Unexpected response of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica to a warm-water episode in the north western Mediterranean Sea.
The response of Posidonia oceanica (Linnaeus) Delile to the warm-water episode of summer 1999 was studied by means of the technique of lepidochronology. Study sites include three sites affected by the mass mortality event of benthic invertebrates and one not affected. The results showed a significant decline in some parameters (number of leaves and/or rhizome growth) for the three sites affected by the mass mortality event for the year following the warm-water episode (1999-2000). A similar decline was not observed for the unaffected site. The fact that high temperatures could have a negative impact on deep Posidonia oceanica near its cold limit of distribution is an unexpected result.
Mayot
Nicolas
N
Diversité, Evolution et Eologie Fonctionnelle Marine, UMR 6540 CNRS, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, case 901, 13288 Marseille, France. mayot@com.univ-mrs.fr
Boudouresque
Charles-François
CF
Leriche
Agathe
A
D035961:Alismatales / Q000254:growth & development*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D012623:Seawater