Marine Protected Areas and Key Biodiversity Areas of the Alboran Sea and Adjacent Areas

Mateo-Ramírez, Ángel; Marina, Pablo; Moreno, Diego; Valero, Andrés Florencio Alcántara; Aguilar, Ricardo; Báez, José Carlos; Bárcenas, P.; Baro, J.; Caballero‐Herrera, José Antonio; Camiñas, Juan Antonio; Idrissi, Mohammed Malouli; Torriente, Ana de la; Garcı́a, Teresa; Raso, J. Enrique García; Gofas, Serge; González-García, Emilio; García, Juan Antonio González; Moya-Urbano, Elena; Muñoz, Antonio‐Román; Sánchez-Tocino, Luís; Salas, Carmen; Templado, José; Figueroa, José Manuel Tierno de; Urra, J.; Vázquez, J.T.; Rueda, J.L.

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-65516-7_25

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…), whereas the lowest number was found at Alboran Island and in the Gulf of Vera (55 and 54 spp., respectively). It is important here to reiterate that no sampling could be carried out at depths shallower than 100 m around Alboran Island because it is a Marine and Fishing Reserve and bottom trawling is not allowed because of the occurrence of vulnerable marine ecosystems (Mateo-Ramírez et al 2021). Species with Atlantic affinities, most of them with a low frequency of occurrence (F<0.73%) (such as P. henslowii, Ergasticus clouei, and Pagurus mbizi), were recorded in the northern Alboran Sea and/or Alboran Island sectors but not in the Gulf of Vera sector, in agreement with Abelló et al (2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These peculiar hydrological characteristics result in the singularity and extraordinary biodiversity of the benthic communities of the Alboran Island (Gofas et al 2014), as well as of the Alboran Sea (Rueda et al 2021). This high diversity promoted the protection of the Alboran Island and its surrounding bottoms through protection measures such as a Marine and Fishing Reserve, a Site of Community Importance and a Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance (Mateo-Ramírez et al 2021).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Decapod crustacean assemblages on trawlable grounds in the northern Alboran Sea and Gulf of Vera

Ciércoles

García‐Ruíz

Abelló

et al. 2022

scimar

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This study analyses the samples collected annually (2012 to 2018) on circalittoral and bathyal soft bottoms (30 to 800 m) by the MEDITS surveys in the northern Alboran Sea (including Alboran Island) and the Gulf of Vera to determine the composition, structure and distribution of decapod crustacean assemblages. A total of 94 decapod crustacean species were identified. Non-metric multidimensional scaling showed depth to be the main factor for distinguishing four main decapod assemblages: the inner shelf (30-100 m depth), outer shelf (101-200 m), upper slope (201-500 m) and middle slope (501-800 m). PERMANOVA analyses revealed further significant depth-related differences between three established geographical sectors of the study area (northern Alboran Sea, Gulf of Vera and Alboran Island). Generalized additive model analyses were used to assess the bathymetrical, geographical and environmental effects on the ecological indices of each assemblage. Results showed that depth and the geographical effect were the main drivers in all cases. Decreases in abundance and increases in species richness, Shannon-Wiener diversity and Pielou’s evenness indices with depth were detected. This study shows the primacy of depth and geographical effect on the distribution of decapod species in the study area, in alignment with findings from other parts of the Mediterranean Sea.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Decapod crustacean assemblages on trawlable grounds in the northern Alboran Sea and Gulf of Vera

Ciércoles

García‐Ruíz

Abelló

et al. 2022

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“…The cliffs and marine bottoms along the rocky coastlines between Calahonda and Castell de Ferro towns constitute the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) "Acantilados y Fondos Marinos de Calahonda-Castell de Ferro" (Cliffs and Marine Bottoms of Calahonda-Castell de Ferro) (ES6140014) since 2015 (Mateo-Ramıŕez et al, 2021). The SAC covers an area of ca.…”

Section: Seafloor Habitats and Biotamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…9 km 2 between the coastline and ca. 65 m water depth, and contains some littoral habitats, e.g., sandbanks (Habitat Code [HC] 1110 from the EU Habitat Directive), Posidonia beds (HC 1120), large shallow inlets and bays (HC 1160), reefs (HC 1170), and submerged or partially submerged sea caves (HC 8330) (Mateo-Ramıŕez et al, 2021). Knowledge of the habitats and associated communities of bathyal areas where the three studied canyons are located is very scarce, except for general studies on fish, decapod and mollusc assemblages of the northern Alboran Sea (Abellóet al, 2002;Garcıá-Ruiz et al, 2015;Cieŕcoles et al, 2018;Cieŕcoles et al, 2022).…”

