Search

This work aimed to collect the available material on the presence of marine Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) in the Mediterranean countries starting with existing national inventories and updating with new species records observed until December 2020 and other taxonomic and status amendments as appropriate. The final outcome is the result of a collaborative process between national and regional experts, involving detailed exchange of information and the building of consensus on the final lists to be used as the baselines for the implementation of the Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme for the Mediterranean. (IMAP). In total, 1011 non-indigenous species have been found in Mediterranean marine waters, of which 748 are currently considered established. The highest number of species is observed in Israel, Turkey, Lebanon and Italy. Approximately 50 species were categorized as Data Deficient, eitherdue to lack of consensus on their alien status or the validity of their identification. Polychaeta and Foraminifera were the taxonomic groups with the highest number of controversial species.There was a general increase in the yearly rate of new NIS introductions after the late 1990’s, which appears to be slowing down in the last decade. The refined NIS inventories are and important step for the full operationalization of the Common Indicator 6 for alien species in the context of IMAP.

10 Mediterranean Operational Network for the Global Ocean Observing System (MONGOOS) Workshop, 10 Years of Operational Oceanography in the Mediterranean Sea - Towards a Full Ocean Data Integration, 26-27 October 2021, Scientific research priorities and the need for assessing the marine environmental status and appropriately manage natural resources have encouraged the development of multidisciplinary and a wide range of observing capabilities, ranging from discrete in situ sampling to the use of large scale satellite remote sensing. In addition, long-term efforts have been made by the EU as well as by international organisations (EMODnet, Copernicus, OBIS, IODE, Reef Check ¿) to collect, harmonise and make data and information available to different types of end-users. However, due to the complex and rapidly changing dynamics of marine ecosystems, current monitoring procedures in the Mediterranean need to be revised to address current and most urgent environmental threats. The Interreg Med project SHAREMED (Sharing and enhancing capabilities to address environmental threats in the Mediterranean Sea) organized a virtual workshop aimed to share knowledge on the state of the art of observation systems and to identify the main environmental threats in the Mediterranean Sea. Leading representatives of major international projects and initiatives in marine observation systems and relevant to address the main environmental threats the Mediterranean Sea participated in the workshop. Also, a wide range of stakeholders (research institutions, national, regional and local authorities, NGOs) across the Mediterranean region attended the online workshop while others were contributed through a SHAREMED online survey. The information gathered helped to compare data and information available from current observation systems with the needs to address present and future threats, and thus to identify and prioritise gaps that should be addressed in designing a future transnational joint observation system. The outcomes of the SHAREMED stakeholder consultation highlighted the need to improve, upgrade and integrate physical, biological and chemical observations and assessment systems to cover from high-resolution/small-scale to large scale processes. In addition, the results from this poll highlighted the need for more efficient governance, the establishment of cooperation frameworks, increase data sharing among different entities involved in marine monitoring and assessment and between neighbouring countries, as well as ensuring long-term sustainability of the transnational joint observation system

This Collective Article presents information on 37 taxa belonging to 6 Phyla and extending from the western Mediterranean to the Levantine Sea. The new records were found in 10 countries as follows: Algeria: first reports on the presence of the fish species Lesueurigobius sanzi, L. friesii, L. suerii and Luvarus imperiali; France: first record of the alien nudibranch Godiva quadricolor; Italy: first record of an adult-sized red emperor snapper Lutjanus sebae from the southern Tyrrhenian Sea; first record of the pantropical rhodophyte Chondria curvilineata and the Lessepsian fish Siganus luridus from southern Sicily; record of a large pregnant female Dusky shark Carcharhinus obscurus off Sicily; Albania: first record of the fish Ruvettus pretiosus, new records of the alien molluscs Conomurex persicus, Bursatella leachii, Dendostrea cf. folium, Fulvia fragilis and Ruditapes philippinarum and additional report of the alien bivalve Pinctada imbricata radiata; Montenegro: first record of the sea slug Thecacera pennigera in the Adriatic Sea; Greece: first record of the invasive calcarean sponge Paraleucilla magna in Greek waters; occupancy estimation of the established cryptogenic rhodophyte Ganonema farinosum, the alien crustacean Percnon gibbesi and the alien fish species Fistularia commersonii, Siganus luridus, and S. rivulatus along the Cretan coastline; first record of the alien mollusc Sticteulimalentiginosa in Greek waters suggesting a westward unintentional expansion of this species; Turkey:photographic evidence of interactions of the monk seal Monachus monachus with sea-cage farms in the Turkish Aegean Sea and first record of the yellow boxfish Ostracion cubicus in the Turkish Mediterranean; Cyprus: first records of the rare speleophilic fish Thorogobius ephippiatus and Grammonus ater in Cyprus, extending the known distribution of the latter Mediterranean endemic species eastwards; first records of the alien fish Kyphosus vaigiensis and the alien crustacean species Macrophthalmus indicusand Carupa tenuipes as well as additional records of the alien echinoderm Diadema setosum and the alien ascidian Symplegma brakenhielmi in the country; Lebanon: first report on the presence of the four alien fish species Cephalopholis taeniops, Equulites popei, Pseudupeneus prayensis and Sphoeroides pachygaster; Egypt: first record of the Lessepsian fish Synchiropus sechellensisin the Egyptian Mediterranean waters.

