Abstract
The occurrence of a hydrocoral of the genus Millepora has been recorded for the first time in the eastern subtropical Atlantic (Tenerife, Canary Islands), at a latitude of 11º N of its previously known northernmost limit of distribution in the Cape Verde Islands. The moderate development of the colonies, their fast growth rate and very restricted location indicate a recent colonization process, possibly related to an extreme climatic event that took place in the summer of 2004, adding to the rising seawater temperatures in the region during recent years.
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Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Francisco J. Viera, a sub-aqua fishing enthusiast, who first located these fire corals off southern Tenerife. Dr. E. Cuevas calculated the temperature reanalysis data. G. Jones aided with proof reading of the manuscript. This research was carried out within the framework of the project ‘ACIDROCK’ CTM2010_21724 (subprogram MAR) of the Spanish ‘Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación’.
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Clemente, S., Rodríguez, A., Brito, A. et al. On the occurrence of the hydrocoral Millepora (Hydrozoa: Milleporidae) in the subtropical eastern Atlantic (Canary Islands): is the colonization related to climatic events?. Coral Reefs 30, 237–240 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-010-0681-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-010-0681-7