On the occurrence of three red algal species new to the Mediterranean Sea in Al-Hoceima National Park (Morocco)

2015 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanaa Moussa ◽  
Michael J. Wynne ◽  
Mustapha Hassoun ◽  
Ghizlane Salhi ◽  
Hanaa Zbakh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Red Algae ◽  
National Park ◽  
Algal Species ◽  
Red Algal ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Al Hoceima

AbstractThe occurrence in Morocco of three species of red algae new to the Mediterranean Sea is reported:

Gracilaria viridis sp. nov. (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta): a new red algal species from the Mediterranean Sea

Phycologia ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriano Sfriso ◽  
Marion Adelheid Wolf ◽  
Katia Sciuto ◽  
Marina Morabito ◽  
Carlo Andreoli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Algal Species ◽  
Red Algal ◽  
The Mediterranean

scholarly journals Fleshy Red Algae Mats Influence Their Environment in the Mediterranean Sea

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neele Schmidt ◽  
Yusuf C. El-Khaled ◽  
Felix I. Roßbach ◽  
Christian Wild
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Light Intensity ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Water Column ◽  
Red Algae ◽  
Water Movement ◽  
Ecosystem Engineer ◽  
Overlying Water ◽  
The Mediterranean

In the Mediterranean Sea, the fleshy red alga Phyllophora crispa forms dense mats of up to 15 cm thickness, mainly located on rocky substrates in water depths below 20 m. Because of the observed density of these mats and some first observations, we hypothesize that P. crispa is a yet undescribed ecosystem engineer that provides a multitude of ecological niches for associated organisms along small-scale environmental gradients. Therefore, we conducted an in-situ pilot study in the Western Mediterranean Sea to assess potential influence of the algae mats on the key environmental factors water movement, temperature and light intensity. We comparatively and simultaneously measured in P. crispa mats, in neighboring Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows, on neighboring bare rocky substrates without algae mats, and in the directly overlying water column. We used several underwater logging sensors and gypsum clod cards. Findings revealed that P. crispa significantly reduced water movement by 41% compared to the overlying water column, whereas water movement was not affected by P. oceanica meadows and bare rocky substrates. Surprisingly, P. crispa increased the water temperature by 0.3°C relative to the water column, while the water temperature in P. oceanica and on bare rocky substrates was reduced by 0.5°C. Light intensity inside the red algae mats was reduced significantly by 69% compared to the water column. This was similar to measured light reduction of 77% by P. oceanica. These findings highlight the strong influence of the dense red algae mats on some key environmental factors. Their influence is obviously similar or even higher than for the well-known seagrass ecosystem engineer. This may be a factor that facilitates associated biodiversity similarly as described for P. oceanica.

First reports of the red alga Hypoglossum caloglossoides from the Mediterranean and the Red Sea

2015 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Razy Hoffman ◽  
Michael J. Wynne
Keyword(s):  
Red Sea ◽  
Algal Species ◽  
Red Alga ◽  
Red Algal ◽  
The Mediterranean

AbstractThe occurrence of the red algal species

scholarly journals Phenological and molecular studies on the introduced seaweed Dictyota cyanoloma (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae) along the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 766 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. ARAGAY ◽  
D. VITALES ◽  
A. GÓMEZ GARRETA ◽  
M. A. RIBERA SIGUAN ◽  
F. STEEN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Algal Species ◽  
Haplotype Diversity ◽  
Morphological Plasticity ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Multiple Introductions ◽  
Mitochondrial Haplotypes ◽  
The Mediterranean

