CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research - Zenodo, Jun 18, 2021
To explore deep-sea areas of the Azores EEZ to better understand the distribution patterns of lar... more To explore deep-sea areas of the Azores EEZ to better understand the distribution patterns of large VME species and commercial fishes. Specifically, the objectives of the cruise were to (i) continue the characterization of benthic communities inhabiting the slopes of Terceira and neighboring submarine ridges, (ii) identify new areas that may fit the FAO definition of what constitutes a Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem; and (iii) to contribute with additional data to address patterns and drivers of the distribution of deep-sea benthic biodiversity in the Azores region. It will also provide valuable information in the context of Good Environmental Status (GES), Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and provide new insights on how to sustainably manage deep-sea ecosystems.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creat ive Commo ns Attri bution License, wh... more This is an open access article under the terms of the Creat ive Commo ns Attri bution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical of the University of Lisbon, which resulted fro... more The Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical of the University of Lisbon, which resulted from the recent merger (in 2015) of the former state laboratory Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical in the University of Lisbon, holds an important collection of bird skins from the Portuguese-speaking African Countries (Angola, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde), gathered as a result of several scientific expeditions made during the colonial period. In this paper, the subset from Mozambique is described, which was taxonomically revised and georeferenced. It contains 1585 specimens belonging to 412 taxa, collected between 1932 and 1971, but mainly in 1948 (43% of specimens) and 1955 (30% of specimens). The collection covers all eleven provinces of the country, although areas south of the Zambezi River are better represented than those north of the river. The provinces with the highest number of specimens were Maputo, Sofala, and Gaza. Although it is a relatively small collection with a patchy coverage, it adds significantly to Global Biodiversity Information Facility, with 15% of all records available before and during the collecting period (1830-1971) being the second largest dataset for that period for Mozambique.
Annotation of <em>Paragorgia johnsoni </em>Gray, 1862 colonies from underwater video ... more Annotation of <em>Paragorgia johnsoni </em>Gray, 1862 colonies from underwater video footage recorded during the Blue Azores 2018 Expedition with the ROV <em>Luso</em> onboard the NRP <em>Almirante Gago Coutinho</em>, Station 57, Dive 15 (June 23<sup>rd</sup>, 2018). The images correspond to the octocoral garden discovered between 545 and 595 m depth on the slopes of a small ridge-like structure located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, in the Azores region.
The MEDWAVES (MEDiterranean out flow WAter and Vulnerable EcosystemS) cruise targeted areas under... more The MEDWAVES (MEDiterranean out flow WAter and Vulnerable EcosystemS) cruise targeted areas under the potential influence of the MOW within the Mediterranean and Atlantic realms. These include seamounts where Cold-water corals (CWCs) have been reported but that are still poorly known, and which may act as essential "stepping stones" connecting fauna of seamounts in the Mediterranean with those of the continental shelf of Portugal, the Azores and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. During MEDWAVES sampling has been conducted in two of the case studies of ATLAS: Case study 7 (Gulf of Cádiz-Strait of Gibraltar-Alboran Sea) and Case<br> study 8 (Azores). The initially targeted areas in the Atlantic were: the Gazul Mud volcano, in the Gulf of Cádiz (GoC) area, included in the case study 7, and the Atlantic seamounts Ormonde (Portuguese shelf) and Formigas (by Azores), both part of the case study 8. In the Mediterranean the targeted areas were The Guadiaro submarine canyon and the Sec...
Poster presentation at ATLAS 3rd General Assembly. Seamounts have long been regarded as specializ... more Poster presentation at ATLAS 3rd General Assembly. Seamounts have long been regarded as specialized habitats that support unique benthic communities, generally more diverse and species rich than continental slopes of similar depths. Some of the structural species commonly observed in these habitats include cold-water coral reefs, coral gardens and sponge grounds, which find in these offshore features suitable substrates and increased food supply to fully develop. The functional role of these communities in enhancing local biodiversity rates by providing shelter and refuge to a set of accompanying species makes them ecologically important for conservation, and some them are currently included in the list of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs). Despite their key role in maintaining global ocean biodiversity and fluxes, some aspects of their ecology still remain unknown. Commercial fisheries, mostly bottom trawling and long-line fishing, have historically targeted offshore seamounts, p...
