Global Warming and the Spread of the Introduced Jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda: Thermal Niche and Habitat Suitability in the Mediterranean Sea.

ABSTRACT: Climate change affects marine ecosystems in multiple ways, including sea warming and changes in biological community structure and diversity. The Mediterranean Sea has emerged as one of the most vulnerable regions, also because of the diverse patterns of introduction of non-native species. First recorded in the coastal waters of Cyprus in 1903, the Red Sea jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda (Forskål, 1775) is spreading its distribution and local abundance, posing questions on its potential ecological implications. Here we identified the thermal tolerance, habitat suitability, and potential distribution range of the C. andromeda polyps, a key life cycle stage responsible for asexual reproduction and population persistence. By laboratory-controlled respirometric measurements, we assessed that the

SUBMITTER: Fumarola LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12529649 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature