Improving knowledge of Funiculina quadrangularis and vulnerable marine ecosystems in the south Adriatic
Published:
Oct 6, 2022
Keywords:
Funiculina quadrangularis Vulnerable marine ecosystems ROV marine litter Adriatic Sea
Abstract
The Adriatic Sea is one of the most exploited areas in the Mediterranean; however, a large part of the South Adriatic Sea remains largely unexplored. Unfortunately, direct and indirect anthropogenic impacts are increasing exponentially, causing a loss of flagship species and threatening ecosystem functioning. This has led to several international conventions demanding better protection and management of sensitive species and areas worldwide. Soft mud facies bearing the sea pen Funiculina quadrangularis are indicators of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs). This study aimed a) to contribute to the knowledge on the distributions of F. quadrangularis and VMEs, and b) to assess the main threats, thus enabling better identification of areas that need protection and ecosystem base management. The results show that F. quadrangularis are distributed from 160 m to 400 m depth, with the highest population density of 0.83 colony/m2 reported in the Adriatic Sea at a 162 m depth. However, using video ground truthing, we registered stresses on deep-sea habitats originating from fishery and marine litter. Further research is needed to ascertain other potentially vulnerable areas. Moreover, international discussion is needed to determine future steps for the protection and sustainable use of resources beyond national jurisdictions.
Article Details
- How to Cite
-
MAČIĆ, V., ĐORĐEVIĆ, N., ĐUROVIĆ, M., PETOVIĆ, S., & RUSSO, T. (2022). Improving knowledge of Funiculina quadrangularis and vulnerable marine ecosystems in the south Adriatic. Mediterranean Marine Science, 23(4), 805–816. https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.29898
- Section
- Research Article
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (preferably in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Amoroso, R.O., Pitcher, C.R., Rijnsdorp, A. D., McConnaughey, R.A., Parma, A.M. et al., 2018. Bottom trawl fishing footprints on the world’s continental shelves. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A., 115, E10275-E10282.
Angiolillo, M., di Lorenzo, B., Farcomeni, A., Bo, M., Bavestrello, G. et al., 2015. Distribution and assessment of marine debris in the deep Tyrrhenian Sea (NW Mediterranean Sea, Italy). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 92 (1-2), 149-159.
Bastari, A., Pica, D., Ferretti, F., Micheli, F., Cerrano, C., 2018. Sea pens in the Mediterranean Sea: habitat suitability and opportunities for ecosystem recovery. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 75 (5), 1722-1732.
Boero, F., Bonsdorff, E., 2007. A conceptual framework for marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Marine Ecology, 28 (s1), 134-145.
Buhl‐Mortensen, L., Vanreusel, A., Gooday, A.J., Levin, L.A., Priede, I.G. et al., 2010. Biological structures as a source of habitat heterogeneity and biodiversity on the deep ocean margins. Marine Ecology, 31 (1), 21-50.
Cleveland, W. 1993. Visualizing Data. Summit, CA: Hobart Press, New Jersey, 360 pp.
Danovaro, R., Fanelli, E., Aguzzi, J., Billett, D., Carugati, L. et al., 2020. Ecological variables for developing a global deep-ocean monitoring and conservation strategy. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 4 (2), 181-192.
De Clippele, L. H., Buhl-Mortensen, P., Buhl-Mortensen, L., 2015. Fauna associated with cold water gorgonians and sea pens. Continental Shelf Research, 105, 67-78.
Eigaard, O.R., Bastardie, F., Hintzen, N.T., Buhl-Mortensen, L., Buhl-Mortensen, P. et al., 2017. The footprint of bottom trawling in European waters: distribution, intensity, and seabed integrity. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 74 (3), 847-865.
ENI, 2019. Offshore Environmental Baseline Study (OEBS) for 4118-5-2 and 4118-5-1 Offshore Exploratory wells in Montenegro. Torchia G., Djurović, M. (Ed). ENI Technical report, 343/2019 MD/ES, 183 pp.
Enrichetti, F., Dominguez-Carrió, C., Toma, M., Bavestrello, G., Canese, S. et al., 2020. Assessment and distribution of seafloor litter on the deep Ligurian continental shelf and shelf break (NW Mediterranean Sea). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 151, 110872.
