Shallow Hard-Bottom Benthic Assemblages of South Bay (Antarctic Peninsula): An Update 40 Years Later
This work completes and updates the information about the diversity and distribution of benthic assemblages in an Antarctic fjord (South Bay, Antarctic Peninsula) 40 years after the first and only community-level study was conducted there. To determine the community changes, a photographic survey wa...
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| Materyal Türü: | Makale |
| Dil: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Seri Bilgileri: | Diversity |
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| Online Erişim: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/16/3/162 |
| _version_ | 1827306526457462784 |
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| author | Sol Morales César A. Cárdenas Diego Bravo-Gómez Cristian Lagger |
| author_facet | Sol Morales César A. Cárdenas Diego Bravo-Gómez Cristian Lagger |
| author_sort | Sol Morales |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This work completes and updates the information about the diversity and distribution of benthic assemblages in an Antarctic fjord (South Bay, Antarctic Peninsula) 40 years after the first and only community-level study was conducted there. To determine the community changes, a photographic survey was conducted at four sites with different substrate inclinations along a bathymetric gradient of 5–20 m depth. In total, 160 photoquadrats were analyzed, resulting in a total area of 40 m<sup>2</sup>. Sixty taxa represented by 12 phyla were identified, of which eight phyla corresponded to animals. The remaining species corresponded to macroalgae and benthic diatoms, both taxa presenting the highest coverages of the entire study area. The highest richness and diversity values were obtained at greater depths and at the sites with the steepest slopes. Here, we discuss the role of substrate inclination and depth in the structure of the benthic assemblages concerning possible variations in the presence and frequency of physical disturbances (e.g., ice disturbance and sedimentation). The abundances, densities, and distributions of all species found are detailed, updating the ecological data of the benthic ecosystem of this Antarctic fjord from the previously published assessment four decades ago. In a continent where rapid environmental changes are being experienced due to climate-induced processes, we discuss the first massive record of benthic diatoms in this fjord and the striking absence of the sea urchin <i>Sterechinus neumayeri</i>, an abundant species from previous records from the early 1980s. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:24:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e51d0b5819e64d24a1554e9b0e860a5c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:24:02Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-e51d0b5819e64d24a1554e9b0e860a5c2024-03-27T13:33:47ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182024-03-0116316210.3390/d16030162Shallow Hard-Bottom Benthic Assemblages of South Bay (Antarctic Peninsula): An Update 40 Years LaterSol Morales0César A. Cárdenas1Diego Bravo-Gómez2Cristian Lagger3Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Ecología Marina, Córdoba 5016, ArgentinaDepartamento Científico, Instituto Antártico Chileno, Plaza Muñoz Gamero, 1055, Punta Arenas 6200000, ChileOceana Chile, Av. Suecia 0155, Oficina 1001, Santiago 8320000, ChileUniversidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Ecología Marina, Córdoba 5016, ArgentinaThis work completes and updates the information about the diversity and distribution of benthic assemblages in an Antarctic fjord (South Bay, Antarctic Peninsula) 40 years after the first and only community-level study was conducted there. To determine the community changes, a photographic survey was conducted at four sites with different substrate inclinations along a bathymetric gradient of 5–20 m depth. In total, 160 photoquadrats were analyzed, resulting in a total area of 40 m<sup>2</sup>. Sixty taxa represented by 12 phyla were identified, of which eight phyla corresponded to animals. The remaining species corresponded to macroalgae and benthic diatoms, both taxa presenting the highest coverages of the entire study area. The highest richness and diversity values were obtained at greater depths and at the sites with the steepest slopes. Here, we discuss the role of substrate inclination and depth in the structure of the benthic assemblages concerning possible variations in the presence and frequency of physical disturbances (e.g., ice disturbance and sedimentation). The abundances, densities, and distributions of all species found are detailed, updating the ecological data of the benthic ecosystem of this Antarctic fjord from the previously published assessment four decades ago. In a continent where rapid environmental changes are being experienced due to climate-induced processes, we discuss the first massive record of benthic diatoms in this fjord and the striking absence of the sea urchin <i>Sterechinus neumayeri</i>, an abundant species from previous records from the early 1980s.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/16/3/162AntarcticaDoumer Islandbenthic ecologydiversitymonitoring |
| spellingShingle | Sol Morales César A. Cárdenas Diego Bravo-Gómez Cristian Lagger Shallow Hard-Bottom Benthic Assemblages of South Bay (Antarctic Peninsula): An Update 40 Years Later Diversity Antarctica Doumer Island benthic ecology diversity monitoring |
| title | Shallow Hard-Bottom Benthic Assemblages of South Bay (Antarctic Peninsula): An Update 40 Years Later |
| title_full | Shallow Hard-Bottom Benthic Assemblages of South Bay (Antarctic Peninsula): An Update 40 Years Later |
| title_fullStr | Shallow Hard-Bottom Benthic Assemblages of South Bay (Antarctic Peninsula): An Update 40 Years Later |
| title_full_unstemmed | Shallow Hard-Bottom Benthic Assemblages of South Bay (Antarctic Peninsula): An Update 40 Years Later |
| title_short | Shallow Hard-Bottom Benthic Assemblages of South Bay (Antarctic Peninsula): An Update 40 Years Later |
| title_sort | shallow hard bottom benthic assemblages of south bay antarctic peninsula an update 40 years later |
| topic | Antarctica Doumer Island benthic ecology diversity monitoring |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/16/3/162 |
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