The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Rapid changes and long-term cycles in the benthic megafaunal community observed over 24years in the abyssal northeast Pacific

Rapid changes and long-term cycles in the benthic megafaunal community observed over 24years in the abyssal northeast Pacific
Rapid changes and long-term cycles in the benthic megafaunal community observed over 24years in the abyssal northeast Pacific
The abyssal seafloor community in the NE Pacific (Station M, ?4000 m depth) was studied between 2006 and 2012 using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) as part of a continuing 24-year time-series study. New patterns continue to emerge showing that the deep-sea can be dynamic on short time scales, rather than static over long periods. In just over 2 years the community shifted from a sessile, suspension-feeding, sponge-dominated community to a mobile, detritus-feeding, sea cucumber-dominated assemblage. In 2006 megafaunal diversity (Simpson’s Diversity Index, SDI) was high, yet the community was depauperate in terms of density compared to later periods. Over an 18-month period beginning in spring 2011, the densities of mobile organisms increased by nearly an order of magnitude while diversity decreased below 2006 levels. In late 2012 four sea cucumbers (two Peniagone spp., Elpidia sp. A, and Scotoplanes globosa) were at the highest densities recorded since investigations began at Station M in 1989. For a group of 10 echinoderms investigated over the entire study period, we saw evidence of a long-term cycle spanning 2 decades. These changes can be tied to a variable food supply originating in shallow water. Large variations over decadal-scales indicate that remote abyssal communities are dynamic and likely subject to impacts from anthropogenic changes like ocean warming, acidification, and pollution manifested in the upper ocean. The degree of dynamism indicates that one-time or short-term investigations are not sufficient for assessing biological community structure in conservation or exploitation studies in the deep sea.
0079-6611
1-11
Kuhnz, Linda A.
befd3e56-3c8f-442b-9080-bb9de02fc9df
Ruhl, Henry A.
177608ef-7793-4911-86cf-cd9960ff22b6
Huffard, Christine L.
888a9c43-4643-4865-9c70-0b324f42d54b
Smith, Kenneth L.
c282f721-59cf-4caa-a344-f4a26f6b534c
Kuhnz, Linda A.
befd3e56-3c8f-442b-9080-bb9de02fc9df
Ruhl, Henry A.
177608ef-7793-4911-86cf-cd9960ff22b6
Huffard, Christine L.
888a9c43-4643-4865-9c70-0b324f42d54b
Smith, Kenneth L.
c282f721-59cf-4caa-a344-f4a26f6b534c

Kuhnz, Linda A., Ruhl, Henry A., Huffard, Christine L. and Smith, Kenneth L. (2014) Rapid changes and long-term cycles in the benthic megafaunal community observed over 24years in the abyssal northeast Pacific. Progress in Oceanography, 124, 1-11. (doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2014.04.007).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The abyssal seafloor community in the NE Pacific (Station M, ?4000 m depth) was studied between 2006 and 2012 using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) as part of a continuing 24-year time-series study. New patterns continue to emerge showing that the deep-sea can be dynamic on short time scales, rather than static over long periods. In just over 2 years the community shifted from a sessile, suspension-feeding, sponge-dominated community to a mobile, detritus-feeding, sea cucumber-dominated assemblage. In 2006 megafaunal diversity (Simpson’s Diversity Index, SDI) was high, yet the community was depauperate in terms of density compared to later periods. Over an 18-month period beginning in spring 2011, the densities of mobile organisms increased by nearly an order of magnitude while diversity decreased below 2006 levels. In late 2012 four sea cucumbers (two Peniagone spp., Elpidia sp. A, and Scotoplanes globosa) were at the highest densities recorded since investigations began at Station M in 1989. For a group of 10 echinoderms investigated over the entire study period, we saw evidence of a long-term cycle spanning 2 decades. These changes can be tied to a variable food supply originating in shallow water. Large variations over decadal-scales indicate that remote abyssal communities are dynamic and likely subject to impacts from anthropogenic changes like ocean warming, acidification, and pollution manifested in the upper ocean. The degree of dynamism indicates that one-time or short-term investigations are not sufficient for assessing biological community structure in conservation or exploitation studies in the deep sea.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: May 2014
Organisations: Marine Biogeochemistry

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 365541
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/365541
ISSN: 0079-6611
PURE UUID: 1a667346-51ef-4fba-b06f-7d6f491608b3

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 09 Jun 2014 13:58
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 16:57

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Linda A. Kuhnz
Author: Henry A. Ruhl
Author: Christine L. Huffard
Author: Kenneth L. Smith

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×