Invasive Tubastraea spp. and Oculina patagonica and other introduced scleractinians corals in the Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands) harbor: Ecology and potential risks

Abstract

In this study the presence, distribution and density of several species of Scleractinia corals introduced in the Canary Islands and settled in artificial substrata (marina pontoons and port docks) of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife harbor were studied. Tubastraea spp. and Oculina patagonica densities in such locations were assessed owing to their potential as invasive species, and the abundance of other introduced and native corals was also estimated. O. patagonica showed a high frequency of occurrence (28.8%), reaching densities of 0.25 colonies/m2 and was exclusively located in the marina pontoons, found opposite the anchoring spots of oil platforms, mainly in shaded environments. Tubastraea spp. were also found in said area, where they showed very high densities (44.6% of frequency and 2.0 colonies/m2) regardless of light availability, as well as in the inner wall of another port dock where oil platforms berth. Other species were only recorded in the pontoon areas of the marina, with the occurrence of the Culicia genus especially remarkable (15.9%), whose only previous record in the Atlantic was in the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa). Tubastraea tagusensis was also recorded for the first time in the eastern Atlantic. Results confirm that oil platforms have been the introductory vector of non-native corals and the introduction process, the expansion and invasion risks, as well as the need for a control plan are discussed.