Impacts of the non-indigenous seaweed Rugulopteryx okamurae on a Mediterranean coralligenous community (Strait of Gibraltar): The role of long-term monitoring

Sempere-Valverde, Juan; Ostalé‐Valriberas, Enrique; Maestre, Manuel; Aranda, Roi González; Bazairi, Hocein; Espinosa, Free

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.107135

Cited by 35 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Results obtained for natural habitats agree with those from previous contributions (see García-Gómez et al, 2020) that wellilluminated hard rocky bottoms may present a major propagule pressure at the local range expansion of R. okamurae in the Strait of Gibraltar. Likewise, shelter conditions from subtidal rocky habitats may also facilitate the presence of introduced species even if detrimental to light availability (Piazzi and Ceccherelli, 2002), as observations performed in this study and the high coverages of R. okamurae at coralligenous (Sempere-Valverde et al, 2020) and precoralligenous habitats reflect (García-Gómez et al, 2020). Acclimation capacity plays a key role in the success over the native communities, particularly at scenarios of environmental change (Tronholm et al, 2012;Papacostas et al, 2017).…”

Section: Substrata Conditions and Establishment Successsupporting

confidence: 52%

“…Indeed, epibiosis on the invasive species was an event scarcely represented when compared with other strategies of space colonization. However, epibiosis on R. okamurae must also be attributed when considering impacts on the recipient communities, especially taking into account that dense populations of the invasive macroalga have colonized wide surfaces through its bathymetric range of distribution in the northern and southern coasts of the Strait of Gibraltar (e.g., over 90% coverage at 10-20 m depth) (García-Gómez et al, 2020;Sempere-Valverde et al, 2020).…”

Section: Colonization Strategies Underlying R Okamurae Establishmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Invasive Macroalga Rugulopteryx okamurae: Substrata Plasticity and Spatial Colonization Pressure on Resident Macroalgae

et al. 2021

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The present study constitutes the first evaluation of the space colonization strategies performed by Rugulopteryx okamurae when co-occurring with the resident macroalgal community in the introduced areas. Since the first apparition of the nonindigenous macroalga in the Strait of Gibraltar, its high propagation capacity together with its colonization ability has enhanced the establishment success of the species in detriment of the resident biota. In this study, we carried out observational surveys during 2017–2020 in order to assess the coverage levels of R. okamurae on different lighting conditions, surface orientations, and substrata types (artificial and natural). Results revealed that, beyond the high percent coverages already reported at illuminated and semi-illuminated natural rocky habitats, R. okamurae is able to settle on a wide variety of artificial substrata. The settlement performance of the species was also investigated and different mechanisms underlying the space colonization were proposed. Thus, R. okamurae was observed interacting with 43 resident macroalgal species at generally illuminated rocky habitats of the northern Strait coasts. Six colonization mechanisms were proposed for spatial growth scenarios. Overall, results pointed out that, in most of the cases where the invasive species co-occur with the resident community, R. okamurae would be favored as regards spatial growth success. Competitive interactions and environmental factors which influence results obtained must be addressed in order to fully predict impacts on resident communities. Moreover, together with previous scientific works, overall data provided in this study highlight the need to urgent implement management measures focused on habitats susceptible to be invaded, as well as studies on the ecology and dispersal vectors of R. okamurae in the Strait of Gibraltar and adjacent areas.

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Section: Substrata Conditions and Establishment Successsupporting

confidence: 52%

Section: Colonization Strategies Underlying R Okamurae Establishmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Invasive Macroalga Rugulopteryx okamurae: Substrata Plasticity and Spatial Colonization Pressure on Resident Macroalgae

et al. 2021

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“…According to our results, differences in the community structure between the last 2 years and 2017 were due to an effective loss of resident biota, instead of fluctuations in R. okamurae presence. This is in line with results from Sempere-Valverde et al (2020), who also found changes in the community structure and the regression of bioindicator species. Thus, despite certain coverage stabilization could have been raised in the last years, impacts generated by R. okamurae remains high in the habitat studied, and therefore it can be assumed that no signs of decline in its invasive potential have been perceived.…”

Section: Updated Fluctuations Of Rugulopteryx Okamurae By Monitoring Sessile Bioindicators In Permanent Quadratssupporting

confidence: 92%

“…This makes the geographic expansion along the rocky surfaces of the PNE littoral worrying and stress the detriment of the benthic biota already attributed to the establishment of R. okamurae in the area. In the southern coasts of the Strait, habitat changes derived from R. okamurae establishment have proved to have implications in endangered coralligenous species (Sempere-Valverde et al, 2020) and associated fauna to resident macroalgae (Navarro-Barranco et al, 2019), so it could be also expected that effects on sessile communities can be also translated to other ecosystem components. As Levine et al (2004) propose, recognizing that biotic containment can occur through species interactions, it could be expected that ecosystem components interacting with R. okamurae could regulate the invasive populations dominance.…”

