Soft corals assemblages in deep environments of the Menorca Channel (Western Mediterranean Sea)

Image-based research in mesophotic and deep environments of the Mediterranean Sea has significantly increased during the past decades. So far, this research has been focused on the ecology of key structuring organisms such as scleractinians, antipatharians, gorgonians or large demosponges. However, the ecology of true soft corals has barely been studied and is still in a very preliminary stage. To overcome this situation, soft coral assemblages in shelf and slope environments of the Menorca Channel (Western Mediterranean Sea) have been studied through the quantitative analysis of 85 video transect recorded over 38500 m2. Highest soft coral diversity was encountered on the shelf edge, resembling deep Mediterranean gorgonian patterns. Three soft coral assemblages, segregated by depth, substrate, and slope were identified: two monospecific ones composed by Nidalia studeriand Alcyonium palmatum, respectively and a multispecific one composed by Paralcyonium spinulosum, Alcyonium sp., Chironephthya mediterranea and Daniela koreni. The evaluated species presented average densities within the same range as other deep Mediterranean anthozoans ranging from 1 to 9 col.·m−2. However, N. studeri and P. spinulosum punctually formed dense monospecific aggregations, reaching maximum densities of 49 col.·m−2 and 60 col.·m−2 respectively. Both species monopolized vast extensions of the continental shelf and shelf edge. The identification and ecological characterization of these assemblages brings new insight about deep Mediterranean anthozoan communities, and provides baseline for future management plans in the study area.En prensa3,26

Resource pulse in shallow waters: characterization of the scavenger community associated with a dolphin carcass

OCEANS 2023, 05-08 June 2023, Limerick.-- 5 pages, 3 figures, 3 tables.-- © 20XX IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other worksNumerous studies have focused on the scavenger communities that feed on the carcasses of large marine animals, such as whales, in deep-sea habitats. Yet, there are far fewer studies in shallow water ecosystems and especially in the Mediterranean. Here, we performed an artificial cetacean fall in shallow waters in the northwestern Mediterranean. The cetacean carcass was monitored by via 30-min time-lapse photos using a fixed camera. We observed that bony fish were the main scavenger taxa. In addition, different species arrived at different times perhaps reflecting their role as scavengers or active predatorsWe thank the financial support from the Spanish government through the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S)Peer reviewe

Active ecological restoration of cold-water corals: techniques, challenges, costs and future directions

Cold-water coral (CWC) habitats dwell on continental shelves, slopes, seamounts, and ridge systems around the world's oceans from 50 to 4000 m depth, providing heterogeneous habitats which support a myriad of associated fauna. These highly diverse ecosystems are threatened by human stressors such as fishing activities, gas and oil exploitation, and climate change. Since their life-history traits such as long lifespan and slow growth rates make CWCs very vulnerable to potential threats, it is a foremost challenge to explore the viability of restoration actions to enhance and speed up their recovery. In contrast to terrestrial and shallow-water marine ecosystems, ecological restoration in deep marine environments has received minimal attention. This review, by means of a systematic literature search, aims to identify CWC restoration challenges, assess the most suitable techniques to restore them, and discuss future perspectives. Outcomes from the few restoration actions performed to date on CWCs, which have lasted between 1 to 4 years, provide evidence of the feasibility of coral transplantation and artificial reef deployments. Scientific efforts should focus on testing novel and creative restoration techniques, especially to scale up to the spatial and temporal scales of impacts. There is still a general lack of knowledge about the biological, ecological and habitat characteristics of CWC species exploration of which would aid the development of effective restoration measures. To ensure the long-term viability and success of any restoration action it is essential to include holistic and long-term monitoring programs, and to ideally combine active restoration with natural spontaneous regeneration (i.e., passive restoration) strategies such as the implementation of deep-sea marine protected areas (MPAs). We conclude that a combination of passive and active restoration approaches with involvement of local society would be the best optimal option to achieve and ensure CWC restoration success

A new approach to use marine robotic networks for ecosystem monitoring and management: The PLOME Project

