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| Titel |
Bathymetrical distribution and size structure of cold-water coral populations in the Cap de Creus and Lacaze-Duthiers canyons (northwestern Mediterranean) |
| VerfasserIn |
A. Gori, C. Orejas, T. Madurell, L. Bramanti, M. Martins, E. Quintanilla, P. Marti-Puig, C. Iacono, P. Puig, S. Requena, M. Greenacre, J. M. Gili |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| ISSN |
1726-4170
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| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Biogeosciences ; 10, no. 3 ; Nr. 10, no. 3 (2013-03-25), S.2049-2060 |
| Datensatznummer |
250018171
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/bg-10-2049-2013.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Submarine canyons are known as one of the seafloor morphological features
where living cold-water coral (CWC) communities develop in the Mediterranean
Sea. We investigated the CWC community of the two westernmost submarine
canyons of the Gulf of Lions canyon system: the Cap de Creus Canyon (CCC)
and Lacaze-Duthiers Canyon (LDC). Coral associations have been studied
through video material recorded by means of a manned submersible and a
remotely operated vehicle. Video transects have been conducted and analyzed
in order to obtain information on (1) coral bathymetric distribution and
density patterns, (2) size structure of coral populations, and (3) coral
colony position with respect to the substrate. Madrepora oculata was the most abundant CWC in
both canyons, while Lophelia pertusa and Dendrophyllia cornigera mostly occurred as isolated colonies or in small
patches. An important exception was detected in a vertical cliff in LDC
where a large L. pertusa framework was documented. This is the first record of such an
extended L. pertusa framework in the Mediterranean Sea. In both canyons coral
populations were dominated by medium and large colonies, but the frequent
presence of small-sized colonies also indicate active recruitment. The
predominant coral orientation (90° and 135°) is probably driven by the current regime as well as by the sediment load
transported by the current flows. In general, no clear differences were
observed in the abundance and in the size structure of the CWC populations
between CCC and LDC, despite large differences in particulate matter between
canyons. |
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