Sabellaria alveolata (Annelida, Polychaeta) bioconstructions and associated macroalgal community from Portopalo di Capo Passero (SE Sicily) (original) (raw)
Related papers
Zoosymposia, 2009
The aim of this research was to analyze the morphological features of Sabellaria alveolata reefs and the associated polychaete fauna in three different coastal areas of the Tyrrhenian Sea (Mediterranean Sea, Italy). We assessed the relationship between the physical structure of the reefs and the associated fauna. We also investigated possible connections between polychaete assemblage structure and reef development on spatial and temporal scales. Reefs were morphologically described, and the polychaete assemblages were studied using community indices, as well as multivariate and univariate statistics. Three different reef states were described, linked to their respective phase of development. The structure of the associated polychaete assemblages differed according to the relevant reef’s phase of development. Species richness was high in reefs in destruction phase, while it decreased in recovering reefs.
Journal of Palaeogeography
Sabellaria alveolata (Linnaeus 1767) is a polychaete able to build bioconstructions of different thickness, size and patchiness, in intertidal and subtidal environments. Its biological features have been the object of numerous studies worldwide. The worm reefs are formed by millions of tubes built by sand and shells (whole or in fragments) bonded together with a strong glue produced by the worm itself. Hence, Sabellaria alveolata represents a sedimentological asset for the coastal protection, since it contributes to create natural barriers against storm waves and erosion, and supplies the beach with new sandy deposits. This work shows a multidisciplinary approach to studying a bioconstruction of Sabellaria alveolata along the Latium coast (Ostia, Tyrrhenian Sea, central Italy), proposing image analysis as a novel technique to investigate worm reefs, along with classical sedimentological/ ecological tools. The Sabellaria bioconstructions have been analysed at different scales of observation, suggesting the more appropriate strategies to develop a reliable model illustrating the different growth steps of these bioconstructions.
Geosciences
Sabellaria species are among the most important frame-builders in temperate, shallow marine areas. These polychaetes are suspension feeders able to build bioconstructions using sand and shell fragments cemented with a sticky mucous. Such feature makes these invertebrates “unusual bioconstructors”, as they do not produce calcium carbonate. Sabellaridae reefs are widespread in the Mediterranean and along the Atlantic coast of Europe, but their sedimentological aspects are still poorly known. Over short time intervals, these bioconstructions can rapidly alternate between phases of growth, stasis and destruction during different seasons. In this paper, we compare reefs of two Sabellaria species (S. alveolata—Ostia, Roma and Tyrrhenian Sea; S. spinulosa—Torre Mileto, Foggia and Adriatic Sea) found at two different sites along the Italian coast. We describe the morphology of worm tubes at the macro- and microscale. Similarities and differences are discussed based on eco-biological feature...
Mediterranean Marine Science, 2022
The honeycomb worm Sabellaria alveolata is a gregarious tube-dwelling polychaete that builds remarkable biogenic reefs in marine coastal waters. Sabellaria alveolata reefs are considered valuable marine habitats requiring protection measures for their conservation, as they play a key role in the functioning of coastal ecosystems. Sabellarid reefs are extensively developed along the Atlantic coasts of Europe and reported for the Mediterranean Sea and the Italian coasts, where large reefs have been recorded in several localities. Fragmentary information is available on their health status, Sabellaria reefs thus being listed as "Data Deficient" in the Red List of Marine Habitats. To fill this knowledge gap, this study focused on the analysis of the structure of three reefs found along the southern coast of Sicily. In particular, we aimed to assess their phases with respect to the natural cycle that characterizes the sabellarid reefs. Reef features were analyzed both on the macroscale, based on the bioconstruction size (diameter and thickness) and degree of fragmentation, and on the microscale, based on the measurement of worm density, opercular length and sand porch presence. This study reveals relevant differences among reefs of the studied locations. These differences we attribute to the temporal shift linked to the natural reef phases, albeit further analyses are needed to understand the possible effect of natural and anthropogenic sources of variation on the Southern Sicilian reefs. In conclusion, Sabellaria reefs are a unique and persistent habitat along the Sicilian coast requiring proper management and conservation measures.
Zoosymposia
The artificial reef of Fregene, Italy, was built in 1981 as a multipurpose structure with the intent of protecting the coastal environment from illegal trawling and also improving fishery production. It is located at 10–14 m depth on a sandy-silty seabed in the Tyrrhenian Sea, 5 nmi north of the outlet of the Tevere River (Latium, Italy) and 1.5 nmi offshore the town of Fregene (Latium, Italy). The development of the polychaete community on the reef was studied from May 1981 to December 2001 in order to examine long-term community dynamics and verify to what extent changes in polychaete assemblage could depict the development of the benthic assemblage. At each sampling time, two standard surfaces of 400 cm2 were scraped from the vertical walls of the same block. Temporal changes in the development of the polychaete community were detected by univariate (S, N, ExpH', 1/Simpson, J') and multivariate (CLUSTER, nMDS) analysis of the faunal data. Functional structure of the comm...
