Deep-sea meiobenthic communities underneath the marginal ice zone off Eastern Greenland

Fonseca, Gustavo; Soltwedel, Thomas

doi:10.1007/s00300-006-0220-8

Cited by 40 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Deep-sea studies typically use less than five samples from within a site to represent relatively large geographical areas, such as bathymetric and latitudinal zones (e.g. Vanaverbeke et al 1997;Lambshead et al 2002;Muthumbi et al 2004;Fonseca and Soltwedel 2007), and less emphasis has been placed on the number of within-site samples and on their spatial arrangement. When sites are not well replicated, spatial variation caused by aggregated distribution patterns can markedly affect estimated variability at larger scales (Somerfield and Gage 2000) or at different points in time (Thrush et al 1994).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small-scale spatial patterns of meiobenthos in the Arctic deep sea

2009

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A variety of analytical techniques were used to quantify and describe small-scale (centimetre to decimetre) spatial patterns of meiofauna taxa, with emphasis on nematode species, at a bathyal site in the Arctic deep sea. Three cores (10-cm diameter) taken from the same multicorer were each subsampled as 12 contiguous subcores (1.2-cm diameter) for meiofauna and 16 contiguous subcores (0.9-cm diameter) for bacteria (eight subcores) and phytodetritus (chl a and phaeopigment concentration) (eight subcores). Coefficients of variation and the variance component from PERMANOVA were estimated to compare variability between cores (20-50 cm) versus within cores (≤10 cm). Both methods showed that spatial variation within cores contributed the main part of total heterogeneity for all parameters, while differences between cores were less important. To further investigate distribution patterns at this small scale (≤10 cm), indices of dispersion were calculated and autocorrelation analyses were performed on the complete data set. Abundances of nematodes, nauplii and 65.5% of the nematode species were significantly aggregated at the scale of subcores (2 cm). Nematode species aggregations were discordant on the small scale, suggesting that processes maintaining diversity in the deep sea can be expected to operate at scales smaller than 10 cm. Autocorrelograms suggested that nematode patch sizes were smaller than 4 cm 2 , while adult harpacticoid copepods and nauplii showed aggregations of ca. 9-25 cm 2 and 64 cm 2 , respectively. Significant spatial autocorrelation at the core scale was also observed for 24 nematode species. These species were grouped in ten different spatial patterns according to their scale of heterogeneity. The spatial patterns observed for the meiobenthos were neither explained by the concentration of chloroplastic pigments nor by bacterial densities. Nevertheless, observations on nematode morphology suggest that morphological characters linked to their locomotion and feeding behaviour may be involved in pattern formation. Finally, our data provide evidence that studies based on few replicates to characterise large-scale or long-term patterns of deep-sea benthic communities may be confounded by inadequate assessment of small-scale variability.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small-scale spatial patterns of meiobenthos in the Arctic deep sea

2009

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“…However, our knowledge of nematode diversity trends in the deep sea remains sketchy relative to the larger macro-and megafauna. The majority of studies have reported a positive relationship between productivity and deep-sea nematode diversity (Lambshead et al 2002, Lampadariou & Tselepides 2006, Fonseca & Soltwedel 2007, 2009, Danovaro et al 2008a, although the opposite trend has also been reported (Gambi et al 2003), and several studies found no depth-related diversity gradients (Dinet & Vivier 1979, Jensen 1988. Whether these inconsistencies reflect the influence of other factors that have not been accounted for, or represent different portions of a larger unimodal curve, remains unclear.…”

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confidence: 86%

Unimodal relationship between biomass and species richness of deep-sea nematodes: implications for the link between productivity and diversity

