scholarly journals Who’s Next? Non-Indigenous Cnidarian and Ctenophoran Species Approaching to the Italian Waters

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1062
Author(s):  
Cinzia Gravili ◽  
Sergio Rossi
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Taxonomic Status ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Invasive Potential ◽  
Environmental Status ◽  
Good Environmental Status ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Non Indigenous Species ◽  
Conservation And Management

The aims of the present paper were to review the knowledge about the Mediterranean non-indigenous species of the taxa Cnidaria and Ctenophora (CC NIS), to screen the risk of 98 species for their potential invasiveness in the Mediterranean Sea and their approach to the Italian waters. Of these, 38% are well established in the basin, 4% are known for their invasiveness, 44% are casual, 11% have a taxonomic status unresolved, and 3% are included in the category ”cryptogenic”. The biodiversity CC NIS of the Mediterranean Sea has changed considerably in the last two decades and 27 out of 98 Mediterranean CC NIS are present in the Italian waters. Fifteen CC NIS, some equipped with high invasive potential, should be regarded as good candidates to become future immigrants of the Italian waters. Anticipatory NIS forecast based on biogeographical and ecological analyses may provide a useful tool for targeted management of the CC NIS issue and for the assessment of the second descriptor of Good Environmental Status. On the other hand, conservation and management of marine ecosystem should be based on the conservation of the essential environmental conditions for the functioning of these ecosystems instead of the contamination or eradication of alien species.

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

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 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.

scholarly journals Recreational boating as a vector of spread of non-indigenous species around the Mediterranean Sea

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aylin Ulman ◽  
Agnese Marchini ◽  
Christos Arvanitidis ◽  
Anna Occhipinti
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Secondary Source ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Recreational Boating ◽  
Travel Patterns ◽  
Study Region ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Non Indigenous Species

This study seeks to identify the hotspots for the secondary spread of non-indigenous species (NIS) resulting for recreational boating travel patterns across the Mediterranean Sea, and investigate the potential for internal spread within each study region. Three Mediterranean regions will be sampled for: 1) NIS richness in the marinas and NIS richness and abundance from recreational vessels; 2) biopollution level of transient recreational boats; 3) geographic range of NIS within each region; 4) hull cleaning and travel history of recreational boats. The results will then be tested with other abiotic factors to determine which factors are significant in contributing to making some marinas more high-risk for the presence and transfer of alien species. Finally, a spatial connectivity network analysis will be presented of the 30 sampled marinas by combining a risk-level for each marina along with recreational boating travel patterns. Marina selection is based on the busiest marinas for recreational boaters in each region in combination with securing permission and feasibility. Samples for Amathia verticillatum will be collected from each region and genetically tested to determine if they share the same initial or secondary source of invasion.

scholarly journals Time lags in reporting of biological invasions: the case of Mediterranean Sea

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 469 ◽  
Author(s):  
ARGYRO ZENETOS ◽  
EIRINI GRATSIA ◽  
ANA-CRISTINA CARDOSO ◽  
KONSTANTINOS TSIAMIS
Keyword(s):  
Biological Invasions ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Taxonomic Group ◽  
Time Lags ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Non Indigenous Species

Time lags in non-indigenous species (NIS) reporting can create uncertainty in the analysis of NIS introduction rates, which can lead to inadequate actions, prevention measures and their evaluation. The present study aims to highlight time lags in marine NIS reporting in the Mediterranean Sea, i.e.: the time that mediates from the detection of a new NIS in the Mediterranean Sea until its publication. Our results revealed that the time lag in NIS reporting in the Mediterranean Sea has been considerably decreased during the last decades. There is also a noticeable difference in the time lag of reporting NIS in association with the taxonomic group of the species. Fish have generally shorter time lags in their reporting when compared with other taxonomic groups (e.g. macrophytes, Annelida, Bryozoa). Considering the widespread concern on marine introductions, it is essential to recognize the importance of taking into account time lags of reporting NIS that skew introduction patterns of marine NIS, permitting thus more accurate management assessments.

scholarly journals Steps toward a shared governance response for achieving Good Environmental Status in the Mediterranean Sea

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio Cinnirella ◽  
Rafael Sardà ◽  
Juan Luis Suárez de Vivero ◽  
Ruth Brennan ◽  
Alberto Barausse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Shared Governance ◽  
Environmental Status ◽  
Good Environmental Status ◽  
The Mediterranean

scholarly journals Is the trend in new introductions of marine non-indigenous species a reliable criterion for assessing good environmental status? Τhe case study of Greece

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 775
Author(s):  
ARGYRO ZENETOS ◽  
PARASKEVI K. KARACHLE ◽  
MARIA CORSINI-FOKA ◽  
VASILIS GEROVASILEIOU ◽  
NOMIKI SIMBOURA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hot Spot ◽  
Aegean Sea ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
The South ◽  
Regional Coordination ◽  
Environmental Status ◽  
Good Environmental Status ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Non Indigenous Species

This study presents the updated status of marine non-indigenous species (NIS) distribution in Greece and investigates trends in new NIS introductions, at both national and subnational level, during 1970-2017. The overall picture shows an increase in new introductions from the 1970s to 2017. The number of unaided introduced species (mainly Lessepsian immigrants) followed an upward trend in the South Aegean Sea until 2017. Similarly, the number of NIS associated with transport-stowaway (NIS introduced mainly via ballast and boat hulls) followed an upward until 2017 in the South Aegean Sea, but also in the Hellenic Levantine coasts. However, these results are greatly affected by a monitoring bias, which appears to be the main factor influencing the number of new NIS introductions reported from Greece and its subnational areas. This monitoring bias, as well as the continuous influx of Lessepsian NIS into the Aegean Sea, constitutes a challenge for Greece as regards setting exact boundaries for areas with or without Good Environmental Status (GES), based on Descriptor 2, primary criterion C1 (D2C1), of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Dedicated monitoring of marine NIS should be established and be constant in space, time and across taxonomic groups. Prioritization should be given to hot-spot areas of new NIS introductions, such as ports, aquaculture units and marine protected areas. This should be a prerequisite for applying the primary criterion D2C1 of the MSFD properly, at both national and subnational level. Finally, as regards the implementation of D2C1 of the MSDF and setting exact threshold values, we highlight the need for subregional and regional coordination in the Mediterranean.

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