Unveiling the coastal diversity of benthic fauna of the Cantabrian Sea: Harbours and intertidal natural areas under the lens of invasive species
Biodiversity loss is one of nowadays best-known environmental problems. Biological invasions are acknowledged as one of the main causes of biodiversity loss. The globalisation phenomenon and subsequent spreading of invasive species cause damage to native ecosystems and harm the economy and health of...
| Autores: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universidad de Oviedo (UNIOVI) |
| Repositorio: | RUO. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Oviedo |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:dnet:ruo_________::3a76b6f0b605edf10eb385c689eaa6a6 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10651/83277 https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.JMARSYS.2025.104145 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Biological invasions Littoral ecosystems NIS Ports Taxonomy |
| Sumario: | Biodiversity loss is one of nowadays best-known environmental problems. Biological invasions are acknowledged as one of the main causes of biodiversity loss. The globalisation phenomenon and subsequent spreading of invasive species cause damage to native ecosystems and harm the economy and health of the invaded areas. Harbours and marinas are among the main pathways that allow invasive species to enter new ranges. These anthropogenic structures provide a protected environment that allows the settlement of alien species. One of the questions that arises when dealing with this issue, is whether these invasive species can disperse and affect adjacent coastal areas. This work aims to characterise the diversity of exotic and invasive benthic fauna from four marinas of the northern Iberian Peninsula (Cantabrian Sea, Bay of Biscay) and eight neighbouring intertidal natural ecosystems, emphasising the introduction vectors. A great difference in terms of diversity was observed in each area, being more abundant in ports. In addition, according to our data, intertidal shores might be more resistant to biological invasions than harbours, which are highly degraded habitats. Most of the exotic species in ports have arrived through ballast water or biofouling, due to the high maritime traffic in the Cantabrian Sea. A total of 399 species were found. The dominant phylum was Mollusca (98 species), followed by Annelida (95 species) and Arthropoda with (88 species). According to their status, 26 species were catalogued as invasive, two as cryptogenic, six as exotic and 365 as native. Most invasive species belong to the phyla Bryozoa and Chordata. An Indicator Species Analysis identified two species indicatives of natural intertidal shores and 66 species of harbours. Additionally, PERMANOVA tests revealed significant differences in species composition among sampling sites. Information about exotic species can help increase knowledge regarding biological invasions and subsequently prevent them. It is also crucial to comprehend the biology of the species involved in order to predict their ecological and economic impacts. |
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