Page 4 - MedSens_index_2021

Ecological Indicators 122 (2021) 107296
E. Turicchia et al.

Fig. 1. Geographical distribution of the MedSens data points (Ponti et al., 2020). Map is in Mercator projection, datum WGS84.

Mediterranean Sea. This included many coastal areas characterised by
Table 3 rocky bottoms, but also several wetlands, coastal lagoons, estuaries, and
MedSens index classification of the physical, chemical, biological, and overall
pelagic areas that are unsuitable for the MedSens index. Overall, 81
pressures.
MPAs were assessed by the MedSens index, and the results are reported
Mean sensitivity MedSens phy MedSens che MedSens bio MedSens tot in Table S3.1 (Supporting Information S3). The assessed areas ranged
2
Very low ≤1.5106 ≤1.4381 ≤1.5554 ≤1.5305 from very small rocky outcrops (e.g. Scoglio dell’Argentarola, 0.15 km )
2
Low ≤1.6275 ≤1.6342 ≤1.7908 ≤1.6432 to vast marine spaces (e.g. Tabarca-Cabo de Palos, 1262 km ). The
Moderate ≤1.7206 ≤1.7806 ≤1.9168 ≤1.7431 protected areas with the most sensitive species assemblages were
High ≤1.8456 ≤1.9621 ≤2.0594 ≤1.8921
Very high >1.8456 >1.9621 >2.0594 >1.8921 located in the southern and central Tyrrhenian Sea (e.g. Isole Egadi,
Scoglio dell’Argentarola, Isola di Ustica, Scilla, and Costa Viola) and
Ligurian Sea (e.g. Punta Manara). The protected areas with the least
4
classifications are available at the ‘MedSens index’ web page . sensitive species assemblages were characterised by artificial habitats,
Possible correlations among MedSens index, calculated for different such as shipwrecks in Malta and the offshore platform wreck ‘Paguro’ in
pressure typologies, number of observations, observers, taxa considered, the northern Adriatic Sea, whose benthic assemblages are simplified
and the size of the investigated areas were analysed by the Pearson compared to natural rocky bottoms (Ponti et al., 2002, 2015). Low to
correlation coefficient (r). Differences of r-values from zero were tested very low mean species sensitivities were also found at ‘Tegnùe di
with a t distribution (α = 0.05). Chioggia’, a northern Adriatic no-take zone characterised by mesophotic
coralligenous banks. These results are consistent with high anthropic
3. Results disturbance in the area, including several dystrophic crises (Toma-
ˇ sových et al., 2017; Zuschin and Stachowitsch, 2009) and intense
The details of the evidence-based sensitivity assessment (including trawling (Melli et al., 2017; Ponti et al., 2011) that may limit the
references) for the 25 selected taxa are summarised in the Table S2 abundance of species sensitive to physical and chemical pressures.
(Supporting Information S2). The mean sensitivity values are reported in The indices for the different pressures were correlated (Table S3.2,
Table 2. Supporting Information S3). However, there were instances where the
The MedSens data shapefile used to classify the MedSens index con- classifications differed greatly, particularly between assessments of the
tained 33,021 observations from 569 EcoDivers (Fig. 1; Ponti et al., chemical and biological pressures. The number of taxa considered was
2020). The data came from the Croatian, French, Greek, Italian, Spanish, correlated to the number of observations and observers, and the number
and Tunisian coasts. The MedSens index calculation for 15 arc-second of observations was correlated to the number of observers, but these
grid cells along the Mediterranean coasts resulted in 137 TUs assessed. parameters did not correlate with the size of the area or the sensitivity of
When calculated for the physical, chemical, biological, and overall their assemblages.
pressures, the index value distributions significantly differed for the
variances (Bartlett’s test: p = 1.475 × 10 -10 ) and means (ANOVA: p = 3.2. MedSens index applied to Italian MPA management zones
-6
2.347 × 10 ). This suggests slightly different classification scales for the
different pressure types; the 5-class scheme obtained by quintiles is re- The MedSens index was calculated for 22 management zones
ported in Table 3. belonging to 12 Italian MPAs (Table S3.3, Supporting Information S3).
The management zones with the most sensitive species assemblages
3.1. MedSens index applied to Mediterranean MPAs were in the MPAs Isole Egadi, Tavolara – Punta Coda Cavallo, Isola di
Ustica, Punta Campanella, and Portofino. Many A zones were not
In October 2019, WDPA reported 1504 MPAs (sensu lato) in the assessed due to the lack of data; the exceptions being the Cinque Terre,

4