Sabellaria alveolata (Linnaeus 1767) is a polychaete able to build bioconstructions of different thickness, size and patchiness, in intertidal and subtidal environments. Its biological features have been the object of numerous studies worldwide. The worm reefs are formed by millions of tubes built by sand and shells (whole or in fragments) bonded together with a strong glue produced by the worm itself. Hence, Sabellaria alveolata represents a sedimentological asset for the coastal protection, since it contributes to create natural barriers against storm waves and erosion, and supplies the beach with new sandy deposits. This work shows a multidisciplinary approach to studying a bioconstruction of Sabellaria alveolata along the Latium coast (Ostia, Tyrrhenian Sea, central Italy), proposing image analysis as a novel technique to investigate worm reefs, along with classical sedimentological/ecological tools. The Sabellaria bioconstructions have been analysed at different scales of observation, suggesting the more appropriate strategies to develop a reliable model illustrating the different growth steps of these bioconstructions.

中文翻译：

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Sabellaria alveolata 生物结构的沉积动力学（奥斯蒂亚，第勒尼安海，意大利中部）

Sabellaria alveolata (Linnaeus 1767) 是一种多毛类动物，能够在潮间带和潮下带环境中构建不同厚度、大小和斑块的生物结构。其生物学特性已成为世界范围内众多研究的对象。蠕虫礁由数百万个由沙子和贝壳（整个或碎片）制成的管子通过蠕虫本身产生的强胶粘合在一起形成。因此，Sabellaria alveolata 代表了海岸保护的沉积学资产，因为它有助于形成抵御风暴浪和侵蚀的天然屏障，并为海滩提供新的沙质沉积物。这项工作展示了一种多学科方法来研究沿 Latium 海岸（Ostia，第勒尼安海，意大利中部）的 Sabellaria alveolata 生物构造，提出图像分析作为研究蠕虫礁的新技术，以及经典的沉积学/生态工具。Sabellaria 生物结构已经在不同的观察尺度上进行了分析，提出了更合适的策略来开发一个可靠的模型，说明这些生物结构的不同生长步骤。