Composition, distribution and state of the coralligenous

DISTRIBUTION, COMPOSITION AND STATE OF THE CORALLIGENOUS
FROM TAZA (SW MEDITERRANEAN, EAST ALGERIA).
CREATION OF THE FIRST MARINE PROTECTED AREA.
Said
1
BELBACHA ,
Alfonso RAMOS
2
ESPLA
& Rachid
3
SEMROUD
Abstract: In the framework of a MPA creation and an integrated management of the extension of Taza
National Park (TNP) to its marine part, a study was carried out for the purpose of describing coralligenous
assemblages. Pre-coralligenous and coralligenous concretions are well represented in the Taza national
park marine area but however its distribution is heterogeneous. The coralligenous bottoms spread out and
cover important surfaces predominantly on vertical cliffs and outer part of marine caves developing
coralligenous rims between 11 and 50m depth. Communities of high species diversity were observed and
196 species were recorded among which various Mediterranean protected species are present. The region
is characterized by absence of major threats (trawling, waste water discharge…) and many signs testify of
a healthy coralligenous community that requires protection and conservation.
1 Ecology Department, University of Jijel, Algeria. e-mail : [email protected]
2 Marine Science and Applied Biology Department, University of Alicante, Spain
3 National School of Marine Science and Coastal Management, Algiers, Algeria.
Key words: coralligenous assemblage, conservation, Algeria, SW Mediterranean
CONTEXT
RESULTS
The coast of Taza is characterized with a great diversity of marine habitat. However
lacking inventory of these valuable and endangered habitats requires data collection.
As part of the MedPAN south project for developing and establishing Marine
Protected Areas and within the Action Plan for the Conservation of the Coralligenous
and other Calcareous Bio-concretions in the Mediterranean Sea (PNUE-PAM, 2008;
2011b), a study was carried out on Coralligenous assemblages of the Taza National
Park (TNP) marine part.
The objectives were to:
Identify the Coralligenous facies types and species.
Determine the Coralligenous communities distribution and mapping.
Identify the Coralligenous remarkable species.
Sett up an action plan for monitoring Coralligenous assemblages.
Approach zoning of the future MPA as a multiple objective problem that considers
biodiversity conservation, fisheries sustainability, tourism and other human‐‐uses.
The coralligenous is well represented in the studied area particularly in the eastern and central parts (ilslets). These assemblages spread out on wide deep
rocky bottoms predominantly on vertical cliffs and outer part of marine caves forming coralligenous rims between 11 and 50m depth. Less but however present,
the coralligenous “de plateau” is observed bellow 40 m.
A total of 196 taxa were recorded showing the high biological diversity of these assemblages (Ballesteros, 2006).
Exceptional landscapes showed up with many different flourishing facies of the Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages (Fig. 2).
The studied area (Fig.1) was delimited west of Jijel in the
marine extension of the TNP considering its mostly
rocky and diversified geomorphology. 33 stations
covering the whole studied area (92 km²) between Ras
Afia and the Grottes Merveilleuses were investigated at
depths ranging between -8 and -56 m.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
ALGERIA
Mediterranean Sea
Said Belbacha
Said Belbacha
Figure 2: from left to right, coralligenous « de plateau », Eunicella singularis, E. cavolini, Leptogorgia sarmentosa, Paramuricea clavata, Alcyonium acaule
Moreover, the common presence of Astroides calycularis with 100% recovery added to the presence of the
rare false black coral Savalia savaglia huge colonies (> 1m) underlines the high state of conservation of this
area.
We can consider that the coralligenous from the TNP marine area is healthy regard to the following indexes:
• abundance of calcareous algae slats (Lithophyllum spp., Mesophyllum) developing tridimensionly.
• Presence of Cystoseira spp.
• Presence of great Gorgonians from all size classes without necrosis.
• Abundance of great Bryozoans
• Corallligenous bottoms are clean with very little mud.
• Presence of target species (grouper, crayfish, slipper lobster, red coral, long spine urchin)
Epinephelus marginatus
Savalia savaglia
Said Belbacha
Astroides calycularis
Mathieu Foulquié
Said Belbacha
Limits and zoning of the future Marine Protected Area of the Taza National Park
CONCLUSION
Figure 1
MATERIAL AND METHOD
According to the scale or desired precision, data were collected by:
Diving pulled by hydroplane (Fig. a) for coralligenous localization and bathymetric
extension (precision: 10 m)
Punctual diving for assemblages characterization along transects (precision: 1 m)
Under water photography (Fig. b, b’) and macrobenthic sampling (Fig. c) for
laboratory determination (precision< 1 m).
a
b
b’
c
The seafloors of Taza are covered with well developed Coralligenous assemblages hosting high
biological diversity and characterized by absence of major threats (trawling, waste water
discharge..). However, to avoid target species overfishing, to protect endangered habitats and
conserve the high marine biological diversity, it appeared that creating a Marine Protected Area
within the extension of the Taza NP represented the best conservative choice. The future MPA could
also be an excellent pilot area for improving management options selected in the framework of the
Mediterranean Action Plan (PNUE-PAM,
PAM, 2008).
In addition to the present one, complementary studies resulted in the proposal of creating a MPA
(current) covering 9,603 ha (Fig.3) with the following zoning:
Integral zone (13% of the MPA) with very high protection, designed for conservation, restocking and
scientific research
Buffer zone (21% of the MPA) with middle protection more specialized around the islets, designed
to protect the integral zone and to serve as a platform for environmental education and training
Surrounding zone (65,5% of the MPA) with a low protection, designed for sustainable management
of commercial fishing
Mediterranean Sea
Integral Zone
Buffer Zone
Surrounding Zone
Taza NP limits
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work would not be possible without the financial
support from WWF.
REFERENCES
Ballesteros E., 2006. Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages: a synthesis of present knowledge. Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. Ann. Rev. 44: 123-195.
PNUE/PAM/CAR/ASP. 2008.. Action plan for the conservation of the coralligenous and other calcareous bio-concritions in the Mediterranean Sea. Ed. CAR/ASP, Tunis : 21 pp.
PNUE/PAM/CAR/ASP, 2011b. Propositions pour la définition de méthodes standardisées pour l’inventaire et le suivi des peuplements de coralligènes et de maërl. UNEP(DEPI)/MED WG.362/4 : 19 pp.
2012 Forum of MPAs in the Mediterranean, Antalya, 25-27 november 2012
Figure 3