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A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2022) | Viewed by 29908

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Dr. Charalampos Dimitriadis

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National Marine Park of Zakynthos, El. Venizelou 1, 29100 Zakynthos, Greece
Interests: marine protected areas; marine ecology; conservation; ecosystems management
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Marine ecosystems are impacted by a multitude of human stressors and climatic change effects acting in concert even in the most remote areas of the planet. Marine biodiversity is declining in an alarming rate, thus challenging ecosystem functions and services as well as human wellbeing. Therefore, effective management and conservation actions are imperative and well recognized at the highest political level. This Special Issue aims to collect valuable manuscripts on marine biodiversity and ecosystem management that can advise managers, policy makers, and conservation practitioners. Manuscripts may include both large-scale and regional studies, while field experiments, theoretical and modeling studies, as well as successful management stories from all forms of marine ecosystems and taxa are welcome. Studies on threatened and protected species or habitats are of high concern, whereas contributions from the fields of biological invasions, marine protected areas, climate change, and risk and vulnerability assessments are more than welcome.

Dr. Charalampos Dimitriadis
Guest Editor

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Keywords

Biodiversity
Ecosystem management
Conservation
Marine protected areas
Vulnerability assessment
Climate change
Biological invasions
Threatened species

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 3228 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling of the Elements Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Si in the Sediments and the Body Walls of Sea Cucumbers in the Tropical Seagrass Meadows

by Adonis Floren, Ken-ichi Hayashizaki, Piyalap Tuntiprapas and Anchana Prathep

Diversity 2023, 15(2), 146; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020146 - 21 Jan 2023

Viewed by 2032

Abstract

The interrelationship of the minerals calcium (Ca²⁺), magnesium (Mg²⁺) and silicon (Si) in the sediments and in the body walls of four tropical sea cucumber species was explored by modeling the concentrations of these minerals. The elemental concentrations of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Si were measured in the body walls and in the ambient sediments occupied by the sea cucumbers Holothuria scabra, H. leucospilota, H. atra and Bohadschia marmorata. The results indicate that the concentrations of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ in the body walls of the four sea cucumber species are significantly different from each other, indicating a varying degree of biomineralization across sea cucumber taxa. In contrast, only B. marmorata showed a significant difference in the concentration of Si when compared to the rest of the species tested. Further analysis using linear mixed models revealed that the Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Si concentrations in the body walls of the tested sea cucumber species are associated with the sediment concentrations of the same elements. The relatively high concentrations of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ in the sediments indicate that these minerals are sufficiently high in sea cucumbers to support their biomineralization. The relationship between the Mg/Ca ratio in the body walls of the sea cucumbers and minerals in the sediments revealed that Si was the only mineral that was not correlated with the Mg/Ca ratio. Predicting the relationship of the elements Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Si between the sediments and the body walls of sea cucumbers may be complex due to the various factors that influence the metabolism and biomineralization in sea cucumbers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystems Management)

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30 pages, 5143 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Composition and Distribution of Plankton Communities in the Atlantic Sector of the Southern Ocean

by Valentina V. Kasyan, Dmitrii G. Bitiutskii, Aleksej V. Mishin, Oleg A. Zuev, Svetlana A. Murzina, Philipp V. Sapozhnikov, Olga Yu. Kalinina, Vitaly L. Syomin, Glafira D. Kolbasova, Viktor P. Voronin, Elena S. Chudinovskikh and Alexei M. Orlov

Diversity 2022, 14(11), 923; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14110923 - 28 Oct 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3273

