storage across inland and coastal wetlands. We performed a global, multiyear study in over 180 wetlands across 28 countries and 8 macroclimates using standardized litter as measures of “recalcitrant” (rooibos tea) and...

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for forest certification and certified forest products in Europe. This trend is related to major worldwide challenges, such as the need to decarbonize the economy and mitigate climate change but also social and consumer demands for wider fair trade. However, whether forest certification influence...

Poster presented at Neobiota Conference 2024, Lisbon.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of seagrass recolonization as a nature-based solution for the recovery of a coastal area historically contaminated by mercury (Laranjo Bay, Ria de Aveiro, Portugal). A mesocosm approach was employed to assess the resistance of Zostera noltei to transplantation into contaminated sediments collect...

The Working Group on Resilience and Marine Ecosystem Services (WGRMES) aims to improve scientific understanding and capacity to design data collection networks and methodologies in order to analyze the ecological, economic, social, and institutional dimensions of marine ecosystem services. The group progressed work in relation to five objectives:...

Consumers today demand healthier and more sustainable seafood products that are tasty and convenient. Plant-based foods have been particularly sought for and the development of novel products in this category is expanding. Halophytes are emerging as a new category of marine vegetables with distinct organoleptic characteristics (e.g. salty) and func...

Halophytes are salt-tolerant plants that can be used to extract dissolved inorganic nutrients from saline aquaculture effluents under a production framework commonly known as Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA). Halimione portulacoides (L.) Aellen (common name: sea purslane) is an edible saltmarsh halophyte traditionally consumed by humans...

The need for more sustainable aquafeeds has prompted the exploration of insects as potential ingredients. However, commonly reared insects are not satisfactory regarding their fatty acid composition, lacking omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC PUFA), important nutrients for marine organisms. In this study, we present in detail th...

Sea purslane Halimione portulacoides (L.) Aellen is a candidate extractive species for coastal Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) to recycle the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphorus (DIP) wasted by excretive species. To test its suitability, saline aquaculture effluents were simulated in the laboratory using a hydroponics appr...

European eel (Anguilla Anguilla), American eel (Anguilla rostrata), and Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) are three temperate catadromous species that share many remarkable ecological features. Despite millions of years of adaptation, the three eel species have undergone a dramatic decline in only a few years. The beginning of the eel decline is ver...

Ecological modelling is fundamental for ecology, its teaching and learning processes are essential for future modelers. However, these are hard to teach, and perhaps even harder to learn. Our objectives were to explore an effective hands-on method of teaching ecological models. We simulated in class the capture of prey by a predator under scenarios...

Conceptual frameworks including Ecosystem Services (ES) concept are rapidly becoming promising tools for ecosystem-based management planning process. Conceptual frameworks to assess ES support transdisciplinary approaches to ecological economics and expands current asset boundaries to include natural and social capital. These frameworks have been p...

O presente documento sistematiza os resultados obtidos no decorrer do projeto europeu AQUACROSS. O AQUACROSS procurou desenvolver a aplicação do conceito de Gestão Baseada em Ecossistemas em sistemas aquáticos num esforço para apoiar a implementação atempada da Estratégia 2020 da UE sobre Biodiversidade e metas internacionais no âmbito da conservaç...

O presente documento sistematiza os resultados obtidos no decorrer do projeto europeu AQUACROSS. O AQUACROSS procurou desenvolver a aplicação do conceito de Gestão Baseada em Ecossistemas em sistemas aquáticos num esforço para apoiar a implementação atempada da Estra- tégia 2020 da UE sobre Biodiversidade e metas internacionais no âmbito da conserv...

The ecosystem services (ES) framework has become a promising tool for ecosystem-based management (EBM), supporting better decision-making. In the particular case of the marine environment, its operationalization will foster a healthier use of the maritime space, integrating the various economic activities on a sustainable way. Aquaculture developme...

The AQUACROSS project was an unprecedented effort to unify policy concepts, knowledge, and management of freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems to support the cost-effective achievement of the targets set by the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020. AQUACROSS aimed to support EU efforts to enhance the resilience and stop the loss of biodiversity of...

A high quality data collection has been carried out between 2004 and 2014 to develop the first trophic ECOPATH model for the functioning of the sub and intertidal zones of Ria de Aveiro. This schematic representation allows the characterization of the most important compartments of biomass and flows of energy representing the functioning of the eco...

The goal of this work was to explore whether or not the intention of engaging could be understood (Study 1) and promoted (Study 2), by using an extension of the theory of planned behaviour. In Study 1, stakeholders from three European Mediterranean case studies were surveyed: Baixo Vouga Lagunar (Portugal), SCOT Provence Méditerranée (France), and...

Highest extinction risk and consequently biodiversity loss are predicted to occur in invertebrates, specifically insects, and these declines are expected to cascade onto ecosystem functioning and human well-being. Although this knowledge is intrinsically present in more traditional communities, in more urban environments, mapping ecosystem services...

Some halophytes are currently used as gourmet plant ingredients for human consumption. The polar lipidome of the succulent organs of Salicornia ramosissima (fresh branch tips) and Halimione portulacoides (leaves) were characterized in-depth, with more than two hundred lipid species being identified in both halophytes. The lipid species identified w...

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the alien invasive bivalve Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774) in the nutrient dynamics of temperate estuarine systems (oligohaline areas) under climate change scenarios. The scenarios simulated shifts in climatic conditions, following salinity (0 or 5) and temperature (24 or 30 °C) changes, us...

The natural conservation of coastal lagoons is important not only for their ecological importance, but also because of the valuable ecosystem services they provide for human welfare and wellbeing. Coastal lagoons are shallow semi-enclosed systems that support important habitats such as wetlands, mangroves, salt-marshes and seagrass meadows, as well...

Through litter decomposition enormous amount of carbon is emitted to the atmosphere. Numerous large-scale decomposition experiments have been conducted focusing on this fundamental soil process in order to understand the controls on the terrestrial carbon transfer to the atmosphere. However, previous studies were mostly based on site-specific litte...

Through litter decomposition enormous amounts of carbon is emitted to the atmosphere. Numerous large-scale decomposition experiments have been conducted focusing on this fundamental soil process in order to under-stand the controls on the terrestrial carbon transfer to the atmosphere. However, previous studies were mostly based on site-specific litt...

We compared and contrasted 11 European case studies to identify challenges and opportunities toward the operationalization of marine and coastal ecosystem service (MCES) assessments in Europe. This work is the output of a panel convened by the Marine Working Group of the Ecosystem Services Partnership in September 2016. The MCES assessments were us...

The harvesting of bait through digging in coastal mudflats is practiced for recreational and commercial purposes in European coastal systems including the Ria de Aveiro coastal lagoon on the northwest Atlantic coast of Portugal. The scale of harvesting in the Ria de Aveiro has recently increased due to the current economic climate in Portugal, with...

The packing and shipping of live marine organisms always poses a potential risk to their survival and well-being, with the costs associated with these practices being paramount for marine ornamental species value chains. The present study describes two experiments employing the longsnout seahorse Hippocampus reidi (~ 80 mm) as a model seahorse spec...

The main objective of this study was to test an innovative biomitigation approach, where polychaete-assisted (Hediste diversicolor) sand filters were combined with the production of Halimione portulacoides in aquaponics, to remediate an organic-rich effluent generated by a super intensive fish farm operating a land-based RAS (Recirculating aquacult...

Oral presentation at the IMTA session of Aquaculture Europe 2017.

The present study critically analyses peer-reviewed literature addressing the potential of halophytes to remediate nutrient-rich effluents from marine and coastal aquaculture, as well as the potential for their economic valorization, from human consumption to an untapped source of valuable secondary metabolites with pharmaceutical potential. The gr...

Adaptation to climate change is a process that should engage different participants, including not only researchers and technicians but also other stakeholders and local individuals and, therefore, it is important to understand their beliefs on the local effects of climate change. Recent studies illustrate a linear relation between coastal distance...

The Paris Agreement signed by 195 countries in 2015 sets out a global action plan to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to remain below 2 °C. Under that premise, in situ experiments were run to test the effects of 2 °C temperature increase on the benthic communities in a seagrass bed and adjacent bare sediment, from a tempera...

One of the main limitations found in the numerical models available to simulate seagrass dynamics is the absence of processes that differentiate intertidal from subtidal seagrass meadows, namely the desiccation undergone by the leaves when emerged. The main objective of this work is therefore to contribute towards the mechanistic development and te...

Cultural ecosystem services (CES) reflect peoples’ physical and cognitive interactions with nature and are increasingly recognised for providing non-material benefits to human societies. Whereas coasts, seas, and oceans sustain a great proportion of the human population, CES provided by these ecosystems have remained largely unexplored. Therefore,...

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of the inoculation of the saltmarsh plant (Halimione portulacoides) with Pseudomonas sp. SPN31 nah+ combined with exposure to 2-methylnaphthalene (2-MtN) on the plant rhizosphere and endosphere bacterial communities as well as on plant health. To achieve this goal, microcosm experiments were set up....

The present study aims to assess the plastic response of Zostera noltei meadows traits under spatio-temporal shifts in salinity combined with sediment environmental variables (temperature; pH; loss-on-ignition (LOI); carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools (top 5 cm)). Z. noltei biomass, C and N pools, leaf photosynthetic performance and esterified fatty...

Seagrass global distribution has declined in the last decades due to many causes, and the implementation of recovery programmes as well as the development of new restoration techniques are needed. This work describes the development of an innovative restoration measure to enhance Zostera marina (eelgrass) seed germination and seedling survival in s...

In the scope of the first WDF management cycle, a multi-municipality sanitation system with secondary treatment was implemented in 2005 in Ria de Aveiro coastal lagoon, with the treated effluent discharging into the Atlantic Ocean through a submarine outfall. The lagoon water chemical status was evaluated regarding dissolved inorganic nutrients and...

