Adaptation of two species of corals to climate change in the Alboran Sea.

“Monitoring of sea surface temperature and monitoring of corals in RN2000 areas of the D.M. Estrecho-Alborán as a case study of adaptation to climate change” is a project of the Man and Territory Association that has the collaboration of the Biodiversity Foundation.

The project has managed to establish three sea surface temperature monitoring stations (between the surface and 25 metres deep) in three protected areas of the Strait-Alboran Marine Demarcation: Strait of Gibraltar Natural Park, Acantilados de Maro-Cerro Gordo and Punta de la Mona Natural Park and Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park.

At the same time, coral monitoring and control stations have been established as indicators of sea temperature fluctuations: thus, locations with endemic and threatened species (orange coral Astroides calycularis and Mediterranean madrepora Cladocora caespitosa) and with the nearby presence of recently colonised species (Oculina patagonica and the algae Rugulopteryx okamurae) have been included.