Quantifying the decline in Corallium rubrum populations

A recent article by Bruckner (2009; Mar Ecol Prog Ser 397: 319-332) focused on population decline in the commercially exploited Mediterranean red coral Corallium rubrum. Bruckner (2009) used data on coral size structure and reproductive output gathered by a variety of sampling methods in different populations: Data on overharvested shallow-water populations (which are generally made up of crowded, small-sized colonies) were combined with the small amount of data available on deep-water populations (which consist of larger, sparse colonies); the latter have become the main target for commercial harvesting nowadays. In our opinion, the conclusions in Bruckner (2009) did not fully reflect the heterogeneity and the limits of the data set. Collection of sound demographic data through broader, coordinated research applying standard procedures to different populations is required for a reliable analysis of Corallium rubrum population dynamics.