A new approach using biomarkers to elucidate the regression state of the invasive alga Caulerpa taxifolia in waters around the Balearic Islands (Western Mediterranean Sea)

2013 ◽  
Vol 64 (10) ◽  
pp. 986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Tejada ◽  
Antoni Sureda
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Peroxidation ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Balearic Islands ◽  
Antioxidant Enzyme Activities ◽  
Caulerpa Taxifolia ◽  
Western Mediterranean Sea ◽  
And Function ◽  
Invasive Alga

Invasive algae alter the structure and function of ecosystems. The green alga Caulerpa taxifolia is an invasive alga introduced in the Mediterranean Sea, whereas Caulerpa prolifera is a native species in Mediterranean waters. The aim of the current work was to determine the oxidative status of both Caulerpa species by means of biomarker measures as a possible indicator of the regression state of C. taxifolia in waters around the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean Sea). The levels of markers of lipid peroxidation, glutathione concentration, activities of antioxidant enzymes and caulerpenyne production were measured in C. prolifera and C. taxifolia fronds. The concentration of the end product of lipid peroxidation, malondialdehyde, was significantly higher in C. taxifolia than in C. prolifera samples. Antioxidant enzyme activities, namely superoxide dismutase glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase, as well as the reduced glutathione : glutathione disulfide ratio were lower in C. taxifolia than in C. prolifera, although the concentrations of malondialdehyde were higher in the alien species. No differences were found in catalase activity or in the concentration of caulerpenyne. In conclusion, the invasive alga C. taxifolia presented a more oxidised status, which could be related to its regression in Mallorcan coastal waters.

Closing the gap: New data on the last documented Myotragus and the first human evidence on Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Western Mediterranean Sea)

The Holocene ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 1887-1891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pere Bover ◽  
Alejandro Valenzuela ◽  
Enric Torres ◽  
Alan Cooper ◽  
Joan Pons ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Balearic Islands ◽  
Western Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Closing The Gap

scholarly journals A little can be enough. Native fish from the Western Mediterranean Sea can act as a control agent for the invasive alga Caulerpa cylindracea

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Santamaría ◽  
Fiona Tomas ◽  
Enric Ballesteros ◽  
Juan Manuel Ruiz ◽  
Jorge Terrados ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Biotic Resistance ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Exclusion Experiment ◽  
Invasive Algae ◽  
Western Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Invasive Alga

In the Mediterranean Sea, different organisms can feed on invasive algae species, yet, how these species provide biotic resistance against algal invasions remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed fish stomach contents to determine which fish species feed on Caulerpa cylindracea and we performed an exclusion experiment to experimentally test how this grazing activity may limit invasive algae abundance and spread. Our results show that several fish species, many of them not considered strictly herbivores, feed on the invasive alga; however, the Ivlev´s Index suggests that its consumption was accidental except for Sarpa salpa. Additionally, the exclusion experiment demonstrated that fish species can limit C. cylindracea coverage at 10m but not at 30m deep; which is likely linked to the higher abundance and activity of these fish species at depths above 25m. These results are in agreement with the current distribution of C. cylindracea, which is much more abundant at depths from 25 to 50m. In this study we show that fish herbivory is a form of biotic resistance against C. cylindracea at shallow depths, not being able to completely remove it, but controlling its abundance.

scholarly journals A little can be enough. Native fish from the Western Mediterranean Sea can act as a control agent for the invasive alga Caulerpa cylindracea

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Santamaría ◽  
Fiona Tomas ◽  
Enric Ballesteros ◽  
Juan Manuel Ruiz ◽  
Jorge Terrados ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Biotic Resistance ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Exclusion Experiment ◽  
Invasive Algae ◽  
Western Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Invasive Alga

In the Mediterranean Sea, different organisms can feed on invasive algae species, yet, how these species provide biotic resistance against algal invasions remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed fish stomach contents to determine which fish species feed on Caulerpa cylindracea and we performed an exclusion experiment to experimentally test how this grazing activity may limit invasive algae abundance and spread. Our results show that several fish species, many of them not considered strictly herbivores, feed on the invasive alga; however, the Ivlev´s Index suggests that its consumption was accidental except for Sarpa salpa. Additionally, the exclusion experiment demonstrated that fish species can limit C. cylindracea coverage at 10m but not at 30m deep; which is likely linked to the higher abundance and activity of these fish species at depths above 25m. These results are in agreement with the current distribution of C. cylindracea, which is much more abundant at depths from 25 to 50m. In this study we show that fish herbivory is a form of biotic resistance against C. cylindracea at shallow depths, not being able to completely remove it, but controlling its abundance.

scholarly journals Sponges of Western Mediterranean seamounts: new genera, new species and new records

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11879
Author(s):  
Julio A. Díaz ◽  
Sergio Ramírez-Amaro ◽  
Francesc Ordines
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
First Record ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Balearic Islands ◽  
Sampling Device ◽  
Great Opportunity ◽  
The North ◽  
Western Mediterranean Sea ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
First Time

Background The seamounts Ses Olives (SO), Ausias March (AM) and Emile Baudot (EB) at the Mallorca Channel (Balearic Islands, western Mediterranean), are poorly explored areas containing rich and singular sponge communities. Previous works have shown a large heterogeneity of habitats, including rhodolith beds, rocky, gravel and sandy bottoms and steeped slopes. This diversity of habitats provides a great opportunity for improving the knowledge of the sponges from Mediterranean seamounts. Methods Sponges were collected during several surveys carried out by the Balearic Center of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography at the Mallorca Channel seamounts. Samples were obtained using a beam-trawl, rock dredge and remote operated vehicle. Additional samples were obtained from fishing grounds of the Balearic Islands continental shelf, using the sampling device GOC-73. Sponges were identified through the analysis of morphological and molecular characters. Results A total of 60 specimens were analyzed, from which we identified a total of 19 species. Three species and one genus are new to science: Foraminospongia balearica gen. nov. sp. nov., Foraminospongia minuta gen. nov. sp. nov. and Paratimea massutii sp. nov. Heteroxya cf. beauforti represents the first record of the genus Heteroxya in the Mediterranean Sea. Additionally, this is the second report of Axinella spatula and Haliclona (Soestella) fimbriata since their description. Moreover, the species Petrosia (Petrosia) raphida, Calyx cf. tufa and Lanuginella pupa are reported for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea. Petrosia (Strongylophora) vansoesti is reported here for the first time in the western Mediterranean Sea. Haliclona (S.) fimbriata is reported here for the first time in the north-western Mediterranean Sea. Hemiasterella elongata is reported here for the second time in the Mediterranean Sea. The species Melonanchora emphysema, Rhabdobaris implicata, Polymastia polytylota, Dragmatella aberrans, Phakellia ventilabrum and Pseudotrachya hystrix are reported for first time off Balearic Islands. Following the Sponge Barcoding project goals, we have sequenced the Cytochrome Oxidase subunit I (COI) and the 28S ribosomal fragment (C1–D2 domains) for Foraminospongia balearica sp. nov., Foraminospongia minuta sp. nov., H. cf. beauforti and C. cf. tufa, and the COI for Paratimea massuti sp. nov. We also provide a phylogenetic analysis to discern the systematic location of Foraminospongia gen. nov., which, in accordance to skeletal complement, is placed in the Hymerhabdiidae family. A brief biogeographical discussion is provided for all these species, with emphasis on the sponge singularity of SO, AM and the EB seamounts and the implications for their future protection.

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