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1.
This study provides new information about the composition, diversity and zoogeography of abyssal polychaetes in the little-studied South Eastern Atlantic (Angola Basin). During the austral winter of 2000, twenty-five box core samples (total area sampled 6 m2) were taken along a 500-km transect in five work areas at depths exceeding 5000 m. A total of 1047 individuals representing 86 species belonging to 32 families was collected. Well over half the polychaetes (58 species; 67%) appear to be new to science, with the highest number of new species among the Cirratulidae, Paraonidae, Phyllodocidae, Ampharetidae, Opheliidae, and Spionidae. Eight of these new species were among the 16 dominant species in the deep Angola Basin whereas, 32 species (37%) were considered to be rare with only 1–2 individuals collected. Species accumulation curves did not level off at a fixed number of species, indicating that diversity would increase with additional sampling. Polychaete community assemblages among box core samples were highly variable. Ten of the known species are biogeographically widespread outside the Angola Basin whereas five appear to be restricted to the deep Atlantic. Two species have only been recorded in the Southern Ocean, and one in the southern hemisphere. Twenty (35%) of the species considered to be new to science were also found in samples from the deep Southern Ocean, whereas eight of the known species found in the Angola Basin have not been reported from the Southern Ocean to date. Surface deposit feeders and carnivores were the dominant functional groups both in terms of number of individuals and number of species. Necessary steps to further our knowledge of the little-known abyssal ecosystem are discussed.  相似文献   

2.
We collected polychaete diversity and abundance data at a range of impacted and reference sites near an alumina refinery in Melville Bay, northern Australia. The aims were to measure the impact of sediment modified by the alumina refinery discharge on polychaete communities and secondly to gather baseline data from which to measure future changes. Polychaete communities in both soft-bottom habitats and subtidal areas adjacent to mangrove forests were studied. We also developed and deployed an artificial substratum device to sample polychaetes associated with hard-substrate habitats. For each habitat, polychaete community composition was different between impacted and reference sites and at multiple time points. The impact of future changes either from bioremediation or management practices can be measured against these baseline data. Indicator species analysis was used to identify polychaete species that were significantly different at the locations tested, and we discuss their potential as indicator species.  相似文献   

3.
The Nazaré Canyon on the Portuguese Margin (NE Atlantic) was sampled during spring-summer for three consecutive years (2005–2007), permitting the first inter-annual study of the meiofaunal communities at the Iberian Margin at two abyssal depths (~3500 m and ~4400 m). Using new and already published data, the meiofauna standing stocks (abundance and biomass) and nematode structural and functional diversity were investigated in relation to the sediment biogeochemistry (e.g. organic carbon, nitrogen, chlorophyll a, phaeopigments) and grain size. A conspicuous increase in sand content from 2005 to 2006 and decrease of phytodetritus at both sites, suggested the occurrence of one or more physical disturbance events. Nematode standing stocks and trophic diversity decreased after these events, seemingly followed by a recovery/recolonisation period in 2007, which was strongly correlated with an increase in the quantity and bioavailability of phytodetrital organic matter supplied. Changes in meiofauna assemblages, however, also differed between stations, likely because of the contrasting hydrodynamic and food supply conditions. Higher meiofauna and nematode abundances, biomass and trophic complexity were found at the shallowest canyon station, where the quantity, quality and bioavailability of food material were higher than at the deeper site. The present results suggest that even though inter-annual variations in the sedimentary environment can regulate the meiofauna in the abyssal Nazaré Canyon, heterogeneity between sampling locations in the canyon were more pronounced.  相似文献   

