Proceedings of the Second Mediterranean Symposium on Marine
Proceedings of the Second Mediterranean Symposium on Marine
Proceedings of the Second Mediterranean Symposium on Marine
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CONTRIBUTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE BENTHIC MARINE<br />
MACROALGAE FROM MANI REGION (MESSINIAKOS GULF, GREECE)<br />
Anastasia TSIRIKA, Dimitris PATOUCHEAS & Sawas HARITONIDIS<br />
Aristotle University <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Thessal<strong>on</strong>iki, Department <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Biology, Institute <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Botany, GR- 541 24, Thessal<strong>on</strong>iki, GREECE<br />
ABSTRACT<br />
Limited informati<strong>on</strong> is available <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> benthic marine flora <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Pelop<strong>on</strong>nese and no data<br />
are provided for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Southwestern part <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Mani regi<strong>on</strong> (Messiniakos Gulf). The current<br />
study, including certain biotopes <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Mani regi<strong>on</strong> (Hotassia, Oitilo and Aeropolis), aims<br />
at a broader c<strong>on</strong>tributi<strong>on</strong> to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> survey <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Greek marine flora. All sample collecti<strong>on</strong>s<br />
were accomplished with SCUBA-diving during <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> spring and autumn <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2002 and 2003.<br />
The studied sites are characterized by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> intense presence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> hard substrate from 0m<br />
down to 50m depth, with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> excepti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> few sandy coasts. Samples were collected<br />
from 0-2m and 35-40m depth. In total, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> samples c<strong>on</strong>tained 147 taxa. From <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
identified species, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> red algae dominate qualitatively with 99 representatives, whereas<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> phaeophyceae and green algae participate with 28 and 20 representatives,<br />
respectively. The Cystoseira spp. communities c<strong>on</strong>stitute a source <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> floristic richness <strong>on</strong><br />
hard substrate, form a productive belt that plays an important ecological role and shape<br />
most <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> rocky underwater landscape in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Mediterranean</str<strong>on</strong>g> Sea. C<strong>on</strong>cerning <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> depth<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 0-2m, significant was <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> presence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> photophilus associati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Cystoseira<br />
amentacea and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> photophilus associati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Cystoseira compressa accompanied by<br />
Cystoseira barbatula and Ch<strong>on</strong>drophycus papillosus. Moreover, at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> lower midlittoral<br />
and upper sublittoral z<strong>on</strong>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> red alga Tenarea tortuosa covered extended areas. At <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
depth <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 35-40m <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> associati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Cystoseira spinosa and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> associati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Cystoseira<br />
foeniculacea f. schiffneri were recorded. At that depth very important was <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> presence<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> brown alga Sargassum acinarium accompanied by dense populati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
epiphytic and epilithic Callithamni<strong>on</strong> granulatum. All over <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> substrate at 35-40m depth<br />
dense turfs <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> filamentous red macroalga Womersleyella setacea occurred. This<br />
species, described originally from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Hawaiian Islands and later reported from o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r<br />
tropical localities, has recently become widespread in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Mediterranean</str<strong>on</strong>g> Sea. In Greece,<br />
it has been observed at North and South Aegean Sea. No sporangia or sexual<br />
reproductive structures were observed at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> specimens <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> studied site. Ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r pantropical<br />
to temperate-warm water species that is currently experiencing a dramatic and<br />
c<strong>on</strong>tinuous spread throughout most <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Mediterranean</str<strong>on</strong>g> Sea was recorded at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
studied sites. The green alga Caulerpa racemosa occurred at 0-2m, as well as at 35-40m<br />
depth, expanding <strong>on</strong> rocky substrate, benthic fauna, encrusting algae as Corallinaceae<br />
and Peyss<strong>on</strong>nelia spp., turf species and erect algae. The species expansi<strong>on</strong> was much<br />
more significant at deep water than at shallow water biocommunities. Specimens <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
Caulerpa racemosa from Mani regi<strong>on</strong> possessed uncrowded radial to distichous<br />
branchlets and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> branchlets shape was clavate with rounded apex. The morphology <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> specimens indicates that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y bel<strong>on</strong>g to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> invasive variety Caulerpa racemosa var.<br />
occidentalis. The species Laurencia ch<strong>on</strong>drioides and Osmundea pelagosae are<br />
recorded for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> first time at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Greek coasts in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> present study. Both species were<br />
found to grow as epiphytes at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> depth <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 35-40m.<br />
ACTES DU DEUXIEME SYMPOSIUM MEDITERRANEEN SUR LA VEGETATION MARINE (ATHENES, 12-13 DECEMBRE 2003)<br />
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