BUSCADOR RECOLECTA

The occurrence and proliferation of reef-forming corals is of vast importance in terms of the biodiversity they support and the ecosystem services they provide. The complex three-dimensional structures engineered by corals are comprised of both live and dead coral, and the function, growth and stability of these sys- tems will depend on the ratio of both. To model how the ratio of live : dead coral may change, the 'Goldilocks Principle' can be used, where organisms will only flourish if conditions are 'just right'. With data from particle imaging velocimetry and numerical smooth particle hydrodynamic modelling with two simple rules, we demonstrate how this principle can be applied to a model reef system, and how corals are effectively optimizing their own local flow requirements through habitat engineering. Building on advances here, these approaches can be used in conjunction with numerical modelling to investigate the growth and mortality of biodiversity supporting framework in present-day and future coral reef structures.

14 pages, 6 figures.-- Data availability: Data available from the Zenodo Digital Repository: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6773359, Despite cold-water coral (CWC) reefs being considered biodiversity hotspots, very little is known about the main processes driving their morphological development. Indeed, there is a considerable knowledge gap in quantitative experimental studies that help understand the interaction between reef morphology, near-bed hydrodynamics, coral growth, and (food) particle transport processes. In the present study, we performed a 2-month long flume experiment in which living coral nubbins were placed on a reef patch to determine the effect of a unidirectional flow on the growth and physiological condition of Lophelia pertusa. Measurements revealed how the presence of coral framework increased current speed and turbulence above the frontal part of the reef patch, while conditions immediately behind it were characterised by an almost stagnant flow and reduced turbulence. Owing to the higher current speeds that likely promoted a higher food encounter rate and intake of ions involved in the calcification process, the coral nubbins located on the upstream part of the reef presented a significantly enhanced average growth and a lower expression of stress-related enzymes than the downstream ones. Yet, further experiments would be needed to fully quantify how the variations in water hydrodynamics modify particle encounter and ion intake rates by coral nubbins located in different parts of a reef, and how such discrepancies may ultimately affect coral growth. Nonetheless, the results acquired here denote that a reef influenced by a unidirectional water flow would grow into the current: a pattern of reef development that coincides with that of actual coral reefs located in similar water flow settings. Ultimately, the results of this study suggest that at the local scale coral reef morphology has a direct effect on coral growth thus, indicating that the spatial patterns of living CWC colonies in reef patches are the result of spatial self-organisation, Claudio Lo Iacono is supported by the UE H2020 MSC Action HABISS (GA 890815). J. Grinyó has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and Innovation programme. Action MSCA-IF-EF-ST fellowship, CWCC-Dynamics Grant Agreement No. 101028621. Inês Martins was co-financed by the Operational Program AZORES 2020, through the Fund 01-0145-FEDER-000140 “MarAZ Researchers: Consolidate a body of researchers in Marine Sciences in the Azores” of the European Union. Guillem Corbera was funded by the Graduate School of the National Oceanography Centre Southampton (GSNOCS). This work is also contributing to the ICM’s “Center of Excellence” Severo Ochoa (CEX2019-000928-S). This study acknowledges the European Union’s Horizon 2020 re-search and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 678760 (ATLAS) and the iAtlantic project under Grant Agreement No. 818123, Peer reviewed

Ocean ecosystems are at the forefront of the climate and biodiversity crises, yet we lack a unified approach to assess their state and inform sustainable policies. This blueprint is designed around research capabilities and cross-sectoral partnerships. We highlight priorities including integrating basin-scale observation, modelling and genomic approaches to understand Atlantic oceanography and ecosystem connectivity; improving ecosystem mapping; identifying potential tipping points in deep and open ocean ecosystems; understanding compound impacts of multiple stressors including warming, acidification and deoxygenation; enhancing spatial and temporal management and protection. We argue that these goals are best achieved through partnerships with policy-makers and community stakeholders, and promoting research groups from the South Atlantic through investment and engagement. Given the high costs of such research (€800k to €1.7M per expedition and €30–40M for a basin-scale programme), international cooperation and funding are integral to supporting science-led policies to conserve ocean ecosystems that transcend jurisdictional borders., This paper has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 818123 (iAtlantic) and the United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) One Ocean Hub (Grant Ref: NE/S008950/1). We thank Jason Cleland for assistance in preparing the manuscript and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on the manuscript. This output reflects only the author’s view and the European Union cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein., Peer reviewed

The presence of different water masses in depth may influence the species distribution and community structure in deep-sea benthic ecosystems. In the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) represents an important forcing water mass, whose influence on the distribution of cold-water corals in the northern European margins has been particularly investigated. However, the MOW also spreads westwards into the central North Atlantic bathing several seamounts and seafloor elevations, whose deep-sea benthic communities are still poorly known. In this study, we provide a local to large-scale comprehensive description of deep-sea megabenthic assemblages along the western branch of the MOW, from its origin in the western Mediterranean Sea to the Central North Atlantic close to the Azores archipelago. For some of the studied seafloor elevations, such as Ormonde (Gorringe bank, offshore SW Portugal margin) and Formigas seamounts (SE Azores archipelago), this is the first time these assemblages have been characterized and quantified. The results indicate a strong effect of substrate
type in the structure and diversity of the assemblages at local scales; but the effect of water masses becomes more relevant when a large bathymetrical gradient is considered. The results also suggest a potential role of the MOW for biodiversity and biogeographic patterns at the North Atlantic basin, suggesting a potential enhancement of the biodiversity of some deep-sea megabenthic assemblages. Understanding water masses as an integrative tool to delineate biodiversity and biogeographic patterns from local to large scale will contribute to identify different megabenthic assemblages, including vulnerable marine ecosystems, as well as potential regions of refugia under future climate change conditions., This study has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the projects, grant agreement No 678760 (ATLAS) and 818123 (iAtlantic). This output reflects only the author's view and the European Union cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. M.C.S., C.D.-C., J.B.-F. and T.M. also acknowledge funds and support from the FCT through the strategic pro-ject (UIDB/05634/2020 and UIDP/05634/2020) granted to OKEANOS and through the FCT Regional Government of the Azores under the project M1.1.A/REEQ.CIENTÍFICO UI&D/2021/010. C.D.-C. was supported by the PO2020 project DeepWalls (s) and by the FCT-IP Pro-ject UIDP/05634/2020. M.C.S. and T.M. were supported by Program Stimulus of Scientific Employment (CCCIND/03346/2020 and CCCIND/03345/2020, respectively) from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tec-nologia., Peer reviewed

7 pages, 2 figures, 3 tables, supplementary data https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2023.104052.-- Data availability: Raw data are shared as Supplementary Material, arge, well-developed and flourishing reefs dominated by the cold-water coral Desmophyllum pertusum have recently been discovered along the Angola margin in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean living under very low oxygen concentrations (0.6–1.5 mL L−1). This study assessed the respiration rates of this coral in a short-term (10 days) aquarium experiment under naturally low oxygen concentrations (1.4 ± 0.5 mL L−1) as well as under saturated oxygen concentrations (6.1 ± 0.6 mL L−1). We found no significant difference in respiration rates between the two oxygen concentrations. Furthermore, the respiration rates of D. pertusum were in the same order of magnitude as those of the same species living under normoxic conditions in other areas. This work expands the current knowledge on the metabolic activity of cold-water corals under hypoxic conditions, evidencing that low oxygen conditions are not a general limiting factor for the overall distribution of D. pertusum, We like to thank the German Science Foundation (DFG) for enabling the RV Meteor cruise M122 and for funding the application of the MARUM ROV SQUID. This research received further support from the Cluster of Excellence “The Ocean Floor - Earth's Uncharted Interface” (Germany's Excellence Strategy - EXC-2077-390741603 of the DFG) (DH, CW). The research leading to the results in this manuscript received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 818123 (iAtlantic) and the United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) One Ocean Hub (Grant Ref: NE/S008950/1). [...] A Gori received funding from a Beatriu de Pinos 2013 research grant (BP–B00074) from the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Marie Curie Fellowship from the EU-funded project Ithaca, as well as from a Juan de la Cierva 2015 research grant (IJCI-2015- 23962) from the Spanish government. C Orejas has been supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), as well as by the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg Institute for Advanced Study for a fellowship obtained from October 2021 to July 2022. F Mienis was supported by the Innovational Research Incentives Scheme of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO-VIDI grant no. 0.16.161.360 and NWO-VENI grant 863.11.012). M Bilan received funding from Dipartimenti di Eccellenza 2018–2022, Ministero dell’Istruzione e del Merito (MIUR) from the Italian Government, With the institutional support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S), Peer reviewed

