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First assessment of the vermetid reefs along the coasts of Favignana Island (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea)  375

                                                          reefs are present, in order to minimize all potential
                                                          environmental threats, should be a priority.

                                                          REFERENCES

 Figure 14. Topographic complexity in the studied areas.  Anderson M.J., 2001. Permutation tests for univariate or
                                                              multivariate analysis of variance and regression.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION                                     Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences,
                                                              58: 626–639.
    The vermetid reefs along the coasts of Fav-
ignana are consistent with a true reef described          Antonioli F., Chemello R., Improta S. & Riggio S., 1999.
along the north-western Sicilian coasts (Antonioli            Dendropoma lower intertidal reef formations and
et al., 1999). The reef distribution around Favignana         their palaeoclimatological significance, NW Sicily.
confirms the need of carbonatic substrates and of             Marine Geology, 161: 155–170.
an abrasion platform for the formation of true reefs
(Dieli et al., 2001). All the reefs are characterized,    Azzopardi L., 1992. Aspect of the ecology of Vermetid
along a transect from the inshore towards the open            Gastropods on Maltese rocky shores. PhD Thesis,
sea, by the tipical patches recognized for other              University of Malta, 163 pp.
Sicilian reefs (Chemello et al., 2000; Dieli et al.,
2001). The reefs width were in agreement with the         Azzopardi L. & Schembri P.J., 1997. Vermetid crusts
values reported for other Sicilian reefs whereas the          from the Maltese Islands (Central Mediterranean).
height values were lower (Dieli et al., 2001). Some           Marine Life, 7: 7–16.
differences were highlighted locally in the con-
sidered variables, in particular in the margins, in the   Badalamenti F., Chemello R., Gristina M. Riggio S. &
depth and in the number of cuvettes. Data on topo-            Toccaceli M., 1992a. Caratterizzazione delle piatta-
graphic complexity showed significant differences             forme a Molluschi Vermetidi nella costa della Riserva
among the areas (small scale) but no relationship             Naturale dello Zingaro (TP). Oebalia, Suppl. 17:
between the coastal exposure (large scale) and the            543–545.
reef topographic complexity was evidenced.
                                                          Badalamenti F., Chemello R., Gristina M. Riggio S. &
    Vermetid reefs play an important role as modu-            Toccaceli M., 1992b. Caratterizzazione delle piatta-
lators of morphological coastal processes and as              forme a Molluschi Vermetidi nella costa tra Capo
ecological “engineers”, making the habitat more               Gallo e Isola delle Femmine (PA): area proposta
complex and tridimensional and promoting marine               come riserva naturale marina. Oebalia, Suppl. 17:
biodiversity (Pandolfo et al., 1996; Chemello et al.,         547–549.
2000; Bressan et al., 2009). Therefore, much more
attention should be paid to the study of the reef         Badalamenti F., Chemello R., D’Anna G. & Riggio S.,
morphology and distribution together with the                 1998. Diversity of the Polychaete assemblage in the
associated communities and the trophic processes              hard bottom mediolittoral along the north-western
within associated species.                                    Sicilian coast: the role played by the vermetid bioco-
                                                              struction. Atti 1° Convegno Nazionale delle Scienze
    Moreover, since the easy accessibility of ver-            del Mare, “ Diversità e Cambiamento”, Ischia: p. 14.
metid reef makes it highly vulnerable to coastal
human activity (Franzitta et al., 2006; Graziano et       Bitar G. & Bitar-Kouli S., 1995a. Aperçu de bionomie
al., 2007), a correct planning in the areas where             bentique et répartition des différents faciès de la
                                                              roche littorale à Hannouch (Liban, Méditerranée
                                                              orientale). Rapport Commission International Mer
                                                              Méditerranée, 34: 19.

                                                          Bitar G. & Bitar-Kouli S., 1995b. Impact de la pollution
                                                              sur la répartition des peuplements de substrat dur à
                                                              Beyrouth (Liban, Méditerranée orientale). Rapport
                                                              Commission International Mer Méditerranée, 34: 19.

                                                          Boudouresque C.F. & Cinelli F., 1976. Le peuplement
                                                              algal des biotopes sciaphiles superficiels de mode
                                                              battu en Méditerranée occidentale. Pubblicazioni
                                                              della Stazione Zoologica di Napoli, 40: 433–459.

                                                           Bressan G., Chemello R, Gravina M.F, Gambi M.C,
                                                              Peirano A., Cocito S., Rosso A. & Tursi A., 2009.
                                                              Altre principali biocostruzioni. In: Relini G. (Ed.)
                                                              2009. Quaderni Habitat - Biocostruzioni marine:
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