The need for alternative energy systems like offshore wind power to move towards the Green Deal objectives is undeniable. However, it is also increasingly clear that biodiversity loss and climate ...change are interconnected issues that must be tackled in unison. In this paper we highlight that offshore wind farms (OWF) in the Mediterranean Sea (MS) pose serious environmental risks to the seabed and the biodiversity of many areas due to the particular ecological and socioeconomic characteristics and vulnerability of this semi-enclosed sea. The MS hosts a high diversity of species and habitats, many of which are threatened. Furthermore, valuable species, habitats, and seascapes for citizens' health and well-being coexist with compounding effects of other economic activities (cruises, maritime transport, tourism activities, fisheries and aquaculture) in a busy space on a narrower continental shelf than in other European seas. We argue that simply importing the OWF models from the northern European seas, which are mostly based on large scale projects, to other seas like the Mediterranean is not straightforward. The risks of implementing these wind farms in the MS have not yet been well evaluated and, considering the Precautionary Principle incorporated into the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, they should not be ignored. We propose that OWF development in the MS should be excluded from high biodiversity areas containing sensitive and threatened species and habitats, particularly those situated inside or in the vicinity of Marine Protected Areas or areas with valuable seascapes. In the absence of a clearer and comprehensive EU planning of wind farms in the MS, the trade-off between the benefits (climate goals) and risks (environmental and socioeconomic impacts) of OWF could be unbalanced in favor of the risks.
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•Offshore wind farms (OWF) pose serious environmental risks to the Mediterranean Sea.•OWF models cannot be simply imported from the northern European seas to other seas.•OWF should be excluded from areas of high biodiversity and/or high valuable seascape.•OWF development should be forbidden in or in the vicinity of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).•Biodiversity loss and climate change are interconnected and must be tackled simultaneously.
Gorgonians dwelling on the Mediterranean continental shelf are among the most frequent fishing bycatch taxa. These species display several traits, such as long lifespans and slow growth, which make ...them very vulnerable to the impacts caused by fishing activities with far‐reaching and long‐lasting effects.
Hence, restoration and mitigation actions are crucial to enhance and speed up the natural recovery of damaged cold‐water coral gardens. Given the growing concern to develop effective and affordable restoration actions, the present study aims to propose and technically validate a new large‐scale and cost‐effective restoration method.
This technique, named ‘badminton method', consists of attaching bycatch Eunicella cavolini colonies to cobble supports and returning them to the continental shelf by gently throwing the gorgonian transplants directly from a boat.
Two consecutive field experiments were conducted in order to find the best cobble type support and gorgonian size to be used: first, to evaluate the landing efficiency of gorgonian transplants at different depths (from 5 to 30 m) and second, to evaluate their capability to maintain a correct position over time.
Natural cobbles with large gorgonians attached were the best option. Field results and modelling approaches suggest that the transplants would correctly land on the continental shelf seabed in a predicted area of around 60 m2. Moreover, they would successfully maintain an upright position ensuring gorgonian survival over time.
The success of this method highlights the feasibility of large‐scale and low‐cost restoration actions with promising results for the conservation and recovery of cold‐water coral gardens.
We assess the occurrence and extent of cold-water coral (CWC) species Madrepora oculata and Dendrophyllia cornigera, as well as gorgonian red coral Corallium rubrum, in La Fonera canyon head ...(Northwestern Mediterranean Sea), as well as human impacts taking place in their habitats. Occurrence is assessed based on Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) video imaging. Terrain classification techniques are applied to high-resolution swath bathymetric data to obtain semi-automatic interpretative maps to identify the relationship between coral distribution patterns and canyon environments. A total of 21 ROV immersions were carried out in different canyon environments at depths ranging between 79 and 401 m. Large, healthy colonies of M. oculata occur on abrupt, protected, often overhanging, rocky sections of the canyon walls, especially in Illa Negra branch. D. cornigera is sparser and evenly distributed at depth, on relatively low sloping areas, in rocky but also partially sedimented areas. C. rubrum is most frequent between 100 and 160 m on highly sloping rocky areas. The probable extent of CWC habitats is quantified by applying a maximum entropy model to predict habitat suitability: 0.36 km2 yield M. oculata occurrence probabilities over 70%. Similar predictive models have been produced for D. cornigera and C. rubrum. All ROV transects document either the presence of litter on the seafloor or pervasive trawling marks. Nets and longlines are imaged entangled on coral colonies. Coral rubble is observed at the foot of impacted colonies. Some colonies are partially covered by sediment that could be the result of the resuspension generated by bottom trawling on neighbouring fishing grounds, which has been demonstrated to be responsible of daily increases in sediment fluxes within the canyon. The characteristics of the CWC community in La Fonera canyon are indicative that it withstands high environmental stress of both natural and human origin.
