The seagrass Halophila stipulacea (Forsskål) Ascherson (Hydrocharitaceae) is a non-indigenous species (NIS) for the MediterraneanSea. This species is expected to have a high potential for invasiveness based on models predicting the present and futuresuitability of the Mediterranean coasts with respect to the plant requirements. This species was recorded for the first time alongthe Apulian coast in the Otranto harbor in 2011. Such a record was not considered in recent publications dealing with the speciesdistribution and its forecasted invasion pathway, probably due to the scant information provided. One decade after its first recordin the area, we confirmed the presence of the H. stipulacea meadow in the same locality (Otranto), and we identified four new H.stipulacea meadows along the Ionian coast are between 1 and 30 m deep in touristic areas. Indirect evidence suggests that the plantis actively spreading along the southeastern Italian coast, and monitoring programs aiming at mapping its distribution in the area,as well as its potential effect on the native biota, are required.
{"title":"The hidden invasion of the alien seagrass Halophila stipulacea (Forsskål) Ascherson along Southeastern Italy","authors":"Andrea Toso, L. Musco","doi":"10.12681/mms.31497","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.31497","url":null,"abstract":"The seagrass Halophila stipulacea (Forsskål) Ascherson (Hydrocharitaceae) is a non-indigenous species (NIS) for the MediterraneanSea. This species is expected to have a high potential for invasiveness based on models predicting the present and futuresuitability of the Mediterranean coasts with respect to the plant requirements. This species was recorded for the first time alongthe Apulian coast in the Otranto harbor in 2011. Such a record was not considered in recent publications dealing with the speciesdistribution and its forecasted invasion pathway, probably due to the scant information provided. One decade after its first recordin the area, we confirmed the presence of the H. stipulacea meadow in the same locality (Otranto), and we identified four new H.stipulacea meadows along the Ionian coast are between 1 and 30 m deep in touristic areas. Indirect evidence suggests that the plantis actively spreading along the southeastern Italian coast, and monitoring programs aiming at mapping its distribution in the area,as well as its potential effect on the native biota, are required.","PeriodicalId":51128,"journal":{"name":"Mediterranean Marine Science","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41401549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The zooxanthellate coral Oculina patagonica (Scleractinia, Oculinidae) is an invasive species that was first recorded in the Mediterranean Sea in 1966 and currently has expanded its distribution across both the western and eastern Atlantic. Here, we reviewed data from multiple databases to compile historical distribution records of O. patagonica and analyze its spread. The chronological review highlights the unique spread of this zooxanthellate coral during the last two decades, expanding its distribution in multiple directions and establishing populations in disjunct regions separated by ~12,000 km, including most biogeographic regions within the temperate Mediterranean, the subtropical eastern Atlantic and the tropical Gulf of Mexico. The biogeographic distribution discontinuities documented in O. patagonica are difficult to explain by larval dispersion alone; therefore, other mechanisms may contribute to its large-scale spread pattern. This study provides the first observation of several O. patagonica colonies fouling the hull and metal crevices of a recreational boat in the western Mediterranean (37°N, 1°W). The presence of several mature O. patagonica colonies on a single ship, rather than a single coral colony rafting on natural or artificial floating substrates, could greatly increase its potential for spread, coupled with its ecological and biological traits adapted to rafting. We hypothesized that the travel of coral populations by shipping may act as a dispersal vector contributing to explaining the long-distance dispersal events and secondary introductions experienced by this invasive species. The broad spread of O. patagonica, which is able to drive phase shifts from macroalgae dominance to coral dominance, is consistent with the ongoing process of coral-mediated tropicalization of high-latitude shallow rocky reefs under current global change
