Estructura espacial y de talla de una población de la gorgonia Paramuricea macrospina (Anthozoa, Alcyonacea) en la plataforma continental del canal de Menorca.

Trabajo final presentado por Stefano Ambroso para el Master en Ciencias del Mar: Oceanografía y Gestión del Medio Marino de la Universitat de Barcelona (UB), realizado bajo la dirección del Dr. Josep Maria Gili Sardà y del Dr. Andrea Gori del Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC).-- 28 pages, 11 figures, 3 tablesLa información que existe de las gorgonias mediterráneas que habitan las plataformas continentales, en comparación con la que se tiene de las poblaciones someras, es muy escasa. Esto se debe a la profundidad que limita su accesibilidad y por lo tanto su estudio. En el mar Mediterráneo noroccidental se encontraron altas densidades de la gorgonia Paramuricea macrospina (Koch, 1882) a profundidades entre 85 y 90 m sobre todo en fondos de maërl. Sobre la ecología de esta especie hay poca información, por lo tanto, nuestros objetivos se enfocaron en investigar su estructura de talla y de población. En septiembre de 2010 y abril de 2011 en el Canal de Menorca se grabaron 10 vídeo-transectos con un sumergible tripulado (JAGO). Mediante el análisis de estos transectos pudimos concluir que la clase de talla más abundante de Paramuricea macrospina es la que está entre 10 y 20 cm. Además, se encontró una distribución agrupada en toda el área examinada y patrones espaciales a pequeña y media escala. Comparando nuestros resultados con los de otros estudios sobre otras especies mediterráneas, Paramuricea macrospina presenta una altura media inferior a la de Paramuricea clavata y una distribución espacial que no llega a cubrir regularmente el sustrato como en el caso de Eunicella singularis. Esto se debe a que los fondos de maërl presentan una menor estabilidad y una mayor vulnerabilidad a los efectos de la pesca, que el sustrato rocosoPeer Reviewe

Life in extreme conditions : the paradox of Antarctic marine biodiversity

The study of pristine places is very important for learning about the state of the oceans before the impact of human beings. Due to the extreme environmental conditions of the Antarctic continental shelf ? its distance from other continents, depth, and the weight of the continental ice ? it offers us a great opportunity to better understand how a pristine ecosystem would normally be. In addition to a high level of biodiversity, Antarctic benthic organisms present patterns of demographic and spatial distribution that are different from the communities of the continental shelves in other seas and oceans of the world. This makes Antarctic benthic communities look, more than one might think, like the communities with the highest known biodiversity in the world

Pristine populations of habitat-forming gorgonian species on the Antarctic continental shelf

Declines in the abundance of long-lived and habitat-forming species on continental shelves have attracted particular attention given their importance to ecosystem structure and function of marine habitats. The study of undisturbed habitats defined as “pristine areas” is essential in creating a frame of reference for natural habitats free of human interference. Gorgonian species are one of the key structure-forming taxa in benthic communities on the Antarctic continental shelf. Current knowledge of the diversity, distribution and demography of this group is relatively limited in Antarctica. To overcome this lack of information we present original data on pristine and remote populations of gorgonians from the Weddell Sea, some of which display the largest colony sizes ever recorded in Antarctica. We assessed the distribution patterns of seven gorgonian species, a morphogroup and a family in front of the Filchner Ronne Ice Shelf (Weddell Sea) by means of quantitative analysis of video transects. Analysis of these videos showed a total of 3140 colonies of gorgonians with the highest abundance in the southern section and a significantly clumped distribution. This study contributes to the general knowledge of pristine areas of the continental shelf and identifies the eastern Weddell Sea as a hotspot for habitat-forming species

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

The Relevance of Assessing Subjective Experiences of Skin Toxicity During Adjuvant Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer

Purpose: Radiodermatitis is likely to be an inevitable side effect of radiotherapy (RT) but experiencing pain relief during RT might contribute making treatment more acceptable and less impairing. The current study aimed to assess the subjective perceptions and experiences of skin toxicity in a sample of women undergoing adjuvant RT for breast cancer. Methods: Eighty patients were randomly assigned to one out of two groups: treatment (i.e., a newly developed topical product) and control (i.e., standard-of-care). Patients underwent adjuvant RT for 3 weeks. Clinical assessment of radiodermatitis and self-reported levels of pain, relief, and perceptions of treatment response were collected at the initiation of RT (T1), during RT (T2 and T3), and 2 weeks after treatment completion (T4). To assess changes in skin-related QoL, a subgroup of patients completed the Padua Skin-Related QoL questionnaire at T0 (before the initiation of RT) and at T4. Results: A comparable timing of onset and severity of radiodermatitis during treatment was observed in both groups. The treatment group reported lower levels of pain and higher levels of relief compared to the control group when skin toxicity was at its highest levels (T2 and T3). Independent of the group, levels of perceived improvements in clinical status increased over time, whereas skin-related QoL worsened from T0 to T4. Conclusion: Current findings outline the relevance of integrating clinical evaluations of radiodermatitis with patients\u2019 subjective experiences of skin toxicity in interventional studies. Moreover, they provide preliminary evidence about the soothing effect of a newly developed topical product, thus supporting its usefulness of as a supportive care

