The Mapping of coralligenous banks was carried out along the continental shelf of the northern and western margin of Sardinia Island (Italy, western Mediterranean Sea) in the context of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC). Coralligenous banks are bioconstructions produced by calcareous coralline algae. Seafloor mapping was carried out through multibeam echosounder surveys and video transects, using a Remote Operating Vehicles (ROV), in areas not formerly explored. A total surface of 436 km2 of sparse patches of coralligenous banks was mapped in the depth range ~40-160 m. The data represented in the database is a final map of coralligenous habitat distributions along the western and northern continental shelf of Sardinia (scale 1:250000).

Funding details:The work was partially funded by the following projects: 'Magic' (MArineGeohazard along the Italian Coasts), funded by Italian Civil Protection Department and 'Marine Strategy' funded by Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione Ambientale della Sardegna (ARPAS) Italy.