{"title":"Fouling of a boat hull by the invasive zooxanthellate coral Oculina patagonica - could shipping be enhancing its unique large-scale spread?","authors":"Eduard Serrano, M. Ribes, M. Bolivar, R. Coma","doi":"10.12681/mms.30429","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.30429","url":null,"abstract":"The zooxanthellate coral Oculina patagonica (Scleractinia, Oculinidae) is an invasive species that was first recorded in the Mediterranean Sea in 1966 and currently has expanded its distribution across both the western and eastern Atlantic. Here, we reviewed data from multiple databases to compile historical distribution records of O. patagonica and analyze its spread. The chronological review highlights the unique spread of this zooxanthellate coral during the last two decades, expanding its distribution in multiple directions and establishing populations in disjunct regions separated by ~12,000 km, including most biogeographic regions within the temperate Mediterranean, the subtropical eastern Atlantic and the tropical Gulf of Mexico. The biogeographic distribution discontinuities documented in O. patagonica are difficult to explain by larval dispersion alone; therefore, other mechanisms may contribute to its large-scale spread pattern. This study provides the first observation of several O. patagonica colonies fouling the hull and metal crevices of a recreational boat in the western Mediterranean (37°N, 1°W). The presence of several mature O. patagonica colonies on a single ship, rather than a single coral colony rafting on natural or artificial floating substrates, could greatly increase its potential for spread, coupled with its ecological and biological traits adapted to rafting. We hypothesized that the travel of coral populations by shipping may act as a dispersal vector contributing to explaining the long-distance dispersal events and secondary introductions experienced by this invasive species. The broad spread of O. patagonica, which is able to drive phase shifts from macroalgae dominance to coral dominance, is consistent with the ongoing process of coral-mediated tropicalization of high-latitude shallow rocky reefs under current global change","PeriodicalId":51128,"journal":{"name":"Mediterranean Marine Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41589463","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cecilia Pinto, Giovanni ROPPO VALENTE, Nicola Rasore, Edoardo Olmi, L. Lanteri, F. Garibaldi, C. Viva, Alessandra Neri, A. Massaro, Francesco De Carlo, A. Ligas, P. Sartor
Three specimens of Silver John dory, Zenopsis conchifer, (Lowe, 1852) were observed for the first time in the Ligurian Sea and northern Tyrrhenian Sea (western Mediterranean), one in 2020 and two in 2021. This is the fifth record (up to ten individuals) of Z. conchifer in the Mediterranean Sea, which occurred 11 years after the last observation in 2010 in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea. The present study reports the northernmost record of the species in the western Mediterranean Sea, indicating a potential range expansion of the distribution of this Atlantic species across the area. Morphometric, meristic and biological data of the three specimens are provided and compared with previous published records.
{"title":"Range expansion of the Atlantic fish Zenopsis conchifer (Lowe, 1852), family Zeidae, in the western Mediterranean Sea","authors":"Cecilia Pinto, Giovanni ROPPO VALENTE, Nicola Rasore, Edoardo Olmi, L. Lanteri, F. Garibaldi, C. Viva, Alessandra Neri, A. Massaro, Francesco De Carlo, A. Ligas, P. Sartor","doi":"10.12681/mms.31409","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.31409","url":null,"abstract":"Three specimens of Silver John dory, Zenopsis conchifer, (Lowe, 1852) were observed for the first time in the Ligurian Sea and northern Tyrrhenian Sea (western Mediterranean), one in 2020 and two in 2021. This is the fifth record (up to ten individuals) of Z. conchifer in the Mediterranean Sea, which occurred 11 years after the last observation in 2010 in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea. The present study reports the northernmost record of the species in the western Mediterranean Sea, indicating a potential range expansion of the distribution of this Atlantic species across the area. Morphometric, meristic and biological data of the three specimens are provided and compared with previous published records.","PeriodicalId":51128,"journal":{"name":"Mediterranean Marine Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43949566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In the present paper we report the first substantiated record of the Scalloped ribbonfish Zu cristatus (Bonelli, 1819) from the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The previous unsubstantiated record from Israel was based on a juvenile specimen that was found on the shore over seven decades ago and was not saved. This report constitutes the first confirmed record of this species from the Levant.
