Alien species along the Italian coasts: an overview

Abstract

We present a contribution to the knowledge of marine and brackish water alien species (infraspecific taxa included) recorded along the Italian coasts. The Italian Peninsula, with over 7,000 km of coastline, is located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, splitting the Western and the Eastern basins. Data were collected from published material, mostly authored by the experts of different marine taxa participating in the "Allochthonous Species Group" of the Italian Society of Marine Biology (SIBM). The data have been reviewed according to the taxonomic expertise of the authors and are organized in a referenced database containing information on each species about: distribution along Italian coasts, the native range, most probable vectors of introduction, population status and impact. The total number of marine alien species recorded along Italian coasts during the selected time period 1945-2009 is relatively high: 165 species, in many cases native from tropical regions of the world. Most of them were introduced in the 1980s and 1990s, whereas in the last few years the number of new records has decreased. The highest number of alien species has been observed in the northern Adriatic Sea, particularly in the Lagoon of Venice, which is the main hotspot of introduction. Of the total number of species, 46% was unable to establish resident populations in the Italian seas; 15% (24 species) rapidly increased their populations and extended their geographical range, consequently they may be considered invasive species

Fisheries and biodiversity along Mediterranean Sea: Italian and Egyptian coast overview

“…It requires a heavy commitment because the biological diversity of an environment is characterized by a considerable biological wealth, hosting almost all the animal phyla, including those who do not live on land or in fresh water, welcoming about 10 million species, substantially an higher amount of terrestrial environments (Bianchi and Morri 2000;Appeltans et al 2011;Bilecenoglu et al 2013). The environment is constantly changing as well as ecosystems due to phenomena of extinction, hybridization and non-native species resettlement (Occhipinti-Ambrogi et al 2011;Guerriero et al 2010;Hui 2013). That inexorable change of the articulated trophic networks which regulate biodiversity and the blue economy (Guerriero 2013) makes the species-cataloging process considerably more complex.…”

First occurrence of Caprella scaura Templeton, 1836 (Crustacea: Amphipoda) on off-coast fish farm cages in the Mediterranean Sea

“…bryozoans, algae, seagrasses and mussels) and are related to shoreline areas, mainly marinas (Krapp et al 2006;Guerra-García et al 2011) and coastal lagoons (Mizzan 1999;Souissi et al 2010;Prato et al 2013), which are often highly susceptible to alien species (Occhipinti-Ambrogi et al 2011). These areas generally experience high shipping activity; thus, the vector of introduction into the Mediterranean Sea is suspected to be hull fouling (Krapp et al 2006), and the role of recreational boating in the secondary dispersal has also been discussed (Martínez and Adarraga 2008;GuerraGarcía et al 2011 and references therein).…”

Seasonal fluctuations of some biological traits of the invader <i>Caprella scaura</i> (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Caprellidae) in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea, southern Italy)

“…Polluted or physically degraded environments are more exposed to invasion than pristine ones (Galil 2007). For this feature, coastal lagoons and harbours are susceptible to biological invasions (Occhipinti-Ambrogi et al 2011).…”

“…Along the Italian coasts, a recent update list reported 165 alien species, in many cases native of tropical regions of the world (Occhipinti-Ambrogi et al 2011). The reason is surely related to the increase in human activities, such as aquaculture and recreational and commercial navigation (Occhipinti-Ambrogi et al 2011).…”

“…The reason is surely related to the increase in human activities, such as aquaculture and recreational and commercial navigation (Occhipinti-Ambrogi et al 2011).…”