2025 |
Kapelonis, Zacharias; Chatzigeorgiou, Georgios; Ntoumas, Manolis; Grigoriou, Panos; Pettas, Manos; Michelinakis, Spyros; Correia, Ricardo; Lemos, Catarina Rasquilha; Pinheiro, Luis Menezes; Lomba, Caio; Fortuna, João; Loureiro, Rui; Santos, André; Chatzinikolaou, Eva Flying Robots Teach Floating Robots—A Machine Learning Approach for Marine Habitat Mapping Based on Combined Datasets Journal Article Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 13 (3), pp. 611, 2025, ISSN: 2077-1312. @article{kapelonis_flying_2025, title = {Flying Robots Teach Floating Robots—A Machine Learning Approach for Marine Habitat Mapping Based on Combined Datasets}, author = {Zacharias Kapelonis and Georgios Chatzigeorgiou and Manolis Ntoumas and Panos Grigoriou and Manos Pettas and Spyros Michelinakis and Ricardo Correia and Catarina Rasquilha Lemos and Luis Menezes Pinheiro and Caio Lomba and João Fortuna and Rui Loureiro and André Santos and Eva Chatzinikolaou}, url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/3/611 /wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-Kapelonis-Mar-Sci-Eng-19.pdf}, doi = {10.3390/jmse13030611}, issn = {2077-1312}, year = {2025}, date = {2025-04-11}, urldate = {2025-04-11}, journal = {Journal of Marine Science and Engineering}, volume = {13}, number = {3}, pages = {611}, abstract = {Unmanned aerial and autonomous surface vehicles (UAVs and ASVs, respectively) are two emerging technologies for the mapping of coastal and marine environments. Using UAV photogrammetry, the sea-bottom composition can be resolved with very high fidelity in shallow waters. At greater depths, acoustic methodologies have far better propagation properties compared to optics; therefore, ASVs equipped with multibeam echosounders (MBES) are better-suited for mapping applications in deeper waters. In this work, a sea-bottom classification methodology is presented for mapping the protected habitat of Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica (habitat code 1120) in a coastal subregion of Heraklion (Crete, Greece). The methodology implements a machine learning scheme, where knowledge obtained from UAV imagery is embedded (through training) into a classifier that utilizes acoustic backscatter intensity and features derived from the MBES data provided by an ASV. Accuracy and precision scores of greater than 85% compared with visual census ground-truth data for both optical and acoustic classifiers indicate that this hybrid mapping approach is promising to mitigate the depth-induced bias in UAV-only models. The latter is especially interesting in cases where the studied habitat boundaries extend beyond depths that can be studied via aerial devices’ optics, as is the case with P. oceanica meadows.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Unmanned aerial and autonomous surface vehicles (UAVs and ASVs, respectively) are two emerging technologies for the mapping of coastal and marine environments. Using UAV photogrammetry, the sea-bottom composition can be resolved with very high fidelity in shallow waters. At greater depths, acoustic methodologies have far better propagation properties compared to optics; therefore, ASVs equipped with multibeam echosounders (MBES) are better-suited for mapping applications in deeper waters. In this work, a sea-bottom classification methodology is presented for mapping the protected habitat of Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica (habitat code 1120) in a coastal subregion of Heraklion (Crete, Greece). The methodology implements a machine learning scheme, where knowledge obtained from UAV imagery is embedded (through training) into a classifier that utilizes acoustic backscatter intensity and features derived from the MBES data provided by an ASV. Accuracy and precision scores of greater than 85% compared with visual census ground-truth data for both optical and acoustic classifiers indicate that this hybrid mapping approach is promising to mitigate the depth-induced bias in UAV-only models. The latter is especially interesting in cases where the studied habitat boundaries extend beyond depths that can be studied via aerial devices’ optics, as is the case with P. oceanica meadows. |
Daraghmeh, Nauras; Exter, Katrina; Pagnier, Justine; Balazy, Piotr; Cancio, Ibon; Chatzigeorgiou, Giorgos; Chatzinikolaou, Eva; Chelchowski, Maciej; Chrismas, Nathan Alexis Mitchell; Comtet, Thierry; Dailianis, Thanos; Deneudt, Klaas; Cerio, Oihane Diaz De; Digenis, Markos; Gerovasileiou, Vasilis; González, José; Kauppi, Laura; Kristoffersen, Jon Bent; Kukliński, Piotr; Lasota, Rafał; Levy, Liraz; Małachowicz, Magdalena; Mavrič, Borut; Mortelmans, Jonas; Paredes, Estefania; Poćwierz‐Kotus, Anita; Reiss, Henning; Santi, Ioulia; Sarafidou, Georgia; Skouradakis, Grigorios; Solbakken, Jostein; Staehr, Peter A U; Tajadura, Javier; Thyrring, Jakob; Troncoso, Jesus S; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Viard, Frederique; Zafeiropoulos, Haris; Zbawicka, Małgorzata; Pavloudi, Christina; Obst, Matthias A Long-Term Ecological Research Data Set From the Marine Genetic Monitoring Program ARMS-MBON 2018–2020 Journal Article Molecular Ecology Resources, pp. e14073, 2025, ISSN: 1755-098X, 1755-0998. @article{daraghmeh_longterm_2025, title = {A Long-Term Ecological Research Data Set From the Marine Genetic Monitoring Program ARMS-MBON 2018–2020}, author = {Nauras Daraghmeh and Katrina Exter and Justine Pagnier and Piotr Balazy and Ibon Cancio and Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou and Eva Chatzinikolaou and Maciej Chelchowski and Nathan Alexis Mitchell Chrismas and Thierry Comtet and Thanos Dailianis and Klaas Deneudt and Oihane Diaz De Cerio and Markos Digenis and Vasilis Gerovasileiou and José González and Laura Kauppi and Jon Bent Kristoffersen and Piotr Kukliński and Rafał Lasota and Liraz Levy and Magdalena Małachowicz and Borut Mavrič and Jonas Mortelmans and Estefania Paredes and Anita Poćwierz‐Kotus and Henning Reiss and Ioulia Santi and Georgia Sarafidou and Grigorios Skouradakis and Jostein Solbakken and Peter A U Staehr and Javier Tajadura and Jakob Thyrring and Jesus S Troncoso and Emmanouela Vernadou and Frederique Viard and Haris Zafeiropoulos and Małgorzata Zbawicka and Christina Pavloudi and Matthias Obst}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1755-0998.14073 /wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2025-Daraghmeh-MolEcoRes-6.pdf}, doi = {10.1111/1755-0998.14073}, issn = {1755-098X, 1755-0998}, year = {2025}, date = {2025-02-05}, urldate = {2025-02-05}, journal = {Molecular Ecology Resources}, pages = {e14073}, abstract = {ABSTRACT Molecular methods such as DNA/eDNA metabarcoding have emerged as useful tools to document the biodiversity of complex communities over large spatio‐temporal scales. We established an international Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (ARMS‐MBON) combining standardised sampling using autonomous reef monitoring structures (ARMS) with metabarcoding for genetic monitoring of marine hard‐bottom benthic communities. Here, we present the data of our first sampling campaign comprising 56 ARMS units deployed in 2018–2019 and retrieved in 2018–2020 across 15 observatories along the coasts of Europe and adjacent regions. We describe the open‐access data set (image, genetic and metadata) and explore the genetic data to show its potential for marine biodiversity monitoring and ecological research. Our analysis shows that ARMS recovered more than 60 eukaryotic phyla capturing diversity of up to textasciitilde5500 amplicon sequence variants and textasciitilde1800 operational taxonomic units, and up to textasciitilde250 and textasciitilde50 species per observatory using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 18S rRNA marker genes, respectively. Further, ARMS detected threatened, vulnerable and non‐indigenous species often targeted in biological monitoring. We show that while deployment duration does not drive diversity estimates, sampling effort and sequencing depth across observatories do. We recommend that ARMS should be deployed for at least 3–6 months during the main growth season to use resources as efficiently as possible and that post‐sequencing curation is applied to enable statistical comparison of spatio‐temporal entities. We suggest that ARMS should be used in biological monitoring programs and long‐term ecological research and encourage the adoption of our ARMS‐MBON protocols.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } ABSTRACT Molecular methods such as DNA/eDNA metabarcoding have emerged as useful tools to document the biodiversity of complex communities over large spatio‐temporal scales. We established an international Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (ARMS‐MBON) combining standardised sampling using autonomous reef monitoring structures (ARMS) with metabarcoding for genetic monitoring of marine hard‐bottom benthic communities. Here, we present the data of our first sampling campaign comprising 56 ARMS units deployed in 2018–2019 and retrieved in 2018–2020 across 15 observatories along the coasts of Europe and adjacent regions. We describe the open‐access data set (image, genetic and metadata) and explore the genetic data to show its potential for marine biodiversity monitoring and ecological research. Our analysis shows that ARMS recovered more than 60 eukaryotic phyla capturing diversity of up to textasciitilde5500 amplicon sequence variants and textasciitilde1800 operational taxonomic units, and up to textasciitilde250 and textasciitilde50 species per observatory using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 18S rRNA marker genes, respectively. Further, ARMS detected threatened, vulnerable and non‐indigenous species often targeted in biological monitoring. We show that while deployment duration does not drive diversity estimates, sampling effort and sequencing depth across observatories do. We recommend that ARMS should be deployed for at least 3–6 months during the main growth season to use resources as efficiently as possible and that post‐sequencing curation is applied to enable statistical comparison of spatio‐temporal entities. We suggest that ARMS should be used in biological monitoring programs and long‐term ecological research and encourage the adoption of our ARMS‐MBON protocols. |
2023 |
Sarafidou, Georgia; Tsaparis, Dimitris; Issaris, Yiannis; Chatzigeorgiou, Giorgos; Grigoriou, Panos; Chatzinikolaou, Eva; Pavloudi, Christina Insights on Pinna nobilis population genetic structure in the Aegean and Ionian Sea Journal Article PeerJ, 11 , pp. e16491, 2023, ISSN: 2167-8359. @article{sarafidou_insights_2023, title = {Insights on \textit{Pinna nobilis} population genetic structure in the Aegean and Ionian Sea}, author = {Georgia Sarafidou and Dimitris Tsaparis and Yiannis Issaris and Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou and Panos Grigoriou and Eva Chatzinikolaou and Christina Pavloudi}, url = {https://imbbc.hcmr.gr/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2023-Sarafidou-peerj-61.pdf https://peerj.com/articles/16491}, doi = {10.7717/peerj.16491}, issn = {2167-8359}, year = {2023}, date = {2023-12-01}, urldate = {2023-12-01}, journal = {PeerJ}, volume = {11}, pages = {e16491}, abstract = {The fan mussel Pinna nobilis Linnaeus, 1758 is an endemic species of the Mediterranean Sea, protected by international agreements. It is one of the largest bivalves in the world, playing an important role in the benthic communities; yet it has been recently characterized as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, due to mass mortality events. In this context, the assessment of the genetic variation of the remaining P. nobilis populations and the evaluation of connectivity among them are crucial elements for the conservation of the species. For this purpose, samples were collected from six regions of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea; the Islands of Karpathos, Lesvos and Crete; the Chalkidiki and Attica Peninsulas; and the Amvrakikos Gulf. Sampling was performed either by collecting tissue from the individuals or by using a non-invasive method, i.e. , by scraping the inside of their shells aiming to collect their mucus and thus avoid stress induction to them. Conventional molecular techniques with the use of the COI and 16S rRNA mitochondrial markers were selected for the depiction of the intra-population genetic variability. The analyses included 104 samples from the present study and publicly available sequences of individuals across the whole Mediterranean Sea. The results of this work (a) suggest the use of eDNA as an efficient sampling method for protected bivalves and (b) shed light to the genetic structure of P. nobilis population in the Eastern Mediterranean; this latter knowledge might prove to be fundamental for the species conservation and hence the ecosystem resilience. The haplotype analyses reinforced the evidence that there is a certain degree of connectivity among the distinct regions of the Mediterranean; yet there is evidence of population distinction within the basin, namely between the Western and the Eastern basins. The combination of both genetic markers in the same analysis along with the inclusion of a large number of individuals produced more robust results, revealing a group of haplotypes being present only in the Eastern Mediterranean and providing insights for the species’ most suitable conservation management.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The fan mussel Pinna nobilis Linnaeus, 1758 is an endemic species of the Mediterranean Sea, protected by international agreements. It is one of the largest bivalves in the world, playing an important role in the benthic communities; yet it has been recently characterized as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, due to mass mortality events. In this context, the assessment of the genetic variation of the remaining P. nobilis populations and the evaluation of connectivity among them are crucial elements for the conservation of the species. For this purpose, samples were collected from six regions of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea; the Islands of Karpathos, Lesvos and Crete; the Chalkidiki and Attica Peninsulas; and the Amvrakikos Gulf. Sampling was performed either by collecting tissue from the individuals or by using a non-invasive method, i.e. , by scraping the inside of their shells aiming to collect their mucus and thus avoid stress induction to them. Conventional molecular techniques with the use of the COI and 16S rRNA mitochondrial markers were selected for the depiction of the intra-population genetic variability. The analyses included 104 samples from the present study and publicly available sequences of individuals across the whole Mediterranean Sea. The results of this work (a) suggest the use of eDNA as an efficient sampling method for protected bivalves and (b) shed light to the genetic structure of P. nobilis population in the Eastern Mediterranean; this latter knowledge might prove to be fundamental for the species conservation and hence the ecosystem resilience. The haplotype analyses reinforced the evidence that there is a certain degree of connectivity among the distinct regions of the Mediterranean; yet there is evidence of population distinction within the basin, namely between the Western and the Eastern basins. The combination of both genetic markers in the same analysis along with the inclusion of a large number of individuals produced more robust results, revealing a group of haplotypes being present only in the Eastern Mediterranean and providing insights for the species’ most suitable conservation management. |
2022 |
