Ampelisca lusitanica (Crustacea: Amphipoda): new species for the Atlantic coast of Morocco

Background This study reports for the first time the presence of the Lusitanian ampeliscid amphipod Ampelisca lusitanica Bellan-Santini & Marques, 1986 in the northwestern Atlantic coast of Morocco. Methods Specimens were collected in January 2015 from intertidal rock pools along the El Jadida shoreline associated with the brown algae Bifurcaria bifurcata and Sargassum muticum. Results Systematic description of the species is presented, as well as a discussion of its ecological and geographical distribution. Conclusion This new finding extends the geographical distribution from the Lusitanian (Europe) to the Mauritanian (Africa) region and increases knowledge of the ecology and the global distribution of A. lusitanica found, previously, only on Portuguese and Spanish coasts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Spatiotemporal variation of the epifaunal assemblages associated to Sargassum muticum on the NW Atlantic coast of Morocco

Epifaunal assemblages inhabiting the non-indigenous macroalga Sargassum muticum (Yendo) Fensholt were investigated on two physically distinct intertidal rocky (S1) and sandy (S2) sites along the Atlantic coast of Morocco. The objective of this study was to test whether the habitat-forming marine alga S. muticum invasive in these sites supported different epifaunal assemblages under different environmental conditions and through time. The gastropods Steromphala umbilicalis, S. pennanti, and Rissoa parva and the isopod Dynamene bidentata were the most contributive species to the dissimilarity of epifaunal assemblage structure between both sites throughout seasons. SIMPER analysis showed a dissimilarity of 58.3-78.5% in the associated species composition of S. muticum between study sites with respect to sampling season. Species diversity and total abundance were significantly higher at the rocky site compared to the sandy site. PERMANOVA analyses showed significant differences of associated epifaunal assemblage structure for the season and site interaction. Accordingly, site and season were determinant factors conditioning the role of habitat in structuring epifaunal assemblages.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Fucalean algal forests in the Mediterranean Sea: current status and challenges for restoration

Fucalean brown algae of the genera Carpodesmia, Cystoseira and Treptacantha are a typical feature of shallow subtidal Mediterranean habitats, where these habitat-forming seaweeds produce canopies playing a key role in the functioning of coastal ecosystems. In recent decades these communities have undergone a major decline in cover and biomass; this has generated increasing interest towards their conservation and restoration. Recent modelling studies based on distribution data for 20 species showed that fucalean canopies are currently present along the Mediterranean coastline for 6,342.41 km out of a total coastal length of 46,000 km. Topographic coastal slope and nature of substrate were shown to be the main factors controlling their distribution. Factors considered proxies of human impact, such as the distance from ports and urban areas, were also identified as important, confirming the negative effects of pollution and urbanization on these communities. Recent restoration initiatives have utilized recruitment enhancement methods by ex situ and in situ techniques based on production of juvenile specimens in the laboratory and in the field, respectively. Successful reforestation at local scale was obtained for Carpodesmia amentacea in northern Italy, Treptacantha barbata in the Balearic Islands and Treptacantha elegans in Catalonia. These trials indicated also that heavy grazing and destructive storms represent major challenges for these projects. We conclude that large scale restoration is possible, but requires baseline information with an in-depth knowledge of the species ecology and of the areas to be restored, together with the development of cultivation protocols to make consistently efficient restoration interventions