Spatial and temporal variations in deep-sea meiofauna assemblages in the Marginal Ice Zone of the Arctic Ocean

Hoste, E.; Vanhove, S.; Schewe, Ingo; Soltwedel, Thomas; Vanreusel, Ann

doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2006.09.007

Cited by 79 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…These results by Van Oevelen et al (2006a, b), Guilini et al (2010) and Nomaki et al (2006) support Kemp's conclusion that bacteria are not a major food source for protists and meio-and macrofauna and that faunal carbon requirements are not met by bacterial production. These and our experimental results disagree with other studies (Vanreusel et al, 1995;Iken et al, 2001;Hoste et al, 2007) that suggested transfer of carbon from bacteria to nematodes via direct predation from positive correlations between bacterial density and nematode abundance in the deep sea. Along this line, Ingels et al (2010) found a preferential uptake of bacteria versus phytodetritus-derived carbon by nematodes, but the isotope enrichment of the nematodes was so low that the authors concluded that the contribution of nematodes to benthic mineralization was limited in deep polar seas.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 57%

Sink or link? The bacterial role in benthic carbon cycling in the Arabian Sea's oxygen minimum zone

et al. 2013

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Abstract. The bacterial loop, the consumption of dissolved organic matter (DOM) by bacteria and subsequent transfer of bacterial carbon to higher trophic levels, plays a prominent role in pelagic food webs. However, its role in sedimentary ecosystems is not well documented. Here we present the results of isotope tracer experiments performed under in situ oxygen conditions in sediments from inside and outside the Arabian Sea's oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) to study the importance of the microbial loop in this setting. Particulate organic matter, added as phytodetritus, was processed by bacteria, protozoa and metazoans, while dissolved organic matter was processed only by bacteria and there was very little, if any, transfer to higher trophic levels within the 7 day experimental period. This lack of significant transfer of bacterial-derived carbon to metazoan consumers indicates that the bacterial loop is rather inefficient, in sediments both inside and outside the OMZ. Moreover, metazoans directly consumed labile particulate organic matter resources and thus competed with bacteria for phytodetritus.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 57%

Sink or link? The bacterial role in benthic carbon cycling in the Arabian Sea's oxygen minimum zone

et al. 2013

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“…Renaud et al (2006) observed that there was a trend toward reduced taxonomic richness with increasing latitude in the central Arctic for both macrofauna and nematodes (the major meiofauna taxon). Diversity of nematode genera was also significantly higher on the Arctic Ice Margin near Svalbard (Hoste et al, 2007) and the Laptev Sea (Vanaverbeke et al, 1997a), compared to the Central Basins at similar water depths Renaud et al, 2006). Since fauna within the deep benthic Arctic Ocean appear to represent a single species pool, Renaud et al (2006) suggest that both local (α-) and regional (β-) diversity may be determined by ecological processes in the Arctic, and that they are mainly driven by historical or evolutionary processes.…”

Section: Strong Oligotrophy Under Ice: the Arctic Oceanmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Therefore, the hump-shaped curve cannot be used to describe the general patterns of meiofaunal biodiversity vs. depth. The number of taxa decreases with increasing depth along the open slopes of most continental margins examined, except the North Atlantic (Rockall Trough; Vincx et al, 1994;Hoste et al, 2007). Moreover, the analysis of deep-sea biodiversity along continental margins at standard depths revealed that no clear spatial (either increasing or decreasing) pattern in nematode diversity can be observed in any of the study areas, except the southern Cretan margin where diversity decreases with depth (Fig.…”

Section: Large-scale Diversity Trendsmentioning

confidence: 98%

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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“…The majority of the studies focused on the structure of benthic communities in the fjords of Spitsbergen (Holte and Gulliksen 1998;Wlodarska-Kowalczuk et al 1998;Hop et al 2002;Kendall et al 2003;Wlodarska-Kowalczuk and Pearson 2004;Renaud et al 2007), off the western coast of Spitsbergen (Blacker 1957(Blacker , 1965, and on the shelf break of the Fram Strait Wlodarska-Kowalczuk and Pearson 2004). The deep-sea benthos of the eastern Fram Strait have been intensively investigated in the course of the long-term HAUSGAR-TEN project (Soltwedel et al 2005(Soltwedel et al , 2009Hoste et al 2007;Budaeva et al 2008;Bergmann et al 2009Bergmann et al , 2011van Oevelen et al 2011). Other benthic studies have concentrated on the Barents Sea (Zenkevich 1963;Antipova 1975;Carroll et al 2008;Cochrane et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution and composition of the epibenthic megafauna north of Svalbard (Arctic)

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Gulliksen

Menn³

et al. 2015

Polar Biol

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Benthic communities north of Svalbard are less investigated than in other Arctic shelf regions, as this area was covered by sea-ice during most of the year. Improving our knowledge on this region is timely, however, since climate change is strongly evident there, particularly with regard to the extent of sea-ice decline and its huge ecological impact on all marine biota, including the benthos. Moreover, longer ice-free periods will certainly lead to an increase in human activity levels in the area, including bottom trawling. In two adjacent shelf and slope regions off northern Svalbard, we studied the composition of epibenthic megafauna and seafloor habitat structures by analyzing seabed images taken with both still and video cameras. In addition, we also used an Agassiz trawl to catch epibenthic organisms for ground-truthing seabedimage information. A wide variety of mostly sessile organisms 141 epibenthic taxa were identified in the images. The brittle star Ophiura sarsii and the soft coral Gersemia rubiformis were the most common species. At all stations [300 m in depth, evidence of trawling activities was detected at the seabed. The distribution of the benthic fauna in the study area exhibited a clear depth zonation, mainly reflecting depth-related differences in seabed composition. We conclude that natural factors determining the composition of the seafloor mostly affect the distribution and composition of epibenthic assemblages. Anthropogenic impact indicated by the trawl scours found is likely also important at smaller spatial scales.

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Spatial and temporal variations in deep-sea meiofauna assemblages in the Marginal Ice Zone of the Arctic Ocean

Cited by 79 publications

References 37 publications

Sink or link? The bacterial role in benthic carbon cycling in the Arabian Sea's oxygen minimum zone

Sink or link? The bacterial role in benthic carbon cycling in the Arabian Sea's oxygen minimum zone

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

Distribution and composition of the epibenthic megafauna north of Svalbard (Arctic)

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