Mortality of <i>Paramuricea clavata</i>.

<p>Percentage of affected colonies with ≥10% of the colony surface showing recent necrosis (denuded axis or recent epibiosis) for <i>Paramuricea clavata</i> populations in the four study regions of the northwestern Mediterranean sea at 10 and 25 m depths during 1999, 2003, 2006 and YNMMEs. The cases with the highest rates of necrosis are those above the grey dashed line. Within this group of data there were no statistical differences in mortality rates (p-value>0.05), while % of affected colonies showed statistical differences with the remaining years, regions and depths (p-value<0.5). There was an exception for Port-Cros in 1999 at the 25 m depth, which did not present differences with Riou in 2006 at the 10 m depth.</p

Timing of the 15 and 40 consecutive days with the highest mean T.

<p>Timing of consecutive episodes of 15 (a, c) and 40 days (b, d) with the highest mean T for 10 and 25 m depths. The average ± SD is presented for YNMMEs. Cases were ordered in the Y axis to facilitate data reading, but their position in this axis does not provide any information. M: Medes, R: Riou: PC: Port-Cros and S: Scandola.</p

Field T versus experimental thermotolerance data.

<p>Inverse second order regression (f = y0+(a/x)+(b/x∧2) fitted to field T data (highest mean T of different length episodes) of the four study regions at 10 m depth (complete and dashed lines) and experimental results (day of 1^st signs of necrosis) from different rocky benthic species (grey and black symbols) obtained from the bibliography and the authors' unpublished data (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0023814#pone-0023814-t002" target="_blank">Table 2</a>). For <i>E. singularis</i> and <i>O. patagonica</i> at 24°C and for <i>O. patagonica</i> at 26°C, the number of days until the 1^st signs of necrosis actually indicates the number of experimental days since no necrosis was observed until the last day. The aim of the figure is to represent a composite function over which, under experimental conditions, the species seems to tolerate field T regimes and under which species are affected by tissue necrosis.</p

Availability of temperature data.

<p>Available temperature data for the four study regions in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea at 10 and 25 m depths (*: temperature at 15 m depths was analyzed instead of temperature at 10 m). The selected depths include the depth range in which the most severe impacts of MMEs were observed.</p

Mean T and CV of consecutive episodes with the highest mean T (10 m depth).

<p>Mean temperature (°C) and coefficient of variation (%) of consecutive episodes of 2, 5, 10, 15, 30 and 40 days with the highest mean temperature. Data are presented for the four study locations at 10 m depths.</p

Classical T descriptors.

<p>Mean T, maximum T (Max T) and coefficient of variation (CV) for the summer period of the four study regions for 1999, 2003, 2006 and YNMMEs (mean ± SD) at 10 and 25 m depths.</p

Availability of experimental data.

<p>Data from experimental work on T effects on mortality (necrosis) of the NWM rocky benthic species used to produce <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0023814#pone-0023814-g007" target="_blank">Figure 7</a>.</p

Mean T and CV of consecutive episodes with the highest mean T (25 m depth).

<p>Mean temperature (°C) and coefficient of variation (%) of consecutive episodes of 2, 5, 10, 15, 30 and 40 days with the highest mean temperature. Data are presented for the four study locations at 25 m depth.</p

Diatom assemblages from surface sediments of the Río de la Plata estuary, Uruguay

<p>The Río de la Plata estuary (RdlP) exhibits environmental gradients associated with the freshwater input and oceanic water intrusion. The aim of this study was to assess diatom species distribution in surface sediment samples related to such environmental gradients. The internal section of RdlP was dominated by <i>Aulacoseira</i> spp<i>.</i>, <i>Eunotia</i> spp., <i>Staurosirella martyi</i>, <i>Actinocyclus normanii</i> and <i>Thalassiosira baltica</i>, indicatives of low salinity levels and high trophic conditions, associated with the riverine and estuarine regimes. The external section was dominated by <i>Coscinodiscus radiatus</i>, <i>Thalassiosira</i> spp., <i>Paralia sulcata</i>, <i>Cyclotella striata</i>, among other marine taxa, indicatives of high salinity and low trophic conditions, associated with the influence of the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Furthermore, the intermediate section presents a mixture of both diatom groups representing mixing conditions. The observed diatom species groups capture fairly well the RdlP environmental variability and can be reliably used for paleoenvironmental studies in this and other similar estuarine systems.</p