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The collapse of marine forests: drastic reduction in populations of the family Sargassaceae in Madeira Island (NE Atlantic)
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Species of the genera Cystoseira, Ericaria, Gongolaria, and Sargassum (family Sargassaceae) are key components of the
Mediterranean-Atlantic marine forests, essential for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Populations of these foundational
species are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts, likely to be intensified under future scenarios of climate change. The
decline and even disappearance of these species have been reported in different areas of the world. At Madeira Island (NE
Atlantic), populations of Gongolaria abies-marina, Ericaria selaginoides, Sargassum vulgare, and Sargassum filipendula, the
most ecologically relevant species in Macaronesian marine forests, have been suffering a drastic decline during the last decades,
especially on the southern coast of the island, where anthropogenic pressure is higher than on the north coast. The lack of
sufficient temporal coverage on qualitative and quantitative studies of Sargassaceae communities in Madeira poses a challenge to
establish a specific period for this decline. Consulting qualitative studies and historical records, we have set for the first time a
timeline that shows an evident decrease in Sargassaceae populations in the last 20 years on Madeira Island. Following this
timeline, we pinpoint the start of this decline in the first decade of the 2000s. This can be particularly confirmed for places like
Funchal and Reis Magos, with significantly higher historical records. Currently, most benthic communities on shallow subtidal
rocky reefs along the south coast are dominated by sea urchins and crustose coralline algae, the so-called sea urchin barrens.
However, in some cases, they are entirely covered by a layer of sediment. We discuss the possible factors contributing to these
drastic changes, bringing Madeira’s marine forests to a dramatic decline. As many animal species rely on marine forests, the
decline of Sargassaceae populations represents an invaluable ecological loss for the coastal ecosystem of the island.
Description
Keywords
Marine forests Anthropogenic pressures Cystoseira Ericaria Gongolaria Sargassum Madeira (Portugal) Macaronesia . Faculdade de Ciências da Vida
Citation
Bernal-Ibáñez, A., Gestoso, I., Wirtz, P., Kaufmann, M., Serrão, E. A., Canning-Clode, J., & Cacabelos, E. (2021). The collapse of marine forests: drastic reduction in populations of the family Sargassaceae in Madeira Island (NE Atlantic). Regional Environmental Change, 21(3), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-021-01801-2
Publisher
Springer