Coastal Ecology and Biodiversity

After the successful completion of the course, students should be able to understand:

• The basic knowledge on the different ecosystems of the marine ecosystems which have a series of characteristics that differentiate them from the terrestrial ones, whereas the organisms they host play a key role in the biogeochemical processes which are vital for the planet Earth
• The Ecological importance of the marine organisms and their interactions with the abiotic environment of the marine realm
• The Environmental factors that are decisive for the distribution of marine species and their assemblages
• The Ecosystem functioning and the factors regulating the Diversity of the Marine Organisms
• The Impact of the various Anthropogenic activities (e.g. Pollution, Fisheries, Aquaculture) on the coastal and marine environment
• The Climate change and the Allocthonus species – Biological Invaders
  The Endangered Species and the Habitats of Priority on a Mediterranean and European scale
• The Policies and Practices on a National, European and International level for the protection and conservation of the marine ecosystems either on a legislation (e.g. EU Directive 92/43 for the protection of Habitats and Species, EU Directive for the Water Framework Quality 2000/60, EU Directive for the Marine Strategy Framework for the Mediterranean 2008/56, EU Directive for Marine Spatial Planning) or technical (Marine Protected Areas) level
• The identification of representative species of the main taxa of Marine Flora and Fauna of the Hellenic Seas and the Mediterranean
• The Methodologies and Techniques for the evaluation of the Ecological status of the biodiversity and the Monitoring in the Coastal and Transitional Ecosystems
• The importance of the Marine Biodiversity for the Blue Economy (e.g. ecosystem services, alternative tourism activities – diving)

• Working independently (autonomous working)
• Team work
• Search for, analysis and synthesis of data and information, with the use of the necessary technology
• Respect for the natural environment
• Production of free, creative and inductive thinking
• Working in an interdisciplinary environment
• Production of new research ideas
• Decision-making

The course includes the following topics regarding the theoretical lectures:

• The Basic Principles of Ecology – Introduction to the Coastal Ecosystems (Basic principles that underlie the organization of marine communities and govern their behavior, Factors controlling population growth and stability, quantifying interactions among populations that lead to persistent communities, Coupling of communities to form viable ecosystems, Flow of energy and cycling of materials, Processes of Photosynthesis and Re-mineralization of organic matter and nutrients, Primary production and productivity, Secondary production, Ecosystem zoning of the Marine Environment)
• Life in the Marine Environment – Coastal Communities and Biodiversity in the Coastal Ecosystems (Benthic domain: Intertidal ecosystems and communities, Continental Shelf and communities, Pelagic Zone and communities, Trophic guilds of marine organisms, Basic concepts of Biogeography - major biogeographic categories, Definitions of diversity, Taxonomic, Phylogenetic and Functional; α-, β- and γ- diversity)
• Transitional Water Ecosystems (Origin and Typology of Transitional Water ecosystems, Abiotic environment, Biological diversity and Bio-communities, Functional groups, Organisms and abiotic environment interactions. Distribution patterns of benthic and pelagic communities, Goods and Services/Fisheries – Aquaculture – Salt production: Practices, Problems and Management issues in TWE, Natural and Anthropogenic Disturbance in TWE and Methods of Assessment / uni- and multi-variate analyses, Diversity Indices, ABC Curves, Geometric classes of size and abundance in Mediterranean TWE)
• Marine Biodiversity and Distribution Patterns; Threats and Anthropogenic Activities affecting Coastal Marine Biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea (Marine Biodiversity and Distribution Patterns in the Mediterranean Sea; Pollution – e.g. domestic effluents, heavy metals, oil hydrocarbons; Human activities – e.g. fisheries, aquaculture - and impact on benthic communities)
• Modern Ecological Approaches: from Distribution Patterns to Functional Processes (Dynamic Systems, Statistical Analysis vs Numerical Models, Basic characteristics of numerical models. The VISSIM Model, Exponential distribution, Species antagonism: Lotka-Voltera Model, Population-Factor Models, Monod equation and the Minima Law, Phenomenon of Invansion, Deterministic and Stochastic Models)
• Allochthonous species - Biological Invaders in the Coastal Marine Ecosystems (Biology and Ecology of Allochthonous - Alien Species, Management of Alien species in different case studies in the Mediterranean and European ecosystems)
• Water Framework Directive 2000/60 and Biotic Indices in Coastal and Transitional Water Ecosystems (WFD 2000 and Biotic Indices: Coastal and Catchment Areas Water Bodies, Habitat types – EUNIS System, Quality Element Descriptors, Ecological Condition, Ecological Quality Ratio, Biotic indices - e.g. BENTIX, AMBI, Taxonomic Diversity Indices, Ecological Funnels, Trophic Guilds-Functional Diversity, Zoogeographical categories and Regional diversity, Case Studies in Mediterranean Coastal and Transitional Water Ecosystems)
• Plankton Ecology and Eutrophication in Marine Ecosystems (Composition and dynamics of Plankton communities, Eutrophication and Assessment studies, Harmful Algal Blooms in the Mediterranean and European ecosystems, Species Abundance Distribution, Lognormal Distribution, Niche Distribution Models, Zipf-Mandelbrot Model, Applications in Phytoplankton and Macroalgae Assemblages in Coastal Waters of the Hellenic Seas)
• Benthic Macrophytes as Bioindicators in the Mediterranean Coastal Environment (WFD 2000/60, HABITAT Directive 92/43, MSFD 2008/56) (Theory and Actions for Bio-indicators and Biotic Indices related to Macrophytes, Application of Εcological Εvaluation Ιndex, Cymoskew and MATECS Indices as Ecological assessment and Management tools in the Coastal Mediterranean environment)
• Endangered Species and Habitats of Priority in the Mediterranean and European Coastal Ecosystems (Marine Habitats and Endangered Species – EU Habitats Directive 92/43 in the Mediterranean and European Coastal Ecosystems, Marine Biodiversity in the Hellenic Seas)
• Marine Strategy in the Mediterranean Sea (EU Marine Strategy Directive for the Mediterranean 2008/56, Marine Spatial Planning EU Directive – Applications in the Aegean Sea and the Ionian Sea)
• Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development in the Blue Economy Framework in the Mediterranean Sea (Biodiversity Conservation in the Mediterranean, Mediterranean Network of Marine Protected Areas, Biodiversity Ecosystem Services, Diversity and Eco-touristic Activities/Diving Tourism)

The course includes the following topics regarding the laboratory/seminar lectures and the field exercises:

• Species Identification of Major Taxonomic Groups (Identification of representative Species from the major Taxonomic Groups of Flora and Fauna of the Hellenic Seas)
• Techniques of Biological Samples Collection in the Marine Environment by means of the E/V ‘AMPHITRITE’ (Collection of biological samples from the pelagic and benthic communities by means of different scientific equipment – dredges, grabs, diving equipment, phtyo- and zoo-sampling nets)
• Introduction to the PRIMER Software and Similarity Coefficients (Introduction and practical exercise in basic statistical analyses in: (a) data input and analyses of PRIMER software, (b) Similarity coefficients)
• Biodiversity Estimation Techniques with the PRIMER and ESTIMATES software (Introduction and practical exercise in basic statistical techniques for diversity assessment - e.g. diversity indices, species richness estimates with the PRIMER and ESTIMATES software)
• Multivariate Techniques I in Community Analyses with the PRIMER software (Introduction and practical exercise in multivariate community analyses techniques - CLUSTER, NMDS and ANOSIM with the PRIMER software)
• Multivariate Techniques II in Community Analyses with the PRIMER software (Introduction and practical exercise in multivariate community analyses techniques - RELATE, 2nd STAGE MDS and Abundance/Biomass Curves with the PRIMER software)
• Multivariate Techniques III in Community Analyses with the BRODGAR software (Introduction and practical exercise in multivariate community analyses techniques - CCA with the BRODGAR software)
• Ecological Assessment Techniques in the Coastal and Transitional Ecosystems with Biotic Indices (Ecological Assessment Techniques according to the WFD/2000-60 with different Biotic indices - ΒΕΝΤΙΧ & ΑΜΒΙ with specific software for macrofauna species)

Suggested bibliography:

