Ocean for Future

Ultima Clock Widget

  • :
  • :

che tempo che fa

Per sapere che tempo fa

Per sapere che tempo fa clicca sull'immagine
dati costantemente aggiornati

OCEAN4FUTURE

La conoscenza ti rende libero

su Amazon puoi trovare molti libri sulla storia del mare (ma non solo) e sulla sua cultura :) clicca sull'immagine ed entra in un nuovo mondo :)

i 100 libri da non perdere

NO PLASTIC AT SEA

NO PLASTIC AT SEA

Petizione OCEAN4FUTURE

Titolo : Impariamo a ridurre le plastiche in mare

Salve a tutti. Noi crediamo che l'educazione ambientale in tutte le scuole di ogni ordine e grado sia un processo irrinunciabile e che l'esempio valga più di mille parole. Siamo arrivati a oltre 4000 firme ma continuiamo a raccoglierle con la speranza che la classe politica al di là delle promesse comprenda realmente l'emergenza che viviamo, ed agisca,speriamo, con maggiore coscienza
seguite il LINK per firmare la petizione

  Address: OCEAN4FUTURE

‘Double trouble’, the expansion of the Suez Canal and marine bioinvasions in the Mediterranean Sea by Galil et alii

Reading Time: 7 minutes

 

livello elementare 
.
ARGOMENTO: ECOLOGIA
PERIODO: ODIERNO
AREA: MAR MEDITERRANEO – CANALE DI SUEZ
parole chiave: bio invasioni, specie aliene, Suez
 
 
Authors: Bella S. Galil , Ferdinando Boero , Marnie L. Campbell , James T. Carlton , Elizabeth Cook , Simonetta Fraschetti , Stephan Gollasch , Chad L. Hewitt , Anders Jelmert ,Enrique Macpherson , Agnese Marchini , Cynthia McKenzie10  , Dan Minchin11  , Anna Occhipinti-Ambrogi , Henn Ojaveer12  , Sergej Olenin13  , Stefano Piraino  and Gregory M. Ruiz14  
 

Published online: 28 September 2014 at  © The Author(s) 2014

 
 

Egypt to build new Suez canal … ‘This giant project will be the creation of a new Suez canal parallel to the current channel’ said Mohab Mamish, the chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, in a televised speech.” viewed August 13, 2014. 

This is ominous news. Expected to double the capacity of the Suez Canal, the expansion is sure to have a diverse range of effects, at local and regional scales, on both the biological diversity and the ecosystem goods and services of the Mediterranean Sea. Of nearly seven hundred multicellular non-indigenous species (NIS) currently recognized from the Mediterranean Sea, fully half were introduced through the Suez Canal since 1869 (Galil et al. 2014). This is one of the most potent mechanism and corridors for invasions by marine species known in the world. Further molecular methods demonstrate high levels ogf gene flow beteween the Red Sea and the Med  populations (Golani and Ritte 1999); Hassanet al. 2003; Bariche and Bernardi 2009).    

Most of the NIS introduced via the Suez Canal have established thriving populations along the Levant, from Libya to Greece, and several spread in the Western Mediterranean. The individual and cumulative impacts of these NIS adversely affect the conservation status of particular species and critical habitats, as well as the structure and function of ecosystems and the availability of natural resources.

Fistularia commersonii a lepssian migrant from wikipedia

Some species are noxious, poisonous, or venomous and pose clear threats to human health. Significant and often sudden decline of native species, including local population extirpations, have occurred and are occurring concurrent with proliferation of Canal-introduced NIS. Among many examples, the introduced goldband goatfish, Upeneus moluccensis has replaced the native red mullet, Mullus barbatus, in the Levantine fisheries; introduced prawns, though considered a boon by local fishers, have displaced the native prawn, Melicertus kerathurus, which supported a commercial fishery throughout the 1950s and the introduced Spiny oyster, Spondylus spinosus, has completely outcompeted the native congener S. gaederopus off the Israeli coast within a decade of its first record (Galil 2007). Local population losses and niche contraction of native species may not induce immediate extirpation, but they augur reduction of genetic diversity, loss of functions, processes, and habitat structure, increase the risk of decline and extinction, and lead to increased biotic homogenization.