Poster presentation at ATLAS 3rd General Assembly. An important goal of the ATLAS project is to i... more Poster presentation at ATLAS 3rd General Assembly. An important goal of the ATLAS project is to improve our understanding of the ocean transport pathways and connectivity of water masses at basin and regional scales relevant for benthic marine ecosystems. The MEDWAVES cruise (21<sup>st</sup> September-26<sup>th</sup> October, 2016) aimed to better understand the characteristics of the Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) and its potential influence in the occurrence, composition and distribution of deep-sea benthic communities from the Mediterranean to the Azores. Among the geomorphological features targeted in MEDWAVES, two Atlantic seamounts were included: Ormonde (Portuguese continental shelf) and Formigas Bank (close to the Azores Archipelago). During MEDWAVES, the geomorphology and oceanography of the areas was characterised. Further submarine video transects were conducted by means of a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). The transects were performed in the d...
The hidden cold-water coral communities of the Ormonde seamount (Gorringe Bank): a world to explo... more The hidden cold-water coral communities of the Ormonde seamount (Gorringe Bank): a world to explore, a world to discover. Presentation given at the European Coral Reef Symposium, Oxford, UK, December 2017.
Gettysburg and Ormonde are two shallow peaks located on the Gorringe seamount about 200 and 240 k... more Gettysburg and Ormonde are two shallow peaks located on the Gorringe seamount about 200 and 240 km WSW off Cape St. Vincent (Portugal, NE Atlantic), within the Portuguese Economic Exclusive Zone. Despite the ecological importance of the biological assemblages on these peaks and the need to preserve seamounts as valuable habitats, no management plans have been yet implemented at this site, which only recently has been included in the list of Sites of Community Importance of Portugal. Video imagery collected using a ROV during the 2011 Oceana campaigns was used here to analyse qualitative and quantitative patterns of benthic assemblage composition at the summit of the seamount (between 30 and 230 m depth). The results suggest that Ormonde is a biologically important area made up of vulnerable marine ecosystem elements that change significantly with depth. These include: kelp beds, in the euphotic zone; encrusting coralline algal communities and solitary colonies or mixed associations of suspension-feeders (scleractinians, gorgonians, antipatharians, encrusting demosponges and ascidians), at the lower limit of the euphotic zone; mixed coral gardens and erect sponges, in the disphotic zone; and dense sponge aggregations, on the upper slope. These results were further used to propose amendments to the European Nature Information System habitat classification as a tool to work towards resolving the seamounts management issue. The results also provide information on taxa and habitats with high ecological value and classified as threatened or vulnerable, which is essential for the implementation of the cornerstones of Europe's biodiversity conservation policy, namely the OSPAR Convention and the EU Habitats Directive.
Abstract Gorringe bank is a shallow seamount having its summit within the euphotic layer. The pur... more Abstract Gorringe bank is a shallow seamount having its summit within the euphotic layer. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the interaction of ocean currents with shallow water seamounts, as the Gorringe, has a significant effect on local upwelling and primary production. Three hydrographic surveys were carried out: one in autumn (October 2011) and two in summer (June and July 2012). Physical (salinity, temperature), chemical (nutrients, dissolved oxygen, pH, total alkalinity and suspended particulate matter) and biological (chlorophyll, pelagic primary production and phytoplankton composition and abundance) variables were measured and/or determined in the area of Gorringe Bank, in particular over and around the Ormonde and Gettysburg peaks. Multivariate analyses (PCA and MDS) were applied to environmental and phytoplankton data. Statistical analysis of historical satellite and model data was also carried out in order to analyze local hydrographic conditions and to compare sea surface temperature and chlorophyll concentrations over the peaks and off the peaks in different seasons. Pelagic primary production, measured by Dissolved Oxygen methodology, reached values up to 24.10 mg C m − 3 h − 1 in the vicinity of the peaks. Phytoplankton abundance ranged from 2.2 × 10 3 to 14 × 10 3 cells L − 1 , being the community composed mainly of chain-forming Diatoms like Chaetoceros sp., Dactyliosolen spp., Hemiaulus hauckii and Pseudonitzschia spp., in summer months, in zones of high hydrodynamics of the peaks. By contrast, at locations away of the seamount summits and in autumn, Coccolithophores species reached the same or higher percentage in total abundance than Diatoms, being Discosphaera tubifer and Calcidiscus leptoporus cf. the most abundant species. The combined results indicate the presence of a seasonal effect of Gorringe summits on local upwelling and enhancement of primary production reflected in higher abundance of phytoplankton in the vicinity of the peaks, with emphasis on the Gettysburg, and higher surface chlorophyll concentrations. Therefore, obtained results support the hypothesis of production enhancement.
