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Predicting the fate of the most endangered marine invertebrate of the Mediterranean: The power of long‐term monitoring in conservation biology
Author(s) -
Espinosa Free,
RiveraIngraham Georgina A.,
OstaléValriberas Enrique,
GarcíaGómez José C.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
aquatic conservation: marine and freshwater ecosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.95
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1099-0755
pISSN - 1052-7613
DOI - 10.1002/aqc.2944
Subject(s) - endangered species , threatened species , ecology , population , limpet , mediterranean climate , population viability analysis , biology , mediterranean basin , conservation biology , biodiversity , invertebrate , mediterranean sea , fishery , habitat , mollusca , demography , sociology
Global climate change and other human‐induced alterations of the environment are causing a significant loss in biodiversity. Among the many species affected is the giant limpet Patella ferruginea , considered as the most endangered marine invertebrate within the Western Mediterranean basin. The results of a 10‐year monitoring programme in an updated population viability analysis (PVA) model are provided, which indicate the unlikeliness of the population in Ceuta facing extinction within the next 50 years. Evidence is provided for the possible role of this population as a source population for other sink populations in the Alboran Sea. Large interannual variations in recruitment have been recorded, and the general linear model (GLM) indicates the influence of chlorophyll and temperature on recruitment rates. These results inform conservation strategies for this flagship species.