Inventory of alien and cryptogenic species of the Dodecanese (Aegean Sea, Greece):collaboration through COST action training school

The Dodecanese region has a high prevalence of marine alien species due to its close proximity to the Suez Canal and associated Suez shipping lanes, as well as its location at biogeographical border between sub-tropical and tropical biota. This region is therefore very important for the early detection of alien species entering the Mediterranean Sea, and it is imperative that monitoring of alien species is continued in order to assess the levels of biological invasion. We present results of marine alien surveys, carried out in April 2014 on the island of Rodos. Surveys were performed by a team of marine taxonomic experts and students as part of an EU wide training school, coordinated by the COST Action TD1209 “Alien Challenge”. A variety of survey methods were employed to cover diverse coastal ecosystems and these methods included: rapid assessment surveys of epibiota on artificial structures in harbours, rapid assessment snorkelling surveys of biota on sublittoral bedrock, and quantified fishing surveys (both boat-seine and trammel net fishing methods). Across all survey types a total 33 alien and cryptogenic species were recorded. Of these species, 9 represented new records for Rodos: foraminiferan Amphisorus hemprichii, polychaetes Branchiomma bairdi, Dorvillea similis, Hydroides diramphus and Pseudonereis anomala, molluscs Aplysia parvula, Chama pacifica and Septifer cumingii, and the bryozoan Hippopodina feegeensis. Of note the record of the Lessepsian invader Dorvillea similis represents the second record in the Mediterranean Sea. Alien fish species represented a small but notable proportion of the diversity, biomass and number of individuals in fishing catch of both fishing methods. All alien fish species observed were already known to be present in Rodos. The addition of the new species records from this study brings the total number of marine alien and cryptogenic species in the Dodecanese region up to 129 species. The vast majority of these alien species are Lessepsian immigrants but an increasing number have been introduced through hull fouling or ballast water transfer from shipping. The success of this survey highlights the value of conducting marine alien surveys with teams of a wide ranging taxonomic expertise, both in its scientific output and student training.

CORSINI-FOKA Maria;  ZENETOS Argyro;  CROCETTA Fabio;  ÇINAR Melih Ertan;  KOÇAK Ferah;  GOLANI Daniel;  KATSANEVAKIS Stylianos Marios;  TSIAMIS Konstantinos;  COOK Elizabeth;  FROGLIA Carlo;  TRIANTAPHYLLOU M.;  LAKKIS Sami;  KONDYLATOS Gerasimos;  TRICARICO Elena;  ZULJEVIC Ante;  ALMEIDA Mariana;  CARDIGOS Frederico;  ÇAĞLAR Senem;  DURUCAN F.;  FERNANDES António M.D.;  FERRARIO Jasmine;  HABERLE Ines;  LOUIZIDOU Paraskevi;  MAKRIS Josif;  MARIĆ Martina;  MICU Dragoş;  MIFSUD Carmen;  NALL Chris;  KYTINOU Eleni;  POURSANIDIS Dimitrios;  SPIGOLI Daniele;  STASOLLA Gianluca;  YAPICI Sercan;  ROY Helen; 

2016-07-12

Regional Euro-Asian Biological Invasions Centre - REABIC

JRC97257

1989-8649,   

http://www.reabic.net/journals/mbi/2015/Issue4.aspx,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC97257,   

10.3391/mbi.2015.6.4.04,