Participación destacada del COB en el 41º congreso de la CIESM

Entre el 12 y 16 de septiembre se celebró en Kiel (Alemania) el 41º congreso de la Comisión Internacional para la Exploración Científica del Mediterráneo (CIESM), que tiene lugar cada tres años y que es la organización que reúne, desde su creación en Madrid en 1919, la comunidad más numerosa e interdisciplinar de investigadores en ciencias marinas del Mediterráneo y Mar Negro.

El Congreso de la CIESM es uno de los mayores eventos de ciencias del mar multidisciplinares. El 41 Congreso reúne a investigadores que trabajan en el Mediterráneo y el Mar Negro, así como el Mar Rojo, el mar de Kara y las costas del Atlántico. Durante una semana, 90 sesiones repartidas en seis comités cubrieron temas científicos clave, entre ellos las geociencias marinas, recursos vivos, el clima oceánico y oceanografía, redes tróficas marinas, las especies invasoras, los plásticos marinos, la biotecnología, la química, la geología marina y la gestión integrada costera.

En el seno de esta institución se establecen redes de colaboración científica que abordan temáticas relevantes del Mediterráneo en su globalidad. Esta edición, además, se abrió a la participación activa de investigadores del área ICES (Atlántico), con el fin de identificar sinergias y comparaciones entre los distintos mares regionales europeos.

Al Congreso acudieron 450 asistentes, entre los que estuvieron 14 investigadores del IEO que presentaron 18 comunicaciones. Además, hubo otras siete instituciones españolas cuyos asistentes presentaron 17 comunicaciones. En calidad de delegados de España, Eduardo Balguerías y Federico Álvarez participaron además en las reuniones del Board de la institución, presidida por el Príncipe Alberto II de Mónaco, y en las que se tratan y deciden asuntos científicos, organizativos y económicos, tanto relativos al desarrollo del Congreso como para el período trianual entre ellos.

Entre los 35 moderadores de sesiones, el IEO tuvo una participación destacada, con Mª Luz Fernández de Puelles (Zooplancton I), Salud Deudero (Hábitats Marinos Artificiales), Juan Antonio Camiñas (Vertebrados en peligro) y Marta Álvarez (Variabilidad de las propiedades termohalinas II). Por otro lado, Salud Deudero ha sido reelegida co-presidenta del Comité de Ecosistemas Marinos y Recursos Vivos por otro período de tres años, por votación de los 150 asistentes al Comité y precedida de un proceso de competición curricular entre varios candidatos. Esta responsabilidad implica pertenecer al Comité Científico de la CIESM que tiene como misión la elaboración de líneas prioritarias de investigación en las ciencias marinas del Mediterráneo.

Participantes del COB en el congreso de CIESM 2016. Foto: COB-IEO

A continuación se presenta el listado de 21 comunicaciones aportadas por 26 investigadores del COB:

1. Individual based analysis of the functional overlap among four temperate fish species. Adam Gouraguine, Olga Reñones, Heather Baxter, Hilmar Hinz, David Smith, Joan Moranta. We conducted individual-based analyses of species’ functional niches based on their microhabitat utilization patterns during foraging and computed functional overlaps in terms of space partitioning and behavioral traits. The sampling took place on rocky reefs of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Western Mediterranean) during May-June 2015. We sampled 328 fish belonging to four species representing different life history traits and feeding behaviors. All species studied demonstrated distinct patterns of spatial overlap and niche partitioning. The results of this study will help determine functional redundancy and complimentary of temperate fish species and thus better our understanding of the ecological characteristics and processes of shallow subtidal environments.
2. Acoustic identification of Nyctiphanes couchii and Nematoscelis megalops in Spanish Mediterranean waters. Ana Ventero, Dolores Oñate, Pilar Cordoba, Magdalena Iglesias. During the 2015 routine acoustic survey for stock assessment carried out in the Spanish Mediterranean continental shelf, krill swarms were localized in two different places using an EK60 scientific echosounder, operating at multiple frequencies. Biological identification was performed by mean of a plankton net (bongo 90) equipped with two different mesh sizes (500 to 2000 microns). Although krill frequency response was similar in both localizations, samples analysis revealed the presence of two different species: Nyctiphanes couchii (Bell, 1853) and Nematoscelis megalops (Sars, 1883).
3. Detection of zooplankton predator-prey interactions in Alboran Sea by combining acoustic backscatter data and different biological sampling systems. Ana Ventero, Dolores Oñate, Pilar Córdoba and Magdalena Iglesias. Multifrequency acoustic technology was used to detect the summer epipelagic scattering layer associated with a heterogenic zooplankton community in Alboran Sea. Simultaneously, identification hauls by means of two different plankton net (bongo 40 equipped with 250 and 333 μm mesh and bongo 90 equipped with 500 and 2000 μm mesh) were performed to obtain taxonomical and quantitative characteristics of the zooplankton community. Collected data revealed a strong correlation between the abundance of small crustacean (prey) captured by the 250 μm mesh with the abundance of chaetognaths, siphonophores and fish larvae (predators) captured by 500 μm mesh.
4. Harvesting and population dynamics of European hake in the Gulf of Lions (northwestern Mediterranean). Angélique Jadaud, Beatriz Guijarro, Tristan Rouyer, Enric Massutí and Capucine Mellon. The European hake (Merluccius merluccius) is one of the main resources of the demersal fishery in the Gulf of Lions. This stock is considered as a shared stock, exploited by both Spanish and French fleets. The objective of this work was to analyze its population dynamics and to assess its current state of exploitation. Data were obtained from both commercial monitoring and scientific surveys. Two different stock assessment models were considered, which showed similar results, with the recruitment and spawning stock biomass displaying a decreasing trend along the data series. This trend was also found in the average length in catches. The current fishing mortality estimates were higher than the reference points and the stock is considered to be overexploited. Adequate management measures are needed to improve the status of the stock.
5. Living in close quarters: epibionts on Dendrophyllia ramea deep-waters corals (Cyprus and Menorca Channel). C. Jimenez, K. Achilleos , R. Abu Alhaija , J. M. Gili and C. Oreja. In sharp contrast to shallow and/or tropical coral habitats, the role of deep-water corals (DWC) as habitat providers is not well known and even less understood. For this purpose, epibionts on the deep-water coral Dendrophyllia ramea were studied from samples collected in Cyprus and compared to those from Menorca Channel. A total of 63 species were found; bryozoans (ca.c 60%) and serpulid polychaetes (ca. 10%) dominated the assemblage of species. Cyprus (48 species in total) and Menorca (22) corals shared few epizoic species (7). Several of these species were previously thought absent from the Levantine basin. These results are important contributions to the knowledge on the deep-water epibiotic biodiversity of the Levantine Basin and the Mediterranean Sea in general.
6. Spatial and temporal distribution of marine debris in seafloor habitats of the Balearic Islands. Carme Alomar, Salud Deudero, Beatriz Guijarro. The weight and distribution of marine macrodebris in benthic habitats (continental shelves and upper slopes) from bottom trawl scientific surveys at the Balearic Islands was investigated. A time series of 15 years (2001 -2015) was studied at mesoscale level. Most abundant debris were glass, plastic and fishing material. The plastic fraction, which is highly persistent and resistant to biodegradation, showed a high variability in space and time with no clear trend.
7. Elucidating food webs in infralitoral rocky coastal habitats invaded by Caulerpa cylindracea. Carme Alomar, Salud Deudero, Franco Andaloro, Luca Castriota, Pierpaolo Consoli, Manuela Falautano, Mauro Sinopoli. Invasive species including Caulerpa cylindracea affect coastal benthic communities inducing structural changes. To assess effects in rocky ecosystems, food webs have been depicted based on stable isotopic data collected from invertebrates and fishes at invaded and non-invaded coastal areas. Isotopic values of invertebrates were slightly higher in invaded than non-invaded habitats of Lampedusa Island, however no significant differences were found. Invasive fish Siganus luridus and native Sparisoma cretense had similar isotopic signatures indicating similar food sources.
