Loading...
Please wait, while we are loading the content...
Similar Documents
A Newly Discovered Forest of the Whip Coral Viminella flagellum (Anthozoa, Alcyonacea) in the Mediterranean Sea: A Non-Invasive Method to Assess Its Population Structure
| Content Provider | MDPI |
|---|---|
| Author | Chimienti, Giovanni Aguilar, Ricardo Maiorca, Michela Mastrototaro, Francesco |
| Copyright Year | 2021 |
| Description | Coral forests are vulnerable marine ecosystems formed by arborescent corals (e.g., Anthozoa of the orders Alcyonacea and Antipatharia). The population structure of the habitat-forming corals can inform on the status of the habitat, representing an essential aspect to monitor. Most Mediterranean corals live in the mesophotic and aphotic zones, and their population structures can be assessed by analyzing images collected by underwater vehicles. This is still not possible in whip-like corals, whose colony lengths and flexibilities impede the taking of direct length measurements from images. This study reports on the occurrence of a monospecific forest, of the whip coral Viminella flagellum in the Aeolian Archipelago (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea; 149 m depth), and the assessment of its population structure through an ad-hoc, non-invasive method to estimate a colony height based on its width. The forest of V. flagellum showed a mean density of 19.4 ± 0.2 colonies $m^{−2}$ (up to 44.8 colonies $m^{−2}$) and no signs of anthropogenic impacts. The population was dominated by young colonies, with the presence of large adults and active recruitment. The new model proved to be effective for non-invasive monitoring of this near threatened species, representing a needed step towards appropriate conservation actions. |
| Starting Page | 39 |
| e-ISSN | 20797737 |
| DOI | 10.3390/biology11010039 |
| Journal | Biology |
| Issue Number | 1 |
| Volume Number | 11 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | MDPI |
| Publisher Date | 2021-12-28 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Biology Remote Sensing Anthozoa Animal Forest Gorgonian Biometry Mesophotic Rov Image Analysis Imod Habitat Aeolian Islands |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
