New Evidence of Marine Fauna Tropicalization Off the Southwestern Iberian Peninsula (Southwest Europe)
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diversity Communication New Evidence of Marine Fauna Tropicalization off the Southwestern Iberian Peninsula (Southwest Europe) João Encarnação 1, Pedro Morais 2,* ,Vânia Baptista 1 , Joana Cruz 1 and Maria Alexandra Teodósio 1 1 CCMAR—Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; [email protected] (J.E.); [email protected] (V.B.); [email protected] (J.C.); [email protected] (M.A.T.) 2 Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, Mulford Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 26 February 2019; Accepted: 23 March 2019; Published: 27 March 2019 Abstract: Climate change and the overall increase of seawater temperature are causing a poleward shift in species distribution, which includes a phenomenon described as the tropicalization of temperate regions. This work aims to report the first records of four species off the southwestern Iberian Peninsula, namely, the oceanic puffer Lagocephalus lagocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758), the Madeira rockfish Scorpaena maderensis Valenciennes, 1833, the ornate wrasse Thalassoma pavo (Linnaeus, 1758), and the bearded fireworm Hermodice carunculata (Pallas, 1766). These last three species, along with other occurrences of aquatic fauna and flora along the Portuguese coast, reveal an ongoing process of poleward expansion of several species, which urgently necessitates a comprehensive survey along the entire Iberian Peninsula. The putative origins of these subtropical and tropical species off continental Portugal are discussed, as well as the potential public health problems that two of the four reported species may cause. Keywords: climate change; tropicalization; species distribution; range expansion; North Atlantic 1. Introduction The effects of climate change are becoming evident across oceans, through changes of sea level, ocean primary productivity, ocean acidification, water temperature, and shifts in species distribution ranges [1]. In some temperate regions, the increase in seawater temperature is causing a poleward movement of species—a phenomenon known as the tropicalization of temperate regions [2]. The global trend is that this tropicalization phenomenon is occurring in many marine ecosystems [3]. Along the west and east coasts of Australia, dense kelp forests are disappearing, with records of 100 km range contractions on the west coast which are then followed by increases in the populations of subtropical and tropical herbivorous fish that suppress kelp recovery [4–6]. Other important habitat-forming species, such as coral reefs, have been expanding their poleward distribution along the Japanese coast at a rate of up to 14 km/year [7]. Simultaneously, tropical fish species are settling in these regions and being able to withstand the colder winter waters off Japan [8]. In the northern region of the Gulf of Mexico, an increasing number of diverse southern tropical species (e.g., fish, manatees, turtles, warm-water corals, black mangroves) are reshaping the characteristic seagrass meadows [9]. Similar cases have been observed in the northern Mediterranean Sea since the early 1990s, where several southern warmer-water fish species have been recorded [2,10,11]. Along the southwestern and western coasts of the Iberian Peninsula (Europe), the distribution range of several algae species shifted northwards to the order of hundreds and thousands of kilometres [12,13]. There are also examples of new species being reported off southern Portugal, such as Diversity 2019, 11, 48; doi:10.3390/d11040048 www.mdpi.com/journal/diversity Diversity 2019, 11, 48 2 of 11 the brown mussel Perna perna (Linnaeus, 1758) [14] and the parrotfish Sparisoma cretense (Linnaeus, 1758) [15], which suggests that a wide array of species are shifting their northern distribution limit from northern Africa to the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula. In this context, this work aims at reporting four new accounts of subtropical/tropical faunal species observed for the first time off the south coast of Portugal and in the Guadiana estuary (SE Portugal/SW Spain). These new records for the southwestern Iberian Peninsula include three Teleostei, i.e., the Madeira rockfish Scorpaena maderensis Valenciennes, 1833, the ornate wrasse Thalassoma pavo (Linnaeus, 1758), and the oceanic puffer Lagocephalus lagocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758), as well as a polychaete annelid, the bearded fireworm Hermodice carunculata (Pallas, 1766). 