2026-04-19T13:36:41Zhttps://recercat.cat/oai/request
oai:recercat.cat:2445/2289712026-04-17T22:16:07Zcom_2072_1057col_2072_478778
RECERCAT author Sarda, Julia author Gori, Andrea author Doñate-Ordóñez, Ruth author Viladrich Canudas, Núria author Costantini, Federica author Garrabou, Joaquim author Linares Prats, Cristina 2026-04-16T08:10:15Z2026-04-16T08:10:15Z2025-01-012026-04-16T08:10:16Z Mediterranean gorgonians are being threatened by the impact of recurrent extreme climatic events, such as marine heatwaves (MHWs). The white gorgonian Eunicella singularis was suggested to be the most resistant gorgonian species in the NW Mediterranean, mainly due to the presence of symbiotic algae. However, a substantial shift in the conservation condition of the species has been observed in the recent years. The aim of this study is to evaluate the lethal and sublethal effects of recent MHWs on the populations of E. singularis. Our results show that recurrent MHWs have impacted both the demography and reproduction of the species between 2002 and 2020, driving mortalities up to 36%, an increase in the percentages of non-reproducing adult colonies (11–58%), and a significant decrease in the recruitment rates. Although E. singularis is a highly dynamic species in comparison with other temperate gorgonians, the present study suggests that the persistence of this species may be severely compromised under recurrent MHWs, at least at shallowest depths. cc-by-nc (c) Sarda, Julia et al., 2025 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Mediterrània (Mar) Població Onades Mediterranean Sea Population Ocean waves Recurrent marine heatwaves compromise the reproduction success and long-term viability of shallow populations of the Mediterranean gorgonian Eunicella singularis info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion