Biodiversity Data Journal 9: e66420 OO) doi: 10.3897/BDJ.9.e66420 open access Data Paper Benthic communities in three Mediterranean touristic ports: MAPMED project Eva Chatzinikolaout, Panagiotis Damianidis$, Christina Pavioudit, Aikaterini Vasileiadouf, Sarah Faulwetter!, Kleoniki Keklikoglou*1, Wanda Plaitist, Dimitra Mavrakit, Stamatina Nikolopoulou*, Christos Arvanitidist* + Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC), Heraklion, Crete, Greece § Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece | Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Institute of Oceanography, Athens, Greece {| Biology Department, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece # LifeWatch ERIC, Seville, Spain Corresponding author: Eva Chatzinikolaou (evachatz@hcmr.gr) Academic editor: Vasilis Gerovasileiou Received: 24 Mar 2021 | Accepted: 20 Apr 2021 | Published: 26 Apr 2021 Citation: Chatzinikolaou E, Damianidis P, Pavloudi C, Vasileiadou A, Faulwetter S, Keklikoglou K, Plaitis W, Mavraki D, Nikolopoulou S, Arvanitidis C (2021) Benthic communities in three Mediterranean touristic ports: MAPMED project. Biodiversity Data Journal 9: €66420. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.9.e66420 Abstract Background Mediterranean ports are sources of significant economic activity and at the same time they act as recipients of considerable anthropogenic disturbance and pollution. Polluted and low-in-oxygen sediments can negatively impact benthic biodiversity and favour recruitment of opportunistic or invasive species. Macrobenthic communities are an important component of the port biota and can be used as environmental quality indicators. However, a baseline database for benthic biodiversity in Mediterranean ports has not yet been widely established. © Chaizinikolaou E et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. 2 Chatzinikolaou E et al New information Macrobenthic assemblages were recorded in three Mediterranean touristic ports under the framework of the ENPI CBC MED project MAPMED (MAnagement of Port Areas in the MEDiterranean Sea Basin). Samples were collected from Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy), Heraklion (Crete, Greece) and El Kantaoui (Tunisia) ports during February, May and September 2012. The sampling stations were selected according to the different sectors within each port (i.e. leisure, fishing, passenger/cargo vessels and shipyard). A total of 277 taxa belonging to 12 phyla were found, of which the 96 taxa were present in all three ports. El Kantaoui port hosted the highest number of macrobenthic taxa. Mollusca were the most abundant group (34%) in all ports. The highest percentage of opportunistic taxa per station was found before the touristic period in the shipyard of Heraklion port (89.3%). Keywords macrobenthos, ports, harbours, Mediterranean, Greece, Italy, Tunisia Introduction Mediterranean ports are sources of significant economic activity and they strongly support local, regional and national economic development. The Mediterranean Sea hosts about 480 ports and terminals and is one of the busiest maritime areas of the world (REMPEC 2008). Shipping of goods between the main EU ports and ports located in the Mediterranean reached 598 million tonnes in 2015 (Eurostat 2015), while crude oil transported through the Mediterranean Sea was 421 million tonnes in 2006 (REMPEC 2008). Ports act as recipients of considerable anthropogenic disturbance and pollution due to the activities they are hosting, such as emission of air pollutants, noise, sediment dredging and transport, industrial installations, wastewater discharges, oil spill accidents, storage and spillage of hazardous materials and introduction of invasive species (Darbra et al. 2005). Polluted marine sediments, commonly low oxygen levels and low hydrodynamism can have a negative impact on benthic biota and marine biodiversity, which may favour recruitment by opportunistic or more resistant taxa, including invasive species. Macrobenthic communities are an important component of the port biota and have been commonly used as environmental quality indicators in biomonitoring studies (Gray and Elliot 2010). Therefore, the establishment of a baseline database for benthic biodiversity in Mediterranean ports can offer valuable background information for port management activities, including the identification of biological risks, such as pollution events or invasion by alien species (Mandal and Harkantra 2013). General description Purpose: This dataset includes macrobenthic taxa identified in three touristic ports in the Mediterranean, located at Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy), Heraklion (Crete, Greece) and El Benthic communities in three Mediterranean