Deep-Sea Ecosystems Off Mauritania

This book compiles the main findings of the multidisciplinary long-term research program developed in the continental margin of one of the more productive and unknown areas of the world oceans, Northwest Africa. The more than 25,000 preserved fishes and benthic invertebrates and quantitative data collected in 342 trawling stations, the 267 oceanographic profiles, the 211 sediment samples and the 28,122 km2 prospected by multibeam echo sounding allowed to obtain an overview of the amazing biodiversity of the demersal and benthic fauna inhabiting soft- and hard-bottom habitats, as well as the fascinating geomorphology and oceanography, hidden in the Mauritanian slope.

Presents an excellent comprehensive overview on the biodiversity and marine ecosystems, geomorphology and oceanography of the west African continental margins Unique mapping of the sea bottom, including new discoveries such as a giant coral carbonate mounds barrier, canyons and seamonts Serves as an important reference work for marine research in Northwest Africa including the fascinating waters of Mauritania Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext

Dr. Ana Ramos, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Vigo, Spain

Inhalt

1. Deepsea Ecosystems off Mauritania: An Introduction.- 2. The Mauritanian Margin Bathymetric and Geomorphological Characteristics.- 3. Oceanography of the Cape Verde Basin and Mauritanian Slope Waters.- 4. Demersal Ichthyofaunal Assemblages in Mauritanian Waters.- 5. Deep Chondrichthyes in Mauritanian Waters.- 6. Overlapping Distribution of Two Sympatric Species: The Case of Black Hakes, Merluccius polli Cadenat 1960 and Merluccius senegalensis Cadenat 1960, off Mauritania.- 7. An Overview of Bathyal Softbottom Megabenthos off Mauritania.- 8. Composition and Distribution of Epibenthic and Demersal Assemblages in Mauritanian Deep Waters.- 9. Decapod Assemblages in Mauritanian Waters.-10. Cephalopods in Mauritanian Waters.- 11. Hydrozoans from Mauritanian Deep Waters.- 12. Echinoderms of Mauritanian Deepsea Bottoms.- 13. The Giant Coldwater Coral Mounds Barrier off Mauritania.- 14. A First Insight into the Megabenthos of the Mauritanian Canyons.- 15. Wolof's Knoll:A Small Seamount on the Mauritanian Continental Slope.- 16. Faunistic Collections of Demersal and Benthic Species from Mauritania.- 17. An Overview of the Biodiversity and Ecosystems off Mauritanian DeepWaters.