Using historical and citizen science data to improve knowledge about the occurrence of the elusive sandbar shark Carcharhinus plumbeus (Chondrichthyes – Carcharhinidae) in the Adriatic Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is an extinction hotspot for sharks, skates, and rays, with at least half of all species being threatened. The sandbar shark Carcharhinus plumbeus is among the most threatened species and is declared endangered (EN) in the Mediterranean according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Adriatic Sea was previously proposed to be an important nursery area for this species based on sporadic sightings of neonates and juveniles. However, this species is generally considered to be rare in this region, and reports of its presence are scarce. Here, we present new records for the sandbar shark in the Adriatic Sea and review spatial and temporal data accumulated from literature, museum specimens, and citizen science initiatives in an attempt to assess the distribution and seasonality of this species. The majority of the records were from neonate and juvenile sandbar sharks, and three hotspots for their occurrence could be identified: (1) the Emilia-Romagna region, (2) the Veneto region, and (3) the Gulf of Trieste. Our data indicate a high concentration of sandbar sharks around the delta of the Po river, emphasising the need for scientific surveys in this confined area in order to confirm a possible nursery ground. Data collected by citizen science initiatives reveal that this species is still present in the Adriatic Sea and might be more abundant than previously thought, underlining the potential of citizen science as a valuable tool to monitor the distribution of rare and endangered species.

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Mining citizen science data to explore stopover sites and spatiotemporal variation in migration patterns of the red-footed falcon

Current Zoology ◽

10.1093/cz/zoaa008 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 66 (5) ◽

pp. 467-475 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Anastasios Bounas ◽

Maria Solanou ◽

Michele Panuccio ◽

Sanja Barišić ◽

Taulant Bino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Citizen Science ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Migration Routes ◽

Central Mediterranean ◽

Science Data ◽

Yearly Variation ◽

Migration Patterns ◽

Species Migration ◽

Stopover Sites ◽

The Mediterranean

Abstract Citizen science data have already been used to effectively address questions regarding migration, a fundamental stage in the life history of birds. In this study, we use data from eBird and from 3 additional regional citizen science databases to describe the migration routes and timing of the red-footed falcon Falco vespertinus in the Mediterranean region across 8 years (2010–2017). We further examine the seasonal and yearly variation in migration patterns and explore sites used during the species migration. Our results suggest that the autumn passage is spatially less variable and temporally more consistent among years than in spring and that birds migrate faster in spring than in autumn. The species seems to be more prevalent along the Central Mediterranean during spring migration, probably as a result of the clockwise loop migration that red-footed falcons perform. There was a high variation in annual median migration dates for both seasons as well as in migration routes across years and seasons. Higher variation was exhibited in the longitudinal component thus indicating flexibility in migration routes. In addition, our results showed the species’ preference for lowlands covered with cropland and mosaics of cropland and natural vegetation as stopover sites during migration. Stopover areas predicted from our distribution modeling highlight the importance of the Mediterranean islands as stopover sites for sea-crossing raptors, such as the red-footed falcon. This study is the first to provide a broad-scale spatiotemporal perspective on the species migration across seasons, years and flyways and demonstrates how citizen science data can inform future monitoring and conservation strategies.

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Vulnerable Forests of the Pink Sea Fan Eunicella verrucosa in the Mediterranean Sea

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d12050176 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 176 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Giovanni Chimienti

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Citizen Science ◽

New Records ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Science Data ◽

Ligurian Sea ◽

New Finding ◽

Commercial Value ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Sea Fan

The pink sea fan Eunicella verrucosa (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Alcyonacea) can form coral forests at mesophotic depths in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the recognized importance of these habitats, they have been scantly studied and their distribution is mostly unknown. This study reports the new finding of E. verrucosa forests in the Mediterranean Sea, and the updated distribution of this species that has been considered rare in the basin. In particular, one site off Sanremo (Ligurian Sea) was characterized by a monospecific population of E. verrucosa with 2.3 ± 0.2 colonies m−2. By combining new records, literature, and citizen science data, the species is believed to be widespread in the basin with few or isolated colonies, and 19 E. verrucosa forests were identified. The overall associated community showed how these coral forests are essential for species of conservation interest, as well as for species of high commercial value. For this reason, proper protection and management strategies are necessary.

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Carbonate System and Acidification of the Adriatic Sea

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-10977 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Valentina Turk ◽

