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Zoological nomenclature revisions are essential for biodiversity studies and indispensable to avoid naming and description of already described species and should be valued in all subsequent studies considering biology, molecular biology, ecology or habitat mapping of deep-sea species. Herein, a thorough revision of the taxonomic literature on Octocorallia since the beginning of deep-sea exploration in the Azores is provided. Since 1870, when the first octocoral, Virgularia mirabilis (Müller, 1776), was recorded in the Azores a cyclic pattern on the taxonomical study of octocorals reveals the deep-sea investigation efforts made on the region at different periods: Prince Albert I of Monaco, Biaçores and recent expeditions. The first decade of this millennium was the peak on taxonomic research of cold-water octocorals in the Azores with 11 publications targeting gorgonians and soft corals (Alcyonacea) and specific sub-orders within it. Ninety-eight names of Octocorallia were found to be given in the economic exclusive zone of the Azores. While 25 names were changed or added to the known Azorean octocoral diversity, 3 species identified in the region and unreported in the reviewed literature, increase the number to 101 species. Twenty-five names were synonymized while three species names were unmasked as errors in need of taxonomical clarification. This is the highest species richness of Octocorallia found in Europe and in any Northern Atlantic archipelago so far, representing ~60% of the most diverse center of endemism of South Africa, with a part in the Eastern Atlantic. Further research on taxonomy may reveal new species to science.

Objectives: (i) to map benthic communities inhabiting the seamounts of the Great Meteor Complex with the ROV Luso; (ii) identify new vulnerable marine ecosystems; (iii) collect biological and seawater samples; (iv) collect multibeam and backscatter data; (v) collect oceanographic data. Vessel: NRP Almirante Gago Coutinho Chief scientist: Marina Carreiro-Silva Scientific team:Marina Carreiro-Silva, Telmo Morato, Íris Sampaio, (IMAR UAç, MARE), Ana Martins, Clara Loureiro (DOP, UAç), André Gonçalves (IPMA), Catarina Mendes (IPL, ESTM) ROV Luso team:António Calado, Andreia Afonso, Bruno Ramos, Carlos Neto, João Quintas (EMEPC), Renato Bettencourt (IMAR UAç) &nbsp

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 (21st September-26th 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 different flanks of the seamounts aiming to characterise the benthic communities considering different geographical orientations and the influence of water masses. The characteristics of the video transects allowed to perform a methodology for video analysis based on still images. The images were taken directly from the video recordings at regular length intervals based on the positioning of the ROV, generating a set of images that allowed for comparisons between different areas. To make such comparisons robust, a thorough filtering was carried out based on the position of the parallel laser beams on screen. Only images that had a similar area observed were selected, in which all megabenthic organisms are currently being identified to the lowest possible taxon. It is expected that this protocol can be used for the video processing in all benthic communities surveyed during MEDWAVES. Some examples of coral garden habitats and sponge grounds identified in these areas are presented. This proposed methodology and preliminary results represent the first steps in a larger study that aims to: (1) characterise the megabenthic communities, the species diversity and their distribution in Ormonde Seamount and Formigas Bank, (2) evaluate the influence of substrate type, flank orientation and the characteristics of the water masses in the patterns observed, and (3) do a comparison between both seamounts to determine differences in their biological composition.

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.

ATLAS work package 3 presentation at ATLAS 3rd General Assembly The 2016 Marine E-Tech JC142 cruise mission to the Tropic Seamount in the High Seas, 300 nm SW off the Canary Islands, was to understand what controls the formation and precipitation of cobalt-rich crusts on seamounts, and to study the potential impact of deep-sea mining on seamount ecosystems. The autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Autosub6000 conducted high-resolution multibeam swathe bathymetry surveys across the seamount, while the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Isis made the first ever visual observations across 24 dives from the seamount flank (4,200 m) to its summit (1,000 m). Analysis of >18,000 high-definition ROV still images revealed areas with high densities of VME indicator taxa including deep-sea sponges, octocorals, and reef framework-forming scleractinian corals. An area with dense octocoral gardens also harboured high densities of deep-sea squid eggs. Coral and sponge specimens sampled by the ROV are being identified using both classical morphological taxonomy and DNA barcoding (COI and 18S). Very high densities of the glass sponge Poliopogon amadou Thomson, 1878 (>6/m2) were tightly constrained to steeply sloping ridges along the seamount axes and to a particular water mass. The new VME indicator records at the Tropic Seamount provide much needed data to the Ecological and Biologically Significant Area process and particularly to the Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic by improving our understanding of the biodiversity and biogeography of seamount ecosystems in the High Seas.