Dictyota cyanoloma, a distinctive brown algal species characterized by a blue-iridescent margin, was recently reported as an introduced species in the Mediterranean Sea (Steen et al., 2016) but little is known about its distribution dynamics, morphological plasticity and genetic structure. In the present integrative study, we evaluate its past and present occurrence along the Mediterranean Iberian coast, assess the species’ phenology in Palamós (Girona, Spain) and analyze the haplotype diversity by sequencing 49 individuals from nine sampling sites for different chloroplast and mitochondrial DNA regions. Although D. cyanoloma currently occurs along the Mediterranean Iberian coast (in 19 of 36 localities sampled between Algeciras and Llançà, mostly in marinas and harbour environments), we were not able to find any herbarium material of this species (at BCN-Phyc and MA) predating the year 1987. In Palamós, D. cyanoloma is present all through the year, with a maximum development in winter and a minimum in summer. Fertile specimens are absent during summer (July and August). Sporophytes are dominant from January to June and dioecious gametophytes were found only in February, March and June. Information about the antheridia, which has never been described before, is provided. Two chloroplast and three mitochondrial haplotypes were observed, indicating that multiple introductions of D. cyanoloma occurred in the study area. Additionally, the genetic structure suggests that spread did not occur through simple advancing wave fronts but by several long-distance dispersal events. Further studies employing microsatellite markers could potentially offer a better resolution to unravel expansion and colonisation dynamics of D. cyanoloma in the Mediterranean Sea.

Towards the definition of a standard protocol for the estimation of CO2 fixation by Posidonia oceanica meadows in the Mediterranean Sea (SeaForest Life Project)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Madonia ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
National Park ◽  
Posidonia Oceanica ◽  
Blue Carbon ◽  
Standard Protocol ◽  
Life Project ◽  
Seagrass Meadows ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Impact

<p><em>Posidonia oceanica </em>(L.) Delile meadows are considered as the most productive ecosystems of the Mediterranean basin, sequestering and storing significant amount of blue carbon in their rich organic sediments and in their living and non-living biomass and these meadows are identified as a priority habitat type for conservation under the Habitat Directive (Dir 92/43/CEE). Despite the importance of the ecosystem services it provides, this habitat is disappearing at a rate four times as high as that of terrestrial forests, experiencing an alarming reduction due to the impacts of human activities in coastal areas, especially in the north-western side of the Mediterranean Sea. To face this issue, the SeaForest Life project foresees the quantification of carbon deposits and their rate of change related to habitat degradation specifically focusing on the effects caused by boat’s anchors and moorings. The project is realized in the Archipelago of la Maddalena National Park, the Asinara National Park and the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, for which ad hoc management plans of mooring are going to be adopted to reduce the impact of this practice on the seagrass meadows. As a first step, an updating of habitat 1120*’s cartography in each of the Marine Protected Areas engaged in the project have been fulfilled, using high definition multispectral imagery. Furthermore, monitoring of the areas with the highest attendance of the anchorages was carried out through the use of medium resolution satellite multi-spectral images using the infrared band, to identify and quantify the degradation and the state of conservation of the <em>P.oceanica</em> meadows present in the investigated areas. The updated cartography has been used to implement the InVEST Coastal Blue Carbon (CBC) which attempts to predict the sequestration, storage and, when degraded, the emissions of carbon by coastal ecosystems, so representing a useful tool for the analysis of the ecological and economic effects of the degradation processes (boats anchoring) and mitigation measures (anchor management plan and eco friendly moorings). Up to now, the InVEST-CBC model has estimated a CO<sub>2</sub> loss due to boats anchoring equal to 2300 tCO<sub>2</sub>/year, using stock and flow data in soil and biomass obtained from the results of the Life Blue Natura project and<em> P. oceanica</em> samples collected in the Cilento National Park. In the future, the results of the model will be improved with data collected in the other two project areas, also through the use of innovative instrumentation. Moreover, the scenarios with the implementation of the mooring management plans will be analyzed in the three study areas. The dataset obtained by the model is being used to define a standard protocol for the estimation of CO<sub>2</sub> fixation by <em>P. oceanica </em>meadows in the Mediterranean Sea. Such protocol will be fundamental for the realization of a national IT-based platform for a voluntary based carbon market to sell and acquire the carbon credits generated by the SeaForest Life project activities, to be extended to all the Mediterranean countries and to be scaled up to new protected marine areas.</p>

First record of the red alga Tiffaniella gorgonea: an introduced species in the Mediterranean Sea

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-165
Author(s):  
Ghizlane Salhi ◽  
Mustapha Hassoun ◽  
Hanaa Moussa ◽  
Hanaa Zbakh ◽  
Mohamed Kazzaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Intertidal Zone ◽  
First Record ◽  
Red Alga ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Lower Intertidal Zone ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Al Hoceima ◽  
First Time

