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Konstantinou D, Kakakiou RV, Panteris E, Voultsiadou E, Gkelis S. Photosynthetic Sponge-associated Eukaryotes in the Aegean Sea: A Culture-dependent Approach. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2020; 67:660-670. [PMID: 32682339 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Symbioses between sponges and photosynthetic organisms are very diverse regarding the taxonomy and biogeography of both hosts and symbionts; to date, most research has focused on the exploration of bacterial diversity. The present study aims to characterize the culturable diversity of photosynthetic eukaryotes associated with sponges in the Aegean Sea, on which no information exists. Five microalgae strains were isolated from marine sponges; the strains were characterized by morphological features, and the 18S rRNA, 18S-28S Internal Transcribed Spacer, and ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase large chain (rbcL) sequences. Our polyphasic approach showed that the strains belonged to the green-alga Acrochaete leptochaete, the diatom Nanofrustulum cf. shiloi, the rhodophyte Acrochaetium spongicola, and the chlorachniophyte Lotharella oceanica. A. leptochaete is reported for the first time in sponges, even though green algae are known to be associated with sponges. Nanofrustulum shiloi was found in association with the sponges Agelas oroides and Chondrilla nucula, whereas information existed only for its association with the species Aplysina aerophoba. Acrochaetium spongicola was found for the first time in association with sponges in the eastern Mediterranean. Moreover, we report herein for the first time a sponge-chlorarachniophycean association. Our research revealed new diversity of microalgae associated with sponges and added new records of sponge species, previously unknown for their association with microalgae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Despoina Konstantinou
- Department of Botany, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 54124, Greece.,Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 54124, Greece
| | - Rafaela V Kakakiou
- Department of Botany, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 54124, Greece
| | - Emmanuel Panteris
- Department of Botany, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 54124, Greece
| | - Eleni Voultsiadou
- Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 54124, Greece
| | - Spyros Gkelis
- Department of Botany, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 54124, Greece
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Konstantinou D, Voultsiadou E, Panteris E, Gkelis S. Revealing new sponge-associated cyanobacterial diversity: Novel genera and species. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 155:106991. [PMID: 33098986 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are often reported as abundant components of the sponge microbiome; however their diversity below the phylum level is still underestimated. Aiming to broaden our knowledge of sponge-cyanobacteria association, we isolated cyanobacterial strains from Aegean Sea sponges in previous research, which revealed high degree of novel cyanobacterial diversity. Herein, we aim to further characterize sponge-associated cyanobacteria and re-evaluate their classification based on an extensive polyphasic approach, i.e. a combination of molecular, morphological and ecological data. This approach resulted in the description of five new genera (Rhodoploca, Cymatolege, Metis, Aegeococcus, and Thalassoporum) and seven new species (R. sivonenia, C. spiroidea, C. isodiametrica, M. fasciculata, A. anagnostidisi, A. thureti, T. komareki) inside the order Synechococcales, and a new pleurocapsalean species (Xenococcus spongiosum). X. spongiosum is a baeocyte-producing species that shares some morphological features with other Xenococcus species, but has distinct phylogenetic and ecological identity. Rhodoploca, Cymatolege, Metis and Thalassoporum are novel well supported linages of filamentous cyanobacteria that possess distinct characters compared to their sister taxa. Aegeococcus is a novel monophyletic linage of Synechococcus-like cyanobacteria exhibiting a unique ecology, as sponge-dweller. The considerable number of novel taxa characterized in this study highlights the importance of employing polyphasic culture-dependent approaches in order to reveal the true cyanobacterial diversity associated with sponges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Despoina Konstantinou
- Department of Botany, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki GR-541 24, Greece; Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki GR-541 124, Greece
| | - Eleni Voultsiadou
- Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki GR-541 124, Greece
| | - Emmanuel Panteris
- Department of Botany, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki GR-541 24, Greece
| | - Spyros Gkelis
- Department of Botany, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki GR-541 24, Greece.
