European Red List of Habitats Part 1. Marine habitats

The European Red List of Habitats provides an overview of the risk of collapse (degree of endangerment) of marine, terrestrial and freshwater habitats in the European Union (EU28) and adjacent regions (EU28+), based on a consistent set of categories and criteria, and detailed data and expert knowledge from involved countries1. A total of 257 benthic marine habitat types were assessed. In total, 19% (EU28) and 18% (EU28+) of the evaluated habitats were assessed as threatened in categories Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable. An additional 12% were Near Threatened in the EU28 and 11% in the EU28+. These figures are approximately doubled if Data Deficient habitats are excluded. The percentage of threatened habitat types differs across the regional seas. The highest proportion of threatened habitats in the EU28 was found in the Mediterranean Sea (32%), followed by the North-East Atlantic (23%), the Black Sea (13%) and then the Baltic Sea (8%). There was a similar pattern in the EU28+. The most frequently cited pressures and threats were similar across the four regional seas: pollution (eutrophication), biological resource use other than agriculture or forestry (mainly fishing but also aquaculture), natural system modifications (e.g. dredging and sea defence works), urbanisation and climate change. Even for habitats where the assessment outcome was Data Deficient, the Red List assessment process has resulted in the compilation of a substantial body of useful information to support the conservation of marine habitats

The Biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea: Estimates, Patterns, and Threats

The Mediterranean Sea is a marine biodiversity hot spot. Here we combined an extensive literature analysis with expert opinions to update publicly available estimates of major taxa in this marine ecosystem and to revise and update several species lists. We also assessed overall spatial and temporal patterns of species diversity and identified major changes and threats. Our results listed approximately 17,000 marine species occurring in the Mediterranean Sea. However, our estimates of marine diversity are still incomplete as yet—undescribed species will be added in the future. Diversity for microbes is substantially underestimated, and the deep-sea areas and portions of the southern and eastern region are still poorly known. In addition, the invasion of alien species is a crucial factor that will continue to change the biodiversity of the Mediterranean, mainly in its eastern basin that can spread rapidly northwards and westwards due to the warming of the Mediterranean Sea. Spatial patterns showed a general decrease in biodiversity from northwestern to southeastern regions following a gradient of production, with some exceptions and caution due to gaps in our knowledge of the biota along the southern and eastern rims. Biodiversity was also generally higher in coastal areas and continental shelves, and decreases with depth. Temporal trends indicated that overexploitation and habitat loss have been the main human drivers of historical changes in biodiversity. At present, habitat loss and degradation, followed by fishing impacts, pollution, climate change, eutrophication, and the establishment of alien species are the most important threats and affect the greatest number of taxonomic groups. All these impacts are expected to grow in importance in the future, especially climate change and habitat degradation. The spatial identification of hot spots highlighted the ecological importance of most of the western Mediterranean shelves (and in particular, the Strait of Gibraltar and the adjacent Alboran Sea), western African coast, the Adriatic, and the Aegean Sea, which show high concentrations of endangered, threatened, or vulnerable species. The Levantine Basin, severely impacted by the invasion of species, is endangered as well

Additional records of the alien gastropod, Ergalatax junionae Houart, 2008 (Gastropoda: Muricidae), from the eastern Mediterranean

The alien muricid gastropod Ergalatax junionae Houart, 2008 has been known to inhabit the shallow waters of the eastern Mediterranean. The chronology of its recorded observations, beginning in eastern Turkey and proceeding to the south and west, suggests that it was first introduced to eastern Turkey via shipping, and was then spread in the Levantine Sea. The recent record from Greece indicates that its range of distribution is still expanding. Here we report local population densities and additional records of E. junionae from the eastern Mediterranean basin, including its first occurrence from the Turkish coast of the Aegean Sea

Antioxidant status of Lobiger serradifalci and Oxynoe olivacea (Opisthobranchia, Mollusca)