13 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables, supplementary material https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1050268/full#supplementary-material.-- Data availability statement: The original contributions presented in the study are published in a database repository following the FAIR principles (i.e., Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable; Wilkinson et al. 2016). This data can be found here: PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.955357. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author, Trait-based approaches that complement taxonomy-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. Here, we present the FUN Azores trait database, describe our approach, evaluate its scope, compare it to other marine trait databases, and explore the spatial distribution of its traits with “functional maps.” While most of the available trait databases to date contain essential information to understand the functional diversity of a taxonomic or functional group, our ecosystem-based approach provides a comprehensive assessment of diverse fauna (i.e., meio-, macro-, and megafauna) from benthic and pelagic environments in the Azores Marine Park; including ridges, seamounts, hydrothermal vents, and the overlying water column. We used a collaborative approach involving 30 researchers with different expertise to develop the FUN Azores database, which contains compiled data on 14 traits representing morphological, behavioral, and life history characteristics for 1,210 species across 10 phyla. The “functional maps” show a distinct distribution of the two most common size classes, suggesting different communities with different functionalities. The following traits had the best scoring coverage (i.e., >95% of the species scored): maximum body size, body form, skeleton material, feeding structure, motility, environmental position, substratum affinity, distribution, and depth range; while traits related to species behavior (e.g., sociability or aggregation tendencies) and life history (e.g., developmental mechanism) had lower scoring coverage, highlighting the need for further research to fill these knowledge gaps. We found a larger number of species in the benthic compared to the pelagic environment and differing species composition between areas within the Azores Marine Park resulting from varying biodiversity, ecosystem types, sampling effort, and methodologies used. The FUN Azores database will foster and facilitate trait-based approaches in the area, develop a framework for expansion of cross-ecosystem and cross-taxa trait databases elsewhere, and improve our ecological understanding of the Azores Marine Park and its conservation requirements, This work was performed under the framework of the project FunAzores co-funded by AÇORES 2020, through the FEDER fund from the European Union.: ACORES 01-0145-FEDER-000123. Okeanos team received national funds through the FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., under the Project UIDB/05634/2020 and UIDP/05634/2020 and through the Regional Government of the Azores through the initiative to support the Research Centers of the University of the Azores and through the project M1.1.A/REEQ.CIENTÍFICO UI&D/2021/010. AC work was supported by FCT/MCTES through national funds in the scope of the CEEC contract CEECIND/00101/2021, NC-L and DCa are also supported by the national funds through the -FCTFoundation for Science and Technology under the project UIDP/05634/2020 granted to Okeanos respectivelly. AC, EG, DCu, and MAS were co-financed by the Operational Program AZORES 2020, through the Fund 01-0145-FEDER-000140 “MarAZ Researchers: Consolidate a body of researchers in Marine Sciences in the Azores” of the European Union. BF has received funding from the postdoctoral fellowships programme Beatriu de Pinós funded by the Secretary of Universities and Research (Government of Catalonia) and by the Horizon 2020 programme of research and innovation of the European Union under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no 801370 (Incorporation grant 2019 BP 00183) and from the MedCalRes project Grant PID2021-125323OA-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ‘ERDF A way of making Europe’. LF was supported by the project SOS TubaProf (MAR-01.03.02-FEAMP-0040). TH was supported by the UK Natural Environment Research Council Climate Linked Atlantic Sector Science project (NE/R015953/1) and from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 818123 (iAtlantic). JX research is further supported by national funds through FCT Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of UIDB/04423/2020, UIDP/04423/2020, and CEECIND/00577/2018. SPR work was supported by FCT/MCTES through national funds in the scope of the CEEC contract (CEECIND/00758/2017) and grants UIDP/50017/2020, UIDB/50017/2020, and LA/P/0094/2020 attributed to CESAM. MCS was supported by Program Stimulus of Scientific Employment (CCCIND/03346/2020) from the Fundacṃão para a Ciência e Tecnologia, With the institutional support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S), Peer reviewed

Habitat-forming cold-water corals (CWCs) represent a key component of deep-sea benthic communities and a priority target for conservation. Although research efforts have been mounting to try and identify the drivers of CWC distributions, progress has been limited by the scarcity of ecological data. The present work employs habitat suitability models (HSMs) to estimate spatial distributions, environmental drivers and co-existence patterns of 14 habitat-forming CWCs in the Azores, an area considered a hotspot of coral diversity in the Atlantic. The modelled CWCs showed a strong bathymetric zonation, which seems to be determined by the vertical stratification of water masses in the region. In particular, the modelled CWCs can be clustered in four groups named after the isopycnal (vertical) layers in which Atlantic water masses are organized: species restricted to upper water masses, species extending down from upper water masses, species restricted to intermediate water masses and species extending up from deep water masses. Horizontal patterns further indicate that the Azores Current and different production regimes north and south of the archipelago likely influence the distribution of CWCs in sub-surface waters. Such results have important implications for the regional management of deep-sea benthic communities and, in particular, for the design of representative networks of protected areas. The combined habitat of all modelled species covered only 11%. Given that they all possess the characteristics of benthic foundation organisms and represent indicator taxa of vulnerable marine ecosystems all the modelled species should be viewed as important targets for conservation. The lace coral Errina dabneyi deserves particular attention since this species appears to be endemic to the Azores and has a very limited estimated distribution., This work contributes to the PO2020 MapGES (Acores-01-0145-FEDER-000056) research project and to the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 678760 (ATLAS), No 818123 (iAtlantic) and No 824077 (EUROFLEETS+). This output reflects only the authors' views and the European Union cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. We acknowledge all projects and programs that collected occurrence data of cold-water coral species in the Azores region. Records in the COLETA database were originally collected by fisheries observer programs during the CORAZON project (FCT No PTDC/MAR/72169/2006), HERMIONE project (FP7 No 226354) and CoralFISH (FP7 GA 213144) harbour sampling programs; CoralFISH, DiscardLess (H2020 No 633680), MERCES (H2020 No 689518) and SPONGES (H2020 No 679849). Records were also provided by the fisheries survey programs ARQDAÇO (1995–2019), OASIS (FP7 No EVK3-CT-2002-00073), CoralFISH, CONDOR (EEA grants No PT0040/2008), PESCPROF (Interreg IIIB/MAC/4.2/M12), DEECON (FCT EURODEEP/0002/2007) and BIOMETORE (EEA grants No PT02), and by the FISHOR experimental bottom trawl surveys. Finally, occurrence records were also made available by multiple ROV, submersible and towed video surveys such as those conducted within the MapGES, BIOMETORE, Estrutura de Missão para Extensão da Plataforma Continental (EMEPC; Cruzeiro Científico EMEPC/LUSO/Açores/2009), MEDWAVES (ATLAS No 678760, with logistic and technical assistance from the UTM –CSIC– and the financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitivity), Blue Azores 2018 (National Geographic Pristine Seas program, Oceano Azul Foundation, and Waitt Institute), NICO 12 Expedition and Pelagia Rainbow 2019 (64PE441, 64PE454, and 64PE456; Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research NWO for funding and Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research NIOZ for organising the Netherlands Initiative Changing Oceans NICO expedition in 2018), TREASURE (RV Pelagia cruises 64PE388, 64PE398, 64PE412, NWO-TTW grant 13273 and Topsector Water), and iMAR 2021 (RV Pelagia ship-time was provided free of charge as part of the iMAR project which received funding from the European Union's H2020 Research & Innovation Programme under grant agreement No 824077 EUROFLEETS+). We deeply thank all fisheries observers, PIs, crews and scientists that participated in all these sampling programs. GHT was supported by the DRCT (M3.1. a/F/052/2015). TM was supported by Program Investigador FCT (IF/01194/2013), and the IFCT Exploratory Project (IF/01194/2013/CP1199/CT0002) from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (POPH and QREN). TM and MCS were also supported by the FCT-IP Program Stimulus of Scientific Employment (CCCIND/03345/2020 and CCCIND/03346/2020, respectively) and the H2020 programme No 689518 (MERCES) and No 818123 (iAtlantic). CD-C was supported by the PO2020 projects MapGES and DeepWalls (Acores-01-0145-FEDER-000056 and Acores-01-0145-FEDER-000124) and by the FCT-IP Project UIDP/05634/2020. CKP received support from the Operational Program Azores 2020, through the Fund 01-0145-FEDER-000140 ″MarAZ Researchers: Consolidate a body of researchers in Marine Sciences in the Azores” of the European Union. We also acknowledge funds through the FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., under the project OKEANOS UIDB/05634/2020 and UIDP/05634/2020 and through the FCT Regional Government of the Azores under the project M1.1. A/REEQ.CIENTÍFICO UI&D/2021/010., Peer reviewed