8. Benthic indexes applied to intertidal and infralittoral rocky bottoms in relation to the WFD and MSFD: assessing metrics. Hansjosten, Beatriz and Deudero, Salud. Currently used benthic indexes for the assessment of Good Ecological Status (GEcS) and Good Environmental Status (GenS) according to European legislations (WFD and MSFD) are reviewed. A total of 16 indexes have been found. The most targeted biocenosis are macroalgal communities. A catalogue of indexes with targeted biocenosis and applied metrics is presented.
9. Intertidal and subtidal rocky shore sampling methods: a review. Addressing the needs of WFD and MSFD. Hansjosten, Beatriz, Deudero, Salud and Vázquez-Luis, Maite. With European legislations compelling Member States to evaluate their seas, the need of comparable data and methodologies grows. In the intertidal and the subtidal rocky shores, benthic communities (flora and fauna) and macroalgal communities are the most assessed. Strategies and methodologies applied are diverse. Visual censuses are the most used strategy, while quadrats are the most applied methodology. A review of different methods is presented.
10. Case study of habitat mapping for environmental assessment in civil engineering. Jesús Rivera, Guillem Mateu, Françesc Ordinas, Teresa Farriols, Nuria Hermida, Enric Massutí. This is an example of coastal management and environmental surveillance where geophysical, biological and oceanographic disciplines are geographically linked through Geographic Information Systems in order to evaluate and minimize the environmental impact of civil engineering. Operational needs of the harbor of Maó force the recurring dredge of the harbor what means a potential environmental impact of the seabed, not only in the harbor area where seafloor is already altered by human activity, but in the spoils dumping site as well.
11. Morphological description of the southeastern Cyprus outer shelf and slope regions (eastern Mediterranean). Jesús Rivera, Claudio Lo Iacono, Dimitris Sakellariou, Antonis Petrou, Louis Hadjioannou, Carlos Jiménez, Covadonga Orejas and Team CYCLAMEN. We present here the first results of the analysis and interpretation of the swath bathymetry and side scan sonar data collected along the southeastern outer shelf and upper slope regions of the Cyprus insular margin (offshore Cape Greco). The resultant bathymetric model and the derivatives (e.g.: slope, aspect, benthic position index) are presented and analyzed in order to describe the morphology of the seabed and the main geomorphological features through quantitative indicators including morphometric indexes and statistical descriptors. The presence of deep sea coral communities (Dendrophylia ramea) in a particular location of the surveyed area is also discussed and tentatively related to the landscape morphology where the colonies are settled.
12. Relationship between anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) recruits and anchovy spawners estimated from acoustic surveys in northwestern Mediterranean sea. Magdalena Iglesias, Ana Ventero, Dolores Oñate, Pilar Cordoba. In this study we present the abundance and biomass of European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) estimated by acoustic methods in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea (GSA06). during two different seasons, winter, the anchovy recruitment season and summer, when the majority of the anchovy stock belongs to the spawner fraction of one year-old. Four standardized acoustic surveys carried out covering the study area during two consecutive years (every six months), two of them during the peak of anchovy recruitment and the other two during the peak of anchovy spawn, allow to observe changes in the anchovy stock abundance and biomass in this area. Acoustic data from summer and winter echo-surveys were analyzed in an effort to better understand the life cycle of anchovy in relation to the survival during its first year of life.
13. Selectivity in a Mediterranean bottom trawl fishery: Is the Council Regulation (EC) Nº1967/2006 enough for fulfilling the landing obligation? María de los Ángeles Zapata, Francesc Ordines and Beatriz Guijarro. This study aimed at comparing catches and size composition, both from landings and discards, obtained by three different mesh types in the codend of bottom trawlers in the western Mediterranean. Information was obtained under commercial conditions in the Balearic Islands. Our results suggested that the two recently implemented meshes do not have an equivalent selectivity but, in general, both are more selective than the traditional mesh. Although the benefits of this management measure are demonstrated, with a clear reduction of discards in some of the strata, they are not enough for improving the exploitation pattern of many species and thus, additional measures should be implemented.
14. Microplastic ingestion in commercial fish species Boops boops, Sardina pilchardus and Engraulis encrasicolus in the western Mediterranean sea: MEDIAS Survey. Montserrat Compa Ferrer, Ana Ventero, Magdalena Iglesias, Salud Deudero. Microplastic ingestion was assessed for three commercial fish species in the western Mediterranean Sea: Boops boops, Sardina pilchardus and Engraulis encrasicolus during the 2015 Spanish MEDIAS survey. Gastrointestinal tracts of 183 fish from 16 sites were examined. A total of 42 microplastics were found in the stomach contents of 31 individuals from all three species. B. boops was found to have ingested the most items (27%). No significant differences between abundance of ingested microplastics and spatial distribution of the sites were found, although it does appears microplastics are common in the food web of each species along the eastern coast of Spain.
