Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T05:42:05.127Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Insights on the fish assemblages of seamounts and banks in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (western Mediterranean Sea): implications for the conservation of deep-sea environments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2022

Gabriele La Mesa Open the ORCID record for Gabriele La Mesa [Opens in a new window] ,
Ivan Consalvo ,
Michela Angiolillo Open the ORCID record for Michela Angiolillo [Opens in a new window] ,
Michela Giusti  and
Leonardo Tunesi
Gabriele La Mesa*
Affiliation:
Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144 Rome, Italy
Ivan Consalvo
Affiliation:
Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144 Rome, Italy
Michela Angiolillo
Affiliation:
Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144 Rome, Italy
Michela Giusti
Affiliation:
Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144 Rome, Italy
Leonardo Tunesi
Affiliation:
Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144 Rome, Italy
*
Author for correspondence: Gabriele La Mesa, E-mail: gabriele.lamesa@isprambiente.it
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Fish assemblages inhabiting a complex of south Tyrrhenian seamounts and banks were characterized using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Fish distribution was assessed through surveying 15 ROV transects. Video segments of each transect were split into two bathymetric ranges, above and below 200 m depth. In total 28 fish taxa belonging to 22 families were recorded. The number of species observed at the Marettimo Banks and the Aceste Seamount was higher compared with the Tiberio and Scuso Seamounts. The number of species recorded in the shallow part (<200 m depth) of the Marettimo Banks and the Aceste Seamount was higher than in the deeper zone (>200 m). Assemblages were numerically dominated by Anthias anthias, Callanthias ruber and Helicolenus dactylopterus. The occurrence of some elasmobranchs of conservation concern, such as Squatina aculeata, Hexanchus griseus, Squalus blainville and Galeus melastomus, was noteworthy. Differences in fish assemblage composition were observed between the Aceste Seamount and the other sites and especially between the two bathymetric ranges. The fish distribution pattern showed significant relationships with bottom slope and some substrate types. A large occurrence of lost fishing gear characterized the sites closest to the coast (the Marettimo Banks and the Scuso Seamount), providing, along with scanty observations of commercially important fishes, evidence of heavy fishing activities. The adoption of conservation and management actions in the investigated seamounts and banks, such as their inclusion in the Natura 2000 network, would be very helpful to protect some threatened elasmobranchs and restore valuable deep-sea habitats.

Keywords

Bankdemersal fish assemblageMediterranean SeaROVseamount
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 101 , Issue 7 , November 2021 , pp. 1073 - 1083
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aguilar, R, Pastor, X, Garcia, S, Marin, P and Ubero, J (2013) Importance of seamounts-like features for Mediterranean marine habitats and threatened species. Rapports de la Commission International Pour la Mer Méditerranée 40, 716.Google Scholar
Anderson, M, Gorley, RN and Clarke, KR (2008) PERMANOVA + for PRIMER: Guide to Software and Statistical Methods. Plymouth: PRIMER-E.Google Scholar
Angiolillo, M, Lorenzo, BD, Farcomeni, A, Bo, M, Bavestrello, G, Santangelo, G, Cau, A, Mastascusa, V, Cau, A, Sacco, F and Canese, S (2015) Distribution and assessment of marine debris in the deep Tyrrhenian Sea (NW Mediterranean Sea, Italy). Marine Pollution Bulletin 92, 149–159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Angiolillo, M, La Mesa, G, Giusti, M, Salvati, E, Di Lorenzo, B, Rossi, L, Canese, S and Tunesi, L (2021) New records of scleractinian cold-water coral (CWC) assemblages in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (western Mediterranean Sea): human impacts and conservation prospects. Progress in Oceanography 197, 102656.