The use of an unmanned aerial vehicle to investigate habitat use and behavior of invasive blue crab in Mediterranean microhabitats


GUILLAUME MARCHESSAUX
SERGIO BIZZARRI
NICOLETTA MARSIGLIA
NICOLO PONZÈ
GIANLUCA SARÀ
Abstract

The blue crab Callinectes sapidus has shown an immense capacity to adapt to new habitats in the Mediterranean Sea. Following
the numerous reports of its proliferation along western Sicily, an investigation was conducted to identify any existing populations. In August 2021, a population of blue crabs was found in the natural reserve of Trapani which includes a large area of restored saltmarshes. In this study, by developing a tracking system using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), we studied (i) the behavior of blue crabs on an hourly scale, and (ii) the weekly position of blue crabs in the saltmarshes to determine substrate preference. This study provides a new approach to better understand C. sapidus’ habitat use and their potential impact on local biodiversity. Blue crab activity was found to increase with temperature and tidal height, with a peak in activity observed at high tide and at maximum temperatures: the mean speed (m h-1) was higher (12.1 ± 8.7 m h-1) at T > 28 °C than at T = 23.7 °C (2.0 ± 3.2 m h-1). Considering habitat use, in 49 ± 13 % of the cases, blue crabs were observed on the sand, while 21 ± 14 % in the Cymodocea meadows, and 30 ± 15 % in the Ruppia meadows. These microhabitats provide a refuge for C. sapidus and should be prioritized and studied before management plans are designed and implemented to manage this important invasive species.

Article Details
  • Rubrik
  • Research Article
Downloads
Keine Nutzungsdaten vorhanden.
Literaturhinweise
Abdel Razek, F.A.A., Ismaiel, M., Ameran, M.A.A., 2016. Occurrence of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus, Rathbun, 1896, and its fisheries biology in Bardawil Lagoon, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. Egyptian Journal Aquatic Research, 42, 223-229.
Alvarez, S., Solís, D., 2018. Rapid Response Lowers Eradication Costs of Invasive Species. Choices, 33, 1-9.
Bellino, A., Mangano, M.C., Baldantoni, D., Russell, B.D., Mannino, A.M. et al., 2019. Seasonal patterns of biodiversity in Mediterranean coastal lagoons. Diversity and Distribution, 25, 1512-1526.
Bilen, C.T., Kokcu, P., Ibrikci, T., 2011. Application of artificial neural networks (ANNs) for weight predictions of blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896) using predictor variables. Mediterranean Marine Science, 12, 439-446.
Cadman, L.R., Weinstein, M.P., 1988. Effects of temperature and salinity on the growth of laboratory-reared juvenile blue crabs Callinectes sapidus Rathbun. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 121, 193-207.
Calabretta, C.J., Oviatt, C.A., 2008. The response of benthic macrofauna to anthropogenic stress in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island: a review of human stressors and assessment of community conditions. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 56, 1680-1695.
Canion, C.R., Heck, K.L., 2009. Effect of habitat complexity on predation success: re-evaluating the current paradigm in seagrass beds. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 393, 37-46.
Castejón, D., Guerao, G., 2013. A new record of the American blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Portunidae), from the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula. BioInvasions Records, 2, 141-143.
Castriota, L., Andaloro, F., Costantini, R., De Ascentiis, A., 2012. First record of the Atlantic crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Portunidae) in Abruzzi waters, central Adriatic Sea. Acta Adriatica: International Journal of Marine Sciences, 53, 467-470.
Clark, M.E., Wolcott, T.G., Wolcott, D.L., Hines, A.H., 1999. Foraging and agonistic activity co-occur in free-ranging blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus): observation of animals by ultrasonic telemetry. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 233, 143-160.
Colefax, A.P., Butcher, P.A., Kelaher, B.P., 2018. The potential for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to conduct marine fauna surveys in place of manned aircraft. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 75, 1-8.
Cordero, A.L.H., Seitz, R.D., 2014. Structured habitat provides a refuge from blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, predation for the bay scallop, Argopecten irradians concentricus (Say 1822). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 460, 100-108.
