The Santa Lucia Bank is a small seamount located in the northeastern Ligurian sea having a minimum depth of 144 m. A bathymetric and oceanographic survey was undertaken in the early ‘70s, but results are not publicly available (Shonting et al., 1970). The benthic communities of the Santa Lucia Bank have been explored between 140 and 210 m depth during the MIPAAF ROV Cruise 2012 (Bo et al., 2014). The Santa Lucia Bank hosts a greatly diversified coral community, comprising 9 habitat-forming anthozoan species with an overall low average abundance (0.3± 0.05 colonies m-2). The two dominant species are the arborescent black corals Leiopathes glaberrima and Antipathella subpinnata, accounting respectively for 49% and 18% of the total coral community. The 16% of the community is composed by small seafans (Eunicella cavolinii, Villogorgia bebrycoides, and Bebryce mollis) generally growing around the more conspicuous species, and sparse black corals, such as Antipathes dichotoma and Parantipathes larix. The scleractinian Dendrophyllia cornigera accounts for about 15% of the total coral community (Bo et al., 2014). Among the other benthic species, various sponges and echinoderms were observed. 

The Santa Lucia Bank is a common fishing ground for both professional and recreational fishermen. This is demonstrated by the high percentage of ROV footage showing traces of lost gears, mainly long lines commonly entrapping the benthic fauna (Bo et al., 2014).

Data from the Atlas of the Mediterranean Seamounts (Würtz & Rovere, 2015).