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Patriquin D, Scheibling RE, Filbee-Dexter K. Shifts in biodiversity and physical structure of seagrass beds across 5 decades at Carriacou, Grenadines. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0306897. [PMID: 39088516 PMCID: PMC11293663 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Caribbean seagrass beds are facing increasing anthropogenic stress, yet comprehensive ground-level monitoring programs that capture the structure of seagrass communities before the 1980s are rare. We measured the distribution of seagrass beds and species composition and abundance of seagrass and associated macroalgae and macroinvertebrates in 3 years over a 47-year period (1969, 1994, 2016) at Carriacou, Granada, an area not heavily impacted by local human activity. Seagrass cover and physical parameters of fringing beds were measured in transects at high (HWE) and low wave energy (LWE) sites; frequency of occurrence of all species, and biomass and morphology of seagrasses, were measured at 100 m2 stations around the island. Losses in nearshore seagrass cover occurred at HWE but not LWE sites between 1969 and 2016 and were associated with increases in the seagrass-free inshore zone (SFI) and erosional scarps within beds. Total biomass did not vary across years although there were progressive changes in seagrass composition: a decline in the dominant Thalassia testudinum and concomitant increase in Syringodium filiforme, and establishment of invasive Halophila stipulacea in 2016 at LWE sites. Species richness and diversity of the seagrass community were highest in 1994, when 94% of macroalgae (excluding Caulerpa) were most abundant, and sea urchins were least abundant, compared to 1969 and 2016. Multivariate statistical analyses showed differences in community composition across the 3 years that were consistent with trends in urchin abundance. Increases in SFI and scarp number in seagrass beds at HWE sites occurred mainly after 1994 and likely were related to increased wave forcing following degradation of offshore coral reefs between 1994 and 2016. Our observations suggest that landward migration of seagrass beds with rapidly rising sea level in future will not be realized in reef-protected seagrass beds at Carriacou barring reversal in the processes that have caused reef flattening.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Patriquin
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | | | - Karen Filbee-Dexter
- University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
- Institute of Marine Research, His, Norway
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2
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Rolls RJ, Deane DC, Johnson SE, Heino J, Anderson MJ, Ellingsen KE. Biotic homogenisation and differentiation as directional change in beta diversity: synthesising driver-response relationships to develop conceptual models across ecosystems. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1388-1423. [PMID: 37072381 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
Biotic homogenisation is defined as decreasing dissimilarity among ecological assemblages sampled within a given spatial area over time. Biotic differentiation, in turn, is defined as increasing dissimilarity over time. Overall, changes in the spatial dissimilarities among assemblages (termed 'beta diversity') is an increasingly recognised feature of broader biodiversity change in the Anthropocene. Empirical evidence of biotic homogenisation and biotic differentiation remains scattered across different ecosystems. Most meta-analyses quantify the prevalence and direction of change in beta diversity, rather than attempting to identify underlying ecological drivers of such changes. By conceptualising the mechanisms that contribute to decreasing or increasing dissimilarity in the composition of ecological assemblages across space, environmental managers and conservation practitioners can make informed decisions about what interventions may be required to sustain biodiversity and can predict potential biodiversity outcomes of future disturbances. We systematically reviewed and synthesised published empirical evidence for ecological drivers of biotic homogenisation and differentiation across terrestrial, marine, and freshwater realms to derive conceptual models that explain changes in spatial beta diversity. We pursued five key themes in our review: (i) temporal environmental change; (ii) disturbance regime; (iii) connectivity alteration and species redistribution; (iv) habitat change; and (v) biotic and trophic interactions. Our first conceptual model highlights how biotic homogenisation and differentiation can occur as a function of changes in local (alpha) diversity or regional (gamma) diversity, independently of species invasions and losses due to changes in species occurrence among assemblages. Second, the direction and magnitude of change in beta diversity depends on the interaction between spatial variation (patchiness) and temporal variation (synchronicity) of disturbance events. Third, in the context of connectivity and species redistribution, divergent beta diversity outcomes occur as different species have different dispersal characteristics, and the magnitude of beta diversity change associated with species invasions also depends strongly on alpha and gamma diversity prior to species invasion. Fourth, beta diversity is positively linked with spatial environmental variability, such that biotic homogenisation and differentiation occur when environmental heterogeneity decreases or increases, respectively. Fifth, species interactions can influence beta diversity via habitat modification, disease, consumption (trophic dynamics), competition, and by altering ecosystem productivity. Our synthesis highlights the multitude of mechanisms that cause assemblages to be more or less spatially similar in composition (taxonomically, functionally, phylogenetically) through time. We consider that future studies should aim to enhance our collective understanding of ecological systems by clarifying the underlying mechanisms driving homogenisation or differentiation, rather than focusing only on reporting the prevalence and direction of change in beta diversity, per se.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Rolls
- School of Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia
| | - David C Deane
- School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - Sarah E Johnson
- Natural Resources Department, Northland College, Ashland, WI, 54891, USA
| | - Jani Heino
- Geography Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 8000, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland
| | - Marti J Anderson
- New Zealand Institute for Advanced Study (NZIAS), Massey University, Albany Campus, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kari E Ellingsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Fram Centre, P.O. Box 6606 Langnes, Tromsø, 9296, Norway
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Gallo E, Oprandi A, Bianchi CN, Morri C, Azzola A, Montefalcone M. Unexpected slow recovery of seagrass leaf epiphytes after the impact of a summer heat wave and concomitant mucilage bloom. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 189:106034. [PMID: 37290233 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The epiphytes of seagrass leaves constitute a peculiar community, comprised of a number of species specialized for this living substrate. Several studies report on the response of epiphytes to different pressures but no information exists about the effects of summer heatwaves, which have become frequent events in the last decades. This paper represents the first attempt to investigate the change in the leaf epiphyte community of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica due to the heatwave occurred in summer 2003. Thanks to a series of data collected seasonally between 2002 and 2006, and punctual data in the summers of 2014 and 2019, we assessed the change over time in the leaf epiphyte community. Temperature data trends were analysed through linear regression, while multivariate analyses (i.e., nMDS and SIMPER) were applied to cover data in order to assess changes over time in the epiphyte community. As a whole, the two most abundant taxa were the crustose coralline alga Hydrolithon and the encrusting bryozoan Electra posidoniae, which displayed the highest average cover values in summer (around 19%) and spring (around 9%), respectively. Epiphytes proved to be sensitive to temperature highs, displaying different effects on cover, biomass, diversity and community composition. Cover and biomass exhibited a dramatic reduction (more than 60%) after the disturbance. In particular, Hydrolithon more than halved, while E. posidoniae dropped sevenfold during summer 2003. While the former recovered comparatively quickly, the latter, as well as the whole community composition, apparently required 16 years to return to a condition similar to that of 2002.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Gallo
- SEL (Seascape Ecology Laboratory), DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132, Genova, Italy
| | - Alice Oprandi
- SEL (Seascape Ecology Laboratory), DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132, Genova, Italy.
| | - Carlo Nike Bianchi
- SEL (Seascape Ecology Laboratory), DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132, Genova, Italy; Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn - National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Genoa Marine Centre (GMC), Villa del Principe, Piazza Principe 4, I-16126, Genova, Italy
| | - Carla Morri
- SEL (Seascape Ecology Laboratory), DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132, Genova, Italy; Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn - National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Genoa Marine Centre (GMC), Villa del Principe, Piazza Principe 4, I-16126, Genova, Italy
| | - Annalisa Azzola
- SEL (Seascape Ecology Laboratory), DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132, Genova, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, I-90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Monica Montefalcone
- SEL (Seascape Ecology Laboratory), DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132, Genova, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, I-90133, Palermo, Italy
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Possible Population Growth of Astrospartus mediterraneus (Risso, 1826) (Ophiuroidea, Gorgonocephalidae) in the Mediterranean Sea. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15010122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
During the last decades, the number of observations of the basket star Astrospartus mediterraneus (Risso, 1826) in the Mediterranean Sea has significantly grown, thanks to SCUBA diver and ROV sightings, citizen reports, as well as particularly large catches by the artisanal fishery. Having been generally considered rare in many areas of the basin, such a long-term increase of records might assign to this basket star the putative role of a winner species in the context of climate changes. In the present study, we combined the overall literature information with the data available for the Ligurian Sea collected during extensive ROV campaigns conducted between 2012 and 2022 at a depth ranging from 20 to 123 m, to better understand the distribution and abundance of this species. The basket star was observed in almost the whole explored bathymetric range living on gorgonians (Eunicella cavolini, E. verrucosa, Paramuricea clavata, and Leptogorgia sarmentosa) and massive sponges (Aplysina cavernicola, Sarcotragus foetidus, Spongia lamella, and Axinella polypoides). In the considered period, the number of recorded specimens did not show a clear trend, but differences emerged over years and months. These variations were strongly correlated with rainfall amounts that, in oligotrophic waters, such as those of the Ligurian Sea, represent an important input of organic matter for these passive filter feeders, especially in the summertime.
