A geomorphometric approach to assess multi-scale spatial distribution and geomorphological characterization of benthic habitats

Quantitative analysis on Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) are rarely conducted on submarine landscapes. Only recently the application of quantitative geomorphometric techniques to the bathymetry data set has been effectively tested and the authors demonstrated their utility in improving the geological interpretation of submarine environments. In this thesis geomorphometric analytical techniques were applied to a high-resolution bathymetry data set acquired along three different survey areas located on the Apulian continental margin, between 5 and 1400m of water depth. We focused our analysis on a supervised computation of the most significant morphometric parameters that typify the surveyed areas to automatically select those seafloor geomorphologies that appear to be linked with occurrences of specific benthic habitats. The work has been done in order to figure out relationships between the observed morphologies and the associated habitat distribution. The objective identification of morphologic features represents indeed a significant step in defining spatial units that are related to geomorphological processes. Our study aims at highlighting the importance of combining acoustic survey techniques and geomorphometric analysis to successfully support a preliminary quantitative assessment of habitats distribution and extent. Our method was specifically designed for the study areas and allowed the identification of a geomorphological proxy (based on geomorphometric parameters) associated with the benthic habitats distribution. The approach should offer an efficient and cost-effective technique for supporting the growing global need for better spatial management within the Mediterranean marine environment.