Sabellaria spinulosa (Polychaeta, Annelida) reefs in the Mediterranean Sea: Habitat mapping, dynamics and associated fauna for conservation management

Gravina, Maria Flavia; Cardone, Frine; Bonifazi, Andrea; Bertrandino, Marta Simona; Chimienti, Giovanni; Longo, Caterina; Marzano, Carlotta Nonnis; Moretti, Massimo; Lisco, Stefania; Moretti, Vincenzo; Corriero, Giuseppe; Giangrande, Adriana

doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2017.11.017

Cited by 42 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…In the North Atlantic coast, its aggregations usually range between 4500 and 12,000 ind m −2 . However, S. spinulosa tube density can reach high values, approximately 37,000 ind m 2 [45]. S. spinulosa modifies, maintains and creates habitat, as already observed in various studies involving the congeneric species S. alveolata.…”

Section: Supply Of Substratementioning

confidence: 57%

“…Increase surface heterogeneity of the bottom and enlarges landscape complexity [45,46] Mediterranean Sea; Adriatic coast (Italy)…”

Section: Form Tubes With Terrigenous Particles and Can Build Reefs Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is a solitary species that can also be found in small groups. However, under favorable conditions, it forms reefs up to several cm high [45]. The reefs of S. spinulosa occur in locations around the British Isles [45,71].…”

Section: Supply Of Substratementioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, under favorable conditions, it forms reefs up to several cm high [45]. The reefs of S. spinulosa occur in locations around the British Isles [45,71]. In the North Atlantic coast, its aggregations usually range between 4500 and 12,000 ind m −2 .…”

Section: Supply Of Substratementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Seasonal variation in the sediment characteristics of these reefs occur in association with reef growth and degradation periods related to physical processes (e.g., storms and wave action [47]). S. spinulosa traps and concentrate sediment particles, modifying the physical environment along the Apulian coast [45].…”

Section: Sediment Mediated Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Role of Reef-Building, Ecosystem Engineering Polychaetes in Shallow Water Ecosystems

Bruschetti

2019

Diversity

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Although the effect of ecosystem engineers in structuring communities is common in several systems, it is seldom as evident as in shallow marine soft-bottoms. These systems lack abiotic three-dimensional structures but host biogenic structures that play critical roles in controlling abiotic conditions and resources. Here I review how reef-building polychaetes (RBP) engineer their environment and affect habitat quality, thus regulating community structure, ecosystem functioning, and the provision of ecosystem services in shallow waters. The analysis focuses on different engineering mechanisms, such as hard substrate production, effects on hydrodynamics, and sediment transport, and impacts mediated by filter feeding and biodeposition. Finally, I deal with landscape-level topographic alteration by RBP. In conclusion, RBP have positive impacts on diversity and abundance of many species mediated by the structure of the reef. Additionally, by feeding on phytoplankton and decreasing water turbidity, RBP can control primary production, increase light penetration, and might alleviate the effects of eutrophication affecting supporting ecosystem services, such as nutrient cycling. They can also modulate cultural ecosystem services by affecting recreational activities (e.g., negative impacts on boating and angling, increased value of sites as birdwatching sites). Acknowledging the multiplicity of synergistic and antagonistic effects of RBP on ecosystems and linking changes in habitat structure, filter-feeding activities, and biodeposition to ecosystem services are essential for effective decision-making regarding their management and restoration.

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Section: Supply Of Substratementioning

confidence: 57%

“…Increase surface heterogeneity of the bottom and enlarges landscape complexity [45,46] Mediterranean Sea; Adriatic coast (Italy)…”

Section: Form Tubes With Terrigenous Particles and Can Build Reefs Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Supply Of Substratementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Supply Of Substratementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sediment Mediated Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Role of Reef-Building, Ecosystem Engineering Polychaetes in Shallow Water Ecosystems

Bruschetti

2019

Diversity

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Architecture and tube structure of Sabellaria spinulosa (Leuckart, 1849): Comparison with the Mediterranean S. alveolata congener

