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

Fig. 2. Examples of sensitivity assessments (MedSens tot index) applied to MPAs management zones: a) Portofino, b) Tavolara – Punta Coda Cavallo, and c) Isole
Tremiti. Yellow dots display MedSens data points. Letters indicate protection levels (Mercator projection, WGS84). (For interpretation of the references to colour in
this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)
Miramare, Isole Egadi, and Portofino MPAs, where data were collected Fig. 2b), the assemblage sensitivities ranged from high to very high. This
during authorised dives. However, the MedSens index did not detect very is consistent with limited anthropic impacts in a well-managed MPA
sensitive assemblages into these A zones. The A zones of Miramare and (Bianchi et al., 2012). Pressure gradients cannot be uniquely defined in
Isole Egadi are characterised by seagrass meadows and the MedSens this area, but the B zone performed better than the C zone in terms of
index may not provide reliable results in these habitats. At Cinque Terre, assemblage sensitivity, as expected from the management and conser-
the non-indigenous algae Caulerpa cylindracea has invaded (Bianchi vation plan.
et al., 2019; Montefalcone et al., 2015) and reduced the sensitivity of the At the Isole Tremiti MPA (central Adriatic Sea, Fig. 2c), the assem-
assemblages, especially towards biological pressures. blage sensitivities ranged from low to moderate. The B zone had the
At Portofino MPA (Ligurian Sea, Fig. 2a), the assemblage sensitivities lowest mean species sensitivity, especially for biological pressures. This
ranged from moderate to very high. Overall, the mean species sensi- may be related to a decline in the algal assemblages due to increasing
tivities increased in the west and consistently with distance from the pollution (Cormaci and Furnari, 1999) and the growing number of non-
Tigullio Gulf, located upstream of the dominant currents (Doglioli et al., indigenous species, such the invasive algae Womersleyella setacea (Cor-
2004). This is the source of the main local physical and chemical pres- maci et al., 2000) and C. cylindracea (Pierucci et al., 2019).
sures due to increasing urbanisation (Mangialajo et al., 2007) and the The MedSens index may allow even more detailed analysis. The
fluvial transport of sediments and pollutants (Mateos-Molina et al., Portofino MPA can be further subdivided into 19 monitoring zones, as
2015). designated by the MPA authority. The MedSens index revealed that some
At Tavolara – Punta Coda Cavallo MPA (northern Tyrrhenian Sea, zones have less-sensitive assemblages than others, which may help to

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