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A recent geo-marine survey of the Malta Escarpment revealed for the first time the existence of live cnidarian assemblages at about 300 m depth. These associations have been observed by means of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) during surveys carried out on the upper part of the Malta Escarpment. The assemblages established on hard bedrock were chiefly composed of the antipatharianLeiopathes glaberrima. The Malta Escarpment is known to have been successfully colonised by deep-water scleractinian assemblages until the last glacial age. However, no living specimens had been observed, and only specimens of dead but relatively freshDendrophyllia cornigerahad been reported. This area of the Mediterranean Sea, which connects the deep Ionian basin to the western Mediterranean, is largely unknown and in clear need of thorough exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salento Peninsula (Apulia, southern Italy) is characterised by many active sinkholes, which represent the main geological hazard. The stretch of coastline between the village of Casalabate and Le Cesine wildlife reserve is highly affected, with a system of dunes separating the low beach from extensive wetlands, which were subject to uncontrolled urban development after reclamation. The overall morphology is characterized by flat topography, whilst from a hydrogeological standpoint, the mixing of inland freshwater with advancing brackish water favours the higher aggressivity with respect to soluble rocks, and the development of enhanced dissolution (hyperkarst). The relict landscapes within the protected areas still allow for the recognition of actively occurring sinkholes, which cause damage to houses, the road network and infrastructures. In this article the case of Aquatina di Frigole is described, where in the last 15 years numerous sinkholes have formed, with the processes still in rapid evolution. Detailed surveys allow for to identification of the mechanisms of sinkhole formation (suffusion sinkholes), the deriving cluster, and the main hydrogeological links among the different water bodies in the area. Acquatina di Frigole provides an excellent natural laboratory to observe development and evolution of sinkholes, and their relationships with the stratigraphic and hydrogeological elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black coral communities in the Mediterranean Sea are now recognized to be far more common than what was expected a few years ago; however, among the species reported for this basin,Parantipathes larixis one of the least well known. This species is characterized by tall, monopodial or sparsely branched colonies showing a distinctive bottle-brush pinnulation pattern and fairly elongated whitish polyps. Rarely reported in the literature, this species, despite frequently occurring as fishing bycatch, has never been observed in dense populations and all available information mainly concerns its morphological features. Two forests ofP. larixwere discovered during a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) survey conducted in July 2012 on board the R/VAstreabetween 100 and 200 m on two continental rocky shoals located about 10 miles southeast of the Island of Montecristo (Tuscan Archipelago, Tyrrhenian Sea). Video footage was analyzed using the ROV imaging technique, and the coral communities were described in terms of abundance, size-frequency distribution and associated fauna.P. larixis the dominant component of both coral communities showing a maximal abundance of 4 colonies m−2. Sixteen different patches ofP. larix, each covering an approximate area of 30 m2and spaced on average 60 m apart, were counted on the rocky shoals, representing, with an average height of the colonies of about 1 m, the only true three-dimensional habitat of the study areas. The forests ofP. larixof Montecristo represent, as far as we know, a unique case for the exceptional abundance of the colonies and their distribution in discrete patches, which is likely a result of the limited dispersal ability of the larvae. Moreover, their occurrence on isolated banks may suggest a preference for topographic structures subjected to local turbulent hydrographic regimes which are known to support filter-feeding communities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]