The development of cold-water coral ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

Azooxanthellate scleractinian cold-water corals are common in the temperate Mediterranean Sea where thriving colonies (and their associated species rich ecosystems) are widespread in intermediate water depths. In addition, extensive areas exhibit numerous coral carbonate mound- and ridge structures on the seafloor, indicating their prosperity also in the past. Based on sedimentary archives obtained from coral sites in the eastern and western Mediterranean Sea as well as from the Strait of Sicily, this thesis outlines the temporal development of these unique bathyal ecosystems from the late glacial until today in relation to the palaeo-environmental conditions in order to identify environmental factors steering cold-water coral growth.