The Role of the Aquarium of Rhodes (Eastern Mediterranean Sea)
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Cah. Biol. Mar. (2014) 55 : 173-182 The role of the Aquarium of Rhodes (eastern Mediterranean Sea) on raising public awareness to marine invasions, with a note on the husbandry and trade of marine aliens Maria CORSINI-FOKA, Gerasimos KONDYLATOS and Elias SANTORINIOS Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Hydrobiological Station of Rhodes, Cos Street, GR-85100 Rhodes, Greece Fax: +302241078321, Email: [email protected] Abstract: A total of 33 alien species collected from the wild, has been listed among the displays of the public Aquarium of Rhodes (Greece), mainly since 2000. The essential contribution of the Aquarium to document the intensification of marine alien species introduction, disseminate knowledge and increase public awareness on the ecological and socio- economic risks linked to biological invasions is underlined. The diffusion of aliens in other eastern Mediterranean Aquaria is reported. The potential use of these organisms in the aquarium trade and its eventual effects on marine ecosystems are discussed. Details on collection and aquarium maintenance conditions are also provided. Résumé: Le rôle de l’Aquarium de Rhodes (Mer Méditerranée orientale) pour sensibiliser le public aux invasions marines, ainsi qu’une note sur la gestion du marché des espèces exotiques. Un total de 33 espèces exotiques prélevées dans le milieu naturel a été répertorié depuis le début des années 1980 dans les bassins de l’Aquarium public de Rhodes (Grèce), surtout depuis 2000. La contribution essentielle de l’Aquarium à documenter l’intensification de l’introduction d’espèces exotiques marines, à disséminer la connaissance et à sensibiliser le public sur les risques écologiques et socio-économiques associée aux invasions biologiques est mis en évidence. La diffusion d’espèces exotiques dans d’autres Aquariums de la Méditerranée orientale est signalée. L’utilisation potentielle de ces espèces exotiques dans le commerce aquariophile et ses effets éventuels sur les écosystèmes marins sont discutés. Des détails sur la collecte et les conditions de maintenance sont aussi fournis. Keywords: Mediterranean Sea l Biological invasions l Aquarium missions l Environmental education l Aliens display l Marine ornamental Introduction intense hydrological phenomena of the surrounding marine area (Pancucci-Papadopoulou et al., 2012). Its pelagic and Rhodes Island (Greece) is situated in the southeastern subtropical environment is favorable to native thermophilic Aegean Sea, at the limits of the northwestern Levantine biota (Papaconstantinou, 1988) and to tropical or sub- Sea, an interesting oceanographic position, due to the tropical alien biota as well (the term “alien species” follows the definition of the Convention on Biological Diversity). This marine region presents therefore a great zoo- Reçu le 20 février 2013 ; accepté après révision le 10 octobre 2013. geographical significance for the whole Mediterranean, as Received 20 February 2013; accepted in revised form 10 October 2013. 174 RHODES AqUARIUM AND PUBLIC AwARENESS ON MARINE INvASIONS it is the first Aegean area which Red Sea/Indo-Pacific the island (1-50 m depth), through experimental fishing Ocean aliens introduced via the Suez Canal (the so-called using professional vessels for boat seining, a traditional Lessepsian migrants) meet in their way from the Levantine method performed in coastal fishery, which was banned for following the Asia Minor coasts, and the main pathway of depths less than 50 m since June 2010 (EC Fisheries their further spreading (Corsini-Foka & Pancucci- Regulation n°1967/2006). Other experimental methods Papadopoulou, 2012). In fact, most of the earlier alien currently applied for the Aquarium purposes, are fishing species reported in the Greek waters of the Aegean Sea, but with nets, fishing rods, and, sometimes, traps, long lines, also many other recently signalled were firstly recorded in scuba diving and/or snorkelling. the above area (Zenetos et al., 2009; ELNAIS, 2013). During the last two decades, an intensification of the Operation of the Aquarium and maintenance of organisms spread out of alien species has been observed in the region. The main maintenance data for marine species are In addition to the above mentioned oceanographic summarized in Table 1. Profiles and trends of seawater characteristics, the intensification of arrivals and spreading temperature values obtained in the older open system was supported by other natural phenomena, such as the (1985-2001) and in a more recent one (2001-2008) have evolution of the East Mediterranean Transient (EMT), and been already analyzed (Pancucci-Papadopoulou et al., 2011 it was furthermore amplified by climate changes and the & 2012). rise of sea temperature (Galil & Kevrekidis, 2002; Raitsos Properly developed protocols for collection, prevention et al., 2010; Pancucci-Papadopoulou et al., 2012). treatment, acclimatization and growth of aquatic animals, However, the increase in the number of known species is crucial for the overall sustainability of such establishment, also