Zoantharians (Hexacorallia: Zoantharia) associated with cold-water corals in the azores region: New species and associations in the deep sea

Zoantharians are a group of cnidarians that are often found in association with marine invertebrates, including corals, in shallow and deep-sea environments. However, little is known about deep-sea zoantharian taxonomy, specificity and nature of their associations with their coral hosts. In this study, analyses of molecular data (mtDNA COI, 16S, and 12S rDNA) coupled with ecological and morphological characteristics were used to examine zoantharian specimens associated with cold-water corals (CWC) at depths between 110 and 800 m from seamounts and island slopes in the Azores region. The zoantharians examined were found living in association with stylasterids, antipatharians and octocorals. From the collected specimens, four new species were identified: (1) Epizoanthus martinsae sp. n. associated with the antipatharian Leiopathes sp.; (2) Parazoanthus aliceae sp. n. associated with the stylasterid Errina dabneyi (Pourtalès, 1871); (3) Zibrowius alberti sp. n. associated with octocorals of the family Primnoidae [Paracalyptrophora josephinae (Lindström, 1877)] and the family Plexauridae (Dentomuricea aff. meteor Grasshoff, 1977); (4) Hurlizoanthus hirondelleae sp. n. associated with the primnoid octocoral Candidella imbricata (Johnson, 1862). In addition, based on newly collected material, morphological and molecular data and phylogenic reconstruction, the zoantharian Isozoanthus primnoidus Carreiro-Silva, Braga-Henriques, Sampaio, de Matos, Porteiro & Ocaña, 2011, associated with the primnoid octocoral Callogorgia verticillata (Pallas, 1766), was reclassified as Zibrowius primnoidus comb. nov. The zoantharians, Z. primnoidus comb. nov., Z. alberti sp. n., and H. hirondelleae sp. n. associated with octocorals showed evidence of a parasitic relationship, where the zoantharian progressively eliminates gorgonian tissue and uses the gorgonian axis for structure and support, and coral sclerites for protection. In contrast, the zoantharian P. aliceae sp. n. associated with the stylasterid E. dabneyi and the zoantharian E. martinsae sp. n. associated with the antipatharian Leiopathes sp., appear to use the coral host only as support with no visible damage to the host. The monophyly of octocoral-associated zoantharians suggests that substrate specificity is tightly linked to the evolution of zoantharians.publishedVersio

Dissolved and particulate metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb) in two habitats from an active hydrothermal field on the EPR at 13°N

Le texte intégral est accessible via Archimer: http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2008/publication-3830.pdfInternational audienceThe distribution of Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd between the dissolved ( 2 μm) fractions was measured after in-situ filtration in two hydrothermal habitats. The total metal concentration ranges exhibit a clear enrichment compared with the seawater concentration, accounting for the hydrothermal input for all the metals considered. Iron is the predominant metal (5-50 μM) followed by Zn and Cu. Cd and Pb are present at the nM level. At the scale studied, the behavior of temperature, pH and dissolved iron is semi-conservative whereas the other dissolved and particulate metals are characterized by non-conservative patterns. The metal enrichment of the > 2 μm fraction results from the settlement and accumulation of particulate matter close to the organisms, acting as a secondary metal source. The enrichment observed in the dissolved fraction can be related to the dissolution or oxidation of particles (mainly polymetallic sulfide) or to the presence of small particles and large colloids not retained on the 2 μm frit. SEM observations indicate that the bulk particulate observed is characteristic of crystalline particles settling rapidly from the high temperature smoker (sphalerite, wurtzite and pyrite), amorphous structures and eroded particles formed in the external zone of the chimney. Precipitation of Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb with Fe as wurtzite, sphalerite and pyrite is the main process taking place within the area studied and is semi-quantitative. The distribution of the dominant observed fauna has been related to the gradient resulting from the dilution process, with the alvinellids worms colonizing the hotter and more variable part of the mixing zone, but also to the metallic load of the mixing zone. Dissolved and particulate metal concentrations are therefore necessary abiotic factors to be studied in a multiparametric approach to understand the faunal distribution in hydrothermal ecosystems

Identifying priorities for the protection of deep Mediterranean Sea ecosystems through an integrated approach

