DOCSLIB.ORG

Active and Passive Suspension Feeders in a Coralligenous Community

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Active and Passive Suspension Feeders in a Coralligenous Community ! Chapter_0_Martina 05/06/15 07:23 Página 1 The importance of benthic suspension feeders in the biogeochemical cycles: active and passive suspension feeders in a coralligenous community PhD THESIS Martina Coppari Barcelona, 2015 Chapter_0_Martina 05/06/15 07:23 Página 2 Photos by: Federico Betti, Georgios Tsounis Design: Antonio Secilla Chapter_0_Martina 05/06/15 07:23 Página 3 The importance of benthic suspension feeders in the biogeochemical cycles: active and passive suspension feeders in a coralligenous community PhD THESIS MARTINA COPPARI Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals PhD Programme in Environmental Science and Technology June 2015 Director de la Tesi Director de la Tesi Dr. Sergio Rossi Dr. Andrea Gori Investigador Investigador Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Universitat de Barcelona Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals Departament d’Ecologia • 3 • Chapter_0_Martina 05/06/15 07:23 Página 4 . Chapter_0_Martina 05/06/15 07:23 Página 5 Para los que me han acompañado en este viaje • 5 • Chapter_0_Martina 05/06/15 07:23 Página 6 . Chapter_0_Martina 05/06/15 07:23 Página 7 Resumen 11 Abstract 13 Introduction 15 Chapter 1 Size, spatial and bathymetrical distribution of the ascidian Halocynthia papillosa in Mediterranean coastal bottoms: benthic-pelagic implications 29 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................30 2. Materials and methods..................................................................................................................................31 2.1 Distribution and size structure of Halocynthia papillosa ...............................................31 2.1.1 Study area ..................................................................................................................31 2.2.2 Sampling procedure...............................................................................................33 2.1.3 Video analysis ...........................................................................................................34 2.1.4 Data treatment.........................................................................................................34 2.2 Trophic impact of Halocynthia papillosa..............................................................................35 2.2.1 Size versus dry weight...........................................................................................35 2.2.2 Carbon and nitrogen estimation .......................................................................35 2.3 Environmental conditions ........................................................................................................37 3. Results .................................................................................................................................................................37 3.1 Distribution and size structure of Halocynthia papillosa ...............................................37 3.2 Trophic impact of Halocynthia papillosa..............................................................................40 3.3 Environmental conditions ........................................................................................................40 4. Discussion ..........................................................................................................................................................41 4.1 Large extent distribution of Halocynthia papillosa..........................................................42 4.2 Large scale trophic impact of an active suspension feeder .........................................47 5. Conclusion .........................................................................................................................................................48 6. References..........................................................................................................................................................48 • 7 • Chapter_0_Martina 05/06/15 07:23 Página 8 Chapter 2 The role of sponges in the benthic-pelagic coupling process in warm temperate coastal areas 55 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................56 2. Materials and methods..................................................................................................................................57 2.1 Study area.......................................................................................................................................57 2.2 Sponges distribution and size structure ...........................................................................59 2.2.1 Sampling procedure...............................................................................................59 2.2.2 Video analysis ...........................................................................................................59 2.2.3 Data treatment.........................................................................................................60 2.3 Environmental conditions ........................................................................................................60 2.3.1 In situ feeding experiments.................................................................................60 2.3.2 Sponges size versus dry weight.........................................................................63 2.3.3 Carbon fluxes estimation......................................................................................63 3. Results .................................................................................................................................................................64 3.1 Sponges distribution and size structure..............................................................................64 3.2 In situ feeding experiments .....................................................................................................65 3.3 Carbon fluxes estimation ..........................................................................................................68 4. Discussion ..........................................................................................................................................................68 5. References..........................................................................................................................................................71 Chapter 3 The importance of gorgonians in the benthic-pelagic coupling processes in Mediterranean coastal areas, or why do we have to preserve the animal forest 77 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................78 2. Materials and methods..................................................................................................................................80 2.1 Study area.......................................................................................................................................80 2.2 Previous literature ....................................................................................................................80 2.2.1 Paramuricea clavata................................................................................................80 