Spatial and seasonal distribution of ascidians in a semi-enclosed basin of the Mediterranean Sea

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 1053-1061 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Mastrototaro ◽  
G. D'Onghia ◽  
A. Tursi
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Marine Pollution ◽  
Ciona Intestinalis ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Artificial Substrates ◽  
Larval Recruitment ◽  
Styela Plicata ◽  
Mar Piccolo Of Taranto ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Shallow Water Species

A total of 25 species of ascidians were collected in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto, a semi-enclosed Mediterranean basin. Three are non-indigenous for the Mediterranean Sea: Microcosmus squamiger, Polyandrocarpa zorritensis and Distaplia bermudensis. The substrate features, season and depth affect the distribution of ascidians in the study area. Some species, such as Pyura dura and Pyura microcosmus, were found only on artificial substrates, while Ascidiella aspersa was almost exclusively recovered on natural bottoms. Seasonal variation in the ascidian distribution and abundance seems to be due mainly to their biological cycles, larval recruitment and adaptation. During the autumn and winter the most abundant species were Clavelina phlegraea and Ciona intestinalis, while A.aspersa was particularly abundant during spring. Depth and more directly light intensity play an important role in ascidian distribution. In the upper few metres the shallow-water species Polyandrocarpa zorritensis was abundant due to its photopositive larvae. Even though the distribution and abundance changed significantly between substrates, seasons and depths, the most abundant species in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto were Clavelina phlegraea, Ciona intestinalis and Styela plicata all of which are able to tolerate the variations in environmental conditions, low rate of water renewal and continuous silting of this semi-enclosed sea. Assuming the role that the above mentioned species have as marine pollution indicators and the abundance recorded for some of them, a high degree of environmental stress can be confirmed for the Mar Piccolo of Taranto. A comparative list of the ascidians recorded in this and previous studies is also reported.

scholarly journals Mediterranean Red Macro Algae Mats as Habitat for High Abundances of Serpulid Polychaetes

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 265
Author(s):  
Felix I. Rossbach ◽  
Edoardo Casoli ◽  
Milan Beck ◽  
Christian Wild
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Posidonia Oceanica ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Tyrrhenian Sea ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

The Mediterranean Sea harbors more than 17,000 eukaryotic marine species, with several ecosystems recognized as biodiversity hotspots, such as Posidonia oceanica meadows. Recent research indicates that benthic mats formed by the fleshy red alga Phyllophora crispa are also associated with high species richness. Among key groups found in these mats are sessile polychaetes, which live as epiphytes on the red algae thalli. Knowledge of abundance, species richness, and spatial variation of polychaetes associated with these habitats is still scarce. We carried out a comparative assessment focusing on serpulid polychaetes within samples from P. crispa mats and neighboring P. oceanica meadows at six different sampling sites around Giglio Island (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). A total of 17 serpulid taxa were identified. The abundance of serpulids (5665 individuals m−2 of P. crispa mat) were similar to neighboring P. oceanica meadows (2304 individuals m−2 leaves and 5890 individuals m−2 shoots). The number of serpulid taxa was significantly higher in P. crispa mats (average 6.63 ± 1.32 taxa) compared to P. oceanica beds (average 1.56 ± 0.63 and 1.84 ± 1.04 taxa in leaves and shoots, respectively). Within habitat type, there were no significant differences in species richness between sites. The most abundant species found was Josephella marenzelleri (61% of individuals), while Vermiliopsis spp. and Bathyvermilia sp. were exclusively found in P. crispa samples. Our results highlight that P. crispa mats host an exceptional diversity and that these habitats should be included in conservation strategies. Further research should focus on the significance of other important taxonomic groups within these mats and evaluate the distribution of P. crispa in different regions of the Mediterranean Sea.

scholarly journals Messinian ostracodes from the western Betic Strait (SW Spain)

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 181-192
Author(s):  
Romero Verónica ◽  
Francisco Ruiz ◽  
María Luz González-Regalado ◽  
Josep Tosquella ◽  
Manuel Abad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Water Depth ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Messinian Salinity Crisis ◽  
The Holocene ◽  
Sw Spain ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Short Transition

During the Neogene, the Betic Strait was one of the gateways that connected the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. In this paper, we have analyzed the ostracod faunas of samples collected from sediments crossed by a long borehole in southwestern Spain. These sediments were deposited in the Betic strait just before the Messinian Salinity Crisis. During the middle Messinian (6.8-6.0 Ma), the scarce and low diversified ostracod assemblages (Krithe, Parakrithe, Henryhowella) are typical of upper bathyal palaeoenvironments (200-400 m water depth). This period includes a short transition (6.26-6.25 Ma) to outer neritic palaeoenvironments, coinciding with a glaciation and characterized by the presence of Acanthocythereis hystrix (Reuss, 1850) and the disappearance of Krithe and Parakrithe. The most abundant species have a wide biostratigraphic distribution, most of them ranging from the Tortonian until the Holocene.