AbstractThe red algaTiffaniella gorgonea(Wrangeliaceae, Rhodophyta) is found and described for the first time from the Mediterranean Sea. This species was collected growing as epiphyte on three species ofCodiumin the lower intertidal zone from Dalya, Cabo Negro and Al-Hoceima on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco. Moroccan specimens were studied in detail and compared with two other closely related species reported previously from Morocco and the Mediterranean Sea. A key to the Mediterranean and Moroccan species ofTiffaniellais provided. Habitat, geographical distribution, and the possible vector of introduction of the new alien are presented and discussed in this work. Taxonomic remarks, a description and images of the macroscopic and microscopic characters are provided for this taxon.

On three interesting marine red algae (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) from the Mediterranean Sea

1994 ◽  
Vol 128 (6) ◽  
pp. 1001-1006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Cormaci ◽  
Giovanni Furnari ◽  
Giuseppina Alongi ◽  
Donatella Serio
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Red Algae ◽  
The Mediterranean

scholarly journals Checklist of seaweeds of Al-Hoceima National Park of Morocco (Mediterranean Marine Protected Area)

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 91-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanaa Moussa ◽  
Mustapha Hassoun ◽  
Ghizlane Salhi ◽  
Hanaa Zbakh ◽  
Hassane Riadi
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Green Alga ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
National Park ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Al Hoceima

Abstract The Mediterranean basin is a marine biodiversity hot spot. Despite this, the macroalgal diversity of the Mediterranean Sea is still not fully known, especially in the Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) including, Al-Hoceima National Park of Morocco (PNAH). This paper provides the first comprehensive checklist of the seaweeds of PNAH, based chiefly on our own original collections, and complimented by literature records. Using present-day taxonomy, the total number of taxa at both specific and infraspecific levels currently accepted   is 306 taxa with 207 Rhodophyta (39 families), 51 Ochrophyta (13 families) and 48 Chlorophyta (12 families). Ninety five of these species were not found in our samples, 93 were new to the PNAH, and the taxonomic identity of 26 taxa was amended. From the totality of taxa, ten species were reported for the first time from Morocco: 9 Rhodophyta and one green alga. Furthermore, 12 others species (10 red, 1 brown and 1 green alga) are new records for the Mediterranean coast of Morocco. Besides this, confirmed records are mentioned for 20 species, whether in Africa, in Morocco or in the Moroccan Mediterranean coast. This accessible checklist to the international community could serve as an infrastructure for future algal investigations of the taxa in this Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance. Key words: Al-Hoceima National Park, Checklist, Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas, Morocco, Seaweeds. Resumen Lista de algas marinas del Parque Nacional de Alhucemas en Marruecos (Área Marina Protegida del Mediterráneo) La cuenca del Mediterráneo es un Hot Spot de biodiversidad marina. Aún así, la diversidad de macroalgas del Mediterráneo no está plenamente conocida, especialmente en las Áreas Marinas Protegidas del Mediterráneo (AMP) incluido el Parque Nacional de Alhucemas en Marruecos (PNAH). Este documento proporciona la primera lista exhaustiva de las algas marinas del PNAH. Usando la taxonomía actual, el número total de taxones a niveles específicos y infraespecíficos actualmente aceptados es de 306 taxones con 207 Rhodophyta (39 familias), 51 Ochrophyta (13 familias) y 48 Chlorophyta (12 familias). Noventa y cinco de estas especies no se encontraron en nuestras muestras, 93 eran nuevas en el PNAH y se modificó la identidad taxonómica de 26 taxones. De la totalidad de las macroalgas, 10 especies (9 Rhodophyta y 1 Ulvophyceae) fueron registradas por primera vez desde Marruecos. Además, 12 otras especies (10 Rhodophyta, 1 Phaeophyceae y 1 Ulvophyceae) son nuevos registros para la costa mediterránea de Marruecos. También, se mencionan los registros confirmados de 20 especies, ya sea en África, en Marruecos o en la costa mediterránea marroquí. Esta lista de algas accesibles a la comunidad internacional podría servir como una infraestructura para futuras investigaciones algales de los taxones en esta zona especialmente protegida de importancia para el Mediterráneo. Palabras clave: Parque Nacional de Alhucemas, Lista de algas, Áreas Marinas Protegidas del Mediterráneo, Marruecos, Algas marinas. 