2.2.2 Eunicella singularis...................................................................................................82 2.2.3 Corallium rubrum .....................................................................................................83 2.3 Biometric relationships and biomass calculation ............................................................84 2.3.1 Paramuricea clavata................................................................................................84 2.3.2 Eunicella singularis...................................................................................................84 2.3.3 Corallium rubrum .....................................................................................................85 3. Results .................................................................................................................................................................85 3.1 Paramuricea clavata ....................................................................................................................85 3.2 Eunicella singularis .......................................................................................................................86 3.3 Corallium rubrum..........................................................................................................................87 4. Discussion ..........................................................................................................................................................88 5. References..........................................................................................................................................................90 Chapter 4 Species distribution models as a tool to estimate the benthic-pelagic coupling processes in coastal areas 95 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................96 2. Materials and methods..................................................................................................................................97
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Octocoral Diversity of Balıkçı Island, the Marmara Sea
    J. Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment Vol. 19, No. 1: 46-57 (2013) RESEARCH ARTICLE Octocoral diversity of Balıkçı Island, the Marmara Sea Eda Nur Topçu1,2*, Bayram Öztürk1,2 1Faculty of Fisheries, Istanbul University, Ordu St., No. 200, 34470, Laleli, Istanbul, TURKEY 2Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TUDAV), P.O. Box: 10, Beykoz, Istanbul, TURKEY *Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract We investigated the octocoral diversity of Balıkçı Island in the Marmara Sea. Three sites were sampled by diving, from 20 to 45 m deep. Nine species were found, two of which are first records for Turkish fauna: Alcyonium coralloides and Paralcyonium spinulosum. Scientific identification of Alcyonium acaule in the Turkish seas was also done for the first time in this study. Key words: Octocoral, soft coral, gorgonian, diversity, Marmara Sea. Introduction The Marmara Sea is a semi-enclosed sea connecting the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea via the Turkish Straits System, with peculiar oceanographic, ecological and geomorphologic characteristics (Öztürk and Öztürk 1996). The benthic fauna consists of Black Sea species until approximately 20 meters around the Prince Islands area, where Mediterranean species take over due to the two layer stratification in the Marmara Sea. The Sea of Marmara, together with the straits of Istanbul and Çanakkale, serves as an ecological barrier, a biological corridor and an acclimatization zone for the biota of Mediterranean and Black Seas (Öztürk and Öztürk 1996). The Islands in the Sea of Marmara constitute habitats particularly for hard bottom communities of Mediterranean origin. Ten Octocoral species were reported by Demir (1954) from the Marmara Sea but amongst them, Gorgonia flabellum was probably reported by mistake and 46 should not be considered as a valid record from the Sea of Marmara.
    [Show full text]
  • Di Camillo Et Al 2017
    This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Biodiversity and Conservation on 23 December 2017 (First Online). The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-017-1492-8 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10531-017-1492-8 An embargo period of 12 months applies to this Journal. This paper has received funding from the European Union (EU)’s H2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 643712 to the project Green Bubbles RISE for sustainable diving (Green Bubbles). This paper reflects only the authors’ view. The Research Executive Agency is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains. © 2017. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 AUTHORS' ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT Building a baseline for habitat-forming corals by a multi-source approach, including Web Ecological Knowledge - Cristina G Di Camillo, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, CoNISMa, Ancona, Italy, [email protected] - Massimo Ponti, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences and Interdepartmental Research Centre for Environmental SciencesUniversity of Bologna, CoNISMa, Ravenna, Italy - Giorgio Bavestrello, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, CoNISMa, Genoa, Italy - Maja Krzelj, Department of Marine Studies, University of Split, Split, Croatia - Carlo Cerrano, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, CoNISMa, Ancona, Italy Received: 12 January 2017 Revised: 10 December 2017 Accepted: 14 December 2017 First online: 23 December 2017 Cite as: Di Camillo, C.G., Ponti, M., Bavestrello, G.
    [Show full text]
  • Diagnosi Del Medi Terrestre
    CANDIDATURA DE LA COSTA BRAVA A RESERVA DE LA BIOSFERA DIAGNOSI DEL MEDI TERRESTRE #CostaBravaBiosfera2021 Autors Dr. Josep Pueyo-Ros Dr. Josep Vila Subirós Revisors externs Carles Bayés Dr. Joan Bosch Ponç Feliu Dr. Joaquim Nadal Dr. Josep Pintó Llorenç Planagumà Dr. Joan Vicente Campus de Patrimoni Natural i Cultural Universitat de Girona Àrea de Medi Ambient Diputació de Girona Juny de 2019 Suggerència de citació: Pueyo-Ros, J. i Vila Subirós, J. (2019). Diagnosi del medi terrestre. Candidatura de la Costa Brava a Reserva de Biosfera. Girona: Diputació de Girona i Campus de Patrimoni Natural i Cultural de la Universitat de Girona. Disponible a: http://hdl.handle.net/10256/16645 Aquesta obra està subjecta a una llicència de Reconeixement 4.0 Internacional de Creative Commons Diagnosi del medi terrestre de la Reserva de la Biosfera de la Costa Brava. Índex de continguts 1. RECOPILACIÓ I ANÀLISI DE LA INFORMACIÓ ........................................................................4 2. DIAGNOSI SOCIOECONÒMICA .......................................................................................................6 2.1. Caracterització de la població ...........................................................................................................6 2.2. Caracterització de l’activitat econòmica per sectors. ����������������������������������������������������������������������14 2.2.1. Sector agrari .............................................................................................................................18 2.2.2.
