Tapping into hard-to-get information: the contribution of citizen science campaigns for updating knowledge on range-expanding, introduced and rare native marine species in the Malta-Sicily Channel

Alan Deidun,Bruno Zava,Gianni Insacco,Johann Galdies,Paolo Balistreri

doi:10.3391/bir.2021.10.2.03

Abstract

Tapping into hard-to-get information: the contribution of citizen science campaigns for updating knowledge on range-expanding, introduced and rare native marine species in the Malta-Sicily Channel

Highlights

The redistribution of Earth’s species is among the most evident consequences of global warming (Molinos et al 2016), with these changes being usually greater for marine environments as a result of their high environmental connectivity (Burrows et al 2011)
This study documents a total of 49 unpublished records of nine Atlantic range-expanding and introduced species, as well as rarely-reported native and cryptogenic species, within the Malta-Sicily Channel, gleaned through citizen science efforts conducted on the islands of Malta and Sicily
The “Spot the Alien Fish” and the “Spot the Alien citizen science campaigns” were launched at the University of Malta in 2017 and in 2019, respectively, pursuant to collating within a national database all citizen science reports pertaining to Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) within Maltese waters

Summary

Introduction

The redistribution of Earth’s species is among the most evident consequences of global warming (Molinos et al 2016), with these changes being usually greater for marine environments as a result of their high environmental connectivity (Burrows et al 2011). The redistribution of biota is facilitated in those ecological areas and corridors, corresponding to transitional areas and biogeographical boundaries (Bianchi 2007). In this context, the Mediterranean qualifies as a biogeographical boundary since it lies at the crossroads between the Offshore South Atlantic and the North-West North Atlantic realms to its west and the Black Sea and the Red Sea (Erythrean) realms to its east (Costello et al 2017). Citizen science records of range-expanding, introduced and rare marine species in the Malta-Sicily Channel. Milne Edwards, 1853) and Aplysia dactylomela (Rang, 1828), were excluded from this recent study

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion