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1.
On Caribbean reefs, the excavating sponge Cliona tenuis opportunistically colonized dead skeletons of the elkhorn coral Acropora palmata after its massive die‐off in the 1980s. Further C. tenuis population increase occurred by colonization of other coral species, causing coral tissue death through undermining of live tissue and lateral growth. To follow up on a previous (2001) characterization of the abundance and size structure of C. tenuis at Islas del Rosario (Colombia), these factors were again estimated in 2014, along with its substratum utilization. The fate of sponge individuals colonizing massive coral colonies marked in 2001–2004 was also followed. By 2014 C. tenuis was still disproportionally occupying dead A. palmata branches, but its abundance and density, and the cover of other benthic elements, had not significantly changed over the 13‐year period, suggesting that a stasis has been reached. Cliona tenuis was thus initially favored in the 1980s, but substratum monopolization did not occur. From 2001 to 2014, small individuals increased in number and very large ones decreased, suggesting not only that new recruitment is occurring, but also that larger sponges are shrinking or fragmenting. Marked sponges continued killing corals over the first few years, but over longer times they retreated or died, allowing corals to resume upward growth. However, it could not be ascertained whether the sponge retreat was age‐related or the result of some environmental effect. The apparent preference for recently dead clean coral by larvae of C. tenuis and its current dynamics of recruitment, growth, fragmentation and mortality have stabilized its space occupation at Islas del Rosario.  相似文献   

2.
The effects of no‐take marine reserve (NTMR) protection and changes in benthic habitat on fusiliers (family Caesionidae) were investigated at four small Philippine offshore islands on time scales of 10–31 years. Fusiliers are highly mobile, schooling, medium‐sized planktivorous fish that generally feed “off‐reef.” For these reasons, and given the small size of the NTMRs (3.6–37.5 ha) in this study, it was predicted that fusilier density would be unlikely to show clear effects of NTMR protection, or to respond to changes in benthic habitat. In contrast to predictions, clear NTMR effects were observed on fusilier density at three of the four NTMRs, with durations of protection from 14 to 31 years. Furthermore, the study provided strong evidence that benthic variables, specifically cover of live hard coral and dead substratum, affect the density of fusiliers. This effect of benthic habitat on density was highlighted by several major environmental disturbances that caused shifts in the benthic habitat from live hard coral to dead substratum. For two of the three most abundant species of fusiliers individually, and for all three of them combined (Pterocaesio pisang + Caesio caerulaurea + Pterocaesio digramma/tessellata), as live hard coral cover decreased, fish density decreased. It is hypothesized that these “off‐reef” daytime feeders may have such a strong association with live hard coral cover because they use this habitat as nocturnal sleeping sites. Multivariate analyses indicated that, across all sites and times sampled, cover of live hard coral and dead substratum accounted for 38% of the variation in fish assemblage structure. These results are important as there are very few reports in the published literature of strong effects of NTMR protection or changes in benthic habitat on the density and assemblage structure of fusiliers.  相似文献   

3.
Caribbean reefs have been unevenly surveyed, with many areas lacking baseline data. In this study, the current status of Orbicella reefs, a structurally complex forereef habitat, was quantified in an understudied region, the Eastern Caribbean. During 2011 the same observers surveyed benthic assemblages, coral juvenile density, herbivorous fishes, and invertebrates at 30 Orbicella reefs in four Eastern Caribbean areas: Antigua, Barbados, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines (hereafter St Vincent). Not all Orbicella forereefs were functionally the same in the Eastern Caribbean. Benthic communities and herbivorous fishes varied greatly among islands. Hard coral had the highest overall percent cover on most reefs in this study, with an average cover of 22%, and was greater than fleshy macroalgal cover at 83% of the sites. Overall, coral juvenile density was low but was positively associated with higher densities of Diadema antillarum, highlighting the importance of herbivory on the reefs. Nearshore coral reefs in Barbados were in a better state than other areas, exhibiting higher coral cover dominated by spawning corals, higher densities of coral juveniles exhibiting higher coral cover dominated by spawning corals, higher densities of coral juveniles and D. antillarum. Low biomass of herbivorous fishes at a majority of the coral reef sites is of major concern for the functioning of these reefs. Conservation of parrotfishes and other herbivores is necessary given the abundance of algae on most of these reefs and the beneficial effect of their presence on coral juveniles. This is the first comprehensive study that compares the state of Orbicella reefs in the Eastern Caribbean, providing valuable information that will be useful in creating realistic targets for future management and conservation.  相似文献   

4.
This study describes changes in abundance of hyperbenthic zooplankton (including meroplankton) and benthic colonists at the seasonally hypoxic seabed of Saanich Inlet, British Columbia, Canada. We used the Victoria Experimental Network Under the Sea (VENUS) cabled observatory to measure water properties and to sample hyperbenthos with a sediment trap at 97 m from September 2008 to September 2009. Some faunal groups exhibited seasonal reproduction, and abundance peaked during their reproductive periods. These included larvae of the barnacle Balanus crenatus, and the crabs Petrolisthes eriomerus, Oregonia gracilis, and Lophopanopeus bellus bellus. Other groups were most abundant in spring and summer when food and oxygen levels were highest and temperature was lowest. These included cumaceans, the siphonophore Diphyes sp., the bryozoan Triticella pedicellata, and tintinnids. We also collected benthic colonists, predominantly bryozoans and polychaetes, on colonization plates deployed in spring/summer 2008, fall 2008/winter 2009, and spring/summer 2009. The total abundance of colonists and of bryozoans did not vary seasonally or with substrate complexity, whereas polychaetes were more numerous in spring/summer deployments and on a highly complex substrate. Taxon richness of colonists was higher in spring/summer 2008 than in fall 2008/winter 2009, whereas an anoxic episode in spring/summer 2009 reduced richness to similar values with that of fall 2008/winter 2009 levels. Substrate complexity had no effect on richness. Juvenile squat lobsters, digitally imaged in fall 2008/winter 2009, were most numerous when oxygen levels were lowest and potentially excluding larger predators. Our study illustrates how season, food availability, temperature, and oxygen can interact to shape community structure in a seasonally hypoxic habitat.  相似文献   

5.
Precise biodiversity mapping that can be compared over decades would greatly inform the discussion of climate change impacts on species richness and shifts in dominant benthic species. Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, USA, has a long history of field studies documenting benthic community structure. This bioassessment compares 1955 benthic infaunal sampling results with 2011/2012 samples to determine whether there has been a compositional change. I also compared structural components including grain size and near‐bottom temperatures. In addition, benthic temperature rise and fall was logged at 15‐min intervals from May to October of consecutive years. There was an observed difference in the benthic compositional structure, substrate and temperature between the 1955 and 2011/2012 station conditions. The 1955 identification of Buzzards Bay as being nutrient poor and having a reported 20.5 °C benthic temperature maximum has changed. Coastal development has brought increased nutrient inputs, and the 2012 bottom temperature maximum was at least 4 °C greater. These conditions contribute to shifts in benthic species dominance, and the substrate itself has been transformed to shell reefs at the stations where the gastropod Crepidula fornicata proliferated.  相似文献   

6.
A growing number of studies report an increase in jellyfish populations worldwide that may have consequences for marine planktonic food web dynamics. The principal objective of this study was to understand the changes in a zooplankton community during blooms of Liriope tetraphylla and subsequent mucilage events in the Sea of Marmara, a small highly stratified transitional basin between the Black and Aegean Seas. Liriope blooms observed in 2006 and 2007 reached a maximum abundance of 2978 ind.·m?3, following the species' first observation in 2005. Jellyfish species are known to play a key guild role by restructuring plankton communities and in the Sea of Marmara Liriope caused a temporal regime shift from a crustacean‐ to a jellyfish‐controlled system. A rapid decline in abundance of most important zooplankton species followed the Liriope increase, together with a drastic shift in community structure. The dominant summer–autumn species Penilia avirostris (Cladocera) vanished in the autumn of 2006 and was diminished ~30‐fold in 2007 when compared with years without Liriope. The decline in zooplankton and the devastating effects of mucilage on pelagic ecosystem and socio‐economics through restricting commercial fisheries implied sensitivity of the already perturbed Marmara ecosystem to changes in predator densities and environmental stability.  相似文献   

