IUCN, Global Marine Programme

More than 70% of the earth is covered by oceans and major seas and there are more than 1.6 million kilometres of coastline. Yet our marine world is under threat: the most insidious is the one posed by marine invasive species. This booklet does not present new or primary information, but rather a synthesis of current issues and trends, including several examples of some of the worst marine invasive species, their spread and impact. It is targeted at the general public to highlight an important but often overlooked issue, and to serve as a source of information and inspiration.

Ce document est un rapport technique relatif à l’état de la question dans le bassin méditerranéen. Il décrit les spécificités de la mer Méditerranée et le phénomène du changement climatique observé à l’échelle de cette région. Il présente ensuite les caractéristiques des cinq espèces de magnoliophytes présentes dans ses eaux. Dans un second temps, il décrit l’impact du changement climatique sur les herbiers méditerranéens, d’abord en ce qui concerne les pressions qu’il y exerce et leur résilience à ces pressions, et ensuite en ce qui concerne les communautés qui leur sont associées.

Although there is a common agreement on the importance of conservation of Mediterranean submarine canyons amongst international organizations, their governance is complex: the canyons' extension covers waters and seabeds under various types of jurisdictions (territorial waters, Fisheries Protection Zone, Ecological Protection Zone, including delimitation issues).

This document is a summary of the technical report on the current state of affairs in the Mediterranean basin. It describes the specific characteristics of the Mediterranean Sea and the phenemenon of climate change observed on the scale of this particular region. It then presents five species of Magnoliophyta documented in its waters. Secondly, it describes the impact of climate change on Mediterranean seagrasses, firstly with regard to the pressures to which they are subjected and their resilience to them and, secondly, to the communities associated with the marine environments they form.

Este documento es un resumen del informe técnico sobre esta temática en la cuenca mediterránea. Describe las especificidades del mar Mediterráneo y el fenómeno del cambio climático observado a escala de esta región. Presenta igualmente las características de las cinco especies de Magnoliofitas presentes en sus aguas. En un segundo tiempo, describe el impacto del cambio climático sobre las praderas mediterráneas, primeramente respecto a las presiones que ejerce sobre ellas y su resiliencia a dichas presiones, y luego respecto a las comunidades que están asociadas con ellas.

The purpose of this publication is to provide naturalists, resource managers and scientists with a simple guide to identify all species of seagrasses in the Red Sea. Each species is described in detail using photographs of key and diagnostic features. Key features are those that distinguish a particular species from most other species, whereas diagnostic features belong only to that species. The guide begins with a description of habitats in the Red Sea that support seagrasses, followed by an introduction to the features of seagrasses used for identification.