4.
The Porcupine Abyssal Plain (NE Atlantic) time-series has shown large, wide-scale, changes in the composition of the benthic community at 4800 m depth (48°50′N, 16°30′W). The abundance of holothurians has increased significantly since 1996 and one species in particular, Amperima rosea, has increased in abundance by three orders of magnitude. Environmental forcing in the form of phytodetrital food supply to the benthos is believed to be driving these changes. Chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments were determined from the gut sediments of seven species of abyssal holothurian, sampled from the Porcupine Abyssal Plain during Autumn 2000 and Spring 2002. These two samples fell either side of the main phytoplankton bloom in the NE Atlantic, providing an opportunity for seasonal comparisons. Significant inter-species differences in pigment profiles were observed among the seven species. Seasonal differences were noted among four species sampled in both time periods. All seven species were collected from the same geographical area and depth. As algal pigments cannot be synthesised by the holothurians, they provide good biomarkers for the composition of the phytodetritus. Differences in pigments from gut sediment profiles are indicative of selective feeding among the holothurians. A. rosea had a gut profile dominated by the pigments zeaxanthin, chlorophyll a/echineone and β-carotene; these pigments were all present in significantly smaller quantities in the other species. The high quantities of these pigments are indicative of a diet rich in cyanobacteria. The gut sediments of A. rosea also lacked many chloropigments characteristic of other phytoplankton groups, which were observed in the guts of other holothurian species. Ovarian tissue for the five species taken in the pre-spring bloom 2002 sample were examined. All species showed similar carotenoid profiles, dominated by zeaxanthin, echinenone and β-carotene, all of which are important compounds for reproductive success in echinoderms. The differences in gut pigment profiles highlight the potential for several species of deposit-feeding holothurians to partition the same phytodetrital food source, possibly providing a mechanism for maintaining the high diversity of deposit feeders at abyssal depths. The dominance of reproductively important carotenoids in the guts and gonads of A. rosea may highlight the ability of this species to rapidly utilise any change in the composition of the phytodetrital flux and translate that advantage into a successful reproductive and recruitment event. The results are discussed in relation to work on bathyal holothurians and the potential for food-driven regime shifts in both the abyssal and bathyal Northeast Atlantic.  相似文献   

5.
Bathymetric patterns of macrofaunal species diversity are best documented in the western North Atlantic where diversity is a unimodal function of depth, peaking in the mid-bathyal zone and being depressed in the upper slope and abyss. There are few inter-basin studies of diversity-depth trends that are controlled for taxonomy, sampling gear, and diversity measures. In this paper, we compare gastropod diversity gradients in the North American Basin of the Atlantic to estimates of diversity in 9 other regions: the Norwegian Sea, West European Basin, Guiana Basin, Gambia Basin, Equatorial Mid-Atlantic, Brazil Basin, Angola Basin, Cape Basin and Argentine Basin. All samples were collected with epibenthic sleds, and diversity calculated by the Sanders-Hurlbert normalized expected number of species. While sampling in other regions is generally less complete than in the western North Atlantic, results indicate that a unimodal pattern is not universal. Diversity can increase, decrease or show no relationship with depth. The level of diversity also varies among basins relative to the western North Atlantic, being depressed in the Norwegian Sea, at bathyal depths in the eastern North Atlantic, and below an oxygen minimum zone in the Cape Basin, and generally elevated at tropical latitudes and in abyssal regions where food supply is high. Associations between gastropod diversity and the ecology and geology of basins suggest that productivity, oxygen concentration, hydrographic disturbance and evolutionary-historical processes may be implicated in shaping bathymetric diversity gradients, but specific causes are difficult to discern. Much more intensive sampling, analyses of other major taxa, and more detailed ecological data are necessary to understand deep-sea biogeography at within- and between-basin spatial scales.  相似文献   

