scholarly journals A network approach to identify bioregions in the distribution of Mediterranean amphipods associated with Posidonia oceanica meadows

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e6786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Bellisario ◽  
Federica Camisa ◽  
Chiara Abbattista ◽  
Roberta Cimmaruta
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Posidonia Oceanica ◽  
Joint Effect ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Network Approach ◽  
Maximum Expansion ◽  
History Of ◽  
Modularity Analysis

Although amphipods are key components of the macro-fauna associated with Posidonia oceanica meadows, to date no studies focused on the structure and diversity of their assemblages across the whole Mediterranean Sea. Here, we applied a network approach based on modularity on a dataset mined from literature to identify biogeographic modules and to assess the biogeographic roles of associated localities. We also correlated the patterns evidenced with the biogeographic distribution of amphipod groups by means of a multivariate analysis. Modularity analysis highlighted four biogeographic modules bounded by the main Mediterranean biogeographic divides and evidenced a decrease in species diversity along a NW-SE gradient. Assemblages associated with Central-Western Mediterranean and, to a lesser extent, Tunisian modules showed the highest species richness and were identified as hubs, characterized by species with regional distributions that behave as source in a biogeographic context. The paleogeographic history of the host seagrass and the ecology of associated amphipods, both suggest the joint effect of species persistence and post-Last Glacial Maximum expansion in explaining the pattern of amphipod distribution in the Mediterranean Sea.

scholarly journals A network approach to identify bioregions in the distribution of Mediterranean amphipods associated with Posidonia oceanica meadows

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Bellisario ◽  
Federica Camisa ◽  
Chiara Abbattista ◽  
Roberta Cimmaruta
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Posidonia Oceanica ◽  
Joint Effect ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Network Approach ◽  
Maximum Expansion ◽  
History Of ◽  
Modularity Analysis

Although amphipods are key components of the macro-fauna associated with Posidonia oceanica meadows, to date no studies focused on the structure and diversity of their assemblages across the whole Mediterranean Sea. Here, we applied a network approach based on modularity on a dataset mined from literature to identify biogeographic modules and to assess the biogeographic roles of associated localities. We also correlated the patterns evidenced with the biogeographic distribution of amphipod groups by means of a multivariate analysis. Modularity analysis highlighted four biogeographic modules bounded by the main Mediterranean biogeographic divides and evidenced a decrease in species diversity along a NW-SE gradient. Assemblages associated with Central-Western Mediterranean and, to a lesser extent, Tunisian modules showed the highest species richness and were identified as hubs, characterized by species with regional distributions that behave as source in a biogeographic context. The paleogeographic history of the host seagrass and the ecology of associated amphipods, both suggest the joint effect of species persistence and post-Last Glacial Maximum expansion in explaining the pattern of amphipod distribution in the Mediterranean Sea.

scholarly journals A network approach to identify bioregions in the distribution of Mediterranean amphipods associated with Posidonia oceanica meadows

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Bellisario ◽  
Federica Camisa ◽  
Chiara Abbattista ◽  
Roberta Cimmaruta
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Posidonia Oceanica ◽  
Joint Effect ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Network Approach ◽  
Maximum Expansion ◽  
History Of ◽  
Modularity Analysis

Although amphipods are key components of the macro-fauna associated with Posidonia oceanica meadows, to date no studies focused on the structure and diversity of their assemblages across the whole Mediterranean Sea. Here, we applied a network approach based on modularity on a dataset mined from literature to identify biogeographic modules and to assess the biogeographic roles of associated localities. We also correlated the patterns evidenced with the biogeographic distribution of amphipod groups by means of a multivariate analysis. Modularity analysis highlighted four biogeographic modules bounded by the main Mediterranean biogeographic divides and evidenced a decrease in species diversity along a NW-SE gradient. Assemblages associated with Central-Western Mediterranean and, to a lesser extent, Tunisian modules showed the highest species richness and were identified as hubs, characterized by species with regional distributions that behave as source in a biogeographic context. The paleogeographic history of the host seagrass and the ecology of associated amphipods, both suggest the joint effect of species persistence and post-Last Glacial Maximum expansion in explaining the pattern of amphipod distribution in the Mediterranean Sea.

scholarly journals Biogeography of Mediterranean amphipods associated with Posidonia oceanica meadows

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Bellisario ◽  
Federica Camisa ◽  
Chiara Abbattista ◽  
Roberta Cimmaruta
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Posidonia Oceanica ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Range Extension ◽  
Amphipod Species ◽  
Network Approach ◽  
Maximum Expansion ◽  
Incidence Data ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Mediterranean

Although amphipods are key components of the macro-fauna associated with Posidonia oceanica meadows, no studies focussed to date on the structure and diversity of such assemblages across the Mediterranean Sea. Here, we studied whether amphipod diversity reflects generalised biodiversity patterns across the Mediterranean by applying a network approach using incidence data mined from literature to infer biogeographic modules and the biogeographic roles of associated localities. We tested if the observed pattern reflected a geographic component and was linked to species range extension by means of a multivariate analysis. Modularity highlighted four distinct modules characterized by a geographic subdivision driven by the main Mediterranean biogeographic divides, and differences in species diversity along a NW-SE gradient. Modules showed both different biogeographic roles of associated localities and different range extension of amphipod species associated with different modules. The biogeographic roles of localities provided by modularity identified the highest amphipod diversity in the Central-Western Mediterranean, followed by Tunisian coasts. This pattern may be explained by a mix of species persistence and post-Last Glacial Maximum expansion, as suggested by the paleogeographic history of the host seagrass and the ecology of associated amphipods.

scholarly journals Sertularia marginata (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) in the Mediterranean: an alien species in expansion?

