Keynote lecture: Recreational boats and the dispersal of alien species in the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract: The Mediterranean Sea is considered a global hotspot for marine bioinvasions, with over 800 multicellular non-indigenous species (NIS) reported in the area. Their introduction has been long attributed to three major vectors: the Suez Canal, aquaculture and shipping, while little attention has been attributed to recreational boating, despite this sea represents a top destination for nautical tourism worldwide.

This presentation shows a first, large-scale study specifically addressing the role of recreational boats in the spreading of NIS in the Mediterranean Sea. The study involved three steps:

  1. Comparison of fouling communities from large harbours and neighbouring marinas, where little or no differences in terms of NIS richness and NIS/natives ratio was found between the two habitats;
  2. Survey of fouling invertebrates from 50 marinas spanning seven countries from Spain to Turkey, from where it was possible to identify abiotic factors related to high NIS richness; and
  3. Survey of fouling invertebrates from about 600 boat hulls, out of which 71% were found hosting from 1 to 11 NIS.

The presentation will also discuss the role of public awareness and the importance of standardised monitoring of fouling communities in the Mediterranean region.

Speakers

Prof. Agnese Marchini

Associate Professor in Ecology, University of Pavia, Italy