scholarly journals Phenological and molecular studies on the introduced seaweed Dictyota cyanoloma (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae) along the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 766 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. ARAGAY ◽  
D. VITALES ◽  
A. GÓMEZ GARRETA ◽  
M. A. RIBERA SIGUAN ◽  
F. STEEN ◽  
...  

Dictyota cyanoloma, a distinctive brown algal species characterized by a blue-iridescent margin, was recently reported as an introduced species in the Mediterranean Sea (Steen et al., 2016) but little is known about its distribution dynamics, morphological plasticity and genetic structure. In the present integrative study, we evaluate its past and present occurrence along the Mediterranean Iberian coast, assess the species’ phenology in Palamós (Girona, Spain) and analyze the haplotype diversity by sequencing 49 individuals from nine sampling sites for different chloroplast and mitochondrial DNA regions. Although D. cyanoloma currently occurs along the Mediterranean Iberian coast (in 19 of 36 localities sampled between Algeciras and Llançà, mostly in marinas and harbour environments), we were not able to find any herbarium material of this species (at BCN-Phyc and MA) predating the year 1987. In Palamós, D. cyanoloma is present all through the year, with a maximum development in winter and a minimum in summer. Fertile specimens are absent during summer (July and August). Sporophytes are dominant from January to June and dioecious gametophytes were found only in February, March and June. Information about the antheridia, which has never been described before, is provided. Two chloroplast and three mitochondrial haplotypes were observed, indicating that multiple introductions of D. cyanoloma occurred in the study area. Additionally, the genetic structure suggests that spread did not occur through simple advancing wave fronts but by several long-distance dispersal events. Further studies employing microsatellite markers could potentially offer a better resolution to unravel expansion and colonisation dynamics of D. cyanoloma in the Mediterranean Sea.

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-62
Author(s):  
Josep Francesc Bisbal-Chinesta ◽  
Karin Tamar ◽  
Ángel Gálvez ◽  
Luís Albero ◽  
Pablo Vicent-Castelló ◽  
...  

Abstract Human movements in the regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea have caused a great impact in the composition of terrestrial fauna due to the introductions of several allochthonous species, intentionally or not. Reptiles are one of the groups where this anthropic impact is most evident, owing to the extensive intra-Mediterranean dispersals of recent chronologies. Chalcides ocellatus is a widespread skink with a natural distribution that covers almost the entire Mediterranean Basin. Two hypotheses have been proposed to explain its origin: natural dispersions and human translocations. Previous molecular data suggest the occurrence of a recent dispersal phenomenon across the Mediterranean Sea. In this study we present the first record of this species in the Iberian Peninsula, in Serra del Molar (South-east Spain). We combined molecular analyses and archaeological records to study the origin of this population. The molecular results indicate that the population is phylogenetically closely related to specimens from north-eastern Egypt and southern Red Sea. We suggest that the species arrived at the Iberian Peninsula most likely through human-mediated dispersal by using the trade routes. Between the Iron to Middle Ages, even now, the region surrounding Serra del Molar has been the destination of human groups and commercial goods of Egyptian origins, in which Chalcides ocellatus could have arrived as stowaways. The regional geomorphological evolution would have restricted its expansion out of Serra del Molar. These findings provide new data about the impact of human movements on faunal introductions and present new information relating to mechanisms of long-distance translocations.


1998 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbro Lundberg ◽  
Linda Olsvig-Whittaker

Algal species composition and cover data were collected from sixteen stations along 150 km of the Mediterranean coast of Israel during 1973–1995. The samples produced 185 composite samples from three habitat types, platform, wall, and rocky sea floor, which were analyzed using numerical classification and ordination techniques (TWINSPAN and RDA) to determine whether habitat, season, site, or yearly patterns correlate with observed differences between the algal communities. We conclude that habitat is the most important factor determining algal community composition, followed by season and site. Community patterns fluctuate between years but show no trends. Some recommendations for future monitoring are given.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. e0174988 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Catarino ◽  
Sergio Stefanni ◽  
Per Erik Jorde ◽  
Gui M. Menezes ◽  
Joan B. Company ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 98 (5) ◽  
pp. 1003-1009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Bittau ◽  
Mattia Leone ◽  
Adrien Gannier ◽  
Alexandre Gannier ◽  
Renata Manconi

Sowerby's beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens) was previously known in the Mediterranean Sea from a single live stranding of two individuals in the French Riviera. We report here on two live sightings in the western Mediterranean, central-western Tyrrhenian Sea off eastern Corsica (Montecristo Trough) and off eastern Sardinia (Caprera Canyon) in 2010 and 2012, respectively. In both cases single individuals, possibly the same individual, occurred within groups of Cuvier's beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) suggesting inter-specific interactions. Based on our close observations of mixed-species groups of Sowerby's and Cuvier's beaked whales, we hypothesize that some previous long-distance sightings of beaked whales in the Mediterranean may not be reliably attributed to Z. cavirostris. The present sightings and previous live stranding indicate that the western Mediterranean Sea is the easternmost marginal area of M. bidens within the North Atlantic geographic range. Notes on behaviour are also provided.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. e80105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Riccioni ◽  
Marco Stagioni ◽  
Monica Landi ◽  
Giorgia Ferrara ◽  
Guido Barbujani ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (7) ◽  
pp. 1509-1512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús Tomás ◽  
Manel Gazo ◽  
Carla Álvarez ◽  
Patricia Gozalbes ◽  
Diana Perdiguero ◽  
...  

We report the information on loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nesting events which occurred on the Spanish Mediterranean coast in 2006. Two clutches of 78 and 82 eggs were discovered in the provinces of Valencia (eastern Spain) and Barcelona (north-eastern Spain). We discuss the increasing number of reports of sea turtle nests in Spain within the context of the nesting range of this species in the Mediterranean Sea.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lea Fink ◽  
Volker Matthias ◽  
Matthias Karl ◽  
Ronny Petrik ◽  
Elisa Majamäki ◽  
...  

<p>Shipping has major contribution to emissions of air pollutants like NOx and SO2 and the global maritime transport volumes are projected to increase significantly. The Mediterranean Sea is a region with dense ship traffic. Air quality observations in many cities along the Mediterranean coast indicate high levels of NO2 and particulate matter with significant contributions from ship emissions.<br>To quantify the current impact of shipping on air pollution, models for ship emissions and atmospheric transport can be applied, but model predictions may differ from observational data. To determine how well regional scale chemistry transport models simulate pollutant concentrations, the model outputs from several regional scale models were compared against each other and to measured data.<br>In the framework of the EU H2020 project SCIPPER, ship emission model STEAM and the regional scale models CMAQ and CHIMERE model were applied on a modelling domain covering the Mediterranean Sea. Modeling results were compared to air quality observations at coastal locations. The impact of shipping in the Mediterranean Sea was extracted from the model excluding shipping emissions.</p><p> </p>


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