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Possible effects of global environmental changes on Antarctic benthos: a synthesis across five major taxa

Possible effects of global environmental changes on Antarctic benthos: a synthesis across five major taxa
Possible effects of global environmental changes on Antarctic benthos: a synthesis across five major taxa
Because of the unique conditions that exist around the Antarctic continent, Southern Ocean (SO) ecosystems are very susceptible to the growing impact of global climate change and other anthropogenic influences. Consequently, there is an urgent need to understand how SO marine life will cope with expected future changes in the environment. Studies of Antarctic organisms have shown that individual species and higher taxa display different degrees of sensitivity to environmental shifts, making it difficult to predict overall community or ecosystem responses. This emphasizes the need for an improved understanding of the Antarctic benthic ecosystem response to global climate change using a multitaxon approach with consideration of different levels of biological organization. Here, we provide a synthesis of the ability of five important Antarctic benthic taxa (Foraminifera, Nematoda, Amphipoda, Isopoda, and Echinoidea) to cope with changes in the environment (temperature, pH, ice cover, ice scouring, food quantity, and quality) that are linked to climatic changes. Responses from individual to the taxon-specific community level to these drivers will vary with taxon but will include local species extinctions, invasions of warmer-water species, shifts in diversity, dominance, and trophic group composition, all with likely consequences for ecosystem functioning. Limitations in our current knowledge and understanding of climate change effects on the different levels are discussed.
Amphipoda, Echinoidea, Foraminifera, global climate change, Isopoda, Nematoda, Southern Ocean, zoobenthos
453-485
Ingels, Jeroen
5dbcfa51-def6-499e-b322-7d8709e3a672
Vanreusel, Ann
29065a5d-c818-44d7-a81a-dac4da45b09e
Brandt, Angelika
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Catarino, Ana I.
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David, Bruno
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De Ridder, Chantal
b9bc91eb-b1d3-476b-822a-7bfce8bf0986
Dubois, Philippe
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Gooday, Andrew J.
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Martin, Patrick
ce9f52ad-2241-4ae1-b67a-2772a7b07556
Pasotti, Francesca
be347c55-e1a7-4b7c-b3f5-242bbdbcca32
Robert, Henri
e63026f5-3959-4fa6-88de-b6f864e3ac0d
Ingels, Jeroen
5dbcfa51-def6-499e-b322-7d8709e3a672
Vanreusel, Ann
29065a5d-c818-44d7-a81a-dac4da45b09e
Brandt, Angelika
8548bf3b-0c2d-4b6d-837c-230bcc862dab
Catarino, Ana I.
70ee87bd-9d0a-4f3b-876d-482c633ecb9c
David, Bruno
4dff87a7-0a52-47cf-b1e2-b8a77e11bd8e
De Ridder, Chantal
b9bc91eb-b1d3-476b-822a-7bfce8bf0986
Dubois, Philippe
58f78934-8dde-49eb-a600-b76033b89a0e
Gooday, Andrew J.
d9331d67-d518-4cfb-baed-9df3333b05b9
Martin, Patrick
ce9f52ad-2241-4ae1-b67a-2772a7b07556
Pasotti, Francesca
be347c55-e1a7-4b7c-b3f5-242bbdbcca32
Robert, Henri
e63026f5-3959-4fa6-88de-b6f864e3ac0d

Ingels, Jeroen, Vanreusel, Ann, Brandt, Angelika, Catarino, Ana I., David, Bruno, De Ridder, Chantal, Dubois, Philippe, Gooday, Andrew J., Martin, Patrick, Pasotti, Francesca and Robert, Henri (2012) Possible effects of global environmental changes on Antarctic benthos: a synthesis across five major taxa. Ecology and Evolution, 2 (2), 453-485. (doi:10.1002/ece3.96).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Because of the unique conditions that exist around the Antarctic continent, Southern Ocean (SO) ecosystems are very susceptible to the growing impact of global climate change and other anthropogenic influences. Consequently, there is an urgent need to understand how SO marine life will cope with expected future changes in the environment. Studies of Antarctic organisms have shown that individual species and higher taxa display different degrees of sensitivity to environmental shifts, making it difficult to predict overall community or ecosystem responses. This emphasizes the need for an improved understanding of the Antarctic benthic ecosystem response to global climate change using a multitaxon approach with consideration of different levels of biological organization. Here, we provide a synthesis of the ability of five important Antarctic benthic taxa (Foraminifera, Nematoda, Amphipoda, Isopoda, and Echinoidea) to cope with changes in the environment (temperature, pH, ice cover, ice scouring, food quantity, and quality) that are linked to climatic changes. Responses from individual to the taxon-specific community level to these drivers will vary with taxon but will include local species extinctions, invasions of warmer-water species, shifts in diversity, dominance, and trophic group composition, all with likely consequences for ecosystem functioning. Limitations in our current knowledge and understanding of climate change effects on the different levels are discussed.

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More information

Published date: February 2012
Keywords: Amphipoda, Echinoidea, Foraminifera, global climate change, Isopoda, Nematoda, Southern Ocean, zoobenthos
Organisations: Marine Biogeochemistry

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 301344
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/301344
PURE UUID: 94c30a64-edaa-4b4d-959d-3ef6f372e881

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Date deposited: 29 Feb 2012 17:22
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 10:29

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Contributors

Author: Jeroen Ingels
Author: Ann Vanreusel
Author: Angelika Brandt
Author: Ana I. Catarino
Author: Bruno David
Author: Chantal De Ridder
Author: Philippe Dubois
Author: Andrew J. Gooday
Author: Patrick Martin
Author: Francesca Pasotti
Author: Henri Robert

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