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Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
is a widely distributed scyphozoan in the Mediterranean Sea. Their stings result mainly in erythema, small vesicles, or/and pain, and cause a high number of bathers to seek assistance from first-aid ...services during the summer season. Despite the threat that jellyfish stings represent to public health, there is disagreement in the scientific community on first-aid protocols, with the dispute largely centered around the effectiveness of vinegar. In the present research, we investigated the effect of commonly used rinse solutions on nematocyst discharge in
and the effect of vinegar on three more scyphozoans (
sp.,
sp., and
). Scented ammonia, vinegar, and acetic acid triggered nematocyst discharge in
. Vinegar also caused nematocyst discharge in
sp.,
sp., and
. In contrast, seawater, baking soda, freshwater, urine, and hydrogen peroxide were considered neutral solutions that did not induce nematocyst discharge. These results indicate that the use of vinegar, acetic acid, or commercial products based on these compounds is counterproductive. Their use can worsen pain and discomfort caused not only by
stings but also by those of any scyphozoan. The use of seawater is recommended for cleaning the
sting site until an inhibitor solution that irreversibly prevents nematocyst discharge is discovered.
The occurrence and density of 3 cold-water coral (CWC) species (Madrepora oculata, Lophelia pertusaandDendrophyllia cornigera) were investigated in the Cap de Creus canyon (northwestern ...Mediterranean) by conducting and analysing 22 video survey transects. Species distribution patterns were also investigated at 3 spatial extents (km, 100s of m and m) across 3 of the transects using spatial statistics. Additionally, the locations of snagged benthic long-line fishing gear were logged across these 3 transects. Video surveys were carried out by both remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and the JAGO manned submersible. CWCs were present in 15 of the 22 survey transects, predominantly those covering areas with hard substrate (boulders or hardrock outcrops).M. oculatawas the most abundant CWC species in the survey transects, whereasL. pertusaandD. cornigerawere much more sparsely distributed, with only isolated colonies observed in the majority of transects.M. oculatashowed a significant contagious distribution pattern across the analysed transects, with several scales of spatial pattern and patch size being detected, whereasL. pertusaandD. cornigerawere not found in sufficient numbers to apply spatial statistics. Different covariance patterns were found across the transects between snagged fishing gear and the presence ofM. oculata. Further investigation of this relationship and the level of hazard posed by long-line fishing toM. oculatacolonies is required prior to development of a protective management strategy.
Jellyfish (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa) blooms appear to be increasing in both intensity and frequency in many coastal areas worldwide, due to multiple hypothesized anthropogenic stressors. Here, we propose ...that the proliferation of artificial structures - associated with (1) the exponential growth in shipping, aquaculture, and other coastal industries, and (2) coastal protection (collectively, "ocean sprawl") - provides habitat for jellyfish polyps and may be an important driver of the global increase in jellyfish blooms. However, the habitat of the benthic polyps that commonly result in coastal jellyfish blooms has remained elusive, limiting our understanding of the drivers of these blooms. Support for the hypothesized role of ocean sprawl in promoting jellyfish blooms is provided by observations and experimental evidence demonstrating that jellyfish larvae settle in large numbers on artificial structures in coastal waters and develop into dense concentrations of jellyfish-producing polyps.
Pelagia noctiluca stings are common in Mediterranean coastal areas and, although the venom is non-lethal, they are painful. Due to its high toxicity and abundance, P. noctiluca is considered a target ...species for the focus of research on active ingredients to reduce the symptoms of its sting. To determine the effect of 31 substances and formulations on nematocyst discharge, we performed three tests: (1) screening of per se discharge activator solutions, (2) inhibitory test with nematocyst chemical stimulation (5% acetic acid) and (3) inhibitory test quantifying the hemolytic area. Ammonia, barium chloride, bleach, scented ammonia, carbonated cola, lemon juice, sodium chloride and papain triggered nematocyst discharge. All of them were ruled out as potential inhibitors. Butylene glycol showed a reduction in nematocyst discharge, while the formulations of 10% lidocaine in ethanol, 1.5% hydroxyacetophenone in distilled water + butylene glycol, and 3% Symsitive® in butylene glycol inhibited nematocyst discharge. These last results were subsequently correlated with a significant decrease in hemolytic area in the venom assays versus seawater, a neutral solution. The presented data represent a first step in research to develop preventive products for jellyfish stings while at the same time attempting to clarify some uncertainties about the role of various topical solutions in P. noctiluca first-aid protocols.
