STUDIO DELLA FAUNA PROFONDA ASSOCIATA A REEF DI MADREPORA OCULATA (ANTHOZOA, SCLERACTINIA) NEL CANYON DI LEVANTE (MAR LIGURE) TRAMITE TELECAMERA TIME-LAPSE
STUDY OF THE DEEP-SEA FAUNA ASSOCIATED WITH A MADREPORA OCULATA (ANTHOZOA, SCLERACTINIA) REEF IN THE LEVANTE CANYON (NORTH-WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA) THROUGH TIME-LAPSE CAMERA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.82008/bmm.v30i1.371Keywords:
Cold-Water Corals, Deep-sea fauna, Reef, Species richness, BiodiversityAbstract
White coral reefs are highly diverse deep-sea ecosystems due to their complex 3D structure and high trophic input. Faunal studies rely primarily on ROV surveys, but long-term, bait-free lander data are scarce. This study investigates vagile and sessile fauna on a living Madrepora oculata reef in the Levante Canyon (eastern Ligurian Sea) using a time-lapse lander positioned for over 65 days at 558 m. We analysed 618 five-second videos (2-hour intervals) across a 10 m² field of view, covering canopy, rubble, and water column zones. Twenty-four species from six taxa (Nemertea, Polychaeta, Pycnogonida, Malacostraca, Echinoidea, Teleostei) were identified: eight resident, twelve occasional, and three with undefined habits. Fish and crustaceans, including commercial species, dominated. The study supports the existence of a vertical stratification of the species, likely linked to the habitat complexity of the reef.
