Shelf ice-associated cryo-benthos and environmental features

• Main Authors: Bornemann, Horst, Held, Christoph, Arndt, Jan Erik, Bester, Marthán N., Dorschel, Boris, Gerdes, Dieter, Gutt, Julian, Knust, Rainer, Nachtsheim, Dominik A., Oosthuizen, Christiaan W. C., Owsianowski, Nils, Plötz, Joachim, Richter, Claudio, Ryan, Svenja, Schröder, Michael, Sieger, Rainer, Steinhage, Daniel, Wesche, Christine
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Antarc*; Arctic; Ice Shelf; Ice Shelves; Larsen Ice Shelf; Riiser Larsen Ice Shelf; Riiser-Larsen Ice Shelf; Weddell Sea
• Online Access: https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/47651/; https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/47651/1/Bornemann-etal_SCAR_2018_06_01.pdf; https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.87d5501f-d155-4faa-a94d-9e1d907a98fa

Incidences of cryo-benthic communities beneath ice shelves are rare and recent discoveries. Combined seal- and ROV-borne imagery and novel sampling technologies allowed for a re-assessment and augmentation of earlier findings on a cryo-benthic isopod community (Antarcturus cf. spinacoronatus), being attached head-down to the underside of floating shelf ice at depths of around 80-150m. The shelf ice-associated cryo-benthos was discovered at Drescher Inlet (-72.83667 -19.15300), Riiser-Larsen Ice Shelf (eastern Weddell Sea). The inlet constitutes a 25km long and between 2 and 4km wide crack in the surrounding shelf ice, which is associated with certain environmental features. Here we compile all available local physical, biological, and biogeochemical data and discuss their relevance in the wider regional context for this faunal hotspot. These include data on shelf, sea and platelet ice, seafloor topography, hydrography and water chemistry, as well as associated pelagic and benthic marine life, in particular affinities of the cryo-benthic isopod community to related fauna occurring in nearby seabed communities using molecular barcoding.