Vulnerability of benthic trait diversity across the Mediterranean Sea following mass mortality events

Type : ACL
Nature : Production scientifique
Au bénéfice du Laboratoire : Oui
Statut de publication : Publié
Année de publication : 2025
Auteurs (24) : CARLOT Jeremy GALOBART Cristina GÓMEZ-GRAS Daniel SANTAMARÍA Jorge GOLO R SINI Maria CEBRIAN E GEROVASILEIOU Vasilis PONTI Massimo TURICCHIA Eva COMEAU Steeve RILOV Gil TAMBURELLO L PULIDO MANTAS T CERRANO C LEDOUX Jean-baptiste GATTUSO Jean-pierre RAMIREZ-CALERO S MILLAN L MONTEFALCONE Monica KATSANEVAKIS S BENSOUSSAN N GARRABOU Joaquim TEIXIDO Nuria
Revue scientifique : Nature Communications
Volume : 16
Fascicule : 1
Pages :
DOI : 10.1038/s41467-025-55949-0
URL : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-55949-0
Abstract : Unraveling the functional future of marine ecosystems amid global change poses a pressing challenge. This is particularly critical in the Mediterranean Sea, which is highly impacted by global and local drivers. Utilizing extensive mass mortality events (MMEs) datasets spanning from 1986 to 2020 across the Mediterranean Sea, we investigated the trait vulnerability of benthic species that suffered from MMEs induced by nine distinct mortality drivers. By analyzing changes in ten ecological traits across 389 benthic species—constituting an extensive compendium of Mediterranean ecological traits to date—we identified 228 functional entities (FEs), defined as groups of species sharing the same trait values. Our findings indicate that of these 55 FEs were impacted by MMEs, accentuating a heightened vulnerability within specific trait categories. Notably, more than half of the mortality records showed severe impacts on calcifying and larger species with slower growth which mostly account for tree-like and massive forms. Altogether, we highlight that 29 FEs suffered extreme mortality, leading to a maximum increase of 19.1% of the global trait volume vulnerability over 35 years. We also reveal that 10.8% of the trait volume may have been temporarily lost over the last five years, emphasizing the risk of a rapid ecological transformation in the Mediterranean Sea.
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Carlot J, Galobart C, Gómez-Gras D, Santamaría J, Golo R, Sini M, Cebrian E, Gerovasileiou V, Ponti M, Turicchia E, Comeau S, Rilov G, Tamburello L, Pulido Mantas T, Cerrano C, Ledoux J-B, Gattuso J-P, Ramirez-Calero S, Millan L, Montefalcone M, Katsanevakis S, Bensoussan N, Garrabou J, Teixido N (2025) Vulnerability of benthic trait diversity across the Mediterranean Sea following mass mortality events. Nat Commun 16 | doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-55949-0