Journal ArticleDOI
Habitat heterogeneity, disturbance, and productivity work in concert to regulate biodiversity in deep submarine canyons
Craig R. McClain,James P. Barry +1 more
TLDR
The findings indicated that multiple linked processes related to habitat heterogeneity, ecosystem engineering, and bottom-up dynamics are important to deep-sea biodiversity.Abstract:
Habitat heterogeneity is a major structuring agent of ecological assemblages promoting beta diversity and ultimately contributing to overall higher global diversity. The exact processes by which heterogeneity increases diversity are scale dependent and encompass variation in other well-known processes, e.g., productivity, disturbance, and temperature. Thus, habitat heterogeneity likely triggers multiple and cascading diversity effects through ecological assemblages. Submarine canyons, a pervasive feature of the world's oceans, likely increase habitat heterogeneity at multiple spatial scales similar to their terrestrial analogues. However, our understanding of how processes regulating diversity, and the potential for cascading effects within these important topographic features, remains incomplete. Utilizing remote-operated vehicles (ROVs) for coring and video transects, we quantified faunal turnover in the deep-sea benthos at a rarely examined scale (1 m-1 km). Macrofaunal community structure, megafaunal density, carbon flux, and sediment characteristics were analyzed for the soft-bottom benthos at the base of cliff faces in Monterey Canyon (northeast Pacific Ocean) at three depths. We documented a remarkable degree of faunal turnover and changes in overall community structure at scales < 100 m, and often < 10 m, related to geographic features of a canyon complex. Ultimately, our findings indicated that multiple linked processes related to habitat heterogeneity, ecosystem engineering, and bottom-up dynamics are important to deep-sea biodiversity.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Chronic and intensive bottom trawling impairs deep-sea biodiversity and ecosystem functioning
Antonio Pusceddu,Silvia Bianchelli,Jacobo Martín,Pere Puig,Albert Palanques,Pere Masqué,Roberto Danovaro +6 more
TL;DR: It is shown here that bottom trawling along continental slopes has a major impact on deep-sea sedimentary ecosystems, causing their degradation and infaunal depauperation.
Journal ArticleDOI
Challenging the paradigms of deep-sea ecology
TL;DR: This work redefined deep-sea ecology and the role of Earth's largest biome in global biosphere functioning, and recognized greater habitat complexity, new ecological interactions and the importance of 'dark energy', and chemosynthetic production in fuelling biodiversity.
Journal ArticleDOI
Ecological Role of Submarine Canyons and Need for Canyon Conservation: A Review
U. Fernandez-Arcaya,Eva Ramirez-Llodra,Jacopo Aguzzi,A. Louise Allcock,Jaime S. Davies,Awantha Dissanayake,Peter T. Harris,Kerry L. Howell,Veerle A.I. Huvenne,Miles Macmillan-Lawler,Jacobo Martín,Lenaick Menot,Martha S. Nizinski,Pere Puig,Ashley A. Rowden,Florence Sanchez,Inge van den Beld +16 more
TL;DR: In this paper, a review of the ecological status of canyons and current and future issues for canyon conservation is presented, highlighting the need for a better understanding of anthropogenic impacts on canyon ecosystems and proposes other research required to inform management measures to protect canyon ecosystems.
Journal ArticleDOI
Understanding continental margin biodiversity: a new imperative.
Lisa A. Levin,Myriam Sibuet +1 more
TL;DR: Until recently, the deep continental margins (200-4,000 m) were perceived as monotonous mud slopes of limited ecological or environmental concern, but progress in seafloor mapping and direct observation now reveals unexpected heterogeneity, with a mosaic of habitats and ecosystems linked to geomorphic, geochemical, and hydrographic features that influence biotic diversity.
Journal ArticleDOI
Connectivity and stability of mesophotic coral reefs
TL;DR: The connectivity and trophic relationships between the shallow and mesophotic coral reefs, the potential role of MCEs as refugia, and the effects of a new biological invader are reviewed to expose critical gaps in the understanding of the stability of these ecosystems.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
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Journal ArticleDOI
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