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Thébault J, Uvanović H, Amice E, Chauvaud L, Peharda M. Influence of sea-ice dynamics on coastal Antarctic benthos: A case study on lantern clams (Laternula elliptica) in Adélie Land. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 192:106220. [PMID: 37832282 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Polar regions are warming faster than the world average and are profoundly affected by changes in the spatio-temporal dynamics of sea ice, with largely unknown repercussions on the functioning of marine ecosystems. Here, we investigated the impacts of interannual sea-ice variability on coastal benthic communities in Antarctica, focusing on a close-to-pristine area (Adélie Land). We investigated shell growth of the circum-Antarctic bivalve Laternula elliptica, considered a key species in these soft bottom benthic communities. Chondrophores of live-collected clams were prepared using standard sclerochronological methods to study the interannual variability of shell growth from 1996 to 2015. Our results show that the master chronology varied with sea-ice dynamics. When sea ice breaks up too early, sympagic algae do not have time to accumulate sufficiently high biomass, thus strongly limiting the energy input to the benthos. This negatively affects the physiological performance of L. elliptica, thereby altering their population dynamics and hence the functioning of these soft-bottom ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hana Uvanović
- Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Split, Croatia
| | - Erwan Amice
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, Plouzane, France
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Abstract
Diatoms play a key role in the marine silica cycle, but recent studies have shown that sponges can also have an important effect on this dynamic. They accumulate large stocks of biogenic silica within their bodies over long periods, which are thought to vary little on an intra-annual scale. The observation of an abrupt decline in sponge biomass in parallel with large increases in abundance of a spongivorous nudibranch (Doris verrucosa) led us to conduct a year-long study on the effect of nudibranch predation on the silicon budget of a sponge (Hymeniacidon perlevis) population. After 5 months of predation, the abundance of sponge individuals did not change but their biomass decreased by 95%, of which 48% was explained by nudibranch predation. About 97% of sponge spicules ingested by nudibranchs while feeding was excreted, most of them unbroken, implying a high rate of sponge silica deposition in the surrounding sediments. After predation, sponges partially recovered their biomass stocks within 7 months. This involved a rapid growth rate and large assimilation of dissolved silicon. Surprisingly, the highest rates of silicon absorption occurred when dissolved silicon concentration in seawater was minimal (< 1.5 µM). These findings suggest that the annual sponge predation-recovery cycle triggers unprecedented intra-annual changes in sponge silicon stocks and boosts the cycling of this nutrient. They also highlight the need for intra-annual data collection to understand the dynamics and resilience of sponge ecosystem functioning.
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3
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Marini S, Bonofiglio F, Corgnati LP, Bordone A, Schiaparelli S, Peirano A. Long-term High Resolution Image Dataset of Antarctic Coastal Benthic Fauna. Sci Data 2022; 9:750. [PMID: 36463241 PMCID: PMC9719491 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01865-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Antarctica is a remote place, the continent is covered by ice and its surrounding coastal areas are frozen for the majority of the year. Due to its peculiarity the observation of the underwater organisms is particularly difficult, complicated by logistic factors. We present a long-term dataset consisting of 755 images acquired by using a non-invasive, autonomous imaging device and encompassing both the Antarctic daylight and dark periods, including the corresponding transition phases. All images have the same field of view showing the benthic fauna and part of the water column above, including fishes present in the monitored period. All the images are manually annotated after a visual inspection performed by expert biologists. The extended monitoring period and the annotated images make the dataset a valuable benchmark suitable for studying the dynamics of the long-term Antarctic underwater fauna as well as for developing and testing algorithms for automated image analysis focused on the recognition and classification of the Antarctic organisms and the automated analysis of their long-term dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Marini
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Institute of Marine Sciences, La Spezia, 19132, Italy.
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, 80121, Italy.
