Macrozoobenthos Structure and Dynamics in a Mediterranean Hypersaline Ecosystem with Implications for Wetland Conservation

Abstract

Within the framework of hypersaline environments, the Saline di Tarquinia salterns (Latium, Italy) represent an interesting case study from ecological, naturalistic, and conservationist perspectives. We studied macrozoobenthic community zonation related to the main environmental parameters, with particular emphasis on the beetle species Nebrioporus ceresyi (Aubé, 1836), one of the few Dytiscidae among Italian fauna particularly adapted to brackish and hypersaline waters. In this study, we report the structure and seasonal dynamics of the macrozoobenthic community, the spatial and temporal distribution of both larvae and adults of N. ceresyi, and the size–frequency distribution of the larvae. The results add new information on the macrozoobenthic assemblage of the Saline di Tarquinia salterns and the life cycle of this water beetle in the hypersaline habitat. A possible hypothesis about the discontinuous geographical distribution of the species of Dytiscidae investigated is also provided. Finally, N. ceresyi is proposed as an indicator species useful in characterizing the environmental zonation of hypersaline habitats.

Evidence for Selection on Mitochondrial OXPHOS Genes in the Mediterranean Killifish Aphanius fasciatus Valenciennes, 1821

“…Most of these coastal lagoons ar very deep, with a complex hydrographical network including tidal flats, tidal cha and subtidal zones; the Korission lagoon is the deepest one, with a maximum dept m. Being shallow water bodies, their temperatures can be heavily influenced by air temperature: in any case, there is a significant temperature range between summer and winter. For example, in Grado, Karavasta, and Korission, temperature values can range from 6-7 • C to 26-30 • C [ [14][15][16], while in other cases, temperatures can be even higher up until 35-36 • C for Tarquinia [17].…”

“…Another important parameter concerns the salinity of the water, as it depends on the degree of freshwater inputs, which are mostly related to the rainfall amount or drainage channels. In some cases, there is a gradient existing within the water mass itself, for example, in Grado and Tarquinia [17,18], and this will regulate the distribution of fish fauna and macrozoobenthic species; while in other cases the salinity changes between seasons, being very much higher in summer, for example in Karavasta [19], Casaraccio [20] and Korission [16] so that they can be characterized by hypersaline water.…”

Temporal Evolution of Phytoplankton Metacommunity in a Disused Mediterranean Saltwork

“…The ensuing ecological characteristics of the two types of salinas are significantly different and greatly influence structural and functional aspects of their biological communities. Salinas are particularly interesting for microbial ecology because hypersaline ponds are predominantly or exclusively inhabited by microbial communities [7][8][9] where phytoplankton represents one of the major factors controlling the efficiency of the energy transfer toward upper trophic levels [10][11][12]. The typically shorter and high efficiency trophic chain triggered by phytoplankton of salinas, is the food chain phytoplankton-Artemia salina-fish and birds [13][14][15], that represent a key process sustaining the biodiversity of these systems.…”