Fragmentation, re-attachment ability and growth rate of the Mediterranean black coral Antipathella subpinnata

The Mediterranean black coral fauna includes type species of four antipatharian genera belonging to four different families, therefore phylogenetic studies hold great potential for enhancing systematics within the order. The analysis of six Mediterranean antipatharian species by means of nuclear sequence data of internal transcribed spacer (ITS1 and ITS2) rDNA confirms the separation into different families, as was previously noted on a morphological basis, with a clear distinction of the family Leiopathidae, whose position is supported by a unique number of mesenteries and lack of spines on thicker ramifications. The position of a newly recorded black coral species for the Mediterranean basin belonging to the genus Phanopathes is discussed. Antipathes dichotoma, the type species of the genus Antipathes, on which the order Antipatharia was based, does not group with other members of the family Antipathidae. Supporting a recent finding based on mitochondrial markers, this suggests a critical need for revision of the families that will be impacted by reassignment of this nomenclaturally important taxon.

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Effects of temperature on growth rate and body size in the Mediterranean Sea anemone Actinia equina

Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology ◽

10.1016/j.jembe.2004.07.017 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 313 (1) ◽

pp. 63-73 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

O. Chomsky ◽

Y. Kamenir ◽

M. Hyams ◽

Z. Dubinsky ◽

N.E. Chadwick-Furman

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Body Size ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Sea Anemone ◽

Effects Of Temperature ◽

The Mediterranean

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Could the intertidal Ellisolandia elongata reef be affected by climate changes expected in the near future in the Mediterranean Sea?

10.7287/peerj.preprints.1643 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Matteo Nannini ◽

Maurizio Florio ◽

Maria Chiara Manauzzi ◽

Agnese Marchini ◽

Giancarlo Raiteri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Climate Changes ◽

Industrial Revolution ◽

Effect Of Temperature ◽

Ecological Niches ◽

Associated Fauna ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Near Future

The concentration of Green House Gasses and specifically the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is continuously increasing since the industrial revolution and it is the most relevant anthropic cause driving climate changes. Two of the strongest symptoms of those changes are the Global Warming and the Ocean Acidification which are progressively altering marine ecosystems and the populations of living organisms they support. The Mediterranean Sea is widely considered a 'laboratory basin' by suffering dramatic changes in its oceanographic and biogeochemical conditions derived from natural and anthropogenic forces. Calcifying seaweeds are the most important 'bioconstructors', from mesolittoral to circalittoral fringe, providing habitats and ecological niches for other species (i.e. biodiversity promoters) but also are good 'recorders' of the environmental condition they experience (i.e. biondicators). In this study we focused on the reef-forming Ellisolandia elongata from the Gulf of La Spezia (N-W Mediterranean Sea) by comparing the physical properties, growth rate and abundance of associated fauna in natural and experimental conditions (temperature and pH expected for 2050-2100). Four sampling sites were chosen in the intertidal zone. Reef samples were bring in the laboratory and put in experimental conditions for a month. Four aquaria simulated the actual conditions of temperature and pH, other 4 aquaria simulated temperature (+3°C) and pH (7.7) expected for the year near future. E. elongata grown in the natural and experimental conditions withstand mechanical stress in slightly different ways. The study of the effect of temperature and pH variations on growth rate and associated fauna of E. elongata reef is still in progress.

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First report of chimerism in the Mediterranean red coral (Corallium rubrum)

Mediterranean Marine Science ◽

10.12681/mms.25553 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 157

Author(s):

BRUNA GIORDANO ◽

LORENZO BRAMANTI

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Competitive Advantage ◽

High Frequency ◽

Close Contact ◽

Closed Circuit ◽

Natural Conditions ◽

First Report ◽

Corallium Rubrum ◽

Red Coral ◽

The Mediterranean

The phenomenon of chimerism in the Mediterranean red coral (Corallium rubrum) is reported and quantified in semi-natural conditions. 1688 larvae were maintained in closed circuit in presence of a suitable settlement surface (marble tiles). Post settlement survival and chimera formation were monitored for 1 year. According to our observation, when polyps settle at close contact, a high frequency of chimerism is observed (32%). After 1 year, only 33% of chimeric individuals survived but they are 40% bigger than not chimeric ones, suggesting that chimerism could confer a competitive advantage linked to increased growth rate.

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Could the intertidal Ellisolandia elongata reef be affected by climate changes expected in the near future in the Mediterranean Sea?