touristic ports: MAPMED project 3 Kantaoui (Tunisia) (Chatzinikolaou and Arvanitidis 2017). Sampling was undertaken seasonally during the ENPI CBC MED project MAPMED in 2012 in different sectors within each port, which were defined according to their distinct usage activities (i.e. leisure, fishing, passenger/cargo vessels and shipyard). Samples were collected during winter (February), before the touristic period (May) and after the touristic period (September) in order to identify the impact of seasonal touristic activities on benthic communities. A detailed comparison of macrobenthic biodiversity amongst different locations - sectors - seasons was performed in order to offer information about the environmental quality at these understudied artificial port environments. A total of 277 taxa belonging to 12 phyla were found, of which 96 taxa were common in all ports. Differences in benthic biodiversity were found between ports and between sectors in each port, while seasonal differences were not apparent (Chatzinikolaou et al. 2018). The El Kantaoui port hosted the highest number of macrobenthic taxa, while the shipyard sector in Heraklion port had the lowest number of taxa. The highest abundance of opportunistic taxa was found in Heraklion port at the passenger ships and shipyard stations. Project description Title: MAPMED: MAnagement of Port areas in the MEDiterranean sea basin Personnel: Dr Eva Chatzinikolaou (project management, design and implementation of sampling, taxonomic identification), Dr Panagiotis Damianidis (taxonomic identification), Dr Christina Pavloudi (taxonomic identification), Dr Katerina Vasileiadou (taxonomic identification), Dr Sarah Faulwetter (taxonomic identification), Kleoniki Keklikoglou (taxonomic identification), Wanda Plaiti (taxonomic identification), Dimitra Mavraki (data management), Stamatina Nikolopoulou (data management) and Dr Christos Arvanitidis (principal investigator). Study area description: Mediterranean touristic ports: Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy), Heraklion (Crete, Greece) and El Kantaoui (Tunisia). Design description: During this study, differences in macrobenthic assemblages were examined across three levels: a) geographical differences (three countries), b) use-sectoral differences (3-5 stations within ports) and c) temporal differences (three seasons in relation to the touristic period). Funding: This project has been financed by the European Union under the ENP! CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme in the framework of the project “MAnagement of Port areas in the MEDiterranean Sea Basin” (MAPMED) (Grand Contract 6/2019-25/ 7/2011). This publication has been supported by the LifeWatchGreece infrastructure (MIS 384676), funded by the Greek Government under the General Secretariat of Research and Technology (GSRT), ESFRI Projects, National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) and from LifeWatch ERIC. 4 Chatzinikolaou E et al Sampling methods Sampling description: Five replicates of sediment samples were collected from each station using a box corer (13.5 cm x 13.5 cm x 16 cm) manually operated from a small boat. A Garmin 60 CS portable GPS and a depth meter were available on board to record the exact position and depth of each station respectively. The sediment samples were sieved through a 0.5 mm sieve and then fixed and preserved in 5% formaldehyde buffered with seawater and stained with Rose Bengal. The benthic organisms were sorted out of the sediment under a stereoscope, counted and identified down to the lowest possible taxonomic level. Quality control: All scientific names were standardised against the World Register of Marine Species using the Taxon Match tool (http:/Awww.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? p=match) on 10-03-2021. ¢ wore es ce ti, he oa i me Pe ‘Cagli ee OS mn i$ | pee a ee eee n x ota “HereKion ay C5 Cc D > E1 H5 HP 4 $ } Ht pa + F3 Figure 1. EES The three Mediterranean touristic ports (A) and location of the sampling stations in Cagliari (B), Heraklion (C) and El Kantaoui (D) Geographic coverage Description: Three Mediterranean touristic ports were selected as study sites and they are presented in Fig. 1. The port of Cagliari (Fig. 1B) is a large port (2.07 km?) located on the southern coast of Sardinia (Italy). The port of Heraklion (Fig. 1C) is medium-sized (0.87 km?) and it is located on the northern coast of Crete (Greece). The port of El Kantaoui (Fig. 1D) is a small touristic marina (0.04 km?) on the eastern Tunisian coast. Both the ports of Heraklion and Cagliari host a leisure marina, large passenger, cruise and cargo vessels, while El Kantaoui port offers moorings only for smaller fishing boats, luxury yachts and boats for sporting activities. Heraklion port has also a shipyard section. Sampling stations were selected in order to achieve good spatial coverage in each port and also to represent sectors with different uses according to the Water Management Units Benthic communities in three Mediterranean touristic ports: MAPMED project 5 in MAPMED Action Plans (MAPMED 2015). Four stations were selected in the port of Heraklion, five stations in the port of Cagliari and three stations in the port of El Kantaoui (Table 1). Table 1. Maximum depth (m), use sectors and coordinates of all sampling stations in the Meditarranean ports of Cagliari, Heraklion and El Kantaoui. Port Station Depth (m) Port sector Coordinates Cagliari C1 7.8 Leisure/fishing 39°12'12.2"N; 09°07'25.1"E C2 4.5 Leisure/fishing 39°12'23.0"N; 09°07'16.7"E C3 8.3 Leisure/fishing 39°12'34.0"N; 09°06'45.9"E C4 13.5 Passenger/cargo ships 39°12'29.7"N; 09°06'14.8"E C5 11.4 Intense maritime traffic 39°12'01.7"N; 09°06'45.2"E Heraklion H1 3.7 Leisure/fishing 35°20'38.7"N; 25°08'12.4"E H3 19.5 Passenger ships 35°20'45.6"N; 25°08'43.3"E H4 10.5 Cargo ships 35°20'39.5"N; 25°08'55.5"E H5 19.0 Shipyard 35°20'42.9"N; 25°09'08.6"E El Kantaoui E1 2.5 Leisure/fishing 35°53'39.9"N; 10°35'52.1"E E2 4.0 Leisure/fishing 35°53'34.6"N; 10°35'58.9"E E3 3.2 Leisure/fishing 35°53'34.1"N; 10°36'05.2"E Coordinates: 33.724 and 41.311 Latitude; 7.954 and 27.598 Longitude. Taxonomic coverage Description: The dataset includes information on macrobenthic assemblages found in the three Mediterranean touristic ports belonging to the following 12 phyla: Annelida, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, Sipuncula, Nemertea, Cnidaria, Foraminifera, Platyhelminthes and Priapulida (Table 2). Table 2. List of taxa (phylum, class, family and species name) found in the three Mediterranean touristic ports. Phylum Class Annelida Annelida Polychaeta Polychaeta Family Ampharetidae Amphinomidae Species Amage adspersa Chloeia viridis Phoronida, Chordata, Cagliari Heraklion El xX Kantaoui Phylum Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Class Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Chatzinikolaou E et al Family Amphinomidae Capitellidae Capitellidae Capitellidae Capitellidae Chaetopteridae Cirratulidae Cirratulidae Cirratulidae Cirratulidae Cossuridae Dorvilleidae Dorvilleidae Dorvilleidae Dorvilleidae Eunicidae Eunicidae Flabelligeridae Glyceridae Glyceridae Glyceridae Goniadidae Hesionidae Species Eurythoe complanata Capitella capitata Capitella giardi Heteromastus filiformis Notomastus latericeus Spiochaetopterus costarum Aphelochaeta filiformis Aphelochaeta marioni Cirriformia tentaculata Tharyx killariensis Cossura soyeri Dorvillea atlantica Dorvillea rubrovittata Protodorvillea kefersteini Schistomeringos rudolphi Eunice vittata Lysidice unicornis Piromis eruca Glycera lapidum Glycera tesselata Glycera tridactyla Goniada emerita Psamathe fusca Cagliari Heraklion El Kantaoui Benthic communities in three Mediterranean touristic ports: MAPMED project 7 Phylum Class Family Species Cagliari Heraklion El Kantaoui Annelida Polychaeta Lumbrineridae Hilbigneris gracilis x x x Annelida Polychaeta Lumbrineridae Lumbrineris latreilli x x x Annelida Polychaeta Lumbrineridae Scoletoma x funchalensis Annelida Polychaeta Magelonidae Magelona minuta x Annelida Polychaeta Maldanidae Euclymene Xx palermitana Annelida Polychaeta Maldanidae Praxillella affinis Annelida Polychaeta Maldanidae Praxillella gracilis Annelida Polychaeta Melinnidae Melinna palmata x Annelida Polychaeta Nephtyidae Nephtys caeca x Annelida Polychaeta Nephtyidae Nephtys hystricis x Annelida Polychaeta Nephtyidae Nephtys incisa Annelida Polychaeta Nereididae Neanthes x acuminata Annelida Polychaeta Nereididae Nereis rava x Annelida Polychaeta Nereididae Nereis zonata Annelida Polychaeta Onuphidae Aponuphis bilineata x Annelida Polychaeta Onuphidae Aponuphis brementi x Annelida Polychaeta Onuphidae Diopatra x neapolitana Annelida Polychaeta Opheliidae Polyophthalmus x pictus Annelida Polychaeta Orbiniidae Phylo foetida x Annelida Polychaeta Orbiniidae Scoloplos ( Xx Scoloplos) armiger Annelida Polychaeta Oweniidae Owenia fusiformis x Annelida Polychaeta Paraonidae Aricidea (Aricidea) x fragilis Annelida Polychaeta Paraonidae Levinsenia gracilis Annelida Polychaeta Paraonidae Paradoneis lyra x Annelida Polychaeta Pectinariidae Lagis koreni x Phylum Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Class Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Chatzinikolaou E et al Family Phyllodocidae Phyllodocidae Phyllodocidae Pilargidae Poecilochaetidae Polynoidae Polynoidae Sabellidae Sabellidae Sabellidae Scalibregmatidae Serpulidae Spionidae Spionidae Spionidae Spionidae Sternaspidae