0000000000307908
AUTHOR
Mannino Anna Maria
showing 8 related works from this author
ARE MARINE PROTECTED AREAS (MPAs) EFFECTIVE IN PROTECTING FROM INVASIVE SPECIES? THE CASE STUDY OF CAULERPA CYLINDRACEA SONDER (CAULERPALES, CHLOROPH…
2019
The main purpose of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is biodiversity conservation. The effects that invasive species have on MPAs, and vice versa, are still not completely known, even though their assessment is crucial for MPA management and conservation purposes. In this respect, monitoring plans are essential and the involvement of citizen scientists may be fundamental. Our experience of Caulerpa cylindracea Sonder 1845 monitoring within the Egadi Islands MPA highlighted that the alga is widespread within the MPA, mainly at Favignana Island, also threatening valuable habitats such as vermetid reef and coralligenous formations. Moreover, Favignana is the island of the Aegadian archipelago mos…
Alien macrophytes in the Mediterranean Sea: an overview
2019
The Mediterranean Sea, one of the most complex marine ecosystems, is inhabited by a rich and diverse biota which is disproportionate to its dimensions. Such high species richness makes the Mediterranean Sea a true hotspot of biodiversity. However, the Mediterranean Sea is amongst the most impacted regional sea areas, due to increasing levels of threats, mainly driven by human activities such as climate change and the introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS, i.e. organisms introduced outside of their natural, past or present, range and outside of their natural dispersal potential). NIS may in time become invasive (i.e. invasive alien species (IAS)) with severe impacts on biodiversity and…
First Record Of Aplysia Dactylomela Rang, 1828 (Heterobranchia, Aplysiidae) from Pianosa Island (northern Tyrrhenian Sea)
2018
The non-indigenous spotted sea hare Aplysia dactylomela Rang, 1828, entered the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic, is recorded for the first time from shallow coastal waters of Pianosa Island in 2015. This record can be considered the first occurrence in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea. One specimen of A. dactylomela was photographed while was feeding on a rock bottom mainly covered with red algae.
MACROALGAL BIODIVERSITY RESPONSE UNDER A MULTIPLE STRESSOR SCENARIO
2019
Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function experimental stu- dies focusing on marine systems are few and produce contrasting outcomes. Here, we provide experimental proofs on how communities, on a natural gradient of diversity, respond under stressful conditions in inter- tidal habitats. In August 2017 a field experiment was performed in Western Sicily (Italy) in a site charac- terized by tidal pools whose biodiversity structure and composition change as a function of the distance from the low tide mark. The pools closer to the sea are more stable from a thermal and oxic point of view and characterized by high algal biodiversity. Those further from the sea are highly variable with extreme conditions a…
Effects of NIS on Mediterranean marine ecosystems: the case study of Egadi Island MPA (Sicily, Tyrrhenian Sea)
2018
Habitat modification and loss, climate change and the introduction of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS, i.e. organisms introduced outside of their natural, past or present, range and outside of their natural dispersal potential) are considered to be the main threats to Mediterranean marine biodiversity and natural ecosystem functioning. NIS may become invasive (IAS = Invasive Alien Species) and may have significant environmental, socio-economic and human health impacts. The Mediterranean Sea is one of the major hotspots for NIS introductions, with the total for these species having almost reached the 1,000 figure (equivalent to ca. 6% of the total flora and fauna). NIS are entering the Mediterra…
DEEP RHODOLITH BEDS IN THE USTICA ISLAND (SICILY, SOUTHERN TYRRHENIAN SEA): A SEDIMENTARY AND PALEOECOLOGICAL APPROACH
2018
The results of a multidisciplinary study conducted on the circali- ttoral soft bottom assemblages at Secchitello (Sicchiteddu) and in the neighbouring areas along the southern coast of Ustica Island (Sicily, Southern Tyrrhenian Sea) are presented. In particular, the study pro- vided useful data for a taxonomic, ecological and paleoecological revi- sion of the Coastal Detritic facies with free-living calcareous algae and for a critical analysis of their relationship with the sedimentary dynamics. During a survey, carried out by the University of Catania (1991) with a R.O.V. (remotely operated vehicle), the presence of the Coastal Detritic (DC) biocoenosis, characterized by a surprisingly hig…
CITIZEN SCIENCE: A SUCCESSFUL TOOL FOR MONITORING MARINE BIODIVERSITY
2019
The Mediterranean Sea, considered as a true hotspot of biodiversity, is currently experiencing a decline in the number of species and a deterioration of habitats, as a consequence of different anthropogenic pressures, which are predicted to increase in the future. Among these pressures, the increase of human population, habitat modification and loss, pollution, coastal urbanization, overexploitation, the intentional or indirect introduction of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS, i.e. organisms introduced outside of their natural range) and climate changes (i.e. acidification and warming) have been pointed out as the major threats to biodiversity. Therefore, biodiversity monitoring and surveillance…
Citizen science: a successful tool for monitoring biodiversity in Marine Protected Areas
2018
In the last few decades, anthopogenic activities, introduction of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS, i.e. organisms introduced outside of their natural range), and climate changes, have significantly affected Mediterranean marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (Coll et al., 2010). All that is also true for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), whose major aim is biodiversity conservation. Therefore, monitoring and surveillance plans are strongly needed, and the creation of public awareness campaigns might be effective tool to plan effective management and conservation strategies in MPAs. Since intensive monitoring programs could be very expensive, citizen science, the involvement of citizens in …