Seasonal variations of amphipod assemblages in a Posidonia oceanica (Linnaeus) Delile, 1813 meadow from the central Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy)

Abstract

Temporal variability in species composition and abundance may enhance coexistence in ecological communities, especially when subjected to strong seasonal patterns. Species distribution through time may be related to many factors, such as changes in the structure and functioning of preferred habitats, variations in ecological interactions or asynchronous patterns in species life cycles. Here, data from a one-year survey of amphipod assemblages from a nearly undisturbed Posidonia oceanica meadow are used to investigate the seasonal patterns in species abundance and identity. Our results highlight the presence of a core group of species inhabiting the meadow throughout the year, although an in depth analysis reveals three differentiated seasonal assemblages corresponding to autumn, winter, and a warm season clustering of both spring and summer. The observed patterns suggest the interplay between different mechanisms drives the coexistence of amphipods over the whole year, including niche partitioning, predation pressure, and variations in life history traits.

Do intertidal Zostera noltei meadows represent a favourable habitat for amphipods? The case of the Kneiss Islands (Gulf of Gabès: Central Mediterranean Sea)

“…Winter yields the lowest values in terms of species diversity and abundance, characterized by the dominance of two species: Melita palmata and Gammarus insensibilis. This seasonality in amphipod assemblages is similar to that found in other parts of the world, particularly in the Mediterranean (Scipione & Zupo 2010; Camisa et al, 2017) and in temperate latitudes (Cunha, Sorbe, & Moreira, 1999; Moreira, Gestoso, & Troncoso, 2008; Karaçuha et al, 2009). Seasonal changes can occur for several reasons.…”

“…As regards other meadow habitats (i.e. Zostera marina , Cymodocea nodosa and Posidonia oceanica ), 24, 51 and 62 species, respectively, have been identified on the northern coast of Tunisia by Zakhama‐Sraieb et al (2011); in the northern and southern Adriatic Sea by Scipione & Zupo (2010); in the Marine Protected Area of Tavolara‐Punta Coda Cavallo by Sturaro et al (2015); in the central Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy) by Camisa et al (2017); on the Alicante coast (Spain) by de‐la‐Ossa‐Carretero, Del‐Pilar‐Ruso, Giménez‐Casalduero, and Sanchez‐Lizaso (2015); along Atlantic coasts (Esquete, Moreira, & Troncoso, 2011); and in the Black Sea (Karaçuha, Sezgin, & Dagli, 2009) (Table 4). Accordingly, the high species richness recorded in the Kneiss Islands compared with various beds worldwide can be attributed to the sampling methods used (e.g.…”

“…Likewise, the amphipod fauna associated with Zostera noltei meadows of the Kneiss Islands is typical of that found in other beds such as those composed of Zostera spp . (Esquete et al, 2011; Karaçuha et al, 2009), Cymodocea nodosa (Scipione & Zupo 2010) or Posidonia oceanica (Cimisa et al, 2017; Zakhama‐Sraieb et al, 2011) on Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts. This shows that the amphipod group comprises many cosmopolitan species that coexist in several habitats (Dauvin & Ruellet, 2007; Gomez‐Gesteira & Dauvin, 2000; Väinölä et al, 2008).…”

“…Several studies have been conducted to identify the amphipod fauna of meadow habitats in the Mediterranean Sea, mainly along the northern shore (Camisa et al, 2017; Gambi, Lorenti, Russo, Scipione, & Zupo, 1992; Reynolds, Carr, & Boyer, 2012; Sanchez Jerez, Barbera, & Ramos Espla, 1999; Scipione, Gambi, Lorenti, Russo, & Zupo, 1996; Scipione & Zupo, 2010). However, data on amphipods associated with Posidonia oceanica meadows are scarce and fragmented along the southern coasts of the Mediterranean.…”

A network approach to identify bioregions in the distribution of Mediterranean amphipods associated with Posidonia oceanica meadows

“…An extensive survey of the literature was conducted to obtain all available information on the presence of amphipods from P. oceanica meadows across different regions of the Mediterranean Sea. We filtered the available literature to obtain comparable data in terms of sampling season, depth and methods (see Supplemental Materials & Methods S1), so recovering data from 11 papers (Diviacco, 1988;Scipione et al, 1996;Scipione, 1998;Sanchéz-Jerez et al, 2000;Zakhama-Sraieb et al, 2006, 2010Bedini et al, 2011;Sturaro et al, 2014Sturaro et al, , 2015Bellisario et al, 2016, Camisa et al, 2017). Data were checked for possible taxonomic issues by updating species nomenclature according to WoRMS, so that species names reported in Table S1 correspond to present day taxonomic assignment (see Supplemental Materials & Methods S1 for further explanations).…”