EU, 2006. Council Regulation (EC) No. 1967/2006 of 21 December 2006 concerning management measures for the sustainable exploitation of fishery resources in the Mediterranean Sea, amending Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1626/94. Official Journal of the European Communities L409, 11-85.
EU, 2008. Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy (Marine Strategy Framework Directive). Official Journal of the European Communities L164, 19-40.
EU, 2016. Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/1251 of 12 July 2016 adopting a multiannual Union programme for the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors for the period 2017- 2019 (notified under document C(2016) 4329). Official Journal of the European Communities L207, 113-177.
Fabri, M.C., Pedel, L., Beuck, L., Galgani, F., Hebbeln, D. et al., 2014. Megafauna of vulnerable marine ecosystems in French mediterranean submarine canyons: Spatial distribution and anthropogenic impacts. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 104, 184-207.
Fortibuoni, T., Ronchic, F., Mačić, V., Mandić, M., Mazziottie, C. et al., 2019. A harmonized and coordinated assessment of the abundance and composition of seafloor litter in the Adriatic-Ionian macroregion (Mediterranean Sea). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 139, 412-426.
Galgani, F., Leaute, J.P., Moguedet, P., Souplet, A., Verin, Y. et al., 2000. Litter on the sea floor along European coasts. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 40 (6), 516-527.
GFCM, 2017. Recommendation GFCM/41/2017/3 on the establishment of a fisheries restricted area in the Jabuka/ Pomo Pit in the Adriatic Sea. GFCM/41/2017/3, 7 pp.
GFCM SAC, 2008. Criteria for the identification of sensitive habitats of relevance for the management of priority species. General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), Marrackech, Morocco, 2008, 1-3.
Government of Montenegro, Ministry of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism (GM MESPU), 2020. Initial Assessment of the Status of Marine Environment of Montenegro. GM MESPU, Technical report, 441 pp.
Greathead, C.F., Donnan, D.W., Mair, J.M., Saunders, G.R., 2007. The sea pens Virgularia mirabilis, Pennatula phosphorea and Funiculina quadrangularis: distribution and conservation issues in Scottish waters. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 87 (5), 1095-1103.
Greathead, C., González-Irusta, J.M., Clarke, J., Boulcott, P., Blackadder, L. et al., 2015. Environmental requirements for three sea pen species: relevance to distribution and conservation. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 72 (2), 576-586.
Hastie, T., Tsibarani, R. 1990. Generalized Additive Models. Chapman and Hall, London, 352 pp. ICES, 2011. Protocols for assessing the status of sea-pen and burrowing megafauna communities. Report of the ICES Advisory Committee, 226 pp.
Ikica, Z., Đurović, M., Joksimović, A., Mandić, M., Marković, O. et al., 2018. Monitoring of the Montenegrin fisheries sector: Biological sampling (September 2007-August 2011). Studia Marina. Monograph Series No. 1. Institute of Marine Biology, University of Montenegro. Kotor, Montenegro. 106 pp.
Ikica, Z., Isajlović, I., Pešić, A., Ćetković, I., Vrgoč, N., 2021. “HVAR” Expedition (1948-1949) in South-Eastern Adriatic (Croatia, Montenegro, Albania). p. 301-328. In: The Montenegrin Adriatic Coast: Marine Biology. Joksimović, A., Đurović, M., Zonn, I.S., Kostianoy, A.G., Semenov, A.V. (Eds). Springer Nature Switzerland, Cham.
Lauria, V., Garofalo, G., Fiorentino, F., Massi, D., Milisenda, G. et al., 2017. Species distribution models of two critically endangered deep-sea octocorals reveal fishing impacts on vulnerable marine ecosystems in central Mediterranean Sea. Scientific Reports, 7 (1), 1-14.
Martinelli, M., Morello, E.B., Isajlovic, I., Belardinelli, A., Lucchetti, A. et al., 2013. Towed underwater television towards the quantification of Norway lobster, squat lobsters and sea pens in the Adriatic Sea. Acta Adriatica, 54 (1), 3-12.
MEDITS-Handbook. Version n. 8, 2016, MEDITS Working Group, 177 pp. Petović, S., Marković, O., Ikica, Z., Đurović, M., Joksimović, A., 2016. Effects of bottom trawling on the benthic assemblages in the south Adriatic Sea (Montenegro). Acta Adriatica, 57 (1), 79-90.