Abstract

In recent decades, the waters off the Antarctic Peninsula and surrounding region have undergone a significant transformation due to global climate change affecting the structure and distribution of pelagic fauna. Here, we present the results of our study on the taxonomic composition and quantitative distribution of plankton communities in Bransfield Strait, Antarctic Sound, the Powell Basin of the Weddell Sea, and the waters off the Antarctic Peninsula and South Orkney Islands during the austral summer of 2022. A slight warming of the Transitional Zonal Water with Weddell Sea influence (TWW) and an increase in its distribution area was detected. Among the pelagic communities, three groups were found to be the most abundant: copepods Calanoides acutus, Metridia gerlachei, and Oithona spp., salpa Salpa thompsoni, and Antarctic krill Euphausia superba. Euphausiids were found in cases of low abundance, species diversity, and biomass. In the studied region, an increase in the amount of the salpa S. thompsoni and the euphausiid Thysanoessa macrura and the expansion of their distribution area were observed. Significant structural shifts in phytoplankton communities manifested themselves in changes in the structure of the Antarctic krill forage base. The composition and distribution of pelagic fauna is affected by a combination of environmental abiotic factors, of which water temperature is the main one. The obtained results have allowed us to assume that a further increase in ocean temperature may lead to a reduction in the number and size of the Antarctic krill population and its successive replacement by salps and other euphausiids that are more resistant to temperature fluctuations and water desalination. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystems Management)

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11 pages, 1995 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diversity, Seasonal and Diel Distribution Patterns of Anchovies (Osteichthyes) in a Protected Tropical Lagoon in the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico

by Guadalupe Morgado-Dueñas and Manuel Castillo-Rivera

Diversity 2022, 14(10), 852; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14100852 - 9 Oct 2022

Viewed by 1826

Abstract

Anchovies are species of ecological and economic importance that inhabit coastal waters, where they are very abundant. The objective of the study was, through high-frequency temporal sampling, to analyze the diversity, seasonal and diel distribution patterns of anchovies and their relationships with environmental variables. For 19 months, 24-h monthly cycles were carried out, taking samples every two hours. Permutational analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) and redundancy analysis (RDA) were used for data analysis. Seven species were captured, of which, Anchoa mitchilli, Anchoa hepsetus, Anchoa lyolepis, Anchoa lamprotaenia and Cetengraulis edentulus are common in brackish waters; however, Anchoviella perfasciata and Engraulis eurystole rarely occur in these systems. For these species, no major threats are known; therefore, they are listed as ‘Least Concern’. A seasonal succession shows pulses during the closed-mouth phase and during the late warm-rainy season. At diel level, A. mitchilli, C. edentulus and A. lamprotaenia showed a markedly nocturnal pattern. RDA correlations showed that salinity, day/night effect, inlet state and rainfall were the most important factors related to anchovy distribution. Segregation along a salinity gradient was observed, in which A. mitchilli was captured mainly at low salinities, while other species occurred mainly at intermediate to high salinities. High-frequency sampling allowed a better understanding of the species richness and abundance patterns of anchovies in the system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystems Management)

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12 pages, 1409 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Approach to the Diversity of Achelata and Brachyura (Crustacea, Decapoda) from the Southern Mexican Caribbean

by Jani Jarquín-González, Martha Valdez-Moreno and Rigoberto Rosas-Luis

Diversity 2022, 14(8), 649; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14080649 - 12 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2359

Abstract

Decapods include species of economic importance, such as Achelata (lobsters) and Brachyura (true crabs), since they have aesthetic, commercial, gastronomic, and biomedical value. These groups exhibit a great variety of shapes, larval stages, habits, and sizes, making them difficult to recognize. In the Southern Mexican Caribbean (SMC), no taxonomic list or analysis of the biological diversity for the Achelata and Brachyura has been performed. Herein, the biological diversity of these groups was analyzed by reviewing the literature and collecting specimens in the SMC to obtain morphological, ecological, and molecular data. These results showed a total of 29 families, 67 genera, and 98 species recorded, of which, one is considered as a potentially new species, six are new records for the SMC, 12 expanded their distribution range, and 14 species names were updated. In addition, the BOLD system assigned 21 BINs supported with morphological identification. This work contributes positively to the knowledge of the marine and coastal decapods from the SCM as it represents the first effort to recognize their current biological diversity. This information will be used to develop adequate strategies for the conservation and management of marine and coastal natural resources of the SMC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystems Management)

