1. Explorations of the Mediterranean deep sea using remotely operated vehicles have shown that the sea bed hosts rich habitats, supporting high biodiversity. However, there have been only a few studies dealing with the southern part of the basin, leading to limited protection and conservation efforts in this area.
2. This study aimed to explore the sea bed off Linosa Island (Sicily Channel, southern Mediterranean Sea), which is considered a ‘sentinel area’ for alien species and global environmental changes owing to its geographic position, thus deserving special attention.
3. Remotely operated vehicle surveys, carried out in 2016 and 2017, were analysed to provide the first ecological characterization of benthic assemblages at depths −19 – −384 m around Linosa Island.
4. Communities were dominated by three priority habitats, amounting to 39% of the almost 5 km of the sea floor that was surveyed. These are represented in the euphotic zone by Posidonia oceanica meadows and, at greater depth, by newly discovered dense coral forests and extended rhodolith/maërl beds. Sixteen habitat-forming species included in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (e.g. gorgonians Eunicella cavolini and Paramuricea clavata, and black corals Antipathella subpinnata and Leiopathes glaberrima) were recorded, as well as individuals of Sargassum sp. at −100 m depth.
5. The volcanic island of Linosa represents a small, naturally preserved area, with very limited human pressure, hosting rich marine benthic biodiversity. Given the high species and habitat richness, we recommend its inclusion in the Special Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance project (United Nations Environment Programme) and suggest a redefinition of the existing marine protected area extension.

中文翻译：

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通过遥控车辆评估优先底栖栖息地的分布，以支持利诺萨岛（西西里海峡，地中海）附近的保护措施

1. 使用遥控车辆对地中海深海的探索表明，海床拥有丰富的栖息地，支持高度的生物多样性。然而，关于盆地南部的研究很少，导致该地区的保护和保护工作有限。
2. 本研究旨在探索利诺萨岛（西西里海峡，地中海南部）附近的海床，该岛因其地理位置被认为是外来物种和全球环境变化的“哨兵区”，因此值得特别关注。
3. 对 2016 年和 2017 年进行的遥控车辆调查进行了分析，以提供 Linosa 岛周围 -19 – -384 m 深度的底栖组合的首次生态特征。
4. 社区以三个优先栖息地为主，占所调查的近 5 公里海底的 39%。这些在透光区以Posidonia Oceanica草甸为代表，在更深的地方，以新发现的茂密珊瑚林和扩展的红石/maërl 床为代表。包括在国际自然保护联盟红色名录中的 16 种栖息地形成物种（例如gorgonians Eunicella cavolini和Paramuricea clavata，以及黑珊瑚Antipathella subpinnata和Leiopathes glaberrima），以及马尾藻个体。在-100 m 深度。
5. 利诺萨火山岛是一个自然保护区，人类压力非常有限，拥有丰富的海洋底栖生物多样性。鉴于物种丰富且栖息地丰富，我们建议将其纳入地中海重要特别保护区项目（联合国环境规划署），并建议重新定义现有的海洋保护区扩展。