The Marine Biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea in a Changing Climate: The Impact of Biological Invasions

AbstractIn this work we use a regional atmosphere–ocean coupled model (RAOCM) and its stand-alone atmospheric component to gain insight into the impact of atmosphere–ocean coupling on the climate change signal over the Iberian Peninsula (IP). The IP climate is influenced by both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean sea. Complex interactions with the orography take place there and high-resolution models are required to realistically reproduce its current and future climate. We find that under the RCP8.5 scenario, the generalized 2-m air temperature (T2M) increase by the end of the twenty-first century (2070–2099) in the atmospheric-only simulation is tempered by the coupling. The impact of coupling is specially seen in summer, when the warming is stronger. Precipitation shows regionally-dependent changes in winter, whilst a drier climate is found in summer. The coupling generally reduces the magnitude of the changes. Differences in T2M and precipitation between the coupled and uncoupled simulations are caused by changes in the Atlantic large-scale circulation and in the Mediterranean Sea. Additionally, the differences in projected changes of T2M and precipitation with the RAOCM under the RCP8.5 and RCP4.5 scenarios are tackled. Results show that in winter and summer T2M increases less and precipitation changes are of a smaller magnitude with the RCP4.5. Whilst in summer changes present a similar regional distribution in both runs, in winter there are some differences in the NW of the IP due to differences in the North Atlantic circulation. The differences in the climate change signal from the RAOCM and the driving Global Coupled Model show that regionalization has an effect in terms of higher resolution over the land and ocean.

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Protect the Natives to Combat the Aliens: Could Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 Be a Natural Agent for the Control of the Lionfish Invasion in the Mediterranean Sea?

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering ◽

10.3390/jmse9030308 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 308 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Fabio Crocetta ◽

Maria Shokouros-Oskarsson ◽

Nikolaos Doumpas ◽

Ioannis Giovos ◽

Stefanos Kalogirou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biological Invasions ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Octopus Vulgaris ◽

Major Threat ◽

Global Biodiversity ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Natural Agent

Biological invasions constitute a major threat to native ecosystems and to global biodiversity [...]

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New Mediterranean Marine biodiversity records (June 2013)

Mediterranean Marine Science ◽

10.12681/mms.450 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 238 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

I. SIOKOU ◽

A.S. ATES ◽

D. AYAS ◽

J. BEN SOUISSI ◽

T. CHATTERJEE ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Aegean Sea ◽

Marine Biodiversity ◽

Red Data Book ◽

Gulf Of Tunis ◽

The North ◽

Levantine Sea ◽

Data Book ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Flora Of Cyprus

This paper concerns records of species that have extended their distribution in the Mediterranean Sea. The finding of the rare brackish angiosperm Althenia filiformis in the island of Cyprus is interesting since its insertion in the Red Data Book of the Flora of Cyprus is suggested. The following species enriched the flora or fauna lists of the relevant countries: the red alga Sebdenia dichotoma (Greece), the hydrachnid mite Pontarachna adriatica (Slovenia), and the thalassinid Gebiacantha talismani (Turkey). Several alien species were recorded in new Mediterranean localities. The record of the burrowing goby Trypauchen vagina in the North Levantine Sea (Turkish coast), suggests the start of spreading of this Lessepsian immigrant in the Mediterranean Sea. The findings of the following species indicate the extension of their occurrence in the Mediterranean Sea: the foraminifer Amphistegina lobifera (island of Zakynthos, Greece), the medusa Cassiopea andromeda (Syria), the copepod Centropages furcatus (Aegean Sea), the decapod shrimp Melicertus hathor (island of Kastellorizo, Greece), the crab Menoethius monoceros (Gulf of Tunis), the barnacles Balanus trigonus, Megabalanus tintinnabulum, Megabalanus coccopoma and the bivalves Chama asperella, Cucurbitula cymbium (Saronikos Gulf, Greece).

