1
|
Tsirintanis K, Sini M, Ragkousis M, Zenetos A, Katsanevakis S. Cumulative Negative Impacts of Invasive Alien Species on Marine Ecosystems of the Aegean Sea. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:933. [PMID: 37508363 PMCID: PMC10376206 DOI: 10.3390/biology12070933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Biological invasions are a human-induced environmental disturbance that can cause major changes in ecosystem structure and functioning. Located in the northeastern Mediterranean basin, the Aegean Sea is a hotspot of biological invasions. Although the presence of alien species in the Aegean has been studied and monitored, no assessment has been conducted on their cumulative impacts on native biodiversity. To address this gap, we applied the CIMPAL index, a framework developed for mapping the cumulative impacts of invasive species, to identify the most affected areas and habitat types and determine the most invasive species in the region. Coastal areas showed stronger impacts than the open sea. The highest CIMPAL scores were four times more frequent in the South than in the North Aegean. Shallow (0-60 m) hard substrates were the most heavily impacted habitat type, followed by shallow soft substrates and seagrass meadows. We identified Caulerpa cylindracea, Lophocladia lallemandii, Siganus luridus, Siganus rivulatus, and Womersleyella setacea as the most impactful species across their range of occurrence in the Aegean but rankings varied depending on the habitat type and impact indicator applied. Our assessment can support marine managers in prioritizing decisions and actions to control biological invasions and mitigate their impacts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Tsirintanis
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, Lofos Panepistimiou, 81100 Mytilene, Greece
| | - Maria Sini
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, Lofos Panepistimiou, 81100 Mytilene, Greece
| | - Michail Ragkousis
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, Lofos Panepistimiou, 81100 Mytilene, Greece
| | - Argyro Zenetos
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, 19013 Attika, Greece
| | - Stelios Katsanevakis
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, Lofos Panepistimiou, 81100 Mytilene, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Who’s Next? Non-Indigenous Cnidarian and Ctenophoran Species Approaching to the Italian Waters. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w13081062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The aims of the present paper were to review the knowledge about the Mediterranean non-indigenous species of the taxa Cnidaria and Ctenophora (CC NIS), to screen the risk of 98 species for their potential invasiveness in the Mediterranean Sea and their approach to the Italian waters. Of these, 38% are well established in the basin, 4% are known for their invasiveness, 44% are casual, 11% have a taxonomic status unresolved, and 3% are included in the category ”cryptogenic”. The biodiversity CC NIS of the Mediterranean Sea has changed considerably in the last two decades and 27 out of 98 Mediterranean CC NIS are present in the Italian waters. Fifteen CC NIS, some equipped with high invasive potential, should be regarded as good candidates to become future immigrants of the Italian waters. Anticipatory NIS forecast based on biogeographical and ecological analyses may provide a useful tool for targeted management of the CC NIS issue and for the assessment of the second descriptor of Good Environmental Status. On the other hand, conservation and management of marine ecosystem should be based on the conservation of the essential environmental conditions for the functioning of these ecosystems instead of the contamination or eradication of alien species.
