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Report | June 4, 2026
Deep-sea ecosystems of the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean deep-sea ecosystems, particularly those between 600 m and 1000 m depth, are among the region’s most ecologically valuable yet vulnerable environments. They host a mosaic of habitats, including cold-water coral reefs, sponge grounds, sea pen fields, bamboo coral (Isidella elongata) facies, submarine canyons, seamounts, and extensive soft-sediment plains. These systems support high biodiversity, important commercial species, and increased climate resilience, as natural, long-term reservoirs where carbon is stored. They are also highly vulnerable and slow to recover from damage, because they comprise slow-growing, long-lived species, with limited resilience to disturbance.
Bottom-contact fishing remains the most pervasive pressure on these habitats. In particular, bottom trawling removes habitat forming species, alters sediment structure, and disrupts key linkages between the seafloor and the water column, with long-lasting impacts on ecosystem functioning and carbon burial. Evidence from the Mediterranean Sea shows that repeated bottom trawling leads to habitat degradation, reduced biomass of commercially important species, and loss of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs). The Critically Endangered bamboo coral Isidella elongata, once widespread, now occurs only in scattered low-density populations due to trawling impacts.
