scholarly journals Updated checklist of bony fishes along the Libyan coasts (Southern Mediterranean Sea)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
HOUSSEIN ELBARAASI ◽  
BAHRIA ELABAR ◽  
SALAMA ELAABIDI ◽  
ASMA BASHIR ◽  
OSAMA ELSILINI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Scale ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Complete Representation ◽  
Bony Fishes ◽  
Southern Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Marine Areas ◽  
Non Indigenous Species ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

 Here we provide an updated review of both native and non-indigenous ichthyofauna occurring in the waters of Libya, one of the largest and less studied marine areas of the Mediterranean basin. With respect to the most recent information, the list of Libyan bony fishes was updated with 104 species for a total of 304 listed taxa. Out of these species, 271 are native, 6 endemic to the Mediterranean, 22 non indigenous of Lessepsian origin and 5 range expanding taxa from Gibraltar. Information on the distribution and abundance of Lessepsian fishes along the Libyan coasts was gained through both field surveys and interviews with local small-scale fishermen, which contributed in filling large information gaps in the area. This combined approach allowed to gather a more complete representation of non indigenous species along the Libyan coasts and indicated three assessment areas, corresponding to the eastern, central and western sectors of the country, which should be considered in future monitoring programs.

scholarly journals Current limitations and future prospects of detection and biomonitoring of NIS in the Mediterranean Sea through environmental DNA

NeoBiota ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 70 ◽  
pp. 151-165
Author(s):  
Francesco Zangaro ◽  
Benedetta Saccomanno ◽  
Eftychia Tzafesta ◽  
Fabio Bozzeda ◽  
Valeria Specchia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Dna Barcode ◽  
Environmental Dna ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Dna Barcodes ◽  
Identification Of Species ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Non Indigenous Species

The biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea is currently threatened by the introduction of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS). Therefore, monitoring the distribution of NIS is of utmost importance to preserve the ecosystems. A promising approach for the identification of species and the assessment of biodiversity is the use of DNA barcoding, as well as DNA and eDNA metabarcoding. Currently, the main limitation in the use of genomic data for species identification is the incompleteness of the DNA barcode databases. In this research, we assessed the availability of DNA barcodes in the main reference libraries for the most updated inventory of 665 confirmed NIS in the Mediterranean Sea, with a special focus on the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) barcode and primers. The results of this study show that there are no barcodes for 33.18% of the species in question, and that 45.30% of the 382 species with COI barcode, have no primers publicly available. This highlights the importance of directing scientific efforts to fill the barcode gap of specific taxonomic groups in order to help in the effective application of the eDNA technique for investigating the occurrence and the distribution of NIS in the Mediterranean Sea.

scholarly journals The Enlargement of the Suez Canal and Introduction of Non-Indigenous Species to the Mediterranean Sea

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bella Galil ◽  
Ferdinando Boero ◽  
Simona Fraschetti ◽  
Stefano Piraino ◽  
Marnie Campbell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Suez Canal ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Non Indigenous Species

scholarly journals Low diversity or poorly explored? Mesophotic molluscs highlight undersampling in the Eastern Mediterranean

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (14) ◽  
pp. 4059-4072
Author(s):  
Paolo G. Albano ◽  
Michele Azzarone ◽  
Bruno Amati ◽  
Cesare Bogi ◽  
Bruno Sabelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Rocky Reef ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Diversity Gradient ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Molluscan Diversity ◽  
Vulnerable Habitats ◽  
Non Indigenous Species ◽  
Recreational Scuba

Abstract Mesophotic assemblages are the next frontier of marine exploration in the Mediterranean Sea. Located below recreational scuba diving depths, they are difficult to access but host a diverse array of habitats structured by large invertebrate species. The Eastern Mediterranean has been much less explored than the western part of the basin and its mesophotic habitats are virtually unknown. We here describe two mesophotic (77–92 m depth) molluscan assemblages at a rocky reef and on a soft substrate off northern Israel. We record 172 species, of which 43 (25%) are first records for Israel and increase its overall marine molluscan diversity by 7%. Only five of these species have been reported in recent surveys of the nearby Lebanon, suggesting that our results are robust at a broader scale than our study area and that the reported west-to-east declining diversity gradient in the Mediterranean needs a reappraisal based on proper sampling of the eastern basin. We found only four (2%) non-indigenous species, represented by seven (0.5%) specimens. These results suggest that pristine native assemblages still thrive at this depth in Israel, in contrast to the shallow subtidal heavily affected by global warming and biological invasions, calling for strong conservation actions for these valuable but vulnerable habitats.

