Spatial distribution patterns in macrobenthos along a latitudinal transect at the deep-sea observatory HAUSGARTEN


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Thomas.Soltwedel [ at ] awi.de

Abstract

Spatial distribution patterns of benthic organisms are the focus of various faunal marine studies. However, data on horizontal and bathymetric distribution of the deep-sea macrofauna are still scattered and incomplete, and conclusions are usually based on a low number of samples. Spatial distribution of benthic macrofauna was studied based on the material collected during the RV Polarstern expedition ARK-XXVII/2 in July 2012. Eleven stations along the latitudinal transect at the LTER (Long-Term Ecological Research) observatory HAUSGARTEN in the Fram Strait were taken at depths of about 2.3-2.7 km. Macrofauna was obtained using the box corer. A half core (0.125 m2) was taken at each station and four subcores (0.03 m2) were taken from each core and used for the quantitative analysis. The results suggest that a single, highly variable community with the dominance of polychaetes Galathowenia fragilis and Myriochele heeri inhabits the studied area. No latitudinal gradient in the community was revealed. The prevalence of a spatial variability in the community structure at a scale larger than the full sample per station (0.125 m2) was detected. Several abundant taxa (e.g. the polychaetes Prionospio sp. and Galathowenia fragilis) tend to form patches within a full sample.



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Article
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Primary Division
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Research Networks
Publication Status
Published
Eprint ID
38040
DOI https://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2016.04.015

Cite as
Vedenin, A. , Budaeva, N. , Mokievsky, V. , Pantke, C. , Soltwedel, T. and Gebruk, A. (2016): Spatial distribution patterns in macrobenthos along a latitudinal transect at the deep-sea observatory HAUSGARTEN , Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 114 , pp. 90-98 . doi: https://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2016.04.015


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ARK > XXVII > 2


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