6533b824fe1ef96bd12810c9
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Mediterranean bioconstructions along the Italian coast
Gianmarco IngrossoMarco AbbiatiFabio BadalamentiGiorgio BavestrelloGenuario BelmonteRita CannasLisandro Benedetti-cecchiMarco BertolinoStanislao BevilacquaCarlo Nike BianchiBo MarziaElisa BoscariFrine CardoneRiccardo Cattaneo-viettiAlessandro CauCarlo CerranoRenato ChemelloGiovanni ChimientiLeonardo CongiuGiuseppe CorrieroFederica CostantiniFrancesco De LeoLuigia DonnarummaAnnalisa FalaceSimonetta FraschettiAdriana GiangrandeMaria Flavia GravinaGiuseppe GuarnieriFrancesco MastrototaroMarco MilazzoCarla MorriLuigi MuscoLaura PezzolesiStefano PirainoFiorella PradaMassimo PontiFabio RindiGiovanni Fulvio RussoRoberto SandulliAdriana VillamorLorenzo ZaneFerdinando Boerosubject
Conservation of Natural ResourcesAnthropogenic pressures; Biodiversity; Ecosystem engineers; Habitat formers; Animals; Conservation of Natural Resources; Italy; Mediterranean Sea; Biodiversity; Coral Reefs; Environmental Monitoring; Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics; Aquatic ScienceLithophyllum byssoides trottoirEvolutioncoral banksAnthropogenic pressuresAquatic SciencebioconstructionAnthropogenic pressures; Biodiversity; Ecosystem engineers; Habitat formers; Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics; Aquatic ScienceHabitat formerssabellariidcoralligenous formationsCORAL CLADOCORA-CAESPITOSA; MACROALGAL CORALLIGENOUS ASSEMBLAGES; SABELLARIA-ALVEOLATA LINNAEUS; NORTHERN ADRIATIC SEA; BETA-DIVERSITY; ASTROIDES-CALYCULARIS; OCEAN ACIDIFICATION; SPATIAL VARIATION; MASS-MORTALITY; HABITAT CHARACTERIZATIONbioconstructionsBehavior and SystematicsAnthropogenic pressureMediterranean SeaAnimalscoralligenous formationcoral bankConservation of Natural Resourcebioconstructions; coralligenous formations; vermetid reefs; deep-sea cold-water coral; Lithophyllum byssoides trottoirs; coral banks; sabellariid; serpulid worm reefsLithophyllum byssoides trottoirsEcologydeep-sea cold-water coralAnimalCoral Reefsserpulid worm reefsBiodiversityvermetid reefsEcology Evolution Behavior and SystematicItalyEcosystem engineerEcosystem engineersHabitat formerCoral Reefvermetid reefEnvironmental Monitoringdescription
Marine bioconstructions are biodiversity-rich, three-dimensional biogenic structures, regulating key ecological functions of benthic ecosystems worldwide. Tropical coral reefs are outstanding for their beauty, diversity and complexity, but analogous types of bioconstructions are also present in temperate seas. The main bioconstructions in the Mediterranean Sea are represented by coralligenous formations, vermetid reefs, deep-sea cold-water corals, Lithophyllum byssoides trottoirs, coral banks formed by the shallow-water corals Cladocora caespitosa or Astroides calycularis, and sabellariid or serpulid worm reefs. Bioconstructions change the morphological and chemicophysical features of primary substrates and create new habitats for a large variety of organisms, playing pivotal roles in ecosystem functioning. In spite of their importance, Mediterranean bioconstructions have not received the same attention that tropical coral reefs have, and the knowledge of their biology, ecology and distribution is still fragmentary. All existing data about the spatial distribution of Italian bioconstructions have been collected, together with information about their growth patterns, dynamics and connectivity. The degradation of these habitats as a consequence of anthropogenic pressures (pollution, organic enrichment, fishery, coastal development, direct physical disturbance), climate change and the spread of invasive species was also investigated. The study of bioconstructions requires a holistic approach leading to a better understanding of their ecology and the application of more insightful management and conservation measures at basin scale, within ecologically coherent units based on connectivity: the cells of ecosystem functioning.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-07-18 |