@article{fdi:010094431,
  title = {{C}old-water coral mounds and reefs off {M}auritania and associated megafauna},
  author = {{E}l {V}adhel, {H}. and {B}uhl-{M}ortensen, {L}. and {M}ahmoud, {M}. {E}. {M}. and {E}l {V}ally, {Y}. and {M}eissa, {B}. and {L}e {L}oc'h, {F}ran{\c{c}}ois and {M}enot, {L}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}his study presents the megafauna related to coral mounds (coral remains) and cold-water coral ({CWC}) reefs off {M}auritania. {T}he mound-specific megafauna was documented by comparing 47 trawl catches from coral mounds with 47 catches from off-mound areas, sampled from 1982 to 2022. {C}oral reef megafauna were described from eleven {ROV} dives conducted during two surveys held in 2020 and 2021. {T}he mound and reef environment were documented using data from 2159 {CTD} profiles collected between 1995 and 2022. {A} detailed annotation of the {ROV} recorded videos was undertaken, and megafauna habitat relations were identified using multivariate statistics. {T}he coral ecosystems that supported a rich megafauna were situated in the oxygen minimum zone at depths of 400 to 650 meters, with an average temperature of 10.55 degrees {C}. {T}he coral mound hosted 31% more species than adjacent off-mound areas, and fish contributed 66% of the taxa of five groups, followed by crustaceans contributing with 20%. {T}he five most common species were {H}elicolenus dactylopterus, {L}aemonema laureysi, {M}erluccius polli, {M}alacocephalus occidentalis and {H}oplostethus cadenati. {T}he {CWC} reefs hosted 120 taxa representing 11 different faunal groups, with fish as the most species rich group, contributing 39% of the recorded taxa, followed by cnidarians represented by several corals (18 taxa) and crustaceans (17 taxa). {T}he most abundant taxa on the reefs, in addition to the reef-building coral {D}esmophyllum pertusum, were the anemone {S}ynarachnactis cf. lloydii, the corals {A}canthogorgia cf. hirsuta and {S}wiftia phaeton, the crustaceans {N}ematocarcinus africanus and {E}umunida bella, the fish {H}. dactylopterus, the bivalve {A}cesta excavata and the sponge {C}ladorhiza corallophila. {L}ive coral, sand and mud were environmental drivers of species distribution on the reefs, and separate communities were related to different reef habitats. {T}his study provides the first comprehensive description of the megafauna related to the cold-water coral mounds and reefs off {M}auritania. {T}he rich megafauna associated with these ecosystems highlights the urgent need for conservation measures, particularly in light of increasing pressures from oil and gas activities, deep-sea fishing, and the impact of climate change.},
  keywords = {cold water corals ({CWC}) ; coral mounds ; coral reefs ; megafauna associated ; {M}auritania ; {MAURITANIE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{F}rontiers in {M}arine {S}cience},
  volume = {12},
  numero = {},
  pages = {1575636 [23 ]},
  year = {2025},
  DOI = {10.3389/fmars.2025.1575636},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010094431},
}