6.
The floor of the western equatorial Atlantic Ocean can be divided into several distinct provinces based on detailed characteristics of the bottom echos recorded with short-ping (< msec.) 3.5 and 12 kHz sound sources. Two major types of echos are recorded: (I) distinct echos; and (II) indistinct echos.Indistinct echos can be further sub-divided into (A) continuous prolonged echos; and (B) hyperbolic echos. Each class of echos contains two or more unique echo types. The regional distributions of the various echo types recorded from the continental rise, Amazon Cone, and abyssal plains reveal much information about sedimentary processes.In the western equatorial Atlantic, hyperbolic echos are recorded only from small, isolated portions of the continental rise. This contrasts with the continental rise of the western North Atlantic where previous investigators have shown that hyperbolic echos parallel bathymetric contours along the entire rise and thus reflect shaping of the rise by geostrophic contour currents (Heezen et al., 1966; Hollister, 1967). The fact that regions of hyperbolic echos show little or no relationship to bathymetric contours of the continental rise of the western equatorial Atlantic suggests that contour currents have been unimportant in shaping the rise in this region.The three most widespread echo types recorded from the continental rise, Amazon Cone, and abyssal plains reveal much information about terrigenous sediment dispersal and deposition in the western equatorial Atlantic. Comparison of the thicknesses and frequencies of coarse (silt- to gravel-size), bedded, terrigenous sediment in piston cores with the echo type recorded at each coring site shows a correlation between echo type and the relative amount of coarse, bedded sediment within the upper few meters of the sea floor. The regional distributions of these three echo types indicate that dispersal of coarse terrigenous sediment has been downslope across the continental rise and Amazon Cone to the abyssal plains via gravity-controlled sediment flows. The Amazon River is the major sediment source and most coarse sediment is deposited on the lower Amazon Cone and proximal portions of the Demerara abyssal plain.  相似文献   

7.
Polychaete taxocene characteristics from seven stations in Vancouver Harbour obtained during the PICES Practical Workshop are presented. Thirty families and 79 polychaete species were identified. Polychaete density ranged from 194.0 individuals m(-2) in Port Moody Arm to 846.0 individuals m(-2) in the Central Harbour, with a mean abundance over the seven stations of 428.9 individuals m(-2). Biomass varied from 3.0 g wet wt. m(-2) to 28.5 g wet wt. m(-2), with a mean biomass for the seven stations of 12.9 g wet wt. m(-2). High species diversity and richness of polychaete taxocene were observed at two stations, the West Vancouver Laboratory in the Outer Harbour and at a far field reference station in Thornborough Cannel. Sediment quality assessment indicated severe adverse effects at two sites in Port Moody Arm, where high concentrations of chlorinated hydrocarbons and some trace metals were found. A limited number of species, dominance of pollution-tolerant Tharyx multifilis, and the lowest values of polychaete biomass and indices of richness and diversity were detected in Port Moody Arm. Rich species composition and domination of pollution-sensitive species provided evidence of unstressed communities at the far field reference station. Sites in the Outer Harbour, Central Harbour and Indian Arm were characterised by intermediate pollutant exposure.  相似文献   

8.
We examined the effects of sediment on fish communities at 38 sites in the East Cape region of New Zealand. Many streams in this region are subject to high sediment loads, a natural situation that has been exacerbated by the conversion of native forest to pasture. The fish community consisted of diadromous native species common throughout New Zealand that require access to and from the sea. We found that site altitude and distance inland were important factors in determining the abundance and composition of the fish community. We used four measures as indices of sediment load: suspended sediment concentration, median substrate size, substrate stability, and the ratio of the wetted width to the width of the active (non‐vegetated) stream channel. Although all indices were correlated, the ratio of wetted width to width of active channel was most closely related to fish abundance and diversity. Fish abundance and diversity reduced as sediment load increased among streams, with up to nine fish species in streams with low sediment loads and only two species in streams with high sediment loads. In‐stream habitat also varied with sediment load; as load increased, depth and substrate size decreased and velocity increased. These results suggest that activities that increase sediment loads in rivers will have a negative impact on native fish communities in New Zealand.  相似文献   

9.
Concerns about the environmental impacts of mariculture have grown in recent years in response to the rapid expansion of the industry. The blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) is the main product of shellfish mariculture in the Northeast Atlantic and Baltic Sea, with approximately one third of the harvest cultured using suspended longlines within sheltered marine areas. The main aim of this study was to examine the interactions, and assess the impacts (if any) of mussel suspension culture on the seabird and seal community, employing a simultaneous study of culture and control sites. The study spanned a 20-month period (from November 2001 to August 2003) and encompassed six sites in Bantry Bay (Southwest Ireland).There was no significant difference in species richness between mussel and control sites. Similarly, species diversity did not significantly differ between the mussel and control sites although control sites were generally more diverse than mussel sites, the latter particularly dominated by large numbers of Laridae.Significantly higher numbers of Phalacrocoracidae, Laridae and Alcidae were recorded in mussel sites than in control sites. However, no significant difference was found between Gaviidae or common seal (Phoca vitulina) numbers in mussel and control sites. Seasonal patterns of abundance were similar in mussel and control sites, with peak numbers of most species groups occurring in spring.Mussel suspension culture does not appear to have an adverse effect on the abundance of seabirds or common seals in this area. The safe perching platforms provided by suspension culture floats, combined with a number of other factors, contribute to an increased abundance of a number of seabird species, particularly Laridae. The possible interactions between vertebrate predators and mussel suspension aquaculture are discussed and possible explanations for the increased seabird abundance observed in these areas are offered.  相似文献   

