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Effects of increased mortality on gorgonian corals (Cnidaria, Octocorallia): different demographic features may lead affected populations to unexpected recovery and new equilibrium points

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Abstract

Over the last years, several marine populations suffered a drastic mortality increase of different origins; assessing the changes occurring in the demographic structure of such populations will allow evaluating their future trends and their ultimate fate. The aim of our research was to assess main demographic descriptors and related dynamics in populations of the Mediterranean gorgonians Paramuricea clavata and Corallium rubrum (the “precious red coral”) both subject to increased mortality, by life-history tables and Leslie-Lewis transition matrices. Gorgonian populations have been generally been considered to have low recruitment and low dynamics. Here, we test whether these features change when mortality rises and if such populations can reach new equilibria? Our findings show large differences between the two species examined, with lower recruitment and adult colony density, shorter life-span but over-abundant reproductive output in P. clavata. Recruitment density dependence was found in crowded populations of both species, albeit with different trends. Populations of both species tend to recover even after drastic mortality increase and P. clavata reaches a new equilibrium at lower densities than at pristine values, and this in a few years time. The findings in this review could shed some light on the poorly understood dynamics occurring in deep-water dwelling, affected populations of long-lived and slow-growing gorgonian corals.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank J.M. Gili, S. Rossi, G. Tsounis, I. Vielmini, the Italian Research group on Red Coral, the researchers and technicians of ISPRA, ENEA S.Teresa (La Spezia), the Portofino and Cap de Creus MPA authorities, the Astrea R/V crew, T. Garcia, R. Rinaldi and A. Ferrucci for their invaluable and friendly help in collecting deep-dwelling red coral colonies. Our appreciation also goes to A. Cafazzo for his help in revising the English text. These studies have been funded by the Italy–Spain UNIPI-CISC exchange research project, by the Italian PRIN project 2009-2011, the Italian project on Deep-dwelling red coral populations, MedSea and the COREM European Projects. L. Bramanti’s work has been funded by a Marie Curie Intra European fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Conservation and Demography on Long-Lived Species Research Group, University of Pisa, Via Volta 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy

    G. Santangelo, C. Priori & F. Erra

  2. ENEA Marine Environment Research Centre, PO Box 224, 19100, La Spezia, Italy

    R. Cupido & S. Cocito

  3. CNRS UMR8222, LECOB, Observatorie Océanologique Univ. Marie Curie, 18 Avenue du Fontaulé, 66650, Banjuls-sur-Mer, France

    L. Bramanti

  4. OGS, National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics, Borgo Grotta Gigante 42/C, 34010, Sgonico, TS, Italy

    C. Priori

  5. Department of Mathematics, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 14, 38123, Povo, Trento, Italy

    M. Iannelli

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  1. G. Santangelo
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Correspondence to G. Santangelo.

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Guest editors: Yehuda Benayahu, Oren Levy & Tamar Lotan / Coelenterate Biology: Advanced Studies on Cnidaria and Ctenophora

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Santangelo, G., Cupido, R., Cocito, S. et al. Effects of increased mortality on gorgonian corals (Cnidaria, Octocorallia): different demographic features may lead affected populations to unexpected recovery and new equilibrium points. Hydrobiologia 759, 171–187 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2241-1

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