ATLAS work package 3 presentationat ATLAS 3rd General Assembly The 2016 Marine E-Tech JC142 cruise mission to the Tropic Seamount in the High Seas, 300 nm SW off the Canary Islands, was to understand what controls the formation and precipitation of cobalt-rich crusts on seamounts, and to study the potential impact of deep-sea mining on seamount ecosystems. The autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Autosub6000 conducted high-resolution multibeam swathe bathymetry surveys across the seamount, while the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Isis made the first ever visual observations across 24 dives from the seamount flank (4,200 m) to its summit (1,000 m). Analysis of >18,000 high-definition ROV still images revealed areas with high densities of VME indicator taxa including deep-sea sponges, octocorals, and reef framework-forming scleractinian corals. An area with dense octocoral gardens also harboured high densities of deep-sea squid eggs. Coral and sponge specimens sampled by the ROV are being identified using both classical morphological taxonomy and DNA barcoding (COI and 18S). Very high densities of the glass sponge Poliopogon amadou Thomson, 1878 (>6/m2) were tightly constrained to steeply sloping ridges along the seamount axes and to a particular water mass. The new VME indicator records at the Tropic Seamount provide much needed data to the Ecological and Biologically Significant Area process and particularly to the Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic by improving our understanding of the biodiversity and biogeography of seamount ecosystems in the High Seas.

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 (21st September-26th 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 different flanks of the seamounts aiming to characterise the benthic communities considering different geographical orientations and the influence of water masses. The characteristics of the video transects allowed to perform a methodology for video analysis based on still images. The images were taken directly from the video recordings at regular length intervals based on the positioning of the ROV, generating a set of images that allowed for comparisons between different areas. To make such comparisons robust, a thorough filtering was carried out based on the position of the parallel laser beams on screen. Only images that had a similar area observed were selected, in which all megabenthic organisms are currently being identified to the lowest possible taxon. It is expected that this protocol can be used for the video processing in all benthic communities surveyed during MEDWAVES. Some examples of coral garden habitats and sponge grounds identified in these areas are presented. This proposed methodology and preliminary results represent the first steps in a larger study that aims to: (1) characterise the megabenthic communities, the species diversity and their distribution in Ormonde Seamount and Formigas Bank, (2) evaluate the influence of substrate type, flank orientation and the characteristics of the water masses in the patterns observed, and (3) do a comparison between both seamounts to determine differences in their biological composition.

Poster presentation at ATLAS 3rd General Assembly. Understanding marine biogeography and, in particular, vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) will lead to better ocean governance in a future ocean challenged by rapid rates of climate change and the exploitation of living and non-living resources in the deep ocean. Most of the deep-seabed and VMEs, however, lie in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), where the study of VME biogeography has received far less attention and where there is very limited governance. Biogeographic classifications have been used to date to analyse patterns of marine biodiversity and advancing knowledge of evolutionary and ecosystem processes (Rice et al., 2011). These classifications can also assist governments in designing management tools such as marine protected areas. The Global Open Oceans and Deep Seabed (GOODS) biogeographic classification system (UNESCO, 2009; Watling et al., 2013) was developed to provide technical support to planning and policy decisions related to open ocean and deep-seabed areas. GOODS divides the deep ocean into pelagic and benthic biogeographic provinces based on biological data such as primary production, and a range of environmental variables. The classification is based entirely on physical proxies, presumed to reflect species biogeography. Physical-proxy based schemes are available now for managers and they are based on data that are more easily compiled and updated. Thus, a main purpose of my thesis is to validate GOODS using species data and refine where necessary to overcome three limitations of GOODS to delineate biogeographic provinces in the deep ocean. Firstly, GOODS has not been validated for complex habitats formed by VME indicator taxa, which underpins the need of testing the biogeography of VME indicator species. Secondly, it does not account for projected future climate change scenarios, and thus is currently only a static product. Finally, it represents a high-level classification system, with both pronounced heterogeneity and a discontinuous distribution of species within each region (UNESCO, 2009). Here we focus on the North Atlantic to reveal important factors to VME biogeography. The North Atlantic is a relatively young ocean, where geographical features like the mid-Atlantic ridge could act as a barrier for species dispersal, and it also potentially offers the longest history of studying VME species. In addition, this ocean basin is under heavy human exploitation (e.g. fisheries, renewables, oil and gas) and rapidly changing climate (Rahmstorf et al., 2015). In this work, we show the progress to date to achieve this objective and future steps.