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b: Pen shell (Pinna nobilis) field with attached colonies of the Bryozoan Amathia verticilata, where Polycerella emertoni specimens were found.
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In the present article, new records are given for 18 species (6 native, 9 alien and 3 cryptogenic), belonging to 5 Phyla (i.e. Chlo-rophyta, Cnidaria, Annelida, Mollusca and Chordata), from 8 Mediterranean countries: Spain: A large population of Polycerella emertoni reported from the Ebro Delta, the presence of Spinimuricea klavereni is confirmed f...
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Natural diets of leptocephalus larvae have been enigmatic. In this study, we collected DNA samples from the gut contents and body surface of leptocephali belonging to the five Anguilliform families (Anguillidae, Chlopsidae, Congridae, Muraenidae, and Serrivomeridae) from the northwest Pacific and performed next-generation 18S rDNA sequencing. Wide...
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... Even though Greek and Turkish NIS experts have a long history of collaboration in the context of Mediterranean inventories [55][56][57][58][59][60], as well as individual publications in [27,[61][62][63], this is the first concerted effort to address NIS in the whole of the Aegean as an ecoregional unit, bringing together data from both its coasts. ...
In this work, combined efforts by Greek and Turkish scientists produced an updated validated NIS inventory of the Aegean ecoregion, covering 120 years of records up to August 2024. Of the 342 NIS currently present in the Aegean Sea, the majority (281 species) have invaded the South Aegean, followed by the North Aegean (128 species out of 206 NIS). A total of 73 species were added to the list, while 56 were removed. Overall, unaided spread of Lessepsian immigrants from the Levantine Sea and shipping are equally responsible for NIS reported at the regional level. An increase in publications addressing NIS matches the upward trend of NIS since the mid-1990s, which continues to the present day. While unaided introductions of Lessepsian species and/or direct introductions via the Suez Canal peaked in the South Aegean during 2000–2005, they peaked in 2012–2017 in the North Aegean—a decade later. The opposite pattern was observed in ship-transferred NIS. The spatial distribution of introduction hotspots largely reflects the following phenomena/processes: unaided introduction is witnessed initially in the southeastern Aegean Sea; monitoring efforts are concentrated in vulnerable and at-risk areas; and research efforts relate to the spatial allocation of institutions and marine experts working on marine NIS along the Aegean coasts.
... Several new alien species of different phyla have been recently recorded based on the volunteered contributions of citizen-scientists. These include the jellyfish Phyllorhiza punctata von Lendenfeld, 1884 (see Kaminas et al. 2022), the sea slugs Goniobranchus obsoletus (Rüppell & Leuckart, 1830), Plocamopherus ocellatus Rüppell and Leuckart, 1828 and Haminoea cyanomarginata Heller and Thompson, 1983(see Crocetta et al. 2015Yokeş et al. 2018;Kleitou et al. 2019), the decapods Atergatis roseus (Rüppell, 1830) and Saron marmoratus (Olivier, 1811) (see Crocetta et al. 2015;Langeneck et al. 2022), and the fish Cheilodipterus novemstriatus (Rüppell, 1838), Lutjanus argentimaculatus (Forsskål, 1775), and Oxyurichthys petersii (Klunzinger, 1871) (see Crocetta et al. 2015;Langeneck et al. 2022). ...
The eastern Mediterranean Sea is facing an unprecedented crisis due to the introduction and spread of alien species through the Suez Canal. Early detection and distribution monitoring of these species has been recently facilitated using social media and citizen science. The project “Is it Alien to you? Share it!!!” recorded over 840 observations for about 100 marine species in Cyprus (eastern Mediterranean
Sea) primarily via a dedicated social network group. Through the utilization of morphological and molecular approaches on materials posted by a local fisher,
this study provides the first records of Ixa monodi and Myra subgranulata in Cyprus and additional records of Macrophthalmus indicus for the island. These sightings confirm the effectiveness of citizen science in monitoring species distribution shifts. The cooperation of scientists with fishers has the potential to enhance surveillance, while concurrently increase awareness and position citizens as conservation leaders.
