Marine protected communities against biological invasions: A case study from an offshore island.
Biological invasions are a major threat to the world's biota and are considered a major cause of biodiversity loss. Therefore, world marine policy has recognized the need for more marine protected areas (MPAs) as a major tool for biodiversity conservation. The present work experimentally evaluated how protected communities from an offshore island can face the settlement and/or expansion of nonindigenous species (NIS). First, NIS colonization success in marine protected and marina communities was compared by deploying PVC settling plates at the Garajau MPA and Funchal marina (SW Madeira Island). Then, the settling plates from the MPA were transferred to Funchal marina to test their resistance to NIS invasion under high levels of NIS pressure. Results indicated that the structure and composition of fouling communities from the MPA differed from those collected in the marina. Interestingly, communities from the protected area showed lower NIS colonization success, suggesting some degree of biotic resistance against NIS invasion.
MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Quinta do Lorde Marina, Sítio da Piedade, 9200-044 Caniçal, Madeira Island, Portugal. Electronic address: igestoso@mare-centre.pt.
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Gestoso
MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Quinta do Lorde Marina, Sítio da Piedade, 9200-044 Caniçal, Madeira Island, Portugal.
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Ramalhosa
Parque Natural da Madeira, Quinta Bom Sucesso, Caminho do Meio, 9050 Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.
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Oliveira
MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Quinta do Lorde Marina, Sítio da Piedade, 9200-044 Caniçal, Madeira Island, Portugal; Centre of IMAR of the University of the Azores, Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, Rua Prof. Dr. Frederico Machado, 4, PT-9901-862 Horta, Azores, Portugal; Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA.
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Canning-Clode
D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D058448:Biota; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D062312:Islands; D011174:Portugal
Biotic resistance; Fouling communities; Island; Marina; Marine protected area; Nonindigenous species