High Meiofaunal and Nematodes Diversity around Mesophotic Coral Oases in the Mediterranean Sea.

ABSTRACT: Although the mesophotic zone of the Mediterranean Sea has been poorly investigated, there is an increasing awareness about its ecological importance for its biodiversity, as fish nursery and for the recruitment of shallow water species. Along with coastal rocky cliffs, isolated coralligenous concretions emerging from muddy bottoms are typical structures of the Mediterranean Sea mesophotic zone. Coralligenous concretions at mesophotic depths in the South Tyrrhenian Sea were investigated to assess the role of these coralligenous oases in relation to the biodiversity of surrounding soft sediments. We show here that the complex structures of the coralligenous concretions at ca. 110 m depth influence the trophic conditions, the biodiversity and assemblage composition in the surrounding sediment

SUBMITTER: Bianchelli S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3688901 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature