Mljet National Park invites you to the presentation “Corals of the Mljet National Park” by the author Assoc. Prof. Petar Kružić, PhD, head of the coral research study in the Mljet National Park during 1995-2018.
Presentation will be held on Friday, August 10 at 8 pm at the “Stara skula” Gallery in the Goveđari Village.
The aim of this long term study was to obtain a detailed inventory of the coral fauna in the Mljet National Park, as well as the coral ecology and the global climate changes impact on coral populations.
Overall, a total of 56 species were recorded in the area of the Mljet National Park, of which 38 species are endangered and five species are strictly protected in Croatia. One species (Red Coral) is listed on the Annex V of the EU Habitats Directive. Under the Habitats Directive EU Member States select the most suitable sites and designate them as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) of EU Natura 2000 Network, as is HR5000037 Mljet National Park.
Recorded coral species account for about 50% of corals known in the Adriatic Sea. Eight of these species were not recorded previously in the Adriatic Sea. Eleven species are considered to be Mediterranean endemics, as is the colonial bushy coral Cladocora caespitosa. Due to the specific environmental conditions in this area, Veliko jezero holds the largest recorded bushy coral reef in the world.
Five species, which were studied more profoundly (population dynamics) during the years, were identified as key species for the conservation purposes. Those species are: Bushy Coral (Cladocora caespitosa), Star Coral (Madracis pharensis), Tooth Coral (Balanophyllia europaea), Yellow Cup Coral (Leptosammia pruvoti) and Red Coral (Corallium rubrum).
Photo: P. Kružić
