DEEPLIFE Research Program – UN Ocean Decade 2021-2030
In marine coastal ecosystems, roughly between 30m and 200m depth, we find the so-called ‘mesophotic zone’. In this environment light is extremely reduced, but conditions are ideal for the development of alternative forms of forests: the “animal forests”. These ecosystems are made by benthic sessile species, whose distribution, ecology and conservation status are still under severe scientific scrutiny. In the mesophotic zone, the light is extremely reduced but there are still forests: the so-called “animal forests”. Made of benthic sessile species, the ecology, health status and distribution of these forests are almost completely unknown.
