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Rapid Assessment Survey of ascidians (Chordata: Tunicata) in marinas of SW Mediterranean

Julio Ubeda-Quesada1, Bárbara Iváñez-Rugero1, Elisa A. Martinez1, Andrés Izquierdo-Muñoz1 and Alfonso A. Ramos-Esplá1*
  • 1 Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alicante, Spain

Ports and marinas represent areas where alien species find adequate conditions to survive and resist and expanding at the local and regional level through shipping in the Mediterranean Sea (Ferrario et al. 2017; Ulman et al. 2017). In this regard, recreational boating is a major vector of the introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS) worldwide and ascidians are some of the most abundant introduced taxa (Lambert 2001). In order to know the ascidian community associated with marinas and its seasonal variation in the SW Mediterranean (Alicante, Spain), eight marinas have been selected and sampled using the RAS protocols (Pederson et al. 2003) in winter (March 2018) and summer (August, 2018), with a temperature range of 12.5 to 28.5ºC, respectively. Fifteen ascidian species have been identified on the different marinas along 200 km of coastline, where they were sampled by scraping the surfaces of floating pontoons, and submerged structures, such as hanging ropes, buoys and defenses were also surveyed. The biofouling communities showed clear differences between winter and summer (serpulids and bryozooans dominance) that were reflected in the ascidiofauna, particularly in colonial species. Thus, Clavelina lepadiformis, Botryllus schlosseri and Diplosoma listerianum dominated in winter; while Botrylloides cf. niger and Ecteinascidia turbinata in summer. Regarding the solitary ones, only Ciona intestinalis showed clear seasonal differences (appearance in winter); Microcosmus squamiger, Styela plicata, S. canopus and Ascidiella aspersa have been present all year. Between marinas, Guardamar (near the mouth of the Segura River) has shown great differences, with only one species (C. lepadiformis). Other interesting species, although less abundant, have been Aplidium aff. densun and Polyandrocarpa cf. zorritensis.

Acknowledgements

To the personnel of the marinas of the coast of Alicante who has facilitated us the work of the sampling

References

Ferrario J, Marchini A, Caronni S, Occhipinti-Ambrogi A (2017). Role of commercial harbours and recreational marinas for the spread of fouling non-indigenous species. Biofouling 33(8):651–660. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927014.2017.1351958. Lambert G (2001). A Global Overview of Ascidian Introductions and Their Possible Impact on the Endemic Fauna. In: H Sawada, H Yokosawa, CC Lambert (Eds.). The Biology of Ascidians. Springer-Verlag, Tokyo: 249-257. Pederson J, Bullock R, Carlton J, Dijkstra J, Dobroski N, Dyrynda P, Fisher R, Harris L, Hobbs N, Lambert G, Lazo-Wasen E, Mathieson A, Miglietta, MP, Smith J, Tyrrell M (2005). Marine Invaders in the Northeast. Rapid assessment survey of non-native and native marine species of floating dock communities. Report August 2003. US Environmental Protection Agency, 40 pp. Ulman A, Ferrario J, Occhpinti-Ambrogi A, Arvanitidis C, Bandi A, Bertolino M, Bogi C, Chatzigeorgiou G, Çiçek BA, Deidun A, Ramos-Esplá AA, Koçak C, Lorenti M, Martinez-Laiz G, Merlo G, Princisgh E, Scribano G, Marchini A 2017. A massive update of non-indigenous species records in Mediterranean marinas. PeerJ 5: e3954. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3954

Keywords: ascidians, alien, Biofouling, Marinas, SW Mediterranean

Conference: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) , Braga, Portugal, 9 Sep - 12 Sep, 2019.

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Topic: Global Change, Invasive Species and Conservation

Citation: Ubeda-Quesada J, Iváñez-Rugero B, Martinez EA, Izquierdo-Muñoz A and Ramos-Esplá AA (2019). Rapid Assessment Survey of ascidians (Chordata: Tunicata) in marinas of SW Mediterranean. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) . doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00130

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Received: 14 May 2019; Published Online: 27 Sep 2019.

* Correspondence: Prof. Alfonso A Ramos-Esplá, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, 03690, Spain, alfonso.ramos@ua.es