Rallis, Ioannis; Chatzigeorgiou, Giorgos; Florido, Marta; Sedano, Francisco; Procopiou, Avgi; Chertz-Bynichaki, Melina; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Plaiti, Wanda; Koulouri, Panayota; Dounas, Costas; Gerovasileiou, Vasilis; Dailianis, Thanos Early Succession Patterns of Benthic Assemblages on Artificial Reefs in the Oligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean Basin Journal Article Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 10 (5), pp. 620, 2022, ISSN: 2077-1312. @article{rallis_early_2022, title = {Early Succession Patterns of Benthic Assemblages on Artificial Reefs in the Oligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean Basin}, author = {Ioannis Rallis and Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou and Marta Florido and Francisco Sedano and Avgi Procopiou and Melina Chertz-Bynichaki and Emmanouela Vernadou and Wanda Plaiti and Panayota Koulouri and Costas Dounas and Vasilis Gerovasileiou and Thanos Dailianis}, url = {https://imbbc.hcmr.gr/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-Rallis-jmse-35.pdf https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/10/5/620}, doi = {10.3390/jmse10050620}, issn = {2077-1312}, year = {2022}, date = {2022-05-01}, urldate = {2022-05-09}, journal = {Journal of Marine Science and Engineering}, volume = {10}, number = {5}, pages = {620}, abstract = {The colonization of artificial structures by benthic organisms in the marine realm is known to be affected by the general trophic patterns of the biogeographical zone and the prevailing environmental traits at the local scale. The present work aims to present quantitative data on the early settlement progress of macrofaunal benthic assemblages developing on artificial reefs (ARs) deployed at the Underwater Biotechnological Park of Crete (UBPC) in the oligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean. Visual census and subsequent image analysis combined with scraped quadrats were used to describe the establishment of the communities and their development over three consecutive campaigns, spanning 5 years post-deployment. Macroalgae consistently dominated in terms of coverage, while sessile invertebrates displayed different patterns over the years. Polychaeta and Bryozoa were gradually replaced by Cnidaria, while Porifera and Mollusca displayed an increasing trend over the years. Motile benthos was mainly represented by Mollusca, while the abundance of Polychaeta increased in contrast to that of Crustacea. For both sessile and motile assemblages, significant differences were observed among the years. The results of this study indicate that ecological succession is still ongoing, and further improvement in the monitoring methodology can assist towards a more accurate assessment of the community composition in complex AR structures.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The colonization of artificial structures by benthic organisms in the marine realm is known to be affected by the general trophic patterns of the biogeographical zone and the prevailing environmental traits at the local scale. The present work aims to present quantitative data on the early settlement progress of macrofaunal benthic assemblages developing on artificial reefs (ARs) deployed at the Underwater Biotechnological Park of Crete (UBPC) in the oligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean. Visual census and subsequent image analysis combined with scraped quadrats were used to describe the establishment of the communities and their development over three consecutive campaigns, spanning 5 years post-deployment. Macroalgae consistently dominated in terms of coverage, while sessile invertebrates displayed different patterns over the years. Polychaeta and Bryozoa were gradually replaced by Cnidaria, while Porifera and Mollusca displayed an increasing trend over the years. Motile benthos was mainly represented by Mollusca, while the abundance of Polychaeta increased in contrast to that of Crustacea. For both sessile and motile assemblages, significant differences were observed among the years. The results of this study indicate that ecological succession is still ongoing, and further improvement in the monitoring methodology can assist towards a more accurate assessment of the community composition in complex AR structures. |
2021 |
Keklikoglou, Kleoniki; Arvanitidis, Christos; Chatzigeorgiou, Georgios; Chatzinikolaou, Eva; Karagiannidis, Efstratios; Koletsa, Triantafyllia; Magoulas, Antonios; Makris, Konstantinos; Mavrothalassitis, George; Papanagnou, Eleni-Dimitra; Papazoglou, Andreas S; Pavloudi, Christina; Trougakos, Ioannis P; Vasileiadou, Katerina; Vogiatzi, Angeliki Micro-CT for Biological and Biomedical Studies: A Comparison of Imaging Techniques Journal Article 7 (9), pp. 172, 2021, ISSN: 2313-433X. @article{keklikoglou_micro-ct_2021, title = {Micro-CT for Biological and Biomedical Studies: A Comparison of Imaging Techniques}, author = {Kleoniki Keklikoglou and Christos Arvanitidis and Georgios Chatzigeorgiou and Eva Chatzinikolaou and Efstratios Karagiannidis and Triantafyllia Koletsa and Antonios Magoulas and Konstantinos Makris and George Mavrothalassitis and Eleni-Dimitra Papanagnou and Andreas S Papazoglou and Christina Pavloudi and Ioannis P Trougakos and Katerina Vasileiadou and Angeliki Vogiatzi}, url = {https://imbbc.hcmr.gr/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2021-Keklikoglou-jimaging-66-1.pdf https://www.mdpi.com/2313-433X/7/9/172}, doi = {10.3390/jimaging7090172}, issn = {2313-433X}, year = {2021}, date = {2021-09-01}, urldate = {2021-09-22}, volume = {7}, number = {9}, pages = {172}, abstract = {Several imaging techniques are used in biological and biomedical studies. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is a non-destructive imaging technique that allows the rapid digitisation of internal and external structures of a sample in three dimensions and with great resolution. In this review, the strengths and weaknesses of some common imaging techniques applied in biological and biomedical fields, such as optical microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, are presented and compared with the micro-CT technique through five use cases. Finally, the ability of micro-CT to create non-destructively 3D anatomical and morphological data in sub-micron resolution and the necessity to develop complementary methods with other imaging techniques, in order to overcome limitations caused by each technique, is emphasised.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Several imaging techniques are used in biological and biomedical studies. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is a non-destructive imaging technique that allows the rapid digitisation of internal and external structures of a sample in three dimensions and with great resolution. In this review, the strengths and weaknesses of some common imaging techniques applied in biological and biomedical fields, such as optical microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, are presented and compared with the micro-CT technique through five use cases. Finally, the ability of micro-CT to create non-destructively 3D anatomical and morphological data in sub-micron resolution and the necessity to develop complementary methods with other imaging techniques, in order to overcome limitations caused by each technique, is emphasised. |
Nikolopoulou, Stamatina; Berov, Dimitar; Klayn, Stefania; Dimitrov, Lyubomir; Velkovsky, Kiril; Chatzinikolaou, Eva; Chatzigeorgiou, Giorgos; Karamfilov, Ventzislav; Pavloudi, Christina Benthic habitat mapping of Plazh Gradina – Zlatna ribka (Black Sea) and Karpathos and Saria Islands (Mediterranean Sea) Journal Article 9 , pp. e71972, 2021, ISSN: 1314-2828, 1314-2836. @article{nikolopoulou_benthic_2021, title = {Benthic habitat mapping of Plazh Gradina – Zlatna ribka (Black Sea) and Karpathos and Saria Islands (Mediterranean Sea)}, author = {Stamatina Nikolopoulou and Dimitar Berov and Stefania Klayn and Lyubomir Dimitrov and Kiril Velkovsky and Eva Chatzinikolaou and Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou and Ventzislav Karamfilov and Christina Pavloudi}, url = {https://imbbc.hcmr.gr/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2021-Nikolopoulou-BDJ-64.pdf https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/71972/}, doi = {10.3897/BDJ.9.e71972}, issn = {1314-2828, 1314-2836}, year = {2021}, date = {2021-08-23}, urldate = {2021-09-16}, volume = {9}, pages = {e71972}, abstract = {Habitat mapping is nеcessary for the efficient conservation and protection of marine ecosystems. In addition, it is a requirement for EU Member States as stated in the European Union (EU) Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), as well as necessary for the achievement and maintenance of 'good environmental status (GES)' of benthic marine habitats in the framework of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC). This study provides baseline information on the marine benthic habitats of Sozopol Bay (Black Sea) and Karpathos and Saria Islands (Mediterranean Sea). These two Natura 2000 sites were selected as study sites of the RECONNECT project, which aimed at creating a transnational cooperative network to confront the environmental threats of ecosystems with a high natural and cultural interest, by the establishment of common practices and a joint regional strategy. The specific objective was to map the marine habitats using a defined a priori classification (EUNIS), with the ultimate purpose of supporting government marine spatial planning, management and decision-making processes through the development of a Decision Support System.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Habitat mapping is nеcessary for the efficient conservation and protection of marine ecosystems. In addition, it is a requirement for EU Member States as stated in the European Union (EU) Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), as well as necessary for the achievement and maintenance of 'good environmental status (GES)' of benthic marine habitats in the framework of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC). This study provides baseline information on the marine benthic habitats of Sozopol Bay (Black Sea) and Karpathos and Saria Islands (Mediterranean Sea). These two Natura 2000 sites were selected as study sites of the RECONNECT project, which aimed at creating a transnational cooperative network to confront the environmental threats of ecosystems with a high natural and cultural interest, by the establishment of common practices and a joint regional strategy. The specific objective was to map the marine habitats using a defined a priori classification (EUNIS), with the ultimate purpose of supporting government marine spatial planning, management and decision-making processes through the development of a Decision Support System. |
Pitacco, Valentina; Chatzigeorgiou, Giorgos; Mikac, Barbara; Lipej, Lovrenc Mediterranean Marine Science, 22 (3), pp. 532, 2021, ISSN: 1791-6763, 1108-393X, (BIODIV). @article{pitacco_ecological_2021, title = {Ecological patterns of polychaete assemblages associated with the Mediterranean stony coral Cladocora caespitosa (Linnaeus, 1767): a comparison of sites in two biogeographic zones (Adriatic and Aegean Sea)}, author = {Valentina Pitacco and Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou and Barbara Mikac and Lovrenc Lipej}, url = {https://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/hcmr-med-mar-sc/article/view/26136}, doi = {10.12681/mms.26136}, issn = {1791-6763, 1108-393X}, year = {2021}, date = {2021-01-01}, urldate = {2022-01-17}, journal = {Mediterranean Marine Science}, volume = {22}, number = {3}, pages = {532}, abstract = {The Mediterranean stony coral Cladocora caespitosa (Linnaeus, 1767) is a well-known habitat builder, and as such hosts a diversified faunal assemblage. Although polychaetes are one of the most abundant and diverse macrobenthic groups associated with C. caespitosa colonies, our knowledge of their ecological features in this association is still limited. The aim of this paper was to gather and compare the most comprehensive data available on polychaetes associated with C. caespitosa in the Adriatic and the Aegean Seas, and to test for differences between these geographic areas. To this end, differences were tested in terms of: (i) richness and structure of polychaete assemblages; (ii) feeding and functional traits of assemblages; (iii) the main factors influencing those aspects, (iv) the relationship between polychaete assemblages richness and Cladocora colony size, and estimate richness. Differences were observed between the Adriatic and the Aegean Seas, in terms of richness, species composition and relative proportion of the dominant feeding guild (filter feeders most abundant in the Aegean and carnivores in the Adriatic) and motility mode (sessile most abundant in the Aegean and motile in the Adriatic). Conversely, cosmopolitan and Atlanto-Mediterranean species dominated the assemblages in both geographic areas, and the same Species-Area Relation model proved to be effective for richness estimation in both geographic areas.}, note = {BIODIV}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The Mediterranean stony coral Cladocora caespitosa (Linnaeus, 1767) is a well-known habitat builder, and as such hosts a diversified faunal assemblage. Although polychaetes are one of the most abundant and diverse macrobenthic groups associated with C. caespitosa colonies, our knowledge of their ecological features in this association is still limited. The aim of this paper was to gather and compare the most comprehensive data available on polychaetes associated with C. caespitosa in the Adriatic and the Aegean Seas, and to test for differences between these geographic areas. To this end, differences were tested in terms of: (i) richness and structure of polychaete assemblages; (ii) feeding and functional traits of assemblages; (iii) the main factors influencing those aspects, (iv) the relationship between polychaete assemblages richness and Cladocora colony size, and estimate richness. Differences were observed between the Adriatic and the Aegean Seas, in terms of richness, species composition and relative proportion of the dominant feeding guild (filter feeders most abundant in the Aegean and carnivores in the Adriatic) and motility mode (sessile most abundant in the Aegean and motile in the Adriatic). Conversely, cosmopolitan and Atlanto-Mediterranean species dominated the assemblages in both geographic areas, and the same Species-Area Relation model proved to be effective for richness estimation in both geographic areas. |
2020 |
Obst, Matthias; Exter, Katrina; Allcock, Louise A; Arvanitidis, Christos; Axberg, Alizz; Bustamante, Maria; Cancio, Ibon; Carreira-Flores, Diego; Chatzinikolaou, Eva; Chatzigeorgiou, Giorgos; Chrismas, Nathan; Clark, Melody S; Comtet, Thierry; Dailianis, Thanos; Davies, Neil; Deneudt, Klaas; de Cerio, Oihane Diaz; Fortič, Ana; Gerovasileiou, Vasilis; Hablützel, Pascal I; Keklikoglou, Kleoniki; Kotoulas, Georgios; Lasota, Rafal; Leite, Barbara R; Loisel, Stéphane; Lévêque, Laurent; Levy, Liraz; Malachowicz, Magdalena; Mavrič, Borut; Meyer, Christopher; Mortelmans, Jonas; Norkko, Joanna; Pade, Nicolas; Power, Anne Marie; Ramšak, Andreja; Reiss, Henning; Solbakken, Jostein; Staehr, Peter A; Sundberg, Per; Thyrring, Jakob; Troncoso, Jesus S; Viard, Frédérique; Wenne, Roman; Yperifanou, Eleni Ioanna; Zbawicka, Malgorzata; Pavloudi, Christina A Marine Biodiversity Observation Network for Genetic Monitoring of Hard-Bottom Communities (ARMS-MBON) Journal Article Frontiers in Marine Science, 7 , pp. 572680, 2020, ISSN: 2296-7745. @article{obst_marine_2020, title = {A Marine Biodiversity Observation Network for Genetic Monitoring of Hard-Bottom Communities (ARMS-MBON)}, author = {Matthias Obst and Katrina Exter and Louise A Allcock and Christos Arvanitidis and Alizz Axberg and Maria Bustamante and Ibon Cancio and Diego Carreira-Flores and Eva Chatzinikolaou and Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou and Nathan Chrismas and Melody S Clark and Thierry Comtet and Thanos Dailianis and Neil Davies and Klaas Deneudt and Oihane Diaz de Cerio and Ana Fortič and Vasilis Gerovasileiou and Pascal I Hablützel and Kleoniki Keklikoglou and Georgios Kotoulas and Rafal Lasota and Barbara R Leite and Stéphane Loisel and Laurent Lévêque and Liraz Levy and Magdalena Malachowicz and Borut Mavrič and Christopher Meyer and Jonas Mortelmans and Joanna Norkko and Nicolas Pade and Anne Marie Power and Andreja Ramšak and Henning Reiss and Jostein Solbakken and Peter A Staehr and Per Sundberg and Jakob Thyrring and Jesus S Troncoso and Frédérique Viard and Roman Wenne and Eleni Ioanna Yperifanou and Malgorzata Zbawicka and Christina Pavloudi}, url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.572680/full}, doi = {10.3389/fmars.2020.572680}, issn = {2296-7745}, year = {2020}, date = {2020-11-01}, urldate = {2020-12-08}, journal = {Frontiers in Marine Science}, volume = {7}, pages = {572680}, abstract = {Marine hard-bottom communities are undergoing severe change under the influence of multiple drivers, notably climate change, extraction of natural resources, pollution and eutrophication, habitat degradation, and invasive species. Monitoring marine biodiversity in such habitats is, however, challenging as it typically involves expensive, non-standardized, and often destructive sampling methods that limit its scalability. Differences in monitoring approaches furthermore hinders inter-comparison among monitoring programs. Here, we announce a Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) consisting of Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) with the aim to assess the status and changes in benthic fauna with genomic-based methods, notably DNA metabarcoding, in combination with image-based identifications. This article presents the results of a 30-month pilot phase in which we established an operational and geographically expansive ARMS-MBON. The network currently consists of 20 observatories distributed across European coastal waters and the polar regions, in which 134 ARMS have been deployed to date. Sampling takes place annually, either as short-term deployments during the summer or as long-term deployments starting in spring. The pilot phase was used to establish a common set of standards for field sampling, genetic analysis, data management, and legal compliance, which are presented here. We also tested the potential of ARMS for combining genetic and image-based identification methods in comparative studies of benthic diversity, as well as for detecting non-indigenous species. Results show that ARMS are suitable for monitoring hard-bottom environments as they provide genetic data that can be continuously enriched, re-analyzed, and integrated with conventional data to document benthic community composition and detect non-indigenous species. Finally, we provide guidelines to expand the network and present a sustainability plan as part of the European Marine Biological Resource Centre ( www.embrc.eu ).