Zostera marina is a dominant meadow-forming seagrass in temperate regions in the northern hemisphere. Here, fatty acid content and composition, and pigmentation, in leaves were evaluated across temporal (April, July, November −2015 and January-2016) and latitudinal (Greenland to southern Spain) environmental gradients. Content of total fatty acids (TFA) in samples collected in Ireland during warmer periods (summer) was 2–3 times lower than in winter and exhibited a lower proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which have high high-nutritional value relative to saturated fatty acids (SAFA). The latitudinal comparison (Greenland to southern Spain) revealed a clear reduction in the proportion n-3 PUFAs and an increase in n-6 PUFA and SAFA, which correlated with the rise in temperature towards southern locations, which correlated with the rise in temperature towards south. Results indicate that future warming may negatively affect its lipid nutritional value. These results demonstrate the capacity of seagrasses to adjust their lipid composition to achieve optimal membrane functionality, suggesting the potential use of FA as an eco-physiological indicator of global change conditions. The results also suggest that future warming may negatively affect the lipid nutritional value of seagrasses.

Zostera码头是北半球温带地区占优势的草甸形成海草。在此，在时间（2015年4月，2015年7月，11月–2015年1月和2016年1月）和纬度（格陵兰至西班牙南部）的环境梯度上评估了叶片中的脂肪酸含量，组成和色素沉着。爱尔兰在温暖时期（夏季）采集的样品中总脂肪酸（TFA）含量比冬天低2-3倍，并且多不饱和脂肪酸（PUFA）的比例较低，相对于高营养价值而言饱和脂肪酸（SAFA）。经纬度比较（格陵兰与西班牙南部）显示，n-3 PUFA的比例明显减少，n-6 PUFA和SAFA有所增加，这与南部地区的温度升高相关，与气温向南升高有关。结果表明，未来变暖可能对其脂质的营养价值产生负面影响。这些结果证明了海草调节其脂质组成以实现最佳膜功能的能力，表明了将FA用作全球变化条件的生态生理指标的潜在用途。结果还表明，未来的变暖可能会对海草的脂质营养价值产生负面影响。