Nina Bednarsek ◽

Jadran Faganeli ◽

Blaženka Gasparovic ◽

Michele Giani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Adriatic Sea ◽

Microbial Community Composition ◽

Aegean Sea ◽

Total Alkalinity ◽

The Black Sea ◽

Po River ◽

Saturation State ◽

Northern Adriatic ◽

The Mediterranean

Although the marginal seas represent only 7% of the total ocean area, the CO2 fluxes are intensive and important for the carbon budget, exposing to an intense process of anthropogenic ocean acidification (OA). A decline in pH, especially in the estuarine waters, results also from the eutrophication-induced acidification. The Adriatic Sea is currently a CO2 sink with an annual flux of approximately -1.2 to -3 mol C m-2 yr-1 which is twice as low compared to the net sink rates in the NW Mediterranean (-4 to -5 mol C m-2 yr-1). Based on the comparison of two winter cruises carried out in in the 25-year interval between 1983 and 2008, acidification rate of 0.003 pHT units yr&#8722;1 was estimated in the northern Adriatic which is similar to the Mediterranean open waters (with recent estimations of &#8722;0.0028 &#177; 0.0003 units pHT yr&#8722;1) and the surface coastal waters (-0.003 &#177; 0.001 and -0.0044 &#177; 0.00006 pHT units yr&#8722;1). The computed Revelle factor for the Adriatic Sea, with the value of about 10, indicates that the buffer capacity is rather high and that the waters should not be particularly exposed to acidification. Total alkalinity (TA) in the Adriatic (2.6-2.7 mM) is in the upper range of TA measured in the Mediterranean Sea because riverine inputs transport carbonates dissolved from the Alpine dolomites and karstic watersheds. The Adriatic Sea is the second sub-basin (319 Gmol yr-1), following the Aegean Sea (which receives the TA contribution from the Black Sea), that contribute to the riverine TA discharges into the Mediterranean Sea. About 60% of the TA inflow into the Adriatic Sea is attributed to the Po river discharge with TA of ~3 mM and TA decreases with increasing salinity. Saturation state indicates that the waters of the Adriatic are supersaturated with respect to calcite (&#937;Ca) and aragonite (&#937;Ar) throughout the year. However, saturation states are considerably lower in the bottom water layers, due to the prevalence of benthic remineralization processes in the stratification period. The seasonal changes of the chemical and environmental conditions and relatively small size of the Adriatic Sea area the microbial community composition, function (growth, enzymatic activity) and carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycles. Significant effects on calcifying organisms and phytoplankton are expected while the effects of possible OA on microbially-driven processes are not known yet.

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Evidence of a second nursery area of the sandbar shar, Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean Marine Science ◽

10.12681/mms.24490 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

NURI BASUSTA ◽

ASIYE BAŞUSTA ◽

CANER E. OZYURT

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Nursery Area ◽

Narrow Slit ◽

Mediterranean Population ◽

Sandbar Shark ◽

Carcharhinus Plumbeus ◽

Western Turkey ◽

Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽

The Mediterranean

The sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) is a large coastal species with a cosmopolitan distribution that has been listed as Endangered in the Mediterranean Sea and as Vulnerable for the rest of the world on the IUCN Red List of threatened species. The Gökova's Boncuk Cove in south-western Turkey and the Gulf of Gabès in southern Tunisia are the only known nursery area for the Mediterranean population. On 24 – 27 July 2017, eight specimens, four males and four females, of sandbar sharks were accidentally caught at a depth of 7 to 9 m by a pelagic bluefish longline off the coast of Yumurtalik Bight in the Gulf of Iskenderun. The total length and weight of males and females were 54.5 – 61.0 cm, 930 – 1,484 g and 49.6 – 62.4 cm, 918 – 1,568 g, respectively. They all had unhealed umbilical scars that were still open as a narrow slit, measuring 4.35 and 5.39 mm in lengths. This study thus provides the records of the neonate sandbar sharks from the Yumurtalik Bight. Consequently, this occurrence represents that this area of the north-eastern Mediterranean Sea can be the second breeding and nursery grounds for this species after the Boncuk Cove in Gökova Bay in Turkey.

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Scent of Jasmine Attracts Alien Invaders and Records on Citizen Science Platforms: Multiple Introductions of the Invasive Lacebug Corythauma ayyari (Drake, 1933) (Heteroptera: Tingidae) in Italy and the Mediterranean Basin

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects11090620 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 620

Author(s):

Giuseppe Mazza ◽

Luca Nerva ◽

Agostino Strangi ◽

Emiliano Mori ◽

Walter Chitarra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Citizen Science ◽

Mediterranean Basin ◽

Ornamental Plants ◽

Science Data ◽

Multiple Introductions ◽

Italian Regions ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Unique Clade ◽

Biodiversity Information ◽

The Mediterranean Basin

The jasmine lacebug Corythauma ayyari is a pest of cultivated and ornamental plants mainly associated to Jasminum spp. This invasive insect is native to Asia, and it has been recently introduced in several countries, mainly within the Mediterranean basin. Here, we updated the known distribution of this species, including five new Italian regions (Liguria, Tuscany, Latium, Apulia, and Calabria); Salamis Island in Greece, and the Occitanie region in France. Citizen-science data have significantly contributed to the knowledge on species distribution, and the online platform for sharing biodiversity information can represent an effective tool for the early detection. Molecular analyses revealed that the specimens collected in Peninsular Italy and Sicily belong to a unique clade, suggesting the possibility of a single introduction, whereas those from Menton (France) and Calabria (Southern Italy) are separated from the others and probably originate from separated introductions.