Local-scale feedbacks influencing cold-water coral growth and subsequent reef formation

Despite cold-water coral (CWC) reefs being considered biodiversity hotspots, very little is known about the main processes driving their morphological development. Indeed, there is a considerable knowledge gap in quantitative experimental studies that help understand the interaction between reef morphology, near-bed hydrodynamics, coral growth, and (food) particle transport processes. In the present study, we performed a 2-month long flume experiment in which living coral nubbins were placed on a reef patch to determine the effect of a unidirectional flow on the growth and physiological condition of Lophelia pertusa. Measurements revealed how the presence of coral framework increased current speed and turbulence above the frontal part of the reef patch, while conditions immediately behind it were characterised by an almost stagnant flow and reduced turbulence. Owing to the higher current speeds that likely promoted a higher food encounter rate and intake of ions involved in the calcification process, the coral nubbins located on the upstream part of the reef presented a significantly enhanced average growth and a lower expression of stress-related enzymes than the downstream ones. Yet, further experiments would be needed to fully quantify how the variations in water hydrodynamics modify particle encounter and ion intake rates by coral nubbins located in different parts of a reef, and how such discrepancies may ultimately affect coral growth. Nonetheless, the results acquired here denote that a reef influenced by a unidirectional water flow would grow into the current: a pattern of reef development that coincides with that of actual coral reefs located in similar water flow settings. Ultimately, the results of this study suggest that at the local scale coral reef morphology has a direct effect on coral growth thus, indicating that the spatial patterns of living CWC colonies in reef patches are the result of spatial self-organisation

Can an emblematic species become a pest? The case of Astrospartus mediterraneus (Risso, 1826) (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) in the artisanal fishing grounds of the Cap de Creus area (NW Mediterranean Sea)

4th Mediterranean Symposium on the Conservation of Coralligenous & other Calcareous Bio-Concretions, 20-21 September 2022, Genoa, Italy.-- 6 pages, 2 figuresAstrospartus mediterraneus (Risso, 1826) (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) is an emblematic Mediterranean species yet, it has few reports and hasn’t received much attention from the marine scientific community to date. In the framework of a project to assess how to mitigate the impact of artisanal fishing on benthic communities at the Site of Community Importance (SCI) of Cap de Creus (NW Mediterranean) (MITICAP Project), an unusually high abundance of the basket star (A. mediterraneus) was observed in 2018 as part of the by-catch of the local artisanal fishers. Indeed, the fishers involved in the project reported that this species had increased in abundance and expanded its distribution over the past years, ultimately interfering with their fishing activity. This work benefits from the Local Ecological Knowledge of the fishers, analyses field surveys and aims to elucidate the abundance, distribution, size, and structure of A. mediterraneus populations; as well as to examine the possible impact this species has on the artisanal fisheries performance. Data collection was performed through bycatch photo analysis of regular fishing events from May to August, analysis of video-transects recorded by means of Remote Operated Vehicles and conducting interviews with fishers to identify the impact. Basket stars were associated with rocky substrates with presence of gorgonians located between 50 to 80 m depth, preferentially occurring on sloping areas. Despite their high abundances (0.45±0.71 ind/m2), the aggregations witnessed in the Cap de Creus area could not be determined as an outbreak due to the lack of longtime monitoring data thus, yet it seems apparent based on the LEK of the fishers that the species has been on the rise for the past years and they unanimously consider that its proliferation causes them a handicap in terms of monetary and time lossesTheir work was performed under the MitiCap and ResCap projects, which are founded by the Fundación Biodiversidad from the Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica, through the Pleamar Program, co-funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries FundPeer reviewe

Diversity, structure and spatial distribution of megabenthic communities in Cap de Creus continental shelf and submarine canyon (NW Mediterranean)

The continental shelf and submarine canyon off Cap de Creus (NW Mediterranean) were declared a Site of Community Importance (SCI) within the Natura 2000 Network in 2014. Implementing an effective management plan to preserve its biological diversity and monitor its evolution through time requires a detailed character ization of its benthic ecosystem. Based on 60 underwater video transects performed between 2007 and 2013 (before the declaration of the SCI), we thoroughly describe the composition and structure of the main mega benthic communities dwelling from the shelf down to 400 m depth inside the submarine canyon. We then mapped the spatial distribution of the benthic communities using the Random Forest algorithm, which incor porated geomorphological and oceanographic layers as predictors, as well as the intensity of the bottom-trawling fishing fleet. Although the study area has historically been exposed to commercial fishing practices, it still holds a rich benthic ecosystem with over 165 different invertebrate (morpho)species of the megafauna identified in the video footage, which form up to 9 distinct megabenthic communities. The continental shelf is home to coral gardens of the sea fan Eunicella cavolini, sea pen and soft coral assemblages, dense beds of the crinoid Leptometra phalangium, diverse sponge grounds and massive aggregations of the brittle star Ophiothrix fragilis. The submarine canyon off Cap de Creus is characterized by a cold-water coral community dominated by the scleractinian coral Madrepora oculata, found in association with several invertebrate species including oysters, brachiopods and a variety of sponge species, as well as by a community dominated by cerianthids and sea urchins, mostly in sedimentary areas. The benthic communities identified in the area were then compared with habitats/biocenoses described in reference habitat classification systems that consider circalittoral and bathyal environments of the Mediterranean. The complex environmental setting characteristic of the marine area off Cap de Creus likely produces the optimal conditions for communities dominated by suspension- and filter-feeding species to develop. The uniqueness of this ecosystem and the anthropogenic pressures that it faces should prompt the development of effective management actions to ensure the long-term conservation of the benthic fauna representative of this marine area3,26