• KOUTSOUBAS D., 2003 (2nd Edition, 2009). "ECOLOGY OF COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS ". Notes and laboratory Exercises, Educational Material for the Postgraduate Students of the Dept. Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, 110 pp.)
• KOUTSOUBAS D., 2005. Marine Biodiversity and Sustainable Development in the Mediterranean as an axis for Environmntal Education. In: ‘Environmental Education’ Kaila M, Theodoropoulou H., Dimitriou A., Xsanthakos. & N. Anastasatos (eds), Chapter III, 57, pp. 448-465’
• Simboura N. ORFANIDIS S. & A. ZENETOS, 2005. Ecological Status and Trends. In: ‘SoHelME, 2005. State of the Hellenic Marine Environment’, Papathanasiou V. & A. Zenetos (eds), H.C.M.R. Publications, 360 pp, Chapter VI, VI.5, pp. 343-352.
• KOUTSOUBAS D., 2012. Marine Biodiversity in the Mediterranean: Spatio-Temporal Variations, Interactions with Human Activities and Initiatives for Conservation, Educational Notes, Summer School ‘DYNAMICS & MANAGEMENT of the MEDITERRANEAN MARINE ENVIRONMENT’, Zakynthos Island, Greece, 18-29 August 2012, 18 pp.
• SOURBES L. & D. KOUTSOUBAS, 2012. Marine Protected Areas as a tool for Ecosystem Conservation and Sustainable Development: the case of the National Marine Park of Zakynthos, Educational Notes, Summer School ‘DYNAMICS & MANAGEMENT of the MEDITERRANEAN MARINE ENVIRONMENT’, Zakynthos Island, Greece, 18-29 August 2012, 16 pp.
• KATSELIDIS K. & D. KOUTSOUBAS, 2012. Ecotopes of Community Interest and Priority and Endangered Species. Educational Notes, Summer School ‘DYNAMICS & MANAGEMENT of the MEDITERRANEAN MARINE ENVIRONMENT’, Zakynthos Island, Greece, 18-29 August 2012, 20 pp.
• THESSALOU-LEGAKI M. & A. LEGAKIS, 2005. Conservation of the Hellenic Marine Biodiversity. In: ‘SoHelME, 2005. State of the Hellenic Marine Environment’, Papathanasiou V. & A. Zenetos (eds), H.C.M.R. Publications, 360 pp, Chapter VI, VI.5, pp. 260-270.
• HEIP C. et al., 2009. Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning. Printbase, Dublin, Ireland, ISSN 2009-2539, 92 pp.
• Chintiroglou CH. & D. Vafidis, 2008. BIODIVERSITY: An introduction. Gaston & Spicer, 2008, UNIVERSITY STUDIO Press, Thessaloniki, 242 pp.)

Suggested bibliography for the Laboratory and Field Exercises:

• "FLORA Y FAUNA DEL MEDITERRANEO" (Riedl, 1996, 672 pp.)
• "LIFE IN THE GREEK SEAS AND THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA" (Simeonidi N. & D. Simeonidis, 2011., MEDITERRANEO Editions, Rethymnon, Crete, Greece, 245 pp.)
• "GUIDE TO THE SEASHORES AND SHALLOW SEAS OF BRITAIN & NORTHERN EUROPE" (Campbell A., 2005, Pocket Guide Book, Octopus Publ. Books, 329 pp.)

Additional suggested literature (International Scientific Journals for Marine Ecology and Diversity Issues distributed freely by the HEALINK – Hellenic Network of Libraries) – indicative ones:

• "Marine Ecology" (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal)
• "Marine Biodiversity" (https://link.springer.com/journal)
• "Mediterranean Marine Sciences" (https://ejournals.epublishing.ekt. gr/index.php/ hcmr-med-mar-sc)
• "Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom" (https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals)
• "Marine Ecology Progress Series" (http://www.int-res.com/journals/ meps/meps-home)
  "Marine Biodiversity Records" (https://link.springer.com/journal)
• "Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology" (https://www.journals. elsevier.com)
• ‘’Ecology Letters’’ (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/%28ISS N%291461-0248)
• ‘’Ecology’’ (http://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1002/ (ISSN)1939-9170/)
• ‘’Journal of Applied Ecology’’ http://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ hub/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2664/