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baldwin, C, Tornabene, L and Robertson, D (2018) Below the mesophotic. Scientific Reports 8, 4920.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bo, M, Coppari, M, Betti, F, Enrichetti, F, Bertolino, M, Massa, F, Bava, S, Gay, G, Cattaneo-Vietti, R and Bavestrello, G (2020) The high biodiversity and vulnerability of two Mediterranean bathyal seamounts support the need for creating offshore protected areas. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 31, 543–566.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Busby, MS, Mier, KL and Brodeur, RD (2005) Habitat associations of demersal fishes and crabs in the Pribilof Islands region of the Bering Sea. Fishery Research 75, 15–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christiansen, B, Martin, B and Hirch, S (2009) The benthopelagic fish fauna on the summit of Seine Seamount, NE Atlantic: composition, population structure and diets. Deep-Sea Research II 56, 2705–2712.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clark, MR, Rowden, AA, Schlacher, T, Williams, A, Consalvey, M, Stocks, KI, Rogers, AD, O'Hara, TD, White, M, Shank, TM and Hall-Spencer, JM (2010) The ecology of seamounts: structure, function, and human impacts. Annual Review of Marine Science 2, 253–278.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clark, MR, Schlacher, TA, Rowden, AA, Stocks, KI and Consalvey, M (2012) Science priorities for seamounts: research links to conservation and management. PLoS ONE 7, e29232.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clarke, KR and Gorley, RN (2015) PRIMER v7: User Manual/Tutorial. Plymouth: PRIMER-E.Google Scholar
Clarke, KR, Gorley, RN, Somerfield, PJ and Warwick, RM (2014) Change in Marine Communities: An Approach to Statistical Analysis and Interpretation, 3rd Edn. Plymouth: PRIMER-E.Google Scholar
Colantoni, P, Ligi, M, Morsiani, MP and Penitenti, D (1993) Morphology and recent sedimentary evolution of the western Sicilian continental shelf. Marine Science 58, 93–98.Google Scholar
Consalvey, M, Clark, MC, Rowden, AA and Stocks, KI (2010) Life on seamounts. In McIntyre, A (ed.), Life in the World's Oceans: Diversity, Distribution, and Abundance. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell, pp. 123–139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Consalvo, I, La Mesa, G, Canese, S, Giusti, M, Salvati, E, Loia, M and Tunesi, L (2021) The demersal fish assemblages of the infra and circalittoral coastal rocky bottoms of the Aeolian Archipelago (Central Mediterranean Sea) studied by Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). Mediterranean Marine Science 22, 27–39.Google Scholar
Consoli, P, Esposito, V, Battaglia, P, Altobelli, C, Perzia, P, Romeo, T, Canese, S and Andaloro, F (2016) Fish distribution and habitat complexity on banks of the Strait of Sicily (central Mediterranean Sea) from remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) exploration. PLoS ONE 11, e0167809.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
EC (2013) Interpretation Manual of European Union Habitats. In EUR28. European Commission DG Environment. 144 pp.Google Scholar
Fischer, W, Schneider, M and Bauchot, ML (1987) Fiches FAO d'identification des espèces pour les besoins de la pêche (Révision 1). Méditerranée et mer Noire. Zone de pêche 37. Volume II. Vertébrés. Publication préparée par la FAO, résultat d'un accord entre la FAO et la Commission des Communautés Euro-péennes (Projet GCP/INT/422/EEC) financée conjointement par ces deux organisations. Rome: FAO, Vol. 2, 761–1530.Google Scholar
Freiwald, A, Boetius, A and Bohrmann, G (2011) Deep water ecosystems of the Eastern Mediterranean. Cruise No. M70. September 24 – December 8, 2006 – La Valletta (Malta) – Heraklion (Greece). METEOR-Berichte, M70, 146 pp.Google Scholar
Gordon, CA, Hood, AR, Al Mabruk, SAA, Barker, J, Bartolí, A, Ben Abdelhamid, S, Bradai, MN, Dulvy, NK, Fortibuoni, T, Giovos, I, Jimenez Alvarado, D, Meyers, EKM, Morey, G, Niedermuller, S, Pauly, A, Serena, F and Vacchi, M (2019) Mediterranean Angel Sharks: Regional Action Plan. The Shark Trust, UK. 36 pp.Google Scholar
