Identifying Gaps in the Protection of Mediterranean Seagrass Habitats Using Network‐Based Prioritisation

ABSTRACT Aim Seagrass meadows represent a key marine ecosystem owing to the significant biodiversity they host. Protection actions are often implemented without considering connectivity between habitats. In this article, we project and prioritise Mediterranean seagrass habitats ( Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa ) based on their potential as sources/retention and stepping stones for dispersal propagules of the associated biotic communities. We use this information to identify gaps in the protection of highly ranked habitats. Location Mediterranean Sea. Methods We related seagrass observations with marine environmental predictors to run species distribution models and infer the distribution of Mediterranean seagrasses. We then used a network‐based approach (CONEFOR) to rank patches of seagrass suitable areas based on their contribution to the seascape in terms of patch area, potential as source/retention of propagules and stepping stone. Finally, by overlaying our ranking with the spatial distribution of marine protected areas (MPAs), we identified potential gaps in the protection of important seagrass habitats across the Mediterranean and its basins. Results Most of the identified patches of seagrass suitable areas are not included in MPAs, only reaching a maximum protection coverage of ~50% in the Northwestern Mediterranean. Relatively few patches contribute disproportionately to connectivity, but top‐ranked habitat patches are not included within the existing MPAs network, both at the Mediterranean scale and for most basins. The largest gaps for the source/sink role are in the Aegean and Ionian Sea, and largest gaps for the stepping stone role are in the Adriatic, Ionian and Tyrrhenian Sea. Main Conclusions Our results suggest that the current MPAs network fails to protect highly relevant patches of seagrass suitable areas in most of the Mediterranean basins. However, this gap could be filled by a few well‐placed MPAs. Overall, we provide novel insights for the identification of key habitats and planning novel coastal MPAs in the region.