scholarly journals On the presence of the Mediterranean endemic Microdeutopus sporadhi Myers, 1969 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Aoridae) in the Gulf of Naples (Italy) with a review on its distribution and ecology

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 56 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. B. SCIPIONE

The species Microdeutopus sporadhi (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Aoridae), endemic of the Mediterranean Sea, was described by Myers in 1969 on material collected from the Aegean Sea in a sheltered environment with high sedimentation rates. A check on the distribution and ecology of M. sporadhi showed that: — although not mentioned in the checklist of amphipods of the Italian seas, it was already found in the central Tyrrhenian Sea in 1983-84 and in the northern Adriatic Sea in 2002-03; — it was rarely found in the Mediterranean Sea, one of the most studied basins as concerns amphipod fauna; but notwithstanding the few records available, the wide ecological spectrum of this species was pointed out. The present study, conducted off the Island of Ischia (Gulf of Naples, Italy), showed the presence of rich and well established populations through time, but only in a peculiar substratum (artificial collectors) and environment (low pH values). The species seems to be able to withstand harsh environmental conditions and probably to conceal itself through a cryptic behaviour, escaping traditional sampling methods. The role of rare or hidden species in bio-assessment should be re-evaluated.

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Lo Brutto ◽  
Davide Iaciofano

A survey has been carried out at four Israeli rocky sites to evaluate the diversity of the amphipod fauna on various hard substrates, still scarcely monitored, as potential pabulum for amphipod crustacean species. A survey of shallow rocky reefs along the Mediterranean coast of Israel recovered 28 species and integrated the Amphipoda checklist for the country ofIsrael with 12 newly-recorded species. Such renewed national list includes Maera schieckei Karaman & Ruffo, 1971, a rare species endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, recorded here for the first time from the southern Levant Basin. The species, described from specimens collected in the Tyrrhenian Sea in 1970, has been only recorded eight times within the whole Mediterranean Sea. A revision of the bibliography on the distribution and ecology of M. schieckei showed that, although mentioned only for the western Mediterranean basin by some authors, it is listed in the checklist of amphipods of the Aegean Sea and neighbouring seas and has been found in the eastern Mediterranean basin since 1978. Maera schieckei was rarely found in the Mediterranean, one of the most studied marine biogeographic region as concerns the amphipod fauna; and the species seems to prefer bays or gulf areas. The role of updating and monitoring faunal composition should be re-evaluated.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Turk ◽  
Nina Bednarsek ◽  
Jadran Faganeli ◽  
Blaženka Gasparovic ◽  
Michele Giani ◽  
...  

<p>Although the marginal seas represent only 7% of the total ocean area, the CO<sub>2</sub> 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 CO<sub>2 </sub>sink with an annual flux of approximately -1.2 to -3 mol C m<sup>-2</sup> yr<sup>-1</sup> which is twice as low compared to the net sink rates in the NW Mediterranean (-4 to -5 mol C m<sup>-2</sup> yr<sup>-1</sup>). 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 pH<sub>T</sub> units yr<sup>−1</sup> was estimated in the northern Adriatic which is similar to the Mediterranean open waters (with recent estimations of −0.0028 ± 0.0003 units pH<sub>T</sub> yr<sup>−1</sup>) and the surface coastal waters (-0.003 ± 0.001 and -0.0044 ± 0.00006 pH<sub>T</sub> units yr<sup>−1</sup>). 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<sup>-1</sup>), 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 (Ω<sub>Ca</sub>) and aragonite (Ω<sub>Ar</sub>) 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.</p>


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Meijer

<p>While the Mediterranean Sea is, since the Middle Miocene, a nearly completely land-locked basin indeed, it is itself comprised of several smaller semi-enclosed seas. What the Mediterranean Sea as a whole is to the Atlantic Ocean, are the Adriatic Sea or Aegean Sea to the Ionian-Levantine basin, for example. In the discussions regarding the Messinian salinity crisis the marginal basins of the Mediterranean play a prominent role because it is from these parts that the sedimentary record has been uplifted and become exposed.</p><p>In view of this and with an aim to contribute insight from the field of modelling, we focus on the basic element: a single marginal basin, subject to atmospheric forcing and exchanging water through a seaway with an adjacent larger basin. The equations are derived in dimensionless form and a universal, scale-independent, solution for basin salinity obtained. The analysis yields two dimensionless ratios which control basin behaviour in terms of salinity and response time. </p><p>Application of the theoretical model to the Messinian salinity crisis sheds new light on the formation of gypsum in marginal basins that were separated from the main Mediterranean by a sill, gives insight about the role of atmospheric heat exchange, and underlines the previous finding that, at elevated salinity, marginal basins respond to periodic climate variation (e.g. due to precession) with a significant lag.</p>


