Biodiversity change after climate-induced ice-shelf collapse in the Antarctic.

• Published in: Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography
• Main Authors: Gutt, Julian, Barratt, Iain, Domack, Eugene, D'Udekem D'Acoz, Cédric, Dimmler, Werner, Grémare, Antoine, Heilmayer, Olaf, Isla, Enrique, Janussen, Dorte, Jorgensen, Elaina, Kock, Karl-Hermann, Lehnert, Linn Sophia, López-Gonzáles, Pablo, Langner, Stephanie, Linse, Katrin, Manjón-Cabeza, Maria Eugenia, Meißner, Meike, Montiel, Americo, Raes, Maarten, Robert, Henri, Rose, Armin, Sañé Schepisi, Elisabet, Saucède, Thomas, Scheidat, Meike, Schenke, Hans-Werner, Seiler, Jan, Smith, Craig
• Other Authors: Department of Bentho-pelagic processes, Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI), School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast (QUB), Department of Geosciences, Hamilton College, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), FIELAX GmbH, Environnements et Paléoenvironnements OCéaniques (EPOC), Observatoire aquitain des sciences de l'univers (OASU), Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institute of Marine Sciences / Institut de Ciències del Mar Barcelona (ICM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Madrid (CSIC), Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, School of Oceanography Seattle, University of Washington Seattle, Institute for Sea Fisheries, Johann Heinrich von Thüne Institute, Research and Technology Centre, University of Kiel, Department of Physiology and Zoology, University of Sevilla, British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Department of Animal Biology, Universidad de Málaga Málaga = University of Málaga Málaga, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Instituto de la Patagonia, Universidad de Magellanes, Marine Biology Section, Universiteit Gent = Ghent University Belgium (UGENT), German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research Wilhelmshaven, Allemagne (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, Biogéosciences UMR 6282 Dijon (BGS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Bourgogne (UB)-AgroSup Dijon - Institut National Supérieur des Sciences Agronomiques, de l'Alimentation et de l'Environnement, Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai‘i Mānoa (UHM), Financial support of ANT XXIII/8 Polarstern expedition by CAML, BIANZO II, UMAC, DFG and of L.M. Gould and N.B. Palmer expeditions by NSF.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2011
• Subjects: Antarctic Peninsula; Benthos; Krill; Apex predators; Pioneer species; Deep-sea species; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; [SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity; [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Ice Shelf; Ice Shelves; Iceberg*
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00567592; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2010.05.024

10 pages International audience The marine ecosystem on the eastern shelf of the Antarctic Peninsula was surveyed 5 and 12 years after the climate-induced collapse of the Larsen A and B ice shelves. An impoverished benthic fauna was discovered, that included deep-sea species presumed to be remnants from ice-covered conditions. The current structure of various ecosystem components appears to result from extremely different response rates to the change from an oligotrophic sub-ice-shelf ecosystem to a productive shelf ecosystem. Meiobenthic communities remained impoverished only inside the embayments. On local scales, macro- and mega-epibenthic diversity was generally low, with pioneer species and typical Antarctic megabenthic shelf species interspersed. Antarctic Minke whales and seals utilised the Larsen A/B area to feed on presumably newly established krill and pelagic fish biomass. Ecosystem impacts also extended well beyond the zone of ice-shelf collapse, with areas of high benthic disturbance resulting from scour by icebergs discharged from the Larsen embayments.