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Guido A, Gerovasileiou V, Russo F, Rosso A, Sanfilippo R, Voultsiadou E, Mastandrea A. Dataset of biogenic crusts from submarine caves of the Aegean Sea: An example of sponges vs microbialites competition in cryptic environments. Data Brief 2019; 27:104745. [PMID: 31763401 PMCID: PMC6859238 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2019.104745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
This dataset aims at illustrating the relationships between Metazoa and Bacteria in confined environments. For this purpose, the biotic crusts inside two submarine caves of the Aegean Sea were examined in order to characterize organisms involved in their formation. The present manuscript provides additional data and information to our research article “Composition and biostratinomy of sponge-rich biogenic crusts in submarine caves (Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean)” [1] (Guido et al.). The data were collected with an integrated approach utilizing microfacies observations in optical microscopy and micromorphological and geochemical characterization in electron microscopy (SEM and EPMA). We present here microfacies showing the boundstone framework, which is rich in microcavities partly filled by sponge spicules and scant autochthonous micrite. SEM and EPMA data put in evidence the abundance of sponge spicules inside the crusts and allow discriminating between two types of micrite: detrital micrite and autochthonous micrite. The data presented in this article and those described in Guido et al. [1] allow the evaluation of the relationship between sponges and carbonatogenetic bacteria in the cryptic conditions of submarine caves, and provide new knowledge to interpret the fossil record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano Guido
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Via Bucci, Cubo 15b, 87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Vasilis Gerovasileiou
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 71500, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Franco Russo
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Via Bucci, Cubo 15b, 87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Antonietta Rosso
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Catania University, Corso Italia, 57 95129, Catania, Italy.,National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences (CoNISMa), URL Catania, 95129, Catania, Italy
| | - Rossana Sanfilippo
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Catania University, Corso Italia, 57 95129, Catania, Italy.,National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences (CoNISMa), URL Catania, 95129, Catania, Italy
| | - Eleni Voultsiadou
- Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Adelaide Mastandrea
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Via Bucci, Cubo 15b, 87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
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Konstantinou D, Voultsiadou E, Panteris E, Zervou SK, Hiskia A, Gkelis S. Leptothoe, a new genus of marine cyanobacteria (Synechococcales) and three new species associated with sponges from the Aegean Sea. J Phycol 2019; 55:882-897. [PMID: 31001838 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacterial diversity associated with sponges remains underestimated, though it is of great scientific interest in order to understand the ecology and evolutionary history of the symbiotic relationships between the two groups. Of the filamentous cyanobacteria, the genus Leptolyngbya is the most frequently found in association with sponges as well as the largest and obviously polyphyletic group. In this study, five Leptolyngbya-like sponge-associated isolates were investigated using a combination of molecular, chemical, and morphological approach and revealed a novel marine genus herein designated Leptothoe gen. nov. In addition, three new species of Leptothoe, Le. sithoniana, Le. kymatousa, and Le. spongobia, are described based on a suite of distinct characters compared to other marine Leptolyngbyaceae species/strains. The three new species, hosted by four sponge species, showed different degrees of host specificity. Leptothoe sithoniana and Le. kymatousa hosted by the sponges Petrosia ficiformis and Chondrilla nucula, respectively, seem to be more specialized than Le. spongobia, which was hosted by the sponges Dysidea avara and Acanthella acuta. All three species contained nitrogen-fixing genes and may contribute to the nitrogen budget of sponges. Leptothoe spongobia TAU-MAC 1115 isolated from Acanthella acuta was shown to produce microcystin-RR indicating that microcystin production among marine cyanobacteria could be more widespread than previously determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Despoina Konstantinou
- Department of Botany, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, GR-541 24, Greece
- Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, GR-541 124, Greece
| | - Eleni Voultsiadou
- Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, GR-541 124, Greece
| | - Emmanuel Panteris
- Department of Botany, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, GR-541 24, Greece
| | - Sevasti-Kiriaki Zervou
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, NCSR "Demokritos", Athens, GR-153 10, Greece
| | - Anastasia Hiskia
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, NCSR "Demokritos", Athens, GR-153 10, Greece
| | - Spyros Gkelis
- Department of Botany, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, GR-541 24, Greece
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Gerovasileiou V, Dimitriadis C, Arvanitidis C, Voultsiadou E. Taxonomic and functional surrogates of sessile benthic diversity in Mediterranean marine caves. