Management and Conservation of the endangered Mollusc Patella Ferruginea, An integrative Approach

• Autores: Altai Pavón Paneque
• Directores de la Tesis: Free Espinosa Torre (dir. tes.), José Carlos García-Gómez (dir. tes.)
• Lectura: En la Universidad de Sevilla ( España ) en 2025
• Idioma: inglés
• Número de páginas: 180
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Manejo y conservación de la especie en peligro de extinción patella ferruginea. Un enfoque integral
• Enlaces
  • Tesis en acceso abierto en: Idus
• Resumen

  • The present doctoral thesis addresses the conservation biology of Patella ferruginea Gmelin, 1791, one of the most endangered marine invertebrates in the Mediterranean, through an integrative approach encompassing trophic ecology, recruitment, connectivity, and innovative management tools. Given the accelerating degradation of marine biodiversity under anthropogenic pressure, the study emphasizes the urgent need to safeguard this emblematic limpet, which functions as both a keystone grazer in intertidal ecosystems and a conservation flagship species.

    Chapter 1 investigates trophic ecology on artificial vs. natural substrata using stable isotopes. Significant dietary differences were found, with ?¹?N enrichment in harbour individuals. While the species should not be considered a conventional bioindicator due to its rarity, it provides valuable evidence of anthropogenic organic inputs, highlighting both the conservation implications of artificial habitats and the vulnerability of P. ferruginea to water degradation, turbidity, nutrient enrichment, and heavy metals.

    Chapter 2 examines recruitment processes in artificial habitats, particularly Ceuta port, to determine their role in population persistence. Monitoring across substrata and tidal ranges reveals higher recruitment in the lower midlittoral, followed by upward migration, and documents phoresy (settlement on conspecific shells). These findings show that artificial port structures can act as recruitment refugia or “Artificial Marine Microreserves” (AMMRs), contributing to species survival when natural habitats are scarce and underscoring the importance of ecological knowledge in coastal infrastructure management under the “Working with Nature” framework.

    Chapter 3 addresses genetic connectivity and population structure across the western Mediterranean using ddRADseq SNP data. Results reveal high genetic cohesion, with slight differentiation in Sardinia and weak but significant isolation-by-distance, indicating occasional long-distance dispersal. A metapopulation model emerges, with North African populations as essential reservoirs. These insights are crucial for Marine Protected Area (MPA) design, highlighting the need for transboundary coordination to preserve connectivity and resilience.

    Chapter 4 develops Artificial Portable Plates (APPs) for assisted colonization. Traditional translocations have yielded high mortality, limiting conservation use. By contrast, the APP method minimizes detachment stress, with low mortality (6.6%) in control translocations and moderate (26.6%) in reinforcement to new sites, likely linked to environmental stress. This represents a replicable advance for reinforcement and reintroduction programs.

    General conclusions: (i) P. ferruginea reflects anthropogenic pressures through trophic responses; (ii) artificial infrastructures can host viable populations; (iii) connectivity requires multinational protection; and (iv) APPs provide a practical recovery tool. Collectively, these findings advocate holistic measures combining habitat restoration, monitoring, genetic-informed MPA design, and community engagement. This strategy strengthens the prospects for P. ferruginea and informs wider Mediterranean biodiversity conservation under intensifying human and climate pressures.