7.
In this contribution we document an anomalous mucilage growth which occurred in June 2003 along the rocky cliffs of the Portofino Promontory (Ligurian Sea, NW Mediterranean Sea), and we describe its dynamics and its negative effects on many benthic taxa. The zooxanthellate scleractinian Cladocora caespitosa underwent ‘bleaching’ and about 40% of biomass of the erect algae was detached by mucilage ‘lianas’ created and strengthened by bottom currents. The 2003 event differed from any other previously occurred in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea, in that the mucilage aggregates were formed by the free‐living form of the Phaeophyceae Acinetospora crinita (Harvey) Kornmann, a not usually dominant species in mucilage aggregates from the north Tyrrhenian Sea. The damage suffered by the benthic organisms living in this area was curtailed by a severe storm, occurred in July, which removed the mucilage to deeper depths, preventing irreversible damages. Only slow growing, perennant organisms, such as corallinales or scleractinians, were seriously affected, but a survey carried out 1 year later, in June 2004, allowed to appreciate a complete recovery of those organisms. This anomalous mucilage event occurred in coincidence of the 2003 European heatwave, and the anomalous temperature increase of seawater has to be regarded as the major contributing event that led to the mucilage outbreak.  相似文献   

8.
Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) settle preferentially in macroalgal‐covered hard‐bottom habitat, but seagrass is more prevalent in Florida (United States) and the Caribbean, so even low settlement of lobsters within seagrass could contribute substantially to recruitment if post‐settlement survival and growth were high. We tested the role of seagrass and hard‐bottom habitats for P. argus recruitment in three ways. We first explored possible density‐dependent regulation of early benthic juvenile lobster survival within cages deployed in seagrass and hard‐bottom habitats. Second, we compared settlement and survival of P. argus in both habitats, by comparing the recovery of microwire‐tagged early benthic juveniles from patches of seagrass and hard‐bottom. Finally, we assessed the relative abundance of juvenile lobsters in each habitat by deploying artificial structures in seagrass sites and compared these data with data from similar deployments of artificial structures in hard‐bottom habitat in other years. More early benthic juvenile lobsters were recovered from cages placed in hard‐bottom than in seagrass, but mortality of the early benthic life stage was high in both habitats. In regional surveys, the mean number of lobsters recovered from artificial shelters deployed within seagrass was lower than in any year that we sampled hard‐bottom, indicating that fewer lobsters reside naturally in seagrass, particularly large juveniles >40 mm carapace length. The greater abundance (and likely survival) of juvenile P. argus that we observed in hard‐bottom habitat as opposed to seagrass, combined with previous studies demonstrating that postlarval P. argus are attracted to, settle in, and metamorphose more quickly in red macroalgae, confirm that macroalgae‐dominated hard‐bottom habitat appears to be the preferred and more optimal nursery for Caribbean spiny lobster.  相似文献   

9.
大型底栖动物是河流生态系统中重要的生态类群,研究其群落组成及分布特征能为河流生态系统管理提供理论支撑。2018年6月(夏季)和11月(秋季),在崇明岛内河设置16个固定站点,开展了拖网和地笼相结合的大型底栖动物调查,分析研究了崇明岛内河大型底栖动物群落的组成与分布特征及影响因子。调查期间共采集到大型底栖动物14种,分属5目8科,主要为节肢动物。其中,淡水型10种,河口半咸水型3种,降海洄游型1种。从空间分布来看,北横引河记录12种,南横引河记录6种,竖河记录11种;不同河道大型底栖动物群落组成均以淡水型种类为主,主要优势物种为日本沼虾(Macrobrachium nipponense)和秀丽白虾(Exopalaemon modestus);北横引河大型底栖动物群落的物种数、多度及生物量均高于南横引河;而竖河介于两者之间。夏季大型底栖动物群落的物种数、多度和生物量均高于秋季,季节变化是崇明岛内河大型底栖动物群落组成变化的重要特征之一。综合来看,崇明岛内河大型底栖动物群落组成特征兼具内陆河流和河口区特点,它与崇明岛区位特征、河流水文及生境条件、水质特征及区域人类活动等多种因素有关。  相似文献   

10.
The rapid appearance of Ramicrusta spp. is described and analyzed from 40 permanent monitoring coral reef stations in Puerto Rico. Before 2016, Ramicrusta had not been observed from any of the reef monitoring stations. By 2018, it was present at 76% of all the monitoring stations. Ramicrusta was the dominant substrata type at all of the shallow reef sites sampled on the east coast (e.g., Fajardo, Culebra, and Vieques), reaching a cover (±SE) as high as 63.0 ± 5.8%. The spread of Ramicrusta occurred at the expense of historically resilient living benthic elements, such as turf algae. Since its detection in 2016, colonization of hard substrata by Ramicrusta remained constant, with the exception of two shallow reefs in Fajardo and Culebra, where the cover was significantly reduced by the scouring and or abrasive effects of two major hurricanes. The ecological implications of Ramicrusta prevalence on Puerto Rican reefs remain unclear; however, increasing herbivory might be a useful mitigation tool in the reduction of Ramicrusta abundance on coral reefs.  相似文献   

