ALBERT

Description: Current European legislation such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD; 2008/56/EC) has highlighted the need for accurate maps on the geomorphology of Europe's maritime territory. Such information is notably essential for the production of habitat maps and cumulative impact assessments of human activities (Halpern et al., 2008) necessary for marine spatial planning initiatives (Gilliland and Laffoley, 2008) and assessments of the representativity/sufficiency of marine protected areas networks like Natura 2000. Broadscale satellite bathymetry presently allows the identification of all prominent geomorphic structures present on the seafloor with a high grade of accuracy. However, these datasets and maps still need to be more widely disseminated in the scientific community. In this contribution, we provide an inventory of some important datasets related to the physical characteristics of the seafloor surrounding the Azores Archipelago. The objective is to ensure that our compilation is readily available for any researchers interested in developing species distribution models, or for the management and conservation of natural resources in the region.

Description: Obtaining a comprehensive knowledge of the spatial and temporal variations of the environmental factors characterizing the Azores region is essential for conservation and management purposes. Although many studies are available for the region, there is a need for a general overview of the best available information. Here, we assembled a comprehensive collection of environmental data for this region. Data sources used in this study included remote sensing oceanographic data for 2003?2013 (sea surface temperature, chlorophyll-a concentration, particulate inorganic carbon (PIC), and particulate organic carbon (POC)), derived oceanographic data (primary productivity and North Atlantic oscillation index) for 2003?2013, and in situ data (temperature, salinity, oxygen, phosphate, nitrate and silicate) obtained from the World Ocean Atlas 2013.

Description: Records of distribution of deep-sea lithistids (Porifera, Heteroscleromorpha) of the Azores archipelago

Description: In 2014, two experimental Agassiz trawls were conducted on the Schulz Bank; one at the summit (568–670 m depth) and one on the southwestern flank (1,464 m depth). The 3-m-wide Agassiz trawl, with a 1 cm mesh size in the cod-end, was towed along the seafloor for 676 m on the summit and 441 m on the flank, resulting in a disturbed area of 2,028 and 1,323 m2, for the summit and flank, respectively. Towing speed was maintained at around 2 knots and the initial and final position were recorded. In August 2018, the two trawl marks and four additional control transects (one on either side of the trawl mark) were surveyed while onboard the R/V G.O.Sars. Video recordings were taken along the trawl marks and control transects with the ROV AEGIR6000. Control transects were located 50 m to the east and west of each trawl mark and were performed parallel to the mark.

Description: In 2014, two experimental Agassiz trawls were conducted on the Schulz Bank; one at the summit (568–670 m depth) and one on the southwestern flank (1,464 m depth). The 3-m-wide Agassiz trawl, with a 1 cm mesh size in the cod-end, was towed along the seafloor for 676 m on the summit and 441 m on the flank, resulting in a disturbed area of 2,028 and 1,323 m², for the summit and flank, respectively. Towing speed was maintained at around 2 knots and the initial and final position were recorded. In August 2018, the two trawl marks and four additional control transects (one on either side of the trawl mark) were surveyed while onboard the R/V G.O.Sars. Video recordings were taken along the trawl marks and control transects with the ROV AEGIR6000. Control transects were located 50 m to the east and west of each trawl mark and were performed parallel to the mark.

Description: We report the results of a short-term experiment testing the effects of microplastics (MP) on the larvae of the cold-water coral Desmophyllum pertusum (syn. Lophelia pertusa). The experiment was conducted at the Tjärnö Marine Laboratory Facilities (University of Gothenburg, Sweden). To simulate MP pollution, we used 6 μm yellow-green fluorescent polystyrene microbeads (catalog no: 17156, Polysciences). The experimental design consisted of three treatments: control treatment with (1) no MP addition (0 MP/mL), (2) addition of 1000 pristine MP/mL, and (3) addition of 1000 biofouled MP/mL. Larvae were exposed to the different treatments in 75 mL culture flasks mounted on a rotating plankton wheel to keep sediments in suspension. After a 24-hour period, the potential impact of MP on larval survival was analyzed.

Description: We report the results of a short-term experiment testing the effects of microplastics (MP) on the larvae of the cold-water coral Desmophyllum pertusum (syn. Lophelia pertusa). The experiment was conducted at the Tjärnö Marine Laboratory Facilities (University of Gothenburg, Sweden). To simulate MP pollution, we used 6 μm yellow-green fluorescent polystyrene microbeads (catalog no: 17156, Polysciences). The experimental design consisted of three treatments: control treatment with (1) no MP addition (0 MP/mL), (2) addition of 1000 pristine MP/mL, and (3) addition of 1000 biofouled MP/mL. Larvae were exposed to the different treatments in 75 mL culture flasks mounted on a rotating plankton wheel to keep sediments in suspension. After a 24-hour period, the potential impact of MP on larval swimming speed was analyzed using image analysis software (Meijering et al. 2012).

