Page 2 - Mannino-Balistreri_2018

2 A. M. MANNINO AND P. BALISTRERI

Since frontiers do not exist in the sea, biological inva- Mediterranean communities (Boudouresque et al. 1995;
sions may severely affect MPAs, whose major aim is bio- Klein and Verlaque 2008; Papini, Mosti, and Santosuosso
diversity conservation, because they are also located in 2013; Katsanevakis et al. 2014). This species, first recorded
proximity to ports and marinas or are frequently used in Italy in 1993 at Baia di San Panagia (Sicily) and at the
by small recreational or fishing boats as well as tourists. Island of Lampedusa (Alongi et al. 1993), is currently pres-
Despite the availability of a large amount of information ent around almost all the Mediterranean Sea.
on MPAs, the effects of MPAs on IAS has been poorly We report our experience of citizen science in the Egadi
studied (Burfeind et al. 2013; Ardura et al. 2016; Giakoumi Islands MPA with the project ‘Caulerpa cylindracea –
et al. 2016; Giakoumi and Pey 2017). It therefore remains Egadi Islands’, aimed at monitoring the spread dynamics
doubtful if MPAs are able to resist IAS, due to the high spe- of C. cylindracea within the Egadi Islands MPA.
cies richness conferring them an ‘invasion resistance’, or
instead may favour their introduction and spread through Material and methods
tourism activities, which increase disturbance and vectors
(boat anchors, diving, etc.) (Giakoumi and Pey 2017). The Egadi Islands MPA (Aegadian archipelago), instituted
To reduce the risk of future IAS introduction and to in 1991, is the largest Italian MPA. This small archipelago,
better understand their invasive potential and spread located approximately 7–9 km from the western coast of
dynamics, monitoring and surveillance plans are Sicily (Italy, Tyrrhenian Sea), is composed of three main
required. The creation of permanent alarm systems and islands (Favignana 37°56′00′′ N, 12°19′00′′ E; Marettimo
public awareness campaigns might be effective tools in 37°58′00′′ N, 12°03′00′′ E; Levanzo 38°00′00′′ N, 12°20′00′′
the management of IAS introductions. In this regard, E) and a few small islets (Galeotta 37°54′43′′ N, 12°17′55′′
MPAs, where the effects of NIS invasion can be studied E; Galera 37°54′51′′ N, 12°17′24′′ E; Preveto 37°54′51.68′′
and management strategies can be developed, might play N, 12°18′7.57′′ E; Formica 37°59′21′′ N, 12°25′31′′ E;
an important role as ‘sentinel systems’. Recently, an IAS Maraone 37°59′23′′ N, 12°24′51′′ E) (Figure 1).
strategy for the MedPAN Network, aiming to promote The project ‘Caulerpa cylindracea – Egadi Islands’,
the establishment, the operation and the sustainability of addressed to different groups of volunteers (students,
a Mediterranean network of MPAs, has been developed. tourists, divers, underwater photographers, amateurs and
The strategy intends to assist MPAs for invasive species fishermen), was based on the collection of data (place,
management. date, depth, substrate coverage %) and photos concerning
To plan effective management and conservation strat- the occurrence of C. cylindracea within the MPA. Only
egies, reliable data on distribution and spread dynamics data validated by the scientific team of the project were
of IAS are essential. Since intensive monitoring programs gathered in the database.
could be very expensive, citizen science, involving citizens
(e.g. tourists, fishermen, divers) in the collection of data, Results and discussion
could be a useful tool for providing data on IAS that would
otherwise be impossible to collect because of limitations The project was presented during the International
on time and resources. Of course, all these data are reli- Congress GeoSub2016 (Mannino, Donati, and Balistreri
able only if they are scientifically validated. The number 2016). The Facebook page of the project registered numer-
of citizen science projects (e.g. ‘Seawatchers’, available at ous followers (3000 only in the last month). In all we gath-
http://www.observadoresdelmar.es/?idioma=en, ‘Aliens in ered 156 sightings mainly recorded by citizens (Figure 2).
the sea’ available at the Facebook page: Progetto ‘Aliens in The alga was reported from all the three main islands even
the sea’, ‘Spot the Alien Fish’, available at https://www.face- though the majority of the records were from Favignana
book.com/aliensmalta, and MedMIS, a new IUCN app (Figure 1). It was found in different habitats, between 0
for marine invasive species in Mediterranean MPAs) has and 40 m depth, mainly on rock, rock with sediment and
rapidly and enormously increased in recent years (Conrad sand (Figures 3 and 4). Useful information on the behav-
and Hilchey 2011), thanks also to the wide availability iour strategies of the alga was also gathered, e.g. the abil-
of mobile technologies and internet access that enable ity of the stolons to create bridges in order to reach new
an easy and cheap way to communicate, share and inter- areas for the anchorage and the strength of the anchorage
change data. Currently, citizen science has been widely due to the high number of rhizoids (Figure 4(d)). These
recognised as an effective tool to expand the scale of NIS strategies allow C. cylindracea to spread rapidly, forming
data collection and monitoring. compact multi-layered mats able to trap the sediment that
Among IAS, Caulerpa cylindracea Sonder, introduced negatively affect the native macroalgal assemblages (Klein
from Australia and New Caledonia (Belton et al. 2014), and Verlaque 2008; Holmer et al. 2009; Matijević et al.
has raised serious concern due to its ascertained impact on 2013). A low diversity was observed in areas colonised by