Spatiotemporal dynamics and species-habitat relationships in syngnathid assemblages from a coastal lagoon under eutrophication stress

Guerrero Gómez, Adrián; Zamora López, Antonio; Zamora Marín, José Manuel; Oliva Paterna, Francisco José; Torralva Forero, María del Mar

Publication:
Spatiotemporal dynamics and species-habitat relationships in syngnathid assemblages from a coastal lagoon under eutrophication stress

dc.contributor.author	Guerrero Gómez, Adrián
dc.contributor.author	Zamora López, Antonio
dc.contributor.author	Zamora Marín, José Manuel
dc.contributor.author	Oliva Paterna, Francisco José
dc.contributor.author	Torralva Forero, María del Mar
dc.contributor.department	Zoología y Antropología Física
dc.contributor.other	Facultad de Biología
dc.date.accessioned	2026-01-21T12:17:46Z
dc.date.available	2026-01-21T12:17:46Z
dc.date.copyright	© 2025 The Author
dc.date.issued	2025-08-14
dc.description.abstract	Syngnathids are a vulnerable fish group strongly associated with vegetated habitats in transitional waters, yet their population biology and habitat preferences remain poorly understood, particularly in environments subjected to eutrophic conditions. This study examines the spatiotemporal variation and habitat selection of syngnathid populations in the shallow areas of the Mar Menor, a hypersaline coastal lagoon undergoing severe eutrophication, which has led to mass macrophyte mortalities. Seasonal surveys conducted in 2018–2019 revealed a relatively simplified syngnathid assemblage as compared to other large European transitional systems, but highly relevant within the lagoon context. Syngnathus abaster was the dominant species, while Syngnathus typhle and Hippocampus guttulatus were less abundant. Juveniles were particularly prevalent in the vegetated bottoms of shallow areas, reinforcing their function as growing and foraging grounds. Habitat models identified species- and size-specific preferences, with S. abaster and S. typhle closely linked to vegetation metrics, while adult classes showed more complex habitat relationships. In contrast, H. guttulatus exhibited a stronger dependence on water quality predictors. Seascape features also influenced syngnathid distributions. Our findings highlight the key role of seagrass and mixed seagrass-macroalgae meadows in supporting syngnathid populations, particularly under a scenario of habitat degradation. Long-term monitoring is essential to track syngnathid responses to environmental shifts and to inform effective conservation strategies in transitional systems facing increasing anthropogenic pressures.
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dc.format	application/msword
dc.format.extent	12
dc.identifier.citation	Marine Environmental Research 211 (2025) 107452
dc.identifier.doi	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107452
dc.identifier.eissn	1879-0291
dc.identifier.issn	0141-1136
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10201/190049
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	Elsevier
dc.relation	Part of this research was supported by the Environmental Service and Mar Menor Service of the Government of the Autonomous Community of Murcia (CARM, Spain) and the contract “Estudio del estado de la ictiofauna indicadora de zonas someras, mejora de la información y aplicación en la redacción de proyectos en zona sumergida del Mar Menor” (TRAGSATEC). J.M. Z.- M. is supported by a postdoctoral grant funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the European Union NextGeneration EU/PRTR (FJC 2021-046923-I).
dc.relation.publisherversion	https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141113625005094?via%3Dihub
dc.rights	Attribution 4.0 International	*
dc.rights.accessRights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/	*
dc.subject	Seahorses
dc.subject	Fish monitoring
dc.subject	Coastal management
dc.subject	Threatened fish
dc.subject	Pipefishe
dc.subject.ods	No relacionado con ningún objetivo de desarrollo sostenible
dc.title	Spatiotemporal dynamics and species-habitat relationships in syngnathid assemblages from a coastal lagoon under eutrophication stress
dc.type	info:eu-repo/semantics/article
dc.type.version	info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
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