Factors affecting fish assemblages associated with gas platforms in the Mediterranean Sea

Understanding the role played by offshore platforms in marine ecosystems is acquiring increasing importance worldwide. In this work, underwater visual census techniques were applied to describe spatial and temporal patterns of fish assemblages associated with extractive platforms. Data were collected during three seasons according to the following spatial factors: Location (Adriatic and Ionian Seas), Depth (0–6 m and 12–18 m) and Distance from the platform (external and internal). Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed highly significant differences for each factor assessed in this study, as well as for the interaction among said factors. Results indicated that artificial structures in both the Adriatic and Ionian Seas act as artificial reefs attracting reef-dwelling or partially reef-dwelling species, which are not present far from the platforms in open waters. Results also showed significant differences between Ionian and Adriatic fish assemblages, with a higher mean density of fish and a greater mean number of species in the latter basin. Boops boops, Chromis chromis and several species belonging to the Blennidae family most contributed to these differences. This is likely due to the eutrophication that involves the coast of the northern and central Adriatic, allowing a high production of fish, especially planctivorous. Thanks to the eutrophication, platforms located in this basin are characterized by a greater abundance of fouling organisms which offer a perfect habitat for cryptobenthic species, such as Blennids. Moreover, Thalassoma pavo and Scorpaena maderensis, thermophilic species, were more abundant in the Ionian platforms than in the Adriatic ones thus contributing to the dissimilarities between these two basins. Present results could bear strong implications for the environmental management of drilling and production activities in different basins. Assessing biodiversity in these highly complex contexts is a challenge for the near future, and the existence of a reliable method such as UVC would affect international research in this field.

► We investigated factors affecting fish assemblages associated with gas platforms.
► Spatial and temporal variables influenced fish assemblage associated with platforms.
► Results showed that artificial structures act as artificial reefs, attracting fishes.
► About 70% of the species were exclusively found in the inner sectors of platforms.