Abstract
The Lagoon of Venice has been recognized as a hot spot for the introduction of nonindigenous species. Several anthropogenic factors as well as environmental stressors concurred to make this ecosystem ideal for invasion. Given the zooplankton ecological relevance related to the role in the marine trophic network, changes in the community have implications for environmental management and ecosystem services. This work aims to depict the relevant steps of the history of invasion of the copepod Acartia tonsa in the Venice lagoon, providing a recent picture of its distribution, mainly compared to congeneric residents. In this work, four datasets of mesozooplankton were examined. The four datasets covered a period from 1975 to 2017 and were used to investigate temporal trends as well as the changes in coexistence patterns among the Acartia species before and after A. tonsa settlement. Spatial distribution of A. tonsa was found to be significantly associated with temperature, phytoplankton, particulate organic carbon (POC), chlorophyll a, and counter gradient of salinity, confirming that A. tonsa is an opportunistic tolerant species. As for previously dominant species, Paracartia latisetosa almost disappeared, and Acartia margalefi was not completely excluded. In 2014–2017, A. tonsa was found to be the dominant Acartia species in the lagoon.
Highlights
Alien invasive species, called non-native or nonindigenous species (NIS), together with marine pollution, overexploitation of living resources, and physical alteration of habitats, represent the main threats to the world’s oceans on local, regional, and global scales [1]
Acartia tonsa Dana (1849) is an NIS recently introduced in the Mediterranean Sea [2]
Copepods were represented by 24 species, and Acartiidae largely dominated the community with
Summary
Called non-native or nonindigenous species (NIS), together with marine pollution, overexploitation of living resources, and physical alteration of habitats, represent the main threats to the world’s oceans on local, regional, and global scales [1]. The ability of Acartiidae to cross geographic barriers relies mainly in their capability of producing resting stages [5]. These NIS are modifying the status of native species, which are subject to competitive pressure [6]. A. tonsa is widely distributed in estuarine environments along the Atlantic coasts of North and South America [7] and the Pacific coast of North America [8] where it is the most abundant species It appeared in the European coasts in the first half of the 20th century, possibly transferred by ship ballast waters [9,10]. After 1985 was the presence of A. tonsa confirmed in several Italian transitional waters such as in a lagoon of the Po
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
