scholarly journals Assessment of coastal fish assemblages before the establishment of a new marine protected area in central Mediterranean: its role in formulating zoning proposal

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. LA MESA ◽  
E. SALVATI ◽  
S. AGNESI ◽  
L. TUNESI
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Scuba Diving ◽  
Northwestern Part ◽  
Total Density ◽  
Central Mediterranean ◽  
Italian Law ◽  
Depth Ranges

The fish assemblages of the coastal area of the promontory of Cape Milazzo (Italy, Central Mediterranean), which has been recently designated by the Italian Law to become a national marine protected area (MPA), were characterized by visual censuses carried out over different habitats (rocky algal reef, Posidonia oceanica meadow and soft bottom) and depth ranges (0-3, 4-7, 12-16 and 24-30 m) to identify areas of major concern for the MPA zoning. The study area was divided into 6 sectors to assess spatial-related differences in the assemblage parameters, such as species composition and richness, and the size structure of species of recreational (e.g. SCUBA diving) interest. Fifty-eight taxa (56 species and 2 genera) and 20 families of fishes were totally recorded. Species composition was significantly affected by habitat and depth, whereas no significant changes were detected among sectors. Conversely, species richness and total density of fish showed no significant differences among sectors, habitat types and depth ranges. The majority of species of recreational value was recorded only off the northwestern part of the promontory. The implementation of fishing ban in such an area, characterized by the presence of a rocky bank, would contribute to the recovery of populations of some emblematic species (e.g. groupers and other large predator) and to the enhancement of environmentally sustainable activities such as scuba diving. Throughout the investigated area and, especially, in the eastern and southwestern coasts of the promontory, several species were almost exclusively represented by small and medium sized individuals, a likely consequence of an intense fishing pressure.

scholarly journals The demersal fish assemblages of the infra and circalittoral coastal rocky bottoms of the Aeolian Archipelago (Central Mediterranean Sea) studied by Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
IVAN CONSALVO ◽  
GABRIELE La MESA ◽  
SIMONEPIETRO CANESE ◽  
MICHELA GIUSTI ◽  
EVA SALVATI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Demersal Fish ◽  
Total Density ◽  
Depth Range ◽  
Remotely Operated Vehicle ◽  
Depth Ranges ◽  
Aeolian Archipelago ◽  
Rocky Bottoms

Demersal fish assemblages on the rocky bottoms of the Aeolian Archipelago were investigated using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) within the framework of research activities aimed at drawing up the zoning proposal of a new Italian national marine protected area. Visual assessments were conducted around the seven main islands by means of a total of 36 ROV transects. Video material was divided into 3 parts belonging to 3 Archipelago sectors (Western, Central and Eastern) and into 3 depth ranges (20-50, 51-120, 121-190). Thirty taxa of teleosts (29 species and 1 genus) belonging to 16 families were recorded. The assemblages were numerically dominated by some schooling fishes, such as Anthias anthias, Callanthias ruber and Chromis chromis, which exhibited a depth related partitioning of space, and three non-gregarious species, i.e. Serranus cabrilla, Coris julis and Lappanella fasciata. In terms of species composition, the assemblages observed in the sectors of the Archipelago largely overlapped. No significant sector-related differences were detected in fish species richness, diversity and total density. Species composition and the investigated assemblage parameters were significantly affected by depth. The pattern of variation in species richness among depth ranges changed depending on the archipelago sectors. No significant interaction between the factors depth range and sector was observed for species diversity and total density. Diversity values at 20-50 and 121-190 m depth were similar and significantly higher than that at 51-120 m depth. Fish total density showed a clear decreasing trend with increasing depth, though significant differences were detected between the 20-50 and 51-120 depth layers and the deepest one. Overall, the demersal fish assemblage of the Aeolian Archipelago was poorly diversified and depleted, most likely due to overfishing. This information highlighted the importance of the adoption of specific measures aimed at the recovery of overexploited resources and the restoration of the whole marine ecosystems.

