Search results for " Specie"
showing 10 items of 2683 documents
Reducing the data-deficiency of threatened European habitats: Spatial variation of sabellariid worm reefs and associated fauna in the Sicily Channel,…
2017
Biogenic reefs, such as those produced by tube-dwelling polychaetes of the genus Sabellaria, are valuable marine habitats which are a focus of protection according to European legislation. The achievement of this goal is potentially hindered by the lack of essential empirical data, especially in the Mediterranean Sea. This study addresses some of the current knowledge gaps by quantifying and comparing multi-scale patterns of abundance and distribution of two habitat-forming species (Sabellaria alveolata and S. spinulosa) and their associated fauna along 190 km of coast on the Italian side of the Sicily Channel. While the abundance of the two sabellariids and the total number of associated t…
The trophic position of the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun 1896 in the food web of Parila Lagoon (South Eastern Adriatic, Croatia): A…
2016
The Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus is to date widely distributed in the Mediterranean Sea, where is recognized as an Invasive Alien Species. Noticeably, while records of its occurrence are increasing, quantitative information on its functional role in the benthic food webs of invaded coastal habitats are scarce. Here, carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures were measured in C. sapidus and other representative taxa of the benthic flora and fauna sampled in summer in the Parila Lagoon, a coastal basin located in the Neretva River estuary area (Croatia). d 15 N values of individual blue crab specimens were used to calculate their trophic position (TP) , using the filter feeder mussel M…
Distribution of sea urchins living near shallow water CO2 vents is dependent upon species acid-base and ion-regulatory abilities.
2013
To reduce the negative effect of climate change on Biodiversity, the use of geological CO2 sequestration has been proposed; however leakage from underwater storages may represent a risk to marine life. As extracellular homeostasis is important in determining species' ability to cope with elevated CO2, we investigated the acid-base and ion regulatory responses, as well as the density, of sea urchins living around CO2 vents at Vulcano, Italy. We conducted in situ transplantation and field-based laboratory exposures to different pCO2/pH regimes. Our results confirm that sea urchins have some ability to regulate their extracellular fluid under elevated pCO2. Furthermore, we show that even in cl…
Diversity patterns and biogeography of Diaptomidae (Copepoda, Calanoida) in the Western Palearctic
2017
Diaptomid copepods are an important component of biodiversity in inland aquatic ecosystems worldwide but to date little is known about the historical and ecological factors that determined their current distribution. In the present paper, a critical review of the available literature on diaptomid species distribution in the Western Palearctic was performed, and a biogeographical analysis was carried out on the roles that spatial, current environmental, and historical (paleoclimatic) factors played on their actual distribution in this large area. The results show a clear pattern of colonization which is only partially overlapping what has been recently proposed for other terrestrial and aqua…
Seasonal variability of diet and trophic level of the gelatinous predator Pelagia noctiluca (Scyphozoa)
2018
13 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, supplementary information https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30474-x
Influence of environmental factors and biogenic habitats on intertidal meiofauna
2017
This study investigated the influence of physical and chemical conditions and biotic factors on the distribution and diversity of meiofauna in intertidal zone along a geographical gradient. At 11 sites along the Italian coast, we studied the concurring role of environmental variables, trophic resources and the presence of habitat-forming species (macroalgae vs. mussels) in controlling the meiofaunal communities. The increase of water temperature combined with local thermal conditions was associated with a decrease in nematodes and copepods, with a consequent decrease in meiofaunal abundance towards the south. However, the increase in salinity, as geographical gradient decreases, and local t…
Different lineages of freshwater jellyfishes (Cnidaria, Olindiidae, Craspedacusta) invading Europe: another piece of the puzzle from Sicily, Italy
2018
Correctly identifying and mapping the distribution patterns of passively dispersing freshwater organisms is an important task to understand the mechanisms through which these organisms move across the world and to counteract the introduction of invasive alien species in a timely way; moreover, in the light of the growing evidence of the pervasiveness of cryptic species and cryptic biological invasions among all animal groups, the use of molecular identification tools is strongly advisable. In this context, we present the first record of the freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbii Lankester, 1880 in the Mediterranean island of Sicily, Italy. This invasive species, native to China, was fo…
Local consumers are the first line to control biological invasions: a case of study with the whelk Stramonita haemastoma (Gastropoda: Muricidae)
2016
The increasing spread of invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea determines several alterations in local food webs, changing the feeding habits of native organisms. The whelk Stramonita haemastoma is a widespread Mediterranean gastropod that consumes bivalves, barnacles and limpets. Previous studies showed a shift in its diet from the bivalve Mytilaster minimus to the invasive mussel Brachidontes pharaonis, presumably due to a higher energy gain. Here we tested whelks’ preference among natives and a novel prey, calculating the profitability ratio, and integrating those results with biochemical analysis on prey tissues and the routine metabolism of the whelks. Further, we used the scaled f…
Climate change exacerbates interspecific interactions in sympatric coastal fishes
2012
Summary 1. Biological responses to warming are presently based on the assumption that species will remain within their bioclimatic envelope as environmental conditions change. As a result, changes in the relative abundance of several marine species have been documented over the last decades. This suggests that warming may drive novel interspecific interactions to occur (i.e. invasive vs. native species) or may intensify the strength of pre-existing ones (i.e. warm vs. cold adapted). For mobile species, habitat relocation is a viable solution to track tolerable conditions and reduce competitive costs, resulting in ‘winner’ species dominating the best quality habitat at the expense of ‘loser’…
25S rDNA-based molecular monitoring of glomalean fungi in sewage sludge-treated field plots
2001
Recycling of sewage wastes in agriculture is likely to affect the biological activity of soils through contamination of ecosystems by pathogens and metallic or organic micropollutants. The impact of sewage sludge spreading under field conditions on arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) formation by a community of glomalean fungi was evaluated using a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and discriminating primers based on 25S rDNA polymorphisms to detect different fungal species within root systems. Medicago truncatula was grown in soil of field plots amended or not with a composted sewage sludge, spiked or not with organic or metallic micropollutants. Overall AM development in roots decreased with …