Ongoing tropicalization of marine fishes: is range expansion and establishment occurring in the Gulf of Cadiz (southernmost Europe)?

‘Tropicalization’, the phenomenon of species shifting their ranges, has become increasingly prevalent as a response to environmental modifications induced by global change. This study points to an accelerated tropicalization process of marine fish species in the Gulf of Cadiz, a bioinvasion hotspot...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Carvalho-Souza, Gustavo Freire de, Lobato, Cristobal, Arana Mesa, Diego, González-Ortegón, Enrique
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/392704
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/392704
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Alien
Biological invasion
Exotic
First record
Iberian Peninsula
Sciaenid fish
Descripción
Sumario:‘Tropicalization’, the phenomenon of species shifting their ranges, has become increasingly prevalent as a response to environmental modifications induced by global change. This study points to an accelerated tropicalization process of marine fish species in the Gulf of Cadiz, a bioinvasion hotspot adjacent to the Strait of Gibraltar. We report accelerated, unusual, and rare occurrences of 15 fish species expanding and potentially establishing their ranges in the Gulf of Cadiz, driven by ocean warming over the past decade. These new insights are the combined consequence of a range expansion of some species, likely facilitated by temperature increases, an intensification of maritime traffic (with a consequent rise in propagule pressure), and a possible increase in sampling efforts and citizen science.