Grove, TL and Shull, DH (2008) ROV assessment of rockfish abundance, distribution, and habitat in Whatcom County marine waters. Whatcom Marine Resources Committee. Huxley College of the Environment, Western Washington University. 74 pp.Google Scholar
Harmelin-Vivien, ML, Harmelin, JG, Chauvet, C, Duval, C, Galzin, R, Lejeune, P, Barnabé, G, Blanc, F, Chevalier, L, Duclerc, J and Lasserre, G (1985) The underwater observation of fish communities and fish populations: methods and problems. Revue d'Ecologie (Terre Vie) 40, 467–540.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hirch, S and Christiansen, B (2010) The trophic blockage hypothesis is not supported by the diets of fishes on Seine Seamount. Marine Ecology 31, 107–112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kvile, KØ, Taranto, GH, Pitcher, TJ and Morato, T (2014) A global assessment of seamount ecosystems knowledge using an ecosystem evaluation framework. Biological Conservation 173, 108–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macfadyen, G, Huntington, T and Cappell, R (2009) Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear. UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No. 185; FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper, No. 523. Rome: UNEP/FAO. 115 pp.Google Scholar
Miller, MH (2016) Status review report of 3 species of angelsharks: Squatina aculeata, S. oculata, and S. squatina. Report to National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources. 74 pp.Google Scholar
Morato, T, Pitcher, TJ, Clark, MR, Menezes, G, Tempera, F, Porteiro, F, Giacomello, E and Santos, RS (2010) Can we protect seamounts for research? A call for conservation. Oceanography 23, 190–199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oceana (2020) Seamounts – Giants in Danger. Madrid, 14 pp.Google Scholar
Pacunski, RE, Palsson, WA and Greene, HG (2013) Estimating Fish Abundance and Community Composition on Rocky Habitats in the San Juan Islands Using A Small Remotely Operated Vehicle. Washington, DC: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Fish Program, Fish Management Division, 47 pp.Google Scholar
Pakhorukov, NP (2008) Visual observations of fish from seamounts of the Southern Azores region (the Atlantic Ocean). Journal of Ichthyology 48, 114–123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pensa, A, Pinton, A, Vita, L, Bonamico, A, De Benedetti, AA and Giordano, G (2019) Atlas of Italian submarine volcanic structures. Memorie Descrittive della Carta Geologica d'Italia 104, 77–183.Google Scholar
Pham, CK, Ramirez-Llodra, E, Alt, CHS, Amaro, T, Bergmann, M, Canals, M, Company, JB, Davies, J, Duineveld, G, Galgani, F, Howell, K, Huvenne Veerle, AI, Isidro, E, Jones, DOB, Lastras, G, Morato, T, Gomes-Pereira, JN, Purser, A, Stewart, H, Tojeira, I, Tubau, X, Van Rooij, D and Tyler, PA (2014) Marine litter distribution and density in European seas, from the shelves to deep basins. PLoS ONE 9, e95839.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pitcher, TJ, Morato, T, Hart, PJ, Clark, MR, Haggan, N and Santos, RS (2008) Seamounts: Ecology, Fisheries and Conservation. Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Pitcher, TJ, Clark, MR, Morato, T and Watson, R (2010) Seamount fisheries: do they have a future? Oceanography 23, 134–144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Porteiro, FM, Gomes-Pereira, JN, Pham, CK, Tempera, F and Santos, RS (2013) Distribution and habitat association of benthic fish on the Condor Seamount (NE Atlantic, Azores) from in situ observations. Deep-Sea Research II 98, 114–128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Probert, PK, Christiansen, S, Gjerde, KM, Gubbay, S and Santos, RS (2007) Management and conservation of seamounts. In Pitcher, TJ, Morato, T, Hart, PJB, Clark, MR, Haggan, N and Santos, RS (eds), Seamounts: Ecology, Fisheries and Conservation. Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 442–475.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ramirez-Llodra, E, Brandt, A, Danovaro, R, De Mol, B, Escobar, E, German, CR, Levin, LA, Martinez Arbizu, P, Menot, L, Buhl-Mortensen, P, Narayanaswamy, BE, Smith, CR, Tittensor, DP, Tyler, PA, Vanreusel, A and Vecchione, M (2010) Deep, diverse and definitely different: unique attributes of the world's largest ecosystem. Biogeosciences (Online) 7, 2851–2899.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Relini, L, Serena, F, Silvestri, R, Battistoni, A, Teofili, C and Rondinini, C (2017) Lista Rossa IUCN dei Pesci ossei marini Italiani. Rome: Comitato Italiano IUCN e Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, 52 pp.Google Scholar