Syllidae Syllidae Syllidae Syllidae Syllidae Syllidae Species Eteone longa Mysta picta Phyllodoce sp. Ancistrosyllis groenlandica Poecilochaetus serpens Harmothoe impar Harmothoe spinifera Amphiglena mediterranea Dialychone dunerificta Pseudopotamilla reniformis Polyphysia crassa Serpula vermicularis Polydora ciliata Prionospio cirrifera Prionospio malmgreni Spio filicornis Sternaspis scutata Exogone sp. Sphaerosyllis hystrix Syllis armillaris Syllis garciai Syllis hyalina Syllis prolifera Cagliari Heraklion El Kantaoui x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Phylum Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Annelida Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Class Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Polychaeta Clitellata Arachnida Insecta Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Family Terebellidae Terebellidae Trichobranchidae Pontarachnidae Ampeliscidae Ampeliscidae Amphilochidae Anthuridae Anthuridae Aoridae Aoridae Aoridae Aoridae Aoridae Aoridae Aoridae Aoridae Aoridae Aoridae Apseudidae Atylidae Benthic communities in three Mediterranean touristic ports: MAPMED project Species Lanice conchilega Pista cristata Terebellides stroemii Echiura ind. Oligochaeta ind. Pontarachna punctulum Insecta ind. Ampelisca diadema Ampelisca ledoyeri Apolochus neapolitanus Anthuridae ind. Cyathura carinata Aora sp. Aora gracilis Aora Sspinicornis Aoridae ind. Autonoe spiniventris Lembos websteri Microdeutopus sp. Microdeutopus anomalus Microdeutopus stationis Microdeutopus versiculatus Apseudopsis mediterraneus Nototropis guttatus Cagliari Heraklion El Kantaoui 10 Phylum Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Arthropoda Class Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Malacostraca Chatzinikolaou E et al Family Bodotriidae Bodotriidae Bodotriidae Bodotriidae Bodotriidae Calliopiidae Caprellidae Caprellidae Caprellidae Corophiidae Corophiidae Corophiidae Corophiidae Dexaminidae Diastylidae Gammaridae Gnathiidae Holognathidae Hyalidae Hyalidae Idoteidae Ischyroceridae Ischyroceridae Leptocheliidae Species Bodotria scorpioides Iphinoe serrata Iphinoe tenella Iphinoe trispinosa Vaunthompsonia cristata Apherusa mediterranea Liropus elongatus Phtisica marina Pseudolirius kroyeri Apocorophium acutum Leptocheirus sp. Medicorophium minimum Medicorophium runcicorne Dexamine spinosa Diastylis rugosa Gammaridae ind. Gnathia sp. Cleantis prismatica Apohyale perieri Parhyale aquilina Idotea sp. Ericthonius punctatus Jassa marmorata Chondrochelia savignyi Cagliari Heraklion El Kantaoui x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Benthic communities in three Mediterranean touristic ports: MAPMED project 11 Phylum Class Family Species Cagliari Heraklion El Kantaoui Arthropoda Malacostraca Leucothoidae Leucothoe incisa x x x Arthropoda Malacostraca Maeridae Elasmopus rapax x x x Arthropoda Malacostraca Maeridae Maera grossimana_ x x x Arthropoda Malacostraca Melitidae Melita hergensis x x x Arthropoda Malacostraca Microprotopidae Microprotopus x maculatus Arthropoda Malacostraca Nannastacidae Cumella (Cumella) x x x pygmaea Arthropoda Malacostraca Nannastacidae Nannastacus sp. x Arthropoda Malacostraca Nuuanuidae Gammarella x fucicola Arthropoda Malacostraca Oedicerotidae Kroyera carinata x Arthropoda Malacostraca Oedicerotidae Perioculodes x x longimanus Arthropoda Malacostraca Oedicerotidae Pontocrates arenarius Arthropoda Malacostraca Oedicerotidae Synchelidium x x haplocheles Arthropoda Malacostraca Oedicerotidae Synchelidium x maculatum Arthropoda Malacostraca Paranthuridae Paranthura japonica x Arthropoda Malacostraca Photidae Cerapopsis x longipes Arthropoda Malacostraca Sphaeromatidae Dynamene x bidentata Arthropoda Malacostraca Sphaeromatidae Sphaeroma sp. x Arthropoda Malacostraca Stenothoidae Stenothoe elachista x Arthropoda Malacostraca Tanaididae Tanais dulongii x x Arthropoda Malacostraca Amphipoda ind. x x Arthropoda Malacostraca Isopoda ind. x x Arthropoda Malacostraca Tanaidacea ind. Arthropoda Pycnogonida Pycnogonida ind.1 12 Phylum Arthropoda Chordata Chordata Chordata Cnidaria Cnidaria Echinodermata Echinodermata Echinodermata Echinodermata Echinodermata Echinodermata Echinodermata Echinodermata Echinodermata Foraminifera Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Class Pycnogonida Ascidiacea Ascidiacea Anthozoa Hydrozoa Asteroidea Holothuroidea Holothuroidea Holothuroidea Ophiuroidea Ophiuroidea Ophiuroidea Ophiuroidea Ophiuroidea Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Chatzinikolaou E et al Family Styelidae Cucumariidae Amphiuridae Ophiodermatidae Arcidae Cardiidae Cardiidae Cardiidae Cardiidae Corbulidae Lasaeidae Lasaeidae Lucinidae Lucinidae Species Pycnogonida ind.2 Ascidiacea