Event Abstract

Rapid Assessment Survey of two contrasting marinas near Lisbon: Ascidiacea (Chordata: Tunicata)

  • 1 University of Alicante, Marine Sciences, Spain
  • 2 Estructura de Missäo para a Extensäo da Plataforma Continental (EMEPC), Portugal
  • 3 University of Lisbon, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), Portugal
  • 4 Estrutura de Missão para a Extensão da Plataforma Continental (EMEPC), Portugal
  • 5 Quercus, Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza, Portugal
  • 6 Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA), BioMarPT, Portugal
  • 7 Instituto Português do Mare da Atmosfera (IPMA), BioMarPT, Portugal
  • 8 NA, Portugal
  • 9 University of Lisbon, Faculty of Science, Portugal
  • 10 University of Algarve, Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), Portugal

Recreational boating is a major vector of introduction of non-indigenous species worldwide and ascidians are some of the most abundant introduced taxa. Nine ascidian species have been identified in two recreational marinas near Lisbon (Alcântara and Oeiras), sampled during February 2016, following rapid assessment survey (RAS) protocols. Different pontoon floats were sampled by scraping the surfaces with distinct orientations (east, south and west) and submerged structures, such as hanging ropes, buoys, chains and harbor walls were also surveyed. Both marinas are located nearby (about 10km distance) in the Tagus estuary and the dominant fouling species were the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and the non-indigenous bryozoans Watersipora subtorquata and Tricellaria inopinata. Nevertheless, significantly different fouling communities were identified within these marinas. M. galloprovincialis and the cnidarians Ectopleura crocea and Actinothoe sphyrodeta were abundant at the Oeiras marina, with very few ascidians recorded. On the other hand, a high abundance of ascidians were found at the Alcântara marina, with Styela plicata, S. clava, Microcosmus squamiger and Botrylloides leachii as the dominant species. The scarcity of ascidians in Oeiras marinas was noteworthy since a single specimen of Corella eumyota was recorded in this marina, while high abundances of this species had been observed in a previous study in February 2008.

Keywords: ascidians, fouling, Ras, Marinas, exotic species, Portugal

Conference: XIX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies, Porto, Portugal, 5 Sep - 9 Sep, 2016.

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Topic: 2. GLOBAL CHANGES, INVASIVE SPECIES AND CONSERVATION

Citation: Ramos-Esplá AA, Berecibar E, Chainho PM, Castanheira AC, Pilar-Fonseca TC, Frias P, Henriques FF, Jesus DC, Sá JN, Tavares S and Henriques M (2016). Rapid Assessment Survey of two contrasting marinas near Lisbon: Ascidiacea (Chordata: Tunicata). Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XIX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies. doi: 10.3389/conf.FMARS.2016.05.00182

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Received: 26 Apr 2016; Published Online: 03 Sep 2016.

* Correspondence: Prof. Alfonso A Ramos-Esplá, University of Alicante, Marine Sciences, Alicante, Alicante, 03080, Spain, alfonso.ramos@ua.es