Carlos M López-Fe
Universidad de Sevilla, Zoología, Faculty Member
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The Mediterranean Sea is a marine biodiversity hot spot. Here we combined an extensive literature analysis with expert opinions to update publicly available estimates of major taxa in this marine ecosystem and to revise and update several... more
The Mediterranean Sea is a marine biodiversity hot spot. Here we combined an extensive literature analysis with expert opinions to update publicly available estimates of major taxa in this marine ecosystem and to revise and update several species lists. We also assessed overall spatial and temporal patterns of species diversity and identified major changes and threats. Our results listed approximately 17,000 marine species occurring in the Mediterranean Sea. However, our estimates of marine diversity are still incomplete as yet-undescribed species will be added in the future. Diversity for microbes is substantially underestimated, and the deep-sea areas and portions of the southern and eastern region are still poorly known. In addition, the invasion of alien species is a crucial factor that will continue to change the biodiversity of the Mediterranean, mainly in its eastern basin that can spread rapidly northwards and westwards due to the warming of the Mediterranean Sea. Spatial pa...
Research Interests: Geography, Computer Graphics, Climate Change, Conservation Biology, Climatology, and 15 moreFisheries, Biology, Ecology, Biodiversity, Aquaculture, Endangered Species, Animals, Classification, Expert Opinion, Habitat loss, Habitat Degradation, Alien species, Deep Sea, Fishing Impact, and Coastal Area
Diapirs and mud volcanoes (MVs) are formed by the migration and extrusion of fluids and mud to the seafloor, respectively. In the Gulf of Cádiz there are ca. 60 MVs and several diapirs with different environmental conditions and seepage... more
Diapirs and mud volcanoes (MVs) are formed by the migration and extrusion of fluids and mud to the seafloor, respectively. In the Gulf of Cádiz there are ca. 60 MVs and several diapirs with different environmental conditions and seepage activity. Previous studies, mainly on MVs, have demonstrated that the invertebrate fauna associated with these seafloor structures can be very diverse, including chemosymbiotic species, mostly mollusks and frenulate polychaetes, as well as vulnerable suspension feeders, such as cold-water corals and sponges, among others. Previous studies of the bryozoan fauna in this area have recorded species belonging to 28 families. One of these families is Phidoloporidae, which comprises 27 genera worldwide, including the common Rhynchozoon, Reteporellina, and Reteporella. In the present study, two species belonging to Reteporella are redescribed, and a new species is described from diapirs and MVs on the shelf and slope of the Gulf of Cádiz. The samples were co...
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT Recently, two non-native caprellid amphipods, Caprella scaura and Paracaprella pusilla, were found for the first time in southern Spain. In order to assess their establishment success, monitoring of the caprellid fauna associated... more
ABSTRACT Recently, two non-native caprellid amphipods, Caprella scaura and Paracaprella pusilla, were found for the first time in southern Spain. In order to assess their establishment success, monitoring of the caprellid fauna associated with the marina's fouling community was carried out from summer 2010 to spring 2011 in Cádiz marina, southern Spain. Three caprellid species were found, the non-native C. scaura and P. pusilla, and the native Caprella equilibra. Caprella scaura was the dominant species with ovigerous females and juveniles throughout the whole study period, reflecting both that it reproduces all year around and that it is able to support the differences measured in water temperature, salinity and turbidity among seasons. It showed a high ability to colonize different fouling substrates, although it was significantly more abundant in the introduced bryozoan Bugula neritina. The tropical caprellid P. pusilla was found in lower abundance than C. scaura as it only was present in summer, associated exclusively with the native hydroid Eudendrium racemosum. The native C. equilibra, very common in other nearby harbours where alien caprellids were absent, was scarcely represented in the study area. The results suggest first that P. pusilla is an introduced species with less invasiveness than C. scaura, and second, that fouling bryozoans, especially B. neritina, are suitable habitat for the establishment success of C. scaura, harbouring high densities of this invasive species, while fouling hydroids, particularly in the case of the native hydroid E. racemosum, are more suitable for the establishment success of P. pusilla.