20 pages, 8 figures, 6 tables, supplementary material https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1091855/full#supplementary-material.-- Data availability statement: The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation, Vertical walls of submarine canyons represent features of high conservation value that can provide natural areas of protection for vulnerable marine ecosystems under increasing anthropogenic pressure from deep-sea trawling. Wall assemblages are spatially heterogeneous, attributed to the high environmental heterogeneity over short spatial scales that is a typical feature of canyons. Effective management and conservation of these assemblages requires a deeper understanding of the processes that affect faunal distribution patterns. Canyons are recognised as sites of intensified hydrodynamic regimes, with focused internal tides enhancing near-bed currents, turbulent mixing and nepheloid layer production, which influence faunal distribution patterns. Faunal patterns also respond to broad-scale hydrodynamics and gradients in water mass properties (e.g. temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen concentration). Oscillating internal tidal currents can advect such gradients, both vertically and horizontally along a canyon's walls. Here we take an interdisciplinary approach using biological, hydrodynamic and bathymetry-derived datasets to undertake a high-resolution analysis of a subset of wall assemblages within Whittard Canyon, North-East Atlantic. We investigate if, and to what extent, patterns in diversity and epibenthic assemblages on deep-sea canyon walls can be explained by spatial and temporal variability induced by internal tides. Vertical displacement of water mass properties by the internal tide was calculated from autonomous ocean glider and shipboard CTD observations. Spatial patterns in faunal assemblage structure were determined by cluster analysis and non-metric Multi-Dimensional Scaling plots. Canonical Redundancy Analysis and Generalised Linear Models were then used to explore relationships between faunal diversity and assemblage structure and a variety of environmental variables. Our results support the hypothesis that internal tides influence spatial heterogeneity in wall faunal diversity and assemblages by generating both spatial and temporal gradients in hydrodynamic properties and consequently likely food supply, This work was based on data collected from various expeditions. JC125 was funded by the ERC CODEMAP project (Starting Grant no 258482) and the NERC MAREMAP programme, the JC035_JC036 expedition was funded by the NERC core programme OCEANS2025, the EU FP7 IP HERMIONE; the 64PE421, 64PE453 and 64PE437 expeditions were funded by the NICO initiative by NWO and NIOZ and the NWO-VIDI, grant agreement 016.161.360 and MESH Joint copyright© 2007 Defra, JNCC, Marine Institute, BGS, UoP data were recorded during a collaborative survey (MESH Cruise 01-07-01) involving the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the Marine Institute, the British Geological Survey and the University of Plymouth. The Department of the Environment, Fisheries and Rural Affairs (Defra) Natural Environmental Group Science Division (CRO361) made a significant financial contribution to this work. The MESH work contributed to the MESH project (www.searchmesh.net) that received European Regional Development Funding through the INTERREG III B Community Initiative (www.nweurope.org). TP was a PhD student in the NERC-funded SPITFIRE Doctoral Training Programme (Grant number NE/L002531/1) and received further funding from the National Oceanography Centre and the CASE partner CEFAS. VH was funded by the ERC Starting Grant project CODEMAP (Grant No 258482), by the NERC National Capability programme CLASS (Grant No NE/R015953/1), and the EU H2020 research and innovation programme project iAtlantic (grant agreement No 818123). During the final preparation stages of this manuscript she enjoyed a Fellowship from the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg Institute for Advanced Study. FM is supported by the innovational research scheme NWO-VIDI, grant agreement 016.161.360, With the institutional support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S), Peer reviewed

13 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables, supporting information https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13970, Cold-water corals (CWCs) are important species that provide habitat for other taxa but are sensitive to mechanical damage from bottom trawling. CWC conservation has been implemented in the form of marine protected areas (MPAs), but recovery from impact may be particularly slow in the deep-sea environment; consequently, the use of restoration techniques has been considered. To gain some insight into CWC recruitment and growth, in 2011 we deployed small seabed moorings in the Darwin Mounds MPA (~1,000 m water depth). This site hosts hundreds of CWC mounds, that had previously (until 2003) been impacted by deep-water trawling. In 2019, we carried out in situ visual surveys of these moorings and the surrounding seabed environment, then recovered two of the moorings. The mooring buoys, glass floats with plastic covers, were extensively colonized by a diverse epifauna that included the CWCs Desmophyllum pertusum and D. dianthus. The presence of coral recruits indicated that environmental conditions, and larval supply, remained favorable for the settlement and growth of CWCs within the MPA. Based on our observations, we consider four possible restoration methods, together with a “do-nothing” option, for the Darwin Mounds CWCs that have shown little, if any, natural recovery despite 16 years of protection. We conclude that seabed emplacement of high-relief artificial substrata is likely to be the most efficient and cost-efficient means of promoting enhanced recovery of the CWC, his work was primarily supported by the Climate Linked Atlantic Sector Science (CLASS) project, funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NE/R015953/1), with additional support from the BioCam project (NE/P020887/1), and the Bottom-Boundary Layer Turbulence and Abyssal Recipes project (NE/S001433/1). LHDC received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 ATLAS project (Grant Agreement No. 678760); LHDC, JAS, and VAIH were also supported by the Horizon 2020 iAtlantic project (Grant Agreement No. 818123), With the institutional support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S), Peer reviewed

