Sighting of a red coral [Corallium rubrum (Linnaeus, 1758)] population living at Gibraltar Strait

Red coral has been overexploited in the Mediterranean for more than two thousand years, being probably the marine species of highest economic value in this sea. Shallow populations have long been overharvested due to their accessibility and this has caused a clear regression within its distributional range. However, the information available on the red coral is limited, and mainly focused on the Northern Mediterranean (Ligurian coast of Italy, France and NE Spain). Considering this, a dense shallow (15–25 m) population in the Southern coasts of the Strait of Gibraltar was found in 2014, where the species is currently rare. Analyses on size, density, branching pattern and age were carried out, as well as the description of the associated vagile macrofauna.