A catastrophic mass-mortality episode of gorgonians and other organisms in the Ligurian Sea (Northwestern Mediterranean), summer 1999
Cerrano, C.; Bavestrello, G.; Bianchi, C.N.; Cattaneo-Vietti, R.; Bava, S.; Morganti, C.; Morri, C.; Picco, P.; Sara, G.; Schiaparelli, S.; Siccardi, A.; Sponga, F. (2000). A catastrophic mass-mortality episode of gorgonians and other organisms in the Ligurian Sea (Northwestern Mediterranean), summer 1999. Ecol. Lett. 3(4): 284-293. https://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1461-0248.2000.00152.x
In: Ecology Letters. Blackwell: Oxford. ISSN 1461-023X; e-ISSN 1461-0248, more
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| Keywords |
Alcyonacea [WoRMS]
Marine/Coastal |
| Author keywords |
gorgonians; Ligurian Sea; marine benthos; mass-mortality; water temperature |
| Authors | | Top | Dataset |
- Cerrano, C.
- Bavestrello, G.
- Bianchi, C.N.
- Cattaneo-Vietti, R.
|
- Bava, S.
- Morganti, C.
- Morri, C.
- Picco, P.
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- Sara, G.
- Schiaparelli, S.
- Siccardi, A.
- Sponga, F.
|
| Abstract |
In the late summer of 1999, an extensive mortality of gorgonians and other epi‐benthic organisms was observed in the Ligurian Sea (Mediterranean Sea) from the Tuscan Archipelago to Marseille. Quantitative data from Tino Island and Portofino Promontory indicated that the proportion of affected gorgonians ranged from 60% to 100% in populations having a density of 9–27.8 colonies m−2, suggesting that millions of sea fans died along the coast of Liguria. This mass mortality episode coincided with a sudden increase of sea water temperature down to more than 50 m depth. Laboratory analyses showed that the colonies stressed by high temperature also underwent extensive attack by microrganisms (protozoans and fungi), which are interpreted as opportunistic pathogens. |
| Dataset |
- CorMedNet- Distribution and demographic data of habitat-forming invertebrate species from Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages between 1882 and 2019., more
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