to be coupled to the increased interest of the scientific are applied. community to the phenomenon and to the scientific effort Carnivorous organisms are fed daily on defrozen feed- exerted in research on various taxa (Golani, 2010). stuff such as shrimps, mussels, squids, octopuses and fishes Up to date and taking into account the recent review on (mainly picarels, blotched picarels, bogues and round alien species in the Mediterranean Sea by Zenetos et al. sardinellas), prepared according to the size and species of (2012), non indigenous biota reported in the marine area of the targeted organism. In contrast to the invertebrates, Rhodes and the southern islands of the Dodecanese generally imported frozen from India, China and Chile and Archipelago account 105 species, about all warm-water, the bought at the local markets, fish is collected fresh through majority (86 %) entered via the Suez Canal from the Red experimental samplings performed by the HSR or from the Sea/Indo-Pacific Ocean. They constitute approximately 42 local commercial fishery and subsequently frozen at the % of the total marine aliens registered in the Greek seas HSR facilities. It is worth to mention that the alien (Corsini-Foka & Pancucci-Papadopoulou, 2012; Pancucci- Etrumeus teres (DeKay, 1842), caught with purse-seine by Papadopoulou et al., 2011 & 2012). professional fishermen, has been recently added to the The Hydrobiological Station of Rhodes with its public variety of food species, due to its abundance during 2012 Mediterranean life Aquarium, constitutes a unit of the and 2013. Herbivorous organisms are fed on algae, frozen Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (www.hcmr.gr), vegetables and the respective pellets for herbivores. where activities addressed to education, research, Phytoplankton and Artemia nauplii are administered when conservation and visitors recreation are performed, inte- necessary. grating each other and interacting (Corsini-Foka, 2010a). The present study focuses on the role that the Aquarium Census of livestock has assumed in increasing public awareness on biological invasions and their ecological and socio-economic impact. Over the last 10 years the census of the aquatic organisms The occurrence of aliens in other eastern Mediterranean in terms of species and their population in the Aquarium is Aquaria and their possible use in the marine ornamental applied every 6 months, whereas during the previous years trade is discussed. Life support systems and water this was performed yearly. parameters along with behavioral observations on alien species recorded in the displays are furthermore described. Results Materials and Methods The average number of marine fauna stocked and displayed at the Aquarium is 80 species, equally distributed among a variety of invertebrates (mainly sea-anemones, Sample collection polychaetes, molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms) and Most of the organisms intended for the stocking of the fish species. tanks were collected mainly from the near shore waters of The archived data obtained from October 1985 to M. CORSINI-FOKA, G. KONDYLATOS, E. SANTORINIOS 175 Table 1. Main operational data and maintenance conditions of marine organisms at the Aquarium of Rhodes. Total o Years of Depth of water Number Tank volume T ( C) WCS volume Salinity Filtration Lighting operation inlet of tanks (L) (L) Monthly averages 3 m 15-16 24-25 HqI, O1 -2001 70000 42 50-24000 39-39.4 Natural well in the beach w Su Fluorescent 32 m 16-17 22-25 Sand HqI, O2 2001-2008 70000 42 50-24000 39-39.4 Directly at sea w Su filters Fluorescent 13 m 22-24 19-20 Sand HqI, O3 2009- 70000 42 50-24000 35-37 well in the beach Au Su filters Fluorescent C1 2005-2008 1000 10 100 Air 39-39.4 LSS Fluorescent C2 2009- 1000 1 20-21.5 35-37 LSS HqI wCS, water Circulation System; O1, O2, O3, Open Circulation Systems; C1, C2, Closed Circulation Systems; T, seawater temperature; w, winter; Su, summer; Au, Autumn; LSS, Life Support System (Biological and mechanical filter, Uv lamp and skimmer). October 2012 showed that the number of alien species literature. The maintenance of the spotted sea hare Aplysia present in the tanks reached a total of 33 (2 phytobenthic, dactylomela Rang, 1828, abundant in the field at 0-1 m 17 zoobenthic and 14 fish species), the majority tropical- depth in small ports, pools and stagnant waters, depends warm water species, most of Red Sea/Indo-Pacific origin prevalently on a correct nutrition based on algae collected (Table 2). 79% of these aliens (26 species) have appeared in at field or growing on the tank walls. the exhibits since 2000, half of them in the last four years. Almost all the remaining alien invertebrates show a They constituted 22% of the total species of the exhibition, great durability in aquarium conditions, especially following the first 2012 semester census. Successful brachyurans. Individuals of Percnon gibbesi (H. Milne maintenance in the Aquarium facilities was observed for Edwards, 1853), Atergatis roseus (Rüppell, 1830) and the 67% of aliens. five portunids (Table 2) are regularly present in the A preliminary investigation on alien display in other displays.