The effects of climate changes on Posidonia oceanica meadows in the Mediterranean Basin

Climate changes are affecting the fate of Posidonia oceanica meadows. Actually, the Mediterranean Sea is threatened by abiotic, biotic and climate changes coupled with human pressures regarding coastal regions. In this way, Posidonia oceanica is able to counteract the effects of climate changes through the high thermotolerance of the species, range shift processes of the meadows and variations in the community composition of this valuable marine ecosystem. Anyway, the power of acclimatization to temperature shifts and the adaptative capacity of Posidonia oceanica meadows against human pressures let to suggest a positive trend in the long evolutionary pathway of the species.