}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Marine hard-bottom communities are undergoing severe change under the influence of multiple drivers, notably climate change, extraction of natural resources, pollution and eutrophication, habitat degradation, and invasive species. Monitoring marine biodiversity in such habitats is, however, challenging as it typically involves expensive, non-standardized, and often destructive sampling methods that limit its scalability. Differences in monitoring approaches furthermore hinders inter-comparison among monitoring programs. Here, we announce a Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) consisting of Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) with the aim to assess the status and changes in benthic fauna with genomic-based methods, notably DNA metabarcoding, in combination with image-based identifications. This article presents the results of a 30-month pilot phase in which we established an operational and geographically expansive ARMS-MBON. The network currently consists of 20 observatories distributed across European coastal waters and the polar regions, in which 134 ARMS have been deployed to date. Sampling takes place annually, either as short-term deployments during the summer or as long-term deployments starting in spring. The pilot phase was used to establish a common set of standards for field sampling, genetic analysis, data management, and legal compliance, which are presented here. We also tested the potential of ARMS for combining genetic and image-based identification methods in comparative studies of benthic diversity, as well as for detecting non-indigenous species. Results show that ARMS are suitable for monitoring hard-bottom environments as they provide genetic data that can be continuously enriched, re-analyzed, and integrated with conventional data to document benthic community composition and detect non-indigenous species. Finally, we provide guidelines to expand the network and present a sustainability plan as part of the European Marine Biological Resource Centre ( www.embrc.eu ). |
Katsanevakis, Stelios; Poursanidis, Dimitris; Hoffman, Razy; Rizgalla, Jamila; Rothman, Shevy Bat-Sheva; Levitt-Barmats, Ya’arit; Hadjioannou, Louis; Trkov, Domen; Garmendia, Joxe Mikel; Rizzo, Miraine; Bartolo, Angela G; Bariche, Michel; Tomas, Fiona; Kleitou, Periklis; Schembri, Patrick J; Kletou, Demetris; Tiralongo, Francesco; Pergent, Christine; Pergent, Gérard; Azzurro, Ernesto; Bilecenoglu, Murat; Lodola, Alice; Ballesteros, Enric; Gerovasileiou, Vasilis; Verlaque, Marc; Occhipinti-Ambrogi, Anna; Kytinou, Eleni; Dailianis, Thanos; Ferrario, Jasmine; Crocetta, Fabio; Jimenez, Carlos; Evans, Julian; Ragkousis, Michail; Lipej, Lovrenc; Borg, Joseph A; Dimitriadis, Charalampos; Chatzigeorgiou, Giorgos; Albano, Paolo G; Kalogirou, Stefanos; Bazairi, Hocein; Espinosa, Free; Souissi, Jamila Ben; Tsiamis, Konstantinos; Badalamenti, Fabio; Langeneck, Joachim; Noel, Pierre; Deidun, Alan; Marchini, Agnese; Skouradakis, Grigorios; Royo, Laura; Sini, Maria; Bianchi, Carlo Nike; Sghaier, Yassine-Ramzi; Ghanem, Raouia; Doumpas, Nikos; Zaouali, Jeanne; Tsirintanis, Konstantinos; Papadakis, Orestis; Morri, Carla; Çinar, Melih Ertan; Terrados, Jorge; Insacco, Gianni; Zava, Bruno; Soufi-Kechaou, Emna; Piazzi, Luigi; Amor, Khadija Ounifi Ben; Andriotis, Emmanouil; Gambi, Maria Cristina; Amor, Mohamed Mourad Ben; Garrabou, Joaquim; Linares, Cristina; Fortič, Ana; Digenis, Markos; Cebrian, Emma; Fourt, Maïa; Zotou, Maria; Castriota, Luca; Martino, Vincenzo Di; Rosso, Antonietta; Pipitone, Carlo; Falautano, Manuela; García, María; Zakhama-Sraieb, Rym; Khamassi, Faten; Mannino, Anna Maria; Ktari, Mohamed Hédi; Kosma, Ioanna; Rifi, Mouna; Karachle, Paraskevi K; Yapıcı, Sercan; Bos, Arthur R; Balistreri, Paolo; Ramos-Esplá, Alfonso A; Tempesti, Jonathan; Inglese, Omar; Giovos, Ioannis; Damalas, Dimitrios; Benhissoune, Said; Huseyinoglu, Mehmet Fatih; Rjiba-Bahri, Wafa; Santamaría, Jorge; Orlando-Bonaca, Martina; Muñoz, Andrés Izquierdo; Stamouli, Caterina; Montefalcone, Monica; Cerim, Hasan; Golo, Raül; Tsioli, Soultana; Orfanidis, Sotiris; Michailidis, Nikolas; Gaglioti, Martina; Taşkın, Ergün; Mancuso, Emilio; Žunec, Ante; Cvitković, Ivan; Filiz, Halit; Sanfilippo, Rossana; Siapatis, Apostolos; Mavrič, Borut; Karaa, Sami; Türker, Ali; Monniot, Françoise; Verdura, Jana; Ouamari, Najib El; Selfati, Mohamed; Zenetos, Argyro Unpublished Mediterranean records of marine alien and cryptogenic species Journal Article BioInvasions Records, 9 (2), pp. 165–182, 2020. @article{katsanevakis_unpublished_2020, title = {Unpublished Mediterranean records of marine alien and cryptogenic species}, author = {Stelios Katsanevakis and Dimitris Poursanidis and Razy Hoffman and Jamila Rizgalla and Shevy Bat-Sheva Rothman and Ya’arit Levitt-Barmats and Louis Hadjioannou and Domen Trkov and Joxe Mikel Garmendia and Miraine Rizzo and Angela G Bartolo and Michel Bariche and Fiona Tomas and Periklis Kleitou and Patrick J Schembri and Demetris Kletou and Francesco Tiralongo and Christine Pergent and Gérard Pergent and Ernesto Azzurro and Murat Bilecenoglu and Alice Lodola and Enric Ballesteros and Vasilis Gerovasileiou and Marc Verlaque and Anna Occhipinti-Ambrogi and Eleni Kytinou and Thanos Dailianis and Jasmine Ferrario and Fabio Crocetta and Carlos Jimenez and Julian Evans and Michail Ragkousis and Lovrenc Lipej and Joseph A Borg and Charalampos Dimitriadis and Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou and Paolo G Albano and Stefanos Kalogirou and Hocein Bazairi and Free Espinosa and Jamila Ben Souissi and Konstantinos Tsiamis and Fabio Badalamenti and Joachim Langeneck and Pierre Noel and Alan Deidun and Agnese Marchini and Grigorios Skouradakis and Laura Royo and Maria Sini and Carlo Nike Bianchi and Yassine-Ramzi Sghaier and Raouia Ghanem and Nikos Doumpas and Jeanne Zaouali and Konstantinos Tsirintanis and Orestis Papadakis and Carla Morri and Melih Ertan Çinar and Jorge Terrados and Gianni Insacco and Bruno Zava and Emna Soufi-Kechaou and Luigi Piazzi and Khadija Ounifi Ben Amor and Emmanouil Andriotis and Maria Cristina Gambi and Mohamed Mourad Ben Amor and Joaquim Garrabou and Cristina Linares and Ana Fortič and Markos Digenis and Emma Cebrian and Maïa Fourt and Maria Zotou and Luca Castriota and Vincenzo Di Martino and Antonietta Rosso and Carlo Pipitone and Manuela Falautano and María García and Rym Zakhama-Sraieb and Faten Khamassi and Anna Maria Mannino and Mohamed Hédi Ktari and Ioanna Kosma and Mouna Rifi and Paraskevi K Karachle and Sercan Yapıcı and Arthur R Bos and Paolo Balistreri and Alfonso A Ramos-Esplá and Jonathan Tempesti and Omar Inglese and Ioannis Giovos and Dimitrios Damalas and Said Benhissoune and Mehmet Fatih Huseyinoglu and Wafa Rjiba-Bahri and Jorge Santamaría and Martina Orlando-Bonaca and Andrés Izquierdo Muñoz and Caterina Stamouli and Monica Montefalcone and Hasan Cerim and Raül Golo and Soultana Tsioli and Sotiris Orfanidis and Nikolas Michailidis and Martina Gaglioti and Ergün Taşkın and Emilio Mancuso and Ante Žunec and Ivan Cvitković and Halit Filiz and Rossana Sanfilippo and Apostolos Siapatis and Borut Mavrič and Sami Karaa and Ali Türker and Françoise Monniot and Jana Verdura and Najib El Ouamari and Mohamed Selfati and Argyro Zenetos}, url = {https://www.reabic.net/journals/bir/2020/2/BIR_2020_Katsanevakis_etal.pdf}, doi = {10.3391/bir.2020.9.2.01}, year = {2020}, date = {2020-04-01}, journal = {BioInvasions Records}, volume = {9}, number = {2}, pages = {165--182}, abstract = {Good datasets of geo-referenced records of alien species are a prerequisite for assessing the spatio-temporal dynamics of biological invasions, their invasive potential, and the magnitude of their impacts. However, with the exception of first records on a country level or wider regions, observations of species presence tend to remain unpublished, buried in scattered repositories or in the personal databases of experts. Through an initiative to collect, harmonize and make such unpublished data for marine alien and cryptogenic species in the Mediterranean Sea available, a large dataset comprising 5376 records was created. It includes records of 239 alien or cryptogenic taxa (192 Animalia, 24 Plantae, 23 Chromista) from 19 countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. In terms of records, the most reported Phyla in descending order were Chordata, Mollusca, Chlorophyta, Arthropoda, and Rhodophyta. The most recorded species was Caulerpa cylindracea, followed by Siganus luridus, Magallana sp. (cf. gigas or angulata) and Pterois miles. The dataset includes records from 1972 to 2020, with the highest number of records observed in 2018. Among the records of the dataset, Dictyota acutiloba is a first record for the Mediterranean Sea. Nine first country records are also included: the alga Caulerpa taxifolia var. distichophylla, the cube boxfish Ostracion cubicus, and the cleaner shrimp Urocaridella pulchella from Israel; the sponge Paraleucilla magna from Libya and Slovenia; the lumpfish Cyclopterus lumpus from Cyprus; the bryozoan Celleporaria vermiformis and the polychaetes Prionospio depauperata and Notomastus aberans from Malta.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Good datasets of geo-referenced records of alien species are a prerequisite for assessing the spatio-temporal dynamics of biological invasions, their invasive potential, and the magnitude of their impacts. However, with the exception of first records on a country level or wider regions, observations of species presence tend to remain unpublished, buried in scattered repositories or in the personal databases of experts. Through an initiative to collect, harmonize and make such unpublished data for marine alien and cryptogenic species in the Mediterranean Sea available, a large dataset comprising 5376 records was created. It includes records of 239 alien or cryptogenic taxa (192 Animalia, 24 Plantae, 23 Chromista) from 19 countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. In terms of records, the most reported Phyla in descending order were Chordata, Mollusca, Chlorophyta, Arthropoda, and Rhodophyta. The most recorded species was Caulerpa cylindracea, followed by Siganus luridus, Magallana sp. (cf. gigas or angulata) and Pterois miles. The dataset includes records from 1972 to 2020, with the highest number of records observed in 2018. Among the records of the dataset, Dictyota acutiloba is a first record for the Mediterranean Sea. Nine first country records are also included: the alga Caulerpa taxifolia var. distichophylla, the cube boxfish Ostracion cubicus, and the cleaner shrimp Urocaridella pulchella from Israel; the sponge Paraleucilla magna from Libya and Slovenia; the lumpfish Cyclopterus lumpus from Cyprus; the bryozoan Celleporaria vermiformis and the polychaetes Prionospio depauperata and Notomastus aberans from Malta. |
2019 |
Poursanidis, D; Chatzigeorgiou, G; Dimitriadis, C; Koutsoubas, D; Arvanitidis, C Hydrobiologia, 826 (1), pp. 159–172, 2019, ISSN: 00188158, (Publisher: Springer International Publishing). @article{poursanidis_testing_2019, title = {Testing the robustness of a coastal biodiversity data protocol in the Mediterranean: insights from the molluskan assemblages from the sublittoral macroalgae communities}, author = {D Poursanidis and G Chatzigeorgiou and C Dimitriadis and D Koutsoubas and C Arvanitidis}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85052115016&doi=10.1007%2fs10750-018-3725-6&partnerID=40&md5=2fcefb9721d7fe670a2e61f3cc465208}, doi = {10.1007/s10750-018-3725-6}, issn = {00188158}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Hydrobiologia}, volume = {826}, number = {1}, pages = {159--172}, abstract = {The NaGISA project (Natural Geography Ιn Shore Areas) is a global initiative within the framework of the Census of Marine Life. The Mediterranean Sea has joined with 4 stations, 2 in Italy and 2 on the island of Crete, Greece. Two different sites were sampled during two consecutive years (2007 and 2008) by means of SCUBA diving. On the basis of the evidence offered by the collected material from the hard substrates of Crete, and the literature mined datasets concerning the molluscan assemblages, two main issues are investigated: (a) is the molluscan fauna sampled in the two NaGISA sites representative of the regional Mediterranean one? and (b), is the molluscan fauna sampled from the two sites randomly assembled from the regional species pool across different spatial scales? Although a strong tendency of the local molluskan composition to be randomly sampled from the regional pools at all scales, it is not possible to demonstrate with a degree of certainty whether their observed local diversity is independent of local and regional processes or if it is determined by a combination of the two acting either in concert or antagonistically. © 2018, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.}, note = {Publisher: Springer International Publishing}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The NaGISA project (Natural Geography Ιn Shore Areas) is a global initiative within the framework of the Census of Marine Life. The Mediterranean Sea has joined with 4 stations, 2 in Italy and 2 on the island of Crete, Greece. Two different sites were sampled during two consecutive years (2007 and 2008) by means of SCUBA diving. On the basis of the evidence offered by the collected material from the hard substrates of Crete, and the literature mined datasets concerning the molluscan assemblages, two main issues are investigated: (a) is the molluscan fauna sampled in the two NaGISA sites representative of the regional Mediterranean one? and (b), is the molluscan fauna sampled from the two sites randomly assembled from the regional species pool across different spatial scales? Although a strong tendency of the local molluskan composition to be randomly sampled from the regional pools at all scales, it is not possible to demonstrate with a degree of certainty whether their observed local diversity is independent of local and regional processes or if it is determined by a combination of the two acting either in concert or antagonistically. © 2018, Springer Nature Switzerland AG. |
2018 |