| | - Federico Bonofiglio
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Institute of Marine Sciences, La Spezia, 19132, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Paolo Corgnati
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Institute of Marine Sciences, La Spezia, 19132, Italy
| | - Andrea Bordone
- ENEA-Marine Environment Research Centre, La Spezia, 19132, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Peirano
- ENEA-Marine Environment Research Centre, La Spezia, 19132, Italy
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4
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Marini S, Bonofiglio F, Corgnati LP, Bordone A, Schiaparelli S, Peirano A. Long‐term Automated Visual Monitoring of Antarctic Benthic Fauna. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Marini
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR) Institute of Marine Sciences La Spezia 19132 Italy
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Naples 80121 Italy
| | - Federico Bonofiglio
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR) Institute of Marine Sciences La Spezia 19132 Italy
| | - Lorenzo P. Corgnati
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR) Institute of Marine Sciences La Spezia 19132 Italy
| | - Andrea Bordone
- ENEA‐Marine Environment Research Centre La Spezia 19132 Italy
| | - Stefano Schiaparelli
- DISTAV Università di Genova Genova 16132 Italy
- 5 MNA Italian National Antarctic Museum (Section of Genoa) Genoa 16132 Italy
| | - Andrea Peirano
- ENEA‐Marine Environment Research Centre La Spezia 19132 Italy
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5
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Lohrer AM, Norkko AM, Thrush SF, Cummings VJ. Climate cascades affect coastal Antarctic seafloor ecosystem functioning. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:6181-6191. [PMID: 34582605 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Polar seafloor ecosystems are changing rapidly and dramatically, challenging previously held paradigms of extreme dynamical stability. Warming-related declines in polar sea ice are expected to alter fluxes of phytoplankton and under-ice algae to the seafloor. Yet, how changes in food flux cascade through to seafloor communities and functions remains unclear. We leveraged natural spatial and temporal gradients in summertime sea ice extent to better understand the trajectories and implications of climate-related change in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. McMurdo Sound was expected to be one of the last coastal marine environments on Earth to be affected by planetary warming, but the situation may be changing. Comparing satellite observations of selected coastal sites in McMurdo Sound between 2010-2017 and 2002-2009 revealed more ice-free days per year, and shorter distances to open water during the warmest months each year, in the more recent period. Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO), Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) and Antarctic Oscillation (AAO) climate indices peaked concurrently between 2014 and 2017 when sea ice breakouts in McMurdo Sound were most spatially and temporally extensive. Increases in sediment chlorophyll a and phaeophytin content (indicating increased deposition of detrital algal food material) were recorded during 2014-2017 at three coastal study sites in McMurdo Sound following the major sea ice breakouts. Soft-sediment seafloor ecosystem metabolism (measured in benthic incubation chambers as dissolved oxygen and inorganic nutrient fluxes) was correlated with sediment algal pigment concentration. Epifaunal invertebrate density, particularly opportunistic sessile suspension feeders, and infaunal community composition also shifted with increased food supply. The ecological characteristics and functions measured at the food-poor sites shifted towards those observed at richer sites at a surprisingly fast pace. These results indicate the sensitivity of the benthos and shed light on Antarctic marine trophic cascades and trajectories of response of iconic high-latitude seafloor habitats to a warming climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Lohrer
- National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Alf M Norkko
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Simon F Thrush
- Marine Sciences Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Vonda J Cummings
- National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand
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6
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Zinkann AC, Wooller MJ, O'Brien D, Iken K. Does feeding type matter? Contribution of organic matter sources to benthic invertebrates on the Arctic Chukchi Sea shelf. FOOD WEBS 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2021.e00205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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7
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Reed AJ, Godbold JA, Solan M, Grange LJ. Reproductive traits and population dynamics of benthic invertebrates indicate episodic recruitment patterns across an Arctic polar front. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:6900-6912. [PMID: 34141264 PMCID: PMC8207403 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate-induced changes in the ocean and sea ice environment of the Arctic are beginning to generate major and rapid changes in Arctic ecosystems, but the effects of directional forcing on the persistence and distribution of species remain poorly understood. Here, we examine the reproductive traits and population dynamics of the bivalve Astarte crenata and sea star Ctenodiscus crispatus across a north-south transect that intersects the polar front in the Barents Sea. Both species present large oocytes indicative of short pelagic or direct development that do not differ in size-frequency between 74.5 and 81.3º latitude. However, despite gametogenic maturity, we found low frequencies of certain size classes within populations that may indicate periodic recruitment failure. We suggest that recruitment of A. crenata could occur periodically when conditions are favorable, while populations of C. crispatus are characterized by episodic recruitment failures. Pyloric caeca indices in C. crispatus show that food uptake is greatest at, and north of, the polar front, providing credence to the view that interannual variations in the quantity and quality of primary production and its flux to the seafloor, linked to the variable extent and thickness of sea ice, are likely to be strong determinants of physiological fitness. Our findings provide evidence that the distribution and long-term survival of species is not only a simple function of adaptive capacity to specific environmental changes, but will also be contingent on the frequency and occurrence of years where environmental conditions support reproduction and settlement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Reed
- School of Ocean and Earth ScienceNational Oceanography Centre SouthamptonUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK
| | - Jasmin A. Godbold
- School of Ocean and Earth ScienceNational Oceanography Centre SouthamptonUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK
| | - Martin Solan
- School of Ocean and Earth ScienceNational Oceanography Centre SouthamptonUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK
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8
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Torre L, Alurralde G, Lagger C, Abele D, Schloss IR, Sahade R. Antarctic ascidians under increasing sedimentation: Physiological thresholds and ecosystem hysteresis. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 167:105284. [PMID: 33730611 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Glacier melting sediment inputs affect coastal ecosystems on the Antarctic Peninsula. In Potter Cove (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica), the shift from an "ascidian dominated" to a "mixed" assemblage has been linked to sedimentation. However, in recently described newly ice-free areas ascidians became dominant in spite of total suspended particulate matter (TSPM) concentrations, which are the highest measured in Potter Cove. Here, we compared the gut content and energy reserve of three ascidian species at three stations under different TSPM regimes. All analysed species had a higher gut content with lower %OM at these newly areas. A theoretical relationship between the scope for growth for the targeted ascidians and TSPM explained assemblages' recorded change but failed to explain current ascidians distribution. The results may indicate the existence of a TSPM threshold that allows the spatial coexistence of alternative stable states at benthic Potter Cove system.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Torre
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, 5000, Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - G Alurralde
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, 5000, Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - C Lagger
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, 5000, Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - D Abele
- Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research. Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - I R Schloss
- Instituto Antártico Argentino, San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, CONICET, Ushuaia, Argentina; Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, Argentina
| | - R Sahade
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, 5000, Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Córdoba, Argentina.
