Ekološka studija o razmnožavanju endolitskih babica na pješčenjaku tršćanskog zaljeva

The present research aimed at evaluating the importance of endolithic holes for the spawning of blennies and at studying the selection and utilization of holes by blennies in the Gulf of Trieste. The study was conducted using the all-occurrence sampling method, a non-destructive visual census method, aided by SCUBA. Resident, egg-guarding males of Lipophrys dalmatinus, Lipophrys canevae, Aidablennius sphynx, Parablennius incognitus, Parablennius zvonimiri and Parablennius rouxi were caught. Speciesspecific differences in the utilization of holes were found for species that nest in endolithic holes. Smaller species (e.g. Lipophrys dalmatinus and Lipophrys canevae) choose holes that are little larger than their heads and approximately as long as their body, which prevent small males from being dislodged by bigger ones. Bigger species that are probably less exposed to interspecific competition for holes, choose mostly holes with an entrance diameter twice as big as their head diameter and much longer than their body. Species living in shallow waters (e.g. Aidablennius sphynx) prefer hole positions exposed to daylight, while species living in deeper waters were mostly found in the shade of boulders and rocks.Cilj ovog rada je istaknuti značaj endolitskih rupa za razmnožavanje endolitskih babica i proučavanje načina odabira i uporabe istih u tršćanskom zaljevu. U radu su primjenjene metode neselektivnog uzorkovanja i vizualna metoda potpomognuta SCUBA promatranjem. Uzorkovani su primjerci mužjaka koji su čuvali polegnuta jaja od grabežljivaca. Zamjećena je različita uporaba rupa ovisno o vrsti koja se razmnožava u endolitskim rupama. Manji primjerci odabiru rupe koje su nešto veće od njihove glave i približno njihove duljine tijela što spriječava mogučnost da manji mužjaci budu istjerani iz rupe od strane većih primjeraka mužjaka. Veći primjerci koji su manje izloženi međusobnom natjecanju za rupu, pretežito biraju rupe sa ulazom čiji je dijametar otvora dvostruko veći od dijametra njihovih glava i veći je od duljine njihovih tijela. Primjerci koji žive u plitkim vodama imaju sklonosti prema rupama izloženim sunčevoj svjetlosti, dok su primjerci iz dubljeg mora pronađeni u sjenovitim mjestima ispod velikih morskih stijena

Najprikladnije vrijeme i dubina za uzorkovanje livada morske cvjetnice Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Ascherson, u plitkom obalnom području. Iskustva iz sjevernog Jadrana

The Lesser Neptune grass, Cymodocea nodosa, is the most common seagrass species in shallow sheltered to semi-exposed sites along the Mediterranean soft bottom. The MediSkew index was recently developed as an improvement of the CymSkew index, in order to assess the status of C. nodosa meadows correctly in view of the implementation of three European Directives. The index takes into account the length of the photosynthetic part of C. nodosa leaves, which increases from the less degraded meadow to the most degraded meadow. To adequately assess temporal and spatial trends in the status of C. nodosa meadows, including estimates of the effects of natural disturbances within marine protected areas, the MediSkew index was applied to new samples collected at 3 m and at 6 m of depth, during two months (in July and in September). The analyses are discussed in view of monitoring and conservation of C. nodosa meadows. According to the results of this study, the monitoring programme in the northern Adriatic Sea should be conducted in July, with the collection of samples at 3 m of depth. The presented sampling and assessing methodology proved to be time- and cost-effective for the evaluation of the status of C. nodosa meadows and of human-induced pressures.Čvorasta morska resa, Cymodocea nodosa, najučestalija je vrsta morske cvjetnice u plitkim zaklonjenim i poluzaklonjenim uvalama duž mediteranskog mekog dna. MediSkew indeks je nedavno razvijen kao poboljšanje indeksa CymSkew u cilju ispravne procjene stanja livada vrste C. nodosa u skladu s provedbom triju europskih direktiva. Indeks u obzir uzima duljinu foto sintetskog dijela lišća C. nodosa, koji se povećava od manje do najviše degradirane livade. Kako bi se na odgovarajući način procijenili vremenski i prostorni trendovi stanja livada vrste C. nodosa, uključujući procjene učinaka prirodnih poremećaja unutar zaštićenih morskih područja, MediSkew indeks primijenjen je na nove uzorke prikupljene na 3m dubine i na 6m dubine, tijekom srpnja i rujna. Analize su rađene s obzirom na praćenje i očuvanje livada vrsteC. nodosa. Prema rezultatima ovog istraživanja, program praćenja u sjevernom Jadranu trebao bi biti proveden u srpnju, a uzorci bi se prikupljali na 3m dubine. Prikazana metodologija uzorkovanja i procjenjivanja pokazala se vremenski i troškovno učinkovita za procjenu stanja livada vrste C. nodosa i ljudskog utjecaja na njih

