Troubles Never Come Alone: Outcome of Multiple Pressures on a Temperate Rocky Reef

Climate change is affecting rocky reef ecosystems in a multitude of ways at global scale. During summer 2018, the rocky reef communities of Portofino Marine Protected Area (MPA) (NW Mediterranean) were affected by thermal anomalies, a mucilaginous event, and the seasonal expansion of Caulerpa cylindracea. Moreover, a severe storm occurred on 29 October. The effects of these pressures on the rocky reef communities were analysed at different depths (10 m, 20 m, 30 m, and 40 m) and at three times (June, October, December) to evaluate change at short temporal scale. Portofino MPA's communities have significantly changed: thermal anomalies mostly affected the biota living above the summer thermocline (ca 20 m depth); mucilaginoius aggregates first impacted the communities in shallow waters and only later those in deep waters, where they typically fall in late summer; the greatest impact by Caulerpa cylindracea was detected at 20 m depth; the storm directly impacted communities in shallow and intermediate waters by uprooting algal species, while it had indirect effects at greater depths through sediment redistribution. Disentangling the effects of multiple pressures on coastal ecosystems is one of the most pressing goals in marine ecology and biodiversity conservation. This study represents an attempt in this direction as applied to the short-term dynamics of rocky reef communities under a climate change scenario.

Automated summary

Climate change is causing various impacts on rocky reef ecosystems globally. The Portofino Marine Protected Area in the NW Mediterranean experienced thermal anomalies, a mucilaginous event, and the expansion of Caulerpa cylindracea during the summer of 2018. A severe storm also occurred later in October. This study analyzed the effects of these pressures on rocky reef communities at different depths and timescales, highlighting the significant changes and the need to understand the impacts of multiple pressures on coastal ecosystems.