Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, University Hill, Lesvos Island, Mytilene, Greece.
Astrolabe-Marine Research, Lesvos Island, Mytilene, Greece.
PLoS One. 2023 Nov 29;18(11):e0294770. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294770. eCollection 2023.
The Mediterranean Sea and its exceptional biodiversity suffer from non-indigenous (NIS) and invasive species. These result from Lessepsian migration and human activities. Species with the highest negative impact include Pterois miles, Lagocephalus sceleratus and Fistularia commersonii. The current study assessed the distribution and abundance of these three species in the Aegean and Ionian Seas in the context of the regional diversity of ichthyofauna. Using Scientific Diving and Visual Census, we focused on NIS fish fauna, and surveyed most of the areas where the occurrence or establishment of NIS had been documented. Emphasis was given to regions with limited available data. This study assessed the homogeneity of diversity and abundance of the fish species at the diving sites; assessed the most dominant species per region; and calculated relevant biodiversity indexes. Our results suggest that the south and east parts of the Aegean Sea are the most affected by the establishment of NIS. Samos Island is concluded to be an important region for the expansion of NIS to the northern parts of the Aegean Sea. Also, both the Saronikos Gulf and the whole area of the Peloponnese seem to have a pivotal role in the expansion of distribution of NIS from the east Mediterranean sub-basin to the west sub-basin. The genus Siganus seems to have very high abundances and population densities in certain areas, and therefore its establishment could have negative impacts in these regions. We conclude that scientific diving is not appropriate for monitoring the population status of L. sceleratus and we propose more appropriate methodologies such as the use of baited cameras and ROV's to be used in the future.
地中海及其独特的生物多样性受到非本地（NIS）和入侵物种的影响。这些物种是由勒塞普氏迁移和人类活动引起的。负面影响最大的物种包括波纹唇鱼、褐篮子鱼和鲀科鱼类。本研究在区域鱼类多样性的背景下，评估了这三种物种在爱琴海和爱奥尼亚海的分布和丰度。我们使用科学潜水和目视普查方法，重点研究了 NIS 鱼类动物群，并调查了记录到 NIS 发生或定居的大部分地区。重点关注数据有限的地区。本研究评估了潜水点鱼类物种多样性和丰度的均匀性；评估了每个区域的主要物种；并计算了相关的生物多样性指数。我们的研究结果表明，爱琴海的南部和东部地区受 NIS 建立的影响最大。萨摩斯岛被认为是 NIS 向爱琴海北部扩展的重要地区。此外，萨罗尼克湾和整个伯罗奔尼撒半岛似乎在东地中海次盆地向西部次盆地扩展 NIS 分布方面发挥了关键作用。波纹唇鱼属在某些地区的丰度和种群密度非常高，因此其建立可能会对这些地区产生负面影响。我们得出结论，科学潜水不适合监测 L. sceleratus 的种群状况，我们建议在未来使用更合适的方法，如使用诱饵相机和 ROV。
