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Biodiversity of macrofaunal assemblages from three Portuguese submarine canyons (NE Atlantic)

Biodiversity of macrofaunal assemblages from three Portuguese submarine canyons (NE Atlantic)
Biodiversity of macrofaunal assemblages from three Portuguese submarine canyons (NE Atlantic)
The macrofaunal assemblages from three Portuguese submarine canyons, Nazaré, Cascais and Setúbal were studied from samples collected at their upper (900–1000 m), middle (3200–3500 m) and lower sections (4200–4500 m) and at the adjacent open slopes (?1000 m), during the HERMES cruises D297 (R.R.S. Discovery, 2005) CD179 (R.R.S. Charles Darwin, 2006) and 64PE252 (R.V. Pelagia, 2006). The taxonomic composition and patterns in biodiversity, abundance and community structure of the benthic macrofauna were described. Annelida (42.1% of total abundance; 137 species) and Arthropoda (20.6%; 162 species) were, respectively, the most abundant and the most species-rich Phyla among the 342 taxa identified during this study. Multivariate analyses showed significant differences between and within canyons and between canyons and open slope assemblages. At their upper section, canyons supported higher macrofauna abundance but slightly lower biodiversity than the adjacent slopes at similar depth. In all canyons abundance reached the highest value in the middle section and the lowest in the upper section, with marked fluctuations in Nazaré (474–4599 ind. m?2) and lower variability in Cascais (583–1125 ind. m?2). The high abundance and dominance of the assemblages in the middle section of Nazaré and Setúbal was accompanied by depressed biodiversity, while in Cascais, Hurlbert's expected species richness showed increasing values from the upper to the middle canyon, and maintained the high values at the lower section. Overall, the Nazaré Canyon showed the lowest expected species richness (ES(100): 16–39) and the Cascais Canyon the highest (39–54). There was a significant negative Kendall's correlation between total organic carbon concentrations in the superficial sediments and ES(100) and a significant positive correlation between total nitrogen and macrofauna density. The influences of organic enrichment, sediment heterogeneity and hydrodynamic regime on the abundance, diversity and community structure of the macrofauna are discussed. It is suggested that altered and localised environmental conditions in the Portuguese canyons play an important role in modifying more common abundance and diversity bathymetric patterns evident in many continental slope environments.
Submarine canyons, Biodiversity, Macrofauna, Deep-sea, Environmental conditions
0967-0645
2433-2447
Cunha, Marina R.
f97b25ca-1a36-47ae-a48b-43800a6a6d51
Paterson, Gordon L.J.
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Amaro, Teresa
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Blackbird, Sabena
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de Stigter, Henko C.
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Ferreira, Clarisse
a53c11a2-5d50-4e21-9b8a-46aa2c1df51c
Glover, Adrian
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Hilário, Ana
6a4fd628-3152-4dc1-b2b1-16f7a31b92f9
Kiriakoulakis, Konstadinos
8bca3454-1cd7-4ecc-b5a6-27a99b8836fd
Neal, Lenka
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Ravara, Ascensão
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Rodrigues, Clara F.
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Tiago, Áurea
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Billett, David S.M.
aab439e2-c839-4cd2-815c-3d401e0468db
Cunha, Marina R.
f97b25ca-1a36-47ae-a48b-43800a6a6d51
Paterson, Gordon L.J.
89e5407e-14a9-49f8-a5ca-971e1a9cb991
Amaro, Teresa
9f7fe037-42c9-4262-b020-f934b921a5e6
Blackbird, Sabena
7d07eab9-5745-4697-920e-de1ea0e972c0
de Stigter, Henko C.
331d4b64-91d8-451a-a65a-60436fcdf70d
Ferreira, Clarisse
a53c11a2-5d50-4e21-9b8a-46aa2c1df51c
Glover, Adrian
577928b1-4bb5-418c-ab84-2b85a011a1e1
Hilário, Ana
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Kiriakoulakis, Konstadinos
8bca3454-1cd7-4ecc-b5a6-27a99b8836fd
Neal, Lenka
5614d58b-de08-43a1-85d5-9baa8ed9c7c2
Ravara, Ascensão
62784668-b2a3-46bb-8dc7-66a5306642f1
Rodrigues, Clara F.
4bb1de95-9ea9-4439-8e60-5be88fa825ca
Tiago, Áurea
db8ef1c4-6a17-43f1-aec9-ceb734a91480
Billett, David S.M.
aab439e2-c839-4cd2-815c-3d401e0468db