The former Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical-IICT (Lisbon, Portugal), recently integr... more The former Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical-IICT (Lisbon, Portugal), recently integrated into the University of Lisbon, gathers important natural history collections from Portuguese-speaking African countries. In this study, we describe the bird collection from the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and
The bird collection of the Instituto de Investigação Cientítica Tropical (Lisbon, Portugal) holds... more The bird collection of the Instituto de Investigação Cientítica Tropical (Lisbon, Portugal) holds 5598 preserved specimens (skins), mainly from Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Principe, and Cape Verde. The subset collection from Angola includes 1560 specimens, which were taxonomically revised and georeferenced for the publication of this data paper. The collection contains a total of 522 taxa, including 161 species and 361 subspecies. Two species are classified by the IUCN Red List as Endangered
Information about photosynthesis−irradiance (P−I) relationships is crucial in many primary produc... more Information about photosynthesis−irradiance (P−I) relationships is crucial in many primary production studies. This is frequently obtained using incubation experiments, which may not simulate in situ conditions where algae are adjusting their photosynthetic systems to permanent light variations. There has been increasing interest in pulse-amplitude-modulated (PAM) chlorophyll fluorometry-which measures instantaneous photosynthetic response-particularly in the use of rapid light curves (RLCs) to minimize the confounding effects of light acclimation encountered with traditional 'steady-state' light curves (SSLC). However, there is still a lack of information about how oxygen SSLC curves and estimations from fluorescence P−I curves are related. The present study addresses some of these topics, using Laminaria hyperborea. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the effect of light sequence (increasing or decreasing) in the estimation of P−I parameters, (2) characterize the daily patterns of P−I curve parameters, (3) compare oxygen and fluorescence P−I parameters and (4) evaluate the possibility of converting fluorescence P−I parameters into oxygen production measurements. Results showed that light sequence had no significant effect on P−I parameters (fluorescence and oxygen) and that P−I curves exhibited considerable differences over the day (F-ratio analysis). Fluorescence SSLCs and RLCs were good oxygen production predictors only at sub-saturating irradiances, when significant linear relationships were obtained with results from oxygen incubations. Thus care should be taken when interpreting PAM fluorescence gross production estimations from higher light intensities.
MapGES_2020 Cruise Report Main objective: to explore deep-sea areas of the Azores for which there... more MapGES_2020 Cruise Report Main objective: to explore deep-sea areas of the Azores for which there is currently little or no information available on the composition and diversity of its benthic fauna in order to better understand the distribution of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) and commercial fish species in this region. Methodology: The main device used during this cruise corresponds to the Azor drift-cam, the low-cost drifting camera system designed and developed at IMAR which allows the recording of high-quality underwater video images down to 1000 m depth. The system was deployed both from a fishing vessel and from the research vessel N/I Arquipélago, from the University of the Azores.
Poster presentation at ATLAS 3rd General Assembly. Seamounts may promote the presence of vulnerab... more Poster presentation at ATLAS 3rd General Assembly. Seamounts may promote the presence of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) worldwide. In the Alboran Sea (W Mediterranean Sea), the Chella Bank (locally known as "Seco de los Olivos") is a seamount that covers ca. 100 km<sup>2</sup> and is under the influence of different water masses in this important Atlanto-Mediterranean biogeographical transition zone. During the MEDWAVES expedition (September-October 2016) within the frame of the H2020 ATLAS project, biological and sediment samples collected with Van Veen dredge and ROV underwater videos were obtained in sedimentary and coral rubble bottoms of Chella Bank. The analyses have revealed a diverse invertebrate community associated with these bottoms containing abundant cold-water coral (CWC) remains (mainly <em>Madrepora oculata</em> and <em>Lophelia pertusa</em>), which provide complex heterogeneous microhabitats to many different taxa. ...
