05-02-2026
Climate change advances the start of the reproductive cycle of the Mediterranean gorgonian
Photo: Núria Viladrich
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.”
Warm spring temperatures are arriving earlier and earlier due to climate change, bringing forward the breeding season of a marine species that is crucial to the structure and biodiversity of coral reefs.
The sexual reproduction of the Mediterranean gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata) is an essential process for generating populations with greater genetic diversity. The phenomenon takes place in spring, when the colonies release sexual gametes (eggs and sperm), which, through external fertilization (which occurs on the surface of the female colonies), give rise to small larvae. These larvae quickly settle on the seabed and give rise to new colonies of gorgonians.
“The study reveals that a two-degree increase advances the release of larvae in gorgonians by two weeks. This discovery has been confirmed by observations at sea in the Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park, and by laboratory experiments,” notes Núria Viladrich, Beatriz de Pinós postdoctoral researcher and first author of the study.
“This two-week advance in the reproduction event has negative impacts on this species: it reduces larval biomass, which means they have less energy, increases larval mortality and makes them less successful at attaching themselves to the seabed, which can limit the species’ recovery from mass mortality events,” warns Viladrich.
Previous studies had already revealed the negative impact in the conservation of P. clavata populations to extreme weather events caused by climate change, mainly heatwaves.
“The negative impact of rising temperatures on the reproductive cycle, together with the recurrence of heatwave impacts, is accelerating the collapse of the Mediterranean gorgonian population,” says Joaquim Garrabou, from the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC).
“In species that act as architects of the seabed, such as the Mediterranean gorgonian — add Vilardich and Linares — it is urgent to monitor phenological changes because they can compromise the viability of populations and affect the biodiversity of marine ecosystems,” the researchers point out. The team concludes that “increased species vulnerability due to phenological responses associated with climate change could have even more serious ecological effects than anticipated.”
Reference article:
Viladrich, Núria et al. “Global Warming Drives Phenological Shifts and Hinders Reproductive Success in a Temperate Octocoral”. Global Change Biology, January 2026. DOI: 10.1111/gcb.70660.
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.”
Warm spring temperatures are arriving earlier and earlier due to climate change, bringing forward the breeding season of a marine species that is crucial to the structure and biodiversity of coral reefs.
The sexual reproduction of the Mediterranean gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata) is an essential process for generating populations with greater genetic diversity. The phenomenon takes place in spring, when the colonies release sexual gametes (eggs and sperm), which, through external fertilization (which occurs on the surface of the female colonies), give rise to small larvae. These larvae quickly settle on the seabed and give rise to new colonies of gorgonians.
“The study reveals that a two-degree increase advances the release of larvae in gorgonians by two weeks. This discovery has been confirmed by observations at sea in the Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park, and by laboratory experiments,” notes Núria Viladrich, Beatriz de Pinós postdoctoral researcher and first author of the study.
“This two-week advance in the reproduction event has negative impacts on this species: it reduces larval biomass, which means they have less energy, increases larval mortality and makes them less successful at attaching themselves to the seabed, which can limit the species’ recovery from mass mortality events,” warns Viladrich.
Previous studies had already revealed the negative impact in the conservation of P. clavata populations to extreme weather events caused by climate change, mainly heatwaves.
“The negative impact of rising temperatures on the reproductive cycle, together with the recurrence of heatwave impacts, is accelerating the collapse of the Mediterranean gorgonian population,” says Joaquim Garrabou, from the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC).
“In species that act as architects of the seabed, such as the Mediterranean gorgonian — add Vilardich and Linares — it is urgent to monitor phenological changes because they can compromise the viability of populations and affect the biodiversity of marine ecosystems,” the researchers point out. The team concludes that “increased species vulnerability due to phenological responses associated with climate change could have even more serious ecological effects than anticipated.”
Reference article:
Viladrich, Núria et al. “Global Warming Drives Phenological Shifts and Hinders Reproductive Success in a Temperate Octocoral”. Global Change Biology, January 2026. DOI: 10.1111/gcb.70660.