A new study has revealed that the red gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata), a key species in the Mediterranean’s coralligenous communities, is facing increased risk of extinction due to marine heatwaves. These ecosystems, vital to around 10% of the Mediterranean’s species, are under threat as rising sea temperatures impact the resilience of gorgonian populations. Led by Professor Pol Capdevila of the University of Barcelona (UB), the research was conducted by a team from the UB’s Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) and the CSIC Institute of Marine Sciences.
The researchers monitored nine populations of red gorgonians from 1999 to 2022 in the Montgrí, Medes Islands, Baix Ter Natural Park, and Port-Cros Natural Park. Their findings show that populations exposed to marine heatwaves exhibit reduced resilience and slower recovery rates compared to those unaffected by these extreme events. This shows that due to the increase and intensity of heat waves caused by climate change, the shallowness of P will disappear. The population of Calata can be navigated. Professor Capdevila emphasized that the low resilience of these populations makes them less able to withstand other types of disturbances. This shows the vulnerability of long-lived species such as P. clavata to the increasing effects of global change. The researchers suggest that similar effects may be occurring in other Mediterranean coral species, though the results are not necessarily applicable to species with faster population dynamics.
The study also challenges the “ecological memory” hypothesis, which posits that prior exposure to heatwaves may reduce the impact of subsequent ones. While this has been observed in tropical corals in the Great Barrier Reef, the Mediterranean gorgonians seem to suffer reduced resilience with repeated heatwave exposure. To address these findings, the researchers recommend localized conservation measures, such as creating marine protected areas and restricting recreational activities like diving in affected regions. On a broader scale, they stress the importance of implementing more effective strategies to combat climate change, which would benefit not only P. claata, but there are many other vulnerable marine species.