Najprikladnije vrijeme i dubina za uzorkovanje livada morske cvjetnice Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Ascherson, u plitkom obalnom području. Iskustva iz sjevernog Jadrana

The Lesser Neptune grass, Cymodocea nodosa, is the most common seagrass species in shallow sheltered to semi-exposed sites along the Mediterranean soft bottom. The MediSkew index was recently developed as an improvement of the CymSkew index, in order to assess the status of C. nodosa meadows correctly in view of the implementation of three European Directives. The index takes into account the length of the photosynthetic part of C. nodosa leaves, which increases from the less degraded meadow to the most degraded meadow. To adequately assess temporal and spatial trends in the status of C. nodosa meadows, including estimates of the effects of natural disturbances within marine protected areas, the MediSkew index was applied to new samples collected at 3 m and at 6 m of depth, during two months (in July and in September). The analyses are discussed in view of monitoring and conservation of C. nodosa meadows. According to the results of this study, the monitoring programme in the northern Adriatic Sea should be conducted in July, with the collection of samples at 3 m of depth. The presented sampling and assessing methodology proved to be time- and cost-effective for the evaluation of the status of C. nodosa meadows and of human-induced pressures.Čvorasta morska resa, Cymodocea nodosa, najučestalija je vrsta morske cvjetnice u plitkim zaklonjenim i poluzaklonjenim uvalama duž mediteranskog mekog dna. MediSkew indeks je nedavno razvijen kao poboljšanje indeksa CymSkew u cilju ispravne procjene stanja livada vrste C. nodosa u skladu s provedbom triju europskih direktiva. Indeks u obzir uzima duljinu foto sintetskog dijela lišća C. nodosa, koji se povećava od manje do najviše degradirane livade. Kako bi se na odgovarajući način procijenili vremenski i prostorni trendovi stanja livada vrste C. nodosa, uključujući procjene učinaka prirodnih poremećaja unutar zaštićenih morskih područja, MediSkew indeks primijenjen je na nove uzorke prikupljene na 3m dubine i na 6m dubine, tijekom srpnja i rujna. Analize su rađene s obzirom na praćenje i očuvanje livada vrsteC. nodosa. Prema rezultatima ovog istraživanja, program praćenja u sjevernom Jadranu trebao bi biti proveden u srpnju, a uzorci bi se prikupljali na 3m dubine. Prikazana metodologija uzorkovanja i procjenjivanja pokazala se vremenski i troškovno učinkovita za procjenu stanja livada vrste C. nodosa i ljudskog utjecaja na njih

Preoblikovani ključ za brzo određivanje jadranskih babica

The identification key covers 20 species of Blennioidea presently known in the Adriatic Sea, and one additional species known to occur in freshwaters. The standard format of a dichotomous bracket key was used. The key was developed in order to make the process of identification of Adriatic blennioids clear, simple and non-destructive, thus providing a small number of easily verifiable characters instead of proposing overlapping or highly variable characters. The key is also aimed at in-the-lab-training of SCUBA observers, since many biases may influence the accuracy and precision of blennioid identification when using non-destructive visual census techniques.Ključ za određivanje obuhvaća 20 vrsta babica koje su do sada poznate u Jadranskom moru te jednu slatkovodnu vrstu. Za ključ je uzet standardni oblik dihotomskog ključa sa zagradama. Ovaj ključ bi trebao omogućiti da proces određivanje babica u Jadranu bude jasan, jednostavan i nedestruktivan, te stoga sadrži mali kluč lako prepoznatljivih značajki u ključu umjesto preklapajućih ili značajki koje znatno kolebaju. Ključ je namijenjen i za one istraživaće koje koriste SCU BA metode, s obzirom na mnoge neobjektivnosti koje mogu utjecati na ispravnost i preciznost određivanja babica pri uporabi nedestruktivnih vizualnih tehnika