Sanfilippo

Rosso

Viola

et al. 2022

Journal of Morphology

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The Atlantic-Mediterranean polychaete Sabellaria spinulosa (Leuckart, 1849) lives in agglutinated tubes forming discrete reef-like bioconstructions on shallow-water bottoms beaten by waves where sediment particles are constantly resuspended.Tubes are built with sand grains glued by a proteinaceous cement. Analyses of a S. spinulosa reef sample of this worm collected off the Casarza coast (central Adriatic Sea) allowed the description of its tube architecture and gluing modality. The tube consists of three layers of agglutinated sand: (a) a thin inner layer with sandy particles arranged side by side with a flat side facing the tube lumen (b) a thick middle layer with larger isodiametric and squat grains with empty pores in between; and (c) a thin discontinuous outer layer of heterometric clasts, prevalently large and flat, diverging towards the opening. This fits the general tube construction known for S. alveolata and in general for tubes of the sabellariidae family, but compared to Sabellaria alveolata, S. spinulosa possesses a smaller tube with a wall about 1/3 thick; the agglutinated sandy elements are finer, and some number of muddy particles participates in the tube construction. Morphological and epifluorescence observations revealed that biocement portions are irregularly and haphazardly distributed compared with those of S. alveolata that consist of drops and strips of glue carefully placed. Adjacent tubes leave empty interspaces in between them only locally filled by loose sand, extremely reduced to absent in S. alveolata.

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Integration of close‐range underwater photogrammetry with inspection and mesh processing software: a novel approach for quantifying ecological dynamics of temperate biogenic reefs

Ventura¹,

Dubois

Bonifazi

et al. 2020

Remote Sens Ecol Conserv

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Characterizing and monitoring changes in biogenic 3‐dimensional (3D) structures at multiple scales over time is challenging within the practical constraints of conventional ecological tools. Therefore, we developed a structure‐from‐motion (SfM)‐based photogrammetry method, coupled with inspection and mesh processing software, to estimate important ecological parameters of underwater worm colonies (hummocks) constructed by the sabellariid polychaete Sabellaria alveolata, using non‐destructive, 3D modeling and mesh analysis. High resolution digital images of bioconstructions (hummocks) were taken in situ under natural conditions to generate digital 3D models over different sampling periods to analyse the morphological evolution of four targeted hummocks. 3D models were analysed in GOM Inspect software, a powerful and freely available mesh processing software to follow growth as well as morphology changes over time of each hummock. Linear regressions showed 3D models only slightly overestimated the real dimensions of the reference objects with an average error < 5% between measured and model‐estimated dimensions for both length and volume. Manual inspection of models and semi‐automated surface‐to‐surface comparison allowed the computation of important metrics linked to the ecology of temperate reefs such as volume, surface area, surface complexity/rugosity, number and size of holes and creeks and the mean density of living worms per colony. Moreover we demonstrated the reliability of 3D surface complexity estimates against two linear rugosity measures: a traditional and a virtual variant of the ‘chain‐and‐tape’ method. Finally, besides 3D models deviation analysis via surface comparison, a Bayesian latent variable model approach was adopted to highlight the significative effects of sea state conditions on S. alveolata hummocks metrics. We demonstrated without damaging the benthic organisms that SfM approach allow continuous study of temperate bioconstruction leading to a fine description of short‐term structural modification mediated by hydrodynamics, making this technique accessible and repeatable to many other areas of ecological research.

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Sabellaria spinulosa (Polychaeta, Annelida) reefs in the Mediterranean Sea: Habitat mapping, dynamics and associated fauna for conservation management

Cited by 42 publications

References 23 publications

Role of Reef-Building, Ecosystem Engineering Polychaetes in Shallow Water Ecosystems

Role of Reef-Building, Ecosystem Engineering Polychaetes in Shallow Water Ecosystems

Architecture and tube structure of Sabellaria spinulosa (Leuckart, 1849): Comparison with the Mediterranean S. alveolata congener

Integration of close‐range underwater photogrammetry with inspection and mesh processing software: a novel approach for quantifying ecological dynamics of temperate biogenic reefs

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