Section: Implications Of Coverage Estimations Of Rugulopteryx Okamurae Within the Pnementioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is urgent to carry out studies on the distribution, ecology and impacts of R. okamurae in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coasts, as well as the implementation of management measures. However, few studies have been carried out on R. okamurae distribution (e.g., Altamirano-Jeschke et al, 2016;Ocaña et al, 2016;El Aamri et al, 2018;Altamirano et al, 2019) and its derived impacts on the recipient sessile (García-Gómez et al, 2018, 2020bSempere-Valverde et al, 2020) and mobile associated biota (Navarro-Barranco et al, 2019). In this regard, there is only one published study monitoring the temporal dynamic of the invasion since the first apparition of the species in the Strait waters (see García-Gómez et al, 2020b) by the utilization of Sessile Bioindicators in Permanent Quadrats (SBPQ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Monitoring Extreme Impacts of Rugulopteryx okamurae (Dictyotales, Ochrophyta) in El Estrecho Natural Park (Biosphere Reserve). Showing Radical Changes in the Underwater Seascape

et al. 2021

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The invasive macroalga Rugulopteryx okamurae represents an unprecedented case of bioinvasion by marine macroalgae facing the European coasts. Since the first apparition of the species in the Strait of Gibraltar in 2015, its fast dispersion along the introduced habitats constitutes a real challenge to develop monitoring strategies that ahead of its impacts. The present study uses three different approaches to address impacts on the benthic ecosystems, at the same time offers relevant data for future management actions in El Estrecho Natural Park (PNE). Information obtained by monitoring permanent sentinel stations revealed a significant loss in resident species coverage after the moment of maximum growth in 2017. Thus, despite coverage of R. okamurae did not strongly varied in the latter years, impacts generated remain high in the habitats studied. Estimations of the invasive species coverage by combining cartographic image analysis and in situ data predicted a major occupation (over 85% coverage) between 10 and 30 m, coinciding with the maximum rocky surface areas (m2) mapped on the PNE. Furthermore, a Citizen Science research collaboration evidenced impacts on the benthic seascape through an ad hoc exploration of images that allowed a “before” and “after” comparison of the invasion process in the same geographic locations. This has made it possible to graphically demonstrate severe changes in the underwater seascape and, therefore, the general impact of this new biological invasion. The spatial colonization estimations combined with the impacts reported by both scientific [Sessile Bioindicators in Permanent Quadrats (SBPQ) sentinel stations] and civilian (Citizen Science) monitoring methodologies claim the urgent development of further studies that allow the design of monitoring strategies against R. okamurae expansion across the Mediterranean and Atlantic waters.

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Macrophyte complexity influences habitat choices of juvenile fish

Hinz,

Anglada,

Gayá Vilar

et al. 2023

Mar Biol

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The nursery function of littoral habitats for juvenile fish is widely recognized, but data on the specific habitat features that contribute to this function is sparse for many species, in part related to the difficulty of studying juvenile fish in their natural environment. However, this information is required to understand the potential risks of environmental change to the nursery functions of habitats. In this context, the habitat choice behaviour, with respect to differences in structural features, was evaluated for three Mediterranean littoral fish species known to be associated to macrophytes as juveniles. The overarching aim of this experiment was to determine if juveniles actively choose between different macrophyte configurations of varying complexity and height. Juveniles were exposed simultaneously to multiple visual habitat stimuli within an experimental choice arena, and their swimming behaviour was tracked by video recordings to determine the amount of time they spent near each habitat configuration. All three species showed a clear association in their occupancy towards more complex habitat configurations demonstrating that juveniles distinguished and actively selected habitats using visual cues. Subtle differences in species' affinity for complex habitats allowed us to appraise their potential vulnerabilities to habitat loss in the Mediterranean under environmental change scenarios. Furthermore, the results of this study provided evidence that differences in juvenile distribution between habitats found in previous observational studies may indeed be caused by active habitat selection, as well as through differential survivorship rates.

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Impacts of the non-indigenous seaweed Rugulopteryx okamurae on a Mediterranean coralligenous community (Strait of Gibraltar): The role of long-term monitoring

Cited by 35 publications

References 22 publications

The Invasive Macroalga Rugulopteryx okamurae: Substrata Plasticity and Spatial Colonization Pressure on Resident Macroalgae

The Invasive Macroalga Rugulopteryx okamurae: Substrata Plasticity and Spatial Colonization Pressure on Resident Macroalgae

Monitoring Extreme Impacts of Rugulopteryx okamurae (Dictyotales, Ochrophyta) in El Estrecho Natural Park (Biosphere Reserve). Showing Radical Changes in the Underwater Seascape

Macrophyte complexity influences habitat choices of juvenile fish

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