Page 1 - First assessment of the vermetid

Biodiversity Journal, 2015, 6 (1): 371–376 MONOGRAPH

First assessment of the vermetid reefs along the coasts of
Favignana Island (SouthernTyrrhenian Sea)

Paolo Balistreri1*, Renato Chemello2 & Anna Maria Mannino1

1Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 38, 90123
Palermo, Italy; e-mail: requin.blanc@hotmail.it; annamaria.mannino@unipa.it
2Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 28, 90123 Palermo, Italy; e-mail: renato.
chemello@unipa.it
*Corresponding author

ABSTRACT Intertidal vermetid reefs, particularly vulnerable to environmental changes and human
activities, are now experiencing high mortality in several areas of the Mediterranean Sea. Since
the increase of knowledge on this habitat is important for conservation purposes, we provide
a first baseline assessment of the vermetid reefs along the coasts of the Favignana Island
(Marine Protected Area “Egadi Islands”). Preliminary results showed the presence of a true
reef, similar to a fringing reef, displaying at least three local patterns, distinguishable for width
(from 2.3 to 15.5 m), height of the outer and of the inner margin (from 5.6 to 18 cm and from
8.3 to 26 cm, respectively) and number, width and depth of cuvettes. Moreover, significant
differences in topographic complexity among the areas were evidenced whereas no correlation
between coastal exposure and topographic complexity was found.

KEY WORDS Bioconstruction; Favignana Island; habitat and topographic complexity; vermetid reef.

Received 25.08.2014; accepted 30.01.2015; printed 30.03.2015
Proceedings of the 2nd International Congress “Speciation and Taxonomy”, May 16th-18th 2014, Cefalù-Castelbuono (Italy)

INTRODUCTION 1998). In the Mediterranean Sea their distribution is
restricted to the warmest part of the basin with the
Vermetid reefs are bioconstructions built up by largest formations generally found off the coasts of
the gastropod mollusc Dendropoma petraeum Israel and Lebanon, but they have also been reported
(Monterosato, 1884) in association with some coral- in Turkey, Crete, continental Spain and Baleari
line algae such as Neogoniolithon brassica-florida Islands, Algeria, Morocco, along Maltese and Italian
(Harvey) Setchell & Mason. These bioconstructions shores (Pérès & Picard, 1952; Molinier & Picard,
are unique and highly diverse systems that play a 1953; Molinier, 1955; Safriel, 1975; Boudouresque
fundamental structural role, as they protect coasts & Cinelli, 1976; Dalongeville, 1977; Kelletat, 1979;
from erosion, regulate sediment transport and Richards, 1983; Laborel, 1987; Azzopardi, 1992;
accumulation, serve as carbon sinks, make the habitat Garcia-Raso et al., 1992; Templado et al., 1992;
more complex and heterogeneous and provide Bitar & Bitar-Kouli, 1995a, 1955b; Azzopardi &
numerous habitats for animal and vegetal species Schembri, 1997).
thus increasing intertidal biodiversity (Pandolfo et
al., 1992; Pandolfo et al., 1996; Badalamenti et al., In Sicily, large and more or less continuous ver-
metid reefs are present along the north/northwestern