2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (7) ◽  
pp. 1417-1427 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Giangrande ◽  
M.C. Gambi ◽  
F. Micheli ◽  
K.J. Kroeker

Polychaete worms are known to thrive in extreme environmental conditions, however little is known about how polychaete species will respond to major climatic stressors, such as ocean acidification. Here, we examined the distribution of Fabriciidae (Annelida, Sabellida) species along a gradient of ocean acidification, caused by carbon dioxide (CO2) vent emissions in a shallow, coastal system off the island of Ischia (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). A total of 265 specimens of Fabriciidae, representing six species from five genera, were collected along the gradient. Most of the species were found across the entire CO2 gradient, suggesting polychaetes may have a high tolerance for ocean acidification in the future. Two of the species were new to science, and two of the genera were previously unrecorded in the Mediterranean. A full description of the new species Brifacia aragonensis sp. nov. and Parafabricia mazzellae sp. nov. is given, both of which were most abundant in the most acidified areas (pH 6.6–7.2). The geographical distribution and ecology of the new taxa, as well as of the other fabriciid species collected, is discussed. Taxonomic keys to identify the Fabriciidae species currently recorded in the Mediterranean Sea are also provided.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 608 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. DAILIANIS ◽  
O. AKYOL ◽  
N. BABALI ◽  
M. BARICHE ◽  
F. CROCETTA ◽  
...  

This contribution forms part of a series of collective articles published regularly in Mediterranean Marine Science that report on new biodiversity records from the Mediterranean basin. The current article presents 51 geographically distinct records for 21 taxa belonging to 6 Phyla, extending from the western Mediterranean to the Levantine. The new records, per country, are as follows: Spain: the cryptogenic calcareous sponge Paraleucilla magna is reported from a new location in the Alicante region. Algeria: the rare Atlanto-Mediterranean bivalve Cardium indicum is reported from Annaba. Tunisia: new distribution records for the Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois miles from Zembra Island and Cape Bon. Italy: the ark clam Anadara transversa is reported from mussel cultures in the Gulf of Naples, while the amphipod Caprella scaura and the isopods Paracerceis sculpta and Paranthura japonica are reported as associated to the –also allochthonous–bryozoan Amathia verticillata in the Adriatic Sea; in the latter region, the cosmopolitan Atlantic tripletail Lobotes surinamensisis also reported, a rare finding for the Mediterranean. Slovenia: a new record of the non-indigenous nudibranch Polycera hedgpethi in the Adriatic. Greece: several new reports of the introduced scleractinian Oculina patagonica, the fangtooth moray Enchelycore anatina, the blunthead puffer Sphoeroides pachygaster (all Atlantic), and the lionfish Pterois miles (Indo-Pacific) suggest their ongoing establishment in the Aegean Sea; the deepest bathymetric record of the invasive alga Caulerpa cylindracea in the Mediterranean Sea is also registered in the Kyklades, at depths exceeding 70 m. Turkey: new distribution records for two non indigenous crustaceans, the blue crab Callinectes sapidus (Atlantic origin) and the moon crab Matuta victor (Indo-Pacific origin) from the Bay of Izmir and Antalya, respectively; in the latter region, the Red Sea goatfish Parupeneus forsskali, is also reported. Lebanon: an array of records of 5 alien and one native Mediterranean species is reported by citizen-scientists; the Pacific jellyfish Phyllorhiza punctata and the Indo-Pacific teleosteans Tylerius spinosissimus, Ostracion cubicus, and Lutjanus argentimaculatus are reported from the Lebanese coast, the latter notably being the second record for the species in the Mediterranean Sea since 1977; the native sand snake-eel Ophisurus serpens, rare in the eastern Mediterranean, is reported for the first time from Lebanon, this being its easternmost distribution range; finally, a substantial number of sightings of the lionfish Pterois miles further confirm the current establishment of this lessepsian species in the Levantine.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tahsin Görmüş ◽  
Berna Ayat ◽  
Burak Aydoğan

