Climate driven changes in subtidal kelp forest communities in NW Spain |
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| Institution: | 1. Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, University of Nordland, 8049 Bodø, Norway;2. Shoals Marine Laboratory, Cornell University, Portsmouth, NH 03801, USA;3. Marine Benthic Ecology and Evolution Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands |
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| Abstract: | Reconstructions suggest a massive decline of nearly 1400 ha of kelp forest in North Western Spain in 2007. In line with global rising temperatures, we hypothesized that Sea Surface Temperature (SST) surpassed a lethal threshold for kelp. We examined whether changes in SST correlated to the proposed decline in kelp forest. All investigated SST characteristics suggested to affect kelp abundance increased significantly during the past thirty years, reaching extreme values during the last decade. In addition over the past two decades, the landscape formerly dominated by both cold and warm temperate canopy forming and understory species changed to one dominated by warm temperate understory species, resulting in a loss of vertical community structure. Fisheries landing data of kelp associated species was used to support the suggested change in kelp abundance. Subsequent recovery of the kelp appears to be occurring in deeper waters. |
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| Keywords: | Algae Sea surface temperature Climate change Habitat loss Fisheries Community composition Bottom up Bay of Biscay Invasive |
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