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Biodiversity, 2018
https://doi.org/10.1080/14888386.2018.1468280

Citizen science: a successful tool for monitoring invasive alien species (IAS) in
Marine Protected Areas. The case study of the Egadi Islands MPA (Tyrrhenian Sea,
Italy)

a
Anna Maria Mannino and Paolo Balistreri b
a department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical sciences and technologies, section of Botany and Plant ecology, University of Palermo,
b
Palermo, italy; Bio & tec. soc. Cop., trapani, italy

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY
The chief purpose of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is biodiversity conservation. The effects that received 19 April 2018
invasive alien species (IAS) have on MPAs, and vice versa, are not yet fully known, even though Accepted 19 April 2018
assessing them is crucial for MPA planning. Management plans require sound knowledge of the KEYWORDS
pathways of introduction, the impact and current distribution of IAS. Monitoring plans are essential Caulerpa cylindracea; citizen
for preventing and reducing the risk of IAS introduction. In this respect, the involvement of citizen science; invasive alien
scientists in gathering data (validated by taxonomic experts) on the occurrence of IAS, that would species; Marine Protected
otherwise be impossible to collect, may be crucial. We report on our experience of citizen science Areas; Mediterranean sea;
in the Egadi Islands MPA with the project ‘Caulerpa cylindracea – Egadi Islands’, aimed at monitoring monitoring
the spread dynamics of the ‘sea grape’ C. cylindracea. The project registered 156 sightings and also
allowed collection of records and information concerning other non-indigenous and cryptogenic
species, e.g. the spotted sea hare (Aplysia dactylomela), the harpoon weed (Asparagopsis armata),
the red sea plume (Asparagopsis taxiformis), the tube-building sabellid (Branchiomma bairdi), the
blue spotted cornet fish (Fistularia commersoni) and the nomad jellyfish (Rhopilema nomadica).

Introduction Diversity, the Ramsar Convention, the International
Union for Conservation of Nature, the Water Framework
The introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS, i.e. Directive, the Barcelona Convention) recognised the
organisms introduced outside of their natural, past or importance of IAS impacts on biodiversity and recom-
present, range and outside of their natural dispersal mend that contracting parties should take measures to
potential) has been pointed out as a major threat to bio- prevent the introduction of IAS and attempt to limit their
diversity and natural ecosystem functioning (Wallentinus spread and their impact (e.g. see Monaco and Genovesi
and Nyberg 2007; Katsanevakis et al. 2014; Vergés et al. 2014).
2016). NIS may in time become invasive (i.e. invasive alien Sicily and its surrounding islands, also including a
species (IAS)) and may cause biodiversity loss and ecosys- high number of Marine Protected Area (MPAs), as a
tem service changes (Brunel et al. 2013; Giakoumi 2014; consequence of their geographic position and the intense
Vergés et al. 2014, 2016). In the Mediterranean Sea, due to maritime traffic volumes, including fisheries and recre-
multiple human-borne stressors, the number of recorded ational fleets (Occhipinti-Ambrogi et al. 2011a, 2011b;
NIS has been increasing exponentially in the last 100 years Katsanevakis et al. 2014) that foster the introduction of
(Occhipinti-Ambrogi et al. 2011a, 2011b; Katsanevakis et marine alien species, is a region particularly vulnerable
al. 2014), currently reaching a number around 1000 NIS, and prone to NIS invasions (Bianchi 2007; Occhipinti-
of which 134 species are macrophytes (Zenetos et al. 2012; Ambrogi et al. 2011a, 2011b; Katsanevakis et al. 2012,
Galil et al. 2015; Verlaque et al. 2015; Alós et al. 2016). 2014). This area also plays an important role as recipi-
Since IAS have been recognised as one of the major ent area, transit zone and source for secondary dispersal,
threats of marine ecosystems, several international organi- highlighting the key role it can play in the circulation of
sation and conventions (e.g. the Convention on Biological NIS within the Mediterranean Sea.

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