    [Show full text]
  • Gonian Eunicella Singularis (Esper, 1791) (Anthozoa Gorgoni - Idae) of Paloma Island, Algeria
    Biodiversity Journal , 2019, 10 (3): 185–194 https://doi.org/ 10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.3.185.194 Morphometric data and allometric relationships of the gor - gonian Eunicella singularis (Esper, 1791) (Anthozoa Gorgoni - idae) of Paloma Island, Algeria Mouloud Benabdi 1, Lalla A. T. Cherif-Louazani 1, Alae Eddine Belmahi 1, Samir Grimes 2, Yassine G.E. Khames 3, Billel Boufekane 3, Salim Mouffok 1 & Mohamed Bouderbala 1 1Laboratoire Réseau de Surveillance Environnementale, Faculté SNV, Université Oran1, Algeria 2École Nationale Supérieure des Sciences de la Mer et de l’Aménagement du Littoral Alger, Algeria 3Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, USTHB, Alger, Algeria *Corresponding author, email: [email protected] ABSTRACT The gorgonian Eunicella singularis (Esper, 1791) (Anthozoa Gorgoniidae) is abundant on rocky bottoms at Paloma Island (Algeria) in the south-western of the Mediterranean basin. In this study area, 150 gorgonian colonies of E. singularis were collected randomly using SCUBA diving and the following morphometric macro-features were measured (maximum height, maximum width, total branch length, rectangular surface area, height to width ratio and dry weight). Allometric growth was examined using the relationships between the dry weight and the five morphometric macro-features. The power equation of the simple allometry applied was y=ax b and the parameters of the linear regression a and b were estimated after the logarithmic transformation log (y)=log( a)+ b*log(x). The allometric relationships between the dry weight and the morphometric macro-features studied show that the growth of the gor - gonian E. singularis in the study area is correlated positively and significantly with the five macro-features and that both the macro-features total branch length and the maximum width are the most appropriate parameter applied to the gorgonian E.
    [Show full text]
  • DEEP SEA LEBANON RESULTS of the 2016 EXPEDITION EXPLORING SUBMARINE CANYONS Towards Deep-Sea Conservation in Lebanon Project
    DEEP SEA LEBANON RESULTS OF THE 2016 EXPEDITION EXPLORING SUBMARINE CANYONS Towards Deep-Sea Conservation in Lebanon Project March 2018 DEEP SEA LEBANON RESULTS OF THE 2016 EXPEDITION EXPLORING SUBMARINE CANYONS Towards Deep-Sea Conservation in Lebanon Project Citation: Aguilar, R., García, S., Perry, A.L., Alvarez, H., Blanco, J., Bitar, G. 2018. 2016 Deep-sea Lebanon Expedition: Exploring Submarine Canyons. Oceana, Madrid. 94 p. DOI: 10.31230/osf.io/34cb9 Based on an official request from Lebanon’s Ministry of Environment back in 2013, Oceana has planned and carried out an expedition to survey Lebanese deep-sea canyons and escarpments. Cover: Cerianthus membranaceus © OCEANA All photos are © OCEANA Index 06 Introduction 11 Methods 16 Results 44 Areas 12 Rov surveys 16 Habitat types 44 Tarablus/Batroun 14 Infaunal surveys 16 Coralligenous habitat 44 Jounieh 14 Oceanographic and rhodolith/maërl 45 St. George beds measurements 46 Beirut 19 Sandy bottoms 15 Data analyses 46 Sayniq 15 Collaborations 20 Sandy-muddy bottoms 20 Rocky bottoms 22 Canyon heads 22 Bathyal muds 24 Species 27 Fishes 29 Crustaceans 30 Echinoderms 31 Cnidarians 36 Sponges 38 Molluscs 40 Bryozoans 40 Brachiopods 42 Tunicates 42 Annelids 42 Foraminifera 42 Algae | Deep sea Lebanon OCEANA 47 Human 50 Discussion and 68 Annex 1 85 Annex 2 impacts conclusions 68 Table A1. List of 85 Methodology for 47 Marine litter 51 Main expedition species identified assesing relative 49 Fisheries findings 84 Table A2. List conservation interest of 49 Other observations 52 Key community of threatened types and their species identified survey areas ecological importanc 84 Figure A1.