Involving fishers in scaling up the restoration of cold-water coral gardens on the Mediterranean continental shelf

12 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, supplementary data https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109301Cold-water gorgonians dwelling on the continental shelf are a common by-catch of bottom-contact fishing practices. Given the slow growth and limited recruitment of cold-water gorgonians, the impact of fishing activities may seriously compromise the conservation of the highly complex coral gardens communities. For this reason, the development of effective active and passive restoration methods is nowadays a priority in order to enhance the natural recovery of impacted cold-water coral gardens. However, the ecological restoration of mesophotic and deep-sea communities remains extremely limited, due to its technological requirements and associated costs, which bring its wide-scale and long-term application into question. This study reports the preliminary results of the first large-scale active restoration of more than 400 cold-water gorgonians on the Mediterranean continental shelf. By actively involving local fishers during two consecutive fishing seasons, by-catch gorgonians were recovered and returned to the continental shelf (at 80–90 m depth). The monitoring surveys performed by using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) revealed that 460 gorgonian transplants survived over an area of 0.23 ha. The reintroduced cold-water gorgonian population was compared to a reference natural population in terms of size and spatial structure. The cost of the restoration amounted to 140,000 €/ha, which is significantly lower than that of any deep-sea restoration actions performed to date. The results of this cost-effective active restoration highlight the viability of large-scale restoration of impacted cold-water coral communities, with promising results for the conservation and recovery of mesophotic and deep-sea ecosystemsThis work was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, Grant/Award Number: No 689518 (MERCES); the Fundación Biodiversidad of the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition through the Pleamar Programme (RESCAP project), co-funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund; Spanish Ministry for Education, Culture and Sports, Grant/Award Number: FPU 2014_06977 (FPU 2014 grant), and the Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness, Grant/Award Number: IJCI-2015-23962 (JdC 2015 grant).CL acknowledges the financial support from ICREA [ICREA Academia programme]With the institutional support of the ‘Severo OchoaCentre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S)Peer reviewe

Diversity, structure and spatial distribution of megabenthic communities in Cap de Creus continental shelf and submarine canyon (NW Mediterranean)

The continental shelf and submarine canyon off Cap de Creus (NW Mediterranean) were declared a Site of Community Importance (SCI) within the Natura 2000 Network in 2014. Implementing an effective management plan to preserve its biological diversity and monitor its evolution through time requires a detailed characterization of its benthic ecosystem. Based on 60 underwater video transects performed between 2007 and 2013 (before the declaration of the SCI), we thoroughly describe the composition and structure of the main megabenthic communities dwelling from the shelf down to 400 m depth inside the submarine canyon. We then mapped the spatial distribution of the benthic communities using the Random Forest algorithm, which incorporated geomorphological and oceanographic layers as predictors, as well as the intensity of the bottom-trawling fishing fleet. Although the study area has historically been exposed to commercial fishing practices, it still holds a rich benthic ecosystem with over 165 different invertebrate (morpho)species of the megafauna identified in the video footage, which form up to 9 distinct megabenthic communities. The continental shelf is home to coral gardens of the sea fan Eunicella cavolini, sea pen and soft coral assemblages, dense beds of the crinoid Leptometra phalangium, diverse sponge grounds and massive aggregations of the brittle star Ophiothrix fragilis. The submarine canyon off Cap de Creus is characterized by a cold-water coral community dominated by the scleractinian coral Madrepora oculata, found in association with several invertebrate species including oysters, brachiopods and a variety of sponge species, as well as by a community dominated by cerianthids and sea urchins, mostly in sedimentary areas. The benthic communities identified in the area were then compared with habitats/biocenoses described in reference habitat classification systems that consider circalittoral and bathyal environments of the Mediterranean. The complex environmental setting characteristic of the marine area off Cap de Creus likely produces the optimal conditions for communities dominated by suspension- and filter-feeding species to develop. The uniqueness of this ecosystem and the anthropogenic pressures that it faces should prompt the development of effective management actions to ensure the long-term conservation of the benthic fauna representative of this marine area