Rhopilema nomadica

From an unfortunately long list of examples of NIS that have led to profound environmental, economic, and human-health issues, we cite a few. A scyphozoan jellyfish, Rhopilema nomadica, has since the early 1980s formed huge swarms each summer along the Levantine coast, which adversely affect tourism, fisheries and coastal installations. The annual swarming stops coastal trawling and purse-seine fish catch due to net clogging and inability to sort yield. Jellyfish-blocked water intake pipes interfere with the operation of desalination plants and power plants (www.​bbc.​co.​uk/​news/​world-middle-east-14038729). Based on evidence elsewhere, the impacts of a 180 km long swarm of large planktivores on the local food web must be considerable (Boero 2013). Last, Rhopilema’s stings result in envenomation effects that may last weeks and even months (Benmeir et al. 1990). Its swarms have been recorded as far away as Tunisia (Daly Yahia et al.2013).

The recent spread of a pufferfish, Lagocephalus sceleratus, throughout the Levant and westwards to Italy and Tunisia, poses severe health hazards: its internal organs contain tetrodotoxin, a strong paralytic neurotoxin, inducing symptoms ranging from vomiting to respiratory arrest, seizures, coma and death. Between 2005 and 2008, 13 persons were treated for poisoning in Israel alone (Bentur et al. 2008). Two herbivorous rabbit fish, Siganus luridus and S. rivulatus, are responsible for an extraordinary shift in the Levantine rocky infralittoral from well-developed native algal assemblages to ‘barrens’ with a dramatic decline in biogenic habitat complexity, biodiversity and biomass (Sala et al. 2011).

Canale di SuezAlthough effects of many NIS have not been evaluated to date, some significant ecological and social consequences are known and the potential reach and magnitude of the cumulative impacts are enormous. The effects of past invasions are continuing to increase, as the ranges of NIS continue to expand through the Mediterranean basin and beyond, since impact is partly a function of occupied area (Parker et al. 1999). The United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) calls for ” … the management of human activities, based on the best understanding of the ecological interactions and processes, so as to ensure that ecosystems’ structures and functions are sustained for the benefit of present and future generations.” (http://​www.​un.​org/​Depts/​los/​ecosystemapproac​hes/​ecosystem_​approaches.​htm).

Signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are required to “ … prevent the introduction of, control or eradicate those alien species which threaten ecosystems, habitats or species” (Article 8 h) and “In the case of imminent or grave danger or damage, originating under its jurisdiction or control, to biological diversity within the area under jurisdiction of other States or in areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, notify immediately the potentially affected States of such danger or damage, as well as initiate action to prevent or minimize such danger or damage; (Article 14d) (www.​cbd.​int/​convention, viewed August 13, 2014). 

Moreover, the 18th Ordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean and its Protocols, United Nations Environment Programme (i.e. the ‘Barcelona Convention’), aimed “… to preserve a healthy Mediterranean that was productive and biologically diverse” and to that effect discussed definitions of ‘Good Environmental Status’ (GES) and targets, including ‘Invasive non-indigenous species introductions are minimized’ and ‘Introduction and spread of NIS linked to human activities are minimized, in particular for potential IAS’ (UNEP(DEPI)/MED IG.21/9, Annex 1, operational objective 2.1, 16 December 2013). Yet, despite these well-meaning international conventions, and a century worth of scientific publications documenting the spread and impact of NIS introduced through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean Sea—not to mention a vast literature that speaks to the staggering economic, cultural, and environmental impacts of marine NIS around the world—we are faced with a seeming fait accompli.

While global trade and shipping are vital to society, the existing international agreements also recognize the urgent need for sustainable practices that minimize unwanted impacts and long term consequences. It is not too late for the signatories to the ‘Barcelona Convention’ and the CBD to honor their obligations and urge a regionally-supervised, far-reaching ‘environmental impact assessment’ (including innovative risk management options) that would curtail, if not prevent, an entirely new twenty first century wave of invasions through a next-generation Suez Canal.

