Coralligenous, a typical Mediterranean mesophotic habitat, is a highly diverse assemblage, severely threatened by several stressors, including fishing litter. To characterise the coralligenous of the upper mesophotic of the Portofino Promontory (Ligurian Sea, Italy), video transects at 35 and 50 m depth were performed at four sites. Benthic assemblages and lost fishing gears were recorded, and the two depths compared. A higher coverage of taxa with complex 3D structures was found at 50 m, mainly due to the gorgonian Paramuricea clavata. However, the overall low density of this species (0.4-6.6 colonies/m2), together with the impact caused by 120 fishing lines found along the transects, highlights the need for tailored conservation measures. With climate change moving further down the water column and fishing impacts being a major cause of degradation, the design of marine protected areas needs to be extended to include mesophotic depths, contributing to the 30 x 30 targets agreed upon at the COP15.
Assessment of Octocoral-Dominated Benthic Assemblages Along a Mesophotic Gradient, With a Focus on the Impact of Lost Fishing Gears / Jacobsen, N.; Roveta, C.; Pulido Mantas, T.; Coppari, M.; Di Camillo, C.; Calcinai, B.; Cerrano, C.. - In: AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS. - ISSN 1052-7613. - 34:9(2024). [10.1002/aqc.4248]
Assessment of Octocoral-Dominated Benthic Assemblages Along a Mesophotic Gradient, With a Focus on the Impact of Lost Fishing Gears
Roveta C.Writing – Original Draft Preparation
;Pulido Mantas T.
Formal Analysis
;Coppari M.Data Curation
;Di Camillo C.Data Curation
;Calcinai B.Penultimo
Writing – Review & Editing
;Cerrano C.Ultimo
Conceptualization
2024-01-01
Abstract
Coralligenous, a typical Mediterranean mesophotic habitat, is a highly diverse assemblage, severely threatened by several stressors, including fishing litter. To characterise the coralligenous of the upper mesophotic of the Portofino Promontory (Ligurian Sea, Italy), video transects at 35 and 50 m depth were performed at four sites. Benthic assemblages and lost fishing gears were recorded, and the two depths compared. A higher coverage of taxa with complex 3D structures was found at 50 m, mainly due to the gorgonian Paramuricea clavata. However, the overall low density of this species (0.4-6.6 colonies/m2), together with the impact caused by 120 fishing lines found along the transects, highlights the need for tailored conservation measures. With climate change moving further down the water column and fishing impacts being a major cause of degradation, the design of marine protected areas needs to be extended to include mesophotic depths, contributing to the 30 x 30 targets agreed upon at the COP15.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.