10.7287/peerj.preprints.1643v1 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Matteo Nannini ◽

Maurizio Florio ◽

Maria Chiara Manauzzi ◽

Agnese Marchini ◽

Giancarlo Raiteri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Climate Changes ◽

Industrial Revolution ◽

Effect Of Temperature ◽

Ecological Niches ◽

Associated Fauna ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Near Future

The concentration of Green House Gasses and specifically the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is continuously increasing since the industrial revolution and it is the most relevant anthropic cause driving climate changes. Two of the strongest symptoms of those changes are the Global Warming and the Ocean Acidification which are progressively altering marine ecosystems and the populations of living organisms they support. The Mediterranean Sea is widely considered a 'laboratory basin' by suffering dramatic changes in its oceanographic and biogeochemical conditions derived from natural and anthropogenic forces. Calcifying seaweeds are the most important 'bioconstructors', from mesolittoral to circalittoral fringe, providing habitats and ecological niches for other species (i.e. biodiversity promoters) but also are good 'recorders' of the environmental condition they experience (i.e. biondicators). In this study we focused on the reef-forming Ellisolandia elongata from the Gulf of La Spezia (N-W Mediterranean Sea) by comparing the physical properties, growth rate and abundance of associated fauna in natural and experimental conditions (temperature and pH expected for 2050-2100). Four sampling sites were chosen in the intertidal zone. Reef samples were bring in the laboratory and put in experimental conditions for a month. Four aquaria simulated the actual conditions of temperature and pH, other 4 aquaria simulated temperature (+3°C) and pH (7.7) expected for the year near future. E. elongata grown in the natural and experimental conditions withstand mechanical stress in slightly different ways. The study of the effect of temperature and pH variations on growth rate and associated fauna of E. elongata reef is still in progress.

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Growth rate rather than temperature affects the B / Ca ratio in the calcareous red alga <i>Lithothamnion corallioides</i>

10.5194/bg-2021-21 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Giulia Piazza ◽

Valentina A. Bracchi ◽

Antonio Langone ◽

Agostino N. Meroni ◽

Daniela Basso

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Atlantic Ocean ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Growth Rates ◽

Atlantic Coast ◽

Light Availability ◽

Marine Species ◽

Coralline Algae ◽

Seasonal Temperature ◽

The Mediterranean

Abstract. The B / Ca ratio in calcareous marine species is informative of past seawater CO32− concentrations, but scarce data exist on B / Ca in coralline algae (CA). Recent studies suggest influences of temperature and growth rates on B / Ca, the effect of which could be critical for the reconstructions of surface ocean pH and atmospheric pCO2. In this paper, we present the first LA-ICP-MS analyses of Mg, Sr, Li and B in the CA Lithothamnion corallioides collected from different geographic settings and depths across the Mediterranean Sea and in the Atlantic Ocean. We produced the first data on temperature proxies (Mg, Li and Sr / Ca) and B / Ca in a CA species grown in different Basins (the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean), from shallow to deep waters (12 m, 40 m, 45 m and 66 m depth). We tested the B / Ca correlation with temperature proxies and growth rates, in order to evaluate their possible effect on B incorporation. Our results showed a growth rate influence on B / Ca, especially in the deepest sample (Pontian Isl., Italy; 66 m) and in the shallowest sample (Morlaix, Atlantic coast of France; 12 m), where the growth rates were respectively 0.11 mm/yr and 0.13 mm/yr and the B / Ca was respectively 462.8 ± 49.2 μmol/mol and 726.9 ± 102.8 μmol/mol. A positive correlation between B / Ca and the temperature proxies was found only in Morlaix, where the seasonal temperature variation (ΔT) was the highest (8.90 °C). These pieces of evidence suggest that growth rates, triggered by the different ΔT and light availability across depth, affect the B incorporation in L. corallioides.

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Effects of feeding regime on growth rate in the Mediterranean Sea anemone Actinia equina (Linnaeus)

Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology ◽

10.1016/j.jembe.2003.09.009 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 299 (2) ◽

pp. 217-229 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

O. Chomsky ◽

Y. Kamenir ◽

M. Hyams ◽

Z. Dubinsky ◽

N.E. Chadwick-Furman

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Sea Anemone ◽

Feeding Regime ◽

The Mediterranean

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Habitat suitability mapping of the black coral Leiopathes glaberrima to support conservation of vulnerable marine ecosystems

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-95256-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

V. Lauria ◽

D. Massi ◽

F. Fiorentino ◽

G. Milisenda ◽

T. Cillari

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Large Scale ◽

High Sensitivity ◽

Marine Ecosystems ◽

Slope Aspect ◽

Suitable Habitat ◽

Environmental Predictors ◽

Black Coral ◽

The Mediterranean

AbstractThe black coral Leiopathes glaberrima is an important habitat forming species that supports benthic biodiversity. Due to its high sensitivity to fishing activities, it has been classified as indicator of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs). However, the information on its habitat selection and large-scale spatial distribution in the Mediterranean Sea is poor. In this study a thorough literature review on the occurrence of L. glaberrima across the Mediterranean Sea was undertaken. Predictive modelling was carried out to produce the first continuous map of L. glaberrima suitable habitat in the central sector of the Mediterranean Sea. MaxEnt modeling was used to predict L. glaberrima probability of presence as a function of seven environmental predictors (bathymetry, slope, aspect North–South and East–West, kinetic energy due to currents at the seabed, seabed habitat types and sea bottom temperature). Our results show that bathymetry, slope and aspect are the most important factors driving L. glaberrima spatial distribution, while in less extent the other environmental variables. This study adds relevant information on the spatial distribution of vulnerable deep water corals in relation to the environmental factors in the Mediterranean Sea. It provides an important background for marine spatial planning especially for prioritizing areas for the conservation of VMEs.

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