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They grow a centimetre a year… but can die within a few days.

They grow a centimetre a year... but can die within a few days.

Red gorgonians are among the most structuring organisms in the Mediterranean.

These colonies of animals form true underwater forests, providing shelter for a multitude of species: fish, sponges, crustaceans, nudibranchs, starfish…

By filtering the water, this engineering species creates conditions that favor the development of coralligenous habitats, a unique landscape in the Mediterranean.

But these spectacular animals have a weakness:

When the water is too warm for too long, their tissue becomes fragile.

During marine heatwaves, entire sections of gorgonians develop necrotic areas within days, and some populations suffer massive mortality.

The BUFFER project, supported by Pure Ocean, aims to understand why some colonies survive while others do not.

By studying their genetics, Jean Baptiste Ledoux and his team hope to provide new management strategies for the National Park and give these emblematic underwater forests a chance to thrive.

Protecting gorgonians means preserving the Mediterranean we love.

Learn more: https://www.pure-ocean.org/nos-projets/buffer/

Crédit photo Septentrion Environnement

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🔥 Have you been hot this summer?So has the Mediterranean!

This summer will be BLUE

This summer, our precious Mediterranean Sea once again experienced a severe marine heatwave, with water temperatures locally exceeding 30 degrees. These heat waves, comparable to underwater fires, are endangering biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems, with dramatic consequences for marine fauna and flora, especially gorgonians.

🪸 What are gorgonians? These soft corals play a vital role in marine ecosystems, providing habitat and refuge for a multitude of species of fish, crustaceans and other marine organisms. These colonies of invertebrate animals are highly sensitive to rising water temperatures and marine heatwaves, which lead to their mass mortalities, thus weakening all the species that depend on them.

💡 In the face of this emergency, Pure Ocean supports the BUFFER scientific project. Led by the CIIMAR, MARBEC, and the MIO, this pioneering project focuses on studying the genetics of red gorgonians resistant to marine heatwaves, to understand the mechanisms of their survival. This knowledge will be used to develop appropriate management and conservation tools, particularly for the Parc National des Calanques, and to apply them to other regions of the Mediterranean.

Thanks to your support, we can contribute to the search for solutions to protect the Mediterranean and its precious ecosystems.

Would you like to take action? Support scientific research ➡️https://www.pure-ocean.org/soutenez-nous/ 🌍

 

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