ind. Botryllus sp. Pisces ind. Anthozoa ind. Hydrozoa ind. Asteroidea ind. Trachythyone sp. Holothuroidea ind.1 Holothuroidea ind.2 Amphiura chiajei Ophioderma longicaudum Ophiuroidea ind.1 Ophiuroidea ind.2 Ophiuroidea ind.3 Foraminifera ind. Arca tetragona Cerastoderma glaucum Papillicardium minimum Papillicardium papillosum Parvicardium exiguum Varicorbula gibba Kurtiella bidentata Litigiella glabra Ctena decussata Loripes orbiculatus Cagliari Heraklion El Kantaoui x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Phylum Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Benthic communities in three Mediterranean touristic ports: MAPMED project 13 Class Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Bivalvia Gastropoda Gastropoda Family Lucinidae Lucinidae Lucinidae Mytilidae Mytilidae Mytilidae Mytilidae Nuculanidae Nuculidae Pharidae Semelidae Semelidae Solemyidae Tellinidae Tellinidae Tellinidae Tellinidae Tellinidae Thraciidae Veneridae Veneridae Veneridae Veneridae Veneridae Veneridae Bullidae Caecidae Species Loripinus fragilis Lucinella divaricata Myrtea spinifera Modiolus adriaticus Modiolus barbatus Musculus subpictus Mytilus edulis Lembulus pella Nucula nitidosa Pharus legumen Abra alba Abra prismatica Solemya togata Asbjornsenia pygmaea Gastrana fragilis Macomopsis cumana Moerella donacina Peronidia albicans Thracia phaseolina Chamelea gallina Dosinia lupinus Gouldia minima Pitar rudis Ruditapes decussatus Venerupis lucens Bulla striata Caecum subannulatum Cagliari Heraklion El Kantaoui x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 14 Phylum Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Class Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Chatzinikolaou E et al Family Cerithiidae Cerithiidae Cerithiidae Cerithiidae Cerithiidae Cerithiopsidae Conidae Epitoniidae Eulimidae Eulimidae Granulinidae Mangeliidae Mangeliidae Muricidae Muricidae Nassariidae Nassariidae Nassariidae Naticidae Neritidae Omalogyridae Phasianellidae Phasianellidae Phasianellidae Pyramidellidae Pyramidellidae Species Bittium latreillii Bittium reticulatum Cerithium protractum Cerithium scabridum Cerithium vulgatum Cerithiopsis minima Conus ventricosus Epitonium clathrus Eulima bilineata Parvioris ibizenca Granulina marginata Mangelia paciniana Sorgenfreispira brachystoma Hexaplex trunculus Nucella lapillus Tritia corniculum Tritia reticulata Tritia varicosa Neverita josephinia Smaragdia viridis Ammonicera rota Tricolia pullus Tricolia speciosa Tricolia tenuis Chrysallida indistincta Eulimella acicula Cagliari Heraklion El Kantaoui x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Benthic communities in three Mediterranean touristic ports: MAPMED project 15 Phylum Class Family Species Cagliari Heraklion El Kantaoui Mollusca Gastropoda Pyramidellidae Megastomia x x x conoidea Mollusca Gastropoda Pyramidellidae Odostomia x unidentata Mollusca Gastropoda Pyramidellidae Ondina diaphana x x x Mollusca Gastropoda Pyramidellidae Parthenina x x terebellum Mollusca Gastropoda Pyramidellidae Pyrgiscus rufus x Mollusca Gastropoda Pyramidellidae Turbonilla gradata x x Mollusca Gastropoda Pyramidellidae Turbonilla micans x Mollusca Gastropoda Pyramidellidae Turbonilla multilirata x Mollusca Gastropoda Pyramidellidae Turbonilla pumila x Mollusca Gastropoda Raphitomidae Raphitoma philberti x x Mollusca Gastropoda Retusidae Retusa truncatula x x Mollusca Gastropoda Retusidae Retusa umbilicata x Mollusca Gastropoda Rissoidae Alvania algeriana x Mollusca Gastropoda Rissoidae Alvania cimex x x x Mollusca Gastropoda Rissoidae Alvania discors x Mollusca Gastropoda Rissoidae Alvania mamillata x x x Mollusca Gastropoda Rissoidae Manzonia crassa x Mollusca Gastropoda Rissoidae Pusillina marginata x x Mollusca Gastropoda Rissoidae Pusillina radiata x x x Mollusca Gastropoda Rissoidae Rissoa aartseni x Mollusca Gastropoda Rissoidae Rissoa splendida x x Mollusca Gastropoda Skeneidae Skenea serpuloides x Mollusca Gastropoda Trochidae Gibbula ardens x x Mollusca Gastropoda Trochidae Gibbula magus x Mollusca Gastropoda Trochidae Jujubinus gravinae xX Mollusca Gastropoda Trochidae Jujubinus x karpathoensis Mollusca Gastropoda Trochidae Jujubinus montagui x< 16 Phylum Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Mollusca Nemertea Nemertea Nemertea Nemertea Nemertea Nemertea Nemertea Nemertea Nemertea Nemertea Nemertea Nemertea Nemertea Phoronida Class Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Gastropoda Scaphopoda Scaphopoda Hoplonemertea Hoplonemertea Hoplonemertea Hoplonemertea Hoplonemertea Hoplonemertea Hoplonemertea Palaeonemertea Pilidiophora Platyhelminthes Turbellaria Priapulida Sipuncula Sipuncula Sipuncula Sipuncula Phascolosomatidea Phascolosomatidae Sipunculidea Chatzinikolaou