RT journal article
T1 Cold-water coral Dendrophyllia ramea as a habitat-forming species in shallow coastal waters: Its role in a vulnerable ecosystem and anthropogenic impacts
A1 Estévez, Rocío M.
A1 Palacios, M.
A1 Cervera Currado, Juan Lucas
A1 González Duarte, Manuel María
A2 Biología
K1 epibiont species
K1 macro-benthic organisms
K1 marine ecosystems
K1 marine litter
K1 Mediterranean Sea
K1 spatial distribution
AB The importance of habitat-forming species, particularly cold-water corals like Dendrophylliaramea, cannot be overstated as they provide crucial physical structures that offer shelter,food, and breeding habitat for a range of other species. We studied the spatial distributionand abundance of D. ramea, its associated species and the impact of human activities in apopulation of the Herradura, Granada in the western Mediterranean. Video transects wereconducted at different depths, and epibiont samples were collected to describe the coralassemblage and the diversity of associated organisms. Dendrophyllia ramea presented highabundances at an unusually shallow depth in the Mediterranean, ranging from 30 to 48 m,despite typically being found between 50 and 500 m, with recordings indicating occurrencesas deep as 1000 m, and hosting a high number of epibionts and macro-benthic organismsassociated with coral reefs. Bryozoans showed a close relationship with D. ramea as theyare important components of both the reef and the epibiont community. This study identified63 new species and 15 new genera associated with cold-water corals. This study showed theimportance of D. ramea as a nursery site, even for other habitat-forming species. Themajor threat to this community is human activity (fishing, littering and free anchoring),with the most abundant types of waste being rubber, glass/ceramics, and plastic polymers,and many fishing lines and nets damaging the corals. Overall, this study emphasises theurgent need to protect cold-water corals and their associated species and reduce the impactof human activities on marine ecosystems.
PB Cambridge University Press
SN 1469-7769
YR 2024
FD 2024-06-07
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/36142
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/36142
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 21-sep-2026