Collapse
|
3
|
Pinna S, Piazzi L, Ceccherelli G, Castelli A, Costa G, Curini-Galletti M, Gianguzza P, Langeneck J, Manconi R, Montefalcone M, Pipitone C, Rosso A, Bonaviri C. Macroalgal forest vs sea urchin barren: Patterns of macro-zoobenthic diversity in a large-scale Mediterranean study. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 159:104955. [PMID: 32250878 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.104955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The study aimed at contributing to the knowledge of alternative stable states by evaluating the differences of mobile and sessile macro-zoobenthic assemblages between sea urchin barrens and macroalgal forests in coastal Mediterranean systems considering a large spatial scale. Six sites (100 s km apart) were selected: Croatia, Montenegro, Sicily (Italy), Sardinia (Italy), Tuscany (Italy), and Balearic Islands (Spain). A total of 531 taxa, 404 mobile and 127 sessile macro-invertebrates were recorded. Overall, 496 and 201 taxa were found in macroalgal forests and in barrens, respectively. The results of this large-scale descriptive study have met the expectation of lower macrofauna complexity and diversity in barrens rather than in macroalgal forests, and have allowed estimating the differences in levels of diversity and the consistency of variability across Mediterranean sites. Some peculiar patterns in barrens, related to both abundance of specific taxa and to high values of beta diversity, have been evidenced.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Pinna
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, 07100, Sassari, Italy; Fondazione IMC Onlus, Loc Sa Mardini 09170 Torregrande, Oristano, Italy
| | - L Piazzi
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
| | - G Ceccherelli
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - A Castelli
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - G Costa
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e della Vita, Università di Genova, Corso Europa 26, 16132, Genova, Italy
| | - M Curini-Galletti
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - P Gianguzza
- Dipartimento delle Scienze della Terra e del Mare, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 2, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - J Langeneck
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - R Manconi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - M Montefalcone
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e della Vita, Università di Genova, Corso Europa 26, 16132, Genova, Italy
| | - C Pipitone
- CNR-IAS, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 4521, 90149, Palermo, Italy
| | - A Rosso
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Catania, Corso Italia 57, 95129, Catania, Italy
| | - C Bonaviri
- Dipartimento delle Scienze della Terra e del Mare, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 2, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Iacarella JC, Lyons DA, Burke L, Davidson IC, Therriault TW, Dunham A, DiBacco C. Climate change and vessel traffic create networks of invasion in marine protected areas. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Devin A. Lyons
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada Pacific Biological Station Nanaimo BC Canada
| | - Lily Burke
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada Institute of Ocean Sciences Sidney BC Canada
| | | | | | - Anya Dunham
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada Pacific Biological Station Nanaimo BC Canada
| | - Claudio DiBacco
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada Bedford Institute of Oceanography Dartmouth NS Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Boudouresque CF, Verlaque M. Paracentrotus lividus. DEVELOPMENTS IN AQUACULTURE AND FISHERIES SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819570-3.00026-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
|
6
|
Serrano E, Ribes M, Coma R. Demographics of the zooxanthellate coral Oculina patagonica along the Mediterranean Iberian coast in relation to environmental parameters. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 634:1580-1592. [PMID: 29710655 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Marine ecosystems are threatened by cumulative human-related impacts that cause structural and functional alterations. In the Mediterranean Sea, the zooxanthellate coral Oculina patagonica (Scleractinia, Oculinidae) can turn algal forests into coral-dominated ecosystems and provides a case study for examining how zooxanthellate corals can affect the structure of algal-dominated shallow-water rocky ecosystems in temperate areas. Our goal was to provide a quantitative baseline assessment of O. patagonica demographics along ~1300km of the Mediterranean Iberian coast and relate them to environmental parameters. The highest coral success was in the South Balearic Sea zone, where the populations exhibited >6-fold higher mean living coral cover, lower partial colony mortality and colony size distributions indicating that the populations in this zone were growing faster than those in the peripheral south-west (North Alborán Sea) and north-east (Mid and North Balearic Sea, and West Gulf of Lyons) zones. The coral demographics (i.e., density, cover, and skewness and kurtosis coefficients of colony size distributions) were positively correlated with each other and the annual mean seawater temperature (ST), 10th-ST percentile (P10th-ST), 90th-ST percentile (P90th-ST) and photosynthetically active radiation at 3-m depth (PAR-3m), but they were negatively correlated with chlorophyll-a. Based on these results, we identified the following thresholds that may constrain the growth of O. patagonica colonies and populations: annual mean ST <19-20°C, P10th-ST <14°C, P90th-ST <25°C and >27°C, and PAR-3m <30molphotonsm-2day-1. The species abundance along the Iberian coast conforms to the abundant-center pattern of distribution. However, the coral demographics indicated that this pattern was not only related to the time of establishment but also to differences in coral population growth, which were correlated with key environmental parameters. Our results contribute understanding of the forces driving population growth of O. patagonica and support the hypothesis of an ongoing coral-mediated tropicalization of macroalgae-dominated temperate ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eduard Serrano
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB-CSIC), Accés Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain.