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15 pages, 1340 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Macrobenthic Assemblages, Distribution and Functional Guilds from a Freshwater-Dominated Tropical Estuary

by Mohammad Khaled Rahman, Mohammad Belal Hossain, Priyanka Rani Majumdar, M. Golam Mustafa, Mohammad Abu Noman, Mohammed Fahad Albeshr, Eijaz Ahmed Bhat and Takaomi Arai

Diversity 2022, 14(6), 473; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14060473 - 12 Jun 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3357

Abstract

Assessment of benthic diversity and estuarine ecological quality is becoming increasingly important. Estuaries are not only highly productive and variable environments, but they are also areas of high anthropogenic perturbations. In this study, benthic macrofauna were sorted, identified and analyzed from a freshwater-dominated tropical estuary along the Bay of Bengal to assess their community structure, distribution and functional guilds, and to uncover the environmental drivers influencing their distributional patterns. Results revealed that the studied physio-chemical variables (DO, pH, alkalinity and temperature) were significantly varied (p < 0.05) among the sites. Capitella sp. was dominant (18%) of the forty morphospecies recorded, indicating organic richness of the area. The ANOVA results revealed that macrobenthic density differed significantly (p < 0.01) between the study locations, and diversity indices (Shannon diversity index, H′) also differed significantly (F_4,12 = 5.89; p = 0.02). The benthic density decreased from the head to the mouth, which could be related to salinity fluctuations and large freshwater discharges. Upstream sites were completely segregated from downstream and mid-estuarine sites, according to cluster analysis (CA). The SIMPER results clarified the site grouping pattern, showing that Mysis-1 spp., Capitella spp. and Nephtys-1 were the most significant contributors. From the communities, five functional trophic groups were identified where deposit feeders were the most dominant (66.44%). Most of the macrobenthos had strong positive correlations with DO (r = 0.92) and water temperature (r = 0.86) and a negative correlation with soil pH (r = −0.28), per correlation and CCA analyses. Individually, soil pH (r = 0.88) and alkalinity (r = 0.898) showed strong positive correlation with Capitella sp. and Chironomus sp.2. The above results indicate that macrobenthos of this estuary do not follow the usual pattern of spatial distribution, and they are structured by DO, alkalinity and soil pH. In addition, dominance of some pollution indicator species (Capitella sp. and Chironomus sp.) and deposit feeders indicates a poor ecological condition of the estuary. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystems Management)

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23 pages, 3447 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Marine Protected Areas Management in the Mediterranean Sea—The Case of Croatia

by María Maestro, Juan Adolfo Chica-Ruiz, Zvjezdana Popović Perković and María Luisa Pérez-Cayeiro

Diversity 2022, 14(6), 448; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14060448 - 2 Jun 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3442

Abstract

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are widely used tools to conserve marine ecosystems and their services. They are complex socio-ecological systems where human activities and nature interact. Croatia has 409 protected areas, of which 19 are coastal-marine. The aim of this paper is to analyze the management model of MPAs in Croatia and to identify their strengths and weaknesses. For this purpose, three MPAs have been chosen: Brijuni National Park, Telašćica Nature Park, and Pakleni Islands Significant Landscape. The methodology used assesses 26 specific indicators to analyze the status of 4 key factors: management body, planning subprocess, public participation, and implementation subprocess. The results of this evaluation are 5 possible scenarios: proactive (1), learning (2), interactive (3), centralized (4), and formal (5) management. The results show that Brijuni presents a proactive scenario (1), Telašćica an interactive scenario (3), and Pakleni Islands a centralized scenario (4). A series of measures are presented, which can improve the score. In general, MPA management in Croatia tends towards a proactive model, where the management body is its greatest strength. There is a shift from a top-down to a bottom-up approach, which implies a greater involvement of the population in decision-making. However, public participation is not yet fully consolidated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystems Management)