Feeding strategies of Polyacanthonotus rissoanus (Pisces: Notacanthidae) in the deep western Mediterranean

2002 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 665-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Carrassón ◽  
J. Matallanas
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Feeding Strategies ◽  
Important Food ◽  
Food Items ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Scarcity Of Resources

The feeding habits of Polyacanthonotus rissoanus, the sixth most abundant species below 1000 m on the deep slope of the Catalan Sea (western Mediterranean), were studied in the Mediterranean Sea. Samples were obtained at depths between 1000 and 2250 m. Diet was analysed for two seasons (summer and autumn) and three different bathymetric strata. The most important food items found were small epibenthic and suprabenthic crustaceans and polychaetes, and occasionally other groups such as Priapulida, Gastropoda and Foraminifera. At 1000–1425 m, the mysids were preferential prey, while in summer at all depths analysed, isopods were a dominant prey. Polychaetes have certain incidence in the diet only at 1000–1425 m, being a dominant prey in autumn. Individuals at the 1000–1425 m depth ingest larger numbers of prey of higher average sizes than those at 1425–2250 m. The scarcity of resources below 1200–1400 m resulted in diversification of diet and encouraged preying on deposited foraminiferans, molluscs or moving copepods.

scholarly journals Settlement and Spreading of the Introduced Seaweed Caulacanthus okamurae (Rhodophyta) in the Mediterranean Sea

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonella Petrocelli ◽  
Marion A. Wolf ◽  
Ester Cecere ◽  
Katia Sciuto ◽  
Adriano Sfriso
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Venice Lagoon ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Bisphosphate Carboxylase ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Intertidal Zones ◽  
Mar Piccolo Of Taranto ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Ionian And Adriatic Seas ◽  
Introduced Seaweed

In this study, we report the first finding of the non-indigenous seaweed Caulacanthus okamurae (Rhodophyta) in the Ionian and Adriatic Seas (Mediterranean). Specimens were identified through molecular analyses based on the plastid ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rbcL) marker. The sequences obtained during this study represent the first molecular evidence of the presence of this taxon in the Mediterranean Sea. Stable populations have been detected in some areas of the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Italy) and in the whole lagoon of Venice, forming dense patches of low turf that reach high biomasses. Turf-forming algae are common in the intertidal zones of tropical regions, but are rare in temperate ones. The particular environmental conditions of transitional water systems, such as the Mar Piccolo of Taranto and the Venice Lagoon, together with the water temperature increase observed in the last years could have favored the settlement and spread of this introduced species.

The role of standardization in the protection of the environment - the Mediterranean Sea

1995 ◽  
Vol 32 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 283-292
Author(s):  
K. Tsimillis ◽  
N. Pithara
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
International Cooperation ◽  
Marine Pollution ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Trade Barriers ◽  
Improve Quality ◽  
International Level ◽  
Transfer Of Technology ◽  
The Mediterranean

Standards have been used for many years as a tool to improve quality. Recently, the lowering of trade barriers and the need for transfer of technology have increased and widened the role of standardization and the international cooperation through it. Standardization programmes, both at the national and international level, are now focused on the protection of health and safety of the consumer and the environment. In the case of environmental protection ISO, CEN and other organizations are working very hard to establish appropriate requirements. The Mediterranean Sea represents a special example regarding marine pollution. Being a “closed” sea and at the same time the receptor of huge quantities of effluents from all kinds of human activities, the Mediterranean Sea (our sea) is already in danger! A series of Protocols and Conventions, already agreed on, provide the necessary basis for its protection. However, problems still exist regarding the implementation of the provisions of these documents. In this paper the way standards can contribute to the protection of the environment and the Mediterranean in particular is illustrated. The presentation also underlines the need to enhance international cooperation and to promote versatile and efficient implementation mechanisms through it.

scholarly journals Organophosphate ester plasticizers in edible fish from the Mediterranean Sea: Marine pollution and human exposure

2021 ◽  
pp. 118377
Author(s):  
Berta Sala ◽  
Joan Giménez ◽  
Julio Fernández-Arribas ◽  
Carlota Bravo ◽  
Elena Lloret-Lloret ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Human Exposure ◽  
Marine Pollution ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Edible Fish

scholarly journals Coastal HF radars in the Mediterranean: Applications in support of science priorities and societal needs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Reyes ◽  
Eva Aguiar ◽  
Michele Bendoni ◽  
Maristella Berta ◽  
Carlo Brandini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Marine Pollution ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Coastal Areas ◽  
Maritime Safety ◽  
Ocean Science ◽  
Societal Needs ◽  
Blue Growth ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Extreme Hazards

Abstract. The Mediterranean Sea is a prominent climate change hot spot, being their socio-economically vital coastal areas the most vulnerable targets for maritime safety, diverse met-ocean hazards and marine pollution. Providing an unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution at wide coastal areas, High-frequency radars (HFRs) have been steadily gaining recognition as an effective land-based remote sensing technology for a continuous monitoring of the surface circulation, increasingly waves and occasionally winds. HFR measurements have boosted the thorough scientific knowledge of coastal processes, also fostering a broad range of applications, which has promoted their integration in the Coastal Ocean Observing Systems worldwide, with more than half of the European sites located in the Mediterranean coastal areas. In this work, we present a review of existing HFR data multidisciplinary science-based applications in the Mediterranean Sea, primarily focused on meeting end-users and science-driven requirements, addressing regional challenges in three main topics: i) maritime safety; ii) extreme hazards; iii) environmental transport process. Additionally, the HFR observing and monitoring regional capabilities in the Mediterranean region required to underpin the underlying science and the further development of applications are also analyzed. The outcome of this assessment has allowed us to finally provide a set of recommendations for the future improvement prospects to maximize the contribution in extending the science-based HFR products into societal relevant downstream services to support the blue growth in the Mediterranean coastal areas, helping to meet the UN’s Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the EU’s Green Deal goals.

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