Correction: Ecosystem-based assessment of a widespread Mediterranean marine habitat: The Coastal Detrital Bottoms, with a special focus on epibenthic assemblages
Year: 2025
Type: erratum
Abstract: Coastal detrital bottoms (CDB), sometimes also referred to as coastal (bio-)detritic bottoms in the literature, are sea bottoms composed of mineral and biogenic particles, characterized by a distinct structural complexity hosting sedimentary infauna together with epifauna and epiflora settled or not on coarser granules (Rees, 1999). They are considered as a distinctive biotope in the circalittoral zone of the continental shelf worldwide (Peŕès, 1982;Konar et al., 2006;Amado-Filho and Pereira-Filho, 2012;La Rivière et al., 2021).In the Mediterranean Sea, CDB are one of the most widespread ecosystems between 30 and 100 m depth, corresponding to the upper part of the circalittoral zone (Peŕès and Picard, 1964;Peŕès, 1967), and house a high alpha species diversity (Stamouli et al., 2022). Besides a mineral component (typically coarse sand with a variable proportion of finer particles), these bottoms contain significant quantities of recent organogenic and bioclastic sediments (remains from hard bottoms, shell debris, bryozoans or calcified macro-algae), either autogenous or imported from adjacent ecosystems (e.g., coralligenous reefs, photophilic rocky reefs, seagrass meadows). The structure and composition of CDB can therefore differ depending on adjacent ecosystems, light availability and hydrodynamic conditions (Peŕès and Picard, 1964;Joher et al., 2015;Agnesi et al., 2020). The pelitic proportion (sediment grain< 63 μm) of the sediment is usually very low, but muddy CDB can be found (Bellan-Santini et al., 1994). Located within the same depth range as CDB, Muddy Detrital Bottoms (MDB) are characterized by a high sedimentation rate influenced by the terrigenous input from coastal rivers. MDB can be constituted by a compact mud including bioclastic shells, muddy sand, or sandy mud (Carpine, 1964;Peŕès and Picard, 1964;Picard, 1965;Bellan-Santini et al., 1994;Michez et al., 2014;La Rivière et al., 2021). Deep Detrital Bottoms (DDB), generally between 80 and 250 m depth, correspond to fossilized detrital sediments from terrigenous (fluviatile) and bioclastic inputs corresponding to earlier environmental conditions and a lower sea level (Peŕès and Picard, 1964;Bellan-Santini et al., 1994), covering the deepest part of the continental shelf. The sediment is a mix of pebbles, sand and mud but with a mud proportion significantly higher than in the CDB. Coarser sediment is made of calcareous remains from thanatocenoses of the Pleistocene ice ages (Laborel et al., 1961;Pérès and Picard, 1964;Bourcier and Zibrowius, 1973;Michez et al., 2011;Michez et al., 2014). Distinguishing the boundary between CDB and muddy or deep detrital ecosystems is sometime challenging. Peŕès and Picard (1964) based their description of CDB on the infauna, which contain the most characteristic species; however, the same authors and others (Costa, 1960;Joher et al., 2015;La Rivière et al., 2021) identified a number of CDB facies on the basis of epibenthic species, especially macroalgae, either erect or encrusting. The former include perennial and seasonal species, such as Cystoseira spp. C.Agardh, Ericaria spp. Stackhouse, Gongolaria spp. Boehmer, Osmundaria volubilis (L.) R.E.Norris, etc.; the latter are represented by the Corallinales Lithophyllum racemus (Lamarck) Foslie, Lithothamnion corallioides (P.Crouan & H.Crouan) P.Crouan & H.Crouan, L. crispatum Hauck, L. minervae Basso, L. valens Foslie, Neogoniolithon hauckii (Rothpletz) R.A.Townsend & Huisman, Spongites fruticulosa Kützing, the Peyssonneliales Peyssonnelia crispata Boudouresque & Denizot, P. heteromorpha (Zanardini) Athanasiadis, P. rosamarina Boudouresque & Denizot, P. rubra (Greville) J.Agardh, P. squamaria (S.G.Gmelin) Decaisne ex J.Agardh, and the Sporolithales Sporolithon mediterraneum Heydrich, among others (Huve, 1954;Huve, 1956;Carpine, 1958;Jacquotte, 1962;Boudouresque and Denizot, 1973;Ballesteros, 1994). Free-living calcified macroalgae forming nodules of varied morphology, referred to as 'rhodoliths' (or more specifically 'maerl' in the case of branched growth forms), gave rise to a great interest among benthic ecologists (Sciberras et al., 2009;Basso et al., 2017;Deidun et al., 2022). Their conservation value is recognized under EU rules and international conventions (Barbera et al., 2003;Salomidi et al., 2012). Marion (1883); Meinesz et al. (1983); Holon and Harmelin (2014) and La Rivière et al. ( 2021) described a CDB facies with large calcified bryozoans, such as Pentapora fascialis (Pallas, 1766), Smittina cervicornis (Pallas, 1766), Turbicellepora avicularis (Hincks, 1860), Hornera spp. Lamouroux, 1821, etc., but the highest