Habitats of the Cap de Creus Continental Shelf and Cap de Creus Canyon, Northwestern Mediterranean

摘要: Publisher Summary Continental shelves and submarine canyons represent peculiar environments that are geologically heterogenous on a small spatial scale (form hundreds to tens of meters) therefore play central role in increasing the ecosystem biodiversity. The Cap de Creus continental shelf canyon located southernmost sector Gulf Lions, northwestern Mediterranean. contains sandy muddy sediments an abrupt morphology, with rocky outcrops, relict bioherms, erosive features, planar bedforms. breaches at depth 110 m denotes marked difference morphology between northern southern flank, reflecting different depositional regime. most common substrates correspond coarse medium sands (28%) silty (40%). megabenthic assemblages communities “offshore detritic” (31.95%) “coastal terrigenous muds” (36.99%), mostly dominated by sea pens, alcyonaceans, ceriantharians. flank is predominantly depositional, whereas erosional. Rocky outcrops provide substratum for cold-water coral (CWC) communities' development, which white Madrepora oculata abundant species.