Cunha, Marina R., Paterson, Gordon L.J., Amaro, Teresa, Blackbird, Sabena, de Stigter, Henko C., Ferreira, Clarisse, Glover, Adrian, Hilário, Ana, Kiriakoulakis, Konstadinos, Neal, Lenka, Ravara, Ascensão, Rodrigues, Clara F., Tiago, Áurea and Billett, David S.M. (2011) Biodiversity of macrofaunal assemblages from three Portuguese submarine canyons (NE Atlantic). Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 58 (23-24), 2433-2447. (doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2011.04.007).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The macrofaunal assemblages from three Portuguese submarine canyons, Nazaré, Cascais and Setúbal were studied from samples collected at their upper (900–1000 m), middle (3200–3500 m) and lower sections (4200–4500 m) and at the adjacent open slopes (?1000 m), during the HERMES cruises D297 (R.R.S. Discovery, 2005) CD179 (R.R.S. Charles Darwin, 2006) and 64PE252 (R.V. Pelagia, 2006). The taxonomic composition and patterns in biodiversity, abundance and community structure of the benthic macrofauna were described. Annelida (42.1% of total abundance; 137 species) and Arthropoda (20.6%; 162 species) were, respectively, the most abundant and the most species-rich Phyla among the 342 taxa identified during this study. Multivariate analyses showed significant differences between and within canyons and between canyons and open slope assemblages. At their upper section, canyons supported higher macrofauna abundance but slightly lower biodiversity than the adjacent slopes at similar depth. In all canyons abundance reached the highest value in the middle section and the lowest in the upper section, with marked fluctuations in Nazaré (474–4599 ind. m?2) and lower variability in Cascais (583–1125 ind. m?2). The high abundance and dominance of the assemblages in the middle section of Nazaré and Setúbal was accompanied by depressed biodiversity, while in Cascais, Hurlbert's expected species richness showed increasing values from the upper to the middle canyon, and maintained the high values at the lower section. Overall, the Nazaré Canyon showed the lowest expected species richness (ES(100): 16–39) and the Cascais Canyon the highest (39–54). There was a significant negative Kendall's correlation between total organic carbon concentrations in the superficial sediments and ES(100) and a significant positive correlation between total nitrogen and macrofauna density. The influences of organic enrichment, sediment heterogeneity and hydrodynamic regime on the abundance, diversity and community structure of the macrofauna are discussed. It is suggested that altered and localised environmental conditions in the Portuguese canyons play an important role in modifying more common abundance and diversity bathymetric patterns evident in many continental slope environments.

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More information

Published date: 1 December 2011
Keywords: Submarine canyons, Biodiversity, Macrofauna, Deep-sea, Environmental conditions
Organisations: Marine Biogeochemistry

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 201441
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/201441
ISSN: 0967-0645
PURE UUID: b0f8b033-d02e-406e-a9e8-b38379a2464e

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Date deposited: 27 Oct 2011 14:34
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 04:22

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Contributors

Author: Marina R. Cunha
Author: Gordon L.J. Paterson
Author: Teresa Amaro
Author: Sabena Blackbird
Author: Henko C. de Stigter
Author: Clarisse Ferreira
Author: Adrian Glover
Author: Ana Hilário
Author: Konstadinos Kiriakoulakis
Author: Lenka Neal
Author: Ascensão Ravara
Author: Clara F. Rodrigues
Author: Áurea Tiago
Author: David S.M. Billett

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