A benthic richness hotspot in the Southern Ocean: slope and shelf cryptic benthos of Shag Rocks
Abstract Shelf and slope cryptofauna were sampled at the most northerly shelf environments within the Southern Ocean, Shag Rocks. The area is remarkably rich, with seven phyla, 10 classes, 40 families and 81 species on 0.36 m 2 of shelf boulders. A large proportion of genera and species found had no...
Published in: | Antarctic Science |
---|---|
Main Author: | |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
2008
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102008001089 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102008001089 |
id |
crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0954102008001089 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0954102008001089 2024-04-07T07:47:33+00:00 A benthic richness hotspot in the Southern Ocean: slope and shelf cryptic benthos of Shag Rocks Barnes, David K.A. 2008 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102008001089 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102008001089 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Antarctic Science volume 20, issue 3, page 263-270 ISSN 0954-1020 1365-2079 Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography journal-article 2008 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954102008001089 2024-03-08T00:30:44Z Abstract Shelf and slope cryptofauna were sampled at the most northerly shelf environments within the Southern Ocean, Shag Rocks. The area is remarkably rich, with seven phyla, 10 classes, 40 families and 81 species on 0.36 m 2 of shelf boulders. A large proportion of genera and species found had not been seen there before, some were new to science and species accumulation curves did not approach an asymptote. Current estimates of benthic diversity are clearly still too low if even well studied locations and depths reveal so much novelty with such little sample effort. Proportions of new species were higher in slope samples showing how little we know of this important depth. Significantly, life was just as rich and, surprisingly, abundant on boulders from continental slope depths. Clearly there are places where the continental slope around Antarctica harbours a wealth of species with potential to resupply the shelf if life was ‘bulldozed’ off it by past ice shelf expansions during glacial maxima. Some species on boulders from 1500 m also occur as shallow as the Antarctic intertidal zone. That this rich fauna was ‘Antarctic’ in character shows the extremes, e.g. sea temperature (> 4°C in summer), that they can adapt to given long enough time periods. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Science Antarctica Ice Shelf Southern Ocean Cambridge University Press Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Shag Rocks ENVELOPE(-42.033,-42.033,-53.550,-53.550) Antarctic Science 20 3 263 270 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography |
spellingShingle |
Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography Barnes, David K.A. A benthic richness hotspot in the Southern Ocean: slope and shelf cryptic benthos of Shag Rocks |
topic_facet |
Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography |
description |
Abstract Shelf and slope cryptofauna were sampled at the most northerly shelf environments within the Southern Ocean, Shag Rocks. The area is remarkably rich, with seven phyla, 10 classes, 40 families and 81 species on 0.36 m 2 of shelf boulders. A large proportion of genera and species found had not been seen there before, some were new to science and species accumulation curves did not approach an asymptote. Current estimates of benthic diversity are clearly still too low if even well studied locations and depths reveal so much novelty with such little sample effort. Proportions of new species were higher in slope samples showing how little we know of this important depth. Significantly, life was just as rich and, surprisingly, abundant on boulders from continental slope depths. Clearly there are places where the continental slope around Antarctica harbours a wealth of species with potential to resupply the shelf if life was ‘bulldozed’ off it by past ice shelf expansions during glacial maxima. Some species on boulders from 1500 m also occur as shallow as the Antarctic intertidal zone. That this rich fauna was ‘Antarctic’ in character shows the extremes, e.g. sea temperature (> 4°C in summer), that they can adapt to given long enough time periods. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Barnes, David K.A. |
author_facet |
Barnes, David K.A. |
author_sort |
Barnes, David K.A. |
title |
A benthic richness hotspot in the Southern Ocean: slope and shelf cryptic benthos of Shag Rocks |
title_short |
A benthic richness hotspot in the Southern Ocean: slope and shelf cryptic benthos of Shag Rocks |
title_full |
A benthic richness hotspot in the Southern Ocean: slope and shelf cryptic benthos of Shag Rocks |
title_fullStr |
A benthic richness hotspot in the Southern Ocean: slope and shelf cryptic benthos of Shag Rocks |
title_full_unstemmed |
A benthic richness hotspot in the Southern Ocean: slope and shelf cryptic benthos of Shag Rocks |
title_sort |
benthic richness hotspot in the southern ocean: slope and shelf cryptic benthos of shag rocks |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102008001089 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102008001089 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-42.033,-42.033,-53.550,-53.550) |
geographic |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Shag Rocks |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Shag Rocks |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Science Antarctica Ice Shelf Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Science Antarctica Ice Shelf Southern Ocean |
op_source |
Antarctic Science volume 20, issue 3, page 263-270 ISSN 0954-1020 1365-2079 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954102008001089 |
container_title |
Antarctic Science |
container_volume |
20 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
263 |
op_container_end_page |
270 |
_version_ |
1795674673893081088 |