Predicting diversity in benthic macro-scale communities associated with mussel matrices in three Pacific ecoregions

Scottish Funding Council. Grant Number: HR09011Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Βιοποικιλότητα βενθικών βιοκοινοτήτων σε παράκτια οικοσυστήματα, με έμφαση στα βιογενή ενδιαιτήματα

Disentangling the complex relations between environmental conditions, biodiversity and ecosystem functions is the next challenge of ecology, amid rapid loss of habitats, biota, and services. Environmental assessment has been mainly based on taxonomic diversity, species lists and their ecological preferences. However, this approach gives few opportunities for comparisons across areas, shows low detectability upon fragmentation of the biogenic habitats, omits relation to functions, and is undermined by frequent revisions of species taxonomy (such as the recent major revamping of polychaetes diversity). In addition to the increase of uncertainty in taxonomic diversity, there is still a lack of even basic knowledge about the functioning of the Mediterranean benthic habitat types, or the role of biogenic structures, despite the widely accepted potential of functional diversity in monitoring. In this context, this thesis aims to: (a) outline limits of our knowledge and update information on the Greek polychaete species diversity and their habitat preferences, (b) study functioning on several Mediterranean benthic habitats (with a focus on biogenic structure). The outcomes may significantly aid taxonomic research, biodiversity cataloguing, environmental assessment, and implementation of European Directives. Research was based on the analysis of 145 samples from 14 habitat types (0.2 – 431m depth) and was structured in six chapters. In Chapter 1, the uncertainty level was outlined per polychaete family (over 50% in 16 families), the species inventory was updated with 13 new additions, and habitat distributions were provided for 258 species. However, evidence indicated that several taxa remain undescribed in Greece. In Chapter 2, Paucibranchia adenensis was redescribed (new addition to the Mediterranean Sea), along with two similar species (P. purcellana, P. gemmata) and their differentiating characters were renewed. Also, a compilation of their habitat occurrences revealed similar and quite specialized preferences to biogenic habitats (Posidonia sheaths, kelps, corals, shell-debris). Chapter 3 focuses on the redescription and ecology of Gallardoneris iberica (new addition to the eastern Mediterranean basin). It was frequently found in sands with phytal presence, but was also present in enriched substrates, including industrial/aquaculture waste disposals, indicating tolerance to disturbance. In Chapter 4, initial multivariate and probabilistic analyses on 20 traits showed that modalities greatly varied among species and four major functional groups were distinguished. These were mostly shaped by habitat-engineering types, possibly reflecting a large part of their life strategies. In Chapter 5, an investigation of the functional diversity in eleven habitat types revealed that presence of biogenic structure shifted dominance of the functional guilds and affected important functions. Rigid structures showed several similarities across rhodoliths, mollusc-shell debris, and Posidonia beds, whilst dissimilarities were found between seagrass beds. Posidonia beds and Bathyal Muds showed unique modalities and significantly different functional richness (higher and lower respectively). Chapter 6 focuses on the vulnerability of benthic functioning in biogenic habitats, by studying different types of Posidonia beds and piloting an indicator of habitat fragmentation impact. Plain meadows and patchy formations differentiated in functional compositions and diversity. However, overlap was found between plain meadow and dead mattes, because of the remaining below-ground structure of the latter, which indicates the need for its protection. Finally, ecosystem engineering types showed high potential of use as an ecological indicator in cases of anthropogenic modification of Posidonia oceanica structure.