João Canning-Clode

MARE - Centre of Marine and Environmental Sciences · Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação Tecnologia e Inovação (ARDITI)

The invasion of habitats by non-indigenous species (NIS) occurs at a global scale and can generate significant ecological, evolutionary, economic and social consequences. Estuarine and coastal ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to pollution from numerous sources due to years of human-induced degradation and shipping. Pollution is considered as...

New marine invasions have been recorded in increasing numbers along the world's coasts due in part to the warming of the oceans and the ability of many invasive marine species to tolerate a broader thermal range than native species. Several marine invertebrate species have invaded the U.S. southern and mid-Atlantic coast from the Caribbean and this...

Aim  We investigate the relationship between local and regional richness in marine fouling assemblages using an expanded and globally replicated approach by incorporating two dimensions of diversity (taxonomic and functional) and different successional stages. Location  Global. Methods  In eight different biogeographic regions (Australia, Brazil,...

In recent years, several marine non-indigenous species (NIS) lists have been produced for many European countries but little is known about the diversity and distribution of fouling NIS in Portugal (mainland and islands). We conducted a six-year survey of a marina located on the south coast of Madeira island, Portugal to assess NIS diversity on the...

Aim Invasion dynamics are sensitive to global‐scale changes. New marine invasions have been recorded in dramatically increasing numbers along the world's coasts, due, in part, to the global warming of the oceans and the ability of many successful invasive marine species to tolerate a broader thermal range than native species. As a response to ocean...

The mesophotic zone represents one of our planet’s largest and least explored biomes. An increasing number of studies evidence the importance of macrofouling species in marine ecosystems, but information on these communities and the factors influencing their structures at mesophotic depths remain poor. This lack of understanding limits our ability...

https://oceanographicmagazine.com/features/madeira-a-beacon-for-deep-sea-research/

After the arrival and proliferation of Rugulopteryx okamurae in the Açores archipelago, the spread of this species continued in the Macaronesian Region, being reported in Madeira archipelago in December 2021. The first risk assessment (AS-ISK) of this species in Madeira island, developed in early 2022, showed a medium-high risk of becoming invasive...

The Working Group on Ballast and Other Ship Vectors under the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, and Inter-national Maritime Organization (ICES/IOC/IMO WGBOSV) aims to provide scientific support to international decision-making to reduce the risk of spread and establishment of...

The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) stands out as one of the most vulnerable marine mammal species globally. In the European Atlantic, the Madeira archipelago serves as the last stronghold for M. monachus, with an estimated population of less than 30 individuals. Anthropogenic pollutants can significantly impact immune and endocrine sys...

The globally threatened European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is the only freshwater fish native to Macaronesia. Despite being a keystone species to freshwater habitats, little is known about its population, environmental associations and conservation requirements in oceanic islands. The density and geographical-related factors influencing the distribut...

Societal Impact Statement Seagrass ecosystems are of fundamental importance to our planet and wellbeing. Seagrasses are marine flowering plants, which engineer ecosystems that provide a multitude of ecosystem services, for example, blue foods and carbon sequestration. Seagrass ecosystems have largely been degraded across much of their global range....

The increasing global demand for seafood, coupled with the limitations of current fish stocks and aquaculture practices, requires the development of sustainable aquaculture solutions. In this context, this study explores the potential of a novel cage technology - Flow2Vortex - for the cultivation of jellyfish, a low-trophic-level organism with incr...

Non-indigenous species (NIS) spread from marinas to natural environments is influenced by niche availability, habitat suitability, and local biotic resistance. This study explores the effect of indigenous fish feeding behaviour on NIS proliferation using fouling communities, pre-grown on settlement plates, as two distinct, representative models: on...

As the effects of climate change and human activities continue to reshape marine environments, acquiring a profound understanding of ecosystems' structure and functioning becomes imperative. This entails focusing on biodiversity, monitoring the possible influx of non-indigenous species, and observing community phenology. Within this context, gela...

The first record of a mat-forming zoantharian species, Zoanthus pulchellus (Duchassaing and Michelotti, 1860), in Madeira Island, Portugal (NE Atlantic).

The Workshop on ‘Establishing thresholds: workshop on the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) Newly Introduced Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) (D2C1)’ took place online on the 24th November 2022, aiming at discussing and making progress towards establishing threshold values for the criterion D2C1. The workshop was organised by the Joint Researc...

In both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, invasive species are a major driver of global change that is increasing in scope and impact due to the increase in global trade, habitat modification and climate change. Among invasive species, those that are known as ‘ecosystem engineers’ are considered a specific, highly influential, type of invaders, w...

After the arrival and proliferation of Rugulopteryx okamurae in the Açores archipelago, the spread of this species continues in the Macaronesian Region, being reported in Madeira archipelago in December 2021. The first risk assessment (AS-ISK) of this species in Madeira island, developed in early 2022, showed a medium-high risk of becoming invasive...

