Year: 2016
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Aurelia spp. are cosmopolitan scyphozoan species and probably the most studied jellyfish in the \nworld. They inhabit nearshore waters, especially closed basins, such as coastal embayments, \nfjords and estuaries, occupying a great variety of habitats worldwide. Recent studies have \naddressed the biogeography of the genus Aurelia and reported that it constitutes a speciescomplex \nembracing numerous locally adapted species. \nThe Mediterranean Sea is a hotspot of biodiversity threatened by climate change, which is \nexpected to have a significant influence on the biodiversity and biogeography of marine \npopulations. Here we compiled a comprehensive data set on Aurelia spp. occurrence in the \nMediterranean Sea and assessed the thermal niches as well as the phenology of the various \npopulations. \nOur results indicate that the species biogeography is restricted to temperate areas of the \nMediterranean basin, whereas the seasonal pattern generally displayed an unimodal peak \nthat occurs earlier in warmer systems. Our results highlight that the thermal niche of the species, \nwhere the bulk of the population (90%) is present, shows a temperature window from 12 to \n20°C, although it is further constrained when accounting only for the northern populations \nof the western and Adriatic basins. Hence, while global warming has been claimed as one \nof the most important triggers for jellyfish outbreaks, the projected temperature increase of \nthe Mediterranean Sea warns on the shrinking of favorable environmental conditions for \nthe species with the concomitant risk of its potential decline and perhaps extinction in the \nMediterranean Sea.
Source: OAR@UM (University of Malta)
Authors: Bonnet, Delphine, Juan-Carlos Molinero, Batistic, Mirna, Boero, Ferdinando, Nejib Daly-Yahia, Deidun, Alan, Fuentes, Veronica, Raüll Golo, Gueroun, Sonia K.M., Hervé, Alain, Isinibilir, Melek, Kienberger, Karen, Tjaša Kogovšek, Lučić, Davor, Malej, Alenka, Marques, Raquel, Miloslavić, Marijana, Pascual, Maria, Piraino, Stefano, Prieto, Laura, Izzet Noyan Yilmaz, Zampardi, Serena, Zervoudaki, Soultana
Language: English
Subfield: Animal Science and Zoology
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2803530278