    [Show full text]
  • Ascidiacea (Chordata: Tunicata) of Greece: an Updated Checklist
    Biodiversity Data Journal 4: e9273 doi: 10.3897/BDJ.4.e9273 Taxonomic Paper Ascidiacea (Chordata: Tunicata) of Greece: an updated checklist Chryssanthi Antoniadou‡, Vasilis Gerovasileiou§§, Nicolas Bailly ‡ Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece § Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Greece Corresponding author: Chryssanthi Antoniadou ([email protected]) Academic editor: Christos Arvanitidis Received: 18 May 2016 | Accepted: 17 Jul 2016 | Published: 01 Nov 2016 Citation: Antoniadou C, Gerovasileiou V, Bailly N (2016) Ascidiacea (Chordata: Tunicata) of Greece: an updated checklist. Biodiversity Data Journal 4: e9273. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e9273 Abstract Background The checklist of the ascidian fauna (Tunicata: Ascidiacea) of Greece was compiled within the framework of the Greek Taxon Information System (GTIS), an application of the LifeWatchGreece Research Infrastructure (ESFRI) aiming to produce a complete checklist of species recorded from Greece. This checklist was constructed by updating an existing one with the inclusion of recently published records. All the reported species from Greek waters were taxonomically revised and cross-checked with the Ascidiacea World Database. New information The updated checklist of the class Ascidiacea of Greece comprises 75 species, classified in 33 genera, 12 families, and 3 orders. In total, 8 species have been added to the previous species list (4 Aplousobranchia, 2 Phlebobranchia, and 2 Stolidobranchia). Aplousobranchia was the most speciose order, followed by Stolidobranchia. Most species belonged to the families Didemnidae, Polyclinidae, Pyuridae, Ascidiidae, and Styelidae; these 4 families comprise 76% of the Greek ascidian species richness. The present effort revealed the limited taxonomic research effort devoted to the ascidian fauna of Greece, © Antoniadou C et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Marine Invertebrate Diversity in Aristotle's Zoology
    Contributions to Zoology, 76 (2) 103-120 (2007) Marine invertebrate diversity in Aristotle’s zoology Eleni Voultsiadou1, Dimitris Vafi dis2 1 Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR - 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece, [email protected]; 2 Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, School of Agricultural Sciences, Uni- versity of Thessaly, 38446 Nea Ionia, Magnesia, Greece, dvafi [email protected] Key words: Animals in antiquity, Greece, Aegean Sea Abstract Introduction The aim of this paper is to bring to light Aristotle’s knowledge Aristotle was the one who created the idea of a general of marine invertebrate diversity as this has been recorded in his scientifi c investigation of living things. Moreover he works 25 centuries ago, and set it against current knowledge. The created the science of biology and the philosophy of analysis of information derived from a thorough study of his biology, while his animal studies profoundly infl uenced zoological writings revealed 866 records related to animals cur- rently classifi ed as marine invertebrates. These records corre- the origins of modern biology (Lennox, 2001a). His sponded to 94 different animal names or descriptive phrases which biological writings, constituting over 25% of the surviv- were assigned to 85 current marine invertebrate taxa, mostly ing Aristotelian corpus, have happily been the subject (58%) at the species level. A detailed, annotated catalogue of all of an increasing amount of attention lately, since both marine anhaima (a = without, haima = blood) appearing in Ar- philosophers and biologists believe that they might help istotle’s zoological works was constructed and several older in the understanding of other important issues of his confusions were clarifi ed.