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16 pages, 3189 KiB

Open AccessArticle

New Insights into a Mediterranean Sea Benthic Habitat: High Diversity of Epiphytic Bryozoan Assemblages on Phyllophora crispa (Rhodophyta) Mats

by Felix Ivo Rossbach, Edoardo Casoli, Julia Plewka, Neele Schmidt and Christian Wild

Diversity 2022, 14(5), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14050346 - 28 Apr 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2401

Abstract

With its geographically isolated location and geological history, the Mediterranean Sea harbors well-known biodiversity hotspots, such as Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows. Recently, long-living mats formed by the fleshy red alga Phyllophora crispa have been described to be associated with a high diversity of sessile invertebrates in the Tyrrhenian Sea. One of the key taxa among these sessile invertebrates are bryozoans: their abundance, diversity, and spatial distribution in P. crispa mats represent a gap in scientific knowledge. Thus, we conducted a pilot study on bryozoan assemblages associated with P. crispa mats around Giglio Island (Tuscan Archipelago, Italy) in 2018, followed by a comparative study on four sites distributed around the island in the subsequent year, 2019. We compared these findings to bryozoan abundance and diversity on P. oceanica shoots and leaves during the second expedition. The findings revealed more than 46 families, with a significantly higher number of taxa identified in P. crispa mats (33) than in P. oceanica meadows (29). The Shannon diversity index was similar between P. crispa and P. oceanica shoots, while Pielou’s evenness index was lower in P. crispa mats. The most abundant families reported across all habitats were Crisiidae, Aetidae, and Lichenoporidae; but the most abundant family on P. crispa was Chlidoniidae (Chlidonia pyriformis). The assemblages associated with P. crispa differed among sites, with higher abundances but lower diversity on the exposed southernmost site. The total bryozoan abundance was significantly higher on P. crispa (average 2.83 × 10⁶ ± 1.99 × 10⁶ colonies per m² seafloor) compared to P. oceanica meadows (average 0.54 × 10⁶ ± 0.34 × 10⁶ colonies per m² seafloor). Our results show a high diversity of bryozoans on P. crispa thalli compared to P. oceanica meadows, which was consistent throughout the study. These findings confirm the value of the red alga-generated habitat for associated bryozoans and may have implications for future biodiversity assessments and conservation measures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystems Management)

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22 pages, 3405 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bycatch Dynamics from a Small-Scale Shrimp Trap Fishery in the Mediterranean Sea

by Stefanos Kalogirou, Charalampos Dimitriadis, Christos D. Maravelias, Dimitrios Poursanidis, Mihalis Margaritis, Helen Miliou and Leif Pihl

Diversity 2022, 14(4), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14040292 - 12 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2473

Abstract

Small-scale fisheries (SSFs) in the Mediterranean and Black seas play a significant social and economic role, representing 84% of the fishing fleet (70,000 vessels), 26% of total revenue (USD 633 million) and 60% of total employment (150,000 people), with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently taking important initiatives to sustain livelihoods. Effective management of important natural fisheries resources that sustain livelihoods requires a holistic approach accounting for all parts of the catch. Quantitative data on seasonal catch dynamics together with classification of bycatch species to IUCN vulnerability status and associated revenues from retained incidental catch were used to reveal the effect of a small-scale shrimp trap fishery on bycatch. We use three main quantitative variables (i.e., density, biomass and number of bycatch species) and show a positive correlation between bycatch and the seasonal catch dynamics of the target species during late spring and summer. On the contrary, discards were proportionally lower during winter, with the majority of discarded fish species not considered endangered. Six retained species in spring–summer and five discarded species in winter were found to modulate the structure of species’ assemblage. Out of 55 bycatch species, 26 were retained and 29 discarded. Only four species were considered threatened, all of which were caught in very low numbers (<2 individuals), while the majority of the retained species was not considered endangered. The rapid sorting time (<1 min/per trap) pointed towards a decreased effect on certain discarded crustacean species and a significant reduction in total bycatch with timely haul time (from 71 to 47%). The results of this study can be used when considering future mitigation measures for this fishery, while the methodology used can provide insights into the management of similar trap fisheries worldwide when taking into account the sustainability of SSFs and the regional vulnerability status of bycatch species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystems Management)