Objectives: to conduct an expedition to some unexplored areas of the deep Azores using the Portug... more Objectives: to conduct an expedition to some unexplored areas of the deep Azores using the Portuguese ROV "Luso" and the vessel "NRP Almirante Gago Coutinho". The sampling strategy that was designed to identify Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems and report the deep-sea benthic biodiversity using the ROV Luso also aimed to (i) map benthic communities inhabiting unexplored seamounts in the Central (Gigante complex) and Western (Cachalote complex) part of the Azores Region, (ii) identify new areas that fit the FAO vulnerable marine ecosystems definition; and (iii) determine distribution patterns of deep-sea benthic biodiversity in the Azores. The results of this cruise will also contribute to identify the environmental drivers that determine the spatial distribution of deep-sea benthic biodiversity in the Azores region, evaluating at the same time the role played by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge as a barrier between the western and the eastern parts. It will also provide valuabl...
Objectives: to conduct an expedition to some unexplored areas of the deep Azores using the Portug... more Objectives: to conduct an expedition to some unexplored areas of the deep Azores using the Portuguese ROV "Luso" and the vessel "NRP Almirante Gago Coutinho". The sampling strategy that was designed to identify Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems and report the deep-sea benthic biodiversity using the ROV Luso also aimed to (i) map benthic communities inhabiting unexplored seamounts in the Central (Gigante complex) and Western (Cachalote complex) part of the Azores Region, (ii) identify new areas that fit the FAO vulnerable marine ecosystems definition; and (iii) determine distribution patterns of deep-sea benthic biodiversity in the Azores. The results of this cruise will also contribute to identify the environmental drivers that determine the spatial distribution of deep-sea benthic biodiversity in the Azores region, evaluating at the same time the role played by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge as a barrier between the western and the eastern parts. It will also provide valuabl...
CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research - Zenodo, Jun 18, 2021
To explore deep-sea areas of the Azores EEZ to better understand the distribution patterns of lar... more To explore deep-sea areas of the Azores EEZ to better understand the distribution patterns of large VME species and commercial fishes. Specifically, the objectives of the cruise were to (i) continue the characterization of benthic communities inhabiting the slopes of Terceira and neighboring submarine ridges, (ii) identify new areas that may fit the FAO definition of what constitutes a Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem; and (iii) to contribute with additional data to address patterns and drivers of the distribution of deep-sea benthic biodiversity in the Azores region. It will also provide valuable information in the context of Good Environmental Status (GES), Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and provide new insights on how to sustainably manage deep-sea ecosystems.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creat ive Commo ns Attri bution License, wh... more This is an open access article under the terms of the Creat ive Commo ns Attri bution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical of the University of Lisbon, which resulted fro... more The Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical of the University of Lisbon, which resulted from the recent merger (in 2015) of the former state laboratory Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical in the University of Lisbon, holds an important collection of bird skins from the Portuguese-speaking African Countries (Angola, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde), gathered as a result of several scientific expeditions made during the colonial period. In this paper, the subset from Mozambique is described, which was taxonomically revised and georeferenced. It contains 1585 specimens belonging to 412 taxa, collected between 1932 and 1971, but mainly in 1948 (43% of specimens) and 1955 (30% of specimens). The collection covers all eleven provinces of the country, although areas south of the Zambezi River are better represented than those north of the river. The provinces with the highest number of specimens were Maputo, Sofala, and Gaza. Although it is a relatively small collection with a patchy coverage, it adds significantly to Global Biodiversity Information Facility, with 15% of all records available before and during the collecting period (1830-1971) being the second largest dataset for that period for Mozambique.
Annotation of <em>Paragorgia johnsoni </em>Gray, 1862 colonies from underwater video ... more Annotation of <em>Paragorgia johnsoni </em>Gray, 1862 colonies from underwater video footage recorded during the Blue Azores 2018 Expedition with the ROV <em>Luso</em> onboard the NRP <em>Almirante Gago Coutinho</em>, Station 57, Dive 15 (June 23<sup>rd</sup>, 2018). The images correspond to the octocoral garden discovered between 545 and 595 m depth on the slopes of a small ridge-like structure located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, in the Azores region.
