Novi prilozi poznavanju alohtone faune mekušaca uzduž ciparske obale: novi stražnjoškržnjaši u ciparskoj fauni

The finding of some alien opisthobranchia previously unknown from Cyprus confirms that Indo-Pacific alien species are spreading at an increasing rate in the Levantine Sea. This work reports on the occurrence of four new alien species recorded in the form of images that have been taken over a period spanning more than 8 years. These are Chelidonura fulvipunctata, Chromodoris annulata, Flabellina rubrolineata and Hypselodoris infucata. In addition, finding of Melibe viridis, which was considered hitherto as casual, confirm its establishment success around Cyprus. Chromodoris annulata, a recent invader in the Mediterranean and little known from the Levantine basin, is currently well established on the Cypriot coast.Nalazi nekoliko stranih vrsta stražnjoškržnjaša, prethodno nepoznatih na Cipru, potvrđuju da je širenje Indo-Pacifičkih vrsta sve izražajnije u istočnom dijelu Sredozemnog mora. U ovom radu se iznose podaci o pojavi četiri nove alohtone vrste zabilježene fotografijom tijekom vremenskog razdoblja od preko 8 godina. Zabilježene su slijedeće vrste: Chelidonura fulvipunctata, Chromodoris annulata, Flabellina rubrolineata i Hypselodoris infucata. Dodatno nalaz vrste Melibe viridis, koja se do tada smatrala povremenom vrstom, potvrđuje njezinu značajniju prisutnost oko Cipra. Invazivna vrsta Chromodoris annulata, dosada malo poznata iz istočnog dijela Sredozemnog mora, trenutno je značajnije zastupljena uzduž ciparske obale

Napredovanje bioloških invazija u Sredozemlju u razdoblju od dvije godine nakon proširenja Sueskog kanala

The possibility that the recent expansion of the Suez Canal could trigger an entirely new twenty first century wave of invasions was investigated. Results showed that only 19 new alien species were detected after August 2015 (date of the last Suez Canal enlargement). Five of the newcomers have already established viable populations. Between August 2015 and August 2017 approximately 9,5 new species (mostly fish) entered the Mediterranean annually, 7 of them via the Suez Canal unaided. The next most important pathway is Transport - Stowaway: Shipping, while intentional releases from aquaria appear to play an important role. Our results confirm previous findings on the decreasing rate of introductions, which is not affected by the recent expansion of the Suez Canal. Conclusively, the rate of bio invasions via the Suez Canal has not “doubled” as anticipated but rather decreased in relation to previous years.Istraživana je mogućnost prema kojoj je nedavno proširenje Sueskog kanala izazvalo potpuno novi val bioloških invazije u 21. stoljeću. Rezultati su pokazali da je nakon kolovoza 2015. utvrđeno samo 19 novih nezavičajnih vrsta (datum zadnjeg proširenja Sueskog kanala). Od novih pridošlica, njih 5 je već uspostavilo održive populacije. Od kolovoza 2015. do kolovoza 2017. otprilike 9,5 novih vrsta (uglavnom riba) ušlo je u Sredozemno more na godišnjoj razini, od kojih je 7 vrsta ušlo nepotpomognuto kroz Sueski kanal. Slijedeći najvažniji put bio je putem morskog prometa – kao „slijepi putnici“, a čini se da i namjerna ispuštanja iz akvarija imaju važnu ulogu. Naši rezultati potvrđuju prethodna otkrića o smanjenju stope invazije, što nije pod utjecajem nedavnog širenja Sueskog kanala. Konačno, stopa biološke invazije preko Sueskog kanala nije se “udvostručila” kao što se očekivalo, već se smanjivala u odnosu na prethodne godine

Megabenthic invertebrate diversity in Mediterranean trawlable soft bottoms: a synthesis of current knowledge

