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No barrier to emergence of bathyal king crabs on the Antarctic shelf

No barrier to emergence of bathyal king crabs on the Antarctic shelf
No barrier to emergence of bathyal king crabs on the Antarctic shelf
Cold-water conditions have excluded durophagous (skeleton-breaking) predators from the Antarctic seafloor for millions of years. Rapidly warming seas off the western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) could now facilitate their return to the continental shelf, with profound consequences for the endemic fauna. Among the likely first arrivals are king crabs (Lithodidae), which were discovered recently on the adjacent continental slope. During the austral summer of 2010-2011, we used underwater imagery to survey a slope-dwelling population of the lithodid Paralomis birsteini off Marguerite Bay, WAP for environmental or trophic impediments to shoreward expansion. The average density was ~4.5 ind·1000m-2 within a depth-range of 1100-1500 m (overall observed depth-range 841–2266 m). Evidence of juveniles, molting, and precopulatory behavior suggested a reproductively viable population on the slope. At the time of the survey, there was no thermal barrier to prevent the lithodids from expanding upward and emerging on the outer shelf (400–500 m depth); however, near-surface temperatures remained too cold for them to survive in shallow, coastal environments (<200 m). Ambient salinity, composition of the substrate, and the depth-distribution of potential predators likewise indicated no barriers to expansion onto the outer shelf. Primary food resources for lithodids—echinoderms and mollusks—were abundant on the upper slope (500–800 m) and outer shelf. At present rates of warming, lithodids should emerge in outer-shelf environments within several decades. As sea temperatures continue to rise, they will likely play an increasingly important trophic role in subtidal communities closer to shore.
biological invasion, polar emergence, climate change, predation, Southern Ocean
0027-8424
12997-13002
Aronson, R.B.
7ea9275a-0ed5-4622-81e8-bbb78d4997f9
Smith, K.E.
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Vos, S.C.
11ec6fde-f417-439f-b1bd-d907a66e2827
McClintock, J.B.
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Amsler, M.O.
f6b077bd-7c01-4e4a-9067-49c713130993
Moksnes, P.O.
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Ellis, D.S.
e51a953d-36f8-43ac-a920-2faae771317e
Kaeli, J.W.
dc886a3d-3264-40ee-9f30-c3308d8ad5fe
Singh, H.
9661636a-d32e-45e6-b6ae-ddc41026bf8a
Bailey, J.W.
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Schiferl, J.C.
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van Woesik, R.
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Martin, M.A.
d4addce3-b868-4b23-a066-3c282e65eeaa
Steffel, B.V.
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Deal, M.E.
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Lazarus, S.M.
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Havenhand, J.N.
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Swalethorp, R.
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Kjellerup, S.
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Thatje, S.
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Aronson, R.B.
7ea9275a-0ed5-4622-81e8-bbb78d4997f9
Smith, K.E.
68a4aa4e-be4d-44de-82e6-330d35883d39
Vos, S.C.
11ec6fde-f417-439f-b1bd-d907a66e2827
McClintock, J.B.
7451ae4c-dfa3-4f20-95d0-bbd949b1fda7
Amsler, M.O.
f6b077bd-7c01-4e4a-9067-49c713130993
Moksnes, P.O.
943ca202-23f9-46ee-ac31-01dafce8d150
Ellis, D.S.
e51a953d-36f8-43ac-a920-2faae771317e
Kaeli, J.W.
dc886a3d-3264-40ee-9f30-c3308d8ad5fe
Singh, H.
9661636a-d32e-45e6-b6ae-ddc41026bf8a
Bailey, J.W.
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Schiferl, J.C.
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van Woesik, R.
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Martin, M.A.
d4addce3-b868-4b23-a066-3c282e65eeaa
Steffel, B.V.
e20ad194-38c0-4d35-9b42-2ead721b4ba4
Deal, M.E.
3faa8475-2bea-4ac8-8ed1-01b7aadb02d4
Lazarus, S.M.
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Havenhand, J.N.
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Swalethorp, R.
38118ef1-0a86-4e84-9e80-523e561144ac
Kjellerup, S.
9eca7cba-0301-4525-a9a3-8ec788e8e414
Thatje, S.
f1011fe3-1048-40c0-97c1-e93b796e6533

Aronson, R.B., Smith, K.E., Vos, S.C., McClintock, J.B., Amsler, M.O., Moksnes, P.O., Ellis, D.S., Kaeli, J.W., Singh, H., Bailey, J.W., Schiferl, J.C., van Woesik, R., Martin, M.A., Steffel, B.V., Deal, M.E., Lazarus, S.M., Havenhand, J.N., Swalethorp, R., Kjellerup, S. and Thatje, S. (2015) No barrier to emergence of bathyal king crabs on the Antarctic shelf. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112 (42), 12997-13002. (doi:10.1073/pnas.1513962112).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Cold-water conditions have excluded durophagous (skeleton-breaking) predators from the Antarctic seafloor for millions of years. Rapidly warming seas off the western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) could now facilitate their return to the continental shelf, with profound consequences for the endemic fauna. Among the likely first arrivals are king crabs (Lithodidae), which were discovered recently on the adjacent continental slope. During the austral summer of 2010-2011, we used underwater imagery to survey a slope-dwelling population of the lithodid Paralomis birsteini off Marguerite Bay, WAP for environmental or trophic impediments to shoreward expansion. The average density was ~4.5 ind·1000m-2 within a depth-range of 1100-1500 m (overall observed depth-range 841–2266 m). Evidence of juveniles, molting, and precopulatory behavior suggested a reproductively viable population on the slope. At the time of the survey, there was no thermal barrier to prevent the lithodids from expanding upward and emerging on the outer shelf (400–500 m depth); however, near-surface temperatures remained too cold for them to survive in shallow, coastal environments (<200 m). Ambient salinity, composition of the substrate, and the depth-distribution of potential predators likewise indicated no barriers to expansion onto the outer shelf. Primary food resources for lithodids—echinoderms and mollusks—were abundant on the upper slope (500–800 m) and outer shelf. At present rates of warming, lithodids should emerge in outer-shelf environments within several decades. As sea temperatures continue to rise, they will likely play an increasingly important trophic role in subtidal communities closer to shore.

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e-pub ahead of print date: 28 September 2015
Published date: 20 October 2015
Keywords: biological invasion, polar emergence, climate change, predation, Southern Ocean
Organisations: Ocean and Earth Science

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 381289
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/381289
ISSN: 0027-8424
PURE UUID: 0838a253-7d93-47f0-8b17-f0e34c20316d

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Date deposited: 15 Sep 2015 09:02
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 21:13

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Contributors

Author: R.B. Aronson
Author: K.E. Smith
Author: S.C. Vos
Author: J.B. McClintock
Author: M.O. Amsler
Author: P.O. Moksnes
Author: D.S. Ellis
Author: J.W. Kaeli
Author: H. Singh
Author: J.W. Bailey
Author: J.C. Schiferl
Author: R. van Woesik
Author: M.A. Martin
Author: B.V. Steffel
Author: M.E. Deal
Author: S.M. Lazarus
Author: J.N. Havenhand
Author: R. Swalethorp
Author: S. Kjellerup
Author: S. Thatje

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