Cold-water coral (CWC) reefs of the Angolan margin (SE Atlantic) are dominated by Desmophyllum pertusum and support a diverse community of associated fauna, despite hypoxic conditions. In this study, we use carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses (δ13C and δ15N) to decipher the trophic network of this relatively unknown CWC province. Although fresh phytodetritus is available to the reef, δ15N signatures indicate that CWCs (12.90 ± 1.00 ‰) sit two trophic levels above Suspended Particulate Organic Matter (SPOM) (4.23 ± 1.64 ‰) suggesting that CWCs are highly reliant on an intermediate food source, which may be zooplankton. Echinoderms and the polychaete Eunice norvegica occupy the same trophic guild, with high δ13C signatures (-14.00 ± 1.08 ‰) pointing to a predatory feeding behavior on CWCs and sponges, although detrital feeding on 13C enriched particles might also be important for this group. Sponges presented the highest δ15N values (20.20 ± 1.87 ‰), which could be due to the role of the sponge holobiont and bacterial food in driving intense nitrogen cycling processes in sponges' tissue, helping to cope with the hypoxic conditions of the reef. Our study provides first insights to understand trophic interactions of CWC reefs under low-oxygen conditions., We would like to thank the German Science Foundation (DFG) for enabling the RV Meteor cruise M122 and for funding the application of the MARUM ROV SQUID. The research included in this manuscript received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 iAtlantic project (Grant Agreement No. 818123). This manuscript reflects the authors’ view alone, and the European Union cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein. This research received further support from the Cluster of Excellence “The Ocean Floor—Earth’s Uncharted Interface” (Germany’s Excellence Strategy—EXC-2077-390741603 of the DFG) (DH, CW, JT, AF). BV’s PhD research is funded by POR Puglia FESR FSE 2014-2020. VH is funded by NERC Grant No NE/R015953/1 (CLASS). Further support was provided to S.R. and S.P. by the EU project number 101060072 “ACTNOW—Advancing understanding of Cumulative Impacts on European marine biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services for human wellbeing”. BV, CO and VH enjoyed a Fellowship from the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg Institute for Advanced Study during the final preparation stages of this manuscript., Peer reviewed

1 archivo .tab., We used carbon and nitrogen stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analyses to investigate the trophic network of the CWC reef habitat off Angola (SE Atlantic Ocean). Samples were collected in January 2016 during the M122 (“ANNA”) expedition on board R/V Meteor. In total, 18 reef sites, including seven CWC mound settings over a bathymetric range of 250 to 530 m water depth, were sampled for stable isotope analyses. Samples of organisms belonging to the taxa Porifera, Cnidaria, Arthropoda, Annelida, Echinodermata and Chordata were collected by means of a box corer, a Van-Veen grab sampler and the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) SQUID (MARUM, Bremen, Germany). To investigate potential food sources of the benthic megafauna, three types of Particulate Organic Matter (POM) were collected: Suspended Particulate Organic Matter (SPOM) was collected with a McLane phytoplankton pump; settling SPOM was collected with a sediment trap (SPOM trap) and sediment samples were collected with a box corer and a grab sampler. Analyses of benthic megafauna were performed using a Elementar IsoPrime 100 isotope ratio–mass spectrometry (IR–MS) (IsoPrime Ltd.) coupled to a CNS elemental analyzer (Elementar Vario Pyro Cube EA CNS; Elementar Analysensysteme GmbH), while POM samples were analyzed by a Delta V Advantage IR–MS coupled online to an elemental analyzer (Flash 2000 EA-IRMS) by a ConFlo IV (Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.). Vienna Pee Dee belemnite (V.P.D.B.) for carbon, and atmospheric N2 (Air) for nitrogen, were used as reference materials, and stable isotope values are reported in respect to that., Peer reviewed

The bamboo coral Isidella elongata is often associated with a diverse community, including commercial fish species, playing an important role in the deep-sea Mediterranean as a biodiversity hotspot. There has been a drastic decrease of the populations of this species since the twentieth century, mainly related to impacts of fishing, leading to its inclusion in the Barcelona Convention and the list of Mediterranean vulnerable marine ecosystems. However, the knowledge on its local scale distribution is still very limited. In this study, habitat suitability models were performed based on a dense population of I. elongata, located in the Mallorca Channel (western Mediterranean), to contribute to fill this knowledge gap. Generalized additive models, Maximum entropy models and Random Forest were combined into an ensemble model. Models showed that habitat is most suitable on smooth plains surrounding the seamounts of Ses Olives and Ausiàs March present in the study area. Furthermore, two models out of three showed a preference of the coral for flat areas. The predictions of the habitat suitability models presented in this study can be useful to design protection measures for this critically endangered species to contribute to the species’ and deep-sea fisheries management., Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This study was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program, under the ATLAS project (Grant Agreement No. 678760) and iAtlantic project (Grant agreement No. 818123). This output reflects only the author’s view, and the European Union cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein., Peer reviewed

The Central and South Atlantic represents a vast ocean area and is home to a diverse range of ecosystems and species. Nevertheless, and similar to the rest of the global south, the area is comparatively understudied yet exposed to increasing levels of multisectoral pressures. To counteract this, the level of scientific exploration in the Central and South Atlantic has increased in recent years and will likely continue to do so within the context of the United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Here, we compile the literature to investigate the distribution of previous scientific exploration of offshore (30 m+) ecosystems in the Central and South Atlantic, both within and beyond national jurisdiction, allowing us to synthesise overall patterns of biodiversity. Furthermore, through the lens of sustainable management, we have reviewed the existing anthropogenic activities and associated management measures relevant to the region. Through this exercise, we have identified key knowledge gaps and undersampled regions that represent priority areas for future research and commented on how these may be best incorporated into, or enhanced through, future management measures such as those in discussion at the UN Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction negotiations. This review represents a comprehensive summary for scientists and managers alike looking to understand the key topographical, biological, and legislative features of the Central and South Atlantic., This paper is an output of the UN Ocean Decade endorsed Challenger 150 Programme (#57).
Challenger 150 is supported by the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI) and the Scientific
Committee on Oceanic Research’s (SCOR) working group 159 (NSF Grant OCE-1840868) for
which KLH is co-chair. AEHB, KLH, KAM, SBu, and KS are supported by the UKRI funded
One Ocean Hub NE/S008950/1. TA is supported by the BiodivRestore ERA-NET Cofund (GA
N°101003777) with the EU and the following funding organisations: FCT, RFCT, AEI, DFG,
and ANR. TA also acknowledges financial support to CESAM by FCT/MCTES (UIDP/50017/2
020+UIDB/50017/2020+ LA/P/0094/2020) through national funds. NB is supported by the John
Ellerman Foundation. AB is supported by the German Research Foundation. DH, CO, AFB, LA,
SBr, and KS received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement no. 818123 (iAtlantic); this output reflects only the author’s view
and the European Union cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. DH, AF, JT, and CW were additionally supported through the Cluster of
Excellence “The Ocean Floor – Earth’s Uncharted Interface” (EXC-2077 – 390741603 by Deutsche
Forschungsgemeinschaft). CO also extends thanks to the HWK – Institute for Advanced Study, and
PM to Dr. Alberto Martín, retired professor of Universidad Simón Bolívar in Caracas, Venezuela
for facilitating references used in the Venezuela section., Peer reviewed