Leduc¹,

Rowden²,

Bowden³

et al. 2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Describing large-scale patterns of biological diversity is a first step towards understanding the mechanisms that generate and maintain diversity. The highly diverse deep-sea floor is the largest ecosystem on Earth, but the productivity−diversity relationship in this biome is not well characterized. We investigated this relationship by using biomass of nematodes as a proxy for productivity (particulate organic carbon flux to the seabed). We used sample data collected from the New Zealand and Antarctic regions and combined these with published data from around the globe for broader analyses. There was a significant unimodal relationship between nematode biomass and diversity, i.e. expected number of species, ES(51) both within the New Zealand region and across ocean basins. This relationship remained significant after accounting for the effects of both water depth and nematode abundance. These findings support earlier suggestions of a unimodal productivity−diversity relationship in the deep sea that were based on other proxies (e.g. water depth, modelled particulate organic carbon flux). We argue that the 'productivity context' is of primary importance when determining the strength and nature of the relationship between other environmental factors and diversity. Studies that include either or both extremes of the productivity scale are likely to find that productivity is the main factor limiting deep-sea diversity, whereas those focusing on the intermediate productivity range are more likely to find that other factors (e.g. disturbance, habitat heterogeneity) play a role.KEY WORDS: Southwest Pacific · Kaikoura Canyon · Ross Sea · Southern Ocean · Nematodes · Macroecology · Biomass Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 454: [53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64] 2012 ships are also common (Mittelbach et al. 2001, Witman et al. 2008. A number of underlying mechanisms have been proposed to explain productivity− diversity relationships, although there is much debate about their relative contributions (Rosenzweig 1992, Waide et al. 1999, Gross & Cardinale 2007. As the number of individuals increases with productivity, diversity may increase through higher proportions of rare (Preston 1962) and specialist species (Evans et al. 2006), lowered extinction rates and/or higher speciation rates (Rex 1973, Wright 1983. Negative productivity−diversity relationships may result from increased rates of competitive exclusion (Grime 1973, Rosenzweig & Abramsky 1993, temporal variability in productivity (Chown & Gaston 1999) or environmental stress (e.g. hypoxia, Levin & Gage 1998). A combination of these mechanisms, operating to increase and decrease diversity, might be responsible for the unimodal productivity−diversity relationship often observed.Most of our knowledge of productivity−diversity relationships has been gained from terrestrial and shallow aquatic habitats (e.g. Mittelbach et al. 2001). Such relationships, however, have not been well char...

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“…Vanreusel et al, 2000), the Greenland Margin (e.g. Fonseca and Soltwedel, 2007) and the Antarctic (e.g. Vanhove et al, 1999Vanhove et al, , 2004.…”

Section: Hidden But Significant: Deep-sea Meiobenthosmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deep, diverse and definitely different: unique attributes of the world's largest ecosystem

et al. 2010

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Abstract. The deep sea, the largest biome on Earth, has a series of characteristics that make this environment both distinct from other marine and land ecosystems and unique for the entire planet. This review describes these patterns and processes, from geological settings to biological processes, biodiversity and biogeographical patterns. It concludes with a brief discussion of current threats from anthropogenic activities to deep-sea habitats and their fauna.Investigations of deep-sea habitats and their fauna began in the late 19th century. In the intervening years, technological developments and stimulating discoveries have promoted deep-sea research and changed our way of understanding life on the planet. Nevertheless, the deep sea is still mostly unknown and current discovery rates of both habitats and species remain high. The geological, physical and Correspondence to: E. Ramirez-Llodra (ezr@icm.csic.es) geochemical settings of the deep-sea floor and the water column form a series of different habitats with unique characteristics that support specific faunal communities. Since 1840, 28 new habitats/ecosystems have been discovered from the shelf break to the deep trenches and discoveries of new habitats are still happening in the early 21st century. However, for most of these habitats the global area covered is unknown or has been only very roughly estimated; an even smaller -indeed, minimal -proportion has actually been sampled and investigated. We currently perceive most of the deep-sea ecosystems as heterotrophic, depending ultimately on the flux on organic matter produced in the overlying surface ocean through photosynthesis. The resulting strong food limitation thus shapes deep-sea biota and communities, with exceptions only in reducing ecosystems such as inter alia hydrothermal vents or cold seeps. Here, chemoautolithotrophic bacteria play the role of primary producers fuelled by chemical energy sources rather than sunlight. Other ecosystems, such as seamounts, canyons or cold-water corals have an Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. 2852 E. Ramirez-Llodra et al.: Unique attributes of the world's largest ecosystem increased productivity through specific physical processes, such as topographic modification of currents and enhanced transport of particles and detrital matter. Because of its unique abiotic attributes, the deep sea hosts a specialized fauna. Although there are no phyla unique to deep waters, at lower taxonomic levels the composition of the fauna is distinct from that found in the upper ocean. Amongst other characteristic patterns, deep-sea species may exhibit either gigantism or dwarfism, related to the decrease in food availability with depth. Food limitation on the seafloor and water column is also reflected in the trophic structure of heterotrophic deep-sea communities, which are adapted to low energy availability. In most of these heterotrophic habitats, the dominant megafauna is composed of detritivores, while filter feeders are abundant in...

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Deep-sea meiobenthic communities underneath the marginal ice zone off Eastern Greenland

Cited by 40 publications

References 63 publications

Small-scale spatial patterns of meiobenthos in the Arctic deep sea

Small-scale spatial patterns of meiobenthos in the Arctic deep sea

Unimodal relationship between biomass and species richness of deep-sea nematodes: implications for the link between productivity and diversity

Deep, diverse and definitely different: unique attributes of the world's largest ecosystem

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