diversity of bryozoans on CDB is found among small species (Harmelin, 2017). By analogy with calcareous rhodophytes, free bryozoan nodules are called bryoliths (James et al., 2006;Lombardi et al., 2014). This bryozoan facies is classified as a priority habitat according to the Barcelona Convention (Bianchi, 2009a). Recently, coralliths formed by the scleractinian coral Cladocora caespitosa (L., 1767), also considered of conservation interest (Morri et al., 2000;Bianchi, 2009b), have been described from coarse sandy bottoms in the Balearic Islands (Kersting et al., 2017a;Kersting et al., 2017b). Several octocoral species, such as Eunicella singularis (Esper, 1791), E. verrucosa (Pallas, 1766), Leptogorgia sarmentosa (Esper, 1791), Alcyonium palmatum Pallas, 1766, Pennatula rubra (Ellis, 1764), Pteroeides griseum (Bohadsch, 1761) and others, may also form epibenthic facies on detrital seabeds (Morri et al., 1991). Fauna and flora associated with all these epibenthic facies are sometimes very similar to coralligenous assemblages (Ballesteros, 2006;Pergent et al., 2015). The EUNIS typology defines as coralligenous platforms bioconstructed horizontal formations developing within sedimentary beds subject to currents, at down to at least 100 metres depth in clear waters (Davies et al., 2004;Bajjouk et al., 2015). These formations are not usually built on rock substrata but result from the active development of constructional organisms (e.g., calcified algae, hard-skeleton invertebrates) from scattered elements on loose beds, such as shells, stones, and gravel (Peŕès and Picard, 1964).Important ecological functions and ecosystem services, up to now poorly assessed, are provided by CDB (Ballesteros, 1994;Barbera et al., 2003): (i) primary production (Basso, 2012;Basso et al., 2012); habitat and and and and including species of sometimes to the deep of the (L.) (e.g., and et al., et al., and (Stamouli et al., (Basso, 2012;Basso et al., et al., et al., et al., of (e.g., and and et al., and of or from adjacent ecosystems and CDB species and species of conservation interest et al., et al., et al., the shell L. and the Lithothamnion corallioides of the species of interest with of and of the Barcelona among beds are in the Mediterranean to the of the are et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., most coastal CDB are the of and They are by et al., et al., such as et al., et al., et al., or et al., et al., et al., terrigenous of sediment and et al., et al., 1994), et al., and of coastal sea the of species and et al., and and and et al., on CDB in the Mediterranean on the description of infauna (e.g., Peŕès and Picard, 1964;Picard, et al., beds and associated (e.g., et al., and (e.g., Boudouresque and Denizot, et al., at ecosystem (e.g., and Picard, 1962;Boudouresque and Denizot, and et al., and et al., et al., et al., the high ecological and value of CDB and the ecosystem not considered as a habitat of interest et al., by the of the facies of CDB are described in EUNIS typology et al., and are in the Barcelona Recently, the a beds as a habitat characteristic of hard et al., 2021). the of the of the large of by CDB. with these a to widespread with the of (e.g., et al., et al., et al., and et al., et al., the of CDB is challenging. The of coastal or ecosystems with et al., 2022). of these basis all the may the ecological with et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., al., et al., ecosystem of the et al., et al., et al., of the et al., et al., et al., et al., the conservation of et al., et al., and et al., 2015;La Rivière et al., et al., the of coastal zone not be based on a but of the most et al., et al., et al., et al., 2021). are to and the be et al., et al., with the of a of ecosystem as a basis more have been a number of coastal ecosystems, seagrass et al., coralligenous et al., et al., and rocky et al., 2017). The of the is to and a CDB et al., CDB is identified on the basis of the of the which with or from large the on the epibenthic which can be with a and be in a conservation et al., 2022). The of the of and Mediterranean in benthic the authors of the the of (i) to and a of the CDB to the of corresponding to in the and to a with to the and 1999). The the of CDB The of the are described in the between and and the Mediterranean and of the et al. in the development of the et al., of with from to The a in the to the the waters of and the in the depth at the upper zone and according to the lower of the P. and the deep zone and m from P. to the zone and a of CDB by and the upper by of in and of their to the of the of the at of the on a m to of of sediment to and sediment upper and deep the to (i) with 80 80 a compact with a a to the of the according to the of the the The of the diversity of is to at the of a is in the of the ecosystem by sediment and