This time-series data synthesis pilot product includes data from 12 fixed ship-based time-series programs with
a focus on biogeochemical essential ocean variables., Methods & Sampling.
Oceanographic data from twelve fixed ship-based time-series programs were synthesized into a pilot product
with focus on biogeochemical essential ocean variables (BGC-EOV). Measurements of dissolved oxygen,
dissolved inorganic nutrients, inorganic carbon (pH, TALK, DIC, pCO2), particulate matter, and DOC were
compiled from the time series programs listed below.
Methods, Sampling, and Instruments are dependent on individual time-series programs, and often vary within a
single time series program from cruise-to-cruise.
Instruments are listed in the section below, with detailed metadata available at ODIS
(https://oceaninfohub.org/odis/).
Additional details may be found by viewing the related datasets and publications sections below., The presented time-series data synthesis pilot product includes data from 12 fixed ship-based time-series programs. The related stations represent unique marine environments within the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Nordic Seas, and Caribbean Sea. The focus of the pilot has been placed on biogeochemical essential ocean variables: dissolved oxygen, dissolved inorganic nutrients, inorganic carbon (pH, total alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, and partial pressure of CO2), particulate matter, and dissolved organic carbon. The time-series used include a variety of temporal resolutions (monthly, seasonal, or irregular), time ranges (10 to 36 years), and bottom depths (80 to 6000 meters), with the oldest samples dating back to 1983 and the most recent one corresponding to 2021. Besides having been harmonized into the same format (semantics, ancillary data, units), the data were subjected to a qualitative assessment in which the applied methods were evaluated and categorized. Additional data-quality descriptors include precision and accuracy estimates. This data product pilot facilitates a variety of applications that benefit from the collective value of biogeochemical time-series observations and forms the basis for a sustained time-series living data product, complementing relevant products for the global interior ocean carbon data (GLobal Ocean Data Analysis Project), global surface ocean carbon data (Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas; SOCAT), and global interior and surface methane and nitrous oxide data (MarinE MethanE and NiTrous Oxide product)., This time-series data synthesis pilot product includes data from 12 fixed ship-based time-series programs with a focus on biogeochemical essential ocean variables. Data used in this synthesis product were made possible with funding through the following:
EU Horizon 2020 through the EuroSea Innovation Action (grant agreement 862626)
EU Horizon 2020 iAtlantic programme (grant agreement 818123)
European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement 820989; COMFORT).
WASCAL MRP-CCMS project from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF; grant agreement no. 01LG1805A).
National Science Foundation (OCE-1259043, OCE-175651, and RISE-2028291).
Norwegian Environment Agency under grant agreement nos. 14078029, 15078033, 16078007, 17018007, and 21087110.
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (20H04349) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) KAKENHI.
Mediterranean Ocean Observing System for the Environment program (MOOSE) coordinated by CNRS-INSU and the Research Infrastructure ILICO (CNRS-IFREMER).
The European projects CARBOOCEAN, CARBOCHANGE, SESAME, PERSEUS and COMFORT
The Spanish Ministry of Science through the grants CTM2005/01091-MAR and CTM2008-05680-C02-01 and the Junta de Andalucía through the TECADE project (PY20_00293)
Centro Nacional Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO-CSIC), Peer reviewed

The peer review history for this article is available at https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway/wos/peer-review/10.1111/ddi.13896., Aim: Seamounts are conspicuous geological features with an important ecological role and can be considered vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs). Since many deep-sea regions remain largely unexplored, investigating the occurrence of VME taxa on seamounts is challenging. Our study aimed to predict the distribution of four cold-water coral (CWC) taxa, indicators for VMEs, in a region where occurrence data are scarce. Location: Seamounts around the Cabo Verde archipelago (NW Africa). Methods: We used species presence–absence data obtained from remotely operated vehicle (ROV) footage collected during two research expeditions. Terrain variables calculated using a multiscale approach from a 100-m-resolution bathymetry grid, as well as physical oceanographical data from the VIKING20X model, at a native resolution of 1/20°, were used as environmental predictors. Two modelling techniques (generalized additive model and random forest) were employed and single-model predictions were combined into a final weighted-average ensemble model. Model performance was validated using different metrics through cross-validation. Results: Terrain orientation, at broad scale, presented one of the highest relative variable contributions to the distribution models of all CWC taxa, suggesting that hydrodynamic–topographic interactions on the seamounts could benefit CWCs by maximizing food supply. However, changes at finer scales in terrain morphology and bottom salinity were important for driving differences in the distribution of specific CWCs. The ensemble model predicted the presence of VME taxa on all seamounts and consistently achieved the highest performance metrics, outperforming individual models. Nonetheless, model extrapolation and uncertainty, measured as the coefficient of variation, were high, particularly, in least surveyed areas across seamounts, highlighting the need to collect more data in future surveys. Main Conclusions: Our study shows how data-poor areas may be assessed for the likelihood of VMEs and provides important information to guide future research in Cabo Verde, which is fundamental to advise ongoing conservation planning., We are thankful to Herculano Dinis and Jacob González-Solís for sharing knowledge on the marine biodiversity and conservation of the seamounts of Cabo Verde. B. V. would like to thank the EuroMarine Young Scientist Fellowship Award for supporting her training period on the use of species distribution models and POR Puglia FESR FSE 2014-2020 for funding her PhD fellowship. B.V., C. O. and V. A. I. H. enjoyed a fellowship at the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg Institute for Advanced Study for the data preparation and concept development of this manuscript. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the crew, UTM and scientific team aboard the RV Sarmiento de Gamboa for their onboard assistance as well as during the preparation of the iMirabilis2 expedition. We are grateful to António Calado, Andreia Afonso, Renato Bettencourt, Bruno Ramos and Miguel Souto from the ROV Luso Team. The ship time has been provided by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. The research included in this manuscript received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 iAtlantic project (Grant Agreement No. 818123). This manuscript reflects the authors' view alone, and the European Union cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein., Peer reviewed

El dataset se puede consultar y descargar en el siguiente enlace https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.963704, 10855 data points., Presence-absence records for four cold-water coral (CWC) taxa (Enallopsammia rostrata, Acanella arbuscula, Metallogorgia spp. and Paramuricea spp.) were gathered to conduct distribution models on seamounts (Cadamosto, Nola, Senghor and Cabo Verde) of the Cabo Verde archipelago (NW Africa), covering a bathymetric range from 2100 to 750 m water depth. Data were extracted from video footage collected with Remotely Operated Vehicles during the M80/3 Meteor (2010) and the iMirabilis2 (2021) research expeditions. Video data from the iMirabilis2 expedition was analysed, quantitively, using the open-source software BIIGLE (Langenkämper et al. 2017). Observations from five continuous 1 to 2 km-long video transects between 2000 and 1400 m depth at Cadamosto Seamount were converted into presence-absence data points. Similar data were not available for the seamounts explored during M80/3 Meteor. However, all the available images and short video clips from that expedition were analysed to identify presence and absence points for each of the four target CWC taxa. All the available presence/absence data from the two expeditions was transformed into one point per grid cell of a 100 m resolution bathymetry grid, with the prevalence of the presence records over the absence records, in grid cells where both categories overlapped., Horizon 2020 (H2020), grant/award no. 818123: Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time, Peer reviewed