11.
铜藻(Sargassum horneri)是主要分布于北太平洋西部的暖温带性海藻,是我国海藻场的重要组成物种之一,对于海洋环境、渔业资源具有重要支撑作用。除底栖生活外,铜藻可营漂浮生活。气囊和生殖托是铜藻适应漂浮生活的重要结构,但是二者与漂浮生活相适应的结构特点尚研究有限。本文对漂浮铜藻和底栖铜藻气囊、生殖托的数量以及主要形态学特征进行了统计学分析,结果显示:漂浮铜藻气囊体积显著小于底栖铜藻(P0.01),漂浮铜藻生殖托个数远少于底栖铜藻(P0.01),推测铜藻为了适应漂浮生境,其漂浮能力和有性生殖能力已经发生改变。  相似文献   

12.
We conducted a field experiment to assess the response of phytal harpacticoids to nutrient‐driven increases of epiphyte load in Posidonia oceanica meadows. First, we evaluated differences in species richness, diversity and assemblage structure of phytal harpacticoids in P. oceanica meadows with differing epiphyte loads. Secondly, we conducted a field experiment where epiphyte load was increased through an in situ addition of nutrients to the water column and evaluated the responses of the harpacticoid assemblages. We predicted that there would be changes in the harpacticoid assemblages as a result of nutrient‐driven increases of epiphyte load, and that these changes would be of a larger magnitude in meadows of low epiphyte load. Our results show that the harpacticoid fauna (>500 μm) present in P. oceanica meadows in the Bay of Palma comprised taxa which are considered phytal and other less abundant ones previously described as sediment dwellers or commensal on other invertebrate species. Nutrient addition had an overall significant effect on epiphyte biomass and on harpacticoid abundance, diversity and assemblage structure, possibly as a response to the increased resources and habitat complexity provided by epiphytes. The abundance of dominant species at each location was favoured by nutrient addition and in some cases correlated with epiphytic biomass, although never strongly. This may indicate that structural complexity or diversity of the epiphytic cover might be more important than the actual epiphytic biomass for the harpacticoid species investigated. More species‐specific studies are necessary to ascertain this and clarify the relationships between harpacticoids and epiphytes in seagrass meadows. To our knowledge, this is the first account of harpacticoid species associated with P. oceanica leaves and the epiphytic community they harbour in the Mediterranean Sea.  相似文献   

13.
The overall effects of trawling on benthic habitats and their assemblages are dependent on the distribution and intensity of trawl effort. The benthic habitats of the Spencer Gulf prawn trawling grounds are subjected to known variable levels of trawling disturbance recorded from fisher's logbooks. These habitats have not been quantitatively investigated. The aim of the study was firstly to characterise the macro-faunal and -floral assemblages and secondly, to comparatively assess trawl impact by testing the null hypothesis of no differences between five sites exposed to different intensity of trawl effort. The distribution and abundance of benthic macro-fauna and -flora were studied at two sampling resolutions by using beam trawl sampling (10,000 m2) and underwater stereophotography (4.5 m2) at five sites with different levels of trawl disturbance (effort). The results showed that the Spencer Gulf prawn trawling grounds are characterised by sandy sediments with a low content of silt and clay, with the exception of one site with very fine gravel. Biomass, abundance and cover of macro-fauna and -flora were generally low throughout, but with large differences among sites. Biomass, abundance and cover were found to be negatively correlated to both trawl hours from 1994–1998 and during the period of study. ANOSIM and SIMPER analyses using biomass, abundance and percentage cover as variables showed significant differences between sites with eight species or taxonomic groups contributing more than 10% to the observed similarity within sites. The two northern sites were dominated by sponges and the bearded mussel, Trichomya hirsutus, and the southern hammer oyster, Malleus meridianus. Other species that contributed to the similarity within sites were the ascidian, Polycarpa viridis, mobile epifauna (the blue swimmer crab, Portunus pelagicus, and the western king prawn, Penaeus (Melicertus) latisulcatus) and demersal fish species (Degens leatherjacket, Thamnaconus degeni, and the Melbourne silver belly, Parequula melbournensis). Simpson's Index of Diversity (1 − λ) and species richness in the beam trawl samples were fairly even across all sites, but a significant effect of site was found in the stereophotographic transect samples. It was concluded that prawn trawling has a strong influence on the structure of the benthic habitats of the Spencer Gulf prawn fishing grounds highlighted by the magnitude of change and the strength of the gradient of effects. Confounding factors linked to the biophysical attributes of the sites are believed to be minor.  相似文献   

