water Article A Perspective for Best Governance of the Bari Canyon Deep-Sea Ecosystems Lorenzo Angeletti 1,* , Gianfranco D’Onghia 2,3, Maria del Mar Otero 4, Antonio Settanni 5, Maria Teresa Spedicato 6 and Marco Taviani 1,7 1 ISMAR-CNR, Via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy;
[email protected] 2 Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Via E. Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy;
[email protected] 3 CoNISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Roma, Italy 4 IUCN—Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, C/Marie Curie No. 22 (PTA), 29590 Málaga, Spain;
[email protected] 5 Strada Statale 16 Sud Complanare Ovest 92, 70126 Bari, Italy;
[email protected] 6 COISPA Tecnologia & Ricerca, Stazione Sperimentale per lo Studio delle Risorse del Mare, Via dei Trulli 18/20, 70126 Bari, Italy;
[email protected] 7 Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +39-051-639-8936 Abstract: There is growing awareness of the impact of fishery activities on fragile and vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems, stimulating actions devoted to their protection and best management by national and international organizations. The Bari Canyon in the Adriatic Sea represents a good case study of this, since it hosts vulnerable ecosystems, threatened species, as well as valuable commercial species, but virtually lacks substantial management plans for the sustainable use of resources. This study documents the high level of biodiversity of the Bari Canyon and the impact of Citation: Angeletti, L.; D’Onghia, G.; human activities by analyzing remotely operated vehicle surveys and benthic lander deployments.