Contribution and acclimatization of the swarming tropical copepod Dioithona oculata (Farran, 1913) in a Mediterranean coastal ecosystem

Abstract

Introduction The eastern Mediterranean is sensitive to alien invasions due to its geographic position (i.e., its connection with Atlantic Ocean, Black Sea, and Erythrean regions), crowded maritime traffic, fisheries, and tourism activities in the coastal regions (Galil and Zenotos, 2002). Alien species increased after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and construction of the Aswan Dam (Galil, 2000); hundreds of alien species passed through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean Sea, forming thriving populations along the Levantine coast (Galil and Zenetos, 2002). To our knowledge, an average of 821 alien species have been reported in the Mediterranean Sea, of which approximately 75% were established in these ecosystems (Zenetos et al., 2017). The species belonging to Oithonidae are widely distributed in different ecosystems and are the most successful free-living cyclopoids in the marine ecosystems (Uye and Sano, 1998). This family is one of the most abundant taxa in estuarine, coastal, and oceanic regions (Paffenhöfer, 1993; Gallienne and Robins, 2001). The importance of the small copepods, such as Oithona, has been recently recognized in pelagic ecosystems (Gallienne and Robins, 2001). Moreover, Oithonidae species are important contributors to ecosystems of the

The Distribution of Pseudodiaptomus marinus in European and Neighbouring Waters—A Rolling Review

“…P. marinus could have been transported by the longshore current from the Israeli coast into ˙Iskenderun Bay or through ship ballast waters. ˙Iskenderun Bay has many national and international harbours and ports that facilitate NIS introductions [52,53].…”

The distribution of indopasific Dioithona oculata in souhthern coastal waters of Turkey

“…Bu türün Akdeniz'de varlığı ilk kez 2013 yılında İskenderun Körfezi'nde tespit edilmiştir (Terbıyık Kurt, 2018). Levant Denizi dışında herhangi bir alanda gözlenmemiş olmakla birlikte, farklı alanlarından da dağıldığına dair henüz bir bilgi bulunmamaktadır.…”

First distribution record of the invasive copepod Oithona davisae Ferrari and Orsi, 1984, in the coastal waters of the Aegean Sea

“…Among the 50 alien zooplankton species that were recorded in the Mediterranean Sea, only 12 copepod species were established in this region (Zenetos et al, ). In recent years, the number of introduced alien copepod species increased, and there have been new additions day by day (Olazabal & Tirelli, ; Ounissi, Laskri, & Khelifi‐Touhami, ; Terbıyık Kurt, ; Zagami, Costanzo, & Crescenti, ; Zenetos et al, ). According to a recent study, 18 alien Copepoda species were found in the Mediterranean coast of Turkey; six of them were reported in the coast of the Aegean Sea (Bakir et al, ).…”