Red and brown algae mats overgrow classical marine biodiversity hotspots in the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

Marine habitats experience transitions in the benthic communities from invertebrate- or seagrass- dominance to alternative states of algal dominance. Classical Mediterranean biodiversity hotspots are declining, and potentially replaced and overgrown by algal assemblages. Here we provide the first photographic proof of Mediterranean algal mats that overgrow seagrass meadows and hard-bottom habitats.