The MEDWAVES (MEDiterranean out flow WAter and Vulnerable EcosystemS) cruise targeted areas under... more The MEDWAVES (MEDiterranean out flow WAter and Vulnerable EcosystemS) cruise targeted areas under the potential influence of the MOW within the Mediterranean and Atlantic realms. These include seamounts where Cold-water corals (CWCs) have been reported but that are still poorly known, and which may act as essential "stepping stones" connecting fauna of seamounts in the Mediterranean with those of the continental shelf of Portugal, the Azores and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. During MEDWAVES sampling has been conducted in two of the case studies of ATLAS: Case study 7 (Gulf of Cádiz-Strait of Gibraltar-Alboran Sea) and Case<br> study 8 (Azores). The initially targeted areas in the Atlantic were: the Gazul Mud volcano, in the Gulf of Cádiz (GoC) area, included in the case study 7, and the Atlantic seamounts Ormonde (Portuguese shelf) and Formigas (by Azores), both part of the case study 8. In the Mediterranean the targeted areas were The Guadiaro submarine canyon and the Sec...
Poster presentation at ATLAS 3rd General Assembly. Seamounts have long been regarded as specializ... more Poster presentation at ATLAS 3rd General Assembly. Seamounts have long been regarded as specialized habitats that support unique benthic communities, generally more diverse and species rich than continental slopes of similar depths. Some of the structural species commonly observed in these habitats include cold-water coral reefs, coral gardens and sponge grounds, which find in these offshore features suitable substrates and increased food supply to fully develop. The functional role of these communities in enhancing local biodiversity rates by providing shelter and refuge to a set of accompanying species makes them ecologically important for conservation, and some them are currently included in the list of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs). Despite their key role in maintaining global ocean biodiversity and fluxes, some aspects of their ecology still remain unknown. Commercial fisheries, mostly bottom trawling and long-line fishing, have historically targeted offshore seamounts, p...
Poster presentation at ATLAS 3rd General Assembly. An important goal of the ATLAS project is to i... more Poster presentation at ATLAS 3rd General Assembly. An important goal of the ATLAS project is to improve our understanding of the ocean transport pathways and connectivity of water masses at basin and regional scales relevant for benthic marine ecosystems. The MEDWAVES cruise (21<sup>st</sup> September-26<sup>th</sup> October, 2016) aimed to better understand the characteristics of the Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) and its potential influence in the occurrence, composition and distribution of deep-sea benthic communities from the Mediterranean to the Azores. Among the geomorphological features targeted in MEDWAVES, two Atlantic seamounts were included: Ormonde (Portuguese continental shelf) and Formigas Bank (close to the Azores Archipelago). During MEDWAVES, the geomorphology and oceanography of the areas was characterised. Further submarine video transects were conducted by means of a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). The transects were performed in the d...
The hidden cold-water coral communities of the Ormonde seamount (Gorringe Bank): a world to explo... more The hidden cold-water coral communities of the Ormonde seamount (Gorringe Bank): a world to explore, a world to discover. Presentation given at the European Coral Reef Symposium, Oxford, UK, December 2017.
Gettysburg and Ormonde are two shallow peaks located on the Gorringe seamount about 200 and 240 k... more Gettysburg and Ormonde are two shallow peaks located on the Gorringe seamount about 200 and 240 km WSW off Cape St. Vincent (Portugal, NE Atlantic), within the Portuguese Economic Exclusive Zone. Despite the ecological importance of the biological assemblages on these peaks and the need to preserve seamounts as valuable habitats, no management plans have been yet implemented at this site, which only recently has been included in the list of Sites of Community Importance of Portugal. Video imagery collected using a ROV during the 2011 Oceana campaigns was used here to analyse qualitative and quantitative patterns of benthic assemblage composition at the summit of the seamount (between 30 and 230 m depth). The results suggest that Ormonde is a biologically important area made up of vulnerable marine ecosystem elements that change significantly with depth. These include: kelp beds, in the euphotic zone; encrusting coralline algal communities and solitary colonies or mixed associations of suspension-feeders (scleractinians, gorgonians, antipatharians, encrusting demosponges and ascidians), at the lower limit of the euphotic zone; mixed coral gardens and erect sponges, in the disphotic zone; and dense sponge aggregations, on the upper slope. These results were further used to propose amendments to the European Nature Information System habitat classification as a tool to work towards resolving the seamounts management issue. The results also provide information on taxa and habitats with high ecological value and classified as threatened or vulnerable, which is essential for the implementation of the cornerstones of Europe's biodiversity conservation policy, namely the OSPAR Convention and the EU Habitats Directive.
Abstract Gorringe bank is a shallow seamount having its summit within the euphotic layer. The pur... more Abstract Gorringe bank is a shallow seamount having its summit within the euphotic layer. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the interaction of ocean currents with shallow water seamounts, as the Gorringe, has a significant effect on local upwelling and primary production. Three hydrographic surveys were carried out: one in autumn (October 2011) and two in summer (June and July 2012). Physical (salinity, temperature), chemical (nutrients, dissolved oxygen, pH, total alkalinity and suspended particulate matter) and biological (chlorophyll, pelagic primary production and phytoplankton composition and abundance) variables were measured and/or determined in the area of Gorringe Bank, in particular over and around the Ormonde and Gettysburg peaks. Multivariate analyses (PCA and MDS) were applied to environmental and phytoplankton data. Statistical analysis of historical satellite and model data was also carried out in order to analyze local hydrographic conditions and to compare sea surface temperature and chlorophyll concentrations over the peaks and off the peaks in different seasons. Pelagic primary production, measured by Dissolved Oxygen methodology, reached values up to 24.10 mg C m − 3 h − 1 in the vicinity of the peaks. Phytoplankton abundance ranged from 2.2 × 10 3 to 14 × 10 3 cells L − 1 , being the community composed mainly of chain-forming Diatoms like Chaetoceros sp., Dactyliosolen spp., Hemiaulus hauckii and Pseudonitzschia spp., in summer months, in zones of high hydrodynamics of the peaks. By contrast, at locations away of the seamount summits and in autumn, Coccolithophores species reached the same or higher percentage in total abundance than Diatoms, being Discosphaera tubifer and Calcidiscus leptoporus cf. the most abundant species. The combined results indicate the presence of a seasonal effect of Gorringe summits on local upwelling and enhancement of primary production reflected in higher abundance of phytoplankton in the vicinity of the peaks, with emphasis on the Gettysburg, and higher surface chlorophyll concentrations. Therefore, obtained results support the hypothesis of production enhancement.
The former Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical-IICT (Lisbon, Portugal), recently integr... more The former Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical-IICT (Lisbon, Portugal), recently integrated into the University of Lisbon, gathers important natural history collections from Portuguese-speaking African countries. In this study, we describe the bird collection from the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and
The bird collection of the Instituto de Investigação Cientítica Tropical (Lisbon, Portugal) holds... more The bird collection of the Instituto de Investigação Cientítica Tropical (Lisbon, Portugal) holds 5598 preserved specimens (skins), mainly from Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Principe, and Cape Verde. The subset collection from Angola includes 1560 specimens, which were taxonomically revised and georeferenced for the publication of this data paper. The collection contains a total of 522 taxa, including 161 species and 361 subspecies. Two species are classified by the IUCN Red List as Endangered
Information about photosynthesis−irradiance (P−I) relationships is crucial in many primary produc... more Information about photosynthesis−irradiance (P−I) relationships is crucial in many primary production studies. This is frequently obtained using incubation experiments, which may not simulate in situ conditions where algae are adjusting their photosynthetic systems to permanent light variations. There has been increasing interest in pulse-amplitude-modulated (PAM) chlorophyll fluorometry-which measures instantaneous photosynthetic response-particularly in the use of rapid light curves (RLCs) to minimize the confounding effects of light acclimation encountered with traditional 'steady-state' light curves (SSLC). However, there is still a lack of information about how oxygen SSLC curves and estimations from fluorescence P−I curves are related. The present study addresses some of these topics, using Laminaria hyperborea. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the effect of light sequence (increasing or decreasing) in the estimation of P−I parameters, (2) characterize the daily patterns of P−I curve parameters, (3) compare oxygen and fluorescence P−I parameters and (4) evaluate the possibility of converting fluorescence P−I parameters into oxygen production measurements. Results showed that light sequence had no significant effect on P−I parameters (fluorescence and oxygen) and that P−I curves exhibited considerable differences over the day (F-ratio analysis). Fluorescence SSLCs and RLCs were good oxygen production predictors only at sub-saturating irradiances, when significant linear relationships were obtained with results from oxygen incubations. Thus care should be taken when interpreting PAM fluorescence gross production estimations from higher light intensities.
