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Table 2. Vulnerable pre-identified habitats (UNEP-MAP, 2009) and potential climate change impacts.

Vulnerable pre-identified habitats Potential impacts

Coastal lagoons,
saline wetlands Inundation, flooding, salinization.
and ponds

Accelerated sea-level rise can impact salt marshes through inundation,
Estuaries, erosion, saltwater intrusion and landward migration of coastal ecosystems.
salt marshes Loss of wetland communities.
and tidal mudflats Sea-level rise might also cause significant and rapid loss of intertidal flats and
bottom communities.

Effects of more frequent and extreme weather events on low-lying coasts can
potentially submerge low-laying areas with loss of nesting beaches.
Increase in erosion, particularly on the seaward side; it can complete removal
Sandy low-lying the sand from narrow beaches.
beaches
Sand dune mobility.
Acidification and changes in current dynamics can modify the benthic
communities.

Submarine and
coastal Sea-level rise and reduced precipitation might increase coastal landslips.
karst habitats

Sea-level rise may impact coastal habitats important as breeding or nursery
areas and reduce their size.
Nursery sites Temperature increase may reduce populations of coastal fish, affect the life-
history and movement of species, including commercial species and induce
changes in the distribution of key fisheries and fishing effort.

Increase temperature and acidification could threaten calcium carbonate
organisms such as coralligenous assemblages (macroinvertebrates and
Coralligenous calcareous algae) that sustain important structural habitats.
assemblages
Alien species could be favoured by new climate conditions and/or
outcompete species already affected by mass mortalities damages.

Vermetid
platforms Sea-level rise could submergence communities.

Posidonia An intense floration (i.e. caused by a temperature rise) could increase leaf
meadows mortality and have a negative net growth on some meadows.

Sites with
endemic, Retreat of endemic habitats, keystone species and faunal assemblages.
endangered and
rare species

MEDITERRANEAN MARINE PROTECTED AREAS AND CLIMATE CHANGE: A GUIDE TO REGIONAL MONITORING AND ADAPTATION OPPORTUNITIES 23