Mediterranean coralligenous communities are highly diverse (harbouring around 1600 species corresponding to 20% of Mediterranean species) and of great structural complexity. The species dominating the coralligenous seascape are encrusting calcareous algae, sponges, cnidarians, bryozoans and tunicates. Despite the ecological, aesthetic and economic value of coralligenous outcrops, there is little understanding of coralligenous biodiversity patterns. Probably the high diversity of these communities make difficult their study.
In order to raise the awareness of the coralligenous richness, MedRecover decided to develop a database for species dwelling in these communities. This database is intended to help researchers, managers and general public to identify species. However, this database has not developed to become a reference and much less to replace the advise of specialists.
A former version of the database was developed in the framework of the Medchange project funded by the French National Research Foundation. Many people collaborated in their development specially Maïa Fourt, Anne Durand. Several specialists Jean Vacelet and Nicole Boury-Esnault (sponges), Jean-Georges Harmelin and Mikel Zabala (Bryozoan), Helmut Zibrowius (Anthozoans) and Enric Ballesteros (macrophyta) have provide their advice and enthusiasm in species identification. Despite of this, they can not be held liable for any errors contained in the records. Finally, we would also like to thank Enric Ballesteros (Research Centre Estudis Avançats Blanes-CSIC, Spain) and diver officers from the Centre Oceanologie de Marseilles for making available their image bank.
Any use of pictures of the database for research activities (presentation, masters, thesis, etc...) is permitted subject to citation of the original. (Photo © MedRecover). Any other use of photos, whether commercial or otherwise, must be the subject of an application for permission to Joaquim Garrabou (firstname.lastname@example.org). All rights of the contents of the database are reserved to the authors and research institutions.