scholarly journals A review of methods to assess connectivity and dispersal between fish populations in the Mediterranean Sea

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Calò ◽  
Fabiana C. Félix-Hackradt ◽  
Jessica Garcia ◽  
Carlos W. Hackradt ◽  
Delphine Rocklin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Fish Populations ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Fish Movements ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
Life History Stages ◽  
Connectivity Patterns ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
The Mediterranean

Fish populations are linked to each other via dispersal of individuals as eggs, larvae, juveniles or adults. The understanding of this process, known as connectivity, has a pivotal role for the management of overexploited fish stocks and the development of accurate conservation strategies. Knowledge on connectivity and fish movements is considered fundamental toward the correct design of marine protected area (MPA) networks for the achievement of the benefits of protection. Connectivity patterns are still largely unknown worldwide. A general lack of knowledge is particularly evident for the Mediterranean Sea where few studies dealing with this topic have been carried out and some methods, currently available for assessing connectivity, have not been used yet. In this review we present the methods used for studying connectivity patterns and fish movements at different life history stages and the main results achieved until now in the Mediterranean Sea. We encompass the pros and cons of each method, and conclude with future perspectives on the use of these methodologies in the Mediterranean context.

scholarly journals Pots as alternative and sustainable fishing gears in the Mediterranean Sea: an overview

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Petetta ◽  
Massimo Virgili ◽  
Stefano Guicciardi ◽  
Alessandro Lucchetti
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Spiny Lobster ◽  
Mesh Size ◽  
Octopus Vulgaris ◽  
Target Species ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Fishing Gears ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
The Mediterranean

AbstractStock overexploitation, bycatch, discards and gear impacts on the environment are outstanding issues for Mediterranean fisheries. The adoption of alternative fishing gears is an appealing solution to ensure a more sustainable exploitation of resources. We discuss the pros and cons of pots as alternative gears by reviewing their main designs, spatial distribution and target species in the Mediterranean basin. We assessed the technical factors affecting the catch efficiency of the different pot designs for four target species: spiny lobster, Palinurus elephas; Norway lobster, Nephrops norvegicus; common octopus, Octopus vulgaris and pandalid shrimps, Plesionika spp. We found that pot volume is important to catch Octopus; mesh size to catch Nephrops and Plesionika; entrance surface to catch Octopus, Nephrops and Plesionika; pot shape/colour and entrance shape/position to catch Octopus and Plesionika; and bait type to catch Octopus and Nephrops. The literature review shows that pot fisheries have several considerable advantages over conventional gears, especially in terms of discards, bycatch, seabed impacts (particularly compared with bottom trawls and passive set nets), size and species selectivity, gear depredation, catch quality and gear cost, besides saving time and labour. Disadvantages hampering their wider diffusion include ghost fishing, a low catch of finfish species, the narrow range of species targeted by each pot design and the current early stage of research. These data make a clear case for using pots as alternative gears to traditional ones in the Mediterranean Sea in some areas and seasons to catch certain target species.

scholarly journals A review of methods to assess connectivity and dispersal between fish populations in the Mediterranean Sea

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Calò ◽  
Fabiana C. Félix-Hackradt ◽  
Jessica Garcia ◽  
Carlos W. Hackradt ◽  
Delphine Rocklin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Fish Populations ◽  
The Mediterranean

scholarly journals Non-indigenous macroalgal species in coralligenous habitats of the Marine Protected Area Isole Ciclopi (Sicily, Italy)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 31-44
Author(s):  
Luca Giuseppe Costanzo ◽  
Giuliana Marletta ◽  
Giuseppina Alongi
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Present Report ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Remotely Operated Vehicle ◽  
High Coverage ◽  
The Mediterranean

Biological invasions are considered one of the main threats for biodiversity. In the last decades, more than 60 macroalgae have been introduced in the Mediterranean Sea, causing serious problems in coastal areas. Nevertheless, the impacts of alien macroalgae in deep subtidal systems have been poorly studied, especially in the coralligenous habitats of the eastern coast of Sicily (Italy). Therefore, within the framework of the programme “Progetto Operativo di Monitoraggio (P.O.M.)” of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the aim of the present study was to gain knowledge on the alien macroalgae present in coralligenous habitats of the Marine Protected Area (MPA) Isole Ciclopi, along the Ionian coast of Sicily. By Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) videos and destructive samples analysed in the laboratory, five alien species were identified: Caulerpa cylindracea, Antithamnion amphigeneum, Asparagopsis armata, Bonnemaisonia hamifera, and Lophocladia lallemandii. Since A. amphigeneum was previously reported only in the western Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea, the present report represents the first record of this species in the eastern Mediterranean. The ROV surveys showed that the alien species do not have a high coverage and do not appear to be invasive in the coralligenous area of the MPA. Since ocean temperatures are predicted to increase as climate change continues and alien species are favoured by warming of the Mediterranean Sea, the risk of biotic homogenisation caused by the spread of alien species is realistic. Therefore, further studies are needed to assess the incidence and invasiveness of alien species in phytobenthic assemblages of coralligenous in the MPA.

