Effects of global warming and alien species invasions on high diverse communities of NW Mediterranean Sea (CORALCHANGE)

Description:

Climate change and alien species invasions are leading to significant diversity loss and affect ecosystem functioning worldwide. In the NW Mediterranean the occurrence of unprecedented mass mortality events have been related to strong positive temperature anomalies possibly linked to climate change. On the other hand, in the Mediterranean there is an increasing number of invasive species. Up to now, most studies focus only on the effects of single disturbance source, although the potential combined effects of different disturbances are raising concern. This project focused on:

• the factors that may favor invasion of alien species in coralligenous communities;
• the response of calcareous algae and gorgonian populations face warming trend and invasive species;
• the impact at a community level of positive thermal events and invasive species on coralligenous outcrops.

This project also considered the direct and potential combined effects of climate change and the invasion of an algal species in the Mediterranean coralligenous.

The overall goal of this project was to improve predictions of how these coldwater corals will respond to future environmental changes and whether reefs will be able to maintain a positive balance between carbonate construction and destruction processes.

Project information

Lead

UNIVERSITAT DE GIRONA (ES) RODRIGUEZ-PRIETO Concepcion

Partners

no information available

Source of funding

FP 7