Characterization and Mapping of a Deep-Sea Sponge Ground on the Tropic Seamount (Northeast Tropical Atlantic): Implications for Spatial Management in the High Seas
Ferromanganese crusts occurring on seamounts are a potential resource for rare earth elements that are critical for low-carbon technologies. Seamounts, however, host vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs), which means that spatial management is needed to address potential conflicts between mineral extr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2019.00278/full |
| _version_ | 1811327669484126208 |
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| author | Berta Ramiro-Sánchez José Manuel González-Irusta José Manuel González-Irusta Lea-Anne Henry Jason Cleland Isobel Yeo Joana R. Xavier Joana R. Xavier Marina Carreiro-Silva Marina Carreiro-Silva Íris Sampaio Íris Sampaio Jeremy Spearman Lissette Victorero Lissette Victorero Lissette Victorero Lissette Victorero Charles G. Messing Georgios Kazanidis J. Murray Roberts Bramley Murton |
| author_facet | Berta Ramiro-Sánchez José Manuel González-Irusta José Manuel González-Irusta Lea-Anne Henry Jason Cleland Isobel Yeo Joana R. Xavier Joana R. Xavier Marina Carreiro-Silva Marina Carreiro-Silva Íris Sampaio Íris Sampaio Jeremy Spearman Lissette Victorero Lissette Victorero Lissette Victorero Lissette Victorero Charles G. Messing Georgios Kazanidis J. Murray Roberts Bramley Murton |
| author_sort | Berta Ramiro-Sánchez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ferromanganese crusts occurring on seamounts are a potential resource for rare earth elements that are critical for low-carbon technologies. Seamounts, however, host vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs), which means that spatial management is needed to address potential conflicts between mineral extraction and the conservation of deep-sea biodiversity. Exploration of the Tropic Seamount, located in an Area Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) in the subtropical North Atlantic, revealed large amounts of rare earth elements, as well as numerous VMEs, including high-density octocoral gardens, Solenosmilia variabilis patch reefs, xenophyophores, crinoid fields and deep-sea sponge grounds. This study focuses on the extensive monospecific grounds of the hexactinellid sponge Poliopogon amadou (Thomson, 1878). Deep-sea sponge grounds provide structurally complex habitat, augmenting local biodiversity. To understand the potential extent of these sponge grounds and inform spatial management, we produced the first ensemble species distribution model and local habitat suitability maps for P. amadou in the Atlantic employing Maximum Entropy (Maxent), General Additive Models (GAMs), and Random Forest (RF). The main factors driving the distribution of the sponge were depth and maximum current speed. The sponge grounds occurred in a marked bathymetric belt (2,500 – 3,000 m) within the upper North Atlantic Deep Water mass (2.5°C, 34.7 psu, O2 6.7–7 mg ml-1), with a preference for areas bathed by moderately strong currents (0.2 – 0.4 ms-1). GAMs, Maxent and RF showed similar performance in terms of evaluation statistics but a different prediction, with RF showing the highest differences. This algorithm only retained depth and maximum currents whereas GAM and Maxent included bathymetric position index, slope, aspect and backscatter. In these latter two models, P. amadou showed a preference for high backscatter values and areas slightly elevated, flat or with gentle slopes and with a NE orientation. The lack of significant differences in model performance permitted to merge all predictions using an ensemble model approach. Our results contribute toward understanding the environmental drivers and biogeography of the species in the Atlantic. Furthermore, we present a case toward designating the Tropic Seamount as an Ecologically or Biologically Significant marine Area (EBSA) as a contribution to address biodiversity conservation in ABNJs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T15:12:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4c07b4d5304448ca8da772a25b21cedc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T15:12:07Z |
| publishDate | 2019-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-4c07b4d5304448ca8da772a25b21cedc2022-12-22T02:41:59ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452019-05-01610.3389/fmars.2019.00278442285Characterization and Mapping of a Deep-Sea Sponge Ground on the Tropic Seamount (Northeast Tropical Atlantic): Implications for Spatial Management in the High SeasBerta Ramiro-Sánchez0José Manuel González-Irusta1José Manuel González-Irusta2Lea-Anne Henry3Jason Cleland4Isobel Yeo5Joana R. Xavier6Joana R. Xavier7Marina Carreiro-Silva8Marina Carreiro-Silva9Íris Sampaio10Íris Sampaio11Jeremy Spearman12Lissette Victorero13Lissette Victorero14Lissette Victorero15Lissette Victorero16Charles G. Messing17Georgios Kazanidis18J. Murray Roberts19Bramley Murton20School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United KingdomOKEANOS Center, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Azores, Horta, PortugalMarine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Instituto do Mar, Universidade dos Açores, Horta, PortugalSchool of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United KingdomSchool of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United KingdomNational Oceanography Centre, Southampton, United KingdomCIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Matosinhos, PortugalDepartment of Biological Sciences and KG Jebsen Centre for Deep Sea Research, University of Bergen, Bergen, NorwayOKEANOS Center, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Azores, Horta, PortugalMarine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Instituto