14.
In order to evaluate the environmental impact associated with sequestration of carbon dioxide in the deep sea, a free fall type field experimental device, the benthic chamber, was developed. In situ experiments to expose deep-sea communities to elevated concentrations of carbon dioxide (average of 20,000 ppm, 5,000 ppm and control) were carried out using this device 3 times, viz., in the winter of 2002 and in the spring and the summer of 2003, in the Kumano Trough at a depth of 2,000 m. In the long-term experiments (about two weeks in winter of 2002 and summer of 2003), the abundance of meiobenthos declined whereas that of bacteria increased under the condition of 20,000 ppm carbon dioxide compared with the control. Among meiofauna, the abundance of foraminifers at the same concentration of carbon dioxide became less than the control even in the short-term (3 days in spring of 2003) experiment, suggesting that organisms with a calcium carbonate exoskeleton are more sensitive to the raised concentration of carbon dioxide. The respiration rate of the benthic community exposed to 20,000 ppm was lower in the early stage of the experiment than in the latter half, whereas it was opposite under the condition of 5,000 ppm. The increase of biological activity in the 20,000 ppm exposure group is probably due to an increase of bacteria adapted to high carbon dioxide concentrations. The present results suggest that the influence of carbon dioxide on the deep-sea benthic ecosystem does not follow a simple, linear relationship with concentration.  相似文献   

15.
Flood effects on benthic algal communities grown upon three common substratum types were assessed in a gravel‐bed stream. Microform bed clusters (MBCs) and, to a lesser extent, boulders conferred resistance on their associated periphyton communities (i.e., reduced flood‐induced biomass loss; functioned as refugia) relative to cobble/gravel substrata. On all substrata, flooding significantly reduced the relative abundance of Diatoma hiemale, and increased the relative abundance of Gomphonema minutum f. syriacum and/or Ampithrix sp. Long‐term (>4 months) sampling indicated that MBCs generally supported more algal biomass than did boulders, which, in turn, supported greater biomass than cobbles/gravels. Manipulation of the abundance of refugial structures (e.g., MBCs) could possibly alter productivity of flood‐prone gravel‐bed streams. Stream periphyton biomass models may be improved by explicit consideration of the effects of refugial substrata. The interstitial spaces of MBCs may constitute a unique habitat, and deserve further study.  相似文献   

16.
The Kermadec Islands Marine Reserve (KIMR), which is located at 30°S, is New Zealand's largest marine reserve at 748 000 ha, and its biota is composed of a mix of warm temperate, subtropical, and tropical species. A depth‐stratified ecological survey was conducted of the abundance and percentage cover of macrobenthic species and of the water column at two sites (Meyer Island and West Chanter Island), 2km apart. Significant differences in benthic community structure and in water column turbidity and chlorophyll concentrations were observed between the two sites despite their proximity and physical similarity. Compared with other “snapshot” surveys of benthic community structure at sites within the KIMR there was a high degree of similarity among the species observed, but often a low degree of similarity in species abundance or percentage cover as a function of depth. We suggest that despite its isolation and the degree of difficulty of working at this location, a full‐scale ecological survey of the coastal marine biota of the KIMR is warranted to better understand New Zealand's subtropical marine biota and its affinities with other marine biotas of the South Pacific.  相似文献   

17.
The present study explores the distribution of the invasive herbivore fish Siganus luridus (Rüppell 1829) and its relationship to native herbivores and macroalgal assemblages in the shallow sublittoral of the Cyclades Archipelago, Aegean Sea, Greece. In situ underwater surveys of herbivore abundance (fishes and sea urchins) and algal coverage were carried out at 180 sampling sites in 18 islands. Siganus luridus accounted for 17% of the total herbivore abundance, with a decrease in relative abundance from the southeastern to the northwestern islands. In Santorini Island (in the southeast of the study area) S. luridus abundance accounted for 90% of the total herbivore fish abundance, while in Kea Island (at the northwestern limit of the study area), S. luridus was absent. The spatial variation of minimum sea surface temperature is possibly the reason for its distributional pattern. Siganus luridus abundance was found to be positively correlated to the native herbivore Sparisoma cretense (Linnaeus 1758). A significant negative relationship was found between the abundance of the invasive species and the sum of erect and canopy algae cover (Dictyotales and Cystoseira spp.), which are the main components of its diet in the region. On the other hand, its occurrence was particularly high in barren sites. The results arising from this study reinforce evidence from studies in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin that the expansion of the invasive species S. luridus may have profound impacts on native communities in the Mediterranean infralittoral zone.  相似文献   

