Hocein BAZAIRI, SELFATI M., EL KAMCHA R., OUSSELLAM M.,
KADDOURI N., EL OUAMARI N.
Biodiversity, Ecology and Genome Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V
University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco.
E-mail: hoceinbazairi@yahoo.fr
THE MARCHICA LAGOON: A COASTAL ECOSYSTEM AT RISK
OF BIOINVASIONS ON THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST OF
MOROCCO
Abstract
The Marchica lagoon, the unique lagoon on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco, is under
pressure due to a complex mixture of stressors, among which Invasive Alien Species are becoming
one of the leading and most rapidly growing threats in the lagoon. This paper documented and
discussed the occurrences of Non Indigenous Species in the Marchica lagoon considered as a
hotspot of bioinvasion.
Key-words: Non-indigenous, Invasive, Coastal lagoon, Impacts, Morocco, Mediterranean.
Introduction
The Marchica lagoon is under pressure of a complex mixture of natural and anthropogenic
stressors, among which Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are becoming one of the leading
and most rapidly growing threats in the lagoon. Here we present the current knowledge
of non-indigenous species (NIS) recorded in the lagoon.
Materials and methods
Scientific literature, websites and unpublished data were analysed to establish an updated
list of the alien marine species reported from the Marchica lagoon. For each species, the
date of first record, pathway and establishment success were presented.
Results
Up-to-now, four NIS have been recently recorded in the Marchica lagoon and are well
established. These are (1) the Mollusc Bursatella leachii Blainville, 1817 (a
circumtropical mollusc widely distributed both in the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific,
including the Red Sea) (2) the American blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896
(native to western Atlantic estuaries) (3) the Amphipod Caprella scaura Templeton, 1836
(native to the Pacific coast of North and Central America) and (4) the isopod Paracerceis
sculpta Holmes, 1904 (native to the Pacific coast of North and Central America). The
Mollusc Bursatella leachii was first recorded in the lagoon in 2016 and can be even
considered as becoming a nuisance because it clogged fishing net (Selfati et al., 2017).
The American blue crab Callinectes sapidus was first recorded in 2017 (Oussellam and
Bazairi in Chartosia et al., 2018) and its impacts in the lagoon have shown a variety of
impacts scoring the "Minor Impacts" following the new SEICAT methodology
(Oussellam et al., 2021). The Amphipod Caprella scaura and the isopod Paracerceis
sculpta were recorded first in 2005 and are leading the benthic communities in the
Marchica lagoon in terms of abundance and biomass (El Kamcha et al., 2020; 2021).
2nd Mediterranean Symposium on the Non-Indigenous Species (Genoa, Italy, 22-23 September 2022)
79
KADDOURI N., EL OUAMARI N.
Biodiversity, Ecology and Genome Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V
University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco.
E-mail: hoceinbazairi@yahoo.fr
THE MARCHICA LAGOON: A COASTAL ECOSYSTEM AT RISK
OF BIOINVASIONS ON THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST OF
MOROCCO
Abstract
The Marchica lagoon, the unique lagoon on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco, is under
pressure due to a complex mixture of stressors, among which Invasive Alien Species are becoming
one of the leading and most rapidly growing threats in the lagoon. This paper documented and
discussed the occurrences of Non Indigenous Species in the Marchica lagoon considered as a
hotspot of bioinvasion.
Key-words: Non-indigenous, Invasive, Coastal lagoon, Impacts, Morocco, Mediterranean.
Introduction
The Marchica lagoon is under pressure of a complex mixture of natural and anthropogenic
stressors, among which Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are becoming one of the leading
and most rapidly growing threats in the lagoon. Here we present the current knowledge
of non-indigenous species (NIS) recorded in the lagoon.
Materials and methods
Scientific literature, websites and unpublished data were analysed to establish an updated
list of the alien marine species reported from the Marchica lagoon. For each species, the
date of first record, pathway and establishment success were presented.
Results
Up-to-now, four NIS have been recently recorded in the Marchica lagoon and are well
established. These are (1) the Mollusc Bursatella leachii Blainville, 1817 (a
circumtropical mollusc widely distributed both in the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific,
including the Red Sea) (2) the American blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896
(native to western Atlantic estuaries) (3) the Amphipod Caprella scaura Templeton, 1836
(native to the Pacific coast of North and Central America) and (4) the isopod Paracerceis
sculpta Holmes, 1904 (native to the Pacific coast of North and Central America). The
Mollusc Bursatella leachii was first recorded in the lagoon in 2016 and can be even
considered as becoming a nuisance because it clogged fishing net (Selfati et al., 2017).
The American blue crab Callinectes sapidus was first recorded in 2017 (Oussellam and
Bazairi in Chartosia et al., 2018) and its impacts in the lagoon have shown a variety of
impacts scoring the "Minor Impacts" following the new SEICAT methodology
(Oussellam et al., 2021). The Amphipod Caprella scaura and the isopod Paracerceis
sculpta were recorded first in 2005 and are leading the benthic communities in the
Marchica lagoon in terms of abundance and biomass (El Kamcha et al., 2020; 2021).
2nd Mediterranean Symposium on the Non-Indigenous Species (Genoa, Italy, 22-23 September 2022)
79