Deep-water hydrodynamic observations around a cold-water coral habitat in a submarine canyon in the eastern Ligurian Sea (Mediterranean Sea)

Abstract

Abstract. A 2-year dataset of a stand-alone mooring, deployed in November 2020 down the Levante Canyon in the eastern Ligurian Sea, is presented. The Levante Canyon Mooring (LCM) is a deep submarine multidisciplinary observatory positioned at 608 m depth in a key ecosystem area. The Levante Canyon hosts a valuable and vulnerable ecosystem of deep-living cold-water corals (CWCs), studied and monitored since 2013 through integrated mapping of the seabed and water column. The 2-year dataset, acquired on the mooring and presented here (data from November 2020 to October 2022), includes measurements conducted with both current meters and conductivity–temperature–depth (CTD) probes and provides information about the hydrodynamics and thermohaline properties across almost the entire water column. The observatory is still ongoing, and the dataset is regularly updated. All the described data are publicly available from https://doi.org/10.17882/92236 (Borghini et al., 2022). They must therefore be preserved and are of considerable scientific interest.

The cold-water coral province of the eastern Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean Sea): historical and novel evidences

“…In addition, other interesting areas in the Levante Canyon have been identified. The implementation of high-resolution bottom mapping technologies, modern acoustic systems, and the recent deployment of a long-term deep observatory (Levante Canyon Mooring) (Ciuffardi et al, 2020;Ciuffardi et al, 2023) will prove fundamental to monitoring the environmental parameters and define predictive habitat models in the region. So far, based on the data regarding coral framework extent and complexity, associated diversity, density of habitat-forming species, occurrence of rare species, and vulnerability to anthropogenic impacts, the Portofino framework, the Deiva Marina reefs with the nearby bathyal low-gradient slope, and the Monterosso reefs represent top priority sites eligible for specific conservation actions, including offshore fisheries restricted areas (FRAs) as already suggested or put in action for other sensitive habitats (de Juan and Lleonart, 2010;Fabri et al, 2014;Angeletti et al, 2021).…”