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García L, Veneros J, Chavez S, Oliva M, Rojas Briceño NB. World historical mapping and potential distribution of Cinchona spp. in Peru as a contribution for its restoration and conservation. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Bledsoe EK, Burant JB, Higino GT, Roche DG, Binning SA, Finlay K, Pither J, Pollock LS, Sunday JM, Srivastava DS. Data rescue: saving environmental data from extinction. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220938. [PMID: 35855607 PMCID: PMC9297007 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Historical and long-term environmental datasets are imperative to understanding how natural systems respond to our changing world. Although immensely valuable, these data are at risk of being lost unless actively curated and archived in data repositories. The practice of data rescue, which we define as identifying, preserving, and sharing valuable data and associated metadata at risk of loss, is an important means of ensuring the long-term viability and accessibility of such datasets. Improvements in policies and best practices around data management will hopefully limit future need for data rescue; these changes, however, do not apply retroactively. While rescuing data is not new, the term lacks formal definition, is often conflated with other terms (i.e. data reuse), and lacks general recommendations. Here, we outline seven key guidelines for effective rescue of historically collected and unmanaged datasets. We discuss prioritization of datasets to rescue, forming effective data rescue teams, preparing the data and associated metadata, and archiving and sharing the rescued materials. In an era of rapid environmental change, the best policy solutions will require evidence from both contemporary and historical sources. It is, therefore, imperative that we identify and preserve valuable, at-risk environmental data before they are lost to science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen K. Bledsoe
- The Living Data Project, Canadian Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA,Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Joseph B. Burant
- The Living Data Project, Canadian Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada,Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Gracielle T. Higino
- The Living Data Project, Canadian Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Dominique G. Roche
- The Living Data Project, Canadian Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,Department of Biology and Institute for Environment & Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sandra A. Binning
- The Living Data Project, Canadian Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Kerri Finlay
- The Living Data Project, Canadian Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Jason Pither
- The Living Data Project, Canadian Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,Department of Biology and Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Laura S. Pollock
- The Living Data Project, Canadian Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jennifer M. Sunday
- The Living Data Project, Canadian Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Diane S. Srivastava
- The Living Data Project, Canadian Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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7
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Azzola A, Atzori F, Bianchi CN, Cadoni N, Frau F, Mora F, Morri C, Oprandi A, Orrù PE, Montefalcone M. Variability between observers does not hamper detecting change over time in a temperate reef. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 177:105617. [PMID: 35452902 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Marine ecosystems are subject to global and local impacts, both contributing to dramatic changes in coastal communities. Assessing such changes requires time series or the revisitation of sites first surveyed in the past. In both cases, data are not necessarily collected by the same observers, which could lead to a bias in the results. In the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of Capo Carbonara (Sardinia, Italy), established in 1998, rocky reef communities were first assessed in 2000 by two diving scientists. Twenty years later, the same rocky reefs were resurveyed using the same method by two other diving scientists. In both surveys, semi-quantitative data on conspicuous species were collected at five sites in four depth zones, providing the possibility of assessing change over time. To explore the influence of climate and local pressures, existing data on sea surface temperature, resident population, tourism and diving activities were analysed. The reef communities of the Capo Carbonara MPA have distinctly changed over time, mostly under the effect of seawater warming, as highlighted by the occurrence of thermophilic species and by other climate-related indicators. On the other side, species vulnerable to local human pressures have increased over time, demonstrating the effectiveness of the protection measures undertaken by the MPA. Comparing data collected by four different observers in the two periods demonstrated that change over time was significantly greater than variability between the observers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Azzola
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genova, Italy.
| | - Fabrizio Atzori
- Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area, Villasimius, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Carlo Nike Bianchi
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Cadoni
- Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area, Villasimius, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Francesca Frau
- Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area, Villasimius, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Federico Mora
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - Carla Morri
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - Alice Oprandi
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - Paolo Emanuele Orrù
- DSCG, Department of Chemical and Geological Science, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Monica Montefalcone
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
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8
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Fraschetti S, Fabbrizzi E, Tamburello L, Uyarra MC, Micheli F, Sala E, Pipitone C, Badalamenti F, Bevilacqua S, Boada J, Cebrian E, Ceccherelli G, Chiantore M, D'Anna G, Di Franco A, Farina S, Giakoumi S, Gissi E, Guala I, Guidetti P, Katsanevakis S, Manea E, Montefalcone M, Sini M, Asnaghi V, Calò A, Di Lorenzo M, Garrabou J, Musco L, Oprandi A, Rilov G, Borja A. An integrated assessment of the Good Environmental Status of Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 305:114370. [PMID: 34968935 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.114370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Local, regional and global targets have been set to halt marine biodiversity loss. Europe has set its own policy targets to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) of marine ecosystems by implementing the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) across member states. We combined an extensive dataset across five Mediterranean ecoregions including 26 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), their reference unprotected areas, and a no-trawl case study. Our aim was to assess if MPAs reach GES, if their effects are local or can be detected at ecoregion level or up to a Mediterranean scale, and which are the ecosystem components driving GES achievement. This was undertaken by using the analytical tool NEAT (Nested Environmental status Assessment Tool), which allows an integrated assessment of the status of marine systems. We adopted an ecosystem approach by integrating data from several ecosystem components: the seagrass Posidonia oceanica, macroalgae, sea urchins and fish. Thresholds to define the GES were set by dedicated workshops and literature review. In the Western Mediterranean, most MPAs are in good/high status, with P. oceanica and fish driving this result within MPAs. However, GES is achieved only at a local level, and the Mediterranean Sea, as a whole, results in a moderate environmental status. Macroalgal forests are overall in bad condition, confirming their status at risk. The results are significantly affected by the assumption that discrete observations over small spatial scales are representative of the total extension investigated. This calls for large-scale, dedicated assessments to realistically detect environmental status changes under different conditions. Understanding MPAs effectiveness in reaching GES is crucial to assess their role as sentinel observatories of marine systems. MPAs and trawling bans can locally contribute to the attainment of GES and to the fulfillment of the MSFD objectives. Building confidence in setting thresholds between GES and non-GES, investing in long-term monitoring, increasing the spatial extent of sampling areas, rethinking and broadening the scope of complementary tools of protection (e.g., Natura 2000 Sites), are indicated as solutions to ameliorate the status of the basin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simonetta Fraschetti
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; CoNISMa, Rome, Italy.
| | - Erika Fabbrizzi
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Laura Tamburello
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - María C Uyarra
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea S/n, 20110, Pasaia, Spain
| | - Fiorenza Micheli
- Hopkins Marine Station and Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, United States
| | - Enric Sala
- National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Carlo Pipitone
- CNR-IAS, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 4521, 90149, Palermo, Italy
| | - Fabio Badalamenti
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy; CNR-IAS, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 4521, 90149, Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Jordi Boada
- GrMAR Institut d'Ecologia Aquàtica, Universitat de Girona, 17003, Girona, Spain
| | - Emma Cebrian
- GrMAR Institut d'Ecologia Aquàtica, Universitat de Girona, 17003, Girona, Spain; Centre d'estudis Avançats de Blanes CEAB-CSIC, Blanes, 17300, Girona, Spain
| | - Giulia Ceccherelli
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, via Piandanna 4, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Mariachiara Chiantore
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giovanni D'Anna
- CNR-IAS, via Giovanni da Verrazzano 17, 91014, Castellammare del Golfo, Italy
| | - Antonio Di Franco
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Sicily, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo, 90149, Palermo, Italy
| | - Simone Farina
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Sylvaine Giakoumi
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Elena Gissi
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, 120 Ocean View Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, USA; National Research Council, Institute of Marine Science, CNR ISMAR, Arsenale, Tesa 104 - Castello 2737/F, 30122, Venice, Italy
| | - Ivan Guala
- IMC - International Marine Centre, Loc. Sa Mardini, Torregrande, Oristano, Italy
| | - Paolo Guidetti
- ECOSEAS UMR 7035, Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Parc Valrose, 28 Avenue Valrose, 06108, Nice, France; Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn-National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Genoa Marine Centre, 16126, Genoa, Italy
| | - Stelios Katsanevakis
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, 81100, Mytilene, Greece
| | - Elisabetta Manea
- Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council (ISMAR-CNR), Arsenale, Tesa 104, Castello 2737/F, 30122, Venice, Italy
| | - Monica Montefalcone
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Maria Sini
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, 81100, Mytilene, Greece
| | - Valentina Asnaghi
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Antonio Calò
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences (DiSTeM), University of Palermo, via Archirafi 20-22, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Manfredi Di Lorenzo
- Institute for Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnologies, National Research Council (IRBIM-CNR), Via L. Vaccara, Mazara del Vallo 61, 91026, Italy
| | | | - Luigi Musco
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy; Laboratory of Marine Biology and Zoology, DiSTeBA, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Alice Oprandi
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Gil Rilov
- National Institute of Oceanography, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research (IOLR), PO Box 8030, Haifa, 31080, Israel
| | - Angel Borja
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea S/n, 20110, Pasaia, Spain; King Abdulaziz University, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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Francis R, Bino G, Inman V, Brandis K, Kingsford R. The Okavango Delta’s waterbirds – Trends and threatening processes. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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10
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Community Perceptions of a Payment for Ecosystem Services Project in Southwest Madagascar: A Preliminary Study. LAND 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/land10060597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Despite the popularity of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes as a new paradigm to enhance conservation of natural resources, evidence of their benefits to people and nature is often illustrated from desk-based reviews, but rarely investigated from the local sites where they have been implemented. We investigated local perceptions of a PES scheme implemented in the Baie des Assassin’s mangroves of southwest Madagascar with particular focus on its perceived future effects. To meet our goal, we first collated socioeconomic and mangrove ecological information through extensive literature research, and key informant interviews with 35 peoples within the 10 villages surrounding the bay to be used as reference conditions. Following this, a workshop with 32 participants from local communities was conducted, using participatory scenario planning to predict the effects of the PES project, and to identify concerns surrounding its implementation. Local communities perceived the PES scheme as a potentially valuable approach for the sustainable management of their mangroves, and perceived that it would address major socioeconomic issues and mangrove management problems in the bay as a result of the carbon offsetting from their mangroves. We conclude that to achieve acceptance and good governance of a PES project by local communities, needs and concerns surrounding the implementation of the PES project need be addressed.