{"title":"First confirmed record of Zu cristatus in the Mediterranean coast of Israel and the eastern shores of the Levant","authors":"D. Golani, D. Edelist, Arseniy R. Morov, N. Stern","doi":"10.12681/mms.30976","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.30976","url":null,"abstract":"In the present paper we report the first substantiated record of the Scalloped ribbonfish Zu cristatus (Bonelli, 1819) from the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The previous unsubstantiated record from Israel was based on a juvenile specimen that was found on the shore over seven decades ago and was not saved. This report constitutes the first confirmed record of this species from the Levant.","PeriodicalId":51128,"journal":{"name":"Mediterranean Marine Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43402854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Four species of the genus Lepidonotus (Annelida, Polynoidae) have been listed in the Mediterranean, including L. carinulatus (Grube, 1869), L. squamatus (Linnaeus, 1758), L. tenuisetosus (Gravier, 1902) and L. clava (Montagu, 1808), although recent studies confirmed only the presence of the two latter. Based on materials collected in the Radès Area (Gulf of Tunis, Western Mediterranean), we provide a characterization of a population of L. tenuisetosus based on key morphological characters and body width/length relationships and conclude that all previously known Mediterranean reports from Israel, Croatia, Greece, Spain and Turkey did not belong to L. tenuisetosus, but either to L. carinulatus , L. clava or to other, non-identified species. Therefore, our finding represents not only the first correct record of L. tenuisetosus for the Tunisian waters and the Western basin, but for the whole Mediterranean Sea, and allows us to discuss on the possible reasons explaining the presence of this and other species of Lepidonotus in the Mediterranean.
{"title":"First record of Lepidonotus tenuisetosus (Annelida: Polynoidae) from Tunisia with distributional notes","authors":"M. Chaibi, A. Azzouna, Daniel Martin","doi":"10.12681/mms.30404","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.30404","url":null,"abstract":"Four species of the genus Lepidonotus (Annelida, Polynoidae) have been listed in the Mediterranean, including L. carinulatus (Grube, 1869), L. squamatus (Linnaeus, 1758), L. tenuisetosus (Gravier, 1902) and L. clava (Montagu, 1808), although recent studies confirmed only the presence of the two latter. Based on materials collected in the Radès Area (Gulf of Tunis, Western Mediterranean), we provide a characterization of a population of L. tenuisetosus based on key morphological characters and body width/length relationships and conclude that all previously known Mediterranean reports from Israel, Croatia, Greece, Spain and Turkey did not belong to L. tenuisetosus, but either to L. carinulatus , L. clava or to other, non-identified species. Therefore, our finding represents not only the first correct record of L. tenuisetosus for the Tunisian waters and the Western basin, but for the whole Mediterranean Sea, and allows us to discuss on the possible reasons explaining the presence of this and other species of Lepidonotus in the Mediterranean.","PeriodicalId":51128,"journal":{"name":"Mediterranean Marine Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48164290","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
F. Reinero, E. E. BECERRIL-GARCÍA, Fernando R. Elorriagaverplancken, F. N. Melo-Barrera, Maria Ludovica TORALDO-SERRA, G. Giglio, P. Micarelli, S. Tripepi, F. Galván‐Magaña, E. Sperone
Stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) were analysed in vertebrae of Scyliorhinus canicula (n=40; 13 males, 27 females) from the central Tyrrhenian Sea to explore a potential trophic shift in relation to sex and maturity condition. Isotopic values were obtained from the centre and the periphery of the vertebra of each individual to test for the effect of maturity condition. The values of δ13C and δ15N showed significant differences between the immature and mature state of the individuals analysed (U’=1392, P<0.0001 for δ13C; U’=1385, P<0.0001 for δ15N). Differences in values of δ15N demonstrated a trophic shift during maturation progress of S. canicula. The peripheral vertebral part, corresponding to the mature state of each individual, showed higher values of δ15N (mean 5.41‰ SD±1.29‰), compared with the lower values of δ15N (mean 2.78‰ SD±1.52‰) observed in the central vertebral part related to the immature state. In contrast, the isotopic signature of δ13C was lower in the vertebral centra, and thus related to areas less enriched in C13 (mean -22.56‰ SD±1.26‰) in comparison with the vertebral periphery (mean -20.03‰ SD±1.34‰) linked to more productive environments. No significant differences in δ13C or for δ15N values were observed between sexes.