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The impacts of warming and hypoxia on the performance of an obligate ram ventilator

Conservation Physiology ◽

10.1093/conphys/coz026 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Daniel P Crear ◽

Rich W Brill ◽

Peter G Bushnell ◽

Robert J Latour ◽

Gail D Schwieterman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chesapeake Bay ◽

Individual Species ◽

Nursery Ground ◽

Sandbar Shark ◽

Carcharhinus Plumbeus ◽

Western Atlantic ◽

Nursery Habitats ◽

Hypoxic Water ◽

Overall Performance ◽

Metabolic Performance

Abstract Climate change is causing the warming and deoxygenation of coastal habitats like Chesapeake Bay that serve as important nursery habitats for many marine fish species. As conditions continue to change, it is important to understand how these changes impact individual species’ behavioral and metabolic performance. The sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) is an obligate ram-ventilating apex predator whose juveniles use Chesapeake Bay as a nursery ground up to 10 years of age. The objective of this study was to measure juvenile sandbar shark metabolic and behavioral performance as a proxy for overall performance (i.e. fitness or success) when exposed to warm and hypoxic water. Juvenile sandbar sharks (79.5–113.5 cm total length) were collected from an estuary along the eastern shore of Virginia and returned to lab where they were fitted with an accelerometer, placed in a respirometer and exposed to varying temperatures and oxygen levels. Juvenile sandbar shark overall performance declined substantially at 32°C or when dissolved oxygen concentration was reduced below 3.5 mg l−1 (51% oxygen saturation between 24–32°C). As the extent of warm hypoxic water increases in Chesapeake Bay, we expect that the available sandbar shark nursery habitat will be reduced, which may negatively impact the population of sandbar sharks in the western Atlantic as well as the overall health of the ecosystem within Chesapeake Bay.

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The Use of Citizen Science to Achieve Multivariate Management Goals on Public Lands

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13070293 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 293

Author(s):

Sara Souther ◽

Vincent Randall ◽

Nanebah Lyndon

Keyword(s):

Citizen Science ◽

Land Management ◽

Ecological Integrity ◽

Public Land ◽

Suitable Habitat ◽

Science Data ◽

Public Land Management ◽

Federal Land ◽

Botanical Research ◽

Federal Land Management

Federal land management agencies in the US are tasked with maintaining the ecological integrity of over 2 million km2 of land for myriad public uses. Citizen science, operating at the nexus of science, education, and outreach, offers unique benefits to address socio-ecological questions and problems, and thus may offer novel opportunities to support the complex mission of public land managers. Here, we use a case study of an iNaturalist program, the Tribal Nations Botanical Research Collaborative (TNBRC), to examine the use of citizen science programs in public land management. The TNBRC collected 2030 observations of 34 plant species across the project area, while offering learning opportunities for participants. Using occurrence data, we examined observational trends through time and identified five species with 50 or fewer digital observations to investigate as species of possible conservation concern. We compared predictive outcomes of habitat suitability models built using citizen science data and Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data. Models exhibited high agreement, identifying the same underlying predictors of species occurrence and, 95% of the time, identifying the same pixels as suitable habitat. Actions such as staff training on data use and interpretation could enhance integration of citizen science in Federal land management.

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Abundant Citizen Science Data Reveal That the Peacock Butterfly Aglais io Recently Became Bivoltine in Belgium

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12080683 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (8) ◽

pp. 683

Author(s):

Marc Herremans ◽

Karin Gielen ◽

Jos Van Kerckhoven ◽

Pieter Vanormelingen ◽

Wim Veraghtert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Citizen Science ◽

Western Europe ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Early Summer ◽

Science Data ◽

The Public ◽

Online Portal ◽

Spring Generation ◽

Reproductive Cycles ◽

New Generation

The peacock butterfly is abundant and widespread in Europe. It is generally believed to be univoltine (one generation per year): adults born in summer overwinter and reappear again in spring to reproduce. However, recent flight patterns in western Europe mostly show three peaks during the year: a first one in spring (overwintering butterflies), a second one in early summer (offspring of the spring generation), and a third one in autumn. It was thus far unclear whether this autumn flight peak was a second new generation or consisted of butterflies flying again in autumn after a summer rest (aestivation). The life cycle of one of Europe’s most common butterflies is therefore still surprisingly inadequately understood. We used hundreds of thousands of observations and thousands of pictures submitted by naturalists from the public to the online portal observation.orgin Belgium and analyzed relations between flight patterns, condition (wear), reproductive cycles, peak abundances, and phenology to clarify the current life history. We demonstrate that peacocks have shifted towards two new generations per year in recent decades. Mass citizen science data in online portals has become increasingly important in tracking the response of biodiversity to rapid environmental changes such as climate change.

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Explaining Spatial Variation in the Recording Effort of Citizen Science Data across Multiple Taxa

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0147796 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. e0147796 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Louise Mair ◽

Alejandro Ruete

Keyword(s):

Spatial Variation ◽

Citizen Science ◽

Science Data

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Observations on the Feeding of Drymonema dalmatinum in the Gulf of Trieste

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13040163 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 163

Author(s):

Saul Ciriaco ◽

Lisa Faresi ◽

Marco Segarich

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Adriatic Sea ◽

Gulf Of Trieste ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Scyphozoan Jellyfish

The largest scyphozoan jellyfish of the Mediterranean Sea, Drymonema dalmatinum was first described by Haeckel [1] from material collected off the Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic Sea [...]

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