Atlas of the Mediterranean Seamounts and Seamount-like Structures ULISSE 44 N JANUA S.LUCIA SPINOLA OCCHIALI ARAGÓ CALYPSO HILLS 42 CIALDI FELIBRES HILLS 42 TIBERINO ETRUSCHI LA RENAIXENÇA HILLS ALBANO MONTURIOL S.FELIÙ SMS DAUNO VERCELLI SALVÁ BRUTUS SPARTACUS CASSINIS EBRO BARONIE-K MARUSSI SECCHI-ADRIANO FARFALLE ALBATROS-CICERONE CRESQUES BERTRAN SELLI VENUS MORROT DE LA CIUTADELLA GORTANI SELE MONTE DELLA RONDINE TACITO SÓLLER ALABE DE MARCHI SIRENE SARDINIA D’ANCONA FLAVIO GIOIA AMENDOLARA 40 SALLUSTIO 40 MAGNAGHI POSEIDONE ROSSANO APHRODITI VAVILOV TIBULLO DIAMANTE MORROT CORNAGLIA V.EMANUELE CARIATI DE SA DRAGONERA MAJOR ISSEL PALINURO-STRABO OVIDIO VILADESTERS CATULLO GLAVKI ORAZIO MARSILI-PLINIO GLABRO ENOTRIO MANSEL JOHNSTON STONY SPONGE QUIRRA ENEA TITO LIVIO VIRGILIO ALCIONE AUGUSTO SES OLIVES GARIBALDI-GLAUCO LAMETINO 1 BROUKER JAUME 1 CORNACYA LAMETINO 2 COLOM TRAIANO LUCREZIO STOKES XABIA-IBIZA VESPASIANO LITERI SINAYA VALLSECA SISIFO EMILE BAUDOT GIULIO CESARE-CAESAR DREPANO ENARETE CASONI FONTSERÈ ICHNUSA IRA NAVTILOS CABO DE LA NAO AUSIÀS MARCH ANCHISE BELL GUYOT POMPEO PROMETEO MARTORELL ACESTE-TIBERIO EOLO FORMENTERA SOLUNTO ALKYONI FERRER SCUSO SAN VITO LOS MARTINES ALÍ BEI FINALE DON JUAN RESGUI RIBA SENTINELLE (SKERKI) BALIKÇI EL38 PLANAZO BIDDLECOMBE SILVIA 38 PLIS PLAS KEITH SECO DE PALOS ESTAFETTE HECATE ADVENTURE TALBOT TETIDE 170 km ÁGUILAS GALATEA PANTELLERIA ANFITRITE EMPEDOCLE PINNE ANTEO 2 KHAYR-AL-DIN CIMOTOE ANTEO 3 ABUBACER FOERSTNER NAMELESS PNT. E MADREPORE ANTEO 1 AVENZOAR PNT. CB CHELLA CABO DE GATA ANGELINA ALFEO SABINAR PNT. SW AVEMPACE-ALGARROBO MAIMONIDES RIDGE BANNOCK KOLUMBO DJIBOUTI-HERRADURA POLLUX BILIM ADRA-AVERROES MAIMONIDES BIRSA PNT. SE HERRADURA-DJIBOUTI LINOSA III AL-MANSOUR A EL SEGOVIANO DJIBOUTI VILLE ALBORÁN LINOSA I LINOSA II HÉSPERIDES HÉRCULES EL IDRISSI YUSUF KARPAS CATIFAS-W. VICTOR HENSEN 1 36 M. DEL CARMEN IBN-BATOUTA CABLIERS ALIDADE ALFIL ANAXAGORAS GŰZELYURT GRANADA CABLIERS-E. KAŞ MARGALEF FRANCESC PAGÈS CABLIERS FONKAL TRES ANAMUR-KORMAKITI EUROFLEET PROVENÇAUX ANAXIMENES XAUEN FORCAS ANAXIMANDER LARNAKA TOFIÑO MALTA VICTOR HENSEN 2 PETIT BOURI FINIKE TOFIÑO LATAKIA MEDINA FLORENCE TURGUT REIS MEDINA-MALTA RIDGE EAST MEDITERRANEAN RIDGE Vercelli Seamount: PTOLEMY DANAOS-2007 HECATAEUS KNOLL BANNOCK A) Sperm whales, Physeter catodon, 20 August 2013. HECATAEUS RISE ARCHIMEDES B) Callogorgia verticillata, peak. MELITA EPICHARMOS C) Laminaria rodriguezii, pinnacle. CONRAD 34 Courtesy M. Bo. WEST MEDITERRANEAN RIDGE HERODOTUS-CYRENE BATTOS ERATOSTHENES AKHDAR TYRRHENIAN SEA B ATLAS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEAMOUNTS AND SEAMOUNT–LIKE STRUCTURES STRUCTURE: Life on and around the Seamount The presence of fin whales Balaenoptera( physalus) close to the Vercelli Seamount was checked during The Vercelli Seamount, an isolated rocky peak penetrating the euphotic zone, a visual and acoustic sampling carried out by the plays an important aggregating role, hosting rich coralligenous megabenthic Italian Navy in 1995 (Nascetti and Notarbartolo di Vercelli Seamount communities as revealed by Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) surveys (Bo et Sciara, 1996), as well as striped dolphins (Stenella al., 