10.
The decapod crustacean assemblages from unconsolidated seabed areas located near rocky shores in the Ubatuba region on the south-east coast of Brazil were analysed by investigating the abundance, richness, diversity and dominance of species. The relationships of the sediment and bottom-water temperature to total species abundance, richness and diversity were also evaluated. Monthly samples were taken from January 1998 through December 1999 at sites in Ubatumirim and Mar Virado. At each locality, three areas were defined as either ‘exposed’, ‘sheltered’ or ‘island’. The highest species abundance was found in the sheltered area of Ubatumirim and the exposed area of Mar Virado, and during autumn. At Ubatumirim, the highest richness occurred in the exposed area and the highest diversity near the island. At Mar Virado, the highest richness and diversity were found near the island. Autumn and winter collections yielded the highest richness but the lowest diversity. The higher diversities, which were measured near the islands and during spring and summer, were consequences of the greater evenness of the data. The areas with the highest diversity also had the most heterogeneous sediment composition, thus reinforcing the hypothesis that areas with more complex substrata support more diverse faunas.  相似文献   

11.
Shorebirds, as migratory aquatic birds and top predators in intertidal ecosystems, can be affected by global environmental changes and escalations in local impacts on coastal lagoons and estuarine trophic networks. Many shorebirds winter in North African Atlantic coastal sites, most likely because these locations provide constant and reliable food supplies with less energy costs in comparison with the wintering sites of northern Europe. Although more information is available for other important southern coastal sites (e.g. Saharan Atlantic coastal desert and Guinean mangroves coast), very little information is available for the North African Atlantic coast. Here, we focus on the impact of shorebird predation on benthic macroinvertebrates in a major wintering site in this area—Sidi Moussa coastal lagoon, Morocco—using an exclosure experiment. For most of the macroinvertebrate species there was no significant effect of the exclusion of shorebird predation. Overall, our results do not show evidence that predation by shorebirds influenced the overall standing biomass of the benthic community. This may indicate that the benthic productivity is high enough to provide constant and reliable food supplies for non-breeding shorebirds.  相似文献   

12.
Benthic organisms are among the most diverse and abundant in the marine realm, and some species are a key factor in studies related to bioengineering. However, their importance has not been well noted in biogeographic studies. Macrofaunal assemblages associated with subtidal beds of the ribbed mussel (Aulacomya atra) along South America were studied to assess the relationship between their diversity patterns and the proposed biogeographic provinces in the Southeastern Pacific and Southwestern Atlantic Oceans. Samples from ribbed mussel beds were obtained from 10 sites distributed from the Peruvian coast (17°S) to the Argentinean coast (41°S). The sampling included eight beds in the Pacific and two in the Atlantic and the collections were carried out using five 0.04 m2 quadrants per site. Faunal assemblages were assessed through classification analyses using binary and log‐transformed abundance data. Variation in the size and density of mussels, and in the species richness, abundance and structure of their faunal assemblages were tested using a permutational multivariate analysis of variance. Faunal assemblages showed a north–south latitudinal gradient along both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Binary and abundance data showed a difference in the resulting clustering arrangement of Pacific sites between 40°S and 44°S, indicating a pattern of continuity in the species distribution associated with biological substrates. At a regional scale, the distribution of species along the South American coast matched the general provincial pattern shown by prior studies, which show two biogeographic units on the Pacific coast separated by an intermediate (probably transitional) zone and a single province on the Atlantic coast extending up to Northern Argentina. Biological substrates such as ribbed mussel beds play an important ecological role by making a similar habitat type available on a large scale for a variety of invertebrate species. Despite such habitat homogeneity, however, the associated fauna exhibit marked distribution breaks, suggesting strong constraints on dispersal. This therefore suggests that macrofaunal assemblages could possibly be used as biogeographic indicators.  相似文献   