    [Show full text]
  • Ica Nature Park (Adriatic Sea, Croatia)
    NAT. CROAT. VOL. 16 No 4 233¿266 ZAGREB December 31, 2007 original scientific paper / izvorni znanstveni rad ANTHOZOAN FAUNA OF TELA[]ICA NATURE PARK (ADRIATIC SEA, CROATIA) PETAR KRU@I] Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia ([email protected]) Kru`i}, P.: Anthozoan fauna of Tela{}ica Nature Park (Adriatic Sea, Croatia). Nat. Croat., Vol. 16, No. 4., 233–266, 2007, Zagreb. Sixty-five anthozoan species were recorded and collected in the area of Tela{}ica Nature Park during surveys from 1999 to 2006. General and ecological data are presented for each species, as well as distribution and local abundance. The recorded species account for about 56% of the antho- zoans known in the Adriatic Sea, and for about 38% of the anthozoans known in the Mediterra- nean Sea. From Tela{}ica Nature Park, 16 species are considered to be Mediterranean endemics. The heterogeneity of the substrates and benthic communities in the bay and cliffs is considerable in Tela{}ica Nature Park; anthozoans are present on most of the different kinds of substrates and in a wide range of benthic communities. Key words: marine fauna, Anthozoa, Tela{}ica Nature Park, Adriatic Sea. Kru`i}, P.: Fauna koralja Parka prirode Tela{}ica (Jadransko more, Hrvatska). Nat. Croat., Vol. 16, No. 4., 233–266, 2007, Zagreb. Prilikom istra`ivanja podmorskog dijela Parka prirode Tela{}ica u razdoblju od 1999. do 2006. godine zabilje`eno je i sakupljeno 65 vrsta koralja. Za svaku vrstu izneseni su op}i i ekolo{ki podaci, te su zabilje`eni nalazi i lokalna brojnost.
    [Show full text]
  • Secondary Metabolites from Gorgonian Corals of the Genus Eunicella: Structural Characterizations, Biological Activities, and Synthetic Approaches
    molecules Review Secondary Metabolites from Gorgonian Corals of the Genus Eunicella: Structural Characterizations, Biological Activities, and Synthetic Approaches Dario Matulja 1, Maria Kolympadi Markovic 2, Gabriela Ambroži´c 2, Sylvain Laclef 3, Sandra Kraljevi´cPaveli´c 1,* and Dean Markovi´c 1,* 1 Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, Radmile Matejˇci´c2, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; [email protected] 2 Department of Physics and Centre for Micro- and Nanosciences and Technologies, University of Rijeka, Radmile Matejˇci´c2, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; [email protected] (M.K.M.); [email protected] (G.A.) 3 Laboratoire de Glycochimie, des Antimicrobiens et des Agroressources (LG2A) UMR CNRS 7378—Institut de Chimie de Picardie FR 3085, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 33 rue Saint Leu, FR-80039 Amiens CEDEX, France; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] (S.K.P.); [email protected] (D.M.); Tel.: +385-51-584-550 (S.K.P.); +385-51-584-816 (D.M.) Academic Editor: Paula B. Andrade Received: 9 December 2019; Accepted: 26 December 2019; Published: 28 December 2019 Abstract: Gorgonian corals, which belong to the genus Eunicella, are known as natural sources of diverse compounds with unique structural characteristics and interesting bioactivities both in vitro and in vivo. This review is focused primarily on the secondary metabolites isolated from various Eunicella species. The chemical structures of 64 compounds were divided into three main groups and comprehensively presented: a) terpenoids, b) sterols, and c) alkaloids and nucleosides. The observed biological activities of depicted metabolites with an impact on cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities were reviewed.
    [Show full text]
  • Metabolomic Profiling Reveals Deep Chemical Divergence Between Two
    OPEN Metabolomic profiling reveals deep SUBJECT AREAS: chemical divergence between two METABOLOMICS CHEMICAL ECOLOGY morphotypes of the zoanthid BIODIVERSITY MASS SPECTROMETRY Parazoanthus axinellae Nadja Cachet1, Gre´gory Genta-Jouve1,2, Julijana Ivanisevic1,3, Pierre Chevaldonne´3, Fre´de´ric Sinniger4,5, Received Ge´rald Culioli1,6, Thierry Pe´rez3 & Olivier P. Thomas1,3 10 October 2014 Accepted 1Institut de Chimie de Nice - EEIC, UMR 7272 CNRS, Universite´ de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice, France, 8 January 2015 2Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie et de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, UMR CNRS 8638 COMETE, Universite´ Paris Descartes, 4 Avenue de l’Observatoire 75006 Paris, France, 3Institut Me´diterrane´en de Biodiversite´ et d’Ecologie Marine et Continentale, UMR Published 7263 CNRS, IRD, Aix Marseille Universite´, Avignon Universite´, Station Marine d’Endoume, Rue Batterie des Lions, 13007 6 February 2015 Marseille, France, 4Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 224-3 Aza-Toyohara, Nago City, Okinawa 905- 2172, Japan, 5Tropical Biosphere Reseach Center, University of the Ryukyus, 3422 Sesoko, Motobu, Okinawa 905-0227, Japan, 6MAPIEM, EA 4323 Universite´ de Toulon, 83957 La Garde, France. Correspondence and requests for materials Metabolomics has recently proven its usefulness as complementary tool to traditional morphological and should be addressed to genetic analyses for the classification of marine invertebrates. Among the metabolite-rich cnidarian order T.P. (thierry.perez@ Zoantharia, Parazoanthus is a polyphyletic genus whose systematics and phylogeny remain controversial. imbe.fr) or O.P.T. Within this genus, one of the most studied species, Parazoanthus axinellae is prominent in rocky shallow (olivier.thomas@unice. waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the NE Atlantic Ocean.
