According to a new study, an iconic coral species found in British waters may expand its range due to climate change The pink sea fan is a soft coral that lives in shallow water from the western Mediterranean (southern range) to northwest Ireland and southwest England and Wales.
The species is classified as "vulnerable" worldwide and is listed as endangered in England and Wales under the 2006 NERC act. New research from the University of Exeter has found that as global temperatures rise, the species may spread northward, including around the British coast. These findings can be used to determine the priority areas for the protection of pink sea fan populations.
Researchers at the University of Exeter have established a model to predict the current and future habitat (2081-2100) of the pink sea fan. The study shows that it will cover the bay of Biscay, the British Isles and southern Norway. The model prediction shows that there is a suitable living environment in the unobserved area beyond the northern boundary of the pink sea fan.
It is not clear why pink sea fans have not yet settled in these areas. Possible obstacles include inadequate larval dispersal and high competition for space and resources among species. The researchers' future predictions using the high emission global warming scenario called RCP 8.5 show that the pink sea fan has increased its suitable habitat north of its current range, so the species may spread northward by 2100.
The researchers also found that existing habitats across the southwestern United Kingdom, Channel Islands and northwestern France are expected to remain suitable for the species in the next 60-80 years.