2011). The shallowest part of the pinnacle hosts a dense canopy of the kelp coeruleoalba) according to the results of the Location: 41.10792°N – 10.90581°E Laminaria rodriguezii. The southern side biocoenosis is mainly dominated by the “Acoustic and Visual Monitoring Campaign in the octocorals Paramuricea clavata and Eunicella cavolinii, while the northern side Peak depth (m): 60-70 Base depth (m): 1000-1010 Tyrrhenian Sea. Gionha Project” (Pavan et al., 2011). is colonized by active filter-feeding organisms such as sponges with numerous SARDINIA CHANNEL, STRAIT OF SICILY, IONIAN SEA, ADRIATIC SEA A group of 10 sperm whales (Physeter catodon) was colonies of the ascidian Diazona violacea, and the polychaete Sabella pavonina observed on the top of the Vercelli Seamounts’ pin- (Bo et al., 2011). The observed differences between the communities recorded nacle during the ROV operations (Bo, pers. comm., on the two flanks of the pinnacle, both in term of composition and trophic 2009) . strategy, were put in relation to local current conditions (Bo et al., 2011) and were A visual sampling carried out by Ferry ships on successively found in accordance with the trophic data (Misic et al., 2012; Covazzi the route between Civitavecchia and Golfo Aranci DESCRIPTION: Harriague et al., 2014). The upwelling hydrodynamic regime suggested for the has identified a high density area of cetaceans in southern flank explains the greater abundance of passive filter-feeders such as the stretch of sea between Tiberino, Cialdi, Vercelli octocorals with respect to the northern flank. On the other hand, the downwelling Seamounts and on the ridge between Etruschi and Seamounts and Banks of the Sardinia Channel-Sicily Strait – Ionian Sea – Adriatic Sea: general map. Geology regime of organic matter on the northern flank and a higher sedimentation level, Atlas of the Mediterranean Seamounts Baronie. In particular, the Cuvier’s beaked whales possibly favoured by a lower inclination of the slope, explain the dominance of (Ziphiius cavirostris) has been spotted close to the active suspension feeders (Bo et al., 2011). The ROV data obtained in the deepest Vercelli Seamount (Marini et al., 1996). 6W - 4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 The Vercelli Seamount is the most important10 structure of a complex SW-NE 12 depth range (100-500 m depth) revealed the presence of other14 interesting deep 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34E The preliminary results of field research con- Dauno biocoenoses: on the wide detritic plane surrounding the peak, a continuous belt ducted in the Tyrrhenian Sea during the months of oriented system of ridges arising from a bottom of about 2000 m in the northern of the crinoid Leptometra phalangium (with densities of up to 43 specimens July and August 2013 in the scope of the project m-2) was observed down to 140-150 m depth (Bo et al., 2010). This suspension and Seamount-like Structures PROMETEOS show the presence of the striped dol- Tyrrhenian Sea. It consists of a granite intrusion episode dated back to 7.2 Ma feeders biocoenosis is clearly supported by the organic material sinking from phins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and Risso’s