ABANDONED FISHING GEARS IMPACT ON CORALLIGENOUS REEFS OF  CAPO CARBONARA MARINE PROTECTED AREA

Annalisa Azzola; Fabrizio Atzori; Nicoletta Cadoni; Lara Carosso; Maria Leonor Garcia Gutiérrez; Ilaria Mancini; Viola Atzeni; Alice Oprandi; Chiara Paoli; Paolo Povero; Ilaria Rigo; Chiara Robello; Francesca Ruggeri; Paolo Vassallo; Monica Montefalcone

Annalisa Azzola University of Genova
Fabrizio Atzori
Nicoletta Cadoni
Lara Carosso
Maria Leonor Garcia Gutiérrez
Ilaria Mancini
Viola Atzeni
Alice Oprandi
Chiara Paoli
Paolo Povero
Ilaria Rigo
Chiara Robello
Francesca Ruggeri
Paolo Vassallo
Monica Montefalcone

Keywords: fishing activities, coralligenous, ecological status, BACI approach, Tyrrhenian Sea

Abstract

Fishing gears can cause several damages on coralligenous reefs not only during fishing activities, but also when they are lost on the seafloor. The removal of abandoned fishing gears (AFG) is debated: this may cause further damage on marine habitats. With the aim of assessing the impact of AFG removal on coralligenous in the Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area (MPA), five sites were monitored considering impact stations and control stations. The BACI (Before-After/Control-Impact) sampling design was used to compare the ecological status of coralligenous before and after the AFG removal by applying the COARSE index (Coralligenous Assessment by Reef Scape Estimate). A reduction of ecological status was observed only in the impact stations of two sites. Gorgonians, bryozoans and erect algae were the most affected species by the action of AFG, the removal of which is recommended when it is done in a way that does not create further damages.