Patterns of Macrofaunal Biodiversity Across the Clarion-Clipperton Zone: An Area Targeted for Seabed Mining
Macrofauna are an abundant and diverse component of abyssal benthic communities and are likely to be heavily impacted by polymetallic nodule mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ). In 2012, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) used available benthic biodiversity data and environmental proxi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.626571/full |
| _version_ | 1818448004334485504 |
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| author | Travis W. Washburn Lenaick Menot Paulo Bonifácio Ellen Pape Magdalena Błażewicz Guadalupe Bribiesca-Contreras Thomas G. Dahlgren Thomas G. Dahlgren Tomohiko Fukushima Adrian G. Glover Se Jong Ju Stefanie Kaiser Ok Hwan Yu Craig R. Smith |
| author_facet | Travis W. Washburn Lenaick Menot Paulo Bonifácio Ellen Pape Magdalena Błażewicz Guadalupe Bribiesca-Contreras Thomas G. Dahlgren Thomas G. Dahlgren Tomohiko Fukushima Adrian G. Glover Se Jong Ju Stefanie Kaiser Ok Hwan Yu Craig R. Smith |
| author_sort | Travis W. Washburn |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Macrofauna are an abundant and diverse component of abyssal benthic communities and are likely to be heavily impacted by polymetallic nodule mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ). In 2012, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) used available benthic biodiversity data and environmental proxies to establish nine no-mining areas, called Areas of Particular Environmental Interest (APEIs) in the CCZ. The APEIs were intended as a representative system of protected areas to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem function across the region from mining impacts. Since 2012, a number of research programs have collected additional ecological baseline data from the CCZ. We assemble and analyze macrofaunal biodiversity data sets from eight studies, focusing on three dominant taxa (Polychaeta, Tanaidacea, and Isopoda), and encompassing 477 box-core samples to address the following questions: (1) How do macrofaunal abundance, biodiversity, and community structure vary across the CCZ, and what are the potential ecological drivers? (2) How representative are APEIs of the nearest contractor areas? (3) How broadly do macrofaunal species range across the CCZ region? and (4) What scientific gaps hinder our understanding of macrofaunal biodiversity and biogeography in the CCZ? Our analyses led us to hypothesize that sampling efficiencies vary across macrofaunal data sets from the CCZ, making quantitative comparisons between studies challenging. Nonetheless, we found that macrofaunal abundance and diversity varied substantially across the CCZ, likely due in part to variations in particulate organic carbon (POC) flux and nodule abundance. Most macrofaunal species were collected only as singletons or doubletons, with additional species still accumulating rapidly at all sites, and with most collected species appearing to be new to science. Thus, macrofaunal diversity remains poorly sampled and described across the CCZ, especially within APEIs, where a total of nine box cores have been taken across three APEIs. Some common macrofaunal species ranged over 600–3000 km, while other locally abundant species were collected across ≤ 200 km. The vast majority of macrofaunal species are rare, have been collected only at single sites, and may have restricted ranges. Major impediments to understanding baseline conditions of macrofaunal biodiversity across the CCZ include: (1) limited taxonomic description and/or barcoding of the diverse macrofauna, (2) inadequate sampling in most of the CCZ, especially within APEIs, and (3) lack of consistent sampling protocols and efficiencies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T20:12:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c88baa7da5b7405282b5dc69c3c23588 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T20:12:37Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-c88baa7da5b7405282b5dc69c3c235882022-12-21T22:48:55ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452021-04-01810.3389/fmars.2021.626571626571Patterns of Macrofaunal Biodiversity Across the Clarion-Clipperton Zone: An Area Targeted for Seabed MiningTravis W. Washburn0Lenaick Menot1Paulo Bonifácio2Ellen Pape3Magdalena Błażewicz4Guadalupe Bribiesca-Contreras5Thomas G. Dahlgren6Thomas G. Dahlgren7Tomohiko Fukushima8Adrian G. Glover9Se Jong Ju10Stefanie Kaiser11Ok Hwan Yu12Craig R. Smith13Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, United StatesIfremer, Centre Bretagne, REM EEP, Laboratoire Environnement Profond, Plouzané, FranceIfremer, Centre Bretagne, REM EEP, Laboratoire Environnement Profond, Plouzané, FranceMarine Biology Research Group, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumDepartment of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, University