13.
Deposit-feeding holothurians often dominate the megafauna in bathyal deep-sea settings, in terms of both abundance and biomass. Molpadia musculus is particularly abundant at about 3400 m depth in the Nazaré Canyon on the NE Atlantic Continental Margin. However, these high abundances are unusual for burrowing species at this depth. The objective of this research was to understand the reasons of the massive occurrence of these molpadiid holothurians in the Nazaré Canyon. To address this question we investigated possible trophic interactions with bacteria at sites where the organic content of the sediment was different (Setúbal and Cascais Canyons, NE Atlantic Continental Margin). The molecular fingerprinting technique of Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) with band sequencing, combined with non-metric multi-dimensional scaling and statistical analyses, was used to compare the bacterial community diversity in canyon sediments and holothurian gut contents. Our results suggest that M. musculus does not need to develop a specialised gut bacterial community to aid digestion where the sediment is rich in organic matter (Nazaré Canyon); in contrast, such a community may be developed where the sediment is poorer in organic matter (Cascais Canyon).  相似文献   

14.
Replicate sediment samples were obtained from 3 closely spaced stations in the Kaplan East (KE) area of the abyssal eastern Equatorial Pacific (∼15°N, 119°W; ∼4100 m water depth), just below the carbonate compensation depth. At each site, 2 (Stns 827, 838) or 3 (Stn 824) complete cores (57 mm i.d.) were subsampled using 2–3 cut-off syringes of 6.6 cm3 cross-sectional area. The 0–1 cm sediment layers (>32 μm fraction) of these 20 subsamples together yielded 12,513 small, rose-Bengal stained benthic foraminifera dominated by agglutinated taxa, most of them morphologically simple monothalamous types or komokiaceans. Almost two-thirds (65%) of specimens were either obvious fragments, mainly of komokiaceans and tubular foraminifera, or single chambers or small groups of chambers believed to be fragments of very fragile komokiaceans. The remaining 4438 specimens (35%) were considered to be complete individuals. Most (78%) of these complete tests were indeterminate agglutinated spheres (termed ‘psammosphaerids’) that constituted 27.6% of all specimens (complete plus fragments). Complete individuals that could be assigned to either described or undescribed species accounted for 983 specimens (22% of complete tests=7.6% of all specimens); only 26 specimens (0.59% of complete individuals) were calcareous and these had invariably lost their tests through dissolution. Some groups exhibited considerable spatial heterogeneity. For example, 45% of the 3455 indeterminate psammosphaerids and 45% of the 3087 Komokiacean-like chambers occurred in single subcores. A total of 252 morphospecies was recognised; 168 were represented by complete individuals and 84 by fragments. There are clear differences between these Pacific assemblages and those from other oceans; in particular, psammosphaerids and isolated komokiacean chambers appear to be much more prevalent in the Pacific compared to the Atlantic Ocean. Some morphospecies present in Kaplan samples are known from the Atlantic but many are not. Such species may either (1) be ubiquitous but undersampled because they are rare or (2) have geographically patterned distributions. Without further sampling, there is no way to distinguish between these 2 possibilities. Fossilisable tests represent a very small component of the KE assemblage. Many of the delicate, monothalamous species that have little fossilisation potential, including the komokiaceans, accumulate stercomata (waste pellets) and may consume organic material and bacteria associated with sediment. Because of their enormous abundance at abyssal depths, these poorly known taxa probably play a substantial role in carbon cycling over vast areas of the Pacific seafloor.  相似文献   

15.
P. Divakar Naidu 《Marine Geology》1993,110(3-4):403-418
Study of Recent planktonic foraminifera from the surface sediment samples of western continental margin of India reveals the ecological preferences of the different planktonic foraminifer species in the area. Higher absolute abundance of planktonic foraminifera in the offshore associated with the lower frequencies of the productivity indicator Globigerinoides bulloides and lower absolute abundance in the nearshore with higher frequencies of G. bulloides appears to suggest that productivity does not control the absolute abundance of planktonic foraminifera in this area. In general, the difference in absolute abundance between offshore and nearshore indicates that the dilution by terrigenous and other biogenic (benthic foraminifera and diatoms) material governs the absolute abundance of planktonic foraminifera.