Aim: Seamounts are conspicuous geological features with an important ecological role and can be considered Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs). Since many deep-sea regions remain largely unexplored, investigating the occurrence of VME taxa on seamounts is challenging. Our study aimed to predict the distribution of four cold-water coral (CWC) taxa, indicators for VMEs, in a region where occurrence data is scarce., Location: Seamounts around the Cabo Verde Archipelago (NW Africa)., Methods: We used species presence-absence data obtained from Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) footage collected during two research expeditions. Terrain variables calculated using a multiscale approach from a 100 m resolution bathymetry grid, as well as physical oceanographical data from the VIKING20X model, at a native resolution of 1/20°, were used as environmental predictors. Two modelling techniques (Generalized Additive Model (GAM) and Random Forest (RF)) were employed and single-model predictions were combined into a final weighted-average ensemble model. Model performance was validated using different metrics through cross-validation., Results: Terrain orientation, at broad-scale, presented one of the highest relative variable contributions to the distribution models of all CWC taxa, suggesting that hydrodynamic-topographic interactions on the seamounts could benefit CWCs by maximizing food supply. However, changes at finer scales in terrain morphology and bottom salinity were important for driving differences in the distribution of specific CWCs. The ensemble model predicted the presence of VME taxa on all seamounts and consistently achieved the highest performance metrics, outperforming individual models. Nonetheless, model extrapolation and uncertainty, measured as the coefficient of variation, were high, particularly, in least surveyed areas across seamounts, highlighting the need to collect more data in future surveys., Main conclusions: Our study shows how data-poor areas may be assessed for the likelihood of VMEs and provides important information to guide future research in Cabo Verde, which is fundamental to advise ongoing conservation planning., Methods. Terrain variables were derived from a 100 m resolution bathymetry grid, created from a compilation of all available bathymetry data collected by multibeam echosounder (MBES) in the Cabo Verde region. We used an analytical multiscale approach to calculate terrain variables by considering, when possible, different neighbourhood sizes (i.e., number of grid-cells (n)) for calculations. In this study, slope, aspect (converted to eastness and northness), and three types of terrain curvature (plan, profile and mean) were calculated following a Fibonacci sequence of four increasing n values (n = 3, 9, 17, 33) (Dolan et al., 2008). For this, the functions ‘SlpAsp’ and ‘Qfit’ of the “Multiscale DTM” library (Ilich et al., 2023) were used in R Studio. Topographic Position Index (TPI) and Vector Ruggedness Measure (VRM) were calculated at two scales, both fine- and broad-scales (n = 3, 33), using the ‘tpi’ and ‘vrm’ functions, respectively, of the “spatialEco” R Package (Evans and Ram, 2021). Roughness and Terrain Ruggedness Index (TRI) were calculated using the ‘terrain’ function from the “raster” R package (Hijmans et al., 2015), using the default n = 3. Final terrain variables and scales considered in the models were chosen after investigating collinearity between variables (see next section on initial variable selection).

The monthly averages of bottom temperature, bottom salinity and bottom zonal (U) and meridional (V) velocity components for the period of 2009 to 2019 were obtained from a hindcast simulation in the high-resolution VIKING20X ocean general circulation model (VIKING20X-JRA-OMIP described in Biastoch et al., 2021), with a native horizontal resolution of 1/20° (~ 5.3 km). Bottom U and V were converted into mean bottom current speed., European Union : 818123, Horizon 2020, Peer reviewed

Ecosystem functioning, i.e. the transfer of material through a system, supports the ecosystem services deep-sea sediments provide, including carbon sequestration, nutrient regeneration, and climate regulation. To date, seven studies globally have researched in situ how various benthic groups contribute to organic matter degradation in abyssal sediments through stable isotope tracer experiments, of which only one in the Atlantic (at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain or PAP). To expand the limited knowledge base on abyssal ecosystem functioning, we performed in situ stable isotope experiments in the Cabo Verde Abyssal Basin (CVAB, tropical North-East Atlantic). The Cabo Verde marine region is an oceanographically interesting region with complex currents, resulting in strong gradients of productivity and unique ecological characteristics. We conducted 2-day in situ incubations with organic substrate (lyophilised diatom culture) labelled with 13C and 15N stable isotopes through five benthic lander deployments to 4,200 m in an area presumed mesotrophic. We assessed sediment community oxygen consumption (SCOC), dissolved inorganic carbon (DI13C) production, nutrient fluxes, and label incorporation into bacteria, large Foraminifera (>300 μm), meiobenthos, and macrofauna. Results were specifically compared across the Atlantic basin to the eutrophic PAP for which all the same system components were reported (Witte et al. 2003). At CVAB, bacteria and meiobenthos dominated phytodetritus processing (91% and 8%, respectively), in contrast to PAP where macrofauna dominated (98%). Phytodetritus remineralisation was two to three times lower at CVAB compared to PAP, most likely due to the low abundance of fast responding macrofauna. However, overall phytodetritus processing efficiency at CVAB was four times greater compared to PAP. Our results support a mesotrophic regime at the CVAB lander site, and provide a unique first insight into ecosystem functioning of tropical (low-latitude) abyssal systems in the Atlantic Ocean. A better understanding of abyssal ecosystem functioning in various ocean regions, to which this study contributes, provides insight into main regulators of abyssal communities and thus may have implications for our understanding of abyssal systems under future climate scenarios., We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the crew, UTM-CSIC and scientific team aboard the RV Sarmiento de Gamboa for their on-board assistance as well as during the preparation of the iMirabilis2 expedition. The ship time has been provided by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. The research included in this manuscript received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 iAtlantic project (Grant Agreement No. 818123) awarded to C.O., A.K.S., A.F.B, and J.M.R. A.F.B. was additionally supported by FAPES grant N 85501689. This manuscript reflects the authors’ view alone, and the European Union cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein. The funding sources had no role in decisions regarding the study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; nor in the decision to submit the article for publication. We would like to thank Tobias Hahn (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel) for advice on the optodes workflow, Dan Harries for advice on meiofauna processing, Dick van Oevelen and Peter van Breugel (Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research) for DIC and nutrient analysis, Barry Thornton (James Hutton Instititue) for PLFA and stable isotope analysis, and the Stable Isotope Facility (UC Davis, California, USA) for the stable isotope analysis., Peer reviewed

El dataset se puede consultar y descargar en el siguiente enlace https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.963084, A total of five deployments of a Benthic Chamber Lander were conducted at the Cabo Verde Abyssal Plain (tropical East Atlantic) at about 4200 m water depth. The deployments took place from the research vessel Sarmiento de Gamboa during the iMirabilis2 campaign in August 2021. Each deployment carried three functional chambers, one conducting a stable isotope tracer experiment, and two collecting background data. The stable isotope tracer used was axenically cultured and lyophilised diatoms (Phaeodactylum tricornutum) labelled with 13C and 15N. The experiment had a duration of 48 hours. The chamber carried an oxygen optode (Aanderaa 4330F) for continuous oxygen concentration measurements used to determine sediment community oxygen consumption (SCOC). During the experiment seven water samples were collected at hours T0.33, T2, T10, T19, T28, T37, and T46. The water samples were processed for oxygen concentration (Micro-Winkler Titration) as a second method to determine SCOC, Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC and DI13C) concentration in order to calculate the substrate-derived respiration rate, and nutrients (NH4, NO2, NO3, PO4, Si) concentrations to determine nutrient fluxes. The sediments were sampled after lander recovery. Sediments were analysed for Total Organic Carbon (TOC and TO13C) in order to establish if injection was successful and get a carbon content sediment profile. Sediments were analysed for Phospholipid-derived Fatty Acid (PLFA) biomarkers including their 13C stable isotope signal, in order to calculate bacterial biomass and tracer incorporation during the incubation. Sediment samples for macrofauna, large Foraminifera, and meiobenthos were preserved in 4% buffered formaldehyde, then transferred to ethanol, until analysis. Meiobenthos was extracted using LUDOX density separation and a 32 µm mesh, and identified to 'Nematoda' and 'Other meiobenthos' for the 0-2 and the 2-5 cm sediment horizons, in order to calculate meiobenthic densities. Sediments for macrofauna and large Foraminifera were washed over a 300 µm mesh and picked for identification and determining densities. After identification, samples were dried at 45 °C until stable mass. For calcareous organisms, the sample was acidified, and dried at 45 °C again. Dried samples were analysed for dry mass, carbon and nitrogen content and stable isotope signals (13C, 15N). C and N incorporation rates were calculated from stable isotope signals., Horizon 2020 (H2020), grant/award no. 818123: Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time, Peer reviewed

Workflow., Workflow of data analysis and figure production related to the publication 'In situ benthic community response to a phytodetritus pulse in the Cabo Verde Abyssal Basin (tropical NE Atlantic)' in Progress in Oceanography (in press). Data required for the workflow can be found in PANGAEA (de Jonge et al., 2024). Relates to the iMirabilis2 expedition report (Orejas et al., 2022).