Invasion of the Mediterranean Sea by the two world-wideb famous exotic algae species, Caulerpa taxifolia and Caulerpa racemosa, is still a problem and has adverse effects on the Mediterranean sublittoral ecosystem. Biological control studies revealed that the two native Sacoglossans, Oxynoe olivacea and Lobiger serradffialci, may have an effect on the expansion of invasive Caulerpa spp. in the Mediterranean. In the framework of this study, antioxidant enzyme activities, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), lipid peroxidation (LPO) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) levels, as oxidative stress markers in L. serradifalci and . olivacea were determined at two different temperature conditions (20 and 27 degreesC). In both species, SOD, CAT and GSH-Px activities were found to be positively correlated with temperature. The SOD activities in L. serradifalci were higher than those in O. olivacea at both temperatures, whereas the CAT and GSH-Px activities were significantly (p0.05) difference in L.serradifalci existed between GSSG levels at two temperatures. But, despite the variations in the antioxidant enzyme activities, there was no significant difference in LPO levels between the species, suggesting that the oxidative consequences of a given environmental condition may vary among different species. Inasmuch as the GSSG levels were in accordance with antioxidant enzyme activities, GSH might have acted as a cofactor of GSH-Px and an individual antioxidant in these sea slugs. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

A multi disciplinary overview of factors controlling on meiofauna assemblages around Maden and Alibey islands in Ayvalik (Balikesir, Eastern Aegean Sea)

In coastal parts of the study areas, heavy metals containing ground water flows along the faults and fractures and reaches at sea. In these contaminated waters, morphologically abnormal individuals of the affected meiofauna (benthic foraminifera, ostracod, mollusc) can be found. Three cores were taken from the seafloor in the four separate stations that are located in NW of Ayvalık village, around Alibey and Maden islands, and one core of each three core groups was studied in order to investigate the aforementioned morphological affects on the recent meiofauna, which have been inhibited in those contaminated waters. Lead, manganese, hematite and limonite deposits with small reserves were present in Alibey, Maden and Küçük (Small) Maden islands. Morphological changes and coloring were observed in tests of large number of Peneroplis, Lobatula, Ammonia and Elphidium samples collected from these areas. This observation vindicates impact of heavy metals onto the foraminifera assemblages. Heavy metals and other chemical and radioactive elements found in the surrounding country side have been naturally transported into the adjacent sea water during the past and present. The aim of this study is to figure out the effects of the chemical and radioactive elements, which were carried from the land on the meiofaunal (benthic foraminifera, ostracod and mollusc) assemblages. © 2017 Elsevier Lt

An updated review of alien species on the coasts of Turkey

WOS: 000299017200001This 2010 review of alien species along the coasts of Turkey represents a total of 400 alien species belonging to 14 systematic groups. The present paper also reports the first findings of Vanderhorstia mertensi in the Aegean Sea (Gokova Bay), Chama adspersa in the Sea of Marmara and Mya arenaria in the Aegean Sea. A total of 124 new alien species was determined within the last 5 years. Mollusca had the highest number of species (105 species), followed by Polychaeta (75 species), Crustacea (64 species) and Pisces (58 species). The highest number of alien species (330 species) were encountered on the Levantine coast of Turkey, followed by the Aegean Sea (165 species), Sea of Marmara (69 species) and Black Sea (20 species). The Suez Canal (66% of the total number of alien species) is the main vector for species introductions to the coasts of Turkey, followed by the shipmediated transport (30%). The majority of species (306 species, 76% of total number of species) have become established in the area, while 59 species are classified as casual (15%), 23 species as questionable (6%) and 13 species as cryptogenic (3%). One new alien species was introduced to the coasts of Turkey every 4 weeks between 199:1 and 2010. The majority of aliens were found on soft substratum (198 species) in shallow waters (0-10 m) (319 species). Some species such as Caulerpa racemosa, Amphistegina lobifera, Amphisorus hemprichii, Rhopilema nomadica, Mnemiopsis leidyi, Hydroides spp., Ficopomatus enigmaticus, Charybdis longicollis, Rapana venosa, Asterias rubens, Siganus spp. and Lagocephalus sceleratus show a highly invasive character, and have great impacts both on the prevailing ecosystems and humans