In-situ Image Analysis of Habitat Heterogeneity and Benthic Biodiversity in the Prince Gustav Channel, Eastern Antarctic Peninsula
Habitat heterogeneity is important for maintaining high levels of benthic biodiversity. The Prince Gustav Channel, on the Eastern Antarctic Peninsula, is characterized by an array of habitat types, ranging from flat, mud-dominated sheltered bays to steep and rocky exposed slopes. The channel has und...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.614496/full |
| _version_ | 1818920112502079488 |
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| author | Peter M. Almond Katrin Linse Simon Dreutter Susie M. Grant Huw J. Griffiths Rowan J. Whittle Melanie Mackenzie William D. K. Reid |
| author_facet | Peter M. Almond Katrin Linse Simon Dreutter Susie M. Grant Huw J. Griffiths Rowan J. Whittle Melanie Mackenzie William D. K. Reid |
| author_sort | Peter M. Almond |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Habitat heterogeneity is important for maintaining high levels of benthic biodiversity. The Prince Gustav Channel, on the Eastern Antarctic Peninsula, is characterized by an array of habitat types, ranging from flat, mud-dominated sheltered bays to steep and rocky exposed slopes. The channel has undergone dramatic environmental changes in recent decades, with the southern end of the channel permanently covered by the Prince Gustav Ice Shelf until it completely collapsed in 1995. Until now the marine benthic fauna of the Prince Gustav Channel has remained unstudied. A shallow underwater camera system and Agassiz trawl were deployed at different locations across the channel to collect information on habitat type and heterogeneity, benthic community composition and macrofaunal biomass. The texture of the seafloor was found to have a significant influence on the benthos, with hard substrates supporting higher abundances and diversity. Suspension and filter feeding organisms, including porifera, crinoids, and anthozoans, were strongly associated with hard substrates, with the same being true for deposit feeders, such as holothurians, and soft sediments. Habitat heterogeneity was high across the Prince Gustav Channel, particularly on a local scale, and this was significant in determining patterns of benthic composition and abundance. Other physical variables including depth and seafloor gradient played significant, interactive roles in determining composition potentially mediated through other processes. Sites that were once covered by the Prince Gustav Ice Shelf held distinct and unique communities, suggesting that the legacy of the ice shelf collapse may still be reflected in the benthos. Biomass estimations suggest that critical thresholds of vulnerable marine ecosystem indicator taxa, as defined by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, have been met at multiple locations within the Prince Gustav Channel, which has implications for the future establishment of no take zones and marine protected areas within the region. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T01:16:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-10c21e55d1c7451da65dbde37d519661 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T01:16:34Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-10c21e55d1c7451da65dbde37d5196612022-12-21T19:58:33ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452021-01-01810.3389/fmars.2021.614496614496In-situ Image Analysis of Habitat Heterogeneity and Benthic Biodiversity in the Prince Gustav Channel, Eastern Antarctic PeninsulaPeter M. Almond0Katrin Linse1Simon Dreutter2Susie M. Grant3Huw J. Griffiths4Rowan J. Whittle5Melanie Mackenzie6William D. K. Reid7School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomBritish Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United KingdomAlfred Wegener Institute, Bremerhaven, GermanyBritish Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United KingdomBritish Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United KingdomBritish Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United KingdomMuseums Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaSchool of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomHabitat heterogeneity is important for maintaining high levels of benthic biodiversity. The Prince Gustav Channel, on the Eastern Antarctic Peninsula, is characterized by an array of habitat types, ranging from flat, mud-dominated sheltered bays to steep and rocky exposed slopes. The channel has undergone dramatic environmental changes in recent decades, with the southern end of the channel permanently covered by the Prince Gustav Ice Shelf until it completely collapsed in 1995. Until now the marine benthic fauna of the Prince Gustav Channel has remained unstudied. A shallow underwater camera system and Agassiz trawl were deployed at different locations across the channel to collect information on habitat type and heterogeneity, benthic community composition and macrofaunal biomass. The texture of the seafloor was found to have a significant influence on the benthos, with hard substrates supporting higher abundances and diversity. Suspension and filter feeding organisms, including porifera, crinoids, and anthozoans, were strongly associated with hard substrates, with the same being true for deposit feeders, such as holothurians, and soft sediments. Habitat heterogeneity was high across the Prince Gustav Channel, particularly on a local scale, and this was significant in determining patterns of benthic composition and abundance. Other physical variables including depth and seafloor gradient played significant, interactive roles in determining composition potentially mediated through other processes. Sites that were once covered by the Prince Gustav Ice Shelf held distinct and unique communities, suggesting that the legacy of the ice shelf collapse may still be reflected in the benthos. Biomass estimations suggest that critical thresholds of vulnerable marine ecosystem indicator taxa, as defined by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, have been met at multiple locations within the Prince Gustav Channel, which has implications for the future establishment of no take zones and marine protected areas within the region.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.614496/fullvulnerable marine ecosystemhabitat heterogeneitybenthic biodiversityglobal climate changeice shelfmarine protect area |
| spellingShingle | Peter M. Almond Katrin Linse Simon Dreutter Susie M. Grant Huw J. Griffiths Rowan J. Whittle Melanie Mackenzie William D. K. Reid In-situ Image Analysis of Habitat Heterogeneity and Benthic Biodiversity in the Prince Gustav Channel, Eastern Antarctic Peninsula Frontiers in Marine Science vulnerable marine ecosystem habitat heterogeneity benthic biodiversity global climate change ice shelf marine protect area |
| title | In-situ Image Analysis of Habitat Heterogeneity and Benthic Biodiversity in the Prince Gustav Channel, Eastern Antarctic Peninsula |
| title_full | In-situ Image Analysis of Habitat Heterogeneity and Benthic Biodiversity in the Prince Gustav Channel, Eastern Antarctic Peninsula |
| title_fullStr | In-situ Image Analysis of Habitat Heterogeneity and Benthic Biodiversity in the Prince Gustav Channel, Eastern Antarctic Peninsula |
| title_full_unstemmed | In-situ Image Analysis of Habitat Heterogeneity and Benthic Biodiversity in the Prince Gustav Channel, Eastern Antarctic Peninsula |
| title_short | In-situ Image Analysis of Habitat Heterogeneity and Benthic Biodiversity in the Prince Gustav Channel, Eastern Antarctic Peninsula |
| title_sort | in situ image analysis of habitat heterogeneity and benthic biodiversity in the prince gustav channel eastern antarctic peninsula |
| topic | vulnerable marine ecosystem habitat heterogeneity benthic biodiversity global climate change ice shelf marine protect area |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.614496/full |
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