Presence of Caulerpa cylindracea (Chlorophyta) in the North of Strait of Gibraltar: Effectiveness of Citizen-Scientist in Detecting Invasion and Record in Atlantic European Coast

Javier Pellón^1*, Ricardo Bermejo², Manolo Chacón³, Encarni Sánchez³, Juan Antonio Parada³, Manuel Fernández-Casado⁴, María del Carmen Arroyo⁴ and José Carlos García-Gómez¹

¹Laboratory of Marine Biology (LBM), University of Seville, Seville, Spain

²Irish Seaweed Research Group & Earth and Ocean Sciences Department, Ryan Institute and School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Co. Galway, Ireland

³Diving Club, CIES, Algeciras, Cádiz, Spain

⁴Agency of Environment and Water, Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, Junta de Andalucía, Seville, Spain

*Corresponding Author : Javier Pellón
Laboratory of Marine Biology (LBM), University of Seville, Seville, Spain
E-mail: j.g.pellon@gmail.com

Received: January 30, 2017 Accepted: February 20, 2017 Published: February 25, 2017

Citation: Pellón J, Bermejo R, Chacón M, Sánchez E Parada JA, et al. (2017) Presence of Caulerpa cylindracea (Chlorophyta) in the North of Strait of Gibraltar: Effectiveness of Citizen-Scientist in Detecting Invasion and Record in Atlantic European Coast. J Mar Biol Oceanogr 6:1. doi: 10.4172/2324-8661.1000168

Presence of Caulerpa cylindracea (Chlorophyta) in the North of Strait of Gibraltar: Effectiveness of Citizen-Scientist in Detecting Invasion and Record in Atlantic European Coast

The presence of Caulerpa cylindracea Sonder was recorded for the first time within the Mediterranean Sea in Libya, 1990s. Since then, this alien species has invaded the Mediterranean basin moving from the Eastern basin towards the Atlantic Ocean. C. cylindracea displays aggressive spreading kinetics and generates negative impacts over native biota. In the present study, this species is first recorded for the Northern margin of the Gibraltar Strait and the Atlantic European coast, in the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of "Parque Natural del Estrecho". The closest localities where C. cylindracea had been recorded were: Almeria in 2014 on the European coast of the Alboran Sea, southern Spain 400 kilometres from this record and; Ceuta in 2010, on the African margin of the Gibraltar Strait. Considering the geographical proximity of Ceuta, and the maritime traffic between Tarifa (Southern Iberian Peninsula), and northern Africa, Ceuta is considered as the most likely origin of the invasion. Since data were collected by recreational divers trained to identify the species, it is a good example of the usefulness of citizen scientist networks in the early detection of biological invasions. Some eradication measures were performed over the located patches. However, although the invasion is incipient, the species is widely spread in the area, thus we should consider that Caulerpa cylindracea has been successfully established in this MPA and eradication measures are not feasible.