Marine ecosystems face unprecedented challenges due to current climate change, particularly in the Mediterranean Sea. Corals, which serve as key ecosystem engineers, are highly sensitive to environmental changes. Their ability to survive and adapt in warming waters remains uncertain. However, Mediterranean corals may have an inherent advantage due to their natural exposure to extreme environmental variability, including fluctuations in temperature and salinity, and nutrient inputs from terrestrial runoff.
The EU-funded MedCorP project aims to investigate the potential of Mediterranean corals to adapt to climate change by examining how they respond to elevated temperatures and iron enrichment. Iron is a vital coral micronutrient, supporting respiratory and photosynthetic processes. Despite its essential role, the uptake, distribution, and critical thresholds of iron within corals remain poorly understood. This knowledge gap limits our ability to predict how corals will respond to future environmental stressors.
To address this, MedCorP employs a novel combination of high-resolution microsensing technologies and bioimaging to explore coral metabolism at the microscale level.
The project aims to:
• Measure metabolic responses of Mediterranean corals under conditions of elevated temperature and iron availability.
• Quantify the role of inorganic iron in coral cellular metabolism.
• Develop a new model to assess coral metabolic performance.
• Share findings with relevant stakeholders, including government agencies, environmental organizations, and the scientific community, to support informed conservation and management strategies.
MedCorP provides unprecedented insights into how iron availability and warming influence coral physiology, integrating state-of-the-art analytical techniques. The results are used to develop predictive models for coral resilience and informing conservation strategies tailored to Mediterranean ecosystems. In the broader context, MedCorP aligns with European and global efforts to protect marine biodiversity and mitigate climate change impacts on vulnerable ecosystems. The project’s open-access dissemination strategy ensures that scientific knowledge reaches a diverse audience, supporting collaboration among researchers, conservation practitioners, and decision-makers.
Ultimately, the MedCorP project contributes to a deeper understanding of coral adaptation mechanisms, providing essential data to anticipate the future of Mediterranean coral populations under climate change scenarios.