4th Marine Imaging Workshop, 3-6 October 2022, Brest, FranceOur understanding of marine ecosystem functioning and processes relies on adequate spatio-temporal multiparametric monitoring procedures. Over the next 3 years, the Project PLOME (Platforms for Long-lasting Observation of Marine Ecosystems) will implement a spatially adaptive and autonomous network of easy-to-use benthic landers with dockable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs)ñ This network will be used to intelligently video-monitor and map marine ecosystems and their environment from coastal to deep-sea areas. All platforms will be connected via acoustic or optical communication and will operate over periods of weeks to months with real-time supervision. Stations will provide continuous and intensive temporal observations, while dockable AUVs (with battery recharge and data downloading capability) will provide intensive measurements at various spatial scales, using intelligent and adaptive trajectories to explore surrounding areas. Biological, geochemical and oceanographic data will be generated by an array of sensors including acoustic receivers and cameras. Images will be processed in real-time for species classification and tracking, using advanced data analysis and Deep Learning techniques. Metadata will be communicated between landers and AUVs and transmitted opportunistically whenever an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) connects the platform via aerial communications (i.e. GSM and satellite communications, depending on form distance to shore). The unattended operation will also be possible with an innovation of pop-up buoys that will allow data transfer to the surface from landers and UAVs to be relayed once the pop-up buoys reach the surface. Complex ecological indicators for ecosystem management will be computed from the collected data, by applying advanced computer vision techniques to classify, count and size individuals in video images and to generate multimodal maps of the seabed. A pipeline for automated data treatment will be tailored for multiparametric analyses to derive cause-effect relationships between biological variables and the physical habitatsPeer reviewe

Advancing fishery-independent stock assessments for the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) with new monitoring technologies

The Norway lobster, Nephrops norvegicus, supports a key European fishery. Stock assessments for this species are mostly based on trawling and UnderWater TeleVision (UWTV) surveys. However, N. norvegicus are burrowing organisms and these survey methods are unable to sample or observe individuals in their burrows. To account for this, UWTV surveys generally assume that “1 burrow system = 1 animal”, due to the territorial behavior of N. norvegicus. Nevertheless, this assumption still requires in-situ validation. Here, we outline how to improve the accuracy of current stock assessments for N. norvegicus with novel ecological monitoring technologies, including: robotic fixed and mobile camera-platforms, telemetry, environmental DNA (eDNA), and Artificial Intelligence (AI). First, we outline the present status and threat for overexploitation in N. norvegicus stocks. Then, we discuss how the burrowing behavior of N. norvegicus biases current stock assessment methods. We propose that state-of-the-art stationary and mobile robotic platforms endowed with innovative sensors and complemented with AI tools could be used to count both animals and burrows systems in-situ, as well as to provide key insights into burrowing behavior. Next, we illustrate how multiparametric monitoring can be incorporated into assessments of physiology and burrowing behavior. Finally, we develop a flowchart for the appropriate treatment of multiparametric biological and environmental data required to improve current stock assessment methods

Chironephthya mediterranea n. sp. (Octocorallia, Alcyonacea, Nidaliidae), the first species of the genus discovered in the Mediterranean Sea

22 pages, 17 figures, 3 tables, electronic supplementary material http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12526-014-0269-5In this paper, a new species of the soft coral genus Chironephthya from the northwestern Mediterranean Sea is described and illustrated. Chironephthya mediterranea sp. nov. is formally described based on morphological, chromatic, molecular, and ecological data. A molecular comparison based on mitochondrial genes (mtMutS + COI) and the proposed extended barcode (mtMutS + Igr1 + COI) relates the Mediterranean species with other Chironephthya species. The new Mediterranean species is compared with the available information and type materials from its Atlantic congeners, Chironephthya agassizii and Chironephthya caribaea. This is the first time that a species of this genus is reported from the Mediterranean Sea. Along with Nidalia studeri, this is the second species of the family Nidaliidae found in this biogeographic region. Both nidaliid species were collected in the shelf break area. The present report adds to previous knowledge of Chironephtya and its global distribution. Although the molecular analyses carried out do not support the monophyly of the family Nidaliidae, they clearly indicate a close relationship between the genera Siphonogorgia and Chironephthya, which are both in need of revisionThe study was financed within the framework of the LIFE+INDEMARES project: “Inventario y designación de la Red Natura 2000 en áreas marinas del Estado español” (LIFE07 NAT/E/000732)Peer Reviewe

