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

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

Coexistence of megabenthic assemblages and artisanal fishers: The case of Cap de Creus Marine Protected Area (North-Western Mediterranean Sea)

11 pages, 5 figures, 4 tables, supplementary data https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106211.-- Data availability: Data will be made available on requestArtisanal fisheries, although considered less harmful, can still endanger marine ecosystems, especially in areas with long-standing tradition. In Cap de Creus, where artisanal fisheries has likely occurred for centuries, the status of benthic communities in fishing grounds was poorly understood. Through collaboration with local fishers, the benthic assemblages in three artisanal fishing grounds within Cap de Creus Marine Protected Area (MPA) were studied. Using video transects recorded by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), the diversity and distribution of species were analysed in relation to substrate type, slope, and depth. The study also assessed the impacts on these communities by examining marine litter, lost fishing gear, and the condition of gorgonian populations. The findings identified three megabenthic assemblages and revealed higher fishing pressure and impact in the Maça d’Oros area, likely due to multiple fishing guilds converging. However, the study demonstrated lower impact in MPAs compared to unprotected Mediterranean areas, highlighting the importance of coastal managementThis work was performed under the MitiCap and ResCap projects, which are funded by the Fundación Biodiversidad [Biodiversity Foundation] of the Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica [Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition], through the Pleamar Program, co-funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. In addition, the authors affiliated to the Institut de Ciències del Mar [Institute of Marine Sciences] had the institutional support of the “Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence” accreditation (CEX 2019-000928-S)Peer reviewe

Wildland fire ash: Production, composition and eco-hydro-geomorphic effects

Abstract: Fire transforms fuels (i.e. biomass, necromass, soil organic matter) into materials with different chemical and physical properties. One of these materials is ash, which is the particulate residue remaining or deposited on the ground that consists of mineral materials and charred organic components. The quantity and characteristics of ash produced during a wildland fire depend mainly on (1) the total burned fuel (i.e. fuel load), (2) fuel type and (3) its combustion completeness. For a given fuel load and type, a higher combustion completeness will reduce the ash organic carbon content, increasing the relative mineral content, and hence reducing total mass of ash produced. The homogeneity and thickness of the ash layer can vary substantially in space and time and reported average thicknesses range from close to 0 to 50 mm. Ash is a highly mobile material that, after its deposition, may be incorporated into the soil profile, redistributed or removed from a burned site within days or weeks by wind and water erosion to surface depressions, footslopes, streams, lakes, reservoirs and, potentially, into marine deposits. Research on the composition, properties and effects of ash on the burned ecosystem has been conducted on material collected in the field after wildland and prescribed fires as well as on material produced in the laboratory. At low combustion completeness (typically T 450 \ub0C), most organic carbon is volatized and the remaining mineral ash has elevated pH when in solution. It is composed mainly of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, silicon and phosphorous in the form of inorganic carbonates, whereas at T > 580 \ub0C the most common forms are oxides. Ash produced under lower combustion completeness is usually darker, coarser, and less dense and has a higher saturated hydraulic conductivity than ash with higher combustion completeness, although physical reactions with CO2 and when moistened produce further changes in ash characteristics. As a new material present after a wildland fire, ash can have profound effects on ecosystems. It affects biogeochemical cycles, including the C cycle, not only within the burned area, but also globally. Ash incorporated into the soil increases temporarily soil pH and nutrient pools and changes physical properties such as albedo, soil texture and hydraulic properties including water repellency. Ash modifies soil hydrologic behavior by creating a two-layer system: the soil and the ash layer, which can function in different ways depending on (1) ash depth and type, (2) soil type and (3) rainfall characteristics. Key parameters are the ash's water holding capacity, hydraulic conductivity and its potential to clog soil pores. Runoff from burned areas carries soluble nutrients contained in ash, which can lead to problems for potable water supplies. Ash deposition also stimulates soil microbial activity and vegetation growth. Further work is needed to (1) standardize methods for investigating ash and its effects on the ecosystem, (2) characterize ash properties for specific ecosystems and wildland fire types, (3) determine the effects of ash on human and ecosystem health, especially when transported by wind or water, (4) investigate ash's controls on water and soil losses at slope and catchment scales, (5) examine its role in the C cycle, and (6) study its redistribution and fate in the environment