Reprint of 'On and off the beaten track: Megafaunal sessile life and Adriatic cascading processes'

摘要: Abstract Valuable megafaunal sessile assemblages in the southern Adriatic basin present a western–eastern asymmetric distribution. This is particularly evident when considering cold-water coral (CWC) communities, with most diverse and abundant live corals to be found along western side. On contrary, only spotty occurrences are documented eastern side at times sub-fossil state. We hypothesize that this asymmetry might derive from differential exposure of floor polarized hydrological processes. In such perspective, vigorous albeit a-periodical flushing deep-sea bottoms cascading processes could beneficial benthic communities by reinforcing North Dense Water (NAdDW), contrasting excess silting enhancing trophic web. Although no experimental evidence has been yet produced test hypothesis, it gains some support observation CWC flourishing general area Bari Canyon adjacent flushed dense shelf water (DSW) while they much less developed on basin's opposite side, unaffected phenomenon.