Rediscovery of Cereopsis studeri Koch, 1891, a forgotten Mediterranean soft coral species, and its inclusion in the genus Nidalia Gray, 1835 (Octocorallia, Alcyonacea, Nidaliidae)

12 pages, 10 figuresCereopsis studeri was described by G. von Koch in 1891 with material from Naples. However, it was subsequently synonymized, erroneously identified, and overlooked in subsequent soft coral literature of the twentieth century. After the original description, this species was not recorded or correctly described for 120 years. The study of newly collected material from the North Western Mediterranean permits the re-description of this forgotten species and its assignation to the genus Nidalia in the family Nidaliidae. The main features of Nidalia studeri com. nov. are: colony torch-like, a capitulum light orange in colour, not laterally flattened, dome-shaped and not distinctly projecting beyond the stalk, introvert with sclerites transversally placed in two longitudinal rows per interseptal space, anthocodial crown with 28-38 sclerite rows, points separated from polyps distally, formed by 6-9 pairs of sclerites, and the presence of intermediate points (secondary points) between principal (interseptal) ones. Nidalia studeri is here compared with its closest congeners, especially with the Indonesian species N. simpsoni, species from the West Indian Region N. dissidens, N.occidentalis, N. deichmannae, and the recently described Nidalia aurantia from the Mid-Atlantic Ocean. This is the first time that the genus Nidalia and the family Nidaliidae have been reported with certainty for the Mediterranean Sea. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.This research was funded by LIFE+ INDEMARES projectPeer Reviewe

Sponge assemblages on the deep Mediterranean continental shelf and slope (Menorca Channel, Western Mediterranean Sea)

Este artículo contiene 12 páginas, 10 figuras, 2 tablas.Sponge assemblages on continental shelves and slopes around the world have been known about for centuries. However, due to limitations of the traditional sampling systems, data about individual sponge species rather than assemblages have been reported. This study characterizes sponge assemblages over a wide bathymetric range (~50–350 m depth) and covering the entire continental shelf and the upper slope of the Menorca Channel, an area soon to be declared a Marine Protected Area (MPA) as part of the Natura 2000 Network. Quantitative analysis of 85 video-transects (a total linear distance of 75 km), together with representative collections to confirm species identifications, allowed us to discriminate six major assemblages. Differences in the assemblages mainly corresponded to differences in substrate type and depth. On the inner continental shelf, a semi-sciaphilous Axinellid assemblage dominated the rocky outcrops. Maërl beds on the inner continental shelf were dominated by Haliclona (Reniera) mediterranea, whereas the horny sponge Aplysina cavernicola and several other haliclonids mostly dominated maërl beds and rocky substrates of the outer shelf. Soft sediments on the shelf break hosted a monospecific Thenea muricata assemblage, whereas rocky substrates of the shelf break were characterized by a mixture of encrusting, columnar and fan-shaped sponges. Finally, the upper slope was dominated by Hamacantha (Vomerula) falcula and the hexactinellid Tretodictyum reiswigi. Overall, sponge diversity showed its highest values above the shelf break, plummeting severely on the upper slope. Despite this diversity decrease, we found very high densities (> 70 ind./m2) of sponges over vast areas of both the shelf break and the upper slope.This work was funded by the European project LIFE+ INDEMARES ‘‘Inventario y designación de la red Natura 2000 en áreas marinas del estado español” (LIFE07/NAT/E/000732) and the EU-ENPI CBC-Med project ECOSAFIMED ENPI-ECOSAFIMED - II-B/2.1/1073 (“Towards Ecosystem Conservation and Sustainable Artisanal Fisheries in the Mediterranean basin”) (2014-15).Peer reviewe

Patrones de distribución espacial de la gorgonia Paramuricea macrospina en la plataforma continental del Canal de Menorca (Islas Baleares)

XVII Simposio Ibérico de Estudios de Biología Marina (SIEBM), 11-14 September 2012, Donostia-San SebastiánPeer reviewe