Cruise Report POSEIDON-SEED

The Marsili and Palinuro seamounts are two of the most prominent submarine volcanic structures in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Fig. 1). Marsili, the largest known seamount in Europe, is an elongated, super inflated volcanic ridge rising approximately 3,000 meters above the surrounding seafloor, while the Palinuro volcanic complex is a chain of multiple volcanic edifices forming a continuous ridge with significant structural and morphological diversity. Marsili and Palinuro seamounts, as with other seamounts, could influence pelagic ecosystems through complex physical and chemical processes, such as nutrient enrichment via upwelling, internal tides, and current–topography interactions, which enhance localized biological productivity and create habitat heterogeneity (Read & Pollard, 2017; Genin & Boehlert, 1985; Boehlert & Genin, 2013). In this context, the data collected during the POSEIDON - SEED Survey aim to provide new scientific knowledge on the ecological role played by Marsili and Palinuro seamounts focusing on the pelagic trophic web structure and biodiversity of the Central Tyrrhenian Sea.