E et al Family Trochidae Trochidae Trochidae Trochidae Dentaliidae Fustiariidae Amphiporidae Carcinonemertidae Drepanophoridae Oerstediidae Ototyphlonemertidae Prosorhochmidae Tetrastemmatidae Cephalotrichidae Lineidae Sipunculidae Species Jujubinus striatus Jujubinus unidentatus Steromphala adansonii Steromphala varia Antalis dentalis Fustiaria rubescens Amphiporus sp. Carcinonemertes carcinophila Drepanophorus sp. Oerstedia dorsalis Ototyphlonemertes duplex Prosorhochmus sp. Tetrastemma sp. Cephalothrix sp. Micrura sp. Nemertea ind.1 Nemertea ind.2 Nemertea ind.3 Nemertea ind.4 Phoronida ind. Turbellaria ind. Priapulida ind. Phascolosoma sp. Sipunculus ( Sipunculus) nudus Sipuncula ind.1 Sipuncula ind.2 Cagliari Heraklion El Kantaoui Benthic communities in three Mediterranean touristic ports: MAPMED project 17 Phylum Class Family Species Cagliari Heraklion El Kantaoui Sipuncula Sipuncula ind.3 x x x A total of 46,187 individuals were identified down to the lowest possible taxonomic level, from which 15,535 were found in Cagliari port, 11,571 in Heraklion port and 19,081 in El Kantaoui port. A total of 277 macrofaunal taxa were identified in the three ports, from which 32 were present exclusively in Cagliari port, 22 were found only in Heraklion port and 53 were found only in El Kantaoui port. A total of 96 taxa were common between all three Mediterranean ports (Fig. 2). The highest number of taxa in total was found in El Kantaoui port (206), while Cagliari and Heraklion ports had 170 and 165 taxa in total, respectively. 32 22 26 uM 53 Figure 2. EES] Chart showing number of common and unique taxa in the three Mediterranean ports (Cagliari, Heraklion and El Kantaoui). Mollusca were the most abundant group (34.7%), Annelida (28.2%) and Arthropoda (24.2%) were also highly represented, while each of the remaining groups contributed less than 5% in the benthic assemblages studied (Fig. 3). The percentage of opportunistic taxa abundances (i.e. short-lived taxa often characterising disturbed or stressed habitats) was calculated for each station as the percentage of abundances for Capitellidae, Cirratulidae, Spionidae and Oligochaeta taxa (Pearson and Rosenberg 1978, Munari et al. 2005) in the total sample (Fig. 4). The highest percentages (> 50%) of opportunistic taxa abundances were found in Heraklion port at stations H3 (passenger ships) during all seasons and at H5 (shipyard station) in winter and especially before summer. Additionally, in El Kantaoui station E1 (leisure boats), the percentage of opportunistic taxa abundance increased before summer. The percentage of opportunists in Cagliari was generally lower than in the other ports. 18 Chatzinikolaou E et al 34.7% 35% - 30% - 28.2% 24.2% 25% - 20% - 15% - 10% - 5% 4 re pa red 04% 04% 04% 0.4% > x 2 2 % Cs % cS ¢ s x Res “ O O & RS & » SS BA SS x & & of - x £ FS ee ES é a < s G 3 eS < & ss > F < 5 g é x g < < ¢ ~ Figure 3. EES Distribution of the different phyla found in the three Mediterranean ports (Cagliari, Heraklion and El Kantaoui). 100 = 8 @BWinter 90 © © @ Before summer go - After summer 70 60 50 - 40 - 30 20 + a | a il Port stations % opportunstic species o i=) Figure 4. EES] Percentage (%) of opportunistic taxa abundances in the different stations of Cagliari port (purple: C1, C2, C3, C4 and C5), Heraklion port (orange: H1, H3, H4 and H5) and El Kantaoui (blue: E1, E2 and E3) during the three differerent sampling seasons (dark colours: winter, medium colours: before summer, light colours: after summer). Additional statistical analysis has been applied to the species composition matrices of the specific dataset by Chatzinikolaou et al. (2018) and Dimitriou et al. (2020) in order to explore the multivariate patterns of benthic assemblages and to calculate benthic diversity and biotic indices for the assessment of the ecological status of the habitats. A detailed comparison of macrobenthic biodiversity amongst the different locations - sectors - seasons indicated significant differences between ports and between sectors in each port, while seasonal differences were not apparent (Chatzinikolaou et al. 2018). Benthic communities in three Mediterranean touristic ports: MAPMED project 19 Temporal coverage Data range: 2012-2-13 - 2012-9-25. Notes: Three seasonal sampling campaigns were carried out during 2012: one in winter (February), one in spring before the beginning of the touristic season (May) and one in late summer after the touristic season (September). Collection data Collection name: Benthic communities and environmental parameters in three Mediterranean ports (Sardinia, Crete and Tunisia). Specimen preservation method: 5% formaldehyde buffered with seawater. Curatorial unit: Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC), Heraklion, Crete, Greece. Usage