Mass flowering of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica after 2022 record-breaking marine heatwaves, a Pan-Mediterranean study

@article{astruch2026mass,
  title = {{Mass flowering of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica after 2022 record-breaking marine heatwaves, a Pan-Mediterranean study}},
  author = {Patrick Astruch and Nathaniel Bensoussan and S. André and Charles‐François Boudouresque and Fiona Tomás and Núria Teixidó and Jérémy Carlot and Bruno Belloni and Catalina A. García‐Escudero and Barış Akçalı and Teresa Alcoverro and Eugenia T. Apostolaki and Fabio Badalamenti and Jordi Boada and Arnaud Boulenger and Mélanie Cabral and Edoardo Casoli and Giovanni Chimienti and Tristan Estaque and Yolanda Fernández‐Torquemada and Vasilis Gerakaris and Sylvie Gobert and Daniele Grech and Demetris Kletou and Vesna Mačić and Julia Máñez-Crespo and Candela Marco‐Méndez and Heike Molenaar and Diego Moreno and José Luis Sánchez‐Lizaso and Thomas Schohn and Jorge Terrados and Georgina Torras Jorda and Daniele Ventura and Arturo Zenone and Balma Albalat Oliver and Vincent Bardinal and Agustín Barrajón Domenech and Walid Belgacem and Jamila Ben Souissi and Jaime Bernardeau‐Esteller and Carlo Nike Bianchi and Inés Castejón‐Silvo and Emma Cebrián and Éric Charbonnel and Adrien Cheminée and Edouard CHERE and Antonia Chiarore and George Constantinou and Jean‐Michel Cottalorda and Ivan Cvitković and Giovanni D’Anna and Marija Despalatović and Fedra Dokoza and Manuel Fernández Casado and Bruno Ferrari and Raouia Ghanem and Dorian Guillemain and Juan Eduardo Guillen Nieto and Aysu Güreşen},
  journal = {Communications Earth \& Environment},
  year = {2026},
  month = may,
  doi = {10.1038/s43247-026-03631-8},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03631-8},
  note = {CC BY},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Mass flowering of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica after 2022 record-breaking marine heatwaves, a Pan-Mediterranean study
AU  - Patrick Astruch
AU  - Nathaniel Bensoussan
AU  - S. André
AU  - Charles‐François Boudouresque
AU  - Fiona Tomás
AU  - Núria Teixidó
AU  - Jérémy Carlot
AU  - Bruno Belloni
AU  - Catalina A. García‐Escudero
AU  - Barış Akçalı
AU  - Teresa Alcoverro
AU  - Eugenia T. Apostolaki
AU  - Fabio Badalamenti
AU  - Jordi Boada
AU  - Arnaud Boulenger
AU  - Mélanie Cabral
AU  - Edoardo Casoli
AU  - Giovanni Chimienti
AU  - Tristan Estaque
AU  - Yolanda Fernández‐Torquemada
AU  - Vasilis Gerakaris
AU  - Sylvie Gobert
AU  - Daniele Grech
AU  - Demetris Kletou
AU  - Vesna Mačić
AU  - Julia Máñez-Crespo
AU  - Candela Marco‐Méndez
AU  - Heike Molenaar
AU  - Diego Moreno
AU  - José Luis Sánchez‐Lizaso
AU  - Thomas Schohn
AU  - Jorge Terrados
AU  - Georgina Torras Jorda
AU  - Daniele Ventura
AU  - Arturo Zenone
AU  - Balma Albalat Oliver
AU  - Vincent Bardinal
AU  - Agustín Barrajón Domenech
AU  - Walid Belgacem
AU  - Jamila Ben Souissi
AU  - Jaime Bernardeau‐Esteller
AU  - Carlo Nike Bianchi
AU  - Inés Castejón‐Silvo
AU  - Emma Cebrián
AU  - Éric Charbonnel
AU  - Adrien Cheminée
AU  - Edouard CHERE
AU  - Antonia Chiarore
AU  - George Constantinou
AU  - Jean‐Michel Cottalorda
AU  - Ivan Cvitković
AU  - Giovanni D’Anna
AU  - Marija Despalatović
AU  - Fedra Dokoza
AU  - Manuel Fernández Casado
AU  - Bruno Ferrari
AU  - Raouia Ghanem
AU  - Dorian Guillemain
AU  - Juan Eduardo Guillen Nieto
AU  - Aysu Güreşen
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/22
JO  - Communications Earth & Environment
DO  - 10.1038/s43247-026-03631-8
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03631-8
AB  - Following the unprecedented marine heatwaves of summer 2022, extensive flowering of the endemic seagrass Posidonia oceanica was witnessed across the western Mediterranean. To unravel the causes of this event, we conducted a pan-Mediterranean analysis across 442 sites spanning all Mediterranean ecoregions, with 76% exhibiting flowering. Flowering differed regionally, with both highest flowering prevalence (over 90%) and flowering intensity (up to 0.75) recorded in the Liguro-Provençal and Balearic Seas. We demonstrate that regions experiencing large summer sea surface temperature anomaly with high marine heatwave cumulative intensity displayed the highest flowering intensity. The probability of flowering was very likely when marine heatwave cumulative intensity exceeded ⁓120°C days. These findings suggest that marine heatwaves trigger flowering in P. oceanica and, given the high energetic cost of sexual reproduction, continued ocean warming may shift energy allocation toward flowering. This shift could profoundly affect the species’ reproductive strategies, posing major challenges and uncertainties for its long-term evolution.
SN  - 2662-4435
ER  -