do Mar, Universidade dos Açores, Horta, PortugalMarine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Instituto do Mar, Universidade dos Açores, Horta, PortugalSenckenberg am Meer, Abteilung Meeresforschung, Wilhelmshaven, GermanyHR Wallingford Ltd., Wallingford, United KingdomNational Oceanography Centre, Southampton, United KingdomInstitut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), CNRS, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France0Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), CNRS, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, IRD, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, Paris, France1Centre d’Écologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), CNRS, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France2Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Dania Beach, FL, United StatesSchool of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United KingdomSchool of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United KingdomNational Oceanography Centre, Southampton, United KingdomFerromanganese crusts occurring on seamounts are a potential resource for rare earth elements that are critical for low-carbon technologies. Seamounts, however, host vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs), which means that spatial management is needed to address potential conflicts between mineral extraction and the conservation of deep-sea biodiversity. Exploration of the Tropic Seamount, located in an Area Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) in the subtropical North Atlantic, revealed large amounts of rare earth elements, as well as numerous VMEs, including high-density octocoral gardens, Solenosmilia variabilis patch reefs, xenophyophores, crinoid fields and deep-sea sponge grounds. This study focuses on the extensive monospecific grounds of the hexactinellid sponge Poliopogon amadou (Thomson, 1878). Deep-sea sponge grounds provide structurally complex habitat, augmenting local biodiversity. To understand the potential extent of these sponge grounds and inform spatial management, we produced the first ensemble species distribution model and local habitat suitability maps for P. amadou in the Atlantic employing Maximum Entropy (Maxent), General Additive Models (GAMs), and Random Forest (RF). The main factors driving the distribution of the sponge were depth and maximum current speed. The sponge grounds occurred in a marked bathymetric belt (2,500 – 3,000 m) within the upper North Atlantic Deep Water mass (2.5°C, 34.7 psu, O2 6.7–7 mg ml-1), with a preference for areas bathed by moderately strong currents (0.2 – 0.4 ms-1). GAMs, Maxent and RF showed similar performance in terms of evaluation statistics but a different prediction, with RF showing the highest differences. This algorithm only retained depth and maximum currents whereas GAM and Maxent included bathymetric position index, slope, aspect and backscatter. In these latter two models, P. amadou showed a preference for high backscatter values and areas slightly elevated, flat or with gentle slopes and with a NE orientation. The lack of significant differences in model performance permitted to merge all predictions using an ensemble model approach. Our results contribute toward understanding the environmental drivers and biogeography of the species in the Atlantic. Furthermore, we present a case toward designating the Tropic Seamount as an Ecologically or Biologically Significant marine Area (EBSA) as a contribution to address biodiversity conservation in ABNJs.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2019.00278/fulldeep-seasponge groundsseamountspecies distribution modelsbiogeographyABNJ |
| spellingShingle | Berta Ramiro-Sánchez José Manuel González-Irusta José Manuel González-Irusta Lea-Anne Henry Jason Cleland Isobel Yeo Joana R. Xavier Joana R. Xavier Marina Carreiro-Silva Marina Carreiro-Silva Íris Sampaio Íris Sampaio Jeremy Spearman Lissette Victorero Lissette Victorero Lissette Victorero Lissette Victorero Charles G. Messing Georgios Kazanidis J. Murray Roberts Bramley Murton Characterization and Mapping of a Deep-Sea Sponge Ground on the Tropic Seamount (Northeast Tropical Atlantic): Implications for Spatial Management in the High Seas Frontiers in Marine Science deep-sea sponge grounds seamount species distribution models biogeography ABNJ |
| title | Characterization and Mapping of a Deep-Sea Sponge Ground on the Tropic Seamount (Northeast Tropical Atlantic): Implications for Spatial Management in the High Seas |
| title_full | Characterization and Mapping of a Deep-Sea Sponge Ground on the Tropic Seamount (Northeast Tropical Atlantic): Implications for Spatial Management in the High Seas |
| title_fullStr | Characterization and Mapping of a Deep-Sea Sponge Ground on the Tropic Seamount (Northeast Tropical Atlantic): Implications for Spatial Management in the High Seas |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characterization and Mapping of a Deep-Sea Sponge Ground on the Tropic Seamount (Northeast Tropical Atlantic): Implications for Spatial Management in the High Seas |
| title_short | Characterization and Mapping of a Deep-Sea Sponge Ground on the Tropic Seamount (Northeast Tropical Atlantic): Implications for Spatial Management in the High Seas |
| title_sort | characterization and mapping of a deep sea sponge ground on the tropic seamount northeast tropical atlantic implications for spatial management in the high seas |
| topic | deep-sea sponge grounds seamount species distribution models biogeography ABNJ |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2019.00278/full |
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