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

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.

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Ophelia roscoffensis Augener, 1910: a new polychaete record in Italian waters

Check List ◽

10.15560/15.3.489 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 15 (3) ◽

pp. 489-495

Author(s):

Emanuele Mancini ◽

Francesco Tiralongo ◽

Daniele Ventura ◽

Andrea Bonifazi

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

First Record ◽

Posidonia Oceanica ◽

Tyrrhenian Sea ◽

The Mediterranean

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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Observations on reproductive features of three species of Eunicidae (Polychaeta) associated with Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows in the Mediterranean Sea

Scientia Marina ◽

10.3989/scimar.2006.70s3301 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 70 (S3) ◽

pp. 301-308 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

M. C. Gambi ◽

M. Cigliano

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Posidonia Oceanica ◽

Seagrass Meadows ◽

The Mediterranean

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

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-12611 ◽

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

Posidonia oceanica (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&#8217;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*&#8217;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 P.oceanica 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 CO2 loss due to boats anchoring equal to 2300 tCO2/year, using stock and flow data in soil and biomass obtained from the results of the Life Blue Natura project and P. oceanica 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 CO2 fixation by P. oceanica 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.

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Mediterranean Red Macro Algae Mats as Habitat for High Abundances of Serpulid Polychaetes

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13060265 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 265

Author(s):

Felix I. Rossbach ◽

Edoardo Casoli ◽

Milan Beck ◽

Christian Wild

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Marine Species ◽

Abundant Species ◽

Posidonia Oceanica ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Tyrrhenian Sea ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Taxonomic Groups

The Mediterranean Sea harbors more than 17,000 eukaryotic marine species, with several ecosystems recognized as biodiversity hotspots, such as Posidonia oceanica meadows. Recent research indicates that benthic mats formed by the fleshy red alga Phyllophora crispa are also associated with high species richness. Among key groups found in these mats are sessile polychaetes, which live as epiphytes on the red algae thalli. Knowledge of abundance, species richness, and spatial variation of polychaetes associated with these habitats is still scarce. We carried out a comparative assessment focusing on serpulid polychaetes within samples from P. crispa mats and neighboring P. oceanica meadows at six different sampling sites around Giglio Island (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). A total of 17 serpulid taxa were identified. The abundance of serpulids (5665 individuals m−2 of P. crispa mat) were similar to neighboring P. oceanica meadows (2304 individuals m−2 leaves and 5890 individuals m−2 shoots). The number of serpulid taxa was significantly higher in P. crispa mats (average 6.63 ± 1.32 taxa) compared to P. oceanica beds (average 1.56 ± 0.63 and 1.84 ± 1.04 taxa in leaves and shoots, respectively). Within habitat type, there were no significant differences in species richness between sites. The most abundant species found was Josephella marenzelleri (61% of individuals), while Vermiliopsis spp. and Bathyvermilia sp. were exclusively found in P. crispa samples. Our results highlight that P. crispa mats host an exceptional diversity and that these habitats should be included in conservation strategies. Further research should focus on the significance of other important taxonomic groups within these mats and evaluate the distribution of P. crispa in different regions of the Mediterranean Sea.

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Goniadella bobrezkii (Annenkova, 1929) (Annelida, Polychaeta): first record in the Italian waters

Check List ◽

10.15560/15.1.125 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 125-130

Author(s):

Emanuele Mancini ◽

Francesco Tiralongo ◽

Daniele Ventura ◽

Andrea Bonifazi

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

First Record ◽

Posidonia Oceanica ◽

Posterior Spine ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Italian Coasts

Goniadella bobrezkii (Annenkova, 1929) is a small goniadid worm identifiable by the number of anterior uniramous parapodia and by the position of the posterior spine-like notochetae arising dorsal to dorsal cirri. Although it was already reported in the Mediterranean Sea, it has never been found in the Italian waters. This study represents the first generic and specific record of G. bobrezkii along Italian coasts. A total of 25 specimens were collected in a Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile bed, depth of 7 m, off Civitavecchia (Rome).

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Is Posidonia oceanica regression a general feature in the Mediterranean Sea?

Mediterranean Marine Science ◽

10.12681/mms.334 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 193 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

M. BONACORSI ◽

C. PERGENT-MARTINI ◽

N. BREAND ◽

G. PERGENT

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Temporal Evolution ◽

Posidonia Oceanica ◽

Aerial Photographs ◽

Human Pressure ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Spatio Temporal ◽

Mapping Techniques ◽

Significant Regression ◽

Ancient Maps

Over the last few years, a widespread regression of Posidonia oceanica meadows has been noticed in the Mediterranean Sea. However, the magnitude of this decline is still debated. The objectives of this study are (i) to assess the spatio-temporal evolution of Posidonia oceanica around Cap Corse (Corsica) over time comparing available ancient maps (from 1960) with a new (2011) detailed map realized combining different techniques (aerial photographs, SSS, ROV, scuba diving); (ii) evaluate the reliability of ancient maps; (iii) discuss observed regression of the meadows in relation to human pressure along the 110 km of coast. Thus, the comparison with previous data shows that, apart from sites clearly identified with the actual evolution, there is a relative stability of the surfaces occupied by the seagrass Posidonia oceanica. The recorded differences seem more related to changes in mapping techniques. These results confirm that in areas characterized by a moderate anthropogenic impact, the Posidonia oceanica meadow has no significant regression and that the changes due to the evolution of mapping techniques are not negligible. However, others facts should be taken into account before extrapolating to the Mediterranean Sea (e.g. actually mapped surfaces) and assessing the amplitude of the actual regression.

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Fleshy Red Algae Mats Influence Their Environment in the Mediterranean Sea

Frontiers in Marine Science ◽

10.3389/fmars.2021.721626 ◽

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.

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