scholarly journals High Diversity and Abundance of Foraminifera Associated with Mediterranean Benthic Red Algae Mats

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Felix Ivo Rossbach ◽  
Benedikt Merk ◽  
Christian Wild
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Red Algae ◽  
Benthic Fauna ◽  
Posidonia Oceanica ◽  
Tyrrhenian Sea ◽  
Pilot Studies ◽  
Seagrass Meadows ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
High Diversity

The Mediterranean Sea comprises habitats such as Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows that exhibit high associated biodiversity of sessile organisms. Recent pilot research indicates that benthic mats formed by the scarcely investigated fleshy red alga Phyllophora crispa also host a high diversity of benthic fauna. Among the key taxa found in these mats in the recent pilot studies are benthic foraminifera that live as epiphytes on the red algae thalli. Knowledge about their abundance and species richness associated with this habitat in relation to reference habitats is missing. We thus carried out a comparative assessment focusing on foraminifera within samples from P. crispa mats and neighboring P. oceanica meadows on five different sampling sites around Giglio Island in the Tuscan Archipelago (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). A total of 104 different foraminiferal taxa were identified, of which a total of 85 taxa were found in P. crispa samples (46 exclusively in this habitat). This biodiversity was higher compared to other studies on phytal habitats in the Mediterranean Sea. The number of foraminiferal taxa associated with P. crispa was significantly higher (average 27.5 ± 8.1 taxa) compared to P. oceanica (leaves average 7.0 ± 3.6, shoots average 7.9 ± 3.4 taxa). The abundance of foraminifera (12,000 individuals m−2 surface area of P. crispa mat) was also higher than in the neighboring P. oceanica meadows (7792 individuals m−2 leaf and 8171 individuals m−2 shoot surface area). The most frequently found taxa across habitats were Miniacina miniacea, Lobatula lobatula, and Sejunctella sp. (24%, 20%, and 6% of the total population, respectively). Our results imply that P. crispa mats host an exceptional diversity of associated foraminifera that is even higher than those associated with seagrass meadows. Red algae mats built by P. crispa may thus be considered as potential refuge habitats and biodiversity reservoirs in management and conservation.

Acquiring DNA sequence data from dried archival red algae (Florideophyceae) for the purpose of applying available names to contemporary genetic species: a critical assessment

Botany ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary W. Saunders ◽  
Daniel C. McDevit
Keyword(s):  
Red Algae ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Algal Species ◽  
Extraction Procedure ◽  
Dna Barcode ◽  
Resolving Power ◽  
Universal Primers ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Mitochondrial Coi ◽  
Red Algal

Two DNA extraction protocols and nine variations of advocated DNA barcode markers (nuclear LSU D2/D3, ITS1, ITS2, mitochondrial COI-5P, plastid rbcL, UPA) were assessed for their abilities to yield species-level resolution from archival collections of red algae. With the exception of LSU D2/D3, all markers trialed displayed the potential to resolve red algal species. However, shortened COI-5P (COIms) and ITS (ITS2r) markers displayed four to five times the intrageneric divergence of shortened plastid markers and are preferred for their resolving power. For recent archival samples (4–11 years), COIms, ITS2r, and UPA displayed >90% amplification success. However, success rates declined rapidly as samples ranging in age from ca. 45–180 years old were tested. Further, contamination was a serious concern in reamplifications (partially nested PCR), especially for markers using universal primers (e.g., UPA) and for trials that employed the best extraction procedure, i.e., the better an extraction protocol is at isolating small DNA fragments from archival material, the better it is at acquiring small contaminating fragments from the laboratory — an intuitive and unfortunate reality. The ramifications of our results for ongoing attempts to extract DNA from archival red algal collections using PCR-based protocols is discussed along with recommendations to improve the likelihood of authentic outcomes.

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