| | - Marta Ribes
- Institut de Ciències del Mar-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Rafel Coma
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB-CSIC), Accés Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Leydet KP, Grupstra CGB, Coma R, Ribes M, Hellberg ME. Host-targeted RAD-Seq reveals genetic changes in the coralOculina patagonicaassociated with range expansion along the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:2529-2543. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Karine Posbic Leydet
- Department of Biological Sciences; Louisiana State University; Baton Rouge Louisiana
| | - Carsten G. B. Grupstra
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics; University of Amsterdam; Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Institut de Ciències del mar; Barcelona Spain
| | - Rafel Coma
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes; Blanes Girona Spain
| | - Marta Ribes
- Institut de Ciències del mar; Barcelona Spain
| | - Michael E. Hellberg
- Department of Biological Sciences; Louisiana State University; Baton Rouge Louisiana
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Needles LA, Gosnell JS, Waltz GT, Wendt DE, Gaines SD. Trophic cascades in an invaded ecosystem: native keystone predators facilitate a dominant invader in an estuarine community. OIKOS 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.01865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa A. Needles
- Center for Coastal Marine Sciences and Dept of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State Univ.; San Luis Obispo CA 93407 USA
- Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology; Univ. of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA 93106
| | - J. Stephen Gosnell
- Natural Sciences, Baruch College, City Univ. of New York; New York NY 10010 USA
| | - Grant T. Waltz
- Center for Coastal Marine Sciences and Dept of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State Univ.; San Luis Obispo CA 93407 USA
| | - Dean E. Wendt
- Center for Coastal Marine Sciences and Dept of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State Univ.; San Luis Obispo CA 93407 USA
| | - Steven D. Gaines
- Bren School of Environmental Science, Univ. of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Rodolfo-Metalpa R, Hoogenboom MO, Rottier C, Ramos-Esplá A, Baker AC, Fine M, Ferrier-Pagès C. Thermally tolerant corals have limited capacity to acclimatize to future warming. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2014; 20:3036-3049. [PMID: 24616144 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2013] [Accepted: 02/25/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Thermal stress affects organism performance differently depending on the ambient temperature to which they are acclimatized, which varies along latitudinal gradients. This study investigated whether differences in physiological responses to temperature are consistent with regional differences in temperature regimes for the stony coral Oculina patagonica. To resolve this question, we experimentally assessed how colonies originating from four different locations characterized by >3 °C variation in mean maximum annual temperature responded to warming from 20 to 32 °C. We assessed plasticity in symbiont identity, density, and photosynthetic properties, together with changes in host tissue biomass. Results show that, without changes in the type of symbiont hosted by coral colonies, O. patagonica has limited capacity to acclimatize to future warming. We found little evidence of variation in overall thermal tolerance, or in thermal optima, in response to spatial variation in ambient temperature. Given that the invader O. patagonica is a relatively new member of the Mediterranean coral fauna, our results also suggest that coral populations may need to remain isolated for a long period of time for thermal adaptation to potentially take place. Our study indicates that for O. patagonica, mortality associated with thermal stress manifests primarily through tissue breakdown under moderate but prolonged warming (which does not impair symbiont photosynthesis and, therefore, does not lead to bleaching). Consequently, projected global warming is likely to cause repeat incidents of partial and whole colony mortality and might drive a gradual range contraction of Mediterranean corals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Rodolfo-Metalpa
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, c/o Musée Océanographique, 1 avenue Saint Martin, MC-98000, Monaco
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Rubio-Portillo E, Yarza P, Peñalver C, Ramos-Esplá AA, Antón J. New insights into Oculina patagonica coral diseases and their associated Vibrio spp. communities. ISME JOURNAL 2014; 8:1794-807. [PMID: 24621525 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2014.33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2013] [Revised: 02/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Bleaching of Oculina patagonica has been extensively studied in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, although no studies have been carried out in the Western basin. In 1996 Vibrio mediterranei was reported as the causative agent of bleaching in O. patagonica but it has not been related to bleached or healthy corals since 2003, suggesting that it was no longer involved in bleaching of O. patagonica. In an attempt to clarify the relationship between Vibrio spp., seawater temperature and coral diseases, as well as to investigate the putative differences between Eastern and Western Mediterranean basins, we have analysed the seasonal patterns of the culturable Vibrio spp. assemblages associated with healthy and diseased O. patagonica