Ecology of the Zenobia shipwreck and Marine Research

Antonis Petrou

Marine Biologist

SO WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

© Larnaka Napa Sea Cruises

SHIPWRECK “ZENOBIA”

© Enalia Physis © Enalia Physis

© Enalia Physis

© Enalia Physis

© Rassan Doubbane

© Rassan Doubbane

Chromis Nursery

© Enalia Physis

Juvenile Scorpion Fish - Nursery

© Enalia Physis

© Enalia Physis

THE BIODIVERSITY IS INSANE

© Enalia Physis

CORALS

© Enalia Physis

© Enalia Physis

© Enalia Physis

SPONGES

© Enalia Physis

© Enalia Physis © Rassan Doubbane

© Rassan Doubbane

© Enalia Physis

© Rassan Doubbane

© Rassan Doubbane

Negotiating space: Composition of the marine encrusting communities of the Zenobia

Shipwreck (Larnaka, Cyprus]

Energy, Environment and Water Research Center (EEWRC)

Jimenez Carlos 1, 2, Petrou Antonis 2, Evriviadou Marina 1, 2, Hadjioanou Louis 2,

Munkes Britta 3 and Lange Manfred A.1

[1] Energy, Environment, Water Research Centre of The Cyprus Institute, [2] Enalia Physis

Environmental Research Centre , Cyprus, [3] FB3 Marine Ecology, GeoMar, Germany

Very high diversity

Competition

Predation

Extreme grazers

Extreme idiots

Coral Point

Cover-Excel

extensions

[CPCe]

www.nova.edu/ocean/cpce

METHODS

• Cover [area%]

• Photo quadrates

• High diversity • Uncommon species [Levant] • Extreme conditions/substrate

CO2 ponds

Spill over and cascades

Thermistors

Comparative Evaluation of the encrusting communities at contrasting study sites

Zenobia Wreck (Cyprus) vs Alice B Wreck (Lebanon)

ALICE-B 49m length

© A.S. Haddad

30-38m depth

Militias 1985

• Few differences in cover [%]

• Different species composition & diversity

• Heterotrophy (prey on large zooplankton)

• Resilient species – “Cockroaches”

• Recruitment and settlement differ

• Different environmental histories

• Management under extreme conditions

ALICE-B vs. ZENOBIA

© Enalia Physis

IMPACT OF RECREATIONAL DIVING ON THE

“ZENOBIA” SHIPWRECK

IMPACT OF RECREATIONAL DIVING ON BENTHIC COMMUNITIES

DIVING IS RAPIDLY-GROWING COMPONENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL TOURISM INDUSTRY, ESPECIALLY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA.

DIVERS CAN EASILY DAMAGE MARINE ORGANISMS THROUGH PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH THEIR HANDS, BODY, EQUIPMENT, AND

FINS.

"SS President Coolidge", Vanuatu

"Thistlegorm", Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt

"USS Oriskany", Pensacola, Florida

"Fujikawa Maru", Truk, Micronesia

"Blackjack B17", Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea

"SS Yongala", off coast of Ayr, Australia

"MV Captain Keith Tibbetts", Cayman Islands

"Zenobia", Larnaca Bay, Cyprus

"Umbria", Wingate Reef, Sudan

"SMS Markgraf", Scapa Flow, Scotland.

2003, The Times: “Top 10 wreck dives in the world”

GETTING TOO FRIENDLY

© Rassan Doubbane

© Enalia Physis

FISH FEEDING © Rassan Doubbane

SURVIVABILITY IS INFLUENCED BY FEEDING

© Enalia Physis

COMPETITION FOR PREY IS INFLUENCED BY FEEDING ACTIVITIES SO BALANCE IS AFFECTED

© Alfonso Siciliano

Siciliano Alfonso, Petrou Antonis

PHOTOQUADRATS TECHNIQUE AND USING OF CPCe SOFTWARE

TO ESTIMATE THE IMPACT OF RECREATIONAL DIVING ON THE MACROALGAE

COVERAGE OF THE SHIPWRECK "ZENOBIA"

(CYPRUS - MEDITERRANEAN SEA)

UNIVERSITY OF MESSINA

© Alfonso Siciliano

THE METHOD

© Alfonso Siciliano

We have chosen three areas to be sampled using transects, two "impact" zones (zone A and B), selected according to the classic routes that divers (recreational or otherwise) running on the shipwreck and, therefore, the possible impact that we decided to quantify, and a "control" zone (zone R).

SAMPLING AREAS

Transect R Transect A Transect B

© Alfonso Siciliano

RANDOM TRANSECT DESIGN

© Alfonso Siciliano

© Alfonso Siciliano

Padina pavonica

R TRANSECT B TRANSECT A TRANSECT

52% 3.7% 4%

3% 1.25% 0.11%

0% 1% 0.08%

Sargassum sp.

Peyssonnelia sp.

SPECIFIC COVERAGE

© Alfonso Siciliano

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that the diving is having a significant impact on the macroalgae coverage of the shipwreck, especially in areas subject to high levels of use where divers come into contact with the hull.

© Alfonso Siciliano

Mucilage

Possible reasons: Change in temp, oceanographic changes, eutrophication events

© Enalia Physis

Suggestions

Future research

• Mucilage causes

• Effect of air bubbles on the

wreck’s ecology

• Effect of oil

• Further studies on the

coralligenous communities and

ichthyofauna

© Enalia Physis

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

© Enalia Physis

• Larnaka Napa Sea Cruises • AP Marine Environmental Consultancy Ltd • CORER German Program for the Lebanese Sea • University of Messina – Alfonso Siciliano • Octopus Divers Junieh – Lebanon • Rassan Doubbane

THANK YOU FOR YOUR

ATTENTION!

www.enaliaphysis.org.cy a.petrou@ enaliaphysis.org.cy

info@enaliaphysis.org.cy