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. Study Area Three out of the four new records of marine fauna reported in this work were registered off Portimão (SW Portugal) (Figure1A), at one natural rocky reef and two artificial reefs. The natural rocky reef is known as “Pedra do Mariano” (37◦06.143’ N, 8◦34.610’ W), and the reef wall lies between 14 and 17 meters deep, surrounded mostly by rocky bottoms and scattered sandy areas (Figure1B). The artificial reefs are two scuttled ships (Figure1B): the “Oliveira e Carmo” corvette (37 ◦05.501’ N 8◦34.964’ W) and the “Almeida Carvalho” hydrographic ship (37◦05.391’ N, 8◦34.960’ W), which were intentionally sunk to form the Ocean Revival underwater park (www.oceanrevival.org) on 30 October 2012 and 21 September 2013, respectively. These ships lie at a depth of 30 meters on sandy bottoms and are elevated to a minimum depth between 14 and 18 meters. A fourth species was registered in the lower Guadiana estuary (SE Portugal/SW Spain) off Castro Marim (37◦12.717’ N, 7◦24.867’ W) (Figure1C). 2.2. Data Collection In the region off Portimão, observations were made during non-systematic recreational SCUBA dives at the three sites, which occurred between 9 am and 11 am. Specimens were photographed with a Canon G16 digital camera (12 megapixel resolution). The depth at which species were photographed was annotated, as were their size and sex whenever possible. Size was estimated by including an object in the photograph to be used for scale, while sex was determined based on the sexual dimorphism characteristics if the species displayed such traits. In the Guadiana estuary, a local fisherman collected two specimens with a longline gear deployed overnight, but only one specimen was delivered to us for identification. In the laboratory, this specimen was identified and sexed, its total fresh weight (±1 g) was determined, several morphometric and meristic characteristics were measured and counted, and the stomach content analyzed. The identification of species was based on the photographs taken and on the collected specimen, following the identification books of Saldanha [16] and Louisy [17]. Diversity 2019, 11, 48 3 of 11 Diversity 2019, 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 11 FigureFigure 1. (1.A )(A The) The location location of the of twothe maintwo main study study sites offsites Portim off Portimãoão (PTM) (PTM) and in theand lower in the Guadiana lower estuaryGuadiana off Castro estuary Marim off Castro (CM) (SEMarim Portugal/SW (CM) (SE Spain)Portugal/SW is shown Spain) in the is context shown ofin the the Iberian context Peninsula of the andIberian northern Peninsula African and coast. northern The locationAfrican coast. of the Th Gorringee location seamount of the Gorringe and of the seamount three Macaronesian and of the archipelagosthree Macaronesian is also signled. archipelagos The markers is also signled. on the Macaronesian The markers on islands the Macaronesian only reflect the islands presence only of eachreflect species the presence at each archipelago of each species and at not each their arch preciseipelago distribution and not their around precise each distribution island. The around species distributioneach island. was The compiled species distribution on the basis was of severalcompiled scientific on the basis publications. of several ( Bscientific) Location publications. of the study sites(B) offLocation Portim ãofo (PM,the study Pedra sites do Mariano;off Portimão OC, Oliveira(PM,Pedra e Carmo do Mariano; corvette; OC, AC, Oliveira Almeida e CarvalhoCarmo hydrographiccorvette; AC, ship) Almeida and (CarvalhoC) in the lowerhydrographic Guadiana ship) estuary and ( offC) Castroin the lower Marim Guadiana (CM). Maps estuary retrieved off fromCastro Google Marim Earth. (CM). Maps retrieved from Google Earth. 3. Results During the non-systematicnon-systematic diving surveys done off PortimPortimão,ão, three speciesspecies were identifiedidentified asas new additionsadditions to to the the southwestern southwestern Iberian Iberian Peninsula’s Peninsula’s fauna. fauna. These These species species were the were Madeira the Madeira rockfish S.rockfish maderensis S. maderensisValenciennes, Valenciennes, 1833, the ornate1833, the wrasse ornateT. wrasse pavo (Linnaeus, T. pavo (Linnaeus, 1758), and 1758), the bearded and the fireworm bearded H.fireworm carunculata H. carunculata(Pallas, 1766), (Pallas, which 1766), are characteristicwhich are characteristic of subtropical of subtropical and tropical and regions. tropical regions. The firstfirst Madeira rockfishrockfish specimen was recorded on on July 29 July 29, 2016, in the “Oliveira e Carmo” corvettecorvette at a depthdepth ofof 2424 metersmeters (Figure(Figure2 2A).A).A A second second individual individualwas wasobserved observed ininthe thesame samelocation location on October 3,3, 2016,2016, atat aa depthdepth ofof 2020 metersmeters (Figure(Figure2 2B).B). Diversity 2019, 11, 48 4 of 11 Diversity 2019, 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 4 of 11 FigureFigure 2. 2.Specimens Specimens of of Madeira Madeira rockfish rockfishScorpaena Scorpaena maderensis