Keklikoglou, K; Chatzigeorgiou, G; Faulwetter, S; Kalogeropoulou, V; Plaiti, W; Maidanou, M; Dounas, C; Lampadariou, N; Arvanitidis, C 'Simple' can be good, too: Testing three hard bottom sampling methods on macrobenthic and meiobenthic assemblages Journal Article Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2018, ISSN: 00253154, (Publisher: Cambridge University Press). @article{keklikoglou_simple_2018, title = {'Simple' can be good, too: Testing three hard bottom sampling methods on macrobenthic and meiobenthic assemblages}, author = {K Keklikoglou and G Chatzigeorgiou and S Faulwetter and V Kalogeropoulou and W Plaiti and M Maidanou and C Dounas and N Lampadariou and C Arvanitidis}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85055515853&doi=10.1017%2fS0025315418000863&partnerID=40&md5=3cb71874d9e2fbcb00720d2b0f17d0a1}, doi = {10.1017/S0025315418000863}, issn = {00253154}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom}, abstract = {Subtidal hard bottoms are of particular scientific and economic value as they are highly productive systems. They are less well studied compared with soft bottoms, as they often require manual sample collection via scuba diving. Although a multitude of sampling devices is available for soft bottoms, only a few are suitable for hard substrates, and their performance is largely unstudied. In the present study, three hard bottom sampling methods were compared, regarding their sampling efficiency and the damage they may cause to macrobenthic and meiobenthic organisms. Two of the sampling methods examined are typically employed for the study of hard bottom substrates (manual collection, airlift device), while the third involves a newly constructed sampler (MANOSS - Manual Operated Suction Sampler). All three sampling methods were tested at 12 m depth on a hard bottom substrate with algal coverage dominated by Cystoseira spp. No overall significant differences were observed between the sampling efficiency and the damage caused by the three sampling methods regarding the macrofaunal assemblages, with the exception of the MANOSS method which collected more species than the manual method. In addition, significant differences were observed in the collecting performance for the meiobenthic assemblages, presenting significantly higher densities of meiofauna sampled by the MANOSS compared with the manual collection method, while the airlift device presented an intermediate efficiency. However, taking into account other factors such as cost, ease of use and the scope of each study, none of the methods clearly outperforms the others. Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2018.}, note = {Publisher: Cambridge University Press}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Subtidal hard bottoms are of particular scientific and economic value as they are highly productive systems. They are less well studied compared with soft bottoms, as they often require manual sample collection via scuba diving. Although a multitude of sampling devices is available for soft bottoms, only a few are suitable for hard substrates, and their performance is largely unstudied. In the present study, three hard bottom sampling methods were compared, regarding their sampling efficiency and the damage they may cause to macrobenthic and meiobenthic organisms. Two of the sampling methods examined are typically employed for the study of hard bottom substrates (manual collection, airlift device), while the third involves a newly constructed sampler (MANOSS - Manual Operated Suction Sampler). All three sampling methods were tested at 12 m depth on a hard bottom substrate with algal coverage dominated by Cystoseira spp. No overall significant differences were observed between the sampling efficiency and the damage caused by the three sampling methods regarding the macrofaunal assemblages, with the exception of the MANOSS method which collected more species than the manual method. In addition, significant differences were observed in the collecting performance for the meiobenthic assemblages, presenting significantly higher densities of meiofauna sampled by the MANOSS compared with the manual collection method, while the airlift device presented an intermediate efficiency. However, taking into account other factors such as cost, ease of use and the scope of each study, none of the methods clearly outperforms the others. Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2018. |
2017 |
Faulwetter, S; Simboura, N; Katsiaras, N; Chatzigeorgiou, G; Arvanitidis, C Polychaetes of Greece: An updated and annotated checklist Journal Article Biodiversity Data Journal, 5 , 2017, ISSN: 13142828, (Publisher: Pensoft Publishers). @article{faulwetter_polychaetes_2017, title = {Polychaetes of Greece: An updated and annotated checklist}, author = {S Faulwetter and N Simboura and N Katsiaras and G Chatzigeorgiou and C Arvanitidis}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85041492895&doi=10.3897%2fBDJ.5.e20997&partnerID=40&md5=ee1c85d4bb69c5fc4187d70e3acc2d7f}, doi = {10.3897/BDJ.5.e20997}, issn = {13142828}, year = {2017}, date = {2017-01-01}, journal = {Biodiversity Data Journal}, volume = {5}, abstract = {Background The last annotated checklist of marine polychaetes in Greece was published in 2001. Since then, global taxonomic progress, combined with many new species records for Greece, required a thorough review of the taxonomic, nomenclatural and biogeographic status of the national species list. This checklist revises the status of all extant polychaete species reported from the Greek Exclusive Economic Zone since 1832. The work was undertaken as part of the efforts on compiling a national species inventory (Greek Taxon Information System initiative) in the framework of the LifeWatchGreece Research Infrastructure. New information This checklist comprises an updated and annotated inventory of polychaete species in Greek waters, compiled from literature reports, online databases, museum collections and unpublished datasets. The list provides information on 836 species-level taxa from Greece, of which 142 are considered questionable. An additional 84 species reported in the past are currently considered absent from Greece; reasons for the exclusion of each species are given. Fourteen species are reported here for the first time from Greek waters. At least 52 species in the present list constitute in fact a complex of cryptic or pseudo-cryptic species. Forty-seven species are considered non-native to the area. In addition to the species-level taxa reported in this checklist, eleven genera have been recorded from Greece with no representatives identified to species level. One replacement name is introduced. For each species, a comprehensive bibliographic list of occurrence records in Greece and the synonyms used in these publications are provided as supplementary material. Where necessary, the taxonomic, nomenclatural or biogeographic status is discussed. Finally, the findings are discussed in the wider context of Mediterranean polychaete biogeography, taxonomic practice and worldwide research progress. © Faulwetter S et al.}, note = {Publisher: Pensoft Publishers}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Background The last annotated checklist of marine polychaetes in Greece was published in 2001. Since then, global taxonomic progress, combined with many new species records for Greece, required a thorough review of the taxonomic, nomenclatural and biogeographic status of the national species list. This checklist revises the status of all extant polychaete species reported from the Greek Exclusive Economic Zone since 1832. The work was undertaken as part of the efforts on compiling a national species inventory (Greek Taxon Information System initiative) in the framework of the LifeWatchGreece Research Infrastructure. New information This checklist comprises an updated and annotated inventory of polychaete species in Greek waters, compiled from literature reports, online databases, museum collections and unpublished datasets. The list provides information on 836 species-level taxa from Greece, of which 142 are considered questionable. An additional 84 species reported in the past are currently considered absent from Greece; reasons for the exclusion of each species are given. Fourteen species are reported here for the first time from Greek waters. At least 52 species in the present list constitute in fact a complex of cryptic or pseudo-cryptic species. Forty-seven species are considered non-native to the area. In addition to the species-level taxa reported in this checklist, eleven genera have been recorded from Greece with no representatives identified to species level. One replacement name is introduced. For each species, a comprehensive bibliographic list of occurrence records in Greece and the synonyms used in these publications are provided as supplementary material. Where necessary, the taxonomic, nomenclatural or biogeographic status is discussed. Finally, the findings are discussed in the wider context of Mediterranean polychaete biogeography, taxonomic practice and worldwide research progress. © Faulwetter S et al. |
Chatzigeorgiou, G; Keklikoglou, K; Faulwetter, S; Badalamenti, F; Kitsos, M -S; Arvanitidis, C Marine Ecology, 38 (1), 2017, ISSN: 01739565, (Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Ltd). @article{chatzigeorgiou_midlittoral_2017, title = {Midlittoral polychaete communities in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea: new information from the implementation of the Natural Geography in Shore Areas (NaGISA) protocol and comparisons at local and regional scales}, author = {G Chatzigeorgiou and K Keklikoglou and S Faulwetter and F Badalamenti and M -S Kitsos and C Arvanitidis}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85012193815&doi=10.1111%2fmaec.12339&partnerID=40&md5=3478bb4cfa991f54c0693917b733dc30}, doi = {10.1111/maec.12339}, issn = {01739565}, year = {2017}, date = {2017-01-01}, journal = {Marine Ecology}, volume = {38}, number = {1}, abstract = {The aim of this study was to attempt to fill current knowledge gaps on midlittoral Mediterranean biodiversity at local and regional scales, by using benthic polychaetes as a model taxon. Two different data sets were analysed: (i) a quantitative data set from the two Natural Geography in Shore Areas (NaGISA) study sites in Crete and (ii) a qualitative data set from multiple sites across the Mediterranean. At the local scale, the results provide evidence that (i) discrete species communities are formed in midlittoral Mediterranean habitats, which vary by geographical location and year, depending on the scale of observation; (ii) macrophyte coverage and Chl-a are the only environmental variables associated, albeit weakly, with the above pattern; (iii) although naturally disturbed, the Cretan NaGISA sites do not seem to experience any anthropogenic stress; (iv) environmental heterogeneity and history seem to be much less important in shaping the polychaete communities than inter-specific interactions; however, it is not possible to specify at this stage whether local or regional processes or even their interactions may shape the polychaete communities. At the regional scale, the results indicate that (i) the only factor that seems to be involved in the regional pattern is the identity of the study providing the data sets, which implies variability and bias in how research projects are carried out, from the sampling design through to data collection and analysis; (ii) the Cretan NaGISA sites may be considered as representative of the habitat in the Mediterranean, under certain conditions. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH}, note = {Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Ltd}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The aim of this study was to attempt to fill current knowledge gaps on midlittoral Mediterranean biodiversity at local and regional scales, by using benthic polychaetes as a model taxon. Two different data sets were analysed: (i) a quantitative data set from the two Natural Geography in Shore Areas (NaGISA) study sites in Crete and (ii) a qualitative data set from multiple sites across the Mediterranean. At the local scale, the results provide evidence that (i) discrete species communities are formed in midlittoral Mediterranean habitats, which vary by geographical location and year, depending on the scale of observation; (ii) macrophyte coverage and Chl-a are the only environmental variables associated, albeit weakly, with the above pattern; (iii) although naturally disturbed, the Cretan NaGISA sites do not seem to experience any anthropogenic stress; (iv) environmental heterogeneity and history seem to be much less important in shaping the polychaete communities than inter-specific interactions; however, it is not possible to specify at this stage whether local or regional processes or even their interactions may shape the polychaete communities. At the regional scale, the results indicate that (i) the only factor that seems to be involved in the regional pattern is the identity of the study providing the data sets, which implies variability and bias in how research projects are carried out, from the sampling design through to data collection and analysis; (ii) the Cretan NaGISA sites may be considered as representative of the habitat in the Mediterranean, under certain conditions. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH |
Ulman, A; Ferrario, J; Occhpinti-Ambrogi, A; Arvanitidis, C; Bandi, A; Bertolino, M; Bogi, C; Chatzigeorgiou, G; Çiçek, B A; Deidun, A; Ramos-Esplá, A; Koçak, C; Lorenti, M; Martinez-Laiz, G; Merlo, G; Princisgh, E; Scribano, G; Marchini, A A massive update of non-indigenous species records in Mediterranean marinas Journal Article PeerJ, 2017 (10), 2017, ISSN: 21678359, (Publisher: PeerJ Inc.). @article{ulman_massive_2017, title = {A massive update of non-indigenous species records in Mediterranean marinas}, author = {A Ulman and J Ferrario and A Occhpinti-Ambrogi and C Arvanitidis and A Bandi and M Bertolino and C Bogi and G Chatzigeorgiou and B A Çiçek and A Deidun and A Ramos-Esplá and C Koçak and M Lorenti and G Martinez-Laiz and G Merlo and E Princisgh and G Scribano and A Marchini}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85032227826&doi=10.7717%2fpeerj.3954&partnerID=40&md5=d24f063896a3c2b1bc44f97388b7ad3b}, doi = {10.7717/peerj.3954}, issn = {21678359}, year = {2017}, date = {2017-01-01}, journal = {PeerJ}, volume = {2017}, number = {10}, abstract = {The Mediterranean Sea is home to over 2/3 of the world's charter boat traffic and hosts an estimated 1.5 million recreational boats. Studies elsewhere have demonstrated marinas as important hubs for the stepping-stone transfer of non-indigenous species (NIS), but these unique anthropogenic, and typically artificial habitats have largely gone overlooked in the Mediterranean as sources of NIS hot-spots. From April 2015 to November 2016, 34 marinas were sampled across the following Mediterranean countries: Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Greece, Turkey and Cyprus to investigate the NIS presence and richness in the specialized hard substrate material of these marina habitats. All macroinvertebrate taxa were collected and identified. Additionally, fouling samples were collected from approximately 600 boat-hulls from 25 of these marinas to determine if boats host diverse NIS not present in the marina. Here, we present data revealing that Mediterranean marinas indeed act as major hubs for the transfer of marine NIS, and we also provide evidence that recreational boats act as effective vectors of spread. From this wide-ranging geographical study, we report here numerous new NIS records at the basin, subregional, country and locality level. At the basin level, we report three NIS new to the Mediterranean Sea (Achelia sawayai sensu lato, Aorides longimerus, Cymodoce aff. fuscina), and the re-appearance of two NIS previously known but currently considered extinct in the Mediterranean (Bemlos leptocheirus, Saccostrea glomerata).We also compellingly update the distributions of many NIS in theMediterranean Sea showing some recent spreading; we provide details for 11 new subregional records for NIS (Watersipora arcuata, Hydroides brachyacantha sensu lato and Saccostrea glomerata now present in theWesternMediterranean; Symplegma brakenhielmi, Stenothoe georgiana, Spirobranchus tertaceros sensu lato, Dendostrea folium sensu lato and Parasmittina egyptiaca now present in the Central Mediterranean, and W. arcuata, Bemlos leptocheirus and Dyspanopeus sayi in the Eastern Mediterranean). We also report 51 new NIS country records from recreational marinas: 12 for Malta, 10 for Cyprus, nine for Greece, six for Spain and France, five for Turkey and three for Italy, representing 32 species. Finally, we report 20 new NIS records (representing 17 species) found on recreational boat-hulls (mobile habitats), not yet found in the same marina, or in most cases, even the country. For each new NIS record, their native origin and global and Mediterranean distributions are provided, along with details of the new record. Additionally, taxonomic characters used for identification and photos of the specimens are also provided. These new NIS records should now be added to the relevant NIS databases compiled by several entities. Records of uncertain identity are also discussed, to assess the probability of valid non-indigenous status. © 2017 Ulman et al.}, note = {Publisher: PeerJ Inc.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The Mediterranean Sea is home to over 2/3 of the world's charter boat traffic and hosts an estimated 1.5 million recreational boats. Studies elsewhere have demonstrated marinas as important hubs for the stepping-stone transfer of non-indigenous species (NIS), but these unique anthropogenic, and typically artificial habitats have largely gone overlooked in the Mediterranean as sources of NIS hot-spots. From April 2015 to November 2016, 34 marinas were sampled across the following Mediterranean countries: Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Greece, Turkey and Cyprus to investigate the NIS presence and richness in the specialized hard substrate material of these marina habitats. All macroinvertebrate taxa were collected and identified. Additionally, fouling samples were collected from approximately 600 boat-hulls from 25 of these marinas to determine if boats host diverse NIS not present in the marina. Here, we present data revealing that Mediterranean marinas indeed act as major hubs for the transfer of marine NIS, and we also provide evidence that recreational boats act as effective vectors of spread. From this wide-ranging geographical study, we report here numerous new NIS records at the basin, subregional, country and locality level. At the basin level, we report three NIS new to the Mediterranean Sea (Achelia sawayai sensu lato, Aorides longimerus, Cymodoce aff. fuscina), and the re-appearance of two NIS previously known but currently considered extinct in the Mediterranean (Bemlos leptocheirus, Saccostrea glomerata).We also compellingly update the distributions of many NIS in theMediterranean Sea showing some recent spreading; we provide details for 11 new subregional records for NIS (Watersipora arcuata, Hydroides brachyacantha sensu lato and Saccostrea glomerata now present in theWesternMediterranean; Symplegma brakenhielmi, Stenothoe georgiana, Spirobranchus tertaceros sensu lato, Dendostrea folium sensu lato and Parasmittina egyptiaca now present in the Central Mediterranean, and W. arcuata, Bemlos leptocheirus and Dyspanopeus sayi in the Eastern Mediterranean). We also report 51 new NIS country records from recreational marinas: 12 for Malta, 10 for Cyprus, nine for Greece, six for Spain and France, five for Turkey and three for Italy, representing 32 species. Finally, we report 20 new NIS records (representing 17 species) found on recreational boat-hulls (mobile habitats), not yet found in the same marina, or in most cases, even the country. For each new NIS record, their native origin and global and Mediterranean distributions are provided, along with details of the new record. Additionally, taxonomic characters used for identification and photos of the specimens are also provided. These new NIS records should now be added to the relevant NIS databases compiled by several entities. Records of uncertain identity are also discussed, to assess the probability of valid non-indigenous status. © 2017 Ulman et al. |