© The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Fanelli, E., Bianchelli, S., Foglini, F., Canals, M., Castellan, G., Guell-Bujons, Q., Galil, B., Goren, M., Evans, J., Fabri, M.-C., Vaz, S., Ciuffardi, T., Schembri, P. J., Angeletti, L., Taviani, M., & Danovaro, R. Identifying priorities for the protection of deep Mediterranean Sea ecosystems through an integrated approach. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8, (2021): 698890, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.698890.Benthic habitats of the deep Mediterranean Sea and the biodiversity they host are increasingly jeopardized by increasing human pressures, both direct and indirect, which encompass fisheries, chemical and acoustic pollution, littering, oil and gas exploration and production and marine infrastructures (i.e., cable and pipeline laying), and bioprospecting. To this, is added the pervasive and growing effects of human-induced perturbations of the climate system. International frameworks provide foundations for the protection of deep-sea ecosystems, but the lack of standardized criteria for the identification of areas deserving protection, insufficient legislative instruments and poor implementation hinder an efficient set up in practical terms. Here, we discuss the international legal frameworks and management measures in relation to the status of habitats and key species in the deep Mediterranean Basin. By comparing the results of a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and of expert evaluation (EE), we identify priority deep-sea areas for conservation and select five criteria for the designation of future protected areas in the deep Mediterranean Sea. Our results indicate that areas (1) with high ecological relevance (e.g., hosting endemic and locally endangered species and rare habitats),(2) ensuring shelf-slope connectivity (e.g., submarine canyons), and (3) subject to current and foreseeable intense anthropogenic impacts, should be prioritized for conservation. The results presented here provide an ecosystem-based conservation strategy for designating priority areas for protection in the deep Mediterranean Sea.This study was supported by the DG ENV project IDEM (Implementation of the MSFD to the Deep Mediterranean Sea; contract EU No. 11.0661/2017/750680/SUB/EN V.C2). MC and QG-B acknowledge support from Generalitat de Catalunya autonomous government through its funding scheme to excellence research groups (Grant 2017 SGR 315)

Submarine canyon dynamics - Executive Summary

Discussing submarine canyons dynamics through a multidisciplinary approach allowed to identify both advances in knowledge and remaining gaps concerning the controlling factors underlying the formation, development, ecological functioning and vulnerability of canyons at various time scales. As a result, we identified a number of recommendations for future research and actions that the interested reader will discover in this synthetic chapter, drafted as a collective effort in the months following our meeting. The subsequent chapters, each written by a workshop participant, detail the specificities and dynamics of of submarine canyons within and beyond the Mediterranean domain

High-resolution bathymetry of the Blanes Canyon (NW Mediterranean)

5th International Network for Submarine Canyon Investigation and Scientific Exchange International Symposium (INCISE), 14-18 June 2021Submarine canyons are complex geomorphological features that have been identified as potential hotspots of biodiversity, which has led to many canyons being mapped and studied at high resolution (tens of meters). In this work, we present the first complete very-high resolution mapping of the Blanes submarine canyon in the northwestern Mediterranean, based on a compilation of swath bathymetry data acquired during different cruises, spanning between 2011 and 2020. The integrated data set completes and extends previous bathymetric datasets on the canyon rim and adjacent continental shelf acquired during the ESPACE programme in 2004. The grid spacing of the compilation map varies from 4 m for the canyon rim and adjacent shelf, 15 m for the head and upper canyon region and 25 m for the middle and lower canyon region. The Blanes Canyon deeply incises the continental shelf, showing an orientation parallel to the coastline at its head. Down-canyon, it displays a meandering course with a strong structural control, showing rectilinear canyon portions characterized by a flat-floored axis and steep terrains (>50º) on both canyon flanks, with the presence of networks of gullies and subhorizontal layered walls. The high resolution map has allowed to identify potential areas along the submarine canyon flanks that might provide suitable environmental conditions for hosting benthic ecosystems, particularly cold-water corals (CWCs). These sites were recently explored during the ABRIC Spanish National Project using the hybrid remotely operated vehicle (H-ROV) Ariane and the inspection-class ROV Liropus to explore the benthic communities and to collect specimen samples, complementing the previous ROV dataset acquired during the ABIDES Project. Collected data allowed for the compilation of an inventory of the most representative and relevant benthic species and communities observed within the Blanes Canyon. This information will be shared with the Blanes fishermen’s guild in the framework of an outreach project funded by the Fisheries Local Action Groups (GALP), to provide awareness of the presence and abundance of such vulnerable marine ecosystems in the Blanes Canyon, and to expand the spatial information provided by the ROV surveys by adding the local fishermen knowledgPeer reviewe

