Report of a New Mediterranean Monk Seal (&lt;I&gt;Monachus monachus&lt;/I&gt;) Breeding Colony in the Aegean Sea, Greece

Dendrinos, Panagiotis; Karamanlidis, Alexandros A.; Kotomatas, S.; Paravas, Vaggelis; Adamantopoulou, S.

doi:10.1578/am.34.3.2008.355

Cited by 19 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 14 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Another apex predator, the Mediterranean monk seal ( Monachus monachus ), still inhabits the Aegean Sea in Greece and Turkey, and is observed often at several of our study sites (mostly at Kimolos-Polyaigos, Karpathos, Piperi, Gyaros and Adrasan) [78], [79]. Important reproductive groups have been observed at Kimolos-Polyaigos, Karpathos, Piperi and Gyaros [79], [80], [81]. It is remarkable that the monk seal, of which about 300 individuals remain in the Aegean, is more common at the sites with lowest fish biomass.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Structure of Mediterranean Rocky Reef Ecosystems across Environmental and Human Gradients, and Conservation Implications

et al. 2012

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Historical exploitation of the Mediterranean Sea and the absence of rigorous baselines makes it difficult to evaluate the current health of the marine ecosystems and the efficacy of conservation actions at the ecosystem level. Here we establish the first current baseline and gradient of ecosystem structure of nearshore rocky reefs at the Mediterranean scale. We conducted underwater surveys in 14 marine protected areas and 18 open access sites across the Mediterranean, and across a 31-fold range of fish biomass (from 3.8 to 118 g m−2). Our data showed remarkable variation in the structure of rocky reef ecosystems. Multivariate analysis showed three alternative community states: (1) large fish biomass and reefs dominated by non-canopy algae, (2) lower fish biomass but abundant native algal canopies and suspension feeders, and (3) low fish biomass and extensive barrens, with areas covered by turf algae. Our results suggest that the healthiest shallow rocky reef ecosystems in the Mediterranean have both large fish and algal biomass. Protection level and primary production were the only variables significantly correlated to community biomass structure. Fish biomass was significantly larger in well-enforced no-take marine reserves, but there were no significant differences between multi-use marine protected areas (which allow some fishing) and open access areas at the regional scale. The gradients reported here represent a trajectory of degradation that can be used to assess the health of any similar habitat in the Mediterranean, and to evaluate the efficacy of marine protected areas.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Structure of Mediterranean Rocky Reef Ecosystems across Environmental and Human Gradients, and Conservation Implications

et al. 2012

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Nowadays, monk seal sightings are widely distributed throughout the Aegean and the Ionian seas (MOm, unpublished data). Important pupping areas for the species in the study area have been determined based on published records (Dendrinos et al, 2008;Dendrinos, 2011) and unpublished data stemming from long-term research conducted by MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal.…”

Section: The Mediterranean Monk Seal Monachus Monachusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assembling Ecological Pieces to Reconstruct the Conservation Puzzle of the Aegean Sea

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The effective conservation of marine biodiversity through an integrated ecosystem-based management approach requires a sound knowledge of the spatial distribution of habitats and species. Although costly in terms of time and resources, acquiring such information is essential for the development of rigorous management plans and the meaningful prioritization of conservation actions. Located in the northeastern part of the Mediterranean, the Aegean Sea represents a stronghold for marine biodiversity. However, conservation efforts are hampered by the apparent lack of spatial information regarding marine habitats and species. This work is the first to address this knowledge gap by assembling, updating, and mapping information on the distribution of key ecological components. A range of data sources and methodological approaches was utilized to compile and complement the available data on 68 ecological features of conservation interest (58 animal species, six habitat categories, and four other vulnerable ecological features). A standardized data evaluation procedure was applied, based on five semi-quantitative data quality indicators in the form of a pedigree matrix. This approach assessed the sufficiency of the datasets and allowed the identification of the main sources of uncertainty, highlighting aspects that require further investigation. The overall dataset was found to be sufficient in terms of reliability and spatiotemporal relevance. However, it lacked in completeness, showing that there are still large areas of the Aegean that remain understudied, while further research is needed to elucidate the distribution patterns and conservation status of several ecological features; especially the less charismatic Sini et al.Aegean Sea Conservation Puzzle ones and those found in waters deeper than 40 m. Moreover, existing conservation measures appear to be inadequate to safeguard biodiversity. Only 2.3% of the study area corresponds to designated areas for conservation, while 41 of the ecological features are underrepresented in these areas. Considering the high geomorphological complexity and transnational character of the Aegean Sea, this study does not offer a complete account of the multifaceted diversity of this ecoregion. Instead, it represents a significant starting point and a solid basis for the development of systematic conservation plans that will allow the effective protection of biodiversity within an adaptive management framework.

show abstract

“…Numbers are thought to be declining (Johnson et al, 2006), and although recent research has investigated topics such as population dynamics (Dendrinos et al, 1994(Dendrinos et al, , 1999Politikos & Tzanetis, 2009); distribution; habitat use and movements (Adamantopoulou et al, 1999;Gücü et al, 2004;Dendrinos et al, 2008); parasites (Papadopoulos et al, 2010); anatomy (Brombin et al, 2009); and effects of human activity, including fisheries interactions (Güçlüsoy, 2008a(Güçlüsoy, , 2008bKaramanlidis et al, 2004Karamanlidis et al, , 2008Gücü, 2010), knowledge of the feeding ecology of this species remains limited.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet of the Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) in Greek Waters

Pierce¹,

Hernández-Milian

Santos

et al. 2011

Aquat Mamm

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Stomach contents were collected from 27 monk seal carcasses between 1997 and 2008 from different areas along the Greek coast. This sample included nine animals that had been deliberately killed and five accidental deaths due to fisheries interactions. Stomachs from monk seals of both sexes, including adults and subadults, were analysed. A total of 530 prey items from at least 71 prey species was identified, with approximately 74% of prey identified at least to genus, while 2.8% could be identified only to class level (i.e., fish or cephalopods). We found 266 cephalopods (50%), 253 fish (48%), a few non-cephalopod molluscs (1.5%), and two crustaceans (0.4%). Faecal samples were also collected but contained no identifiable prey remains. Octopuses were the most important prey in terms of numbers eaten and contribution to reconstructed prey biomass. The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) (33.9% of prey by number) was around three times as numerous in the diet as the lesser octopus (Eledone cirrhosa) (11.1%). Fish of the families Sparidae (28.1%) and, to a lesser extent, Scorpaenidae (2.3%), Congridae (2.5%), and Atherinidae (2.5%) were also frequent in the stomachs. Many of the prey species recorded are of commercial fishery importance. Exploratory multivariate analysis (redundancy analysis [RDA]) indicated weakly significant seasonal, spatial, and interannual variation in diet and also suggested a relationship between diet composition and cause of death. No trends in diet related to sex or age class were identified. Sparids occurred more frequently in animals that had been deliberately killed than those that had died due to other causes, highlighting the interactions taking place between monk seals and fishing activities.

show abstract

Report of a New Mediterranean Monk Seal (<I>Monachus monachus</I>) Breeding Colony in the Aegean Sea, Greece

Cited by 19 publications

References 14 publications

The Structure of Mediterranean Rocky Reef Ecosystems across Environmental and Human Gradients, and Conservation Implications

The Structure of Mediterranean Rocky Reef Ecosystems across Environmental and Human Gradients, and Conservation Implications

Assembling Ecological Pieces to Reconstruct the Conservation Puzzle of the Aegean Sea

Diet of the Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) in Greek Waters

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About