{"title":"Stable isotopes provide evidence of a trophic shift in the lesser spotted dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula from the Central Tyrrhenian Sea","authors":"F. Reinero, E. E. BECERRIL-GARCÍA, Fernando R. Elorriagaverplancken, F. N. Melo-Barrera, Maria Ludovica TORALDO-SERRA, G. Giglio, P. Micarelli, S. Tripepi, F. Galván‐Magaña, E. Sperone","doi":"10.12681/mms.27391","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.27391","url":null,"abstract":"Stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) were analysed in vertebrae of Scyliorhinus canicula (n=40; 13 males, 27 females) from the central Tyrrhenian Sea to explore a potential trophic shift in relation to sex and maturity condition. Isotopic values were obtained from the centre and the periphery of the vertebra of each individual to test for the effect of maturity condition. The values of δ13C and δ15N showed significant differences between the immature and mature state of the individuals analysed (U’=1392, P<0.0001 for δ13C; U’=1385, P<0.0001 for δ15N). Differences in values of δ15N demonstrated a trophic shift during maturation progress of S. canicula. The peripheral vertebral part, corresponding to the mature state of each individual, showed higher values of δ15N (mean 5.41‰ SD±1.29‰), compared with the lower values of δ15N (mean 2.78‰ SD±1.52‰) observed in the central vertebral part related to the immature state. In contrast, the isotopic signature of δ13C was lower in the vertebral centra, and thus related to areas less enriched in C13 (mean -22.56‰ SD±1.26‰) in comparison with the vertebral periphery (mean -20.03‰ SD±1.34‰) linked to more productive environments. No significant differences in δ13C or for δ15N values were observed between sexes.","PeriodicalId":51128,"journal":{"name":"Mediterranean Marine Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41606461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
E. Torreblanca, R. Real, J. Camiñas, D. Macías, S. García-Barcelona, José CARLOS BÁEZ
A classic issue in ecology is to understand how similar species coexist in a given area (i.e., sympatry). The situation of dolphins in the Western Mediterranean Sea may represent a special case of sympatry in that three similar species (the short-beaked common dolphin [Delphinus delphis], the striped dolphin [Stenella coeruleoalba], and the bottlenose dolphin [Tursiops truncatus) are under strong human impacts in the same area. From the viewpoint of ecology and conservation biology, it is challenging to determine how these three dolphin species live together and avoid competitive exclusion in the setting of such impacts. The Spanish Institute of Oceanography has a dataset of dolphin species opportunistic sightings. Using these data, we constructed three binary variables, comprising the sighting of one species versus the sighting of either of the other two species. We obtained three significant probability models after performing logistic regression of these binary variables on a set of spatio-temporal explanatory variables. We analysed these models from the perspective of fuzzy set theory by applying the favourability function to the probability models, fuzzy operations overlap, and entropy. The results show that common dolphins are differentially favoured in the eastern part of the study area and far away from main shipping routes. The striped dolphin was differentially favoured in the western part of the study area, above deep waters, near main shipping routes, and in summer and spring. Finally, bottlenose dolphins were differentially favoured in the mid-western part of the study area, in winter, and over shallow waters.
