An international team of researchers have conducted the first ever study of mesophotic regions in the Eastern Mediterranean waters of Cyprus, mapping the species, habitats and their condition across some of the most under-studied regions of the global ocean.
Through its recently established Mesophos Project, a team from the Marine and Environmental Research (MER) Lab has carried out the first explorations of depths between 50 to 200 metres below sea level across 32 sites spanning the Akrotiri and Dhekelia regions of Cyprus.
Among the more than 200 species recorded across these surveys – including corals, anemones, and other benthic organisms that create three-dimensional habitats and support rich marine life – several had never previously been reported in Cyprus before, while many of them are already listed as threatened or protected species.
Surveying these sites using a remotely operated vehicle, the researchers have been able to not only document the marine life found at these depths of the Eastern Mediterranean but the scale of the impact human activity has on these fragile ecosystems. Marine litter and ghost fishing gear continues to affect marine life even at these depths, while the researchers documented the scars left from bottom-towed fishing gear as well as a level of coral necrosis most likely linked to ocean warming.
It’s hoped that this evidence can now be used to brief local authorities and target protection and marine management where it is most needed.
“Among the most striking findings were the corals which are among the most fragile and least known organisms in Cyprus,” said Christina Michail, a marine biologist working on the project. “These included gorgonians (Callogorgia verticillata), delicate hydroid corals (Lytocarpia myriophyllum), soft corals, and beautiful sea pens. Some of these were observed at several stations, suggesting they are widespread.”
While many of the species documented include a great number that cannot yet be identified from photography alone, the researchers insist that the presence of fragile, protected species within the region is “indisputable”.
“These corals are slow-growing, long-lived, and highly sensitive, and although they have likely been present for many years in Cyprus, this is the first time their existence has been documented,” said Michail.