of Lodz, Łódź, PolandDepartment of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United KingdomDepartment of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, SwedenNorwegian Research Centre, Bergen, NorwayJapan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokosuka, JapanDepartment of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United KingdomKorea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan, South KoreaDepartment of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, University of Lodz, Łódź, PolandKorea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan, South KoreaDepartment of Oceanography, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, United StatesMacrofauna are an abundant and diverse component of abyssal benthic communities and are likely to be heavily impacted by polymetallic nodule mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ). In 2012, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) used available benthic biodiversity data and environmental proxies to establish nine no-mining areas, called Areas of Particular Environmental Interest (APEIs) in the CCZ. The APEIs were intended as a representative system of protected areas to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem function across the region from mining impacts. Since 2012, a number of research programs have collected additional ecological baseline data from the CCZ. We assemble and analyze macrofaunal biodiversity data sets from eight studies, focusing on three dominant taxa (Polychaeta, Tanaidacea, and Isopoda), and encompassing 477 box-core samples to address the following questions: (1) How do macrofaunal abundance, biodiversity, and community structure vary across the CCZ, and what are the potential ecological drivers? (2) How representative are APEIs of the nearest contractor areas? (3) How broadly do macrofaunal species range across the CCZ region? and (4) What scientific gaps hinder our understanding of macrofaunal biodiversity and biogeography in the CCZ? Our analyses led us to hypothesize that sampling efficiencies vary across macrofaunal data sets from the CCZ, making quantitative comparisons between studies challenging. Nonetheless, we found that macrofaunal abundance and diversity varied substantially across the CCZ, likely due in part to variations in particulate organic carbon (POC) flux and nodule abundance. Most macrofaunal species were collected only as singletons or doubletons, with additional species still accumulating rapidly at all sites, and with most collected species appearing to be new to science. Thus, macrofaunal diversity remains poorly sampled and described across the CCZ, especially within APEIs, where a total of nine box cores have been taken across three APEIs. Some common macrofaunal species ranged over 600–3000 km, while other locally abundant species were collected across ≤ 200 km. The vast majority of macrofaunal species are rare, have been collected only at single sites, and may have restricted ranges. Major impediments to understanding baseline conditions of macrofaunal biodiversity across the CCZ include: (1) limited taxonomic description and/or barcoding of the diverse macrofauna, (2) inadequate sampling in most of the CCZ, especially within APEIs, and (3) lack of consistent sampling protocols and efficiencies.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.626571/fullmacrofaunadeep-sea miningbiodiversitypolychaetamanganese nodulesPOC flux |
| spellingShingle | Travis W. Washburn Lenaick Menot Paulo Bonifácio Ellen Pape Magdalena Błażewicz Guadalupe Bribiesca-Contreras Thomas G. Dahlgren Thomas G. Dahlgren Tomohiko Fukushima Adrian G. Glover Se Jong Ju Stefanie Kaiser Ok Hwan Yu Craig R. Smith Patterns of Macrofaunal Biodiversity Across the Clarion-Clipperton Zone: An Area Targeted for Seabed Mining Frontiers in Marine Science macrofauna deep-sea mining biodiversity polychaeta manganese nodules POC flux |
| title | Patterns of Macrofaunal Biodiversity Across the Clarion-Clipperton Zone: An Area Targeted for Seabed Mining |
| title_full | Patterns of Macrofaunal Biodiversity Across the Clarion-Clipperton Zone: An Area Targeted for Seabed Mining |
| title_fullStr | Patterns of Macrofaunal Biodiversity Across the Clarion-Clipperton Zone: An Area Targeted for Seabed Mining |
| title_full_unstemmed | Patterns of Macrofaunal Biodiversity Across the Clarion-Clipperton Zone: An Area Targeted for Seabed Mining |
| title_short | Patterns of Macrofaunal Biodiversity Across the Clarion-Clipperton Zone: An Area Targeted for Seabed Mining |
| title_sort | patterns of macrofaunal biodiversity across the clarion clipperton zone an area targeted for seabed mining |
| topic | macrofauna deep-sea mining biodiversity polychaeta manganese nodules POC flux |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.626571/full |
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