Description: It is increasingly recognised that deep-sea mining of seafloor massive sulphides (SMS) could become an important source of mineral resources. These operations will remove the targeted substrate and produce potentially sediment toxic plumes from in situ seabed excavation and from the return water pumped back down to the seafloor. However, the spatial extent of the impacts of deep-sea mining plumes is still uncertain because few field experiments and models of plumes dispersion have been conducted. Morato et al. (2022) used three-dimensional hydrodynamic models of the Azores region together with a theoretical commercial mining operation of polymetallic SMS to simulate the potential dispersal of sediment plumes originating from different phases of mining operations and to assess the magnitude of potential impacts. The areas used in the modelling work were (from North to South): Cavala seamount (38.265, -30.710), Lucky Strike Hole (37.503, -31.955), Menez Hom (37.109, -32.618), Famous (37.001, -33.039), Saldanha (36.658, -33.420), and Rainbow (36.262 -33.824). The datasets published here contain all the model outputs, namely for 1) the in situ excavation sediment plume, 2) the return water discharge plume, and 3) the return sediments discharge plume: 1) The concentration of solids and of the discharge water in each horizontal 2-dimensional space cell is calculated as the maximum concentration in the 50 vertical layers of each 2-dimensional cell, for each output time step (3 hours), averaged over all time steps during each trimester and during a 12-months simulation. 1.1) Concentration of sediments produced during the in situ excavation sediment plume calculated as the maximum concentration in the 50 vertical layers of each 2-dimensional cell, for each output time step (3 hours), averaged over all time steps during a 12-months simulation. Sediments were composed of six classes of different particle diameter (0-10 μm, 10-50 μm, 50-100 μm, 100-200 μm, 200-2,000 μm, and 〉2,000 μm), an average particle density of 3,780 kg·m-3, and resultant settling velocities ranging from 75.1 cm·s-1 to 0.002 cm·s-1. 1.2) Concentration of return water discharge plume (shown in dilution folds) in six study areas calculated as the maximum concentration in the 50 vertical layers of each 2-dimensional cell, for each output time step (3 hours), averaged over all time steps during a 12-months simulation and assuming a control temperature as the annual minimum temperature of each location (T1). The salinity of discharge was calculated assuming the MOHID salinity of 83.3% surface water and 16.7% of seafloor water. 1.3) Concentration of sediments in the return sediment discharge plume, calculated as the maximum concentration in the 50 vertical layers of each 2-dimensional cell, for each output time step (3 hours), averaged over all time steps during a 12-months simulation. The average particle diameter was assumed to be 4 µm with an average particle density of 3,780 kg·m-3 and a resultant settling velocity of 0.002 cm·s-1. 2) The proportion of simulated time (temporal frequency) that a specific 2-dimensional space contained plume concentrations higher than the adopted thresholds; 1.2 mg·L-1 for sediment solids and 5,000 fold dilution for discharge water. Those cells whose temporal frequency above the thresholds was greater than 50%, i.e. 6 months out of 12 months, were considered as cells with persistent plumes. 2.1) Proportion of simulated time (temporal frequency) that a specific a 2-dimensional space cell, in six study areas, contained in situ excavation sediment plume above a 1.2 mg·L-1 concentration threshold, during a 12-months simulation, assuming six classes of particle diameter (0-10 μm, 10-50 μm, 50-100 μm, 100-200 μm, 200-2,000 μm, and 〉2,000 μm), an average particle density of 3,780 kg·m-3, and resultant settling velocities ranging from 75.1 cm·s-1 to 0.002 cm·s-1. 2.2) Proportion of simulated time (temporal frequency) that a specific 2-dimensional space, in six study areas, contained return water discharge plume concentrations higher than the adopted thresholds (i.e., 5,000 fold dilution), during a 12-months simulation and assuming a control temperature as the annual minimum temperature of each location (T1). The salinity of discharge was calculated assuming the MOHID salinity of 83.3% surface water and 16.7% of seafloor water. 2.3) Proportion of simulated time (temporal frequency) that a specific 2-dimensional space cell, in six study areas, contained return sediments discharge plume above a 1.2 mg·L-1 concentration threshold, during a 12-months simulation, assuming an average particle diameter of 4 µm, an average particle density of 3,780 kg·m-3, and a resultant settling velocity of 0.002 cm·s-1. 3) In addition to the thresholds and targets described above, the datasets also present the model results for Cavala seamount and Lucky Strike Hole against other thresholds: 5 mg·L-1, 10 mg·L-1 and 25 mg·L-1 for sediments and 1,000, 600, 300 and 200 fold dilution for discharge water. 4) Seasonal variations in the model outputs for plumes dispersal are also presented for Cavala seamount and Lucky Strike Hole by computing the probability of concentration above thresholds for four periods of three months (January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December). In these scenarios, the model run duration was approximately 90 days. 5) The sediment thickness of the settled sediments from the discharge sediment and excavation. 5.1) Bottom thickness of settled sediments produced during the in situ excavation sediment plume assuming six classes of particle diameter (0-10 μm, 10-50 μm, 50-100 μm, 100-200 μm, 200-2,000 μm, and 〉2,000 μm), an average particle density of 3,780 kg·m-3, and resultant settling velocities ranging from 75.1 cm·s-1 to 0.002 cm·s-1. The duration of the simulation is one year. 5.2) Bottom thickness of settled sediments from the return sediment discharge plume modelled assuming an average particle diameter of 4 µm, an average particle density of 3,780 kg·m-3, and a resultant settling velocity of 0.002 cm·s-1. The duration of the simulation is one year.