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183707. [PMID: 28877222 PMCID: PMC5587111 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hard substrates host globally a rich biodiversity, orders of magnitude higher in species number than that in surrounding soft substrates. Among them, marine caves support unique biodiversity and fragile communities but suffer lack of quantitative data on their structure and function, hindering their conservation status assessment. A first approach to the non-destructive ecological monitoring of marine caves by testing surrogates of structural and functional composition of sessile benthos was attempted in two species-rich Mediterranean marine caves. Photographic sampling was performed in different positions on the cave walls, across the horizontal axis, from the entrance inwards. Eighty-four taxa were identified and assigned to 6 biological traits and 32 modalities related to morphology, behavior and ecological affinities, with sponges being the dominant taxon in species richness and coverage. In quest of possible biological surrogates, we examined the spatial variability of the total community structure and function and separately the sponge community structure and function. The observed patterns of the above metrics were significantly correlated with the distance from the entrance, the small-scale variability and their interaction. A positive correlation was found between all examined pairs of those metrics, supporting that: (i) the developed functional approach could be used for the study of marine cave sessile communities, and (ii) sponges could be used as a surrogate taxon for the structural and functional study of these communities. The suggested method could be tested in other types of hard substrate habitats and in multiple locations of the Mediterranean waters, facilitating monitoring schemes and conservation actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasilis Gerovasileiou
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Christos Arvanitidis
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Eleni Voultsiadou
- Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The checklist of Porifera of Greece was created in the framework of the Greek Taxon Information System (GTIS), an initiative of the LifeWatchGreece Research Infrastructure (ESFRI) that has resumed efforts to compile a complete checklist of species recorded from Greece. An updated checklist of Porifera was created on the basis of a list of the Aegean Demospongiae and Homoscleromorpha published one decade ago. All records of species known to occur in Greek waters were taxonomically validated and cross-checked for possible inaccuracies and omissions. Then, all recent publications were reviewed and the species recorded from 2006 to date were added to the list. NEW INFORMATION The updated checklist of Porifera of Greece comprises 215 species, classified to 111 genera, 65 families, 24 orders, and 4 classes. In total, 34 new additions were made to the previous species list (8 Calcarea, 17 Demospongiae, 1 Hexactinellida, and 6 Homoscleromorpha) with Calcarea being listed for the first time from the area. The demosponge orders Poecilosclerida, Dictyoceratida, Tetractinellida, Haplosclerida, and Suberitida have the highest number of species covering 62% of the known Greek sponge species richness. It is worth mentioning that 8 species have been first described from Greek waters, 7 of which are considered endemic to this area. Our bibliographic overview also revealed knowledge gaps with regard to specific habitats typically rich in sponge diversity, and marine sectors of Greece.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Voultsiadou
- Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Vasilis Gerovasileiou
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Nicolas Bailly
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Greece
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Giakoumi S, Sini M, Gerovasileiou V, Mazor T, Beher J, Possingham HP, Abdulla A, Çinar ME, Dendrinos P, Gucu AC, Karamanlidis AA, Rodic P, Panayotidis P, Taskin E, Jaklin A, Voultsiadou E, Webster C, Zenetos A, Katsanevakis S. Ecoregion-based conservation planning in the Mediterranean: dealing with large-scale heterogeneity. PLoS One 2013; 8:e76449. [PMID: 24155901 PMCID: PMC3796553 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2013] [Accepted: 08/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial priorities for the conservation of three key Mediterranean habitats, i.e. seagrass Posidonia oceanica meadows, coralligenous formations, and marine caves, were determined through a systematic planning approach. Available information on the distribution of these habitats across the entire Mediterranean Sea was compiled to produce basin-scale distribution maps. Conservation targets for each habitat type were set according to European Union guidelines. Surrogates were used to estimate the spatial variation of opportunity cost for commercial, non-commercial fishing, and aquaculture. Marxan conservation planning software was used to evaluate the comparative utility of two planning scenarios: (a) a whole-basin scenario, referring to selection of priority areas across the whole Mediterranean Sea, and (b) an ecoregional scenario, in which priority areas were selected within eight predefined ecoregions. Although both scenarios required approximately the same total area to be protected in order to achieve conservation targets, the opportunity cost differed between them. The whole-basin scenario yielded a lower opportunity cost, but the Alboran Sea ecoregion was not represented and priority areas were predominantly located in the Ionian, Aegean, and Adriatic Seas. In comparison, the ecoregional scenario resulted in a higher representation of ecoregions and a more even distribution of priority areas, albeit with a higher opportunity cost. We suggest that planning at the ecoregional level ensures better representativeness of the selected conservation features and adequate protection of species, functional, and genetic diversity across the basin. While there are several initiatives that identify priority areas in the Mediterranean Sea, our approach is novel as it combines three issues: (a) it is based on the distribution of habitats and not species, which was rarely the case in previous efforts, (b) it considers spatial variability of cost throughout this socioeconomically heterogeneous basin, and (c) it adopts ecoregions as the most appropriate level for large-scale planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvaine Giakoumi
- Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Ag. Kosmas, Greece
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Maria Sini
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, Mytilene, Lesvos Island, Greece
| | - Vasilis Gerovasileiou
- Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Tessa Mazor
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jutta Beher
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Hugh P. Possingham
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ameer Abdulla
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Center, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Melih Ertan Çinar
- Ege University, Faculty of Fisheries, Department of Hydrobiology, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Panagiotis Dendrinos
- MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk seal, Athens, Greece
| | - Ali Cemal Gucu
