Is it really an invasion or could it just be a movement of the reef, reef being lifted out of the sphere of wave activity/typhoon exposing the tube dwelling annelids. We experienced an uplift of coral reef ina a coastal area recently after typhoon Pablo and the locals called them Isla Pablo..

This is really interesting. Where did you find this? My colleagues and I are currently charting the broad scale distribution of S. alveolata in the UK, Ireland and France and would be interested to know where else it occurs in Spain and Portugal. We have found that S. alveolata reefs can be very variable both spatially and temporally. We had very heavy recruitment and reef growth at a number of locations in the UK this year.

Dear Buenaflor and Louise,

Thanks by your answers!

In this coast we not experienced any particular strange event that could contributed to the movement of the reefs. In fact, the reefs were known from the entrance of the channel many years ago and now they can be found in several areas (inside the lagoon).

Some cause(s) must explain this phenomena...

all the best,

Roberto

Nutrients, bioturbation and diversity of bacteria and meiofauna in the sediments and lack of natural predators??