Population structure and conservation status of the white gorgonian Eunicella singularis (Esper, 1791) in Tunisian waters (Central Mediterranean)

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Опубликован: May 17, 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.24984
RAOUIA GHANEM
Institut Supérieur de Pêche et d'Aquaculture de Bizerte
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6947-582X
JAMILA BEN SOUISSI
Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8796-6163
JEAN-BAPTISTE LEDOUX
CIIMAR/CIMAR, Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal. Institut de Ciències del Mar CSIC, Passeig Maritim de la Barceloneta 37-49, E-08003, Barcelona, Spain
CRISTINA LINARES
Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
JOAQUIM GARRABOU
Institut de Ciències del Mar CSIC, Passeig Maritim de la Barceloneta 37-49, E-08003, Barcelona, Spain
Аннотация

The white gorgonian, Eunicella singularis, is thriving in Mediterranean hard-bottom communities; however, data regarding its distribution and ecology remain absent and insufficient, particularly in the southern Mediterranean Sea. In this study, the population structure and disturbance levels of the most common gorgonian in Tunisia were assessed for the first time. During two years (2015-2016), a total of 818 colonies of E. singularis were surveyed in five coastal sites, by scuba diving, between 7 to 40 m depth. Collected data included density, colony height, and extent of injury. Mean population density was 11.91 ± 7.42 colonies per m2 (mean ± SD). Mean and maximum colony heights were 16.49 ± 5.59 cm and 51 cm, respectively. Among populations, mean extent of tissue injury differed considerably, ranging from 12.47% to 58.88% and most affected colonies showed old necrosis. These data regarding the demographic structure and level of injuries are needed to provide insights into the conservation status of the Tunisian population of E. singularis. Indeed, data on the amount of necrosis could highlight the strength of the colonies’ exposure to mechanical impacts and are consequently crucial to study changes in their demographic structure over time. In fact, the size, structures, and the high level of tissue necrosis of the colonies suggest a low conservation status of the studied Tunisian populations.

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