Citizen Science Helps in Tracking the Range Expansions of Non-Indigenous and Neo-Native Species in Greece and Cyprus (Eastern Mediterranean Sea)

Joachim Langeneck,Vasileios Minasidis,Nikolaos Doumpas,Alexandros Kaminas,Francesco Tiralongo,Periklis Kleitou,Ioannis Giovos,Fabio Crocetta

doi:10.3390/jmse10020256

Abstract

Raising knowledge of the dispersal of non-indigenous species (NIS) in new geographic areas is a matter of major concern, as alien species may outcompete the native biota through competition, predation, and hybridization. In the Mediterranean Sea, where biological invasions constitute a serious threat, the combined use of citizen science and social networks amplified the results obtained via traditional research activities, often recording species that would otherwise presumably have passed unnoticed. We hereby report unpublished data for five NIS (the annelid Branchiomma luctuosum, the shrimp Saron marmoratus and the fishes Lutjanus argentimaculatus, Oxyurichthys petersii, and specimens of the group of Abudefduf saxatilis/vaigiensis/troschelii) and one neo-native species (Seriola fasciata) in Greece and Cyprus (eastern Mediterranean Sea), the majority of which were obtained via a focused citizen-science project and constitute new records at a country level. We also revise and update their known distribution in the invaded area, thus contributing to the study of large-scale and well-defined distributional patterns of alien species spreading in the Mediterranean Sea.

Highlights

Introduction iationsNon-indigenous species (NIS) represent one of the major threats to marine environments and can strongly affect ecosystem functioning, with additional potential effects on socioeconomic activities [1,2]
The iSea database contains a number of records for already established non-indigenous species (NIS), confirming their occurrence in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, we here concentrated on records expanding the known distribution of species in new countries and/or new biogeographical sectors within the Mediterranean Sea
We obtained distributional data for six species, five of which should be considered nonindigenous to the Mediterranean Sea, while a sixth one (Seriola fasciata) is a thermophilic Atlantic species naturally spreading into the Mediterranean

Summary

Introduction

Non-indigenous species (NIS) represent one of the major threats to marine environments and can strongly affect ecosystem functioning, with additional potential effects on socioeconomic activities [1,2]. The close monitoring of new introductions and range expansions is crucial to correctly assess ecosystem changes and potential impacts on ecological and social systems [3,4,5]. Despite recent efforts to compile a database with a sizable number of occurrences of NIS in the Mediterranean Sea, the majority of the literature on NIS refers to the first records for a specific geographic area, while population and range expansions at a regional scale are often neglected and/or remain unpublished [6]. The species in this study, in particular, are overlooked by traditional monitoring techniques [7] but, at the same time, might have a relevant impact on native assemblages in case of naturalization [8].

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Results

Conclusion