@article {LoIacono2014316,
	title = {{The West Melilla cold water coral mounds, Eastern Alboran Sea: Morphological characterization and environmental context}},
	journal = {Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography},
	volume = {99},
	year = {2014},
	pages = {316{\textendash}326},
	abstract = {Abstract A new mound field, the West Melilla mounds, interpreted as being cold-water coral mounds, has been recently unveiled along the upper slope of the Mediterranean Moroccan continental margin, a few kilometers west of the Cape Tres Forcas. This study is based on the integration of high-resolution geophysical data (swath bathymetry, parametric sub-bottom profiler), \{CTD\} casts, Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), \{ROV\} video and seafloor sampling, acquired during the \{TOPOMED\} \{GASSIS\} (2011) and \{MELCOR\} (2012) cruises. Up to 103 mounds organized in two main clusters have been recognized in a depth range of 299{\textendash}590 m, displaying a high density of 5 mounds/km2. Mounds, 1{\textendash}48 m high above the surrounding seafloor and on average 260 m wide, are actually buried by a 1{\textendash}12 m thick fine-grained sediment blanket. Seismic data suggest that the West Melilla mounds grew throughout the Early Pleistocene{\textendash}Holocene, settling on erosive unconformities and mass movement deposits. During the last glacial{\textendash}interglacial transition, the West Melilla mounds may have suffered a drastic change of the local sedimentary regime during the late Holocene and, unable to stand increasing depositional rates, were progressively buried. At the present day, temperature and salinity values on the West Melilla mounds suggest a plausible oceanographic setting, suitable for live CWCs. Nonetheless, more data is required to groundtruth the West Melilla mounds and better constrain the interplay of sedimentary and oceanographic factors during the evolution of the West Melilla mounds.},
	keywords = {Alboran Sea, high-resolution seismics, Quaternary, Swath mapping, \{CWC\} mounds},
	issn = {0967-0645},
	doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2013.07.006},
	url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967064513002786},
	author = {Iacono, Claudio Lo and Gr{\'a}cia, Eul{\`a}lia and Ranero, C{\'e}sar R and Emelianov, Mikhail and Huvenne, Veerle A I and Bartolom{\'e}, Rafael and Booth-Rea, Guillermo and Prades, Javier and Ambroso, Stefano and Dominguez, Carlos and Griny{\'o}, Jordi and Rubio, Eduardo and Torrent, Josep}
}
@article {LoIacono2008,
	title = {{Seafloor characterization and backscatter variability of the Almer{\'\i}a Margin (Alboran Sea, SW Mediterranean) based on high-resolution acoustic data}},
	journal = {Marine Geology},
	volume = {250},
	number = {1-2},
	year = {2008},
	month = {apr},
	pages = {1{\textendash}18},
	abstract = {An acoustic study of the Almer{\'\i}a Margin (eastern Alboran Sea, SW Mediterranean) was carried out by means of an integrated dataset, comprising deep-towed TOBI sidescan sonar, swath-bathymetry, TOPAS high-resolution seismics and sediment gravity cores. The Almer{\'\i}a Margin is a complex system dominated by volcanic and tectonic features shaped by recent sedimentary processes, in which a regional hemipelagic sedimentation is intercalated by sporadic gravitative events. The aim of this work is twofold. The first objective is to recognize the sedimentary and tectonic features that shape the Almeria Margin. The main morpho-sedimentary and morpho-structural elements observed are: the Almer{\'\i}a canyon/channel Turbidite System, the Dal{\'\i}as Tributary Valley System, landslides, active faults and folds and volcanic banks. The second aim is to explore and quantify the surface and subsurface seafloor parameters that characterize the backscatter of the study area. Sedimentary, geomorphological and biological elements that play a role in the acoustic signature of the Almer{\'\i}a Margin were detected. Nevertheless, it should be noted that seafloor acoustic backscatter is also affected by geometrical and instrumental factors. Despite the wide variability of the environments studied, a low average acoustic backscatter reflects a diffused draping of hemipelagic sedimentation in the area. Higher backscatter values were observed at the top of some volcanic banks, along the Almer{\'\i}a canyon, and in the shallower sector of the Dal{\'\i}as tributary valley system. The influence of subseafloor properties in the acoustic signature of the area was revealed by backscatter-grain size correlations, which were carried out for different depth intervals in sediment cores collected in the Almer{\'\i}a Turbidite System. A poor relationship was found between backscatter and superficial silty sediments of the area, whereas a higher correlation resulted in the upper 50~cm. The presence of subsurface turbidites in the cores associated with the higher backscatter values suggests volume interface scattering of these sandy layers as a controlling factor of the acoustic signature obtained in the Almer{\'\i}a Margin. On the other hand, in rough settings such as the ones observed in the Dal{\'\i}as Tributary Valley System, topographic relief of up to 1-1.5~m strongly interacted with the TOBI acoustic pulse. This suggests that large-scale roughness is an additional parameter that characterizes the acoustic strength of the area. Extremely high reflective patches distributed along some of the volcanic banks (Chella and Pollux Banks) for depths ranging from 230 to 470~m coincide with areas where carbonate cold water coral mounds develop. In the TOBI images, coral facies reach the maximum value of acoustic backscatter, which is probably related to the rough morphology of coral ecosystems. The position of coral mounds in the banks suggests that the occurrence of strong bottom currents and reduced sedimentary inputs are environmental factors that favour their settling and development in the Almer{\'\i}a Margin. {\textcopyright} 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.},
	keywords = {backscatter, coral mounds, deep-towed sidescan sonar TOBI, high-resolution seismics, Mediterranean Sea, South Iberian Margin, swath-bathymetry},
	issn = {00253227},
	doi = {10.1016/j.margeo.2007.11.004},
	url = {http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-41349119993\&partnerID=tZOtx3y1},
	author = {Lo Iacono, Claudio and Gr{\'a}cia, Eul{\`a}lia and Diez, Susana and Bozzano, Graziella and Moreno, Ximena and Da{\~n}obeitia, Juanjo and Alonso, Bel{\'e}n}
}
