scholarly journals SfM-Based Method to Assess Gorgonian Forests (Paramuricea clavata (Cnidaria, Octocorallia))

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Palma ◽  
Monica Casado ◽  
Ubaldo Pantaleo ◽  
Gaia Pavoni ◽  
Daniela Pica ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Paramuricea Clavata ◽  
Maximal Height ◽  
Maximal Width ◽  
The Mediterranean

Animal forests promote marine habitats morphological complexity and functioning. The red gorgonian, Paramuricea clavata, is a key structuring species of the Mediterranean coralligenous habitat and an indicator species of climate effects on habitat functioning. P. clavata metrics such as population structure, morphology and biomass inform on the overall health of coralligenous habitats, but the estimation of these metrics is time and cost consuming, and often requires destructive sampling. As a consequence, the implementation of long-term and wide-area monitoring programmes is limited. This study proposes a novel and transferable Structure from Motion (SfM) based method for the estimation of gorgonian population structure (i.e., maximal height, density, abundance), morphometries (i.e., maximal width, fan surface) and biomass (i.e., coenenchymal Dry Weight, Ash Free Dried Weight). The method includes the estimation of a novel metric (3D canopy surface) describing the gorgonian forest as a mosaic of planes generated by fitting multiple 5 cm × 5 cm facets to a SfM generated point cloud. The performance of the method is assessed for two different cameras (GoPro Hero4 and Sony NEX7). Results showed that for highly dense populations (17 colonies/m2), the SfM-method had lower accuracies in estimating the gorgonians density for both cameras (60% to 89%) than for medium to low density populations (14 and 7 colonies/m2) (71% to 100%). Results for the validation of the method showed that the correlation between ground truth and SfM estimates for maximal height, maximal width and fan surface were between R2 = 0.63 and R2 = 0.9, and R2 = 0.99 for coenenchymal surface estimation. The methodological approach was used to estimate the biomass of the gorgonian population within the study area and across the coralligenous habitat between −25 to −40 m depth in the Portofino Marine Protected Area. For that purpose, the coenenchymal surface of sampled colonies was obtained and used for the calculations. Results showed biomass values of dry weight and ash free dry weight of 220 g and 32 g for the studied area and to 365 kg and 55 Kg for the coralligenous habitat in the Marine Protected Area. This study highlighted the feasibility of the methodology for the quantification of P. clavata metrics as well as the potential of the SfM-method to improve current predictions of the status of the coralligenous habitat in the Mediterranean sea and overall management of threatened ecosystems.

Paramuricea clavata (Anthozoa, Octocorallia) loss in the Marine Protected Area of Tavolara (Sardinia, Italy) due to a mass mortality event

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 107-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Huete-Stauffer ◽  
Ilaria Vielmini ◽  
Marco Palma ◽  
Augusto Navone ◽  
Pier Panzalis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Mass Mortality ◽  
Mortality Event ◽  
Mass Mortality Event ◽  
Paramuricea Clavata

scholarly journals Non-indigenous macroalgal species in coralligenous habitats of the Marine Protected Area Isole Ciclopi (Sicily, Italy)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 31-44
Author(s):  
Luca Giuseppe Costanzo ◽  
Giuliana Marletta ◽  
Giuseppina Alongi
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Present Report ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Remotely Operated Vehicle ◽  
High Coverage ◽  
The Mediterranean

Biological invasions are considered one of the main threats for biodiversity. In the last decades, more than 60 macroalgae have been introduced in the Mediterranean Sea, causing serious problems in coastal areas. Nevertheless, the impacts of alien macroalgae in deep subtidal systems have been poorly studied, especially in the coralligenous habitats of the eastern coast of Sicily (Italy). Therefore, within the framework of the programme “Progetto Operativo di Monitoraggio (P.O.M.)” of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the aim of the present study was to gain knowledge on the alien macroalgae present in coralligenous habitats of the Marine Protected Area (MPA) Isole Ciclopi, along the Ionian coast of Sicily. By Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) videos and destructive samples analysed in the laboratory, five alien species were identified: Caulerpa cylindracea, Antithamnion amphigeneum, Asparagopsis armata, Bonnemaisonia hamifera, and Lophocladia lallemandii. Since A. amphigeneum was previously reported only in the western Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea, the present report represents the first record of this species in the eastern Mediterranean. The ROV surveys showed that the alien species do not have a high coverage and do not appear to be invasive in the coralligenous area of the MPA. Since ocean temperatures are predicted to increase as climate change continues and alien species are favoured by warming of the Mediterranean Sea, the risk of biotic homogenisation caused by the spread of alien species is realistic. Therefore, further studies are needed to assess the incidence and invasiveness of alien species in phytobenthic assemblages of coralligenous in the MPA.

