Seascape of Soft Bottom Benthic Communities in the Aegean Sea

Soft bottom benthic communities are among the most important ecosystem components, since they affect biogeochemical cycling and they support the ecosystem’s integrity and health. Undoubtedly, they have earned their place in the current legislation on protection and conservation of biodiversity. However, the descriptors that have been incorporated in the legislation cannot describe sufficiently all the aspects of soft bottom benthic communities. In addition, despite their importance, there is a knowledge gap as far as investigations in the Aegean Sea are concerned. A combination of all the available tools will enhance future studies and provide an overall, high quality assessment of soft bottom benthic communities in the Aegean Sea.