Description
This dataset is the main part of a study conducted monthly throughout 2019 at three stations selected due to their combined continental and marine influences. The study aimed to assess the health status of the El Mellah lagoon. The analysis of the spatio-temporal variation of angiosperms reveals significant changes in their distribution within the lagoon, which appear to be linked to fluctuations in the environmental conditions of El Mellah. It is observed that Zostera noltei (Hornemann, 1832) dominates the stations influenced by freshwater, while Ruppia maritima (Linnaeus, 1753) dominates the northern part of the lagoon, where the influence of marine waters is more pronounced. The invasive species Arcuatula senhousia, which was first observed in June 2019 in El Mellah, has been found attached to the leaves and rhizomes of Zostera noltei, and to a lesser extent, on the empty shells of the bivalve Cerastoderma glaucum. Since its introduction, it has dominated the bivalve community in El Mellah with a maximum density of 1321 ± 1167 ind.m-2. This phenomenon can lead to a decline in the biodiversity of the lagoon, particularly affecting the Zostera noltei seagrass and the threatened Cerastoderma glaucum species. It is necessary to conduct comprehensive studies to assess the impact of Arcuatula senhousia in the El Mellah lagoon to implement appropriate conservation and restoration measures to preserve the integrity of the ecosystem."
Data Records
The data in this sampling event resource has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A), which is a standardized format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data table contains 37 records.
1 extension data tables also exist. An extension record supplies extra information about a core record. The number of records in each extension data table is illustrated below.
This IPT archives the data and thus serves as the data repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the downloads section. The versions table lists other versions of the resource that have been made publicly available and allows tracking changes made to the resource over time.
Versions
The table below shows only published versions of the resource that are publicly accessible.
How to cite
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
HAMZA H, De Wit R, Mammeria A B (2025). Seagrass meadow and macrofauna communities in Southern coast of Algerian Basin (El Mellah Lagoon), 2019. Version 1.4. Hellenic Center for Marine Research. Samplingevent dataset. http://ipt.medobis.eu/resource?r=mammeria&v=1.4
Rights
Researchers should respect the following rights statement:
The publisher and rights holder of this work is Hellenic Center for Marine Research. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY 4.0) License.
GBIF Registration
This resource has not been registered with GBIF
Keywords
Climate Change; Occurrence; Algerian coast; coastal lagoon; invasive species
Contacts
- Originator
- Originator
- Metadata Provider ●
- Point Of Contact
Geographic Coverage
Station1 : 36.877220N; 8.330830E Station2 : 36.887220N; 8.314440E Station3 36.909440N; 8.314440E
| Bounding Coordinates | South West [36.847, 8.282], North East [36.955, 8.37] |
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Taxonomic Coverage
No Description available
| Phylum | Mollusca, Tracheophyta |
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Temporal Coverage
| Start Date / End Date | 2019-02-20 / 2019-12-20 |
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Project Data
Since 1964, various coastal ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea (i.e., coastal lagoons, river deltas and harbours) have been invaded by the Asian date mussel A. senhousia. The dataset is part of the study that represents a new record of this invasive species in El Mellah Lagoon, representing the first report from coastal systems on the southern coast of the Algerian Basin (Western Mediterranean).
| Title | North-South Partnership |
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| Funding | This project was partly funded by the MARBEC research centre through its IRD-supported “North-South Partnership” funding programme. |
| Study Area Description | El Mellah Lagoon is the only shallow, brackish coastal lagoon in Algeria and is located in the El-Kala National Park (UNESCO biosphere reserve) in north-eastern Algeria (36.89290N; 8.32623E). This lagoon is only connected to the Mediterranean Sea through a single long (900 m) and narrow (10–20 m) inlet. |
| Design Description | Benthic samples were collected monthly in the shallow subtidal (0.3 m to 0.5 m depth) at three stations in El Mellah Lagoon from February to December 2019. |
Sampling Methods
Samples were collected monthly in the shallow subtidal (0.3 m to 0.5 m depth) at three stations in El Mellah Lagoon from February to December 2019.
| Study Extent | El Mellah Lagoon, Algeria |
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| Quality Control | The taxonomy mapped to WoRMS; while for locations the coordinateUncertaintyInMeters was added for the Station 1 and station 3 because the coordinates were on the land. This can be justified by the fact that the lagoon surface periodically changes. |
Method step description:
- none
Bibliographic Citations
- Hamza Hadjer, Beya Mammeria Aicha, Bain Abdelmadjid, de Wit Rutger, Klein Judith (2022). First record of the invasive Asian date mussel Arcuatula senhousia (Benson, 1842) in El Mellah Lagoon (Southern coast of Algerian Basin, Western Mediterranean). Bioinvasions Records. 11 (3). 686-699. https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00788/90034/
Additional Metadata
| Alternative Identifiers | http://ipt.medobis.eu/resource?r=mammeria |
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