Benthic habitat modelling and mapping as a conservation tool for marine protected areas: A seamount in the western Mediterranean
Abstract Access to the text (Via Wiley)
Campaign: Habitat Protection
Ecological characterisation of a Mediterranean cold-water coral reef: Cabliers Coral Mound Province (Alboran Sea, western Mediterranean)
Abstract Scleractinian cold-water coral (CWC) reefs are key habitats for benthic fauna as they enhance spatial heterogeneity and biodiversity. Understanding their environmental and ecological dynamics has therefore important implications for biodiversity conservation. This is especially true for the Mediterranean Sea, where living cold-water coral reefs are rare. In this study, we present a quantitative analysis … Read more
Finding of the macrophagous deep-sea ascidian Dicopia antirrhinum Monniot, 1972 (Chordata: Tunicata) in the Tyrrhenian Sea and updating of its distribution
Abstract This study reports the in situ observations of a deep-sea ascidian, Dicopia antirrhinum (family Octacnemidae), on the deep seabed off the Aeolian Islands (Tyrrhenian Sea), between 569 and 813 m depth. These observations represent the first record of the species in Italian waters and the second observation in vivo to date. Peculiar macroscopic features … Read more
Habitat forming species explain taxonomic and functional diversities in a Mediterranean seamount
Abstract Complexity provided by habitat-forming species in marine ecosystems has been linked to higher species richness and biodiversity as well as enhancing ecosystem functioning. This study assesses how the presence of biogenic component of benthic habitats affects the taxonomic richness and functional diversities of a seamount benthos. We used a variety of complementary metrics on … Read more
Mesophotic rocks dominated by Diazona violacea: a Mediterranean codified habitat.
Abstract The football ascidian Diazona violacea was observed in three different sites in the Aeolian Archipelago (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea), from 53 to 116 m depth. A large population of this ascidian was found on rocky habitat, enhancing its three-dimensionality and constituting a peculiar facies. Colonies of D. violacea showed a mean density of 0.87 ± … Read more
Diversity, distribution, and habitat associations of deep-water echinoderms in the Central Mediterranean
Abstract Limited research effort in the Central Mediterranean deep sea has reported a lower species diversity in this area than in adjacent regions. With the recent advent of remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs), the deep sea has become more accessible to surveys, especially rocky benthic areas such as canyons and escarpments. The aim of the … Read more
Benthic fauna of littoral and deep-sea habitats of the Alboran Sea: A hotspot of biodiversity
Abstract Benthic habitats, as well as their associated biota, have been studied in the Alboran Sea since the nineteenth century, with a very significant increase of knowledge in the last five decades. The geographical location of the Alboran Sea between three different biogeographical regions, the complex oceanography and the heterogeneous seafloor promote the coexistence of … Read more
A non-invasive method to assess the population structure of the whip coral Ellisella flagellum
Abstract:This study reports the occurrence of a forest of the whip coral Ellisella flagellum at Aeolian Archipelago. The population structure of the species was assessed by image analysis. A new method to estimate colonies’height based on their width is presented. Access to the text (Via IEE Xplore)
