Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council (CNR-ISMAR), Via Gobetti 101, 40129, Bologna, Italy.
Department for the Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani 1, 48121, Ravenna, Italy.
Sci Rep. 2022 Apr 4;12(1):5585. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-09413-4.
The 30-150 m bathymetric range is commonly adopted in the literature to constrain the mesophotic zone. However, such depth interval varies depending on sunlight penetration, which is primarily a function of solar radiation incidence and water clarity. This is especially obvious in the Mediterranean Sea with its peculiar biophysical properties. Integrating information on light regime in the estimation of the bathymetric range of the mesophotic zone would provide a more robust definition, orienting conservation actions targeting its ecosystems. We present a first assessment of the spatial and vertical extension of the mesophotic zone in the Mediterranean Sea based upon light penetration, comparing our prediction with literature data. Our study also represents a baseline to monitor future variations in the bathymetric interval associated with the mesophotic zone in the Mediterranean Sea in relation to global changes.
30-150 米的水深范围通常被用于限制中层带。然而，这种深度范围因阳光穿透度而异，而阳光穿透度主要取决于太阳辐射的入射量和水的清澈度。在地中海这种具有特殊生物物理特性的海域，这种情况尤为明显。在估算中层带的水深范围时纳入光照条件的信息，将提供一个更稳健的定义，指导以其生态系统为目标的保护行动。我们根据光照穿透度，首次评估了地中海中层带的空间和垂直延伸范围，并将我们的预测与文献数据进行了比较。我们的研究还代表了一个基线，用于监测未来与全球变化相关的地中海中层带的水深范围的变化。