Dale, J., Burnside, N.G., Hill-Butler, C., Berg, M.J., Strong, C.J. et al., 2020. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles to determine differences in vegetation cover: A tool for monitoring coastal wetland restoration schemes. Remote Sensing, 12, 4022.
Dittel, A.I., Epifanio, C.E., Fogel, M.L., 2006. Trophic relationships of juvenile blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) in estuarine habitats. Hydrobiologia, 568, 379-390.
Dittel, A.I., Epifanio, C.E., Schwalm, S.M., Fantle, M.S., Fogel, M.L., 2000. Carbon and nitrogen sources for juvenile blue crabs Callinectes sapidus in coastal wetlands. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 194, 103-112.
Dittel, A.I., Hines, A.H., Ruiz, G.M., Ruffin, K.K., 1995. Effects of shallow water refuge on behavior and density-dependent mortality of juvenile blue crabs in Chesapeake Bay. Bulletin of Marine Science, 57, 902-916.
Doughty, C.L., Cavanaugh, K.C., 2019. Mapping coastal wetland biomass from high resolution unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery. Remote Sensing, 11, 540.
Dulcic, J., Dragicevic, B., 2010. New record of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896,(Decapoda: Brachyura) in the Adriatic Sea, in: Annales: Series Historia Naturalis. Scientific and Research Center of the Republic of Slovenia, p. 23.
Fantle, M.S., Dittel, A.I., Schwalm, S.M., Epifanio, C.E., Fogel, M.L., 1999. A food web analysis of the juvenile blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, using stable isotopes in whole animals and individual amino acids. Oecologia, 120, 416-426.
Fettermann, T., Fiori, L., Bader, M., Doshi, A., Breen, D. et al., 2019. Behaviour reactions of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) to multirotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Scientific Reports, 9, 1-9.
Fiori, L., Martinez, E., Bader, M.K.-F., Orams, M.B., Bollard, B., 2020. Insights into the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to investigate the behavior of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga. Marine Mammal Science, 36, 209-223.
Fitz, H.C., Wiegert, R.G., 1991. Utilization of the intertidal zone of a salt marsh by the blue crab Callinectes sapidus: density, return frequency, and feeding habits. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 249-260.
Fouilland, E., Fossati, O., 1996. Trapping efficiency of plastic bottle “wickertraps” for population assessment of river Macrobrachium (Crustacea: Decapoda). Fisheries Research, 28, 343-351.
Gennaio, R., Scordella, G., Pastore, M., 2006. Occurrence of blue crab Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun, 1986, Crustacea, Brachyura), in the Ugento ponds area (Lecce, Italy). Thalassia Salentina, 29, 29-39.
Gonzalez, L.F., Montes, G.A., Puig, E., Johnson, S., Mengersen, K. et al., 2016. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and artificial intelligence revolutionizing wildlife monitoring and conservation. Sensors, 16, 97.
Guerra-Castro, E., Carmona-Suárez, C., Conde, J.E., 2011. Biotelemetry of crustacean decapods: sampling design, statistical analysis, and interpretation of data. Hydrobiologia, 678, 1-15.
Harrod, J.J., 1964. The distribution of invertebrates on submerged aquatic plants in a chalk stream. Journal of Animal Ecology, 335-348.
Heck, J., Coen, L.D., Kenneth, L., 1995. Predation and the abundance of juvenile blue crabs: a comparison of selected east and gulf coast (USA) studies. Bulletin of Marine Science, 57, 877-883.
Heck Jr, K.L., Wetstone, G.S., 1977. Habitat complexity and invertebrate species richness and abundance in tropical seagrass meadows. J. Biogeography, 135-142.
Heck, K.L., Thoman, T.A., 1984. The nursery role of seagrass meadows in the upper and lower reaches of the Chesapeake Bay. Estuaries, 7, 70-92.