- Middle East Technical University Institute of Marine Sciences, Erdemli, Mersin, Turkey
| | | | - Petra Rodic
- State Institute For Nature Protection, Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Ergun Taskin
- Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, Manisa, Turkey
| | - Andrej Jaklin
- Center for Marine Research Rovinj, Ruđer Bošković Institute Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Eleni Voultsiadou
- Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Chloë Webster
- MedPAN, The Network of Managers of Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean, Marseille, France
| | - Argyro Zenetos
- Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Ag. Kosmas, Greece
| | - Stelios Katsanevakis
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Water Resources Unit, Ispra, Italy
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Gerovasileiou V, Voultsiadou E. Marine caves of the Mediterranean Sea: a sponge biodiversity reservoir within a biodiversity hotspot. PLoS One 2012; 7:e39873. [PMID: 22808070 PMCID: PMC3394755 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2012] [Accepted: 05/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine caves are widely acknowledged for their unique biodiversity and constitute a typical feature of the Mediterranean coastline. Herein an attempt was made to evaluate the ecological significance of this particular ecosystem in the Mediterranean Sea, which is considered a biodiversity hotspot. This was accomplished by using Porifera, which dominate the rocky sublittoral substrata, as a reference group in a meta-analytical approach, combining primary research data from the Aegean Sea (eastern Mediterranean) with data derived from the literature. In total 311 species from all poriferan classes were recorded, representing 45.7% of the Mediterranean Porifera. Demospongiae and Homoscleromorpha are highly represented in marine caves at the family (88%), generic (70%), and species level (47.5%), the latter being the most favored group along with Dictyoceratida and Lithistida. Several rare and cave-exclusive species were reported from only one or few caves, indicating the fragmentation and peculiarity of this unique ecosystem. Species richness and phylogenetic diversity varied among Mediterranean areas; the former was positively correlated with research effort, being higher in the northern Mediterranean, while the latter was generally higher in caves than in the overall sponge assemblages of each area. Resemblance analysis among areas revealed that cavernicolous sponge assemblages followed a pattern quite similar to that of the overall Mediterranean assemblages. The same pattern was exhibited by the zoogeographic affinities of cave sponges: species with Atlanto-Mediterranean distribution and Mediterranean endemics prevailed (more than 40% each), 70% of them having warm-water affinities, since most caves were studied in shallow waters. According to our findings, Mediterranean marine caves appear to be important sponge biodiversity reservoirs of high representativeness and great scientific interest, deserving further detailed study and protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasilis Gerovasileiou
- Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece.
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Coll M, Piroddi C, Steenbeek J, Kaschner K, Ben Rais Lasram F, Aguzzi J, Ballesteros E, Bianchi CN, Corbera J, Dailianis T, Danovaro R, Estrada M, Froglia C, Galil BS, Gasol JM, Gertwagen R, Gil J, Guilhaumon F, Kesner-Reyes K, Kitsos MS, Koukouras A, Lampadariou N, Laxamana E, López-Fé de la Cuadra CM, Lotze HK, Martin D, Mouillot D, Oro D, Raicevich S, Rius-Barile J, Saiz-Salinas JI, San Vicente C, Somot S, Templado J, Turon X, Vafidis D, Villanueva R, Voultsiadou E. The biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea: estimates, patterns, and threats. PLoS One 2010; 5:e11842. [PMID: 20689844 PMCID: PMC2914016 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0011842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 551] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2010] [Accepted: 06/10/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Mediterranean Sea is a marine biodiversity hot spot. Here we combined an extensive literature analysis with expert opinions to update publicly available estimates of major taxa in this marine ecosystem and to revise and update several species lists. We also assessed overall spatial and temporal patterns of species diversity and identified major changes and threats. Our results listed approximately 17,000 marine species occurring in the Mediterranean Sea. However, our estimates of marine diversity are still incomplete as yet-undescribed species will be added in the future. Diversity for microbes is substantially underestimated, and the deep-sea areas and portions of the southern and eastern region are still poorly known. In addition, the invasion of alien species is a crucial factor that will continue to change the biodiversity of the Mediterranean, mainly in its eastern basin that can spread rapidly northwards and westwards due to the warming of the Mediterranean Sea. Spatial patterns showed a general decrease in biodiversity from northwestern to southeastern regions following a gradient of production, with some exceptions and caution due to gaps in our knowledge of the biota along the southern and eastern rims. Biodiversity was also generally higher in coastal areas and continental shelves, and decreases with depth. Temporal trends indicated that overexploitation and habitat loss have been the main human drivers of historical changes in biodiversity. At present, habitat loss and degradation, followed by fishing impacts, pollution, climate change, eutrophication, and the establishment of alien species are the most important threats and affect the greatest number of taxonomic groups. All these impacts are expected to grow in importance in the future, especially climate change and habitat degradation. The spatial identification of hot spots highlighted the ecological importance of most of the western Mediterranean shelves (and in particular, the Strait of Gibraltar and the adjacent Alboran Sea), western African coast, the Adriatic, and the Aegean Sea, which show high concentrations of endangered, threatened, or vulnerable species. The Levantine Basin, severely impacted by the invasion of species, is endangered as well. This abstract has been translated to other languages (File S1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Coll
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, Scientific Spanish Council (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain.