Rogers, A (2019) Threats to seamount ecosystems and their management. In World Seas: An Environmental Evaluation, 2nd Edn. Volume III: Ecological Issues and Environmental Impacts. New York, NY: Elsevier, pp. 427–451.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rondinini, C, Battistoni, A, Peronace, V and Teofili, C (2013) Lista Rossa IUCN dei Vertebrati Italiani. Rome: Comitato Italiano IUCN e Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, 56 pp.Google Scholar
Rowden, AA, Dower, JF, Schlacher, TA, Consalvey, M and Clark, MR (2010) Paradigms in seamount ecology: fact, fiction, and future. Marine Ecology 31, 226–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sánchez, F, Basalo, AR, García-Alegre, A and Gómez-Ballesteros, M (2017) Hard-bottom bathyal habitats and keystone epibenthic species on Le Danois Bank (Cantabrian Sea). Journal of Sea Research 130, 134–153. doi: 10.1016/j.seares.2017.09.005CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silva, H and Pinho, M (2007) Small-scale fishing on seamounts. In Pitcher, TJ, Morato, T, Hart, PJB, Clark, MR, Haggan, N and Santos, RS (eds), Seamount: Ecology Fisheries and Conservation. Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 335–360.Google Scholar
Smith, JG and Lindholm, J (2016) Vertical stratification in the distribution of demersal fishes along the walls of the La Jolla and Scripps submarine canyons, California, USA. Continental Shelf Research 125, 61–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soldo, A and Bariche, M (2016) Squatina aculeata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T61417A16569265 (Accessed 21 April 2021).Google Scholar
Stefanoudis, PV, Gress, E, Pitt, JM, Smith, SR, Kincaid, T, Rivers, M, Andradi-Brown, DA, Rowlands, G, Woodall, LC and Rogers, AD (2019) Depth-dependent structuring of reef fish assemblages from the shallows to the rariphotic zone. Frontiers in Marine Science 6, 307.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stergiou, KI and Karpouzi, VS (2002) Feeding habits and trophic levels of Mediterranean fish. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 11, 217–254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tolimieri, N, Clarke, ME, Clemons, J, Wakefield, W and Powell, A (2019) The abundance and habitat use of demersal fishes on a rocky offshore bank using the ROPOS remotely operated vehicle. Deep Sea Research Part 1, 103193.Google Scholar
Tracey, DM, Clark, MR, Anderson, OF and Kim, SW (2012) Deep sea fish distribution varies between seamounts: results from a seamount complex off New Zealand. PLoS ONE 7, e36897.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
UNGA (2007) Resolution 61/105 Sustainable fisheries, including through the 1995 Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, and related instruments. UNGA A/ RES/61/105. 21 pp.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vieira, RP, Raposo, IP, Sobral, P, Gonçalves, JM, Bell, KL and Cunha, MR (2015) Lost fishing gear and litter at Gorringe Bank (NE Atlantic). Journal of Sea Research 100, 91–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weaver, DC, Dennis, GD and Sulak, KJ (2001) Northeastern Gulf of Mexico coastal and marine ecosystem program: community structure and trophic ecology of the fishes on the Pinnacles Reef Track. Final Synthesis Report. New Orleans, LA: U.S. Department of the Interior, Geological Survey, USGS BSR-2001-0008 and Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, OCS Study MMS 2002-034, 92 pp.Google Scholar
Wessel, P, Sandwell, DT and Kim, SS (2010) The global seamount census. Oceanography 23, 24–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Würtz, M and Rovere, M (2015) Atlas of the Mediterranean Seamounts and Seamount-Like Structures. Gland and Málaga: IUCN.Google Scholar