    [Show full text]
  • Vulnerable Forests of the Pink Sea Fan Eunicella Verrucosa in the Mediterranean Sea
    diversity Article Vulnerable Forests of the Pink Sea Fan Eunicella verrucosa in the Mediterranean Sea Giovanni Chimienti 1,2 1 Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy; [email protected]; Tel.: +39-080-544-3344 2 CoNISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00197 Roma, Italy Received: 14 April 2020; Accepted: 28 April 2020; Published: 30 April 2020 Abstract: The pink sea fan Eunicella verrucosa (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Alcyonacea) can form coral forests at mesophotic depths in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the recognized importance of these habitats, they have been scantly studied and their distribution is mostly unknown. This study reports the new finding of E. verrucosa forests in the Mediterranean Sea, and the updated distribution of this species that has been considered rare in the basin. In particular, one site off Sanremo (Ligurian Sea) was characterized by a monospecific population of E. verrucosa with 2.3 0.2 colonies m 2. By combining ± − new records, literature, and citizen science data, the species is believed to be widespread in the basin with few or isolated colonies, and 19 E. verrucosa forests were identified. The overall associated community showed how these coral forests are essential for species of conservation interest, as well as for species of high commercial value. For this reason, proper protection and management strategies are necessary. Keywords: Anthozoa; Alcyonacea; gorgonian; coral habitat; coral forest; VME; biodiversity; mesophotic; citizen science; distribution 1. Introduction Arborescent corals such as antipatharians and alcyonaceans can form mono- or multispecific animal forests that represent vulnerable marine ecosystems of great ecological importance [1–4].
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Phylogeny of the Families Pyuridae and Styelidae (Stolidobranchiata
    * Manuscript 1 Phylogeny of the families Pyuridae and Styelidae (Stolidobranchiata, Ascidiacea) 2 inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences 3 4 Pérez-Portela Ra, b, Bishop JDDb, Davis ARc, Turon Xd 5 6 a Eco-Ethology Research Unit, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada (ISPA), Rua 7 Jardim do Tabaco, 34, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal 8 9 b Marine Biological Association of United Kingdom, The Laboratory Citadel Hill, PL1 10 2PB, Plymouth, UK, and School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth PL4 11 8AA, Plymouth, UK 12 13 c School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong NSW 2522 14 Australia 15 16 d Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CSIC), Accés a la Cala St. Francesc 14, Blanes, 17 Girona, E-17300, Spain 18 19 Email addresses: 20 Bishop JDD: [email protected] 21 Davis AR: [email protected] 22 Turon X: [email protected] 23 24 Corresponding author: 25 Rocío Pérez-Portela 26 Eco-Ethology Research Unit, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada (ISPA), Rua 27 Jardim do Tabaco, 34, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal 28 Phone: + 351 21 8811226 29 Fax: + 351 21 8860954 30 [email protected] 31 1 32 Abstract 33 34 The Order Stolidobranchiata comprises the families Pyuridae, Styelidae and Molgulidae. 35 Early molecular data was consistent with monophyly of the Stolidobranchiata and also 36 the Molgulidae. Internal phylogeny and relationships between Styelidae and Pyuridae 37 were inconclusive however. In order to clarify these points we used mitochondrial and 38 nuclear sequences from 31 species of Styelidae and 25 of Pyuridae. Phylogenetic trees 39 recovered the Pyuridae as a monophyletic clade, and their genera appeared as 40 monophyletic with the exception of Pyura.
    [Show full text]