Blanco, A, Beger, M orcid.org/0000-0003-1363-3571 and Olabarria, C (2021) First confirmed occurrence of Codium fragile (Suringar) Hariot in the Iberian Peninsula coast of Portugal. BioInvasions Records, 10 (4). pp. 789-795. ISSN 2242-1300
Abstract
Invasive macroalgae represent a major threat to marine ecosystems worldwide. Codium fragile ssp. fragile is one of the most invasive species in the world. The species has deleterious impacts on marine ecosystems, but can also coexist with other Codium congeners, with neutral impact. Several invasive macroalgae have been described to occur along the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula, including C. fragile. However, despite its presence being noted in citizen science surveys, the occurrence of C. fragile on the coast of Portugal was not confirmed (except in the Azores Islands). The cryptic nature of this invasive macroalga has led to several misidentifications, and strict taxonomic approaches must therefore be used to confirm sightings. Previous intensive field sampling (2017–2018) aimed at recording the presence of different macroalgae did not find C. fragile along the Portuguese coast, northwards from Praia do Matadouro. Here, we report the first confirmed record of C. fragile on the coast of Portugal, in the Avencas Marine Park. Identification of the alga was confirmed by microscopic examination of the utricles. Early detection of invasive species is essential, and further research should be carried out in the surrounding areas in order to better understand the invasion pathways to enable correct application of management plans.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © Blanco et al. This is an open access article distributed under terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (Attribution 4.0 International - CC BY 4.0). |
Keywords: | Avencas Marine Park; biological invasions; Chlorophyta; Codium fragile subsp; cryptic species; fragile; macroalgae; MPA |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Biological Sciences (Leeds) > School of Biology (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 10 Jan 2022 11:05 |
Last Modified: | 10 Jan 2022 11:05 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Regional Euro-Asian Biological Invasions Centre (REABIC) |
Identification Number: | 10.3391/bir.2021.10.4.03 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:182131 |