Η αποκρυπτογράφηση της σχέσης μεταξύ περιβαλλοντικών συνθηκών, βιοποικιλότητας και οικοσυστημικών λειτουργιών αποτελεί την επόμενη πρόκληση της οικολογίας, ενόψει της ταχείας απώλειας ενδιαιτημάτων, οργανισμών και οικοσυστημικών υπηρεσιών. Ως τώρα, η εκτίμηση της περιβαλλοντικής υποβάθμισης βασίζεται κυρίως στην ταξινομική ποικιλότητα, σε λίστες τυπικών ειδών και στα οικολογικά χαρακτηριστικά τους. Παρόλα αυτά, αυτή η προσέγγιση αφήνει λίγα περιθώρια για συγκρίσεις μεταξύ οικοπεριοχών, παρουσιάζει μικρή διακριτική ικανότητα σε περιπτώσεις κατακερματισμού ενδιαιτήματος, παραβλέπει τη σύνδεση με τις οικοσυστημικές λειτουργίες και υπομονεύεται από συχνές αναθεωρήσεις στην ταξινόμηση ειδών (όπως τις πρόσφατες σημαντικές αναθεωρήσεις στην Ταξοκοινωνία των πολύχαιτων). Παράλληλα, απουσιάζει ακόμη και η βασική γνώση για τη λειτουργικότητα των μεσογειακών βενθικών ενδιαιτημάτων, ή για τον συγκεκριμένο ρόλο της βιογενούς δομής σε αυτήν, παρόλο που η λειτουργική ποικιλότητα παρουσιάζει αδιαμφησβήτητα μεγάλες δυνατότητες στην περιβαλλοντική παρακολούθηση. Σε αυτό το πλαίσιο, η παρούσα διατριβή στοχεύει να (α) οριοθετήσει τα γνωστικά μας όρια και να επικαιροποιήσει την πληροφορία σχετικά με την ταξινομική ποικιλότητα των πολύχαιτων στις ελληνικές θάλασσες, καθώς και των οικολογικών χαρακτηριστικών τους, (β) μελετήσει τη λειτουργικότητα σε πολυάριθμα Μεσογειακά βενθικά ενδιαιτήματα (με έμφαση στη βιογενή δομή). Τα αποτελέσματα της διατριβής μπορούν να ενδυναμώσουν την ταξινομική έρευνα, την καταγραφή της βιοποικιλότητας, την περιβαλλοντική εκτίμηση και την υλοποίηση Ευρωπαϊκών Οδηγιών. Η διδακτορική έρευνα βασίστηκε στην ανάλυση 145 βενθικών δειγμάτων από 14 τύπους ενδιαιτημάτων (0,2-431 m βάθος) και δομήθηκε σε 6 κεφάλαια. Στο Κεφάλαιο 1, εκτιμήθηκε το επίπεδο της αβεβαιότητας ανά οικογένεια (άνω του 50% σε 16 οικογένειες), η λίστα ειδών επικαιροποιήθηκε με 13 νέες καταγραφές και παρουσιάστηκε η κατανομή 258 ειδών σε διαφορετικούς τύπους ενδιαιτημάτων. Παρόλα αυτά, υπάρχουν ενδείξεις ότι στις ελληνικές θάλασσες παραμένουν πολυάριθμα τάξα που δεν έχουν εντοπιστεί και περιγραφεί. Στο Κεφάλαιο 2, πραγματοποιήθηκε επαναπεριγραφή του Paucibranchia adenensis (νέα καταγραφή στη Μεσόγειο Θάλασσα), μαζί με δύο παρόμοια είδη (P. purcellana, P. gemmata), καθώς και επικαιροποιήθηκαν τα διαφοροδιαγνωστικά τους χαρακτηριστικά. Επίσης, η συλλογή των οικολογικών τους χαρακτηριστικών έδειξε ανάλογη και εξειδικευμένη προτίμηση σε βιογενή ενδιαιτήματα (Ποσειδώνια, κέλπιες, κοράλλια, βιογενή θρύμματα). Το Κεφάλαιο 3 εστιάζει στην επαναπεριγραφή και οικολογία του Gallardoneris iberica (νέα καταγραφή στην ανατολική Μεσόγειο). Βρέθηκε κυρίως σε άμμους με φυτική παρουσία, καθώς και σε υποστρώματα με υψηλό οργανικό φορτίο, συμπεριλαμβάνοντας ιχθυοκαλλιέργειες και βιομηχανικές περιοχές. Συνεπώς, η κατανομή του αποτελεί ένδειξη ανθεκτικότητας στην ρύπανση. Στο Κεφάλαιο 4, εφαρμόστηκαν προκαταρκτικές αναλύσεις σε 20 λειτουργικά χαρακτηριστικά και παρουσιάστηκε ευρεία ποικιλία μεταξύ των 258 ειδών, όπου ομαδοποιήθηκαν σε 4 κύριες λειτουργικές ομάδες. Το σημαντικότερο ρόλο στην ομαδοποίηση παρουσίασαν τα λειτουργικά χαρακτηριστικά που συνδέονται με την μηχανική οικοσυστήματος. Στο Κεφάλαιο 5 διερευνήθηκε η λειτουργική ποικιλότητα σε 11 τύπους ενδιαιτημάτων και βρέθηκε ότι τα πρότυπα κυριαρχίας των λειτουργικών ομάδων και κατ΄ επέκταση οι σημαντικές λειτουργίες, επηρεάστηκαν κυρίως από την παρουσία βιογενούς δομής. Τα λιβάδια Ποσειδωνίας και οι βαθύαλες λάσπες παρουσίασαν μοναδικά λειτουργικά χαρακτηριστικά και σημαντικά διαφορετική λειτουργική ποικιλότητα από τους άλλους τύπους ενδιαιτημάτων (υψηλότερη και χαμηλότερη αντίστοιχα). Το Κεφάλαιο 6 εστιάζει στην τρωτότητα της βενθικής λειτουργικότητας, μελετώντας διαφορετικούς τύπους λιβαδιών Ποσειδωνίας. Σημαντικές διαφορές στην λειτουργική σύνθεση και ποικιλότητα βρέθηκαν μεταξύ του αδιατάρακτου και του τροποποιημένου λιβαδιού. Αντιθέτως, ομοιότητες παρουσιάστηκαν μεταξύ του αδιατάρακτου λιβαδιού και του νεκρού πάγκου, λόγω της υπόγειας πολύπλοκης δομής που διατηρείται στο τελευταίο, γεγονός που αποτελεί ένδειξη ανάγκης προστασίας των νεκρών πάγκων. Τέλος, η κατηγοριοποίηση των ειδών σε τύπους μηχανικών οικοσυστήματος φάνηκε να διαθέτει σημαντικές δυνατότητες στην εκτίμηση επιπτώσεων κατακερματισμού ενδιαιτήματος

