"> SCIENTIFIC PAPER: “Geomorphology of coralligenous reefs offshore southeastern Sicily (Ionian Sea)”

Andrea Giulia Varzi, Luca Fallati, Alessandra Savini, Valentina Alice Bracchi, Pietro Bazzicalupo, Antonietta Rosso, Rossana Sanfilippo, Marco Bertolino, Maurizio Muzzupappa & Daniela Basso

!! SCIENTIFIC PAPER IN Journal of maps !!

!! In this study we analyzed the coralligenous. The coralligenous includes calcareous accumulations of biogenic origin, formed since the Holocene transgression. The study area is located off the coast of the village of Marzamemi where we found columnar-shaped coralligenous outcrops . The “CresciBluReef” project has produced a new, 17 km2 high-resolution bathymetric map. Thanks to this map we have a greater knowledge of the extension of the coralligenous in this area, analyzed during this study. Coralligenous mostly occur along two depth ranges: 36–42 m and 86–102 m. Additional investigations are required to understand: (1) the role of the inherited continental shelf landscape, in creating a favorable substrate for the settlement and growth of coralligenous habitats during the Holocene, and (2) the extent to which coralligenous bioconstructions can impact the evolution of present-day continental shelf landforms and landscapes. !!

Keywords: Calcareous build-ups, submarine geomorphology, seascape, sea-level changes, biogeomorphology, Mediterranean sea

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17445647.2022.2161963

Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17445647.2022.2161963