scholarly journals New records of amphipod crustaceans along the Israeli Mediterranean coast, including a rare Mediterranean endemic species, Maera schieckei Karaman & Ruffo, 1971

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Lo Brutto ◽  
Davide Iaciofano
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Aegean Sea ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Tyrrhenian Sea ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Distribution And Ecology

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.

scholarly journals Evidence of a prolonged drought ca. 4200 yr BP correlated with prehistoric settlement abandonment from the Gueldaman GLD1 Cave, Northern Algeria

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Ruan ◽  
F. Kherbouche ◽  
D. Genty ◽  
D. Blamart ◽  
H. Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Carbon And Oxygen Isotopes ◽  
Northern Algeria ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Prolonged Drought ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Basin ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. Middle Holocene cultures have been widely studied around the Eastern-Mediterranean basin in the last 30 years and past cultural activities have been commonly linked with regional climate changes. However, in many cases such linkage is equivocal, in part due to existing climatic evidence that has been derived from areas outside the distribution of ancient settlements, leading to uncertainty from complex spatial heterogeneity in both climate and demography. A few high-resolution well-dated paleoclimate records were recently established using speleothems in the Central and Eastern-Mediterranean basin, however, the scarcity of such records in the western part of the Mediterranean prevents us from correlating past climate evolutions across the basin and deciphering climate–culture relation at fine timescales. Here we report the first decadal-resolved Mid-Holocene climate proxy records from the Western-Mediterranean basin based on the stable carbon and oxygen isotopes analyses of two U/Th dated stalagmites from the Gueldaman GLD1 Cave in Northern Algeria. Comparison of our records with those from Italy and Israel reveals synchronous (multi) centennial dry phases centered at ca. 5600, ca. 5200 and ca. 4200 yr BP across the Mediterranean basin. New calibrated radiocarbon dating constrains reasonably well the age of rich anthropogenic deposits (e.g., faunal remains, pottery, charcoal) excavated inside the cave, which allows the comparison between in situ evidence of human occupation and of climate change. This approach shows that the timing of a prolonged drought at ca. 4400–3800 yr BP blankets the onset of cave abandonment shortly after ca. 4403 cal yr BP, supporting the hypothesis that a climate anomaly may have played a role in this cultural disruption.

scholarly journals New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records (July 2016)

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 608 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. DAILIANIS ◽  
O. AKYOL ◽  
N. BABALI ◽  
M. BARICHE ◽  
F. CROCETTA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Aegean Sea ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Gulf Of Naples ◽  
Pterois Miles ◽  
Lutjanus Argentimaculatus ◽  
Lessepsian Species ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
New Distribution

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.

Molecular phylogenetic relationships among some stygobitic cirolanid species (Crustacea, Isopoda)

2010 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariella Baratti ◽  
Mariateresa Filippelli ◽  
Francesco Nardi ◽  
Giuseppe Messana
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Mediterranean Area ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Morphological Studies ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Sister Clade ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
The Mediterranean

Within the Cirolanidae, a widespread family of marine isopods, about 23 genera are stygobitic and inhabit phreatic and anchialine ecosystems, with many endemic species. The Mediterranean area has a high biodiversity of subterranean cirolanids, which are considered thalassoid limnostygobionts. A molecular analysis was conducted using mtDNA genes to infer the phylogeny of species belonging to six of the seven stygobitic genera of Cirolanidae inhabiting the Mediterranean basin and to two American taxa: Faucheria faucheri, Marocolana delamarei, Saharolana seurati, Sphaeromides virei virei, Turcolana sp., 13 taxa of the genus Typhlocirolana and two American species, Antrolana lira and Speocirolana bolivari. The Typhlocirolana species are widespread in the western Mediterranean basin, with a concentration of taxa in the Maghreb region. Turcolana sp. is localised in the eastern Mediterranean, while F. faucheri and S. v. virei are north Mediterranean taxa. S. seurati, the taxon least morphologically adapted to subterranean life, belongs to a monospecific genus present in a Tunisian spring. The molecular phylogeny showed a high affinity among the American taxa and the Mediterranean Sphaeromides, clustering in the Sphaeromides group identified by previous morphological studies. Typhlocirolana species and M. delamarei constitute their sister clade within the Sphaeromides group. F. faucheri appears to be a sister clade of the Sphaeromides group. S. seurati, showing reduced troglobitic adaptations, assumes disparate and unsolved positions in the phylogenetic reconstructions. The molecular data suggest that a combination of vicariance and dispersal events, occurring from 180 to a few million years ago, combined to bring about the present distribution pattern of Mediterranean cirolanid isopods.

The Roman fish tanks of the Western Mediterranean basin as potential scenarios for research on sea-level changes

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Javier Caballero-Rubio ◽  
María José Viñals ◽  
Santiago Tormo-Esteve
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Constructive Conditions ◽  
Fish Tanks

PurposeThis paper analyses Roman fish tanks, which have functional elements that could be used to research on palaeo-sea-levels. Thus, the conditions of 37 installations in the Western Mediterranean basin are reviewed to identify those that have the best environmental and constructive conditions to be analyzed.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology was largely based on the review of existing scientific bibliography dealing with sea-level variations from studies on historical constructions, existing historical documentation on Roman fish tanks on the Mediterranean coast, as well as the fieldwork carried out in fish tanks on the Mediterranean coasts.FindingsThe Roman coastal fish tanks located in the shoreline of the Western Mediterranean Sea have turned out to be an excellent indicator of sea-level changes. Nevertheless, current coastal retreat, erosion and storm surges are posing significant threats to their preservation, and they could be considered as a heritage at risk of disappearance. Moreover, variations in the tectonic behaviour of the different coastal sectors make it challenging to select these facilities as an indicator of the sea level.Originality/valueThe analysis of Late Holocene sea-level changes and palaeoenvironments from archaeological and biological evidences, although not without difficulties, is very convenient because it provides very precise data that cannot be obtained with other absolute dating methods. This approach is increasingly gaining popularity with researchers and is very innovative in its method of combining the results of several scientific disciplines.

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
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Aegean Sea ◽  
Tyrrhenian Sea ◽  
Northern Adriatic Sea ◽  
Northern Adriatic ◽  
Gulf Of Naples ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Distribution And Ecology ◽  
Island Of Ischia

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.

First record of Dosima fascicularis (Ellis & Solander, 1786) (Crustacea, Cirripedia) from Algerian waters (Western Mediterranean)

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4559 (3) ◽  
pp. 577
Author(s):  
Z. MOKRANE ◽  
Y. BELKACEM ◽  
K. SOUMANI
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Continuous Monitoring ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
First Record ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
The Third ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
First Time

The buoy barnacle Dosima fascicularis is reported from Algerian waters for the first time. Seven specimens were collected in the Bay of Jijel (Western Mediterranean Basin), which constitutes the third record of this species in the Mediterranean Sea. A continuous monitoring program in the Mediterranean for this species is proposed to provide further insights into its distribution. 

scholarly journals Simulation of fine organic aerosols in the western Mediterranean area during the ChArMEx 2013 summer campaign

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 7287-7312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arineh Cholakian ◽  
Matthias Beekmann ◽  
Augustin Colette ◽  
Isabelle Coll ◽  
Guillaume Siour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Mass Concentration ◽  
Organic Aerosols ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Basis Set ◽  
Aerosol Formation ◽  
Standard Scheme ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Fine Organic

Abstract. The simulation of fine organic aerosols with CTMs (chemistry–transport models) in the western Mediterranean basin has not been studied until recently. The ChArMEx (the Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment) SOP 1b (Special Observation Period 1b) intensive field campaign in summer of 2013 gathered a large and comprehensive data set of observations, allowing the study of different aspects of the Mediterranean atmosphere including the formation of organic aerosols (OAs) in 3-D models. In this study, we used the CHIMERE CTM to perform simulations for the duration of the SAFMED (Secondary Aerosol Formation in the MEDiterranean) period (July to August 2013) of this campaign. In particular, we evaluated four schemes for the simulation of OA, including the CHIMERE standard scheme, the VBS (volatility basis set) standard scheme with two parameterizations including aging of biogenic secondary OA, and a modified version of the VBS scheme which includes fragmentation and formation of nonvolatile OA. The results from these four schemes are compared to observations at two stations in the western Mediterranean basin, located on Ersa, Cap Corse (Corsica, France), and at Cap Es Pinar (Mallorca, Spain). These observations include OA mass concentration, PMF (positive matrix factorization) results of different OA fractions, and 14C observations showing the fossil or nonfossil origins of carbonaceous particles. Because of the complex orography of the Ersa site, an original method for calculating an orographic representativeness error (ORE) has been developed. It is concluded that the modified VBS scheme is close to observations in all three aspects mentioned above; the standard VBS scheme without BSOA (biogenic secondary organic aerosol) aging also has a satisfactory performance in simulating the mass concentration of OA, but not for the source origin analysis comparisons. In addition, the OA sources over the western Mediterranean basin are explored. OA shows a major biogenic origin, especially at several hundred meters height from the surface; however over the Gulf of Genoa near the surface, the anthropogenic origin is of similar importance. A general assessment of other species was performed to evaluate the robustness of the simulations for this particular domain before evaluating OA simulation schemes. It is also shown that the Cap Corse site presents important orographic complexity, which makes comparison between model simulations and observations difficult. A method was designed to estimate an orographic representativeness error for species measured at Ersa and yields an uncertainty of between 50 and 85 % for primary pollutants, and around 2–10 % for secondary species.

