Underwater Monitoring Protocol


Wanted species

 

Taxa were selected by RCI scientists based on a combination of criteria including, being easily observable and identifiable underwater and one or more of the following: a Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) or a species protected under European directives or international conventions; sensitive to climate change; an ecosystem engineer; threatened by human activities or commercially exploited. Taken together, these taxa represent key aspects of Mediterranean subtidal habitats, and of the changes they may be undergoing. When it is not easy to discriminate between species, genus level was chosen, as in the case of the two protected Mediterranean seahorses.

 

Algae

Caulerpa cylindracea

Caulerpa taxifolia

 

Sponges

Ircinia spp. and other keratose sponges

Axinella spp.

Aplysina spp.

Geodia cydonium

Tethya spp.

 

Corals

Corallium rubrum (precious redcoral)

Paramuricea clavata (violescent sea-whip)

Eunicella singularis (white sea fan)

Eunicella cavolini (yellow gorgonian)

Eunicella verrucosa (pink sea fan)

Maasella edwardsii

Cornularia cornucopiae and other stolonifera octocorals

Epizoanthus spp.

Parazoanthus axinellae (yellow cluster anemone)

Savalia savaglia (gold coral)

Cladocora caespitosa (pillow coral)

Astroides calycularis

Balanophyllia europaea (pig-tooth coral)

Leptopsammia pruvoti (sunset cup coral)

 

Molluscs

Pinna nobilis (noble pen shell)

Arca noae (Noah's arch)

Chlamys spp.

Pecten jacobaeus (pilgrim's scallop)

Patella ferruginea (ribbed Mediterranean limpet)

Rapana venosa (veined whelk)

Crostaceans

Palinurus elephas (spiny lobster)

Homarus gammarus (European lobster)

Scyllarides latus (Mediterranean slipper lobster)

 

Echinoderms

Paracentrotus lividus (stony sea urchin)

Centrostephanus longispinus

Ophidiaster ophidianus

 

Ascidians

Microcosmus spp.

Aplidium conicum

Aplidium tabarquensis

Polycitor adriaticus

 

Fishes

Sciaena umbra (brown meagre)

Diplodus spp. (sea breams)

Conger conger (European conger)

Chromis chromis (damselfish)

Trisopterus minutus (poor cod)

Hippocampus spp. (sea horses)

 

... and gas bubbles!