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Mass mortality of Paramuricea clavata (Anthozoa, Cnidaria) on Portofino Promontory cliffs, Ligurian Sea, Mediterranean Sea

TitleMass mortality of Paramuricea clavata (Anthozoa, Cnidaria) on Portofino Promontory cliffs, Ligurian Sea, Mediterranean Sea
Type de publicationJournal Article
Année de publication1994
AuteursBavestrello, Bertone, Cattaneo-Vietti, Gaino, Zanzi
JournalMarine Life
Volume4
Mots-clésanthozoa, benthos, biodiversité, biodiversity, climate change, gorgonaire, gorgonian, Italie, Italy, Ligurian Sea, mass mortality, Mediterranean sea, Méditerranée nord-occidentale, Méditerrannée occidentale, Mer Ligure, Mer Méditerranée, mortalité massive, mortality, north-western Mediterranean, Paramuricea clavata, Portofino, salinité, salinity, western Mediterranean
Résumé

An extreme case of mass mortality of the sea fan Paramuricea clavata on the Portofino Promontory is reported. During October 1993 about 10,000 sea fans, living in the 20 to 35 m depth range, underwent a degenerative process, which caused the progressive detachment of the coenenchyma from the gorgonians' branches. About 80% of the affected colonies were reduced to a bare. It may be assumed that an increase in this mortality may be related to a violent storm that caused a drop in salinity and suspended sediment locally. Specific analysis has provided no evidence of bacterial involvement.

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