Search for living deep sea corals in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea

(Potraga za živim dubokomorskim koraljima u hrvatskom dijelu Jadranskog mora)

Tatjana Bakran-Petricioli

Assistant Professor

University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Division of Biology

Workshop Intelligent Underwater Systems and Technologies IPSIT 2012 (Radionica Inteligentni podvodni sustavi i tehnologije), Zagreb, March 27, 2012

Adriatic is very shallow – deep sea parts only:

Jabuka Pit (Pomo Pit, Central Adriatic Pit)

275 mSouth Adriatic Pit1233 m

ARCADIA 2010, ArenaSub ROV

Bari Canyon, 400 m of depth

Living deep sea corals in the Adriatic

• Oceanographic expedition ARCO (AdRiatic COrals), December 2008 - Research of deep sea communities in the South and Central Adriatic Sea

- EU Project Hermes, Italian research vessel Urania- “Capo Missione” - Dr. sc. Marco Taviani,

Instituto di Scienze Marine, Bologna, Italia- international multidisciplinary scientific crew

Collaboration:

ARCO 2008

Findings: ARCO 2008In Jabuka Pit - Shallow buried cold-water coral mounds (~15 cm mud cover):

Frame building scleractinians:Lophelia pertusa Madrepora oculataDendrophyllia cornigera *

Solitary coralsCaryophyllia smithii *Desmophyllum dianthus

Up to now:

•no living deep sea corals were found in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea

•deep sea living communities on hard grounds in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea have not been properly researched

Carnivorous spongeAsbestopluma hypogea (sponge height 1,5 cm!)

Also deep sea hexactinellid sponge Oopsacas minuta

Shallow coldwater caves with bathyal-like conditions ~ 25 m depth:

• Oceanographic expedition ARCADIA (SeARch of CorAl banks in the MidDle AdrIAtic), March/April 2010 - Research of deep sea communities in the South and Central Adriatic Sea

- EU Project Hermione, Italian research vessel Urania

- “Capo Missione” - Dr. sc. Marco Taviani, Instituto di Scienze Marine, Bologna, Italia

- international multidisciplinary scientific crew

Obviously - for research of deeper parts of the Adriatic -a wider international scientific and expert collaboration - intra and interdisciplinary -development and application of new technologies

Italian research vessel Urania – collection of marine geophysical data (chirp and side scan sonar profiles), ROV and seabottom samples, geopositioned video recordings

Equipment (ARCO 2008):• Positioning system (GPS Fugro)• Depth-meter (Seabat 8160; 50 kHz)• Computer programs for analysis and integration of obtained data (PDS2000,2,3,2,43)• Current-meter (SVP 25)• Sub Bottom Profiler Datasonic Chirp II• System for collecting seismic data SwanPro SW• Side Scan Sonar Edge Tech 4200DF• Van Veen Grab (60 kg)• Gravitational cores• Epibenthic and heavy dredges• ROV-s Pollux II and Prometeo• Rosette with water samplers (+ CTD recording)

Equipment (ARCADIA 2010):• Generally the same with some small changes and two different ROV-s

Geophysical Laboratory

ARCO 2008

ROV Prometeo

ROV Pollux II

ARCO 2008

Bari Canyon, 400 m of depth

Rim of South Adriatic Pit,In front of Montenegro coast,437 m of depth

Collaboration through the national Scientific Program (personal initiative!): Systems & technologies in sub-sea, coastal zone protection and maritime security (coordinator Professor Vukić) Scientific Projects in the Program (financed by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sport of the RH): Bakran-Petricioli, Vukić, Schultz 

European FP 7 program “Developing the Croatian Underwater Robotics Research Potential” (coordinator Professor Vukić, one of the collaborators Bakran-Petricioli)

Also SME:

European FP 7 program “Developing the Croatian Underwater Robotics Research Potential” (coordinator Professor Vukić)

New equipment:

- Video Ray micro ROV (new one)- Seamor ROV- AUV- Probe with sensors-UW positioning system-Side scan sonar

Video Ray micro ROV(150 m, 4 knots)

Seamor ROV (300 m, 3 knots, high resolution color camera)

AUV Iver2

Collaboration among mentioned Croatian scientists with focus on marine biology and ecology:

-A number of common missions in shallow parts of Adriatic (Dugi otok, Kornati, Ždrelac, Murter Archipelago)

-Mostly in seagrass meadows