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11
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Piazzi L, Cecchi E, Cinti MF, Ceccherelli G. Extreme events and conservation of subtidal habitats: Effects of a rainfall flood on coralligenous reefs. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 165:112106. [PMID: 33548681 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The increase of the intensity and frequency of rainfall-dominated flood is considered a main effect of climate change. The present study evaluated the effect of a rainfall flood event on coralligenous reefs. The flooded site was compared to three control sites using a Before/After-Control/Impact (BACI) design. Sites were sampled using the STAR (STAndaRdized coralligenous evaluation procedure) approach and three ecological indices (ESCA, COARSE and ISLA) were calculated. At the disturbed site the number of species per sample, beta diversity, sensitivity levels of assemblages and the values of the three indices were lower after the flooding event, while the same variables did not decrease at the control sites. Algal turf and Dictyotales increased at the disturbed sites after the flood event, while Udoteaceae, erect sponges, bryozoans and Corallium rubrum decreased. This study provides evidence for identifying floods as a further cause of degradation for the coralligenous reef assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Piazzi
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
| | - E Cecchi
- ARPAT - Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione Ambientale della Toscana, Via Marradi 114, 57126 Livorno, Italy
| | - M F Cinti
- 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
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Costanzo LG, Marletta G, Alongi G. Ecological Status of Coralligenous Macroalgal Assemblages in the Marine Protected Area (MPA) Isole Ciclopi (Ionian Sea). PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:329. [PMID: 33572059 PMCID: PMC7915808 DOI: 10.3390/plants10020329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The coralligenous habitat represents one of the most important hotspots of Mediterranean biodiversity. However, along the Ionian coast of Sicily (Italy) the coralligenous macroalgal assemblages have always been poorly studied. The present study was carried out in the coralligenous habitat of the Marine Protected Area (MPA) Isole Ciclopi, located along the central-eastern coast of Sicily. Previously, only a few floristic studies, including some data on the coralligenous flora, were conducted within this MPA in the 1970s and 2001. Therefore, the present study aimed to gain an updated knowledge on the coralligenous flora and to compare the current data with data derived from the previous floristic studies, to observe if in the last 50 years environmental changes occurred and to monitor the effectiveness of the MPA in protecting this habitat. In particular, the coralligenous flora of the MPA was analyzed through remotely operated vehicles (ROV) surveys and destructive samples. ROV surveys allow us to observe that the coralligenous assemblages of the MPA are well-structured, especially regarding the encrusting Rhodophyta, which showed the highest percent cover among the main morphological groups/taxa. Through the sample analysis in the laboratory, a total of 92 taxa has been recorded. Comparing the floristic lists of the present research and the past studies, an increase of local biodiversity was highlighted. Nevertheless, an increment of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS), warm-water species, and Rhodophyta with wide ecological valence was also noted. The main causes of these variations in the coralligenous flora have been traced back to reduced water transparency, maybe due to sedimentation, and a rise in the seawater temperature. Therefore, although the coralligenous assemblages of the MPA Isole Ciclopi appear to be well-structured, future studies will be necessary to continue monitoring this habitat to evaluate whether the MPA is effective in safeguarding this hotspot of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Giuseppe Costanzo
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania Via Empedocle, 58-95128 Catania, Italy; (L.G.C.); (G.A.)
- Marine Protected Area “Isole Ciclopi”, Via Dante, 28-95021 Aci Castello, Italy
| | - Giuliana Marletta
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania Via Empedocle, 58-95128 Catania, Italy; (L.G.C.); (G.A.)
| | - Giuseppina Alongi
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania Via Empedocle, 58-95128 Catania, Italy; (L.G.C.); (G.A.)
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13
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Perception of Changes in Marine Benthic Habitats: The Relevance of Taxonomic and Ecological Memory. DIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12120480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Having a reliable ecological reference baseline is pivotal to understanding the current status of benthic assemblages. Ecological awareness of our perception of environmental changes could be better described based on historical data. Otherwise, we meet with the shifting baseline syndrome (SBS). Facing SBS harmful consequences on environmental and cultural heritage, as well as on conservation strategies, requires combining historical data with contemporary biomonitoring. In the present “era of biodiversity”, we advocate for (1) the crucial role of taxonomy as a study of life diversity and (2) the robust, informative value of museum collections as memories of past ecosystem conditions. This scenario requires taxonomist skills to understand community composition and diversity, as well as to determine ecosystem change trends and rates. In this paper, we focus on six Mediterranean benthic habitats to track biological and structural changes that have occurred in the last few decades. We highlight the perception of biological changes when historical records make possible effective comparisons between past reference situations and current data. We conclude that the better we know the past, the more we understand present (and will understand future) ecosystem functioning. Achieving this goal is intrinsically linked to investing in training new taxonomists who are able to assure intergeneration connectivity to transmit cultural and environmental heritage, a key aspect to understanding and managing our changing ecosystems.
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Danovaro R, Nepote E, Martire ML, Carugati L, Da Ros Z, Torsani F, Dell'Anno A, Corinaldesi C. Multiple declines and recoveries of Adriatic seagrass meadows over forty years of investigation. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 161:111804. [PMID: 33128987 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This paper investigated the long-term changes (from 1973 to 2013) of the seagrass meadows of Zostera marina, Zostera noltei and Cymodocea nodosa in the Adriatic Sea subjected to multiple pressures. We examined the changes of the meadows by means of field data collection, observations and analysis of aerial photography to identify the most important drivers of habitat loss. The major decline of seagrass extension observed from 1973 to 1989, was primarily driven by urban development, and by the increase of the blue tourism. From 1989 to 2007 seagrass habitats progressively recovered due to the decrease of urbanization, but from 2007 to 2013 a further significant loss of seagrass meadows was apparently driven by thermal anomalies coupled with an increasing anthropogenic pressure. Our long-term analysis provides evidence that the rates of seagrass loss are faster than the recovery rates (i.e., -4.5 loss rate vs +2.5% recovery rate per year).
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Danovaro
- Department of Life and Environmental Science, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy.
| | - Ettore Nepote
- Department of Life and Environmental Science, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Marco Lo Martire
- Department of Life and Environmental Science, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Laura Carugati
- Department of Life and Environmental Science, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Zaira Da Ros
- Department of Life and Environmental Science, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Torsani
- Department of Life and Environmental Science, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Antonio Dell'Anno
- Department of Life and Environmental Science, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Cinzia Corinaldesi
- Department of Sciences and Engineering of Materials, Environment and Urbanistics, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
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Casoli E, Mancini G, Ventura D, Pace DS, Belluscio A, Ardizzone GD. Reteporella spp. success in the re-colonization of bare coralligenous reefs impacted by Costa Concordia shipwreck: The pioneer species you did not expect. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 161:111808. [PMID: 33128986 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We report here for the first time the effectiveness of Reteporella bryozoan genus in the early stage of coralligenous reefs recolonization through the analysis of the settlement and the population size structure over a two-years period at two impacted and two control sites. Results highlighted how Reteporella spp. colonies strongly recolonized, from 2017 to 2019, the bare coralligenous reefs subjected to the Costa Concordia shipwreck and its related anthropogenic disturbances, notably increasing both their density and percentage coverage. We recorded differences in colony size among impacted and control sites. Overall, large-sized colonies were reported at impacted sites exclusively, where Reteporella settlement and growth patterns differed if compared to control areas. This study highlights implications for the maintenance of the ecological functions, for the recovery processes, and for the future ecological shifts affecting one of the most important Mediterranean coastal ecosystems, the coralligenous reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Casoli
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; Centro Interuniversitario di Biologia Marina ed Ecologia Applicata, Viale N. Sauro 4, I-57128 Livorno, Italy.
| | - G Mancini
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; Centro Interuniversitario di Biologia Marina ed Ecologia Applicata, Viale N. Sauro 4, I-57128 Livorno, Italy
| | - D Ventura
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; Centro Interuniversitario di Biologia Marina ed Ecologia Applicata, Viale N. Sauro 4, I-57128 Livorno, Italy
| | - D S Pace
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - A Belluscio
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; Centro Interuniversitario di Biologia Marina ed Ecologia Applicata, Viale N. Sauro 4, I-57128 Livorno, Italy
| | - G D Ardizzone
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; Centro Interuniversitario di Biologia Marina ed Ecologia Applicata, Viale N. Sauro 4, I-57128 Livorno, Italy
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16
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The constraint of ignoring the subtidal water climatology in evaluating the changes of coralligenous reefs due to heating events. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17332. [PMID: 33060776 PMCID: PMC7562739 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74249-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Predicting community-level responses to seawater warming is a pressing goal of global change ecologists. How far such predictions can be derived from a fine gradient of thermal environments needs to be explored, even if ignoring water climatology does not allow estimating subtidal marine heat waves. In this study insights about the influence of the thermal environment on the coralligenous community structure were gained by considering sites (Sardinia, Italy) at different temperature conditions. Heating events were measured (by loggers at 18 m, 23 m, 28 m, 33 m and 38 m deep) and proxies for their duration (the maximum duration of events warmer than the 90th percentile temperature), intensity (the median temperature) and variability (the number of daily ΔT larger than the mean daily ΔT, and the number of heating events larger in ΔT than the 90th percentile ΔT) were selected by GAM models. Reliable predictions of decrease in coralligenous richness of taxa/morphological groups, with relevant increment in turfs and encrusting coralline algae abundance at the expenses of bryozoans were made. Associations to the different types of heating descriptor have highlighted the aspect (intensity, duration or variability) of the heating events and the threshold for each of them responsible for the trajectories of change.