Mediterranean bottom trawling is generally characterised by a highly diversified mixed catch, composed of fish, cephalopods,crustaceans, and other megabenthic invertebrates. Although management of Mediterranean trawling requires a multispecies approach on a community basis, this does not seem to be the case in the relevant literature. Herein, we present an extensive review ofthe existing knowledge on megabenthic invertebrate communities, focusing on the trawlable bottoms. A total of 207 publicationsfrom 1930 to the early 2021 was collected and classified into seven research areas. Research effort on soft bottom megabenthicinvertebrates of trawlable grounds was higher for the Western Mediterranean and the depth zone of 50-200 m. Overall, 1,797 taxawere reported belonging to different taxonomic groups, the most diverse of which were Mollusca, Crustacea, Polychaeta, andPorifera. Among the reported taxa, 43 species are alien to the Mediterranean Sea, and 42 are included in the lists of threatened/ endangered and protected species under the Barcelona and Bern Conventions. The Western Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea werethe ecoregions with the highest number of megabenthic invertebrate species reported from trawlable grounds. All Mediterraneanecoregions were grouped according to their megabenthic fauna at a similarity level of 27%. The present work compiles the knownscattered information, highlights knowledge gaps, and underlines the need for time series data on the megabenthic communitiesof the Mediterranean fishing grounds

Introduced species in Mediterranean marine caves: an increasing but neglected threat

Marine caves are protected habitats with high biodiversity and low ecological resilience, vulnerable to multiple pressures including biological invasions. Therefore, comprehensive lists of alien species in sea caves and assessments of their impacts are urgently needed. This study aimed to provide an updated and validated list of introduced species in marine caves of the Mediterranean Sea based on the latest available checklist (2014). The number of introduced species in the updated list (December 2022 status) has doubled in the last eight years. The updated checklist includes 126 species (107 alien, 15 cryptogenic, two crypto-expanding, and two questionable) belonging to 12 phyla. The highest number of introduced species in caves was evidenced in the eastern Mediterranean (105), specifically in the Levantine (99) and the Aegean (34) ecoregions. Most introduced species originated from the Indo-Pacific. Most species entered the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal, followed by species transferred via vessels. Most introduced species were found at the entrance and in the semi-dark zone of caves (60 and 52 species, respectively), with only 19 species being reported from the dark zone. Approximately 28% of the introduced species have a high impact on ecosystems, including nine of the ten worst invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the lack of data on the impact of introduced species on marine cave biodiversity, given their high species richness and the recently reported population explosions of some alien fish in the eastern Mediterranean, our results highlight the need for continuous inventorying and monitoring

Time lags in reporting of biological invasions: the case of Mediterranean Sea

Time lags in non-indigenous species (NIS) reporting can create uncertainty in the analysis of NIS introduction rates, which can lead to inadequate actions, prevention measures and their evaluation. The present study aims to highlight time lags in marine NIS reporting in the Mediterranean Sea, i.e.: the time that mediates from the detection of a new NIS in the Mediterranean Sea until its publication. Our results revealed that the time lag in NIS reporting in the Mediterranean Sea has been considerably decreased during the last decades. There is also a noticeable difference in the time lag of reporting NIS in association with the taxonomic group of the species. Fish have generally shorter time lags in their reporting when compared with other taxonomic groups (e.g. macrophytes, Annelida, Bryozoa). Considering the widespread concern on marine introductions, it is essential to recognize the importance of taking into account time lags of reporting NIS that skew introduction patterns of marine NIS, permitting thus more accurate management assessments

New horizons for the Panhellenic Symposium of Oceanography & Fisheries

The Panhellenic Symposium of Oceanography and Fisheries was firstly launched in Athens, 35 years ago sparked by the enthusiasm of the Greek aquatic scientists, massively supported by the voluntary contribution of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) employees. Over the last three decades, the Symposium established and flourished as the forum for a wide range of marine and freshwater disciplines in the country. It became a tradition to a large audience since it has attracted researchers, academicians, students, entrepreneurs and the industry both from Greece and adjacent countries. The initial enthusiasm and support is growing with the inclusion of Universities and other educational/research institutes in the organization scheme. The “12th Panhellenic Symposium of Oceanography and Fisheries” 1 did not only deliver big changes in its operational mode but also opened new horizons to the scientific communities of Greece and adjacent areas. It has been a tipping point in this type of events in many aspects