Zoosymposia
An update of the geographical distribution of the sabellariid polychaete Sabellaria alveolata (Linnaeus, 1767) within the Mediterranean Sea is provided after checking the known literature. This shallow-water, reef-forming species is first recorded from new sites in southeastern Sicily, both along the Sicily Straits and the Ionian Sea, from where S. alveolata was so far unknown.These new collections also provided material for a detailed description and SEM documentation of morphological features of the operculum and the body.
Scientia Marina, 2015
Sabellaria alcocki Gravier, 1906, described for the Indian Ocean, should not be present in the Mediterranean area. Though S. spinulosa alcocki, a Mediterranean variety, can be well-distinguished from S. alcocki, it has recently been referred to as S. alcocki. Thus, S. alcocki appears in the Italian coast checklist. The recent finding of S. spinulosa reefs along the southern Adriatic coast, the first report of these biogenic constructions in the Mediterranean area, allowed us to compare its morphological variability with that of S. alcocki. A morphometric analysis of the opercular paleae showed a great deal of intrapopulation, size-independent variation, which cannot justify the existence of varieties within S. spinulosa. Moreover, the analysis of post-settlement development showed that opercular features change during individual growth. Recently settled individuals resemble S. alcocki, while the more advanced life stages become closer to S. spinulosa. Accordingly, we hypothesize that part of the erroneous Mediterranean records of S. alcocki could correspond to specimens of S. spinulosa at different stages of development.
2021
Biological invasions are considered one of the main threats for biodiversity. In the last decades, more than 60 macroalgae have been introduced in the Mediterranean Sea, causing serious problems in coastal areas. Nevertheless, the impacts of alien macroalgae in deep subtidal systems have been poorly studied, especially in the coralligenous habitats of the eastern coast of Sicily (Italy). Therefore, within the framework of the programme “Progetto Operativo di Monitoraggio (P.O.M.)” of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the aim of the present study was to gain knowledge on the alien macroalgae present in coralligenous habitats of the Marine Protected Area (MPA) Isole Ciclopi, along the Ionian coast of Sicily. By Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) videos and destructive samples analysed in the laboratory, five alien species were identified: Caulerpa cylindracea, Antithamnion amphigeneum, Asparagopsis armata, Bonnemaisonia hamifera, and Lophocladia lallemandii. Since A. amp...
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2014
Polychaete worms are known to thrive in extreme environmental conditions, however little is known about how polychaete species will respond to major climatic stressors, such as ocean acidification. Here, we examined the distribution of Fabriciidae (Annelida, Sabellida) species along a gradient of ocean acidification, caused by carbon dioxide (CO2) vent emissions in a shallow, coastal system off the island of Ischia (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). A total of 265 specimens of Fabriciidae, representing six species from five genera, were collected along the gradient. Most of the species were found across the entire CO2 gradient, suggesting polychaetes may have a high tolerance for ocean acidification in the future. Two of the species were new to science, and two of the genera were previously unrecorded in the Mediterranean. A full description of the new species Brifacia aragonensis sp. nov. and Parafabricia mazzellae sp. nov. is given, both of which were most abundant in the most acidified are...
SpringerPlus, 2016
The polychaete Sabellaria alveolata (Linnaeus, 1767) is an important ecosystem engineer building reef structures which add to the topographic complexity in colonized areas. In Europe, the most extensive reef formation is located in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel (France). Since 2006, Sabellaria bio-constructions have developed on hard substrates along the west coast of the Cotentin Peninsula between Champeaux and Saint-Germain-sur-Ay on the northern part of the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel. In this sector, two distinct types of bio-construction can be distinguished: platforms and reefs. The aim of this study is to analyse the patterns of the associated macrofauna on these platforms and reefs, as well as outside, and test for a correlation between the presence of Sabellaria bio-constructions and the richness of the benthic macrofauna. Univariate analyses are used to compare the macrofauna on four sites (Champeaux, Lingreville, Blainville-sur-Mer and Saint-Germain-sur-Ay). The results show a higher taxonomic richness on the platform-type than on the reef-type structures, and also a higher taxonomic richness outside the bio-construction areas. This suggests that, on the examined sites, the presence of S. alveolata bio-constructions does not contribute to higher levels of benthic macrofaunal richness on hard substrates. Temporary bio-constructions along this coast exhibit reefs of interest at some sites as well as in very small zones which merit special attention.