... This is probably attributed to the fact that electric rays are not targeted commercially and have a very low economic value ), yet they appear to be regularly caught and discarded in specific types of fishing gears (Morey et al. 2006;Tzanatos et al. 2007;Gil et al. 2018;Tiralongo et al. 2018). Up to date, three species have been recorded in the Mediterranean Sea: (i) the marbled electric ray Torpedo marmorata Risso, 1810, (ii) the common torpedo Torpedo torpedo Linnaeus, 1758 and (iii) the electric ray Tetronarce nobiliana Bonaparte, 1835; the latter is considered to be less abundant since it is occasionally caught in the Mediterranean (Bakiu and Troplini 2018). ...
This work presents new information on the morphological aspects, reproductive biology and diet of the marbled electric ray Torpedo marmorata Risso 1810, in the Eastern Ionian and the Aegean Seas, from October 2017 to August 2020. The whole dataset consisted of 135 females and 109 males, ranging between 91–464 mm and 99–313 mm in total length (TL), respectively. The weight–length relationship of the species and the length frequency distribution of the sexes were described, corroborating the sexual dimorphism of the species. Thirty-one measurements were recorded to test the allometric growth of several characters for female and male specimens, whereas additional metrics (four) were used to investigate its reproductive cycle, in the north-eastern Mediterranean Sea. Sex ratio analysis was not significantly different from the 1:1 ratio. The size at which 50% of the species attained sexual maturity (L50) was the lowest recorded within the Mediterranean Sea for both sexes (261 mm for females and 241 mm for males). Mature males occurred throughout the year, whilst mature females (capable to reproduce) were present in spring and early autumn. The number of embryos ranged from five to 13 per brood. Stomach content examination revealed a preference of T. marmorata for fishes, with differences in prey item consumption between the Ionian and the Aegean Sea. This is the first attempt to describe the life-history traits of T. marmorata in the Greek Seas that will contribute to the future conservation status of the species.
... In the Mediterranean Mawia has so far been found only in the northern Adriatic (TB and NEA). After rare findings in autumn 2013, it was numerous in January 2014, was observed again in January 2016, October 2017 [140], December 2018, and December 2020 [123,141]. In the Adriatic it is considered a non-native species. ...
One of the obstacles to detecting regional trends in jellyfish populations is the lack of a defined baseline. In the Adriatic Sea, the jellyfish fauna (Scyphozoa and Ctenophora) is poorly studied compared to other taxa. Therefore, our goal was to collect and systematize all available data and provide a baseline for future studies. Here we present phenological data and relative abundances of jellyfish based on 2010–2019 scientific surveys and a “citizen science” sighting program along the eastern Adriatic. Inter-annual variability, seasonality and spatial distribution patterns of Scyphomedusae and Ctenophore species were described and compared with existing historical literature. Mass occurrences with a clear seasonal pattern and related to the geographical location were observed for meroplanktonic Scyphomedusae Aurelia solida, Rhizostoma pulmo, and to a lesser extent Chrysaora hysoscella, Cotylorhiza tuberculata and Discomedusa lobata. Holoplanktonic Pelagia noctiluca also formed large aggregations, which were seasonally less predictable and restricted to the central and southern Adriatic. Four species of Ctenophora produced blooms limited to a few areas: Bolinopsis vitrea, Leucothea multicornis, Cestum veneris and the non-native Mnemiopsis leidyi. However, differences between Adriatic subregions have become less pronounced since 2014. Our results suggest that gelatinous organisms are assuming an increasingly important role in the Adriatic ecosystem, which may alter the balance of the food web and lead to harmful and undesirable effects.
... The lionfish was reported for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea off Israel in 1991 [15], and following a twenty-year gap in observations it was sighted off nearby Lebanon in 2012 [16]. Then, within two years, a plethora of records followed from the entire Levantine Sea [17][18][19][20][21]. Its population expansion and establishment in the Mediterranean Sea were finally evident in several areas of the southern and central Aegean Sea and the eastern parts of the Ionian Sea, even reaching areas of the central Mediterranean Sea since 2015 [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]. Such timing accounts for one of the fastest fish invasions ever reported in the region. ...
Biological invasions constitute a major threat to native ecosystems and to global biodiversity [...]
