Marine caves of the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea: a First Census of Benthic Biodiversity

Abstract

See, stats, and : https : / / www . researchgate . net / publication / 320017145 Marine : a First Article DOI : 10 . 4172 / 2155 - 9910 . 1000238 CITATIONS 0 READS 60 6 , including : Some : Marine Identificazione - Identification of Pierpaolo Institute 68 SEE Valentina National 50 SEE Renato Università 78 , 933 SEE Teresa Institute 128 SEE All . The . Abstract This is the first paper documenting research on a selection of marine caves located along the coast of Capo Milazzo in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea . Three submarine and one semi - submerged caves were surveyed and sampled using underwater photo sampling . Surveys have only taken into account the sessile species belonging to the main taxa : Porifera , Anthozoa , Bryozoa and Polychaeta . Diversity indices and abundances were calculated for three sections within each explored cave : the Entrance Zone , Intermediate Zone and Bottom Zone . The richest group was Porifera with 21 taxa , followed by cnidarians , (Anthozoa) , with 8 taxa , Polychaeta (5 taxa) , and Bryozoa (5 taxa) . Among Porifera , the presence of Petrobiona massiliana , a protected species according to SPA / BIO Protocol and the Bern Convention , must be highlighted . The encrusting forms were dominant in the Bottom Zone , the massive forms in the Intermediate Zone and the arborescent forms in the Entrance Zone . Generally , the percentage coverage of each morphological group showed a decline in the Intermediate Zone and a general increase in the Dark Zone within each cave . The S , H ' and J values showed different trends in the five caves . These differences , also evidenced by Permanova analysis , depend on the topographic specificity of each cave which , in turn , affects the gradients of the biotic and abiotic parameters . Finally , no horizontal gradient of rarefaction of the benthic sessile fauna has been detected . This study represents an important step for the management and conservation practices of these fragile ecosystems , especially in view of the forthcoming establishment of the Marine Protected Area .