important alteration of its marine plant communities. Formerly it was rich in
Mediterranean and Atlantic elements (Figueroa et al. 2014), but since the appearance
of C. cylindracea and its coexistence with the two species of Asparagopsis, until the
recent introduction of R. okamurae, now they barely meet. The frequency of these
invasive events highlights the sensitivity of the region to the threat of invasive
species and the lack of administrative measures to prevent it, for example, those
related to the management of ballast water. Without them, the Alboran Sea may end
up as a giant aquarium of Indo-Pacific species, as if it were reborn into its ancestral
era of the ancient Tethys Ocean.
Acknowledgments AFM and EBE were supported by the grants “Acciones de Programación
Conjunta Internacional, PCIN-2016-090” (Variabilidad funcional y dinámica de las respuestas al
cambio climático de bosques marinos, MARFOR) and “Instituto de Estudios Ceutíes” (Variabilidad
funcional de las poblaciones de Fucus en el litoral Ceuta: respuestas al cambio climático). MA was
supported by the grant “Agencia Estatal de Investigación and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo
Regiona, CGL2017-82739-P” (La importancia de los puertos deportivos en el establecimiento y
dispersión de especies invasoras) and MA and JDLR with the grant “Instituto de Estudios Ceutíes”
(Aportaciones al análisis de riesgo de la expansión del alga exótica Rugulopteryx okamurae
(Dictyotaceae, Ochrophyta) en el litoral de Ceuta). Much of the knowledge about the marine
angiosperms in the Alboran Sea is due to the Andalusia Government and its Sustainable Marine
Environment Management Program, as well as the Life Projects (Life+ Posidonia Andalucía,
09/NAT/ES/00534, from 2011 to 2016; and Life Blue Natura, 14/CMM/ES/000957, from 2015
to 2020). DM participated in the frameworks of the cited projects; we also thank all the people who
have participated in these projects (Rosa Mendoza in the direction, Soledad Vivas and Elena DíazAlmela in the coordination, María Teresa Carreto in the GIS treatment of cartographies, and Agustín
Barrajón Domenech, Antonio de la Linde, José Miguel Remón, JDLR, Manuel Fernández-Casado,
and Mari Carmen Arroyo in the underwater works). Dr. Eric C. Henry kindly revised the English
style and usage.
References
Altamirano M (1999) Nuevas citas para la flora marina del Archipiélago de las Islas Chafarinas.
Acta Bot Malacitana 24:185–233
Altamirano M, Díaz-Such B, García-Sánchez J (2006) Notas corológicas del macrofitobentos de
Andalucía (España). VI. Acta Bot Malacitana 31:172–174
Altamirano M, López-Blanco E, Orriach R (2008a) Notas corológicas del macrofitobentos de
Andalucía (España). VII. Acta Bot Malacitana 33:329–332
Altamirano M, Muñoz AR, De La Rosa J, Barrajón-Mínguez A, Barrajón-Domenech A, MorenoRobledo C, Arroyo MC (2008b) The exotic invasive species Asparagopsis taxiformis (Delile)
Trevisan (Bonnemiasoniales, Rhodophyta) on Andalusian coasts (Southern Spain): new
records, invaded communities and reproductive stages. Acta Bot Malacitana 33:1–11
Altamirano M, De la Rosa J, Zanolla M et al (2010) New records for the benthic marine flora of the
Chafarinas Islands (Alboran Sea, Western Mediterranean). Acta Bot Malacitana 35:145–147
Altamirano M, Andreakis N, Souza-Egipsy V, Zanolla M, De La Rosa J (2014) First record of
Caulerpa cylindracea (Caulerpaceae, Chlorophyta) in Andalusia (Southern Spain). Anales Jard
Bot Madrid 71(2):e007 2014. ISSN: 0211-1322. https://doi.org/10.3989/ajbm.2381
278
A. Flores-Moya et al.
Mediterranean and Atlantic elements (Figueroa et al. 2014), but since the appearance
of C. cylindracea and its coexistence with the two species of Asparagopsis, until the
recent introduction of R. okamurae, now they barely meet. The frequency of these
invasive events highlights the sensitivity of the region to the threat of invasive
species and the lack of administrative measures to prevent it, for example, those
related to the management of ballast water. Without them, the Alboran Sea may end
up as a giant aquarium of Indo-Pacific species, as if it were reborn into its ancestral
era of the ancient Tethys Ocean.
Acknowledgments AFM and EBE were supported by the grants “Acciones de Programación
Conjunta Internacional, PCIN-2016-090” (Variabilidad funcional y dinámica de las respuestas al
cambio climático de bosques marinos, MARFOR) and “Instituto de Estudios Ceutíes” (Variabilidad
funcional de las poblaciones de Fucus en el litoral Ceuta: respuestas al cambio climático). MA was
supported by the grant “Agencia Estatal de Investigación and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo
Regiona, CGL2017-82739-P” (La importancia de los puertos deportivos en el establecimiento y
dispersión de especies invasoras) and MA and JDLR with the grant “Instituto de Estudios Ceutíes”
(Aportaciones al análisis de riesgo de la expansión del alga exótica Rugulopteryx okamurae
(Dictyotaceae, Ochrophyta) en el litoral de Ceuta). Much of the knowledge about the marine
angiosperms in the Alboran Sea is due to the Andalusia Government and its Sustainable Marine
Environment Management Program, as well as the Life Projects (Life+ Posidonia Andalucía,
09/NAT/ES/00534, from 2011 to 2016; and Life Blue Natura, 14/CMM/ES/000957, from 2015
to 2020). DM participated in the frameworks of the cited projects; we also thank all the people who
have participated in these projects (Rosa Mendoza in the direction, Soledad Vivas and Elena DíazAlmela in the coordination, María Teresa Carreto in the GIS treatment of cartographies, and Agustín
Barrajón Domenech, Antonio de la Linde, José Miguel Remón, JDLR, Manuel Fernández-Casado,
and Mari Carmen Arroyo in the underwater works). Dr. Eric C. Henry kindly revised the English
style and usage.
References
Altamirano M (1999) Nuevas citas para la flora marina del Archipiélago de las Islas Chafarinas.
Acta Bot Malacitana 24:185–233
Altamirano M, Díaz-Such B, García-Sánchez J (2006) Notas corológicas del macrofitobentos de
Andalucía (España). VI. Acta Bot Malacitana 31:172–174
Altamirano M, López-Blanco E, Orriach R (2008a) Notas corológicas del macrofitobentos de
Andalucía (España). VII. Acta Bot Malacitana 33:329–332
Altamirano M, Muñoz AR, De La Rosa J, Barrajón-Mínguez A, Barrajón-Domenech A, MorenoRobledo C, Arroyo MC (2008b) The exotic invasive species Asparagopsis taxiformis (Delile)
Trevisan (Bonnemiasoniales, Rhodophyta) on Andalusian coasts (Southern Spain): new
records, invaded communities and reproductive stages. Acta Bot Malacitana 33:1–11
Altamirano M, De la Rosa J, Zanolla M et al (2010) New records for the benthic marine flora of the
Chafarinas Islands (Alboran Sea, Western Mediterranean). Acta Bot Malacitana 35:145–147
Altamirano M, Andreakis N, Souza-Egipsy V, Zanolla M, De La Rosa J (2014) First record of
Caulerpa cylindracea (Caulerpaceae, Chlorophyta) in Andalusia (Southern Spain). Anales Jard
Bot Madrid 71(2):e007 2014. ISSN: 0211-1322. https://doi.org/10.3989/ajbm.2381
278
A. Flores-Moya et al.