The rare subgroup C 1 of Marphysa (Polychaeta, Eunicidae): re-description of species and first records in the Mediterranean Sea

Katsiaras, Nikolaos, Simboura, Nomiki, Koutsoubas, Drosos (2014): The rare subgroup C 1 of Marphysa (Polychaeta, Eunicidae): re-description of species and first records in the Mediterranean Sea. Zootaxa 3873 (3): 201-217, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3873.3.

Macrobenthic molluscs from a marine - lagoonal environmental transition in Lesvos Island (Greece)

This paper describes an occurence dataset, also including numerical abundance and biomass data, pertaining to the macrobenthic molluscan assemblages from a marine - lagoonal environmental transition. The study system was the soft-substrate benthoscape of the area of the Kalloni solar saltworks (Lesvos Island, Greece). Specifically, the study area extended from the infralittoral zone of the inner Kalloni Gulf (marine habitat) to the bottoms of the first two evaporation ponds of the Kalloni solar saltworks (lagoonal habitat). Bottom sediment samples (3 replicates) were collected with a Van Veen grab sampler (0.1 m2) at four sampling sites, along a 1.5 km long line transect that spanned the marine - lagoonal environmental transition. A total of four surveys were carried out seasonally in 2004. A total of 39,345 molluscan individuals were sorted out of the sediment samples and were identified to 71 species, belonging to the Gastropoda (36), Bivalvia (34) and Scaphopoda (1) classes. Numerical abundance and wet biomass (with shells) data are included in the dataset. The dataset described in the present paper partially fills a significant gap in the scientific literature: Because ecological research of coastal lagoons has seldom explicitly considered the marine - lagoonal habitats interface, there are no openly accessible datasets pertaining to the particular structural component of the transitional waters benthoscapes of the Mediterranean Sea. Such datasets could prove valuable in the research of the structure and functioning of transitional waters benthoscapes. The present dataset is available as a supplementary file (Suppl. material 1) and can also be accessed at http://ipt.medobis.eu/resource?r=kalloni_saltworks_phd

Anthropogenic disturbance of coastal habitats promotes the spread of the introduced scleractinian coral Oculina patagonica in the Mediterranean Sea