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9
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Gutt J, Isla E, Xavier JC, Adams BJ, Ahn IY, Cheng CHC, Colesie C, Cummings VJ, di Prisco G, Griffiths H, Hawes I, Hogg I, McIntyre T, Meiners KM, Pearce DA, Peck L, Piepenburg D, Reisinger RR, Saba GK, Schloss IR, Signori CN, Smith CR, Vacchi M, Verde C, Wall DH. Antarctic ecosystems in transition - life between stresses and opportunities. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 96:798-821. [PMID: 33354897 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Important findings from the second decade of the 21st century on the impact of environmental change on biological processes in the Antarctic were synthesised by 26 international experts. Ten key messages emerged that have stakeholder-relevance and/or a high impact for the scientific community. They address (i) altered biogeochemical cycles, (ii) ocean acidification, (iii) climate change hotspots, (iv) unexpected dynamism in seabed-dwelling populations, (v) spatial range shifts, (vi) adaptation and thermal resilience, (vii) sea ice related biological fluctuations, (viii) pollution, (ix) endangered terrestrial endemism and (x) the discovery of unknown habitats. Most Antarctic biotas are exposed to multiple stresses and considered vulnerable to environmental change due to narrow tolerance ranges, rapid change, projected circumpolar impacts, low potential for timely genetic adaptation, and migration barriers. Important ecosystem functions, such as primary production and energy transfer between trophic levels, have already changed, and biodiversity patterns have shifted. A confidence assessment of the degree of 'scientific understanding' revealed an intermediate level for most of the more detailed sub-messages, indicating that process-oriented research has been successful in the past decade. Additional efforts are necessary, however, to achieve the level of robustness in scientific knowledge that is required to inform protection measures of the unique Antarctic terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and their contributions to global biodiversity and ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Gutt
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Columbusstr., Bremerhaven, 27568, Germany
| | - Enrique Isla
- Institute of Marine Sciences-CSIC, Passeig Maritim de la Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona, 08003, Spain
| | - José C Xavier
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Coimbra, Portugal.,British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environmental Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, U.K
| | - Byron J Adams
- Department of Biology and Monte L. Bean Museum, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, U.S.A
| | - In-Young Ahn
- Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, 21990, South Korea
| | - C-H Christina Cheng
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
| | - Claudia Colesie
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Alexander Crum Brown Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF, U.K
| | - Vonda J Cummings
- National Institute of Water and Atmosphere Research Ltd (NIWA), 301 Evans Bay Parade, Greta Point, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Guido di Prisco
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Via Pietro Castellino 111, Naples, I-80131, Italy
| | - Huw Griffiths
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environmental Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, U.K
| | - Ian Hawes
- Coastal Marine Field Station, University of Waikato, 58 Cross Road, Tauranga, 3100, New Zealand
| | - Ian Hogg
- School of Science, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand.,Canadian High Antarctic Research Station, Polar Knowledge Canada, PO Box 2150, Cambridge Bay, NU, X0B 0C0, Canada
| | - Trevor McIntyre
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Private Bag X6, Florida, 1710, South Africa
| | - Klaus M Meiners
- Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, and Australian Antarctic Program Partnership, University of Tasmania, 20 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, TAS, 7004, Australia
| | - David A Pearce
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environmental Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, U.K.,Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University at Newcastle, Northumberland Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, U.K
| | - Lloyd Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environmental Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, U.K
| | - Dieter Piepenburg
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Columbusstr., Bremerhaven, 27568, Germany
| | - Ryan R Reisinger
- Centre d'Etudes Biologique de Chizé, UMR 7372 du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, 79360, France
| | - Grace K Saba
- Center for Ocean Observing Leadership, Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, 71 Dudley Rd., New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, U.S.A
| | - Irene R Schloss
- Instituto Antártico Argentino, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, Bernardo Houssay 200, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, CP V9410CAB, Argentina.,Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, CP V9410CAB, Argentina
| | - Camila N Signori
- Oceanographic Institute, University of São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, São Paulo, CEP: 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Craig R Smith
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1000 Pope Road, Honolulu, HI, 96822, U.S.A
