Variation in megafaunal assemblages on the continental margin south of New England

Hecker, Barbara

doi:10.1016/0198-0149(90)90028-t

Cited by 112 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 24 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…If sediment transport occurs along the main axes of the channels of The Gully as described by Fader & Strang (2002), sediment deposition may occur on shelves and bedrock outcrops. This could create an unstable habitat for attachment by large benthic species and lead to abrupt discontinuities in assemblages over depth (Hecker 1982(Hecker , 1990a. In contrast, we found that glacial deposits within and along surrounding channel edges supported diverse populations of attached suspension-feeding epifauna such as soft alcyonacean and hard gorgonian corals.…”

Section: Gradients In Epifauna Biodiversity Within the Gullymentioning

confidence: 43%

“…As in our study, distribution patterns of species assemblages and richness were best correlated with seafloor characteristics quantified by the presence of hard surfaces (e.g. number of stones) (Haedrich et al 1975, Hecker et al 1980, Hecker 1990a, Mayer & Piepenburg 1996. Recent observations on Browns Bank on the western Scotian Shelf have also shown that dominant benthic epifauna species assemblages are associated with distinct habitat types based primarily on regional geomorphology, sediment texture and water-mass characteristics (Kostylev et al 2001).…”

Section: Gradients In Epifauna Biodiversity Within the Gullymentioning

confidence: 51%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Benthic epifauna assemblages, biomass and respiration in The Gully region on the Scotian Shelf, NW Atlantic Ocean

Hargrave¹,

Kostylev²,

Hawkins³

2004

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Epifauna community assemblages were identified by analysis of 35 mm still pictures taken at 92 stations in The Gully, a submarine canyon on the edge of the Scotian Shelf off Canada's east coast. Numbers of epifauna taxa, seabed type and area of hard (gravel) substrate were measured in images from underwater camera systems. A substrate hardness index, and epifauna community biomass and respiration rates were calculated at 31 stations within The Gully and on adjacent banks using image analysis, volume conversion factors and an empirical allometric regression between wet weight and measured respiration rates for major epifauna taxa. Average turnover time (TT) in days for each location was calculated as energy stored in biomass to calories respired. Non-parametric correlation analysis on dissimilitarity matrices and cluster analysis based on water mass, substrate type and bathymetry distinguished 6 types of benthic habitats and 7 assemblages of co-occurring assemblages for 175 epifauna taxa associated with specific habitat types. Sandy areas on adjacent banks (50 to 300 m) were dominated by echinoderms. Stations with glaciomarine sediments near the head of The Gully (100 to 500 m), dominated by anemones, sponges and soft corals, had the greatest numbers of taxa. Epifauna biomass and respiration rates were highest where gravel cover was > 50%. There were fewer taxa with lower biomass and respiration in deeper (> 500 m) water. Deep-water brittle stars, hard and soft coral and anemone species predominated where the proportion of hard substrate decreased (< 50%). Average TT was low (388 and 453 d) at stations 200 to 500 m deep and in the mid-central areas of The Gully, where the percentage of rock cover was > 50%, with a trend to higher values (> 600 d) in deeper water. Stations with low TT values were dominated by molluscs. The observations suggest that organically rich particulate matter used by suspension-and depositfeeding epifauna is transported from the head of the canyon and surrounding banks down the axis of The Gully.

show abstract

Section: Gradients In Epifauna Biodiversity Within the Gullymentioning

confidence: 43%

Section: Gradients In Epifauna Biodiversity Within the Gullymentioning

confidence: 51%

Benthic epifauna assemblages, biomass and respiration in The Gully region on the Scotian Shelf, NW Atlantic Ocean

Hargrave¹,

Kostylev²,

Hawkins³

2004

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The species-specific depth distributions show highly distinctive patterns, varying from species found over a wide range to those restricted to a narrow band. Although closely related megafaunal species overlap considerably along the bathymetric gradient, each species appears to show different depth optima (Hecker, 1990).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Body fish size tendencies within and among species in the deep-sea of the western Mediterranean

