Scientific Themes: Bio

 

One of the most intriguing aspects of the project is that we know the benthic assemblages now present on the submerged cliffs of the Ferdinandea Island are about 200 years old. In the Sicilian Channel five volcanic seamounts have been described: Tetide, Anfitrite, Galatea, Cimotoe and Graham. These locations are of scientific interest because they appear to support unique biological communities such as those based upon the colonies of white coral (dominated by the scleractinians Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata). In particular the Adventure Bank and the Graham Bank was recently investigate with ROV technique between 8 to 160 m depth (Greenpeace, 2012). The superficial cliffs of the Graham Bank are characterised by the presence of different type of gorgonians, Paramuricea clavata and Eunicella cavolinii, and little cerianthus. More deep there are a dense population of several gorgonians, Callogorgia verticillata, Acanthogorgia hirsuta, Villogorgia bebrycoides, Swiftia pallida, Viminella flagellum and Bebryce mollis, and black corals, Antipathella subpinnata, Antipathes dichotoma, Leipathes glaberrima and Parantipathes larix.