AUTHOR=Rossi Paolo , Ponti Massimo , Righi Sara , Castagnetti Cristina , Simonini Roberto , Mancini Francesco , Agrafiotis Panagiotis , Bassani Leonardo , Bruno Fabio , Cerrano Carlo , Cignoni Paolo , Corsini Massimiliano , Drap Pierre , Dubbini Marco , Garrabou Joaquim , Gori Andrea , Gracias Nuno , Ledoux Jean-Baptiste , Linares Cristina , Mantas Torcuato Pulido , Menna Fabio , Nocerino Erica , Palma Marco , Pavoni Gaia , Ridolfi Alessandro , Rossi Sergio , Skarlatos Dimitrios , Treibitz Tali , Turicchia Eva , Yuval Matan , Capra Alessandro TITLE=Needs and Gaps in Optical Underwater Technologies and Methods for the Investigation of Marine Animal Forest 3D-Structural Complexity JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science VOLUME=8 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.591292 DOI=10.3389/fmars.2021.591292 ISSN=2296-7745 ABSTRACT=

Marine animal forests are benthic communities dominated by sessile suspension feeders (such as sponges, corals, and bivalves) able to generate three-dimensional (3D) frameworks with high structural complexity. The biodiversity and functioning of marine animal forests are strictly related to their 3D complexity. The present paper aims at providing new perspectives in underwater optical surveys. Starting from the current gaps in data collection and analysis that critically limit the study and conservation of marine animal forests, we discuss the main technological and methodological needs for the investigation of their 3D structural complexity at different spatial and temporal scales. Despite recent technological advances, it seems that several issues in data acquisition and processing need to be solved, to properly map the different benthic habitats in which marine animal forests are present, their health status and to measure structural complexity. Proper precision and accuracy should be chosen and assured in relation to the biological and ecological processes investigated. Besides, standardized methods and protocols are strictly necessary to meet the FAIR (findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability) data principles for the stewardship of habitat mapping and biodiversity, biomass, and growth data.