Biodiversity of Fucales in the Ustica Island Marine Protected Areas (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy)

Fucales (Phaeophyceae) are ecosystem engineers and forest-forming macroalgae that are among the most productive and valuable carbon-rich marine benthic communities, extending from the surface to the upper circalittoral zone on photophilic rocky substrates along temperate coasts. In the Mediterranean, the predominant species belong to the complex Cystoseira sensu lato (s.l.) (i.e., genera Cystoseira C.Agardh, Ericaria Stackhouse and Gongolaria Boehmer) and Sargassum C. Agardh, which provide a number of important ecosystem functions and services. In particular, species belonging to the complex Cystoseira s.l. are sensitive to a variety of anthropogenic stressors. In recent decades, populations of Cystoseira s.l. have significantly reduced their range. Therefore, there is an urgent need to assess the current species distribution, especially in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which play a fundamental role in valorization and conservation of these communities. We present here an assessment of the occurrence and distribution of Fucales in the Ustica Island MPA (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy), inferred from literature data dating back to 70’. From the literature analysis resulted a high diversity, with 21 taxa of the complex Cystoseira s.l. and 4 taxa of the genus Sargassum. The most abundant Fucales were Ericaria amentacea, E. brachycarpa, E. balearica, Gongolaria sauvageauana, G. montagnei and E. zosteroides. The data presented here provide a necessary basis for the MPA to plan future monitoring activities, which are mandatory to plan effective conservation strategies within the MPA.