The yellow gorgonian Eunicella cavolini: demography and disturbance levels across the Mediterranean Sea

The yellow octocoral Eunicella cavolini is one of the most common gorgonians thriving in Mediterranean hard-bottom communities. However, information regarding its distribution and ecology in several parts of the Mediterranean is lacking, while population trends and conservation status remain largely...

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Authors: Sini, Maria, Kipson, Silvija, Linares Prats, Cristina, Koutsoubas, Drosos, Garrabou Vancells, Joaquim
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2015
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Barcelona
Repository:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/104347
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/104347
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Demografia
Coralls
Ecologia marina
Mediterrània (Mar)
Demography
Corals
Marine ecology
Mediterranean Sea
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spelling The yellow gorgonian Eunicella cavolini: demography and disturbance levels across the Mediterranean SeaSini, MariaKipson, SilvijaLinares Prats, CristinaKoutsoubas, DrososGarrabou Vancells, JoaquimDemografiaCorallsEcologia marinaMediterrània (Mar)DemographyCoralsMarine ecologyMediterranean SeaThe yellow octocoral Eunicella cavolini is one of the most common gorgonians thriving in Mediterranean hard-bottom communities. However, information regarding its distribution and ecology in several parts of the Mediterranean is lacking, while population trends and conservation status remain largely unknown. We investigated 19 populations of E. cavolini over three representative geographic regions: the NW Mediterranean, CE Adriatic, and N Aegean. Focusing on the upper bathymetric range of the species (<40 m), data were collected on the populations' upper depth limit, density, colony height, and extent of injury. A three-level hierarchical sampling design was applied to assess the existence of spatial patterns, using: a) regions (located thousands of km apart), b) localities within regions (tens to hundreds of km apart), and c) sites within localities (hundreds of m to a few km apart). In the NW Mediterranean and CE Adriatic, the upper distribution limit was at depths ≤15 m, whereas in the N Aegean most populations were found deeper than 30 m. Population density ranged between 4.46-62 colonies per m2, while mean colony height was 15.6±8.9 SD cm with a maximum of 62 cm. The NW Mediterranean sites were characterized by dense populations dominated by small colonies (<20 cm), periodic recruitment, and low proportion of large gorgonians (>30 cm). The CE Adriatic displayed intermediate densities, with well-structured populations, and continuous recruitment. In the N Aegean, most populations presented low densities, high proportion of large colonies, but low number of small colonies, signifying limited recruitment. Disturbance levels, as a function of extent and type of injury, are discussed in relation to past or present human-induced threats. This work represents geographically the most wide ranging demographic study of a Mediterranean octocoral to date. The quantitative information obtained provides a basis for future monitoring at a Mediterranean scale.Public Library of Science (PLoS)2015info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/2445/104347Articles publicats en revistes (Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals)reponame:Dipòsit Digital de la UBinstname:Universidad de BarcelonaInglésReproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0126253PLoS One, 2015, vol. 10, num. 5, p. e0126253https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0126253cc-by (c) Sini, Maria. et al., 2015http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/esinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/1043472026-05-27T06:46:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The yellow gorgonian Eunicella cavolini: demography and disturbance levels across the Mediterranean Sea
title The yellow gorgonian Eunicella cavolini: demography and disturbance levels across the Mediterranean Sea
spellingShingle The yellow gorgonian Eunicella cavolini: demography and disturbance levels across the Mediterranean Sea
Sini, Maria
Demografia
Coralls
Ecologia marina
Mediterrània (Mar)
Demography
Corals
Marine ecology
Mediterranean Sea
title_short The yellow gorgonian Eunicella cavolini: demography and disturbance levels across the Mediterranean Sea
title_full The yellow gorgonian Eunicella cavolini: demography and disturbance levels across the Mediterranean Sea
title_fullStr The yellow gorgonian Eunicella cavolini: demography and disturbance levels across the Mediterranean Sea
title_full_unstemmed The yellow gorgonian Eunicella cavolini: demography and disturbance levels across the Mediterranean Sea
title_sort The yellow gorgonian Eunicella cavolini: demography and disturbance levels across the Mediterranean Sea
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Sini, Maria
Kipson, Silvija
Linares Prats, Cristina
Koutsoubas, Drosos
Garrabou Vancells, Joaquim
author Sini, Maria
author_facet Sini, Maria
Kipson, Silvija
Linares Prats, Cristina
Koutsoubas, Drosos
Garrabou Vancells, Joaquim
author_role author
author2 Kipson, Silvija
Linares Prats, Cristina
Koutsoubas, Drosos
Garrabou Vancells, Joaquim
author2_role author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Demografia
Coralls
Ecologia marina
Mediterrània (Mar)
Demography
Corals
Marine ecology
Mediterranean Sea
topic Demografia
Coralls
Ecologia marina
Mediterrània (Mar)
Demography
Corals
Marine ecology
Mediterranean Sea
description The yellow octocoral Eunicella cavolini is one of the most common gorgonians thriving in Mediterranean hard-bottom communities. However, information regarding its distribution and ecology in several parts of the Mediterranean is lacking, while population trends and conservation status remain largely unknown. We investigated 19 populations of E. cavolini over three representative geographic regions: the NW Mediterranean, CE Adriatic, and N Aegean. Focusing on the upper bathymetric range of the species (<40 m), data were collected on the populations' upper depth limit, density, colony height, and extent of injury. A three-level hierarchical sampling design was applied to assess the existence of spatial patterns, using: a) regions (located thousands of km apart), b) localities within regions (tens to hundreds of km apart), and c) sites within localities (hundreds of m to a few km apart). In the NW Mediterranean and CE Adriatic, the upper distribution limit was at depths ≤15 m, whereas in the N Aegean most populations were found deeper than 30 m. Population density ranged between 4.46-62 colonies per m2, while mean colony height was 15.6±8.9 SD cm with a maximum of 62 cm. The NW Mediterranean sites were characterized by dense populations dominated by small colonies (<20 cm), periodic recruitment, and low proportion of large gorgonians (>30 cm). The CE Adriatic displayed intermediate densities, with well-structured populations, and continuous recruitment. In the N Aegean, most populations presented low densities, high proportion of large colonies, but low number of small colonies, signifying limited recruitment. Disturbance levels, as a function of extent and type of injury, are discussed in relation to past or present human-induced threats. This work represents geographically the most wide ranging demographic study of a Mediterranean octocoral to date. The quantitative information obtained provides a basis for future monitoring at a Mediterranean scale.
publishDate 2015
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2015
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/2445/104347
url https://hdl.handle.net/2445/104347
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Reproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0126253
PLoS One, 2015, vol. 10, num. 5, p. e0126253
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0126253
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv cc-by (c) Sini, Maria. et al., 2015
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv cc-by (c) Sini, Maria. et al., 2015
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Public Library of Science (PLoS)
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Public Library of Science (PLoS)
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Articles publicats en revistes (Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals)
reponame:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
instname:Universidad de Barcelona
instname_str Universidad de Barcelona
reponame_str Dipòsit Digital de la UB
collection Dipòsit Digital de la UB
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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score 15,301603

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