Globigerinoides sacculifer shows a significant positive correlation with salinity and a negative correlation with temperature, which reflects its preference for higher salinity and lower temperature of the surface water. Globigerinoides ruber abundances are related to a distinct highly saline Persian Gulf water mass in the eastern Arabian Sea. Neogloboquadrina butertrei shows a strong inverse relationship with surface water salinity in the eastern Arabian Sea. Therefore, the relative abundance variations of N. dutertrei in sediment cores of the southeastern Arabian Sea can be used to reconstruct the past surface water salinity, which varies according to the strength of the northeastern monsoon.

The high diversity of planktonic foraminifera in the offshore is attributable to equitable environmental conditions. The high-salinity surface waters ( > 36‰) and terrigenous dilution in the northeastern Arabian Sea limit the diversification of species in this region.  相似文献   


16.
Global scale patterns of species diversity for modern deep-sea benthic foraminifera, an important component of the bathyal and abyssal meiofauna, are examined using comparable data from five studies in the Atlantic, ranging over 138° of latitude from the Norwegian Sea to the Weddell Sea. We show that a pattern of decreasing diversity with increasing latitude characterises both the North and South Atlantic. This pattern is confirmed for the northern hemisphere by independent data from the west-central North Atlantic and the Arctic basin. Species diversity in the North Atlantic northwards from the equator is variable until a sharp fall in the Norwegian Sea (ca. 65°N). In the South Atlantic species diversity drops from a maximum in latitudes less than 30°S and then decreases slightly from 40 to 70°S. For any given latitude, North Atlantic diversity is generally lower than in the South Atlantic. Both ecological and historical factors related to food supply are invoked to explain the formation and maintenance of the latitudinal gradient of deep-sea benthic foraminiferal species diversity. The gradient formed some 36 million years ago when global climatic cooling led to seasonally fluctuating food supply in higher latitudes.  相似文献   

17.
Coastal lagoons are ephemeral habitats whose conservation requires human intervention, such as maintenance dredging of inner channels. Dredging can reduce the abundance of benthic species due to the removal of individuals with the sediment, modify sediment properties, and resuspend fine sediment, nutrients and pollutants, which can lead to eutrophication, hypoxic events and increasing toxicity. Both direct effects in the dredged channel and possible indirect effects in surrounding shallow areas could be expected. This study assesses the effects of the channel maintenance dredging, performed between October 2004 and August 2005, on the invertebrate assemblages both in channels and adjacent ponds in the northern Adriatic coastal lagoon of Pialassa Baiona. The lagoon is affected by eutrophication, chemical and thermal pollution from wastewater treatment and power plants. Three impacted sites were located in the dredged channel and three in the adjacent interconnected shallow water ponds, while three non-impacted sites were located in a channel and in a pond far from the dredged area. Replicate samples were collected from each site one time before and one time after the dredging operations. Despite the extent of the intervention, effects of the dredging on macrobenthic assemblages were detected only within the dredged channel, while in the surrounding ponds no clear and unequivocal effects were found. In particular the dredging could have promoted the increase of the abundance of the polychaete Streblospio shrubsolii in the southern and central parts of the dredged channel and the increase in abundance of the amphipod Corophium insidiosum in the northern side, compared to the controls. Instead, species diversity was reduced in the central and northern parts of the dredged channel. These effects on the macrobenthic invertebrate assemblages could be related to the observed changes of sediment characteristics, contamination and toxicity. Overall, direct effects on benthic assemblages in the dredged channels were more detectable than the possible secondary effects in the surrounding shallow ponds, where the higher spatial heterogeneity can mask any relevant effects.  相似文献   