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Introduction to the project DUNE, a DUst experiment in a low Nutrient, low chlorophyll Ecosystem

Biogeosciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/bgd-10-12491-2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 12491-12527 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

C. Guieu ◽

F. Dulac ◽

C. Ridame ◽

P. Pondaven

Keyword(s):

Trace Elements ◽

Atmospheric Deposition ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Surface Waters ◽

Carbon Pump ◽

Mesocosm Experiments ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Atmospheric Inputs ◽

Oligotrophic Ecosystem ◽

The Impact

Abstract. The main goal of the project DUNE was to estimate the impact of atmospheric deposition on an oligotrophic ecosystem based on mesocosm experiments simulating strong atmospheric inputs of Aeolian dust. Atmospheric deposition is now recognized as a significant source of macro- and micro-nutrients for the surface ocean, but the quantification of its role on the biological carbon pump is still poorly determined. We proposed in DUNE to investigate the role of atmospheric inputs on the functioning of an oligotrophic system particularly well adapted to this kind of study: the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean Sea – etymologically, sea surrounded by land – is submitted to atmospheric inputs that are very variable both in frequency and intensity. During the thermal stratification period, only atmospheric deposition is prone to fertilize Mediterranean surface waters which has become very oligotrophic due to the nutrient depletion (after the spring bloom). This paper describes the objectives of DUNE and the implementation plan of a series of mesocosms experiments during which either wet or dry and a succession of two wet deposition fluxes of 10 g m−2 of Saharan dust have been simulated. After the presentation of the main biogeochemical initial conditions of the site at the time of each experiment, a general overview of the papers published in this special issue is presented, including laboratory results on the solubility of trace elements in erodible soils in addition to results from the mesocosm experiments. Our mesocosm experiments aimed at being representative of real atmospheric deposition events onto the surface of oligotrophic marine waters and were an original attempt to consider the vertical dimension in the study of the fate of atmospheric deposition within surface waters. Results obtained can be more easily extrapolated to quantify budgets and parameterize processes such as particle migration through a "captured water column". The strong simulated dust deposition events were found to impact the dissolved concentrations of inorganic dissolved phosphorus, nitrogen, iron and other trace elements. In the case of Fe, adsorption on sinking particles yields a decrease in dissolved concentration unless binding ligands were produced following a former deposition input and associated fertilization. For the first time, a quantification of the C export induced by the aerosol addition was possible. Description and parameterization of biotic (heterotrophs and autotrophs, including diazotrophs) and abiotic processes (ballast effect due to lithogenic particles) after dust addition in sea surface water, result in a net particulate organic carbon export in part controlled by the "lithogenic carbon pump".

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High diversified benthic habitats in a tidal Mediterranean sub-tropical environment: the case of the Gulf of Gabès (Tunisia)

10.7287/peerj.preprints.26537 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Abir Fersi ◽

Nawfel Mosbahi ◽

Ali Bakalem ◽

Jean-Philippe Pezy ◽

Alexandrine Baffreau ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Tropical Environment ◽

Gulf Of Gabes ◽

Annual Cycles ◽

Gulf Of Gabès ◽

Zostera Noltei ◽

Sediment Types ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

The Impact

The Gulf of Gabès on the southern coasts of Tunisia in the central part of the Mediterranean is a very shallow basin, characterized by semidiurnal tides, attaining a range of 2.3 m during spring tides. The intertidal zone was covered by extended Zostera (Zosterella) noltei Hornemann, 1832 beds mainly developed around the Kneiss Islands while tidal channels ensured the water circulation in this sub-tropical environment with very low freshwater input and high summer temperature. In spite of protected conventions, the area remained under high human pressures: overfishing, and the impact of the pollution of the phosphate industry. Intensive sampling in both intertidal and shallow subtidal zones during annual cycles permitted to identify a rich macrofauna which increase considerably the species known in this eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. More than 50 species are added for the Tunisian fauna. Moreover, patterns of diversity are analysed with the sediment types, presence or absence of Zostera noltei seagrass bed, and human pressures. The list of the collected species are compared with those of surrounding areas in both Western and Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

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