Zoantharians (Hexacorallia: Zoantharia) Associated with Cold-Water Corals in the Azores Region: New Species and Associations in the Deep Sea

Zoantharians are a group of cnidarians that are often found in association with marine invertebrates, including corals, in shallow and deep-sea environments. However, little is known about deep-sea zoantharian taxonomy, specificity and nature of their associations with their coral hosts. In this study, analyses of molecular data (mtDNA COI, 16S, and 12S rDNA) coupled with ecological and morphological characteristics were used to examine zoantharian specimens associated with cold-water corals (CWC) at depths between 110 and 800 m from seamounts and island slopes in the Azores region. The zoantharians examined were found living in association with stylasterids, antipatharians and octocorals. From the collected specimens, four new species were identified: (1) Epizoanthus martinsae sp. n. associated with the antipatharian Leiopathes sp.; (2) Parazoanthus aliceae sp. n. associated with the stylasterid Errina dabneyi (Pourtalès, 1871); (3) Zibrowius alberti sp. n. associated with octocorals of the family Primnoidae [Paracalyptrophora josephinae (Lindström, 1877)] and the family Plexauridae (Dentomuricea aff. meteor Grasshoff, 1977); (4) Hurlizoanthus hirondelleae sp. n. associated with the primnoid octocoral Candidella imbricata (Johnson, 1862). In addition, based on newly collected material, morphological and molecular data and phylogenic reconstruction, the zoantharian Isozoanthus primnoidus Carreiro-Silva, Braga-Henriques, Sampaio, de Matos, Porteiro & Ocaña, 2011, associated with the primnoid octocoral Callogorgia verticillata (Pallas, 1766), was reclassified as Zibrowius primnoidus comb. nov. The zoantharians, Z. primnoidus comb. nov., Z. alberti sp. n., and H. hirondelleae sp. n. associated with octocorals showed evidence of a parasitic relationship, where the zoantharian progressively eliminates gorgonian tissue and uses the gorgonian axis for structure and support, and coral sclerites for protection. In contrast, the zoantharian P. aliceae sp. n. associated with the stylasterid E. dabneyi and the zoantharian E. martinsae sp. n. associated with the antipatharian Leiopathes sp., appear to use the coral host only as support with no visible damage to the host. The monophyly of octocoral-associated zoantharians suggests that substrate specificity is tightly linked to the evolution of zoantharians.Zibrowius alberti sp. n. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8E186AD4-CA6E-419B-B46A-4C8D11C757DDHurlizoanthus hirondelleae sp. n. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6737B10E-9E87-4BA0-9559-C22D49863732Parazoanthus aliceae sp.n. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3D3AA61D-E5CC-47DF-94F1-A4A2FF59ABEAEpizoanthus martinsae sp. n. urn:lsid: zoobank.org:act:04686BB5-03D7-4132-B52B-CC89DF8EBFA8urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FED88229-30F9-481F-9155-FF481790AE5

Consignes de saisie Quadrige² - Echantillonneurs Passifs - Programme CHIMIE ECHPASS DGT - Stratégie DGT Campagne Med DCE

Manuel utilisateur pour la saisie des données la base Quadrige² concernant les analyses de chimie dans l'eau par échantillonneurs passifs, en Méditerranée. Les données ont été acquises dans le cadre de la DCE (Directive Cadre sur l'Eau)

Consignes de saisie Quadrige² - REBENT : Programme CARLIT

Manuel utilisateur pour la saisie des données la base Quadrige² concernant les macroalgues en Méditerranée. Les données ont été acquises dans le cadre de la DCE (Directive cadre sur l'Eau)

Format des Données Posidonies - DCE 2012.

Document rassemblant les fiches modèles pour le formatage des données. Ce format est nécessaire pour une intégration semi-automatique des données dans la base de données (Quadrige²) en vue d'un archivage pérenne. Ces fiches concernent les posidonies en Méditerranée. Les données sont essentiellement acquises dans le cadre de la DCE (Directive cadre sur l'Eau). Le programme est nommé POSIDONIES

Guide de bonnes pratiques pour l'utilisation scientifique du H-ROV Ariane en configuration exploration & prélèvement

Ce document a pour objectif de décrire les fonctionnalités scientifiques du H-ROV Ariane (utilisation des outils de prélèvements, des différents types d'acquisition (vidéos, photos numériques, géo-référencement des informations, etc.). Il présente les différentes charges utiles embarquées sur l'engin (en configuration exploration et prélèvement) et la suite logicielle de traitement des données informatiques