Pham, C.K., Ramirez-Llodra, E., Alt, C.H., Amaro, T., Bergmann, M. et al., 2014. Marine litter distribution and density in European seas, from the shelves to deep basins. PloS ONE, 9 (4), e95839.
Pierdomenico, M., Russo, T., Ambroso, S., Gori, A., Martorelli, E. et al., 2018. Effects of trawling activity on the bamboo-coral Isidella elongata and the sea pen Funiculina quadrangularis along the Gioia Canyon (Western Mediterranean, southern Tyrrhenian Sea). Progress in Oceanography, 169, 214-226.
Quantum GIS software, 2022. QGIS A Free and Open Source Geographic Information System https://qgis.org/en/site/ (Accessed 5 May 2021)
Rogers, A.D., Gianni, M., 2010. The Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 61/105 and 64/72 in the Management of Deep- Sea Fisheries on the High Seas. Report prepared for the Deep-Sea Conservation Coalition. International Programme on the State of the Ocean, London, United Kingdom, 97 pp.
Rossi, S., 2013. The destruction of the ‘animal forests’ in the oceans: towards an over-simplification of the benthic ecosystems. Ocean & Coastal Management, 84, 77-85.
Rossi, S., Bramanti, L., Gori, A., Orejas, C. (Ed.), 2017. Marine animal forests. Springer International, Cham, 505 pp. Russo, T., D’Andrea, L., Parisi, A., Cataudella, S., 2014. VMSbase: an R-package for VMS and logbook data management and analysis in fisheries ecology. PLoS One 9:e100195.
Russo, T., D’Andrea, L., Parisi, A., Martinelli, M., Belardinelli, A., et al., 2016. Assessing the fishing footprint using data integrated from different tracking devices: Issues and opportunities. Ecological Indicators, 69, 818-827.
Russo, T., Franceschini, S., D’Andrea, L., Scardi, M., Parisi, A. et al., 2019. Predicting fishing footprint of trawlers from environmental and fleet data: an application of artificial neural networks. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 670, 1-18.
Salvalaggio, V., Fabi, G., Punzo, E., Santelli, A., Strafella, P. et al., 2016. Distribution of the sea pens Virgularia mirabilis and Funiculina quadrangularis (Cnidaria Anthozoa) in the northern and central Adriatic Sea. p. 504. In Rapport Du 41e Congres De La CIESM-Commission International Pour L’Exploration Scientifique De La Mer Méditerranee, Monaco, Vol. 41.
Salvati, E., Bo, M., Rondinini, C., Battistoni, A., Teofili, C., 2014. Lista Rossa IUCN dei coralli italiani. Comitato italiano IUCN e Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Roma, 132 pp.
Scarcella, G., Grati, F., Raicevich, S., Russo, T., Gramolini, R. et al., 2014. Common sole in the northern and central Adriatic Sea: Spatial management scenarios to rebuild the stock. Journal of Sea Research 89, 12-22. SPA/RAC–UN Environment/MAP, 2019. Updated Classification of Benthic Marine Habitat Types for the Mediterranean Region. UNEP MAP, SPA RAC, Tunis Cedex, 15 pp.
hompson, A., Sanders, J., Tandstad, M., Carocci, F., Fuller, J., 2016. Vulnerable marine ecosystems: processes and practices in the high seas. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper, 595, Rome, 188 pp.
Trainito, E., Baldacconi, R., 2016. Coralli del Mediterraneo. Il Castello, Cornareso (MI), 176 pp.
UNEP/MAP, 2015. Marine Litter Assessment in the Mediterranean. UNEP/MAP report, 45 pp.
UNEP/MAP-RAC/SPA, 2015. Adriatic Sea: Description of the ecology and identification of the areas that may deserve to be protected. By Cerrano, C. Edited by Cebrian, D. Requena, S., RAC/SPA, Tunis, 92 pp.
Wood, S. 2021. Mixed GAM Computation Vehicle with Automatic Smoothness Estimation. https://cran.r-project.org/ web/packages/mgcv/index.html (Accessed 5 October 2021)
Wright, E.P., Kemp, K., Rogers, A.D., Yesson, C., 2015. Genetic structure of the tall sea pen Funiculina quadrangularis in NW Scottish sea lochs. Marine Ecology, 36 (3), 659-667.
ZEISS ZEN 3.2 software, 2020. Manual ZEISS Group, Zeiss, Germany, 28 pp.
