Page 51 - Bioconstructions_2018

Mediterranean Bioconstructions Along the Italian Coast 111

from erosion, require effective protection, for instance using SCIs. Protec-
tive measures must prevent gleaning, trampling and organic pollution, since
Sabellaria reefs are sensitive to these stressors. More information is required
about the distribution of these reefs, their characteristics, spatial distribution
and temporal short-term variability. Long-term persistence and resilience
must also be evaluated, so as to distinguish temporary from persistent reefs.
The life cycle of S. alveolata and the occurrence of larvae in the plankton
should also be studied, so as to understand recruitment and larval dispersal,
leading to the evaluation of connectivity among reefs.
The distribution of CWCs in the Mediterranean Sea is increasingly
becoming better known with the advancement of oceanographic technolo-
gies. The unique deep-sea bioconstructions of CWCs are true hot spots of
biodiversity worthy of proper governance and protection, and they represent
a Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem (Fabrietal.,2014). CWCs provinces have
been recognized as essential fish habitat for several species of commercial or
conservation interest (D’Onghia et al., 2010, 2012). For this reason, the Gen-
eral Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) created the legal
category of “Deep-sea Fisheries Restricted Area” where the use of towed
gears and dredges is forbidden, as has happened in Santa Maria di Leuca coral
province (Mastrototaro et al., 2010). The institution of deep-sea ecosystems
protection strategies needs to be implemented further, considering new
findings of a wide range of vulnerable and valuable deep-sea habitats.
Recent decades have represented an extraordinary turning point for the
investigation of the deep ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea. ROVs have
contributed to giving a visual identity to the habitats and assemblages that
were partially known from the first zonation efforts (P ere `s and Picard,
1964). Despite the great amount of work carried out, however, much is still
to be done. Future perspectives in the study of CWC distribution concern
the identification and exploration of other possible coral sites along the main
path of the LIW (Chimienti et al., 2018b). These scleractinians occur in areas
where the interaction between currents and topography can generate high-
speed flow (Orejas et al., 2009). New investigations along precipitous
topographies (e.g. canyons, ridges and seamounts) will greatly enhance
our knowledge of coral sites and provinces. This would help to refine habitat
models that predict the location of new coral bioconstructions based on hab-
itat topography and hydrodynamic conditions. Apart from new areas, it will
be crucial to explore the margins of the presently known sites and provinces,
possibly deeper than 1000m depth. Some of these sites are likely to represent
parts of a discontinuous deep-sea belt of CWC bioconstructions. Explor-
ative efforts could lead to the discovery of other large white coral belts, as