0000000001052574
AUTHOR
P. Balistreri
Citizen science projects for monitoring alien macrophytes
To understand the invasive potential and the spread dynamics of an alien species, any newly colonized area needs to be quickly detected. Therefore, regular monitoring programs and public awareness campaigns are essential. Since intensive monitoring activities involving scientists are expensive, the occurrence and spread of marine species could remain undetected or could be detected only years after the initial colonization. Citizen Science initiatives, a potential solution to this problem providing supplemental information that would otherwise be lost, are able to involve different groups of volunteers: students, tourists, divers, underwater photographers, amateurs and fishermen. Volunteers…
A SMALL INVADER CONQUERS SICILY: AMPHISTEGINA LOBIFERA (FORAMINIFERA: AMPHISTEGINIDAE)
The highly invasive Amphistegina lobifera (Larsen, 1976), a benthic foraminiferal species native to the Red Sea, has colonized the Eastern Mediterranean through the Suez Canal and altered the native community structure. More recently, it has been reported from Malta and the Pelagian Islands within the Sicily channel. Here, we report new records from the southern coasts of Sicily, where we found it abundant both in the soft-bottom sediment and as epiphyt on algae. The occurrence of A. lobifera in Pantelleria and Favignana islands represents the Mediterranean westernmost record of this non-indigenous species.
A first snapshot of sandy-beach amphipod (Crustacea) assemblage in a Marine Protected Area, Favignana Island (central Mediterranean Sea)
The aim of this study is to compile a preliminary first check-list of Amphipoda species from beaches of Favignana Island (Sicily, Italy), and contribute to the knowledge relating to the distribution of this taxon in the Mediterranean Sea. Five amphipod species, belonging to two families (Talitridae and Hyalidae), have been collect in the island. The supralittoral assemblage appears to contain three main biogeographical categories: Atlanto-Mediterranean species, Mediterranean endemic species and cosmopolitan species.
Invasive Amphisteginids conquer the Sicily Channel and knock on the door of the Western Mediterranean Sea
This study reports an updated overview of the current distribution and establishment status of the invasive species Amphistegina lobifera Larsen, 1979 and of other non-indigenous foraminifera in the Sicily Channel. The dispersal of marine non-indigenous species (NIS) by human activities is redefining the biogeography of the oceans and is one aspect of global change. Understanding the role of NIS in altering the structure of marine communities requires accurate information on their temporal occurrence, spatial distribution and effect on native ecosystems. However many NIS, particularly those belonging to small-sized unicellular taxa, such as benthic foraminifera, are largely unrecognized and…
The Project “Caulerpa cylindracea in the Egadi Islands”: citizens and scientists working together to monitor marine alien species
The creation of early-warning systems is crucial for preventing and reducing the risk of invasive species introduction. In this respect, the contribution of citizen-scientists (tourists, students, teachers, divers and fishermen) in providing information and data (validated by taxonomic experts) on the occurrence of marine invasive species that would otherwise be impossible to collect, is crucial in understanding the phenomenon of biological invasions. The Citizen Science Project “Caulerpa cylindracea - Egadi Islands”, launched in 2014 and ended in 2016, aimed at creating a database on the spread dynamics and the levels of threat of the invasive green alga Caulerpa cylindracea within the Ega…
An additional record of Kyphosus vaigiensis (QuoyGaimard, 1825) (Osteichthyes, Kyphosidae) from Sicily clarifies the confused situation of the Mediterranean kyphosids.
The lowfin chub, Kyphosus vaigiensis, is reported for the first time off Favignana Island, Sicily, central Mediterranean Sea. The specimen was identified on the basis of morphometric and meristic characters as well as mitochondrial DNA sequences (COI and 16S-rDNA). Two, perhaps three, Kyphosus species - K. bigibbus, K. sectatrix and K. vaigiensis - have been occasionally recorded in the Mediterranean. These species occur both in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions but it is likely they entered the Mediterranean through the Strait of Gibraltar. However, it is unclear whether they have established reproductive native populations in the Mediterranean.