The need of deep-sea Habitat Mapping for Environmental Protection

L. Angeletti

G. Castellan, A. Correggiari, F. Foglini, V. Grande, M. Prampolini, A. Remia, M. Taviani

ISMAR-CNR, Bologna

Habitat mapping

21 September

RemTech Expo 2018 (19, 20, 21 Settembre) FerraraFiere www.remtechexpo.com The EU issued the MSFD 15 July 2008 2008/56/EC

Italy implemented and issued the Directive 13 October 2010

The main goal of the MSFD is that Member States must reach the Good Environmental Status for their marine waters at least in the 2020: - Initial Assessment - Determination of Good Environmental Status - Establishing of Targets - Monitoring Program - Measure Program 2012 Establishment of environmental targets and associated 6-year cycle indicators (Art. 10) 2012 Determination of Good 2014 Environmental Status Establishment and (Art. 9) implementation of coordinated monitoring programmes (Art. 11) First Cycle

2012 Initial assessment 2015 (Art. 8) Development of programmes of measures (Art. 13) 2016 Entry into operation of the programmes of measures ( Art. 13)

Review of Good Review of Environmental Status environmental targets (Art. 9) (Art. 10)

Assessment Continuation of (Art. 8) Following monitoring Cycles programmes (Art.11)

Modification of the programmes of Review of measures ( Art. 13) programmes of measures (Art. 13) Integration among different EU-Directives: Water FD; Marine Strategy FD, Habitat FD, etc.

WFD MSFD 2008/56/CE 2000/60 CE 1nm

Source: Prescott & Schofield (2005) The Italian Government (Dlgs. 142 10 July 2014) designated the Ministry of the Environment (MATTM) to coordinate Monitoring Programmes for the MSFD

MATTM (10 November 2014) determines the criteria and requisites for the Good Environmental Status (GES) and establishes the Targets

December 2014 MATTM and Regional Agencies for Environmental Protection (ARPA) signed an agreement to start with the Monitoring Programmes (all 3 MSFD sub-regions)

The MATTM (DM 11 February 2015) established Environmental Targets and the Monitoring Programmes

2015 ARPA started the Monitoring Program

14 December 2015, CNR made responsible by MATTM for the Monitoring Programmes in continuity with ARPA (CONISMA did not sign the agreement). CNR signed in December 2015 the agreement with the MATTM in order to start the monitoring programs

November 2015: a preparatory Cruise has been organized to start the Monitoring Program. The cruise was conducted by CNR-ISMAR and involved CONISMA, in the Southern Adriatic and Ionian Seas.

Participants (14 young researchers): CNR-ISMAR Bologna; CNR-IAMC Messina and Capo Granitola; CONISMA Bari, Milano, Napoli

Several WPs has been addressed: WP1.3 and 7; WP2.1, 2, 4, 5, 12 and 13; WP4.5 and 7; WP7.1 and 2 The MSFD descriptors has been translated by MATTM in 7 WPs

Descriptors Italian MSFD Workpackages D1. is maintained WP1. Phyto-zooplankton D2. Non-Indigenous WP2. Habitat and Biodiversity D3. Fish Stocks WP3. Fishery D4. Trophic Web WP4. Contaminants D5. Eutrophication WP5. Contaminants in Food D6. Seafloor Integrity WP6. Hydrographic Conditions D7. Hydrographic Conditions WP7. Noise D8. Contaminants D9. Contaminants in Food WP8. Coordination D10. Marine Litter D11. Noise WPs designed by MATTM

ISMAR-CNR Bologna is responsible for the deep sea (>100 m):

WP2.1 Cold-Water Corals

WP2.2 Coralligenous

WP2.4 Maerl/Rodolith

WP2.5 Epimegabenthos under anthropic impact

WP6.4 Cartography CNR has been elected to be responsible for the activity at sea covering 5 WPs.

All WPs have been contemporary represented in each cruise (obligation by MATTM).

