Megabenthic assemblages from South Adriatic marine mesophotic environments [PDF]
Scientific ReportsMesophotic habitats in the Mediterranean Sea host rich and diverse benthic assemblages, dominated by invertebrates alongside sciaphilous algae. Recent findings suggest that certain mesophotic bioconstructions built by invertebrates, while classified ...
Guadalupe Giménez +7 more
doaj +5 more sources
Deep connections: exploring the genetic connectivity of mesophotic and shallow-water populations of the sponge Axinella polypoides [PDF]
Scientific ReportsMesophotic sponge grounds (MSG), which are known as local biodiversity hotspots along the Eastern Mediterranean, have been suggested to serve as refugia for threatened species from shallower habitats.
Tom Morav +9 more
doaj +3 more sources
Beyond the Surface: Mesophotic Reefs as Potential Refuges for Shallow Fish Assemblages [PDF]
Ecology and EvolutionThe deep reef refugia hypothesis suggests that the effects of disturbance decrease as depth increases; thus, reefs in the mesophotic zone potentially serve as refuges for communities in shallower zones. This study challenged this hypothesis by evaluating
Manuel Francisco Velasco‐Lozano +4 more
doaj +3 more sources
Offshore Neopycnodonte Oyster Reefs in the Mediterranean Sea [PDF]
Diversity, 2020 Oysters are important ecosystem engineers best known to produce large bioconstructions at shallow depth, whilst offshore deep-subtidal oyster reefs are less widely known.
Lorenzo Angeletti, Marco Taviani
doaj +3 more sources
Marked spatial heterogeneity of macro-benthic communities along a shallow-mesophotic depth gradient in Reunion Island [PDF]
Scientific ReportsMesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) have gained considerable attention this last decade but the paucity of knowledge on these ecosystems is pronounced, particularly in the Southwestern Indian Ocean region. We explore the spatial variation in macro-benthic
Ludovic Hoarau +8 more
doaj +2 more sources
A pioneering longterm experiment on mesophotic macrofouling communities in the North Atlantic [PDF]
Communications BiologyThe mesophotic zone represents one of our planet’s largest and least explored biomes. An increasing number of studies evidence the importance of macrofouling species in marine ecosystems, but information on these communities and the factors influencing ...
João Canning-Clode +31 more
doaj +2 more sources
Depth-dependent microskeletal features modify light harvesting in Turbinaria reniformis corals [PDF]
iScienceSummary: Coral skeletal morphology modulates light exposure in symbiotic algae, especially in light-limited environments like mesophotic reefs. However, quantifying light capture within complex coral structures remains challenging.
Netanel Kramer +5 more
doaj +2 more sources
Pseudanthias hangapiko, a new anthiadine serranid (Teleostei, Serranidae, Anthiadinae) from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) [PDF]
ZooKeys, 2021 Pseudanthias hangapiko sp. nov. (Teleostei, Serranidae, Anthiadinae) is herein described from three specimens collected from a depth of 83 m in a mesophotic coral ecosystem off Hanga Piko, Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile. Pseudanthias hangapiko sp.
Bart Shepherd +4 more
doaj +3 more sources
Diversity, 2023 The largely unexplored diversity in temperate mesophotic ecosystems (TME, ~30–150 m depth) has attracted much attention over the past years. However, the number of studies and knowledge of TME diversity and ecology remains limited and geographically ...
Ana Navarro Campoy +7 more
doaj +1 more source
Mesophotic Gorgonian Corals Evolved Multiple Times and Faster Than Deep and Shallow Lineages
Diversity, 2021 Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems (MCEs) develop on a unique environment, where abrupt environmental changes take place. Using a time-calibrated molecular phylogeny (mtDNA: mtMutS), we examined the lineage membership of mesophotic gorgonian corals ...
Juan A. Sánchez +3 more
doaj +1 more source