Report on identification of keystone species and processes across regional seas

• Main Authors: Smith, Chris, Papadopoulou, Nadia, Sevastou, Katerina, Franco, Anita, Teixeira, Heliana, Piroddi, Chiara, Katsanevakis, Stelios, Fürhaupter, Karin, Beauchard, Olivier, Cochrane, Sabine, K.J., Ramsvatn, Silje, Feral, Jean-Pierre, Chenuil, Anne, David, Romain, Kiriakopoulou, Niki, Zaiko, Anastasija, Moncheva, Snejana, Stefanova, Kremena, Churilova, Tanya, Kryvenko, Olga
• Other Authors: Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), UHULL, European Commission - Joint Research Centre Ispra (JRC), Water Resources Unit Ispra, JRC Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), European Commission - Joint Research Centre Ispra (JRC)-European Commission - Joint Research Centre Ispra (JRC), MariLim Aquatic Research GmbH, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Akvaplan-Niva Tromsø, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Institut méditerranéen de biodiversité et d'écologie marine et continentale (IMBE), Avignon Université (AU)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Institut de recherche pour le développement IRD : UMR237-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Coastal research and Planning Institute, Klaipeda University (KUCORPI), Institute of Oceanology of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IO-BAS), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), Marine Hydrophysical Institute Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences (MHI-NASU), DEVOTES project
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2014
• Subjects: DEVOTES project; keystone species; habitats; European seas; predators; ingeneers; invertebrates; madroalgae; fish; invasive species; Alien species; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes; North East Atlantic; Norwegian Sea
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-01790558; https://hal.science/hal-01790558/document; https://hal.science/hal-01790558/file/2014_Smith_DEVOTES-D6-1-Keystones_Report%20on%20identification%20of%20keystone%20species%20and%20processes%20across%20regional%20seas.pdf; https://doi.org/10.131140/2.1.2093.3929

WP6, Deliverable 6.1, DEVOTES Project In managing for marine biodiversity, it is worth recognising that, whilst every species contributes to biodiversity, each contribution is not of equal importance. Some have important effects and interactions, both primary and secondary, on other components in the community and therefore by their presence or absence directly affect the biodiversity of the community as a whole. Keystone species have been defined as species that have a disproportionate effect on their environment relative to their abundance. As such, keystone species might be of particular relevance for the marine biodiversity characterisation within the assessment of Good Environmental Status (GEnS), for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).The DEVOTES Keystone Catalogue and associated deliverable document is a review of potential keystone species of the different European marine habitats. The catalogue has 844 individual entries, which includes 210 distinct species and 19 groups classified by major habitat in the Baltic Sea, North East Atlantic, Mediterranean, Black Sea (EU Regional Seas) and Norwegian Sea (Non-­‐EU Sea). The catalogue and the report make use/cite 164 and 204 sources respectively. The keystones in the catalogue are indicated by models, by use as indicators, by published work (e.g. on traits and interactions with other species), and by expert opinion based on understanding of systems and roles of species/groups. A total of 74 species were considered to act as keystone predators, 79 as keystone engineers, 66 as keystone habitat forming species, while a few were thought of having multiple roles in their marine ecosystems. Benthic invertebrates accounted for 50% of the reported keystone species/groups, while macroalgae contributed 17% and fish12%. Angiosperms were consistently put forward as keystone habitat forming and engineering species in all areas. A significant number of keystones were invasive alien species.Only one keystone, the bivalve Mya arenaria, was common to all four EU ...