a in species can be found such as Lithothamnion Peyssonneliales can be calcareous or species in CDB, such as Peyssonnelia and Denizot, or P. The Sporolithon mediterraneum is a species of CDB. species, in is or and is The according to depth and the corresponding of light and clear beds can be found down to 80 m depth (Ballesteros, 1994). et al. described beds at m depth the Balearic in the deep benthic and of and (Basso, 2012;Basso et al., The of to be the to the structure of CDB, which conditions in the upper and the deep and et al., The of perennial macroalgae can be to ecological conditions and the of significant terrigenous of Ericaria Gongolaria Cystoseira Osmundaria volubilis and are among the most and Picard, et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., 2021). These species a seasonal macroalgae and and a habitat and and a They significantly to the primary production of the ecosystem (Ballesteros, C.Agardh, and Stackhouse, perennial species the not The of these species as can be to a and et al., 2017). is a species et al., The in the upper zone is a to species from characterized by growth rate and seasonal from to a development macroalgae also significantly to primary production (Ballesteros, The most and are the and C.Agardh, widespread in the circalittoral in and CDB. species usually in the can be found such as (L.) or & is can be associated with and spp. are among the characteristic at species level is based on in or and The of seasonal macroalgae to be a and species with a seasonal can in the and et al., et al., species including et al., et al., et al., The latter have been considered as and are therefore not in the of is as with a at is more and more more influenced by and et al., 2014). include species but very can be identified in the (Zanardini) and and species and can be and are considered as These species are in coralligenous reefs, and photophilic and et al., et al., and found in CDB at et al., The by between seasonal and seasonal erect macroalgae is the with the same is to their as the of their in upper and deep The and are therefore high diversity of the on CDB the and the diversity of epibenthic the the considered as and the and spp. is a and and E. are The latter are not characteristic of CDB, can be found in the of coralligenous to availability and habitat et al., are to and and and are to be on detrital bottoms and are represented by the (L., the of the species is not in The alpha of is a to the of the sediment in can be to conditions or to a (Sciberras et al., on the of is by the of muddy sediment on the on the This is to the on coralligenous et al., 2017). on CDB therefore the of pelitic μm) as a of the of the is by environmental to deep and 2020). of pelitic can also correspond to Muddy Detrital Bottoms a influenced by sediment and (Peŕès and Picard, et al., of the can also be part of the within the and by CDB, in the upper circalittoral are characterized by a coarse with the in the coarse sediment a lower in and a lower of the infauna et al., to et al. high can be a infauna, by the of to The is as a of the of infauna et al., et al., the of can be to the of seagrass (i) in the or with a under the sediment et al., the the infauna on the basis of the in the sediment seagrass and a number of to adjacent ecosystems, including CDB et al., and coralligenous also macroalgae, which or circalittoral composition and according to of P. macroalgae or depth, the continental are as a by the of the and on the This is composed of and and The of can be by or are spp. and by and a high of can be with a CDB is the of more to a of in the at is a to and and on CDB to (Harmelin, et al., coralligenous reefs, the of is considered as a of in a et al., the of with a on CDB, as in case be considered as of of or in the at to be the most and to the of in or from or or with significantly with the with with the (e.g., not The species (L., (L., (L., (L., and (L., The latter the of hard CDB these a spp. and and habitat species are also in the a high level et al., et al., 2020). The alpha of species all to the all species, of and benthic This is in and This The alpha of all is a This species (e.g., and (e.g., spp. at the or the sediment of CDB. CDB as a habitat (e.g., (L., or a habitat (e.g., spp. The of or diversity of assemblages in such as or seagrass et al., of in CDB. The most to the is the alpha of species all the of is to all the are not with and are the basis of et al., et al., 2022). This can very and and to in the ecosystem the of is more to as is ecosystems et al., et al., and provided by by and a in the et al., and in coastal et al., as the CDB ecosystem is is considered as by the and and therefore not is by the and the et al., et al., is The is as a including and et al., 2015). This is not in the but is with and and and with CDB are very level