licence Usage licence: Open Data Commons Attribution License IP rights notes: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License. All data in the database can be freely used provided it is fully cited even if only partially used. Data resources Data package title: Benthic communities and environmental parameters in three Mediterranean ports (Sardinia, Crete and Tunisia). Resource link: https:/Awww.gbif.org/dataset/9b11f305-fb 7a-4a65-826e-7fb9 7af06e5f Alternative identifiers: http://ipt.medobis.eu/resource?r=mapmed_ports Number of data sets: 1 Data set name: Benthic communities and environmental parameters in three Mediterranean ports (Sardinia, Crete and Tunisia). Character set: UTF-8 Download URL: hitp://ipt.medobis.eu/resource?r=mapmed_ports Data format: Darwin Core Archive. Description: The dataset is available via the MedOBIS (Mediterranean node of Ocean Biodiversity Information System), Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT) which has been 20 Chatzinikolaou E et al established through the LifeVVatchGreece Research Infrastructure and is hosted in the Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC) of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR). The data are also harvested by and made available through the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS). The dataset is available as a DarwinCoreArchive and all fields are mapped to DarwinCore terms. This publication refers to the most recent version of the dataset available through the IPT server or MedOBIS. Future changes to the dataset due to quality control activities might change its content or structure. The current publication refers to the "occurrence" source file (txt file) that is associated with the particular dataset. Additional details about the sampling events can be found in the "event" source file (txt file) associated with the same dataset. Column label id eventID samplingProtocol eventDate year month day eventRemarks locationID locality minimumDepthinMetres maximumDepthinMetres decimalLatitude decimalLongitude Column description A unique identifier for the record within the dataset or collection, auto-incrementing number automatically added by the system (same with eventID). An identifier for the set of information associated with an Event (something that occurs at a place and time). The description of the method or protocol used for sample collection. The date-time or interval during which an Event occurred. The four-digit year in which the Event occurred, according to the Common Era Calendar. The integer month in which the Event occurred. The integer day of the month on which the Event occurred. Comments or notes about the Event. An identifier for the set of location information (station name). The specific description of the place. The lesser depth of a range of depth below the local surface, in metres. The greater depth of a range of depth below the local surface, in metres. The geographic latitude (in decimal degrees, using the spatial reference system given in geodeticDatum) of the geographic centre of a Location. Positive values are north of the Equator, negative values are south of it. Legal values lie between -90 and 90, inclusive. The geographic longitude (in decimal degrees, using the spatial reference system given in geodeticDatum) of the geographic centre of a Location. Positive values are east of the Greenwich Meridian, negative values are west of it. Legal values lie between -180 and 180, inclusive. Benthic communities in three Mediterranean touristic ports: MAPMED project 21 geodeticDatum coordinateUncertaintyInMetres georeferenceProtocol institutionCode collectionCode basisOfRecord occurrencelD catalogNumber individualCount occurrenceStatus scientificNamelD scientificName kingdom phylum class order family genus specificEpithet scientificNameAuthorship nomenclaturalCode taxonRemarks The ellipsoid, geodetic datum or spatial reference system (SRS) upon which the geographic coordinates given in decimalLatitude and decimalLongitude are based. The horizontal distance (in metres) from the given decimalLatitude and decimalLongitude describing the smallest circle containing the whole of the Location. A description or reference to the methods used to determine the spatial footprint, coordinates and uncertainties. The name (or acronym) in use by the institution having custody of the object (s) or information referred to in the record. An identifier for the collection or dataset from which the record was derived. The specific nature of the data record. An identifier for the Occurrence (as opposed to a particular digital record of the occurrence). An identifier (preferably unique) for the record within the dataset