Hench, J.L., Forward Jr, R.B., Carr, S.D., Rittschof, D., Luettich Jr, R.A., 2004. Testing a selective tidal-stream transport model: Observations of female blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) vertical migration during the spawning season. Limnology and Oceanography, 49, 1857-1870.
Hines, A.H., Lipcius, R.N., Haddon, A.M., 1987. Population dynamics and habitat partitioning by size, sex, and molt stage of blue crabs Callinectes sapidus in a subestuary of central Chesapeake Bay. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 36, 55-64.
Hodgson, A., Peel, D., Kelly, N., 2017. Unmanned aerial vehicles for surveying marine fauna: assessing detection probability. Ecological Applications, 27, 1253-1267.
Hovel, K.A., Lipcius, R.N., 2002. Effects of seagrass habitat fragmentation on juvenile blue crab survival and abundance. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 271, 75-98.
Jakov, D., Glamuzina, B., 2011. Six years from first record to population establishment: the case of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 (Brachyura, Portunidae) in the Neretva River delta (South-eastern Adriatic Sea, Croatia). Crustaceana 84, 1211-1220.
Jivoff, P.R., Able, K.W., 2003. Evaluating salt marsh restoration in Delaware Bay: the response of blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, at former salt hay farms. Estuaries, 26, 709-719.
Johnson, E.G., Eggleston, D.B., 2010. Population density, survival and movement of blue crabs in estuarine salt marsh nurseries. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 407, 135-147.
Johnston, C.A., Caretti, O.N., 2017. Mangrove expansion into temperate marshes alters habitat quality for recruiting Callinectes spp. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 573, 1-14.
Jugovic, J., Praprotnik, E., Buzan, E.V., Lužnik, M., 2015. Estimating population size of the cave shrimp Troglocaris anophthalmus (Crustacea, Decapoda, Caridea) using mark– release–recapture data. Animal Biodiversity and Conservation, 38, 77-86.
Kako, S., Morita, S., Taneda, T., 2020. Estimation of plastic marine debris volumes on beaches using unmanned aerial vehicles and image processing based on deep learning. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 155, 111127.
Kara, M.H., Chaoui, L., 2021. Strong invasion of Mellah lagoon (South-Western Mediterranean) by the American blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 164, 112089.
Katsanevakis, S., Wallentinus, I., Zenetos, A., Leppäkoski, E., Çinar, M.E. et al., 2014. Impacts of invasive alien marine species on ecosystem services and biodiversity: a pan-European review. Aquatic Invasions, 9, 391-423.
Kattenborn, T., Lopatin, J., Förster, M., Braun, A.C., Fassnacht, F.E., 2019. UAV data as alternative to field sampling to map woody invasive species based on combined Sentinel- 1 and Sentinel-2 data. Remote Sensing of Environment, 227, 61-73.
Kenward, R., 1987. Wildlife radio tagging. Academic Press, London. 222 pp. ISBN 0-12-4042406.
King, R.S., Hines, A.H., Craige, F.D., Grap, S., 2005. Regional, watershed and local correlates of blue crab and bivalve abundances in subestuaries of Chesapeake Bay, USA. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 319, 101-116.
Koyama, A., Hirata, T., Kawahara, Y., Iyooka, H., Kubozono, H. et al., 2020. Habitat suitability maps for juvenile trispine horseshoe crabs in Japanese intertidal zones: A model approach using unmanned aerial vehicles and the Structure from Motion technique. PloS One, 15, e0244494.
Lambert, D.M., Lipcius, R.N., Hoenig, J.M., 2006. Assessing effectiveness of the blue crab spawning stock sanctuary in Chesapeake Bay using tag-return methodology. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 321, 215-225.
Lipcius, R.N., Seitz, R.D., Seebo, M.S., Colón-Carrión, D., 2005. Density, abundance and survival of the blue crab in seagrass and unstructured salt marsh nurseries of Chesapeake Bay. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 319, 69-80.
Mancinelli, G., Bardelli, R., Zenetos, A., 2021. A global occurrence database of the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus. Scientific Data, 8, 1-10.
