Mesophotic rocks dominated by <i>Diazona violacea</i>: a Mediterranean codified habitat

Mastrototaro, Francesco; Aguilar, Ricardo; Álvarez, Helena; Blanco, J.; García, Silvia; Montesanto, Federica; Perry, A. L.

doi:10.1080/24750263.2020.1837972

Cited by 10 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The survey was carried out using a Saab Seaeye Falcon DR ROV equipped with a high-definition video (HDV) camera of 1920 × 1080 resolution, 1/2.9″ Exmor R CMOS Sensor, minimum scene illumination of 3–11 Lux, and a 4.48 mm, f/1.8–3.4 zoom lens [ 32 , 33 , 34 ]. The ROV also hosted a depth sensor, a sonar, a compass for underwater navigation, as well as two laser beams providing a 10-cm scale for size measurements.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2 min of video recording). Videos were processed using ImageJ software by defining sampling units of 2.5 ± 0.2 m 2 , according to the minimal area used for visual surveys on mesophotic bottoms [ 25 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ]. Frames with bad visibility, or where the ROV camera was not oriented properly for a correct estimation of the area based on laser pointers, were discarded.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A Newly Discovered Forest of the Whip Coral Viminella flagellum (Anthozoa, Alcyonacea) in the Mediterranean Sea: A Non-Invasive Method to Assess Its Population Structure

Chimienti

Aguilar²,

Maiorca

et al. 2021

Biology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Coral forests are vulnerable marine ecosystems formed by arborescent corals (e.g., Anthozoa of the orders Alcyonacea and Antipatharia). The population structure of the habitat-forming corals can inform on the status of the habitat, representing an essential aspect to monitor. Most Mediterranean corals live in the mesophotic and aphotic zones, and their population structures can be assessed by analyzing images collected by underwater vehicles. This is still not possible in whip-like corals, whose colony lengths and flexibilities impede the taking of direct length measurements from images. This study reports on the occurrence of a monospecific forest, of the whip coral Viminella flagellum in the Aeolian Archipelago (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea; 149 m depth), and the assessment of its population structure through an ad-hoc, non-invasive method to estimate a colony height based on its width. The forest of V. flagellum showed a mean density of 19.4 ± 0.2 colonies m−2 (up to 44.8 colonies m−2) and no signs of anthropogenic impacts. The population was dominated by young colonies, with the presence of large adults and active recruitment. The new model proved to be effective for non-invasive monitoring of this near threatened species, representing a needed step towards appropriate conservation actions.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Newly Discovered Forest of the Whip Coral Viminella flagellum (Anthozoa, Alcyonacea) in the Mediterranean Sea: A Non-Invasive Method to Assess Its Population Structure

Chimienti

Aguilar²,

Maiorca

et al. 2021

Biology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Videos were analysed using Adobe Premiere Pro software. Sampling units of 2.5 ± 0.2 m 2 were defined along each transect, according to the minimal area used for mesophotic benthic communities in the Mediterranean Sea 8,[53][54][55] . Density (living colonies m −2 ) and mortality (dead colonies m −2 ) of P. clavata were calculated for each sampling unit and expressed as mean ± standard error.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of global warming on Mediterranean coral forests

Chimienti

Padova

Adamo

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The effects of global warming have been addressed on coral reefs in tropical areas, while it is still unclear how coral forests are reacting, particularly at temperate latitudes. Here we show how mesophotic coral forests are affected by global warming in the Mediterranean Sea. We highlight how the current warming trend is causing the lowering of the thermocline and it is enhancing mucilaginous blooms. These stressors are facilitating a massive macroalgal epibiosis on living corals, here reported for the first time from different areas in the Western and Central Mediterranean Sea. We provide a focus of this phenomenon at Tremiti Islands Marine Protected Area (Adriatic Sea), were the density of the endemic red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata decreased of up to 47% in 5 years, while up to the 96% of the living corals showed signs of stress and macroalgal epibiosis. Only populations deeper than 60 m depth were not touched by this emerging phenomenon. Spot observations performed at Tuscan Archipelago and Tavolara Marine Protected Area (Tyrrhenian Sea) suggest that this this combination of stressors is likely widespread at basin scale.

show abstract

“…In the Mediterranean, this definition encompasses different geomorphological features (Gori et al, 2017), resulting in different local benthic assemblages. They are dominated by various ecosystem engineers (sensu Jones et al, 1994 11 ) or habitat-forming species (Bertness and Callaway, 1994;Etnoyer and Morgan, 2005;Cerrano et al, 2006), which may form distinctive "animal forests" (Enrichetti et al, 2018: Chimienti et al, 2020Enrichetti et al, 2020;Mastrototaro et al, 2020) and true reefs, such as those built by the nonsymbiotic scleractinians Phyllangia americana mouchezii and Polycyathus muellerae (Corriero et al, 2019) and by the deep-sea oyster Neopycnodonte cochlear (Angeletti and Taviani, 2020;Cardone et al, 2020), described along the southeastern Italian coast. These carbonate bioconstructions differ from coralligenous structures in their pattern of structuring species, leading to different morphologies (e.g., general shape, thickness, and cavitation) (Corriero et al, 2019;Cardone et al, 2020) and host a rich and highly diversified zoobenthic fauna, with many species not recorded in the coralligenous biocenoses (Corriero et al, 2019;Giampaoletti et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A system of marine animal bioconstructions in the mesophotic zone along the Southeastern Italian coast

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A widespread and diversified mesophotic system of carbonate bioconstructions along the Southern Adriatic and Ionian Italian coasts is described, providing new data on the distribution, structure and associated megabenthic assemblages of mesophotic Mediterranean bioconstructions. The bioconstructions were detected at six different sites off the coasts of Apulia, in presence of marked morphological escarpments, developing on a basal substrate consisting of meso-Cenozoic carbonate rocks. Two biogenic structure types were observed, one mainly built by the nonsymbiotic scleractinians Phyllangia americana mouchezii and Polycyathus muellerae, at depths between approximately 35 and 55 m, and the other by the oyster Neopycnodonte cochlear, at depths from approximately 40 to 70 m. A total of 52 taxa of megabenthic invertebrates, belonging to 6 phyla, were found on the surface of the mesophotic bioconstructions, thus confirming the role of biodiversity hotspots of these carbonate structures. Megabenthic assemblages showed a remarkable heterogeneity both in pattern of species and abundance, probably depending on both the morphological differences of the seabed and the life traits of the single species. Primary bioconstructors seemed to influence the associated community pattern. This peculiar system deserves sound conservation measures in the light of the holistic ecosystem approach for the management of coastal marine areas.

show abstract

Mesophotic rocks dominated by Diazona violacea: a Mediterranean codified habitat

Cited by 10 publications

References 37 publications

A Newly Discovered Forest of the Whip Coral Viminella flagellum (Anthozoa, Alcyonacea) in the Mediterranean Sea: A Non-Invasive Method to Assess Its Population Structure

A Newly Discovered Forest of the Whip Coral Viminella flagellum (Anthozoa, Alcyonacea) in the Mediterranean Sea: A Non-Invasive Method to Assess Its Population Structure

Effects of global warming on Mediterranean coral forests

A system of marine animal bioconstructions in the mesophotic zone along the Southeastern Italian coast

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About