scholarly journals Review Article: Atmospheric conditions inducing extreme precipitation over the Eastern and Western Mediterranean

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 3687-3732 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Dayan ◽  
K. M. Nissen ◽  
U. Ulbrich
Keyword(s):  
Extreme Precipitation ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Heavy Rainfall ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Synoptic Scale ◽  
Extreme Precipitation Events ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Abstract. This review discusses published studies of heavy rainfall events over the Mediterranean Basin, combining them in a more general picture of the dynamic and thermodynamic factors and processes producing heavy rain storms. It distinguishes the Western and Eastern Mediterranean in order to point at specific regional peculiarities. The crucial moisture for developing intensive convection over these regions can be originated not only from the adjacent Mediterranean Sea but also from distant upwind sources. Transport from remote sources is usually in the mid-tropospheric layers and associated with specific features and patterns of the larger scale circulations. The synoptic systems (tropical and extra-tropical) accounting for most of the major extreme precipitation events and the coupling of circulation and extreme rainfall patterns are presented. Heavy rainfall over the Mediterranean Basin is caused at times in concert by several atmospheric processes working at different atmospheric scales, such as local convection, upper-level synoptic-scale troughs, and meso-scale convective systems. Under tropical air mass intrusions, convection generated by static instability seems to play a more important role than synoptic-scale vertical motions. Locally, the occurrence of torrential rains and their intensity is dependent on factors such as temperature profiles and implied instability, atmospheric moisture, and lower-level convergence.

scholarly journals The effect of cyclones crossing the Mediterranean region on sea level anomalies at the Mediterranean Sea coast

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piero Lionello ◽  
Dario Conte ◽  
Marco Reale
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Storm Track ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Residual Water ◽  
Positive Anomaly ◽  
Western Basin ◽  
Sea Level Anomalies ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. Large positive and negative sea level anomalies at the coast of the Mediterranean Sea are linked to intensity and position of cyclones moving along the Mediterranean storm track, with dynamics involving different factors. This analysis is based on a model hindcast and considers nine coastal stations, which are representative of sea level anomalies with different magnitude and characteristics. When a shallow water fetch is present, the wind around the cyclone center is the main cause of sea level positive and negative anomalies, depending on its onshore or offshore direction. The inverse barometer effect produces a positive anomaly at the coast near the cyclone pressure minimum and a negative anomaly at the opposite side of the Mediterranean Sea, because a cross-basin mean sea level pressure gradient is associated to the presence of a cyclone. Further, at some stations, negative sea level anomalies are reinforced by a residual water mass redistribution within the basin, which is associated with a transient response to the atmospheric pressure forcing. Though the link between presence of a cyclone in the Mediterranean has comparable importance for positive and negative anomalies, the relation between cyclone position and intensity is stronger for the magnitude of positive events. Area of cyclogenesis, track of the central minimum and position at the time of the event differ depending on the location where the sea level anomaly occurs and on its sign. The western Mediterranean is the main cyclogenesis area for both positive and negative anomalies, overall. Atlantic cyclones mainly produce positive sea level anomalies in the western basin. At the easternmost stations, positive anomalies are caused by Cyclogenesis in the Eastern Mediterranean. North Africa cyclogeneses are a major source of positive anomalies at the central African coast and negative anomalies at the eastern Mediterranean and North Aegean coast.

Seasonal ecosystem vulnerability to climatic anomalies in the Mediterranean

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Vogel
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Ecosystem Productivity ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Ecosystem Vulnerability ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

<p>The ecosystems of the Mediterranean Basin are particularly prone to climate change and related alterations in climatic anomalies. The seasonal timing of climatic anomalies is crucial for the assessment of the corresponding ecosystem impacts; however, the incorporation of seasonality is neglected in many studies. We quantify ecosystem vulnerability by investigating deviations of the climatic drivers temperature and soil moisture during phases of low ecosystem productivity for each month of the year over the period 1999 – 2019. The fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR) is used as a proxy for ecosystem productivity. Air temperature is obtained from the reanalysis data set ERA5 Land and soil moisture and FAPAR satellite products are retrieved from ESA CCI and Copernicus Global Land Service, respectively. Our results show that Mediterranean ecosystems are vulnerable to three soil moisture regimes during the course of the year. A phase of vulnerability to hot and dry conditions during late spring to midsummer is followed by a period of vulnerability to cold and dry conditions in autumn. The third phase is characterized by cold and wet conditions coinciding with low ecosystem productivity in winter and early spring. These phases illustrate well the shift between a soil moisture-limited regime in summer and an energy-limited regime in winter in the Mediterranean Basin. Notably, the vulnerability to hot and dry conditions during the course of the year is prolonged by several months in the Eastern Mediterranean compared to the Western Mediterranean. Our approach facilitates a better understanding of ecosystem vulnerability at certain stages during the year and is easily transferable to other study areas and ecoclimatological variables.</p>

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