... In the Mediterranean Sea, three torpedinids are commonly found: the Common Torpedo Ray Torpedo torpedo (L. 1758), the Marbled Electric Ray T. marmorata Risso, 1810 and the Great Torpedo Ray Tetronarce nobiliana (Bonaparte, 1835) Follesa et al., 2019a) with the latter being considered rare in the Basin with occasional captures (Bakiu and Troplini, 2018;Follesa et al., 2019a;Tiralongo et al., 2019). A recent study based on experimental trawl surveys in the Mediterranean (Follesa et al., 2019a) showed that torpedinid species are distributed in the whole Basin with higher densities for T. marmorata and T. torpedo in the westernmost areas, while T. nobiliana is mainly caught in the Central-Eastern Basin, further confirming its rarity. ...
Despite being commonly recognized by the general public, knowledge about the biology and life-history of electric rays is still scarce. Globally, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, more of the 80% of the species belonging to the Torpedinidae family are, indeed, classified as Data Deficient, so as, in most of the cases, no proper management measures are available for the conservation of these species. For this reason, the main goal of this study is to provide new information on life-history traits of three species inhabiting the Mediterranean Sea. Age and growth were estimated through direct annuli count of 146 vertebral centra sections of Torpedo marmorata. Females’ growth pattern was found to be better described by a S-shaped function (Gompertz L∞ = 622 mm TL; k = 0.15; IP = 2.75 years), while males’ by a logarithmic one (von Bertalanffy L∞ = 485 mm TL; k = 0.14; t0 = -2.28). The oldest female and male were aged 17 (560 mm TL) and 11 (432 mm TL), respectively. Females (L50 = 379 mm TL and A50 = 5.5 years) appeared to mature later than males (L50 = 272 mm TL and A50 = 3.8 years), also attaining bigger sizes. Despite the observation of late-pregnant females being found only in autumn and regressing ones in autumn and winter, the presence of juveniles during the whole year may indicate a longer reproductive period. The stomach content analysis identified T. marmorata as a top predator (TROPH = 4.38) with a very narrow trophic niche (Bi = 0.22), extremely specialized in feeding on bony fishes. In addition, this work provides new and updated information on T. torpedo and the rare Tetronarce nobiliana growth, reproductive features and diet. Therefore, offering new essential data to assess the population conditions of all Torpedinidae species that inhabit the Mediterranean Sea, will lead to effective conservation plans.
... Cassiopea andromeda is a non-indigenous jellyfish species that possibly takes advantage of the warming tendency in the Mediterranean Sea. Recently detected in Malta, Sicily and other areas beyond the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, this benthic jellyfish seems to be well adapted to mesotrophic waters near harbors and closed bays in where water has low hydrodynamism (Yokeş et al. 2018). Due to the fact that many coastal areas all over the Mediterranean are no longer oligotrophic, the dispersion of this species may accelerate its path. ...
Despite covering only 0.82% of the ocean’s surface, the Mediterranean Sea supports up to 18% of all known marine species, with 21% being listed as vulnerable and 11% as endangered. The acceler- ated spread of tropical non-indigenous species is leading to the “tropicalization” of Mediterranean fauna and flora as a result of warming and extreme heat waves since the 1990s. The acidification rate in the Mediterranean waters has ranged between 0.055 and 0.156 pH units since the pre-industrial period, affecting the marine trophic chain, from its primary producers (i.e., coccolithophores and fo- raminifera) to corals and coralline red algae.
Projections for high emission scenarios show that endemic assemblages will be modified with numerous species becoming extinct in the mid 21st century and changes to the natural habitats of commercially valuable species, which would have many repercussions on marine ecosystem services such as tourism, fisheries, climate regulation, and ultimately on human health.
Adaptation strategies to reduce environmental change impacts need effective mitigation policies and actions. They require anticipatory planning to enable them to tackle problems while they are still manageable. Given the diversity of each Mediterranean sub-basin, wider monitoring coverage is needed to strengthen our knowledge about the different adaptation processes that characterize and best suit each geographical zone. Adaptation implies the implementation of more sustainable fishing practices as well as reducing pollution from agricultural activity, sustainable tourism or developing more effective waste management. Marine protected areas can potentially have an insurance role if they are established in locations not particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification and climate change.