Hull fouling is considered to be the most significant vector of introduction of marine non-indigenous species (NIS) in the Madeira Archipelago (NE Atlantic) because these islands provide a vital passage route for many ships. The transfer of species between boat hulls and artificial substrates in marinas is known to be high. Bryozoans are among the...

Monitoring spatiotemporal patterns in marine environments is crucial to ensure a better understanding of ecosystem functioning and, ultimately, for adequate management and marine conservation policies. The lack of resources required for surveys and data acquisition often hampers the availability of long-term datasets, which can be partly mitigated...

The introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS) induces severe impacts on marine biodiversity and ecosystems. Macaronesia is an ecologically relevant region where several NIS were detected recently. For the first time, a standard experimental approach was designed to examine biofouling assemblages and investigate NIS across the region. In this con...

The introduction of the brown macroalgae Rugulopteryx okamurae is one of the most relevant recent cases of bioinvasions in European coastal waters. This species, native to the Sea of Japan, was introduced to the coasts of Spain and Morocco in 2015, and the Azores in 2019 (NE Atlantic), completely covering the rocky shores with impact at both ecolog...

The Mediterranean monk seal Monachus monachus is considered one of the most endangered species of marine mammal globally. The Madeira archipelago (NE Atlantic) represents the last refuge of M. monachus in the European Atlantic, with only 20 individuals thought to remain. Prey availability has been identified as one of the main concerns regarding th...

Coastal sprawl is among the main drivers of global degradation of shallow marine ecosystems. Among artificial substrates, quarry rock can have faster recruitment of benthic organisms than traditional concrete, which is instead more versatile for construction. However, the factors driving these differences are poorly understood. In this context, thi...

Harbours are highly modified habitats that differ from natural areas. They are hotspots of non-indigenous species (NIS) and act as stepping-stones in invasive processes. However, local communities can exert biotic resistance against biological invasions through trophic interactions and competition. This study assesses the biotic effects of predatio...

We describe the first observations of aggregation behavior in the endangered smoothhound, Mustelus mustelus, on Madeira Island (NE Atlantic) across six consecutive years. These observations contribute to the understanding of habitat use by early life stages of this endangered species, with regional implications for conservation efforts.

Mapping the distribution and evaluating the impacts of marine non-indigenous species (NIS) are two fundamental tasks for management purposes, yet they are often time consuming and expensive. This case study focuses on the NIS gilthead seabream Sparus aurata escaped from offshore farms in Madeira Island in order to test an innovative, cost-efficient...

Marinas are hubs for non-indigenous species (NIS) and constitute the nodes of a network of highly modified water bodies (HMWB) connected by recreational maritime traffic. Floating structures, such as pontoons, are often the surfaces with higher NIS abundance inside marinas and lead the risk for NIS introduction, establishment and spread. However, t...

The synergistic effects of biological invasions have long been considered significant causes of biodiversity loss worldwide. Therefore, early detection monitoring is crucial in mitigating nonindigenous species (NIS) threats. In the marine environment, settlement plates were used as monitoring devices in ports, but this method was mainly applied to...

Monitoring marine contamination by floating litter can be particularly challenging since debris are continuously moving over a large spatial extent pushed by currents, waves, and winds. Floating litter contamination have mostly relied on opportunistic surveys from vessels, modeling and, more recently, remote sensing with spectral analysis. This stu...

Invasive alien species are a major worldwide driver of biodiversity change. The current study lists verified records of non-indigenous species (NIS) in European marine waters until 2020, with the purpose of establishing a baseline, assessing trends, and discussing appropriate threshold values for good environmental status (GES) according to the rel...

Portugal mainland and Atlantic archipelagos (Madeira and Azores) provide a wide array of coastal ecosystems with varying typology and degrees of human pressure, which shape the microbial communities thriving in these habitats, leading to the development of microbial resistance traits. The samples collected on the Portuguese northeast Atlantic coast...

The brown macroalgae Rugulopteryx okamurae is described as one of the most severe and threatening invasive marine macroalgae in European waters. This study reports the first record of R. okamurae in the Madeira archipelago, which represents a new southern distribution limit of this species in NE Atlantic European waters. Morphological and molecular...

The goal of the ICES Working Group on the Introduction and Transfers of Marine Organisms (WGITMO) is to contribute to the ICES vision and mission by addressing specific science objectives related to the introduction, spread and impacts of non-indigenous marine species (NIS). The expert working group provides information and advice on the impacts of...

The Madeira archipelago has a unique underwater landscape that is characterised by narrow shelves, steep slopes and a large submarine tributary system that boosts primary productivity in oligotrophic waters and thus offers a potential for hotspots of biodiversity. Despite this, there have been limited deep-water exploration activities with less tha...