| | - Marino Vacchi
- Institute for the Study of the Anthropic Impacts and the Sustainability of the Marine Environment (IAS), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via de Marini 6, Genoa, 16149, Italy
| | - Cinzia Verde
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Via Pietro Castellino 111, Naples, I-80131, Italy
| | - Diana H Wall
- Department of Biology and School of Global Environmental Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, U.S.A
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Pineda-Metz SEA, Gerdes D, Richter C. Benthic fauna declined on a whitening Antarctic continental shelf. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2226. [PMID: 32376915 PMCID: PMC7203119 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16093-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Ice retreat in West Antarctica and Antarctic Peninsula has led to important changes in seafloor communities and gains in benthic blue carbon. In most of the Antarctic, however, sea ice increased between the 1970s and 2014, but its effects on the benthos remain largely unexplored. Here, we provide a 1988-2014 record of macro- and megafauna from the north-eastern Weddell Sea shelf, where benthic biomass decreased by two thirds and composition shifted from suspension feeders to deposit feeders. Concomitant increases in sea-ice cover suggest a reduced flux of primary production to the benthos. As benthic communities are major repositories for Antarctic biodiversity and play an important role in biogeochemical cycling, the observed changes have far-reaching consequences for the Antarctic ecosystem and its feedback to the climate system. The findings underscore the importance of long-term ecological monitoring in a region vulnerable to warming and ice-shelf collapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago E A Pineda-Metz
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 27568, Bremerhaven, Germany.
- Universität Bremen (Fachbereich 2, Biologie/Chemie), 28334, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Dieter Gerdes
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 27568, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Claudio Richter
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 27568, Bremerhaven, Germany.
- Universität Bremen (Fachbereich 2, Biologie/Chemie), 28334, Bremen, Germany.
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11
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Kang YH, Kim S, Choi SK, Moon K, Choi HG, Ko YW, Hawes I, Kim SH, Kim JH, Park SR. Composition and structure of the marine benthic community in Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica: Responses of the benthic assemblage to disturbances. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225551. [PMID: 31790456 PMCID: PMC6886853 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The community structure and assemblages of marine benthic organisms were investigated in coastal areas near the Jang Bogo Antarctic Research Station in Terra Nova Bay during the 2012-2018 summer seasons. We also examined the recovery pattern of marine benthic organisms following disturbance due to the construction of the Jang Bogo Station. A total of 26 taxa were identified in the study area during the experimental period. Species number and diversity indices (richness, evenness, and diversity) were relatively low compared to data previously reported from Terra Nova Bay. Sphaerotylus antarcticus, Clavularia frankliniana, Hydractinia sp., Iridaea cordata, Fragilariopsis spp., Alcyonium antarcticum, and Metalaeospira pixelli were the dominant species in this area. Of these, the diatom Fragilariopsis spp. were the most abundant species, indicating their key role in maintaining the marine benthic community and controlling biogeochemical cycling. During the construction of the Jang Bogo Station, sediment coverage increased and diatoms declined due to the release of sediment into the coastal area. In February 2014, one month after the disturbance due to cyclone, the diatom coverage increased dramatically and thereby species number, richness index, and diversity index steadily rose from 2015 to 2018. However, non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination analysis of species similarities among sampling times showed that community structure had not completely recovered by 2018. Thus, long-term monitoring is required to elucidate the post-disturbance settlement mechanisms of marine benthic organisms at the study area in Terra Nova Bay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Hee Kang
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanghee Kim
- Department of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun Kyeong Choi
- Estuarine & Coastal Ecology Laboratory, Department of Marine Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeonglim Moon
- Estuarine & Coastal Ecology Laboratory, Department of Marine Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea
| | - Han-Gu Choi
- Department of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Wook Ko
- Department of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Ian Hawes
- Coastal Marine Field Station, University of Waikato, Sulphur Point, Tauranga, New Zealand
| | - Sa-Heung Kim
- Marine Biodiversity Research Institute, INTHESEA KOREA Inc., Jeju, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Hee Kim
- Department of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail: (SRP); (JHK)
| | - Sang Rul Park
- Coastal Marine Field Station, University of Waikato, Sulphur Point, Tauranga, New Zealand
- * E-mail: (SRP); (JHK)
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