On the Presence of Alien Foraminifera Amphistegina lobifera Larsen on the coasts of the Maltese Islands

Boxshall, Geoff A.; Boero, Ferdinando; Olenin, Sergej; Yokeş, M. Baki; Huseyin, Moda; Sokak, Bey

doi:10.3391/ai.2007.2.4.15

Cited by 37 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…This study took place close to the current NW distribution limit of the alien foram Amphistegina lobifera in the western basin of the Mediterranean Sea, yet the abundance of its shells in the seabed substrate was comparable with or even exceeded those reported from the comparably warmer eastern basin (average 28.5 % reported here vs. 32.7 % reported from the Antalya coast in Turkey; see Yokeş et al, 2014; max 395 shells g −1 reported here vs. max 178 shells g −1 reported from the Israeli coast; see Hyams et al, 2002). Thus, despite the fact that the thickness of the substrate containing A. lobifera shells by far did not reach the impressive 60-80 cm reported by Yokeş and Meriç (2009), the alien foram shells did represent a significant part of the bottom sediment at the investigated Maltese locality and profoundly changed the seabed character (i.e., from calcareous rocks combined with mineral sand and pebbles to a homogenous layer with a large proportion formed by the biogenic calcareous matter; see Fig.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

“…It is widely distributed in the eastern Mediterranean basin (Guastella et al, 2019;Langer et al, 2012), and thanks to its high dispersal potential aided by increasing water temperatures (Langer et al, 2013;Weinmann et al, 2013a, b), it gradually expands westwards, with the current distribution limit laying between the coast of southern Tunisia, the Maltese islands and the Adriatic coast along southern Albania (Yokeş et al, 2007;Langer and Mouanga, 2016;El Kateb et al, 2018). In the Levantine Basin, it often forms very dense populations resulting in seabed sediments up to 80 cm thick that in a way resemble the tropical living sands (Yokeş et al, 2014;Figs. 1d and 2a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bioerosion and fungal colonization of the invasive foraminiferan <i>Amphistegina lobifera</i> in a Mediterranean seagrass meadow

Vohník

2021

Biogeosciences

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Abstract. Foraminiferans are diverse micro- to macroscopic protists abundant especially in (sub)tropical seas, often forming characteristic benthic communities known as “living sands”. Numerous species have migrated through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean and one of them, i.e., Amphistegina lobifera, turned invasive, gradually outcompeting the indigenous species. At some places, A. lobifera creates thick seabed sediments, thus becoming an important environmental engineer. However, little is known about the turnover of its shells in the invaded ecosystems. Using vital staining, stereomicroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and cultivation and DNA fingerprinting, I investigated the vital status, destruction/decomposition and mycobiota of A. lobifera in the rhizosphere of the dominant Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica in an underwater Maltese meadow (average 284 shells g−1, representing 28.5 % of dry substrate weight), in comparison with epiphytic specimens and P. oceanica roots. While 78 % of the epiphytes were alive, nearly all substrate specimens were dead. On average, 80 % of the epiphytes were intact compared to 21 % of the substrate specimens. Abiotic dissolution and mechanical damage played only a minor role, but some bioerosion was detected in 18 % and >70 % of the epiphytic and substrate specimens, respectively. Few bioerosion traces could be attributed to fungi, and the majority probably belonged to photoautotrophs. The seagrass roots displayed fungal colonization typical for this species and yielded 81 identified isolates, while the surface-sterilized substrate specimens surprisingly yielded no cultivable fungi compared to 16 other identified isolates obtained from the epiphytes. While the epiphytes' mycobiota was dominated by ascomycetous generalists also known from terrestrial ecosystems (alongside with, for example, a relative of the “rock-eating” extremophiles), the roots were dominated by the seagrass-specific dark septate endophyte Posidoniomyces atricolor and additionally contained a previously unreported lulworthioid mycobiont. In conclusion, at the investigated locality, dead A. lobifera shells seem to be regularly bioeroded by endolithic non-fungal organisms, which may counterbalance their accumulation in the seabed substrate.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioerosion and fungal colonization of the invasive foraminiferan <i>Amphistegina lobifera</i> in a Mediterranean seagrass meadow

