Coralline Algae in a Changing Mediterranean Sea: How Can We Predict Their Future, if We Do Not Know Their Present?
Metadatos
Afficher la notice complèteAuteur
Rindi, Fabio; Braga Alarcón, Juan Carlos; Martin, Sophie; Peña, Viviana; Le Gall, Line; Caragnano, Annalisa; Aguirre Rodríguez, JulioEditorial
Frontiers Media
Materia
Climate change Corallinales Ecosystem engineers Hapalidiales Marine bioconstructions Paleontological records Sporolithales Taxonomy
Date
2019-11-29Referencia bibliográfica
Rindi F, Braga JC, Martin S, Peña V, Le Gall L, Caragnano A and Aguirre J (2019) Coralline Algae in a Changing Mediterranean Sea: How Can We Predict Their Future, if We Do Not Know Their Present? Front. Mar. Sci. 6:723.
Résumé
In this review we assess the state of knowledge for the coralline algae of the
Mediterranean Sea, a group of calcareous seaweeds imperfectly known and considered
highly vulnerable to long-term climate change. Corallines have occurred in the
Mediterranean area for ∼140 My and are well-represented in the subsequent fossil
record; for some species currently common the fossil documentation dates back to
the Oligocene, with a major role in the sedimentary record of some areas. Some
Mediterranean corallines are key ecosystem engineers that produce or consolidate
biogenic habitats (e.g., coralligenous concretions, Lithophyllum byssoides rims, rims of
articulated corallines, maerl/rhodolith beds). Although bioconstructions built by corallines
exist virtually in every sea, in the Mediterranean they reach a particularly high spatial
and bathymetric extent (coralligenous concretions alone are estimated to exceed 2,700
km2 in surface). Overall, composition, dynamics and responses to human disturbances
of coralline-dominated communities have been well-studied; except for a few species,
however, the biology of Mediterranean corallines is poorly known. In terms of diversity,
60 species of corallines are currently reported from the Mediterranean. This number,
however, is based on morphological assessments and recent studies incorporating
molecular data suggest that the correct estimate is probably much higher. The responses
of Mediterranean corallines to climate change have been the subject of several recent
studies that documented their tolerance/sensitivity to elevated temperatures and pCO2.
These investigations have focused on a few species and should be extended to
a wider taxonomic set.