Characterization of North–Western Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages by video surveys and evaluation of their structural complexity

Valisano, L.; Palma, Marco; Pantaleo, Ubaldo; Calcinai, Barbara; Cerrano, Carlo

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.07.012

Cited by 18 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 79 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The coralligenous accretions sampled at the Actea volcano summit cone were firstly analyzed to evaluate the main taxa characterizing the bioconstruction. Taking into account the typical layers of organisms usually growing on healthy coralligenous bioconstructions (Valisano et al, 2019) we found mainly encrusting organisms and a general composition that resembles that reported for coralligenous growing on granitic lithology (Canessa et al, 2020) even if bryozoans in the present coralligenous accretions show a higher diversity. The coralligenous structure was compact and only one species of boring organism was found, the sponge Spiroxya heteroclita Topsent, 1896, highlighting a regular stratification of the algal thalli.…”

Section: Methodology Coralligenous Bioconstruction Analysissupporting

confidence: 75%

“…As well known, the growth rates of these bio-constructions are very slow (up to 0.83 mm/year) and regulated mainly by light and temperature, depending on the time period, the depth and the latitude (Ingrosso et al, 2018). The growth is counterbalanced by physical, as well as biological, eroding processes (Calcinai et al, 2015;Bertolino et al, 2017) especially where the coralligenous integrity is altered (Valisano et al, 2019). To determine when the pyroclastics were erupted underwater, we extracted four samples at the interface between the volcanic rock and the coralligenous accretion, and dated with the radiocarbon method using the AMS technique.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Unraveling Past Submarine Eruptions by Dating Lapilli Tuff-Encrusting Coralligenous (Actea Volcano, NW Sicilian Channel)

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The dating of young submarine volcanic eruptions, with their potential generation of tsunamigenic waves, is essential for a reliable hazard assessment. This is particularly relevant in highly populated coastal areas. The scarce knowledge of the underwater environment makes however, this reconstruction challenging. Our study is focused on the NW sector of the Sicilian Channel, where several small- and medium-size volcanic edifices are present. The only documented Surtseyan-type eruption occurred in A.D. 1831, forming the ephemeral Ferdinandea Island. Late Pleistocene to mid-Holocene eruptions have been up to now only hypothesized, and based solely on indirect data. Here we present the first radiocarbon dates of a coralligenous bioconstruction sampled at 34 m water depth from the summit of the Actea volcano, grown up progressively (up to nowadays) on a lapilli tuff deposit. Actea volcano is a recently discovered pyroclastic cone located at only four nautical miles off the SW coast of Sicily. The oldest age of the bioconstructions that started to encrustate the shallow water pyroclastics shortly after their emplacement (7,387 ± 175 cal years B.P.) represents a terminus ante quem, thus testifying a mid-Holocene submarine eruption in this sector of the Sicilian Channel. This method may be effectively used to bridge the gap between historical accounts and the geological record and thus may contribute to a better volcanic hazard assessment of submarine eruption and related phenomena such as tsunamis.

show abstract

Section: Methodology Coralligenous Bioconstruction Analysissupporting

confidence: 75%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unraveling Past Submarine Eruptions by Dating Lapilli Tuff-Encrusting Coralligenous (Actea Volcano, NW Sicilian Channel)

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Seafloor imagery is increasingly being used to study the abundance and distribution of species on the seafloor (Valisano et al, 2019). The advance and availability of exploration technologies, such as ROV-imaging, applied to previously unexplored hard bottoms, have provided a lot of in vivo information for the deep sea and reef systems, that in the last decades have revolutionized and rapidly increased the knowledge on these habitats and its threats.…”

Section: Methods Used To Detect Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Coral skeletal characteristics, determining the rigidity and fragility of a colony, as well as the size and shape of individuals, determine the resistance to friction, which explains the different responses of the various species of coral to mechanical impacts (Bo et al, 2014;Fabri et al, 2014;Angiolillo and Canese, 2018). In this review, the most impacted species resulted in those that easily remain entangled due to their mediumlarge colony size, an arborescent morphology, and a flexible skeleton (e.g., Antipathella subpinnata, Leiopathes glaberrima, Callogorgia verticillata, Dendrophyllia cornigera, Paramuricea clavata, Figures 5A-D), as observed in other studies (Asoh et al, 2004;Bo et al, 2014;Valisano et al, 2019). Numerous examples from this review illustrate marine litter impacts on vulnerable (VU) and endangered (EN) species (IUCN criteria, Table 1) and sensitive habitats, such as CWCs (Orejas et al, 2009;Madurell et al, 2012), coral gardens (Bo et al, 2014(Bo et al, , 2015Fabri et al, 2014; and coralligenous assemblages (Sbrescia et al, 2008;Valisano et al, 2019) that are more vulnerable because of slow growth rate and longevity of their coral species (MacDonald et al, 1996;Consoli et al, 2018).…”