Description: We developed habitat suitability models for 14 vulnerable and foundation cold-water coral (CWC) taxa of the Azores (NE Atlantic) using GAM and MAXENT models. The modelled taxa are: Acanthogorgia spp., Callogorgia verticillata, Coralliidae spp., Dentomuricea aff. meteor, Desmophyllum pertusum, Errina dabneyi, Leiopathes cf. expansa, Madrepora oculata, Narella bellissima, Narella versluysi, Paracalyptrophora josephinae, Paragorgia johnsoni, Solenosmilia variabilis and Viminella flagellum. Models were built using a model grid having a cell size of a 1.13 x 1.11 km (i.e. about 0.01° in the UTM zone 26N projection). This resolution was considered a good compromise between the original resolution of occurrence and environmental data and our capacity to resolve suitable and unsuitable areas within the same geomorphological feature using model predictions. Study area and model background were limited to depths shallower than 2000 m where most of the sampling events took place. Predictors variables included bathymetric position indexes (5 km and 20 km radii), slope, particulate organic carbon flux, seawater chemistry (principal component of dissolved near-seafloor nutrient concentration and calcite/aragonite saturation levels) and near seafloor values of current speed, oxygen saturation and temperature. Presence records were obtained from two different sources: species annotations from underwater imagery (76%) and longline and handline bycatch records (24 %). The published data include: 1. Binary GAM and Maxent habitat suitability predictions. A bootstrap process (n = 100) evaluated the local confidence of model predictions. Each bootstrap iteration sampled occurrence data with replacement, fitted HSMs models and produced binary suitability maps based on sensitivity‐specificity sum maximization thresholds. Depending on the number of times individual raster cells were predicted as suitable they were classified as: low [1-30%), medium [30-70%) or high [70-100%] confidence suitable cells. This process was repeated independently for GAM and Maxent models. In raster layers: (3) identifies high-confidence suitable cells, (2) medium-confidence suitable cells, (1) low-confidence suitable cells and NAs unsuitable cells. 2. Local fuzzy matching of GAM and Maxent habitat suitability predictions. The level of similarity between the spatial distribution of GAM and Maxent binary predictions (low, medium and high confidence suitable cells) at a local (i.e. cell) level was measured considering two membership functions: category similarity, which assumed that some categories were more similar than others; distance decay, which defined the fuzzy similarity of two cells as (i) identical if they matched perfectly, (ii) linearly decreasing with distance if the matching category was found within a 2-cell radius (~2 km) or (iii) totally different when no matching category was found within a 2-cell radius. After combining the two membership functions similarity scores ranged from 0 (totally different) to 1 (identical). Values of similarity greater than 0.5 indicate raster cells that are more similar than different. 3. Combined habitat suitability maps. Suitable raster cells of combined habitat suitability maps were classified as follows: (i) high confidence suitable cell (3 in raster layers), raster cell predicted as suitable with high-confidence by both GAM and Maxent models; (ii) medium confidence suitable cell (2 in raster layers), raster cell predicted as suitable with medium or high confidence by GAM, Maxent or both and with a local fuzzy similarity greater than 0.5; (iii) low confidence suitable cell (1 in raster layers), any other cell predicted as suitable by GAM and/or Maxent. 4. Cold water coral richness based on habitat suitability predictions. The .tif file shows the number of taxa predicted as suitable for each raster cell. Note that only high confidence suitable cells of combined habitat suitability maps are considered.

Description: Trait-based approaches that complement taxonomic-based studies have increased in popularity among the scientific community over the last decades. The collection of biological and ecological characteristics of species (i.e., traits) provides insight into species and ecosystem vulnerability to environmental and anthropogenic changes, as well as ecosystem functioning. While most of the available trait databases to date contain essential information to understand the functional diversity of a taxonomic group or functional group based on size, the FUN Azores trait database has an ecosystem-based approach that provides a comprehensive assessment of diverse fauna (meio-, macro-, and megafauna) from benthic and pelagic environments in the Azores Marine Park; including ridges, seamounts, and hydrothermal vents. We used a collaborative approach involving 30 researchers with different expertise to develop the trait database; which contains compiled data on 14 traits representing morphological, behavioral, and life history characteristics for 1210 species, across 10 phyla.