or collection. The number of individuals represented present at the time of the Occurrence. A statement about the presence or absence of a Taxon at a Location. An identifier for the nomenclatural (not taxonomic) details of a scientific name (Isid of WORMS). The full scientific name, not including authorship. The full scientific name of the kingdom in which the taxon is classified. The full scientific name of the phylum in which the taxon is classified. The full scientific name of the class in which the taxon is classified. The full scientific name of the order in which the taxon is classified. The full scientific name of the family in which the taxon is classified. The full scientific name of the genus in which the taxon is classified. The species epithet of the scientificName. The authorship information for the scientificName formatted according to the conventions of the applicable nomenclaturalCode. The nomenclatural code (or codes in the case of an ambiregnal name) under which the scientificName is constructed. Comments or notes about the taxon or name in the original dataset file. 22 Chatzinikolaou E et al Acknowledgements This publication has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union under the ENPI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme in the framework of the project “MAnagement of Port areas in the MEDiterranean Sea Basin” (MAPMED) (Grand Contract 6/2019-25/7/2011). The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of HCMR and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union or of the Programme's management structures.The authors would like to thank the Management Authorities of the ports of Cagliari, Heraklion and El Kantaoui for their support during the sampling campaigns, as well as all the participating project partners. Author contributions Dr Eva Chatzinikolaou (writing of manuscript, project management, design and implementation of sampling, taxonomic identification), Dr Panagiotis Damianidis (taxonomic identification), Dr Christina Pavloudi (taxonomic identification), Dr Katerina Vasileiadou (taxonomic identification), Dr Sarah Faulwetter (taxonomic identification), Kleoniki Keklikoglou (taxonomic identification), Wanda Plaiti (taxonomic identification), Dimitra Mavraki (data management), Stamatina Nikolopoulou (data management) and Dr Christos Arvanitidis (principal investigator). References ° Chatzinikolaou E, Arvanitidis C (2017) Benthic communities and environmental parameters in three Mediterranean ports (Sardinia, Crete, Tunisia). URL: https://doi.org/ 10.15468/xrlqx4 ° Chatzinikolaou E, Mandalakis M, Damianidis P, Dailianis T, Gambineri S, Rossano C, Scapini F, Carucci A, Arvanitidis C (2018) Spatio-temporal benthic biodiversity patterns and pollution pressure in three Mediterranean touristic ports. Science of the Total Environment 624: 648-660. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.111 ° Darbra RM, RonzaA, Stojanovic TA, Wooldridge C, Casal J (2005) A procedure for identifying significant environmental aspects in sea ports. Marine Pollution Bulletin 50: 866-874. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.04.037 ° Dimitriou P, Chatzinikolaou E, Arvanitidis C (2020) Ecological status assessment based on benthic macrofauna of three Mediterranean ports: Comparisons across seasons, activities and regions. Marine Pollution Bulletin 153: 110997. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.marpolbul.2020.110997 ° Eurostat (2015) Maritime transport statistics - short sea shipping of goods. http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Maritime transport statistics - short sea shipping of goods ° Gray JS, Elliot M (2010) Ecology of marine sediments: From science to management. Oxford University Press Benthic communities in three Mediterranean touristic ports: MAPMED project 23 Mandal S, Harkantra SN (2013) Changes in the soft-bottom macrobenthic diversity and community structure from the ports of Mumbai, India. Environmental Monitoring Assessment 185: 653-672. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2582-4 Munari C, Rossi R, Mistri M (2005) Temporal trends in macrobenthos community structure and redundancy in a shallow coastal lagoon (Valli di Comacchio, Northern Adriatic Sea). Hydrobiologia 550: 95-104. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-005-4366-0 Pearson TH, Rosenberg R (1978) Macrobenthic succession in relation to organic enrichment and pollution of the marine environment. Oceanography and Marine Biology - An Annual Review 16: 229-311. REMPEC (2008) Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea. Study of maritime traffic flows in the Mediterranean Sea. Final Report standards in Southern California marine waters. Water Research 10: 299-302.