Mancinelli, G., Chainho, P., Cilenti, L., Falco, S., Kapiris, K. et al., 2017. On the Atlantic blue crab (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun 1896) in southern European coastal waters: Time to turn a threat into a resource? Fisheries Research, 194, 1-8.
Manfrin, C., Chung, J., Turolla, E., Giulianini, P., 2015. First occurrence of Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun, 1896) within the Sacca di Goro (Italy) and surroundings. Check List, 11, 1.
Mannino, A.M., Sarà, G., 2006. The effect of Ruppia cirrhosa features on macroalgae and suspended matter in a Mediterranean shallow system. Marine Ecology, 27, 350-360.
Marchessaux, G., Bosch-Belmar, M., Cilenti, L., Lago, N., Mangano, M.C. et al., 2022. The invasive blue crab Callinectes sapidus thermal response: Predicting metabolic suitability maps under future warming Mediterranean scenarios. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9, 1055404.
Marchessaux, G., Mangano, M.C., Bizzarri, S., M’Rabet, C., Principato, E. et al., 2023. Invasive blue crabs and smallscale fisheries in the Mediterranean sea: Local ecological knowledge, impacts and future management. Marine Policy, 148, 105461.
Mense, D.J., Wenner, E.L., 1989. Distribution and abundance of early life history stages of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, in tidal marsh creeks near Charleston, South Carolina. Estuaries, 12, 157-168.
Messina, G., Pezzino, E., Montesanto, G., Caruso, D., Lombardo, B.M., 2012. The diversity of terrestrial isopods in the natural reserve “Saline di Trapani e Paceco”(Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea) in northwestern Sicily. ZooKeys, 215.
Milori, E., Qorri, L., Ibrahimi, E., Beqiraj, S., 2017. Data on the distribution, population structure and establishment of the invasive blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 (Decapoda, Brachyura, Portunidae) in the Lagoon of Viluni (South-East Adriatic Sea, Albania). Albanian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 485-492.
Mizerek, T., Regan, H.M., Hovel, K.A., 2011. Seagrass habitat loss and fragmentation influence management strategies for a blue crab Callinectes sapidus fishery. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 427, 247-257.
Monin, V.L., 1984. New Find of the Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus (Decapoda, Brachyura) in the Black Sea. Zoologicheskii Zhurnal, 63 (7), 1100-1101.
Müllerová, J., Brůna, J., Bartaloš, T., Dvořák, P., Vítková, M. et al., 2017. Timing is important: Unmanned aircraft vs. satellite imagery in plant invasion monitoring. Frontiers in Plant Science, 8, 887.
Onofri, V., Dulčić, J., Conides, A., Matić-Skoko, S., Glamuzina, B., 2008. The occurrence of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 (Decapoda, Brachyura, Portunidae) in the eastern Adriatic (Croatian coast). Crustaceana, 403-409.
Orhan, A.K., Haşimoğlu, A., Bayram, K., 2015. Southeastward expansion of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun, 1896) in the Black Sea. Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 56, 397-399.
Orth, R.J., van Montfrans, J., 2002. Habitat quality and prey size as determinants of survival in post-larval and early juvenile instars of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 231, 205-213.
Orth, R.J., van Montfrans, J., 1990. Utilization of marsh and seagrass habitats by early stages of Callinectes sapidus: a latitudinal perspective. Bulletin of Marine Science, 46, 126-144.
Pashkov, A.N., Reshetnikov, S.I., Bondarev, K.B., 2012. The capture of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus, decapoda, crustacea) in the Russian sector of the Black Sea. Russian Journal of Biological Invasions, 3, 22-28.
Perkins-Visser, E., Wolcott, T.G., Wolcott, D.L., 1996. Nursery role of seagrass beds: enhanced growth of juvenile blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 198, 155-173.
Posey, M.H., Alphin, T.D., Harwell, H., Allen, B., 2005. Importance of low salinity areas for juvenile blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, in river-dominated estuaries of southeastern United States. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 319, 81-100.