Homing and home range of the European spiny lobster, Palinurus elephas (Decapoda, Palinuridae) acoustically tracked

Crustaceana ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 92 (4) ◽  
pp. 463-476
Author(s):  
Vincenzo M. Giacalone ◽  
Arturo Zenone ◽  
Fabio Badalamenti ◽  
Javier Ciancio ◽  
Gaspare Buffa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
High Spatial Resolution ◽  
Spiny Lobster ◽  
Ultrasonic Telemetry ◽  
Central Mediterranean ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
First Time ◽  
Palinurus Elephas

Abstract A specific study has been carried out for the first time to investigate the homing capability and daily home range of the spiny lobster Palinurus elephas by means of ultrasonic telemetry. Nine lobsters collected in the Capo Gallo — Isola delle Femmine marine protected area (northwestern Sicily, central Mediterranean) were tagged with miniaturized transmitters and released at a single site inside the protected area. The lobsters were monitored with the purpose of calculating their horizontal and vertical positions, analysing their movement patterns to assess their homing capability, and calculating their daily home range. Five lobsters moved back close to the capture sites within the first 20 hours after release (‘homed’). The remaining four lobsters ‘relocated’ to a different refuge. Homed lobsters had a larger home range than relocated lobsters. This study provides the first description of a homing pattern with high spatial resolution in the wild European spiny lobster as inferred by ultrasonic telemetry.

scholarly journals Benthic impacts of recreational divers in a Mediterranean Marine Protected Area

2009 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 517-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatriz Luna ◽  
Carlos Valle Pérez ◽  
Jose Luis Sánchez-Lizaso
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Natural Environment ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Scuba Diving ◽  
Field Sampling ◽  
Frequent Type ◽  
Recreational Scuba ◽  
Benthic Impacts

Abstract Luna, B., Valle Pérez, C., and Sánchez-Lizaso, J. L. 2009. Benthic impacts of recreational divers in a Mediterranean Marine Protected Area. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 517–523. The features of many Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have increased scuba diving tourism in these areas. Impacts caused by recreational scuba activity vary widely among different divers with differing underwater behaviour. We studied diver underwater behaviour, the effects on the natural environment, and the characteristics that may influence diver behaviour. In all, 181 recreational divers were followed, and contacts and the effects produced were recorded. Information on diver profile and dive features was recorded. Field sampling revealed that 175 of the divers observed (96.7%) made at least one contact with the seabed, with a mean contact of 41.20 ± 3.55 (mean ± s.e.) per diver per 10 min. Flapping was the most frequent type of contact, and the main damage by this action was to raise sediment. Contact with the seabed was greater for males than for females, inexperienced divers than for experienced divers, camera or lantern (dive light) users than for non-users, and divers unaccompanied by a dive leader or who had not been briefed about avoiding seabed contact before undertaking a dive than for accompanied or briefed divers. A greater understanding of the causes of harmful behaviour may be useful for stricter management, reducing diving damage and assuring the sustainability of this activity in MPAs.

Impacts of recreational scuba diving on a marine protected area in central Philippines: A case of the Gilutongan marine sanctuary

2008 ◽  
Vol 42 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Danilo T Dy ◽  
Frederick A. Uy ◽  
Victoria Emmily C. Caindec ◽  
Jeddah Lyn D Perez
Keyword(s):  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Scuba Diving ◽  
Recreational Scuba

Changes in trophic ecology of fish assemblages after no take Marine Protected Area designation in the southwestern coast of Portugal

2017 ◽  
Vol 137 ◽  
pp. 144-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tadeu José Pereira ◽  
Joana Manique ◽  
Bernardo Ruivo Quintella ◽  
Nuno Castro ◽  
Pedro Raposo de Almeida ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Area ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Marine Protected Area

scholarly journals Performance of a baited underwater video system vs. the underwater visual census technique in assessing the structure of fish assemblages in a Mediterranean marine protected area