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Carvalho VF, Assis J, Serrão EA, Nunes JM, Anderson AB, Batista MB, Barufi JB, Silva J, Pereira SMB, Horta PA. Environmental drivers of rhodolith beds and epiphytes community along the South Western Atlantic coast. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 154:104827. [PMID: 31780097 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2019.104827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Environmental conditions shape the occurrence and abundance of habitat-building organisms at global scales. Rhodolith beds structure important hard substrate habitats for a large number of marine benthic organisms. These organisms can benefit local biodiversity levels, but also compete with rhodoliths for essential resources. Therefore, understanding the factors shaping the distribution of rhodoliths and their associated communities along entire distributional ranges is of much relevance for conservational biology, particularly in the scope of future environmental changes. Here we predict suitable habitat areas and identify the main environmental drivers of rhodoliths' variability and of associated epiphytes along a large-scale latitudinal gradient. Occurrence and abundance data were collected throughout the South-western Atlantic coast (SWA) and modelled against high resolution environmental predictors extracted from Bio-Oracle. The main drivers for rhodolith occurrence were light availability and temperature at the bottom of the ocean, while abundance was explained by nitrate, temperature and current velocity. Tropical regions showed the highest abundance of rhodoliths. No latitudinal pattern was detected in the variability of epiphytes abundance. However, significant differences were found between sampled sites regarding the composition of predominant taxa. The predictors influencing such differences were temperature and nitrate. The Tropical region is abundant in species with warm-water affinities, decreasing toward warm temperate region. The expressive occurrence of tropical species not referred before for warm temperate beds indicate a plausible tropicalization event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa F Carvalho
- Laboratório de Ficologia, Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
| | - Jorge Assis
- CCMAR - Centre of Marine Sciences, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
| | - Ester A Serrão
- CCMAR - Centre of Marine Sciences, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
| | - José M Nunes
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Antônio B Anderson
- Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - Programa de Pós-graduação em Oceanografia - Laboratório de Ictiologia (Ictiolab) - Campus Goiabeiras - Vitória - ES - Brazil
| | - Manuela B Batista
- Laboratório de Ficologia, Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - José B Barufi
- Laboratório de Ficologia, Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - João Silva
- CCMAR - Centre of Marine Sciences, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
| | - Sonia M B Pereira
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Paulo A Horta
- Laboratório de Ficologia, Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil; Programa de Pós Graduação em Oceanografia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil; Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
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Mallo M, Ziveri P, Reyes-García V, Rossi S. Historical record of Corallium rubrum and its changing carbon sequestration capacity: A meta-analysis from the North Western Mediterranean. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223802. [PMID: 31851690 PMCID: PMC6919573 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is a scarcity of long time-span and geographically wide research on the health status of Corallium rubrum, including limited research on its historical ecology and carbon sequestration capacity. Objectives To reconstruct the temporal trends of the most reported C. rubrum population parameters in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea and to determine the changes in total carbon sequestration by this species. Data sources Quantitative and qualitative, academic and grey documents were collected from scientific web browsers, scientific libraries, and requests to scientists. Study eligibility criteria Documents with original information of basal diameter, height and/or weight per colony, with a depth limit of 60 m in the Catalan and Ligurian Seas were analyzed. Synthesis methods We calculated yearly average values of C. rubrum biometric parameters, as well as estimated total weight, carbon flux, and carbon fixation in the structures of C. rubrum’s colonies. Results In both study areas, the values of the selected morphometric parameters for C. rubrum decreased until the 1990s, then increased from the 2000s, with average values surpassing the levels of the 1960s (Ligurian Sea) or reaching levels slightly lower than those of the 1980s (Catalan Sea). The difference in carbon sequestered between the oldest (1960s: Ligurian Sea; 1970s: Catalan Sea) and the lowest (1990s) biomass value of colonies is nearly double. Limitations Quantitative data previous to the 1990s are very limited. Information on recent recovery trends in C. rubrum parameters is concentrated in a few areas and biased towards colonies in marine protected areas, with scarce quantitative information from colonies in other areas. Conclusions The halt in the C. rubrum decreasing trend coincided with the exhaustion of tree-like colonies and the first recovery response due to effective protection measures in some areas. Nevertheless, C. rubrum climate change mitigation capacity through carbon sequestration can be drastically reduced from its potential in only a few decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Mallo
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Patrizia Ziveri
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Victoria Reyes-García
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sergio Rossi
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche e Ambientali (DiSTeBA), Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy
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Bianchi CN, Azzola A, Bertolino M, Betti F, Bo M, Cattaneo-Vietti R, Cocito S, Montefalcone M, Morri C, Oprandi A, Peirano A, Bavestrello G. Consequences of the marine climate and ecosystem shift of the 1980-90s on the Ligurian Sea biodiversity (NW Mediterranean). EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2019.1687765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. N. Bianchi
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - A. Azzola
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - M. Bertolino
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - F. Betti
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - M. Bo
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - R. Cattaneo-Vietti
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - S. Cocito
- ENEA (Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Marine Environment Research Centre, La Spezia, Italy
| | - M. Montefalcone
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - C. Morri
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - A. Oprandi
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
| | - A. Peirano
- ENEA (Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Marine Environment Research Centre, La Spezia, Italy
| | - G. Bavestrello
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy
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Abrupt Change in a Subtidal Rocky Reef Community Coincided with a Rapid Acceleration of Sea Water Warming. DIVERSITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/d11110215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Seawater warming is impacting marine ecosystems, but proper evaluation of change requires the availability of long-term biological data series. Mesco Reef (Ligurian Sea, Italy) offers one of the longest Mediterranean data series on sessile epibenthic communities, based on underwater photographic surveys. Photographs taken in four stations between 20 m and 40 m depth allowed calculating the percent cover of conspicuous species in 1961, 1990, 1996, 2008, and 2017. Multivariate analysis evidenced an abrupt compositional change between 1990 and 1996. A parallel change was observed in Ligurian Sea temperatures. Two invasive macroalgae (Caulerpa cylindracea and Womersleyella setacea) became dominant after 1996. Community diversity was low in 1961 to 1996, rapidly increased between 1996 and 2008, and exhibited distinctly higher values in 2008–2017. A novel community emerged from the climate shift of the 1990s, with many once characteristic species lost, reduced complexity, biotic homogenization, greater diversity and domination by aliens. Only continued monitoring will help envisage the possibility for a reversal of the present phase shift or for further transformations driven by global change.
