CoNISMa (Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare), Rome, Italy.
CNR-IGAG (Istituto di Geologia Ambientale e Geoingegneria), UOS Roma, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Mar Environ Res. 2021 Jul;169:105339. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105339. Epub 2021 Apr 26.
Rhodoliths (nodular calcareous red algae) are considered one of the most important bioengineers in the Mediterranean Sea, making rhodolith beds ecologically relevant ecosystems. On the insular shelf surrounding the western Pontine Archipelago (depth from 43 to 112 m), rhodolith beds were identified through the analysis of an extensive dataset of grab samples and videos to ground-truth the backscatter acoustic facies. Six acoustic facies (low backscatter, dishomogeneous low-backscatter, dishomogeneous high-backscatter, high-backscatter, rocks and high backscatter, and rocks and medium backscatter) were recognized. We studied how rhodoliths characteristics (density, morphotype, size and structure) differently influence the backscatter signature. At the western Pontine Archipelago, rhodolith beds are mainly represented by facies dishomogeneous high backscatter, high backscatter, high backscatter with rocks, and medium backscatter with rocks. The obtained results increase both the knowledge on the heterogeneous structure of such ecologically relevant benthic habitat and highlight the use of distinctive acoustic facies for their identification. Finally, the used approach could be considered a useful method for indirect detection and mapping of rhodolith beds.
柳珊瑚（结瘤钙质红藻）被认为是地中海最重要的生物工程师之一，使柳珊瑚床成为具有生态相关性的生态系统。在西部蓬蒂内群岛（深度从 43 米到 112 米）周围的岛屿架上，通过对大量抓斗样本和视频的分析，确定了柳珊瑚床，以对反向散射声相进行实地验证。共识别出六种声相（低反向散射、不均匀低反向散射、不均匀高反向散射、高反向散射、岩石和高反向散射以及岩石和中反向散射）。我们研究了柳珊瑚特征（密度、形态、大小和结构）如何不同地影响反向散射特征。在西部蓬蒂内群岛，柳珊瑚床主要由不均匀高反向散射、高反向散射、带岩石的高反向散射和带岩石的中反向散射的声相代表。所得结果增加了对这种具有生态相关性的底栖生境的不均匀结构的了解，并强调了使用独特的声相来识别它们。最后，所采用的方法可以被认为是间接检测和绘制柳珊瑚床的有用方法。
