Spatial and temporal variability of deep-water algal assemblages in the Northwestern Mediterranean: The effects of an exceptional storm

There are deep-water populations of the endemic and threatened Mediterranean brown alga Cystoseira zosteroides in the Medes Islands Marine Reserve (NW Mediterranean). Here, the distribution, population structure, individual growth, mortality and recruitment rates of this species over two years are described in relation to the effects of an exceptional storm. We found a high spatial variability in the structure and dynamics of C. zosteroides populations at small geographical scales, suggesting that environmental factors acting at the population level display a key role in population size structure, mortality and recruitment. The elevated mortality rates recorded at some locations (almost 80%) is amongst the highest recorded for perennial algae as a consequence of a single storm, emphasizing the importance of episodic catastrophic events in the maintenance of these deep-water, slow-growing populations. These findings are of particular importance not only to fully understand the ecology of C. zosteroides, but also for its conservation.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (121 K)Download as PowerPoint slideHighlights► The deep alga C. zosteroides is a slow-growing and long-lived species. ► Environmental factors determine C. zosteroides population structure at small spatial scale. ► An exceptional storm altered the size structure of some C. zosteroides populations. ► Low-frequency events can determine the structure and dynamics of deep algal communities.