Distribution patterns of alien coral Oculina patagonica De Angelis D'Ossat, 1908 in western Mediterranean Sea

Esther Rubio-Portillo, Maite Vázquez-Luis, Andrés Izquierdo Muñoz, Alfonso A. Ramos Esplá, (2013). Distribution patterns of alien coral Oculina patagonica De Angelis D'Ossat, 1908 in western Mediterranean Sea. Journal of Sea Research, 2013, DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2013.07.007

Abstract: Oculina patagonica is an alien species putatively from the Southwest Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea, which is widely spread over large extensions of the Spanish Southeast coast. In the present study we examine the distribution patterns of this species in the Valencian Region in order to understand the environmental factors contributing to its current increase. The results from this study provide evidences that harbours could be a focal point of dispersion of this species. The highest occurrences and the hot spots were situated less than 5 km from the nearest harbour; in addition, macroalgal community also plays an important role facilitating coral recruitment, since the turf-forming algae and calcareous macroalgae presented the highest occurrences of the species.

Keywords: Oculina patagonica, Invasive species, Mediterranean, Harbours, Natural habitats, Algal turf