15. Age and growth of the threatened pen shell Pinna rudis in a MPA. Maite Vázquez-Luis, Elisabet Nebot, José R. García-March, Salud Deudero. Age and growth of Pinna rudis were studied in Cabrera National Park MPA. To determine age and growth, the shells were processed to study the growth records across the posterior adductor muscle scar. The absolute growth of studied population was asymptotic, with a maximum longevity and length of 28-31 years and 45 cm respectively. This is the first study on age and growth determination of this protected species.
16. Spatial distribution and population structure of the threatened pen shell Pinna rudis in a W Mediterranean Marine Protected Area. Maite Vázquez-Luis, Elisabet Nebot, Salud Deudero. Spatial distribution, sizes and densities of Pinna rudis have been studied in the Cabrera National Park. Densities varied spatially within the park (from low 0-0.16 to high 6.89 ind./100 m2) corresponding to a wide range of sizes. Most pen shells were patchily distributed and mainly concentrated in caves. High densities were observed in two hotspots, and represented the highest densities recorded worldwide, possibly linked to retention processes through high larval accumulation. The population size structure showed a unimodal distribution with individuals ranging from 6.2 to 25.0 cm shell width, with an average shell width of 16.0 ± 3.4 cm. Given the scarce data on this species, the present study provides valuable information for the spatial management and conservation of this threatened species.
17. Assessing spatial and temporal distributions of marine litter: 11-year dataset of coastal floating marine debris in the Balearic Islands. Montserrat Compa Ferrer, Josep Maria Aguiló, David March, Salud Deudero. The present work constitutes a preliminary assessment of the spatial and temporal distribution of floating marine debris along the Balearic Islands’ coastline during the months of May - October from 2005 to 2015. This long-term dataset indicates marine debris was found in 42.46% of all monitoring surveys, with plastic marine debris being found in 93.41% of the marine debris surveyed. Elevated accumulation zones were present in the southern regions and plastic was consistently the most abundant for both nearshore and offshore coastal areas. This study provides insight into the magnitude of marine debris surrounding the Balearic Islands highlighting the need for action and awareness to address its increasing pressures on marine and coastal ecosystems.
18. Ten-year evolution of the (New) western Mediterranean Deep Water. Rosa Balbín, Safo Piñeiro, César González-Pola, José Luis López-Jurado, Alberto Aparício-González, Juan Antonio Jiménez, Ángel Martínez, Cristina Naranjo, Catalina Pasqual, Pere Puig, Jordi Salat, Manolo Vargas-Yáñez, Pedro Velez-Belchí. The evolution of the Western Mediterranean Deep Water (WMDW) thermohaline anomaly originated after winter 2005, has been recorded by two deep hydrographic stations seasonally sampled during the RADMED monitoring program at the NE of the Menorca Island and at Cape Palos (Spanish Mediterranean). The data reveal an increasing trend in salinity and temperature in the WMDW one order of magnitude higher that previous reported values. A deep mooring recently installed at the NE of Menorca and RADMED data will be used to characterize the relative contribution of new WMDW and diffusion on the evolution of the salinity and temperature profiles.
19. Are feeding traits and habitats responsible for microplastics ingestion in fish, crustaceans and elasmobranchs in the western Mediterranean? Salud Deudero, Carme Alomar Mascaró. Marine litter loads are increasing worldwide and impacts and effects on marine ecosystems and their inhabitants are still unknown [1,2]. Whereas interaction effects of macrolitter, especially on species as sea turtles and marine mammals has been more investigated, the microscopic fraction has been less addressed. Therefore, several key species of fish, crustaceans and elasmobranches have been studied to assess microplastics ingestion in the Western Mediterranean. Mean ingested microplastics (MPs) ranged up to 2.3 MPs/ind indicating a threat of this man made contaminant on species which are commercialized.
20. Marine protected areas effectively maintain endemic Pinna nobilis populations. Salud Deudero, Maite Vázquez-Luis. Coastal habitat degradation compromise sessile marine species. Populations of the endemic species, fan shell bivalve Pinna nobilis are declining in spite of species protection. Models analyzed environmental versus human-derived stressors as explanatory variables depicting populations at mesoscale level. Human stressors explained most variability in density spatial distribution significantly disturbing benthic communities, while habitat protection affected P. nobilis structure and physical aggression by anchoring highly impact on densities. Environmental variables played a secondary role, indicating that global change processes are not so relevant in coastal benthic communities as human-derived impacts.
21. Induction of detoxification systems in wild mullet Mullus surmuletus after microplastic ingestion. Sureda, A., Tejada, S., García, A., Capó, X., Alomar, C., Deudero, S. Marine litter greatly affects marine species and ecosystems, however there is little evidence of physiological responses of vertebrates to plastic exposure. In this study, wild mullets Mullus surmuletus were obtained from fishing vessels operating in Mallorca Island (W Mediterranean). Stomach content analyses and identification under microscope determined that 28% of the samples had ingested microplastics. Liver samples of surmullets with and without microplastic ingestion were analysed to determine physiological effects. Results suggest an induction of the detoxification system in M. surmuletus Linnaeus, 1758 but no oxidative stress or cellular damage.