18.
Different estimates were used to assess the diversity of the total macrofauna and its major taxonomic groups separately from a broad bathymetric range at a site in the NE Atlantic. In the Goban Spur region, a transect was sampled from the shelf to the abyssal plain over a depth range from 200 to 4500 m and in the Porcupine Sea Bight two stations were sampled (at 3670 m and 4115 m). Species diversity (the number of species per number of individuals) increased with increasing water depth, both when expressed as Hurlbert's E(Sn) and as Shannon's H′log e. The expected number of species in a 100-individual sample E(S100) of total macrofauna increased from 30 on the shelf to 68 on the abyssal plain. Evenness (the proportional abundance of species), estimated with Shannon's J′, also increased with water depth from 0.66 to 0.91, whereas dominance (Simpson's D) decreased from 0.09 to 0.01. Species richness (the number of species per unit of area), however, showed a parabolic pattern with a peak at the upper slope. The largest number of species was found at the slope station at 1425 m (232 species within 0.66 m2). It is argued that species richness is not a synonym of species diversity, but that species richness depends both on species density (which decreases with increasing water depth) and on species diversity. Across the whole bathymetric range (200 to 4500 m) a total of 696 species within 8327 specimens in a total sampled area of 4.12 m2 were counted, yielding mean values of 12 individuals per species and 169 species per m2. Different communities were found to exist on the shelf, slope and abyss. It is suggested that this could have been caused by different selection processes. Differences in life-history strategies and organic-matter supply could (at least partly) explain the different community structures and diversity patterns found along the depth gradient.  相似文献   

19.
Macrobenthic faunal composition, abundance, biomass and diversity together with a suite of sedimentary environmental parameters were investigated on a seasonal basis in order to determine factors regulating faunal distribution over the oligotrophic continental margin of the island of Crete (South Aegean Sea, North Eastern Mediterranean). Macrofaunal species composition was similar to that of the western Mediterranean and the neighboring Atlantic having several common dominant species. Mean benthic biomass, abundance and diversity decreased with depth, with a major transition zone occurring at 540 m, beyond which values declined sharply. At comparable depths biomass and abundance values were considerably lower to those found in the Atlantic, high-lighting the extreme oligotrophy of the area. The continental margin of Crete was characterised by a high diversity upper continental shelf environment (dominated by surface deposit feeding polychaetes) and a very low diversity slope and deep-basin environment (dominated by carnivorous and filter feeding polychaetes). Classification and ordination analyses revealed the existence of four principle clusters divided by a faunal boundary between 200 and 540 m, as well as beyond 940 m depth. Significant correlations between macrofauna and sediment parameters led to the conclusion that besides depth, food availability (as manifested by the concentration of chloroplastic pigments) is the principle regulating factor in the system. Such being the case, the prevailing hydrographic features that structure the pelagic food web and are directly responsible for the propagation of organic matter to the benthos also affect its community structure.  相似文献   

20.
Results are presented from particle flux studies using sediment trap and current meter moorings along a transect at the European continental margin at 49°N within the EU-funded Ocean Margin Exchange (OMEX) project. Two moorings were placed, at the mid- and outer slope in water depths of 1500 and 3660 m, with traps at 600 and 1050 m and at 580, 1440 and 3220 m, respectively. Residual currents at the mid-slope follow the slope contour, whereas seasonal off-slope flow was registered at the outer slope. At 600 m on the slope fluxes are similar to those in the abyssal North Atlantic. The flux of all components (bulk dry weight, particulate organic and inorganic carbon, lithogenic matter and opal) increased with water depth. Highest fluxes were recorded at 1440 m at the outer slope, where off-slope residual currents mediate particle export. The injection of biogenic and lithogenic particles below the depth of winter mixing results in the export of particles from shallower waters. Calculated lateral fluxes of particulate organic carbon exceed the primary flux by over a factor of 2 at 1440 m on the outer slope. Estimated lateral fluxes of suspended particulate matter in the water column and intermediate nepheloid layers at the outer slope are potentially large compared to sinking fluxes measured by sediment traps. A comparison is made of particle flux at three continental margin sites and two sites in the adjacent open North Atlantic, from which it is seen that bulk and organic matter flux increases exponentially with proximity to the shelf break. The percentage contribution of particulate organic carbon to biogenic fluxes increases from a mean of 5.7% in the abyssal N. Atlantic to 13.9% at the continental margins.  相似文献   

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