Vohník

2021

Biogeosciences

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Section: Impact Of Climate Change On Communities Associated With Seagmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We have a spectacular example in the case of the invasive Lessepsian Foraminifera Amphistegina lobifera Larsen, 1976, responsible for a high rate of production of biogenic sand and a radical change in habitats in the Eastern Basin (up to 310 000 living individuals per m², and up to 80 cm of test accumulation (Yokeş et al, 2007). Currently occurring in Tunisia and Malta, this species is likely to colonize the Western Basin (Yokeş et al, 2007). Faced with such sedimentary alteration, the fast growing C. nodosa, H. stipulacea and Z. noltei should adapt well, or even be favoured; in contrast, P. oceanica will be incapable of tolerating such a high sedimentation rate (Boudouresque & Jeudy de Grissac, 1983).…”

Section: Impact Of Climate Change On Communities Associated With Seagmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change and Mediterranean seagrass meadows: a synopsis for environmental managers

Pergent¹,

Bazairi²,

Bianchi³

et al. 2014

Medit. Mar. Sci.

108

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This synopsis focuses on the effects of climate change on Mediterranean seagrasses, and associated communities, and on the contribution of the main species, Posidonia oceanica, to the mitigation of climate change effects through its role of sequestering carbon dioxide. Whilst the regression of seagrass meadows is well documented, generally linked to anthropogenic pressures, global warming could be a cause of new significant regressions, notably linked to the introduction of exotic species, the rise of Sea-Surface Temperature (SST), and relative sea level. Seagrass communities could also be affected by climate change through the replacement of seagrass species having high structural complexity by species of lower complexity and even by opportunistic introduced species. Although it is currently very difficult to predict the consequences of these alterations and their cascade effects, two main conflicting trends in the functioning of seagrass ecosystems that could occur are acceleration of the herbivore pathway or of the detritivore pathway. The mean net primary production of the dominant species, Posidonia oceanica, is relatively high and can be estimated to range between 92.5 to 144.7 g C m-2 a-1. Around 27% of the total carbon fixed by this species enters the sedimentary pathway leading to formation, over millennia, of highly organic deposits rich in refractory carbon. At the Mediterranean scale, the sequestration rate might reach 1.09 Tg C a-1. The amount of this stored carbon is estimated to range from 71 to 273 kg C m-2, which when considered at the Mediterranean scale would represent 11 to 42% of the CO2 emissions produced by Mediterranean countries since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The greatest value of the P. oceanica ecosystem, in the context of mitigation of global climate change, is linked to this vast long-term carbon stock accumulated over the millennia, and therefore, efforts should be focused on preserving the meadows to keep this reservoir intact.

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“…Some of the aliens have also been reported from Turkey (in Ö ztürk & Başusta, 2002). But this species has not yet been observed in the western Mediterranean (Cimerman & Langer, 1991;Sgarella & Moncharmont-Zei, 1993, Yokeş et al, 2007. But this species has not yet been observed in the western Mediterranean (Cimerman & Langer, 1991;Sgarella & Moncharmont-Zei, 1993, Yokeş et al, 2007.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The expanded population of Amphistegina lobifera at Üç Adalar and Beş Adalar (Antalya, Turkey)

Yokeş

Merıç

Avşar

et al. 2014

Mar. Biodivers. Rec.

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On the Presence of Alien Foraminifera Amphistegina lobifera Larsen on the coasts of the Maltese Islands

Cited by 37 publications

References 3 publications

Bioerosion and fungal colonization of the invasive foraminiferan <i>Amphistegina lobifera</i> in a Mediterranean seagrass meadow

Bioerosion and fungal colonization of the invasive foraminiferan <i>Amphistegina lobifera</i> in a Mediterranean seagrass meadow

Climate change and Mediterranean seagrass meadows: a synopsis for environmental managers

The expanded population of Amphistegina lobifera at Üç Adalar and Beş Adalar (Antalya, Turkey)

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On the Presence of Alien Foraminifera Amphistegina lobifera Larsen on the coasts of the Maltese Islands

Cited by 37 publications

References 3 publications

Bioerosion and fungal colonization of the invasive foraminiferan &lt;i&gt;Amphistegina lobifera&lt;/i&gt; in a Mediterranean seagrass meadow

Bioerosion and fungal colonization of the invasive foraminiferan &lt;i&gt;Amphistegina lobifera&lt;/i&gt; in a Mediterranean seagrass meadow

Climate change and Mediterranean seagrass meadows: a synopsis for environmental managers

The expanded population of Amphistegina lobifera at Üç Adalar and Beş Adalar (Antalya, Turkey)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

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Bioerosion and fungal colonization of the invasive foraminiferan <i>Amphistegina lobifera</i> in a Mediterranean seagrass meadow

Bioerosion and fungal colonization of the invasive foraminiferan <i>Amphistegina lobifera</i> in a Mediterranean seagrass meadow