Moranta¹,

Palmer²,

Massutı́³

et al. 2004

Sci. Mar.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARY: Data collected south-west of the Balearic Islands (Western Mediterranean) on two cruises, Quimera-I (October, 1996) and Quimera-II (May, 1998), were used to establish general ecological patterns in deep-sea fish assemblages. A total of 39 trawls were taken at depths between 400 and 1714 m. Fish assemblages were analysed in terms of species composition, ecological parameters and biomass spectra. Differences in species composition between cruises and depth (Upper slope: 400-800 m, Middle slope: 801-1400 m and Lower slope: 1401-1714 m depth) were evaluated using multivariariate analysis. The most important feature was the existence of a biomass peak at intermediate depths. Moreover, the analysis of the biomass spectra indicated the absence of large individuals at the shallower depth interval considered. To determine the causes of the biomass peak on the middle slope four hypothesis were explored: (1) species richness is higher on the middle slope; (2) the fish assemblage from the middle slope can be characterised by the highest abundance (number of fish/area); (3) species found on the middle slope are larger (the species assemblage is built up by larger species); and (4) there is a trend for the specimens of several species to be larger at the middle slope. The data gathered support that the biomass peak is better explained by the existence of abundance peaks of medium and large-sized species, and by the presence of some of the largest individuals of other large-sized species, in both cases related to specific depth size trends which do not always follow a bigger-deeper trend.

show abstract

“…In order to distinguish boundaries between zones, as opposed to continuous replacement of species with depth, 'zonation' should be described as a non-repeating, sequential species replacement, in which all or some of the species have restricted ranges of distribution (Rex 1981, Carney et al 1983, Carney 2005. A faunal boundary is best described as areas of rapid faunal change encompassing an area of slow faunal change across depths (Hecker 1990, Gage & Tyler 1991.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bathymetric zonation of deep-sea macrofauna in relation to export of surface phytoplankton production

Wei¹,

Rowe²,

Hubbard³

et al. 2010

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

113

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Macrobenthos of the deep, northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) was sampled with box cores (0.2 m 2 ) along multiple cross-depth transects extending from depths of 200 m to the maximum depth of the basin at 3700 m. Bathymetric (depth) zonation of the macrofaunal community was documented for 6 major taxa (a total of 957 species) on the basis of shared species among geographic locations; 4 major depth zones were identified, with the 2 intermediatedepth zones being divided into east and west subzones. Change of faunal composition with depth reflects an underlying continuum of species replacements without distinct boundaries. The zonal patterns correlated with depth and detrital particulate organic carbon (POC) export flux estimated from remotely-sensed phytoplankton pigment concentrations in the surface water. The Mississippi River and its associated mesoscale eddies, submarine canyon, and deep sediment fan appear to influence the horizontal zonation pattern through export of organic carbon from the ocean surface and the adjacent continental margin. On the local scale, near-bottom currents may shape the zonation pattern by altering sediment grain size, food availability, and larval dispersal. This study suggests a macroecological relationship between depth, export POC flux, and zonation; parsimonious zonal thresholds need to be tested independently for other continental margin ecosystems.KEY WORDS: Northern Gulf of Mexico · Deep sea · Macrofauna · Zonation · Biogeography · Community structure · POC export flux · Macroecology Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherThaumastasoma species 521 (Crustacea; Isopoda; Nannoniscidae), a typical species of the lower continental slope.

show abstract

Variation in megafaunal assemblages on the continental margin south of New England

Cited by 112 publications

References 24 publications

Benthic epifauna assemblages, biomass and respiration in The Gully region on the Scotian Shelf, NW Atlantic Ocean

Benthic epifauna assemblages, biomass and respiration in The Gully region on the Scotian Shelf, NW Atlantic Ocean

Body fish size tendencies within and among species in the deep-sea of the western Mediterranean

Bathymetric zonation of deep-sea macrofauna in relation to export of surface phytoplankton production

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About