Cladocora caespitosa bioconstructions in the Columbretes Islands Marine Reserve (Spain, NW Mediterranean): distribution, size structure and growth

摘要: Today, living banks of the coral Cladocora caespitosa appear to be restricted a few Mediterranean locations and are threatened by escalating impacts affecting coastal areas. In this study exceptional occurrence C. in Columbretes Islands Marine Reserve (NW Mediterranean, Spain) is characterised terms spatial distribution, cover area, colony size growth rates. The colonies form beds rocky bottoms within semi-enclosed bay that offers both hydrodynamic protection high water exchange. distribution colonies, from 5 27 m depth, highly aggregated, depending on sea-floor morphology showing up 80% substrate coverage. annual corallite rates obtained through alizarin red staining method x-ray image analysis similar, range between 2.55 ± 0.79 mm 2.54 0.81 mm, respectively. nature these bioconstructions due their cumulative which comparable largest described date Mljet National Park (Croatia, Adriatic Sea).