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The brown macroalgae Rugulopteryx okamurae is described as one of the most severe and threatening invasive marine macroalgae in European waters. This study reports the first record of R. okamurae in the Madeira archipelago, which represents a new southern distribution limit of this species in NE Atlantic European waters. Morphological and molecular characters were used to confirm the species' identity, and its potential invasion risk in Madeiran waters was screened using the standard risk assessment tool AS-ISK. Results show that R. okamurae has a medium-high risk of becoming invasive in Madeira Island under present and future climate scenarios. The greater risk of impact involves suppressing local species growth and the modification and degradation of local habitats, including trophic cascade effects. However, environmental and commercial impacts could also occur in case of an explosion of the invasive populations. This new introduction in Madeira coastal waters emphasises the need for regular monitoring of R. okamurae, particularly to assess population dynamics to avoid establishing and further expansions. Finally, we recommend the evaluation of the possible derived impacts affecting rocky coastal communities and adopting the necessary mitigation measures and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seagrasses are experiencing fragmentation and regression globally; thus, protection and recovery of meadows are a preservation priority. However, conservation actions must consider inherent regional conditions, since certain coastal areas are not suitable for the settlement of extensive meadows. Likewise, small oceanic archipelagos are not always able to fulfil the habitat requirements of seagrass habitats but can harbour small patches that in turn provide unique research opportunities. In this study, we focused on the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa in the archipelago of Madeira (NE Atlantic Ocean). Here we compile historical and contemporary records of this species along with characterization of associated communities (fish and invertebrates). A bionomic map with potentially suitable areas for the establishment and settlement of this species is also included. Lastly, we highlight coastal management and restoration actions and future research directions to preserve this species in Madeira Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Pilot whales Globicephala spp. are known to display a hierarchical social pattern, but longitudinal data to infer population structure of short-finned pilot whales Globicephala macrorhynchus are rare., Using data collected between 2003-2011 in the oceanic archipelago of Madeira, the grouping structure of short-finned pilot whales was studied using photo-identification methods and mtDNA sequences and microsatellite markers to test the hypotheses that (1) there is at least one pelagic and one or more island-associated communities, and (2) groups are made of related individuals, with a matrilineal social structure., Pilot whales demonstrated a large degree of variability in site fidelity, including residents (up to 14-year interval), regular visitors and transients. The social and temporal analyses revealed a well-differentiated society with long-lasting relationships (of years). The genetic analyses suggested that individuals of the three residency patterns may not be genetically isolated, and that small groups are made up of related individuals, suggesting some degree of social philopatry, while large groups are probably temporary associations of smaller groups., It is proposed that the pilot whales encountered in Madeira belong to a single population encompassing several clans, possibly three clans of island-associated whales and others of transients, each containing two to three matrilineal pods, each with a mean of 15 individuals (SD=9, range: 4-29). We suggest that the clans interact for mating purposes when they meet., For management decisions, it is considered that the island-associated whales should not be regarded as demographically independent populations, but instead as stable social entities to be included in governmental management plans and requiring periodic evaluation of their status. The high proportion of marked individuals and low rate of mark change encourages further research in this species., Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decades, due to monitoring programs and strict legislation poisoning incidents occurrence provoked by ingestion of naturally contaminated marine organisms has decreased. However, climate change and anthropogenic interference contributed to the expansion and establishment of toxic alien species to more temperate ecosystems. In this work, the coasts of Madeira, São Miguel islands and the northwestern Moroccan coast were surveyed for four groups of lipophilic toxins (yessotoxins, azaspiracids, pectenotoxins, and spirolides), searching for new vectors and geographical tendencies. Twenty-four species benthic organisms were screened using UHPLC-MS/MS technique. We report 19 new vectors for these toxins, six of them with commercial interest (P. aspera , P. ordinaria , C. lampas , P. pollicipes , H. tuberculata and P. lividus). Regarding toxin uptake a south-north gradient was detected. This study contributes to the update of monitoring routines and legislation policies, comprising a wider range of vectors, to better serve consumers and ecosystems preservation. Unlabelled Image • 19 new vectors were detected for the screened toxins in edible and commercial interest species. • Monitoring practices regarding lipophilic toxins should comprise a wider range of vectors. • Geographical tendencies regarding lipophilic toxins distribution were unravelled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to characterize the coccolithophore community around the Madeira archipelago and to understand the effect of a transient frontal zone on its distribution, 149 seawater samples from the first 150 m were collected in 37 stations, during the research cruise POS466 of RV Poseidon. The present study revealed the occurrence of two biogeographic domains, NE and SW, during the late winter of 2014, with distinct physical-chemical and calcareous nannoplankton characteristics. The NE sector was characterized by higher coccolithophore cell densities (mean of 56 × 103 cell L−1) and a slightly lower diversity (Margalef diversity index of 1.80) when compared with the SW sector (mean of 47 × 103 cell L−1; Md index of 1.86). The more productive sector, NE, was associated with colder, less saline and higher nutrient content water masses, linked to the injection of a westerly flow with origin in the Azores frontal system. Total cell densities ranged between 12 × 103 and 112 × 103 cell L−1, being Emiliana huxleyi the dominant species followed by small Gephyrocapsa. The most common and subordinate taxa, in order of decreasing abundance, were: Gephyrocapsa oceanica , Michaelsarsia spp., Syracosphaera spp., Umbilicosphaera spp. and Algirosphaera robusta. Relationships between environmental conditions and spatial and vertical variability in coccosphere abundance, associated E. huxleyi and small Gephyrocapsa with the more productive water mass conditions, linked to the thermohaline transient front. G. oceanica distribution indicated its preference for warmer and less turbulent coastal waters, when compared to E. huxleyi and small Gephyrocapsa. Michaelsarsia spp. and A. robusta revealed preference for the northwest coast of Madeira, associated with mesotrophic conditions of the water column. Syracosphaera spp. and Umbilicosphaera spp. were well distributed throughout the archipelago and along the sampled depths, from the coast to open ocean conditions, as well as from lower to higher productive zones, displaying affinities for the meso to oligotrophic conditions, typical of these subtropical waters. The broad depth range of several taxa and the nonexistence of the coccolithophore vertical succession were the result of homogeneous and generalized well-mixed surface layer during the present survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]