Abstract
Very few mass stranding events of invertebrates have been reported. In this paper, we report a mass stranding of multiple benthic organisms occurred at Punta Umbría beach (S Spain) after the passage of storm Emma (28 February to 5 March 2018). The most abundant organisms were identified, and exceptional meteorological and oceanographic events were analyzed, as a basis to understand the causes of stranding. The morphodynamic changes affecting the beach profile during the storm were inferred using a cross shore depth-integrated and time averaged numerical model (CSHORE). Among the stranded species, decapods (Upogebia spp., Atelecyclus undecimdentatus), sipunculids (Sipunculus nudus), starfish (Astropecten sp.), and sessile tunicates were dominant. Storm Emma involved extreme significant wave heights of up to 7.27 m, low pressures, strong SW winds, precipitations and spring tides that modified the seabed elevation to depth as deep as −10 m. Simulations suggest that benthic organisms living at a water depth between −10 to −0.3 m were buried under a layer of sediment of up to ca. 10 cm deposited during the storm. This burial preceded the transport of intertidal and subtidal benthic organisms to the dry beach, causing their stranding. Impacts on the quality of habitat, biodiversity and the productivity of coastal ecosystems are discussed.
Highlights
There is a vast literature on the stranding of marine vertebrate species; very few stranding and mass mortality of invertebrates have been reported
In the particular case of storms, benthic invertebrate mortality can occur either because they are covered by sediment or because they are dragged to the dry beach [6]
The mass mortality of Echinocardium cordatum in the north of the Gulf of Aqaba in 1972 was documented [15]; and the mass mortality of Cassidulus caribbearum on the seafloor in the Virgin Islands was caused by strong storms [16]
Summary
There is a vast literature on the stranding of marine vertebrate species ( cetaceans); very few stranding and mass mortality of invertebrates have been reported. Except for mortalities following spawning [11], which can be considered a natural and periodic event, all other cases of strandings are related to extreme and unexpected events, which make them difficult to forecast or in depth analyze This eventuality limits the amount of information that can be obtained and a large part of the strandings that occurs does not go beyond mere news in the local press, with little information provided. A mass stranding of starfish (Asterias rubens) were reported in the Isle of Man [9], and the south coast of England [10] coinciding with major spring tides in conjunction with strong winds and large swell This lack of solid scientific assessments contrasts with potential ecological and economic implications of such events. Our results provide some insights regarding the exceptional causes and ecological consequences of the stranding
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