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Visual faunistic exploration of geomorphological human-impacted deep-sea areas of the north-western Mediterranean Sea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 April 2017

Ariadna Mecho ,
Jacopo Aguzzi ,
Ben De Mol ,
Galderic Lastras ,
Eva Ramirez-Llodra ,
Nixon Bahamon ,
Joan B. Company  and
Miquel Canals
Ariadna Mecho*
Affiliation:
Universidad Católica del Norte, Millennium Nucleus of Ecology and Sustainable Management of Oceanic Island (ESMOI), Larrondo 1281, Coquimbo, Chile
Jacopo Aguzzi
Affiliation:
Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-49. 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Ben De Mol
Affiliation:
SENERGY, Postboks 720 Sentrum, NO-4003 Stavanger, Norway
Galderic Lastras
Affiliation:
Departament d'Estratigrafia, GRC Geociències Marines, Paleontologia i Geociències Marines, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Eva Ramirez-Llodra
Affiliation:
Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349 Oslo, Norway
Nixon Bahamon
Affiliation:
Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Accés a la Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes (Girona), Spain
Joan B. Company
Affiliation:
Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-49. 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Miquel Canals
Affiliation:
Departament d'Estratigrafia, GRC Geociències Marines, Paleontologia i Geociències Marines, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: A. Mecho, Universidad Católica del Norte, Millennium Nucleus of Ecology and Sustainable Management of Oceanic Island (ESMOI), Larrondo 1281, Coquimbo, Chile. email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This study reports the composition and distribution of demersal megafauna from various north-western Mediterranean submarine areas such as canyons, seamounts and landslides between 60–800 m depth, based on remotely operated vehicle (ROV) observations. From a total of 30 h of video, 4534 faunistic observations were made and analysed in relationship to environmental factors (i.e. topography, substrate type and depth). In addition, anthropogenic impact was quantified by grouping observations in four categories: fishing nets, longlines, trawl marks and other litter. The different targeted environments showed similarities in faunal composition according to substrate, depth and topography. Our results also indicated the presence of anthropogenic impact in all the sampled areas in which litter and trawl marks were the most observed artefacts.

Keywords

North-western MediterraneanROVsubmarine canyonsseamountslandslidesfaunal compositionanthropogenic impactbehaviourbenthos
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 98 , Issue 6 , September 2018 , pp. 1241 - 1252
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2017 

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