{"title":"Spatial and temporal partitioning of the Western Mediterranean Sea by resident dolphin species","authors":"E. Torreblanca, R. Real, J. Camiñas, D. Macías, S. García-Barcelona, José CARLOS BÁEZ","doi":"10.12681/mms.25543","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.25543","url":null,"abstract":"A classic issue in ecology is to understand how similar species coexist in a given area (i.e., sympatry). The situation of dolphins in the Western Mediterranean Sea may represent a special case of sympatry in that three similar species (the short-beaked common dolphin [Delphinus delphis], the striped dolphin [Stenella coeruleoalba], and the bottlenose dolphin [Tursiops truncatus) are under strong human impacts in the same area. From the viewpoint of ecology and conservation biology, it is challenging to determine how these three dolphin species live together and avoid competitive exclusion in the setting of such impacts. The Spanish Institute of Oceanography has a dataset of dolphin species opportunistic sightings. Using these data, we constructed three binary variables, comprising the sighting of one species versus the sighting of either of the other two species. We obtained three significant probability models after performing logistic regression of these binary variables on a set of spatio-temporal explanatory variables. We analysed these models from the perspective of fuzzy set theory by applying the favourability function to the probability models, fuzzy operations overlap, and entropy. The results show that common dolphins are differentially favoured in the eastern part of the study area and far away from main shipping routes. The striped dolphin was differentially favoured in the western part of the study area, above deep waters, near main shipping routes, and in summer and spring. Finally, bottlenose dolphins were differentially favoured in the mid-western part of the study area, in winter, and over shallow waters.","PeriodicalId":51128,"journal":{"name":"Mediterranean Marine Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44248153","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study analyses the costs of marine recreational activity in Spain for the main fishing modalities and provides a cost-effective economic indicator (CEI) for each of them. The activity costs of 4,999 fishers were collected through an online survey, along with other fishing information. The published results of this survey, catch rates and catch composition, have been used in this study. Daily expenses per fisher were estimated by dividing reported annual expenses by annual fishing days. The CEI was estimated as the ratio of the market value of one kilo of recreational catch to the cost of catching it. The CEI showed differences between modalities in all regions, but of varying magnitudes. It is concluded that the CEI could diagnose the risk level of evolving from recreational towards subsistence fishing. The higher the CEI, the more compensatory the activity and the greater the possibility of moving away from a purely recreational activity in adverse economic conditions.
{"title":"It is recreational but profitability also matters: A cost-effective economic approach to marine recreational fishing in Spain","authors":"A. Gordoa","doi":"10.12681/mms.30969","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.30969","url":null,"abstract":"This study analyses the costs of marine recreational activity in Spain for the main fishing modalities and provides a cost-effective economic indicator (CEI) for each of them. The activity costs of 4,999 fishers were collected through an online survey, along with other fishing information. The published results of this survey, catch rates and catch composition, have been used in this study. Daily expenses per fisher were estimated by dividing reported annual expenses by annual fishing days. The CEI was estimated as the ratio of the market value of one kilo of recreational catch to the cost of catching it. The CEI showed differences between modalities in all regions, but of varying magnitudes. It is concluded that the CEI could diagnose the risk level of evolving from recreational towards subsistence fishing. The higher the CEI, the more compensatory the activity and the greater the possibility of moving away from a purely recreational activity in adverse economic conditions.","PeriodicalId":51128,"journal":{"name":"Mediterranean Marine Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44231981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
G. Karris, Ioannis Savva, E. Kakalis, Kyriaki Bairaktaridou, Chloe Espinosa, M. Smith, P. Botsidou, S. Moschous, Marios-Dimitrios Voulgaris, Eleni Peppa, Panicos Panayides, Haris Hadjistyllis, Marios Iosifides
Seabirds are increasingly recognized as important bio-indicators of marine ecosystems that are useful in assessing environmental disturbance on the marine biota. Over the period 2020-22 and during the first national systematic recording of the sea waters surrounding the Republic of Cyprus, we recorded the spatio-temporal presence, abundance and behaviour of seabirds using the ESAS (European Seabirds At Sea) methodology. Here we present the observation of an accidentally entangled pelagic seabird in COVID-19 material which to the best of our knowledge is the first incident in the Mediterranean Basin. The systematic recording of entangled marine birds in personal protective equipment (PPE) used to prevent COVID-19 transmission worldwide seems to be of crucial importance for one of the most important emerging threats for the conservation of seabirds at global scale.
