Klimats un ilgtspējīga attīstība

Do cold-water corals spatially correlate with submarine canyons in the Bay of Biscay? : A GIS study analysing the spatial distribution of cold-water corals along the seascape of the Bay of Biscay

Master's thesis in Coastal ecology (BIO501) The seascape of the Bay of Biscay is a mysterious place. It is located to the west of France and the north of Spainand is often defined as well-differentiated geomorphological unit. The continental margin of the BoB is incised with many submarine canyons and is also thought to be a hotspot for cold-water corals.Unfortunately, it is an area under high anthropogenic pressure where intense fishing activity, bottom trawling especially, is causing major disturbances to benthic habitats such as cold-water corals. Cold-water corals have been well studied along the European margin and have more frequently been recorded in the northeastAtlantic than any ot…