<p>This study evaluates the performance significant wave height hindcast from ECMWF’s latest atmospheric dataset ERA5 in the Mediterranean Sea. Towards this aim, in-situ products from Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service are used. There are nearly 160 observation points along the Mediterranean Sea which are acquired by different institutions with fixed buoys, moorings, and fixed points. The time intervals dating back to 1980s to nowadays, with most of them belongs to the 2000s. To evaluate the verification of ERA5 wave climate with the actual observations, standard statistical metrics such as correlation coefficients (r) are used to compare two datasets in the selected points. The analysis of two time series is done for overlapping time intervals and also for values above a certain threshold, with the purpose of measuring ERA5’s predictive performance of storm conditions. Preliminary results showed that the observations and numerical results of ERA5 are relatively well-matched. The average correlation coefficient is r=0.8 for the selected points which are spatially disperse in the basin. In the Aegean Sea, the coefficient is calculated as r=0.83 between the observations and ERA5, from a moored surface buoy near the Mykonos island with the time coverage of between 2001 and 2019. Some other examples can be given from the Adriatic Sea (r=0.90, 2013-2014), Tyrrhenian Sea (r= 0.96, 2013-2015), Northwestern part of the basin (r=0.71, 2007-2019), and Balearic Sea (r=0.81, 2004-2019).</p>


2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (31-32) ◽  
pp. 1795-1834 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Suárez-Morales ◽  
Alenka Goruppi ◽  
Alessandra de Olazabal ◽  
Valentina Tirelli

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 569 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. CUESTA ◽  
N. BETTOSO ◽  
G. COMISSO ◽  
C. FROGLIA ◽  
G. MAZZA ◽  
...  

The capture of larvae of Palaemon macrodactylus off Mallorca (Balearic Islands) has been recently reported as evidence of a potential presence of a population of this species in the Mediterranean Sea. Photos of this species, taken during dives in the Sacca di Goro (northern Adriatic) were published in the same year, but no specimen could be collected at that time. Herein we report the capture in 2013 of numerous individuals of the oriental shrimp, including ovigerous females, both in the Sacca di Goro and in the Lagoon of Marano and Grado (northern Adriatic Sea, Italy), confirming the existence of a well-established population of this species in the Mediterranean Sea.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabella Scroccaro ◽  
Marco Zavatarelli ◽  
Tomas Lovato

<p>A high resolution three-dimensional (physical-biogeochemical) numerical model of the Northern Adriatic Sea has been implemented by coupling the European general circulation model - NEMO (Nucleus for European Modeling of the Ocean, https://www.nemo-ocean.eu/), with the marine biogeochemical model BFM (Biogeochemical Flux Model, bfm-community.eu/).</p><p>The modeling system is implemented with a horizontal resolution of about 800 m and a vertical resolution of 2 m, in z coordinates. The NEMO model is off-line nested at its open boundary with the Mediterranean Sea physical model of the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS, http://marine.copernicus.eu/).</p><p>The BFM component of the modeling system now includes a detailed and explicit representation of the benthic biogeochemical cycling (benthic fauna, organic matter, nutrients), as well as the dynamics of the benthic-pelagic processes.</p><p>The inclusion of the benthic dynamics in the 3D biogeochemical modeling of a shallow coastal basin, such as the Northern Adriatic Sea, represents an innovative application in the field of coastal and shelf biogeochemistry, since benthic biogeochemical processes can significantly constrain the coastal environmental dynamics.</p><p>Simulations have been performed in hindcasting mode with interannually varying physical (surface heat and water fluxes, including river runoff) and biogeochemical (river nutrient load) forcing. Results are validated against available observations from in situ and satellite platforms for sea surface temperatures, chlorophyll-a and dissolved inorganic nutrients, in order to explore the sensitivity of the pelagic environment to the inclusion of an explicit benthic dynamics and to evaluate issues related to model coupling and error/prediction limits.</p><p>The study is carried out in the framework of the European Project H2020 "ODYSSEA" (Operating a network of integrated observatory systems in the Mediterranean SEA, http://odysseaplatform.eu/), with the final goal to build an on-line forecasting modeling system of the Northern Adriatic Sea.</p>


Check List ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 489-495
Author(s):  
Emanuele Mancini ◽  
Francesco Tiralongo ◽  
Daniele Ventura ◽  
Andrea Bonifazi

Ophelia roscoffensis Augener, 1910 is an opheliid worm identifiable by the number of anterior abranchiate chaetigers and the number of the gill pairs. Although it was already reported in the Mediterranean Sea, it has never been found in the Italian waters. This study represents the first record of Ophelia roscoffensis in the Italian waters. A total of 18 specimens were collected along the coast of Civitavecchia (Tyrrhenian Sea) in a Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile bed at a depth of 7 m.


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