MapGES_2020 Cruise Report Main objective: to explore deep-sea areas of the Azores for which there... more MapGES_2020 Cruise Report Main objective: to explore deep-sea areas of the Azores for which there is currently little or no information available on the composition and diversity of its benthic fauna in order to better understand the distribution of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) and commercial fish species in this region. Methodology: The main device used during this cruise corresponds to the Azor drift-cam, the low-cost drifting camera system designed and developed at IMAR which allows the recording of high-quality underwater video images down to 1000 m depth. The system was deployed both from a fishing vessel and from the research vessel N/I Arquipélago, from the University of the Azores.
Poster presentation at ATLAS 3rd General Assembly. Seamounts may promote the presence of vulnerab... more Poster presentation at ATLAS 3rd General Assembly. Seamounts may promote the presence of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) worldwide. In the Alboran Sea (W Mediterranean Sea), the Chella Bank (locally known as "Seco de los Olivos") is a seamount that covers ca. 100 km<sup>2</sup> and is under the influence of different water masses in this important Atlanto-Mediterranean biogeographical transition zone. During the MEDWAVES expedition (September-October 2016) within the frame of the H2020 ATLAS project, biological and sediment samples collected with Van Veen dredge and ROV underwater videos were obtained in sedimentary and coral rubble bottoms of Chella Bank. The analyses have revealed a diverse invertebrate community associated with these bottoms containing abundant cold-water coral (CWC) remains (mainly <em>Madrepora oculata</em> and <em>Lophelia pertusa</em>), which provide complex heterogeneous microhabitats to many different taxa. ...
Objectives: to conduct an expedition to some unexplored areas of the deep Azores using the Portug... more Objectives: to conduct an expedition to some unexplored areas of the deep Azores using the Portuguese ROV "Luso" and the vessel "NRP Almirante Gago Coutinho". The sampling strategy that was designed to identify Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems and report the deep-sea benthic biodiversity using the ROV Luso also aimed to (i) map benthic communities inhabiting unexplored seamounts in the Central (Gigante complex) and Western (Cachalote complex) part of the Azores Region, (ii) identify new areas that fit the FAO vulnerable marine ecosystems definition; and (iii) determine distribution patterns of deep-sea benthic biodiversity in the Azores. The results of this cruise will also contribute to identify the environmental drivers that determine the spatial distribution of deep-sea benthic biodiversity in the Azores region, evaluating at the same time the role played by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge as a barrier between the western and the eastern parts. It will also provide valuabl...
Objectives: to conduct an expedition to some unexplored areas of the deep Azores using the Portug... more Objectives: to conduct an expedition to some unexplored areas of the deep Azores using the Portuguese ROV "Luso" and the vessel "NRP Almirante Gago Coutinho". The sampling strategy that was designed to identify Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems and report the deep-sea benthic biodiversity using the ROV Luso also aimed to (i) map benthic communities inhabiting unexplored seamounts in the Central (Gigante complex) and Western (Cachalote complex) part of the Azores Region, (ii) identify new areas that fit the FAO vulnerable marine ecosystems definition; and (iii) determine distribution patterns of deep-sea benthic biodiversity in the Azores. The results of this cruise will also contribute to identify the environmental drivers that determine the spatial distribution of deep-sea benthic biodiversity in the Azores region, evaluating at the same time the role played by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge as a barrier between the western and the eastern parts. It will also provide valuabl...
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