Title
Modelling of the reef benthic habitat distribution within the Cabrera National Park (Western Mediterranean Sea)
Date Issued
01 January 2021
Access level
open access
Resource Type
review
Author(s)
Mata D.
Fernández-Sánchez A.
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Publisher(s)
Taylor and Francis Ltd.
Abstract
Habitat spatial distribution is essential to know where to focus the protection of the seafloor resources. In this work, the bathymetry and backscatter seabed data show the importance of remote sensing applications and geospatial tools to have detailed information of the areas studied. The highresolution data enable to explore the environmental characteristics of selected Mediterranean habitats. These data were combined with available samples for ground truthing the habitat distribution model in the southeast of Cabrera National Park. The habitat modelling results show the high value of the studied area for ecological research. Unique communities of large filterers, including sponges, ascidians and bryozoans, were detected in this area. This study presents a potential habitat distribution map of the vulnerable reef habitat 1170, protected under the UE-Directive on the conservation of Habitats, Flora and Fauna, on the southeast margin of Cabrera Island.
Start page
285
End page
298
Volume
27
Issue
3
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Geografía física
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85107795013
Source
Annals of GIS
ISSN of the container
19475683
Sponsor(s)
We would like to thank the Spanish General Secretariat of the Sea for providing ship time and technical support. The Spanish Continental Shelf Research Project is funded by SGM in collaboration with the Spanish Oceanographic Institute. The authors would also like to thank the OAPN for providing free access to the Cabrera National Park databases and for their help and support throughout this study. The research has been made possible thanks to the NGO Guías de Espeleología y Montaña (Speleology and Mountain Guides) and Canal de Isabel II Gestión (public water supplying company, Madrid, Spain). Our sincere thanks to the anonymous reviewers, who provided insightful comments and suggestions that improved this manuscript.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus