Europe’s Grand Canyon: Nazaré Submarine Canyon

Economic Valuation of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems: Is it currently fit for purpose?

“…They are considered to be hotspots of biodiversity (Stiles et al, 2007;Tyler et al, 2009;Danovaro et al, 2010). A large portfolio of ES from submarine canyons as an example of a deep-sea ecosystem were identified and linked to ecosystem structures, processes and functions by Jobstvogt et al (2014a) (Table 1, next page).…”

An insight into the feeding ecology of deep-sea canyon nematodes — Results from field observations and the first in-situ 13C feeding experiment in the Nazaré Canyon

“…1A). It cuts the shelf 500 m off the Portuguese coast and extends westwards for about 210 km (Tyler et al, 2009;15 Vanney and Mougenot, 1981). Unlike many submarine canyons, the Nazaré Canyon is not connected to a large river system.…”

“…The Nazaré Canyon is characterised by complex and variable hydrodynamic conditions Tyler et al, 2009), which affect meiofauna abundances and assemblage composition (Garcia et al, 2007;Ingels et al, 2009;Soetaert and Heip, 1995), but increased food supply may act to increase abundances . The abundance of meiobenthic communities in canyons reflects the prevailing current regime to an extent, with often very low 20 densities in areas where sediments are disturbed regularly and hydrodynamic activity is greatest, e.g.…”

“…However, because the canyon intersects a large part of the shelf it entraps large quantities of sediment moving along the Portuguese coast and so is recognised as a major sediment pathway among European canyons (Tyler et al, 2009). Besides high rates of sedimentation, OM transport, entrapment, and burial, the Nazaré canyon is hydrodynamically very 20 active and its heterogeneous topography contributes to a complex current regime within, and even beyond, the canyon's borders (Tyler et al, 2009) with significant impacts on the canyon fauna (Curdia et al, 2004;Garcia et al, 2007;Ingels et al, 2009;Koho et al, 2007). Terraces in the middle canyon area are draped in thick layers of muddy turbidites creating a distinct depot centre with little sediment passing beyond the middle canyon section .…”

Ecological Role of Submarine Canyons and Need for Canyon Conservation: A Review

“…An increasing amount of data provides evidence of how canyons act benefiting and supporting fisheries (Yoklavich et al, 2000;Company et al, 2012), and enhance carbon sequestration and storage (Epping et al, 2002;Canals et al, 2006;Masson et al, 2010). Canyon habitats also provide nursery (Sardà and Cartes, 1994;Hoff, 2010;Fernandez-Arcaya et al, 2013) and refuge sites for other marine life (Tyler et al, 2009;De Leo et al, 2010;Vetter et al, 2010;Morris et al, 2013), including vulnerable marine ecosystems and essential fish-habitats such as cold-water corals and sponge fields (Schlacher et al, 2007;Huvenne et al, 2011;Davies et al, 2014). Canyons have also been shown to provide habitat for spawning females of pelagic and benthic species of commercial interest (Farrugio, 2012).…”