The “reserve” effect in the Medes area has improved the conservation of many marine species in their natural habitats. The red coral Corallium rubrum, is an endemic Mediterranean species that is harvested both legally and illegally along the Catalan coastline.

Nevertheless, according to an article published in the journal Conservation Biology, signed by the first author Cristina Linares, a biologist from the University of Barcelona’s Department of Ecology, poaching is the principal threat to colonies of this prized marine invertebrate.

During the study, carried out over the period from 1992 to 2005, the experts monitored the basal diameter and density of Corallium populations inside out outside the Medes Islands Marine Reserve, comparing their results with the data for marine protected areas in France (Banyus, Carry-le-Rouet and Scandola), where fishing and diving are not permitted.

Small colonies
The results show that the red coral colonies in the Medes area are smaller than expected and below the levels observed in protected areas in France, which are free of fishing and diving activity. The study also found that the species is more abundant in the Medes Island Marine Reserve than in outlying areas.

“The impact of poaching causes irretrievable losses in populations of Corallium rubrum,” says Cristina Linares, “which is why new guidelines on protection from fishing and diving should be considered to preserve the populations.”

The expert Bernat Hereu, co-author of the study, adds that “On the Catalan coast, coral is found at lesser depths than in other areas of the Mediterranean. This is financially beneficial to the tourist sector but also means that poachers can reach colonies with little difficulty.”

Source: Universidad de Barcelona via AlphaGalileo