Seven multidisciplinary cruises (2015-2017)

6-22 nov 2015 (S Adriatic and Ionian seas) 16 jul-5 aug 2016 (Tyrrhenian Sea) 29 aug – 13 sep 2016 (Str of Sicily and Ionian Sea) 6-19 dec 2016 (Adriatic Sea) 30 jun – 21 jul 2017 (Tyrrhenian Sea) 22 jul – 6 aug 2017 (Str of Sicily and Ionian Sea) 6-18 aug 2017 (Adriatic Sea) 6-22 November 2015 Cruise MARINE STRATEGY 2015

213 operations:

22 ROV survey 10 Benthic Lander depl 44 CTD 113 Grab Limitations: 27 Plankton Net 12 nmiles 24 Acoustic depl (except for CWC); + 100 m (50 m) for Multibeam and seismic bottom samples Cold Water Corals

Anthropic Impact Anthropic Impact: longliners

Anthropic Impact: dumping 16 July-5 August 2016 Cruise STRATEGIA MARINA-TIRRENO

205 operations:

10 ROV survey 5 Benthic Lander depl 69 CTD 44 Bio-Optic st (ACS+S- Atlantic) 40 Grab 34 Plankton Net 5 Acoustic mooring depl + Multibeam and seismic

Limitations: 12 nmiles (except for CWC); 100 m (50 m) for bottom samples; no AMP 29 Aug-13 Sept 2016 Cruise STRATEGIA MARINA IONIO-CANALE DI SICILIA

212 operations:

7 ROV survey 34 CTD 39 Bio-Optic st (ACS+S- Atlantic) 18 Grab 5 Bioness transect 28 Plankton Net 1 Acoustic mooring depl

+ Multibeam and seismic

Limitations: 12 nmiles (except for CWC); 100 m (50 m) for bottom samples; no AMP

30 June-20 July 2017 Cruise MSFD-I-2017

135 operations:

3 ROV survey 3 Benthic Lander depl 27 CTD 36 Grab 36 Plankton Net 3 Acoustic mooring depl 3 Drifter 16 Bio-Optic st (ACS+S- Atlantic) + Multibeam and seismic

Limitations: 12 nmiles (except for CWC); 100 m for bottom samples; No MPAs 21 July – 5 August 2017 Cruise MSFD-II-2017 180 operations:

12 ROV survey 5 Benthic Lander depl 44 CTD 64 Grab 53 Plankton Net 2 Acoustic mooring depl + Multibeam and seismic

Limitations: 12 nmiles (except for CWC); 100 m for bottom samples; No MPAs 6-18 August 2017 Cruise MSFD-III-2017

118 operations:

2 ROV survey 46 CTD 12 Grab 32 Plankton Net 26 Bio-Optic st (ACS+S- Atlantic) + Multibeam and seismic Limitations: 12 nmiles (except for CWC); 100 m for bottom samples; No MPAs The MSFD has the ambition to ensure that a certain level of protection will be granted for all EU marine (deep-)waters

Allowing for a comparable level of GES despite differences in abiotic and biotic conditions, know-how, pre-existing policies and traditions in the different regions and countries

These differences are significant and could justify different monitoring approaches Marine biodiversity is undergoing rapid alteration (especially in the deep-sea) under the combined pressure of climate change and human impact, but protection measures, either for species or ecosystems, are still scarce

Biological diversity (especially in the deep realm) has to be documented, understood and can be preserved

Biodiversity has a high economical value in terms of Goods and Services for the human being THANK YOU GRAZIE PER L’ATTENZIONE,

Dott. LORENZO ANGELETTI

Ente/Società/Università ISMAR-CNR Bologna

Telefono 051 639 8936

E-mail [email protected]

Deep-water habitats in the Italian seas

L. Angeletti1

S. Canese2

1. ISMAR-CNR, Bologna 2. ISPRA, Rome

Habitat mapping

21 September

RemTech Expo 2018 (19, 20, 21 Settembre) FerraraFiere www.remtechexpo.com Deep-sea habitats in Italy (> -200 m) 1. Bari Canyon cold-water corals Cnidarian habitats Centrophorus granulosus C Endangered

Dalatias licha Vulnerable

Cnidarian-sponge assemblage (Madrepora oculata and Pachastrella monilifera; ca. -440 Helicolenus dactylopterus m) Least Concern

M. oculata

Tursiops truncatus Vulnerable

Candelabra-like M. oculata (on steep flanks; ca. -570 m) Merluccius merluccius Vulnerable Attributes

i) area of unique physical features and hydrological processes (deep-water circulation influencing the entire Mediterranean Sea) ii) a VME hosting numerous endangered mega- and macro-benthic organisms such as cnidarians iii) a potential nursery for some deep-cartilaginous species impacted by fisheries iv) an area of important EFHs for different commercial species such as Merluccius merluccius; Helicolenus dactylopterus, Pagellus bogaraveo, Phycis blennoides among others List of Mediterranean VME Indicator Features, Habitats and Taxa (according to WGVME, Rome 2017) present in the BARI CANYON

(a) Mediterranean VME Indicator Features - Canyons and trenches - Steep slopes - Submarine reliefs (slumped blocks, ridges, cobble fields, etc.)