colonies. Two sampling points located in the Spanish Mediterranean coast were chosen for this study: Alicante Harbour and the Marine Reserve of Tabarca. A complex and dynamic assemblage of Vibrio spp. was present in O. patagonica along the whole year and under different environmental conditions and coral health status. While some Vibrio spp. were detected all year around in corals, the known pathogens V. mediteranei and V. coralliilyticus were only present in diseased specimens. The pathogenic potential of these bacteria was studied by experimental infection under laboratory conditions. Both vibrios caused diseased signs from 24 °C, being higher and faster at 28 °C. Unexpectedly, the co-inoculation of these two Vibrio species seemed to have a synergistic pathogenic effect over O. patagonica, as disease signs were readily observed at temperatures at which bleaching is not normally observed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esther Rubio-Portillo
- Dpto. Ciencias del Mar y Biología Aplicada, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | | | - Cindy Peñalver
- Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Alfonso A Ramos-Esplá
- 1] Dpto. Ciencias del Mar y Biología Aplicada, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain [2] Centro de Investigación Marina (CIMAR), Universidad de Alicante-Ayuntamiento de Santa Pola, Cabo de Santa Pola s/n, Alicante, Spain
| | - Josefa Antón
- 1] Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain [2] Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio Ramón Margalef, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Atalah J, Hopkins GA, Forrest BM. Augmentative biocontrol in natural marine habitats: persistence, spread and non-target effects of the sea urchin Evechinus chloroticus. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80365. [PMID: 24260376 PMCID: PMC3829863 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Augmentative biocontrol aims to control established pest populations through enhancement of their indigenous enemies. To our knowledge, this approach has not been applied at an operational scale in natural marine habitats, in part because of the perceived risk of adverse non-target effects on native ecosystems. In this paper, we focus on the persistence, spread and non-target effects of the sea urchin Evechinus chloroticus when used as biocontrol agent to eradicate an invasive kelp from Fiordland, New Zealand. Rocky reef macrobenthic assemblages were monitored over 17 months in areas where the indigenous algal canopy was either removed or left intact prior to the translocation of a large number of urchins (>50 ind.·m−2). Urchin densities in treated areas significantly declined ∼9 months after transplant, and began spreading to adjacent sites. At the end of the 17-month study, densities had declined to ∼5 ind.·m−2. Compared to controls, treatment sites showed persistent shifts from kelp forest to urchin barrens, which were accompanied by significant reductions in taxa richness. Although these non-target effects were pronounced, they were considered to be localised and reversible, and arguably outweigh the irreversible and more profound ecological impacts associated with the establishment of an invasive species in a region of high conservation value. Augmentative biocontrol, used in conjunction with traditional control methods, represents a promising tool for the integrated management of marine pests.
Collapse
|
12
|
Cascading effects of ocean acidification in a rocky subtidal community. PLoS One 2013; 8:e61978. [PMID: 23613994 PMCID: PMC3628223 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2012] [Accepted: 03/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Temperate marine rocky habitats may be alternatively characterized by well vegetated macroalgal assemblages or barren grounds, as a consequence of direct and indirect human impacts (e.g. overfishing) and grazing pressure by herbivorous organisms. In future scenarios of ocean acidification, calcifying organisms are expected to be less competitive: among these two key elements of the rocky subtidal food web, coralline algae and sea urchins. In order to highlight how the effects of increased pCO2 on individual calcifying species will be exacerbated by interactions with other trophic levels, we performed an experiment simultaneously testing ocean acidification effects on primary producers (calcifying and non-calcifying algae) and their grazers (sea urchins). Artificial communities, composed by juveniles of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus and calcifying (Corallina elongata) and non-calcifying (Cystoseira amentacea var stricta, Dictyota dichotoma) macroalgae, were subjected to pCO2 levels of 390, 550, 750 and 1000 µatm in the laboratory. Our study highlighted a direct pCO2 effect on coralline algae and on sea urchin defense from predation (test robustness). There was no direct effect on the non-calcifying macroalgae. More interestingly, we highlighted diet-mediated effects on test robustness and on the Aristotle's lantern size. In a future scenario of ocean acidification a decrease of sea urchins' density is expected, due to lower defense from predation, as a direct consequence of pH decrease, and to a reduced availability of calcifying macroalgae, important component of urchins' diet. The effects of ocean acidification may therefore be contrasting on well vegetated macroalgal assemblages and barren grounds: in the absence of other human impacts, a decrease of biodiversity can be predicted in vegetated macroalgal assemblages, whereas a lower density of sea urchin could help the recovery of shallow subtidal rocky areas affected by overfishing from barren grounds to assemblages dominated by fleshy macroalgae.