Makrozoobentos mekanih dna južnog dijelg tršćanskog zaljeva: faunistička, biocenozna i ekološka istraživanja

A faunistic, biocoenotic and ecological survey of soft-bottom macrozoobenthic communities was carried out for the southern part of the Gulf of Trieste on the basis of samplings in 2005 and 2006. At 28 sampled stations a total of 14595 specimens belonging to 306 animal taxa were identified. The most abundant species were Capitella capitata, Lumbrineris gracilis, heteromastus filiformis, Corbula gibba and Tellina distorta. The highest relative species abundance in all water bodies was close to 15%. The dominant species confirmed that the environment of the Gulf of Trieste is unstable. This environmental instability could also explain the rather high values of AMBI. The MDS analysis and other applied indices indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between water bodies. The values for Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’) and Pielou’s index (J’) were among the highest ever recorded for the soft-bottom assemblages of the Gulf of Trieste. The analysis of benthic biocoenoses revealed that the sampling area is a boundary between infra- and circalittoral belts, which could explain the very high species richness.Obavljen je faunistički, biocenozni i ekološki pregled zajednica makrozoobentosa mekih dna južnog dijela tršćanskog zaljeva na temelju uzorkovanja u 2005. i 2006. godini. Uzorci su prikupljani na 28 postaja, a ukupno je sakupljeno 14 595 primjeraka organizama odnosno određeno je 306 životinjskih svojti. Najbrojnije vrste su Capitella capitata, Lumbrineris gracilis, Heteromastus filiformis, Corbula gibba i Tellina distorta. Najveća relativna brojnost vrsta u svim vodenim tijelima iznosila je blizu 15%. Dominantna vrsta je potvrdila da je okruženje u tršćanskom zaljevu nestabilno. Ova nestabilnost okoliša također može objasniti prilično visoke AMBI vrijednosti. MDS analize i druge primjene indeksa ukazuju da nema statistički značajne razlike između vodenih tijela. Vrijednosti za Shannon-Wiener indeks raznolikosti (H‘) i Pielou indeks (J’) bile su prema sastavu među najvišim ikada zabilježenim za mekana dna u tršćanskom zaljevu. Analiza bentoske biocenoze je otkrila da je područje uzimanja uzoraka granica između infra-i cirkalitoralnog pojasa, što bi moglo objasniti izuzetno bogatstvo vrsta

Stjenovita zajednica mediolitoralnog makrozoobentosa u Tršćanskom zaljevu (sjeverni Jadran) duž hidromorfološkog gradijenta

