Are Organic Falls Bridging Reduced Environments in the Deep Sea? - Results from Colonization Experiments in the Gulf of Cádiz

Cunha, Marina R.; Matos, Fábio L.; Génio, Luciana; Hilario, Ana Belén Ríos; Moura, Carlos J.; Ravara, Ascensão; Rodrigues, Clara F.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0076688

Cited by 41 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…Details on the environmental setting of the latter two mud volcanoes can be found in Cunha et al (2013a). An account of the colonization experiments and a brief description of Darwin MV are provided by Cunha et al (2013b). Whenever possible the specimens were sorted on board and preserved in 96% ethanol.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Two new species of scale worms (Polychaeta: Aphroditiformia) from deep-sea habitats in the Gulf of Cadiz (NE Atlantic)

Ravara¹,

Cunha²

2016

Zootaxa

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Two new species of scale worms are described from the Gulf of Cadiz (NE Atlantic), at depths between 1100 and 2230 m. Australaugeneria iberica sp. nov. (Polynoidae) was obtained from an alcyonarian colony collected at the flank of Carlos Ribeiro mud volcano; it is characterized by the presence of neuropodial hooks only on segment two and by having the first parapodia not enlarged. This is the first report of the genus for the deep sea. The diagnosis of Australaugeneria is emended and a table comparing all species of the genus is provided. Pholoe petersenae sp. nov. (Pholoidae) was collected from the crater of three mud volcanoes (Darwin, Captain Arutyunov and Carlos Ribeiro) in areas of active seepage. This species is characterized by the presence of prostomial peaks and parapodia stylodes and the absence of eyes.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Two new species of scale worms (Polychaeta: Aphroditiformia) from deep-sea habitats in the Gulf of Cadiz (NE Atlantic)

Ravara¹,

Cunha²

2016

Zootaxa

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“…Of these, seven are also known from wood-falls or from nutrient-rich substrates of anthropogenic origin, and, therefore, the genus is considered to be composed of organic-enriched generalists and not whale-fall specialists. Organic falls may be more common in the deep-sea than initially thought (Cunha et al, 2013;Higgs, Gates, & Jones, 2014;Stockton & DeLaca, 1982), shortening the distances between patches of suitable habitats and making them reachable by taxa with relatively low dispersal capabilities. It has been shown that even small volumes of organic material allow growth to reproductive maturity and it is likely that organic-fall specialists and opportunists, such as Ophryotrocha species, use these as dispersal stepping-stones (Cunha et al, 2013).…”

Section: Research Articlementioning

confidence: 96%

“…spatula from the Haakon Mosby Mud Volcano in the Norwegian margin (Paxton & Morineaux, 2009). Several Ophryotrocha species were also found in colonization experiments using plant material but remain undescribed (Cunha et al, 2013). The presence of five different congeners emphasizes the importance of Ophryotrocha in the degradation of organic matter in the deep Atlantic Ocean.…”

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confidence: 99%

First account on the diversity ofOphryotrocha(Annelida, Dorvilleidae) from a mammal-fall in the deep-Atlantic Ocean with the description of three new species

Ravara

Marçal

Wiklund

et al. 2015

Systematics and Biodiversity

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Annelids of the genus Ophryotrocha are globally distributed in a wide variety of organically enriched habitats. Although mostly known from shallow water, the expansion of deep-sea research revealed several new Ophryotrocha species mainly associated with organic-falls, in particular with cetacean carcasses, or whale-falls. Despite the great deal of interest that fauna associated with whale-falls have attracted, very little is known about this fauna in the deep-Atlantic Ocean. Hereby we analyse, for the first time, the Ophryotrocha assemblage associated with a mammal-fall in this region of the world's ocean. Specimens were collected from the bones of degrading cow carcasses deployed in the Set ubal canyon at approximately 1000 m depth. Using morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses based on the nuclear gene H3 performed on 31 Ophryotrocha species, we report the presence of five different species, we describe three new species and extend the distribution of O. scutella. Ophryotrocha scutella was previously known from a shallow-water whale-fall and organically enriched sediments beneath a fish farm off Scandinavia and is the first species to be reported from organic-falls in both shallow and deep waters. The presence of five congeners emphasize the importance of the genus Ophryotrocha in the degradation of organic matter in the deep-sea. Our results substantially increase the number of deep Atlantic species in the genus Ophryotrocha and highlight the remarkable unknown diversity and biogeographic patterns hidden behind unstudied deep-sea habitats.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A12699DA-E580-4782-941A-48D7B31E4DAE

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“…However, the capability of organic falls to bridge dispersal among such assemblages and so ensure present‐day population connectivity of their species is still being debated (Cunha et al . ). Colonization and population dynamics of discrete resource patches, varying in time and space, are far from being understood.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Mammal carcasses attract a swarm of mussels in the deep Atlantic: insights into colonization and biogeography of a chemosymbiotic species

et al. 2014

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Five mammal carcasses were experimentally deployed at 1000 m depth in the Setubal Canyon (NE Atlantic) in March 2011 and the remaining bones were collected after 18 and 28 months. High numbers (1.92-6.27 individualsÁcm 2 ) of small mussels were found among a diverse invertebrate assemblage colonizing surfaces, crevices and cavities in the trabecular matrix of bones. In this study we characterized the mussel population and their associated bacteria and investigated population structure and settlement patterns. The results of molecular analysis indicated that the mussels are conspecific with the widely distributed bathymodiolin species 'Idas' simpsoni and harbor sulfur-oxidizing bacterial symbionts. Modal decomposition of length-frequency distributions and estimated shell growth rate suggested that settlement of 'I.' simpsoni is continuous and that post-settlement mortality affects the population structure. This study reports the highest densities and fastest growth rates within bathymodiolin mussels occurring on organic substrates yet recorded and provides evidence for effective mussel recruitment in organic falls in the NE Atlantic Ocean. These results highlight the importance of ephemeral habitats on the biogeographic distribution and dispersal of chemosymbiotic species in deep-sea ecosystems.

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Are Organic Falls Bridging Reduced Environments in the Deep Sea? - Results from Colonization Experiments in the Gulf of Cádiz

Cited by 41 publications

References 71 publications

Two new species of scale worms (Polychaeta: Aphroditiformia) from deep-sea habitats in the Gulf of Cadiz (NE Atlantic)

Two new species of scale worms (Polychaeta: Aphroditiformia) from deep-sea habitats in the Gulf of Cadiz (NE Atlantic)

First account on the diversity ofOphryotrocha(Annelida, Dorvilleidae) from a mammal-fall in the deep-Atlantic Ocean with the description of three new species

Mammal carcasses attract a swarm of mussels in the deep Atlantic: insights into colonization and biogeography of a chemosymbiotic species

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