2016 |
Vasileiadou, K; Pavloudi, C; Kalantzi, I; Apostolaki, E T; Chatzigeorgiou, G; Chatzinikolaou, E; Pafilis, E; Papageorgiou, N; Fanini, L; Konstas, S; Fragopoulou, N; Arvanitidis, C Environmental variability and heavy metal concentrations from five lagoons in the Ionian Sea (Amvrakikos Gulf, W Greece) Journal Article Biodiversity Data Journal, 4 (1), 2016, ISSN: 13142828, (Publisher: Pensoft Publishers). @article{vasileiadou_environmental_2016, title = {Environmental variability and heavy metal concentrations from five lagoons in the Ionian Sea (Amvrakikos Gulf, W Greece)}, author = {K Vasileiadou and C Pavloudi and I Kalantzi and E T Apostolaki and G Chatzigeorgiou and E Chatzinikolaou and E Pafilis and N Papageorgiou and L Fanini and S Konstas and N Fragopoulou and C Arvanitidis}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85018621471&doi=10.3897%2fBDJ.4.e8233&partnerID=40&md5=91104fbd24f94063ee946df8c2486376}, doi = {10.3897/BDJ.4.e8233}, issn = {13142828}, year = {2016}, date = {2016-01-01}, journal = {Biodiversity Data Journal}, volume = {4}, number = {1}, abstract = {Background Coastal lagoons are ecosystems of major importance as they host a number of species tolerant to disturbances and they are highly productive. Therefore, these ecosystems should be protected to ensure stability and resilience. The lagoons of Amvrakikos Gulf form one of the most important lagoonal complexes in Greece. The optimal ecological status of these lagoons is crucial for the well-being of the biodiversity and the economic prosperity of the local communities. Thus, monitoring of the area is necessary to detect possible sources of disturbance and restore stability. New information The environmental variables and heavy metals concentrations, from five lagoons of Amvrakikos Gulf were measured from seasonal samplings and compared to the findings of previous studies in the area, in order to check for possible sources of disturbance. The analysis, showed that i) the values of the abiotic parameters vary with time (season), space (lagoon) and with space over time; ii) the variability of the environmental factors and enrichment in certain elements is naturally induced and no source of contamination is detected in the lagoons. © Vasileiadou K et al.}, note = {Publisher: Pensoft Publishers}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Background Coastal lagoons are ecosystems of major importance as they host a number of species tolerant to disturbances and they are highly productive. Therefore, these ecosystems should be protected to ensure stability and resilience. The lagoons of Amvrakikos Gulf form one of the most important lagoonal complexes in Greece. The optimal ecological status of these lagoons is crucial for the well-being of the biodiversity and the economic prosperity of the local communities. Thus, monitoring of the area is necessary to detect possible sources of disturbance and restore stability. New information The environmental variables and heavy metals concentrations, from five lagoons of Amvrakikos Gulf were measured from seasonal samplings and compared to the findings of previous studies in the area, in order to check for possible sources of disturbance. The analysis, showed that i) the values of the abiotic parameters vary with time (season), space (lagoon) and with space over time; ii) the variability of the environmental factors and enrichment in certain elements is naturally induced and no source of contamination is detected in the lagoons. © Vasileiadou K et al. |
Poursanidis, D; Koutsoubas, D; Arvanitidis, C; Chatzigeorgiou, G ReefMedMol: Mollusca from the infralittoral rocky shores - The biocoenosis of photophilic algae - In the Mediterranean Sea Journal Article Biodiversity Data Journal, 4 (1), 2016, ISSN: 13142828, (Publisher: Pensoft Publishers). @article{poursanidis_reefmedmol_2016, title = {ReefMedMol: Mollusca from the infralittoral rocky shores - The biocoenosis of photophilic algae - In the Mediterranean Sea}, author = {D Poursanidis and D Koutsoubas and C Arvanitidis and G Chatzigeorgiou}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85018645652&doi=10.3897%2fBDJ.4.e7516&partnerID=40&md5=431c03e4dabf230bab653468841338ef}, doi = {10.3897/BDJ.4.e7516}, issn = {13142828}, year = {2016}, date = {2016-01-01}, journal = {Biodiversity Data Journal}, volume = {4}, number = {1}, abstract = {Background This paper describes two datasets on the molluscan fauna from the Mediterranean infralittoral reef ecosystem - the biocoenosis of photophilic algae. The first dataset is taken from the East Mediterranean node of the NAGISA project. The second one is a compilation based on the available published material in peer - reviewed journals as well as from the accessible grey literature. These datasets cover a time period of 43 years from 1969 to 2012 from several locations spanning the Mediterranean Sea. New information This dataset is the only one available from this important Mediterranean Habitat, coded as 1170 in the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and can provide valuable information on the needs of ecosystems functions and services assessment, habitat and species conservation as well as marine spatial planning. © Poursanidis D et al.}, note = {Publisher: Pensoft Publishers}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Background This paper describes two datasets on the molluscan fauna from the Mediterranean infralittoral reef ecosystem - the biocoenosis of photophilic algae. The first dataset is taken from the East Mediterranean node of the NAGISA project. The second one is a compilation based on the available published material in peer - reviewed journals as well as from the accessible grey literature. These datasets cover a time period of 43 years from 1969 to 2012 from several locations spanning the Mediterranean Sea. New information This dataset is the only one available from this important Mediterranean Habitat, coded as 1170 in the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and can provide valuable information on the needs of ecosystems functions and services assessment, habitat and species conservation as well as marine spatial planning. © Poursanidis D et al. |
Chatzigeorgiou, G; Faulwetter, S; Dailianis, T; Smith, V S; Koulouri, P; Dounas, C; Arvanitidis, C Testing the robustness of Citizen Science projects: Evaluating the results of pilot project COMBER Journal Article Biodiversity Data Journal, 4 (1), 2016, ISSN: 13142828, (Publisher: Pensoft Publishers). @article{chatzigeorgiou_testing_2016, title = {Testing the robustness of Citizen Science projects: Evaluating the results of pilot project COMBER}, author = {G Chatzigeorgiou and S Faulwetter and T Dailianis and V S Smith and P Koulouri and C Dounas and C Arvanitidis}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85018623784&doi=10.3897%2fBDJ.4.e10859&partnerID=40&md5=5e1065f8df7260a055f72bdac84bccf2}, doi = {10.3897/BDJ.4.e10859}, issn = {13142828}, year = {2016}, date = {2016-01-01}, journal = {Biodiversity Data Journal}, volume = {4}, number = {1}, abstract = {Background Citizen Science (CS) as a term implies a great deal of approaches and scopes involving many different fields of science. The number of the relevant projects globally has been increased significantly in the recent years. Large scale ecological questions can be answered only through extended observation networks and CS projects can support this effort. Although the need of such projects is apparent, an important part of scientific community cast doubt on the reliability of CS data sets. New information The pilot CS project COMBER has been created in order to provide evidence to answer the aforementioned question in the coastal marine biodiversity monitoring. The results of the current analysis show that a carefully designed CS project with clear hypotheses, wide participation and data sets validation, can be a valuable tool for the large scale and long term changes in marine biodiversity pattern change and therefore for relevant management and conservation issues. © Chatzigeorgiou G et al.}, note = {Publisher: Pensoft Publishers}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Background Citizen Science (CS) as a term implies a great deal of approaches and scopes involving many different fields of science. The number of the relevant projects globally has been increased significantly in the recent years. Large scale ecological questions can be answered only through extended observation networks and CS projects can support this effort. Although the need of such projects is apparent, an important part of scientific community cast doubt on the reliability of CS data sets. New information The pilot CS project COMBER has been created in order to provide evidence to answer the aforementioned question in the coastal marine biodiversity monitoring. The results of the current analysis show that a carefully designed CS project with clear hypotheses, wide participation and data sets validation, can be a valuable tool for the large scale and long term changes in marine biodiversity pattern change and therefore for relevant management and conservation issues. © Chatzigeorgiou G et al. |
2015 |
Faulwetter, S; Papageorgiou, N; Koulouri, P; Fanini, L; Chatzinikolaou, E; Markantonatou, V; Pavloudi, C; Chatzigeorgiou, G; Keklikoglou, K; Vasileiadou, K; Basset, A; Pinna, M; Rosati, I; Reizopoulou, S; Nicolaidou, A; Arvanitidis, C Resistance of polychaete species and trait patterns to simulated species loss in coastal lagoons Journal Article Journal of Sea Research, 98 , pp. 73–82, 2015, ISSN: 13851101, (Publisher: Elsevier). @article{faulwetter_resistance_2015, title = {Resistance of polychaete species and trait patterns to simulated species loss in coastal lagoons}, author = {S Faulwetter and N Papageorgiou and P Koulouri and L Fanini and E Chatzinikolaou and V Markantonatou and C Pavloudi and G Chatzigeorgiou and K Keklikoglou and K Vasileiadou and A Basset and M Pinna and I Rosati and S Reizopoulou and A Nicolaidou and C Arvanitidis}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84930278022&doi=10.1016%2fj.seares.2014.09.003&partnerID=40&md5=4f1ebcb9d504ea078f66a78cf0199509}, doi = {10.1016/j.seares.2014.09.003}, issn = {13851101}, year = {2015}, date = {2015-01-01}, journal = {Journal of Sea Research}, volume = {98}, pages = {73--82}, abstract = {The loss of species is known to have negative impacts on the integrity of ecosystems, but the details of this relationship are still far from being fully understood. This study investigates how the distribution patterns of polychaete species and their associated biological trait patterns in six Mediterranean coastal lagoons change under computationally simulated scenarios of random species loss. Species were progressively removed from the full polychaete assemblage and the similarity between the full assemblage and the reduced matrices of both species and trait patterns was calculated. The results indicate the magnitude of changes that might follow species loss in the real world, and allow consideration of the resistance of the system's functional capacity to loss of species, expressed through the species' biological traits as an approximation to functioning. Comparisons were made between the changes in the distribution of species and of traits, as well as between the six different lagoons. While the change of species and trait patterns was strongly correlated within most lagoons, different lagoons showed distinctly different patterns. In disturbed lagoons, the dominance of one or few species was the major driver for the observed patterns and the loss of these species caused extreme changes. Less disturbed lagoons were less susceptible to extreme changes and had a greater resistance towards species loss. Species richness appears to be less important for the ability of the lagoons to buffer changes, instead the initial composition of the assemblage and the identity of the lost species determine the response of the system and our ability to predict changes of the assemblage's functional potential. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.}, note = {Publisher: Elsevier}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The loss of species is known to have negative impacts on the integrity of ecosystems, but the details of this relationship are still far from being fully understood. This study investigates how the distribution patterns of polychaete species and their associated biological trait patterns in six Mediterranean coastal lagoons change under computationally simulated scenarios of random species loss. Species were progressively removed from the full polychaete assemblage and the similarity between the full assemblage and the reduced matrices of both species and trait patterns was calculated. The results indicate the magnitude of changes that might follow species loss in the real world, and allow consideration of the resistance of the system's functional capacity to loss of species, expressed through the species' biological traits as an approximation to functioning. Comparisons were made between the changes in the distribution of species and of traits, as well as between the six different lagoons. While the change of species and trait patterns was strongly correlated within most lagoons, different lagoons showed distinctly different patterns. In disturbed lagoons, the dominance of one or few species was the major driver for the observed patterns and the loss of these species caused extreme changes. Less disturbed lagoons were less susceptible to extreme changes and had a greater resistance towards species loss. Species richness appears to be less important for the ability of the lagoons to buffer changes, instead the initial composition of the assemblage and the identity of the lost species determine the response of the system and our ability to predict changes of the assemblage's functional potential. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. |
2014 |
Chatzigeorgiou, G; Sarropoulou, E; Vasileiadou, K; Brown, C; Faulwetter, S; Kotoulas, G; Arvanitidis, C D Community structure and population genetics of Eastern Mediterranean polychaetes Journal Article Frontiers in Marine Science, 1 (OCT), 2014, ISSN: 22967745, (Publisher: Frontiers Media S. A). @article{chatzigeorgiou_community_2014, title = {Community structure and population genetics of Eastern Mediterranean polychaetes}, author = {G Chatzigeorgiou and E Sarropoulou and K Vasileiadou and C Brown and S Faulwetter and G Kotoulas and C D Arvanitidis}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85008950428&doi=10.3389%2ffmars.2014.00047&partnerID=40&md5=594f48af64289b71d3a629d8968248df}, doi = {10.3389/fmars.2014.00047}, issn = {22967745}, year = {2014}, date = {2014-01-01}, journal = {Frontiers in Marine Science}, volume = {1}, number = {OCT}, abstract = {Species and genetic diversity are often found to co-vary since they are influenced by external factors in similar ways. In this paper, we analyse the genetic differences of the abundant polychaete Hermodice carunculata (Pallas, 1766) during two successive years at two locations in northern Crete (Aegean Sea) and compare them to other populations in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The genetic analysis is combined with an analysis of ecological divergence of the total polychaete community structure (beta diversity) at these locations. The phylogenetic analysis of all included H. carunculata populations revealed two main clades, one exclusively found in the Mediterranean and a second occurring in both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Genetic diversity indices reveal unexpectedly high differences between the two Cretan populations, despite the absence of apparent oceanographic barriers. A similarly high divergence, represented by a high beta diversity index, was observed between the polychaete communities at the two locations. This comparatively high divergence of the genetic structure of a dominant species and the total polychaete community might be explained by the strong influence of local environmental factors as well as inter-specific interactions between the dominance of a single species and the members of the community. © 2014 Chatzigeorgiou, Sarropoulou, Vasileiadou, Brown, Faulwetter, Kotoulas and Arvanitidis.}, note = {Publisher: Frontiers Media S. A}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Species and genetic diversity are often found to co-vary since they are influenced by external factors in similar ways. In this paper, we analyse the genetic differences of the abundant polychaete Hermodice carunculata (Pallas, 1766) during two successive years at two locations in northern Crete (Aegean Sea) and compare them to other populations in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The genetic analysis is combined with an analysis of ecological divergence of the total polychaete community structure (beta diversity) at these locations. The phylogenetic analysis of all included H. carunculata populations revealed two main clades, one exclusively found in the Mediterranean and a second occurring in both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Genetic diversity indices reveal unexpectedly high differences between the two Cretan populations, despite the absence of apparent oceanographic barriers. A similarly high divergence, represented by a high beta diversity index, was observed between the polychaete communities at the two locations. This comparatively high divergence of the genetic structure of a dominant species and the total polychaete community might be explained by the strong influence of local environmental factors as well as inter-specific interactions between the dominance of a single species and the members of the community. © 2014 Chatzigeorgiou, Sarropoulou, Vasileiadou, Brown, Faulwetter, Kotoulas and Arvanitidis. |
Faulwetter, S; Markantonatou, V; Pavloudi, C; Papageorgiou, N; Keklikoglou, K; Chatzinikolaou, E; Pafilis, E; Chatzigeorgiou, G; Vasileiadou, K; Dailianis, T; Fanini, L; Koulouri, P; Arvanitidis, C Polytraits: A database on biological traits of marine polychaetes Journal Article Biodiversity Data Journal, 2 (1), 2014, ISSN: 13142828, (Publisher: Pensoft Publishers). @article{faulwetter_polytraits_2014, title = {Polytraits: A database on biological traits of marine polychaetes}, author = {S Faulwetter and V Markantonatou and C Pavloudi and N Papageorgiou and K Keklikoglou and E Chatzinikolaou and E Pafilis and G Chatzigeorgiou and K Vasileiadou and T Dailianis and L Fanini and P Koulouri and C Arvanitidis}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85018193846&doi=10.3897%2fBDJ.2.e1024&partnerID=40&md5=621b076567d09921bf9b5146a7f8844e}, doi = {10.3897/BDJ.2.e1024}, issn = {13142828}, year = {2014}, date = {2014-01-01}, journal = {Biodiversity Data Journal}, volume = {2}, number = {1}, abstract = {The study of ecosystem functioning - the role which organisms play in an ecosystem - is becoming increasingly important in marine ecological research. The functional structure of a community can be represented by a set of functional traits assigned to behavioural, reproductive and morphological characteristics. The collection of these traits from the literature is however a laborious and time-consuming process, and gaps of knowledge and restricted availability of literature are a common problem. Trait data are not yet readily being shared by research communities, and even if they are, a lack of trait data repositories and standards for data formats leads to the publication of trait information in forms which cannot be processed by computers. This paper describes Polytraits (http:// polytraits.lifewatchgreece.eu), a database on biological traits of marine polychaetes (bristle worms, Polychaeta: Annelida). At present, the database contains almost 20,000 records on morphological, behavioural and reproductive characteristics of more than 1,000 marine polychaete species, all referenced by literature sources. All data can be freely accessed through the project website in different ways and formats, both human-readable and machine-readable, and have been submitted to the Encyclopedia of Life for archival and integration with trait information from other sources. © Faulwetter S et al.}, note = {Publisher: Pensoft Publishers}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The study of ecosystem functioning - the role which organisms play in an ecosystem - is becoming increasingly important in marine ecological research. The functional structure of a community can be represented by a set of functional traits assigned to behavioural, reproductive and morphological characteristics. The collection of these traits from the literature is however a laborious and time-consuming process, and gaps of knowledge and restricted availability of literature are a common problem. Trait data are not yet readily being shared by research communities, and even if they are, a lack of trait data repositories and standards for data formats leads to the publication of trait information in forms which cannot be processed by computers. This paper describes Polytraits (http:// polytraits.lifewatchgreece.eu), a database on biological traits of marine polychaetes (bristle worms, Polychaeta: Annelida). At present, the database contains almost 20,000 records on morphological, behavioural and reproductive characteristics of more than 1,000 marine polychaete species, all referenced by literature sources. All data can be freely accessed through the project website in different ways and formats, both human-readable and machine-readable, and have been submitted to the Encyclopedia of Life for archival and integration with trait information from other sources. © Faulwetter S et al. |
2013 |
Keklikoglou, K; Faulwetter, S; Chatzigeorgiou, G; Badalamenti, F; Spyridon, M; Arvanitidis, C MidMedPol: Polychaetes from midlittoral rocky shores in Greece and Italy (Mediterranean Sea) Journal Article Biodiversity Data Journal, 1 (1), 2013, ISSN: 13142828, (Publisher: Pensoft Publishers). @article{keklikoglou_midmedpol_2013, title = {MidMedPol: Polychaetes from midlittoral rocky shores in Greece and Italy (Mediterranean Sea)}, author = {K Keklikoglou and S Faulwetter and G Chatzigeorgiou and F Badalamenti and M Spyridon and C Arvanitidis}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85018193598&doi=10.3897%2fBDJ.1.e961&partnerID=40&md5=92b1136dee2d3ca04e5b69cf49c763c3}, doi = {10.3897/BDJ.1.e961}, issn = {13142828}, year = {2013}, date = {2013-01-01}, journal = {Biodiversity Data Journal}, volume = {1}, number = {1}, abstract = {This paper describes a dataset of polychaetes (Annelida) from 14 midlittoral rocky shore sampling sites in Greece and Italy (Mediterranean Sea). The dataset combines the outcome of four different projects studying the hard substrate midlittoral zone in the Mediterranean between 1984 and 2009. Samples were collected by scraping and collecting the organisms from a framed area. The maximal sampling depth was 1.5 m. In total, 123 polychaete species were recorded, five of which are new records for the respective biogeographic sectors of the Mediterranean. The dataset contains 788 occurrence records, fully annotated with all required metadata. These data contribute to the knowledge of a previously very understudied regional habitat, since at present, comprehensive lists of the midlittoral communities in the Mediterranean are provided through only a few, paper-based, studies. This dataset is one of the first electronic data compilations of the Mediterranean midlittoral zone communities and certainly the most comprehensive of its kind, contributing to the ongoing efforts of the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) which aims at filling the gaps in our current knowledge of the world's oceans. It is accessible at http://ipt.vliz.be/resource.do? r=mediterraneanpolychaetaintertidal. © Keklikoglou K et al.}, note = {Publisher: Pensoft Publishers}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } This paper describes a dataset of polychaetes (Annelida) from 14 midlittoral rocky shore sampling sites in Greece and Italy (Mediterranean Sea). The dataset combines the outcome of four different projects studying the hard substrate midlittoral zone in the Mediterranean between 1984 and 2009. Samples were collected by scraping and collecting the organisms from a framed area. The maximal sampling depth was 1.5 m. In total, 123 polychaete species were recorded, five of which are new records for the respective biogeographic sectors of the Mediterranean. The dataset contains 788 occurrence records, fully annotated with all required metadata. These data contribute to the knowledge of a previously very understudied regional habitat, since at present, comprehensive lists of the midlittoral communities in the Mediterranean are provided through only a few, paper-based, studies. This dataset is one of the first electronic data compilations of the Mediterranean midlittoral zone communities and certainly the most comprehensive of its kind, contributing to the ongoing efforts of the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) which aims at filling the gaps in our current knowledge of the world's oceans. It is accessible at http://ipt.vliz.be/resource.do? r=mediterraneanpolychaetaintertidal. © Keklikoglou K et al. |
Plaitis, W; Rossano, C; Chatzigeorgiou, G Amphipod fauna community in three Mediterranean harbours – preliminary study Inproceedings International Colloquium on Amphipoda, 2013. @inproceedings{plaitis_amphipod_2013, title = {Amphipod fauna community in three Mediterranean harbours – preliminary study}, author = {W Plaitis and C Rossano and G Chatzigeorgiou}, year = {2013}, date = {2013-01-01}, booktitle = {International Colloquium on Amphipoda}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {inproceedings} } |
2012 |
Chatzigeorgiou, G; Faulwetter, S; López, E; Sardá, R; Arvanitidis, C Hydrobiologia, 691 (1), pp. 147–156, 2012, ISSN: 00188158, (Publisher: Kluwer Academic Publishers). @article{chatzigeorgiou_can_2012, title = {Can coastal biodiversity measured in four Mediterranean sites be representative of the region? A test for the robustness of the NaGISA protocol by using the hard substrate syllid (Annelida, Polychaeta) taxo-communities as a surrogate}, author = {G Chatzigeorgiou and S Faulwetter and E López and R Sardá and C Arvanitidis}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84861613722&doi=10.1007%2fs10750-012-1065-5&partnerID=40&md5=43e6bf8958272b946a03e47479809f71}, doi = {10.1007/s10750-012-1065-5}, issn = {00188158}, year = {2012}, date = {2012-01-01}, journal = {Hydrobiologia}, volume = {691}, number = {1}, pages = {147--156}, abstract = {The global NaGISA (Natural Geography in Shore Areas) initiative focusing on long-term monitoring of coastal biodiversity has recently been expanded to the Mediterranean. On the basis of datasets from four Mediterranean hard substrate sites and by using the most abundant polychaete family (Syllidae), two questions are addressed in this study: (a) Is the biodiversity sampled in the two NaGISA sites, based on the family Syllidae, representative of the regional one of the Mediterranean Sea? (b) Are local syllid taxo-communities assembled at random from the regional species pool? Randomisation tests determining to what extent local species lists and their phylogenetic relationships are assembled at random from a regional one showed that at small observational scales (e. g. replicate units, depths) the phylogenetic diversity is assembled at random from the one known to exist locally. It is assumed, therefore, that local processes here have a stronger influence on community assembly than historical-evolutionary processes. The latter is in accordance with previous results derived from using polychaetes to test the same hypotheses at a pan-European level. Local syllid biodiversity in the western Mediterranean is a random subset of the Mediterranean one, whereas that of the NaGISA sites in the eastern Mediterranean is only under certain conditions. Therefore, the currently observed biodiversity of the Mediterranean sites can be considered as representative of that of the entire regional sea only under certain assumptions, as far as the syllid taxo-communities are concerned, demonstrating the potential of the taxon as a surrogate of the polychaete biodiversity. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.}, note = {Publisher: Kluwer Academic Publishers}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The global NaGISA (Natural Geography in Shore Areas) initiative focusing on long-term monitoring of coastal biodiversity has recently been expanded to the Mediterranean. On the basis of datasets from four Mediterranean hard substrate sites and by using the most abundant polychaete family (Syllidae), two questions are addressed in this study: (a) Is the biodiversity sampled in the two NaGISA sites, based on the family Syllidae, representative of the regional one of the Mediterranean Sea? (b) Are local syllid taxo-communities assembled at random from the regional species pool? Randomisation tests determining to what extent local species lists and their phylogenetic relationships are assembled at random from a regional one showed that at small observational scales (e. g. replicate units, depths) the phylogenetic diversity is assembled at random from the one known to exist locally. It is assumed, therefore, that local processes here have a stronger influence on community assembly than historical-evolutionary processes. The latter is in accordance with previous results derived from using polychaetes to test the same hypotheses at a pan-European level. Local syllid biodiversity in the western Mediterranean is a random subset of the Mediterranean one, whereas that of the NaGISA sites in the eastern Mediterranean is only under certain conditions. Therefore, the currently observed biodiversity of the Mediterranean sites can be considered as representative of that of the entire regional sea only under certain assumptions, as far as the syllid taxo-communities are concerned, demonstrating the potential of the taxon as a surrogate of the polychaete biodiversity. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V. |
2011 |
Arvanitidis, C; Faulwetter, S; Chatzigeorgiou, G; Penev, L; Bánki, O; Dailianis, T; Pafilis, E; Kouratoras, M; Chatzinikolaou, E; Fanini, L; Vasileiadou, A; Pavloudi, C; Vavilis, P; Koulouri, P; Dounas, C Engaging the broader community in biodiversity research: The concept of the COMBER pilot project for divers in vibrant Journal Article ZooKeys, 150 , pp. 211–229, 2011, ISSN: 13132989. @article{arvanitidis_engaging_2011, title = {Engaging the broader community in biodiversity research: The concept of the COMBER pilot project for divers in vibrant}, author = {C Arvanitidis and S Faulwetter and G Chatzigeorgiou and L Penev and O Bánki and T Dailianis and E Pafilis and M Kouratoras and E Chatzinikolaou and L Fanini and A Vasileiadou and C Pavloudi and P Vavilis and P Koulouri and C Dounas}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84856457337&doi=10.3897%2fzookeys.150.2149&partnerID=40&md5=48d27ff65c2def3588c3e0f3a8b72a92}, doi = {10.3897/zookeys.150.2149}, issn = {13132989}, year = {2011}, date = {2011-01-01}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {150}, pages = {211--229}, abstract = {This paper discusses the design and implementation of a citizen science pilot project, COMBER (Citizens' Network for the Observation of Marine Biodiv ERsity, http://www.comber.hcmr.gr, which has been initiated under the Vi BRANT EU e-infrastructure. It is designed and implemented for divers and snorkelers who are interested in participating in marine biodiversity citizen science projects. It shows the necessity of engaging the broader community in the marine biodiversity monitoring and research projects, networks and initiatives. It analyses the stakeholders, the industry and the relevant markets involved in diving activities and their potential to sustain these activities. The principles, including data policy and rewards for the participating divers through their own data, upon which this project is based are thoroughly discussed. The results of the users analysis and lessons learned so far are presented. Future plans include promotion, links with citizen science web developments, data publishing tools, and development of new scientific hypotheses to be tested by the data collected so far.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } This paper discusses the design and implementation of a citizen science pilot project, COMBER (Citizens' Network for the Observation of Marine Biodiv ERsity, http://www.comber.hcmr.gr, which has been initiated under the Vi BRANT EU e-infrastructure. It is designed and implemented for divers and snorkelers who are interested in participating in marine biodiversity citizen science projects. It shows the necessity of engaging the broader community in the marine biodiversity monitoring and research projects, networks and initiatives. It analyses the stakeholders, the industry and the relevant markets involved in diving activities and their potential to sustain these activities. The principles, including data policy and rewards for the participating divers through their own data, upon which this project is based are thoroughly discussed. The results of the users analysis and lessons learned so far are presented. Future plans include promotion, links with citizen science web developments, data publishing tools, and development of new scientific hypotheses to be tested by the data collected so far. |
