Application of acoustic methods for marine habitat mapping and classification in the Maratea coast (Basilicata, Italy).

Habitat mapping and classification is recognised as a central topic in the definition of the quality of marine environment in the framework of the EU Marine Strategy. Acoustic methods for seafloor mapping have been widely developed over the last decades. In particular, the development of swath bathymetry has enabled the creation of detailed maps of seabed topography and acoustic backscatter data; these data have been used to predict sediment and habitat types. The Institute for coastal marine environment (IAMC) of CNR of Naples carried out a multidisciplinary study focused on the construction of subsurface sedimentological and bionomic maps along the Maratea coast (Basilicata region, south Tyrrhenian sea) which represent the raw data for the definition of marine protect area. For this purpose acoustic swath bathymetric data were collected, together with sediment sampling and direct scuba investigation on benthic communities.