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15 pages, 2564 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High Diversity and Abundance of Foraminifera Associated with Mediterranean Benthic Red Algae Mats

by Felix Ivo Rossbach, Benedikt Merk and Christian Wild

Diversity 2022, 14(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14010021 - 30 Dec 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2541

Abstract

The Mediterranean Sea comprises habitats such as Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows that exhibit high associated biodiversity of sessile organisms. Recent pilot research indicates that benthic mats formed by the scarcely investigated fleshy red alga Phyllophora crispa also host a high diversity of benthic fauna. Among the key taxa found in these mats in the recent pilot studies are benthic foraminifera that live as epiphytes on the red algae thalli. Knowledge about their abundance and species richness associated with this habitat in relation to reference habitats is missing. We thus carried out a comparative assessment focusing on foraminifera within samples from P. crispa mats and neighboring P. oceanica meadows on five different sampling sites around Giglio Island in the Tuscan Archipelago (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). A total of 104 different foraminiferal taxa were identified, of which a total of 85 taxa were found in P. crispa samples (46 exclusively in this habitat). This biodiversity was higher compared to other studies on phytal habitats in the Mediterranean Sea. The number of foraminiferal taxa associated with P. crispa was significantly higher (average 27.5 ± 8.1 taxa) compared to P. oceanica (leaves average 7.0 ± 3.6, shoots average 7.9 ± 3.4 taxa). The abundance of foraminifera (12,000 individuals m⁻² surface area of P. crispa mat) was also higher than in the neighboring P. oceanica meadows (7792 individuals m⁻² leaf and 8171 individuals m⁻² shoot surface area). The most frequently found taxa across habitats were Miniacina miniacea, Lobatula lobatula, and Sejunctella sp. (24%, 20%, and 6% of the total population, respectively). Our results imply that P. crispa mats host an exceptional diversity of associated foraminifera that is even higher than those associated with seagrass meadows. Red algae mats built by P. crispa may thus be considered as potential refuge habitats and biodiversity reservoirs in management and conservation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystems Management)

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47 pages, 21448 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A First Estimate of Species Diversity for Benthic Diatom Assemblages from the Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico

by David A. Siqueiros Beltrones, Francisco Omar López-Fuerte, Yuriko Jocselin Martínez and María del Carmen Altamirano-Cerecedo

Diversity 2021, 13(10), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13100458 - 23 Sep 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4729

Abstract

Recent investigations at previously unexplored localities on the Mexican coast have confirmed the high taxonomic potential of benthic marine diatom assemblages (BMDA) in the region. An exploratory study of epiphytic diatoms of macroalgae in the Revillagigedo Archipelago (RA) suggested that further studies would yield many more taxa, prompting the hypothesis that diversity measurements, based on ecological indices, would be among the highest in pristine environments. Thus, the aim of this research was to enrich the record of epiphytic diatom floristics of the RA, and to estimate species diversity based on information theory (H′). Floristically, 167 identified taxa are added here to the BMDA species list of the RA, bringing the total to 397 taxa overall, including 52 taxa that are potentially new records for the Mexican Pacific coast. Among the most conspicuous genera are Mastogloia with five new taxa and it remains the most diverse genus with 55 taxa overall, followed by Cocconeis (27), Nitzschia (24), Amphora (23), Navicula (19), Diploneis (17) and Grammatophora (15). As expected for a pristine environment, the computed species diversity values for the BMDA were high, ranging from H′ = 3.92–5.2, depicting stability. Future surveys are expected to further increase the species richness of BMDA for the RA. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystems Management)

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