[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/7035\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBiodiversity loss in the oceans can be reversed through habitat restoration\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBiodiversity loss is considered to be one of the most severe global environmental problems. In our oceans, this decline is heavily influenced by habitat degradation stemming from human activities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWithout action, more than half of the world\u2019s marine species could be on the brink of extinction by the year 2100, according to\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.unesco.org\/new\/en\/natural-sciences\/ioc-oceans\/focus-areas\/rio-20-ocean\/blueprint-for-the-future-we-want\/marine-biodiversity\/facts-and-figures-on-marine-biodiversity\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EUNESCO\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarine biodiversity loss hinders the ocean\u2019s ability to provide food for our growing population, with an estimated \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.worldwildlife.org\/industries\/sustainable-seafood\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Ethree billion\u003C\/a\u003E people dependent on fish as their primary source of dietary protein.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re also economically dependent on healthy oceans. According to the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/wwf.panda.org\/our_work\/oceans\/solutions\/recognising_the_value_of_marine_ecosystem_services\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EWorld Wide Fund for Nature\u003C\/a\u003E, the ocean provides the world with goods and services worth at least \u20ac2.2 trillion every year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome effects of biodiversity loss are less tangible. Many of the chemicals used in medical drugs and industrial compounds today came from marine plants and animals. With less known about the oceans than the moon, potentially useful marine organisms could be wiped out or seriously depleted before they are even discovered.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018If we lose biodiversity, we lose the opportunity to discover these crucially important compounds,\u2019 said Professor Roberto Danovaro, president of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/institution\/Stazione_Zoologica_Anton_Dohrn\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EStazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn in Naples, Italy.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERestoration\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe good news is that in the oceans, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.unenvironment.org\/ru\/node\/24520\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Eecosystem restoration\u003C\/a\u003E can cause species that disappeared from a particular region to return, says Prof. Danovaro.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The concept of biodiversity loss is different in marine and in terrestrial ecosystems. Because of the dimension of connection between seas and oceans, it\u2019s difficult to have a complete loss of biodiversity, an extinction,\u2019 said Prof. Danovaro.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018But, at the regional and the local scale, we have a loss of biodiversity if there is a decrease of a species to nothing in a certain region.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProf. Danovaro coordinates a project called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/rcn\/203265\/en\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EMERCES\u003C\/a\u003E, which is restoring habitats in biologically depleted regions of Europe by reintroducing key species, which are mainly plants and corals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf marine habitats can successfully be replenished with life, this means that ecosystems could recover from the damage caused by industrial development, from gas pipeline construction, for example, or mining activities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022 class=\u0022@alignleft@\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Gorgonians are being reintroduced in hard-bottom habitats in European seas. Image credit - Pxhere\u0022 height=\u00221324\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/gorgonian.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022Gorgonians are being reintroduced in hard-bottom habitats in European seas. Image credit - Pxhere\u0022 width=\u00222048\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EGorgonians are being reintroduced in hard-bottom habitats in European seas. Image credit - Pxhere\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018This is an opportunity not to stop (building) infrastructure but to find a solution to encourage blue growth (economic growth in the marine sector) development along with biodiversity conservation and habitat conservation,\u2019 Prof. Danovaro said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the seagrass meadows of the Mediterranean, Baltic and North Atlantic the team is replanting seaweed species, in hard-bottom habitats they are reintroducing gorgonians (sea fans) and in deep sea areas, other corals. Several species of seaweed, called kelp, and brown algae encourage the return of sea urchins, crustaceans, gastropods, bivalves, starfish and their predators. Prof. Danovaro says that so far between 50% and 90% of animals have returned to these habitats, depending on the species reintroduced.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe action taken by MERCES essentially speeds up how a natural ecosystem would recover in the absence of further impacts, according to Prof. Danovaro. \u2018We are doing in a few years what can be done by nature in a 100 years or more,\u2019 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENew species\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEcosystem threats also come from the introduction of new species \u2013 sometimes but not always precipitated by harmful human activities and warming oceans \u2013 that can take over habitats. Newcomers often have defence mechanisms or other characteristics that allow them to outdo native animals when it comes to securing food and other resources.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u2018We are doing in a few years what (ecological restoration) can be done by nature in a 100 years or more.