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Voultsiadou E. Therapeutic properties and uses of marine invertebrates in the ancient Greek world and early Byzantium. J Ethnopharmacol 2010; 130:237-47. [PMID: 20435126 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.04.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2010] [Revised: 04/18/2010] [Accepted: 04/23/2010] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
AIM OF THE STUDY Marine organisms are currently investigated for the therapeutic potential of their natural products with very promising results. The human interest for their use in healing practices in the Eastern Mediterranean goes back to the antiquity. An attempt is made in the present work to investigate the therapeutic properties of marine invertebrates and the ways they were used in the medical practice during the dawn of the western medicine. METHODS The classical Greek texts of the Ancient Greek (Classical, Hellenistic and Roman) and early Byzantine period were studied and the data collected were analysed in order to extract detailed information on the parts of animal bodies and the ways they were used for healing purposes. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Thirty-eight marine invertebrates were recorded for their therapeutic properties and uses in 40 works of 20 classical authors, covering a time period of 11 centuries (5th c. BC to 7th c. AD). The identified taxa were classified into 7 phyla and 11 classes of the animal kingdom, while molluscs were the dominant group. Marine invertebrates were more frequently used for their properties relevant to digestive, genitourinary and skin disorders. Flesh, broth, skeleton, or other special body parts of the animals were prepared as drinks, collyria, suppositories, cataplasms, compresses, etc. CONCLUSIONS Marine invertebrates were well known for their therapeutic properties and had a prominent role in the medical practice during the Ancient Greek and the early Byzantine period. The diversity of animal species and their medicinal uses reflect the maritime nature of the Greek civilization, which flourished on the coasts and islands of the Aegean Sea. Most of them were common species exploited by humans for food or other everyday uses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Voultsiadou
- Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
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Voultsiadou E, Vafidis D, Antoniadou C. Sponges of economical interest in the Eastern Mediterranean: an assessment of diversity and population density. J NAT HIST 2008. [DOI: 10.1080/00222930701835506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Abstract
The aim of this paper is to bring to light Aristotle’s knowledge of marine invertebrate diversity as this has been recorded in his works 25 centuries ago, and set it against current knowledge. The analysis of information derived from a thorough study of his zoological writings revealed 866 records related to animals currently classified as marine invertebrates. These records corresponded to 94 different animal names or descriptive phrases which were assigned to 85 current marine invertebrate taxa, mostly (58%) at the species level. A detailed, annotated catalogue of all marine anhaima (a = without, haima = blood) appearing in Aristotle’s zoological works was constructed and several older confusions were clarified. Some of Aristotle’s “genera” were found to be directly correlated to current invertebrate higher taxa. Almost the total of the marine anhaima were benthic invertebrates. The great philosopher had a remarkable, well-balanced scientific knowledge of the diversity of the various invertebrate groups, very similar to that acquired by modern marine biologists in the same area of study. The results of the present study should be considered as a necessary starting point for a further analysis of Aristotle’s priceless contribution to the marine environment and its organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Voultsiadou
- 1 Department of Zoology, School of Biology Aristotle University of Thessaloniki GR - 54124 Thessaloniki Greece
| | - Dimitris Vafidis
- 2 Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, School of Agricultural Sciences University of Thessaly 38446 Nea Ionia Magnesia Greece
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