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Estrada-Saldívar N, Jordán-Dalhgren E, Rodríguez-Martínez RE, Perry C, Alvarez-Filip L. Functional consequences of the long-term decline of reef-building corals in the Caribbean: evidence of across-reef functional convergence. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:190298. [PMID: 31824686 PMCID: PMC6837220 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Functional integrity on coral reefs is strongly dependent upon coral cover and coral carbonate production rate being sufficient to maintain three-dimensional reef structures. Increasing environmental and anthropogenic pressures in recent decades have reduced the cover of key reef-building species, producing a shift towards the relative dominance of more stress-tolerant taxa and leading to a reduction in the physical functional integrity. Understanding how changes in coral community composition influence the potential of reefs to maintain their physical reef functioning is a priority for their conservation and management. Here, we evaluate how coral communities have changed in the northern sector of the Mexican Caribbean between 1985 and 2016, and the implications for the maintenance of physical reef functions in the back- and fore-reef zones. We used the cover of coral species to explore changes in four morpho-functional groups, coral community composition, coral community calcification, the reef functional index and the reef carbonate budget. Over a period of 31 years, ecological homogenization occurred between the two reef zones mostly due to a reduction in the cover of framework-building branching (Acropora spp.) and foliose-digitiform (Porites porites and Agaricia tenuifolia) coral species in the back-reef, and a relative increase in non-framework species in the fore-reef (Agaricia agaricites and Porites astreoides). This resulted in a significant decrease in the physical functionality of the back-reef zone. At present, both reef zones have negative carbonate budgets, and thus limited capacity to sustain reef accretion, compromising the existing reef structure and its future capacity to provide habitat and environmental services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Estrada-Saldívar
- Biodiversity and Reef Conservation Laboratory, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, México
- Posgrado en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Ciudad Universitaria 3000, CP 04510 Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Eric Jordán-Dalhgren
- Coral Ecology Laboratory, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, México
| | - Rosa E. Rodríguez-Martínez
- Coral Ecology Laboratory, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, México
| | - Chris Perry
- Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4RJ, UK
| | - Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
- Biodiversity and Reef Conservation Laboratory, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, México
- Author for correspondence: Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip e-mail:
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Pearson KD, Mast AR. Mobilizing the community of biodiversity specimen collectors to effectively detect and document outliers in the Anthropocene. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2019; 106:1052-1058. [PMID: 31390045 PMCID: PMC6851561 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Biological outliers (observations that fall outside of a previously understood norm, e.g., in phenology or distribution) may indicate early stages of a transformative change that merits immediate attention. Collectors of biodiversity specimens such as plants, fungi, and animals are on the front lines of discovering outliers, yet the role collectors currently play in providing such data is unclear. METHODS We surveyed 222 collectors of a broad range of taxa, searched 47 training materials, and explored the use of 170 outlier terms in 75 million specimen records to determine the current state of outlier detection and documentation in this community. RESULTS Collectors reported observing outliers (e.g., about 80% of respondents observed morphological and distributional outliers at least occasionally). However, relatively few specimen records include outlier terms, and imprecision in their use and handling in data records complicates data discovery by stakeholders. This current state appears to be at least partly due to the absence of protocols: only one of the training materials addressed documenting and reporting outliers. CONCLUSIONS We suggest next steps to mobilize this largely untapped, yet ideally suited, community for early detection of biotic change in the Anthropocene, including community activities for building relevant best practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelin D. Pearson
- Department of Biological ScienceFlorida State University319 Stadium Dr.TallahasseeFL32306USA
| | - Austin R. Mast
- Department of Biological ScienceFlorida State University319 Stadium Dr.TallahasseeFL32306USA
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23
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Rossi S, Gravili C, Milisenda G, Bosch-Belmar M, De Vito D, Piraino S. Effects of global warming on reproduction and potential dispersal of Mediterranean Cnidarians. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2019.1631893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- S. Rossi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali, DiSTeBA, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
- CoNISMa, Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy
| | - C. Gravili
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali, DiSTeBA, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
- CoNISMa, Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy
| | - G. Milisenda
- Dipartimento Ecologia Marina Integrata, Stazione zoologica Anton Dohrn, Palermo, Italy
| | - M. Bosch-Belmar
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali, DiSTeBA, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
- CoNISMa, Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy
| | - D. De Vito
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali, DiSTeBA, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
- CoNISMa, Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy
| | - S. Piraino
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali, DiSTeBA, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
- CoNISMa, Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy
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24
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Blanfuné A, Boudouresque CF, Verlaque M, Thibaut T. The ups and downs of a canopy-forming seaweed over a span of more than one century. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5250. [PMID: 30918275 PMCID: PMC6437179 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41676-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Canopy-forming seaweeds constitute marine forests that deliver ecosystem services. The worldwide range shift, sharp decline or loss of many of these forests, caused by the cumulative impact of increasing human pressure and climate change, have been widely documented. Contrasting examples, reflecting higher than expected resilience, have been more rarely reported. Here, we took the opportunity of having at our disposal a two-century suite of documents (herbarium vouchers, articles) and a ~120-year observation period, dealing with a long-lived brown seaweed, Cystoseira mediterranea, along a well-explored Mediterranean coastline in the Gulf of Lions, to depict the fate of its populations. In addition, we provided baselines for future surveys, with a high degree of accuracy. The northernmost population, scattered on rare suitable substrates, gradually declined and has been extinct since the 1980s. The length of shore occupied by the southern population showed a long-term decline trend, with two sharp minima followed by partial recovery. The causes of the decline differ between sites and periods: coastal development, pollution, competition with mussels, heatwaves and exceptional storms. Overall, the Gulf of Lions populations reflects long-lasting resilience, higher than expected, and a health status that is better than that reported for many other canopy-forming seaweeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Blanfuné
- Aix-Marseille University, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), CNRS/INSU, IRD, UM 110, Campus of Luminy, 13288, Marseille, cedex 9, France.
| | - Charles François Boudouresque
- Aix-Marseille University, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), CNRS/INSU, IRD, UM 110, Campus of Luminy, 13288, Marseille, cedex 9, France
| | - Marc Verlaque
- Aix-Marseille University, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), CNRS/INSU, IRD, UM 110, Campus of Luminy, 13288, Marseille, cedex 9, France
| | - Thierry Thibaut
- Aix-Marseille University, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), CNRS/INSU, IRD, UM 110, Campus of Luminy, 13288, Marseille, cedex 9, France
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25
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Montefalcone M, Morri C, Bianchi CN. Long-term change in bioconstruction potential of Maldivian coral reefs following extreme climate anomalies. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:5629-5641. [PMID: 30194747 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Global climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of extreme heat anomalies and consequent mass coral bleaching events. Long-term dynamics of hard coral cover, bioconstruction potential, carbonate deposition, and reef accretion was monitored over a 20-year period on Maldivian coral reefs in order to investigate the effects of high-temperature anomalies on coral reef accretion and their recovery potential. Changes experienced by shallow reefs between 1997 and 2017 were evaluated by considering five different bioconstructional guilds and the BioConstruction Potential index (BCP), a proxy for the constructional capacity of reefs. Abnormally high temperatures in 1998 and 2016 led to severe coral bleaching and consequent mortality, especially of the primary builders. Renewed carbonate deposition was not documented until 2-3 years after the bleaching, and 6-9 years passed until constratal (i.e., low relief) growth was achieved. Finally, 14-16 years were required to reach accretion rates high enough to ensure superstratal (i.e., high relief) growth. Coral mortality in the Maldives during the 2016 bleaching event was lower than in 1998, and the initial recovery was faster and occurred via a different trajectory than in 1998. Rising levels of anthropogenic carbon emissions are predicted to accelerate sea level rise and trigger severe coral bleaching events at least twice per decade, a frequency that will (a) prevent coral recovery, (b) nullify reef accretion, and consequently, (c) result in the drowning of Maldivian reefs under the worst climate projections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Montefalcone
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Carla Morri
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Carlo Nike Bianchi
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
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26
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Costa G, Betti F, Nepote E, Cattaneo-Vietti R, Pansini M, Bavestrello G, Bertolino M. Sponge community variations within two semi-submerged caves of the Ligurian Sea (Mediterranean Sea) over a half-century time span. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2018.1525439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- G. Costa
- DiSTAV, Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - F. Betti
- DiSTAV, Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - E. Nepote
- DiSTAV, Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | | | - M. Pansini
- DiSTAV, Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italy
| | | | - M. Bertolino
- DiSTAV, Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italy
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27
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Piazzi L, Atzori F, Cadoni N, Cinti MF, Frau F, Ceccherelli G. Benthic mucilage blooms threaten coralligenous reefs. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 140:145-151. [PMID: 29921450 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Mucilaginous aggregates produced by planktonic or benthic algae are considered ecological threats to marine systems. The study evaluated the effects of the spread of benthic mucilaginous aggregates on the structure of coralligenous assemblages. The assemblage and the quality of a site subjected to a benthic mucilage bloom were compared to those of two reference sites using a Before/After-Control/Impact (BACI) design. Results showed the α and β-diversity, ESCA and COARSE quality ecological indices and the cover of encrusting algae and bryozoans were lower at the impact site after the mucilage event than at the control sites and at the impact site before the mucilage event. An opposite pattern was observed for the necrosis of gorgonians and the cover of algal turf. This study describes for the first time the impacts of ephemeral mucilage blooms on the whole coralligenous assemblage, identifying a further threat of this habitat and the need of adequate monitoring programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Piazzi
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
| | - F Atzori
- Area Marina Protetta Capo Carbonara-Villasimius, Via Roma 60, Villasimius, (CA), Italy
| | - N Cadoni
- Area Marina Protetta Capo Carbonara-Villasimius, Via Roma 60, Villasimius, (CA), Italy
| | - M F Cinti
- Area Marina Protetta Capo Carbonara-Villasimius, Via Roma 60, Villasimius, (CA), Italy
| | - F Frau
- Area Marina Protetta Capo Carbonara-Villasimius, Via Roma 60, Villasimius, (CA), Italy
| | - G Ceccherelli
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, 07100, Sassari, Italy
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28
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Ingrosso G, Abbiati M, Badalamenti F, Bavestrello G, Belmonte G, Cannas R, Benedetti-Cecchi L, Bertolino M, Bevilacqua S, Bianchi CN, Bo M, Boscari E, Cardone F, Cattaneo-Vietti R, Cau A, Cerrano C, Chemello R, Chimienti G, Congiu L, Corriero G, Costantini F, De Leo F, Donnarumma L, Falace A, Fraschetti S, Giangrande A, Gravina MF, Guarnieri G, Mastrototaro F, Milazzo M, Morri C, Musco L, Pezzolesi L, Piraino S, Prada F, Ponti M, Rindi F, Russo GF, Sandulli R, Villamor A, Zane L, Boero F. Mediterranean Bioconstructions Along the Italian Coast. ADVANCES IN MARINE BIOLOGY 2018; 79:61-136. [PMID: 30012277 DOI: 10.1016/bs.amb.2018.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Marine bioconstructions are biodiversity-rich, three-dimensional biogenic structures, regulating key ecological functions of benthic ecosystems worldwide. Tropical coral reefs are outstanding for their beauty, diversity and complexity, but analogous types of bioconstructions are also present in temperate seas. The main bioconstructions in the Mediterranean Sea are represented by coralligenous formations, vermetid reefs, deep-sea cold-water corals, Lithophyllum byssoides trottoirs, coral banks formed by the shallow-water corals Cladocora caespitosa or Astroides calycularis, and sabellariid or serpulid worm reefs. Bioconstructions change the morphological and chemicophysical features of primary substrates and create new habitats for a large variety of organisms, playing pivotal roles in ecosystem functioning. In spite of their importance, Mediterranean bioconstructions have not received the same attention that tropical coral reefs have, and the knowledge of their biology, ecology and distribution is still fragmentary. All existing data about the spatial distribution of Italian bioconstructions have been collected, together with information about their growth patterns, dynamics and connectivity. The degradation of these habitats as a consequence of anthropogenic pressures (pollution, organic enrichment, fishery, coastal development, direct physical disturbance), climate change and the spread of invasive species was also investigated. The study of bioconstructions requires a holistic approach leading to a better understanding of their ecology and the application of more insightful management and conservation measures at basin scale, within ecologically coherent units based on connectivity: the cells of ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianmarco Ingrosso
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, Lecce, Italy; Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy.