MatLab workflow includes all functions and step-by-step use of the input files available from PANGAEA, output images related to the optodes recalibrations, and output images of the calculated oxygen concentration profiles over time during all incubations the optodes were functional.

The Rmarkdown workflow includes the full processing workflow of the input files available from PANGAEA, and includes the original Rmarkdown file, as well as the HTML and PDF outputs., European Commission: iAtlantic – Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time 818123.
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo:
FAPES grant N 85501689, Peer reviewed

Multiple stressor research in aquaria is a useful approach to better understand the ecophysiology of marine species under different environmental conditions, including global change scenarios. Long-term experiments are helpful to detect the response of sustained exposure to selected environmental conditions. Here, we present an experimental set-up suitable to run long-term experiments, composed of a life support system, a cost-effective aquaria set-up and an open-source controller based on the use of a Raspberry Pi. In this set-up, temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) are individually manipulated and simultaneously controlled in eight different treatments. To prove the efficacy of the set-up, we provide an assessment over a nine-month experiment on a deep-sea coral species, combining values from current in situ and IPCC AR5 RCP 8.5 scenarios for the aforementioned parameters. Recorded data from the controllers and independent measurements (e.g. cross-checking with portable multiparameter devices and laboratory analyses) throughout the experimental time have been analysed and results have been discussed. Overall, the experimental set-up performed well, proving the stability of the parameters over time, both individually and in combination. On average, low and high-temperature treatments varied ~0.4 and 0.3°C, respectively. Low pH treatments were maintained within 0.05 pH units, whereas ambient pH treatments varied ~0.04 pH units. Low DO treatments had a variation of ~0.3 mg L−1, and ambient DO treatments varied ~0.2 mg L−1. No significant differences between scenarios for any parameter were detected (p < 0.05). The resulting programming code to read, control and register the values for these parameters is provided to contribute to its replicability across institutions. The set-up performed well over extensive periods while providing a customisable controller as a cost-effective alternative. The versatility of the system, allowing to work with different species, environments and scenarios makes it valuable for aquaria experiments where interactions of multiple environmental factors need to be tested., We wish to express our gratitude to the direction, technical and aquarist teams of Aquarium Finisterrae (City Council of A Coruña) for their assistance. We thank the anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions, which significantly contributed to the improvements of this manuscript. We thank E. dos Santos for his input in the code description. The research included in this manuscript received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 iAtlantic project (grant agreement no. 818123). This manuscript reflects the authors' view alone, and the European Union cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein. This publication has been supported by CA20102, Marine Animal Forests of the World (MAF-WORLD), supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology), through a Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM) granted to C.G.-Z. R.A., L.V. and R.A.-S. were funded by “Ayuda para la promoción de empleo joven e implantación de la Garantía Juvenil en I+D+i 2018”: PEJ2018-003991-A, PEJ2018-003987-A and PEJ2018-003982-P, respectively. R.A.-S. was also funded by Ayuda de Personal Técnico de Apoyo (PTA-2021-021045-I) from Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI, Spain). M.M.V. received a funding grant (Ref. EQC2019-006636-P) for flow cytometry infrastructure services and facilities through the Infrastructure and Technical/Scientific Equipment Acquisition Program (AEI, Spain)., Peer reviewed

This repository contains the scripts developed for the study titled "An Aquaria Setup for Long-term, Multiple-stressor Research in Marine Organisms". For a comprehensive explanation of the code, please refer to Appendix A in the article. Reference: An aquaria setup for long-term, multiple-stressor research in marine organisms. C. Gutiérrez-Zárate, A. Veiga, A. Gori, F. Gerpe, L. Domínguez, A. Rodríguez, N. Arias, M. Álvarez, R. Acerbi, L. Vázquez, J. Movilla, M. M. Varela, R. Alba-Salgueiro, J. Valencia-Vila, & C. Orejas (In Press). Methods in Ecology and Evolution., European Commission
iAtlantic – Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time 818123, Peer reviewed

Project: Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time (iAtlantic)., Dendrophyllia_Bycatch * Latitude: 43.398822 * Longitude: -8.700804 * Date/Time: 2019-09-11T00:00:00 * Elevation: -150.0 m * Location: Atlantic Ocean * Method/Device: Accidental bycatch sampling., El dataset se puede consultar y descargar en el siguiente enlace https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.963072, A 9-month aquarium experiment with the cold-water Dendrophyllia cornigera was conducted to investigate the single and combined effects of warming, acidification and deoxygenation on its ecophysiological response. The experiment took place at the Aquarium finisterrae (A Coruña, Spain) between 2022-05-06 and 2023-02-24. Treatment values for each parameter (current in situ vs. climate change) were: 12 °C and 15 °C (temperature); ~7.99 and 7.69 (pH); ~8.63 mg/L and 6.45 mg/L (dissolved oxygen concentration). A total of eight treatments (with 3 replicates each, 5 L aquaria) were set up. Concentrations of dissolved nitrates, nitrite, silicate and phosphate were analysed from each experimental aquaria after one, six and nine months. Inorganic nutrient concentrations in seawater were determined using a SFA (Segmented Flow Autoanalyzer) (Aminot & Kérouel, 2007) with a SEAL Analytical QuAAtro analyzer using established colorimetric methods (Hydes et al. 2010 & Becker et al. 2020). RMNs (Reference Material for nutrients in seawater) with different concentration ranges were used for quality control and accuracy of our analysis. Low nutrient seawater (surface seawater filtered and aged) is also used to control low nutrient concentrations., Horizon 2020 (H2020), grant/award no. 818123: Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time, Peer reviewed

Project: Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time (iAtlantic)., Dendrophyllia_Bycatch * Latitude: 43.398822 * Longitude: -8.700804 * Date/Time: 2019-09-11T00:00:00 * Elevation: -150.0 m * Location: Atlantic Ocean * Method/Device: Accidental bycatch sampling, El dataset se puede consultar y descargar en el siguiente enlace https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.966668, A 9-month aquarium experiment with the cold-water Dendrophyllia cornigera was conducted to investigate the single and combined effects of warming, acidification and deoxygenation on its ecophysiological response. The experiment took place at the Aquarium finisterrae (A Coruña, Spain) between 2022-05-06 and 2023-02-24. Treatment values for each parameter (current in situ vs. climate change) were: 12 °C and 15 °C (temperature); ~7.99 and 7.69 (pH); ~8.63 mg/L and 6.45 mg/L (dissolved oxygen concentration). A total of eight treatments (with 3 replicates each, 5 L aquaria) were set up. Measurements for pH and total alkalinity (TA) were performed on seawater samples from all the experimental aquaria every 1 – 2 months. Samples for pH were directly collected on cylindrical 10 cm cuvettes and analysed on daily basis. After being thermostated at 25ºC, samples were measured using a manual spectrophotometrical procedure with a Sigma Aldrich impure indicator (Clayton and Byrne, 1993). TA was measured following the double end point potentiometric technique by Pérez and Fraga (1987a) and Pérez et al. (2000). Measurements of Certified Reference Material (Dickson's lab, SIO) were performed in order to control the accuracy of the TA measurements. The uncertainty of TA and pH is about 3 μmol/kg and 0.005 pH units, respectively. In situ additional CO2 system variables were calculated using the R package seacarb (Gattuso et al. 2023) using in situ temperature, salinity, measured pH and TA, the dissociation constants of carbonic acid in seawater (K1 and K2) by Lueker et al. (2000), the equilibrium constant of hydrogen fluoride by Perez and Fraga (1987b), the concentration of total boron by Uppström (1974) formulation, and the stability constant of hydrogen sulphate by Dickson (1990). Mean values for the concentration of silicate and phosphate on the aquaria experiments were used in the CO2 calculations, respectively, mean (and standard) deviations as 2.1 (0.4) and 0.31 (0.03) μmol/kg., Horizon 2020 (H2020), grant/award no. 818123: Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time, Peer reviewed

