Deep-sea ecosystems represent the largest biome of the global biosphere, but knowledge of
their biodiversity is still scant. The Mediterranean basin has been proposed as a hot spot of …

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 …

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 …

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 …

The biodiversity of the Santa Maria di Leuca (SML) coral bank is summarized and its
description is updated using data collected by means of underwater video systems, benthic …

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 …

Existing information on the ichthyofauna of the Eastern Ionian Sea (Greece) was enriched by
a recent research project carried out in its northern part at depths ranging from 300 to 1200 …

The Santa Maria di Leuca (SML) coral banks represent a rare example of living Lophelia-
Madrepora-bearing coral mounds in the Mediterranean Sea. They are located between 350 …

[EN] This chapter presents the state of the art concerning the deep-sea Mediterranean
environment: geology, hydrology, biology and fisheries. These are the fields of study dealt …

Three surveys were carried out off Cape Santa Maria di Leuca (Southern Italy). Samples
were taken using an 'ingegno', trawl net and traps at 630–1100 m depth. The white coral …