Vertical zonation of benthic invertebrates in the intertidal zone of Antarctica (Admiralty Bay, King George Island)

Abstract The Antarctic Peninsula is undergoing rapid change due to global warming, including air and water temperature increases. Fauna inhabiting the intertidal zone are particularly exposed to warming impacts, as they are subjected to high variations in both terrestrial and marine environmental se...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Antarctic Science
Main Authors: Chelchowski, Maciej, Balazy, Piotr, Grzelak, Katarzyna, Grzelak, Lukasz, Kędra, Monika, Legezynska, Joanna, Kuklinski, Piotr
Other Authors: Narodowe Centrum Nauki
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2021
Subjects:
Geology
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Oceanography
Antarctic
The Antarctic
Antarctic Peninsula
King George Island
Admiralty Bay
Antarc*
Antarctic Science
Antarctica
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s095410202100047x
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S095410202100047X
Description
Summary:Abstract The Antarctic Peninsula is undergoing rapid change due to global warming, including air and water temperature increases. Fauna inhabiting the intertidal zone are particularly exposed to warming impacts, as they are subjected to high variations in both terrestrial and marine environmental settings. This study aimed to assess intertidal macrofaunal and meiofaunal biodiversity, tidal height-related assemblage structural patterns and their responses to variability in environmental parameters on King George Island. A total of 39 macrofaunal taxa were identified, with polychaetes and amphipods being the most diverse groups and gastropods, amphipods and bivalves being the most abundant. In the case of meiofauna, 16 taxa were found, mainly nematodes, copepod nauplii and harpacticoids. There was a significant decrease in the number of species, abundance and biomass for both macrofauna and meiofauna with increasing tidal height. Our investigation documented highly diverse and abundant fauna in the Antarctic intertidal zone. With its thriving life, it could serve as a perfect model system for detecting climate change impacts on local biodiversity. Therefore, we propose the Antarctic intertidal zone as a suitable habitat for monitoring these changes.

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