Climate change is accelerating the arrival of warmer spring temperatures, and this phenomenon is affecting the conservation of many species. Now, a study published in the journal Global Change Biology reveals how a two-degree Celsius increase in temperature advances the reproductive process of the Mediterranean gorgonian, a species found in temperate waters that plays an important ecological role, providing structure and shelter and thus promoting biodiversity on the seabed.
The study highlights the decisive role of global warming, which advances the arrival of spring, as a determining factor in changes to the biological cycles of marine organisms living in coastal ecosystems. The main authors of the study are Núria Viladrich and Cristina Linares, from the Faculty of Biology and the Biodiversity Research Institute at the University of Barcelona (IRBio), and Joaquim Garrabou, from the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC).
What happens when the start of the reproductive cycle is brought forward?
One of the most direct effects of climate change is the alteration of the natural cycles of living beings. These changes, known as phenological changes, alter the timing of critical biological processes (reproduction, migration, distribution, etc.) in organisms on a global scale, in response to new environmental conditions.
"Global warming is profoundly altering biodiversity, but until now most research has focused on the direct impacts of extreme temperature events," says Professor Cristina Linares, from the Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences at the UB.
"It is becoming increasingly clear that climate change is bringing warmer spring temperatures to many ecosystems," says the researcher. "The phenological changes associated with climate change have a decisive impact on population conservation, but despite the scientific interest they have aroused in recent years, their effects on marine species are still poorly understood."
