Marine Protected Areas effectively maintain endemic Pinna nobilis populations

Abstract

Coastal habitat degradation compromise sessile marine species. Populations of the endemic species, fan shell bivalve Pinna nobilis are declining in spite of species protection. Models analyzed environmental versus human-derived stressors as explanatory variables depicting populations at mesoscale level. Human stressors explained most variability in density spatial distribution significantly disturbing benthic communities, while habitat protection affected P. nobilis structure and physical aggression by anchoring highly impact on densities. Environmental variables played a secondary role, indicating that global change processes are not so relevant in coastal benthic communities as human-derived impacts