coralligenous based indicators to environmental status of the … · 2013-04-24 · kick-off...

Kick-off meeting, Heraklion 17-19 April 2013

Coralligenous based Indicators to

evaluate and monitor the "Good

Environmental Status" of the

MEDiterranean coastal waters

KICKOFF MEETING


In 2008, the EC established a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy regarding biodiversity the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, MSFD, which defines a series of 11 qualitative descriptors of Good Environmental Status (GES).

MSFD: D1 + D2 + D6

Mediterranean Sea Biologically mediated habitats CORALLIGEN


SeasEra’s theme 3: Development of indicators and science support and management tools for the determination of Good Environmental Status in the Mediterranean Sea. Eligible countries (Mediterranean Sea): France, Greece, Turkey.

Lack of Italy and Spain, south coast, …


CIGESMED consortium


Coordinator

Project management

Steering committee

Partners

Board of external advisors

WG

WP


CIGESMED General assembly

Agenda Points on the management/Communication plan

summary of deliverables

finalization of the diffusion lists

reporting form and tempo

consortium agreement

meetings

working groups/themes

workshops/themes, suggestion to invite external experts

suggestions for the BEA

risks and mitigation

list of requirements

timeline

networking


coralligen Posidonia meadows

trottoir

Mediterranean coastal biogenic habitats


coralligen

Posidonia trottoir


Main building algal species: Mesophyllum alternans (?= M. lichenoides) Second building algal species: Pseudophyllum cabiochae (?= P. expansum)

Main building algal species: Lithophyllum stictaeforme (?= L. frondosum) (P. expansum) (L. expansum) Second building algal species: Lithophyllum cabiochae

Lithophyllum cabiochae Lithophyllum stictaeforme Mesophyllum alternans

There is a need to stabilize taxonomy

Western basin


Neogoniolithon mamillosum

Lithophyllum stictaeforme Neogoniolithon mamillosum Mesophyllum alternans Peyssonnelia rosa-maria

Lithophyllum cabiochae Neogoniolithon mamillosum Mesophyllum alternans Peyssonnelia rosa-maria

Mesophyllum alternans tolerent to light temperature or hydrodynamism shallow waters Lithophyllum cabiochae deeper waters


Peyssonneliaceae

Peyssonnelia squamaria

Peyssonnelia rosa-marina


Flabellia petiolata = Udotea petiolata


Definition of coralligen Habitats/communities - animal dominant - or calcified algae dominant building calcareous bio-concretions associated to the circalittoral hard substrates. It is made by the accumulation of encrusting algae growing in dim light condition. It is the result of the dynamic equilibrium between the building organisms and the destroying ones. Main builders are sciaphilous red algae belonging to the family of - Corallinales - Peyssonneliacales Green algae (Bryopsidales) such as Halimeda and Flabellia are accessory builders,


Builders size contribution big direct Bryozoans Serpulids Mollusks Scleractinians small reduced Bryozoans Serpulids Cirripeds agglomerators Porifera Bryozoans Alcyonarians

Myriapora truncata

Serpula vermicularis

Vermetus sp. Caryophyllia inornata

Leptopsammia pruvoti

Epizoanthus arenaceus

Balanus


Petrosia dura grazed by Peltodoris atromaculata Parazoanthus axinellae


Bioeroders

excavating sponge Cliona viridis

Browsers Sphaerechinus granularis Echinus melo Microborers Cyanobacteria green algae fungi Macroborers Porifera – Clione spp. Mollusks – Lithophaga lithophaga Sipunculids Polychaetes


It is very difficult to mention all the species found in the coralligen up to now, due - to the huge existing taxonomic literature - to the high number of synonyms, that makes it impossible for a non

specialist of most of the groups to render an accurate number of the reported species.

A present very conservative estimate of the total number of species is almost 1700. However CIGESMED goal is not to directly increase the knowledge of the biodiversity existing in the coralligen, but it is focused on the species which - build these complex habitats - can enter in the construction of indices to evaluate and monitor the GES


Beyond the coralligen builders/eroders, 2 categories of species will be taken into account because of their interest for management: - main invaders which compete or kill the coralligen - associated erected long living species


Acrothamnion preissii

Womersleyella setacea

Caulerpa racemosa cylindrica

epiphyte


associated species


Some species will be selected to define metrics / indices of sensitivity according to perturbations …


Ballesteros and others / Fourni Island

coralligenous based indicators to environmental status of the … · 2013-04-24 · kick-off...

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