Invasive red algae detected off Port-Cros Island

Discovered last December by researchers from the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanology off the island of Port Cros, Lophocladia lallemandii is a filamentous red alga native to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean and present in the eastern Mediterranean basin since the 20th century after having crossed the Suez Canal like many invasive species. Today, several mats of these algae have been discovered near Port-Cros, ranging in size from 3 to 8 meters deep. Lophocladia lallemandii produces toxic molecules that protect it from predators. Its proliferation can have a significant impact on the functioning of marine ecosystems and in particular on Posidonia meadows.

Interviewed by France 2, Sandrine Ruitton and Charles-François Boudouresque (MIO) tell us more about its possible impacts in this report (from 15'00"). Studies will have to confirm the extent of its implation in the western Mediterranean and its consequences.

This discovery highlights the importance of collaboration between scientists and the Port-Cros National Park. The presence of scientists having allowed its formal identification.