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 480
Author(s):  
GABRIELLA LA MANNA ◽  
IVAN GUALA ◽  
DANIELE GRECH ◽  
FRANCESCO PERRETTI ◽  
FABIO RONCHETTI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Underwater Video ◽  
Visual Census ◽  
Underwater Visual Census ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
High Level

Accurate, rapid and cost-effective fish assemblage monitoring is fundamental for marine protected area (MPA) management as a pivotal tool to verify whether and to what extent MPA conservation objectives have been achieved and to redefine these objectives in the framework of an adaptive management. Recently, there has been a sharp increase in the number of video-based methods to study fish fauna, such as baited remote underwater video (BRUV) systems, that, depending on the objectives of the monitoring, can provide complementary or additional data to the more commonly used underwater visual census (UVC). Even though BRUV systems have been widely used in a wide range of geographic contexts and habitats, their use in the Mediterranean basin is still sporadic and the evaluation of the efficiency of BRUV systems and whether they can be used to complement other techniques needs investigation. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the performance of a BRUV system in a Mediterranean MPA and to evaluate its effectiveness in assessing the structure of fish assemblages (abundance and species richness) by comparing estimates with those obtained by the UVC technique. The fish fauna were monitored by BRUV and UVC in the Capo Caccia – Isola Piana Marine Protected Area (Sardinia, Italy), in July and October-November 2020, at four sampling sites and two areas, hundreds of meters apart, for each site. Overall, 46 taxa and a total of 3620 individuals were observed by BRUV, while 36 taxa and a total of 2995 individuals were observed by UVC. The species first observed in front of the camera’s field of view and able to reach the maximum abundance were the planktivores (Chromis chromis and Oblada melanura) followed by several carnivorous species belonging to the families Labridae, Serranidae and Sparidae, and lastly two carnivores (Mullus surmuletus and Mugilidae spp.) and some high-level predators (Dentex dentex, Seriola dumerili, Sphyraena viridensis, Dicentrarchus labrax). The maximum species richness and abundance were reached between 39 and 50 min. The cumulative species richness increased until around 30 min. Species richness was higher during the BRUV compared to the UVC monitoring. The consistency in findings between BRUV and UVC and a better performance of BRUV in detecting some species (mainly high-level predators), supports BRUV as an additional technique for describing and quantifying species richness and abundance also in the Mediterranean Sea. Based on the results of this study, the advantages/disadvantages, shortcomings, suggestions and resources needed for the two techniques are outlined.

scholarly journals Effects of global warming on Mediterranean coral forests

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Chimienti ◽  
Diana De Padova ◽  
Maria Adamo ◽  
Michele Mossa ◽  
Antonella Bottalico ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Warming Trend ◽  
Tyrrhenian Sea ◽  
Central Mediterranean ◽  
Paramuricea Clavata ◽  
Basin Scale ◽  
Tropical Areas

AbstractThe effects of global warming have been addressed on coral reefs in tropical areas, while it is still unclear how coral forests are reacting, particularly at temperate latitudes. Here we show how mesophotic coral forests are affected by global warming in the Mediterranean Sea. We highlight how the current warming trend is causing the lowering of the thermocline and it is enhancing mucilaginous blooms. These stressors are facilitating a massive macroalgal epibiosis on living corals, here reported for the first time from different areas in the Western and Central Mediterranean Sea. We provide a focus of this phenomenon at Tremiti Islands Marine Protected Area (Adriatic Sea), were the density of the endemic red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata decreased of up to 47% in 5 years, while up to the 96% of the living corals showed signs of stress and macroalgal epibiosis. Only populations deeper than 60 m depth were not touched by this emerging phenomenon. Spot observations performed at Tuscan Archipelago and Tavolara Marine Protected Area (Tyrrhenian Sea) suggest that this this combination of stressors is likely widespread at basin scale.

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