Project: Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time (iAtlantic)., Dendrophyllia_Bycatch * Latitude: 43.398822 * Longitude: -8.700804 * Date/Time: 2019-09-11T00:00:00 * Elevation: -150.0 m * Location: Atlantic Ocean * Method/Device: Accidental bycatch sampling, El dataset se puede consultar y descargar en el siguiente enlace https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.966611, A 9-month aquarium experiment with the cold-water Dendrophyllia cornigera was conducted to investigate the single and combined effects of warming, acidification and deoxygenation on its ecophysiological response. The experiment took place at the Aquarium finisterrae (A Coruña, Spain) between 2022-05-06 and 2023-02-24. Treatment values for each parameter (current in situ vs. climate change) were: 12 °C and 15 °C (temperature); ~7.99 and 7.69 (pH); ~8.63 mg/L and 6.45 mg/L (dissolved oxygen concentration). A total of eight treatments (with 3 replicates each, 5 L aquaria) were set up. Prokaryotes were quantified by flow citometry (CytoFLEXflex S, Beckman Coulter) as previously described by Gasol et al. (1999) with our own adjustment of the scatter settings to more accurately resolve these cells with the new CytoFLEX flow cytometry technology. Measurements were performed every month from different parts of the aquaria setup: the input seawater, the reservoir tank (after the filtration of seawater to 5 µm and before the UV lamp) and every experimental aquaria., Horizon 2020 (H2020), grant/award no. 818123: Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time., Peer reviewed

Project: Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time (iAtlantic)., Dendrophyllia_Bycatch * Latitude: 43.398822 * Longitude: -8.700804 * Date/Time: 2019-09-11T00:00:00 * Elevation: -150.0 m * Location: Atlantic Ocean * Method/Device: Accidental bycatch sampling, El dataset se puede consultar y descargar en el siguiente enlace https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.966673, A 9-month aquarium experiment with the cold-water Dendrophyllia cornigera was conducted to investigate the single and combined effects of warming, acidification and deoxygenation on its ecophysiological response. The experiment took place at the Aquarium finisterrae (A Coruña, Spain), from the 6th of May 2022 to the 24th of February 2023. Treatment values for each parameter (current in situ vs. climate change) were: 12 °C and 15 °C (temperature); ~7.99 and 7.69 (pH); ~8.63 mg/L and 6.45 mg/L (dissolved oxygen concentration). A total of eight treatments (with 3 replicates each, 5 L aquaria) were set up. This dataset contains the registered values for temperature, pH, DO (% air saturation and mg/L) and sainity from the experimental aquarium over the course of the experiment. Temperature and DO were daily measured with a YSI ProODO dissolved oxygen instrument. Salinity was weekly assessed with a WTW 350i multiparameter device equipped with a ConOx probe. Measurements for pH were performed every 1 – 2 months. Samples for pH were directly collected on cylindrical 10 cm cuvettes and analysed on daily basis. After being thermostated at 25ºC, samples were measured using a manual spectrophotometrical procedure with a Sigma Aldrich impure indicator (Clayton and Byrne, 1993). The uncertainty of pH is about 0.005 pH units., Horizon 2020 (H2020), grant/award no. 818123: Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time, Peer reviewed

Project: Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time (iAtlantic)., Dendrophyllia_Bycatch * Latitude: 43.398822 * Longitude: -8.700804 * Date/Time: 2019-09-11T00:00:00 * Elevation: -150.0 m * Location: Atlantic Ocean * Method/Device: Accidental bycatch sampling, El dataset se puede consultar y descargar en el siguiente enlace https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.966672, A 9-month aquarium experiment with the cold-water Dendrophyllia cornigera was conducted to investigate the single and combined effects of warming, acidification and deoxygenation on its ecophysiological response. The experiment took place at the Aquarium finisterrae (A Coruña, Spain) between 2022-05-06 and 2023-02-24. Treatment values for each parameter (current in situ vs. climate change) were: 12 °C and 15 °C (temperature); ~7.99 and 7.69 (pH); ~8.63 mg/L and 6.45 mg/L (dissolved oxygen concentration). A total of eight treatments (with 3 replicates each, 5 L aquaria) were set up. Raspberry-based controllers were set to modify and monitor the water temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen in every treatment. Values for temperature (ºC), pH (NBS scale) and oxygen (% air saturation) were registered every 15 minutes in a database. The parameters were measured using PT100 temperature sensors, and Atlas Scientific Lab Grade pH and Dissolved Oxygen sensors. Every set of sensors was placed on each header tank, corresponding to each treatment (8 in total). Parameter setpoint values for each header tank were finely adjusted on the controller to ensure the treatment target values on each experimental aquaria. Oxygen sensors from treatments with ambient oxygen (~8.63 mg/L) were removed from the system due to calibration issues. Here, an example of the results for temperature, pH and oxygen for every header tank over 24 hours on 31st of December 2022 is presented. Values for pH (total scale) and dissolved oxygen (mg/L) were calculated using AquaEnv (Hofmann et al. 2010) and respR (Harianto et al. 2019) R packages, respectively, using the in situ temperature and salinity (35.1)., Horizon 2020 (H2020), grant/award no. 818123: Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time, Peer reviewed

Project: Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time (iAtlantic)., Dendrophyllia_Bycatch * Latitude: 43.398822 * Longitude: -8.700804 * Date/Time: 2019-09-11T00:00:00 * Elevation: -150.0 m * Location: Atlantic Ocean * Method/Device: Accidental bycatch sampling, El dataset se puede consultar y descargar en el siguiente enlace https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.973983, A 9-month aquarium experiment with the cold-water Dendrophyllia cornigera was conducted to investigate the single and combined effects of warming, acidification and deoxygenation on its ecophysiological response. The experiment took place at the Aquarium finisterrae (A Coruña, Spain) between 2022-05-06 and 2023-02-24. Treatment values for each parameter (current in situ vs. climate change) were: 12 °C and 15 °C (temperature); ~7.99 and 7.69 (pH); ~8.63 mg/L and 6.45 mg/L (dissolved oxygen concentration). A total of eight treatments (with 3 replicates each, 5 L aquaria) were set up. Raspberry-based controllers were set to modify and monitor the water temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen in every treatment. Values for temperature (ºC), pH (NBS scale) and oxygen (% saturation) were registered every 15 minutes in a database. The parameters were measured using ds18b20 temperature sensors, and Atlas Scientific lab grade pH and dissolved oxygen sensors. Every set of sensors was placed on each header tank, corresponding to each treatment (8 in total). Parameter setpoint values for each header tank were finely adjusted on the controller to ensure the treatment target values on each experimental aquaria. Oxygen sensors from treatments with ambient oxygen (~8.63 mg/L) were removed from the system due to calibration issues. Here, a monthly sample of the results for temperature, pH and oxygen for every header tank over 24 hours from June 2022 to February 2023 is presented. Values for pH (total scale) and dissolved oxygen (mg/L) were calculated using AquaEnv (Hofmann et al. 2010) and respR (Harianto et al. 2019) R packages, respectively, using the in situ temperature and salinity. Dissolved oxygen concentrations in treatment tanks under ambient oxygen conditions were obtained using independent measurements taken the same day with a YSI ProODO dissolved oxygen instrument., Horizon 2020 (H2020), grant/award no. 818123: Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time, Peer reviewed