... The species was recently re-described by Tilbrook (1999), leading Ulman et al. (2017) to conclude that the specimens found in Turkish and Greek marinas belong to the yet undescribed Hippopodina sp. collected by Tilbrook (2006) (Cervera et al. 2004), has now been identified by molecular analysis and reported from three different locations in southern Turkey (Yokeş et al. 2018). Genetic analyses were also instrumental in verifying the presence of the pomacentrid Abudefduf vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) in the Mediterranean Sea, which had been excluded from the list of established species in Zenetos et al. (2017), after it was concluded by Tsadok et al. (2015) that the population in Israel actually belonged to A. saxatilis. ...
Abstract The current amendments to the Mediterranean marine Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) inventory for the period 2017-2019 are the result of a continuous literature search and update of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) offline database. They take into account recent findings, previously missed records, back-dated records based on the re-examination of existing material or phylogenetic studies and changes in nomenclature. During the period 2017-2019, 70 new species were added to the inventory of established species, 25 that had escaped our attention in the past and 23 newly introduced, which have already established self-sustaining populations. Meanwhile, 22 species previously known only with casual records have established viable populations and a total of 36 species have expanded their distribution into new Marine Strategy Framework Directive regions, primarily the Central Mediterranean and the Adriatic Sea. Intensified research efforts, prompted by the reporting obligations created by recent legislation, complemented by ever expanding networks and initiatives involving citizen scientists have certainly contributed to higher rates of discovery of alien species presences. However, the expansion of tropical and sub-tropical species into the cooler waters of the Aegean, the Adriatic and the western Mediterranean indicates that the warming of Mediterranean waters due to climate change is also facilitating the geographic expansion of NIS in the region. The rate of new introductions in this 3-year period is 8 species per year for the whole Mediterranean, without taking into account casual records or species with reporting lags. Only 4 species per year enter through the Suez Canal, while a considerable number of species are introduced through shipping vectors and the aquarium trade. Acknowledging the dynamic nature of invasions and the uncertainty inherent in compiling check lists, we consider the present work as the most accurate and up-to-date NIS list to inform policy, management and decision-making.
... Cassiopea andromeda is a non-indigenous jellyfish species that possibly takes advantage of the warming tendency in the Mediterranean Sea. Recently detected in Malta, Sicily and other areas beyond the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, this benthic jellyfish seems to be well adapted to mesotrophic waters near harbors and closed bays in where water has low hydrodynamism (Yokeş et al. 2018). Due to the fact that many coastal areas all over the Mediterranean are no longer oligotrophic, the dispersion of this species may accelerate its path. ...
Mediterranean Ecosystem report on Climate and Global changes.
Balzan MV, Hassoun AER, Aroua N, Baldy V, Bou Dagher M, Branquinho C, Dutay
J-C, El Bour M, Médail F, Mojtahid M, Morán-Ordóñez A, Roggero PP, Rossi Heras S, Schatz B, Vogiatzakis IN, Zaimes GN, Ziveri P 2020 Ecosystems. In: Climate and Environmental Change in the Mediterranean Basin – Current Situation and Risks for the Future. First Mediterranean Assessment Report [Cramer W, Guiot J, Marini K (eds.)] Union for the Mediterranean, Plan Bleu, UNEP/MAP, Marseille, France, 151pp, in press
... Cassiopea andromeda is a non-indigenous jellyfish species that possibly takes advantage of the warming tendency in the Mediterranean Sea. Recently detected in Malta, Sicily and other areas beyond the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, this benthic jellyfish seems to be well adapted to mesotrophic waters near harbors and closed bays in where water has low hydrodynamism (Yokeş et al. 2018). Due to the fact that many coastal areas all over the Mediterranean are no longer oligotrophic, the dispersion of this species may accelerate its path. ...
Marine ecosystems:
Despite covering only 0.82% of the ocean’s surface, the Mediterranean Sea supports up to 18% of all known marine species, with 21% being listed as vulnerable and 11% as endangered. The accelerated spread of tropical non-indigenous species is leading to the “tropicalization” of Mediterranean fauna and flora as a result of warming and extreme heat waves since the 1990s. The acidification rate in the Mediterranean waters has ranged between 0.055 and 0.156 pH units since the pre-industrial period, affecting the marine trophic chain, from its primary producers (i.e., coccolithophores and foraminifera) to corals and coralline red algae. Projections for high emission scenarios show that endemic assemblages will be modified with numerous species becoming extinct in the mid 21st century and changes to the natural habitats of commercially valuable species, which would have many repercussions on marine ecosystem services such as tourism, fisheries, climate regulation, and ultimately on human health. Adaptation strategies to reduce environmental change impacts need effective mitigation policies and actions. They require anticipatory planning to enable them to tackle problems while they are still manageable. Given the diversity of each Mediterranean sub-basin, wider monitoring coverage is needed to strengthen our knowledge about the different adaptation processes that characterize and best suit each geographical zone. Adaptation implies the implementation of more sustainable fishing practices as well as reducing pollution from agricultural activity, sustainable tourism or developing more effective waste management. Marine protected areas can potentially have an insurance role if they are established in locations not particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification and climate change.
