In early October, the CEAB-CSIC team, in collaboration with the ULPGC team, conducted ten intensive days of fieldwork on Gran Canaria as part of a new campaign focused on monitoring the demographic parameters of gorgonian populations.
The fieldwork took place at “El Roque de Taliarte,” near the ECOAQUA-ULPGC facilities, where, at a depth of approximately 30 meters, there is a natural population of the red gorgonian Leptogorgia ruberrima. This population has a density of 3 colonies/m2 with a good health status.
The primary objective of the campaign was to monitor fixed frames set up within the population to study the demographic parameters of these gorgonians. These frames were initially installed in September 2023, and now, one year later, the team from CEAB-CSIC has returned to examine the gorgonians’ survivorship, growth rates, and overall health. Scuba divers carefully observed the population, collecting essential data on these parameters.
Another major goal was to establish floating nurseries for gorgonians to compare their growth and survival rates with those of the natural population. These nurseries were designed to nurture nubbins to a specific size, as previous research showed that smaller colonies tend to suffer from necrosis more than larger ones. The fragments placed in these structures are expected to promote accelerated growth, as observed in other regions where similar structures have been used successfully for years.
In addition to these two main goals, the team collected small gorgonian fragments to continue assessing reproductive cycles and gonadal development. Additional tasks included replacing temperature sensors installed in May 2023 to document the annual seawater temperature cycle in the gorgonians’ natural habitat. Inspections were also conducted to identify anthropogenic impacts on the gorgonians, such as entanglement with fishing lines and sewage exposure.
In conclusion, during this field campaign, we successfully gathered extensive data that enhances our understanding of Leptogorgia ruberrima population dynamics, reproduction, and anthropogenic impacts. It also allowed us to examine the effectiveness of tools that may contribute to improving the preservation and restoration of this marine forest, which hosts a high diversity of organisms.