Marine protected area design patterns in the Mediterranean Sea: Implications for conservation

2016 ◽  
Vol 110 (1) ◽  
pp. 335-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez ◽  
J. Rodríguez ◽  
J.M. Blanco ◽  
D. Abdul Malak
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Design Patterns ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
The Mediterranean

Distribution, diversity, and conservation of coral reefs and coral communities in the largest marine protected area of Pacific Panama (Coiba Island)

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
HECTOR M. GUZMAN ◽  
CARLOS A. GUEVARA ◽  
ODALISCA BREEDY
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Scleractinian Corals ◽  
Live Coral ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Live Coral Cover ◽  
Coral Communities

Sampling scale and lack of attention to taxa other than scleractinian corals have limited the capacity to protect coral reefs and coral communities in Pacific Panama. The distribution of coral habitats (live coral cover) and their species richness in the largest marine protected area of Panama, the Coiba National Park (270 125 ha), is described using quadrat transects and manta tows. The species richness of scleractinian corals and octocorals was lower in coral reefs than in coral communities, and a close relationship between richness and live coral cover was observed only in coral communities. The distribution of high live coral cover in coral communities overlapped with areas of high coral species richness. Average live coral cover in communities was 64%, compared to 28% in reefs, whereas algae cover was 30% and 49%, respectively. Twenty-two coral and 34 octocoral species were observed, many only now detected in Panama as endemic or new species. Analysis of satellite imagery showed 80% of terrestrial habitats were mostly primary forest, and coral reefs and coral communities covered 1700 ha, about 2% of marine habitats. Shallow marine environments (< 20 m) had up to 60% calcareous red algae cover (rhodolite beds). Based on the distribution of live coral cover and species richness, three conservation units were identified as priority, with the southern and northernmost sides of the marine protected area as the most significant. These three areas encompass most of the rare and endemic species or populations, as well as species previously regarded as endangered.

Sublittoral soft bottom assemblages within a Marine Protected Area of the northern Alboran Sea

2015 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 871-884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Marina ◽  
José L. Rueda ◽  
Javier Urra ◽  
Carmen Salas ◽  
Serge Gofas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Fine Sand ◽  
Alboran Sea ◽  
Faunal Assemblages ◽  
Soft Bottoms ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Alborán Sea

The composition and structure of sublittoral faunal assemblages inhabiting soft bottoms (15–72 m depth) within the Marine Protected Area ‘Acantilados y Fondos Marinos de Calahonda-Castell de Ferro’ in southern Spain (North Alboran Sea, Mediterranean) have been studied in relation to sediment and water column variables. Three assemblages were identified and corresponded to mixed bottom, unstable bottom and coastal detritic bottom assemblages, based on Pérès & Picard's (1964) benthic classification. A total of 14,318 individuals were collected and 218 species identified, molluscs being the best represented group (141 species). Species richness displayed significant differences with depth and transect, with the highest values observed in the medium to very fine sand and muddy bottoms with bioclasts located at the shallowest sampling stations. The presence of some rare and poorly known invertebrates that are scarce in other areas of the Mediterranean Sea is remarkable, such as the crustacean decapods Bythocaris cosmetops and Pagurus mbizi, Atlantic species with no records in the Mediterranean Sea, and the bathyal molluscs Poromya granulata and Alvania testae, collected at shallow depths. The spatial distribution of faunal assemblages was mainly related to depth and percentage of gravel and clay according to the canonical correspondence analysis. The geographic location of the area, the heterogeneity of soft bottoms and the presence of upwellings in the area may favour the high biodiversity found in the studied soft bottoms. This study increases the scarce knowledge of the circalittoral fauna of sedimentary habitats of the Alboran Sea, providing a baseline for the management of this interesting SCI and for the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

The Case of a Rudderfish Highlights the Role of Natural History Museums as Sentinels of Bio-invasions

Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4254 (3) ◽  
pp. 382 ◽  
Author(s):  
SABRINA LO BRUTTO
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Natural History Museums ◽  
History Museums ◽  
Western Sicily ◽  
Kyphosus Vaigiensis ◽  
The Mediterranean

In September 2013 fishermen captured a rudderfish—Kyphosus vaigiensis—off Favignana Island, one of the islands of the Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area (MPA) in western Sicily (Mannino et al., 2015). This species is rarely sampled in the Mediterranean Sea. 

scholarly journals Population collapse of habitat-forming species in the Mediterranean: a long-term study of gorgonian populations affected by recurrent marine heatwaves

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1965) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Gómez-Gras ◽  
C. Linares ◽  
A. López-Sanz ◽  
R. Amate ◽  
J. B. Ledoux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Temperate Reefs ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Recovery Capacity ◽  
Paramuricea Clavata ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Density And Biomass

Understanding the resilience of temperate reefs to climate change requires exploring the recovery capacity of their habitat-forming species from recurrent marine heatwaves (MHWs). Here, we show that, in a Mediterranean highly enforced marine protected area established more than 40 years ago, habitat-forming octocoral populations that were first affected by a severe MHW in 2003 have not recovered after 15 years. Contrarily, they have followed collapse trajectories that have brought them to the brink of local ecological extinction. Since 2003, impacted populations of the red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata (Risso, 1826) and the red coral Corallium rubrum (Linnaeus, 1758) have followed different trends in terms of size structure, but a similar progressive reduction in density and biomass. Concurrently, recurrent MHWs were observed in the area during the 2003–2018 study period, which may have hindered populations recovery. The studied octocorals play a unique habitat-forming role in the coralligenous assemblages (i.e. reefs endemic to the Mediterranean Sea home to approximately 10% of its species). Therefore, our results underpin the great risk that recurrent MHWs pose for the long-term integrity and functioning of these emblematic temperate reefs.

scholarly journals Marine protected area governance: Prospects for co-management in the European Mediterranean

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie Hogg ◽  
Pedro Noguera-Méndez ◽  
María Semitiel-García ◽  
María Giménez-Casalduero
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Participatory Approach ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Management Processes ◽  
The Mediterranean

Marine protected areas (MPAs) raise serious challenges in terms of their governance. By applying a participatory approach co-management can help in overcoming many of the deficiencies of top-down management processes. Yet, despite benefits of co-management, it is still found to be the exception in the Mediterranean. This paper provides a review of co-management and the prospects for decentralisation in the European Mediterranean. The role of social capital (SC) in co-management is discussed and a framework for SC and participation to attain effective co-management is proposed.

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.

scholarly journals Assessment of the conservation status of Posidonia oceanica beds in the marine Site of Community Importance in Villasimius (Italy) within the project LIFE+ RES MARIS

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Frau ◽  
Maria-Francesca Cinti ◽  
Valeria Masala ◽  
Stefano Acunto
Keyword(s):  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Posidonia Oceanica ◽  
Habitats Directive ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Marine Site ◽  
Priority Habitat ◽  
Project Life

The marine Site of Community Importance (SCI ITB040020) of the network Natura 2000 is included almost entirely within the perimeter of the Marine Protected Area Capo Carbonara (South East Sardinia, Italy) which is characterized by a high biodiversity, with 720 species and 30 marine habitats reported. Hence, it is recognised as a Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI). During the summer the area is affected by anthropogenic impacts due to recreational activities (e.g. fishing, pleasure boating, swimming, diving) that represents potential threats to some species and protected habitats. This study is part of the project LIFE+ RES MARIS (LIFE13 NAT / IT / 000 433), addressed to the restoration and conservation of marine and terrestrial ecosystems included in the SCI under Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC. The aims is to evaluate the conservation status of the priority habitat 1120 “Posidonia beds” through mapping and characterization of the Posidonia oceanica meadow in areas that previous studies have identified as the most affected by anchoring, for a total surface of about 400 ha. Acoustic methods (Side Scan Sonar), direct visual surveys in SCUBA diving and underwater towed camera are applied. Assessments of coverage of P. oceanica, types of substrate, continuity of the meadow, presence of dead matte, Cymodocea nodosa and benthic alien species (e.g. Caulerpa cylindracea) are reported. Results are crucial for enhancing the knowledge of the current distribution and status of the priority habitat 1120 and is basic for planning further concrete conservation and monitoring measures.

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