In the present study, we addressed the spatial characterization and species assemblages of the planktonic cnidarian community (Siphonophorae, Hydromedusae, and Scyphomedusae) in winter, a period that ...has been the subject of few studies in the NW Mediterranean. Data were obtained on two oceanographic cruises, in February 2017 and 2018. In 2017, the early onset of spring conditions and the subsequent phytoplankton bloom favored a mixture of winter and spring species, resulting in a higher species richness but a lower abundance of cnidarians. However, the typical winter oceanographic conditions in 2018 allowed winter species populations to develop, leading to a higher abundance of cnidarians that year. The most abundant species in both winters were Lensia subtilis, Muggiaea kochii, Chelophyes appendiculata, Abylopsis tetragona (eudoxid), Aglaura hemistoma, and Velella velella rataria larvae, while Obelia spp. was particularly numerous in 2017. In both years, the cluster and redundancy analyses showed a coastal-offshore ordination in species assemblages resulting from the effect of environmental variables (particularly bathymetry) and oceanographic structures (water masses and the shelf-slope density front). The presence of submarine canyons, in which great depths are reached close to the coast, modified the circulation patterns, resulting in a mixture of coastal and offshore species in these areas. In the current scenario of global warming, our results will help to provide a baseline for identifying future changes in the structure of the planktonic cnidarian community.
•The abundance of cnidarians in winter was lower than in spring-summer.•The winter cnidarian community presented an “unexpected” high species richness.•The advancement of spring conditions greatly influenced the cnidarian community.•The cnidarian species assemblages presented a coastal-offshore ordination.•Bathymetry and oceanography defined the cnidarian species assemblages.
Massive occurrences of jellyfish can cause direct impacts on the economy, especially on tourism and commercial fisheries. Translocation of jellyfish species by humans has caused damaging blooms in ...new habitats. Aurelia aurita s.l. has been introduced in many locations around the world. To test the potential success of Au. aurita s.l. in various habitats, scyphistomae from different climatic locations (Mediterranean, Red and Baltic Seas) were cultured individually for 201 days at three temperatures (14, 21 and 28 °C) with the same salinity, food and light. We tested the null hypotheses that there were no differences in survival or asexual reproduction (budding and strobilation) amongst populations native (Mediterranean) and exotic (Red and Baltic). Survival of the three scyphistoma populations did not differ significantly across temperatures; however, the Red Sea group had lower survival at all temperatures than did the other populations. Most individuals strobilated at 14 °C. Red Sea scyphistomae strobilated more quickly than Baltic and Mediterranean Sea scyphistomae and produced the fewest ephyrae, whereas Baltic Sea scyphistomae produced the most. Our results indicate that Au. aurita from the Baltic or Red Seas introduced into the Northwest Mediterranean Sea would potentially persist and successfully asexually reproduce there. A new invader could even have greater asexual production than the local Au. aurita s.l. Establishment of the invaders could increase genetic variation of subsequent generations and increase their adaptability to environmental changes. Our results suggest that introduction of exotic Au. aurita s.l. populations could increase jellyfish blooms in the Mediterranean Sea.
In the Mediterranean Sea, gorgonians are among the main habitat‐forming species of benthic communities on the continental shelf and slope, playing an important ecological role in coral gardens.
In ...areas where bottom trawling is restricted, gorgonians represent one of the main components of trammel net bycatch. Since gorgonians are long‐lived and slow‐growing species, impacts derived from fishing activities can have far‐reaching and long‐lasting effects, jeopardizing their long‐term viability. Thus, mitigation and ecological restoration initiatives focusing on gorgonian populations on the continental shelf are necessary to enhance and speed up their natural recovery.
Bycatch gorgonians from artisanal fishermen were transplanted into artificial structures, which were then deployed at 85 m depth on the outer continental shelf of the marine protected area of Cap de Creus (north‐west Mediterranean Sea, Spain). After 1 year, high survival rates of transplanted colonies (87.5%) were recorded with a hybrid remotely operated vehicle.
This pilot study shows, for the first time, the survival potential of bycatch gorgonians once returned to their habitat on the continental shelf, and suggests the potential success of future scaled‐up restoration activities.
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