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The project is essential for the protection of shallow rocky habitats in the Spanish North Atlantic Marine Demarcation. These bottoms are dominated by forest-forming algae and other macroalgae that provide habitat for hundreds of organisms, such as fish and invertebrates. The virtual disappearance of these algae from the entire Cantabrian coast, according to the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, has resulted in a worrying loss of biodiversity and the functioning of the system. In addition, the decline of native algal species favors the establishment of invasive species.

Using novel predictive models of species distribution, the project has helped to identify the cold areas of least vulnerability that may represent the most vulnerable areas in the region. weather shelters in future climate scenarios defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), proposing new polygons for the Network of Marine Protected Areas of Spain (RAMPE).

The overall objective of the project has been the identification of marine areas that represent climate refuges in future scenarios of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for the protection of kelp forests and threatened structuring macroalgae beds in the Spanish North Atlantic Marine Demarcation.

The specific objectives were as follows:

• To know the historical and current geographical distribution in the northeast Atlantic and in the Spanish North Atlantic Demarcation of kelps and other native benthic habitat-forming macroalgae threatened by climate change, and of the kelp Undaria pinnatifida as a model invasive species.
• Develop a geographic information system (GIS) project that incorporates present and future layers of the most relevant climatic variables for the distribution of the species, together with records of presence (native and invasive).
• To study the interactions between native and invasive algae to determine the ecological resistance of the native community to invasion, and to evaluate the effects on the productivity of the benthic community of the possible expansion of exotic species.
• To predict in IPCC climate scenarios the climate vulnerability of the European Northeast Atlantic coasts and the Spanish North Atlantic Marine Demarcation, for kelps and other native habitat-forming macroalgae, and for the invasive kelp Undaria pinnatifida.
• Identify potential future climate refuges of low vulnerability for the protection of kelp forests and structuring macroalgae beds, inside and outside the RAMPE of the Spanish North Atlantic Demarcation, with the identification of new polygons outside the RAMPE.
• Organize an expert workshop on climate change adaptation for the protection of kelp forests and structuring macroalgae beds in marine areas that may represent climatic refuges in the Spanish North Atlantic Demarcation.

• To compile historical records in the northeast Atlantic and in the Spanish North Atlantic Demarcation of the presence of the native and invasive algal species studied.
• Review the persistence, extinction or recent expansion (last 5 years) of the populations of the species studied in this region by identifying temporal trends.
• Sample the presence or absence of populations in those areas where their distribution or conservation status is unknown.
• Identify threats that may act synergistically with climate change, and in particular, harvesting pressure.
• Download and manage the environmental layers of the factors that determine the distribution of macroalgae at latitudinal scale, in the northeast Atlantic and in the Spanish North Atlantic Demarcation.
• Download and manage environmental layers of relevant latitudinal-scale factors in future IPCC scenarios and identify potentially cool regions.
• Develop high spatial resolution numerical hydrodynamic models of temperature and salinity for the shallow areas of the identified potentially cold regions, and for the Special Protection Areas for Birds (SPAs) near the Galician cold water upwelling.
• Develop high spatial resolution temperature and salinity predictions under different IPCC scenarios in the areas identified as potential climate refugia, incorporating predictions of change from the Galician upwelling.
• Field sampling to determine the presence of invasive macroalgae species(Undaria pinnatifida) and native species with similar habitats and life cycles (such as Saccorhiza polyschides).
• To estimate, through a laboratory competition experiment, the productivity of communities dominated by exotic species.
• To train predictive models of the distribution of the species studied.
• Project the predictive models in the present climate scenario and in future IPCC scenarios and obtain climate vulnerability maps for each of the species.
• To represent cartographically the present and future climate vulnerability of the largest number of habitat-forming species inside and outside the RAMPE, suggesting the lack of representation of areas of low vulnerability for most of the species, which could represent new polygons for their expansion.
• Collaborate with experts in macroalgae ecology from research institutions and with social and political agents involved in the management and protection of the marine environment.
• Organize a workshop on climate change adaptation for the conservation of seaweed beds in areas that represent climate refuges.
• Dissemination and communication of the project.

The SAVEKELPS project has arisen from the need to identify and conserve the last underwater forest beds of the Iberian Peninsula, systems that are vulnerable to the effects of climate change. In this sense, it has developed from numerous activities.

On the one hand, it has been possible to verify the persistence, extinction or expansion of the distribution area of the main species of benthic macroalgae of the Spanish Atlantic that form kelp forests with respect to their historical distribution. Thus, it was detected a decline of Laminaria hyperborea and Laminaria ochroleuca populationsAccording to the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, this species is the macroalgae most threatened by climate change in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, with 57 real extinctions of populations of the first of them, making it clear that this species is the most threatened by climate change in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. In addition, changes have been observed in the distribution of the invasive alien species Undaria pinnatifida, whose trend is somewhat uncertain.

In addition, the entity has carried out sampling and campaigns for detecting new occurrences of kelp species georeferenced in the sublittoral and intertidal areas and has been able to prepare the corresponding distribution maps that have been sent to MITECO, the coordination of the OSPAR Convention, the Xunta de Galicia and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC).

Based on these results, it has also been possible to identify the most relevant threats that most affect these species. Thus, it has been determined that the main cause of the decline and disappearance of the populations of Laminaria hyperborea and Laminaria ochroleuca is the warming of the ocean, but the harvesting of the natural stock of Laminaria sp. for commercialization aggravates the critical situation in which their populations find themselves. According to the entity, given the results of the project and the current protection of kelp forests established by the OSPAR Convention and ratified and promoted by the Spanish state, this activity should be stopped.

On the other hand, in order to favor the conservation of these populations, predictive models of species distribution have been used, and the distribution areas of the macroalgae species Laminaria hyperborea, Laminaria ochroleuca, Saccharina latissima and Saccorhiza polyschides have been calculated under different climate change scenarios. As a result, cold areas of lower vulnerability have been identified in the northeast Atlantic and in the Spanish North Atlantic Marine Demarcation that could represent climatic refuges for these species in the future scenarios established by the IPCC. In fact, the entity has proposed a new polygon for RAMPE that encompasses these climate refuge areas for Laminaria sp. and Saccorhiza polyschides, which could help the recovery of kelp populations currently in decline.

This proposal has been agreed with a group of collaborating experts, thus contributing to Objective 3.17 (Promote coherence and positive synergies between biodiversity conservation and climate change policies) as stated in the Strategic Plan for Natural Heritage and Biodiversity. Likewise, both the distribution maps and the proposal for new areas to be protected within the framework of the RAMPE have been sent to MITECO, the competent regional authorities and the OSPAR Convention coordination for their information.

Regarding the effect of the invasive exotic species Undaria pinnatifida on Saccorhiza polyschides populations, the entity has conducted a laboratory experiment, the results of which show that the presence of Undaria pinnatifida negatively affects the growth of Saccorhiza polyschides in the continuous emersion treatment. However, contrary to expectations, in the presence of emersion, Undaria pinnatifida seems to exert a positive effect on Saccorhiza polyschides elongation.

Finally, the organization has carried out the dissemination and communication of the project through its social networks, conferences and seminars, a contribution to congresses, a scientific publication and a report of results that has been uploaded on the AdapteCCA platform for publication and dissemination.