Pink sea fan / Warty coral (Eunicella verrucosa), Lundy Island Marine Conservation Zone, Devon, England, UK, |
An iconic coral species found in UK waters could expand its range due to climate change, new research shows.
The pink sea fan is a soft coral that lives in shallow waters from the western Mediterranean (southern range) to north-west Ireland and the south-west of England and Wales (northern range).
The species is classified as "vulnerable" worldwide and it is listed as a species of principal importance in England and Wales under the NERC Act 2006.
The new study, by the University of Exeter, found that the species is likely to spread northwards – including around the British coast – as global temperatures rise.
The results could be used to identify priority areas to protect pink sea fan populations.
"We built models to predict the current and future (2081-2100) habitat of pink sea fans across an area covering the Bay of Biscay, the British Isles and southern Norway," said Dr Tom Jenkins, from the University of Exeter.