Coastal ecosystems:
The coastal zone, i.e. the area in which the interaction between marine systems and the land dominate ecological and resource systems, is a hotspot of risks, especially in the south-eastern Mediterranean region. Alterations to coastal ecosystems (lagoons, deltas, salt marshes, etc.) due to climate change and human activities affect the flow of nutrients to the sea, the magnitude, timing and composition of potentially harmful/toxic plankton blooms. They also significantly increase the number and frequency of jellyfish outbreaks, and could have negative impacts on fisheries. 1.2 to 5% of seagrass meadows in the Mediterranean Sea, which represent 5 to 17% of the worldwide seagrass habitat, are lost each year. Among them, almost half of the surveyed Posidonia oceanica sites have suffered net density losses of over 20% in 10 years. As for fish, non-indigenous species and climate change cause local extinction. Projected temperature increases combined with a decrease in nutrient replenishment and ocean acidification, are expected to cause changes in plankton communities, negative impacts on fish, corals, seagrass meadows and propagation of non-indigenous species. Projected sea level rise will impact coastal wetlands deltas and lagoons. Extensive urbanization added to climate change is also expected to threaten coastal ecosystems, human health and well-being. A nexus approach is required when trying to establish adaptation methods for the entire Mediterranean, while taking into account ecosystem-based management, synergies and conflicts, integrating local knowledge and institutions. Suitable adaptation policies include reducing pollution runoff, both from agriculture and industry and waste management, and policies to limit or prevent acidification. Conservation planning and management should focus on cross-cutting approaches and building resilience between structural and functional connectivities of various fields.
Terrestrial ecosystems:
Biodiversity changes in the Mediterranean over the past 40 years have occurred more quickly and been more significant than in other regions of the world. Urbanization and the loss of grasslands are key factors of ecosystem degradation across the region. Since 1990, agricultural abandonment has led to a general increase in forest areas in the northern Mediterranean, while in the southern Mediterranean, ecosystems are still at risk of fragmentation or disappearance due to human pressure from clearing and cultivation, overexploitation of firewood and overgrazing. Drylands have significant biodiversity value, with many of the plants and animals highly adapted to water-limited conditions. They are undergoing an overall increase in response to climate change and extensive land abandonment. 48% of Mediterranean wetlands were lost between 1970 and 2013, with 36% of wetland-dependent animals in the Mediterranean threatened with extinction. Because of the reduction in river flows, 40% of fish species in Mediterranean rivers are endangered. Projections for the 21st century indicate drier climate and increased human pressure, with negative impacts on terrestrial biodiversity, forest productivity, burned areas, freshwater ecosystems and agrosystems. Future projections indicate that burnt areas can increase across the region by up to 40% in a 1.5°C warming scenario and up to 100% from current levels for 3°C warming at the end of the century. Mediterranean drylands will become drier and their extent is expected to increase across the region. Projections suggest decreased hydrological connectivity, increased concentration of pollutants during droughts, changes in biological communities as a result of harsher environmental conditions, and a decrease in biological processes such as nutrient uptake, primary production, and decomposition. Promotion of ‘climate-wise connectivity’ through permeability of the landscape matrix, dispersal corridors and habitat networks are key to facilitating upward the migration of lowland species to mountains in order to adapt to new climate change conditions. Promotion of mixedspecies forest stands and sylvicultural practices such as thinning, and management of understory can promote the adaption of Mediterranean forests to climate change. Promotion of the spatial heterogeneity of the landscape matrix can help reduce fire impacts. The preservation of the natural flow variability of Mediterranean rivers and streams and wide riparian areas, along with reductions in water demand are key to the adaptation of freshwater ecosystems to future climate change.