Collapse
|
13
|
Anthropogenic disturbance of coastal habitats promotes the spread of the introduced scleractinian coral Oculina patagonica in the Mediterranean Sea. Biol Invasions 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-013-0424-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
14
|
Serrano E, Coma R, Ribes M, Weitzmann B, García M, Ballesteros E. Rapid northward spread of a zooxanthellate coral enhanced by artificial structures and sea warming in the western Mediterranean. PLoS One 2013; 8:e52739. [PMID: 23341904 PMCID: PMC3544859 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2012] [Accepted: 11/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The hermatypic coral Oculina patagonica can drive a compositional shift in shallow water benthic marine communities in the northwestern Mediterranean. Here, we analyze a long-term, large-scale observational dataset to characterize the dynamics of the species' recent northward range shift along the coast of Catalonia and examine the main factors that could have influenced this spread. The variation in the distributional range of Oculina patagonica was examined by monitoring 223 locations including natural and artificial habitats along >400 km of coastline over the last 19 years (1992–2010). Abundance of the species increased from being present in one location in 1992 to occur on 19% of the locations in 2010, and exhibited an acceleration of its spreading over time driven by the join action of neighborhood and long-distance dispersal. However, the pattern of spread diverged between artificial and natural habitats. A short lag phase and a high slope on the exponential phase characterized the temporal pattern of spread on artificial habitats in contrast to that observed on natural ones. Northward expansion has occurred at the fastest rate (22 km year−1) reported for a coral species thus far, which is sufficiently fast to cope with certain climate warming predictions. The pattern of spread suggests that this process is mediated by the interplay of (i) the availability of open space provided by artificial habitats, (ii) the seawater temperature increase with the subsequent extension of the growth period, and (iii) the particular biological features of O. patagonica (current high growth rates, early reproduction, and survival to low temperature and in polluted areas). These results are indicative of an ongoing fundamental modification of temperate shallow water assemblages, which is consistent with the predictions indicating that the Mediterranean Sea is one of the most sensitive regions to global change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eduard Serrano
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, Girona, Spain
- Institut de Ciències del Mar-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Rafel Coma
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, Girona, Spain
| | - Marta Ribes
- Institut de Ciències del Mar-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Boris Weitzmann
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, Girona, Spain
| | - María García
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, Girona, Spain
| | - Enric Ballesteros
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, Girona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Boudouresque CF, Verlaque M. Paracentrotus lividus. DEVELOPMENTS IN AQUACULTURE AND FISHERIES SCIENCE 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-396491-5.00021-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
|
16
|
The evolutionary ecology of biotic association in a megadiverse bivalve superfamily: sponsorship required for permanent residency in sediment. PLoS One 2012; 7:e42121. [PMID: 22905116 PMCID: PMC3414514 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2012] [Accepted: 07/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Marine lineage diversification is shaped by the interaction of biotic and abiotic factors but our understanding of their relative roles is underdeveloped. The megadiverse bivalve superfamily Galeommatoidea represents a promising study system to address this issue. It is composed of small-bodied clams that are either free-living or have commensal associations with invertebrate hosts. To test if the evolution of this lifestyle dichotomy is correlated with specific ecologies, we have performed a statistical analysis on the lifestyle and habitat preference of 121 species based on 90 source documents. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Galeommatoidea has significant diversity in the two primary benthic habitats: hard- and soft-bottoms. Hard-bottom dwellers are overwhelmingly free-living, typically hidden within crevices of rocks/coral heads/encrusting epifauna. In contrast, species in soft-bottom habitats are almost exclusively infaunal commensals. These infaunal biotic associations may involve direct attachment to a host, or clustering around its tube/burrow, but all commensals locate within the oxygenated sediment envelope produced by the host's bioturbation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE the formation of commensal associations by Galeommatoidean clams is robustly correlated with an abiotic environmental setting: living in sediments (P < 0.001). Sediment-dwelling bivalves are exposed to intense predation pressure that drops markedly with depth of burial. Commensal galeommatoideans routinely attain depth refuges many times their body lengths, independent of siphonal investment, by virtue of their host's burrowing and bioturbation. In effect, they use their much larger hosts as giant auto-irrigating siphon substitutes. The evolution of biotic associations with infaunal bioturbating hosts may have been a prerequisite for the diversification of Galeommatoidea in sediments and has likely been a key factor in the success of this exceptionally diverse bivalve superfamily.
Collapse
|