{"title":"First sighting of a pelagic seabird entangled in a disposable COVID-19 facemask in the Mediterranean Sea","authors":"G. Karris, Ioannis Savva, E. Kakalis, Kyriaki Bairaktaridou, Chloe Espinosa, M. Smith, P. Botsidou, S. Moschous, Marios-Dimitrios Voulgaris, Eleni Peppa, Panicos Panayides, Haris Hadjistyllis, Marios Iosifides","doi":"10.12681/mms.31918","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.31918","url":null,"abstract":"Seabirds are increasingly recognized as important bio-indicators of marine ecosystems that are useful in assessing environmental disturbance on the marine biota. Over the period 2020-22 and during the first national systematic recording of the sea waters surrounding the Republic of Cyprus, we recorded the spatio-temporal presence, abundance and behaviour of seabirds using the ESAS (European Seabirds At Sea) methodology. Here we present the observation of an accidentally entangled pelagic seabird in COVID-19 material which to the best of our knowledge is the first incident in the Mediterranean Basin. The systematic recording of entangled marine birds in personal protective equipment (PPE) used to prevent COVID-19 transmission worldwide seems to be of crucial importance for one of the most important emerging threats for the conservation of seabirds at global scale.","PeriodicalId":51128,"journal":{"name":"Mediterranean Marine Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49254886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
V. Gerovasileiou, R. Băncilă, S. Katsanevakis, A. Zenetos
Marine caves are protected habitats with high biodiversity and low ecological resilience, vulnerable to multiple pressures including biological invasions. Therefore, comprehensive lists of alien species in sea caves and assessments of their impacts are urgently needed. This study aimed to provide an updated and validated list of introduced species in marine caves of the Mediterranean Sea based on the latest available checklist (2014). The number of introduced species in the updated list (December 2022 status) has doubled in the last eight years. The updated checklist includes 126 species (107 alien, 15 cryptogenic, two crypto-expanding, and two questionable) belonging to 12 phyla. The highest number of introduced species in caves was evidenced in the eastern Mediterranean (105), specifically in the Levantine (99) and the Aegean (34) ecoregions. Most introduced species originated from the Indo-Pacific. Most species entered the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal, followed by species transferred via vessels. Most introduced species were found at the entrance and in the semi-dark zone of caves (60 and 52 species, respectively), with only 19 species being reported from the dark zone. Approximately 28% of the introduced species have a high impact on ecosystems, including nine of the ten worst invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the lack of data on the impact of introduced species on marine cave biodiversity, given their high species richness and the recently reported population explosions of some alien fish in the eastern Mediterranean, our results highlight the need for continuous inventorying and monitoring.
{"title":"Introduced species in Mediterranean marine caves: an increasing but neglected threat","authors":"V. Gerovasileiou, R. Băncilă, S. Katsanevakis, A. Zenetos","doi":"10.12681/mms.31284","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.31284","url":null,"abstract":"Marine caves are protected habitats with high biodiversity and low ecological resilience, vulnerable to multiple pressures including biological invasions. Therefore, comprehensive lists of alien species in sea caves and assessments of their impacts are urgently needed. This study aimed to provide an updated and validated list of introduced species in marine caves of the Mediterranean Sea based on the latest available checklist (2014). The number of introduced species in the updated list (December 2022 status) has doubled in the last eight years. The updated checklist includes 126 species (107 alien, 15 cryptogenic, two crypto-expanding, and two questionable) belonging to 12 phyla. The highest number of introduced species in caves was evidenced in the eastern Mediterranean (105), specifically in the Levantine (99) and the Aegean (34) ecoregions. Most introduced species originated from the Indo-Pacific. Most species entered the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal, followed by species transferred via vessels. Most introduced species were found at the entrance and in the semi-dark zone of caves (60 and 52 species, respectively), with only 19 species being reported from the dark zone. Approximately 28% of the introduced species have a high impact on ecosystems, including nine of the ten worst invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the lack of data on the impact of introduced species on marine cave biodiversity, given their high species richness and the recently reported population explosions of some alien fish in the eastern Mediterranean, our results highlight the need for continuous inventorying and monitoring.","PeriodicalId":51128,"journal":{"name":"Mediterranean Marine Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2022-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43497151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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