Megabenthic ecology of the Angolan continental slope

Abstract

The structure of deep-water benthic systems off Angola is poorly known. This thesis presents new information on the present-day spatial structure of epifaunal megabenthic communities from the Angolan continental slope using seabed imagery and environmental data obtained across a range of depths extending from 300 to 2500 m. At broader spatial scale, communities associated with soft sedimentary habitats on the upper to lower slope showed strong depth-related structuring. Evolutionary influences and ecological controls, such as food availability, hydrodynamic conditions, and dissolved oxygen concentrations were proposed to influence these patterns at different spatial and temporal extents. The study of the ecological and morphological characteristics of cold-water coral mounds along the upper continental slope highlighted the importance of habitat-forming scleractinian species in providing habitat heterogeneity and increasing regional diversity. The preliminary analysis of acoustic and photographic data collected on the lower slope revealed a variety of geomorphological and geochemical features on a wide range of scales that increased habitat heterogeneity. The regional-scale review of Angolan deep-water systems showed major gaps in our understanding of Angolan deep-water ecology. The data presented in this study contribute to filling some of those gaps, while simultaneously providing quantitative data for environmental managers and conservationists.

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ORCID for Phillip Fenberg: orcid.org/0000-0003-4474-176X

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