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 384 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. GONZÁLEZ-DUARTE ◽  
C. MEGINA ◽  
M. BETHENCOURT
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Strait Of Gibraltar ◽  
Eastern Basin ◽  
Natural Zones ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Natural Means

Mature and dense populations of the tropical hydroid species Sertulariamarginata were detected in the Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean) and in the Atlantic coast of the Strait of Gibraltar. Until now, it had only been recorded in the eastern basin within the Mediterranean Sea.This species has previously been recorded in estuaries and anthropogenichabitats but, in the area studied here, we only found it in natural zones. These observations could indicate an early expansion and naturalization in the Mediterranean Sea. Due to its limited dispersion capacity by its own natural means and the history of its records, the observations provided here support the hypothesis of an arrival and a spread by anthropogenic vectors.A pathway of arrival and dispersion of alien species into the Mediterranean Sea is proposed for future monitoring: from Macaronesia (particularly Canary Islands) to the Atlantic coast of the Strait of Gibraltar and from here into the Mediterranean.

scholarly journals Mediterranean Red Macro Algae Mats as Habitat for High Abundances of Serpulid Polychaetes

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 265
Author(s):  
Felix I. Rossbach ◽  
Edoardo Casoli ◽  
Milan Beck ◽  
Christian Wild
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Posidonia Oceanica ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Tyrrhenian Sea ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

The Mediterranean Sea harbors more than 17,000 eukaryotic marine species, with several ecosystems recognized as biodiversity hotspots, such as Posidonia oceanica meadows. Recent research indicates that benthic mats formed by the fleshy red alga Phyllophora crispa are also associated with high species richness. Among key groups found in these mats are sessile polychaetes, which live as epiphytes on the red algae thalli. Knowledge of abundance, species richness, and spatial variation of polychaetes associated with these habitats is still scarce. We carried out a comparative assessment focusing on serpulid polychaetes within samples from P. crispa mats and neighboring P. oceanica meadows at six different sampling sites around Giglio Island (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). A total of 17 serpulid taxa were identified. The abundance of serpulids (5665 individuals m−2 of P. crispa mat) were similar to neighboring P. oceanica meadows (2304 individuals m−2 leaves and 5890 individuals m−2 shoots). The number of serpulid taxa was significantly higher in P. crispa mats (average 6.63 ± 1.32 taxa) compared to P. oceanica beds (average 1.56 ± 0.63 and 1.84 ± 1.04 taxa in leaves and shoots, respectively). Within habitat type, there were no significant differences in species richness between sites. The most abundant species found was Josephella marenzelleri (61% of individuals), while Vermiliopsis spp. and Bathyvermilia sp. were exclusively found in P. crispa samples. Our results highlight that P. crispa mats host an exceptional diversity and that these habitats should be included in conservation strategies. Further research should focus on the significance of other important taxonomic groups within these mats and evaluate the distribution of P. crispa in different regions of the Mediterranean Sea.

scholarly journals Sedimentary facies and foraminiferal assemblages from Posidonia oceanica meadows of western Mediterranean Sea

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Gaglianone ◽  
Virgilio Frezza ◽  
Marco Brandano
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Weighted Average ◽  
Sedimentary Facies ◽  
Posidonia Oceanica ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Carbonate Content ◽  
Western Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Giglio Island ◽  
Very High Frequencies

Sedimentary facies and foraminiferal assemblages of sediments sampled into seven Posidonia oceanica meadows from Western Mediterranean Sea were investigated. Six sampling sites are localised in Italy (Maratea, Ponza Island, Santa Marinella, Giglio Island, Osalla and Alghero), and one in France (Argentella, Crovani Bay, Corsica). The role of P. oceanica meadows in the sedimentary processes was investigated in different contexts: sampled meadows are set up both on soft and hard substrates, often forming “mattes”, in geographical areas subject to different wind and sea conditions (waves and longshore currents) and characterised by various coastal landforms and terrigenous inputs derived from costal erosional processes and/or fluvial contributions. A sedimentological, compositional, micropaleontological and geochemical characterisation of 111 bottom sediment samples, collected by SCUBA diving between 0 and 35 mwd, was carried out and finally tested with a Q-mode cluster analysis. Five sedimentary facies have been recognised, from terrigenous to mixed siliciclastic-carbonate and carbonate. Facies (and subfacies) are distinguishable by sorting, gravel content, abundance and maturity of clastic sediments, and weighted average of carbonate content. In all facies, foraminifers and red algae dominate the bioclastic fraction, whereas other bioclastic components are very subordinate and show a variable distribution. In all the investigated sites, benthic foraminiferal assemblages are generally dominated by typical epiphytic species, such as Asterigerinata mamilla, Lobatula lobatula, Peneroplis pertusus, Planorbulina mediterranensis, Rosalina spp. and miliolids. Nevertheless, these assemblages show some differences in the different sites according to the presence or absence of terrigenous contributions and, consequently, to the water turbidity. This parameter influences symbiont-bearing foraminifer as P. pertusus. Moreover, the samples from Argentella (Crovany Bay) are characterised by a peculiar assemblage, in which Miniacina miniacea dominates with very high frequencies.

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