| | - Marco Abbiati
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Beni Culturali (DBC), University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Scienze Marine (CNR-ISMAR), Bologna, Italy
| | - Fabio Badalamenti
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero (CNR-IAMC), Marine Ecology Laboratory, Castellammare del Golfo, Italy
| | - Giorgio Bavestrello
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e della Vita (DiSTAV), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Genuario Belmonte
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, Lecce, Italy; Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy
| | - Rita Cannas
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Bertolino
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e della Vita (DiSTAV), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Stanislao Bevilacqua
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, Lecce, Italy; Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Nike Bianchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e della Vita (DiSTAV), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Marzia Bo
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e della Vita (DiSTAV), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Elisa Boscari
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Frine Cardone
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Riccardo Cattaneo-Vietti
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Alessandro Cau
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Carlo Cerrano
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Renato Chemello
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giovanni Chimienti
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Leonardo Congiu
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Corriero
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Federica Costantini
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Francesco De Leo
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, Lecce, Italy; Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy
| | - Luigia Donnarumma
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie, Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Annalisa Falace
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Simonetta Fraschetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, Lecce, Italy; Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy
| | - Adriana Giangrande
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, Lecce, Italy; Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Flavia Gravina
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Guarnieri
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, Lecce, Italy; Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Mastrototaro
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Marco Milazzo
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Carla Morri
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e della Vita (DiSTAV), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Luigi Musco
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Integrative Marine Ecology Department, Napoli, Italy
| | - Laura Pezzolesi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Stefano Piraino
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, Lecce, Italy; Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy
| | - Fiorella Prada
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero (CNR-IAMC), Marine Ecology Laboratory, Castellammare del Golfo, Italy
| | - Massimo Ponti
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Fabio Rindi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Giovanni Fulvio Russo
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie, Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Roberto Sandulli
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie, Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Adriana Villamor
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Zane
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Boero
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, Lecce, Italy; Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Rome, Italy; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Scienze Marine (CNR-ISMAR), Genova, Italy
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Aued AW, Smith F, Quimbayo JP, Cândido DV, Longo GO, Ferreira CEL, Witman JD, Floeter SR, Segal B. Large-scale patterns of benthic marine communities in the Brazilian Province. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0198452. [PMID: 29883496 PMCID: PMC5993233 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
As marine ecosystems are influenced by global and regional processes, standardized information on community structure has become crucial for assessing broad-scale responses to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Extensive biogeographic provinces, such as the Brazilian Province in the southwest Atlantic, present numerous theoretical and methodological challenges for understanding community patterns on a macroecological scale. In particular, the Brazilian Province is composed of a complex system of heterogeneous reefs and a few offshore islands, with contrasting histories and geophysical-chemical environments. Despite the large extent of the Brazilian Province (almost 8,000 kilometers), most studies of shallow benthic communities are qualitative surveys and/or have been geographically restricted. We quantified community structure of shallow reef habitats from 0° to 27°S latitude using a standard photographic quadrat technique. Percent cover data indicated that benthic communities of Brazilian reefs were dominated by algal turfs and frondose macroalgae, with low percent cover of reef-building corals. Community composition differed significantly among localities, mostly because of their macroalgal abundance, despite reef type or geographic region, with no evident latitudinal pattern. Benthic diversity was lower in the tropics, contrary to the general latitudinal diversity gradient pattern. Richness peaked at mid-latitudes, between 20°S to 23°S, where it was ~3.5-fold higher than localities with the lowest richness. This study provides the first large-scale description of benthic communities along the southwestern Atlantic, providing a baseline for macroecological comparisons and evaluation of future impacts. Moreover, the new understanding of richness distribution along Brazilian reefs will contribute to conservation planning efforts, such as management strategies and the spatial prioritization for the creation of new marine protected areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaide W. Aued
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- Marine Macroecology and Biogeography Lab, Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Ambientes Recifais, Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Franz Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Juan P. Quimbayo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- Marine Macroecology and Biogeography Lab, Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Davi V. Cândido
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Ambientes Recifais, Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Guilherme O. Longo
- Marine Ecology Lab, Department of Oceanography and Limnology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Carlos E. L. Ferreira
- Reef Systems Ecology and Conservation Lab, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jon D. Witman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Sergio R. Floeter
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- Marine Macroecology and Biogeography Lab, Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Bárbara Segal
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Ambientes Recifais, Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
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30
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Vassallo P, Bianchi CN, Paoli C, Holon F, Navone A, Bavestrello G, Cattaneo Vietti R, Morri C. A predictive approach to benthic marine habitat mapping: Efficacy and management implications. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 131:218-232. [PMID: 29886940 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The availability of marine habitats maps remains limited due to difficulty and cost of working at sea. Reduced light penetration in the water hampers the use of optical imagery, and acoustic methods require extensive sea-truth activities. Predictive spatial modelling may offer an alternative to produce benthic habitat maps based on complete acoustic coverage of the seafloor together with a comparatively low number of sea truths. This approach was applied to the coralligenous reefs of the Marine Protected Area of Tavolara - Punta Coda Cavallo (NE Sardinia, Italy). Fuzzy clustering, applied to a set of observations made by scuba diving and used as sea truth, allowed recognising five coralligenous habitats, all but one existing within EUNIS (European Nature Information System) types. Variable importance plots showed that the distribution of habitats was driven by distance from coast, depth, and lithotype, and allowed mapping their distribution over the MPA. Congruence between observed and predicted distributions and accuracy of the classification was high. Results allowed calculating the occurrence of the distinct coralligenous habitats in zones with different protection level. The five habitats are unequally protected since the protection regime was established when detailed marine habitat maps were not available. A SWOT (Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats) analysis was performed to identify critical points and potentialities of the method. The method developed proved to be reliable and the results obtained will be useful when modulating on-going and future management actions in the studied area and in other Mediterranean MPAs to develop conservation efforts at basin scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Vassallo
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Carlo Nike Bianchi
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Chiara Paoli
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genova, Italy.
| | - Florian Holon
- Andromède Océanologie, 7 Place Cassan, 34280 Carnon-Plage, France
| | - Augusto Navone
- Area Marina Protetta di Tavolara - Punta Coda Cavallo, Via San Giovanni 14, 07026 Olbia, Italy
| | - Giorgio Bavestrello
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Riccardo Cattaneo Vietti
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Carla Morri
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genova, Italy
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Montefalcone M, De Falco G, Nepote E, Canessa M, Bertolino M, Bavestrello G, Morri C, Bianchi CN. Thirty year ecosystem trajectories in a submerged marine cave under changing pressure regime. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 137:98-110. [PMID: 29548762 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Revised: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2018] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Marine caves are unique and vulnerable habitats exhibiting high biodiversity and heterogeneity, but threatened by multiple global and local disturbances. Marine caves, although widely distributed along the Mediterranean coast, suffer for the lack of quantitative data on their structure and function, which hinder their conservation status assessment. Thanks to the availability of a nearly 30-year-long series of data (1986-2013), we evaluated ecosystem change in the Bergeggi marine cave (Ligurian Sea, NW Mediterranean), a cave with a complex shape and high habitat heterogeneity. Non-taxonomic descriptors were adopted, namely growth forms (GF) and trophic guilds (TG), which are informative about ecosystem structure and functioning, respectively. The cave experienced a general trend of change during the last three decades, mainly due to the decline in the cover of sessile organisms (especially 3-dimensional forms) matched by an increase of turf and sediment, thus causing the structural and functional homogenization of the cave community. While change before 2004 had been attributed to climatic factors (especially to the summer heat waves of 1999 and 2003), the most important rate of change was observed between 2009 and 2013, coinciding with recent major beach nourishments and the extension of the neighbouring Vado Ligure harbour, thus providing evidences on the importance of local disturbances deriving from coastal interventions. Monitoring the status of cave ecosystems is urgently needed, and the use of effective indicators, such as the specific traits here adopted (morphology and feeding strategy), could provide effective tools to assist marine cave conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Montefalcone
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, Genova, Italy.