Seawater warming at the northern reach for southern species: Gulf of Genoa, NW Mediterranean

2017 ◽  
Vol 98 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo Nike Bianchi ◽  
Francesco Caroli ◽  
Paolo Guidetti ◽  
Carla Morri
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Ligurian Sea ◽  
The North ◽  
Nw Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Non Indigenous Species ◽  
Southern Species ◽  
North Western

Global warming is facilitating the poleward range expansion of plant and animal species. In the Mediterranean Sea, the concurrent temperature increase and abundance of (sub)tropical non-indigenous species (NIS) is leading to the so-called ‘tropicalization’ of the Mediterranean Sea, which is dramatically evident in the south-eastern sectors of the basin. At the same time, the colder north-western sectors of the basin have been said to undergo a process of ‘meridionalization’, that is the establishment of warm-water native species (WWN) previously restricted to the southern sectors. The Gulf of Genoa (Ligurian Sea) is the north-western reach for southern species of whatever origin in the Mediterranean. Recent (up to 2015) observations of NIS and WWN by diving have been collated to update previous similar inventories. In addition, the relative occurrences of both groups of southern species have been monitored by snorkelling between 2009 and 2015 in shallow rocky reefs at Genoa, and compared with the trend in air and sea surface temperatures. A total of 20 southern species (11 NIS and 9 WWN) was found. Two WWN (the zebra seabream Diplodus cervinus and the parrotfish Sparisoma cretense) and three NIS (the SW Atlantic sponge Paraleucilla magna, the Red Sea polychaete Branchiomma luctuosum, and the amphi-American and amphi-Atlantic crab Percnon gibbesi) are new records for the Ligurian Sea, whereas juveniles of the Indo-Pacific bluespotted cornetfish Fistularia commersonii have been found for the first time. While temperature has kept on increasing for the whole period, with 2014 and 2015 being the warmest years since at least 1950, the number of WWN increased linearly, that of NIS increased exponentially, contradicting the idea of meridionalization and supporting that of tropicalization even in the northern sectors of the Mediterranean basin.

Holocene fish assemblages provide baseline data for the rapidly changing eastern Mediterranean

The Holocene ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. 1438-1450
Author(s):  
Konstantina Agiadi ◽  
Paolo G Albano
Keyword(s):  
Radiocarbon Dating ◽  
Trophic Structure ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Suez Canal ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Non Indigenous Species

The eastern Mediterranean marine ecosystem is undergoing massive modification due to biological invasions, overfishing, habitat deterioration, and climate warming. Our ability to quantify these changes is severely hindered by the lack of an appropriate baseline; most ecological datasets date back a few decades only and show already strong signatures of impact. Surficial death assemblages (DAs) offer an alternative data source that provides baseline information on community structure and composition. In this study, we reconstruct the marine fish fauna of the southern shallow Israeli shelf before the opening of the Suez Canal based on fish otoliths. We quantify the age of the otolith DAs by radiocarbon dating, and describe its taxonomic composition, geographic affinity, and trophic structure. Additionally, we test by radiocarbon dating the hypothesis that Bregmaceros, a presumed Lessepsian invader with continuous presence in the Mediterranean throughout the late Cenozoic, is a relict species. The otolith DA dates back to the mid-Holocene because 75% of the dated otoliths of the native species are older than the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, suggesting that the DA is a proper baseline for quantifying modern impacts. Consistently, 97% of the otoliths and 88% of the species we collected belong to native Mediterranean species. The native anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus dominates the DAs, although gobiids are the most diverse group (14 species, 28%). The DAs show similar trophic structure to present-day pristine Mediterranean coastal fish assemblages. Two non-indigenous species are recorded here for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, Amblygobius albimaculatus and Callogobius sp., highlighting the importance of DAs for detecting non-indigenous species. Finally, Bregmaceros otoliths are modern, not supporting the previous hypothesis that the taxon is a Pleistocene relict.

scholarly journals Seasonality and trophic diversity in molluscan assemblages from the Bay of Tunis (southern Mediterranean Sea)

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 692 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. ANTIT ◽  
A. DAOULATLI ◽  
J. URRA ◽  
J. L. RUEDA ◽  
S. GOFAS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Seawater Temperature ◽  
Trophic Group ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Soft Bottom ◽  
Trophic Diversity ◽  
Southern Mediterranean ◽  
Evenness Indices ◽  
Non Indigenous Species

