Vladimir Garmendia Fernández
Mesophotic ecosystems, typically distributed between 30 and 150 m, encompass a substantial portion of global reefs (60–80%), facilitating deep habitats and fostering unique marine communities (Eyal & Pinheiro, 2020). However, research and conservation strategies on mesophotic ecosystems, particularly in temperate mesophotic ecosystems (TMEs), remain limited. This project focuses on surveying the unexplored mesophotic ecosystems of the Chilean temperate coast, as deep reefs might provide benign habitats for marine biodiversity. Threatened species might find “deep refuges” to avoid and/or resist disturbances through resilience (Bongaerts et al., 2010), which are now commonly occurring in Chilean shallow coastal waters, such as unregulated spearfishing, kelp harvesting and long-term climate change.
Therefore, this project aims to quantify the importance of TMEs on the northern and central coast of Chile as depth refuges or resilience areas for reef fish diversity and vulnerable species. Underwater surveys employing rebreather diving are proposed to study the diversity and abundance patterns of reef fish assemblages across depths (0–60 m) and environmental gradients (upwelling strength) along the coast. Additionally, outreach activities with local communities, workshops with stakeholders and the development of the educational programme “Exploradores de lo profundo” for children aged 6–12 years will raise awareness about TME conservation.
We expect that this project will enhance new and existing spatial conservation tools in Chile by integrating mesophotic biological communities into them. Furthermore, it will provide ecological baseline information and guidelines under a novel 3D approach to the seascape for coastal spatial management in Chile, underscoring TMEs as potential biodiversity reservoirs in depth.