| | - Giada De Falco
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, Genova, Italy
| | - Ettore Nepote
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, Genova, Italy; Department of Environment and Life Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Martina Canessa
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, Genova, Italy
| | - Marco Bertolino
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, Genova, Italy
| | - Giorgio Bavestrello
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, Genova, Italy
| | - Carla Morri
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, Genova, Italy
| | - Carlo Nike Bianchi
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, Genova, Italy
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Ricart AM, García M, Weitzmann B, Linares C, Hereu B, Ballesteros E. Long-term shifts in the north western Mediterranean coastal seascape: The habitat-forming seaweed Codium vermilara. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 127:334-341. [PMID: 29475669 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Revised: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Long-term ecological studies are crucial to understand how and why natural ecosystems change over time and space. Through a revision of historical data and a comparison with current in situ field data, we contribute to the understanding of how the Mediterranean coastal seascape has changed in the last decades. Here we describe the large decrease of the main habitat-forming species Codium vermilara along the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean). We have analyzed data on presence/absence, abundance and biomass. Since the 70s-80s, when the species reached its highest abundances, the species has totally disappeared from 45% of the revisited sites, and showed a decrease in 95% of its abundance and 97% of its biomass. Codium vermilara has also shown a reduction in its depth range, from 30 to the first 20m depth. This study highlights the importance of having historical data to detect and describe changes in ecological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora M Ricart
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB-CSIC), C/d'accés a la Cala St. Francesc, 14, 17300 Blanes, Spain; Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - María García
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB-CSIC), C/d'accés a la Cala St. Francesc, 14, 17300 Blanes, Spain
| | - Boris Weitzmann
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB-CSIC), C/d'accés a la Cala St. Francesc, 14, 17300 Blanes, Spain
| | - Cristina Linares
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bernat Hereu
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Enric Ballesteros
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB-CSIC), C/d'accés a la Cala St. Francesc, 14, 17300 Blanes, Spain
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Cattaneo-Vietti R. Structural changes in Mediterranean marine communities: lessons from the Ligurian Sea. RENDICONTI LINCEI. SCIENZE FISICHE E NATURALI 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s12210-018-0670-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Fortibuoni T, Libralato S, Arneri E, Giovanardi O, Solidoro C, Raicevich S. Fish and fishery historical data since the 19th century in the Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean. Sci Data 2017; 4:170104. [PMID: 28895949 PMCID: PMC5595044 DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2017.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Historic data on biodiversity provide the context for present observations and allow studying long-term changes in marine populations. Here we present multiple datasets on fish and fisheries of the Adriatic Sea covering the last two centuries encompassing from qualitative observations to standardised scientific monitoring. The datasets consist of three groups: (1) early naturalists' descriptions of fish fauna, including information (e.g., presence, perceived abundance, size) on 255 fish species for the period 1818-1936; (2) historical landings from major Northern Adriatic fish markets (Venice, Trieste, Rijeka) for the period 1902-1968, Italian official landings for the Northern and Central Adriatic (1953-2012) and landings from the Lagoon of Venice (1945-2001); (3) trawl-survey data from seven surveys spanning the period 1948-1991 and including Catch per Unit of Effort data (kgh-1 and/or nh-1) for 956 hauls performed at 301 stations. The integration of these datasets has already demonstrated to be useful to analyse historical marine community changes over time, and its availability through open-source data portal will facilitate analyses in the framework of marine historical ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomaso Fortibuoni
- National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (OGS), Division of Oceanography, ECHO Group, Trieste, Italy
- Italian National Institute of Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Chioggia, Italy
| | - Simone Libralato
- National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (OGS), Division of Oceanography, ECHO Group, Trieste, Italy
| | - Enrico Arneri
- AdriaMed Project, FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council (CNR-ISMAR), Ancona, Italy
| | - Otello Giovanardi
- Italian National Institute of Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Chioggia, Italy
- Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council (CNR-ISMAR), Ancona, Italy
| | - Cosimo Solidoro
- National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (OGS), Division of Oceanography, ECHO Group, Trieste, Italy
- The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy
| | - Saša Raicevich
- Italian National Institute of Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Chioggia, Italy
- Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council (CNR-ISMAR), Ancona, Italy
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Sartoretto S, Schohn T, Bianchi CN, Morri C, Garrabou J, Ballesteros E, Ruitton S, Verlaque M, Daniel B, Charbonnel E, Blouet S, David R, Féral JP, Gatti G. An integrated method to evaluate and monitor the conservation state of coralligenous habitats: The INDEX-COR approach. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2017; 120:222-231. [PMID: 28521933 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Revised: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
A new method based on photographic sampling coupled with in situ observations was applied to 53 stations along the French Mediterranean coast, to assess the integrity of coralligenous reefs affected by different levels of anthropogenic pressure. The conservation state of the assemblages characterizing these habitats was then assessed by an index - the INDEX-COR - that integrates three metrics: (i) the sensitivity of the taxa to organic matter and sediment deposition, (ii) the observable taxonomic richness, and (iii) the structural complexity of the assemblages. The sensitivity of INDEX-COR was tested and showed good correlation with the Level of Pressure calculated for each station according to expert judgment and field observations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas Schohn
- IFREMER, Zone Portuaire de Brégaillon, 83500 La Seyne-sur-mer, France.
| | - Carlo Nike Bianchi
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Science, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
| | - Carla Morri
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Science, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
| | | | | | - Sandrine Ruitton
- Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO, Marseille, France.
| | - Marc Verlaque
- Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO, Marseille, France.
| | - Boris Daniel
- Agence Française pour la Biodiversité, Antenne de Méditerranée, 26 rue de la République, 13001 Marseille, France.
| | - Eric Charbonnel
- Parc Marin de la Côte Bleue, Observatoire-Plage du Rouet, 31 Avenue Jean Bart, BP. 42, 13620 Carry-le-Rouet, France.
| | - Sylvain Blouet
- Aire marine protégée de la côte Agathoise, Direction Gestion du milieu marin Hôtel de Ville, 34300 Agde, France.
| | - Romain David
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie Marine et Continentale (IMBE), Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Station Marine d'Endoume, Chemin de la Batterie des Lions, F-13007 Marseille, France.
| | - Jean-Pierre Féral
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie Marine et Continentale (IMBE), Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Station Marine d'Endoume, Chemin de la Batterie des Lions, F-13007 Marseille, France.
| | - Giulia Gatti
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie Marine et Continentale (IMBE), Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Station Marine d'Endoume, Chemin de la Batterie des Lions, F-13007 Marseille, France.
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Montefalcone M, Morri C, Bianchi CN, Bavestrello G, Piazzi L. The two facets of species sensitivity: Stress and disturbance on coralligenous assemblages in space and time. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2017; 117:229-238. [PMID: 28185652 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.01.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Revised: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Marine coastal ecosystems are affected by a vast array of human-induced disturbances and stresses, which are often capable of overwhelming the effects of natural changes. Despite the conceptual and practical difficulty in differentiating between disturbance and stress, which are often used interchangeably, the two terms bear different ecological meanings. Both are external agents, but the former causes mortality or physical damage (subtraction of biomass), whereas the latter causes physiological alteration (reduction in productivity). Sensitivity of marine organisms may thus have a dual connotation, being influenced in different ways by disturbance and by stress following major environmental change. Coralligenous assemblages, which shape unique biogenic formations in the Mediterranean Sea, are considered highly sensitive to change. In this paper, we propose a method to differentiate between disturbance and stress to assess the ecological status of the coralligenous assemblages. Disturbance sensitivity level (DSL) and stress sensitivity level (SSL) of the sessile organisms thriving in the coralligenous assemblages were combined into the integrated sensitivity level of coralligenous assemblages (ISLA) index. Changes in the coralligenous status were assessed in space, along a gradient of stress (human-induced pressures) at several sites of the western Mediterranean, and in time, from a long-term series (1961-2008) at Mesco Reef (Ligurian Sea) that encompasses a mass mortality event in the 1990s. The quality of the coralligenous assemblages was lower in highly urbanised sites than that in sites in both marine protected areas and areas with low levels of urbanisation; moreover, the quality of the assemblages at Mesco Reef decreased during the last 50years. Reduction in quality was mainly due to the increase in stress-tolerant and/or opportunist species (e.g. algal turfs, hydroids and encrusting sponges), the disappearance of the most sensitive macroalgae (e.g. Udoteaceae and erect Rhodophyta) and macro-invertebrates (e.g. Savalia savaglia, Alcyonium coralloides and Smittina cervicornis), and the appearance of invasive alien algal species. Although the specific indices of SSL or DSL well illustrated the changes in the spatial or temporal datasets, respectively, their integration in the ISLA index was more effective in measuring the change experienced by the coralligenous assemblages in both space and time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carla Morri
- DISTAV, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | | | | | - Luigi Piazzi
- DIPNET, University of Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, 07100 Sassari, Italy
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Gatti G, Bianchi CN, Montefalcone M, Venturini S, Diviacco G, Morri C. Observational information on a temperate reef community helps understanding the marine climate and ecosystem shift of the 1980-90s. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2017; 114:528-538. [PMID: 27743657 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Revised: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The dearth of long-time series hampers the measurement of the ecosystem change that followed the global marine climate shift of the 1980-90s. The sessile communities of Portofino Promontory reefs (Ligurian Sea, NW Mediterranean) have been discontinuously studied since the 1950s. Collating information from various sources, three periods of investigations have been distinguished: 1) 1950-70s; 2) 1980-90s; 3) 2000-10s. A cooler phase in time 1 was followed by a rapid warming in time 2, to stabilize at about 0.5°C higher in time 3. Human pressure grew impressively, especially after the establishment of a MPA in 1999. Multivariate analyses evidenced a major change of community composition in time 2. Some species disappeared or got rarer, many found refuge at depth, and among the newcomers there were recently introduced alien species. This study demonstrated the importance of descriptive historical data to understand magnitude and pattern of change in the long term evolution of marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Gatti
- Aix Marseille University, , Avignon University, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Station Marine d'Endoume, Chemin de la Batterie des Lions, 13007 Marseille, France.