Chatzigeorgiou, G; Reizopoulou, S; Maidanou, M; Naletaki, M; Orneraki, E; Apostolaki, E; Arvanitidis, C Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 94 (1), pp. 111–121, 2011, ISSN: 02727714. @article{chatzigeorgiou_macrobenthic_2011, title = {Macrobenthic community changes due to dystrophic events and freshwater inflow: Changes in space and time in a Mediterranean lagoon (Gialova lagoon, SW Greece)}, author = {G Chatzigeorgiou and S Reizopoulou and M Maidanou and M Naletaki and E Orneraki and E Apostolaki and C Arvanitidis}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-79960576402&doi=10.1016%2fj.ecss.2011.06.001&partnerID=40&md5=ddb48bc65096f3c8b2c5ea1b7e19081a}, doi = {10.1016/j.ecss.2011.06.001}, issn = {02727714}, year = {2011}, date = {2011-01-01}, journal = {Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science}, volume = {94}, number = {1}, pages = {111--121}, abstract = {This paper considers the hypothesis that changes in community structure through the control of the larvae maintenance and of the biological traits of the species mostly contribute to the spatio-temporal community pattern. This is supported by the results of the study, the changes to the macrobenthic community pattern deriving from two sampling periods in Gialova lagoon (SW Greece), carried out on a seasonal basis for two yearly periods: 1994-95 and 1998-99. Cognetti's hypothesis that populations of the tolerant species occupying coastal marine habitats may belong to different species is another alternative hypothesis still to be tested. The importance of alternative management plans aiming at the amelioration of the hydrodynamic conditions of the lagoons and supported by continuous scientific monitoring is highlighted. Two canals bringing fresh water were opened at the beginning of the second sampling period, an intervention among others, suggested by the management plan proposed after the end of the first sampling period. The results show considerable variations in the values of the key environmental variables, for instance long periods with negative Redox potential values, decreased salinity and increased concentrations of the particulate organic matter and of the nutrients. The variables were correlated with the spatio-temporal community pattern, characterized during the second sampling period by: (i) greater dissimilarities among stations/seasons; (ii) disruption of the periodic trend observed on the seasonal scale; (iii) larger relative dissimilarities among the patterns stemming from the macrobenthos and the most abundant groups (polychaetes, molluscs, crustaceans); (iv) significant decrease in abundance or even the disappearance of several marine origin species, along with increased abundance in a few brackish-water species. All of the above changes in the community pattern are considered as early warning signals leading towards degradation, which has not yet been registered in the phylogenetic/taxonomic structure of the macrobenthic community. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } This paper considers the hypothesis that changes in community structure through the control of the larvae maintenance and of the biological traits of the species mostly contribute to the spatio-temporal community pattern. This is supported by the results of the study, the changes to the macrobenthic community pattern deriving from two sampling periods in Gialova lagoon (SW Greece), carried out on a seasonal basis for two yearly periods: 1994-95 and 1998-99. Cognetti's hypothesis that populations of the tolerant species occupying coastal marine habitats may belong to different species is another alternative hypothesis still to be tested. The importance of alternative management plans aiming at the amelioration of the hydrodynamic conditions of the lagoons and supported by continuous scientific monitoring is highlighted. Two canals bringing fresh water were opened at the beginning of the second sampling period, an intervention among others, suggested by the management plan proposed after the end of the first sampling period. The results show considerable variations in the values of the key environmental variables, for instance long periods with negative Redox potential values, decreased salinity and increased concentrations of the particulate organic matter and of the nutrients. The variables were correlated with the spatio-temporal community pattern, characterized during the second sampling period by: (i) greater dissimilarities among stations/seasons; (ii) disruption of the periodic trend observed on the seasonal scale; (iii) larger relative dissimilarities among the patterns stemming from the macrobenthos and the most abundant groups (polychaetes, molluscs, crustaceans); (iv) significant decrease in abundance or even the disappearance of several marine origin species, along with increased abundance in a few brackish-water species. All of the above changes in the community pattern are considered as early warning signals leading towards degradation, which has not yet been registered in the phylogenetic/taxonomic structure of the macrobenthic community. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. |
Faulwetter, S; Chatzigeorgiou, G; Galil, B S; Nicolaidou, A; Arvanitidis, C ZooKeys, 150 , pp. 327–345, 2011, ISSN: 13132989, (Publisher: Pensoft Publishers). @article{faulwetter_sphaerosyllis_2011, title = {Sphaerosyllis levantina sp. n. (annelida) from the Eastern Mediterranean, with notes on character variation in sphaerosyllis hystrix claparède, 1863}, author = {S Faulwetter and G Chatzigeorgiou and B S Galil and A Nicolaidou and C Arvanitidis}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84856445135&doi=10.3897%2fzookeys.150.1877&partnerID=40&md5=a1014fd41924b680f9bb768edb65107f}, doi = {10.3897/zookeys.150.1877}, issn = {13132989}, year = {2011}, date = {2011-01-01}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {150}, pages = {327--345}, abstract = {Examination of polychaete specimens from Haifa Bay (Israel, eastern Mediterranean Sea) revealed several individuals exhibiting morphological characteristics similar to Sphaerosyllis hystrix Claparede, 1863. A detailed morphometrical analysis of the Israeli specimens in comparison to specimens of S. hystrix and S. boeroi Musco, Cinar & Giangrande, 2005 supported the description of the former as a new species, S. levantina sp. n. Individuals of S. hystrix formed a very heterogeneous group with strong character variations in the analysis and the presumed cosmopolitan distribution of the species is discussed based on literature records. © Sarah Faulwetter et al.}, note = {Publisher: Pensoft Publishers}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Examination of polychaete specimens from Haifa Bay (Israel, eastern Mediterranean Sea) revealed several individuals exhibiting morphological characteristics similar to Sphaerosyllis hystrix Claparede, 1863. A detailed morphometrical analysis of the Israeli specimens in comparison to specimens of S. hystrix and S. boeroi Musco, Cinar & Giangrande, 2005 supported the description of the former as a new species, S. levantina sp. n. Individuals of S. hystrix formed a very heterogeneous group with strong character variations in the analysis and the presumed cosmopolitan distribution of the species is discussed based on literature records. © Sarah Faulwetter et al. |
Faulwetter, S; Chatzigeorgiou, G; Galil, B S; Arvanitidis, C ZooKeys, 150 , pp. 281–326, 2011, ISSN: 13132989, (Publisher: Pensoft Publishers). @article{faulwetter_account_2011, title = {An account of the taxonomy and distribution of syllidae (annelida, polychaetes) in the Eastern Mediterranean, with notes on the genus prosphaerosyllis san martín, 1984 in the Mediterranean}, author = {S Faulwetter and G Chatzigeorgiou and B S Galil and C Arvanitidis}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84856498145&doi=10.3897%2fzookeys.150.2146&partnerID=40&md5=cd3c298ee3e154f81c6973b083e663bb}, doi = {10.3897/zookeys.150.2146}, issn = {13132989}, year = {2011}, date = {2011-01-01}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {150}, pages = {281--326}, abstract = {The syllid fauna of three locations in Crete and Israel (eastern Mediterranean Sea) was studied, yielding 82 syllid species, many of which were found for the first time in the respective areas: Seventeen species were recorded for the first time on the Israeli coasts and 20 in Greek waters. Perkinsyllis augeneri (Hartmann-Schröder, 1979) and Prosphaerosyllis chauseyensis Olivier et al., 2011 are new records for the Mediterranean Sea. Detailed information is given on the morphology, ecology and distribution of the species recorded for the first time in the studied areas. In addition, an update on the distribution of the genus Prosphaerosyllis San Marti ́n, 1984 in the Mediterranean is given and an identification key to the Mediterranean species is provided. © Sarah Faulwetter et al.}, note = {Publisher: Pensoft Publishers}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The syllid fauna of three locations in Crete and Israel (eastern Mediterranean Sea) was studied, yielding 82 syllid species, many of which were found for the first time in the respective areas: Seventeen species were recorded for the first time on the Israeli coasts and 20 in Greek waters. Perkinsyllis augeneri (Hartmann-Schröder, 1979) and Prosphaerosyllis chauseyensis Olivier et al., 2011 are new records for the Mediterranean Sea. Detailed information is given on the morphology, ecology and distribution of the species recorded for the first time in the studied areas. In addition, an update on the distribution of the genus Prosphaerosyllis San Marti ́n, 1984 in the Mediterranean is given and an identification key to the Mediterranean species is provided. © Sarah Faulwetter et al. |
2010 |
Markantonatou, V; Faulwetter, Sarah; Chatzigeorgiou, G; Arvanitidis, C Comparison of taxonomic and functional patterns in Mediterranean transitional waters. An approach with Polychaetes Inproceedings Lecce, Italy, 2010, (Publication Title: 10th International Polychaete Conference Type: Abstract). @inproceedings{markantonatou_comparison_2010, title = {Comparison of taxonomic and functional patterns in Mediterranean transitional waters. An approach with Polychaetes}, author = {V Markantonatou and Sarah Faulwetter and G Chatzigeorgiou and C Arvanitidis}, year = {2010}, date = {2010-01-01}, address = {Lecce, Italy}, note = {Publication Title: 10th International Polychaete Conference Type: Abstract}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {inproceedings} } |
2009 |
Arvanitidis, C; Somerfield, P J; Chatzigeorgiou, G; Reizopoulou, S; Kevrekidis, T; Eleftheriou, A Do multivariate analyses incorporating changes in pattern across taxonomic levels reveal anthropogenic stress in Mediterranean lagoons? Journal Article Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 369 (2), pp. 100–109, 2009, ISSN: 00220981. @article{arvanitidis_multivariate_2009, title = {Do multivariate analyses incorporating changes in pattern across taxonomic levels reveal anthropogenic stress in Mediterranean lagoons?}, author = {C Arvanitidis and P J Somerfield and G Chatzigeorgiou and S Reizopoulou and T Kevrekidis and A Eleftheriou}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-59049104828&doi=10.1016%2fj.jembe.2008.10.032&partnerID=40&md5=7f4883979c84fdc6947d5b2b5772aa5c}, doi = {10.1016/j.jembe.2008.10.032}, issn = {00220981}, year = {2009}, date = {2009-01-01}, journal = {Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology}, volume = {369}, number = {2}, pages = {100--109}, abstract = {It is accepted that observed patterns in community structure change as analyses are carried out at higher taxonomic levels. Univariate analyses which incorporate higher taxonomic structure within assemblages have been shown to be informative. In this paper we suggest ways in which changes in multivariate relationships at higher taxonomic levels and associated with higher taxonomic/phylogenetic structure of the community may be incorporated into multivariate analyses, an aspect never occurred before in this type of analysis. Four approaches, namely: biodiversity MDS (bdMDS), number of taxa MDS (ntMDS), delta MDS (δMDS) and lambda MDS (λMDS), are proposed, and applied to theoretical data as well as to data collected from the literature on the Mediterranean lagoonal environment. Results show that these approaches have the capacity to distinguish severely impacted lagoons from naturally disturbed ones, although in practice the simplest method (ntMDS) was the most successful. Analyses based on the most abundant groups (polychaetes, molluscs, crustaceans) did not always match analyses based on the entire macrofauna, mirroring the performance of taxonomic distinctness indices in the Mediterranean lagoons. The important characteristics of the approaches introduced, as well as potential criticisms are provided. Application of these techniques on smaller scales and to other habitats, is suggested prior to their wider use in the region. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } It is accepted that observed patterns in community structure change as analyses are carried out at higher taxonomic levels. Univariate analyses which incorporate higher taxonomic structure within assemblages have been shown to be informative. In this paper we suggest ways in which changes in multivariate relationships at higher taxonomic levels and associated with higher taxonomic/phylogenetic structure of the community may be incorporated into multivariate analyses, an aspect never occurred before in this type of analysis. Four approaches, namely: biodiversity MDS (bdMDS), number of taxa MDS (ntMDS), delta MDS (δMDS) and lambda MDS (λMDS), are proposed, and applied to theoretical data as well as to data collected from the literature on the Mediterranean lagoonal environment. Results show that these approaches have the capacity to distinguish severely impacted lagoons from naturally disturbed ones, although in practice the simplest method (ntMDS) was the most successful. Analyses based on the most abundant groups (polychaetes, molluscs, crustaceans) did not always match analyses based on the entire macrofauna, mirroring the performance of taxonomic distinctness indices in the Mediterranean lagoons. The important characteristics of the approaches introduced, as well as potential criticisms are provided. Application of these techniques on smaller scales and to other habitats, is suggested prior to their wider use in the region. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
