Naslov
CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESPONSE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN CORAL Cladocora caespitosa TO SEA TEMPERATURE ANOMALIES

Autori
Kružić, Petar, Sršen, Pavica

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, stručni

Izvornik
Zbornik sažetaka priopćenja 11. Hrvatskog biološkog kongresa. / Jelaska, S.D., Klobučar, G.I.V., Šerić Jelaska, L., Leljak Levanić, D., Lukša, Ž. - Zagreb : Hrvatsko biološko društvo, 2012, 221-222

Skup
11. Hrvatski biološki kongres

Mjesto i datum
Šibenik, Hrvatska, 16.09.2012. - 21.09.2012

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Domaća recenzija

Ključne riječi
Climate change; Cladocora caespitosa; temperature anomalies

Sažetak
The Mediterranean endemic Cladocora caespitosa (Linnaeus, 1767) is a colonial scleractinian coral belonging to the family Faviidae and the only zooxanthellate coral from Mediterranean whose colonies may fuse in reef-like structures. The C. caespitosa bank in Veliko jezero (National Park “Mljet”) covers an area more than 650 m2 and is thus the largest bank of C. caespitosa found to date. Scleractinian symbiotic corals living in the Adriatic Sea (NE Mediterranean Sea) have experienced warm summers during the last decade, with temperatures rapidly increasing, within a few days, to 3-6°C above the mean value of 26°C. Mortality events of the coral C. caespitosa were recorded in Veliko jezero in the summers of 1997, 1999, 2003, 2006 and 2009. At the end of the summer of 2003, about 30% of the colonies were damaged and more than 10% of the damaged colonies were completely dead, all caused by bleaching events. In most cases bleaching has been attributed to elevated temperature, but other instances involving high solar irradiance, and sometimes disease, have been also documented. These high temperature events involved coral colonies living in shallow water (6-25 m depth). Mortality was preceded by the complete retraction of the polyp, leaving the calyx rim deprived of tissue coverage. However, we cannot ascertain whether temperature had a direct effect on organisms or acted in synergy with a latent or waterborne agent (microbiological or chemical). Taking into account the global warming context in the Mediterranean Sea, monitoring programs of physical-chemical parameters and vulnerable coral populations should rapidly be set up.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biologija

POVEZANOST RADA