| | - Carlo Nike Bianchi
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Monica Montefalcone
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Sara Venturini
- Marine Protected Area of Portofino, Viale Rainusso 1, 16038 Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy
| | - Giovanni Diviacco
- Regione Liguria, Settore Sviluppo Sostenibile, Parchi e Biodiversità, Via D'Annunzio 111, 16121 Genoa, Italy
| | - Carla Morri
- DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genoa, Italy
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Nepote E, Bianchi CN, Morri C, Ferrari M, Montefalcone M. Impact of a harbour construction on the benthic community of two shallow marine caves. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2017; 114:35-45. [PMID: 27720216 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Marine caves are unique and vulnerable habitats, threatened by multiple global and local disturbances. Whilst the effects of climate change on marine caves have already been investigated, no information exists about the effects of local human impacts, such as coastal development, on these habitats. This study investigated the impact of the construction of a touristic harbour on two shallow underwater marine caves in the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean). As a standard methodology for monitoring marine caves does not exist yet, changes over time on the benthic community were assessed adopting two different non-taxonomic descriptors: trophic guilds and growth forms. Harbour construction caused an increase of sediment load within the caves, with a consequent decline of filter feeder organisms. Abundance of small organisms, such as encrusting and flattened sponges, was greatly reduced in comparison to organisms with larger and erect growth forms, such as domed mounds and pedunculated sponges. Our study indicated that growth forms and trophic guilds are effective descriptors for evaluating changes over time in marine caves, and could be easily standardised and applied in monitoring plans. In addition, as the harbour construction impacted differently according to the cave topography, the use of a systematic sampling in different zones of an underwater cave is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ettore Nepote
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Carlo Nike Bianchi
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Carla Morri
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Marco Ferrari
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Monica Montefalcone
- DiSTAV, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
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Willsteed E, Gill AB, Birchenough SNR, Jude S. Assessing the cumulative environmental effects of marine renewable energy developments: Establishing common ground. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 577:19-32. [PMID: 27817927 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.10.152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Revised: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Assessing and managing the cumulative impacts of human activities on the environment remains a major challenge to sustainable development. This challenge is highlighted by the worldwide expansion of marine renewable energy developments (MREDs) in areas already subject to multiple activities and climate change. Cumulative effects assessments in theory provide decision makers with adequate information about how the environment will respond to the incremental effects of licensed activities and are a legal requirement in many nations. In practise, however, such assessments are beset by uncertainties resulting in substantial delays during the licensing process that reduce MRED investor confidence and limit progress towards meeting climate change targets. In light of these targets and ambitions to manage the marine environment sustainably, reducing the uncertainty surrounding MRED effects and cumulative effects assessment are timely and vital. This review investigates the origins and evolution of cumulative effects assessment to identify why the multitude of approaches and pertinent research have emerged, and discusses key considerations and challenges relevant to assessing the cumulative effects of MREDs and other activities on ecosystems. The review recommends a shift away from the current reliance on disparate environmental impact assessments and limited strategic environmental assessments, and a move towards establishing a common system of coordinated data and research relative to ecologically meaningful areas, focussed on the needs of decision makers tasked with protecting and conserving marine ecosystems and services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Willsteed
- School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Beds MK43 0AL, UK; Cefas, Lowestoft Laboratory, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0HT, UK.
| | - Andrew B Gill
- School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Beds MK43 0AL, UK.
| | | | - Simon Jude
- School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Beds MK43 0AL, UK.
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Gerovasileiou V, Dailianis T, Panteri E, Michalakis N, Gatti G, Sini M, Dimitriadis C, Issaris Y, Salomidi M, Filiopoulou I, Doğan A, Thierry de Ville d'Avray L, David R, Ҫinar ME, Koutsoubas D, Féral JP, Arvanitidis C. CIGESMED for divers: Establishing a citizen science initiative for the mapping and monitoring of coralligenous assemblages in the Mediterranean Sea. Biodivers Data J 2016:e8692. [PMID: 27932909 PMCID: PMC5136673 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.4.e8692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Over the last decade, inventorying and monitoring of marine biodiversity has significantly benefited from the active engagement of volunteers. Although several Citizen Science projects concern tropical reef ecosystems worldwide, none of the existing initiatives has yet specifically focused on their Mediterranean equivalents. Mediterranean coralline reefs, known as “coralligenous”, are bioherms primarily built by calcifying rhodophytes on hard substrates under dim-light conditions; they are considered hotspots of biodiversity and are extremely popular among divers due to their complex structure, conspicuous biological wealth and high aesthetic value. Nevertheless, data on their distribution, structure and conservation status is lacking for several Mediterranean areas while they are vulnerable to an increasing number of threats. New information In the framework of CIGESMED SeasEra (ERAnet) project a specialized Citizen Science project was launched, aiming to engage enthusiast divers in the study and monitoring of Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages through the gathering of basic information regarding their spatial occurrence, assemblage structure and associated pressures or threats. For its active implementation, a data collection protocol and a multilingual website were developed, comprising an educational module and a data submission platform. Georeferenced data reporting focuses on: (a) basic topographic and abiotic features for the preliminary description of each site, and the creation of data series for sites receiving multiple visits; (b) presence and relative abundance of typical conspicuous species, as well as (c) existence of pressures and imminent threats, for the characterization and assessment of coralligenous assemblages. A variety of tools is provided to facilitate end users, while divers have the choice to report additional information and are encouraged to upload their photographs. The long-term goal is the development of an active community of amateur observers providing widespread and ecologically significant data on coralligenous assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasilis Gerovasileiou
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Thanos Dailianis
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Emmanouela Panteri
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Nikitas Michalakis
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Giulia Gatti
- Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and marine and terrestrial Ecology (IMBE), Aix Marseille Université/CNRS/IRD/Université d'Avignon, Station Marine d'Endoume, Marseille, France
| | - Maria Sini
- Department of Marine Sciences, School of Environment, University of the Aegean, Mytilene, Greece
| | | | - Yiannis Issaris
- Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Anavyssos, Attiki, Greece
| | - Maria Salomidi
- Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Anavyssos, Attiki, Greece
| | - Irene Filiopoulou
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Alper Doğan
- Department of Hydrobiology, Faculty of Fisheries, Ege University, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Laure Thierry de Ville d'Avray
- Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and marine and terrestrial Ecology (IMBE), Aix Marseille Université/CNRS/IRD/Université d'Avignon, Station Marine d'Endoume, Marseille, France
| | - Romain David
- Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and marine and terrestrial Ecology (IMBE), Aix Marseille Université/CNRS/IRD/Université d'Avignon, Station Marine d'Endoume, Marseille, France
| | - Melih Ertan Ҫinar
- Department of Hydrobiology, Faculty of Fisheries, Ege University, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Drosos Koutsoubas
- Department of Marine Sciences, School of Environment, University of the Aegean, Mytilene, Greece; National Marine Park of Zakynthos, Zakynthos, Greece
| | - Jean-Pierre Féral
- Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and marine and terrestrial Ecology (IMBE), Aix Marseille Université/CNRS/IRD/Université d'Avignon, Station Marine d'Endoume, Marseille, France
| | - Christos Arvanitidis
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Greece
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Structure and biodiversity of coralligenous assemblages dominated by the precious red coral Corallium rubrum over broad spatial scales. Sci Rep 2016; 6:36535. [PMID: 27857209 PMCID: PMC5114658 DOI: 10.1038/srep36535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Data on species diversity and structure in coralligenous outcrops dominated by Corallium rubrum are lacking. A hierarchical sampling including 3 localities and 9 sites covering more than 400 km of rocky coasts in NW Mediterranean, was designed to characterize the spatial variability of structure, composition and diversity of perennial species inhabiting coralligenous outcrops. We estimated species/taxa composition and abundance. Eight morpho-functional groups were defined according to their life span and growth to characterize the structural complexity of the outcrops. The species composition and structural complexity differed consistently across all spatial scales considered. The lowest and the highest variability were found among localities (separated by >200 km) and within sites (separated by 1–5 km), respectively supporting differences in diversity indices. The morpho-functional groups displayed a consistent spatial arrangement in terms of the number, size and shape of patches across study sites. These results contribute to filling the gap on the understanding of assemblage composition and structure and to build baselines to assess the response of this of this highly threatened habitat to anthropogenic disturbances.
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Correction: Ecological change, sliding baselines and the importance of historical data: lessons from combing observational and quantitative data on a temperate reef over 70 years. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0123268. [PMID: 25823009 PMCID: PMC4379095 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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