Global warming and Marine Heat Waves (MHWs) are having large-scale impacts on the seagrasses and their effects on the Mediterranean endemic Posidonia oceanica need to be properly defined. This research aimed to sharpen the knowledge on P. oceanica response to the warming by correlating the shoot morphology and the productivity of the seagrass to temperature conditions and MHW occurrence. Two correlative studies, along a Mediterranean temperature range (sites at the same latitude), were conducted: one explored the associations of summer 2021 Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and MHWs on P. oceanica morphology and the other used a reconstruction technique (lepidochronological analysis) to relate past temperature conditions and MHW occurrence to proxies of seagrass productivity for the corresponding periods. The results showed that the mean summer temperature affected the P. oceanica leaf necrosis and that MHWs occurrence changed the morphology of the plant by lowering the leaf area and increasing leaf necrosis. Interesting results were also found relating the past thermal environment, since rhizome biomass has been negatively affected by the number of MHWs and rhizome length by the temperature range. This research provides fundamental insights about P. oceanica changes linked to warming and MHWs, identifying the potential plant indicators assisting future experimental and modelling studies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a reconstruction technique is used to evaluate the effects of past MHWs on the morphology and productivity of a plant species.
Biological invasions may pose a serious threat to ecosystems and economies. In this study, the presence of the non-indigenous species Fistularia petimba in Cyprus is documented. A total of 76 individuals were collected by bottom trawls and trammel nets in June 2020, March 2021, August 2021, and September 2021. Morphometric measurements, meristic counts, sex, stomach content, and maturity stages were recorded, and notes were made on the length-weight relationship, reproduction, and diet composition. Results from the length-weight relationship indicated a positive allometric growth (b = 3.5127). The preliminary results indicate a prolonged reproductive season, lasting from spring to autumn. The presence of two native and highly commercial fish species, Mullus barbatus and Pagellus sp. in the stomachs of F. petimba highlights the need for further dietary analysis of the species and the study of its impact on local fauna. These findings may confirm the successful establishment of F. petimba in Cyprus and indicate that this species could have similar impacts on local ecosystems as its invasive relative Fistularia commersonii.
In November 2021, a female bigeye thresher shark was incidentally caught by a pelagic drifting longline off southern Cyprus, corresponding to the second documented species record at country level. Main biological features and an extended list of morphometric measurements are presented in comparison with the previous species records in the Mediterranean. The diet analysis highlighted the impact of marine species invasion in the Mediterranean food webs and documented the presence of the angel squid in Cypriot waters for the first time. The species presence in the basin is revised and discussed.
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