Microplastics (<5 mm) are a ubiquitous marine pollutant which are highly bioavailable to marine organisms across all trophic levels. Marine predators are especially vulnerable to microplastic pollution through direct and indirect ingestion (e.g., trophic transfer) due to their high trophic position. In particular, oceanic islands are more susceptib...

The ingestion of microplastics (MPs - plastic particles <5 mm) by planktivorous organisms represents a significant threat to marine food webs. To investigate how seasonality might affect plastic intake in oceanic islands' ecosystems, relative abundances and composition of MPs and mesozooplankton samples collected off Madeira Island (NE Atlantic) be...

Anthropogenic pressures such as the introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS) have impacted global biodiversity and ecosystems. Most marine species spreading outside their natural biogeographical limits are promoted and facilitated by maritime traffic through ballast water and hull biofouling. Propagule pressure plays a primary role in invasion...

This article presents a novel conceptual blueprint for an ‘ideal’, i.e., ecologically relevant, microplastic effect study. The blueprint considers how microplastics should be characterized and applied in laboratory experiments, and how biological responses should be measured to assure unbiased data that reliably reflect the effects of microplastics...

Marinas are a gateway for the introduction and establishment of non-indigenous species (NIS). In these habitats, competition and predation are crucial determinants for NIS establishment and invasiveness. However, fish trophic preferences and biotic effects inside marinas are poorly known. This study proposes a novel method that combines the deploym...

The Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus monachus, is considered one of the most endangered species of marine mammal globally. The Madeiran archipelago currently represents the last refuge of M. monachus in the European Atlantic, with only ~20 individuals thought to remain. Here we present the first assessment of environmental pollutants, namely micro...

Habitat loss and fragmentation, and biological invasions are widely considered the most significant threats to global biodiversity. While marine invasions have already shown dramatic impacts around the world’s coasts, many of these habitats are becoming increasingly urbanized, resulting in fragmentation of natural landscape worldwide. This study de...

Marine megafauna serve valuable ecological and economical roles globally, yet, many species have experienced precipitous population declines. The significance of marine megafauna is particularly evident in Macaronesia, a complex of oceanic archipelagos in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. Macaronesian islands provide important habitats for marine megaf...

The marine snail Xenophora crispa (d' Orbigny, 1847) is recorded for the first time in Madeira Island (NE Atlantic). This species is currently distributed throughout the central and western Mediterranean, western Atlantic from France (Gulf of Biscay) to North Africa (up to Morocco), including the Archipelagos of the Azores, Canary Islands, and now...

The increasing concentration of plastic debris in the oceanic environment represents a significant threat to marine organisms. Their fragmentation in small particles (< 5mm), defined as “microplastics” (MPs), raises concerns about the high likelihood of these contaminants entering marine food webs. The physical resemblance of MPs to zooplankton, an...

Aims The present study is the first attempt to grasp the scale and richness of marine biological invasions in Macaronesia. We pioneered a comprehensive non‐native species (NNS), inventory in the region to determine their diversity patterns and native distribution origins. NNS were defined here as the result of both introductions and range expansion...

In the present study, the ammonium formate version of the QuEChERS method, considered highly advantageous in relation to instrument maintenance and other issues, was applied for the first time to extract a group of twelve phthalic acid esters (PAEs, i.e. dipropyl phthalate, DPP; diisobutyl phthalate, DIBP; dibutyl phthalate, DBP; diisopentyl phthal...

Sea urchins possess specialized adhesive organs, tube feet. Although initially believed to function as suckers, it is currently accepted that they rely on adhesive and de-adhesive secretions to attach and detach repeatedly from the substrate. Given the biotechnological potential of their strong reversible adhesive, sea urchins are under investigati...

Ctenophores are fragile gelatinous organisms whose diversity and distribution are relatively unknown. For the first time, the occurrence of four planktonic species, namely Ocyropsis crystallina, Eurhamphaea vexilligera, Cestum veneris, and Beroe sp., was reported from Madeira Archipelago waters (NE subtropical Atlantic). This report represents the...

Current trends in the global climate facilitate the displacement of numerous marine species from their native distribution ranges to higher latitudes when facing warming conditions. In this work, we analyzed occurrences of a circumtropical reef fish, the spotfin burrfish, Chilomycterus reticulatus (Linnaeus, 1958), in the Madeira Archipelago (NE At...

Jellyfish are often described as a nuisance species, but as our understanding shifts to more ecosystem-based conceptions, they are also recognized as both important components of marine ecosystems and a resource for humans. Here, we describe global jellyfish fisheries and review production , fishing methods, and applications based on the existing l...

Jellyfish outbreaks are conspicuous natural events in marine ecosystems that have a substantial impact on the structure and dynamics of marine ecosystems and different economic sectors of human activities. Understanding the life cycle strategies of jellyfish species is therefore critical to mitigate the impacts these organisms may have. In this con...