Arvanitidis, C; Somerfield, P J; Rumohr, H; Faulwetter, S; Valavanis, V; Vasileiadou, A; Chatzigeorgiou, G; Berghe, Vanden E; Vanaverbeke, J; Labrune, C; Grémare, A; Zettler, M L; Kȩdra, M; Włodarska-Kowalczuk, M; Aleffi, I F; Amouroux, J M; Anisimova, N; Bachelet, G; Büntzow, M; Cochrane, S J; Costello, M J; Craeymeersch, J; Dahle, S; Degraer, S; Denisenko, S; Dounas, C; Duineveld, G; Emblow, C; Escavarage, V; Fabri, M C; Fleischer, D; Gray, J S; Heip, C H R; Herrmann, M; Hummel, H; Janas, U; Karakassis, I; Kendall, M A; Kingston, P; Kotwicki, L; Laudien, J; Mackie, A S Y; Nevrova, E L; Occhipinti-Ambrogi, A; Oliver, P G; Olsgard, F; Palerud, R; Petrov, A; Rachor, E; Revkov, N K; Rose, A; Sardá, R; Sistermans, W C H; Speybroeck, J; Hoey, Van G; Vincx, M; Whomersley, P; Willems, W; Zenetos, A Biological geography of the European seas: Results from the MacroBen database Journal Article Marine Ecology Progress Series, 382 , pp. 265–278, 2009, ISSN: 01718630. @article{arvanitidis_biological_2009, title = {Biological geography of the European seas: Results from the MacroBen database}, author = {C Arvanitidis and P J Somerfield and H Rumohr and S Faulwetter and V Valavanis and A Vasileiadou and G Chatzigeorgiou and E Vanden Berghe and J Vanaverbeke and C Labrune and A Grémare and M L Zettler and M Kȩdra and M Włodarska-Kowalczuk and I F Aleffi and J M Amouroux and N Anisimova and G Bachelet and M Büntzow and S J Cochrane and M J Costello and J Craeymeersch and S Dahle and S Degraer and S Denisenko and C Dounas and G Duineveld and C Emblow and V Escavarage and M C Fabri and D Fleischer and J S Gray and C H R Heip and M Herrmann and H Hummel and U Janas and I Karakassis and M A Kendall and P Kingston and L Kotwicki and J Laudien and A S Y Mackie and E L Nevrova and A Occhipinti-Ambrogi and P G Oliver and F Olsgard and R Palerud and A Petrov and E Rachor and N K Revkov and A Rose and R Sardá and W C H Sistermans and J Speybroeck and G Van Hoey and M Vincx and P Whomersley and W Willems and A Zenetos}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-66649133743&doi=10.3354%2fmeps07955&partnerID=40&md5=b494b7aad3e4476e31b82b871b6c26e6}, doi = {10.3354/meps07955}, issn = {01718630}, year = {2009}, date = {2009-01-01}, journal = {Marine Ecology Progress Series}, volume = {382}, pages = {265--278}, abstract = {This study examines whether or not biogeographical and/or managerial divisions across the European seas can be validated using soft-bottom macrobenthic community data. The faunal groups used were: all macrobenthos groups, polychaetes, molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms, sipun-culans and the last 5 groups combined. In order to test the discriminating power of these groups, 3 criteria were used: (1) proximity, which refers to the expected closer faunal resemblance of adjacent areas relative to more distant ones; (2) randomness, which in the present context is a measure of the degree to which the inventories of the various sectors, provinces or regions may in each case be considered as a random sample of the inventory of the next largest province or region in a hierarchy of geographic scales; and (3) differentiation, which provides a measure of the uniqueness of the pattern. Results show that only polychaetes fulfill all 3 criteria and that the only marine biogeographic system supported by the analyses is the one proposed by Longhurst (1998). Energy fluxes and other interactions between the planktonic and benthic domains, acting over evolutionary time scales, can be associated with the multivariate pattern derived from the macrobenthos datasets. Third-stage multidimensional scaling ordination reveals that polychaetes produce a unique pattern when all systems are under consideration. Average island distance from the nearest coast, number of islands and the island surface area were the geographic variables best correlated with the community patterns produced by polychaetes. Biogeographic patterns suggest a vicariance model dominating over the founder-dispersal model except for the semi-closed regional seas, where a model substantially modified from the second option could be supported. © Inter-Research 2009.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } This study examines whether or not biogeographical and/or managerial divisions across the European seas can be validated using soft-bottom macrobenthic community data. The faunal groups used were: all macrobenthos groups, polychaetes, molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms, sipun-culans and the last 5 groups combined. In order to test the discriminating power of these groups, 3 criteria were used: (1) proximity, which refers to the expected closer faunal resemblance of adjacent areas relative to more distant ones; (2) randomness, which in the present context is a measure of the degree to which the inventories of the various sectors, provinces or regions may in each case be considered as a random sample of the inventory of the next largest province or region in a hierarchy of geographic scales; and (3) differentiation, which provides a measure of the uniqueness of the pattern. Results show that only polychaetes fulfill all 3 criteria and that the only marine biogeographic system supported by the analyses is the one proposed by Longhurst (1998). Energy fluxes and other interactions between the planktonic and benthic domains, acting over evolutionary time scales, can be associated with the multivariate pattern derived from the macrobenthos datasets. Third-stage multidimensional scaling ordination reveals that polychaetes produce a unique pattern when all systems are under consideration. Average island distance from the nearest coast, number of islands and the island surface area were the geographic variables best correlated with the community patterns produced by polychaetes. Biogeographic patterns suggest a vicariance model dominating over the founder-dispersal model except for the semi-closed regional seas, where a model substantially modified from the second option could be supported. © Inter-Research 2009. |
Poursanidis, Dimitris; Koutsoubas, D; Cocetta, F; Faulwetter, Sarah; Chatzigeorgiou, Giorgos Ophistobranchs (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of the Island of Crete: new records and notes for their zoogeography and ecology Inproceedings Heraklion, Crete, Greece, 2009, (Publication Title: International Congress on the Zoogeography, Ecology and Evolution of the Eastern Mediterranean Type: Poster). @inproceedings{poursanidis_ophistobranchs_2009, title = {Ophistobranchs (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of the Island of Crete: new records and notes for their zoogeography and ecology}, author = {Dimitris Poursanidis and D Koutsoubas and F Cocetta and Sarah Faulwetter and Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou}, year = {2009}, date = {2009-01-01}, address = {Heraklion, Crete, Greece}, note = {Publication Title: International Congress on the Zoogeography, Ecology and Evolution of the Eastern Mediterranean Type: Poster}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {inproceedings} } |
Somerfield, P J; Arvanitidis, C; Faulwetter, S; Chatzigeorgiou, G; Vasileiadou, A; Amouroux, J M; Anisimova, N; Cochrane, S J; Craeymeersch, J; Dahle, S; Denisenko, S; Dounas, K; Duineveld, G; Grémare, A; Heip, C H R; Herrmann, M; Karakassis, I; Kȩdra, M; Kendall, M A; Kingston, P; Kotwicki, L; Labrune, C; Laudien, J; Nevrova, H; Nicolaidou, A; Occhipinti-Ambrogi, A; Palerud, R; Petrov, A; Rachor, E; Revkov, N; Rumohr, H; Sardá, R; Janas, U; Berghe, Vanden E; Włodarska-Kowalczuk, M Assessing evidence for random assembly of marine benthic communities from regional species pools Journal Article Marine Ecology Progress Series, 382 , pp. 279–286, 2009, ISSN: 01718630. @article{somerfield_assessing_2009, title = {Assessing evidence for random assembly of marine benthic communities from regional species pools}, author = {P J Somerfield and C Arvanitidis and S Faulwetter and G Chatzigeorgiou and A Vasileiadou and J M Amouroux and N Anisimova and S J Cochrane and J Craeymeersch and S Dahle and S Denisenko and K Dounas and G Duineveld and A Grémare and C H R Heip and M Herrmann and I Karakassis and M Kȩdra and M A Kendall and P Kingston and L Kotwicki and C Labrune and J Laudien and H Nevrova and A Nicolaidou and A Occhipinti-Ambrogi and R Palerud and A Petrov and E Rachor and N Revkov and H Rumohr and R Sardá and U Janas and E Vanden Berghe and M Włodarska-Kowalczuk}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-66649136488&doi=10.3354%2fmeps07934&partnerID=40&md5=dcce15cc6eb45417bba0ef6f162fb1df}, doi = {10.3354/meps07934}, issn = {01718630}, year = {2009}, date = {2009-01-01}, journal = {Marine Ecology Progress Series}, volume = {382}, pages = {279--286}, abstract = {Local species diversity may be determined by processes operating locally, such as disturbance, predation and competition, or by regional processes, such as environmental structuring or history. Classical theory focusing on competition predicts that the species combining to form communities will be less similar to each other than they would be if they were assembled at random from a regional species pool. Theory focusing on environmental structuring predicts that species will be more similar to each other than expected by chance. A randomisation test that determines the extent to which local species lists represent random selections from a regional list, based on the average relatedness between species, was applied to data held in the MacroBen database. Little or no evidence was found for species lists of whole faunas at any scale being random subsets of species lists at larger scales. Species tend to be more closely related to each other than would be expected if they were assembled at random. Thus marine soft-sediment macrofauna are not locally assembled at random from regional species pools and it is likely that regional processes determine the assembly of communities. Focusing on the most abundant class within the macrofauna, a different pattern emerges, in that there is a much stronger tendency for local polychaete composition to be a random subset from regional pools at all scales. Thus it is not possible to determine whether local polychaete diversity is independent of both local and regional processes, or determined by a combination of both acting antagonistically. © Inter-Research 2009.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Local species diversity may be determined by processes operating locally, such as disturbance, predation and competition, or by regional processes, such as environmental structuring or history. Classical theory focusing on competition predicts that the species combining to form communities will be less similar to each other than they would be if they were assembled at random from a regional species pool. Theory focusing on environmental structuring predicts that species will be more similar to each other than expected by chance. A randomisation test that determines the extent to which local species lists represent random selections from a regional list, based on the average relatedness between species, was applied to data held in the MacroBen database. Little or no evidence was found for species lists of whole faunas at any scale being random subsets of species lists at larger scales. Species tend to be more closely related to each other than would be expected if they were assembled at random. Thus marine soft-sediment macrofauna are not locally assembled at random from regional species pools and it is likely that regional processes determine the assembly of communities. Focusing on the most abundant class within the macrofauna, a different pattern emerges, in that there is a much stronger tendency for local polychaete composition to be a random subset from regional pools at all scales. Thus it is not possible to determine whether local polychaete diversity is independent of both local and regional processes, or determined by a combination of both acting antagonistically. © Inter-Research 2009. |
2005 |
Arvanitidis, C; Chatzigeorgiou, G; Koutsoubas, D; Kevrekidis, T; Dounas, C; Eleftheriou, A; Koulouri, P; Mogias, A Estimating lagoonal biodiversity in Greece: Comparison of rapid assessment techniques Journal Article Helgoland Marine Research, 59 (3), pp. 177–186, 2005, ISSN: 1438387X. @article{arvanitidis_estimating_2005, title = {Estimating lagoonal biodiversity in Greece: Comparison of rapid assessment techniques}, author = {C Arvanitidis and G Chatzigeorgiou and D Koutsoubas and T Kevrekidis and C Dounas and A Eleftheriou and P Koulouri and A Mogias}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-24944557295&doi=10.1007%2fs10152-005-0216-8&partnerID=40&md5=b9d9a7372762c2833f2e6ea1c70d270e}, doi = {10.1007/s10152-005-0216-8}, issn = {1438387X}, year = {2005}, date = {2005-01-01}, journal = {Helgoland Marine Research}, volume = {59}, number = {3}, pages = {177--186}, abstract = {An attempt is made to compare the results of different rapid biodiversity assessment techniques at the pan-Mediterranean, sectorial and local levels. A uniform multivariate pattern exists at the pan-Mediterranean and national (sectorial) levels: lagoons can be different when they host only a few species, but as species numbers increase, lagoons become homogenous in composition. Multivariate techniques cannot distinguish anthropogenically-impacted lagoons from those, which are naturally disturbed. In the pan-Mediterranean context it is the higher taxonomic levels, but in the national and local context it is the most abundant macrobenthic groups (polychaetes, molluscs and crustaceans) and meiobenthos which provide patterns closest to that derived from the species level. Taxonomic distinctness indices applied to polychaete and mollusc inventories provide meaningful results at most levels and scales of observation. These indices seem to be robust enough to discriminate anthropogenically impacted from naturally disturbed lagoons. © Springer-Verlag and AWI 2005.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } An attempt is made to compare the results of different rapid biodiversity assessment techniques at the pan-Mediterranean, sectorial and local levels. A uniform multivariate pattern exists at the pan-Mediterranean and national (sectorial) levels: lagoons can be different when they host only a few species, but as species numbers increase, lagoons become homogenous in composition. Multivariate techniques cannot distinguish anthropogenically-impacted lagoons from those, which are naturally disturbed. In the pan-Mediterranean context it is the higher taxonomic levels, but in the national and local context it is the most abundant macrobenthic groups (polychaetes, molluscs and crustaceans) and meiobenthos which provide patterns closest to that derived from the species level. Taxonomic distinctness indices applied to polychaete and mollusc inventories provide meaningful results at most levels and scales of observation. These indices seem to be robust enough to discriminate anthropogenically impacted from naturally disturbed lagoons. © Springer-Verlag and AWI 2005. |
Arvanitidis, C; Atzigeorgiou, G; Koutsoubas, D; Dounas, C; Eleftheriou, A; Koulouri, P Mediterranean lagoons revisited: Weakness and efficiency of the rapid biodiversity assessment techniques in a severely fluctuating environment Journal Article Biodiversity and Conservation, 14 (10), pp. 2347–2359, 2005, ISSN: 09603115. @article{arvanitidis_mediterranean_2005, title = {Mediterranean lagoons revisited: Weakness and efficiency of the rapid biodiversity assessment techniques in a severely fluctuating environment}, author = {C Arvanitidis and G Atzigeorgiou and D Koutsoubas and C Dounas and A Eleftheriou and P Koulouri}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-24944484401&doi=10.1007%2fs10531-004-1668-x&partnerID=40&md5=164959659412afbcf4b012e66162f526}, doi = {10.1007/s10531-004-1668-x}, issn = {09603115}, year = {2005}, date = {2005-01-01}, journal = {Biodiversity and Conservation}, volume = {14}, number = {10}, pages = {2347--2359}, abstract = {The purpose of this paper is to test the performance of rapid biodiversity assessment techniques in the lagoonal environment at the pan-Mediterranean scale. The multivariate techniques can produce patterns of lagoonal biodiversity along the Mediterranean. Additionally, it is shown that the polychaete inventory can preferably be used rather than the aggregation of information at the family level for the purposes of rapid biodiversity assessment. These techniques, however, appear to be weak for the environmental assessment because they cannot detect differences between the naturally disturbed and the anthropogenically impacted lagoons. Both taxonomic distinctness indices are found to be robust in providing meaningful results for rapid biodiversity/environmental assessment when the crustacean inventory and the polychaete and molluscan ones are used for the estimation of the average taxonomic distinctness and of the variation in taxonomic distinctness values, correspondingly. Conversely, information on the distribution of the macrofaunal species to the Mediterranean lagoons appears to be inadequate for the needs of such rapid biodiversity assessment at a regional scale. It is suggested that information on ecological convergence of the macrofaunal species would probably provide biodiversity indices with additional power, at least in the lagoonal environment. © Springer 2005.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The purpose of this paper is to test the performance of rapid biodiversity assessment techniques in the lagoonal environment at the pan-Mediterranean scale. The multivariate techniques can produce patterns of lagoonal biodiversity along the Mediterranean. Additionally, it is shown that the polychaete inventory can preferably be used rather than the aggregation of information at the family level for the purposes of rapid biodiversity assessment. These techniques, however, appear to be weak for the environmental assessment because they cannot detect differences between the naturally disturbed and the anthropogenically impacted lagoons. Both taxonomic distinctness indices are found to be robust in providing meaningful results for rapid biodiversity/environmental assessment when the crustacean inventory and the polychaete and molluscan ones are used for the estimation of the average taxonomic distinctness and of the variation in taxonomic distinctness values, correspondingly. Conversely, information on the distribution of the macrofaunal species to the Mediterranean lagoons appears to be inadequate for the needs of such rapid biodiversity assessment at a regional scale. It is suggested that information on ecological convergence of the macrofaunal species would probably provide biodiversity indices with additional power, at least in the lagoonal environment. © Springer 2005. |