(b) Mediterranean VME Indicator Habitats Cold-water coral reefs Coral gardens - Hard-bottom coral garden Gargano Deep-sea sponge aggregations - Hard-bottom sponge gardens - Glass sponge communities - Soft-bottom sponge gardens Bari Canyon Dauno Smt - Other dense emergent fauna

(c) Mediterranean VME Indicator Taxa Hexacorallia (Antipatharia, ) Demospongiae Gryphaeidae (Neopycnodonte cochlear, N. zibrowii) Predominant habitats and biocenoses present in the Bari Canyon, refer in the SPA/BIO Protocol (BCN Conv), IUCN Red list and GFCM priority species are:

ME1.5 Mediterranean upper bathyal rock ME1.51 Upper bathyal rock ME1.521 Madrepora oculata reefs ME1.513 M. oculata and Lophelia pertusa reefs Bathyal rocks with Scleractinia and Tetractinellida ME2.1 Mediterranean upper bathyal biogenic habitat Bathyal bioconstructions M. oculata/L. pertusa/Desmophyllum dianthus reefs M. oculata and L. pertusa M. oculata and Serpula vermicularis reefs MF1.5 Mediterranean lower bathyal rock MF1.51 Lower bathyal rock MF1.512 M. oculata reefs Madrepora oculata Endangered (IUCN; Annex II of Barcelona Conv) MF1.513 M. oculata and L. pertusa reefs Lophelia pertusa Endangered (IUCN; Annex II of Barcelona Conv) Desmophyllum dianthus Endangered (IUCN; COP 2017, Annex 2) Dendrophyllia cornigera Endangered (IUCN; COP 2017, Annex 2) glaberrima Endangered (IUCN; Annex II of Barcelona Conv)

Centrophorus granulosus Critically Endangered (IUCN) Chimaera monstrosa Near Threatened (IUCN) Dalatias licha Vulnerable (IUCN) Hexanchus griseus Least concern(IUCN) Conger conger Least Concern (IUCN) Centrophorus granulosus CE Phycis phycis Least Concern (IUCN) Merluccius merluccius Vulnerable (IUCN; GFCM species priority) Polyprion americanus Data deficient (IUCN) Phycis phycis Least Concern (IUCN) Helicolenus dactylopterus Least Concern (IUCN) Pagellus bogaraveo Least Concern (IUCN; GFCM species priority)

Stenella coeruleoalba Vulnerable (IUCN; Annex II of Barcelona Convention) Tursiops truncates Vulnerable (IUCN; Annex II of Barcelona Convention) Density/biomass comparison between coral and non coral habitats in a cold- water coral (CWC) province (Santa Maria di Leuca)

(Capezzuto et al., 2010, Chem. Ecol.) Other CWC occurrences along Italian margins (> -200 m) Deep-sea habitats in Italy (> -200 m) 2. Messina Strait Errina aspera banks (stylasterid reef) Salvati et al., 2010 Journal of Marine Biological Association UK Deep-sea habitats in Italy (> -200 m) 3. Carloforte shoal Leiopathes glaberrima (black corals) Bo et al., 2015 PlosOne Other Leiopathes occurrences along Italian margins (> -200 m) Deep-sea habitats in Italy (> -100) 4. Amendolara Seamount, Dendrophyllia cornigera reefs (yellow corals)

Other Dendrophyllia occurrences along Italian margins (> -100 m) Deep-sea habitats in Italy (> -100) 5. W Sardinian Margin, Corallium rubrum (‘precious’ red coral) Angiolillo & Canese, 2018, Deep Gorgonians and Corals of the Mediterranean Sea and Plesionika sp. Madrepora oculata Paramuricea sp.

Antipathella subpinnata

Antipathes dichotoma

Callogorgia verticillata Leiopathes glaberrima Thank you GRAZIE PER L’ATTENZIONE,

Dott. LORENZO ANGELETTI

Ente/Società/Università ISMAR-CNR Bologna

Telefono 051 639 8936

E-mail [email protected]