The extensive human-mediated modifications of shallow coastal habitats drastically alter selection regimes and may assist alien invasions. The preferential colonization of anthropogenic hard substrata by a non-indigenous scleractinian coral (Oculina patagonica) was investigated in a highly disturbed coastal area, along the eastern Saronikos Gulf (Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean). Although the species occurred on both natural and anthropogenic substrata at similar frequencies, its abundance was substantially higher on the latter, indicating novel space availability as a factor enhancing the coral’s invasiveness. The species was present along the shallow (0.5 – 5 m) infralittoral zone of the studied coastline and its percent cover exceeded 50% in some sites of anthropogenic hard substrata. The occupancy of the species declined with distance from a highly disturbed industrialized/urbanized area (port of Piraeus). After its first finding close to the port of Piraeus (presumably by shipping) in 2005, O. patagonica has been spreading rapidly along the adjacent coastlines and is contributing to a further modification of shallow hard substratum habitats.JRC.H.1-Water Resource

Polychaetes of Greece: an updated and annotated checklist

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. 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

Anthropogenic disturbance of coastal habitats promotes the spread of the introduced scleractinian coral Oculina patagonica in the Mediterranean Sea

The extensive human-mediated modifications of shallow coastal habitats drastically alter selection regimes and may assist alien invasions. The preferential colonization of anthropogenic hard substrata by a non-indigenous scleractinian coral (Oculina patagonica) was investigated in a highly disturbed coastal area, along the eastern Saronikos Gulf (Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean). Although the species occurred on both natural and anthropogenic substrata at similar frequencies, its abundance was substantially higher on the latter, indicating novel space availability as a factor enhancing the coral’s invasiveness. The species was present along the shallow (0.5 – 5 m) infralittoral zone of the studied coastline and its percent cover exceeded 50% in some sites of anthropogenic hard substrata. The occupancy of the species declined with distance from a highly disturbed industrialized/urbanized area (port of Piraeus). After its first finding close to the port of Piraeus (presumably by shipping) in 2005, O. patagonica has been spreading rapidly along the adjacent coastlines and is contributing to a further modification of shallow hard substratum habitats.JRC.H.1-Water Resource

Relating benthic sensitivity and status to spatial distribution and intensity of trawling in the Eastern Mediterranean

The ecosystem approach to fisheries management needs information of not just where bottom trawlers operate but also on their impact on the seabed, which is also highly relevant to the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) Descriptor D6, seafloor integrity. In this study, we assess the benthic impact of bottom trawling in the Eastern Mediterranean in areas primarily fished by the Greek fleet. Seabed habitat sensitivity was modelled using macrofaunal longevity and biomass relationship based on data from more than 800 locations, representing 9 MSFD benthic habitats, and benthic status was assessed using the relative benthic status indicator. The pressure of seabed trawling was higher in circalittoral mud and circalittoral sand habitats showing a heterogeneous distribution pattern with intensive trawling in localized areas mainly coastal. Benthic status was high for all habitats reflecting the low trawling intensity and impact in most of the study area compared to other regions of Mediterranean or European waters. The results constitute the benchmark for benthic status in relation to trawling intensity in Eastern Mediterranean allowing to identify regions that are most at risk, and to prioritize management actions

Polychaetes (Annelida) of Cyprus (Eastern Mediterranean Sea): An Updated and Annotated Checklist including New Distribution Records

The diversity and distribution of polychaetes in the coastal area and the EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus is presented based on both the literature records and new data acquired in a wide range of environmental monitoring programmes and research projects. A total of 585 polychaete species belonging to 49 families were reported in Cyprus waters; among them, 205 species (34%) were recorded based on the literature only, 149 (26%) were new records based on our own data, and a total of 231 spp. (40%) were recorded from both the literature and new data. A total of 51 polychaete species were identified as non-indigenous; among them, 32 were confirmed as alien species, 4 were considered cryptogenic, and 15 were considered questionable as there were doubts about their identity. The Indo-Pacific Schistomeringos loveni was reported for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, while four species already reported in the literature, namely, Bispira melanostigma, Fimbriosthenelais longipinnis Leonnates aylaoberi, and Rhodopsis pusilla, were added to the list of non-indigenous polychaetes in the Mediterranean Sea. The current work highlights the importance of implementing environmental monitoring programmes and carrying out research surveys targeting benthic macrofauna assemblages