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Antarctic Seabed Assemblages in an Ice-Shelf-Adjacent Polynya, Western Weddell Sea.
Frinault, Bétina A V; Christie, Frazer D W; Fawcett, Sarah E; Flynn, Raquel F; Hutchinson, Katherine A; Montes Strevens, Chloë M J; Taylor, Michelle L; Woodall, Lucy C; Barnes, David K A.
Afiliación
  • Frinault BAV; School of Geography and the Environment, Oxford University Centre for the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK.
  • Christie FDW; Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1ER, UK.
  • Fawcett SE; Department of Oceanography, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.
  • Flynn RF; Marine and Antarctic Research Centre for Innovation and Sustainability (MARIS), University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.
  • Hutchinson KA; Department of Oceanography, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.
  • Montes Strevens CMJ; LOCEAN Laboratory, Sorbonne Université CNRS-IRD-MNHN, Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France.
  • Taylor ML; School of Geography and the Environment, Oxford University Centre for the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK.
  • Woodall LC; School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK.
  • Barnes DKA; Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK.
Biology (Basel) ; 11(12)2022 Nov 25.
Article en En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36552215
Ice shelves cover ~1.6 million km2 of the Antarctic continental shelf and are sensitive indicators of climate change. With ice-shelf retreat, aphotic marine environments transform into new open-water spaces of photo-induced primary production and associated organic matter export to the benthos. Predicting how Antarctic seafloor assemblages may develop following ice-shelf loss requires knowledge of assemblages bordering the ice-shelf margins, which are relatively undocumented. This study investigated seafloor assemblages, by taxa and functional groups, in a coastal polynya adjacent to the Larsen C Ice Shelf front, western Weddell Sea. The study area is rarely accessed, at the frontline of climate change, and located within a CCAMLR-proposed international marine protected area. Four sites, ~1 to 16 km from the ice-shelf front, were explored for megabenthic assemblages, and potential environmental drivers of assemblage structures were assessed. Faunal density increased with distance from the ice shelf, with epifaunal deposit-feeders a surrogate for overall density trends. Faunal richness did not exhibit a significant pattern with distance from the ice shelf and was most variable at sites closest to the ice-shelf front. Faunal assemblages significantly differed in composition among sites, and those nearest to the ice shelf were the most dissimilar; however, ice-shelf proximity did not emerge as a significant driver of assemblage structure. Overall, the study found a biologically-diverse and complex seafloor environment close to an ice-shelf front and provides ecological baselines for monitoring benthic ecosystem responses to environmental change, supporting marine management.
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Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Tipo de estudio: Prognostic_studies Idioma: En Revista: Biology (Basel) Año: 2022 Tipo del documento: Article Pais de publicación: Suiza
Texto completo
Añadir a Mi BVS
Imprimir
XML
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Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Tipo de estudio: Prognostic_studies Idioma: En Revista: Biology (Basel) Año: 2022 Tipo del documento: Article Pais de publicación: Suiza