New research shows that the iconic pink sea fan coral found on some UK coasts is expected to expand its range due to climate change.
Soft corals live in shallow waters stretching from northwestern Ireland and southwestern England and Wales as far as the western Mediterranean.
A new study by the University of Exeter shows that vulnerable species are likely to be “short-term winners” as they spread northward, including around the UK coast, due to rising global temperatures. go up.
Scientists have developed habitat models that predict the distribution of pink sea fans over an area that includes the Bay of Biscay, the British and Irish islands and southern Norway.
Models, covered in a sheet of paper published in PeerJ . magazineincludes the current range and where coral species are likely to be between the years 2081 and 2100.
Dr Tom Jenkins, from the University of Exeter, said: “The model’s predictions suggest that existing areas of suitable habitat extend beyond the current northern range confines of the pink sea fan, in areas where colonies have not yet been observed”.
By detailing the locations where these species could survive climate change, the researchers hope that conservationists can “identify priority areas to increase protection and ensure preserve the long-term survival of these marine animals”.
Dr Jenkins added: “It’s not clear why pink sea fans have yet to colonize these areas.
“Our future projections, using a high-emissions global warming scenario known as RCP 8.5, suggest an increase in suitable habitat for pink sea fans in the northern part of the range. micro current – so it could spread northward by 2100.
“We also found that existing habitats across southwestern England, the Channel Islands and northwest France are predicted to remain suitable for this species over the next 60-80 years.”
Similar environmental changes were identified for another soft coral called dead man’s finger – with its range moving north.
Both species living in the region are ecologically valuable “because they add complexity to coral reef systems and support marine biodiversity, especially when they are not,” the researchers said. they form dense ‘forests’,” the researchers said.
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Dr Jamie Stevens, also from the University of Exeter, said: “This study highlights the complex effects of climate change on marine ecosystems, in which the range of several species responds to the changing effects of climate change. heat up by shifting the poles.
“In a rapidly changing habitat, some species – often those that prefer warmer conditions – can be short-term ‘winners’.
“How long these species can continue to expand and profit in the face of rapid warming remains to be seen.”