Soft bottom molluscan assemblages from the Bay of Tunis have been studied in order to analyse their seasonality and trophic diversity in relation to environmental variables. A total of 147 species of molluscs was identified, with gastropods displaying the highest species richness and bivalves the highest abundances, and including five non-indigenous species such as the dominant ectoparasite Polycerella emertoni. Carnivorous and scavenger gastropods were among the most frequent species, reflecting a diverse benthic community. Seasonal changes were significant, being more acute at 3-4 m than at 10-15 m depth, and were driven mainly by seawater temperature and percentage of organic matter in the sediment. The high affluence of tourists in summer was coincident with high decreases in species richness and abundance of molluscs, together with a strong siltation of the sediment. Nevertheless, most trophic groups remained and the trophic diversity was relatively high. Significant relationships were found between the index of trophic diversity and Shannon-Wiener diversity and evenness indices, suggesting that the identity of the species with its particular trophic trait, together with the good distribution of the individuals among the species (density) would be the drivers for the maintenance of the molluscan food web under environmental stress. The abundance of P. emertoni altered the trophic structure of the molluscan assemblage, with the ectoparasite trophic group reaching an unusual punctual higher dominance. Soft bottom molluscan assemblages of the Bay of Tunis should be taken into account in monitoring programs for anthropogenic impacts and non-indigenous species trends throughout the Mediterranean basin.

scholarly journals Bryozoa from the Mediterranean coast of Israel

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 440 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. SOKOLOVER ◽  
P. D. TAYLOR ◽  
M. ILAN
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Baseline Information ◽  
Higher Temperature ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
1960S And 1970S ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Non Indigenous Species ◽  
The Impact

The impact of global warming on the composition of marine biotas is increasing, underscoring the need for better baseline information on the species currently present in given areas. Little is known about the bryozoan fauna of Israel; the most recent publication concerning species from the Mediterranean coast was based on samples collected in the 1960s and 1970s. Since that time, not only have the species present in this region changed, but so too has our understanding of bryozoan taxonomy. Here we use samples collected during the last decade to identify 47 bryozoan species, of which 15 are first records for the Levantine basin. These include one new genus and species (Crenulatella levantinensis gen. et. sp. nov.), two new species (Licornia vieirai sp. nov. and Trematooecia mikeli sp. nov.), and two species that may be new but for which available material is inadequate for formal description (Reteporella sp. and Thalamoporella sp.). In addition, Conopeum ponticum is recorded for the first time from the Mediterranean Sea. Non-indigenous species make up almost one-quarter of the 47 species identified. All of the non-indigenous species are native to tropical and subtropical regions, implying a change of the Levant bryozoan biota from a temperate to a more tropical state, probably related to both higher temperature and salinity and to the opening of the Suez Canal connecting the Red Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.  

scholarly journals Monitoring Non-indigenous Species in Port Habitats: First Application of a Standardized North American Protocol in the Mediterranean Sea

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Tamburini ◽  
Erica Keppel ◽  
Agnese Marchini ◽  
Michele F. Repetto ◽  
Gregory M. Ruiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Environmental Research ◽  
Monitoring Site ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Fouling Communities ◽  
Ligurian Sea ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Monitoring Protocols ◽  
Non Indigenous Species

Baseline port monitoring for fouling communities is an essential tool to assess non-indigenous species (NIS) introduction and spread, but a standardized and coordinated method among Mediterranean and European countries has not yet been adopted. In this context, it is important to test monitoring protocols that allow for the collection of standardized and directly comparable data, replicated across time and space. Here, for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, we tested a standardized protocol developed by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) and used now in several countries. The 3-year monitoring survey (2018–2020) was conducted in the Gulf of La Spezia (Ligurian Sea, Italy), with the deployment of a total of 50 PVC panels per year in five different sites (a commercial harbor, three marinas and a site in the proximity of a shellfish farm). A total of 79 taxa were identified, including 11 NIS, ranging from zero to seven NIS for each panel. In comparison with previous surveys, new NIS arrivals were observed in the Gulf of La Spezia: Botrylloides cf. niger, Branchiomma sp., Branchiomma luctuosum, Paraleucilla magna, and Watersipora arcuata. At the end of the 3-year monitoring, mean richness? and percent cover of NIS were measured, and both measures differed across the monitoring sites, with higher values in two marinas and in the commercial harbor. Among years, richness of NIS was relatively stable at each monitoring site. The structure of the fouling was influenced more by native and cryptogenic species than by NIS. Moreover, among the monitoring sites, the density of artificial structures was not a reliable predictor or proxy for local NIS abundance. This first application of the SERC method in the Mediterranean Sea, demonstrates both pros and cons, including the detection of new NIS reported here. Further direct comparisons with other NIS monitoring tools are recommended, and additional tests to assess its effectiveness in this biogeographical area are encouraged. A broader application of this and other standard methods across temporal and spatial scales in the Mediterranean basin should be implemented, providing critical data needed to assess changes in the structure of fouling communities.

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