Marine protected area design patterns in the Mediterranean Sea: Implications for conservation

2016 ◽  
Vol 110 (1) ◽  
pp. 335-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez ◽  
J. Rodríguez ◽  
J.M. Blanco ◽  
D. Abdul Malak
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Design Patterns ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
The Mediterranean

Sublittoral soft bottom assemblages within a Marine Protected Area of the northern Alboran Sea

2015 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 871-884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Marina ◽  
José L. Rueda ◽  
Javier Urra ◽  
Carmen Salas ◽  
Serge Gofas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Fine Sand ◽  
Alboran Sea ◽  
Faunal Assemblages ◽  
Soft Bottoms ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Alborán Sea

The composition and structure of sublittoral faunal assemblages inhabiting soft bottoms (15–72 m depth) within the Marine Protected Area ‘Acantilados y Fondos Marinos de Calahonda-Castell de Ferro’ in southern Spain (North Alboran Sea, Mediterranean) have been studied in relation to sediment and water column variables. Three assemblages were identified and corresponded to mixed bottom, unstable bottom and coastal detritic bottom assemblages, based on Pérès & Picard's (1964) benthic classification. A total of 14,318 individuals were collected and 218 species identified, molluscs being the best represented group (141 species). Species richness displayed significant differences with depth and transect, with the highest values observed in the medium to very fine sand and muddy bottoms with bioclasts located at the shallowest sampling stations. The presence of some rare and poorly known invertebrates that are scarce in other areas of the Mediterranean Sea is remarkable, such as the crustacean decapods Bythocaris cosmetops and Pagurus mbizi, Atlantic species with no records in the Mediterranean Sea, and the bathyal molluscs Poromya granulata and Alvania testae, collected at shallow depths. The spatial distribution of faunal assemblages was mainly related to depth and percentage of gravel and clay according to the canonical correspondence analysis. The geographic location of the area, the heterogeneity of soft bottoms and the presence of upwellings in the area may favour the high biodiversity found in the studied soft bottoms. This study increases the scarce knowledge of the circalittoral fauna of sedimentary habitats of the Alboran Sea, providing a baseline for the management of this interesting SCI and for the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

The Case of a Rudderfish Highlights the Role of Natural History Museums as Sentinels of Bio-invasions

Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4254 (3) ◽  
pp. 382 ◽  
Author(s):  
SABRINA LO BRUTTO
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Natural History Museums ◽  
History Museums ◽  
Western Sicily ◽  
Kyphosus Vaigiensis ◽  
The Mediterranean

In September 2013 fishermen captured a rudderfish—Kyphosus vaigiensis—off Favignana Island, one of the islands of the Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area (MPA) in western Sicily (Mannino et al., 2015). This species is rarely sampled in the Mediterranean Sea. 

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

Diversity ◽  
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.

scholarly journals An overview of bottom trawl selectivity in the Mediterranean Sea

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 566
Author(s):  
ALESSANDRO LUCCHETTI ◽  
MASSIMO VIRGILI ◽  
CLAUDIO VASAPOLLO ◽  
ANDREA PETETTA ◽  
GIADA BARGIONE ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Bottom Trawl ◽  
Bottom Trawling ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
Biological Impacts ◽  
Global Concern ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The One ◽  
First Maturity ◽  
Ecologically Sustainable

In the Mediterranean Sea, where bottom trawling for demersal species is the most important fishery in terms of landings, around 75% of the assessed fish stocks are overfished. Its status as one of the world’s most heavily exploited seas and the one subject to the highest trawling pressure has become a global concern. An extensive review of bottom trawl selectivity studies was performed to assess the sustainability of this fishery in the Mediterranean; the selectivity parameters were collected from 93 peer-reviewed publications of 10 countries, totalling 742 records and 65 species. The review highlighted that i) the catch of bottom trawls commonly employed in the Mediterranean, even complying with current regulations on codend meshes, still includes immature individuals for 64-68% of the species investigated, and individuals under the minimum conservation reference size (MCRS) for 78% of the species investigated, and that ii) the MCRS set for 59% of the species analyzed is well below their length at first maturity, and is therefore ecologically inadequate. Although square-mesh codends are slightly more selective, the models developed herein demonstrate that improving size and species selectivity would require considerably larger meshes, which may significantly reduce profitability. The urgent need to reduce the biological impacts of bottom trawling in the Mediterranean should be addressed by promoting the adoption of more ecologically sustainable fishing gears through the introduction of more selective meshes or gear modifications.

scholarly journals Highly polymorphic microsatellite markers for the Mediterranean endemic fan mussel Pinna nobilis

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. GONZALEZ-WANGUEMERT ◽  
J. COSTA ◽  
L. BASSO ◽  
C. DUARTE ◽  
E. SERRÃO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Genetic Studies ◽  
Pinna Nobilis ◽  
Western Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Polymorphic Microsatellite ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Two Populations

Pinna nobilis is an endemic bivalve of the Mediterranean Sea whose populations have decreased in the last decades due to human pressure; as consequence, it was declared a protected species in 1992. Despite its conservation status, few genetic studies using mitochondrial markers have been published. We report on the isolation and development of 10 microsatellite loci for the fan mussel, Pinna nobilis. All loci (2 di-nucleotide, 5 tri-nucleotide, 2 tetra-nucleotide and 1 penta-nucleotide) are characterized by high polymorphism levels in 76 individuals tested from two populations in Balearic Islands (Spain, Western Mediterranean Sea). Number of alleles ranged from 4 to 24 and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.4269 to 0.9400. These microsatellites could be very useful to assess the genetic diversity and connectivity patterns of P. nobilis and to establish new conservation strategies.

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