The tropicalization of the Mediterranean Sea as a miniaturized model for oceans worldwide

Dr Jordi Boada¹, Dr Teresa Alcoverro², Dr  Rohan Arthur³, Dr Enric Ballesteros², Dr Scott Bennett⁴, Xavier  Buñuel², Dr Emma Cebrian⁹, Dr Rafel  Coma², Dr Joaquim Garrabou⁵, Dr Bernat Hereu¹, Dr Paul Lavery⁶, Dr Gabriel Jordà⁴, Dr Cristina Linares¹, Dr Scott Ling⁸, Dr Núria Marbà⁴, Yaiza Ontoria¹, Jordi Pagès¹, Albert Pessarrodona⁷, Dr Javier Romero¹, Neus Sanmartí¹, Dr Julia Santana-Garcon⁴, Dr Eduard Serrano², Jana Verdura⁹, Dr Adriana Vergés¹⁰

¹University Of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, ²Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes, Blanes, Spain, ³Nature Conservation Foundation, , India, ⁴Institute for Mediterranean Advanced Studies, Esporles, Spain, ⁵Institute of Marine Sciences, Barcelona, Spain, ⁶Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia, ⁷University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia, ⁸Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Hobart, Australia, ⁹University of Girona, Girona, Spain, ¹⁰University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Abstract:

The whole planet’s oceans are currently suffering the effects of tropicalization. Marine species change their ranges of distribution moving poleward in reaction to the sustained increase in seawater temperature. In their new areas, species are involved in generating novel interactions with autochthonous species. The magnitude of the impact of non-native species on temperate ecosystems varies tremendously depending on the local conditions of the recipient area. Abiotic environmental regimes, currents, and biotic conditions determine the success of invaders settling in new areas, ultimately influencing their overall resilience to the process of tropicalization. The tropicalization of the Mediterranean started in the late sixties facilitated by the aperture of the Suez Canal when several so called lessepsian species. Here, we revise the effect of tropical species on different ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea (including intertidal and subtidal rocky reefs, seagrasses and sandy substrates). We link the tropicalization capacity to the biotic and abiotic conditions of this miniaturized ocean to propose it as case study of the socio-ecological impacts of this phenomena for other regions in the world.

Biography:

I defended my PhD in April 2016, identifying the critical ecological processes determining the distribution and effect of a dominant herbivore in the Mediterranean. I rapidly became particularly interested in the use of multiple approaches to conceptualizing general principles in ecology and specifically in ecosystem state transitions. I recognize the need to mix different approaches including theoretical development and real-world experiments and genetics to make advance in general ecology.