Ramach, S., Darnell, M.Z., Avissar, N., Rittschof, D., 2009. Habitat use and population dynamics of blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, in a high-salinity embayment. Journal of Shellfish Research, 28, 635-640.
Reichmuth, J.M., MacDonald, J., Ramirez, J., Weis, J.S., 2011. Fight or flight: an investigation of aggressive behavior and predator avoidance in two populations of blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun) in New Jersey. Hydrobiologia, 658, 173-182.
Ros, M., Guerra-García, J.M., Lignot, J.-H., Rivera-Ingraham, G.A., 2021. Environmental stress responses in sympatric congeneric crustaceans: Explaining and predicting the context-dependencies of invader impacts. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 170, 112621.
Ruas, V.M., Rodrigues, M.A., Dumont, L.F.C., D’Incao, F., 2014. Habitat selection of the pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus paulensis and the blue crab Callinectes sapidus in an estuary in southern Brazil: influence of salinity and submerged seagrass meadows. Nauplius, 22, 113-125.
Rudershausen, P.J., Merrell, J.H., Buckel, J.A., 2021. Factors Influencing Colonization and Survival of Juvenile Blue Crabs Callinectes sapidus in Southeastern US Tidal Creeks. Diversity, 13, 491.
Ruiz, G.M., Hines, A.H., Posey, M.H., 1993. Shallow water as a refuge habitat for fish and crustaceans in non-vegetated estuaries: an example from Chesapeake Bay. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 1-16.
Sarà, G., Leonardi, M., Mazzola, A., 1999. Spatial and temporal changes of suspended matter in relation to wind and vegetation cover in a Mediterranean shallow coastal environment. Chemical Ecology, 16, 151-173.
Sarà, G., Romano, C., Caruso, M., Mazzola, A., 2000. The new Lessepsian entry Brachidontes pharaonis (Fischer P., 1870) (Bivalvia, Mytilidae) in the western Mediterranean: a physiological analysis under varying natural conditions. Journal of Shellfish Research, 19 (2), 967-977.
Seitz, R.D., Lipcius, R.N., Seebo, M.S., 2005. Food availability and growth of the blue crab in seagrass and unvegetated nurseries of Chesapeake Bay. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 319, 57-68.
Shields, J.D., Sullivan, S.E., Small, H.J., 2015. Overwintering of the parasitic dinoflagellate Hematodinium perezi in dredged blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) from Wachapreague Creek, Virginia. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 130, 124-132.
Taybi, A.F., Mabrouki, Y., 2020. The American blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Portunidae) is rapidly expanding through the Mediterranean coast of Morocco. Thalassas An International Journal of Marine Sciences, 36, 267-271.
Taylor, D.L., Fehon, M.M., 2021. Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) Population Structure in Southern New England Tidal Rivers: Patterns of Shallow-Water, Unvegetated Habitat Use and Quality. Estuaries and Coasts, 44, 1320-1343.
Thomas, J.L., Zimmerman, R.J., Minello, T.J., 1990. Abundance patterns of juvenile blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) in nursery habitats of two Texas bays. Bulletin of Marine Science, 46, 115-125.
van Montfrans, J., Ryer, C.H., Orth, R.J., 2003. Substrate selection by blue crab Callinectes sapidus megalopae and first juvenile instars. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 260, 209-217.
Ventura, D., Bonifazi, A., Gravina, M.F., Ardizzone, G.D., 2017. Unmanned aerial systems (UASs) for environmental monitoring: A review with applications in coastal habitats. Aerial Robots: Aerodynamics, Control and Application, 165-184.
Wolcott, T.G., Hines, A.H., 1989. Ultrasonic biotelemetry of muscle activity from free-ranging marine animals: a new method for studying foraging by blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus). Biology Bulletin, 176, 50-56.
Wrona, A.B., 2004. Determining movement patterns and habitat use of blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun) in a Georgia saltmarsh estuary with the use of ultrasonic telemetry and a geographic information system (GIS) (PhD Thesis). University of Georgia, USA.
Am häufigsten gelesenen Artikel dieser/dieses Autor/in