Despite the increasing urban and industrial development in coastal areas our knowledge on direct consequences of coastal modifications on benthic communities is still limited. The aim of the present study was to assess the response of rocky macrozoobenthos mediolittoral communities to human-induced hydromorphological pressures. Sampling was carried out by SCUBA diving and snorkeling in June 2008. Ten sites were selected along a gradient of hydromorphological alterations in the southern part of the Gulf of Trieste. Variables used to describe the stressor gradient were: water retention (from normal hydrology in unprotected coast to closed areas with only one opening), substrate composition, texture and rugosity. Despite natural differences between upper and lower mediolittoral subbelts, the present work showed that human-induced alterations of the coastal zone impact biological assemblages. There was a marked difference in biodiversity among sites with pristine conditions and stressed zones, mainly due to evenness of species distribution. Structural complexity of the substrate resulted to be the main factor influencing benthic diversity in the upper mediolittoral subbelt, while in the lower subbelt also the human-induced water retention seemed to play a key role. Anyhow, this response was complex, and the major human-induced alterations considered had different level of pressure within the two subbelts. The current study has a good potential to contribute to existing coastal assessment methods, since the impact of hydromorphological pressures on mediolittoral communities was almost neglected in the past. However, further work is needed to fully explain the impact of main human-induced threats on benthic communitiesUnatoč rastućem urbanom i industrijskom razvoju u obalnim područjima samo nekolicina istraživača je fokusirana na direktne posljedice obalnih modifikacija na bentičke zajednice. Cilj ovog istraživanja je procijeniti odgovore stjenovitih zajednica mediolitoralnog makrozoobentosa na hidromorfološke pritiske. Uzorkovanje je provedeno ronjenjem sa bocama i ronjenjem na dah u lipnju 2008. godine. Izabrano je deset postaja duž hidromorfološkog gradijenta u južnom dijelu Tršćanskog zaljeva. Upotrebljavane varijable za razvoj gradijenta stresora bile su: zadržavanje vode, sastav supstrata, tekstura i naboranost. Unatoč prirodnim razlikama između gornjih i donjih mediolitoralnih podpojaseva, sadašnji rad je pokazao da promjene krajolika povezane sa ljudskim djelovanjem u obalnoj zoni utječu na biološke cjeline. Postoji značajna razlika u bioraznolikosti između postaja s odličnim ekološkim stanjem i ostalih postaja, uglavnom zbog ravnomjerne rasprostranjenosti vrsta. Strukturna složenost supstrata rezultatirala je time da je bila glavni čimbenik koji utječe na raznolikost bentosa u gornjem mediolitoralnom podpojasu, dok je izgleda u donjem podpojasu ili podregiji također cirkulacija vode odigrala ključnu ulogu (CCA analiza). Odgovor bentičke zajednice bio je kompleksan i vjerojatno su također biotički čimbenici (pokrivenost algama, kompeticija) bili uključeni. Ovo istraživanje ima dobar potencijal da doprinese postojećim metodama procjene obale, iako se treba provesti daljnje istraživanje na području utjecaja kojeg imaju hidromorfološke promjene na obalne bentičke zajednice

Neuobičajeno cvjetanje tetrasporofita nezavičajnih crvenih algi Asparagopsis armata na sjevernom Jadranu

The tetrasporophyte of the non-indigenous red alga Asparagopsis armata (the Falkenbergia stage) is considered to be established in Slovenian coastal waters. However, until 2016, it was found only in low coverage and in few localities with hard substrata. The paper reports a recent bloom of these tetrasporophytes in the mediolittoral belt of the Bay of Piran, where thalli of this red alga overgrew the articularted coralline alga Corallina officinalis. The sites affected by this large expansion of tetrasporophytes of A. armata should be regularly monitored in the future, in order to point out which environmental factors are responsible for such phenomenon, and to formulate proper conclusions on the status of this non-indigenous alga in the coastal area concerned.Tetrasporofite ne-autohtone crvene alge Asparagopsis armata (Falkenbergia faza) smatra se prisutnom u slovenskim obalnim vodama. Međutim, do 2016. godine, ustanovljena je isključivo mala pokrivenost i to na nekoliko lokaliteta s tvrdom podlogom (sediment). U ovom radu se navodi nedavni procvat tetrasoprofita u mezolitoralnom pojasu Piranskog zaljeva gdje je crvena alga A. armata nadjačala koraljnu algu Corallina officinalis. U budućnosti će se redovito nadzirati mjesta na koja utječe ova velika ekspanzija tetrasporofita, kako bi se istaknulo koji su ekološki čimbenici odgovorni za takav fenomen, te da bi se mogli formulirati odgovarajući zaključci o statusu ove ne-autohtone alge u tim obalnim područjima

Pregled puževa golaća u Bokokotorskom zaljevu, Crna Gora

Heterobranch molluscs fauna in Montenegro has been poorly investigated so far. The aim of the present paper is to improve the knowledge about species diversity of these marine organisms in the Boka Kotorska Bay, a specific fjord-like entity in the southern Adriatic Sea. New records of seven heterobranch species were obtained by field surveys in 2017, while three new records were provided by analysing underwater photographs from previous periods. The resulted checklist summarizes the knowledge of the diversity of heterobranchs in the Boka Kotorska Bay from the oldest record in 1967 to the present day and consists of a total of 62 heterobranch species.Fauna puževa golaća (Heterobranchia) u Crnoj Gori je do sada slabo istražena. Cilj ovog rada je bio unaprijediti saznanja o ovim morskim organizmima u zalivu Boka Kotorska, specifičnom, nalik fjordu zalivu južnog Jadrana. Novi nalazi za sedam vrsta heterobranchia su pronađeni tijekom naših terenskih istraživanja u 2017. godini, dok su podaci za tri nova nalaza dobijeni analizom podvodnih fotografija iz prethodnih razdoblja. Ažurirana lista sumira saznanja o raznolikosti puževa golaća u Bokokotorskom zalijevu od najs-tarijeg zapisa iz 1967.g. do danas, a obuhvaća ukupno 62 vrste

Report of the JRC’s Descriptor 2 workshop in support to the review of the Commission Decision 2010/477/EU concerning MSFD criteria for assessing Good Environmental Status for NIS

The MSFD workshop on non-indigenous species (NIS, MSFD D2), held in Ispra JRC (10th-11th of September 2015) aimed to provide clear proposals and conclusions on some of the outstanding issues identified in the D2 review manual (May 2015 consultation version: D2 review manual: https://circabc.europa.eu/sd/a/cd4bbd6a-454a-40db-b805-52fb195d4e56/COMDEC_Review_D2_V6.pdf) in the broader context of support to the review of Commission Decision 2010/477/EU. This report is complementing the Commission Decision 2010/477/EU review manual (JRC96884) and presents the result of the scientific and technical review concluding phase 1 of the review of the Commission Decision 2010/477/EU in relation to Descriptor 2. The review has been carried out by the EC JRC together with experts nominated by EU Member States, and has considered contributions from the GES Working Group in accordance with the roadmap set out in the MSFD implementation strategy (agreed on at the 11th CIS MSCG meeting). The main issues addressed and tackled in this workshop’s report are: - Proposed changes in D2 assessment criteria; - Indicators and methodological standards; - GES threshold values and reference points; - Way forward.JRC.H.1-Water Resource

Where and how - new insight for brown algal forest restoration in the Adriatic

Several anthropogenic factors are responsible for the decline of Cystoseira sensu lato (hereafter Cystoseira) forests along Mediterranean coasts. Some Cystoseira species are already regionally extinct, and their decline has been widely recorded. Sustainable and efficient techniques for the restoration of Cystoseira are needed. In this context, the objectives of this study were i) to analyse the reproductive traits of three populations of Gongolaria barbata from three nearby donor sites in the northern Adriatic Sea, assessing the differences in their reproductive potential and reproductive success; and ii) to evaluate the outplanting success in terms of the effectiveness of G. barbata restoration, in relation to the different donor and receiving sites (Miramare MPA and in front of the Marine Biology Station Piran - MBSP) and implemented methods (ex situ and hybrid method combining a mesocosm cultivation and a suspended culture in the field). After 2 weeks of cultivation in mesocosms, half of the tiles with germlings were transported to the receiving sites and placed on suspended lantern nets (hybrid method), which were later (after 3 months) transferred to the seabed on concrete plates with protective cages. The remaining tiles were placed on the seabed on concrete plates with protective cages after a 4-week culture (ex situ method). At both sites, lantern nets and plates were randomly placed at 3 m depth. Thallus length was measured monthly in each treatment. Seedlings in suspended culture showed lower performance at the Miramare MPA, most likely due to the unfavourable environmental conditions. The satisfactory results obtained at MBSP demonstrate the efficiency of the hybrid method and confirm its potential to reduce the cost and time required for cultivation. Since unpredictable climatic events pose the greatest threat to restoration performance, these challenges must be considered when establishing new restoration practices. Moreover, herbivore regulation is extremely urgent and should be planned and implemented on a larger regional scale