Sea floor mapping along the Apulia continental shelf (Italy) verified the abundance of autochthonous red algae build-ups, mapped as coralligenous habitats (CHs), in a water depth range of 5-100 m. In general, CHs were found to develop three dimensional structures, with a rigid framework and to represent an important geomorpho-logical and sedimentological element on the Mediterranean shelf. Here, we provide the first geomorphological description of CHs (thus poorly categorized) using acoustic data obtained from Side Scan Sonar (SSS) and MultiBeam (MB) echosounder surveys, ground-truthed using a ROV and underwater camera. In SSS mosaics, CHs generally yielded intermediate to high backscatter in response to a rigid cavernous framework. According to the various shapes and the lateral continuity that coralligenous build-ups displayed in explored locations, two distinct textures were determined to be present. Various geomorphological expressions of CHs were noted within our dataset and in images obtained from MB bathymetry. We determined that coralligenous build-ups are typically represented by positive-relief structures that vary from isolated blocks (randomly scattered on a generally flat mobile soft bottom) to a field of blocks (adjacent or even coalescent), and/to ridge with several metres of lateral continuity. In most cases, CHs occurred on flat mobile soft bottom, thus representing an example of coralligenous de plateau. Our results characterize for the first time the CHs through seafloor mapping techniques, which demonstrated to represent an instrumental tool for their geomorphological characterization.

Bracchi, V., Savini, A., Marchese, F., Palamara, S., Basso, D., Corselli, C. (2015). Coralligenous habitat in the Mediterranean Sea: A geomorphological description from remote data. ITALIAN JOURNAL OF GEOSCIENCES, 134(1), 32-40 [10.3301/IJG.2014.16].

Coralligenous habitat in the Mediterranean Sea: A geomorphological description from remote data

BRACCHI, VALENTINA ALICE
Primo
;
SAVINI, ALESSANDRA;MARCHESE, FABIO;BASSO, DANIELA MARIA;CORSELLI, CESARE
2015

Abstract

Sea floor mapping along the Apulia continental shelf (Italy) verified the abundance of autochthonous red algae build-ups, mapped as coralligenous habitats (CHs), in a water depth range of 5-100 m. In general, CHs were found to develop three dimensional structures, with a rigid framework and to represent an important geomorpho-logical and sedimentological element on the Mediterranean shelf. Here, we provide the first geomorphological description of CHs (thus poorly categorized) using acoustic data obtained from Side Scan Sonar (SSS) and MultiBeam (MB) echosounder surveys, ground-truthed using a ROV and underwater camera. In SSS mosaics, CHs generally yielded intermediate to high backscatter in response to a rigid cavernous framework. According to the various shapes and the lateral continuity that coralligenous build-ups displayed in explored locations, two distinct textures were determined to be present. Various geomorphological expressions of CHs were noted within our dataset and in images obtained from MB bathymetry. We determined that coralligenous build-ups are typically represented by positive-relief structures that vary from isolated blocks (randomly scattered on a generally flat mobile soft bottom) to a field of blocks (adjacent or even coalescent), and/to ridge with several metres of lateral continuity. In most cases, CHs occurred on flat mobile soft bottom, thus representing an example of coralligenous de plateau. Our results characterize for the first time the CHs through seafloor mapping techniques, which demonstrated to represent an instrumental tool for their geomorphological characterization.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
Coralligenous; Geomorphology; Habitat mapping; Mediterranean Sea;
English
2015
134
1
32
40
reserved
Bracchi, V., Savini, A., Marchese, F., Palamara, S., Basso, D., Corselli, C. (2015). Coralligenous habitat in the Mediterranean Sea: A geomorphological description from remote data. ITALIAN JOURNAL OF GEOSCIENCES, 134(1), 32-40 [10.3301/IJG.2014.16].
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
bracchi_et_al_IJoG.pdf

Solo gestori archivio

Dimensione 1.78 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
1.78 MB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/74166
Citazioni
  • Scopus 33
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 31
Social impact