Open Access
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits any use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and the source are credited.

 

PAGINA PRINCIPALE - HOME PAGE

print
(Visited 395 times, 1 visits today)
Share

Legenda

Legenda

livello elementare
articoli per tutti

livello medio
articoli che richiedono conoscenze avanzate

livello difficile
articoli specialistici

Traduzione

La traduzione dei testi è fornita da Google translator in 42 lingue diverse. Non si assumono responsabilità sulla qualità della traduzione

La riproduzione, anche parziale, a fini di lucro, e la pubblicazione per qualunque utilizzo degli articoli e delle immagini pubblicate è sempre soggetta ad autorizzazione da parte dell’autore degli stessi che può essere contattato tramite la seguente email: infoocean4future@gmail.com


If You Save the Ocean
You Save Your Future

OCEAN4FUTURE

Salve a tutti. Permettetemi di presentare in breve questo sito. OCEAN4FUTURE è un portale, non giornalistico e non a fini di lucro, che pubblica articoli di professionisti e accademici che hanno aderito ad un progetto molto ambizioso: condividere la cultura del mare in tutte le sue forme per farne comprendere la sua importanza.

Affrontiamo ogni giorno tematiche diverse che vanno dalla storia alle scienze, dalla letteratura alle arti.
Gli articoli e post pubblicati rappresentano l’opinione dei nostri autori e autrici (non necessariamente quella della nostra redazione), sempre nel pieno rispetto della libertà di opinione di tutti.
La redazione, al momento della ricezione degli stessi, si riserva di NON pubblicare eventuale materiale ritenuto da un punto di vista qualitativo non adeguato e/o non in linea per gli scopi del portale. Grazie di continuare a seguirci e condividere i nostri articoli sulla rete.

Andrea Mucedola
Direttore OCEAN4FUTURE

Chi c'é online

3 visitatori online

Ricerca multipla

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Filter by Categories
Archeologia
Associazioni per la cultura del mare
Astronomia e Astrofisica
Biologia
Cartografia e nautica
Chi siamo
Climatologia
Conoscere il mare
Didattica
Didattica a distanza
disclaimer
Ecologia
Emergenze ambientali
Fotografia
Geologia
geopolitica
Gli uomini dei record
I protagonisti del mare
Il mondo della vela
L'immersione scientifica
La pesca
La pirateria
La subacquea ricreativa
Lavoro subacqueo - OTS
Le plastiche
Letteratura del mare
Malacologia
Marina mercantile
Marine militari
Materiali
Medicina
Medicina subacquea
Meteorologia e stato del mare
nautica e navigazione
Normative
Ocean for future
OCEANO
Oceanografia
per conoscerci
Personaggi
Pesca non compatibile
Programmi
Prove
Recensioni
Reportage
SAVE THE OCEAN BY OCEANDIVER campaign 4th edition
Scienze del mare
Sicurezza marittima
Storia della subacquea
Storia della Terra
Storia Navale
Storia navale del Medioevo (post 476 d.C. - 1492)
Storia Navale dell'età antica (3.000 a.C. - 476 d.C,)
Storia navale dell'età moderna (post 1492 - oggi)
Storia navale della prima guerra mondiale (1914-1918)
Storia navale della seconda guerra mondiale (1939 - 1945)
Storia navale Romana
Subacquea
Subacquei militari
Sviluppi della scienza
Sviluppo compatibile
Tecnica
Uomini di mare
Video
Wellness - Benessere

I più letti di oggi

 i nodi fondamentali

I nodi fanno parte della cultura dei marinai ... su Amazon puoi trovare molti libri sul mare e sulla sua cultura :) clicca sull'immagine ed entra in un nuovo mondo :)

Follow me on Twitter – Seguimi su Twitter

Tutela della privacy – Quello che dovete sapere

> Per contatti di collaborazione inviate la vostra richiesta a infoocean4future@gmail.com specificando la vostra area di interesse
Share
Translate »