Marine bioconstructions are biodiversity-rich, three-dimensional biogenic structures,
regulating key ecological functions of benthic ecosystems worldwide. Tropical coral reefs …

The ecology and function of rocky temperate mesophotic ecosystems (TMEs) remain poorly
understood globally despite their widespread distribution. They typically occur at 20–150 m …

Marine debris is a recognized global ecological concern. Little is known about the extent of
the problem in the Mediterranean Sea regarding litter distribution and its influence on deep …

Deep-water fishing activities are impacting deep-water habitats worldwide, yet the extent of
the damage caused is mainly unseen and not quantified. We used Remotely Operated …

Abstract Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VME) in the deep Mediterranean Sea have been
identified by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean as consisting of …

The term cold-water coral sensu lato groups taxa with a more or less pronounced frame-
building ability (eg Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata) with forest-forming organisms …

Leiopathes glaberrima is a tall arborescent black coral species structuring important facies
of the deep-sea rocky bottoms of the Mediterranean Sea that are severely stifled by fishing …

Bycatch–a term widely used to refer to part of the catch unintentionally caught during a
fishing operation, in addition to target species, and consisting of the discards and incidental …

Cold-water corals are recognised as a key component of Mediterranean deep-sea
ecosystems but the knowledge of their associated biodiversity is still limited. To date, the …

Plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea has been widely reported, but its impact on
biodiversity has not been fully explored. Simultaneous sampling of microplastics (MP) with a …