Discovered last December by researchers from the Institut Méditerranéen d'Océanologie off the island of Port Cros, Lophocladia lallemandii is a filamentous red alga native to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean that has been present in the eastern Mediterranean basin since the 20th century after crossing the Suez Canal like a number of invasive species. Several mats of these algae, varying in size from 3 to 8 metres deep, have now been discovered near Port-Cros. Lophocladia lallemandii produces toxic molecules that protect it from predators. Its proliferation can have a major impact on the functioning of marine ecosystems, particularly Posidonia meadows.
Interviewed by France 2, Sandrine Ruitton and Charles-François Boudouresque (MIO) tell us more about its possible impact 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 enabled its formal identification.