Cartographic delimitation and characterization of potential marine artificial micro-reserves on the coasts of Ceuta (Strait of Gibraltar)

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Cartographic delimitation and characterization of potential marine artificial micro-reserves on the coasts of Ceuta (Strait of Gibraltar) Enrique Ostalé-Valriberas1*, Stefania Coppa2, Free Espinosa1 and José C. García-Gómez1 1 Universidad de Sevilla, Departamento de Zoología, Spain 2 Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Italy Artificial Marine Micro-Reserves (AMMRs) is a protection concept for coastal defense structures where species or ecosystems of special interest are present. They are proposed areas that may be protected by the owners, performing an agreement with public administration to achieve the conservation goals. From AMMRs arise positive ecological and environmental aspects: direct protection of endangered species and indirect protection of non-protected species through reserve effect, increased probability of an early detection of non-native species, higher environmental integration of coastal structures and also the opportunity to implement the European Water Framework Directive (2000/60CE). The present study focused on the biological characterization of intertidal zone of breakwaters in Ceuta (Strait of Gibraltar area), in order to obtain useful information and assess potential AMMRs. Intertidal levels studied were +0.25cm and +0.75cm over lowest tide, taking five random 25x25cm photographs to horizontal and vertical sides each within 10m transects. Species of interest were cataloged into different groups: Protected somehow (Pr), Bioindicators (Bi), Invasive or non-indigenous (In) and regulated harvest (Re). In addition, the number of waste was recorded to assess the anthropic impact over the different studied areas. Results show that artificial structures within the North Bay of Ceuta fits the needed requirements to be protected as an AMMR. It also has been detected settled over these structures a huge number of juveniles and adults of the endangered gastropod Patella ferruginea, and also of several species with some type of protection degree: Cymbula nigra, Dendropoma petraeum, Astroides calycularis and Lithophyllum byssoides. These results, bound by the appearance of several bioindicator species as Astroides calycularis, Dendropoma petraeum, Lithophyllum byssoides and Actinia equina are linked to the high quality and renovation of Ceuta’s port water. The abundance of adult reproductive specimens on the studied populations of the species above mentioned is a high incentive to consider the artificial structures within the North Bay as the first AMMR worldwide and, from a conservation point of view, to manage this area with a view to establish a future AMMRs network which may increase some species populations connectivity. Acknowledgements The authors would like to express their gratitude to Íñigo Donázar Aramendía for his help in the counting processes and Francisco Sánchez Martín y Luís de Amuedo Sánchez for their assistance and equipment provided. The present study was developed under the Marine Biology Station of Ceuta scientific projects, an institution supported by Autoridad Portuaria de Ceuta, Autoridad Portuaria de Sevilla, Ciudad de Ceuta, Aquagestión Sur, Watergames-GranAzul, Marina Hércules and CEPSA. The present study Keywords: Marine Micro-Reserves Networks, Coastal defense, Artificial systems, protected species, Strait of Gibraltar Conference: XIX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies, Porto, Portugal, 5 Sep - 9 Sep, 2016. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: 1. ECOLOGY, BIODIVERSITY AND VULNERABLE ECOSYSTEMS Citation: Ostalé-Valriberas E, Coppa S, Espinosa F and García-Gómez J (2016). Cartographic delimitation and characterization of potential marine artificial micro-reserves on the coasts of Ceuta (Strait of Gibraltar). Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XIX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies. doi: 10.3389/conf.FMARS.2016.05.00130 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 29 Apr 2016; Published Online: 03 Sep 2016. * Correspondence: Mr. Enrique Ostalé-Valriberas, Universidad de Sevilla, Departamento de Zoología, Sevilla, 41012, Spain, enriqueostalevalriberas@gmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Enrique Ostalé-Valriberas Stefania Coppa Free Espinosa José C. García-Gómez Google Enrique Ostalé-Valriberas Stefania Coppa Free Espinosa José C. García-Gómez Google Scholar Enrique Ostalé-Valriberas Stefania Coppa Free Espinosa José C. García-Gómez PubMed Enrique Ostalé-Valriberas Stefania Coppa Free Espinosa José C. García-Gómez Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.