ANGIOLILLO , M.

The presence of red coral, Corallium rubrum (Coralliidae, Gorgonacea) was reported during a monitoring study on biodiversity of hard bottom substrata along the coast of Calabria. A total of 52 transects at depths ranging between 50 and 200 m were surveyed by means of a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). The ROV was equipped with a digital camera...

The discovery of wide populations of the gorgonian Acanthogorgia cf. hirsuta (Acanthogorgiidae, Gorgonacea), in the waters off the Calabrian coast (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) is herein reported. The colonies of this coral species are single or grouped in patches as far as 30 specimens growing on small boulders on soft bottoms. The...

The whip-like gorgonian Viminella flagellum (Alcyonacea, Ellisellidae) has an Atlantic-Mediterranean distribution. In Italian seas, the species is a common component of deep-sea rocky environments from the north-western Mediterranean area to the Strait of Sicily. V. flagellum grows in deep habitats, sometimes outlining the environment with...

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The false black coral Gerardia savaglia (Cnidaria, Zoanthidea) is a colonial hexacoral unable of creating branch-like colonies on its own. It invades gorgonian colonies and, partly or entirely, covers them over. This species is an important component of the twilight zone, usually presents at depth below 60 m. G. savaglia is considered a rare...

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The whip-like gorgonian Viminella flagellum (Alcyonacea, Ellisellidae) is an Atlantic-Mediterranean species living in temperate and subtropical waters. Past knowledge about species occurrence in the Mediterranean Sea was limited to the surrounding of Gibraltar Strait and the Balearic Sea. A multi-year ROV video surveys allowed updating the...

A marine biodiversity monitoring project was conducted by ICRAM in the coastal waters of Calabria (South Italy) on board of ICRAM's research vessel R/V Astrea, by means of a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). The aim of the project was to study the hard bottom macrozoobenthos in the 30- 250 m depth range. The ROV was equipped with an underwater...

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Deep-water fishing activities are impacting deep-water habitats worldwide, yet the extent of the damage caused is mainly unseen and not quantified. Here, we used Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) surveys to assess the extent of fishing impacts on rocky substrata in 5 Italian regions between 50-300 m depth. Video analysis of the abundance and...