Section: Seafloor Habitats and Biotamentioning

confidence: 99%

Origin and driving mechanisms of marine litter in the shelf-incised Motril, Carchuna, and Calahonda canyons (northern Alboran Sea)

Cerrillo-Escoriza

Lobo²,

Puga‐Bernabéu³

et al. 2023

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Introduction and methodsMarine litter density, distribution and potential sources, and the impact on canyon seafloor habitats were investigated in the Motril, Carchuna and Calahonda canyons, located along the northern margin of the Alboran Sea. During the ALSSOMAR-S2S oceanographic survey carried out in 2019, canyon floor imagery was collected by a Remotely Operated Vehicle along 5 km in the Motril Canyon, 10 km in the Carchuna Canyon, and 3 km in Calahonda Canyon, together with 41 surficial sediment samples. Additionally, coastal uses, maritime traffic and fishing activity data were analyzed. A 50 m resolution multibeam bathymetry served as base map.ResultsIn the Motril and Calahonda canyons, the density of marine litter was low and the material was dispersed, very degraded and partially buried. In contrast, the Carchuna Canyon contained a greater amount and variety of litter. The Carchuna Canyon thalweg exhibited a density of marine litter up to 8.66 items·100 m-1, and litter hotspots with a density of up to 42 items·m2 are found along the upper reaches of the canyon thalweg.DiscurssionLow litter abundances found in the studied canyons most likely reflect low population densities and the absence of direct connections with streams in the nearby coasts. The high shelf incision of the Carchuna Canyon and its proximity to the coastline favor littoral sediment remobilization and capture as well as the formation of gravity flows that transport the marine litter along the thalweg toward the distal termination of the channel. Litter hotspots are favored by the canyon morphology and the occurrence of rocky outcrops. Most debris is of coastal origin and related to beach occupation and agricultural practices in the adjacent coastal plain. A third origin was represented by fishing gear in the study area. Fishing activity may be producing an impact through physical damage to the skeletons of the colonial scleractinians located in the walls of the Carchuna Canyon. In contrast, the Motril and Calahonda canyons can be considered passive systems that have mainly acted as depositional sinks in the recent past, as evidenced by buried marine litter.

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“…Despite intense anthropic pressures, this ecosystem constitutes an internationally recognised site for waterbirds (Alba & Garrido, 1986) and is listed as an Important Bird Area (IBA ES224) (Mateo-Ramírez et al, 2021). Populations of globally endangered species, such as the White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala and Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus, overwinter and breed in their lagoons.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring NAO influence on waterbirds abundance through hydrological changes in a Mediterranean coastal wetland

Conejo-Orosa,

Román Muñoz,

Reche

et al. 2023

Limnetica

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Predicting how waterbird populations may respond to climate change is a major challenge for conservation, which could be addressed by understanding the effects of large-scale climate oscillations, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), on breeding population size. Here, we explore the relationship between the NAO position and the abundance of waterbird breeding pairs in a protected Mediterranean coastal wetland (Mouth of the Guadalhorce River, Málaga, southern Iberian Peninsula). We found a significant and negative relationship between the winter NAO index and the abundance of grebes (r=-0.72, N=15, p<0.01), rails (r=-0.74, N=15, p<0.01), diving ducks (r=-0.56, N=15, p<0.05) and dabbling ducks (r=-0.54, N=15, p<0.05). Our results suggest that this relation is mediated by the NAO indirect effects on wetland flooded surface via changes in winter precipitation and Mediterranean sea level. These results should be considered to design appropriate environmental management strategies devoted to preventing or mitigating potential deleterious effects of the NAO variability on Mediterranean wetlands ecosystems and preserving their valuable waterbird communities.

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Marine Protected Areas and Key Biodiversity Areas of the Alboran Sea and Adjacent Areas

Cited by 5 publications

References 73 publications

Decapod crustacean assemblages on trawlable grounds in the northern Alboran Sea and Gulf of Vera

Decapod crustacean assemblages on trawlable grounds in the northern Alboran Sea and Gulf of Vera

Origin and driving mechanisms of marine litter in the shelf-incised Motril, Carchuna, and Calahonda canyons (northern Alboran Sea)

Exploring NAO influence on waterbirds abundance through hydrological changes in a Mediterranean coastal wetland

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