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EProf. Roberto Danovaro, president, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScientists from a project called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/rcn\/213002\/en\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EEMERTOX\u003C\/a\u003E have found an increasing amount of toxins from tropical algae native to the Caribbean and the Indian and Pacific Oceans is winding up the Mediterranean and North Atlantic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Vitor Vasconcelos, the project\u2019s lead coordinator and biotechnology and ecotoxicology expert at the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) in Porto, Portugal, says that their increased presence is probably due to climate change, and possibly ballast water from ships.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen ships dock or set sail, they usually either release water or take a certain volume of water into their ballast tank. The stored water ensures the ship\u2019s stability at sea, but can contain small sea creatures which are then released at a different port and can become established in a new area. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Many of our activities are stressing the ecosystems, such as aquaculture and shipping. (Shipping) takes in a lot of ballast water and brings organisms to our waters that are not supposed to be here,\u2019 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe toxins that the algae produce are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6651\/11\/1\/58\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Epoisonous to humans\u003C\/a\u003E. They can accumulate to deadly levels in fish and shellfish like mussels and sea snails, which are eaten in many European countries. Severe human non-fatal intoxications, due to eating fish or shellfish contaminated with these invasive toxins, have been reported in Portugal, Spain, France and Italy in the past 14 years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey can also disrupt the delicate balance of ecosystems. Toxic substances can be added to the arsenal of defences that shellfish deploy, increasing their chances of defeating predators.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We already have evidence that these emerging toxins have an impact on the marine ecosystems because they are absorbed by species that never had them before. The balance is affected because they have new defence systems,\u2019 said Dr Marisa Silva, a researcher involved in the EMERTOX project.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EToxins\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe EMERTOX project will put together a series of maps of current and predicted toxin presence so that European authorities are well-informed about the likelihood of future toxic algae scenarios before someone is poisoned.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022 class=\u0022@alignleft@\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Dinoflagellate is found over many different oceans, but their DNA helps to determine where they are from. Image credit - Dinoflagellate Model at NMNH by Mr.TinDC is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0\u0022 height=\u00221198\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/dinoflagellate-model.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022Dinoflagellate is found over many different oceans, but their DNA helps to determine where they are from. Image credit - Dinoflagellate Model at NMNH by Mr.TinDC is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0\u0022 width=\u00222000\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EDinoflagellate is found over many different oceans, but their DNA helps to determine where they are from. Image credit - Dinoflagellate Model at NMNH by Mr.TinDC is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo do this, they\u2019ll map the presence of the marine toxins and the organisms that produce them, a type of phytoplankton known as a dinoflagellate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst, a photograph of the organism is taken so that the researchers can identify it by its size, colour and shape. Next, they extract its DNA using primers \u2013\u0026nbsp;tools that cut the DNA in specific places \u2013\u0026nbsp;and finally identify it by comparing the DNA fragments with others that are available in public databases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExamining the DNA in this way allows the team not only to identify the species but also to tell what region the microorganism calls home.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018DNA from populations of the same species but coming from different areas have slight differences. It\u2019s like having an identity card,\u2019 said Prof. Vasconcelos.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018For instance, the organisms from the Mediterranean have a different \u201cfingerprint\u201d compared to those that are coming from the Caribbean or the Pacific. By analysing the DNA we can understand these slight differences within the same species and by that we can understand the routes of dispersion of the species.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe future scenarios will be built based on the DNA analyses and temperature and other data collected at various sites around Europe where the tropical toxins are already present.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We want to develop models that will help us to predict what will the future occurrence of (toxin-producing) organisms in this area be if we increase the temperature by 5 or 10\u00b0C,\u2019 said Prof. Vasconcelos.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research in this article was funded by the EU. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022moreinfoblock\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ch3\u003EHow invasive species work: The American comb jellyfish\u003C\/h3\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EThe American comb jellyfish or sea walnut called \u003Cem\u003EMnemiopsis leidyi\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;arrived in the Black Sea in the 1980s. It has a special ability to generate a current that continuously pulls food towards it, while being virtually undetectable to its prey. \u003Cem\u003EMnemiopsis \u003C\/em\u003Eeats fish eggs and it was so successful that it became a major problem for fishermen. In the end, \u003Cem\u003EMnemiopsis\u003C\/em\u003E\u2019 reign over the Black Sea ended when another invasive species, a jellyfish called \u003Cem\u003EBeroe ovata\u003C\/em\u003E, was introduced accidentally to the region around 1997 and started to hunt \u003Cem\u003EMnemiopsis\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-av7mjv8ydhmxlcd0kfpjmxorwccfkfogziu1vszqrj8\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-Av7mjV8ydHMxlCd0kfPjMxOrWCCFKfOgZiu1vszQRJ8\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]