Introduced marine species in Croatian waters (Eastern Adriatic Sea)

Abstract

The Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea covers more than 35% of the total Croatian territory, which means that monitoring changes in marine ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity are of great importance. Following global changes, Croatia is experiencing increasing problems due to the introduction of new species that include aliens (due to aquaculture activities and shipping) and species from other Mediterranean subregions that are extending their geographic range. This work provides a checklist of introduced species in Croatian waters. A total of 113 species (15 phytoplankton, 16 zooplankton, 16 macroalgae, 44 zoobenthic and 22 fish species) have been recorded in the eastern part of the Adriatic Sea, of which 61 species are alien and 52 introduced, due to climate change.

Large marine protected areas (LMPAs) in the Mediterranean Sea: The opportunity of the Adriatic Sea

“…The Adriatic Sea counts more than 190 non-indigenous species [74]. In the Italian northern Adriatic 51 invasive species (39 of which in the Lagoon of Venice) have been recorded since 1945 [75], while 61 alien species (due to aquaculture activities and shipping) and 52 introduced (due to climate change) were recorded in Croatian waters [76]. Some invasive species, such as the green grape algae Caulerpa cylindracea and the red algae Womersleyella setacea, are known as habitat modifiers, reducing diversity and changing community structure in invaded areas compared to non-invaded sites [77].…”

Modeling species invasions using thermal and trophic niche dynamics under climate change

“…Successfully invading thermophilic species are expected to take advantage of increased average temperatures (Dulčić and Grbec, 2000; UNEP -MAP -RAC/SPA, 2008; Dulčić et al, 2010Dulčić et al, , 2011Brotz and Pauly, 2012;Zenetos et al, 2012;Pecarevič et al, 2013) but they also need to either find or make trophic niche space, such as by outcompeting native species (e.g., Pranovi et al, 2003). Meanwhile, some local native species might be negatively affected by higher temperatures, but may be able to exploit new trophic opportunities as a trade-off.…”

First molecular record of the alien species Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas, Thunberg 1793) in the Marmara Sea, Turkey

“…They are found around aquaculture areas and they can attach to the vessels. It is highly likely that human activities may induce their spread to nonnative ecosystems (Pecarevic et al, 2013). Therefore, it can be concluded that the transportation and spread of C. gigas to the Marmara Sea have probably occurred via vessels or water currents (Albayrak, 2011); the international maritime traffic being probably the main factor.…”