Blooms and population dynamics of moon jellyfish in the northern Adriatic

作者：Malej Alenka^*; Kogovsek Tjasa; Ramsak Andreja; Catenacci Luca

来源：Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 2012, 53(3): 337-342.

• Aurelia sp.
• Polyps
• Artificial substrates
• Population connectivity
• Genetic markers

Nowadays scyphomedusae have earned the reputation of sentinels of ecological disturbance, due to periodical blooms and causality with anthropogenic mediated factors (e.g. eutrophication, species translocation, overfishing, and substrate addition). Increasing frequency and extension of jellyfish blooms in coastal waters have significant impact to economically important sectors (tourism, fishery, and aquaculture). Due to connectivity of Mediterranean sub-basins jellyfish blooms developed in one sub-basin may disperse and sustain high jellyfish abundance over whole basin. This study presents historical evidence of Aurelia medusae and periodicity of appearance in the northern Adriatic, the seasonality of polyp density and their reproduction. The study pointed to possible causes of recent bloom increases in the northern Adriatic. The wavelet analyses reveal increasing periodicity in the last decades, and from 2002 Aurelia blooms become an annual event. The Aurelia medusae from the northern Adriatic were phylogenetically identified as Aurelia sp. 8 with distribution range in Mediterranean and the Red Sea. Intertwining of several factors (habitat modifications with marine constructions allow suitable substrata for polyps, empty niches due to removal of higher predators etc.) with intrinsic characteristics of metagenetic life history can be causes of recent blooms.

• 出版日期2012