dolphins the euphotic coralligenous community. At 150 m water depth the crinoid facies (Grampus griseus) close to the Vercelli Seamount (Barberi et al., 1978, 1989; Zhuleva, 1988). The Vercelli Seamount owns 20° steep abruptly stops and is substituted by a detritus-feeding assemblage, mainly (Fiori et al., 2015). composed by cidarid sea urchins. On the edge of the detritic bottom (around walls (Gallignani, 1973; Zhuleva, 1988). At around 200-250 m water depth, flat 180-200 m depth) a wide belt of dead Dendrophyllia cornigera was recorded, Maurizio Würtz and Marzia Rovere (Editors) with sparse living colonies. The dead calyxes of this species were frequently Amendolara 40 Rossano terraces, formed during the last episode of low stand of the sea level, are present covered by the blue sponge Hamacantha (Vomerula) falcula. From 200 to 500 m depth, the rocks, covered by a thick black crust of iron-manganese oxide, are Cariati and are buried below organogenic coarse and medium sand. The walls then characterised by a very poor megabenthic biocoenosis, mainly composed by tubes of serpulids and rare encrusting sponges. A clear decline in the standing start again to be gently sloping (1°-3°) up to about 100 m water depth, where an crop of the biocoenoses was observed (Bo, pers. observ.). The Vercelli Seamount represents a good model for the benthic zonation of Mediterranean seamounts elongated pinnacle reaches 60 m water depth (Zhuleva, 1988). The pinnacle has with summit penetrating in the euphotic zone. The Vercelli Seamount is not heavily exploited by professional fishing. an asymmetric shape, with a steeper SW flank (17°) with respect to the NE one Nevertheless, some abandoned nets and lines were observed along the ROV Resgui track (Bo et al., 2011). Environments characterized by high biodiversity should Sentinelle (Skerki) 38 (11°) (Gallignani, 1973). The hydrothermal activity of the seamount is responsible be worthy of protection by international conservation programs as already sug- Biddlecombe Silvia gested for others deep diversity oases of the Mediterranean Sea. Keith Hecate Estafette Adventure for the iron-manganese crusts (up to 2 cm thick) found on the deep granites Talbot Tetide Anfitrite Empedocle (Zhuleva, 1988). Pantelleria Galatea Anteo 2 Foerstner Cimotoe Pinne Anteo 3 Nameless Alfeo Pnt CB Pnt E Anteo 1 The mesoscale oceanography of the Tyrrhenian Sea is characterized by a major Pnt SW Angelina Madrepore Bannock bank cyclonic circulation along its boundary, while in the interior several gyre structures Birsa Pnt SE Linosa III Linosa I Linosa II 36 can be observed. The Vercelli Seamount is located within a transitional area Alfil V.Hensen Fonkal between two gyres: cyclonic in the north and anticyclonic in the south (Artale Malta smt Bouri V.Hensen 2 et al., 1994). These gyres are usually considered wind-driven (Nair et al., 1994), 179 Medina but recent investigations have revealed the relevant role played by topography Medina-Malte rdg (Budillon et al., 2009; Vetrano et al., 2010). The northern gyre allows the inflow of Melita Archimedes Bannock smt Epicharmos north-western waters, partially coming from the Algerian-Provencal sub-basin. Conrad 34 It is characterized by seasonal variability