In the present article, new records are given for 18 species (6 native, 9 alien and 3 cryptogenic), belonging to 5 Phyla (i.e. Chlorophyta, Cnidaria, Annelida, Mollusca and Chordata), from 8 Mediterranean countries: Spain: A large population of Polycerella emertoni reported from the Ebro Delta, the presence of Spinimuricea klavereni is confirmed for the first time in the Catalan coast; Italy: the new record of Cryptonome turcica extends its distribution to the western Mediterranean Sea, the findings of Mawia benovici constitute the southernmost record of this species in the Adriatic Sea; Slovenia: second record of the alien seaslug Cuthona perca in the Mediterranean Sea; Montenegro: Styela plicata communities were recorded in Boka Kotorska Bay; Albania: the native great torpedo ray Tetronarce nobiliana recorded for the first time in Albanian waters; Greece: first record of Lagocephalus sceleratus in the Greek side of the Adriatic, the records of Cassiopea andromeda and Pterois miles are first records of these species from the Ionian Sea, the colonial ascidians Aplidium coeruleum and Didemnum protectum are recorded for the first time in the Eastern Mediterranean, an extremely abundant population of Melibe viridis is found in Messolonghi lagoon, the record of Synchiropus sechellensis is the range expansion of this species in Greek Seas, Acetabularia caliculus is recorded for the first time from Greece; Cyprus: first records of Callionymus filamentosus and Haminoea cyanomarginata from the island; Turkey: the presence of Berthellina citrina in the Mediterranean is confirmed. © 2018 Mediterranean Marine Science.

This Collective Article presents information on 37 taxa belonging to 6 Phyla and extending from the western Mediterranean to the Levantine Sea. The new records were found in 10 countries as follows: Algeria: first reports on the presence of the fish species Lesueurigobius sanzi, L. friesii, L. suerii and Luvarus imperiali; France: first record of the alien nudibranch Godiva quadricolor; Italy: first record of an adult-sized red emperor snapper Lutjanus sebae from the southern Tyrrhenian Sea; first record of the pantropical rhodophyte Chondria curvilineata and the Lessepsian fish Siganus luridus from southern Sicily; record of a large pregnant female Dusky shark Carcharhinus obscurus off Sicily; Albania: first record of the fish Ruvettus pretiosus, new records of the alien molluscs Conomurex persicus, Bursatella leachii, Dendostrea cf. folium, Fulvia fragilis and Ruditapes philippinarum and additional report of the alien bivalve Pinctada imbricata radiata; Montenegro: first record of the sea slug Thecacera pennigera in the Adriatic Sea; Greece: first record of the invasive calcarean sponge Paraleucilla magna in Greek waters; occupancy estimation of the established cryptogenic rhodophyte Ganonema farinosum, the alien crustacean Percnon gibbesi and the alien fish species Fistularia commersonii, Siganus luridus, and S. rivulatus along the Cretan coastline; first record of the alien mollusc Sticteulima lentiginosa in Greek waters suggesting a westward unintentional expansion of this species; Turkey: photographic evidence of interactions of the monk seal Monachus monachus with sea-cage farms in the Turkish Aegean Sea and first record of the yellow boxfish Ostracion cubicus in the Turkish Mediterranean; Cyprus: first records of the rare speleophilic fish Thorogobius ephippiatus and Grammonus ater in Cyprus, extending the known distribution of the latter Mediterranean endemic species eastwards; first records of the alien fish Kyphosus vaigiensis and the alien crustacean species Macrophthalmus indicus and Carupa tenuipes as well as additional records of the alien echinoderm Diadema setosum and the alien ascidian Symplegma brakenhielmi in the country; Lebanon: first report on the presence of the four alien fish species Cephalopholis taeniops, Equulites popei, Pseudupeneus prayensis and Sphoeroides pachygaster; Egypt: first record of the Lessepsian fish Synchiropus sechellensis in the Egyptian Mediterranean waters.

Non-indigenous species introduction is one of the four biggest treat for the Mediterranean environment. Even in the countries where Action Plans concerning species introductions are existing usually is very difficult to implement many of planed measures. Furthermore development of coordinated international measures and collaboration between countries is not only recommended but in many cases obligatory for successful implementation of Action Plans. In Montenegro and Croatia there is no specific Action Plan concerning marine species introductions or invasive species, but only some general guidelines as parts of Strategies for protection of biodiversity. One of the recommendations in both countries is making a regional scientific data base that can be used for further monitoring and decision-making. For these reasons we collected all available data on alochtonous species in the south Adriatic Sea. List of 62 species is created, including information on their ecology, species origin, time and location of first record in this region, and other data of distribution, most possible vectors of transportation and status of population.