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Biology
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Alien Marine Species in the Mediterranean Sea
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Alien Marine Species in the Mediterranean Sea

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 4186

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Claudia Cosentino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Earth and Marine Science (DiSTeM), Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy
Interests: ecology and paleoecology; climatic variations; paleoecological and paleoclimatic reconstructions; biodiversity; benthonic and planktonic foraminifera

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Alien organisms are plants and animals that, due to human intervention, have reached and colonized areas far from their sites of origin.

If these species find a favourable habitat and develop to the extent that they partially or completely replace the local biodiversity, they are referred to as "invasive".

The Mediterranean Sea hosts thousands of alien species of exotic origin from a wide range of categories, including algae, annelids, fishes, jellyfishes, crustaceans, zooplankton and phytoplankton, molluscs, bryozoans, etc.

Studies have revealed that some harbours of the Mediterranean Sea are home to many marine species native to Japan, the Galapagos and North America that arrived via international boats, living in the ballast waters of ships or in encrustations in the ship keels.

Furthermore, the construction of the Suez Canal in 1869 created an artificial connection between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, allowing marine organisms of tropical affinity to enter the Mediterranean. These organisms are finding a favourable habitat in the Mediterranean due to the increase in the surface temperature of the marine waters and proliferate enormously, conquering ever wider distribution areas and moving progressively from east to west.

While this situation risks upsetting local communities and compromising local biodiversity, it could also have positive implications. According to recent studies, some species of very invasive macroforaminiferi (i.e., Amphistegina), which build a thick carbonate shell, may be able to counteract the negative effects of ocean acidification.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide the scientific community with a broad view of the alien marine species currently living in the Mediterranean Sea, including both macro and microorganisms, as well as zooplankton and phytoplankton. Manuscript that deal with new reports of alien marine organisms and the impacts of alien species on local communities are warmly encouraged.

Dr. Claudia Cosentino
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • marine organisms
  • ecology and paleoecology
  • biodiversity
  • Mediterranean ecosystem

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 4375 KiB  
Article
When Nature Requires a Resource to Be Used—The Case of Callinectes sapidus: Distribution, Aggregation Patterns, and Spatial Structure in Northwest Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, and Adjacent Waters
by Luca Castriota, Manuela Falautano and Patrizia Perzia
Biology 2024, 13(4), 279; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13040279 - 19 Apr 2024
Viewed by 613
Abstract
The Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus, which is native to the western Atlantic coast and listed among the 100 most invasive alien species in the Mediterranean Sea, is attracting a great deal of interest because of its rapid colonisation of new areas, [...] Read more.
The Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus, which is native to the western Atlantic coast and listed among the 100 most invasive alien species in the Mediterranean Sea, is attracting a great deal of interest because of its rapid colonisation of new areas, the significant increase in its population, and the impacts it may have on ecosystems and ecosystem services. Outside its natural distribution range, the species was first found on European Atlantic coasts in the early 1900s and was introduced into the Mediterranean Sea a few decades later, probably through ballast water. Currently, it is found in almost the entire Mediterranean Basin and is also expanding into the Black Sea and along the north African and Iberian Atlantic coasts. Based on a systematic review of C. sapidus occurrences, this study describes its distribution, aggregation patterns, and spatial structure in Northwest Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, and adjacent waters through a series of ecological indicators elaborated using GIS spatial–temporal statistics. The main results highlight that the species is expanding in the Mediterranean and adjacent waters, while in northern Europe, the population remains confined in some areas. Furthermore, the main species detection methods are analysed, finding that traps and nets are the most frequently used methods, and management suggestions are provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alien Marine Species in the Mediterranean Sea)
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13 pages, 2016 KiB  
Article
New Record of Dendronephthya sp. (Family: Nephtheidae) from Mediterranean Israel: Evidence for Tropicalization?
by Hagai Nativ, Ori Galili, Ricardo Almuly, Shai Einbinder, Dan Tchernov and Tali Mass
Biology 2023, 12(9), 1220; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12091220 - 08 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1564
Abstract
Bio-invasions have the potential to provoke cascade effects that can disrupt natural ecosystems and cause ecological regime shifts. The Mediterranean Sea is particularly prone to bio-invasions as the changing water conditions, evoked by climate change, are creating advantageous conditions for Lessepsian migrants from [...] Read more.
Bio-invasions have the potential to provoke cascade effects that can disrupt natural ecosystems and cause ecological regime shifts. The Mediterranean Sea is particularly prone to bio-invasions as the changing water conditions, evoked by climate change, are creating advantageous conditions for Lessepsian migrants from the Red Sea. Recently, in May 2023, a new alien species was documented in the Mediterranean Sea—a soft coral of the genus Dendronephthya. This discovery was made by divers conducting ‘Long-Term Ecological Research’ surveys, along the coast of Israel, at a depth of 42 m. Genetic and morphological testing suggest that the species identity may be Dendronepthya hemprichi, an Indo-Pacific coral, common in the Red Sea. According to life history traits of this species, such as accelerated attachment to available surfaces and fast growth, we expect it to rapidly expand its distribution and abundance across the Mediterranean Sea. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alien Marine Species in the Mediterranean Sea)
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21 pages, 3727 KiB  
Article
Using Local Ecological Knowledge to Search for Non-Native Species in Natura 2000 Sites in the Central Mediterranean Sea: An Approach to Identify New Arrivals and Hotspot Areas
by Patrizia Perzia, Tiziana Cillari, Giuseppe Crociata, Alan Deidun, Manuela Falautano, Giulio Franzitta, Johann Galdies, Teresa Maggio, Pietro Vivona and Luca Castriota
Biology 2023, 12(9), 1158; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12091158 - 23 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1288
Abstract
The management of biological invasions is among the most urgent of global challenges and requires a significant monitoring effort to obtain the information needed to take the appropriate decisions. To complement standard monitoring, citizen science is increasingly being used. Within citizen science, the [...] Read more.
The management of biological invasions is among the most urgent of global challenges and requires a significant monitoring effort to obtain the information needed to take the appropriate decisions. To complement standard monitoring, citizen science is increasingly being used. Within citizen science, the approach of collecting and investigating Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) proved to be useful in the monitoring of non-native species. A LEK survey was carried out in 10 Sicilian and Maltese Natura 2000 sites in order to help in the early detection of non-native species. The survey was addressed to local fishers and SCUBA divers in order to investigate the occurrence of 24 selected marine non-native species and to identify potential hotspot areas of invasion through the use of six indicators: the occurrence of newly introduced nonindigenous species, the cumulative impacts of invasive alien species (CIMPAL) and the relative importance of species on the cumulative impacts (D1, D2, D3, and D4). The respondents confirmed the presence of 22 species since the year 2000 and reported 10 new ones registered in the investigated areas. The highest CIMPAL value was observed in two Sicilian Natura 2000 sites (ITA090028 and ITA040014) and the lowest on the western coast of Malta (MT0000101, MT0000102, MT0000103, and MT0000104) The four top-priority species according to indicators D1–D4 were Caulerpa cylindracea, C. taxifolia, Siganus luridus and S. rivulatus. The study produced a valid and useful scientific output to suggest and address management strategies to monitor the establishment of the non-native species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alien Marine Species in the Mediterranean Sea)
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