can be found are from adjacent ecosystems spp. and and benthic more CDB. the of a the of is very organisms the CDB from the and circalittoral ecosystems to the and species from coralligenous reefs, and can be found in CDB. The of the of CDB can CDB the in such as (L., (L., and on or of a very and not beds as their high of and The of is associated with the of calcareous organisms with these ecosystems et al., et al., et al., 2020). the from the significant of the and the and the of within beds from and et al., 2020). The production is the of organisms and the of facies of calcareous (e.g., the is beds et al., in the sediments is to be P. the and to be with depth and of and are considered as and may as et al., et al., et al., to the of CDB and considered together as seasonal macroalgae, The of the according to the of the in the The as the to the of the ecosystem and and macroalgae among a range of the The (i) a range of the the of with the of in to the number of The to is in The of one can be in than one with a small and (i) one with in the upper zone with of of sediment and covering a of and the of the at the and deep to 30 depth and of the of and of is the is the of the the of the and between and is ecological is according to the et al., The ecological are similar to seagrass et al., coralligenous et al., and rocky et al., to the of the recent et al., The of the of the according to the a not all the be to with a (e.g., with between been by and with to the between and of the CDB been with to the ecological and the with or of of of or ecological and been The the the corresponding ( or and the of or been on and the of been of is the between the and the of a a to the et al., 2021). and have been of the level on and value and et al. (i) with including with and including with at all with from to of a or a or The lower in all of the of The all from to and to are by and the or not of a of the from to and by the high of and and in the of ecological with the is by ecological from to also with a is characterized by ecological between and been between the to significant are between to primary macroalgae, and seasonal macroalgae and These same also significant with the of The diversity of a significant with the of The of but significant with The of pelitic of the sediment a significant with the of perennial macroalgae and seasonal macroalgae and with of the of range from to and are of the and to the and are identified (i) CDB with and high of such as and CDB with but of such as and CDB with and high of and CDB with and of such as and level at the is have are in are within and are within of and value level significant between and The higher the and the of the is in the to the The of with the of or the number of ( or of the ecological the from to a and from to a high of the ecological a lower of the the the is from to a and from to a The of the not the of the as as the of the ecological lower of high of ( of the ecological and the the the is and as by et al. (2014) seagrass is the with the are the the is to a between (e.g., is a but very to the to the of the Coastal Detrital Bottoms in the Mediterranean The is to (i) a the of the coastal and a of habitat according to the and Barcelona a the is the between the most the of of according to and ecosystems of priority interest such as et al., et al., et al., or are the or of is a to the of ecosystem et al., et al., at a with a and at the of a or in the of a at The CDB, between to is higher than the to seagrass et al., et al., and rocky et al., the of and on the ecological of CDB. in or from the The and a range of and This the CDB and the of the of the have the of and to the of such a adjacent or with terrigenous coastal all to the ecological the a high number of to a the structure of the ecosystem The of is to a of the ecosystem of a to the is of the with to the are in according to the from to to the of the on the have been and of The of the of a a is by the of the within which of the with to the are in according to the from to to the of the on the have been and of The of the of a a is by the of the in which and The of a of the ecological or the of high a The of to a with one in of which is and to the of in the at a of ecosystem and the the of the have been a the sediment been of the The of the have been at ecosystem but have been very the The et al., et al., and have been such as and the et al., the et al., 2021) and Mediterranean et al., the of the ecological of bottoms based on sediment also et al., They the in the sediment of species to and They can infauna to and the but can be of of (e.g., et al., but also et al., 2015). The of the sediment is of in of ecological and with epibenthic and et al., and the is from et al., also be the of CDB be based on the infauna (Peŕès and Picard, the on the and are distinct of environmental et