Ria de Aveiro is a mesotidal coastal lagoon with one of the largest continuous salt marshes in Europe. The objective of this work was to assess C, N and P stocks of Spartina maritima (low marsh pioneer halophyte) and Juncus maritimus (representative of mid-high marsh halophytes) combined with the contribution of Halimione portulacoides, Sarcocornia...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential added value of Hediste diversicolor, cultured for 5 mo in sand bed tanks supplied with effluent water from a super-intensive marine fish farm, by comparing their fatty acid (FA) profile with that of wild specimens. The polychaetes showed an approximately 35-fold increase in biomass during the expe...

This deliverable, led by UCC, gives a general overview of the data and information needs, indicators, and tools related to current policy implementation processes. To do this, the report introduces the structure and existing progress of the Biodiversity Strategy, provides definitions of ecosystem-based management, and considers the data and inform...

The condition of benthic habitats is a key determinant of the marine ecosystem services they can provide. This condition can, however, be adversely affected by biological, chemical and physical pressures caused by multiple human activities including among others fishing, offshore constructions, and pollution. Following the Marine Strategy Framework...

The distribution of Zostera noltii seagrass in Ria de Aveiro lagoon (NW Portugal) is presently characterised by intertidal monospecific meadows. Numerical modelling approaches are useful supportive tools for environmental management, although the available numerical models for seagrasses generally overlook the intertidal processes, such as the wate...

This paper shares the experiences, observations and discussions that occurred during the completing of an ecosystem services' (ES) indicator framework to be used at European Union and Member States' level. The experience base was drawn from three European research projects and 14 associated case study sites that include 13 transitional-water bodies...

In the present study, we used 16S rRNA barcoded pyrosequencing to investigate to what extent monospecific stands of different saltmarsh plant species (Juncus maritimus and Spartina maritima), sampling site and temporal variation affect sediment bacterial communities. We also used a bioinformatics tool, PICRUSt, to predict metagenome gene functional...

A variety of ecosystem services classification systems and mapping approaches are available in the scientific and technical literature, which needs to be selected and adapted when applied to complex territories (e.g. in the interface between water and land, estuary and sea). This paper provides a framework for addressing ecosystem services in compl...

The marine environment supports a remarkable diversity of organisms which are a potential source of natural products with biological activities. These organisms include a wide variety of marine plants (from micro- to macrophytes), which have been used in the food and pharmaceutical industry. However, the biochemistry and biological activities of ma...

The main objective of the work carried out in the scope of a three years collaborative research project was to develop science-based strategies and a decision support framework for the integrated management of coastal lagoons and their catchments and, in this context, to enhance connectivity between research and policymaking. In this paper our main...

The AQUACROSS concept introduced in this deliverable aims to make ecosystem-based management (EBM) an ecosystem-service and resilience-oriented concept that can be made fully operational in the context of the management of aquatic ecosystems (inland, coastal and marine). The AQUACROSS Assessment Framework (AF) will, for the first time, generate con...

In the present study we tested, under controlled conditions, the combined effect of seed dimorphism and salinity on the germination responses of Salicornia ramosissima. Results evidenced that the dimorphic seed bank of wild S. ramosissima could successfully germinate at a salinity range from 0 to 25 ≈428 mM NaCl. However, germination responses were...

A decision support framework for the management of lagoon ecosystems was tested using four European Lagoons: Ria de Aveiro (Portugal), Mar Menor (Spain), Tyligulskyi Liman (Ukraine) and Vistula Lagoon (Poland/Russia). Our aim was to formulate integrated management recommendations for European lagoons. To achieve this we followed a DPSIR (Drivers-Pr...

The study area, Baixo Vouga Lagunar (BVL, Portugal), is located in Ria de Aveiro confluence with Vouga river and it includes several fresh and transition watercourses under tidal influence. This research aimed for unravel the water management issue in BVL, considering the possible climate change (CC) effects and the desirable adaptation measures. A...

O projeto europeu ADAPT-MED pretendeu identificar os princi- pais fatores que afetam a capacidade de internalizar a adapta- ção às alterações climáticas em zonas costeiras mediterrâneas, no processo de tomada de decisão. Nomeadamente, procurou- -se analisar a forma como o processo de adaptação às altera- ções climáticas se relaciona, e poderá relac...

In the EU, the mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services, abbreviated to MAES, is seen as a key action for the advancement of biodiversity objectives, and also to inform the development and implementation of related policies on water, climate, agriculture, forest, marine and regional planning. In this study, we present the development...

In toto aquaculture is a promising approach towards the bioprospecting and production of bioactive compounds from the coral holobiont. Coral aquaculture ex situ allows a better control of culture conditions to maximize coral growth and reduce production costs. Light (either the Photosynthetically Active Radiation—PAR, or the emitted spectrum) is on...

Estuaries are among the most productive ecosystems and simultaneously among the most threatened by conflicting human activities, which damage their ecological functions. Describing and attempting to understand the structure and functioning of estuaries is an essential step for maintaining and restoring the quality of estuarine ecosystems. The objec...

RESUMO O turismo é dos poucos sectores económicos que registou crescimento contínuo na Europa, apesar da crise económica global. Como tal, tem sido apontado como tendo grande potencial para o desenvolvimento e crescimento económico Europeu de forma sustentável. O objetivo do presente estudo foi aplicar o modelo conceptual DPSIR (Drivers-Pressures-S...