Structural and taphonomic analysis of a columnar coralline algal build-up from SE Sicily

Geronimo, I. Di; Geronimo, Raffaella Di; Rosso, Antonietta; Sanfilippo, Rossana

doi:10.1016/s0016-6995(02)00050-5

Cited by 34 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…These features could represent distinct phases of morphological development [ 7 ]. Outcrops with columnar shapes resembling small patch reefs also characterize the bottom off southeast Sicily [ 6 ]. If we consider the biotic component, the Apulian outcrops are colonized by coralline algae associated with organisms that also characterize the proposed habitats of the northern Adriatic; however, some of these outcrops show an additional “erect ramified” animal layer, thus representing a fourth complex habitat.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Calcareous Bio-Concretions in the Northern Adriatic Sea: Habitat Types, Environmental Factors that Influence Habitat Distributions, and Predictive Modeling

Falace

Curiel²,

Miotti³

et al. 2015

PLoS ONE

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Habitat classifications provide guidelines for mapping and comparing marine resources across geographic regions. Calcareous bio-concretions and their associated biota have not been exhaustively categorized. Furthermore, for management and conservation purposes, species and habitat mapping is critical. Recently, several developments have occurred in the field of predictive habitat modeling, and multiple methods are available. In this study, we defined the habitats constituting northern Adriatic biogenic reefs and created a predictive habitat distribution model. We used an updated dataset of the epibenthic assemblages to define the habitats, which we verified using the fuzzy k-means (FKM) clustering method. Redundancy analysis was employed to model the relationships between the environmental descriptors and the FKM membership grades. Predictive modelling was carried out to map habitats across the basin. Habitat A (opportunistic macroalgae, encrusting Porifera, bioeroders) characterizes reefs closest to the coastline, which are affected by coastal currents and river inputs. Habitat B is distinguished by massive Porifera, erect Tunicata, and non-calcareous encrusting algae (Peyssonnelia spp.). Habitat C (non-articulated coralline, Polycitor adriaticus) is predicted in deeper areas. The onshore-offshore gradient explains the variability of the assemblages because of the influence of coastal freshwater, which is the main driver of nutrient dynamics. This model supports the interpretation of Habitat A and C as the extremes of a gradient that characterizes the epibenthic assemblages, while Habitat B demonstrates intermediate characteristics. Areas of transition are a natural feature of the marine environment and may include a mixture of habitats and species. The habitats proposed are easy to identify in the field, are related to different environmental features, and may be suitable for application in studies focused on other geographic areas. The habitat model outputs provide insight into the environmental drivers that control the distribution of the habitat and can be used to guide future research efforts and cost-effective management and conservation plans.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Calcareous Bio-Concretions in the Northern Adriatic Sea: Habitat Types, Environmental Factors that Influence Habitat Distributions, and Predictive Modeling

Falace

Curiel²,

Miotti³

et al. 2015

PLoS ONE

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“…Coralligenous substrata are biogenic build-ups, mainly due to the carbonate deposition of several encrusting coralline algae ( Lithophyllum , Lithothamnion , Mesophyllum and Peyssonnelia ) growing in dim light conditions [3, 4, 5] and, in lesser extent, to the calcareous skeletons of some benthic animals [6, 7, 8]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Mediterranean littoral hard bottoms are often characterized by coralligenous communities that develop, with different growth patterns, depending on sedimentation rates, water transparency, substrate mineralogy and morphology [ 1 , 2 ]. Coralligenous substrata are biogenic build-ups, mainly due to the carbonate deposition of several encrusting coralline algae ( Lithophyllum , Lithothamnion , Mesophyllum and Peyssonnelia ) growing in dim light conditions [ 3 , 4 , 5 ] and, in lesser extent, to the calcareous skeletons of some benthic animals [ 6 , 7 , 8 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The dynamics of a Mediterranean coralligenous sponge assemblage at decennial and millennial temporal scales

et al. 2017

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This paper concerns the changes occurred over both decennial and millennial spans of time in a sponge assemblage present in coralligenous biogenic build-ups growing at 15 m depth in the Ligurian Sea (Western Mediterranean). The comparison of the sponge diversity after a time interval of about 40 years (1973–2014) showed a significant reduction in species richness (about 45%). This decrease affected mainly the massive/erect sponges, and in particular the subclass Keratosa, with a species loss of 67%, while the encrusting and cavity dwelling sponges lost the 36% and 50%, respectively. The boring sponges lost only one species (25%). This changing pattern suggested that the inner habitat of the bioconstructions was less affected by the variations of the environmental conditions or by the human pressures which, on the contrary, strongly affected the species living on the surface of the biogenic build-ups. Five cores extracted from the bioherms, dating back to 3500 YBP, allowed to analyse the siliceous spicules remained trapped in them in order to obtain taxonomic information. Changes at generic level in diversity and abundance were observed at 500/250-years intervals, ranging between 19 and 33 genera. The number of genera showed a sharp decrease since 3500–3000 to 3000–2500 YBP. After this period, the genera regularly increased until 1500–1250 YBP, from when they progressively decreased until 1000–500 YBP. Tentatively, these changes could be related to the different climatic periods that followed one another in the Mediterranean area within the considered time span. The recent depletion in sponge richness recorded in the Ligurian coralligenous can be considered relevant. In fact, the analysis of the spicules indicated that the sponges living in these coralligenous habitats remained enough stable during 3000 years, but could have lost a significant part of their biodiversity in the last decades, coinciding with a series of warming episodes.

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“…The thickness of rims is also variable and ranges from 20 cm up to N 2 m; thickness increases from shallow to deep waters (Laborel, 1987). Besides large-scale morphology, different facies of C have been described for the present-day Mediterranean Sea (Laborel, 1961;Pérès and Picard, 1964;Sarà, 1966;Pérès, 1982;Bellan-Santini et al, 1994;Sartoretto, 1994;Gili et al, 1995;Canals and Ballesteros, 1997;Di Geronimo et al, 2002). The fundamental distinction is based on substrate type: submarine rocky substrate, usually in caves or sub-marine cliffs, versus soft substrates (Laborel, 1961).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paleoecology and dynamics of coralline dominated facies during a Pleistocene transgressive–regressive cycle (Capo Colonna marine terrace, Southern Italy)

Bracchi

Nalin

Basso

2014

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

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Structural and taphonomic analysis of a columnar coralline algal build-up from SE Sicily

Cited by 34 publications

References 11 publications

Calcareous Bio-Concretions in the Northern Adriatic Sea: Habitat Types, Environmental Factors that Influence Habitat Distributions, and Predictive Modeling

Calcareous Bio-Concretions in the Northern Adriatic Sea: Habitat Types, Environmental Factors that Influence Habitat Distributions, and Predictive Modeling

The dynamics of a Mediterranean coralligenous sponge assemblage at decennial and millennial temporal scales

Paleoecology and dynamics of coralline dominated facies during a Pleistocene transgressive–regressive cycle (Capo Colonna marine terrace, Southern Italy)

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