al., can be the habitat in been the of the CDB epibenthic facies is the of the is have to the highest to which may the in the the than the infauna, which is to be more as as are the in the Mediterranean et al., et al., is epibenthic species more than the may be the of the CDB epibenthic facies may not a the infauna, and is of the ecosystem more than a of as by et al. beds in CDB can be considered and hard according to the associated benthic et al., 2017). beds are also described as a the of coralligenous from a a hard under environmental conditions et al., The as the beds of the of The described by Peŕès and et al. is a coralligenous developing from the growth and of and calcified This the of calcareous macroalgae in ecological et al., et al., the epibenthic of the CDB, beds, can be considered as at the between a circalittoral sandy and coralligenous CDB facies with small also been described by Meinesz et al. This not CDB are hard The a coralligenous be to all CDB, in of as described by and Harmelin have not been found at the considered in the The of epibenthic and facies and the of such a facies of Pentapora fascialis and branched bryozoans on CDB are (Laborel et al., and but not found the conservation and the of and CDB. are to significantly to the bioclastic part of bottoms worldwide et al., of widespread and habitat such as CDB a is the can the and the ecosystem et al., et al., et al., 2022). the light of a be a to the of ecosystem (e.g., habitat etc.; et al., et al., 2014). have a of to as and as as and ecosystem the The and which to the et al. (2014) the which is based on a and a description and be on all of habitat from to m be of interest CDB hosting facies and in the case of CDB such a be as a the of the a of but with or the structure calcified organisms bioclastic and between of the the of but are not to the of the as in as as The between the of to the number of and the and at the same a of ecological functions the by et al. the of result in a of of the can be the ecosystem et al., et al., 2017). been ecosystems, including seagrass and of ecosystem according to et al., et al., be the of to the between ecological and et al., et al., et al., 2020). is challenging. the of can be considered as a the not of or the CDB. can be to in et al., 2017). The of the of (e.g., and species (e.g., or the to Muddy detrital is to are not in with of to the of the or Balearic Islands et al., and 2020). in with to to be and in the of by the the to the of the continental including coastal detrital The of these not and and coastal to these in and et al., 2020). a the ecological of CDB with the level in with the of et al. in rocky according to the level of between and by et al. These the to the conservation of widespread ecosystems of the continental shelf such as the CDB, the of et al., conservation or the of CDB the or at least the of to the of identified as by such the of is to the or of The of (e.g., terrigenous the of the of the the of the CDB is to and and to to bottoms (e.g., et al., et al., et al., the not a in more are are to the CDB, seagrass et al., and rocky et al., 2017). can be in than one which is a at (e.g., Mediterranean or (e.g., et al., The by the can a the conservation according to the (e.g., of the structure and the of a is usually based on and be to the of et al., et al., on CDB be and in with and and by species, very is (e.g., and Mediterranean The same also be on beds in worldwide of high with to (e.g., The of the from now in the Mediterranean is the to ecological all the with the the et al., et al., 2020). This a of CDB in with and the Coastal Detrital Bottoms been by seagrass coralligenous reefs, and rocky reefs, all based on the of their epibenthic to and the CDB a to the of widespread ecosystem in with at and the of the in the of include CDB in to the conservation of a habitat of at Mediterranean is on epibenthic assemblages and is in to the of the of the and in within the Mediterranean and
Source: Frontiers in Marine Science
Authors: Patrick Astruch, Ameline Orts, Thomas Schohn, Bruno Belloni, Enric Ballesteros, Daniela Bănaru, Carlo Nike Bianchi, Charles-François Boudouresque, Thomas Changeux, Pierre Chevaldonné, Jean-Georges Harmelin, Noëmie Michez, Briac Monnier, Carla Morri, Thierry Thibaut, Marc Verlaque, Boris Daniel
Institutions: Institut Pytheas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Toulon, Aix-Marseille Université, Institut Méditerranéen d’Océanologie, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, University of Genoa, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie Marine et Continentale, Station Marine d'Endoume, Office Français de la Biodiversité, Université de Corse Pascal Paoli, Sciences pour l'Environnement
Language: English
Subfield: Oceanography
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W4413287285