18.
Benthic mucilaginous aggregates are frequently formed in various parts of the Mediterranean basin, as in the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas. Notwithstanding their wide spatial distribution, the role played by these aggregates in the biogeochemical cycling of organic matter is still largely unknown.The characteristics of the benthic aggregates examined in the present study showed that they are different from other mucilaginous aggregates, such as the “pelagic” ones that can form in the same areas in the water column and subsequently sediment to the seafloor. The aggregates are usually formed of structures of the filamentous macroalgae Acinetospora crinita, Chrysonephos lewisii and Nematochrysopsis marina. The elemental composition of the aggregates showed a marine macrophyte origin on the basis of the bulk organic matter content of the aggregates. Carbohydrates and proteins account for 26.6 to 55.9% of the organic carbon in the mucilage, respectively. Monosaccharide composition of exopolysaccharides in the mucilage aggregates revealed a characteristic pattern, with galactose, xylose or mannose and fucose as the major components. The relatively high content of deoxysugars is another distinctive feature. The abundant sulphate and uronic groups present in the polysaccharides in addition to their macromolecular dimensions and elongation contribute to inter-chain aggregation. Electron microscopic observations suggest that the polysaccharide fraction is the main macromolecular component in the formation of the persistent gel network in the aggregates.  相似文献   

19.
Some sponges of the genus Cliona (Porifera, Hadromerida, Clionidae) simultaneously excavate and encrust calcareous substratum, competing aggressively for illuminated space with corals and other organisms. To interpret current trends of reef space occupation, the patterns of distribution and size of three Caribbean species were examined at San Andrés Island and Islas del Rosario in Colombia. While Cliona aprica was ubiquitous, C. caribbaea (= C. langae) preferred deep and protected reef zones, and C. tenuis shallow and wave‐exposed settings. In contrast to the effect on other excavating sponges, chronic exposure to raw sewage did not significantly increase the abundance of the studied sponges. Substratum occupation/availability ratios showed a positive tendency of the sponges toward certain coral skeletons, and a negative or neutral tendency toward calcareous rock, indicating that establishment may be easier on clean, recently dead coral than on older, heavily incrusted substratum. High relief generally limits sponge size to that of the illuminated portions of the substratum. A generally lower proportion of small individuals than of larger ones indicates currently low recruitment rates and low subsequent mortality. Successful events of higher recruitment seem to have occurred for C. tenuis. These are related to the massive acroporid coral die‐off in the early 1980s and to asexual dispersion during storms, resulting in a current 10% substratum cover. Reefs with high coral mortality were and/or are thus more susceptible to colonization and subsequent space occupation by these sponges, although relief may prevent space monopolization.  相似文献   

20.
The West Antarctic Peninsula is one of the fastest warming regions on Earth. Faster glacier retreat and related calving events lead to more frequent iceberg scouring, fresh water input and higher sediment loads, which in turn affect shallow water benthic marine assemblages in coastal regions. In addition, ice retreat creates new benthic substrates for colonization. We investigated three size classes of benthic biota (microbenthos, meiofauna and macrofauna) at three sites in Potter Cove (King George Island, West Antarctic Peninsula) situated at similar water depths but experiencing different disturbance regimes related to glacier retreat. Our results revealed the presence of a patchy distribution of highly divergent benthic assemblages within a relatively small area (about 1 km2). In areas with frequent ice scouring and higher sediment accumulation rates, an assemblage mainly dominated by macrobenthic scavengers (such as the polychaete Barrukia cristata), vagile organisms and younger individuals of sessile species (such as the bivalve Yoldia eightsi) was found. Macrofauna were low in abundance and very patchily distributed in recently ice‐free areas close to the glacier, whereas the pioneer nematode genus Microlaimus reached a higher relative abundance in these newly exposed sites. The most diverse and abundant macrofaunal assemblage was found in areas most remote from recent glacier influence. By contrast, the meiofauna showed relatively low densities in these areas. The three benthic size classes appeared to respond in different ways to disturbances likely related to ice retreat, suggesting that the capacity to adapt and colonize habitats is dependent on both body size and specific life traits. We predict that, under continued deglaciation, more diverse, but less patchy, benthic assemblages will become established in areas out of reach of glacier‐related disturbance.  相似文献   

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