Publications by authors named "Boris Daniel"
Article Synopsis
- The Mediterranean Sea is highly polluted, particularly in deeper areas, with macro- and micro-litter having significant effects on benthic communities, which are poorly understood.
- A survey in 2018 identified a litter hotspot at the Monaco canyon with up to 3.8 million items per km² at depths of 2200 m, showing that submarine canyons funnel debris from shallow to deeper waters.
- Over 10% of deep gorgonian colonies were harmed by lost fishing gear, highlighting the urgent need for management strategies to address deep-sea pollution and mitigate human impact on marine ecosystems.
A new method based on photographic sampling coupled with in situ observations was applied to 53 stations along the French Mediterranean coast, to assess the integrity of coralligenous reefs affected by different levels of anthropogenic pressure. The conservation state of the assemblages characterizing these habitats was then assessed by an index - the INDEX-COR - that integrates three metrics: (i) the sensitivity of the taxa to organic matter and sediment deposition, (ii) the observable taxonomic richness, and (iii) the structural complexity of the assemblages. The sensitivity of INDEX-COR was tested and showed good correlation with the Level of Pressure calculated for each station according to expert judgment and field observations.
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