The benthos of Northwest Africa
Information on benthos biodiversity is scarce in the CCLME and inventories of marine fauna are only available for Morocco and the Canary Islands; a regional report was recently compiled in the framework of the CCLME project. A major review of benthic biodiversity in West Africa was carried out by Le...
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ftcsic:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/327627 2024-02-11T10:03:54+01:00 The benthos of Northwest Africa Ramos, Ana Ramil, Francisco Mohamed, Sidi Barry, Amadou Valdés-Santurio, L. (Luis) Dénis González, I. (Ithaisa) Atlantic Ocean París (Francia) Central Atlantic Eastern Central Atlantic Guinea waters Sahara waters 2015-10-02 http://hdl.handle.net/10508/9826 http://hdl.handle.net/10261/327627 en eng UNESCO #PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE# EcoAfrik Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo VoR http://www.unesco.org/new/en/ioc/ts115 Oceanographic and biological features in the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem. Valdés-Santurio, L. (Luis); Déniz-González, I. (Itahisa) (ed.). UNESCO. París (Francia). 2015. 383 pp: 231-244 http://hdl.handle.net/10508/9826 http://hdl.handle.net/10261/327627 21471 open Pesquerías Biodiversity Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo Composition Benthos VMEs Northwest Africa book part 2015 ftcsic 2024-01-16T11:49:02Z Information on benthos biodiversity is scarce in the CCLME and inventories of marine fauna are only available for Morocco and the Canary Islands; a regional report was recently compiled in the framework of the CCLME project. A major review of benthic biodiversity in West Africa was carried out by Le Loeuff and Von Cosel (1998), who reported the highest specific richness between Cape Blanc (Mauritania) and Cape Verga (Guinea Bissau). Although a latitudinal biodiversity pattern was not observed, preliminary results of R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen and Vizconde de Eza surveys recorded the highest diversity values in Western Sahara and also higher diversity on the shelf and upper slope than in deep waters. An important faunistic change between tropical and temperate biota has been reported at Cape Blanc latitude. The zoobenthos of Cape Verde and the Canary Islands shows some specific features linked to their volcanic origin, insularity and oceanographic conditions. Epibenthic communities maintain a similar structure throughout the region, despite the differences in their specific composition. Decapods seem to be the most important group, in terms of both abundance and biomass, being other representative taxa molluscs, echinoderms, sponges, cnidarians and polychaetes. Echinoderms, mainly holothuroids, are clearly dominant in deep waters. Suspension‐feeder assemblages, previously recorded in the entire upwelling area, do not seem to play an important role in the current epibenthic communities. Although tropical coral reefs have not been reported in NWA, vulnerable ecosystems, like the giant coldwater coral reef, canyon systems, seamount and grounds of sponges and gorgonians, still exist in deep waters of the continental slope, despite the intensive fishing exploitation over more than 50 years. Studies focused on these important vulnerable marine ecosystems, as well as on the currently unknown bottoms of deep‐shelf and slope (Senegal, Guinea‐Bissau, Guinea and Cape Verde), are strongly recommended in order to protect these ... Book Part Fridtjof Nansen Digital.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) Fridtjof ENVELOPE(-56.717,-56.717,-63.567,-63.567) París ENVELOPE(-70.500,-70.500,-68.833,-68.833) Reef Canyon ENVELOPE(-126.520,-126.520,57.566,57.566) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Digital.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) |
op_collection_id |
ftcsic |
language |
English |
topic |
Pesquerías Biodiversity Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo Composition Benthos VMEs Northwest Africa |
spellingShingle |
Pesquerías Biodiversity Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo Composition Benthos VMEs Northwest Africa Ramos, Ana Ramil, Francisco Mohamed, Sidi Barry, Amadou The benthos of Northwest Africa |
topic_facet |
Pesquerías Biodiversity Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo Composition Benthos VMEs Northwest Africa |
description |
Information on benthos biodiversity is scarce in the CCLME and inventories of marine fauna are only available for Morocco and the Canary Islands; a regional report was recently compiled in the framework of the CCLME project. A major review of benthic biodiversity in West Africa was carried out by Le Loeuff and Von Cosel (1998), who reported the highest specific richness between Cape Blanc (Mauritania) and Cape Verga (Guinea Bissau). Although a latitudinal biodiversity pattern was not observed, preliminary results of R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen and Vizconde de Eza surveys recorded the highest diversity values in Western Sahara and also higher diversity on the shelf and upper slope than in deep waters. An important faunistic change between tropical and temperate biota has been reported at Cape Blanc latitude. The zoobenthos of Cape Verde and the Canary Islands shows some specific features linked to their volcanic origin, insularity and oceanographic conditions. Epibenthic communities maintain a similar structure throughout the region, despite the differences in their specific composition. Decapods seem to be the most important group, in terms of both abundance and biomass, being other representative taxa molluscs, echinoderms, sponges, cnidarians and polychaetes. Echinoderms, mainly holothuroids, are clearly dominant in deep waters. Suspension‐feeder assemblages, previously recorded in the entire upwelling area, do not seem to play an important role in the current epibenthic communities. Although tropical coral reefs have not been reported in NWA, vulnerable ecosystems, like the giant coldwater coral reef, canyon systems, seamount and grounds of sponges and gorgonians, still exist in deep waters of the continental slope, despite the intensive fishing exploitation over more than 50 years. Studies focused on these important vulnerable marine ecosystems, as well as on the currently unknown bottoms of deep‐shelf and slope (Senegal, Guinea‐Bissau, Guinea and Cape Verde), are strongly recommended in order to protect these ... |
author2 |
Valdés-Santurio, L. (Luis) Dénis González, I. (Ithaisa) |
format |
Book Part |
author |
Ramos, Ana Ramil, Francisco Mohamed, Sidi Barry, Amadou |
author_facet |
Ramos, Ana Ramil, Francisco Mohamed, Sidi Barry, Amadou |
author_sort |
Ramos, Ana |
title |
The benthos of Northwest Africa |
title_short |
The benthos of Northwest Africa |
title_full |
The benthos of Northwest Africa |
title_fullStr |
The benthos of Northwest Africa |
title_full_unstemmed |
The benthos of Northwest Africa |
title_sort |
benthos of northwest africa |
publisher |
UNESCO |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10508/9826 http://hdl.handle.net/10261/327627 |
op_coverage |
Atlantic Ocean París (Francia) Central Atlantic Eastern Central Atlantic Guinea waters Sahara waters |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-56.717,-56.717,-63.567,-63.567) ENVELOPE(-70.500,-70.500,-68.833,-68.833) ENVELOPE(-126.520,-126.520,57.566,57.566) |
geographic |
Fridtjof París Reef Canyon |
geographic_facet |
Fridtjof París Reef Canyon |
genre |
Fridtjof Nansen |
genre_facet |
Fridtjof Nansen |
op_relation |
#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE# EcoAfrik Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo VoR http://www.unesco.org/new/en/ioc/ts115 Oceanographic and biological features in the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem. Valdés-Santurio, L. (Luis); Déniz-González, I. (Itahisa) (ed.). UNESCO. París (Francia). 2015. 383 pp: 231-244 http://hdl.handle.net/10508/9826 http://hdl.handle.net/10261/327627 21471 |
op_rights |
open |
_version_ |
1790600247651598336 |