Section: Entanglementmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The reduction in the coverage of habitat-forming species and the detrimental effect on the diversity and abundance of reef invertebrates and fishes resulting from human-induced pressure can cause substantial modifications to the structure and functioning of reef ecosystems (Bo et al, 2014;Clark et al, 2016;Valisano et al, 2019). The accumulation of fishing debris represents one of the major causes of habitat degradation of Mediterranean reefs.…”

Section: Entanglementmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Impacts of Marine Litter on Mediterranean Reef Systems: From Shallow to Deep Waters

Angiolillo

Fortibuoni

2020

Front. Mar. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Biogenic reefs are known worldwide to play a key role in benthic ecosystems, enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem functioning at every level, from shallow to deeper waters. Unfortunately, several stressors threaten these vulnerable systems. The widespread presence of marine litter represents one of these. The harmful effects of marine litter on several organisms are known so far. However, only in the last decade, there was increasingly scientific and public attention on the impacts on reef organisms and habitats caused by litter accumulating on the seafloor. This review aims to synthesize literature and discuss the state of current knowledge on the interactions between marine litter and reef organisms in a strongly polluted basin, the Mediterranean Sea. The multiple impacts (e.g., entanglement, ghost-fishing, coverage, etc.) of litter on reef systems, the list of species impacted, and the main litter categories were identified, and a map of the knowledge available so far on this topic was provided. Seventy-eight taxa resulted impacted by marine litter on Mediterranean reefs, and the majority belonged to the phylum Cnidaria (41%), including endangered species like the red coral (Corallium rubrum) and the madrepora coral (Madrepora oculata). Entanglement, caused mainly by abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), was the most frequent impact, playing a detrimental effect mainly on coralligenous arborescent species and cold-water corals (CWCs). The information was spatially heterogeneous, with some areas almost uncovered by scientific studies (e.g., the Aegean-Levantine Sea and the Southern Mediterranean Sea). Although many legal and policy frameworks have been established to tackle this issue [e.g., marine strategy framework directive (MSFD) and the Barcelona Convention], several gaps still exist concerning the assessment of the impact of marine litter on marine organisms, and in particular on reefs. There is a need for harmonized and standardized monitoring protocols for the collection of quantitative data to assess the impact of litter on reefs and animal forests. At the same time, urgent management measures limiting, for instance, the impact of ALDFG and other marine litter are needed to preserve these valuable and vulnerable marine ecosystems.

show abstract

NAMBER: A biotic index for assessing the ecological quality of mesophotic biogenic reefs in the northern Adriatic Sea

Piazzi

Turicchia

Rindi

et al. 2023

Aquatic Conservation

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

1. The aim of the present study was to propose a biotic index (North Adriatic Mesophotic BiogEnic Reefs, NAMBER) suitable for assessing the ecological quality of the mesophotic biogenic reefs of the northern Adriatic continental shelf based on photographic sampling. 2.At each of the 20 study sites, the degree of bioconstruction (expressed as percentage cover of crustose coralline algae), the α-diversity (expressed as the mean number of taxa), and the degree of sensitivity to human disturbance and climate change (based on literature data and expert judgement) of the benthic assemblages were selected as descriptors and combined in the NAMBER index, using the best values that the three metrics can currently achieve in the studied region as a reference.3. The study highlighted that there was large spatial heterogeneity among reefs and high variability in the ecological quality values obtained by NAMBER, ranging from bad to high. The index indicates that reefs lying furthest from the coast, under substantially lower anthropogenic pressure, have a generally higher status of environmental quality. However, a clear geographical pattern did not emerge, as reefs close together often had different ecological qualities. 4. The NAMBER index, which combines three ecological descriptors, in accordance with the requirements of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive, represents a specific adaptation to the northern Adriatic Sea of a multimetric index previously developed for the north-western Mediterranean Sea, capitalizing on previous knowledge and research efforts. 5. This multimetric biotic index provides an effective standardized tool for monitoring programmes and environmental impact assessments in the northern Adriatic mesophotic biogenic reefs and lays the foundation for ecosystem-based management and conservation in this basin.

show abstract

Characterization of North–Western Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages by video surveys and evaluation of their structural complexity

Cited by 18 publications

References 79 publications

Unraveling Past Submarine Eruptions by Dating Lapilli Tuff-Encrusting Coralligenous (Actea Volcano, NW Sicilian Channel)

Unraveling Past Submarine Eruptions by Dating Lapilli Tuff-Encrusting Coralligenous (Actea Volcano, NW Sicilian Channel)

Impacts of Marine Litter on Mediterranean Reef Systems: From Shallow to Deep Waters

NAMBER: A biotic index for assessing the ecological quality of mesophotic biogenic reefs in the northern Adriatic Sea

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About